| Interview with S. A. Harazin |
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My
name is Jen, and I'll be your server toda...oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out
of your writing schedule--which I'm sure is busy!--and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
I am excited you asked me!
Let's get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
I have always been a writer. It is part of who I am.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
After I finished high school, I went to nursing school and then worked for many years. When I finally started
writing for publication, I had many years of experience to pull from. It took me over ten years to get a book
contract, and it was on the third novel I had written.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing
about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
BLOOD BROTHERS is about a hospital orderly and his best friend who ends up on life support after
something happens at a party. My main character tries to find out what occurred, but everybody lies to
him. He is accused of hurting his friend because he shows up after the party is over. I think this book will
appeal to fans of HOUSE and GREY'S ANATOMY.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My husband and kids are my greatest inspiration.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My husband, Tom, owns his own business. My son is a junior in college majoring in physics. His research
is forthcoming in an academic publication. My oldest daughter, a high school senior, is a fantastic artist.
Her artwork recently won a national contest. She hopes to attend her dream college and major in
chemistry or physics. My youngest, a junior in high school, is a math whiz. They are thrilled for me.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
I like coffee with lots of cream and sugar, but I play video games for comfort.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I have coffee, read my email, and then check the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Board.
( http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php) I am one of the administrators. It is a great board for support,
information sharing, and discussing writing.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
The human-like robot standing in the corner of the closet is somewhat creepy. At one time, it walked and
talked. My oldest son and friends built it when he was in the sixth grade for a science project. I cannot get
rid of it, but I do not know what to do with it. Do you need a robot?
Everyone asks the question about "if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Green. Green is cool, peaceful, and relaxing. It reminds me of nature and life.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I used to like Space Ghost because he was funny. The cartoon character most like me is probably Tweety.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history,
where and when would it be--and why?
I would go back to 1930 and see if my dad really walked three miles barefoot to school in the snow and
carried his lunch (leftover cornbread) in a lard bucket.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I listen to light rock most of the time. I like Elton John, Kelly Clarkston, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and
many other artists. I sometimes listen to music while I am writing to get me into different moods.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
I enjoy House, Grey's Anatomy, and Stargate. I have watched Back to the Future, Spiderman, and
Napoleon Dynamite over and over again. I do not remember the last movie I saw at a theater.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
I am terrible at advice. I think I would say, "You know you are our future, right?"
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I have a blank contract for book number two from Delacorte.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thank you!
name is Jen, and I'll be your server toda...oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out
of your writing schedule--which I'm sure is busy!--and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
I am excited you asked me!
Let's get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
I have always been a writer. It is part of who I am.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
After I finished high school, I went to nursing school and then worked for many years. When I finally started
writing for publication, I had many years of experience to pull from. It took me over ten years to get a book
contract, and it was on the third novel I had written.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing
about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
BLOOD BROTHERS is about a hospital orderly and his best friend who ends up on life support after
something happens at a party. My main character tries to find out what occurred, but everybody lies to
him. He is accused of hurting his friend because he shows up after the party is over. I think this book will
appeal to fans of HOUSE and GREY'S ANATOMY.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My husband and kids are my greatest inspiration.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My husband, Tom, owns his own business. My son is a junior in college majoring in physics. His research
is forthcoming in an academic publication. My oldest daughter, a high school senior, is a fantastic artist.
Her artwork recently won a national contest. She hopes to attend her dream college and major in
chemistry or physics. My youngest, a junior in high school, is a math whiz. They are thrilled for me.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
I like coffee with lots of cream and sugar, but I play video games for comfort.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I have coffee, read my email, and then check the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Board.
( http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php) I am one of the administrators. It is a great board for support,
information sharing, and discussing writing.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
The human-like robot standing in the corner of the closet is somewhat creepy. At one time, it walked and
talked. My oldest son and friends built it when he was in the sixth grade for a science project. I cannot get
rid of it, but I do not know what to do with it. Do you need a robot?
Everyone asks the question about "if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Green. Green is cool, peaceful, and relaxing. It reminds me of nature and life.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I used to like Space Ghost because he was funny. The cartoon character most like me is probably Tweety.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history,
where and when would it be--and why?
I would go back to 1930 and see if my dad really walked three miles barefoot to school in the snow and
carried his lunch (leftover cornbread) in a lard bucket.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I listen to light rock most of the time. I like Elton John, Kelly Clarkston, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and
many other artists. I sometimes listen to music while I am writing to get me into different moods.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
I enjoy House, Grey's Anatomy, and Stargate. I have watched Back to the Future, Spiderman, and
Napoleon Dynamite over and over again. I do not remember the last movie I saw at a theater.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
I am terrible at advice. I think I would say, "You know you are our future, right?"
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I have a blank contract for book number two from Delacorte.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thank you!