Will any of your books be made into a movie?

There are no current contracts for movies to be made of any of my books. All authors secretly (or not so secretly) wish to see their books on the big screen and I feel the same way. If you want to see a particular book of mine become a movie, the best thing you can do is to recommend it to others. Movie studios take more notice of popular books, so those recommendations do help. When there is ever any movie news you will see it first here on my blog.

Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes. But then I also always wanted to be a detective, astronomer, spy, actress, and teacher. I actually got around to teaching debate and theater for several years. But through all of it, I always had an open notebook that I’d fill with stories.

I have a great idea that I’d love for you to write…

It’s fantastic that you have ideas, but you should be the one to write it. Because if I tried to write your idea, I’d make choices that would be different than the ones you’d make, and soon it wouldn’t even feel to you like your idea (Besides, I’m already full up with ideas I want to write). So get out a notebook and start putting your story together!

What are you working on next?

One of the hardest parts about being an author is that by the time we get to announce something, we’ve probably been keeping it a secret for several weeks and sometimes even months! So the first place to find out what’s happening for me next is to watch my “news” page, “like” me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter here.

Where do you get your ideas?

Whenever I’m asked this question, I always ask the same question back. Because I believe that at least once in their life, everyone comes up with a fabulous story idea. The only difference is in who decides to act on that idea and get it written down.

For me, ideas are everywhere. I try to keep myself open creatively, and when I do that, suggestions seem to present themselves in little ways. Sometimes it’s a total story idea, sometimes it’s for a trait in a character, or a type of scene I’d like to write. The most common prompts for me are songs (when I love a song, the lyrics will run over and over in my head and sometimes a particular line lingers with me), current events (something happening in the world might suggest a great fictional tie-in), or dreams that I have.

Where did you get the idea for The Ascendance Trilogy?

Sage came to me in a song by Eddie Vedder (lead singer for Pearl Jam) called “Guaranteed.” The lyrics said, “I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me, guaranteed.” I loved those lines and the more I turned them in my head, the more Sage’s character became clear. And once I had Sage, I had the story.

Will you be coming to my town for a signing? Will you come to my school?

My upcoming schedule is listed on the Find Me page. If you want to invite me for a visit, then yes, I’d love to come – especially if you live somewhere warm. And with a beach nearby. Or if it’s a place with good chocolate. Fine, I’ll be honest: if there’s any chocolate whatsoever, I’m in!

For author appearances – including festivals, conferences, and virtual visits via Skype – please contact Antonio Gonzalez at Scholastic Inc .

For publicity or media requests including interviews, review copies, and photos, please contact the Scholastic publicity department.

I’m writing a manuscript. How can you help me?

Before I was published, I didn’t understand how important the early struggles in writing are. For example, as awful as it is to go through the phase of getting rejections, that helps to toughen the writer for later times when there’s a bad review, or poor sales numbers. It would be great to have someone else line edit your mistakes out of a manuscript so that it’s ready for submission, but the process of working with a critique group and learning to see your own mistakes is invaluable.

I will post writing tips on my blog at times, and if I’m teaching or speaking at a conference or event, please try to come. And I will try to give encouragement as often as I can, because the most important writing lesson I’ve learned is that persistence does pay off.

Can I get a review copy of your next story?

Ooh – I hope you can! But it’s really not up to me. Please contact my publicist  with requests for ARCs or interviews.

In THE FALSE PRINCE, what is a garlin?

I hope you haven’t spent any time doing a google search for the word! I made it up – it’s the basic unit of money in Carthya, similar to a dollar.