Find Out Friday: Suzanne Young

What made you decide to write YA?

I’ve always read a lot, but it was YA that really made me passionate. I love the pacing, subject matters and the freshness that I find more common in YA than anything else.

Was there a specific person that inspires you?

My books are all dedicated to my grandmother because she gave me permission to dream that crazy things could happen (like publishing a book). I owe her everything.

Personally, what's your favorite YA book?

Oh, yikes! I have so many. I love Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

What's next for you? In addition to your upcoming Naughty List books, are you working on anything

else?

Other than the three Naughty List books, I just recently sold a new novel to Balzer and Bray. Here’s the announcement:

Suzanne Young's A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, in which a 17-year-old discovers that by performing the good deeds that her body compels her to, she will disappear into the Light and be forgotten, but by fighting "the Need," her fate could be even more dire, to Donna Bray at Balzer and Bray, in a two-book deal, in a pre-empt, by Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (World English).

--

What was your favorite part to write in The Naughty List?

Anything involving Tessa and Aiden. I just really loved their story. And I am a sucker for romance.

If you could pair Tessa with any guy from any YA book, other than Aiden, who would it be?

Great question! It would be Dexter from This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen.

Was the cover what you imagined it looking like?

Um… not really. I thought we were going to go in a different direction. But in the end, I really like the idea of the window and us looking in and spying with SOS. It’s clever.

In what ways do you relate to Tessa?

I really understood her desire to put up an image to make other people happy. I’ve had a fake a few smiles in my life, so I could really relate to that.

--

Thanks so much, Suzanne!

Click here to visit Suzanne's blog!

Click here to read my review of The Naughty List!