Find Out Friday: Sarah Ockler

What inspired you to write a novel for young adults?

I think my writing style always had a young adult quality, but it

wasn't until I started taking a YA novel class through Lighthouse

Writers Workshop in Denver that I really found my true calling as an

author. We read and discussed books by Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti,

Laurie Halse Anderson, and other contemporary YA authors, and reading

those stories and learning more about the craft, I just felt such a

connection. It was like, yes!! This is exactly what I'm supposed to

do! :-)

Personally, what's your favorite YA book?

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. So complex and awesome.

Is there a specific author you look up to?

Sarah Dessen. She was one of the first contemporary YA authors I read

for that YA class through Lighthouse, and I fell in love with her

writing immediately.

What's one place in the world you would love to visit?

I've always wanted to visit Egypt and hope to have the chance in the

coming years.

How do you come up with character names?

A lot of times the characters just sort of come to me with their first

names, kind of like when you look at a person and think, "Oh yeah, she

totally looks like a Jenny." Last names are a little trickier, though.

I often use the phone book, the cemetery, or movie credits. It's

important to find names that fit together stylistically and that

aren't too similar to other character names. Sometimes I'll even

change last names midway through a project. First names are usually

permanent, though -- once I have them, they stay!

Is the final cover of Twenty Boy Summer what you imagined it looking like?

I always imagined and hoped the final cover of Twenty Boy Summer would

include sea glass since it's so symbolic in the story, but other than

that, I didn't know what to expect. The publisher went through a

number of different concepts before finally deciding on a photo shoot

for the final image. When I saw the cover comps, I literally cried.

That's how much I loved it! I can't imagine a more perfect cover for

the story.

What part of yourself or people you know did you put into Anna and Frankie?

Ha, everyone who knows me thinks they see themselves in the

characters, or they see me in Anna. :-) I do draw from memories from

my own teen years, but not directly. It's more like using the

emotional essence of those memories than rewriting actual events or

people. I remember falling in love at that age, and experiencing the

incredible ups and downs of best friendship, summer vacations, boys,

fights, and everything that goes along with being a teen. So I

definitely look for inspiration there, but nothing *too* real. :-)

Can you give any hints about what to expect from Fixing Delilah Hannaford?

Fixing Delilah Hannaford portrays the struggles between mothers and

daughters and the secrets that can both break and bind a family.

There's so much pain and distance between Delilah and her mom when the

book opens, and throughout their unexpected summer together, Delilah

must confront issues from her own life and her family's difficult

past. It's emotional in a different way than Twenty Boy Summer,

showing more of the painful undercurrents of life rather than a big

sudden tragedy. And, for readers who enjoyed the romantic elements in

Twenty Boy Summer, you'll definitely like the romance that unfolds in

Fixing Delilah Hannaford! I mean, emotional or not, what's a summer

story without a little romance, right? :-)

Thanks for hosting me, Kelsey, and happy reading to all!

__

Thanks so much, Sarah!

Click here to visit Sarah's website!