Author Interview: Linda Joy Singleton [Dead Girl Series]

I thank Linda for letting me interview her, she is a very sweet person and a lovely author. I look forward to reading future books from her. Check out the interview below:

1) The question I always wonder about authors is, when did you start writing? I started writing animal stories when I was 8 years old. I continued to write for fun until I was 14 and was encouraged by my dad to submit short stories to magazines. None sold, but it was a great learning experience.
2) What inspired you to write Dead Girl Walking? I was fascinated with near-death experiences and also the idea of switching places with someone else, so I put the two ideas into one book. Originally it was going to be a single book called TURN LEFT AT THE MILKY WAY with a much different more serious ending. But my editor suggested making it a series and adding evil characters, so Temp Lifer and Dark Lifers were created.
3) Are the characters in the book based on someone you know? Amber is a little like me, ambitious and eager to have her dreams fulfilled. Eli is just a nice guy--the kind of guy I think makes a better match than the dark and mysterious guys. Alyce is loosely based on my childhood best friend and the close friendship we still have. But mostly the characters are made of bits and pieces of people I've met or imagined.
4) Is their a message in your Dead Girl books that you want the reader to grasp? Nah, I just write stories to entertain. I guess there might be some themes in my books that organically come out, like accepting people despite differences and the value of friendship. But I don't think about that when writing -- I think about surprising readers with fun scenes and touching their emotions, too.
5) What was the hardest part of writing your book series? I think the hardest part is the publishing end of things; worrying about the books being stocked in bookstores, receiving good reviews or growing a fanbase. The writing part can be hard, too, but I've learned that as long as I show up at my computer and write pages regularly, the book gets finished.
6) Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest? I love reading books by new authors! Too many to name them all--so just check my Goodreads under my full name for my 5-star book reads.
7) What book are you currently reading? I'm reading DON'T JUDGE A GIRL BY HER COVER by Ally Carter.
8) Who is your favorite author and why? I have too many favorites -- most listed on my blogs. Like Eva Ibbotson, Margaret Peterson Haddix, J.K. Rowling, Angie Sage, Suzanne Collins, Charles de Lint, Mary E. Pearson, Peg Kehret, Jeanne DuPrau and many more. These are favorites because I like lots of mysterious suspense, fascinating characters, magical details and stories with heart.
9) Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Just thanks for supporting my books and I'll do my best to write books they love.
10) Tell us something about yourself that no one knows about. There is little about me that no one knows because I'm very honest with friends (sometimes too honest). My readers might not know that up until about age 15, I was very shy--and the opposite of popular. I always had my best friend plus a few other close friends, but socially I was a mess. Almost no confidence. Then I joined a square dancing club in my sophomore year; wearing pretty costumes and dancing in exhibitions at malls and the state fair. I made many new friends and felt good about myself.
It didn't matter what activity someone joins -- the act of learning a skill and getting out with other people is what helped grow confidence. You learn the most in life by getting out there, meeting new people and experiencing the world. Sometimes it's too easy to stay inside with all the connections online, but you won't know what experiences you might be missing if you don't go out, joins clubs, learn skills or just talk to someone new. Reading is great, too -- every book is a window into real and imagined lives. [Eleni: Linda great advice for your readers]

-Linda's Blog [Become a follower!]: I wanna join!
-Buy Dead Girl Walking [Book 1] here
-Buy Dead Girl Dancing [Book 2] here

-Pre-order Dead Girl In Love [Book 3 - August 1, 2009]here

-Go to Linda's official website to check out her other books!
-Check out her book trailer for Dead Girl Walking :


-Special Thanks to Linda Joy Singleton for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions, I really appreciate it and respect her work, everyone should go out and buy her books, enjoy!