More Q's and A's

You asked....now I'm answering.


DO YOU EVER WISH YOU HADN'T WRITTEN YOUR BOOKS?

Wow, what a deep question. The short answer is no--I've been blessed enough to be a published writer, and I know I'm living a lot of people's dream. But I will say that writing (for me at least) is different after being published. I'm really, really proud of LYKY, but now I think "I've got to top it" which cyles through with thoughts of "I'll never top it" and "Oh my gosh, it's really not good at all" or "it was a fluke!" So there are definitely moments when I wonder how I'll write more books, but not really times I regret the books I've already written.


WHAT'S YOUR DAY JOB?

I work as sort of a university-paid consultant for farms and ranches. It's very rewarding work.


WHAT WOULD YOU BE IF YOU COULD BE ANYTHING?

I'm doing it. The only difference is I'd be skinnier while doing it.


WILL WE EVER FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MR. SOLOMON AND CAMMIE'S DAD.

Hmmm. No comment.


CAN YOU GIVE US A HINT ABOUT CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY?

I really don't want to give much away because 1. I'm superstitious. 2. We're still finishing it up and nothing is sacred in the editing process. and 3. I feel like there are a few surprises and the less you know going in the more you may enjoy the book.

But I will tell you this: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy starts just a couple of weeks after LYKY ends--on the last day of winter break. It covers the spring semester, and the girls are definitely becoming better spies which is a good thing because the stakes are also getting higher.

There are some familiar faces and some new characters and...

Okay. Shutting up now.


Edited to add:

DO YOU THINK YOU WILL WRITE OTHER YA BOOKS THAT AREN'T ABOUT THE GALLAGHER GIRLS?

I don't have any books like that under contract, so nothing is set in stone. But yes, I would like to write a number of different things. I've got a few ideas that pop up in the back of my head from time to time, so someday...



WILL THERE BE ANOTHER GALLAGHER GIRLS BOOK AFTER CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY?

Hopefully, but only if it can be really, really, really, really good. I mean really good. Tremendously good. And that's not as easy as it sounds, so we'll have to wait and see.


DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CHARACTER?

Not exactly. I really love writing scenes with Mr. Solomon in them--I've just figured out that there are no bad Joe Solomon scenes, so when a scene isn't working I think--"hey, could Mr. Solomon be there?" because when he's on the page, anything can happen.

But for the most part I love all the characters because they all bring something different to the story. Cammie is such an ordinary girl who just happens to live in this extraordinary world, and I think that's a lot how I would be if I were there. And Liz is so beautifully optimistic. Bex knows exactly what she wants and is so strong, so that makes it all the more interesting in those rare moments when she shows her vulnerable sides. And Macey...what can I say about Macey? I never intended her to stick around, but thank goodness (and Kristin Nelson) she did.


EDITED (AGAIN) TO ADD:


HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE LOVE YOU KILL YOU?

About six months of really, really hard work.


WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR AN ALL-GIRLS SPY SCHOOL?

I actually tell the whole story here, so check it out


IS THERE GOING TO BE A TRIP TO THE BOYS' SCHOOL IN MAINE?

You're putting an awful lot of faith in one of Tina Walters's theories. As Cammie says in CMH, "Tina has a lot of theories. Tina is frequently wrong."


IS CAMMIE'S MOM GOING TO HAVE A GOOD-SIZED ROLE IN THE SECOND BOOK?

I love Rachel Morgan. I love her presence; I love what she means to Cammie; I love that she can kick butt with the best spies in the world and yet can't make mac and cheese. But, so far, the stories have been the kinds of ones where the girls need to learn and make mistakes on their own. Kind of like Harry, Ron and Hermione don't confide everything in Dumbledore, I think for a while at least the girls won't really take their troubles to Rachel.

So, yes, she's in the book; but I'm not sure it's more than in book one (although I'd like it to be.)


WHAT ARE THE OTHER IDEAS YOU HAVE FOR BOOKS?

Can't say. No, scratch that--won't say.

Listen up and listen good all you aspiring authors out there: story ideas are precious; and they're not copyrightable. When I had the idea for LYKY, one of the first things my agent told me was DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS IDEA because it was so good.

You don't see bestselling authors talking about the books they want to write--you see them writing them. And since I want to be a bestselling author when I grow up I'm going to follow their example and you should too.






Any more questions?

-Ally