What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Finn? In the morning I was thrilled to find that I loved what I had written. I was coming to the end of a period of depression that had prevented me from truly writing for nearly a year when I dreamed the ending of “If He had Been with Me.” I got out of bed and wrote the first chapter and then went back to sleep. You've done this before and you can do it again.”Ĭan you tell us when you started If He Had Been With Me, how that came about? She looked me straight in the eye and said firmly, “If you're a real writer, you will finish it.” Now, when I'm struggling to finish a project I say to myself, “You're a real writer. When I was sixteen I told her that I was trying to write a novel, but it felt like I would never finish it. My parents are old friends with Charlaine Harris. What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author? What was the greatest thing you learned at school? I can't choose just one! I can't! I'm sorry but there are too many books I love in every genre! I discovered the escape that books provided me, and I've been an avid reader ever since.īeyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre? When I first learned to read, I hated it! Then, when I was nine years old my family moved to a new city where I was ostracized by my classmates. What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you? When we read a story that touches our hearts, it helps us to remember that these other humans around us are also thinking and feeling creatures, deserving of our kindness and respect. Our imagination is what makes us human! Our ability to create, connect, and care for these fictional beings is what sets us apart from other animals. Why is storytelling so important for all of us?

If only i had told her laura nowlin