One of my favorite books of 2011, if not of all time, has to be Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts. A Post-Apocalyptic materpiece, I could not get enough of this book!

I recently e-mailed Ms. Roberts and asked for an interview and she so awesomely answered a few of me millions of questions. This is one book that you all need to put on your reading lists! Read on to find out more about Jeyn Roberts and her delightful (if not terrifying!) debut, Dark Inside!

Interview:

• What gave you the idea for Dark Inside? Dark Inside was based on a series of dreams I used to have as a teenager. I used to have these reoccurring dreams that always took place around a river. There was a dark evil that had killed off mankind and I was often taking refuge in dilapidated buildings with a group of strangers. I still get the dreams every now and then. I always knew it was a matter of time till I wrote about them. In fact, a few scenes from the book were based on real dreams!

• You write form four different perspectives- Aries, Mason, Clementine, and Michael- Why did you choose all four compared to just one? When I sat down and started writing, it became clear that this was such a big story. I needed more than one character to tell it. Nothing, Aries, and Mason were the first. Michael and Clementine jumped in shortly after.

• There is also a fifth perspective, Nothing, can you tell us a little about it and why inspired you to create such a “character”? Nothing started it all. I remember staring at the blank computer screen and the words “I’m standing at the edge of existence” came into my head. Nothing is good because he’s got an inside view on what’s happening. He’s able to answer questions to what’s happening since everyone else is left completely in the dark.

• Each perspective shows how different people react to the same situation. Had you intended this? Yes. That was my idea. We are all different. No single person would behave the same in such a crisis.

• Which character was the most fun to write from? Which was the hardest? Both answers would be Mason. He’s by far my favourite character but he also frustrates me the most. Sometimes I just want to drop him off a bridge.

• Did any novels, movies, music etc. influence Dark Inside? Stephen King’s The Stand influenced my love of apocalyptic novels. It’s still one of my favorite books of all times.

• How many books will be in the series? 3

• Are working on any other projects besides this one? Yes. I’m currently editing a new novel that is stand alone and has nothing to do with the series.

• When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer/ that you even liked writing? I was eleven when I first started writing stories. I’ve always loved it but I did get sidetracked a few times over the years. But I always came back.

• What inspires you to write? It’s the best way I can think of to get all these annoying ideas out of my head. haha

• Do you enjoy writing in first or third person? I like both.

• What is a must have food/drink that you must have when writing? Caramel Macchiato.

• Who are your favorite authors and do they affect your writing? Stephen King, J K Rowling, Douglas Coupland, and Jonathon Maberry has become a recent fav. I love the Rot and Ruin series!

• You mainly write for teens, correct, why? It just happened that way. I have a few literary novels kicking around but they never really went anywhere. But I like writing for teens. They’re harder to please. You can’t fool them with bad stories.

• Can you share with us a little of the work that is yet to come? No! It’s top secret! Rage Within will be out in Sept. I personally think it’s better than Dark Inside. It’s nicer because the group is together now so you get a lot more character development. I really feel that Aries, Mason, Michael, Clementine, and Daniel work better when they’re all together.

• What is your workspace like? I’m a coffee shop writer so my office changes every day.

• If you could change anything about your book, what would you change? After reading some of the comments on my book, I wish I could have made the ending a bit better.

• Which is your all time favorite novel? A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

• Do you outline before you write? Nope. I just go with the flow.

• If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor and why? There are two. Alison Acheson and Mimi Thebo. They both worked with me when I was in school and I can honestly say that both authors shaped the writer I’ve become. I feel like I can never stop thanking them for all their help.

• Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Love what you do! Never give up. It’s hard being a writer. There’s a lot of rejection and you have to have thick skin. But if you stick with it through the hard times, it’ll be completely worth it when you get that yes.

• Which book cover is your favorite, UK or US? I honestly like them both equally.

• What can we expect from your characters to come? Lots of great stuff. As I said above, everyone is together now. There’s going to be some romance but I’m not going to say who! There are also some great new characters. A reckless leader. A chemistry major. And some really creepy Baggers.

• When will the next book be released? Sept 2012

• Where did you get the idea for their eyes to turn black? Do you think this is a major point in the book? I have to give that credit to my friend Fiona. She gave me the idea one day when we were brainstorming. So kudos to her.

**Random questions: **

-If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet, what would you want? Spaceship pilot.

-If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be? Any character from Harry Potter.

-If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? No idea. An amazing newcomer would be good.

-If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? Shape shifting.

-What makes you bored? Everything! haha Seriously, I get bored easily. But on the other hand, I’m also easily amused.

Where you can find Jeyn Roberts:

Twitter UK author site Goodreads Amazon Facebook Simon and Schuster Barnes and Noble

Hope you enjoyed the interview. Where you can find me: Twitter: @JessieKnite Goodreads My Blog

-Meg Rosoff

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 194 pages                                                                    Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (April 11, 2004)                                   Language: English

How I Live Now is a story about love. This is the story of Daisy, a fifteen year old from New York, who moves to live with her distant family in England, around the time of the second World War. It is not giving anything away to say that Daisy begins a love affair with her cousin Edmond, but all their lives are changed as a war breaks out and England becomes an occupied state. At first the kids are self-sufficient and untouched by the horrors, but as the story develops, shades of World War 2 begin to overcome them as they face separation, deprivation, and ultimate loss.

I absolutely loved this novel! Meg Rosoff writes in the UNFORGETTABLE voice of fifteen year old that captivates you beyond the last word. Unlike other novels, it does not try hard to sound like a great novel, it just is. Perfect descriptions, Meg makes you feel as if you can see the world as Daisy does. By including Daisy’s view of herself, and her eating problems, it appeals to lots of people who feel the same way about their appearance. It makes an interesting kind of side-story, and I liked seeing her growing out of it very slowly and subtly.

The story is enthralling, and it’s such a good idea to have it set in a war. With dystopian novels being thrown left and right, (although not dystopian) this novel gives us a point of view that is different, refreshing, if you will. Daisy speaks in a believable voice that takes you into her soul and makes you feel what she does.

Highly recommended!!!

In honor of the beginning of summer vacation, I thought that I’d write about outlining-my nemesis.

What I’ve noticed is that outlining isn’t for everyone. However, it does prove as a way to pull an author through the writing process.

Let’s start from the beginning. Once you get an idea, you should write it down. Don’t write it down on a napkin or your hand or something disposable at that. (Saying that you can dispose of your hand O.o) Write down your idea in a notebook, or a computer file, somewhere that you can easily retrieve it later on. It begins with that idea.

What is outlining?

It’s basically the process of setting out the main events of your book and working out the plot from beginning to end. It can be a rough, 1 pager on how it all works, or a series of post-it notes put into an order for writing. It can also be a comprehensive meta-document that you refer to throughout your book and keeps you to the point. It is basically planning your novel before you write.

Why should you outline?

The point of outlining is to help you with the actual writing of the book. If you think through the plot ideas, the characters, the various arcs of the story and how it needs to come together, then the writing of it will be easier.

There is no sitting around wondering what to write. When you sit down for your writing time, you know what to write about next.

Some reasons to outline:

You know what to write next.

Change plot or incorporate new ideas.

There are many methods you can use while outlining:

Basic document. Use the easy outlining you’ve learned in school. You know, the one with the roman numerals and stuff.

The snowflake method. Many people find this an easy way to plan.

Or find free software online that can help.

Try searching on Google or any other search engine for more info on outlining, or different methods you can use to outline.

Good Luck!

Need more help? Ask me.