I first met Maggie through John of Dreaming in Books (who I interviewed in a previous Blogger Wednesday). I mentioned in that interview that I’d done a giveaway on his blog. It was a copy of my novel Jumpstart the World. And Maggie won it. And that was a lucky thing for me. Because Maggie has a great blog, Maggie’s Bookshelf. And Maggie liked Jumpstart a lot. Not just enough to write it an incredible 5 out of 5 stars review, but enough that it kept turning up on her yearly favorites and such. Which was fun.

Face it. That’s a sure-fire way to my heart.

But it wasn’t just because Maggie raved about the book (though, granted, that’s lovely). It was the level of personal honesty that came through in that review. I was blown away. Impressed in a way I wouldn’t forget. I guess I’ve mentioned that I value emotional honesty. Don’t be surprised if I mention it again.

So that’s how Maggie got to be one of my favorite YA book bloggers.

Now. For the interview part of the interview.

John and I go way back. In fact, I really have to work hard to remember how our paths first crossed. But I’m pretty sure it had to do with YA Litchat, or a similar Twitter chat. I think I saw your comments, John, and started following you. Since then I’ve been on your blog Dreaming in Books for a review, an interview, a giveaway, and a guest post. But I believe this is your first visit to mine.

Welcome!

Now. Some questions.

You are one of the teens I admire for being frankly out, and for making a contribution to the health and availability of LGBT fiction. Can you tell my readers a little about why the genre is so important, especially for young adults? Have you paid a price for your openness, or have you mostly received support?

Nikki with James MarstersNikki-ann is a great example of how a book review can start a good friendship. I believe it began with her review of my novel Second Hand Heart. Then I noticed that she stayed close to my blog, and often left comments. And I appreciate that. But I appreciated it most when I was having a serious (and unfortunately public) problem with an estranged relative, and Nikki-ann left a comment saying she was having similar family troubles. It’s amazing how comforting that kind of support can be. Reminds us that we are not alone, and our problems are not unique.

Now we follow each other on Twitter and Facebook, and if I had more money I’d be on a hiking vacation in Wales right now, and we’d have a cup of tea face-to-face. This can still happen.

So. On to the interview.

Nikki-ann, I just happen to know that today, June 13th, is your birthday. So let me start by saying happy birthday to you!

Now, I notice on your blog, Notes of Life, you have categories for a couple of Transworld Reading Challenges. And, of course, Transworld is my UK publisher. Can you tell us more about these challenges? I know you explain them on your blog, but maybe you can say a bit for my readers. Am I right to think this is how you first found one of my books? What made you select it? (This answer does not need to be an advertisement for the book. I’m more interested in how you choose, or what catches your attention as a reviewer.)

Lauren and I go way back. Seriously. To give you some idea, when I met Lauren, the biggest thing in social networking was…wait for it…MySpace. Yeah. It was, like, 2008.

It started when I saw a call for submissions for Shooting Stars Mag. I think it turned up in my email inbox, but I don’t know exactly how. I just remember that it was for an upcoming LGBT issue. So I offered something having to do with Becoming Chloe, but I can’t remember if it was a review copy or some kind of related content. Yeah, it was a while ago. And I’m old.

Here’s what I remember very well. My agent was encouraging me to get out on MySpace, but I had no social networking experience, and I just wasn’t quite sure where or how to jump into that pool. So Lauren made a MySpace page for me. And hooked me up with initial friend requests to other writers and book people. Not for money. Just to be helpful and nice. Then I got the hang of it, and expanded it on my own, and moved on to Facebook. (And later Twitter, which didn’t even exist at the time, that I know of.) And now social networking feels like breathing. But none of that is the point. The point is that Lauren is a very caring and giving person, who has reached out to me—and many others—again and again.

Let me segue from there straight into a first question.

Me: You do so much giving on the Internet. You held those auctions to benefit First Book. And you did those fundraisers for two young people with medical needs. And the Living Beyond Tolerance Scholarship. And I expect this is part of a bigger pattern, but I don’t know every instance. Will you please tell me, and my readers, what all you have done that is not for profit? Also, what does it bring into your life that makes it worthwhile?

I confess I had not discovered Adam’s blog, Roof Beam Reader, until I found a review he’d written for my book Jumpstart the World. Then I was so blown away by the thoughtfulness, balance, and detail that I had to learn more. I have a great deal of respect for a number of book bloggers, but I personally do not know anyone who takes his or her responsibility to reviewing more seriously.

I promise you, the more you read his blog, the more words like “respect” will fill your head.

So. Adam. Thanks for visiting my blog for this interview.

Adam: My pleasure!  Thank you for having me. 

Me: Until I began writing these interview questions, I had read only your reviews. But I just read your post Book Blogging: a Breakdown (The Empathetic Reader and the Effective Reviewer).  I think the world would be a better place if everyone read this post in its entirety before reviewing a book. And I don’t just mean bloggers. I feel a lot of old-fashioned print reviewers have dropped the ball. Do you get the sense that this piece has been widely read? I would think it would be a link worth passing around. What kind of feedback have you gotten? Can you describe the moment when you felt compelled to write and post it? I can only imagine the observations you hoped to address, and I’d like to hear your thoughts on that.

I first met Danielle (though not immediately in person) when I signed up for my initial blog tour. The book was Jumpstart the World, and Danielle was one of the bloggers who signed on to host a tour stop. I made it a point to follow all the tour bloggers on Twitter. That’s how I learned “the big coincidence,” though I don’t remember when, or how it first came out. In the international setting of the online book world, Danielle lives less than 45 minutes from me, a couple of towns down the road. So she joined me in one of my workshops, and we’ve met a couple of times to exchange information, books, etc.

When it comes to helping get the word out about my novels and other news, or even standing up for me online when I faced opposition, I couldn’t ask for a more supportive friend.

Her blog There’s a Book has won awards and garnered a great deal of respect. If you’re not familiar with it, this is your chance.

Now. Danielle. Your blog is devoted to juvenile literature, but that’s a wide field. You review books that are appropriate for your own pre-schoolers, and also books like Jumpstart, that are geared toward the mature high school age—or older—reader. Is it ever hard to bridge this gap? Do you ever have doubts or fears that a cutting edge YA review might seem discordant to someone who came to the site to read about picture books? Or do your readers seem able to appreciate the full range?