Sara at The Page Sage recently interviewed me for her Inside the Industry series about being a librarian, a writer, and a combination of the two (wribrarian?) It was technically my friends “writer” interview, so it was super fun. And also weird. I mean, who wants to hear about me? 

Link!

Though in 2015 i’ll be birthing THE NIGHT WE SAID YES, I’m going to be birthing something a bit different a little sooner…

A baby!

That’s right, S and I are having our first child, due April 26. We’re both extremely excited and terrified. But mostly excited. Okay, mostly terrified. We’re going to be parents!

We’re counting on our child having horrible eyesight (as we’ve both worn glasses since practically birth) and quite a bit of hair (Indian/Italian heritage will do that to them). And we’re so, so excited to meet him/her. (I might have nicknamed it Voldy, short for Voldemort, because for a while it doesn’t have a nose while developing. And I thought it was hilarious.  S is catching on. This should probably say something about my future parenting skills.)

I’ve gotten a bit of advice from friends about this because, honestly, AHHH! How am I going to do it? How do you become a mommy? Is there an upgrade to my mind that I have to purchase? How am I going to balance family/friends, writing, and work? But I think my friend Joe said it best:

You’ll hear a lot of advice in the coming months because people love you and they mean well, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: None of us has any idea what we’re doing. It’s kind of like when I graduated from college and got my first job and realized that grown-ups have been winging it all along. The responsible air, the surefooted swagger, everything. Each day I’d go to work hoping I could fool people into believing I wasn’t an idiot. But I am an idiot. The good news is we’re all idiots. You’ll do fine. And as far as juggling the job, the marriage, the hobbies, the hopes–I can’t explain it, but you make room. And after a while you’ll look back and wonder how you ever managed to be busy before you had a kid. So when you feel your kidneys being kicked into your throat by that tiny growing incubus, just tell yourself that you’re making room. That, and it’s a lot easier once s/he is out. Or so I’ve been told.

In all, I’m really excited about welcoming our little Voldy into the world I’m excited about being a mom. I’ll probably have my moments of failure, but I’ll keep going. Because that’s what people do. And in the end, what’s the worst I can do, right?!*

*Don’t answer that.

I’ve mentioned quite a few times previously that I have a nerdfighter club at my library, but have I mentioned that I had an article published on the subject? I have, and it’s now available online for everyone interested to read! (Previously it was only available for those who have a subscription to the journal).

Young Adult Library Services published my article “Nerdfighters in the Library; Or, DFTBA with Teens” back in their Spring 2013 issue. The article is an overview of the club’s first meeting, which was co-created by a teen patron. Our club, much like the nerdfighter online community, encourages creativity and open-mindedness. In addition, the article describes how creating a club with a teen makes it feel more authentic.

The article is now online here, on page 19. 

Here’s a sample: 

I love talking about my book (as you might know by reading this blog). I never want to sound braggy, but if someone mentions it, I glow.

But there are also sometimes when I prefer not talking.

And that’s when I know i’m going to get the question. The ultimate question I know other YA authors have received. The one everyone dreads.

“Oh, you write for teens? So, like Twilight?” 

Sigh.

(I’d like to preface this by saying that I read all the books in the Twilight series with no shame. I was addicted. I even went opening weekend to see the movies, even when I knew they’d be ridiculous. I am a fan.)

I hate this question because it doesn’t mean “So, like Twilight, that book series people are crazy about that gave a new light to YA novels and got tons of people read?” No, they mean “So, like Twilight, that stupid sparkling vampire thing?” It’s never meant as a compliment. And it’s always asked with a look of disbelief.

I LOVE YA novels. I read them endlessly. I push them at the library. I know YA books are amazing. And that’s just the thing. I know they’re amazing, and so I’m extremely honored to be joining the ranks of their writers. But so many people don’t see that. They don’t see the wonderful stories hidden behind all of the covers. They don’t choose to. They only choose to see sparkly vampires.

And it’s so annoying.

Not only do they think all of the books are the same, they also treat them as lesser books. As in, not as good, juvenile for the most part. Which makes me so upset because an insane amount of thought goes in to every book, no matter that size or target audience. Just because a book is written for a younger audience doesn’t make it less wonderful.

So for a while I stopped bragging about writing, and later, publishing. I stopped talking when I knew I was around someone who’d ask that question (and you know the people – you can see them coming). But now I’ve decided…who cares? Why should I be shy or cautious around them? Why not tell them about my book, and all of the other fantastic YA novels out there? In the best case scenario, maybe they’ll be enlightened. And in the worst? They’ll think less of me because i’m being published?

Well, there are worse things, aren’t there?

A few months back, S and I bought our first house. It’s a lovely three bedroom house with walls and floors and everything else I can aptly call mine now. One of my favorite spaces is our back porch. It’s where I get the majority of my writing and reading done (even during hot Florida days).

Oftentimes, though, I find myself simply sitting outside and staring at our yard. At the trees beyond our yard. At the houses and neighborhoods and streets leading towards different areas, different lives. And I get lost in thought and when I’m brought back, I feel content.

Sometimes I try to replicate that feeling of drifting, and it…doesn’t go as well. So I sit there, and force myself to stare. And the following conversation usually takes place in my head:

Look at you, just relaxing. Isn’t this great? It’s great. You should feel at ease. Not a worry in the world. Look at the bird! He’s flying! See? Good job, Lauren, you’re observing. You’re not worried about deadlines or housework. Or dishes. I should probably wash the dishes. And clean the kitchen floor. No! You’re relaxing! Did my phone just ring? Oh, I should add that phone call to the next scene. I should write. I need to write. Oh, but there are only two more chapters to the book I’m reading. Did I order the next book club book for the library? Is relaxing done yet? 

This is why yoga and I usually don’t get along. When forced I’m not very good at being zen.