With her TWILIGHT series of novels, author Stephenie Meyer created a media sensation that earned her millions of fans. After the incredible success of the film adaptation of TWILIGHT in 2008, interest in this series (and its author) can only increase. This title explores the life of Meyer and her fiction, which continues to capture the imaginations of so many young readers.
Lisa Rondinelli Albert grew up in the Midwest where she spent many summer afternoons reading at the public library or on the steps of her front porch.
She hung a Do Not Disturb sign on her bedroom door and wrote songs and poetry at the age of seven. Eventually, she wrote cheers for her older sisters.
Her desire to write continued throughout high school, where her first published poem appeared in the school newspaper. She branched out nationally and received her first rejection letter at the age of eighteen from Cosmopolitan Magazine. (she still has it!)
Today, when she's not busy writing, Lisa spends time with her husband, children, and playing hide and seek with her dog. She can often be found reading on her back porch.
What made you decide to be a writer?
I've loved to make up stories ever since I learned how to read. (and I read tons as a child and up to this day). I think it stems from playing "pretend" a lot. I wrote all through my teen years and drafted my first novel my freshman year in high school. At nineteen, I submitted slice-of-life essays to Cosmopolitan Magazine and still have my first rejection from Helen Gurley Brown. I kept a journal, wrote short stories and poetry ever since I can remember but it wasn't until I had my children that something clicked and I knew I should be writing for kids. Rediscovering children's literature with my own kids was like finding a pot a gold at the end of a rainbow...cliché, I know, but true.
Favorite books/authors?
Judy Blume, Shel Silverstein, Sara Zarr, Mary E. Pearson, Lisa Schroeder, Lois Lowry, Nancy Werlin, Sonya Sones, John Green, and too many more to list!
Morning person or a night owl?
Night owl unless I'm on a deadline...then I'm both!
Because my next book comes out 2011, here's 11 random things about myself.
11) I'm the youngest of eight kids.
10) I'm a former dealer of antiques and still dabble in it when I find a treasure.
9) I'm afraid of heights but have been on top of the Empire State Building twice. Once by myself and once with my family. I almost threw up when my kids were close to the edge.
8) I'm afraid of deep water but jumped off of a cliff in Jamaica. There were barracudas nearby. No kidding!
7) I like to conquer my fears. :-)
6) I play hide and seek with my dog. I hide, she seeks.
5) I collect heart shaped rocks.
4) I owned a car before I had my driver's license. Shhh!
3) I love bird watching and my favorite bird is the Cedar Waxwing.
2) If I had to choose between a hot fudge sundae and cheesecake, I'd pick the sundae.
And the #1 most random thing about me is......
1) I got in big trouble in 3rd grade when I was asked what my favorite word (in Religion class) was and I blurted "BLUBBER!" even though all the other kids were saying, "love," "angel," "Heaven." I had to be truthful and tell my favorite word. I mean, it WAS religion class! But, Sister Reynalda didn't think it was funny and I had to stay after school and write "blubber" on the chalkboard 100 times. I still liked it. Ooops!
COMING FALL 2011 FROM FLUX BOOKS!
MERCY LILY, Lisa Rondinelli Albert's thought-provoking, heart wrenching young adult novel. A stunning debut not to be missed.
Growing apart from childhood friends is hard enough, but when it happens right after losing her father, Lily folds into herself and focuses on taking care of the family Vet clinic and her mother.
As the veterinarian assistant on their small farm, Lily's always been surrounded by the concepts of quality of life, natural death and euthanasia. She's a pro at tending to her animals and the clinic and even better at caring for her mom. Even if that means snatching honeybees with tweezers, stinging Mom and watching the venom empty into her flesh.
After four years of treating her mom's Multiple Sclerosis with the Holistic bee venom therapy, Lily's duties of caring for animals and being her mom's caretaker become blurred. With her mom's health failing, she finds herself in some sort of déjà vu when childhood friends who abandoned her years ago, reenter her life.
Lily unfolds as she navigates her sophomore year. She struggles to trust and believe in renewed friendships and dreams of more with a lingering crush. Her home life unravels when mom requests the unthinkable and Lily is faced with the hardest decision of her life--and her mother's.
Website: www.LisaAlbert.com
Blog: http://lisaalbert.livejournal.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1262194614
Twitter: @LisaWrites4kids
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