Interview & Giveaway: Miss Fortune Cookie

 

I am very fortunate to have Lauren Bjorkman, author of Miss Fortune Cookie, with me on the blog today! Lauren has graciously answered some Interview Questions that I prepared for her, and out of the goodness of her heart has offered to all my readers a fabulous interview full of surprises! I hope you enjoy the Interview and don’t forget to scroll on down and enter for your chance to win what I thought was an amazing book! Thank you again, Lauren!

 

Me: What was your inspiration for writing this story?

Lauren: Fortune cookies have always fascinated me. My fortune collection keeps growing. I can be a little superstitious. And, like Erin, I’m afraid to give bad advice. I tend to shut up when I should speak out. From that, I got the idea of a girl that keeps quiet around her friends, but dares to voice her opinions through her blog.

Also, I wanted to write about that special time—the end of high school craziness—when everything is about to change. You have to figure out your whole future, when you’re not even sure who you are. Plus you have to cope with parental expectations, and possibly saying good-bye to your closest friends. But it’s an exciting time too. Anything can happen.

 

Me: Name a random fact about yourself that your readers would never guess.

 

Lauren: I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until my ninth birthday.

 

Me: What are some of your favorite things to do when you are not writing?

 

Lauren: Eating delicious food. Dancing to live music. Watching Indie movies. Going to plays. I also enjoy climbing small mountains, sewing, and knitting. Most of all, I love traveling to new places with family and friends.

 

Me: Who is your favorite author? Any authors that you draw inspiration from?

 

Lauren: LOL! You may as well ask me which of my sons I love best. I’ll just answer the second part of your question J.

 

In high school, I was forced to read a lot of literature, most of which I did NOT appreciate. The exceptions were Jane Austen, Jack London, Shakespeare, and Saki. For fun I read romance novels. Later, I checked out many contemporary authors, and especially enjoyed Rita Mae Brown, Amy Tan, and Barbara Kingsolver. When I FINALLY discovered YA lit, it blew my socks right off—KL Going, John Green, Carolyn Mackler, David Levithan, Laurie Halse Anderson, E Lockhart, Melina Marchetta. All of them inspire me.

 

Me: What is next for you?

 

Lauren: I am working on a contemporary YA about a girl named Jak whose mom is accused of stealing corporate secrets about a technology—a soon-to-be-released device that could provide relief for people suffering from stress and depression. As her mom’s troubles grow, Jak has to do something. Unable to trust her stepfather, she runs away from home to seek help from an old friend of her mom’s, learns secrets about her past, and finds herself torn between two very different worlds.

 

Me: Do you have any advice that you would like to share with any aspiring authors?  

 

Lauren: Write about the things that excite you. The things that fire up your imagination. Write A LOT. Don’t hold back anything.

 

Now it is time for the giveaway! You can see in the picture below everything that Lauren is putting up for grabs, and one lucky winner will receive all of it! There is a signed copy of her book, Miss Fortune Cookie, a totally cool blue nail polish, and blue crystal bracelet! I am so excited for this and I hope you guys enjoy this giveaway! This is for the US only.

 

 

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