My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (Interview + Book + Signed Swag Giveaway)

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Contemporary.
Publication : June 14th 2012 by Dial Books For Young Readers.

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

I don't even know where to begin. I had My Life Next Door on my wishlist for quite some time before I worked up the courage to request Huntley for an ARC and let me tell you, she's absolutely wonderful! I know, I know, most authors are awesome, if not all, but Huntley is seriously one of the nicest, friendliest person/author I have ever come across. Luckily, I had the privilege of interviewing her.

I'm also hosting a giveaway of My Life Next Door and Huntley's offered to giveaway some awesome signed swag along with it. Oh yeah, it's international. I would giveaway my ARC as I know most of you would love to read it asap but it would be cheaper for me to giveaway 4 books instead of shipping the ARC internationally so the winner will get a pre-ordered copy of the book, which he/she will receive after its publication via The Book Depository. Now, let's get to know Huntley better...

How did you celebrate when you got signed for your first book, My Life Next Door?

At first, I was too stunned to celebrate. I could barely speak. My wonderful agent, Christina Hogrebe, had to gently say “This is a good thing” before any words came into my head. Then of course, when I hung up after being calm, I danced around the house. And met my kids at the bus-stop with candy. And bought a Kindle.

Why YA Contemporary for your first book, any particular inspiration?

I have always been a huge believer in the YA genre, even before it was called that. I spent my teenage years turning to books to try to navigate real life. While I read and love Dystopian and Paranormal YA, I am so interested in the struggles and dramas and triumphs of everyday life that it just seemed a natural fit. In addition, I love teenagers—the questions they ask, the way their minds work, the passion they bring to their uncertainty and changing beliefs about the world. Teenagers question everything and aren’t easily fooled or brushed aside. It’s an audience I really respect.

Name 3 things you can't live/can't get through your day without?

Iced tea with lemon, something that makes me laugh a lot and a book that lingers in my mind. I’m a really fast reader, blessing and curse, and generally read a book a day, when I’m not on deadline. When I’m writing my own stuff, I try to stay away from anything but non-fiction, as I’m always worried someone else’s tone will seep in. When I look at my childhood writings, I can always tell who I’d been reading at the time. And I sure don’t want to do that now!

If you got three wishes, what would you wish for?

So tricky. I always trip up on this question. We all want world peace and tolerance, a greener planet, a safer world. But, as Cassandra Clare put it in her beautiful book THE CITY OF GLASS, “perhaps people were supposed to find these things for themselves.” Then, I wonder about wishing to remove some obstacles and misfortunes that happened to people I love, but worry that those are connected to the good things as well, and if you pulled the thread too much would unravel. So, I’m just going to be frivolous here, and say I wish I had a housekeeper who lived in a lamp, like Aladdin’s genie. I could rub it and have her come out and do the laundry and the dusting and the vacuuming and the grocery shopping, and all the boring things, then wish her gone. I’d love a magic elevator/portal where I could crowd my family in, push a button and whisk us off to London or New York City or California. And, finally, I wish there were a pause, rewind and replay button on time, so I could relive the amazing—my children’s early childhoods, our best vacations and happiest days—and the awkward—my dumber high school moments, bad dates, etc. I have a good memory, but some things—and moments—and people-- you’d just love to see again.!

If you could have a super power, what would you choose?

Mind-reading. Think of the fabulously uncensored thoughts I’d hear….all those true stories. Mind you, it could get really painful. But I would take that to just know what was REALLY going in in people’s heads.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could pick one person to be with you, who would it be?

This is where my practical side wars with my imaginative side, and I try to think which gorgeous actor/historical/fictional person I’ve ever crushed on would be best at making a fire and spearing fish.

White Chocolate or Dark Chocolate?

White chocolate has never seemed like actual chocolate to me. I used to be solidly in the milk chocolate camp, but now I find that too sweet and definitely go for dark. My favorites are dark chocolate with sea salt or with orange peel—really strong flavors, a mix of sweet and bitter. The evolution in tastes reminds me of how my movie and literary tastes have changed. When I was growing up the book or movie HAD TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING or I wasn’t interested. My mother was a great fan of bittersweet books and movies, like THE BATTLE OF VILLA FIORITA by Rumer Godden, or THE WAY WE WERE. I didn’t get it….they didn’t wind up together! What was the point? But now, I understand….something doesn’t have to be all the way sweet and wonderful to be worthwhile. As John Updike once beautifully wrote, “If temporality is held to be invalidating, then nothing real succeeds….”
And how did I get here from chocolate?

When/How did you decide you wanted to become an author?

The first time a book ever completely swept me away. I was five. It was E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, a book I still return to when I forget how gorgeous and evocative simple language can be. My father read to me, and when he got to Charlotte’s death, I was inconsolable. He took a pencil and crossed out “and then Charlotte died” and wrote “and then Charlotte did not die”. And I realized that a writer could do that—create a world that evoked such powerful feelings….and change it around.

Horror or Romance?

Romance. My husband loves watching horror movies at night, and my oldest daughter can journey with him there, but I just cuddle up and find a great love story, trying to drown out the screams.

Mac or PC?

PC.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where's the first place you'd want to go?

London, Scotland, Wales and Ireland—where most of my ancestors came from. I spent a year in London in college and I’m still a bit homesick for it. That travel-elevator-portal of my previous wish would be very handy here.

Giveaway Terms and Conditions :

• Giveaway is International, as long as The Book Depository ships to you.
  
• Winner has 48 hours to respond before I pick a new winner.
  
• Prize will be a pre-ordered copy of My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick which the winner will receive TBD after publication.

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