January 20, 2009
I’m very excited to be touring the fabulous Teri Brown and her book Read My Lips
Popularity is as easy as a good secret.
Serena just wants to fly under the radar at her new school. But Serena is deaf, and she can read lips really well—even across the busy cafeteria. So when the popular girls discover her talent, there’s no turning back.
From skater chick to cookie-cutter prep, Serena’s identity has done a 180…almost. She still wants to date Miller, the school rebel, and she’s not ready to trade her hoodies for pink tees just yet. But she is rising through the ranks in the school’s most exclusive clique.
With each new secret she uncovers, Serena feels pressure to find out more. Reading lips has always been her greatest talent, but now Serena just feels like a gigantic snoop….
What inspired the plot for your book?
My niece is profoundly deaf and after she was diagnosed, my mother-in-law became very active in deaf advocacy. She used me as a sounding board for her ideas and the seeds of Read my Lips were planted during that time.
Why did you decide to write in this genre?
Because I honestly respect and like teens. And I’m really, really, really immature.
What is your writing process like?
It changes with each book. I have tried and tried to find the one right way, but haven’t found it yet!
What are you working on now?
I have several proposals started but at the moment, I’m working on a book that’s very different and very special. I don’t think I’m going to say anything about it right now except that it is really stretching me as a writer. Which is a good thing…sometimes.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Read, surf the web, try new food, and spend time with my family. I’d like to travel the world
Who do you like to read?
Pat Conroy, Joshilyn Jackson, Sylvia Plath, Scott Westerfeld, Kate Brian….my tastes in books is all over the place!
Bio
Teri Brown turned to writing in a desperate attempt to keep from having to get a paying job at her local McDonalds. Fortunately, she’s been successful, and her debut young adult novel, Read My Lips (Simon Pulse), came out June, 2008. She is also a contributing editor for iParenting Media, and her magazine credits include Writer’s Digest, Women’s Health and Fitness, Dog Fancy, and Oregon Coast Magazine, among others. Teri lives with her husband and children in a dilapidated 1969 ranch style house in Portland, Oregon.
Posted by Sara Hantz in Interviews @ 4:14 pm
