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Most Popular Question
A: My twelfth full-length novel, Goddess Games, is on store shelves now. I have a novella titled "Last Stand" in the collection Breaking Up (Is Hard To Do) which also features stories from Terri Clark, Ellen Hopkins and Lynda Sandoval. I'm also working on couple of new projects. For the latest, you can also visit In The Works page on this site. 
Questions About the Royally Jacked Series
A: It's certainly a possibility, because I have a blast writing about Valerie. However, at the moment, another Val book is up in the air while I finish work on other projects. I'll be sure to post to my Bulletin Board and send out an e-newsletter the moment I know one way or the other. If you want to make sure you don't miss any news, just subscribe to the e-newsletter by clicking here. (Note: I do not sell or distribute my e-mail newsletter list. I hate spam as much as you do!). In the meantime, there's a short story about Val's friend Jules Jackson available exclusively on Amazon.com. It's called Reality Check, and it gives more insight into Jules's whacked out existence.
A: I'd love to see Val on-screen. However, I'm not a movie producer, nor am I in television, so it's not entirely up to me! I do have an agent who handles these things, however, so it's always a possibility that a movie or TV show will be made in the future. If this happens, I will post the info to my website ASAP.
A: In order, the books are Royally Jacked, Spin Control, and Do-Over. They don't have to be read in order, but since the books take place sequentially, you'll end up having some things spoiled if you read them out of order. It all depends on whether you're the type of person who hates spoilers or not. There is also a short story available called Reality Check. It's about Val's friend Jules. It can be read at any time without having to worry about having the books spoiled.
A: My first response to this question: HA HA HA HA HA! My second (real) response: No.
A: No. However, I used to live in Germany and I've spent time in many other European countries, so I based a lot of Schwerinborg's characteristics on what I observed while I was there.
Questions About Other Books
A: Though I haven't completely ruled it out, no sequel is currently planned to either of these books. At the moment I'm busy working on other projects.
A: The town of Vista Verde is fictional. I made it up and set it near the real town of Boulder, Colorado. However, there is a real ranch called Vista Verde that's near Steamboat Springs, Colorado (quite a drive from Boulder.) I didn't know about the ranch when I created the fictional town, so the town is not meant to be in any way connected to the ranch. Cool coincidence, though!
A: Yes, they are both suburbs of Boston. Most of the places in Sticky Fingers (the Natick Mall, the roads, the restaurants, the town of Holliston) are also real. However, the high school that Jenna, Scott, Courtney, and Mat attend in Framingham is fictional.
A: It's possible, since I think there's a lot more to explore with all three girls. However, I can't say when it'll happen. At the moment I'm working on another book, and it demands my complete attention. As soon as I know something for sure, I'll post to my e-newsletter and my Bulletin Board.
A: The books are out of print in the United States (though they continue to pop up in foreign editions around the world.) Therefore, if you're looking for an English language edition, the best thing to do is to scour used bookstores or check eBay, Amazon.com, and Abebooks.com for used copies in good condition. If these books are re-released, I will send out a notice via my e-newsletter so you'll be alerted that new copies are available.
Questions About Writing
A: The stories I write are fiction. However, I pick up ideas from everyday life—a newspaper article, something I see on the news, or just overhearing conversations—and then asking myself, "What if...?" and letting my imagination wander. I also get ideas from out of the blue (in other words, I daydream a lot.) For me, the easy part of writing books is coming up with ideas. They're everywhere.
A: First and foremost, read everything you can get your hands on. I learned the most about writing simply by reading broadly, and by figuring out what I like and don't like. It's important to pay attention to why a book does or doesn't work for you. Something else to do: write a little every day. It gets you in the habit. You don't have to show it to anyone, but the more you write, the more you'll improve. Finally, don't be afraid to take a heavier class load in English and Literature classes. Literature because it gives you the chance to read and discuss great books, and English because it's important to know the basics of language and proper usage. Then you need to sit down and actually WRITE. Don't talk about writing or make grand plans to write. Just write.
A: For me, writing is a career. There are days I don't feel like writing, but I show up at my keyboard and do the work just as anyone would in any other career. (Could you imagine if your local police decided they weren't inspired to fight crime?) If writers waited to be inspired to write, I doubt many books would get finished! That being said, I enjoy my job immensely so I'm quite happy to show up and work.
A: That's fantastic! So many people say they want to write, but they never get around to doing it. That alone puts you one giant step ahead of the game. Unfortunately, I get a ton of requests to read unpublished work, and if I did it for some people I'd feel obligated to do it for everyone. That means I wouldn't have time to write, to eat, to sleep...well, you get the idea. So, no, I'm sorry to say that I can't read your work, give you comments, or show it to my editor or agent. There are also a lot of legal reasons why I can't read unpublished works by other writers. What if you write about a character named Jane and I read it, then I have a book with a character named Jane, so you decide that I must've stolen your stuff, because there's no way I would have come up with a character named Jane on my own? Not that you'd ever do that, but others might. You see how this can get me into major trouble.
A:Well, here's the tough news: Even after you've written a book—and we'll assume it's a fabulous book—you're not guaranteed a sale. Publishers receive hundreds of manuscripts a day, and publish only a few. However, you should NOT let the odds discourage you. If I can sell a book, it's entirely possibly you can, too! First, realize that it's nearly impossible to sell a book without an agent. So the first thing you need to do—again, after you've finished writing the book—is to get a good agent. Go to your local bookstore or online and look for the most up-to-date copy of Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents. Read it. It contains a ton of info about how to submit your work to agents (how to write a query letter, how to format a manuscript, etc.) Then, you should submit your work to agents who handle the type of book you've written. Expect to wait awhile to hear back. If an agent shows interest, your next step is to do more research on that particular agent. Ask a lot of questions. If the agent is charging you money to sell your book to publishers, run the other way. Agents earn their money by selling your book (they get a percentage of the money that the publisher pays you), NOT from critique services or other payments directly from an author. You can learn more about what agents do—and what questions you should ask an agent if they offer you representation—by visiting the website of the Association of Authors' Representatives. Once you have an agent, the agent submits your work to the appropriate publishers. Again, it may take awhile for the agent (and therefore, you) to hear back. If a publisher expresses interest in buying the book, and you decide to accept their offer, your agent will negotiate the contract.
Questions About Everything Else
A: Download my most current booklist in PDF or Word format.
A: I have fairly active pages on MySpace and Facebook, and recently joined Twitter. The links are: My Blogger profile is located here. At present, I participate once a month in the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies blog. I also maintain my own blog, called The Go-Ahead, to which I post more frequently. There are links on each of these blogs that allow you to get them as a feed. Additionally, if you'd prefer to read The Go-Ahead on LiveJournal, click on this link and add me as your friend. At present, I'm not on Bebo, Friendster, or Xanga, though I may be in the future. Right now, it's tough enough keeping up with the others! If you want to keep in touch with me or hear the latest news, the easiest place to check in is on my Bulletin Board. I'm there daily whenever I'm not traveling and try to post prompt responses to questions.
A: Yes. The best place to find out about upcoming plans is to visit my Events page. I list all appearances there as soon as they're confirmed. If you are interested in having me appear at your school or library (if you're a teacher or librarian) or if you're a reader and you'd like me to do a call-in question and answer session with your book club, e-mail me here.
A: I try to sign books in stores whenever I travel. Check my Events page for a list of stores that regularly carry signed titles. If a store near you isn't on that list, then check my Bulletin Board. If I'm traveling and have visited stores and signed copies recently, that will be listed there. Still no luck? You can snail mail me and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with two first-class stamps, and I'll use that self-addressed, stamped envelope to send you an autographed bookplate for any of your books. A bookplate is a sticker that I sign, then you peel the backing and place it inside your book, and then it's just as if I signed it. When you mail me, be sure to include a note letting me know the book title(s) for which you'd like to receive a bookplate. (In other words: In an envelope addressed to me, please send a SECOND envelope you address to yourself, and put two stamps on it. When I get it, I'll mail that second envelope back to you with the bookplate(s) inside. Got it?)
A: Nope. I can barely draw a stick figure. Book covers are done by the publisher, and that's a good thing for me!
A: Nope. As with the book covers, some things are better left to professionals. My site is designed by xuni.com.
Have a question for Niki that's not answered here? Drop her an e-mail, or post your question to Niki's Bulletin Board.  |
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