“When I first became a writer I thought that I’d found the perfect thing for my introverted personality. I could stay holed up in my room by myself and type to my heart’s content.” When I read this, I was pretty sure Lisa Kline was a mind-reader as well as a fabulous author…because this is exactly how I feel about writing! There are few better combinations than a couch, a laptop, a cup of coffee, and a story idea—unless you add an adorable cat who insists on traipsing across your keyboard. 🙂 Luckily for the rest of us, Lisa isn’t just a telepath . . . she’s a talented writer, a committed mentor, and—most recently—the author of the YA novel, ONE WEEK OF YOU. Welcome to the blog, Lisa!

Congrats on the release of ONE WEEK OF YOU--I adore that gorgeous cover! Tell us about the book--what's it all about, and what was your inspiration for writing it?

Isn’t the cover beautiful? I absolutely love Lauren Faulkenberry’s design. The book is about one week in the life of Lizzy Winston, a fifteen-year-old high school sophomore. It’s based on some real events that happened to my daughters when they were in high school. First, my older daughter had to carry a flour baby for her health class and I was intrigued by that and thought it had some good comic possibilities. Second, my younger daughter later at school experienced three bomb threats in one week. Needless to say, it was a chaotic and stressful week and I was really concerned about how it affected the kids. I started wondering if I could combine a somewhat comic storyline with a more serious one and decided to give it a try. As the story went through more drafts, I began to realize that there was a strong romantic thread to the story as well.

You've written multiple middle-grade novels--is ONE WEEK OF YOU your first book for a YA audience? What made you decide to write a YA rather than MG story this time around?

Thirteen must have been a seminal age for me because my protagonists for many years were about that age. I did start writing older protagonists in the SISTERS IN ALL SEASONS series since the stepsisters were aging with each book. In the last book, SEASON OF CHANGE, Diana is sixteen and has her drivers’ license. And, it’s probably also important that my own daughters were getting older, too.

But yes, since these real life events actually happened to my daughters in high school, and the flour baby storyline deals essentially with a health class or sex education, my editors and I thought that it made more sense for the protagonist to be a bit older. And there is a romance in the story, which is more appropriate for YA.

You've had a wide range of careers--including "a tongue-tied disc jockey, a radio copywriter, a zoned-out waitress, and a disorganized but trustworthy veterinary hospital administrative manager." How have all of these experiences informed your writing? (Oh...and do any recordings of that supposedly tongue-tied DJ exist?) 😉

Haha, there are thankfully no recordings of me as a disc jockey. I did it on a volunteer basis for a very short time. I was an absolutely terrible waitress. People would be waving their arms to try to get more ketchup or something and I’d be standing in the server station daydreaming about my next story. I kept wondering why everyone’s tips were so much better than mine! My husband is a veterinarian and I used to help him out when he owned his own practice. My husband is quite efficient and fast-moving, whereas I am not, so I didn’t help out with much that wasn’t administrative. In the SISTERS OF ALL SEASONS series, there are a couple of heroic veterinarians who are all based on my husband. For one job I learned the basics of driving a small forklift, and I used that job for Lizzie’s mother in ONE WEEK OF YOU. I have often told people that it’s a good thing that writing has worked out because I haven’t been very good at anything else!

Over the years, you've given a lot back to the writing community--you're a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) mentor, you've been a North Carolina Writers' Network board member, and the list goes on. What motivates you to give back?

I feel so incredibly lucky to be part of the writing community, and so I usually say “yes” when people ask me to serve organizations. Writing can be lonely, and writing organizations provide such an important sense of community. As far as mentoring goes, I really enjoy helping other writers shape their manuscripts. It’s fun to see their stories develop and wonderful to follow their successes and cheer them on as they continue.

You’re really involved in the writing community—but you’re also an introvert. How do the two mix?

I know a lot of other writers and I’d say many of us are introverts. When I first became a writer I thought that I’d found the perfect thing for my introverted personality. I could stay holed up in my room by myself and type to my heart’s content. Then my first book won an award and I had to make a big speech. A speech! I actually went and got hypnotized to try to overcome the stage fright and dread I experienced with that speech. And my stage fright with book presentations and readings continued for a long time. I’d have sleepless nights beforehand, anxiety attacks, the shakes—it was generally just horrible. I even thought about hiring someone to pose as me who could do all my public appearances! What finally cured me was teaching. I taught composition at the college level for a few years and had to stand up in front of the class several times a week and keep the students’ attention. I kept gritting my teeth and grinding it out until one day I realized my stage fright was gone.

The publishing industry can feel overwhelming, especially with the variety of options open to writers today. What advice do you have for aspiring authors who are just starting out?

First, practice. I used to tell my students that practice is as important for a writer as it is for a musician or sports enthusiast. You’d never dream of trying to play piano in a recital without hours of practice. Yet people write one story and become devastated if it’s not published. Practice your writing just like anything else you’d like to be good at. Second, be persistent. I’ve been in groups with so many writers with more talent than me but they gave up and I didn’t. They sent out their stories three times and I sent mine out thirty-three times. Third, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. When you finish one story, stop and celebrate, then start another one. Finally, seek community. Find a writers group or SCBWI or the Charlotte Writers’ Club. The camaraderie of other writers offers solace.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

For Lizzy Winston, one week will change everything.

Fifteen-year-old Lizzy Winston has always been a good kid—and she sees the good in most everyone else, too. When she meets the charismatic Andy Masters, she starts crushing hard. He distracts her from other parts of her life that she’s trying to hold together. Her grades are slipping, she causes her mom to miss a new job opportunity, and her friends’ actions are making her question what’s right.

Andy seems like a great guy. He’s funny and charming, the Clown Prince of Lakeside High. He loves digging up news stories for the high school TV station, but he’s got some secrets of his own. As he and Lizzy get closer, she grows skeptical of his motives. When she does her own digging on Andy, she learns that everyone has secrets—no matter how good they seem.

Someone’s pulling pranks at Lakeside, and Lizzy thinks she knows who it is. When the pranks escalate and put students in danger, she must decide where her loyalty lies. She doesn’t want to get a friend in trouble, but if she keeps quiet, someone will get hurt. In one week, she learns that adulthood brings new, complicated responsibilities. Is she ready to do the right thing if it means losing her friends?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Williams Kline was such a daydreamer as a kid that she once stopped to pet a dog while running from third base to home. Fortunately, she ended up as a writer, where daydreaming pays off, and is the author of nine novels for young people, including Eleanor Hill (Carus), winner of the North Carolina Juvenile Literature Award, Princesses of Atlantis (Carus), Write Before Your Eyes (Delacorte), the 5-book Sisters in All Seasons series (Zondervan). With Goldenjay Books, she is the author of the forthcoming One Week of You. She has also published a collection of short stories for adults entitled Take Me (Main Street Rag). She has won the Press 53 Short Story Contest and Honorable Mention in the Glimmer Train Winter Fiction Open. A graduate of Duke University, she has a Masters in Radio, Television and Film from UNC-Chapel Hill, and an MFA from Queens University. She has served as president of the Charlotte Writers’ Club, on the board of the North Carolina Writers’ Network, is a mentor in the SCBWI Mentor Program and critiques manuscripts for Writers’ Digest.  She lives in North Carolina with her veterinarian husband, Jeff, and numerous spoiled pets. Their two daughters visit frequently with their dogs and as can be imagined they have a howling good time.

BUY LINKS:

bit.ly/kline-week