Q: I've noticed that all of your teen fantasy books you've chosen a time period before WWII. Why haven't you set any in the modern world?
A: Well, I'm fascinated by history, I mean it's like stories at work. It also really helps when you're building a world for your books because I enjoy the what if aspect to writing in a historic period. I'm also selfish and like to write about what interests me and I really like history, especially the Victorian age with the gas lamp lined streets and Gothic architecture and the Roaring Twenties with tons of glitz and glam, things being built everywhere, and cars just criss-crossing through traffic.
Q: So few authors have written for both fiction and fantasy. What made you want to tackle both genres?
A: I really feel as if the stories pick you. With Gemma and her books, I was trying to explore the idea of growing up as a girl and all the challenges a girl faces and why the world's afraid of that. With Going Bovine, I heard about a man in my hometown that got the human version of mad cow disease, which scared me, so I decided to write a book about not being able to trust your reality. I tend to write about the big questions or things that need to be explored.
Q: What's your favorite thing about writing for teens?
A: They really keep me honest. When you're a teenager your really starting to find out your identity and who you are away from your parents. It's this time when you're really being honest with yourself and that helps to keep me honest.
Q: Do you have any rituals you do before writing?
A: Umm, no; not really. There's this cafe near my house that I really like and I go there in the morning to buy a cup of coffee and a bagel, but that's about it (of course her answer was said in a much more Libba-style, but I can't really convey that through text).
Q: What is your favorite thing to write about?
A: It really depends on the day. It's like one day you feel like wearing jeans and a t-shirt and another you want to wear a tiara and want to only be addressed as Natasha; it depends on the day and how I feel. Although if i had to boil it down, I like to write about the hilarious or the things that are hard to say.
Q: You're one of a handful of writers to make a second appearance at the Austin Teen Book Festival, as a keynote speaker no less. What made you want to come back?
A: Austin is an amazing city, and as a native Texan myself, I know this personally. This festival is just very great and I'd love to come back again, at least until they're all like "Really Libba, stop being a stalker".
Q: If your readers could know one thing about you, what would it be?
A: I'm a ninja. It's about time that I tell the world, it's been under wraps for far too long.
By the way readers, I agreed with her to keep her whole ninja on the down low, so be hush hush about it.
Libba Bray is just one of the greatest, sweetest, funniest authors I have ever met and she is nothing but inspirational. For those of you reading this who haven't read her books YOU NEED TO GO STRAIGHT TO BOOK PEOPLE AND BUY ONE NOW! You have no idea what you're missing out on!
Signing off for now,
Laura
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