Authors Are Rockstars Tour: Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver is a Rockstar.

I came to this scientific conclusion when I read BEFORE I FALL in the Spring of 2010. It was one of those reads that made me stare off into space for an uncomfortable amount of time when I finished it.  I knew Lauren had that certain somethin' somethin' and I anxiously awaited her next book.

And then I read DELIRIUM.

That's when I realized that not only can Lauren tell a story that will make your heart feel as though it's been permanently relocated to your stomach, she'll make you say, "THANK YOU" afterwards. She leaves us with these endings that induce CRAZINESS and you want to be angry but she's just delivered that killer ending with some of the most beautiful words to ever hit paper. (or the e-reader screen) It almost makes her trademark endings bearable. ALMOST. But not really.

Fantastic stories + beautiful writing + all those feelings + THAT ONE SHOWER SCENE = ROCKSTAR.  But wait.  There's more.

Lauren came through Minneapolis on her Liesl & Po book tour and I was more than a little star struck when I turned the corner and saw her sitting there. But she was so darn welcoming and grateful that it was easy to relax and just enjoy the time we got to spend with her.  It is the first signing my 12 year old daughter has ever attended and Lauren made it a fantastic experience for her by taking a sincere interest in what my daughter liked to read. See? ROCKSTAR.

Photo Credit: Nikki Oldenburg
My daughter is not the same person you saw on COPS this weekend. It's just that...she's 12 and her privacy is important to me.

OK, lets get to the good stuff.  Lauren is here today to tell us all WHAT HAPPENS IN REQUIEM. Okay, she's not here to do that, but she IS here to give us a glimpse into the rockstar behind the books.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Q. We think authors are amazing. You are our rockstars. Do you have an author or authors that you look up to or are inspired or amazed by?

So many! Roald Dahl, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, J.K. Rowling, Jane Austen... the list goes on and on!

Q. Having parents who are literature professors and who encouraged you to be creative, did you find that writing came to you naturally or was it something you had to work on? And if your family didn’t have a background in literature, do you feel you would have gravitated toward it anyway?

I can't speak to how I would have turned if my family wasn't so grounded in literature. It was such a part of my life from such an early age. I definitely naturally gravitated towards the desire to write, but just like someone who is musically inclined still needs to practice the violin, I've had to work on my writing. I still am! Any craft is all about practice.

Q. You mention that when you used to read a story you loved, you would write your own sequels to keep the story alive. What was the first story that inspired you to write “fan fiction”? And what was the first story you wrote that was all your very own?

I believe I originally wrote fan fiction for Brian Jacques' Redwall series! I loved those books as a child. I don't remember much about my very first stories--I've been writing since I knew how to form letters--but I wrote my first "novel" when I was nine. It was thirty handwritten pages and I instantly began obsessing over whether the New York Times would review it.

Q. What is your favorite part about being a writer? Is it creating the characters or world? Is it being able to get lost in your imagination? Or is it something else?

Being able to work in my pajamas! No, I think it's being able to take refuge in a separate world, a place of my own imagining.

Q. You’ve written contemporary and dystopian books for a young adult audience and you’ve written stories for a middle grade audience. Of all your books, which was your favorite to write and why? Which was your most challenging? And which is the character you most relate to?

All my books had their own challenges and joys. I don't think any book is "easy" to write, although they can be difficult for many reasons. Some are more structurally challenging, and some are harder to connect with emotionally. I put myself into a lot of my female protagonists, none of them is me completely, but they're all facets of my personality. 

Q. The world in your Delirium trilogy is rather awesome. How did you come up with the world that Delirium, Hana, Pandemonium, and Requiem is set in? Has there been anything about the world you would have liked to change or did it develop exactly as you’d have hoped over the course of the series?

Thank you!! Once I had the central premise--a world without love--I spent a lot of time thinking about how it would change cultural, religious, and intellectual aspects of society. I definitely had to think rigorously about how much language and physical language would change, too, which was something I had not originally considered.

Q. *Mild Pandemonium Spoiler Alert* There is a bit of a love triangle in Pandemonium. Was this always intended? Especially after the way things ended in book one….

I'm not sure it's exactly a love triangle, since there's really only one guy in it! But yes, I'd always intended for Lena to grapple with new romance and the guilt that accompanies it. The truth about loss is that afterwards, we do move on. I should know; in 2009, I lost a man I'd been in love with and had dated seriously for three years. I thought my heart would never heal. But it did.

Q. Your character, Raven, is seriously awesome and is a reader favorite. Did anyone you know inspire her character?

I love Raven too! Raven is kind of who I wish I could be, mixed with elements of my sister.

Q. It’s a long shot…but do you have any hints about what’s to come in Requiem?

 All I'm saying is that this time the story is told from two different points of view, and that the story will include some characters we haven't seen since "Delirium". 

Q. If you had to describe Pandemonium in ten words or less, how would you describe it?

Lena grows stronger and joins the resistance.

THIS OR THAT QUESTIONS 

(See if YOU can find the most ironic answer in the history of history)

Phobias? 

Not telling. I'm always afraid someone will use it against me!

Favorite Superhero?

Batman

Favorite Dessert?

Chocolate

What’s the last novel you read?

Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie.

Favorite TV show?

Game of Thrones!

Contemporary or Dystopian?

I don't know! I don't really select books based on category.

Young Adult or Middle Grade?

Both

Cliffhanger endings or suspense-free endings?

Suspense-free (when I'm reading). :)

Love triangles or soul mates?

Friendships-turned-soulmates.

Happily ever after or happily never after?

More like "complex ever after."

Did you find it? Did you find the answer that practically defines the word ironic?

You can find Lauren Oliver all over the internet:  Twitter | Facebook | Website | Goodreads

I'd suggest you start at Goodreads and put BEFORE I FALL, DELIRIUM, HANA, PANDEMONIUM, REQUIEM, LIESL AND PO and THE SPINDLERS on your list of books to read. It's one of the best things you can do for yourself. (You can see our spoiler-free review of PANDEMONIUM here.)

I'd like to share the book that first introduced me to Lauren "The Rockstar" Oliver, so we're giving away a hardcover copy of BEFORE I FALL to one lucky reader.(FYI--This book contains mature subject matters.)  This contest is open to ages 13+ with a US Address.  Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win!

BUT. Before you do that, go over and give some mad love to Jaime and Patricia from Two Chicks on Books and Rachel from Fiktshun for putting this amazing month long event together. This event could only be coordinated by ROCKSTARS and these three incredible women most definitely fall into that category. Thank you Patricia, Jaime and Rachel for all you do! <3

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