Interview with Barbara Dee and giveaway!

Hi Barbara, it’s wonderful to have you on the blog today! Could you please share with us about your latest novel, This Is Me From Now On?
I’d love to! THIS IS ME FROM NOW ON is about a girl named Evie whose life is in a rut—until she starts hanging out with Francesca, a wild new neighbor who inspires her to do some matchmaking.

So what first inspired This Is Me From Now On?
When I was in middle and high school, I had a friend who got me into some mischief. None of the details are the same as what happens in THIS IS ME FROM NOW ON—but let me say that this girl kept me laughing.

Where do you usually get your ideas from?
Mostly, memories about how I felt as a kid. (I use very few actual details from those years—but I do use remembered emotions.) I also just pick things out of the air. I read a lot. And okay, I confess–I’m a big eavesdropper.

What’s one of your favorite first sentences from one of your favorite books?
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”

That, of course, is the opening of The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

Why was it your favorite?
Because Holden just starts talking, and you know exactly who he is. Nobody else has that voice.

If you could meet one author, living or dead, who would it be?
Only one, huh? Well, I’d have to say Shakespeare. He’s kind of a mystery—it’s hard to imagine some lowly actor just churning out masterpiece after masterpiece.

If you could go back in time and tell your 16-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?
All right, listen, Barbara: you know that cute boy you’ve had a ridiculous crush on for the past two years? The one you won’t even talk to because you’re convinced he’s much too cool for you? Well, the day before graduation, when you’re signing yearbooks, he’ll confess to you that he’s had a crush on you. Seriously. And by then it will be too late, because you’re both going off to college and you’ll never see each other again. SO JUST TALK TO HIM NOW, OKAY?

If someone told you 20 years ago that you would be a published author, what would your reaction be?
YAY!

Lauren Barnholdt called This Is Me From Now On “Hilarious and heartwarming. I loved it.” Ultimately, what would you like people to take away from your book?
That it’s great to get out of your comfort zone. We all feel trapped sometimes, but we almost never really are.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yes! My next book, TRAUMA QUEEN, will be out next spring. So please save a space on your bookshelf!

This Is Me From Now On is out now, you can buy it from here, here and here.

GIVEAWAY:

Barbara has kindly offered two cute goody bags with book-related items (bookmarks, lip gloss, sugarless bubblegum, and a replica of Evie’s “amber” necklace, handmade by her!). Comment below for a chance to win. There will be no extra entries for this giveaway. You do not have to be a blog or Twitter follower but it’d be nice. 😉

Giveaway ends June 7th. US and Canada only, sorry international followers!