Lisa Schroeder
Describe your latest project.
My new YA novel, Far from You, is about Alice, who has yet to piece her life together after losing her mother to cancer. She copes by writing music, exploring her passion for her boyfriend, and distancing herself from her father and stepmother. But when she's trapped in a deadly snowstorm that threatens her life and the lives of her stepmother and newborn half-sister, she's forced to deal with issues she's been avoiding for too long. I think fans of my first book, I Heart You, You Haunt Me, will find similar themes here — of love and loss, healing and hope.
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"Genuine emotion....[T]he accessibility and heartache will attract many readers." Kirkus Reviews
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"Teen girls will love this well-written, tragic romance." VOYA
"Schroeder's stripped-down images capture the pain of losing someone...and the isolation that often goes hand-in-hand with grief." KLIATT
What fictional character would you like to be your friend, and why?
I think I'm going to say Audrey from the book Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway because she is really funny and loves music. Oh, and she scoops ice cream at the mall and if we were friends, maybe she'd give me a free scoop now and then.
Offer a favorite sentence or passage from another writer.
I'm a big fan of Tracie Vaughn Zimmer's work. Her novel-in-verse, Reaching for Sun, is one of my favorite books. Here is a passage from that book:
Jordan's taught me
not to glance
but to look,
even study,
the complicated lace of a web,
the frilly holes from beetle snacks,
the dew like diamond earrings on the tips of leaves —
finding miniature miracles
I was once blind to.
What is your favorite breakfast cereal?
Mmmm, cereal. We usually have at least five boxes in our pantry because cereal isn't just for breakfast anymore! I think Cocoa Puffs are my favorite, but I wouldn't eat them for breakfast. I try to eat something healthy like oatmeal or a hard boiled egg and toast, but Cocoa Puffs is a great evening snack.
What was your favorite story as a child?
It was a picture book called Lisa and the Grompet by Patricia Coombs. I liked it because the main character had my name, but I was also enamored with the lovely illustrations. I actually still have the book, where I carefully wrote my name in the front to make sure everyone knew it was mine.
What do you do for relaxation?
I love to walk my dog, Stormy, around our neighborhood with my iPod. Sometimes I dance and hope no one is looking out their window at that exact moment. I also enjoy curling up with a cup of tea and a good book, or watching an old movie on American Movie Classics.
Share an interesting experience you've had with one of your readers.
I get a lot of notes from readers through my website, and I love each one. But one of the most touching moments happened at the book signing I did at Powell's right after I Heart You, You Haunt Me was released. A young woman came up to me and told me the book had really helped her because her boyfriend had passed away a few months ago. I don't know that I ever thought about my book helping someone. I wanted to tell a good story and touch people, yes, but knowing my book has helped someone with their own grief, as an author, I can't think of anything better than that.
What's your favorite holiday and why?
Is Mother's Day a holiday? I like that one quite a lot. It's nice having a day where my family lavishes me with gifts and doesn't let me set foot in the kitchen.
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Lisa Schroeder is the author of Far from You and I Heart You, You Haunt Me.
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