Michael Lindsay-Hogg studied at Oxford before becoming a director of the 1960s British television rock series "Ready, Steady, Go!" On Broadway, he has directed "Whose Life Is It Anyway?," "Agnes of God," and "The Boys of Winter." His films include "Nasty Habits," "Frankie Starlight," "The Object of Beauty," and "Waiting for Godot." He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Lisa. Here he talks about the pleasures of learning to read --- and how he was rewarded with the first book he ever received as a gift!
Wendy Delsol is the author of three young adult novels: STORK, FROST, and the upcoming TIDE (Candlewick Press). The trilogy is inspired by Norse mythology and has paranormal and romance elements. She also writes for adults. THE MCCLOUD HOME FOR WAYWARD GIRLS was named a Barnes and Noble Pick of the Week. Wendy lives in Des Moines with her husband and two teenage boys. Here she talks about how she organizes and motivates herself while writing.
Joseph Monninger, twice a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, is also the author of ETERNAL ON THE WATER. Currently a college professor, he has published award-winning fiction and nonfiction. He lives with his family in a converted barn near New Hampshire’s Baker River. Here he talks about the Christmas he observed with his family when he was 18 --- his mother's last.
Barbara O’Neal fell in love with food and restaurants at the age of fifteen, when she landed a job in a Greek café and served baklava for the first time. She sold her first novel in her twenties, and has since won a plethora of awards, including two Colorado Book Awards and six prestigous RITAs, including one for THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS in 2010. Her novels have been published widely in Europe and Australia, and she travels internationally, presenting workshops, hiking hundreds of miles, and of course, eating. She lives with her partner, a British endurance athlete, and their collection of cats and dogs, in Colorado Springs. Here she talks about recovering memories on Christmas.
Sarah Addison Allen is the New York Times Bestselling author of GARDEN SPELLS (2007) THE SUGAR QUEEN (2008) THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON (2010) and THE PEACH KEEPER (2011). She was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. Here she talks about anticipation on Christmas Eve...or early Christmas morning.
Beth Fantaskey’s debut novel, Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, was a Good Morning America Pick for Teen Summer Reading, a Barnes & Noble Best Teen Book of the Year and an IndieNext pick, and was nominated for ALA’s Best Book for Young Adults list. The sequel, Jessica Rules the Dark Side, is due out in January 2012. She is also the author of Jekel Loves Hyde. Beth lives in rural Pennsylvania with her husband and two daughters. Here she talks about the different kinds of strong female characters that figure in her books.
Be sure to check out the free eBook giveaway of JESSICA’S GUIDE TO THE DARK SIDE, which begins Dec. 23 and runs for two weeks! Readers can download the eBook wherever eBooks are sold, or go to http://www.hmhbooks.com/jessicarules.
Like her protagonist, Jean Kwok was born in Hong Kong. Along with her family, she immigrated to Brooklyn when she was five and worked in a Chinatown clothing factory for much of her childhood. After entering public elementary school unable to speak a word of English, she was later admitted to Hunter College High School, one of New York City’s most competitive public high schools. She won early admission to Harvard, where she worked as many as four jobs at a time and graduated with honors in English and American literature, before going on to earn an MFA in fiction at Columbia. She has worked as an English teacher and Dutch-English translator at Leiden University in the Netherlands. In addition, she has been a professional ballroom dancer, a reader for the blind, a housekeeper, a dishwasher, and a computer graphics specialist for a major financial institution. Her work has been published in Story magazine, Prairie Schooner, and the NuyorAsian Anthology. Here she talks about how she came to understand Christmas.
