Interview with author Julie Rieman Duck

I had the opportunity to interview YA author Julie Rieman Duck.  She is the author of the book A Place In This Life.  You can red the review here.

I want to welcome Julie to this blog, Jessy's Bookends.  Let's begin:

What motivated you as a writer to focus your writing in the YA genre?
It came naturally with A Place In This Life - the beginning of the story is based on my own experience, which happened when I was a teenager. The genre felt so natural that I just stuck with it.

Do you think writer's writing is defined mostly by their creativity & imagination or by their experiences?
A combination of both. When we draw from our experiences, we lend authenticity to our writing. At the same time, we have to make things up and that's where our creativity comes into play. I've used both with all of my stories.


How did Todd, Nally and their world were born and became part of your life?
Because the beginning of the story actually happened (yes, I knew Todd and he was very sick and very direct!), I started there. Like many stories, the characters eventually go places that even the writer never planned. That is the great joy of writing, when the characters take off and do things you don't expect.

If you could create the soundtrack of Todd and Nally lives which songs would you choose?
I wrote the book to the debut album by VAST (Visual Auditory Sensory Theater). Specifically, I wrote to the song "Touched" which you can find here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S_R13jV11Q. Please listen to it and you will feel the depth of emotion that went into writing A Place In This Life.


What we can expect to see in the future for writer Julie Rieman Duck? Any new projects?
Extremely soon! I have two finished novels that my previous agent just released back to me, and I am wrapping up a male POV novella called The Joy & Torture of Joshua James. I have several other works-in-progress as well. Always something going on!

Any words for your readers?
The stories that I write may not be light, but they make you think and, more importantly, feel. There is someone who understands what you are going through, or have gone through. You may find one of them in a book I've written.

Thanks Julie for setting some time aside to be part of this interview.

A Place In This Life has earned 4 and 5 star ratings across
the board for its intimate portrayal of a teenage girl whose first love is a boy
with leukemia. There are no dry eyes when you join the hundreds of readers
who have been touched by this deeply moving story.

                                         A Place In This Life now available on:
                              Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and BookieJar                www.julieduck.com  *  www.julieduck.wordpress.com * www.twitter.com/skodobah