Interview with Author Christine Johnson!

About the Author Christine Johnson:

Christine Johnson calls Indianapolis, Indiana home. She went to DePaul University where she studied Political Science. She lives in an old house in an old neighborhood with her husband and kids and too many books. Christine (like myself!) has a weakness for anything sweet, loves yoga and cooking. But mostly, she likes making things up and writing them down and having people read them. So, that’s what she does- and we're very lucky she does it! If you haven't added her Young Adult novel, Claire de Lune, to your wish list- do it, do it now! (All this information was taken from Christine's website.)

The Interview:

Welcome to Rex Robot Reviews, Christine! I'm excited to have you stop by- Claire de Lune was a refreshing look into the world of female werewolves. ;) And thank you for taking the time to do the interview! 

Christine, which character did you enjoy writing the most and why? 
Okay, I always take Claire out of the equation for these sorts of questions, ‘cause she’s just too obvious an answer. Though I enjoy Emily the most in the sense of who I like and would want to hang out with, writing wise, I enjoyed the rogue killer wolf the most. It was scary and fun and fascinating to get down inside her head like that. I always felt sort of shaky and exhilarated after writing her scenes.

What inspired your novel Claire de Lune?

It was pretty simple. I wanted to see a girl get the supernatural powers, and I thought she should date a human boy. But the only way it made sense to me that she would date a human was if there were no male werewolves around. And from that little plot-seed, Claire de Lune grew.

If Claire de Lune had a soundtrack, which songs would you choose?

I think Claire de Lune probably has a lot of earlier Ani DiFranco influence in there, and probably some U2 and Death Cab for Cutie stuff for the Matthew-and-Claire bits. For some of the wolf scenes - the rogue wolf scenes - I love Criminal, by The Roots. I will say that, for me, the sequel has a stronger soundtrack than Claire does. And it involves a helluva lot of Amanda Palmer. 

Would you rather see your books on the TV screen or the big screen?

Probably the big screen, because I think books that get serialized into TV shows end up going much further afield than movies do. That’s not to say that I’d in any way turn down a TV offer! I do have kids to put through college. All kidding aside, I don’t spend much time thinking about this sort of thing, since it happens so rarely, and even when an author’s lucky enough to get this sort of offer they pretty much *never* get to pick and choose, you know? 

How would you say that your interests influence your writing?

This is a GREAT question and one that I’m really passionate about. Without my interests, my writing probably wouldn’t exist. My interests and passions - even the minor, weird, quirky ones, are what keep me learning and exploring, and it’s through those explorations that I stumble upon plot or character ideas. A perfect setting I might not have thought of. I think everyone needs interests - not even hobbies, but *interests* - and I think I’m lucky to be doing something where indulging those curiosities can count  as “research.” 

What do you do when you aren't writing?

Mostly I chase my two kids! Aside from that, I’m a voracious reader, I love English Premier League football, Kundalini Yoga, and making and eating good food. There’s a huge list of things I’d LOVE to add to all of that, but there just isn’t time in my life right now. Like, someday, I want to add traveling and scuba diving and gardening, too! 

Where is your favorite spot to read/write?

Big, cushy couch in the living room. Hands down. Writing tends to happen wherever I can snatch the time, though, so I’ll end up in the rocker in the nursery, or the front seat of the car while the kids nap in back, or on the front porch!

If you can take the books of only one author with you to a desert island, which author would you choose? Why?

Hrmh. This is a HARD QUESTION. Part of me wants to pick someone who’s written a TON of books, so that I’d have the maximum number of pages with me - say Charlaine Harris. Part of me wants to say someone like Maureen Johnson, ‘cause she’s funny as all get out, and I imagine if I were stranded on a deserted island, humor might be in short supply. Part of me wants to say someone who’s got amazing insight into the human (and specifically, the Young Adult human) condition, like John Green.

 

When it comes right down to it, though, I’m a pretty practical girl at heart. I’ll say John Wiseman. I checked on Amazon, and that dude has written, like, a bajillion survival guides. Since I consider staying at a hotel that doesn’t have cable to be “camping,” the reality is that any entertaining books I brought wouldn’t do much good. I wouldn’t be around long enough to read them. So. John Wiseman. Survival guides. Practical. 

So, what comes after Claire de Lune? Excited about any other releases or works in progress?

Yes! The as-yet-untitled sequel to Claire de Lune (I hate titling books. I find it to be second only to naming children in pressure-filled difficulty. And there are Way. More. Options. for titles than for kids names.) ANYWAY. The sequel will be coming out sometime next summer, 2011! 

Do you have any upcoming events? If so, where can your readers find you? 

Yes, again! I’ll be signing around Indianapolis in June and July, as well as popping up to Chicago in July. You can always find my scheduled appearances on the events page of my website. I also tweet about them waaay in advance and with plenty of reminders, so that’s a good way to keep up to speed, too.

Thanks so much for having me “over”  for a chat! I had a lovely time!

Thanks again for joining us! Can't wait for the sequel!! 

Readers, check out Claire de Lune today!

Find Christine Johnson:

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