Diversity in YA Interview + Contest: Sarah Rees Brennan

There's this awesome group of YA authors who have come together for the Diversity in YA Tour, and I seriously mean awesome. And hitting up my blog today is The Demon's Lexicon author Sarah Rees Brennan to answer a few questions. Then, find out all about where the authors will be hitting up for live tour stops, and enter for your chance to win one of their books!

You're dropped into a room full of Death Eaters! What do you do?

This depends. I mean, some of the Death Eaters, probably quite dashing in an evil way. So in that case, I would - cough - attempt to cosy up to them, secret agent Mata Hari style, and learn all their dark plans while being evilly plied with champagne. For the cause, you understand.

If it was Wormtail, though, I choose death! 


If you were a demigod, what god/goddess would be your parent?

Probably Zeus. You know Zeus, he was getting it in every port. Zeus, man. Flowers, chocolate, turning himself into a swan... there was nothing he wouldn't do to get into every set of knickers in town.

But if I could pick, I'd like to be Athena's daughter. You know how it is. Wisdom. Sounds like she might have a giant library she could let her darling child roam around in. (Picture it like the library from Beauty and the Beast.)


If you could pair Mae, Nick and Alan with any character from any book, what would be your pick for each?

Nick would probably really like Holly Black's Lila in the Curse Workers series. Meddles with dreams is something he can totally understand, and her future-mob-boss killer instincts and cool ability to take charge would appeal to him. (Nick really likes to be told what to do, as long as he doesn't think what he's being told to do is stupid.) So it would either be true love, one of them dead within a weekend, or both.

I'd kind of like to pair up Mae with Willoughby from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Because she's a romantic in some ways, so she'd totally be drawn to the tall dark playboy type, but when he shows himself to be a disloyal cad, she's a modern girl who knows how to stand up for herself, and could make her extreme displeasure known by insult and possible stomping. If stomping is not the desired outcome of the pairing, I think she'd like Wesley from Kody Keplinger's the Duff. (Tall, dark, handsome, bratty, and focused on a lady's pleasure. Mae has a type.)

Does this have to be romantically? Because I would like to give Alan to Cassandra Clare's Sebastian of the Mortal Instruments, but not, you know, as a boyfriend. I just feel Sebastian needs someone to love and accept him, and tolerate all the demonyness. Alan's good at that. (I mean, Alan probably wouldn't be happy about that arrangement, but it's for the good of the world, so he just has to cope.) If it does have to be romantic, then... oh well, hell. Diversity Tour. Learn to cope, Alan! 

(Photo captured from Sarah's website and is not mine in any way)

Thank so much, Sarah, for taking time to answer my questions and with those great answers!


Now for YOUR chance to win a copy of one of the Diversity in YA books, just fill out THIS form!

The book will be randomly selected. Contest is open to US mailing addresses only, and ends May 15.

Want to know what group of authors is involved, find out all the details at their website! From authors bios to their blog, everything you need is right there. And even better? Check out the cities they'll be touring in, starting this Saturday, May 7 in San Francisco! Sarah herself will be in Boston!

Or, if you're in the great state of Texas like me, then mark your calenders for next Monday, May 9 because  Bethany Hegedus, Malinda Lo, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Cindy Pon, Dia Reeves, Jo Whittemore, Varian Johnson will be taking over Book People at 7:30 pm! Find a city near you, hit up this awesome tour, and get behind the fantastic work and message these authors are sending out!