Sydney Salter is Here!

Guess what?! I have another amazing 2009 Deb on the blog with her 2010 release! Sydney Salter is back this week, and she’s celebrating the release of her newest YA novel: SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Welcome back, Sydney!

ABOUT SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK

You’d think Polly Martin would have all the answers when it comes to love—after all, her grandmother is the famous syndicated advice columnist Miss Swoon. But after a junior year full of dating disasters, Polly has sworn off boys. This summer, she’s going to focus on herself for once. So Polly is happy when she finds out Grandma is moving in—think of all the great advice she’ll get.

But Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy sexagenarian! How can Polly stop herself from falling for Xander Cooper, the suddenly-hot skateboarder who keeps showing up while she’s working at Wild Waves water park, when Grandma is picking up guys at the bookstore and flirting with the dishwasher repairman?

No advice column can prepare Polly for what happens when she goes on a group camping trip with three too many ex-boyfriends and the tempting Xander. Polly is forced to face her feelings and figure out if she can be in love—and still be herself.

ABOUT SYDNEY SALTER

Sydney Salter has never had an ex-boyfriend or worked in a water park, but she did once babysit a bulldog. Sydney now lives in Utah with her first and only boyfriend (now her husband), two daughters, two cats, two dogs, and a pair of tortoises. She loves reading, writing, traveling, and really tall, really twisty water slides. She’s also the author of My Big Nose And Other Natural Disasters and Jungle Crossing. She blogs at www.mybignose.blogspot.com

(I’ve read Sydney’s previous novels, and highly recommend both!)
(Oh, and how lucky is she to have never had an ex-boyfriend. Seriously.)

On to the Interview!

Me: What was the inspiration/where did you get the idea for this latest story, and when did you realize it could become a novel?

Sydney: I've always wanted to write about a girl who didn't know herself outside of a relationship; I suffered through a scary storm on a boat in the middle of a huge lake; my mother--a psychologist--lived with me for about six months while her condo was being built; and a cute skateboarder curved down my street every morning for weeks. One day I watched him talk on the phone, while holding a coffee, shirtless, as he gracefully wheeled down the hill. That's the moment I declared him my next character's love interest. I mixed all those things together, whipped up a synopsis--and wrote a novel!

Me: An excellent example of how writers tap into their own experiences. :) Now that you’re a seasoned author, if there is one thing you could go back and tell your “debut author” self, what would it be?

Sydney: Seasoned author, huh? I feel more like a salted snail most of the time. I'd tell my debut self to be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions--the learning curve is steep, public criticism hurts, and authors have so little control over most aspects of the business. I'd remind myself to focus more on my real family and friends and less about frenetically promoting myself online.

Me: Ah! The emo-coaster. I’m a frequent flyer. Finally: I’m always looking for new ways to tackle revisions. What is your tried and true revision strategy and why does it work?

Sydney: I like to make lists of things that need to be fixed (sometimes I'll turn an editorial letter into a list). I keep the list handy while I work through the story from beginning to end, crossing things off as I complete them. That way I can work on several changes--like rounding out characters--at once.

Me: Smart! Lists are good. :)

Readers . . . You can visit Sydney at her home on the web: http://www.sydneysalter.com

And . . . SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK is officially on sale.

You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Swoon-at-Your-Own-Risk/dp/0152066497/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257803462&sr=8-1

Thank you so much for stopping by, Sydney!