[Meet the Author] Anna Staniszewski

Hi there!

Thanks to NetGalley and also Sourcebook publisher, I got an ARC of "The Prank List", the latest book written by Anna Staniszewski.

Just so you know, "The Prank List" is the second book of the series "The Dirt Diary", with Rachel as the main character. I haven't read the first book yet. But after read "The Prank List", I certainly looking forward to read the first book! XD

Here's the synopsis:

Rachel never thought she'd fight for the right to clean toilets, but she has to save her mom's business. Nothing can distract her from her mission - except maybe Whit, the cute new guy in cooking class. Then she discovers something about Whit that could change everything. After destroying her Dirt Diary, Rachel thought she was done with secrets, but to save her family's business, Rachel's going to have to get her hands dirty. Again.

Today, I'm not going to review "The Prank List" (yet!). Anna has been so nice to answer a few questions from me. So, you, my dear friend, can get to know more about her and her work :)

Here you go!

Zelie (ZP): I found that "The Prank List" is a part of "The Dirt Diary" series. When you first started writing The Dirt Diary series, did you initially plan it to be a series? If yes, how many books do you plan to write for this series?

Anna (AS): The first book in the series started out as a standalone, but when we sent it to my editor, I had some ideas for other “misadventures” that the main character could deal with. I was so excited when my editor was interested in two more books in the series; there will be three all together.

ZP : You have created the main character of your book as a good chef. Do you, as the author, in real life, also love cooking? Or perhaps you love eating good food?

AS: I must admit that I’m much too impatient to be a good cook! I do like baking but only if it’s nothing too time-consuming. I love eating, though, so my mouth was watering the entire time I was writing the baking scenes in the book.

ZP: If someone were interested in making your book into a movie (esp. for The Prank List) would you let him to? If yes, would you prefer it to be acted by real actors or perhaps screened in form of animation?

AS: I would love to see my books made into movies--how exciting!. In fact, I’ve always imagined that The Dirt Diary and its sequels would work perfectly as Disney Channel movies.

ZP: Have you ever thought of planning to write a new book from another genre?

AS: My books so far have been in a few different genres. My first three novels (the My Very UnFairy Tale Life series) were fantasy, the Dirt Diary series is realistic fiction, and I have some picture books coming out in the next couple of years.

ZP: What, or who is your best influence in writing?

AS: I love books that weave humor and heart. Authors like Shannon Hale, Gail Carson Levine, and Adam Rex have all been huge influences on my writing.

ZP: Do you have some habits that usually accompany you when you write? Or a preference such as, listening to a specific genre of music while writing, etc.?

AS: I used to be very particular about my writing habits (e.g. always writing in the morning and needing to have a cup of tea nearby) but now that I have lots of deadlines to juggle, I have to snatch time whenever I can. I do have to be somewhere quiet when I’m writing, though, which means I can’t listen to music or be in a loud cafe.

ZP: What do you expect for the reader to experience while/after reading your book?

AS: Mostly I hope that readers will laugh along with Rachel and relate to her struggles.

So readers, what do you think after reading my short interview with Anna?

Well, first of all, Anna made me realize that, we cannot limit our dreams. Just like when Anna wrote "The Dirt Diary", she didn't intend to make it as a series. But thank God, Anna got the 'inspirations', challenged herself and made it come true! If not,we 'only' got "The Dirt Diary" and not meet the adorable Whit (oops! XD)

The second thing is, sometimes you have to tolerate. We -for sure, have our own sanctuary. But most of times, we cannot control things around us. So, what we have to do is keep calm and write. Even when you're hot chocolate wasn't ready yet, write! :P

Anyway, Anna also provided me with her nice pic and a short bio :D

Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. Currently, she lives outside Boston with her husband and their crazy dog. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time reading, daydreaming, and challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. She is the author of the My Very UnFairy Tale Life series and the Dirt Diary series. Her newest book, The Prank List, releases on July 1st from Sourcebooks. You can visit Anna at www.annastan.com.

Well, that's all for now!

Don't forget to grab a copy of "The Prank List" or any of Anna's work and share your thoughts with me.

Cheers!