1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in Utah with my
husband and three children—two boys and a girl. We keep busy with the kids’
activities, plus we love traveling, good food, hiking, boating, reading (of
course!), movies, and fitness so we can eat all that good food (especially dessert)
without feeling TOO guilty.
2. How long have you been writing? When were you first
published?
I’ve been writing my
whole life and I’ve always dreamt of being published. That dream came true when
Scholastic published DEFY in January of 2014.
3. What inspired you to write your first book?
The first book I ever
wrote? I’m not really sure, since it was in second grade. But if you’re referring
to my first published book, DEFY came from a very difficult period in my life,
when I lost someone I loved. I was so upset by his death that I couldn’t write
anything, but a friend of mine told me to stop trying to write a book and just
write what I was feeling. So that’s exactly what I did. I sat down and wrote a
death scene, not intending for it to go anywhere…but then I got curious about
the characters. This whole fascinating world unraveled itself and I realized
Alexa had a very intriguing, difficult, but ultimately amazing story that
needed to be told. I threw myself into that writing and from there the story
took on its own life. It became a story of survival and moving forward, a story
of what true courage and strength is, and a story about the many different
kinds of love, and hope (even in the most desperate of situations) and risking
everything for the chance of a better future.
4. Who is your hero, and why?
My hero is my mom. I
know that sounds corny, but she always has been and probably always will be.
She had a rough life growing up, but she overcame all of it to be the most
amazing person. She raised five daughters while my dad traveled all the time
for work, and made it look easy. All of my sisters and I still consider her one
of our best friends, which I think is proof of how incredible she is. She is
the person we all turn to for advice, for help, for pretty much everything. She
taught us to pursue our dreams, and believes in us 100%. Though she is not just
a “cheerleader”—she is honest with her feedback and tries to help us be better,
to reach our full potential. But that only makes her praise mean that much more
when she gives it. She’s just an incredible woman and mother and wife and I
hope to be like her when I grow up. J
5. What's next for Sara in books/writing?
The next book I have
coming out is IGNITE, the sequel for DEFY! It comes out on January 6, 2015. I
can’t wait for everyone to read the next part of Alexa’s story!
Find Sara here:
Twitter: @SaraBLarson
IG: @SaraBLarson
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSaraBLarson
Sara B. Larson can't remember a time when she didn't write books--although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband and their three children. She writes during naptime and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." When she's not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting of her sugar addiction.
Check out Sara's books:
Excellent questions and answers here! I'm even more intrigued by DEFY after reading about where it came from.
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