Resort Chat: N.H. Senzai

The Book Resort is thrilled to have the charming N.H. Senzai over for a little chat.

Naheed is one of the amazing tenners!

Ready? Let's go!


Me: What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

NHS: Tossing around a couple ideas for a new MG

Me: Spiderman or Superman:

NHS: Spiderman

Me: Wonder Woman or Batgirl:

NHS: Wonderwoman

Me: Chunky or Smooth:

NHS: Chunky

Me: Favorite flavor ice cream:

NHS: Pistachio gelato

Me: Favorite ice cream topping:

NHS: Fudge

Me: Subway or Taxi:

NHS: Subway

Me: Broadway Show or Movie Theater:

NHS: Broadway Show

Me: TiVO or DVR:

NHS: DVR

Me: Favorite vacation place:

NHS: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Me: Next vacation destination:

NHS: Belize

Me: Favorite NYC hotspot:

NHS: Any restaurant on my long list...


Me: Guilty Pleasure:

NHS: Baking something with a lot of butter and sugar

Me: Good luck charm:

NHS: Don't have one.

Me: When you were a little girl, you thought you would grow up to be a….

NHS: Marine Biologist

Me: Last thing bought at the mall:

NHS: Britax Car Seat

Me: Item on your grocery list:

NHS: Harissa paste

Me: French fries or Onion Rings:

NHS: Onion Rings

Me: Pizza: New York or Chicago?

NHS: New York

Me: Midnight snack:

NHS: Fried Egg Sandwich

Me: Bookmark or dog ear?

NHS: Dog ear

Me: Read with dustjacket or remove it?

NHS: Read with

Me: Ocean, Lake, Desert, Mountain:

NHS: Ocean

Me: Favorite book:

NHS: Sooo hard! Mouse and the Motorcycle, Beverly Cleary

Me: Item you can't live without:

NHS: My laptop

Me: Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

NHS: Meredith Ann Pierce

Me: What kid or teen books made a difference in your world growing up?

NHS: I loved books that let me escape on an adventure...

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Coral Island, The Swiss Family Robinson, Secrets of the shopping mall, Island of the Blue Dolphins

Me: Where do you like to write your books (bed ~ coffee shop ~ an office)?

NHS: On my family room sofa and favorite local cafe.

Me: Describe your ideal place to write:

NHS: Somewhere near caffeine.

Me: What are you reading @ the moment?

NHS: Mulberry Project, Linda Sue Parks Sport, Louise Fitzhugh (for the 100 time)
Sabriel, Garth Nix

Me: Where do you usually read?

NHS: On the family room sofa

Me: Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

NHS: Yes, usually 2-3

Me: Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?

NHS: No, love nonfiction, especially when doing research on a new book.

About Naheed:

Naheed grew up speaking two languages, balancing life lived on the edge of two cultures, and, happily, two cuisines—tandoori chicken and hot dogs, grilled side by side on the 4th of July. Naheed got on a plane for the first time at two months, in Chicago, IL, where Naheed was born, and have been travelling ever since. Naheed grew up in San Francisco, Jubail, Saudi Arabia, and attended boarding school in London, England where she was voted “most likely to lead a literary revolution” due to her ability to get away with reading comic books in class. She's hiked across the Alps, road-tripped through Mexico, swum with barracudas in the Red Sea, taken a train across the Soviet Union, floated down the Nile, eaten gumbo in New Orleans and sat in contemplation at the Taj Mahal. Somewhere along the way she attended UC Berkeley and Columbia University, picked up a couple of degrees, while pursuing her passion for writing. Naheed landed back home in San Francisco where she lives with my husband, a professor of political science, her son, and a cat who owns them. During the day she can be found working for a consulting firm that helps companies with their inventions and patents.


Check out:

Naheed's website

Naheed's blog

Shooting Kabul arrives from Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books June 22, 2010

Now available for pre~order!

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