A Resort Chat w/ Aimee Friedman

The fantastic Aimee Friedman has decided to pop over to The Book Resort for a little chat.

Ready?

Here we go...

Me: What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)
AF: I'm working on a book for slightly younger readers--a spooky story set in New York City.

Me: Spiderman or Superman:
AF: Spiderman all the way! First of all, he hails from Forest Hills, Queens--where I was born and raised! Second, I have a total celeb-crush on Tobey Maguire.

Me: Wonder Woman or Batgirl:
AF: Wonder Woman. She did wonders (ha!) for brunettes, AND managed to pull off a multicolored outfit in the coolest way.

Me: Chunky or Smooth:
AF: Smooth. I just love the word.

Me: Favorite flavor ice cream:
AF: Baskin Robbins chocolate-chip. Nice and simple and divine.

Me: Favorite ice cream topping:
AF: Does anything compare to chocolate sprinkles?

Me: Subway or Taxi:
AF: If I ever go broke, it's because I took way too many taxis in my life.

Me: Broadway Show or Movie Theater:
AF: Though Broadway shows are a fun, special, not-ever-day experience, nothing beats a movie, especially on a hot summer day when the air-conditioner feels like sweet relief.. The smell of popcorn, the ice-cold Coke, the darkened theater, the expectation and nostalgia, and of course the previews!

Me: TiVo or DVR:
AF: DVR is my life. Sad, but true.

Me: Favorite vacation place:
AF: South Beach, Miami--the location of my very first novel! (SOUTH BEACH). The runner-up would be Paris, which is the location of FRENCH KISS, the sequel to SOUTH BEACH.

Me: Next vacation destination:
AF: I would love to go to Prague.

Me: Favorite NYC hotspot:
AF: I love the Boat Basin in Riverside Park on Manhattan's Upper West Side. It's a restaurant/bar that is perched over the Hudson River, and on a summer night, there's nothing better than sipping cool drinks under the stars with your friends and feeling the river breeze.

Me: Guilty Pleasure:
AF: Gummi Worms and Us Weekly. Often at the same time.

Me: Good luck charm:
AF: A pair of big silver hoop earrings I bought in a boutique in the Village years ago. I wear them on every flight I take. I'm superstitious like that.

Me: When you were a little girl, you thought you would grow up to be a….
AF: Writer! Seriously. I remember in the second grade we all had to draw pictures of what we wanted to grow up to be. All the girls drew themselves as ballerinas and the boys drew themselves as astronauts and I drew myself sitting behind a desk with a pen in my hand. Everyone looked at me like I was a freak.

Me: Last thing bought at the mall:
AF: I don't really shop in malls, since there aren't very many of them in New York City. Probably my last purchase at one was an adorable flowered eyeglass case from one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie.

Me: Item on your grocery list:
AF: I always have to buy at least 7 Dannon Strawberry yogurts every week. They're my staple.

Me: French fries or Onion Rings:
AF: For a long time now, I have struggled with an ever-growing addiction to French fries.

Me: Pizza: New York or Chicago?
AF: As a native New Yorker, I have to say NYC pizza is the way to go. Whether it's a Lombardi's pie or a slice from Ray's, NYC pizza is the perfect meal.

Me: Midnight snack:
AF: Tofu lo mein. Preferably in front of the TV.

Me: Bookmark or dog ear?
AF: Sadly, dog ear. I love books but I don't handle them with care. Most of my books have cracked spines, bent pages, etc. I guess it's how I show my love!

Me: Read with dustjacket or remove it?
AF: Generally with the dustjacket, though heavy hardcovers are a pain to lug around the subway (see above re: my taxi problem).

Me: Ocean, Lake, Desert, Mountain:
AF: I adore the beach (see above), but if I had to pick my summer-home spot, it would probably be the mountains. Peaceful, serene, fresh air. The best place to write.

Me: Favorite book:
AF: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I come back to it time and time again and it never disappoints.

Me: Item you can't live without:
AF: I'm surgically attached to my iPod.

Me: Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?
AF: Growing up I was obsessed with a series of books called All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor. The series followed five sisters who were growing up in New York's Lower East Side at the start of the nineteenth century. The books are sweet and smart and charming and I was surprised to discover how many people had not read them or heard of them. But those who have read All of a Kind Family are equally in love with the characters and the stories.

Me: What kid or teen books made a difference in your world growing up?
AF: Wow, where do I start? Ann M. Martin and the Babysitters Club had a HUGE impact on me--I devoured those books like candy, and though I didn't realize it at the time, they were a great lesson in excellent storytelling and character development. Sweet Valley High and Sweet Valley Twins. Everything Judy Blume, of course. R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. Reading at that time in my life meant so much to me, so now it's nice to "give back" a little, and hopefully inspire teen readers as much as I was inspired.

Me: Where do you like to write your books (bed ~ coffee shop ~ an office)?
AF: I have serious trouble writing in my own apartment--my bed is too inviting, the fridge is too full, the TV too tempting! So I usually write in a nice little coffee shop right near my apartment. It has squishy seats, free WiFi, delicious iced lattes, and, perhaps most importantly, tons of other people with their laptops, working away. Being around other people who are working gets me motivated, too.

Me: Describe your ideal place to write:
AF: A quiet patio with a view of the mountains and a stream.

Me: What are you reading @ the moment?
AF: A couple things. Summer Girls by Hailey Abbott--the perfect beach read. Also, Love The One You're With by Emily Giffin--she's a great writer who really elevates the "chick lit" genre.

Me: Where do you usually read?
AF: Anywhere and everywhere: on the subway, in bed, on a blanket in Central Park, sometimes walking down the street (dangerous!)

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

Me: Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
AF: I definitely read less nonfiction than fiction. It's rare that I'm GLUED to a nonfiction book--that I have to keep reading it, and can't put it down, which happens to me all the time with novels. However, one exception to that was MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, which I read while I was writing SEA CHANGE (because it's set in Savannah)--that's an amazing non-fiction book that reads like a novel.

Grab a copy of Sea Change this summer for a fun, beach read.

Check out Aimee @http://www.aimeefriedmanbooks.com/.