HarperCollins International discussion

In celebration of on sale week for Into The Still Blue, we've gotten Veronica to answer some fun questions to share with all of you!

1) Can you give us a peek at what’s in store for Aria and Perry in Into the Still Blue?

Sure! Their journey in this last book is complicated, and yet, very focused. They have to save their societies. They have to transport Dwellers and Outsiders to the Still Blue, but how they will do that isn’t clear at the outset. So it’s a process of discovery, at first, and then implementation.

One thing I’m very proud of is their arc as a couple. I thought a lot about that as I wrote the series—not only showing their evolution as individuals, but as a pair. They face great obstacles and they stumble, but I am very pleased, in this book, by how they stumble together.

2) What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?

The people have been amazing, from my editors and agent to bloggers and readers. The work itself has been such an unbelievable reward. It’s a bit of a failing that, as a writer, I can’t accurately convey how much I love writing books, but I’ll try: I adore what I do from the inside out. The love I have for writing books begins in my gut.

3) Have your fans sent you any memorable posts/comments/questions about the ending of the series?

I have heard some comments. The one I like best is when I hear that people are sad the series is over. Not because I want sad fans, of course! I want hungry readers. I want to feed them. I can’t wait to offer them another meal.

4) What are some of your favorite books or genres?

I read very, very widely. I adore YA, of course. I was just recently telling a friend that GRACELING by Kristin Cashore continues to be one of my favorite YA reads. I tend to develop author crushes. I’ll read anything Melina Marchetta writes, even her grocery list. I will read anything Matthew Quick writes. I will read anything Rae Carson writes. Tahereh Mafi. Trish Doller. The list goes on.

I can’t explain what those writers have in common—why they won me over. Why do you fall in love with the way a writer writes? It’s something about the way they put their mind and heart on the page. You hear the notes they make, the song they’re making with words, and it’s both familiar and exciting.

I’ve been a lifelong reader of speculative fiction—more fantasy than sci-fi. I just read Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice trilogy for the first time, and I was talking to the books. I was like, where have you been all my life?

I also love military fiction, which I realize is a little unexpected, but that’s what you get when you were raised with two brothers and have two sons. All the testosterone, I think, has affected my reading tastes. But give me a page-turning special forces story, and I’ll stay up all night reading. It’s the same part of me that gets sucked into the Jason Bourne movies every single time I’m flipping channels and stumble on them.

I’m reading Amy Hempel’s short stories right now and they’re blowing my mind. As a writer, I love when I read someone who shows me: You can do that this way, and it works so much better.

5) Where are your favorite places to travel?

I love travel, period! I was born in Rio de Janeiro, and I’ve lived in Mexico, Venezuela, and Italy. Travel is in my blood.

This year, I’m going to the Philippines for the first time, which I couldn’t be more excited about. Really couldn’t be. I’ll also be in Nicaragua for two weeks, where I will ride a horse on the beach if it’s the last thing I do.

In the U.S., I’ll be in Nashville, New Orleans, New York, D.C., among other cities. I love it all. The downside of travel for me is leaving my family, but I bring them when I can. My sons are great travelers. They’ve been to the southernmost tip of the United States and dipped their feet into the ocean there. They can tell you what Yellowstone smells like, and where to find the best burger on the entire California coast. Travel, for me, connects me with this planet. I think it does the same for them—at least I hope so.

Great interview, Sarah! Can't wait to meet her when she visits us!! :D