Today I'd like to welcome Nicole Barker, author of "Dancing with Ana".
"Beth is a lucky girl... she comes from a loving family, she has three best friends. She loves to surf and lives five minutes from the beach. She also recently discovered that the boy she's grown up with has the most amazing green eyes... Beth has every reason to smile. Every reason to be happy. Every reason to feel blessed.
Then why is she sticking her fingers down her throat?"
I loved "Dancing with Ana" — check out my review if you haven't read it yet!
What was it like writing this book?
It was simply amazing. There were days when I would write for three or four hours straight, not stopping to answer the phone, do laundry... eat. When I'm writing, I'm a bit compulsive and obsessed. I'm not quite sure my husband and kids would call the experience amazing... but they were incredibly supportive.
How long did it take you to write "Dancing with Ana"?
I wrote the first words at the end of August 2008 shortly after my kids started school and my final words right around Thanksgiving. Of course, I use the word “final” very loosely, because I rewrote and edited the book for another six months, finally letting it go at the beginning of June. There is no doubt I could pick up Dancing With Ana any day of the week and still find things I would change, but I had to release it. I was starting to embody Jack Torrance from The Shining.
Where did the idea for this book come from?
Well, it kind of came out of the blue. I've always had a desire to write a book for young adults. I have an incredible amount of respect for this age group, as I can remember my own issues and struggles during this time. It was important to be able to write about a subject that is very common in their lives, whether it affects them personally, a friend, a family member, etc., but still create an entertaining story that involves friendship and love. I didn't want it to be clinical.
Where did the title come from?
When most people think of anorexia, they picture a young woman very thin, bones protruding, starving to death. They picture the extreme of the disease. There are many stages of anorexia, just as there are many reasons why a person would choose this way to cope with an issue. Most victims start off merely dancing with ana, which is still an intensely painful and isolating experience. It's when they stay too long at the dance, or can't leave, that ana becomes a living, breathing entity they both fear and need.
What or Who inspires you to write?
I have two sisters who are severely mentally and physically disabled. Not a day goes by when I don't think of them. To say there is so much they aren't able to do is such an understatement it's almost laughable. They inspire me to live my life to the fullest, not be afraid of failure, be courageous.
My children are also a huge inspiration. I want them to reach for their dreams, so I need to be an example of that. There is a quote from a Blues Traveler song that I always tell them, “There's no such thing as a failure who keeps trying, coasting to the bottom is the only disgrace.”
What do you like on your pizza?
Plain old cheese, NY style
What is in your CD player/iPOD right now?
I have to laugh, because I could spend the next hour writing what is in my Ipod. Music is everything to me. If I could sing or play an instrument, I would try to start a band. To name a few... The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Blind Melon, Gwen Stafani, Janis Joplin...
And finally, if you could say anything to your young readers — what would it be?
Try to keep a journal, write whatever pops into your head. You'll look back and realize that this part of your journey is very profound. Oh, and I love hearing from you!
Thank you so much Nicole for stopping by! I was really wondering where the title came from — but now that mystery's put to rest.:)
Really — make sure to read this book. It's one of the best and most honest I've read all summer. Tomorrow stop by because I'll be giving away two copies of Nicole's book — "Dancing with Ana". Visit Nicole online at Nicole's website.