1. I read that you moved around a lot as a child, but stayed constant in your love of books. What books did you enjoy the most then?
I read a lot of Betsy Byar books, Madeleine L’Engle, and even enjoyed some classics, like Dickens. I also went through a Harlequin romance phase when I read about 100 in one summer. J
2. Your novel Forget-Her-Nots, is about mysterious and magical flowers, where did the idea for this story come from?
I was researching an article I wanted to write for a magazine and found a reference-type book about the language of flowers. I recognized some of the meanings, but wanted to find out more. A neighbor of mind was very ill, so I made a tussie-mussie (a symbolic Victorian bouquet) for her to cheer her up. I so wished my floral messages of strength, hope, persistence, and good health could come true for her. From there it was a quick leap to wondering what would happen if flower meanings did come true.
3. If one flower could have those magical powers, which flower do you think it would be?
Cool question! The lotus has a lot of meaning and magical powers in Eastern cultures, but for Western cultures, it would probably have to be the red rose.
4. If you had the power to help others, as Laurel does in Forget-Her-Nots, would you do it? Or, would you worry about the consequences of interfering?
I would definitely help others. If we’re given powers or gifts, I believe we should use them for everyone’s benefit.
5. Can you tell us a little about your current projects and what’s up next for you?
Sure! I just finished up a novel called String Theories. It’s about a girl who gets in over her head, a stream, the physics of relationships, and getting even.
White bellflowers and pansies to you for hosting me, Jessica!
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White Publisher: Greenwillow Books (March 2nd, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 384 pages When someone leaves three mystery flowers outside her dorm door, Laurel thinks that maybe the Avondale School isn't so awful after all — until her own body starts to freak out. In the middle of her English presentation on the Victorian Language of Flowers, strange words pop into her head, and her body seems to tingle and hum. Impulsively, Laurel gives the love bouquet she made to demonstrate the language to her spinster English teacher. When that teacher unexpectedly and immediately finds romance, Laurel suspects that something — something magical — is up. With her new friend, Kate, she sets out to discover the origins and breadth of her powers by experimenting on herself and others. But she can’t seem to find any living experts in the field of flower powers to guide her. And her bouquets don't always do her bidding, especially when it comes to her own crush, Justin. Rumors about Laurel and her flowers fly across campus, and she's soon besieged by requests from girls — both friends and enemies — who want their lives magically transformed — just in time for prom.
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