Jessi Kirby is the author of Moonglass, published in May 2011 by Simon and Schuster. She is also a former English teacher and librarian, wife, mom, beach lover, runner, and lover of Contemporary YA, strong coffee, and dark chocolate. In that order.
Could you tell us 5 random facts about yourself?
I am a morning person.
I write best when I’ve had a good, long run. Or when I have a deadline.
My TBR pile has far more books in it than I could ever read, but I still keep buying more.
Say Anything is my most favorite movie of all time.
If I had to leave the beach, I would go back to the mountains.
Tell us a little bit about your process and how you became a writer.
I wanted to be a writer since my first introduction to Judy Blume, in 3rd grade. By the time I graduated high school I’d had so many amazing teachers, I decided I also wanted to be an English teacher, which is what I did for five years. I ended up writing MOONGLASS because I still wanted to write more than anything, it was a story that had been brewing since my college days, and because I was turning 30. I thought I should mark that year by doing something big and actually writing a WHOLE book. That was probably the best goal I’ve ever given myself.
Where’s your favorite place to write?
My dining room table. I have a great view of the beach, and it’s in close proximity to the necessities—coffee and snacks.
What character do you relate most to?
I relate most to Anna, and I think that’s because bits of my life are woven into her story. We’re both runners and beach girls who love the ocean and collect sea glass. The biggest difference is that Anna is much bolder than I ever was. I wrote her to be the way I wished I was when I was her age. I was much more shy and reserved, but always admired the people who were confident in the way that she is.
If you could have lunch with one of your characters who would it be and why?
I would have lunch with Ashley, because she’d have her chef whip up something fantastic and because I know she’d make me laugh.
What is easier to write: The first line or the last line?
Definitely the first line. When a story idea comes to me, it’s usually in the form of a first line. So far, I’ve kept the original first lines of both MOONGLASS and IN HONOR. The last line of a story is exceedingly hard for me to write because I want it to be satisfying, and I’d love for it to be one that resonates. I write the last line over and over until it feels that way.
Do you have things you need in order to write ie. coffee, cupcakes, music?
Yes, I have my necessities: quiet, coffee, and stubborn resolve.
You can learn more about Jessi Kirby and her by visiting her website or following her on twitter. In Honor will be released in May 2012.
Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq thee days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn’s celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.
Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn’s last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn–but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?