Author Interview: Samira Armin Hodges

Here is my interview with the amazing Samira Armin Hodges, author of Milestones.

Check out her website HERE
and her blog HERE
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Have you ever been to summer camp?

Ah, the big question. I get asked this question a lot. So here's the official answer: yes.....I did. When I was fifteen, I went away to "science camp" for six weeks. I got high school credit for it, we did research all day, I learned a whole lot about nothing .... and it was truly awesome. I honestly don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life. I made lots of friends and I still keep in touch with two of them. It's been almost fifteen years since our summer at camp "idontwannanameya", we've since grown up, have all gotten married and we now get together once or twice a year, laugh our bottoms off at our fifteen year old selves, make new memories, and then part ways knowing we'll be doing it again in another year. And yes, camp "idontwannanameya" did inspire certain portions of Milestones but truly, the influence was rather minimal.

Would you like to go to a strange camp like Camp Milestone?

Depends on who I meet there. To me, the most fun activities in the world can be made boring if the wrong group of people are involved. Likewise, the most boring activities in the world can become amazing if shared with the right people.

Why lightning? Why not falling in a well, or a tornado?

Ooh, that's a toughie if I don't want to give anything away. Let's just say that I needed it to "make an impact".

Do you have any favorite Young Adult books or authors?

Do I? Heck yes! Where do I even start? I was really influenced by Judy Blume growing up ("Are you there God? It's me Margaret," was one of my all-time faves). I loved the Baby-sitters Club series and I also went through a R.L Stine and Christopher Pike phase. Right now, I completely idolize J.K. Rowling. I suppose you could argue that she's isn't YA per se, but I beg to differ. She is brilliant, humble and a truly fantastic author/storyteller.

Recently though, I went out and bought a ton of YA books to familiarize myself with the new generation of YA authors and I have to say that Sarah Dessen became an immediate favorite.

How many books are you planning in this series?

Milestones is a trilogy. It was planned out that way from the beginning.

Do you plan to write anything else?

Absolutely! I can't live without writing, whether it's for myself or for others. As long as people are interested in what I write, I'll continue to write for others. I have a few more YA stories already brewing so stay tuned!

What are you doing right now?

Right now? I have a little vacation time. I'm using it to buy a house, buy a puppy and move from Michigan to Texas. Once July rolls around, I'll be an honest to goodness Pediatrician by day and YA author by night. Or vice versa (doctors have a lot of night shifts).

If you mean "right at this moment" though, I'm on the beach in Dubai, reading a french novel and sipping on some pina coladas. No honestly! It's my vacation!

Mac or PC?

PC. I tried to use a Mac recently and I got way too confused. I'm very slow to adapt to these things. For instance, I JUST joined Facebook today. It's sad, I know, but it takes me forever to conform to new societal norms. I'm the slow-poke, I suppose.

-Amanda