This will be the last Writers Who Read interview until August! Here to send us off into the temporary sunset is YA author Anna Schumacher.
Who are you?
Hi! I’m Anna Schumacher. I write a YA series called END TIMES: it’s a doomsday thriller set in an oil boomtown in Wyoming. The first book came out last year and its sequel, CHILDREN OF THE EARTH, is out in June.
When I’m not writing YA I make a living as an advertising copywriter, throw a dance party called Vitamin B, play with fire and hula hoops, poke around Brooklyn with my husband and our motley group of friends – and, of course, read!
What are three beloved books you first read before the age of 12?
The first chapter book I ever read was called Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfield. It’s about three orphans in the UK who become ballet dancers. I was deep into ballet at the time and looooved this book. The author wrote a whole series of books with the word “shoes” in the title – Circus Shoes, Theater Shoes, etc. – but Ballet Shoes was by far my favorite.
I also very much loved a middle-grade novel called The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson, about a snarky, fiery foster child, and both The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Writing it out now, I’m realizing that all of these books are about orphans or foster children (sorry Mom!), although I was very fortunate in that I had two parents who loved me very much and raised me without television, so I always had a book in my hand.
What is one book you are always recommending?
As a first-time author, I tend to recommend my own book frequently and loudly. But aside from that, I like to tailor book recommendations based on what people are looking for, kind of like a literary sommelier.
What is your book kryptonite–those unique elements in a book, beyond just great writing and three-dimensional characters, that make you unable to resist reading?
Three elements that always grab me:
Cults
Counter-cultures
End-of-the-world scenarios
I also can’t resist flowery, descriptive writing. Bring on the metaphors!
What is your ideal time and place to read?
Ideal? Late afternoon on a sunny day, in a hammock, after going for a swim. In reality, I do most of my reading on an iPhone, pressed between strangers’ sweaty armpits on the F train.
Which books have had the biggest influence on your writing?
Anything by Stephen King, particularly The Stand – I love the way he writes in multiple points of view and each voice is so unique. I tried to emulate this in End Times and its sequel, Children of the Earth, but he’s really the master.
How do you balance reading and writing in your life?
Easy: I never have enough time for either!
Choose your preferred book form: ebook, physical book, or audio book?
I love my e-reader. Being able to bring my entire library with me everywhere I go is the best thing that ever happened to me – and not having to worry about where in my NYC-sized apartment all my new books will go frees me up to buy as many as I want. I’ll go on e-book-shopping binges and pick up 6 or 7 at a time…something I absolutely couldn’t do when I was confined to physical objects.
Do you consciously plan your future reading–i.e., set book goals, keep a TBR list, participate in book challenges or book clubs? Why or why not?
Absolutely not. I like complete freedom when it comes to what I read: to be able to read multiple books at once, to put down one book and pick up another, to not read for a week, to do nothing BUT read for a week. I plan most aspects of my life pretty meticulously, but reading definitely isn’t one of them!
What are you reading now?
I’m in the middle of The Diviners, by Libba Bray. It’s incredibly good!
Anna Schumacher received an MFA in fiction writing from the New School. Born and raised in the tiny town of Guilford, VT (no traffic lights, no post office, one store), she now lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and two cats. She is also the author of END TIMES. Follow her on Twitter @SchumacherYA or at http://schumacherya.tumblr.com/.