Thanks so much for your interview, Nymmynbooks! Here are my answers! :)

1. What do you think writing means to our actual society? I think it's both a lens and an escape. A lens because stories are a "safe" place for us examine our own society's struggles, while being more insulated from them than if we just read the news all the time (I don't know about you, but that gets emotionally exhausting for me!) It's also an escape when we need a safe place to retreat to--whether it's a cozy romance, a magic-slinging fantasy, or a voyage to a futuristic galaxy. I think every person needs a comfortable, interesting place to retreat to, and for me, books have always been that place.

2. Why have you decided to inspire your novel in a Disney's story? Actually, it's not based on the Disney story at all! I don't think I've even watched the film since I was a kid. There are some similarities, of course, but that's because both The Forbidden Wish and the Disney movie draw from the same original source material--Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, from the 1001 Nights, which I read and studied extensively in preparation for writing this book.

3. Which do you think is the most important value that a book has to have? I think that even if a book has the most interesting world, clever plot, and fantastic twists, it's not going to mean anything unless the story connects with its reader--and that happens through characters. Complex, flawed, and ultimately admirable characters generate plot, make their worlds interesting due to their unique points of view, and provide the eyes and mind the reader will inhabit through the story.

4. How would you describe your own style? My style is influenced a lot by poetry, which I used to write a lot of, and which you see reflected in Zahra's voice. With her character, I got to lean into that flowing, highly descriptive prose more than in any of my other books, in a way that feels natural for her when it wouldn't for many other narrators. I think that's why her voice always felt so strong in my mind even from the beginning of the story.

5. Could you talk a bit about your future projects? What will they be dealing with? Coming up next is my first middle grade book, which I'm so excited to share since it's been YEARS in the making! It's called The Mystwick School of Musicraft--and it's kind of like "if Hogwarts had a school of music." It's about a world where music creates magic and every song is a spell, and a 12 year old flutist gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend the "Musicraft" school of her dreams--but first she must prove she's got what it takes to play with the best young musicians in the world. It's coming out as an Audible Original audiobook this fall (with a print edition soon to follow) that will include some really exciting extra features--I'll have more to announce about that soon!

6. Which is your favourite character in your story? Why? For me, Zahra has always been the star of The Forbidden Wish. For years before I actually wrote the book, she was a character who constantly whispered in the back of my mind, demanding to have her story told. No other character I've written has called to me quite as strongly as she did. While I love all the characters in the book (Caspida is a close second!) Zahra is my favorite.

7. Why did you change the sex of the genie? Years ago I saw a great cosplay of a  guy and a girl dressed as characters from the Prince of Persia video game, and looking at them I thought, "They could be Aladdin and the genie--WHOA! What if the genie were a girl who fell in love with Aladdin? That would change EVERYTHING." Once the idea came to me, it was something I KNEW I had to write. 

8. What do you recommend to aspiring writers? Could you give us some advice? The best way to grow is to write a LOT. Obviously most writers are already readers--and reading a lot is also crucial--but I think many young writers fall into the trap of comparing their work to others, especially published, established authors (I know I sure did this!) It's unfair to ourselves to compare our beginnings to the work of a veteran who's been at this far longer. Be kind to yourself, write a lot, and be patient. If the passion is there and you put in the work, you will only improve!

9. Are you happy with your job? Even on my worst days when I stare numbly at a blank page and have no idea what to put on it--yes! I'm so incredibly happy to do this for a living. It's not something I ever really thought I would do, even though I know I wanted it really, really badly. So every day I am reminded of how lucky and grateful I am.

10. Could you tell us which three whishes would you ask to the genie? Putting aside things like "heal every sick person" and "prevent all injustice in the world", my more selfish wishes would be 1) the ability to stop time when I am reading, so I'd have time to finally get through my massive TBR! LOL 2) the ability to teleport to any place in the world so I could take an instant vacation whenever I wanted, to wherever I wanted, and 3) for a ticket to see FC Barcelona (and Messi) play!! Or for a time-travel ticket that would take me back to the World Cup 2010 finals to see Spain win---they've been my favorite national team since I was a little girl! :)

Kisses, Nos leemos,

Nymmyn