Poet and now author Karen Finneyfrock (try saying that name three times fast) maintains a slightly magical and, well, poetic sensibility in all that she does, and also considers herself “blessed” to have been able to grow up in the era of John Hughes’ films. More on the author and her debut novel The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door here.

YOUNG ADULT: What is your earliest memory involving writing?
Karen Finneyfrock: A poet came to visit my fifth grade class, but we were warned that only five kids would get to work with him. The only poem I remember reading before his visit was by Carl Sandburg, but I guess it did the trick because I was desperate to work with that poet. I got chosen based on the desperation of my hand raising. I wrote a poem about the daily struggles of an ant. It’s funny because now I go into classrooms as a poet and work with students. 

YA: Tell us a little bit about your latest work. What is different about The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door?
KF: Although I’ve published poetry before, this is my first novel. The main character is a fourteen-year-old poet who peppers the story with her own poems. It’s an incredible change from writing poetry, one that I feel challenged and excited about. 

YA: Take us through a typical writing day for you. KF: I get up and drink coffee, start writing by about ten and plan to go for four hours. At some point, I take a break and force myself to answer email, maybe change out of my pajamas. I also try to go on writing retreats every year. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve taken retreats on several of the islands in the Puget Sound, including Whidbey, Shaw and San Juan Island. I get my best writing done in that type of seclusion.  YA: Can you describe the path to getting this work published? What were the challenges? What was easy about it? KF: I was incredibly lucky to get my agent through a query letter in the first couple of attempts. He was drawn to the voice of my narrator and worked with me on refining the story. As a poet, learning to write fiction posed challenges in understanding story structure. I was incredibly fortunate to find an agent willing to work with me on that. I spent months revising the manuscript based on his suggestions, then we approached publishers.

YA: What were your specific influences for this book? Travel experiences, films, literature, other stories?
KF: I was one of those golden children, blessed with teen years in the age of John Hughes films like Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I would love to think that some of the wit and heart in those movies may have creeped into this novel. 

YA: What do you hope young adult readers will take away from The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door?
KF: More than anything, I hope readers are moved by the relationship between Celia and Drake. I had an important friend in my life who helped me get through high school. I hope readers respond to that. I also not-so-secretly hope that it speaks to the power of creative writing as a tool of personal awareness and inspires someone to pick up a pen and a journal and get creating.

“Celia Door enters her freshman year of high school with giant boots, dark eyeliner, and a thirst for revenge against Sandy Firestone, the girl who did something unspeakable to Celia last year.

But then Celia meets Drake, the cool new kid from New York City who entrusts her with his deepest, darkest secret. When Celia’s quest for justice threatens her relationship with Drake, she’s forced to decide which is sweeter: revenge or friendship.”

http://finneyfrock.wordpress.com/