Once Upon a Twilight!: Happy Ever After Interviewed YA Authors Susan Ee & Becca Fitzpatrick About Angels in YA

Happy Ever After (USA Today) Interviewed Young Adult authors Susan Ee and Becca Fitzpatrick. They chatted about Angels in YA. Check out the full article HERE.

What is your favorite YA novel?

Becca: Favorites are hard! May I instead tell you about a book I read recently and loved? (Otherwise we'll be here all day while I try to narrow it down to just one.) All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill is a fast-paced thriller about a girl who must prevent the creation of a time machine. It's masterfully plotted and addictive. If you're looking for a smart, chilling, gripping book — give this one a try.

Susan: It's tough to pin down my favorite YA novel because there are so many great books out there. Of course, I loved the books that everyone else enjoyed, like the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games. One book that stands out in my mind is Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien (who also wrote the awesome children's book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH). It's memorable because that may have been the first post-apocalyptic story I ever read. It's chilling, yet hopeful.
I just finished The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman and loved it. He does a great job with creepy monsters. I think of it as YA even if the publisher doesn't market it that way.
Jessie: I have so many, but right now it's the Blue Bloods series. I like the mixing of angel and vampires, and Melissa de la Cruz is a fantastic writer! She can make me hate then love her characters like no one else. I wonder how the Force twins would come across in audio …

What's the best part about writing YA? Angels?

Becca: I'd have to say receiving and reading fan letters is the best part about what I do. Writing is a solitary process; most of the day I'm by myself, working in my own head. It's easy to let worry and doubt creep in. Will anyone like this? What if everyone hates it? What if I do a book signing and people throw tomatoes at me? When those dark moments come, one thing that saves me is reading fans' letters. Many readers tell me Hush, Hush was the first book they ever finished, and could I recommend something similar? Why, yes, I could!
As for writing about fallen angels, who wouldn't want to hang out with sexy bad boys all day?

Susan: The readers are fantastic. The enthusiasm of the community is fun. And it's neat to be able to replay those awakening emotions all over again.
As for angels, well, it's easy for me to have a book crush on at least one of my warrior-angels. That makes writing about them a lot of fun. :)

Jessie: Of course I adore YA, but angel YA is really fun to read, especially if the authors give a unique spin or twist to the angel genre. I love the epic battles between light and dark, demon vs. angel, and especially when nothing is black and white and I find myself rooting for two equally amazing heroes!