Brought to you by OBS owner/reviewer Dawn!

Be sure to read our review for The Holders here at OBS.

Dawn: Becca is a bad-ass. She’s fiercely protective of Ryland but she also knows herself quite well for her age. She was forced to parent Ryland due to their circumstances. She’s intelligent and self-aware. She is a great lead character. Why was it important for Becca to have those qualities?

Julianna Scott: Well I’m not one for wussy ladies when it comes to main characters. I think it is much easier for readers to get behind a girl who is a little more take charge and proactive. She doesn’t always make the right decisions, but she also doesn’t let people make decisions for her, letting her learn from both her successes and her mistakes.

 

Dawn: Becca has serious Daddy issues but I think it makes her a stronger person. Have you had a similar experience that helped you write those parts of the story?

Julianna Scott:  Yes and no. My parents were divorced when I was younger and Dad and I are somewhat estranged now I guess you could say, but nothing to the degree that Becca has. I suppose that some of the inspiration came from that, but a lot of it was also my desire to have a parent of the main character as another main character in the story. You don’t see that often, and it is something I think we could do more with. However, even though I wanted her dad in the story I also didn’t want them to have a typical father daughter relationship, so that is another reason I handled it the way I did.

 

Dawn: I’m from Pennsylvania as well (around Valley Forge). Have you been able to integrate your roots into your writing?

Julianna Scott:  Not so much yet, though Becca and Ryland are from Pittsburgh, and Becca even worked at a local restaurant chain. My next project that I am working on right now is unrelated to The Holders and is a historical YA set in the Pittsburgh area, and I have found that I am using a lot more of my knowledge of the area and upbringing in that one.

 

Dawn: I checked out your site. You seem very interactive with your readers/followers. How important is it for you to maintain that relationship with them and why?

Julianna Scott: Oh, incredibly important, but honestly I like it on a personal level as well. Sitting on one side of a computer and only knowing people via their avatar, it’s easy to forget that readers are real live people.  Interaction is a fun and helpful reminder. Plus, it also it makes me feel like I have more friends than I do. 🙂

 

Dawn: YA is one of my favorite genres because character development is a necessity as opposed to a bunch of sex. Alex did not push Becca at all. In fact, he stopped her when she wanted to go further. Why did you feel it was important for them to wait?

Julianna Scott:  It just didn’t feel realistic for them to have jumped into a physical relationship so fast. It will be coming soon, but they have some growing to do together before we get to that.

 

Dawn: What can we expect from the 2nd installment in the series?

Julianna Scott:  We will meet some more Holders, we will travel to a castle outside of Dublin, there will be some spying, some jealousy, and we will meet face to face with Darragh.

 

Dawn: If you could spend one day with an author (alive or dead) who would it be and why? What would you hope to gain from the experience?

Julianna Scott: Oh gosh I have no idea. I would be far too intimidated to meet anyone I admired face to face, nor would I have any idea what to say. Though I guess if I had to pick I would go with Jane Austen. I love her work and she was quite funny and sarcastic, particularly for her time. I think she and I could have gotten on very well. 🙂

Time for some fun stuff:

• Favorite snack: KitKat Bar.
• Favorite ice cream flavor: Chocolate Chip.
• Favorite time of the day to write: Morning. Seems to be the only time I can get anything done.
• Favorite city to visit: Disney World (Okay, it’s not a city, but it might as well be.)

 

Thank you to author Julianna Scott for an amazing interview!