I would like to give a big warm welcome to Lisa Schroeder!
Lisa Schroeder is a native Oregonian, which means her childhood summers were spent camping, fishing, reading books (of course!), and playing in the sun, when it finally came out. These days, Lisa spends her summers, and every other part of the year, sharing all the wonderful things Oregon has to offer with her husband and two sons. She is the author of three novels for young adults published by Simon Pulse - I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, FAR FROM YOU, and CHASING BROOKLYN. Her middle grade debut, It's Raining Cupcakes, will be published by Aladdin in March, 2010.You can find Lisa Schroeder at
As soon as i finished I Heart you, you Haunt me i knew instantly that I wanted to interview the author. There were so many things I wanted to ask her as the novel had left me in thought for quite some time. Lisa was such a darling and answered my questions within hours of sending them despite her busy schedule!. I will point out any spoilerish questions so don't worry, Enjoy!
Synopsis -
Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl gets boy back...
...sort of.
Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear hisvoice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she'scrazy, but she knows he's here.
Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.Does Ava remind you of yourself or anyone in particular?
You know, she does kind of remind me of myself, in that I'm more of a quiet person. I like to read and listen to music, and bake yummy things. I never thought about it before - that's interesting. I don't really like to swim, though. I can swim, and I'm a pretty good swimmer, I just don't like it the way she really likes it. So that's one difference.
Was there a certain inspiration may it be small or large that triggered in you writing I Heart You, You Haunt me?
Back in 2006, YA was starting to really grow. Before that time, YA, believe it or not, was sort of a side-thought. It was shelved in with the middle grade books in the bookstores, it didn't even have its own space. Melissa Marr's big deal for her series had just been announced, Twilight had been released and was making a big splash, etc. I'd been mostly writing novels for the younger crowd and not having any success. I went to bed one night and prayed for inspiration for a YA novel. I really wanted a *big* idea. Ideas are hard for me, and even harder are ones with a big hook. That night, I had a dream about a girl whose boyfriend died but he loved her so much, he didn't want to leave her, and he came back as a ghost. I got up the next morning and started writing. It came out in this sparse, poetic way, and that scared me. I had been a fan of verse novels for a long time, but I was afraid I wasn't qualified to write one. But I liked what I had so I kept going.
What was the most challenging part about writing I Heart you, you Haunt me?
It's been so long ago now, it's almost hard to remember. It actually poured out of me, in a way no other book has. And I've learned that's usually a pretty good sign, for whatever reason. But I think the hardest was me worrying all the time about whether I was being poetic enough. Story is always most important, in any kind of novel, but because this was my first verse novel, I was really afraid people would criticize my poetry, or lack thereof. And sure enough, people did. But the book has touched many readers, and has sold well, so maybe it could have been better in some ways, but I'm also proud of the book as is.
Describe Jackson in three words
Adventurous, passionate, gone-too-soon
What would your advice be to those who are considering writing a novel in verse?
Read as many of them as you can, by a variety of authors, and find the format and style that works best for you. Read poetry, and be familiar with the poetic devices that should be used throughout your novel. Always remember story comes first - if you don't have a compelling story with interesting characters, the verse doesn't matter because no one will keep reading. If anything, because of the verse (which can turn some people off), the story needs to be really strong and compelling.
How did the title of the novel come about?
For a while, I had HAUNTED LOVE STORY and it just wasn't doing it for me. I think one day I started brainstorming, which is just me and a piece of paper and playing around with words, and I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME came to me. When I sold it, I wondered if they would change the title, because it's sort of hard to say out loud. Like it doesn't flow very well. But they loved it, and thought it looked great on the cover. And now, looking back, I do think the title combined with the amazing cover is what has really helped sell that book.
What is the most touching comment that you have ever received relating to the Novel?
I have received many wonderful comments from readers. And I've saved them all! But the one that was probably the most touching was from a 19-year-old guy who had lost his partner in a violent crime. He said he was hanging out in the bookstore with his cousin, and she saw my book and said, "you should read this." So he bought it, read it and wrote to me and told me about his loss and how hard it had been for him. He said, "Your book made me feel less alone in the world."
To know that something I wrote did that for someone? Wow. It's more than I ever could have hoped for.
Jackson seems quite mysterious to me, is there a fact that you could share about him that you don't mention in the book?
I know some people have wished they could have gotten to know Jackson better. And sometimes they thought he acted so strangely, almost stalkerish. And I guess, to me, being dead and being apart from Ava is new to him, and he's having a hard time adjusting. I mean, it'd be hard, right? So the strange things he does, it's him sort of being lost, and trying to find his way. They both have to figure out how to adjust to what's happened, not just Ava. I think Jackson had a passion for life. He lived it fully and he lived it hard and if you got to know him, you would be one of those people who'd be like - come on, let's go find some fun. And you'd never be quite sure what kind of fun you'd find, but you'd probably find some.
What is Ava and Jackson's favorite song and why?
Your Body is a Wonderland by John Mayer. It was playing on the radio the first time Jackson told Ava he loved her. :)
Spoiler!
If you were Ava would you have let Jackson go?
Yes, I would. It would be hard, but I would. It's like what Nick says to Ava when she asks if it was hard letting go of her. He tells her what she knows to be true, but just hasn't quite accepted it yet. "Not as hard as holding on to something that wasn't real." Trying to have a relationship with a ghost isn't a real relationship. And eventually, anyone in Ava's place would realize that and know letting go is the best thing.
I had a major sqee moment when you mentioned their favorite song because I'm so addicted to it right now, thanks for the amazing answer and i thoroughly enjoyed this interview, once again, thanks Lisa!
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