nav-home nav_about nav_reviews nav_interviews nav_features nav-contact

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Sensational 7 Q & A with Anna Jarzab!


Have you ever wanted to know what it would be like to hang out with your favorite author(s)? In an attempt to get a better understanding of authors, my Sensational Seven Q & A takes a closer or more personal look at these authors to give you a glimpse of the personalities behind the writing of your favorite books.

“Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book; a personality which, by birth and quality, is pledged to the doctrines there set forth, and which exists to see and state things so, and not otherwise.” By Ralph Waldo Emerson


Anna Jarzab grew up entirely in the suburbs, first outside of Chicago and then in San Francisco's East Bay area, where All Unquiet Things is set. She graduated from Santa Clara University, earned her Master's degree from the University of Chicago, and currently lives in New York City. All Unquiet Things is in stores today!

If you were given a chance to travel back in time, what year or place would you go / Why?
I don't know that I would go back in time, because messing with the space/time continuum seems like bad mojo to me, but I do often wish, as I'm walking around the streets of New York, that I could go back in time to the days of Edith Wharton and/or the 60s and 70s, just to see what it's like. I'd have to be invisible though. I'd just want to observe, not take part, and I wouldn't want to cause a stir with my contemporary clothing.

Describe your novel in seven words or less?
Two teens solve a friend's murder.


Please share with us about your favorite book and fictional crush to date?

Hm, favorite book. I have lots of favorites, books I reread every year, but I guess if I have to choose JUST ONE I'd choose The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford (they count as one because they always package them together in one volume!). Nancy Mitford is hilariously funny, and her books have that old English noblesse oblige charm that I love. Her characters are amazingly well-drawn and interesting, and unique, insofar as anything is unique.

As for my fictional crush, I guess maybe I would say Jason from Hey, Nostradamus!, if I'm in the mood to want to save a tortured soul, or Robbie, from Atonement, if I'm in the mood to believe that there are good men in the world.

If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be / Why?
Hm, I don't know. I'm very literal-minded, so the answer that jumps into my head is, "I like who I am! I wouldn't want to be anyone else because I'd have to give up the good things in my life." Which is not the answer you're looking for. Hm. Maybe Elizabeth Bennet?


If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you / Why?

Yikes, please don't make my life into a movie, Hollywood! Again with the literal-mindedness. But maybe Amanda Seyfried? I like her a lot. She doesn't look like me, but I think she's very talented.

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be – please explain?
This question stumped me for a long time! So much pressure to come up with something exactly right. I'm torn between Loud and Well Hydrated because I am loud (my mother calls me "Decibella", which is really quite clever) and I drink a lot of water, and Really Excited to Be Here!, which is something I stole from a friend and made my own. It's a quasi-ironic title, because I can be really upbeat and friendly and excited a lot of the time, but I am, at heart, a cold, hard cynic.


How would you describe yourself/life in seven words?

Polish girl has writery ambitions, makes good.


Bonus

**Is there any additional info you would like to share with your readers about what’s next for you and your books?**
All Unquiet Things comes out January 12th! And if you go to my site, there's a bunch of hidden content already up there and more to come. That's the kind of stuff I think is fun, and I'm not sure many people know it's there, but it is!


Thanks Anna for stopping by!

For more information about Anna Jarzab and her books, please visit her website here.

30 comments:

  1. If I went back in time I'd want to be invisible too because I'd be way too tempted to change things. Great interview!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Whoa! I can't believe that she would think about maybe NOT going back in time. Craziness!
    And Amanda Seyfriend - interesting choice. I just think she is so cute!

    Can't wait for All Unquiet Things!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't wait to read this book. The cover is amazing! It's so much fun to read these interviews with the authors. Anna's answers were very fun to read.

    :]

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Anna for stopping by.

    And I too like her bad mojo answer for going back in time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm going to have to go over and try to find all the hidden goodies now :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anna is so awesome, as is AUT :)

    Awesome interview! It's fun to get to know authors on another level.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Excellent interview Tina and love the Seven Sensational!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fantastic interview. Gotta read this one!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Enjoyed the interview very much. I always think it's interesting to find out things about authors.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love the question about the biography title, and Anna's answers.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats on your release! I agree about going back in time, but where you could chose sometime to go back to I have a hard time chosing haha.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh wow this is a really cool interview! The 60s or 70s is a time where I'd like to go see too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. hmm...I'll have to check out those Nancy Mitford books. Nice interview!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great interview! I'm looking forward to reading All Unquiet Things.

    ReplyDelete
  15. lol, I love her answer about the space/time continuum. So very true. Great interview! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a great interview! I can't wait to read this book.
    amandarwest at gmaildotcom

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great interview! I'm really excited to read this book.

    Abbey

    ReplyDelete
  18. I also really like Amanda Seyfried, ever since her Veronica Mars days!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I almost picked up this book tonight - it looks so intresting. Great interview, I loved your questions!

    ReplyDelete
  20. When I do read the book, I'll remember to go to Anna's site for all the extras.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Amanda Seyfried is a great choice. I think she is very talented as well.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This is such a great interview,
    loved reading it!
    Can't wait to read the book =)

    Bere

    ReplyDelete
  23. I Would Have To Agree With You Anna About Not Going Back In Time. I Mean There Are Things I Wish I Could Change But I Would Not Be Willing To Risk What I Have Now To Do It. For All I Know Changing Things Could Just Make Things A Lot Worse. Loved The Interview And I Think Amanda Seyfried (I Loved her In Mamma Mia!)Is A Great Choice If Your Book Got Made Into A Movie.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Love the cover for this book. Her answers were fun to read

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love the nickname "Decibella" that her mother gave her. Very clever indeed :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Sounds like a great murder mystery.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Great interview. I love Anna's Mom's nickname for her - Decibella! How creative!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I want to win All Unquiet Things. The interview was very fascinating.

    I follow your blog.

    And I love the cover.

    Much good luck on the new release.

    I also tweeted about the give-away and I'm following you on Twitter now.

    Kat Bryan
    kcelestebryan@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sounds like a great read! I can't wait!

    ReplyDelete

I want to hear from you, I promise I won't bite!