I definitely recommend it to both teens and adults! Also be sure to check out many of Holly's great short stories for children at www.knowonder.com ! Wednesday, October 17, 2012 Today I'm happy to introduce Marva Dasef, a Muse It Up author with a number of books for teens. Her latest is a compilation of fantasy stories about a young girl's adventures with her genie called "Setara's Genie." Welcome, Marva! When did you discover you had a "sense of fiction?" I'm still wondering whether I do. I spent many years writing technical documentation, so I'm still learning (even after five years!) how to write fiction. It's deeper, more complex, but must entertain. It's harder to do than it looks. What was your favorite book as a child? As an adult? How did those influence you as a writer? I loved Walter Farley's Black Stallion series, so I'll put that at the top of the Kid-Read list. I was the horse-crazy girl and was owned by my first horse when I was ten. I learned to ride on a 16-hand, black saddlebred. I could easily pretend he was the Black Stallion in the Farley books. What I got from Farley and other writers of young adult fiction was the ebb and flow of a fictional story. You have to include lots of excitement, but you need quiet pools of introspection to give the reader a chance to think about what's going on in the story. I got hooked on science fiction