and her friends. If they lose, there is a lot more on the line than just their lives. And though the protagonist is a girl, I am firmly a boy. There is romance, but I wanted a book with motorcycle chases and citywide chaos and sword fights. I didn't want to let the characters rest for more than a few pages. What attracts you to the Young Adult genre specifically? I really like the faster pace and focused plots that teen books tend to have. I have no attention span, so it suits me. And I really love the idea that teen characters can do and be anything -- nothing is set in stone at that age. Also, you can cover any topic in YA. You can write about mermaids, or depression, or superheroes, or a superhero romance, and if the story is good people will read it. Who would you count among your strongest influences, and why? Suzanne Collins is why I wanted to write YA in the first place. I love the sense of adventure her books have. They're tense and fun the entire time, which is something I try to do. George RR Martin showed me that if you can create an atmosphere where the readers believe no character is truly safe, the tension will rise dramatically. In his books, any character can die at any moment, which isn't a feeling I get when reading most books. Usually I think the main characters will make it through