Author Interview Monday with Shari Maurer author of Change of Heart

Shari Maurer site is here and I have quoted her "about me" section to let you know a bit about her:
"I am a YA writer who grew up in New City, NY and came back to raise my family there. I went to undergrad at Duke University and grad school at NYU, studying English and Dramatic Writing and yelling loud at basketball games. After school, I spent six years at the Children’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), working on international versions of Sesame Street and other kids’ programs. I met my husband, Mat, at sleepaway camp when we were 17 and there are times we still wish we were back at camp. My three kids, Lissie, Josh and Eric make me laugh and have been my biggest fans. Life is good."

Her book, Change of Heart was published Spring 2010, and you can find my review here.
She was gracious enough to answer some questions for the blog, and here they are:

Thank you for taking time to do this! Your book was wonderful and it was my pleasure to review.

--Can you give us a brief description of Change of Heart in your own words?
Change of Heart is about Emmi, a 16 year old elite soccer player who needs a heart transplant and learns about life, love and true friendship in the process.

--How did you get the idea for the story?

My husband is a cardiologist and he and his patient were featured on a Discovery Health program on heart transplants. Also on the show was a little girl waiting for a transplant. I watched her face as she was wheeled into the Operating Room to receive her heart and I was haunted by the expression on her face: a combination of fear, excitement, worry, joy. The more I thought about her, the more Emmi's story developed.

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

I think Abe and I could talk all night about 70's Rock bands. And I'd love to hear what his life was like growing up in NYC, having been abandoned by his dad.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

I make sure I have time to read. I read one book a month for an adult book club I've been in for over 8 years. We just finished our 100th book! In between those books, I read all the YA I can. I love all of Sarah Dessen's and Laurie Halse Andersen's books and have enjoyed reading many of my fellow debut authors this year. My all time favorites are "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "To Kill a Mockingbird."I

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

I might have to pay a visit to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Who wouldn't want to spend 24 hours in a candy factory?!!

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on the Change of Heart "playlist-" songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

I never really drank coffee until I started to write and now I can't write without it. And I think that the iPod is one of the greatest inventions of all time. It's like having your very own personalized radio station. I love Fleetwood Mac (and gave that to love Abe) so I was listening to a lot of their music when I wrote the book).

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Invisibility. I'd love to be able to just hide and listen in to conversations. Great for my curiosity and great for my writing.

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

I've got 3 kids who keep me running around. I love to read, play tennis, bike and travel. I've been lucky enough to see some pretty incredible parts of the world and hope to add to my travel "collection."

--How did the topic of organ donation come to be so close to your heart?

When I was starting to do promotion for Change of Heart, I realized I had the opportunity to raise awareness for the need for people to register to be organ donors. My husband, who has many patients waiting for hearts, thought it was a great idea and we've been working together to register as many potential donors as possible. For more info, go to www.donatelife.net.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

My debut year has been a lot of fun. Much of it is due to all of the wonderful writers, particularly in the Class of 2k10 and The Tenners, and terrific bloggers I have met along the way. And it's been amazing to hear from readers who enjoyed the book. I'm so grateful for the chance I've had and hope that it's only the beginning of the journey.

Thank you for your time!