Author Interview: Meet Riley Graham! Plus a giveaway!

It's so cool to meet new authors and I have recently enjoyed getting to know Riley Graham, author of Accidents and Incidents. I thought you might like to get to know her a little better too, plus enter her giveaway :D

Sometimes finding love means taking the scenic route …

Living with her faultfinding mother has taught Leslie not to ask for much. Just watch your step, stay on the sidelines, and take what you can get. But she wants a mom who thanks her for cleaning the kitchen instead of yelling at her for missing a spot, and a boyfriend who does more than score her a seat at the popular table—someone who actually notices her sitting there.

So when Cain, the school heartbreaker, turns his Carolina blue eyes her way, Leslie can’t help but be tempted, even if he’s her boyfriend’s best friend. Things get even more complicated when Leslie strikes up unlikely friendships with Meredith, Cain’s girlfriend, and Dennis, a boy addicted to cigarettes and solitude. Despite his tough exterior, Dennis seems to understand Leslie in a way that no one ever has, and to need her as much as she needs him.

For the first time in her life, Leslie feels like she could belong. She’s just not sure where. 

You can find this book on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / IBooks

Your book sounds awesome! Welcome to YAlicious, Riley!

1. What was the first story you ever wrote (and be honest here - the FIRST one).
The first thing I remember writing was actually a five and a half page poem called "My True Love." I was a freshman in high school writing about a boy I "went with" for about a week, and yes, the writing was as melodramatic and as bad as the title. I distinctly remember comparing my life to a flower and the object of my affection to the sun at some point.

2. What book are you currently reading?
And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. I loved her debut novel, Paper Covers Rock, and this one has me captivated as well. Both books feature protagonists trying to come to terms with their role in a recent tragic event, and that makes for really good reading.

3. What's your favorite movie set in a high school?
It's a toss-up between The Breakfast Club and Clueless.

4. Who’s your go-to author - so you always buy their books because you trust them and know it’ll be a good read?
Sophie Kinsella. I love how her characters find themselves in the most awkward situations and often dig themselves in deeper before finding their way out. I wish I had her gift for humor!

5. What’s your favorite TV show at the moment?
Downton Abbey. I only recently started the series but watched the entire thing in about a month.

6. Which actor did you have a crush on when you were a teen?
John Stamos. I had a folder dedicated specifically to teen magazine pin-ups of him, and a very good friend who traded me all her John Stamos pictures for my David Hasselhoff ones.

7. Who’s your ultimate book boyfriend?
Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series. Actually, I don't think he'd make a very good boyfriend, but I still have a massive crush on him.

8. Tell us about a favorite character you’ve written and why you like them so much.
I'm just starting my fiction career so my list of characters is pretty small so far, but I do have a soft spot for the protagonist of my current WIP. He's a teen evangelist struggling with his sexual and spiritual identity, and even though his story is very different from mine, I feel close to him because I understand what it feels like to hide part of yourself from the people you love out of fear that they'll reject you.

9. What is your favorite stage of the writing process?
That moment when I'm writing a scene, things start to click, and I can see and hear everything happening as if it were unfolding before me. It doesn't happen as often or as easily as I'd like, but when it does, it feels like magic.

10. If you could celebrate your birthday anyway you wanted to, what would you do?
Go on a nice vacation with my husband and my pets

YAY! Thanks for your awesome answers and your honesty. I love the sound of your poem :D

I love Sophie Kinsella as well. She's so funny. Her Shopoholic series was the best. 

If you'd like to find out more about Riley, you can check out her social links below:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rileygrahamauthor

Twitter: @RileyGrahamYA

Mailing List: http://bit.ly/1b0zOgg

And if you'd like a chance to win an ebook, plus some Riley Graham bookmarks, please enter the giveaway! There will be two winners this week!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway