This week, we’re celebrating Susan Fine’s debut! After many years in New York City, Susan Fine said goodbye to Zabar’s and Gray’s Papaya in search of an affordable apartment. She, her husband, their two boys, and 10,000 pieces of Lego landed in Chicago, where they love everything except the weather. A former English teacher, Susan can still hear a me/I error from a mile away. For assistance with sorting out the me/I conundrum, check out pages 110-113 in her first book Zen in the Art of the SAT. Initiation is her first YA novel, and she is currently at work on her second.
Here’s a little bit about INITIATION (Flux).
Terrified and feeling like an uninvited guest at the all-boys St. Stephen’s School, Mauricio Londoño sets his main goal for freshman year: basic survival.
Even with efforts to tiptoe through the school year, Mauricio can’t resist the allure of the world inhabited by his precocious classmates and the drama that plays out on FaceSpace. When a cruel digital scheme sweeps through the school, Mauricio not only becomes one of its victims, but also starts to think that maybe it’s not so bad to be honest about who he really is.
INITIATION by Susan Fine
If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?
I would give it PG-13, but I think some of the swear words might, according to the info about the movie ratings make it an R. The things in the book that make it a book for high school students include some drug use, some references to sexuality, some bullying (cyber and old fashioned in-your-face), and some swear words.
What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?
I taught middle and high school students for many years, and the last school I worked in was an all-boys school. My interest in adolescents drove me to write about them, but I was also interested in exploring what is happening with kids and technology as well as how technology is affecting school life.
I’ve also read some of the books that portray life in NYC private schools, and I thought there was a different story to tell – one in which the teachers weren’t complete morons and the kids actually did a little school work! (which is not to say, however, that more doesn’t go on in Initiation than school work and teachers)
Name three examples of readers who would identify or like your book.
A 14-year-old boy who is struggling with going to a new school and feeling like an outsider.
Any high school kid who is active on a social networking site.
Anyone who appreciates the funny, quirky, and sometimes painful world of adolescents.
List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.
- Maybe losing the tilde was a small price to pay for all that I still hoped the school would do for me.
- The minute I walked into the St. Stephen’s School for Boys, I began to sweat.
- “Ma’am, poetry lets us be poetic. Prose is good, too, and sometimes we can be a little poetic in our prose—you know a simile here and there, symbolic stuff, what you have. But when we’re wooing the ladies, we need poetry, like good ole Romeo. Maybe he rest in peace.”
How can your book be used in the classroom?
There are huge opportunities for taking on such topics as cyberbullying, digital tools and academic dishonesty as well as other issues related to schools, young adults, and technology. Additionally, this is a coming of age story in which the protagonist struggles with the same things kids have struggled with forever such as being new and feeling like an outsider and struggling to like himself and be comfortable with who he and his family are. There are also several scenes in an English class that make connections between themes in the novel and themes in such pieces of literature as Macbeth, The Great Gatsby, and The Catcher in the Rye. I can imagine a great class visit with students who are reading one of these novels – revealing how and why the classic comes up in Initiation.
Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- Old School by Tobias Woolf
- A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Now whet our appetites with a teaser.
The minute I walked into the St. Stephen’s School for Boys, I began to sweat. There was still no air conditioning, and the temperature inside was higher than it was outside. I used to think that maybe one day I would be a rich man; then I would send a pile of money to the school, earmarked for air-conditioning. I would be the big shot who cooled the place off. Mauricio Londoño: Air Conditioning King… King Cool… Mr. Freeze… Prince Frosty…LL Cool…something.
Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?
Yes!
Are you willing to speak nationally?
Yes!
List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.
- Cyber Trouble and the Secret World of FaceSpace
- Luck, Discipline, and Talent: Making a Go of Writing
- How much is too much? Opportunities in Edgy YA Novels
This concludes our interview with our latest author, SUSAN FINE. We wish her much success with her debut novel INITIATION. To see what Susan is up to these days, visit her website and her blog at http://susanefine.com.
*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Susan is giving away a signed copy of INITIATION to two winners. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by November 3rd, 2009 11:59 PM CST.
Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our other AuthorsNow! giveaways.
Related posts:
- INITIATION by Susan Fine
- Author Spotlight: Susan VanHecke, ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SOLDIER: A MEMOIR (Giveaway Alert Now – 10/14/09)
- Author Spotlight: J.A. Yang, EXCLUSIVELY CHLOE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/17/09)
- Author Spotlight: Ellen Jensen Abbott, WATERSMEET (Giveaway Alert: Now – 05/04/09)
- Author Spotlight: Mark Fink, STEPPING UP (Giveaway Alert: Now – 04/08/09)
Comments
1 mindy // Oct 27, 2009 at 11:05 am
this looks wonderful thanks
2 Jessica Kennedy // Oct 27, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I’ve had my eye on this one for a while.
I was a huge fan of Looking for Alaska by John Green, so I think I’d like this one too!
3 Jason // Oct 27, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I really like Susan’s works. I would also like to read Zen in the art of SAT
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
4 Ann F // Oct 27, 2009 at 2:37 pm
This sounds like a good book
5 Amber G // Oct 27, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I adored Looking for Alaska – now I really want to read Initiation!
6 Kelly // Oct 27, 2009 at 6:21 pm
This sounds great–I love books told from a guy’s point of view. When I was growing up, all I had for that were a few books by Judy Blume (Superfudge and all of those). This looks like a great read.
7 Kathy D // Oct 27, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Looks like a great read…. Glad I shopped by
8 renee G // Oct 27, 2009 at 7:45 pm
This sounds great. Would love to read this.
9 Llehn // Oct 28, 2009 at 6:59 am
This sounds awesome!
10 danielle brisson // Oct 28, 2009 at 5:37 pm
this looks like a great book. Need one for the cold winter nights
11 Anne Taylor // Oct 28, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Love to win, read and pass this book on!
ty
12 DeeAnn S // Oct 29, 2009 at 8:01 am
We all know what a new school feels like! Bleck!!
13 angie // Oct 29, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I love new books. This looks like a great read.
14 Heather S // Oct 29, 2009 at 5:40 pm
I would la la LOVE to win, great interview!
15 wendy wallach // Oct 30, 2009 at 12:41 am
very good topic considering recent stories in the news. Were they an inspiration for you?
madamerkf at aol dot com
16 Mozi Esmes Mommy // Oct 30, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I’d love to read this!
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
17 JAMES LYNAM // Oct 30, 2009 at 10:25 pm
MY TURN TO WIN????
18 Alicia // Oct 31, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Looks good,.
Thanks for the giveaway >^..^<
19 Stephanie N // Nov 1, 2009 at 10:44 am
This sounds great. Please count me in.
20 Rhonda Struthers // Nov 1, 2009 at 2:41 pm
I am always looking for a new author with an interesting plot. I would love to read this
rhondastruthers at yahoo dot ca
21 Arlette Rodriguez // Nov 1, 2009 at 3:56 pm
this book sounds awesome! I would love to read it!
22 Jessica Badeaux // Nov 1, 2009 at 5:59 pm
This book sounds like one I would read a few times!
23 Erma H // Nov 2, 2009 at 9:18 am
This looks good.
24 Ashley R. // Nov 2, 2009 at 10:35 am
this looks like a great book, thanks for the giveway
25 Jennifer Hedden // Nov 2, 2009 at 12:31 pm
book sounds good
26 shawna // Nov 2, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I would love to read this book!
27 Sarah // Nov 2, 2009 at 3:32 pm
enter me!
28 Ed Nemmers // Nov 2, 2009 at 5:15 pm
How apropos for the tie to look like a noose! Great cover!
29 Brenda Park // Nov 2, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Sounds like a great read, thanks for the chance to win a copy!
30 Lance Pearson // Nov 2, 2009 at 7:18 pm
looks like a good one
dreamcleavers@yahoo.com
31 Anita Saxena // Nov 2, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I love the cover! Very interested in reading this book!
32 marisha // Nov 2, 2009 at 9:12 pm
looks like a lovely book!
33 Angela Winesburg // Nov 2, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I’d love to read this, thanks for the chance!
34 L Knott // Nov 3, 2009 at 2:47 am
This apears to be a unique book to make a important point! Growing up does not get easier with all the electronic gear! Sounds Very appealing to read!!!
35 Bebe // Nov 3, 2009 at 7:17 am
I would love to read this!!
36 Leslie // Nov 3, 2009 at 10:04 am
Sounds like a really good read.
37 Susan Smith // Nov 3, 2009 at 10:10 am
Looks like a good book
38 Jackee // Nov 3, 2009 at 10:39 am
This looks like a book I would love to read!
39 \George Ferris // Nov 3, 2009 at 10:59 am
This sounds great to read.
40 Talitha Lee // Nov 3, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Sounds awesome! Thanks for the contest!
41 Tim Hughes // Nov 3, 2009 at 4:10 pm
This book sounds great for my teenage daughter who has had quite the transition since moving out of Mom’s and in with me a year and a half ago and having to switch schools, friends and lifestyles.
42 Erica // Nov 3, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Initiation sounds simply fantastic! I’ve been looking forward to it for so long!
43 D Bates // Nov 3, 2009 at 8:12 pm
sounds so good, if i dont win it i plan to go out and buy it.
44 susan smoaks // Nov 3, 2009 at 8:13 pm
i really want to read this!
45 Janet // Nov 3, 2009 at 10:58 pm
this looks wonderful
46 dawn // Nov 3, 2009 at 11:11 pm
This sounds great. Would love to read this.
47 Gianna // Nov 3, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Please enter me
48 Lily Kwan // Nov 3, 2009 at 11:43 pm
This book sounds very interesting. I’ll definitely check it out!
49 Marcy Strahan // Nov 3, 2009 at 11:45 pm
I WOULD LOVE TO READ THIS!
iT’S SOUNDS ENLIGHTENING ON THE MALE VIEW OF THINGS!
50 Heather // Nov 3, 2009 at 11:54 pm
This books sounds so good!
51 Veronica Garrett // Nov 4, 2009 at 12:00 am
Sounds like a great book.
52 Tara Hill // Nov 4, 2009 at 12:05 am
Cyber-bullying has been on my mind a lot since that girl killed herself when her friends mom got online and started bullying her. Thanks for the chance to win your book!
53 Katie S. // Nov 4, 2009 at 12:53 am
This sounds very interesting:) oh and I live in the suburbs of chicago and the weather does get pretty cold…..
54 Pothi - Admin Assist - AuthorsNow! // Nov 4, 2009 at 10:43 am
Congratulations Heather and Kelly! You have won this spotlight.
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