Featured on Friday: Sarah Beth Durst

Sarah Beth Durst is the author of three novels: Into the Wild, Out of the Wild and her new release, Ice. Sarah lives in New York with her husband, their two children and their cat.

1. Is there a specific time or place that you do your best writing in?
Any time works. But I like to write at my desk. I have a laptop, and I always imagine being able to write in romantic locales like by the seashore, on a hammock, or in a cafe... but there's too much glare on the beach, too many bugs swarming the hammock, and too many distracting conversations at cafes. (I'm a terrible eavesdropper.)

2. Who were your favourite authors as a teenager? Are they different to your current favourites?
Growing up, I loved Tamora Pierce, Terry Brooks, Patricia C. Wrede, Robin McKinley, Diane Duane, Diana Wynne Jones, Mercedes Lackey, and Anne McCaffrey. Now that I'm older and wiser... I still love all those authors! They're awesome. Really, my taste hasn’t changed. Give me a girl who kicks butt and has a talking dragon/wolf/horse, and I'm a happy Sarah.

3. If you were only allowed to take three books to a desert island (or the Arctic :) ), what would they be?
Only three?! Can I get all of the above authors' books compiled as an omnibus and bring that? If not... Beauty by Robin McKinley, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and a survival guide book with idiot-proof instructions for starting fires and not dying on desert islands.

4. Is there a novel that you wish you’d written? Why?
Harry Potter. Because it would be amazing to make that many people happy.

5. Why did you choose to re-tell East of the Sun, West of the Moon?
I love fairy tales, but I was tired of all the stories where the heroine sleeps through all the cool parts. East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a Beauty and the Beast kind of story where the beauty kicks butt and saves the prince. For my version, I chose to make beauty a modern-day Alaskan girl who spends her days riding snowmobiles and chasing polar bears with her Arctic research scientist father.

6. Have you always been a fan of fairy tales? Do you have a favourite?
I love Beauty and the Beast because it's about true love. The characters become friends first. They form a real bond based on mutual respect, not admiration for impractical transparent footwear.

7. The way that you described the Arctic in Ice made me want to go there, and I hate the cold! Have you ever been?
I hate the cold too. And the heat. In fact, if I'm not at 68 degrees, I'm grumpy. So I did all my Arctic travelling through books, maps, and documentaries. I spent months in research immersing myself in the details. Best kind of travel. No packing necessary.

8. Are you working on anything at the moment? Can you tell us anything about it?
Yes, I'm working on a YA fantasy to be published fall 2010 by Simon & Schuster. It doesn't have a final title yet, but it's about getting into college, talking to gargoyles, riding on dragons... I'm really excited about it.

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

You’re welcome!

Thank you very much, Sarah! You can visit Sarah at her website and blog. You can also read my review of Ice here.

Sophie