As a reader who loves young adult issue novels, I'd like to introduce you to another young adult writer--Jennifer Snyder, author of Shattered Soul.

 Hellish Nightmare...   If seventeen-year-old Seth Bradson were to describe his life in two words, those would be the two he’d choose. Seth prefers to cope with his crappy existence by spending his days in a drug-induced haze. But when Ali Carson steps into his life, Seth finds something he’s subconsciously been seeking—a new drug, one that consumes his mind unlike any other.   Love.   In a moment of unforgivable weakness, Seth allows Ali to try crystal meth, his most addictive temptation. This single event begins the unraveling of both their lives and forces Seth to learn the definition of regret the hard way.

    Shattered Soul is available on Amazon.com, Kindle, Nook, and through Smashwords.
You can also read the first chapter at Jennifer's blog: http://jennifersnydersblog.blogspot.com

And now, let's hear from Jennifer.
 
1.  Tell me about your novel.
Shattered Soul is an Edgy YA novel which deals with the serious issue of teen addiction.

2.  How long have you been writing?
Honestly, I'm one of those writers whom have wrote since they were a small child--silly short stories and funky poems mostly. I've even kept a journal since I was about fourteen. As far as my novel writing goes, though, close to four years now.

3.  What do you hope people take away from your stories?
With Shattered Soul I really hope people take with them both sides of the coin when it comes to addiction. How for some it can truly be all they know. Sadly, some kids are raised around this sort of lifestyle making it easily assessable and normal even. And for others, how it's just one bad choice that changes them forever. Addiction can be a serious problem, for some it can grab a hold and never let go.

4.  What are you working on now?
I'm actually working on a YA Paranormal Romance novel that has been blossoming in the depths of my mind for a while.

5.  What's your favorite novel? It's a tie between Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause and Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice! 

Jennifer Snyder lives in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina with her husband and two children. She finds great joy in blank notebooks and a smooth writing pen.

I've just uploaded a new collection of short stories and poems called Life In Debris.  Currently, the collection is live at barnesandnoble.com so you can get it for the nook.  I'm thinking it's going to be a few days before Amazon gets it out there, and I'm probably going to have to work on the formatting for the print edition and the Smashwords edition. 

Otherwise, I'm still progressing on the second book in the Dreamwalker series, discovering Alterna right along with Misha.  I'm still hoping for a June release, but I'm thinking that has everything to do with getting the book edited after I finish it.

I've also put some new covers up on my website, one of which is A Willing Sacrifice.  I'm hoping to get that novel out by the end of the years as well.

1.  Elephant Skin
Remember when you a kid and skinned your knee?  You the first thing you did was go looking for Mom or Dad to make you feel better.  Guess what?  There is no one who can make you feel better when it comes to rejection or bad reviews.  Your best bet against those is just a solid appreciation for the craft of writing.  Just like no one else can make you a writer, no one else can keep you from quitting.  It's your choice.  Just remember that you're not going to make a difference with your words if nobody reads them.

2.  A Rose in December
J.M. Barrie once said, "God gave us our memories so we might have roses in December."  That's still one of my favorite quotes.  The reason it applies to writing is that if you think that just because you are doing what you love that it's always going to be easy, you are mistaken.  Writing is a job, too, and some days it's a really tough one.  It helps to remember why you started the madness in the first place and what makes you happy about it.

3.  A Talented Techie
Let's face it:  nobody is around technology as much as a writer without things going wrong.  Your best bet is a spouse to understands computers far better than you do.  My husband actually tells me I have the kiss of death for technology.  I used to glare at him, but I've begun to think he may be right....

4.  Muse Fodder
You expect your muse to give you quality stuff.  In response, you might want to stock up on whatever makes him/her happy, be it music or movies.  Seriously, whatever inspires you is the only thing that will probably keep you writing.   Surround yourself with it in the hopes that one day you will create something that will inspire someone else.

5.  A Cat Who Refuses to Grow up
I love to watch kittens play.  There is nothing else like that, and it reminds me of all the right reasons that words matter.  Take the time to watch things that make you laugh.  It will come out in your writing.

6.  A Willingness to Both Give and Receive Help
If you think you're going to do the whole indie thing alone, you might, but here's the kicker: it'll take you so much longer, and you won't have anyone to share it with.  There are so many online forums out there like kindleboards.com filled with wonderful indie authors who want to help and encourage.  There are also many writers who could use your advice and skills just like you could definitely benefit from theirs.

7.  Persistence
Like the word no?  Good.  Oh, I thought you said that you did.  Well, you might want to start getting used to it at least.  You're going to hear it a lot as a writer.  The trick is to wait for a yes.  It will come.  It just doesn't usually happen when you want it to.

8.  A Definition for Normal
Now you are smiling.  You definitely have one of those.  Good.  Now get a dartboard and put it up on the target.  That's all it's good for.  You'll want to know a million times if what's happening in your career is 'normal' or if you're anger is 'normal' over a bad review.  You'll want to know if so many things are 'normal,' but really,  it doesn't matter.  You can't compare your road to anyone else's.  Besides, what's so much fun about 'normal' anyway?