Today’s Toe to Toe interview is with Suzanne LaFleur, author of the gorgeous and poignant middle grade LOVE, AUBREY. Suzanne is not only a wildly talented author with a great debut novel, she is an alum of the New School Writing for Children program, so we are all especially pleased to see how well her book is being received out in the world! Publishers Weekly says, “LaFleur's moving debut offers a convincing first-person narration of a girl coping in the wake of tragedy,” and Kirkus says Aubrey’s “detailed progression from denial to acceptance makes her both brave and credible in this honest and realistic portrayal of grief.” Read on to find out Suzanne’s favorite ice cream flavors (and the runners up) as well as her most annoying habit.
1. What’s the worst job you've ever had?
Not that this was actually a bad job—but it was a bad job for me—I used to work at a summer camp as a lifeguard and the guards all rotated among three different positions. A third of my shifts were spent at a boat house. I actually liked being at the boat house on the lake because it was a beautiful, secluded spot; I was great at shelving canoes to dry, bailing sailboats, and making sure everyone had life jackets, but part of the job was lifeguarding from a motor boat that I had to drive around the lake. I was AWFUL at driving that motor boat. I never went where I wanted to, and once I had to rescue a few kids who tipped their boat over; pulling them into the motor boat and towing their full canoe back was quite an ordeal. When I got back to the dock with the kids and without the canoe, the other guards and my boss made a big deal out of the whole thing. I didn’t really care if we lost a canoe in the lake as long as the kids were safe, but other people didn’t really share my view and had to form a rescue mission to retrieve the canoe.
2. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Honorable Mention: Haagen-Dazs’s Dulche de Leche
Runner-Up: Ben&Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Cookie
Best-ever in the Whole Wide World: Gifford’s Black Raspberry
3. What’s your favorite movie?
Honorable Mention: Moulin Rouge
Runner-Up: Finding Neverland
Best-ever in the Whole Wide World: Searching for Bobby Fisher
4. What is your most annoying habit?
I seem to enjoy asking someone a question, not listening to the person answer, and then asking the question again…several times.
5. What is your favorite way to procrastinate writing?
I like to play computer games. I tell myself that I’m getting my brain ready to write, and sometimes it’s true, but other times it’s just plain not. I will also tell myself I need to clean the kitchen floor first, or go grocery shopping, or go to the gym—those things are important, right? I can always start writing later…basically, I only write when I feel ready, and I will do almost anything to delay feeling ready. It’s not really the worst thing, because when I do sit down to write, I can write ten or twenty pages in one go. Procrastinating seems to be a vital part of the game for me.
6. What is the first thing you would buy if your next advance was a million do
llars?
A piece of pizza. I also considered saying a panini press (the next item on my wish list) or airfare to Europe (my favorite place to travel), but a piece of pizza feels like a very wise choice because I can get it and be happy even if my next advance is only ten dollars.
7. What's something very few people know about you?
I don’t have a driver’s license. I learned to drive and took driver’s ed when I was a teenager, but I really hated driving. I don’t even like riding in cars, to be honest. So I never took the driving test and I moved to New York City where I happily ride the subway every day.
To learn more about Suzanne and her marvelous book, go
here, and if you just want to buy it ASAP (and why wouldn’t you?) go
here.
* daphne grab *
It seems like every state in America is going through tough times and lots of public services are being cut to make ends meet. Hell, California is practically bankrupt! But it really, really pained me to learn that 
