ABOUT SARAH
(LEFT: photo by Jake Lilly. RIGHT: photo by Beverly McCoy)
As a child, Sarah Dooley lived twenty-four different places, including an abandoned post office, a tent, and a red cargo van. She now lives in West Virginia with her partner and their assortment of dogs, cats, and horses. When she is not writing, she has the pleasure of teaching, and being taught by, children with special needs. This is her first novel.
As a child, Sarah Dooley lived twenty-four different places, including an abandoned post office, a tent, and a red cargo van. She now lives in West Virginia with her partner and their assortment of dogs, cats, and horses. When she is not writing, she has the pleasure of teaching, and being taught by, children with special needs. This is her first novel.
Infrequently Asked Questions
(that have nonetheless actually been asked)
Q: How is it to write a book? Does it make your hand tired?
A: Not really, since I'm pretty fast at typing. It does, however, make my brain tired. Then I do silly things like locking myself out of my car, or trying to make coffee without putting water in the pot, or forgetting which items can be worn as hats. See?
(that have nonetheless actually been asked)
Q: How is it to write a book? Does it make your hand tired?
A: Not really, since I'm pretty fast at typing. It does, however, make my brain tired. Then I do silly things like locking myself out of my car, or trying to make coffee without putting water in the pot, or forgetting which items can be worn as hats. See?
(Photo by Sarah's other cat, Sage ... sort of ...)
Q: Where does this whole "bratty little sister" thing come from? I've noticed that an awful lot of your characters have bratty little sisters!
A: I have no idea. It is PURE fiction. It did NOT come from ME being a bratty little sister! No way, no how!
(Photos by Mertie Dooley)
A: I have no idea. It is PURE fiction. It did NOT come from ME being a bratty little sister! No way, no how!
(Photos by Mertie Dooley)
Q: I know it was depressing moving from place to place when you were a child. But did you ever have a favorite home you wanted to return to?
A: Great question! Actually, it wasn't depressing in the least. I loved it! One of the best places I ever lived was in a tent on Summersville Lake. Imagine waking up already outside, mere steps from the beach, ready to jump back into the lake and go swimming!
(Photo by Jennifer Lynch)
(Photo by Jennifer Lynch)
Q: When did you first realize you were going to be an author?
A: I started noticing symptoms when I was quite young, but I wasn't diagnosed until 2008. That's when I made the mistake of assigning NaNoWriMo, a month-long noveling project, to my students. Monsters that they were, they turned around and slapped an assignment right back on me. "If we have to write, you have to write," they said. "If we have to create a novel, you have to create a novel!"
A: I started noticing symptoms when I was quite young, but I wasn't diagnosed until 2008. That's when I made the mistake of assigning NaNoWriMo, a month-long noveling project, to my students. Monsters that they were, they turned around and slapped an assignment right back on me. "If we have to write, you have to write," they said. "If we have to create a novel, you have to create a novel!"
I initially considered just failing them. But then I would have gotten a failing grade from them, too. And who wants to come home at the age of 27 and show their mother a big fat F on a report card? So I decided to do the assignment. I sat myself down next to those mean little children and I dashed out the first draft of LIVVIE.
Thank goodness we all got A's! We earned them! Especially those kids. Who, by the way, rock. :)
Thank goodness we all got A's! We earned them! Especially those kids. Who, by the way, rock. :)