RTW: YA Talk IRL

From YA Highway:

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:

What IRL people can you talk to about YA?

I am super lucky.  There are a lot of people in my Real Life that get YA.

First and foremost, my husband.

Okay, maybe he doesn't get YA, but he gets me, what I write, and why.  As long as he's known me, I've been a crazy reader and he understands my need to stay up until 2 am to finish a book.  He listens when I explain what makes a book great and what makes a book not-so-great.  He listens when I explain how it all fits together and fits with my writing.

He's reading The Hunger Games trilogy right now - he's on Mockingjay and when he's done, I will reward him by taking him to the movie.  

Next, my friend and CP Dawn Klehr.  She's just plain terrific.  She has read everything under the sun and she lives nearby, so we actually see each other IRL occasionally.  I love to talk YA with Dawn - writing, reading, publishing, the YA atmosphere, whatever.

Then there is my excellent friend Sara -- the one who got me to finally read The Hunger Games.  She loves to read YA and, as I've mentioned before, she is CLOUD 9's biggest fan.  She's read every version and even came up with a cast list.  She's funny and smart and sarcastic AND she is my hairstylist (and Birdy's).  She's also considerably closer to YA age-wise than me.  

My niece Emily is graduating from high school this year and even though she doesn't have time to read as much as she'd like to, she has suggested some fantastic books along the way.  When she read CLOUD 9, she commented that she forgot she wasn't reading a "real book."  High praise from a "real teenager."  Here's some great news:  Emily lives in Connecticut but will be moving to Minnesota in the fall for college.  Hurray!

The list could go on and on - like I said, I'm lucky to have so many people IRL who love YA!

How about you - who listens to you ramble on about the awesomeness of YA?

Birdy and her awesome cousins: Emily, Hannah, and Maria