interviews
Interview with Taylor Grothe, Author of Hollow
Taylor Grothe is an author whose writing feels both haunting and deeply human. With Hollow, her debut novel from Peachtree Teen, Grothe brings a lyrical and eerie voice to young adult fiction – blending themes of grief, identity, and the supernatural into a story that lingers long after the final page. Known for her evocative prose and atmospheric storytelling, Grothe crafts worlds where beauty and darkness intertwine, and where every line hums with quiet emotion.
Interview with Emma Jackson, Author of House of Vipers
Emma Jackson is an author who is passionate about storytelling in all its forms. After writing her first story at 8 years old for a school project, she couldn’t stop writing and penned dozens of stories with a pencil and loose sheets of notebook paper. Every story pushed her closer to her dream of becoming an author one day.
Interview with Daniel Tawse, Author of This Book Will Make You Cry
Daniel Tawse grew up on the northeast coast of England, specifically in Northumberland, where he spent his childhood exploring the outdoors and writing diaries about his experiences. He studied Musical Theatre at the Arts Educational Schools in London and holds a master’s degree in History from the University of Northumbria. His personal experiences and reflections often inspire his writing, particularly in the context of queer representation.
Interview with Delali Adjoa, Author of The Free Verse Society
Delali Adjoa was born in Togo to Ghanaian parents but grew up in Canada where she traded sunny cottons for wool tuques and snowsuits. She has been chasing warmer weathers ever since. Delali writes fiction centered on identity, freedom, and family, and loves the American South for the stories it has buried. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and Georgetown University. Her debut novel is a YA Romance set to publish in 2026.
Interview with Maria Ingrande Mora, Author of A Wild Radiance
Maria Ingrande Mora (they/she) is a queer, neurodivergent author whose work blends emotional depth with bold explorations of identity and resistance. Based in Florida, Mora writes character-driven young adult fiction that celebrates love, community, and self-discovery. Their books – including The Immeasurable Depth of You, Fragile Remedy, and the upcoming A Wild Radiance – highlight queer joy and complex, imperfect heroes learning to find their place in the world.
Interview with Birdie Schae, Author of Smash or Pass
Birdie Schae had big dreams from the moment she was born in a small town in Belgium. Now an author and student in The Netherlands, she spends most of her time writing love stories, analyzing all sorts of fiction through tears, or listening to a truly concerning amount of music.
Smash or Pass is her debut novel.
Interview with Brian Zepka, Author of Within These County Lines
Brian Zepka is an award-winning author and environmental scientist born and raised outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His debut young adult novel, The Temperature of Me and You, was a Brazilian bestseller and honored as the best translated young adult stand-alone novel of 2022 at the Tres Cantos International Festival of Children’s and Youth Literature. His second young adult novel, Within These County Lines, will be released in February 2026.
Interview with Katie Bernet, Author of Beth Is Dead
Katie Bernet is an author living in Dallas, Texas. She’s an award-winning creative director, a long-standing member of the DFW Writer’s Workshop, and the director of the 2025 DFW Writer’s Conference. The oldest of three sisters, she’s a diehard fan of Little Women.
Photo Credit: Mae Haines
Interview with Alaa Al-Barkawi, Author of In the Country I Love
Alaa Al-Barkawi is a first-generation, Iraqi American Shia Muslim writer. She is the co-runner of QuillersSWANA, a literary organization dedicated to Southwest Asian and North African writers, and serves as a Literary Peace Ambassador for Threads of Peace. Alaa holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and has worked with refugee and immigrant students for nearly a decade. In the Country I Love is her debut novel.
Interview with Cassie Miller, Author of Meet Me Under the Lights
Cassie Miller began writing stories many years ago and has always enjoyed escaping into the worlds she has created or into those created by authors she has cherished.
After graduating from Radford University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English, Cassie taught high school English and Creative Writing for twelve years. While helping her students develop their own voices on the page, Cassie began working on her own projects which would later connect her with her agent in 2018.
Interview with Sadie Turner, Author of Tidespeaker
Sadie Turner grew up on the Welsh Border and now lives in Hampshire, not far from the former home of one of her biggest inspirations: Jane Austen. She is a copywriter, mother of two, and author of gloomy, romantic, neurodiverse YA Fantasy. When she can find the time, she loves reading, cooking, and classic CRPGs, and is rarely seen without a cup of tea on hand.