Someone's been a very bad zombie... With such an funny tagline, I have to confess, I'm dying to read this book. BAD TASTE IN BOYS. Carrie Harris stepped up as the Class of 2k11 President, and Judith and I can tell you, that job is a ton of work, but totally worth every hour spent. I've enjoyed my time with the Class of 2k10 and being a mentor for the Class of 2k11 has it's perks...meeting creative and talented debut authors. Carrie's novel Bad Taste in Boys comes out from Delacorte, in July 12, 2011. She took a moment to escape the zombies and chat with the Wolfy Chicks.



1. What projects are you working on/have published?Well, my first book is called BAD TASTE IN BOYS, and it comes out in July 2011. It’s about a science geek who learns that her high school football team has been dosed with steroids…or maybe not. Whatever’s in those vials is turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless, flesh-eating zombies. Which is bad. But if she doesn’t find a way to cure them, it’ll be even worse.
Dum dum DUM.
I’ve also just sold two more books, which means that I’m constantly bouncing around and going, “EEEEEEEEE!” all the time. My second book is a sequel called BAD HAIR DAY, and it’s about werewolves and nanotechnology and shaved bears in lab coats and blueberry flavored astronauts and bath mats made out of human hair.
Which all goes to prove one simple point—I am an ideal candidate for psychotherapy.

Kitty: Wowza...bath mats and made out of human hair and blueberries...that musta been one crazy night.
2. What's your road to publication story?
Well, the road to publication was very long for me. Like *cough* fifteen years. *cough* This was mostly because I had no idea what I wanted to write. I dabbled in poetry, screenplays, stage plays, short stories, and depressing adult books before finally finding my way to YA, which is where I belong! When The Email finally came, I ran around the house screaming and then left a voice mail for my husband that said: “OhmygodcallmecallmeCALLMERIGHTNOW!” And then I put Thriller on and did the dance, because that’s obviously the best way to celebrate selling a zombie book.
About an hour later, I realized I should probably email my agent back. I went to my computer and found another email from her asking if the shock had killed me and did she need to call an ambulance.

Kitty: OMG! I loved that you brought the Thriller. I just walked around with a goofy toothy grin when I sold, I was still in shock.
3. Why YA?
I spent a long time trying to be a “serious” writer, because I thought that would get me respect. Which is ridiculous, because first of all, I’m not a serious person. I’ll devour a good drama, sure, but most of the time you can find me reading books that are chock full of paranormal beasties or laugh-out-loud moments. And really, what’s more worthy of respect than writing books that get teens interested in reading, even if they are full of sparkly vampires or glow-in-the-dark merpires or whatever?

4. Best writing advice you've heard?
I actually met Gwendolyn Brooks once, and after I got done quaking in my boots and actually got up the nerve to approach her, I said, “I think I might want to be a writer.” And she said, “Be what you are,” which made me gape a lot and nod like I knew what she meant even though I had no freaking clue. But after spending years trying to write like other people I admired, I think I’ve figured it out. Now I embrace the fact that I’m a m