I’m thrilled to have Holly Cupala as my guest this week. Her first novel for young adults, Tell Me a Secret (HarperTeen), is scheduled for release on June 22, 2010. Holly was kind enough to send me the first two chapters. Ten seconds after I finished devouring it, I was pre-ordering the book online! Author Lorie Ann Grover says Tell Me a Secret is “beautiful, complex and refined, in layers and sections like a stained glass window.” Award-winning author, Justina Chen, says it’s “insightful and very, very real. Thousands of girls are going to find such solace in this story.”

Holly is a long-time acquaintance from SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). I frequently saw her at our local chapter meetings “way back when,” learning the craft of writing, immersing herself in language and story. It’s a joy and a privilege to see her perseverance come to fruition. Congratulations, and thanks for joining us, Holly! 

How did you get started in writing? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

First of all, thank you, Michele, for inviting me to visit your blog!

I think my first documented instance of fiction (the first my mom saved, anyways), was from circa first grade—a donut goes on a voyage, strolling down Candy Street, Pizza Street…you see what captured my attention back then. The stories continued, culminating in two teen romance novels in eighth grade. This was before I actually experienced teen romance. Afterward, I wrote some achingly forlorn poetry and short stories.

In college, I thought I wanted to write for adults so I studied literature. When I was just about to go on for my PhD and a teaching job, I realized I had abandoned my love of writing—and specifically, writing for a younger audience. So I joined SCBWI, took some classes and formed a critique group, and spent some years learning the craft.

What was your inspiration for TELL ME A SECRET?

I thought I wanted to write and illustrate picture books—I had this (I kid you not) 1,600 word epic rhyming picture book about the sun, moon, and stars. I still can’t believe they didn’t kick me out of SCBWI for that. But even though I wasn’t getting to the heart of anything meaningful, I value those years for teaching me how to write.

The story had to come from something much harder—first, the loss of a dear friend’s older sister, followed by the loss of our first child at birth. I almost gave up right there, but some very encouraging friends wouldn’t let me. TELL ME A SECRET fell out of the sky as a fully formed idea. I knew it was the book I was supposed to write, I just had to find the courage.

Miranda’s story isn’t mine, but much of her emotional journey came from the path I walked. I originally meant for the story to end differently, but it didn’t turn out that way—both stories finished with far more hope. (Our second little one just turned five!)

TELL ME A SECRET is your first novel for young adults. Describe the moment you first learned that the book had sold.

I was just about to catch a flight to the SCBWI conference in L.A., 2008! My agent sold it to the editor of my dreams, one I didn’t even dare hope would love my novel, in a two-book pre-empt. So I’m pretty sure I didn’t get on a plane. I flew myself, on a cloud of bliss.

Who inspires you?