Gwen Hayes lives in the Pacific Northwest with her real life hero, their children, and the pets that own them.

She writes books for teen readers about love, angst, and saving the world. Her debut novel, FALLING UNDER, will be released in March of 2011 by NAL.

Baffled by the fact that not everyone has people talking to each other in their head all the time, Gwen decided maybe she should start writing down what they say. She told her family she wanted to be a writer in 2007, they all nodded, and the adventures began.

Gwen is represented by Jessica Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency. You can also find Gwen every other Friday at The Fictionistas, the coolest YA blog in the whole universe, and just about every day she's tweeting something nonsensical on her Twitter page. She also keeps her blog updated with the latest news.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Does Gwen plot her stories ahead?

No. Gwen can't even tell you what she wants for dinner tonight.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Does she know what her book is about before it's almost done?

Not usually. She prefers to be surprised like everyone else.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What does Gwen do when she's not torturing characters?

Gwen reads. A lot. When she's not reading, she's likely listening to an audiobook. She also enjoys knitting scarves, usually while listening to the aforementioned book.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Who inspires Gwen's writing?

Joss Whedon and John Hughes.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Why does she write Young Adult?

Teenagers are amazing. It's a time in your life when you're on the cusp of ...everything. Your emotions, your fears, your desires, your hopes--it's all right there on the surface. When you get older, you learn to tamp all that down. Gwen likes throwing the world at people who are willing to experience it so vividly. It's a fun job.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My debut novel, FALLING UNDER, releases in April of 2011 from NAL.

COMING SOON
from these booksellers:
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
BORDERS
E-BOOK
INDIE BOUND
BOOKS-A-MILLION