20 Questions YA Author Interview: Cyn Balog

I’m delighted to welcome debut author Cyn Balog for July’s 20 Questions YA Author Interview.

Cyn Balog grew up in Edison, New Jersey and has been writing for most of her life. She graduated from Douglass College, Rutgers University, with a degree in Communication. An avid fitness enthusiast, she has been living in Bucks County for five years with her husband and children and working as an Events Manager for Runner’s World Magazine. Fairy Tale is her first novel.

1. Morning person or night owl?
   Morning! I fall asleep at like, 8:30 every night.
2. Outliner or pantser?
   Pantser for the first half, Outliner for the second!
3. Rejection letters – save ‘em or toss ‘em?
   Toss– they’re just one person’s opinion, after all.
4. What’s the best thing a reader ever said to you?
   You’re good at this!
5. What was the last song you had stuck in your head?
   Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast
   
6. What was the last movie you watched?
   Quantum of Solace, though I fell asleep halfway thru. I know the beginning to every movie out there, but few ends.
7. What was the last book you read and loved?
   I’ve read and liked a lot of books, but one that made me weep is FEED by MT Anderson.
8. What’s your all-time favourite story?
   Charlotte’s Web.
9. Any nicknames we might come across if we delved into your past?
   Cinderella
10. Any phobias you’re willing to admit to?
    I hate talking on the phone, New York City, and driving.
11. What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
    I used to work for a company that made shrink wrapping machines. All I did was use a copier for 8 hours a day.
12. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
    Went whitewater rafting on the Dead River in Maine and capsized on Class 5 rapids.
    
    (Okay, this is not the Dead River, but it’s definitely white water. Now, doesn’t that look fun? Eep.)
13. What’s one thing that really bugs you?
    Self-absorbed people.
14. What’s one thing you’re really proud of?
    Certain members of my family, especially my sister, my husband, and my daughter.
15. What’s the last thing you Googled?
    Telephones; I was trying to figure out the history of the telephone circa 1900 for a book I am writing.
    

    (Image from wikimedia commons.)

16. Where’s the farthest place from home you’ve travelled?
    Maui
17. What’s your idea of a perfect vacation?
    I want to show my daughter Disney World for the first time SO BAD that I think about it every day.
18. What’s your favourite sports team?
    Philadelphia Flyers
19. What’s up next for you writing-wise?
    SLEEPLESS is a book about a sandman who falls in love with a mortal whose sleep he controls; should be out in 2010!
20. What’s your favourite piece of advice for writers?
    Never let anybody tell you that you can’t.

Thanks so much for being here, Cyn, and congratulations on the launch of Fairy Tale!