Presenting Greg Logsted!!!

Okay, so remember when I interviewed The Amazing Lauren Baratz-Logsted just a few days ago? Well, today I'm interviewing her equally amazing husband Greg, who's new book, SOMETHING HAPPENED is available now!

Anyway, he graciously agreed to stop by and answer the same questions I always ask, so without further ado, on with the interview! 

Tell us about your new book.

Hi, Alyson! Thank you so much for having me on your site. My new book is called SOMETHING HAPPENED; it’s my first novel (Simon & Schuster, Nov 2008). It starts five months after the unexpected death of Billy Romero’s dad and Billy is still struggling with the loss. Billy's mom spends more time talking to her Bluetooth than to him, and his best friend, Ziggy, just doesn't get it. There's no one who understands how alone Billy feels...except his new English teacher, the young and beautiful Miss Gate.
Miss Gate offers support and friendship, even giving Billy extra help with his writing outside of school. Billy isn't really sure how he feels about spending so much time with his teacher. It's a little weird, but it's also kind of exciting that someone like Miss Gate wants to hang out with him. But the closer they get, the more Billy wonders what kind of friendship this really is...

Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

I guess one of them would be that everyone who read the book at Simon Pulse really loved it but because it deals with a touchy subject they were unsure how to market it. There was a lot of back and forth and I was beginning to worry that SOMETHING HAPPENED was going to turn into NOTHING HAPPENED. In the end they decided to just march into the breach with the original manuscript and a second (much better in my opinion) cover.
All of this did delay the release by at least six months, which for a first time author like me felt like an eternity.

What’s your work environment like? Any rituals, totems or must haves?

I have a small desk in our bedroom. It’s very cluttered. I use three clipboards: one for my outline, one for a list of all my characters with descriptions, and a third for a list of words or phases that I’d like to work into whatever I’m working on.
I guess my main ritual is I like to have a cup of tea while I’m working even if I don’t drink any of it. As for totems, I don’t really have any, unless you count the small collection of political buttons, odd-shaped rocks, pictures and books of poetry that line my desk.

If you could live inside any book – which would it be?

SLAUTERHOUSE FIVE. No, I’m just kidding.
Let’s see, you know I’ve always loved SHERLOCK HOLMES. I love the feel of it. I think it would be fun to sit in his den and watch him work on a case.

What book rocked your world growing up?

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST by Ken Kesey.

If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where or who would it be?

I think I’d like to spend a day in John Kennedy’s White House. So much was going on and so much changed in such a brief period of time.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I guess I’ll plug my next book, ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH (Simon & Schuster, June 2009). It’s about a thirteen-year-old boy, Cody Saron, accustomed to living a globetrotting James Bond lifestyle with his mysterious dad. Cody must suddenly learn to cope with regular school life for the first time after he's forced into hiding when a secret mission turns bad. He thinks after everything he’s done that going to a small Connecticut junior high school will be easy, a piece of cake…boy, is he ever wrong.

Greg Logsted was born in Amityville, New York, raised in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and attended the University of Arizona for Journalism. He lives in Danbury, CT, with his wife, author Lauren Baratz-Logsted, and their daughter Jackie. The three of them wrote a series together called THE SISTERS EIGHT. Greg’s first YA novel, SOMETHING HAPPENED, was published by Simon Pulse in 2008 and his second, ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH, will follow in mid-2009. His website is still under construction, but interested parties can take an early peek at www.greglogsted.com.