You don't know Lisa M. Potts? Read this now!

 Besides this awesome picture, at Lisa's blog, you'll find this...

Born, raised, and still living in the Midwest with my kids and various shelter animals. I write YA, covet all things chocolate, and I'm very glad to meet you. By the way, you look fantastic!

Uh, I think she was talking to all of you, not me.  Unless being sick on a couch for endless days with nothing but a head of unkempt hair and a box of tissues is fantastic.  Some people make it look better than others, but sadly, I'm not one of them.  But maybe I can live up to the compliment again soon :)

And since Lisa loves chocolate, let's pass around a little of this before we get into the interview!

Sweet!  Let's get started.

Lisa, how long have you been writing? 

The writing bug sunk his teeth into me during grade school after I saw a poem I'd written about Spring printed in the school newspaper. I knew I was hooked for life.

(That's awesome!  Nothing like a successful beginning to get you going.)

So, what mad you want to write?

My family moved around the Midwest quite a bit when I was younger because of my dad's job, and writing was my only constant best friend. During those awkward (understatement) fitting-in periods at new schools, I could pour all my feelings into journals and stories. Writing helped give me a stable foundation no matter where I lived.

Do you have any pet peeves while writing?

I know a lot of writers who listen to music while they write but I've never been able to do it. I don't need total silence, but nothing above normal background noise.

If you could sit down and reread any book, which would it be?

To Kill A Mockingbird or Jane Eyre. I reread them both at least once a year  But don't ask me to choose between them, because I love them both for totally different reasons.

Let's say you only had enough time to visit a couple of writing blogs a day, which would they be?

That's tough because I try to visit at least fifty sites each and every day, but I guess Elana's blog for nuts and bolts and Lisa and Laura's blog for my daily dose of humor. Both blogs post every day M-F so I always know there will be something new, and they both have books releasing this year so I always learn from their experience. 

(Fifty sites a day!  That's awesome.  Those are great ones to visit and I like the way you described your reasons...nuts and bolts.  Yay for debut authors!)

If you could meet any author, dead or alive, who would you choose?

I would LOVE to take a walk with Stephen King, or maybe just sit and stare at him while he writes (not creepy in the least). Yes, I'm a bit of a fangirl. But have you read On Writing? 

(Confession:  I have not.  *Please don't throw anything at me* What I mean is that I haven't...yet!  But Stephen King would definitely be one of those that would be worth watching in a non-creepy, kind of awe-struck way!)

What book are you reading right now and which one do you have lined up to read next?

I'm currently reading Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I have Beautiful Darkness by the same authors andThe Duff by Kody Keplinger on deck.

And last, but not least, even though you've kind of covered this topic anyway, do you prefer fruity candy or chocolate?

Easiest question yet. In my opinion, chocolate should be its own food group. I don't judge people who claim to not like chocolate, but I just can't wrap my head around it.

(I can see both sides.  It's creamy and yummy and absolutely delicious, but sometimes even a small piece can be a little much.  It depends on my mood. :))

Lisa has also been kind enough to leave us with an awesome Random Lisa Fact:

I'm a giveaway junkie. As a single mom of two I don't have a lot of spending money for books (thank God for libraries), so if I want to read new releases before they reach our local library branch, I have to win them. To my blogging buddies who keep lists of current giveaways on their sites, I would like to say thank you!

And I want to thank Lisa for answering these questions today!  

Be sure to go follow Lisa on her blog.  You can never have too many writing friends!