Lauren: Did you have a message in mind when you wrote the book Click Here?

Denise: For me the "message"- I prefer "theme"-  arises organically out of the story. I never start a story with a theme in mind-it's the character and story that first intrigue me and then the theme develops out of that.

Lauren: Are the characters in the book fictional or real?

Denise: All the characters in Click Here are fictional, though the character of Serena is actually based on two boys who were mean to me in middle school.

Lauren: How did you decide to do young adult fiction instead of adult books?

Denise: The books I read growing up and during my middle school and high school years were very important to me and offered an escape as well as a window into someone else's world. Books were very, very important to me growing up and they still are. I wanted to create that same connection with young people that I felt as a young reader. Also, my memories of childhood and young adulthood are very vivid, as well as the emotions that went along with them, so I think that's why I am drawn to this literature.

Lauren: What were some of your favorite books when you were growing up? Why?

Denise:  I'm glad you didn't include "What are some of your favorite young adult books being published today?" because the list would be pages and pages. There is some wonderful, amazing work in young adult literature right now and I'm thrilled with the attention these books are receiving.

Like everyone else, I have tons of books I love. These are just a very few of the hundreds I read growing up. I'll try to focus on books I read as a young adult to narrow the field. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, because even though I had a family that cared about me, I often felt misunderstood. The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danzinger because even though I was smart, and friends with the popular girls, I was never as popular and always seemed to embarrass myself and fell inadequate. Zanballer by R. R. Knudson because I was a "tomboy " and loved to play flag football (I still do - still can throw a decent spiral). I also read a lot of Ray Bradbury because I love slightly strange and weird, and the irony  was wonderful.

Lauren: What character from your book were you most like when you were a teen?

Denise: I was definitely Erin, full of self-doubt, trusting other       people's opinions of me more than my own. But I was never as confident as she grew to be until I was much older. And she likes cheese and I don't.

Lauren: Was it the dialogue or the action that moved the book along?

Denise: In this book, I think both. I do have a special love for dialogue because I love to talk but also because it often is the best way to reveal relationships and that's what interests me most - relationships between people as well as someone's relationship to him or herself. I also have a undergraduate degree in Film & TV so dialogue is something I tend toward more than action. There is a good amount of action in Click Here, though it's mainly about relationships.

Lauren: Where did you get your ideas for the book?

Denise: It started when the daughter of a friend found out her best friend was going to a different school the next year. Both were devastated. I decided I wanted to write a story about the friend left behind. The book was originally called My Own Two Feet and was the story of Erin becoming her own person after Jilly, her best friend, moves away. Well, after a number of false starts and rewrites, Jilly ended up staying put but having a different track at school. Then I happened to be talking to my brother who mentioned blogs and that seemed a perfect fit for Erin because she's so into computers. So I renamed the book Click Here (To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade) and it really came together.

Lauren: Did you talk to teenagers so your characters would be more realistic?

Denise: I am around and in touch with kids of all ages, which I think helps. I also read magazines targeting young adults and try to keep up with pop culture. I've asked advice of my carpool as well as my high school aged niece when I'm not sure about something - like do girls call other girls "stuck up"? Answer: yes (at least in Colorado, where I live, and in northern Florida, where my niece lives (g).

Lauren: How many years did you take till you became a published author?

Denise: I started writing when I was a kid but didn't start submitting things until I was in my twenties. The first thing I sold was greeting card copy back in the 1980's. I also published  a lot of articles for magazines. I published some activities for kids but my first fiction sale was a story called "Jill and the Beanstalk" that appeared in Newfangled Fairy Tales, Book 1 in the 1990's. But if we're talking about novels, from the time I started writing and submitting novels until Click Here was accepted in spring 2003, I'd say 12-15 years. It doesn't take everyone this long, but that's how long it took me. In between, I was publishing computer books and manuals to help pay the bills. BTW, Click Here was the sixth novel I wrote, the first to be accepted for publication.

Lauren: What has the feedback been from your readers?

Denise: I have received hundreds of e-mails from readers, mostly because my website is in the bio in the back of the book. Readers have absolutely loved Click Here. Most say they "couldn't stop reading" and several have "gotten in trouble" for reading it during class. The greatest reward as an author for young people is to hear that the book was "real" and made them feel like they were the main character, feeling all of her emotions. I hear that a lot from my readers which means I did my job. More than one reader has asked if I'm in seventh grade because they felt it was so true to life!

--Interview conducted by Lauren Fleischer
10/21/2005