Lauren Myracle is the author of what we believe is the first instant-message YA novel, ttyl, and its sequels (ttfn; l8r g8r) as well as bff: a girlfriend book you write together, just published by Abrams. Last year, Myracle shook things up with Bliss (Abrams), a high-school horror novel set in 1969-1970. Next month Abrams will release the first of a planned four-book preteen series called Luv Ya Bunches, about the dynamics between four fifth-grade girls and told through a combination of instant messages, straight narrative, blog posts and pseudo-screenplay. 

On your nightstand now:

Can I lie? I kinda wanna lie, not to sound more, like, literary or anything (heaven forbid), but just to sound more SPARKY! But fine. I will not lie to the children. Or grown-ups. Or whomever is reading this.

On my nightstand now: an empty Kleenex box. Pink earbuds for listening to Eckhart Tolle on my iPod as I fall asleep. (Just, yeah. Roll your eyes or whatever and move on. "Carry the water! Chop the wood!" That is my E.T. wisdom of the day, by the way . . . ) An AB-FAB not-even-to-the-galley-stage copy of Carolyn Mackler's latest, Tangled. My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems. Suspicious River by Laura Kasischke. Hmm, and a pen. It's blue and has little creatures (of the cute sort) printed all over it.

Favorite book when you were a child:

Ramona the Pest--OH YEAH BABY!!!!!!!

Your top five authors:

Oh, man. You're kidding me, right? If not--you're killing me! Top FIVE? Can't I do top 500?!

Grrrr. Will try. But at the pearly gates of heaven, if there is a heaven, I refuse to swear by these, k? CUZ THINGS CHANGE AND STUFF.  And plus, I just have so many faves!

O.K., here goes, all in one great rush so I don't overthink:

Flannery O'Connor
Harper Lee
Beverly Cleary
J.D. Salinger
emilylockhartsarahmlynowskimtandersonjohngreenallycartersuzannesuppleecarolynmackler-normafoxmazercynthiavoigtkatherinepatersonjudyblumelibbabraymaureenjohnson-justinelarbalestierscottwesterfeldshananorrisjenniferlynnbarnestaraaltebrandomaggiemarr-lauraresauingridlawmaryrosewoodsalangratzterramcvoysarazarrgrahamsalisbury-carolyncomanbrockcolechrislynchloisduncanpaulzindelannemccaffrey

(P.S. That was hard and horrible and now I feel unclean. Just so you know. ☺ )
 
Book you've faked reading:

Ha. None, I swear. I have an odd ethic against not playing that game.

Book you are an evangelist for:

Today? Pure by Terra McVoy!!!!!!! Soooooo good, and so perfect to be an evangelist for, as it deals with--don't be frightened!--evangelicalism, even. Kinda. In a purity-rings-donned-by-high-school-girls sort of way. IT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

Book you've bought for the cover:

Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita. 

Book that changed your life:

Oh, must you? Grrrr. Every book changes my life! But . . . let's go with . . . my first dip into Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle, which I read when I was 14. Man, that book made me laugh--and made my brain go whooooosh.
 
Favorite line from a book:

I don't know! Ag. I'm not a quote collector--sorry!!!!!! I soak it all in . . . and it becomes part of me . . . but I can't pull up specific quotes!
 
Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Ahhhh, now this question I like!  I get a happy feeling just imagining reading one of my darlings again for the first time. What joy. To Kill a Mockingbird, with no hesitation.  ☺

Thanks, dudes and dudettes! Until next time! Mwah!!!!!