Interview with Mark Peter Hughes

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Interview with Mark Peter Hughes, author of Lemonade Mouth and I am the Wallpaper

A former member of an alternative rock band, Mark Peter Hughes was once kicked out of eighth grade music class for throwing a spitball. His novel Lemonade Mouth is a Top 10 BookSense Pick and is nominated as a 2008 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. His first novel, I am the Wallpaper , was selected as one of the New York Public Library's Best Books for the Teen Age 2006, a BookSense Summer Pick and a finalist in the Delacorte Press Young Adult Novel Competition. Mark lives in Massachusetts with his wife, three young children, and a wild mountain cockapoo.

INN: Where did you get the idea for Lemonade Mouth?

MPH: The idea for Lemonade Mouth came from being in a band. I'm a musician and I've been in a few bands so I know what being in a band feels like. It seems to meet that a band takes on a personality of its own, apart from that of the individual members. It also has its own story arch, with a beginning, middle and ending.

INN: Do you love frozen lemonade, or is there another frozen beverage that's a hidden fave?

MPH: I grew up in Rhode Island, so Del's frozen lemonade has been a summer staple all my life. I love, love, love it. :-)

INN: What was the hardest part about writing this book?

MPH: The hardest part about writing this book was making one story out of five stories. Keeping each of the band-members stories alive and vibrant throughout, while never losing focus on the band itself. This was the challenge I set out for myself when I began.

INN: How did you first break into publishing?

MPH: My first novel, I am the Wallpaper, ended up getting published through the Delacorte Press Young Adult Novel competition.

INN: Any advice for teens who write?

MPH: The best writing tip, I think, is the most obvious—and, unfortunately, likely the dullest. If you want to become a better writer, you have to sit down in a chair and write, write, write. That's the only true way to get better – and it is guaranteed to work.

Thanks, Mark!

You can buy Lemonade Mouth on Amazon by clicking http://www.amazon.com/Lemonade-Mouth-Mark-Peter-Hughes/dp/0385733925/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195360961&sr=1-1.

To learn more about Mark and his books, check out www.markpeterhughes.com .