Author's Life: Brenda Drake has six children, two boys and four girls. Her sons are the inspirations for the personalities of Arik and Nick, two of the main characters. She has lots of family in Massachusetts and says that that is why most of her stories ( including this one) take place there. She was very dedicated to creating this book, especially during the editing process when she wouldn't go out with friends or even answer the phone while she was working on it. Her Husband is the one who pushed her into writing because, she writes, "...He was feeling smothered so he asked if I had a hobby." (acknowledgements, page 4). She is thankful to her parents, for helping her get published and for hr love of reading. Her Father was in the Air Force when she was a child so she was always moving around. Her favorite teen novels are the Harry Potter, The Mortal Instruments, and The Vampire Academy series. When she was little she wanted to be a princess/ fairy. However neither of those worked out so she settled for being a writer where, she says, "I can pretend to be whatever I want for hours, everyday until I'm 100." ( www.brenda-drake.com/about/)
Author/Character Comparison: I believe the author pictures herself as Gia, the main character of the story, because Gia loves to go to the library and read books for hours.( pages 2-10)Not to mention Gia is very proud of her heritage, like Brenda.(page 20-21)They both share a deep love for their family and friends as well, Gia lost her mother when she was little and her father and her are very close. Brenda is a very family oriented person and seems like her day-to-day is packed with family time ( when she's not writing).
Author/Character Comparison: I believe the author pictures herself as Gia, the main character of the story, because Gia loves to go to the library and read books for hours.( pages 2-10)Not to mention Gia is very proud of her heritage, like Brenda.(page 20-21)They both share a deep love for their family and friends as well, Gia lost her mother when she was little and her father and her are very close. Brenda is a very family oriented person and seems like her day-to-day is packed with family time ( when she's not writing).