What was your favorite picture book as a kid?

My favorite picture book was Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. When my kindergarten teacher read it me, I found the artwork mesmerizing. I still remember the page with the full moon and the wild rumpus carried out by those fantastical creatures. To this day, sci-fi/ fantasy is my favorite genre.

What was the first “real” book (with chapters and without pictures) you remember reading?

The first real chapter book I remember reading was a Nancy Drew mystery—The Secret of the Old Clock—by Carolyn Keene. Either that or the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I’m not sure which came first!

What was your most favorite book in high school?

I adored The Hobbit. Hands down my favorite all-time book. But I’m not sure that counts since I read it in fifth grade. So I guess I’d have to go with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It was humorous in ways I can’t describe.

What was your least favorite book in high school?

I despised The Scarlet Letter.

What was the last novel you read?

The Pure Ones by D.J. Harrington. She’s a self-published author I discovered on Instagram, and I love her passion and spunk. Plus, we are both Christians who write YA. The Pure Ones is the third book in her dystopian series.

What was the last nonfiction book you read?

Uncrushed by Beth Marshall. I met her at a writing retreat and was so impressed with her kind heart. She has a very personal voice in her book.

Which book lived up to the hype (from the past 1-2 years)?

Wraithwood by Alyssa Roat. I kept seeing her book on Instagram. It’s a middle grade novel, but it was so much fun to read. It won a Realm award.

Which book do you love that needs more hype?

Is it bad if I mention my own book? Because I’m usually better at selling other people’s books, but this one … Offsides … yeesh. I feel like it’s a book that should be read by youth groups and book clubs because the topic is so important. It’s a mixture of humor, poignant honest, and human trafficking awareness. It’s both entertaining and thought-provoking. Sort of like a Christian version of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

What next on your fiction TBR (up to three)?

I just purchased three books this weekend. A Country of their Own by Hope Bolinger, The Choices She Made by Felicia Ferguson, and Legend of the Tempest Teaser by Kristina Sfirlea. The first is YA, the second adult, and the third is MG. I can’t wait to read them.

What next on your nonfiction TBR (up to three)?

I honestly don’t read a lot of nonfiction books. However, I hope to read Ordinary People, Extraordinary God by Michelle Medlock Adams and Victoria Duerstock.

Tell us about your newest release/upcoming release.

My newest release is Offsides.  Last year, my publisher asked me to write a second book in my YA series, but when I submitted my plot, they said it was too similar to one of their upcoming releases. They asked me to come up with a new approach. I took my problem to my critique group, and one of the girls suggested I work human trafficking into the plot.

I said no. Immediately. I didn’t know enough about it. The topic was too horrifying to research. And I write humor, not headlines.

But God kept pressing me on this idea until I found my yes. I didn’t know enough, but I could learn. The topic was horrifying, but fiction provides a vehicle to raise awareness in a safe and age-appropriate manner.  And I could still use humor. (In fact, often the most profound insights in the book followed a period of levity.)

So far, the reaction from readers has floored me. Chills and thrills, one said. Many of them latched on to the main character, Danielle Stephens. In the end, I want my readers to understand they are not alone in their feelings and that together we can support and encourage each other.

Wheaton College graduate Lori Z. Scott is known for her bestselling Meghan Rose series. Besides these humorous children’s chapter books, Lori has published over 200 articles, short stories, devotions, and poems for magazines like Brio and Focus on the Family. She has also contributed to 15 books, including Writing and Selling Children’s Books in the Christian Market. In 2022, Lori introduced Inside the Ten-Foot Line, the award-winning first book in her YA sports series.

Instagram @Stories.by.Lori
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lori.Z.Scott
Website https://www.lori-z-scott.com
Order the book on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/ba75jjs8
or at End Game Press https://www.endgamepress.com/store/p/offsides.