Hello, and welcome to the very first installment of our new original feature, the Penguin Teen Author Spotlight! Part-author interview, part-Proust questionnaire, the Penguin Teen Author Spotlight is a way to get to know our authors (and thus our books) better than ever before! 

For our inaugural post, we are VERY excited to introduce you to debut author Nora Price, whose novel ZOE LETTING GO is a heart-wrenching meditation on the bonds of friendship with a gripping psychological twist. Are you excited to hear more about her? GREAT. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Nora Price:

Name: Nora Price
Novel: Zoe Letting Go
Available: June 14, 2012

Who’s your favorite author, living or dead? Heidi Julavits.

What’s your favorite thing about your book? The clues sprinkled throughout which allow readers to figure out Zoe’s secrets. 

If you could spend one year on a deserted island with one character from literature, who would you choose? Harry Potter, because he’s adorbs and could fly us both the hell out of there with his broomstick skills.

Where do you write? Anywhere that sells strong coffee and stronger chocolate chip cookies. (See photo above.)

Who is your favorite hero or heroine of history? Emily Dickinson. If you somehow combined a thunderclap, a bouquet of violets, a library of books, and a wisp of cloud into the form of a human being, you’d wind up with something like her. She was a complete genius and a complete mystery.

Do you tweet? What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever tweeted? Yes, I tweet! Usually about being caught in extreme weather or discovering new organization techniques. Or Kim Kardashian.

What is your favorite season? Summer, of course. There’s nothing better than sleeping on top of the covers and smelling like sunscreen and ruining your appetite with ice cream.

If you could teleport anywhere in the known universe right now, where would you go? The moon. I want to frolic in one of those puffy suits and leave a footprint that never goes away.

Do you have any writing rituals?

1.  Sit down

2.  Squirm

3.  Think about boys that I like

4.  Check phone

5.  Write one sentence

6.  Examine split ends

7.  Repeat

What is your idea of earthly happiness? Reading a crackling new novel with a cat and some coffee within reach.

What is the best concert you’ve ever been to? Beyoncé at Madison Square Garden. Specifically when she performed “Halo”. The thoughts going through my head at the time were: 

1.  She’s so beautiful.

2.  I hope Jay-Z realizes how lucky he is and lavishes his wife with affection on a daily basis.

3.  Where can I get a leotard like that?

4.  I’m so happy right now.

5.  I am crying.

What are you currently working on? My next novel! (It’s a secret.)

You can find Nora on Twitter, Tumblr and Goodreads.

Mark ZOE LETTING GO to read on Goodreads.

Purchase ZOE LETTING GO on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from your local independent bookseller.