Cyn Balog is an oracle. True, there is fortune-telling in her book, but there also is something supernatural in her life, at least as it relates to me. When I met her (actually met in person! we live near each other) she was a few months pregnant and celebrating her first career milestone -- landing an agent. I was just beginning to think about getting an agent and also my wife had just become pregnant. Cyn and I exchanged e-mails after that meeting. She critiqued my work and encouraged me to continue. I can't say how important it was to me to have a writer with an agent and a completed novel take me seriously and encourage my work. She then helped me navigate the world of getting an agent and I was lucky enough to follow in her footsteps in that regard. Then she had her baby then of course we had our baby then she sold her first book (Random House) then I sold my first book (Random House) then she was expecting her second child and a few months later we were expecting our second child! Pretty much whatever happens to her happens to me, which is OK by me because she is a talented and awesome lady. Her future is bright and her literary career officially begins with her debut book, FAIRY TALE, launching on June 23! It's a YA about fairies (thanks for explaining that, Berk!) that's romantic and funny and everyone who reads it loves it. You should too! Here's some more info on it from Cyn's site: http://cynbalog.com/books

To celebrate the book launch, Cyn let me interview her for the Berk blog here even though my interviewing style is really obnoxious. She gave great answers! I think the idea of an "un-dedication" (wherein you can list people you wish to not thank but to publicly scold/shame) is going to take hold. I'm not saying writers are a spiteful people, but wouldn't it be sorta more fun than all the lovey-dovey stuff up front to list people you'd like to stick it to? That's right: stick it. She really dropped the ball on the last one though. Goober Berk? Oh well... Congrats to Cyn on the book! I wish only awesome things for you, and not at all because I want those things to happen to me. Read on ...

1. Remember Mr. O and that one lady and that thing? What were they even doing in there?
Um, plotting world domination.

2. How awesome am I? Feel free to use the words "slamming," "Berk-tastic," and "nice teeth."

Josh Berk is so awesome they came up with a new word to describe him; Berktastic. I especially like his 'fro and wish he would go back to it, because it was totally slamming. He also has nice teeth.

3. You're originally from Jersey? Is Jersey as weird as everyone says? Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.

Jersey is really really weird. But I must confess it is less weird now that I am no longer living there. Coincidentally, at the same time Pennsylvania became just a little bit more weird.

4. I read on your website that you wrote a book about a crime-solving cat when you were little. Was this book called "The Purrrr-fect Crime?" If not, why not? Please answer with at least one awful cat-related pun.

Well, no... if I was as Berktastic as you are, I might have come up with that title. Instead it was just called Irving, which was the name of the cat. He was kind of a rip-off of Garfield, but in my ten-year-old mind, I thought he was way more interesting because he could solve crimes. If I do send it on to my agent I believe I will probably use that title... do you mind? Because it really is the cat's meow.

5. Was FAIRY TALE a book that required a lot of research? Do you enjoy that step? (What? A serious question? Did I just blow your mind?)

I conferred with fairies all over the country before writing FAIRY TALE. They're kind of jerks. But that's fine because I hate research, and I was able to make them all look really stupid in the book.

6. I am really in awe of you for writing your second book while pregnant! How has it been writing while preggers and don't you think you should give the baby co-author credit?

It pretty much sucks. I wrote the whole first draft while pregnant and had to scrap the entire thing. Turns out I become really morbid and dark and hopeless when I am pregnant, which probably reflects my inner knowledge that I will never be a contestant on America's Next Top Model in this whale-like state. I'm working on revisions right now for SLEEPLESS in between contractions, which is not really all the fun I dreamed it would be. So I would say that this kid is getting NO credit for helping. In fact, I might ask my editor for a page in the book for an un-dedication, with her name on it, and the name of my sixth-grade English teacher, who was really scary and mean. Do they do that?

7. Is FAIRY TALE the type of book that will make readers cry? (I cry at everything.)

Berk will cry big, girly tears, but everyone else will probably make it through unscathed.

8. Finish this sentence: "If I were to write a book totally different than the books I've written thus far, it would be because I secretly want to write a book about: ______"

Josh Berk? I know that's what you wanted me to say, but it is the truth. I am sure many other people have that idea as well but you can never have enough good books on him. (ed. note: This is really not what I was going for, but I can't say that I disagree.)

9. Finish this sentence: "A book that everyone should buy next year is THE DARK DAYS OF _________ HALPIN by _____ Berk."

What is this thing you speak of? THE DARK DAYS OF __Goober_ HALPIN by _Goober_ Berk. I just like that word a lot. It's Berktastic.

Thanks, Cyn!!

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