{Tour} Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander (Interview + Giveaway)

7 RANDOM QUESTIONS

Hello, I’m Shannon Lee Alexander, author of Love and Other Unknown Variables. I’m thrilled to be visiting with you today and thought I’d break the ice by answering seven random questions. In truth, what you’ll learn here about me is every bit as telling as how I name my characters (see number three) or my best advice to new writers (see number five).

Why seven questions? Because seven is one of Charlie’s favorite prime numbers! Charlie Hanson is the main character of Love and Other Unknown Variables. He’s a driven math geek with a multivariate plan for his future—graduate from The Brighton School of Mathematics and Science at the top of his class, go to MIT, and win the Nobel Prize. Too bad that plan goes awry after he meets the mysterious new girl, Charlotte Finch.

Lee. It was my maternal grandmother’s nickname. She was such a sweet woman. I love that I get a piece of her to carry with me everywhere.

I loved the Smurfs growing up, but it did bug me that everyone’s name said something interesting about them except for Smurfette. I guess it said she was a girl, but there had to be more to her than that, right? My Smurf name would be Dorky Smurf.

I have a uselessly unique talent for giving proper names to wildlife and stuffed animals. When I spot a creature in the wild, a name just pops into my mind—like Nimphadora, the chipmunk that lives under our stoop. Or the speckled hawk that frequents my bunny infested yard, whose name is Reginald, but we call him Reggie. Also, my kids come to me to name their stuffies. If they don’t, all their stuffed animals end up with unoriginal names like Penguiny, Horsy, and Doggy (whose actual names are Mitchell, Pierre, and Flossie, respectively). Oh, and I name small kitchen appliances, too. I’m in love with Simon, my Keurig coffee maker.

I used to be an English teacher. I loved teaching writing the best. If I had to teach today, I’d prefer to be a yoga teacher though.

Stay as far away from the clowns as possible.

Rice Krispie Treats. They’re the only dessert my husband eats. He doesn’t like chocolate, which is weird, but I love him anyway.

Teal is my favorite color. It makes me feel a tiny bit sad, but mostly hopeful. It’s the color of ovarian cancer awareness, and I lost a very special person to ovarian cancer.