Stephanie Evanovich is a Jersey Girl from Asbury Park who began writing fiction while waiting for her cues during countless community theater projects. She attended New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts, performed with several improvisational troupes and acted in a few small-budget movies, all in preparation for the greatest job she ever had: raising her two sons. Now a full-time writer, she's a sports fan who holds a black belt in tae kwon do. Big Girl Panties (Morrow, July 9, 2013) is her first novel.
On your nightstand now:
It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis and Zen Soup by Laurence G. Boldt. Zen Soup has been on my nightstand for the last 15 years. It's yellowed and the back cover is torn, but it's always good for a quick spirit lift.
Favorite book when you were a child:
I loved the All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor. I only have one sister and the thought of being part of a big family was really appealing.
Your top five authors:
Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Catherine Coulter, Anthony Robbins, Johanna Lindsey and S.E. Hinton.
Book you've faked reading:
Do high school reading assignments count? If so, start with Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and just have at it. I was never a fan of reading under pressure.
Book you're an evangelist for:
Life Code by Dr. Phil McGraw. It's like a navigational tool for the 21st century. Back in the day, all you had to do was dodge the scammer that called your landline claiming to be from a fake charity. Thanks to technology, the landscape has completely changed.
Book you've bought for the cover:
I don't think I ever bought a book for the cover because that could lead to, well, judging a book by its cover.
Book that changed your life:
That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton. It was the first book I read that was gritty and emotional and didn't have a happy ending. I thought about it for days. It also pointed me in the direction of S.E. Hinton.
Favorite line from a book:
"You should be kissed and by someone who knows how." --from Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I was about 14 when I read it, right after That Was Then, This Is Now. I remember I started crying during the last chapter because it was ending. I tried to console myself by starting it over as soon as I finished, but it wasn't the same.