Interview with Leah Spiegel and megan Summers, authors of Mission One of Auggie the Alien

About Leah Spiegel & Megan Summers:

Although we moved down to North Carolina several years ago, we're originally from the Pittsburgh area. (That's why a lot of our characters either live in the Burgh or reference our hometown football team, The Pittsburgh Steelers.) And yes, we even have the Southern accents to show for it now. Although Megan's is considerable thicker, Leah still can't understand the locals.

We are known as 'the sisters' among our neighborhood; when actually we're probably really known as 'the sisters with the Yorkies'. Our pups, Skippy Jon Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow, were given long names to compensate for their small size but not their large personalities.

If Leah's not glued to her electronic devices, AKA her Kindle Fire and various laptops, you can find her training 'the attack dogs', running on the treadmill while conceiving the next great book idea with the Dave Matthews Band, Muse, Florence and the Machine, Lorde, The Lumineers, and Pink (just to name a few) blaring out of her earphones.

If Megan's not glued to her electronic devices AKA her iPad and Nook Color, you can find her teaching fourth graders, swimming marathon style at the pool, or cuddling with 'the attack dogs' as she watches Duck Dynasty, Gold Rush, Scandal, Person of Interest, Morning Joe, etc.

Leah graduated from Edinboro University with a BA in Art Education. Megan received her teaching degree from Edinboro University and Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Technology from Grand Canyon University.

You can find all of their links and my thoughts about Mission One of Auggie the Alien on my review post.


I've been privileged to interview the tag team authors of Mission One of Auggie the Alien. I can't help but be extra excited to host fellow Steeler fans and former Pennsylvanians!

Here is what they wanted to share with you:

What is your favorite thing about writing?
Leah: I love getting lost in the journey and growing into a better writer with each book.
Meg: We’ve approached each book we’ve written differently. For our humorous middle grade book, Mission One of Auggie the Alien, we wrote it side by side. However, the book Leah is currently writing she writes during the day and then at night reads to me. So far, that’s my favorite part because it’s quite soothing and I feel like a little kid. I have also enjoyed reading our own books to my students. There is something magical about that!

What do you hope people get out of reading your book?
Leah:  I hope that they fall in love with the characters and story as much as I have enjoyed and loved writing them.
Meg: I like books that entertain me, make me laugh, and make me forget about the busyness of my own life, so I hope our readers get that from our books as well.

What or who inspires you?
Leah: My sister, Megan, inspires me the most. I look up to her as a mentor in so many ways.

Do you prefer to go to the theater or wait for the DVD?
Leah: I prefer to go to the theater if it’s something I’ve really wanted to see like The Twilight Saga or Iron Man.
Meg: Definitely DVD! That way I don’t have to leave the house. I can watch the movies with my dogs. As a teacher, I have a fear of getting lice, so that nixes that. Plus, I love to rewind and replay every part I didn’t hear or understand. (Leah: Me too!)

What is your favorite snack? favorite candy?
Leah: I love candy over chocolate, but I am the only one in my family, aside from my nephew, who does, so I’m going to go with taffy and nerds. If I do have chocolate, I like plain M&Ms.
Meg: First of all I would like to say, I haven’t seen Leah eat any of that crap! The only thing she allows herself to eat is a fruit roll up or a low fat cookie (and, let’s be honest, my dog’s treats taste better than that)! She is a health conscience person. She prefers candy, but she eats only what’s in the house and, since I always have something chocolaty to satisfy my sweet tooth, so does Leah. My favorite chocolate is Hershey almond nuggets and double stuffed Oreos.

If you could pick any destination, where would you go?
Leah: We took a trip to Seattle and had such a blast that we are often planning out our next dream vacation! But, because we’re broke, it’s been a lot of planning instead of doing! I would like to go somewhere like Bora Bora where I can finally see clear ocean water for the first time in my life.
Meg: Ireland or Greece.

What food can't you live without?
Leah: I’ve already been outed! So I’m going with the fruit roll up and, honestly, skim milk, though, ironically, I have a vitamin D deficiency!
Meg: I’m not any better. I can’t live without my Smucker’s Uncrustables strawberry peanut butter and jelly.  

Which books have been on your tbr shelf the longest?
Leah: The fifth book in The Twilight Saga that has not been published yet! You are preaching to the choir! I too have been anxiously awaiting Midnight Sun. I'm afraid that we'll never get it! :-(
Meg: The third book in the I Hunt Serial Killers since it has also not been published yet! And if Barry Lygra doesn’t get busy writing it, I might hunt him down! Lol!

Favorite T.V. show? Celebrity?
Leah: My favorite T.V. shows are Person of Interest, Under the Dome, and Survivor. My favorite celebrities are Dave Matthews, Leonardo Dicaprio, Gerard Butler, and Robert Pattinson.
Meg: You meant “shows” right? The Newsroom (Leah: Darn it! Me too!), Duck Dynasty, Scandal, Gold Rush, Hostage, Downton Abbey and Project Runway (Leah: Crap, I like that one too)! My favorite celebrity is Tom Hardy and Shai Le-whatever. (Megan can literally say all the lines from Transformers as the movie plays!) I'm guessing you mean Shia LaBeouf?

What is your least favorite thing to do?
Leah: The dishes and take out the trash.
Meg: Hey I did them once! My least favorite thing is having ADHD because I forget to do the dishes and take out the trash:) I also hate checking papers, getting up early for work, doing laundry, I don’t like to cook – honestly, there’s not enough room on this page to list what I don’t like!

What is your favorite season? favorite holiday?
Leah: When I lived in Pittsburgh, it was summer because it felt like we only two months of it. But now that I live in the south, it’s winter because, unlike Pittsburgh, it feels like we only have two months of it! However ,my favorite holiday has always been Christmas.
Meg: I love snow and gray days so my favorite season is winter. My favorite holiday is also Christmas.

Do you suffer from Black Friday Madness?
Leah: Oh no! I did that only twice in my life, and it was the craziest thing I had ever seen! I rather buy my gifts full price than put myself through that again!
Meg: I’ve only done it once and bought things I didn’t need, and now I prefer to buy everything on eBay. (Leah: She really does, she really does.)

What are you most thankful for?
Leah: My health and my family; they are everything to me!
Meg: I am most thankful for Leah, my mom, my two Yorkies, and my teaching job.

Thank you both for taking the time to answer all of my questions. :-) I wish all of the best with this tour, Auggie's future missions, and life in general to you both. :D YOLO!

 

Do you have a question or comment for Leah or Megan? If not you can leave your answer for one of the questions that I asked them.

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