Interview with Sydney Salter

It’s fun to have writers stop by and tell us about their books as well as something about themselves. Today Sydney Salter is here. Her book, MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, came out in early April.

So what’s this book about?

Seventeen-year-old Jory Michaels wakes up on the first day of summer vacation with her same old big nose, no passion in her life (in the creative sense of the word), and all signs still pointing to her dying a virgin. In spite of her driving record (it was an accident!), Jory gets a job delivering flowers and cakes to Reno’s casinos and wedding chapels. She also comes up with a new summer goal: saving for a life-altering nose job. She and her new nose will attract a fabulous boyfriend. Jory survives various summer disasters like doing yoga after sampling Mom’s Cabbage Soup Diet, enforced-mother-bonding-with-crazy-nose-obsessed-daughter night, and discovering Tyler’s big secret. But will she learn to accept herself and maybe even find her passion, in the creative (AND romantic!) sense of the word?

Let’s meet the author.

Sydney Salter held a variety of jobs before becoming a full-time writer, including her brief stint delivering pies and flowers, wrecking vans, and destroying wedding cakes in Reno, Nevada. Sydney now lives in Utah with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and two big Bernese Mountain dogs. She loves reading, writing, traveling, and, of course, baking and decorating cakes (but not driving them anywhere).

Okay, I’m laughing and understanding the not wanting to drive bit.

Can you let us in on a few more personal thing? Like, of all your favorite books, which one do you wish you had written?

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (I think it’s flawless)

Sometimes characters we identify with reveal a lot about who we are, so what fictional character do you wish you could be?

Emma Woodhouse from Jane Austen’s Emma (I like to have my flaws)

Ever have writer’s block? Wait. Don’t answer that. I’m going to assume a, yes. I can’t stand it when writers tell me they don’t suffer like I do. So assuming you and share a similar affliction, after chocolate what do you eat to make the writer-block pain go away?

I prefer high quality dark chocolate and if that doesn’t work, some really bad television and a session on the treadmill. And then maybe more chocolate.

In your book you deal with the issue of beauty and self-acceptance, specifically a young girl obsessed with her nose and wanting to have it “fixed.” What led you to write about this issue?

I really hated my nose all throughout high school. Looking back I realize that I wasted too much energy worrying about my appearance. I hope my book can help girls look beyond physical attributes to find their inner beauty. I certainly wish I’d spent more time focusing on the things that really matter: personality, personal interests, intelligence, friendships…

Thanks, Lee! Great question.

Loved your visit, Sydney. I know teens will connect with your story.

Buy on Amazon. Enjoy the read.