What Would Emma Do?

What Would Emma Do
What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook, is a book about, of course, a high school senior named Emma. She has committed a few sins, but kissing her best friend’s boyfriend is the worse. And since she lives in a small town, everyone knows everything about everyone else. Now her best friend isn’t speaking to her, her best guy friend is making things totally weird, and Emma is running full speed toward certain social disaster.

Time to pray for a minor miracle. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Emma to stop trying to please everyone around her, and figure out what she wants for herself.

I asked, Eileen answered
A. What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you? Bonus question: have you used it, in any way,in a book?
Q. When I was young my younger brother was born with a terminal condition. I remember that I didn’t really understand what was going on, but I knew how upsetting it was for my parents. I understood that he was in fragile health and I was almost scared of him. Once my mother had stepped outside to get the mail and he began to cry. I remember thinking that he was going to die right there and then and I was terrified. I knew there was nothing I could do, but I felt totally useless. I’m not sure if it is connected, but I hate still hate situations where there are people in distress and I can’t help. This may explain why I went into counseling as a day job.

A. Mystery writers often give their characters an unreasoning fear - and then make them face it. Do you have any phobias, like fear of spiders or enclosed spaces?

E. I absolutely loathe spiders or any type of creepy crawly creature. Sometimes I lay in bed at night and wonder what I would do if a spider slowly lowered itself onto my face. Then I have to get up and turn on the light. Just because I told you my phobia- you aren’t going to make me face it are you?

A. Do you have a favorite mystery book, author, or movie?
E. I LOVE mysteries! Picking one favorite is hard so I’m going to cheat and list a couple. Minette Walters, PD James, Ruth Rendall/Barbara Vine (same author different name).

A. At its heart, every story is a mystery. It asks why someone acts the way they did - or maybe what will happen next. What question does your book ask?
E. Can you still have strong relationships with people when you don’t want the same things anymore? I am fascinated by how we change and how those around us deal with that change.

A. Is there a mystery in life that you are still trying to figure out?
E. How can I fit in everything I want to do/see/visit in this life?