We're thankful for amazing authors who let us pick their brains...

Hello international readers and US-ers escaping their crazy families on Thanksgiving!

In lieu of the traditional turkey-centric post, the FNC is highlighting the people for whom we are most thankful: AUTHORS.

Everyone reading this blog is doing so because they love to read and/or write. Who inspired that all-consuming love? AUTHORS!

And who takes time out of their busy schedules to answer questions for us? (say it with me now) AUTHORS!!

Our author interviews are writer-centric but reader-friendly, meaning they're chock full of delicious info for writers but also have the juicy details that readers crave. Seriously, who needs turkey?

I absolutely love reading these interviews to get that behind-the-scenes peek at the humble beginnings of some of my favorite books and recent bestsellers.

Writing is a tough and sometimes lonely profession, so we're asking that you show your thanks to these authors today by reading a few (or all!) of these interviews and commenting on the posts with some love! I guarantee that you can't read just one.

Becca Fitzpatrick - discover more about Becca, her hot debut novel Hush, Hush, awkward moments in biology, sex on the first page?!, the writing process, chipmunk love and more

Bree Despain - learn more about The Dark Divine, Bree, what dark chocolate has to do with her writing, the creation of her playlist, secrets to the first pages and more

Cara Lockwood - discover Cara's dream school, her life as a lit nerd, her connections to MTV and Lifetime, which books she'd take to a deserted island, and bringing romantic bad boys back to life in her Bard Academy series

Emily Arsenault - learn about Emily's choice of narrator, the nudist colony scene that never made it to the final draft, and why her murder mystery, The Broken Teaglass, just might make you happy

Gayle Forman - learn about If I Stay, how Mia's love Adam isn't too far off from her real life true love, how music influenced the novel, the upcoming transition from page to screen, Gayle's unique writing process, and a little something for everyone dying to read a sequel

Jessica Verday - find out about the genesis of The Hollow's sequel, the music she identifies with the novel, her quick road to publication, and why silence really is golden

Julie Kraut - read about Julie's thoughts on characters who don't wear pants in Slept Away, being on the other side of the publishing world, and why her writing is like pepper jack cheese

Kimberly Derting - learn about creating a character's supernatural ability in The Body Finder, her husband's influence on her writing, her guilty pleasure TV shows, and more

Lara Zeises - discover Lara's love of Delaware, what character gained a larger role in her latest book The Sweet Life of Stella Madison, a behind-the-scenes look at a Lifetime movie, and what it's like writing as two different people

Maggie Stiefvater - read about her most embarrassing author moment, her own personal theme song, the moment her Shiver character Sam changed his story, the settings she wished were real, and more

Maria V. Snyder - check out the interview for insights into Snyder's creation process for the Study and Glass series, her life as a "Pantser," the trials of world-building, her road to success, her dream-collaboration with Joss Whedon, and more

Theresa Martin Golding - learn about how she juggles writing picture books, MG novels, and YA, ghostwriting a Boxcar Children mystery, her favorite conferences to attend, and why her first novel took ten years to be published

Debut authors and publishing veterans alike, thank you!