A CHAT WITH LISA BERGREN

Q. I understand that you listen to soundtracks as you write.

A. Yes. It makes me feel like I’m watching a movie unfold instead of just pounding away at the keys. For this series, I’ve been listening to I Am Legend, the Chronicles of Narnia soundtracks, Gladiator, The DaVinci Code, and a mix of medieval songs my husband found for me.

Q. Tell me about working at the library.

A. I wrote most of this book in our local library. I got almost obsessive-compulsive about it. I had My Chair. And My Table. And My Footstool. An outlet close by. Thankfully, I only rarely came across someone else sitting in My Chair. Because when I did, I just sat really close to them until they finally gave up and went away.

Q. Why write at the library? Not at home?

A. It’s weird, huh? For the first time in fifteen years, I have an empty house on school days. But all that space and silence just makes me want to fritter away the day rather than get anything serious accomplished. I’m sucked into Twitter and Facebook and email far too easily. I had to separate myself—go to the library, and never, ever, ever log on to the Internet. I’d slip on my headphones and disappear into medieval Italy for hours at a time. It was perfect.

Q. You’ll go back there to complete Torrent?

A. Oh, yeah. Obsessive-compulsive now, remember?

Q. What impact did your focus group have on these books?

A. They saved me, over and over, from looking like the Dweeb Mom trying to speak to Teen Culture. There is an example right there—they’d never let a word like dweeb slip into Gabi or Lia’s speech. Moreover, I was encouraged when they fell in love with these characters with me. And they’ve been a good sounding board for me when I’m trying to figure out a particular plot or character problem. I loved hearing their feedback on the River of Time Series Facebook page or via my surveys.

Q. What happens next for the characters in the series?

A. Can’t tell ya. It’s between me, God, and the librarians.