Crave (Harlequin Teen)

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    CHAPTER FIFTEEN
    “Bounce” by Timbaland (Field house faceoff)
    CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    “Dear Life” by Anthony Hamilton (New Year’s Eve connection)
    “Anywhere” by Evanescence (Between love and guilt)
    CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
    “System” by Chester Bennington (Magic and mayhem)
    CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
    “24” by Jem (Going overseas)
    CHAPTER NINETEEN
    “Human” by Civil Twilight (The test)
    “Letters from the Sky” by Civil Twilight (Leaving Paris)

Q & A with Melissa Darnell
    Q: Where did your idea for Crave and The Clann come from?
    A: I’m a huge reader of vampire and magic-themed romances, but I always found myself wishing that the heroine could be the vampire. Then, in 2008, I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if she was the vampire, and the hero was a witch, and their two “species” were mortal enemies? Or even better, what if her family used to be witches, too, and her mother had a Romeo and Juliet kind of love story with her dad that produced an outcast who would later find herself in the same situation as her parents? From there, the idea of Savannah and Tristan just wouldn’t get out of my head, and they’ve been there ever since!
    Q: Savannah is a strong and admirable character who faces some really hard choices. What was your inspiration for creating her?
    A: When I was a senior in high school, I began to have a lot of health problems and was diagnosed with lupus, an auto-immune disorder where basically my own immune system attacks itself. At the time, lupus was pretty much unheard of (and to this day I still run into health-care professionals who are unfamiliar with it), so it was hard for me to explain what I was going through and receive much understanding. It was a very lonely and alienating experience.
    Being a teen is tough enough; you already tend to feel like your parents just don’t get you. Add to that an illness where your body turns traitor on you with some “weird” disease no one knows much about, and it’s too easy to feel cut off from everyone around you. I wanted Savannah to go through something similar…going from “normal” to “freak” in less than a week, battling the feeling that no one around her can understand and wishing she could just be normal again, plus having to face confining rules that go completely against what her heart is telling her to do. In the end she’ll find her strength and personal identity again, but it’s going to be a long and emotional process, and one that I hope many readers will really be able to identify with and take hope and courage from.
    Q: Sav’s friendship with Anne is a source of joy and support for her throughout the book. What do you think is the essence of being a good friend?
    A: Anne is based on my real-life best friend, who showed me the most loyal and true friendship imaginable. During tough times, when I was angry and scared and resentful of anyone who seemed to have it easier, she was there for me, continually reaching out to me. When your whole life seems out of control, an honest and true friend can anchor you to reality and help you see the bigger picture. Friends like that are absolutely priceless!
    Q: You chose to tell Crave from both Sav’s and Tristan’s points of view. How hard was it to switch between them, and how was the experience of writing in Tristan’s voice?
    A: I really loved writing from both the male and female points of view. It was so much fun to see a scene two ways. When I read or watch movies, I do the same thing…imagining what everyone is thinking at that moment. There can be a lot of hilarious confusion just from two people going through the same moment together yet having completely different ideas and understandings of it! I also really enjoy the fact that males and females can be so alike in some ways, such as in our hearts and emotions and needs, yet can think so differently and have completely opposite reactions. My only trouble was in keeping Tristan likable…growing up as a tomboy with three brothers and more guys for friends than girls gave me TOO much of an understanding into how guys think, and it’s a constant fine line to make Tristan a realistic Southern teenage boy without making him unlikable!
    Q: Dylan and the Brat Twins enjoy bullying Sav. Sadly, bullying is a problem for many students in schools today. Have you had experience with bullies, and do you have any advice for dealing with them?
    A: As a teen, I actually experienced several of the incidents Savannah goes