IF I TELL Jon Skovron- Will he hold a grudge?

Jon Skovron has never really fit in, and has no plans to start now. After twelve years of Catholic school, he went on to study acting at a conservatory program for four years before returning to his first love, writing. Best-selling author Holly Black called his new novel, Misfit, "A diabolically delightful paranormal" and Kirkus (Starred Review) called it, "Thoughtful, scary and captivating." His first novel, Struts & Frets, was published in 2009. Washington Post Book world said, "Skovron perfectly captures that passion--sometimes fierce, sometimes shy--that drives so many young artists to take the raw stuff of life and transform it into something beautiful." Bestselling author Cory Doctorow said, "Struts & Frets will feel instantly authentic to anyone who's ever felt the pride and shame of being an outsider". Jon lives with his two sons outside Washington, DC. Visit him at jonskovron.com

Okay, I will refrain from mentioning that if I were a teenage girl I would be crushing hard on Jon Skovron. Oops, too late, but with that intriguing photo and bio and the fact that his writing is just AMAZING, well he's a pretty cool guy, yes? I loved STRUTS AND FRETS and I am reading MISFIT right now and it is SO GOOD! Kirkus Star earned. And by the way, this bio makes so much sense when you read MISFIT! But enough gushing, let's talk to Jon about SECRETS and TEEN STUFF!

So Jon, are you good at keeping secrets? Why or why not?


JON:  I'm good at keep secrets if someone tells me it's a secret that must be kept. I'm bad at picking up on subtle hints that something should be a secret if the person doesn't explicitly tell me so.

Note to self. If divulging secrets to Jon, spell it out. Ha. I think that's pretty much the way I am too. I am amazing at secrets if explicitly asked not to share. What about mistakes? Do you easily forgive friends for their mistakes? What is something you could never forgive a friend for?

JON: I can't hold grudges. It's not really that I think it's "wrong". I've tried to do it. Honestly I have. But it takes way too much effort and makes me nauseous. That said, trust is important to me. I assume a person is trustworthy until they prove me wrong. Once someone breaks my trust, I assume they are untrustworthy. They can earn back my trust, but takes a while.

Ouch. I don't want to risk it. Second note to self. Don't do something to break Jon's trust. Okay, so let’s go ahead and stereotype you for a moment. What kind of a teen were you, as in what “group” did you associate with?(cheerleader, Goth, nerd, jock , loner etc.)

JON : Goth+nerd+theater geek+punk

The fact that someone can call themselves a goth and a nerd at the same time is pretty amazing. And explains to me why you write such wonderful books. Okay. Describe your fave teen outfit.

JON: Gray West German Army Overcoat, torn jeans with long underwear underneath, black combat boots, and a cartoon character t-shirt (Pink Panther, Joker, Mad Hatter, etc).

I love the long underwear touch, and this does perfectly encapsulate the type of teen I am imaging you as.  Last question. If you could go back to high school knowing now what you didn’t know then, what is one thing you would change? What do you wish you could have told your teen self?

JON: In high school I was pretty angry in general, and impatient with others who didn't share my opinions. I said unkind things to people. Some of them provoked me, and perhaps those people "deserved it". Other people didn't deserve it at all. I should have been more generous with all of them. Meanness begets meanness, and kindness begets kindness. I could have done with a little more kindness, and offering it myself would have been a great place to start.

Wise words indeed! Thank you for your honest and thoughtful answers, Jon. And you who are reading this. Have you picked up MISFIT yet? You're going to LOVE IT!