CARLA SARRATT et's just call this the year of the Frosh. My MC Mina won't have to go it alone, because author Carla Sarratt has also tackled life as the high school fresh fish in her YA, Freshman Focus. In honor of freshman world over, how about we haze Carla just a little and make her max with us in the lounge and answer Ten Questions That Rock? Hey Carla, can ya' hang? TCL: Pick one: If you could enter your MC into a MTV-style Celebrity Deathmatch, what protagonist would you challenge and why? CS: I have four main characters in Freshman Focus, but the one that immediately comes to mind is a death match between Destiny Jameson, the diva character in my book, and Cassie Logan, the female protagonist in Mildred Taylor's novels Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and Road to Memphis. Destiny is born into a family with lots of material possessions but little tangible love for each other. On the other hand, Cassie and her family live in a cabin that is filled with love even if it lacks the material possessions that surround Destiny. I think it would be cool if I could have Destiny travel back in time a la Back to the Future and have her meet Cassie's family and see what life was really like back then. Hmm, that's such a great idea! I must jot this down. TCL: Shoes say a lot about a person, what type of shoe are you? Choose your own or pick from these: high-priced heel, budget brand flats, caz Birkenstocks, comfy clog or athletic sneaks. CS: I am an affordable, stylish comfortable heel that never hurts my feet no matter how long I stand on my feet. TCL: What type of writer are you: plot-driven or character-driven? CS: I think I am a combination of being plot driven in that I want to tell the best possible story as well as character driven in that I create characters that the readers are drawn to and come to feel compassion for as they navigate the plot that I create. TCL: Word association time. What do you think when I say: Street-lit: The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah is my favorite from the street lit genre because it was so well written. It was a book that I devoured and it consumed so many of my emotions. Best seller: My goal Best Band Ever: Earth Wind and Fire Most rockin' author: You mean besides myself? LOL, there are so many authors who rock and I applaud them all for entertaining me and other readers. TCL: Name the Top 3 books on your To Be Read (TBR) List. CS: For the record, I have more than 3 books that are on my list. Forcing me to name three is akin to asking a parent which of their children is their favorite. But since I want to follow the rules, lol, this is my abbreviated list. Love and Lies by Kimberla Lawson Roby: I am a huge fan of her writing. This book is the next in her series about Curtis Black, an unscrupulous pastor when it comes to church and his relationships with women. I look forward to seeing how the author wraps up the series. It appears she introduces some new characters in the newest release. Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella: Last summer, I stumbled upon Kinsella's writing with both the Shopaholic series and two other books she has written, The Undomestic Goddess and Can You Keep a Secret? All of her books are set primarily in England and revolve around female protagonists who are flawed but loveable. With the Shopaholic series, you have Becky Bloomwood who is a die hard shopaholic and badly manages her money, but I love getting caught up with Becky to see how she managers to avoid true trouble. After I read each book, I am more enamored with Becky and wish I had her for a friend. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brasheres: I watched the movie this past winter and am eager now to read the four books in the series. The movie told such a great story that I am eager to read the books to get every detail and nuance that might have been missing from the movie. TCL: If you had anything to do with it, what would the next hot lit trend be? CS: I would love to see more collaborations with authors along the lines of Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant. I would love to create a special edition of my book along the lines of Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High but have my characters meet up with the characters of another young adult book like on a special class trip to Washington D.C. or a student exchange program where Destiny attends the high school where So Not The Drama's MC is a student. TCL NOTE: Me likey that idea, Carla! TCL: What celeb would you love to see play your MC on the big or small screen and why? CS: My book Freshman Focus has four main characters and since I first started writing the book, I had actors and actresses in mind of who would play Kendra, Lamar, Destiny, and Steven. Some of those have changed due to the actors in 2003 aging somewhat and others coming along that I think would do a fantastic job playing the roles. For Kendra, it is a toss up between KeKe Palmer who we saw in Akeelah and the Bee, Jump In, Madea's Family Reunion, and Barbershop 2 or Rhyon Nicole Brown who plays Lizzie in ABC Family's Lincoln Heights and has also appeared in episodes of That's So Raven. Both of these young actresses embody aspects of Kendra and are just very talented overall. For Lamar, I absolutely see Little JJ, the talented comedic actor who now has his own TV show, Just Jordan, on Nickelodeon. He is so much like Lamar in his sense of humor, wit, and talent in basketball. He would totally do a phenomenal job as Lamar. Brandon T. Jackson, the actor who appeared in Roll Bounce, is also a strong contender in my mind to play Lamar. He is also talented in both his comedy and acting. Based upon his character in Roll Bounce, he definitely reminded me a lot of Lamar. If I had to have someone play Lamar say as a younger kid, it would be Bobb'e Thompson who has appeared on That's So Raven and was a member of The Tracy Morgan Show. To play the role of Ms. Destiny, I would love to see Camille Winbush who played Bernie Mac's niece on The Bernie Mac Show. She is a beautiful young lady much like Destiny and I think she is the perfect person for this role. There are several actors that I can see playing Steven. I am a big fan of Tyler James Williams who plays the young Chris Rock on Everybody Hates Chris. Every week, we feel sorry for Tyler's character as he gets mistreated at school and slighted at home, but he handles it so well that you can laugh at him as well as feel empathetic for him. On the other hand, Khleo Thomas who appeared in Holes and Roll Bounce also strikes in my mind that he would do an excellent job as Steven. In Holes, we see his timid side but in Roll Bounce we see him as a funny sidekick to Brandon T. Jackson's character. TCL: Whether it's because you admire their work or adore them, who's your author crush? CS: I respect and admire many authors so this is really a difficult, yet fun, question for me. From the spectrum of authors I have read over the course of one lifetime, from Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Lois Lowry, Harper Lee, John Grisham, Terry McMillan, Sharon Draper, Rita Williams Garcia, and tons more, I feel like I am cheating on my crushes by naming just one. My same sex author crush is Judy Blume. For Christmas, I asked my mom to give me books from my childhood and I spent my weekend reliving Peter Hatcher, his brother Fudge and all of the other characters that Judy created. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is a classic and I hope to one day create a book that spans as many generations and remains popular in them all like Judy did with her books. My opposite sex author crush is Eric Jerome Dickey. I was introduced to him in college through his novel Sister Sister. When I read his books, I literally devour them. I don't always like the subject matter or how he develops the plot, but I am always intrigued. My absolute favorite book by him is Friends and Lovers, a very riveting book that has caused me to shed some tears every time I read it. TCL: What TV show do you watch that you're ashamed to admit liking? CS: It would have to be The Bad Girls Club on Oxygen. It is a reality show similar to The Real World where seven women who are self-described bad girls live with each other for three—four months. It is a lot like The Real World in terms of lots of arguments, partying, and other reckless behavior. It is my guilty pleasure TV. TCL: Tell the cliquesters why your book should be in their TBR list. CS: I believe that Freshman Focus belongs in your To Be Read list because it is young adult fiction that portrays Black teenagers today. Freshman Focus doesn't just revolve around the kids at Carter G. Woodson High School, but the book also shows the teachers and families of the main characters. This is a book for both young adults and adults to read. I am an adult who totally enjoys young adult fiction. Writing this book helped me relive my days as a student and a teacher. I want everyone to read this book and see themselves or someone they know in one of my characters. I want them to get caught up in the plot so much that when they finish reading the book, they e-mail me demanding book two in the series. Oh and there is a cool word search that I created at the end of the book!