Natalie Lund
Author Interview - Natalie Lund
Author of THE SKY ABOVE US
“Natalie's spellbinding story about the ripple effects of tragedy, the questions we leave unanswered and the enduring power of friendship begins the morning after a senior year party, when Izzy, Cass, Janie and their classmates wake up on the beach as a plane crashes into the water. When the bodies are recovered, they are identified as Izzy's twin brother, Israel; Cass's ex-boyfriend, Shane; and Janie's best friend, Nate. But Izzy can feel when her twin is in pain and she doesn't believe he's really dead. So she, Cass and Janie set out to discover what actually happened that day--and why the boys were on that plane. Told in alternating timelines and points of view, this powerful and captivating novel follows the three boys in the weeks leading up to that fateful flight, and the girls left behind as they try to piece together the truth about the boys they loved and thought they knew.”
Author Interview - Natalie Lund
Author I draw inspiration from: I draw inspiration from so many authors, but lately I’ve been trying to steep myself in more poetry. I want to absorb the economy of language, rhythm, timing, and the turns—rhetorical shifts--into my prose. Most recently, I’ve felt inspired by The Tornado Is the World by Catherine Pierce. While I was reading it, I kept wishing I’d read it earlier—when I was writing We Speak in Storms, which is also set against a devastating tornado.
Author Interview - Natalie Lund
Favorite place to read a book: I love to read on our patio. I’m also a huge audiobook fan, so I tend to listen to books on runs or long walks through the park.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: El from The Scholomance series. I just know she’d get us out.
Author Interview - Natalie Lund
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember, but in fourth grade, my best friend and I co-wrote a ghost story about two girls—one living and one dead. We spent every recess on that book, and I loved every minute of being “in” our imaginary world. I still can lose myself in that space—even on days when I have to drag myself to the keyboard.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: All of the above! I tend to buy hardbacks and rent ebooks or audiobooks from the library.
The last book I read: The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives. I think it might be one of the few non-fiction YA books I’ve ever read—something I’m going to work to rectify.
Author Interview - Natalie Lund
Pen & paper or computer: I’m a computer writer, but occasionally I’ll turn to pen and paper if I’m trying to solve a problem or feel stuck. It’s a good way to break my mind out of whatever box I’m locked inside.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Stevie Bell from the Truly Devious series, but mostly because I’d want to attend Ellingham Academy and solve cold cases with her. As a child, a boarding school in the mountains was my dream.
Author Interview - Natalie Lund
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: My ‘day job’ is in science communications, so I think I’d probably stick close and be a biologist.
Favorite decade in fashion history: The 20s. It doesn’t inspire how I dress at all, but I love period pieces set in that era.
Place I’d most like to travel: So many places! I love to watch travel food documentaries like Taste of the Nation, Better Feed Phil, and Parts Unknown, and Osaka, Japan has recently climbed to the top of the list. I can’t wait for travel to be a part of my life again.
My signature drink: Iced tea with bourbon, lemon, and a piece of candied ginger.
Favorite artist: Leonora Carrington. I’m so drawn to the haunting mythological dream spaces her work seems to occupy.
Number one on my bucket list: Start a food/travel writing project, so that I can travel the world.
Anything else you'd like to add: Thanks so much for the interview! What fun questions!
Find more from the author:
@nmlund on Instagram and Twitter
Author Bio: Natalie Lund is the author of the young adult novels, The Sky Above Us (April 13, 2021), We Speak in Storms (2019), and The Wolves Are Watching (Spring, 2022). She is a former middle and high school teacher and a graduate of Purdue University’s MFA program. Natalie lives in Chicago with her spouse and a very talkative cat. You can visit her at natalielund.com.
