Jessi Kirby
Books:
- Moonglass
I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.
Were any of the places in Moonglass based on real places that you've visited?
Crystal Cove is an actual California State Park, complete with tumbling down cottages, sea glass-strewn beaches, and cute lifeguards. In fact, I’m married to one! I also happen to live right there, so the setting is definitely inspired by what’s all around me every day.
What is the significance of the moonglass/seaglass!?! Are you a collector yourself?
Sea glass is the word for pieces of glass that have been tumbled beneath the waves for years, creating this smooth, almost gem-like appearance. I’m definitely a collector. Searching for sea glass is like treasure hunting, and my prize piece is a red one I found on my birthday this year. I made it into a necklace and wore it for the launch party. Moonglass is a term that Anna came up with when she was a little girl. It’s tied to her mother and special piece of sea glass she found at night, in the light of the moon, so she called it Moonglass.
What were you like as a teenager? Did it have any effect on how you portrayed Anna and Tyler?
I was a pretty shy teenager when it came to guys. But I wished I was bold, and knew how to flirt, and had witty comebacks for everything. So in a way, I guess that did have an effect on how I portrayed Anna with Tyler. I got to give her the sass and the boldness I totally wished I’d had back then!
Can you tell us a little bit about your favorite scene in Moonglass? without being spoilery of course!
My favorite scene in Moonglass is the bonfire scene. That’s all I can say. Every sentence I’ve started to write about it seems spoilery to me, so we’ll just leave it at that. Well maybe not just that—it’s beach, bonfire, nightswimming, Tyler, Anna, rock-jumping, and secret-revealing.
Summer is fast approaching, what titles are in your summer reading pile?
Ooh, I just got WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE today, so that’s on the top of the pile. After that, I can’t wait to read WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER by Jenny Han, STAY by Deb Caletti, THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin, and IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma, and WILDFIRE by Karsten Knight...to name a few.