Answering the question: 'Why not me?'

“I do seem to have a lot of family secrets in my novels. I guess I'm one of those writers who is often writing about the same sort of themes but taking different angles on them.” – Nancy Werlin

 

Born in Salem, Massachusetts on this date in 1961, Werlin was nominated for a National Book Award for The Rules of Survival and won an Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel for The Killer's Cousin.  She also was an Edgar finalist for Locked Inside. A graduate of Yale, she has written a dozen Young Adult novels, including New York Times-bestselling fantasy Impossible.  Her newest book is Healer and Witch.

 

Werlin started reading at age 3, reading up to 10 books a week by 3^rd grade.  She said she decided to be a writer in 4^th grade and while creative writing is a central part of her life, she also works as a technical writer for a software company and says being employed gives her the financial freedom to take the time she needs on each creative writing project. 

 

“By the time I was ten, I knew I wanted to be a writer to create what I loved so much,” Werlin said.  "I just read all the time, and it occurred to me that somebody had to write these things – and why shouldn't it be me?"