ReadWonder: February 2023

An Inside Look with Anika Fajardo

(Author of Meet Me Halfway)

*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)

*Season #FOUR (Summer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019)

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*Season #NINE (Fall 2020)

*Season #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

*Season #ELEVEN (Fall 2021)

*Season #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

*Season #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

*Season #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

*I'm excited to present season #FIFTEEN with brand new interviews/authors.

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the SEVENTH interview in which I'm calling Season #FIFTEEN.

*Thank you to Anika for being the Two Hundred Forty-First author I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

Meet Me Halfway

by Anika Fajardo

(September 13, 2022)

How did you come to know Mattie and Mercedes?
When I was 25, I found out that I had a half-brother. I was living in California at the time and he lived 15 minutes away. I kept imaging what it would have been like to run into him before we knew each other. That's where I started with the two girls.

What do you think are their most admirable qualities?
I love how open Mattie is to new experiences inspite of her worries; I also love how loyal Mercedes is even though she can be difficult.

What do you think the two girls can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what they went through?
I hope that readers who recognize themselves in either Mattie or Mercedes will see that it's okay to be who they are, that even though not veryone is the same, they can still get along and learn things from each other. That's what makes relationships so wonderful.

How did you research Mattie and Mercedes and the circumstances they found themselves in?
I have personal experience with almost everything Mattie and Mercedes encounter. I had a blended family with stepbrothers, I have a half-brother, and I had a dad I didn't know. I also have experience with both anxiety and anger issues, and I reached out to a psychologist to make sure I got the mental health stuff right. I also used to live near Santa Cruz, CA, and love that area.

Do you and the girls share any similarities?
As you can probably tell, Mattie and Mercedes are both very similar to me in different ways. I have a similar family story to Mattie: when I was starting 7th grade, my mom got remarried and I ended up with two stepbrothers. The big thing I don't have in common with them is that I don't have any sisters--and I always wished I did!

What was the hardest scene to write about them?
It was very hard to decide what to do with the ending for Mercedes. I don't want to spoil anything for readers who haven't finished the book yet, but I felt that I had to be true to what I think would have happened for Mercedes with her family and not just go for the typical happy ending.

Who do you think was their biggest supporters and why?
Their teacher Mrs.Ellingham is, despite seeming kind of odd, a big believer in them. I suspect she might have guessed their relationship sooner than they did. Mattie's mom is an important supporter for not only Mattie but also Mercedes.

Why do you two very different people can come to a place where they appreciate their similarities and put family first above all else?
I think we want (deep inside) to get along with people. And sometimes maybe we need a reason to get past the things we don't agree on or don't like about each other. Mattie and Mercedes definitely have a reason to get along, but I think they also have to flex their differences a bit, too.

What do you think Mattie and Mercedes are doing at the present time?
I imagine that Mercedes spends a lot of time at Mattie's house. They're maybe not so much friends at school, but I think they hang out a lot outside of school. They might be plotting a trip to Colombia!

Book Pages

Monday, February 27, 2023

An Inside Look #241 (Author INTERVIEW)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (2/27/23)