Interview with Aimee Friedman author of Sea Change

After reading the lovely Sea Change I knew I had to try to make contact with the author Aimee Friedman. Needless to say I was pretty stoked and impressed when she wrote me back. Aimee was both humble and down-to-earth. Here are the quick set of questions I asked Aimee about how a city girl from up north was able to capture the south and whether or not Sea Changewill have a part two.

Q: In Sea Change the characters are always eating amazing Southern food. Do you enjoy Southern food? If so what is your favorite?

A: "Though I am a born and bred New York City girl (like Miranda of SEA CHANGE), I have always been fascinated by, and drawn to, the South. I think I can attribute this fascination to the fact that my mother showed me GONE WITH THE WIND when I was about six, and I became convinced that I was Scarlett O'Hara. :) The South seemed so exotic, so alluring. So, yes, part of that love is a deep appreciation for Southern cooking. I absolutely adore fried chicken, and wish I lived in a world where eating it every day was actually a healthy thing to do. I love anything with peaches, especially peach cobbler, or peach ice cream, which, of course, Georgia is famous for. I think food is such an important part of one's culture, one's history, and that's why I wanted Southern food to play a big role in SEA CHANGE. The story is in many ways about Miranda discovering her heritage, and connecting to the past, and a lot of that happens through food. And now, thanks to this question...I'm hungry." :)

Q: Sea Change takes place on an island called Selkie Island. How did you create this island? Did you visit places like Tybee Island and Savannah in preparation?

A: "Yes! When I started writing SEA CHANGE, I took a magical trip to Savannah and from there traveled to Tybee Island. I was so inspired by the sea air, the rich culture, the lovely accents, and the beauty of the Spanish moss. I spoke to many locals, heard wonderful stories, made friends. I knew I wanted Selkie Island to be more mysterious, more isolated than Tybee, which is pretty built-up and vibrant. But I actually based the discovery center where Leo works on such a center on Tybee! I went to the center and took a beach walking tour with them and was blown away by everything I learned about the ocean and the wildlife of the area. I knew such an island would be the perfect setting for the story I wanted to tell."

Q: Sea Change ends on an open note and a whispered promise. Will there be a part two or do you prefer to leave the ending open to interpretation?

A: "I wrote SEA CHANGE as a stand-alone novel--a sort of simple fairy tale-- and I wanted to leave the ending purposefully open-ended and ambiguous. However, I became so attached to Miranda and Leo, and Selkie Island, and I have gotten SO many questions about a possible sequel, that I have to say a Part 2 is definitely brewing in my mind! I would love to return to the world of SEA CHANGE, and I will keep you posted if and when a sequel is planned."

Wasn't she awesome?

Thank you Aimee for your time and graciousness.

For a series of videos featuring Aimee Friedman please visit Videos With A Point: Aimee Friedman.
To learn more about Aimee Friedman and her other books please visit Aimee's web site at Aimee Friedman Books.
To purchase Sea Change please visit Amazon: Sea Change.
To read my Sea Change review please visit Sea Change Book Review.

My final say: Even though I really enjoyed the ending that is left to interpretation I find my self really hoping I get to read more about Leo and Miranda. Perhaps then I can watch their love blossom. After all Miranda (the girl who has lost faith in "happily ever after") deserves an amazing happy ending of her own.