Top Retellings of Classic Tales
Kailyn White
Kailyn White asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi! I've loved every book I've read by you( my favorite was out of the easy!) and I wanted to know how did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Ruta Sepetys Hi Kailyn, thanks for your kind words!

I wanted to be an author when I was very young. I wrote my first book in 3rd grade. But after a while, I lost my courage to write and feared I didn't really have a talent for it. When I picked up writing again I did not start with historical fiction. I wrote a mystery for young readers and shortly after wrote the first chapter of "Between Shades of Gray." An agent read both the mystery and the first chapter and told me that my authentic voice was in historical fiction. I'm so grateful for his advice!
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More Answered Questions

Maddy
Maddy asked Ruta Sepetys:

hi Ruta, you came to my school, Habs, a month ago and I really enjoyed meeting you!! What is the process of writing like for you and did you ever find yourself in a writing slump?

A Goodreads user
A Goodreads user asked Ruta Sepetys:

Could you explain the letter at the end of Salt to the Sea that was addressed to Florian? I love your books by the way :)

Grace Clendening
Grace Clendening asked Ruta Sepetys:

I believe that some of your inspiration for the story came from a relative, besides the path of his journey, were there any other pieces of "Between Shades of Grey" that mirrored their life during the Holocaust? Also, Have you ever thought about Lina's, Andrius's, and the other character's future after the story ends? I'm not asking for a sequel, but what're your thoughts on what happens following the epilogue?

All answers from Ruta Sepetys…
Ruta Sepetys
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