julianna ➹ asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hello, I am a great fan of yours, and I am looking to read Salt to the Sea, and have finished Between Shades of Grey. I was wondering, why did you choose historical topics to write about? Also, if you had to choose another genre, what genre would you write in? Do you think you would be good in it?

Ruta Sepetys Hi Juliana, thanks for your questions! 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!

flag