Brent Kelley asked Jessica McHugh:

What book from your childhood has the most influence on what you're writing these days?

Jessica McHugh Beverly Clearly's "Ramona Quimby" books had a huge impact on my edgy series the "Darla Decker Diaries." Although Darla's older than Ramona, they both encounter relevant problems to girls their age. Also, I remember one of the Ramona books being the first one to make me sob while reading. After a bunch of those novels, the beloved family cat Picky-Picky died. I seriously felt like my cat had died. I was emotionally invested in all of those characters, and I definitely hope I can bring that to the Darla Decker books.

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