Awkward Two, a collection of 33 micro-short stories by 25 incredible writers, will be released to the public on September 27, 2010. (You can pre-order it right here.) Who are these incredible writers? Let’s meet ‘em! We sent the same 9 questions to all the writers. Here are their answers.

Shari D. Frost

Shari D. Frost is another of the fabulous writers who found us out there in the ether. There are a lot of great stories in Awkward Two, don’t get me wrong. 33 of them, to be exact. But Shari’s story “My Girl” was the only one in the bunch that really, truly threw me for a loop. I don’t want to give too much away, but she somehow manages to fit 3 major twists into a story that is under 1,500 words. Just when you think the story’s about one thing, it veers in a different direction. It’s a really unique take on our expectations of genre that kept me enthralled from the first word to the last, and I can’t wait for you to read it!

The Interview Portion

1) Who are you and why are you here?
Still working on that one…I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime I’m open to suggestions, so if you find any clues in anything I’ve written, let me know.

2) Why do you write?
Because, interestingly enough, while no one listens when I talk (clearly I’m not as interesting as an iPad, iPod, iPhone, iCe-cream, or anything else that starts with “i”) I’m frequently asked for a peak at the latest draft of whatever I’m working on. So all I have to do is add in a few stage directions or an extra paragraph like (exit stage right – and take out the garbage, it’s garbage night.) Works every time. I highly recommend it.

3) What’s the best thing you’ve ever written?
That’s an easy one — the application for the Sarah Lawrence Summer Playwriting Intensive (not my most creative effort – it went something like this: Name…Shari D. Frost; Address…), but I’ll remain forever grateful for the talented, creative, and graciously supportive friends and colleagues that I am blessed to have in my life as a result.

4) What do you do when you aren’t writing?
Except for a morning ritual — the New York Times and a cup of tea — when I’m not writing I’m up to my eyeballs in laundry, groceries, cooking, car-pooling, errands, pta meetings, etc. Which is why I spend most of my time writing – I mean really, I’m a terrible cook, not the most punctual car-pooler, and not really all that excited about laundry… (Oh, unless it’s summer – then you can find me totally goofing off with my kids at the beach, in my kayak, on my bike, with my puppy, etc. Sshhh – don’t tell!)

5) Name two books that have blown your mind.
I’m going to name three: Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer; Horns by Joe Hill…and The Tunnel of Secrets, a lesser known work by a lesser known writer – my 10-year old daughter who is way ahead of me (and far more talented) having already published a novel, organized a book-signing and sold enough copies to support the local animal shelter and purchase her first laptop (ok, it was refurbished and a great deal, but still…)

6) What do you like to write about?
Current events mostly — I am forever fascinated by the “truth is stranger than fiction” plot lines that leap out of the newspaper daily. “My Girl”’s a really good example of that. In general the characters I write about are profoundly affected by cultural and political events, attitudes and perspectives. I like to look at unique individuals against interesting cultural backdrops to try to understand how our actions and decisions are shaped, and how we can each best face the world and move it forward every day.

7) Complete this sentence: If the world could know one thing about me, it’s that I …
…recycle everything right down to the tiny little wrappers on my tea bags; buy only all natural, biodegradable cleaners and paper towels/toilet paper/computer paper, etc. made out of 100% recycled materials; compost as much as possible; never use plastic shopping bags (well, almost never…) am researching solar panel installation and electric heating systems for my 125 year-old oil-guzzling Victorian; and really believe that we as humans do a crappy job of respecting and cherishing our home. Oh…and I owe my wake-up call totally to my son, who always selflessly sees the bigger picture, has a heart of gold, and constantly teaches me what’s really important.

8) Are we doomed?
Doomed…nah. Isn’t it just too exhausting to live that way? And depressing? And totally counter-productive, since it’s such a great excuse to accomplish absolutely nothing. Look how bleak things have looked all throughout history…yet we’re still here. But I am a little concerned about the current impact of technology (and I am hoping someone will surgically remove my iPhone from my hand so I can beat my addiction to iPhone scrabble, and my neck muscles will allow my head to tilt back up and look straight ahead again one day soon…)

9) Anything else?
I am so thrilled and grateful and honored (and shocked!) to be included in Awkward Two! I hope you like “My Girl” and it makes you think about things from a new angle and perspective. If you do, let me know at sharidfrost@mac.com. If you don’t, well, you can still e-mail me, and of course I’ll totally respect your opinion and your right to have it, but I’m not a big fan of negative energy, or rejection, and surely there must be something better you can do with your time than beat me up…right? Hey, I’m trying, okay?