Q&A with Marita A. Hansen discussion

Graffiti Heaven is raising a lot of eyebrows, especially with the first chapter. Can YA books have the topics of sex, etc. without offending people? I mean, ones that don't skirt around the subject, that put real scenes in there. Graffiti Heaven's first chapter was based on someone's experience, he really had to jump out that window. And he was a year younger than my character. I had to put the character's age at being a week away from turning 16 as it relates to another book, although the person in reality was 14 at the time. So, is it acceptable to write reality or not? Or will it get parents up in arms against a book that does this?

I love that fact that sex is the book in general, like you said sex is reality and I found this book a realistic fiction so the more real, the better.

You didn't go over board with the detail, you made it nice and interesting to read. It was well written and not done in a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am fashion which I liked.

Besides, in the summary of Graffiti Heaven it says it's an edgy YA. You gave the warning for those who don't like edgy YA's, you didn't force anyone to read your work, people did that out of there own free will.

Leanne wrote: "I loved that fact that sex in the book in general, like you said sex is reality and I found this book a realistic fiction so the more real, the better.
You didn't go over board with the detail, yo..."

Thanks Leanne :)