1–What is the title of your latest release? FREE RADICALS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Afghan-American Mafi’s sophomore year gets a whole lot more complicated when she accidentally exposes family secrets, putting her family back in Afghanistan in danger. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve lived in Southern California on and off for nearly seven years and thought it’d be the perfect setting for this YA novel. While SoCal is generally an open-minded and diverse place to live, there are pockets—cities—that have some work to do. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Good question, and it’s a difficult one, because she—in a lot of ways—resembles me. Mafi has some growing up to do, but her heart’s in the right place. I can’t say I’d ever like to go back to my teen years. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Witty, crafty, secretive 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Before this book, I was writing a ton of fantasy that never really had much heart or purpose. For this novel, learned to be brave and write from the heart. 7–Do you edit as…