Welcome to another Twitterview/Giveaway installment here at STACKED. Today, we’ve got an author who knows a thing or two about guy reading. Michael Northrop is the author of the recent Trapped and Gentlemen. He’s stopped by to give us insight into his latest book, as well as his influences and inspirations. Looking for a go-to for guy reads? Look no further. As a bonus, one lucky reader will win their choice of either Trapped or Gentlemen to add to their own collections.

Pitch TRAPPED in 140 characters or less: 7 students stranded in their high school during a weeklong blizzard, no power, no heat… It’s like Mother Nature gave them detention.

What inspired TRAPPED? Too many nature documentaries as an adult, a lot of snowy winters as a kid, and a few blows to the head along the way.

And why THE BREAKFAST CLUB? The comparison is hard to avoid when you have mismatched teens stuck in a school. And why avoid it? Acknowledge it—it’s a classic!

So Scotty finds himself in a tricky situation during a snowstorm. What would you do if trapped in a school during snowpocalypse? Now, I think I’d handle it pretty well: I’ve seen EVERY EPISODE of Man vs. Wild. As a teen, I’d handle it about as well as Scotty.

If you were to cast yourself as a character in TRAPPED, who would it be and why? Speaking of which… I’d be Scotty. He’s v. good at sports & pretty good at school. I was the other way around but it’s the same basic idea.

How has your background in writing for publications like SPORTS ILLUSTRATED influenced your writing style? Journalism is great training. It teaches you that reality is inconvenient: People rarely do/say just the right thing @ just the right time.

What is your writing routine/how do you get yourself in the writing mindset? I write in the morning (morning person) all hopped up on caffeine and sugar & I do 1,000 words/day (give or take).

Best piece of writing advice you’ve received? I’m not sure it’s advice, exactly, but I copied the thousand words/day thing from Stephen King. He mentions it in On Writing.

Best of writing advice you can give? Read, including some books outside the genre you’re writing. You don’t want to be a Play-Doh Fun Factory (i.e. YA in, YA out).

Who do you think is doing some of the best guy-friendly writing in the YA world today? Scott Westerfeld. Of course, his stuff is also v. girl-friendly. That’s some good writing right there.

What three YA books do you think are essential guy lit? Well, it really depends on the guy, but I’ll give it a go: The Outsiders, Hatchet, and half a dozen issues of The Uncanny X-Men.

Tell us a bit about your forthcoming series with Scholastic that kicks off with PLUNKED. I’m doing 2 middle-grade sports novels. Plunked is up 1st: about a young slugger who gets hit by a pitch & loses his nerve.

When you’re not writing, you’re a bit of a cartoonist. Care to share a piece or two of your finest works? 1) Darth Vader vs. the Diabetic Jedi 2) Get Trapped!

Have any movies changed your life recently?
OKIE NOODLING! A doc. about people who catch huge catfish w/ their hands; a fantastic, folksy intersection btw the everyday & the extreme.

Share one of the most memorable moments of your teen years.

I got a concussion at football practice. Coach asked me what day it was. I said Friday. It was Tuesday. I think I was just hoping.

Want to win a copy of either TRAPPED or GENTLEMEN? Fill out the form below, and I’ll pick a winner around the 15th of the month.