QUESTION & ANSWER:
I wanted to introduce Orlando as almost its own character. Only the people who grew up in Orlando can really understand its weirdnesses and quirks, and the fact that it is its own city, apart from all the freakin’ theme parks. And I hadn’t read any other teen books that had this sort of setting, so I wanted to give it a try and see how it went. I think it turned out okay. Jonathan and Orlando seem to complement each other well with their sort-of mix of glitziness, classiness, and tackiness. If that makes any sense at all.
Read the full Q&A >

Want to interview me? Know someone who'd want to interview me? I'm easier than a two-dollar ... never mind. Just e-mail me >

YA BOOKS CENTRAL: GLBT MONTH

I was interviewed in September 2007 for GLBT Month on this awesome blog site.
Read the interview here >

WATERMARK: Florida's Distinctive Gay and Lesbian Publication

"HOMETOWN BOY"

By: John Sullivan

Author Nico Medina knows a lot about growing up in Central Florida and Kylie Minogue, both of which figure prominently in his first book for GLBT teens, The Straight Road to Kylie. But unlike the hero of his book, Jonathan Parish, Medina never slept with his Winter Park High gal pals, and he didn’t make it out of the closet until college.

These days, Medina, 25, works as a children’s book copy editor and makes his home in Manhattan with his poet boyfriend Billy Merrell, their roommate Nick Eliopulos and their pug. We talked to Medina before he embarked on a reading tour, which made a stop at Orlando’s Urban Think Bookstore on July 6.
Read more >

INTERVIEW: TODAY'S TEEN ONLINE (.COM)

Ilana Jacqueline: What's your writing process like? Do you listen to music? Write in a notebook or on the computer? Lock everyone out of the room?
Nico Medina: I probably could work well in coffee shops or something, but my stupid laptop's battery is defective and I have to have it plugged into the wall all the time! God, I'm so lazy.
Read the full interview >

INTERVIEW: TEENS READ TOO (.COM)

Q: If I came to your house and looked in your closet / attic / basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
A: You might be surprised to find a wig or two and maybe some ladies’ thrift-store clothes. I’m not really a cross-dresser, though—only on Halloween! One year I was Dorothy from THE GOLDEN GIRLS; another year I was Christina Aguilera in her Dirrty Era. That one was the best. Mostly because it forced me to run stadiums three times a week to get in shape. Read the full interview here >