I’ve known Niki Burnham for a long time. I’m not going to say how long—but its been long enough that I can call her one of my dearest friends and best writing buddies. We’ve spoken on panels, collaborated on goals, traveled abroad together, and she’s one of my fav friends to hit a baseball game with.

Niki is a solid, go-to friend who is also a dang good writer. While I miss her adult contemporaries (The Knight’s Kiss, anyone?), her YAs are awesome. Just ask all her teenaged fans who LOVE her books.

So while I could have probably filled this out for her (save the answer to Number 1—I mean, you think you know a person and then they confess THAT!), I give you Niki Burnham. Ah, the power of Five Things:

1. Did you have a nickname growing up?

Pumpkinhead. The name did not serve as a boy magnet, which was perhaps intentional on the part of my parents.

2. Where is the most beautiful/romantic place you’ve ever been?

Rome. People seem to love it or hate it, but I’m firmly in the love it camp. I like the people, the mix of old and new, the decadent food and wine, the museums, the twisting passageways, the fact you can watch kids playing soccer games in the streets using open doorways as a goal at the same time someone serves you a fantastic meal at a candlelit table…I could go on and on. There’s so much history to the city, I feel I can never fully experience it all. It’s not a bad spot for gelato, either.

3. If you could go on a date with any superhero, who would you choose and why?

Batman. He may not be the sexiest superhero (I’m looking your way, Spidey), but I’m fascinated by the fact that—despite being a superhero—he has no superpowers. He can’t fly, doesn’t wield a magic hammer, can’t speak to animals or make himself invisible. Every tool in his crime-fighting arsenal is something he built (or Alfred built) and he’s compelled to use his wits to survive.

4. Most embarrassing song on your iPod:

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (though Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby is a close second.)

5. If you were going to an island for a long time, name 5 things you would bring?

• Sunscreen (because I am beyond pale)
• Sunglasses
• An ereader (loaded with as many books as it could fit)
• A good knife
• The most durable swimsuit I could find.
• If I could bring a sixth item, it’d have to be a tube of Medicated ChapStick. It’s the duct tape of the cosmetic world.

Niki Burnham’s most recent YA release is Shot Through the Heart, a perfect title for that hard to buy for teenaged reader. Learn more about Niki at her website, www.nikiburnham.com