1. When I was approached to write a series reimagining Lois Lane as a teenager, it was a dream I could never have dreamed come true. The character had been a favorite of mine since I was a child, and the more I thought about her, the more I realized just how much of an influence she'd been in my life (I'm not saying that Margot Kidder in the role is entirely responsible for my journalism degree in undergrad, but partly, yes).

2. So I immediately said "YES!", right?

3. Almost. My only question was whether I would have freedom to make this my own, because I was terrified of being the writer who got a chance to write one of the most well-known pop culture characters of all-time, a beloved feminist icon, and um, screwed her up royally. Lucky for me, the answer was, "Yes, please make it your own. We would like this to be good!"

4. So I happily said yes, and crossed my fingers and tried my best to write a novel that would feel like a gift to Lois's legion of existing fans and hopefully create some new ones.

3. I love a good mystery, and I immediately saw young Lois becoming a reporter and solving them--with the help of her new friends. I immediately saw her as a rootless Army brat who constantly landed in trouble, who desperately longed for a permanent home and was about to get one in Metropolis.

4. Lois would be the spotlight, the main character, the thing around which everything revolved.

5. But...I love a good romance. And I particularly love a romance of equals based on matching wits and challenging each other and making the other person better by enabling them to be fully themselves. The screwball comedies of the 1930s and '40s are a huge favorite. Lois Lane is that kind of quick-thinking, fast-talking heroine. Neither Clark Kent or Superman are boring; he's a great, fun character capable of standing toe to toe with Lois.

6. In their best incarnations, Lois and Clark/Superman have that relationship of equals. Others have said and I agree that Lois is Superman's Superman. I didn't want to lose that. Plus, the two long distance flirting over instant messenger, his identity still secret--what could be more fun to write?

7. The response to Fallout (and the early response in the states to its sequel) has made the whole thing even better. Lois Lane fans are the best fans.

8. All my books are about gutsy heroines with big dreams and plans. Lois Lane fits right in.

9. I wish we lived in a world where girls didn't hesitate when asked if they're feminists. Where they feel without a doubt that yes, they deserve full equality and to be valued equally, no matter who they are or what their gender.

10. I hope Lois Lane: Fallout feels like a gift to you too.