Guest Posts & Interviews

Driving Sideways & a Contest!

Author Jess Riley stopped by to share a little background on her new book Driving Sideways, which officially went on sale this morning. I’ve been a long-time reader of Jess’s blog, and am happy to say that every bit of her humor and warmth carry over into her debut novel. (Yes, I already started reading my copy, and I’ve found myself both laughing out loud and sharing passages to the closest people, cats, or pieces of furniture because it’s that good.) Enjoy what she has to say here, and then keep reading to find out how you can buy or win your own copy of Driving Sideways.

People sometimes ask me how much research I did for Driving Sideways. And I reply, “Research? I was supposed to do research?”

I’m kidding of course. As one who has had neither kidney disease nor an organ transplant, I had to do a ton of research before I started writing. I also took the Driving Sideways roadtrip twice: once before writing the novel, and again after I had a publishing contract, just to make sure I got it right.

The second time I headed west, I met my gracious blogging host Caryn for lunch…she was so funny and charming and had the most beautiful hair. I’d been driving in a Toyota for more than thirty hours by then, and my hair was actively campaigning for reassignment to someone else’s head. But because she is quite possibly America’s Sweetheart, she didn’t seem to notice and invited me to guest blog on her site today. (Thanks Caryn!)

As I write this, there is just one calendar day before the book’s launch. Here are some of the thoughts that have been bouncing around my head a day before the book is finally released:

My handwriting has really deteriorated since the third grade. I just know I’ll sign someone’s book and later they’ll be like, “Who’s ‘Jeff Bubby?’”

I read three different excerpts to my Dad’s English classes at my alma mater, UW-Oshkosh, last Thursday. And I was shocked at how bawdy some of the humor is. Really, I would like to take a black marker to my grandmother’s copy. Also, the women planning the book launch party? They said this to me: “Yes! You were right about the bathroom humor! You’re so shy and genteel in person, and then we read the reference to the five-alarm bucket of chicken wings and the hives and it was like, WHOA!”

In case anyone asks, there are several reasons for this: 1) the main character, Leigh, struggles with a terminal illness and the accompanying surgeries, daily medications, and lifestyle changes. Thus, she is understandably obsessed with the human body and its various functions. Call it ‘morbid preoccupation.’ 2) Roadtrips can be exhausting and monotonous. After several hours in the car, your sense of humor can deteriorate to very basic levels. I think you know what I’m talking about. And, 3) I am a six year-old with severe ADD at heart.

Also, I have one last grant proposal to write some time in the next two weeks. Procrastination, I shake my fist at you!

I want to close by asking if any of YOU have any questions about the ‘behind the scenes’ of the publication process…I’ll check in a few times and do my best to answer. Thanks for reading and helping me celebrate release day!

Enjoy what Jess had to say? You can pick up copies of Driving Sideways and read more about it on the Random House website, from Amazon.com (complete with a preview of the first scene!), from Barnes & Noble, or at your local bookstore. Even Target‘s got copies (online now, in stores on June 19th)!

Now, for what you really want to know: Just how can you, dear reader, win a free autographed and personalized copy of Driving Sideways for your very own? Just comment below and tell Jess and me why you want the book. Be creative, silly, or painfully honest — we want to know! All entries must be in by midnight M.S.T. next Monday, May 26th. I’ll post the results on Tuesday or Wednesday.

If you already have your own copy, feel free to comment anyway. Congratulate Jess, thank her for sharing her experiences, compliment her hair (which, for the record, is so much nicer than mine), ask questions, or just tell everyone else how great the book is.

Happy reading!

An Interview with Melissa Walker

We have a guest today on The Book Lady. Young adult author Melissa Walker stopped by to discuss her newest book, Violet by Design, the sequel to Violet on the Runway, which came out last fall.

Hi, Melissa. Thanks for coming to talk to us. Could you please tell us a little about the Violet books?
Thanks for having me. Violet on the Runway is about a gawky wallflower from NC who gets scouted to come to NYC and enter the fashion world of runways and magazine shoots. She deals with a lot — from the jealousy of best friends at home to the drugs-and-eating-disorders world of modeling in the city. Ultimately, she’s not SURE she wants to continue.

But in Violet by Design, a chance to travel internationally lures Violet back into the fashion fray. She falls in love, gets criticized for gaining 5 pounds, speaks out to the press (much to the dismay of her agent) and has to decide once again if this shallow but beautiful world is right for her.

Other than the intriguing premise and fabulous reviews, why should people read the Violet series?
Well, lots of people have read some shallow fashion titles in the past. But I tried to make Violet about more than stacked heels and It bags (although those are always fun to throw in the mix). The fashion world has serious sides — the weight issue, the competition among girls, the sometimes over-the-top party scene — and I hope that watching Violet struggle with navigating those things will resonate with readers.

Like many of your characters, you’ve worked in the fashion industry. I assume much of your research, and even your inspiration, came from that background?
As an editor at ELLEgirl, I interviewed a lot of fashion types and up-and-coming models. Peeking into their world was fascinating, and the idea to put a real girl into that madness was too appealing to ignore! That’s also how I did my research — right in their model apartments.

I know everyone takes a different road to publishing. What was yours like?
I did things backwards. I’d been at ELLEgirl magazine writing and editing for a few years, so I put together my magazine clips and a one-page summary of what I imagined Violet on the Runway would be about. I sent that out to an editor, who asked to see the first two chapters, so I sat down to write those.

She came back with an offer! I was thrilled, but also scared, so I asked her to give me a week to find an agent. I asked friends and people I knew in publishing for advice on which agents I should talk to. I found a fantastic agent and we went from there… It was a fun process!

So now that you’re agented and editored (I’m reserving the right to make up words), what’s your writing scheduled like?
When I’m working on a book, I set it up this way: I eat breakfast, then write. I don’t allow myself to have lunch until I have 1000 words on the page. (I hope that doesn’t sound weird/food disordery!). They don’t have to be good words, but they have to be there. I do that five days a week, ideally; afternoons are spent working on magazine stories. Of course, some days I play hooky and watch Oprah — I have to let myself enjoy the perks of being freelance every once in a while! But in general, I am pretty consistent with the 1000-word rule.

Where do you write? In an office? A coffee shop? A comfy chair in your living room?
Comfy chair! It’s pink with little yellow flowers and it catches the sunlight really well.

I’m sure you spent plenty of time thinking about what life would be like when you were published in book form. How has it been similar to or different from what you had expected?
It’s a total dream that someone will actually pay me to write, so I just want to say that I feel completely grateful for my career! That said, when people ask me why I’m not on the bestseller lists yet, or where my big book tour will take me, I feel like I’m disappointing THEIR ideas of what “being published” is. It ain’t all first class and bon-bons… it’s more like working REALLY REALLY hard to find readers for your book, because you’re the one who cares the most.

Any advice for writers out there hoping to become published, too?
I wrote a quick guide for teens here, and I think it goes for adults too…

So what’s next? Another Violet book or something else?
Violet in Private is book three — it comes out in August! I’m trying to start work on a new idea, but I’m still at the “taking suggestions” stage. Anyone?

Well, Melissa, I’ve asked a ton of questions, but there must have been something left out. So, what should I have asked that I didn’t?
Um, maybe you should ask me what my favorite wig color is. It’s blue.

Have questions or comments? Melissa will stop by to respond throughout the next few days. And if you want even more info on Melissa and her books, be sure to stop by her website, or check out Violet by Design and Violet on the Runway on Amazon.com. And, of course, don’t forget to visit her blog for fun updates, insights into the fashion industry, some great contests and, of course, writing about…writing!

Eileen Cook Discusses Unpredictable

Debut author and hilarious blogger Eileen Cook is visiting The Book Lady this morning to discuss her new book, Unpredictable, which went on sale TODAY and has already earned many tons of glowing reviews. Please join me in welcoming her, and don’t forget to check out her ultra fabulous book!

Thanks for dropping in, Eileen. I know this is a pretty big day for you, but could you please tell us a little about Unpredictable while you’re here? What’s it about?
I’d be happy to. Unpredictable is the story of Sophie, who is the kind of woman who doesn’t give up easily. When her boyfriend leaves her, she’s determined to get him back. She pretends to be a psychic in order to give his new girlfriend a reading that will break them up. When parts of her reading come true, she finds herself a media darling and psychic star. The only thing she can’t predict is what she should do next.

The first chapter of the novel is available on my website, www.eileencook.com, if you are the type of person to like a sneak peek.

That sounds like a great premise. What was your inspiration for the book?
My husband belongs to a group called CSI (Committee for Skeptical Inquiry). It’s a group of skeptics who use science to investigate everything from alien abductions to the Loch Ness monster. I went with him to a conference that showed how easy it was to fake psychic skills and how often the person getting the reading has a different recall of what was actually said. At first I thought about how I could turn this to my advantage. I could start a new career as a psychic to the stars and leverage myself into A-list parties. But I had one question: Why? I knew how someone could fake psychic abilities, but I still wanted to know why they would fake it. Playing with that question was the beginning of the story that became Unpredictable.

In my day job I work as a counselor for people who have had catastrophic injuries or illness. This could account in part for why I write humor. During my graduate training we learned about how reality is often hard to define; two people can see the same event and interpret it very differently. Since that time I’ve always been interested in how people see the world and the decisions they make based on that world view. This theme tends to show up in all of my fiction.

What else would you like your readers to take away from reading Unpredictable?
My biggest hope is that people love it so much that they feel compelled to buy it by the case lot to give to all their friends and family. Assuming that this might be a bit much, what I would hope for is that people would laugh out loud and feel it was good entertainment for their money.

Unpredictable has already received many glowing reviews. Are you nervous about what reviewers have to say or do you, like some authors, plan to ignore them?
I know that it is impossible that all reviews will be positive, since you can’t please everyone. This doesn’t mean I can’t hope! I was very glad that my first review (from Romantic Times) was positive; it was a nice way to start the process.

The subject of titles recently came up on The Book Lady. Unpredictable was originally entitled In the Stars. What happened?
The book sold to Berkley, and we were moving forward towards publication last February. Based on foreign rights sales and the movie option, Berkley decided to re-do the cover. The original cover was fine, but I feel the new cover “fits” the book better. As a new writer I had very little say in the cover process, but I did forward links to the covers I really liked. Once we had the new cover it was decided that the title didn’t work any longer and the new title was created. I would be lying if I said I understood the way publishing works; right now I am along for the ride.

The new cover is gorgeous, so it seems you really lucked out. Speaking of the publishing biz, what was your road to success?
While writing Unpredictable I picked up a copy of Writer’s Digest that had an interview with agent Rachel Vater. I don’t recall what she said, but I remember thinking, “She’s perfect for me!” I stuck the article on my bulletin board (complete with her picture) and whenever I found myself blocked I would remind myself that this fabulous agent was waiting for my masterpiece, even though we had never communicated. Inside my head we were already a mean, lean writing team. Rachel discovered me in her slush pile and after she had a chance to read the full manuscript she offered representation. A few months later she was calling with the BIG NEWS that Berkley had made an offer. Much champagne was consumed.

Aside from writing amazing books and finding the perfect agent, what else would you recommend for those who have yet to become published?
Read, read, and read some more. Also, remember that this is supposed to be fun. If you find writing makes you miserable, consider taking up knitting instead. But if you can find the joy in it, there is nothing better.

It sounds like you’re enjoying your new career. What is your favorite part of being an author? Least favorite?
I love the process of writing, of being caught up in a world of my own making. My least favorite would be the days when the writing doesn’t seem to want to come. As for the publishing side, I am still so thrilled to have to this chance at all that I am finding it hard to think of what I don’t like. I’m sure in a few more years I will be more crusty and cynical.

Now that you’re off to such a wonderful start, what’s next?
I’m currently working on a young adult novel with the working title of WWAD — What Would Alice Do? It’s a spin on the play The Crucible, which dealt with the Salem witch trials. I’ve set it in a modern day Christian high school. I’m having tons of fun with it — at least when the revisions aren’t kicking my fanny. It is part of a two-book deal with Simon Pulse/Simon Schuster.

Good luck with it, Eileen, and with Unpredictable as well! Thanks for stopping by today.
Thank you very much, and thanks for having me. I had a great time!