Monday, December 13, 2010

And Now For That Big Suprise!!!

Happy Monday everyone! Well last week I mentioned a big surprise I would be posting today and so without further ado...... Here is an Interview with Amy Holder the author of The Lipstick Laws!!!





















Interview

1. Your book sounds awesome! What first inspired you to write this book?

Thank you so much, Andrea! I wanted to write a fun take on the ups and downs of high school and the social hierarchies within it. April's quirky voice was the first thing that came to me as I was writing, so her character really inspired the whole story to evolve.

2. I read in your bio that you have a degree in psychology (psychology has always fascinated me & I plan to study it in collage) and a minor in sociology, Did you use that knowledge while writing your book? And do you think that knowledge helped you while writing your book?

Psychology is fascinating, isn't it? I've always been drawn to psychology because I'm naturally a people watcher. I'd much prefer observing and listening rather than being the center of attention, therefore, the study of human behavior has always intrigued me. This innate interest paired with my degree definitely helped me create characters, their interactions, dialogue and some of the plot points in my book. However, I think remembering the ups and downs and feelings I had as a teen was more of an influence than my psychology knowledge.

3. If you had to describe your book in one sentence what would you say?

The Lipstick Laws is a funny tale about a girl's plight with popularity, body image, boys, and getting revenge.

4. Are either of your main characters Britney or April modeled after yourself?

No, I didn't model either of them after myself. Although April does have some of my characteristics like naturally curly hair, a similar sense of humor, and a love of good sales. Some of her quirks were borrowed from a good childhood friend as well. Britney isn't molded after anyone I know, thankfully!

5. When was the first time you knew you wanted to be author?

I've always dreamed of being an author from the time I was very young. I've written for as long as I can remember, but for some reason it never dawned on me that being an author was an attainable profession until after college. Once I graduated, I realized that I wanted a job that I loved so much it wouldn't feel like work. Writing is that job... and I feel very lucky to have it now.

6. What are some of your favorite authors?

This is a tough question because I have so many! The ones who influenced me the most while growing up were Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Shel Silverstein, S.E. Hinton, and Katherine Paterson. Nowadays, I also love Sophie Kinsella, J.K. Rowling, Alyson Noel, Eileen Cook, Meg Cabot, and Louise Rennison, just to name some.

7. What made you decide to write a book for young adults?

The short answer is I never really grew up. :-) The longer answer is that I remember my own teen years very clearly, and I don't think my voice from those years ever left me. Also, I've had plenty of experience working with teens/young adults, so I've always felt connected to that age group.

8. I love the cover of your book! What made you choose that specific cover?
Thank you so much, but all the credit has to go to my amazing cover designer, Carol Chu! Most people don't realize that authors don't usually have much say over the look of their cover designs. The cover art is typically headed by the publisher's design department and marketing team. That's why it's such a big deal when authors unveil their covers...because they're usually new to the author as well. Luckily, I love my cover and am so thankful that my designer did such a good job!

11 comments:

  1. Fun interview, thanks! And I agree on the eyepopping cover!

    Keep blabbing about books or otherwise, Andrea! You bloggers have been great to YA! :)

    Gae Polisner
    The Pull of Gravity, FSG May 2011

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  2. Amy is one of my favorite people in the world. EVER.

    Congrats on your first interview, Andrea, and keep it up!

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  3. Andrea - thanks for a great interview with Amy!! Her book sounds wonderful and now that my daughter is in high school, it's sort of like being back there myself (same highs school even!)so it's fun to read books set in that environment. Great job!

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  4. What an interesting little tid bit of background to consider how the authors psych studies may have helped her write this novel. I loved my psych classes in college, too. great interview!

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  5. Great interview, Andrea and Amy. What a handy degree for a writer!

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  6. Loved this interview, ladies! I'm really looking forward to reading The Lipstick Laws!

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  7. Awesome interview Andrea...and Amy is such a fascinating subject! :)

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  8. Thanks so much for all your very sweet comments! I really enjoyed interviewing Amy, she was super friendly and I also loved the bit about her psych degreE :) I find Psychology very fascinating.

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  9. Great interview! I'm really looking forward to The Lipstick Laws!

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  10. Wonderful interview ladies. Looking forward to the book!

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  11. What a great interview! I'm so excited for Amy's book. And I love your blog!!

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