BIO: Kay Cassidy
Name: Kay Cassidy
'10 Book Title: THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY (April 13, 2010)
Publisher: Egmont USA
Favorite Bit of Writing Advice:
"Do, or do not. There is no try."
-- Yoda
(Okay, he wasn't technically talking about writing, but he totally could've been.)
Favorite Part of Writing:
When I'm in the zone and everything just flows. I once wrote 56 pages in a single day and still believe I'm destined for sainthood. Or a trophy or something.
I also love dialogue. My first drafts are largely a bunch of talking heads saying (what I think are) funny and wry things while closely resembling statues. To me, dialogue is fascinating. That's what keeps me tuned in when I'm reading too. I've gotten better about layering in activity and non-statuelike behavior in the initial draft, but dialogue is still what I love to write.
Least Favorite Part of Writing:
My obsession with adverbs. I absolutely, totally, unquestionably love them. Sadly, not everyone shares my passion for the -ly ending and I end up having to cut some. This makes me cry.
Also, I detest writing myself into a corner. Or not so much that, really, as completely changing the direction of the story midway through and having to rewrite the whole first half to match. That's when the tennis match of questions begins in my head: "Do I rewrite the first half and then continue on? But what if I never finish because all I do is rewrite? On the other hand, if I do continue on, won't the story be disjointed because I don't actually know what transpired before the new story took over?" This can cause me weeks of hemming and hawwing (I'm an old school hem-and-haw-er) and suck the joy out of writing for me. This is why I...
Outline or Let It Fly?:
… outline! Almost to the point of obsession but not quite. I lay out the major story events… let it gel… outline the story flow… let it gel… do a scene by scene breakdown… let it gel… then review one last time before I decide the story can ride. The bright side is that once I've got the scenes outline nailed, I can hammer out a first draft in a matter of weeks. I don't sleep much and we eat a lot of macaroni and cheese, but it's a small price to pay. Plus, who doesn't like macaroni and cheese? Bring on the blue box, I say!
Five Things about Me:
** Thing #1: I cannot whistle. At least not like a normal person. I make this feeble little noise if I blow out. It's an embarrassment to the whistling tradition. I can do a zippy, slightly off-key tune if I'm sucking air in via pursed lips, but whistling out like a normal human being? So not happening.
** Thing #2: I am a former cheerleader and sorority girl. (Do you have a picture in your mind? Come on, 'fess up now!) I'm also an M.B.A. and member of Mensa. I think it's comical when people are surprised by that combo. As though somehow all cheerleaders and sorority girls must be devoid of brain cells and all M.B.A.s and Mensa folks must be boring stuffed shirts.
** Thing #3: When I was a teenager, I once took a trip to Europe for three weeks and DID NOT BRING A CAMERA. Which probably makes you question the whole Mensa thing. I don't blame you. It's one of the few things in my life I'd like a do-over for. And no, this wasn't before cameras were invented. (Ha ha, you're quite the jokester.) We even had cars and telephones then. Cell phones too... though they were so big and bulky it was like holding a loaf of bread up to your ear. Unfortunately, disposable cameras were yet to be invented.
** Thing #4: I am a ridiculously bad cook. You know how some people joke that they could burn water? I'm pretty sure I could burn air. Even though I'm very organized and detailed-oriented in other areas of my life, I dissolve into a puddle of incompetence in the kitchen. I'm terrible at timing dishes to come out at the same time, so me putting together a special dinner is cause for celebration. Me putting together a special dinner that a) is not burned, b) does not have any food that is cold or congealed by serving time, and c) does not irreversibly damage anyone's tastebuds is a miracle of biblical proportions. And cause for me to reward myself with something nice like more awesome YA books. Or a pony.
** Thing #5: I am a huge believer in living your dreams. H-U-G-E. Life is too short to get stuck doing something you don't like just because other people think you should be doing it. I'm not talking about going to the dentist or doing chores like the laundry. No one wants furry teeth or Wonder Woman Underoos that attack you when you open the laundry room door. (Although at my house, my husband cannot utter the dreaded ch*res word because I have an adverse reaction to it from childhood. We simply call them "Things to do today". But I digress.) There will always be the occasional thing we have to do that we're not thrilled about--that's just a part of life. I'm talking about the big, devote-your-life-to-it stuff that matters in a profound way. Like the people who become tax attorneys or dentists because their parents wanted them to, even though they secretly wanted to become gourmet ice cream makers. That's so sad to me. Because, really, couldn't the world always use more gourmet ice cream?
THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY Synopsis:
When the Prom Queen becomes your fairy godmother…
Sixteen year old outsider, Jess Parker, gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret girl power society dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. The Cinderella Society guides all new recruits through its top secret ultimate life makeover. It’s all part of preparing them to face down the Wickeds and win. Determined not to let the Cindys down, Jess dives in with a passion. Finally, a chance to belong and show the world what she’s made of.
… be careful what you wish for.
Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of her dream crush and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds--led by Jess’s arch enemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself.
What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore?