Award news and Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit interview with Eileen Cook
Quick congrats before I move on to the Girlfriends' Cyber Curcuit interview with Eileen Cook. Crazy lots of kudos to Patti O'Shea for winning the 2009 Fiction Writer of the Year Award from the Midwest Fiction Writers! (And the crowd goes wild!)
And now, I present to you:
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
Simon Pulse Release Date: January 5, 2010
About the Book:
Popularity is the best revenge.
In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.
But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren-starting with her boyfriend.
Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.
About the Author:
Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.
Interview with Eileen Cook
Your novel in 140 characters (Twitter-version):
A story of betrayal, revenge, best friends, hidden identities, and what it means to be happy. (Can you tell I don’t tweet? I’m lousy at this!) [I think you did a great job! -L]
If you could be any kind of dairy product, what would you be?
I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve ever been asked this question. I want to think of something clever, but milk was the first thing to come to mind, most likely because I don’t want to think of myself as cheese, because that makes me think cheesy, and who wants to be that?
What about your main character(s) and why?
Helen would be soy milk because she’s trying to fake everyone out as to her real identity. She’s not milk, but she’ll make you think she could be.
Do you think in themes? If so, what’s the theme of your new novel?
When I start a book I don’t tend to have a theme in mind. I have a set of characters that I want to put into a particular situation. Then when I’ve finished the draft I tend to unearth themes and ideas. Knowing that this book was going to be about revenge, fairly early on I had the idea that the theme would be, living well is the best revenge.
What piece of fiction or non-fiction did you not write but wish you had?
I can think of a zillion books I wished I had written. I am a huge reader. I love just about every genre and am on of those people who gets a bit overly anxious if I’m ever stranded someplace without a book. Even if I come across a book I don’t enjoy, I can still appreciate all the work and effort that went into it. If I have to pick a singe book, I would have loved to have written, The Phantom Tollbooth. It was one of my favorite books as a kid and I still love all the word play and imagination.
And now, I present to you:
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
Simon Pulse Release Date: January 5, 2010
About the Book:
Popularity is the best revenge.
In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.
But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren-starting with her boyfriend.
Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.
About the Author:
Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.
Interview with Eileen Cook
Your novel in 140 characters (Twitter-version):
A story of betrayal, revenge, best friends, hidden identities, and what it means to be happy. (Can you tell I don’t tweet? I’m lousy at this!) [I think you did a great job! -L]
If you could be any kind of dairy product, what would you be?
I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve ever been asked this question. I want to think of something clever, but milk was the first thing to come to mind, most likely because I don’t want to think of myself as cheese, because that makes me think cheesy, and who wants to be that?
What about your main character(s) and why?
Helen would be soy milk because she’s trying to fake everyone out as to her real identity. She’s not milk, but she’ll make you think she could be.
Do you think in themes? If so, what’s the theme of your new novel?
When I start a book I don’t tend to have a theme in mind. I have a set of characters that I want to put into a particular situation. Then when I’ve finished the draft I tend to unearth themes and ideas. Knowing that this book was going to be about revenge, fairly early on I had the idea that the theme would be, living well is the best revenge.
What piece of fiction or non-fiction did you not write but wish you had?
I can think of a zillion books I wished I had written. I am a huge reader. I love just about every genre and am on of those people who gets a bit overly anxious if I’m ever stranded someplace without a book. Even if I come across a book I don’t enjoy, I can still appreciate all the work and effort that went into it. If I have to pick a singe book, I would have loved to have written, The Phantom Tollbooth. It was one of my favorite books as a kid and I still love all the word play and imagination.