To celebrate the soon to be released paperback copy of Still Sucks to Be Me (coming July 12, 2011) author Kimberly Pauley has stopped by to answer some questions! All hail the awesome that is Kimberly!
Mina is such a fun character, how did you come up with the “my parents are vampires and want me dead… undead” concept?
I really started with Mina. She had a strong voice in my head. Then I wanted to do something where I basically upended the “standard” vampire myths. You have to realize I wrote the first book back before Twilight (and a slew of other books) came out. I had no idea the vampire thing was going to explode the way it did.
Do you have any books on the horizon? What are they about?
Yes! I’m very excited to announce that I have a new book coming out in Spring 2012 called “Cat Girl’s Day Off” Woot! It’s coming out from Tu Books, a new imprint of Lee and Low. It’s about a teenage girl who can talk to cats (yes, you read that right) and how that “super” power lands her and her friends right in the middle of a celebrity kidnapping plot. It’s set against the backdrop of Chicago (where I lived until late last year) and also has lots to do with Ferris Bueller. It’s a comedic YA mystery / romance.
You moved to England last year; has the move changed how you write or what you’re inspired to write about?
Not yet, but I definitely do want to write something set here. I’m working on a book now that’s set in Florida (we’ll see what happens with it). I lived there for most of my life (age 6 to 16 and then again from 18 to…eh…30ish). One thing I don’t think I’ll ever get used to is the way they spell some things over here. All kinds of extra e’s everywhere, including in my name! Everyone spells it Kimberley.
You’re a funny lady and it shows in you’re books. Is it ever hard to write that snarky yet delightful humor?
Sadly, no. That’s kind of my brain. It’s harder from me to *not* be snarky.
In “Still Sucks to be Me” you introduced Cameron, the yummy and mysterious vampire that Mina meets. Why did you decide to include him?
Well, a few reasons. I knew I wanted Mina to have to move in the book, which meant giving up her best friend Serena (technically) and all the trouble of moving to a new place. I knew that not having George around, even though he was relatively new to her life, would make the move that much harder for her. I had to move when I was a little younger than Mina from a decent-sized town in Florida to a very tiny town in Mississippi. So I knew some of what Mina was going to go through first hand (cow patty bingo? totally happened). Adding in Cameron gave her someone who was both a good and bad thing. Possible temptation, but also a possible friend in a place she had none.
Of course, now I get a lot of letters from people who like Cameron more than George…
Our signature question: What is your favorite drink — alcoholic or otherwise — and why?
Really good strawberry lemonade if I’m going non-alcholic. Tipsy-wise, I like limoncello a lot…it reminds me of when we went to Italy for three weeks.
The show must go on! How can we support more “Sucks to be Me” books to be published?
Well, definitely the more people that comment and leave feedback here: http://www.kimberlypauley.com/2011/04/18/is-there-going-to-be-a-third-sucks-to-be-me-mina-book/ will help with that, no matter whether I try to do something on my own or if I try to find a new publisher for them (for those that don’t know, the original publisher of the books, while still keeping the first two books available, is no longer publishing any new non-D&D books…so they won’t be putting out any more STBM books). And, maybe it sounds weird, but if you buy the books (especially the second one), that would also really help (especially if I try to take it to another publisher).
Either way, thanks very much for everyone’s support!
As part of the launch of the paperback of Still Sucks to Be Me, I’m also running a cool contest where YOU could wind up in a short story with Mina (and other characters). And I mean literally YOU — I’ll be sending the winner a questionnaire so I get all the details right.
http://www.kimberlypauley.com/2011/06/03/win-a-short-story-featuring-you-mina-from-sucks-to-be-me/
Isn’t that awesome?! So go! Please help out Mrs. Pauley and comment comment comment. Haven’t read or heard of the books? Read my review of Sucks to Be Me and go get yourself a copy of both books! I promise you will be laughing your hiney off.
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