GCC Presents: Diana Rodriguez Wallach!

Thanks once again to the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, I have another amazing book and author to share with you. Diana Rodriguez Wallach has just released ADIOS TO ALL THE DRAMA, the third book in a series that sounds amazing! Here's the story on it:

Mariana Ruiz thought she left her summer fling in Puerto Rico, that is until she finds Alex sitting across from her at the breakfast table. Living two doors down from her visiting old flame isn’t easy, especially given the unresolved sparks still lingering for her locker buddy Bobby—and they don’t exactly go unnoticed.

Her best friends are little help as Madison deals with her IM-only “boyfriend” and Emily sinks into secret mode after her parents’ recent breakup. The only relationship that seems to be working is her estranged aunt Teresa who’s tying the knot on New Years with Mariana and her cousin Lilly as bridesmaids. But the last wedding detail left unplanned is who will Mariana kiss at midnight?

Strained friendships, stolen kisses, and secret loves create plenty of surprises to unfold before the New Year’s bells start ringing…

And you can watch the trailer to learn more:



Now meet Diana:

Diana Rodriguez Wallach’s debut novel, Amor and Summer Secrets, is the first in a young adult series published by Kensington Publishing in September 2008. The sequels to the series, Amigas and School Scandals and Adios to all the Drama, were released in November 2008 and January 2009, respectively.

Born to a Puerto Rican father and a Polish mother, Diana has experienced the cultures her characters inhabit, and many of the multi-cultural themes expressed in her novels are based on her personal background.

Diana holds a journalism degree from Boston University, and has worked as a reporter and as an advocate for inner city public schools. Her first novel, Amor and Summer Secrets, sold to Kensington Publishing on Fat Tuesday 2007 while she was at Mardi Gras wearing beads and a feathered mask.

And of course, the interview:

Q: Please list five songs that would be on the soundtrack to your book and explain how they relate to your story or characters.

Diana: I actually have an entire soundtrack on my website here. Some of my favorites are:

Philadelphia, Neil Young
Chapter 6, The News on the Patio

Don't Leave Home, Dido
Chapter 7, At the Airport

A Change Will Do You Good, Sheryl Crow
Chapter 20, At the Internet Café

Jet Lag, Joss Stone
Chapter 28, The Quinceanera Party

Born in Puerto Rico, Paul Simon
Chapter 47, The Parents Arrive on the Island

Q: Name some of your main character's favorite musicians or bands.

Diana: Mariana is a very mainstream suburban teen, so I think she’d listen to Top 40. I picture an iPod full of Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, Justin Timerberlake, Beyonce, etc.

Q: Who are some of your favorite musicians or bands?

Diana: I’m a big fan of chick singers. Don’t ask me why. But I love Joss Stone, Dido, Alanis, Madonna, Shakira, Sarah McLachlan, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, etc.

My concert taste is a little more diverse. I’ve seen Janet Jackson, Bon Jovi, Green Day, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Buffet, Prince, Madonna, Alanis Morisette (three times), Boyz II Men, Sheryl Crow, Lilith Fair (Sara McLachlan, Tracy Chapman, etc.), Lollapalooza (Hole, Cypress Hill, Sonic Youth, etc.), Bare Naked Ladies, B.B. King, Guster, etc.

Q: Even though music plays in so heavily into my storytelling, I rarely can actually listen to it while I'm writing. Can you? How does music fit into your writing process?

Diana: I usually find it distracting when I’m working on a first draft. But if I do need some background noise, I tend to listen to music on Comcast TV at a very, very low decibel. Usually it’s the ‘90s channel or ‘Adult Alternative,’ though sometimes I prefer hard rock because the steady beat keeps me motivated.

Q: While music is my muse, I know other writers find their muse in theater, sports, art, the great outdoors, etc. What is your main muse?

Diana: Travel. I like to set my books abroad. My first novel, Amor and Summer Secrets, is set in Puerto Rico. And when I visited, I got to see the town where my dad grew up and meet my relatives (much like Mariana). My work-in-progress is set in Europe with the first book taking place in Italy. Personally, I don’t think you can find research better than that.

Hmmm, I think I might have to make travel my main muse! That sounds like a good deal! Also gotta love authors who make soundtracks like I do and of course like Diana, I love female musicians, plus I was totally at that Lollapalooza with Hole, Sonic Youth and Cypress Hill. I had front row, it was one of my fave concerts ever! So Diana feels like a kindred spirit and her series sounds like a great read. I'll be checking it out. Anyone else? Comments on the interview, the book, etc?