Wednesday, January 5, 2011

GCC Presents: Eileen Cook!

Sadly, so far I do not have good news to report about the bartender book. We may not even make it to the writing retreat together next week. We'll see. I'll mostly be hiding out until I return from that, hopefully in a much better writing head space, but the first interview with me of the New Year is up on My Love Affair With Books Blog. Misha asked some great questions and is giving away a copy of Ballads of Suburbia, so check it out and enter here!

Now before I disappear on the writing retreat, here's my first Girlfriends Cyber Circuit interview of the New Year and it's definitely a good one! Let's find out about Eileen Cook's new book, THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK!

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

Q: Please tell us what your new book is about and what inspired you to write it.

Eileen: The inspiration came in part from coming across a copy of The Scarlet Letter. I’m very interested in how the process of what everyone thinks of us shapes how we view ourselves. If your identity was suddenly taken away- how would you respond?

Q: If there was a soundtrack for your book what are five songs that would be on it and how do they relate the story?

Eileen: I’m terrible about creating playlists as the songs I listen to when I write are more about keeping me motivated than about matching with the theme of the book. One song I would have to put on the playlist would be Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked.

Q: Who were some of your inspirations to become a writer or the inspirations that keep you writing? Feel free to include other authors, teachers, parents, or people in other creative fields, whoever is an inspiration to you!

Eileen: I am a huge reader so I could never list the zillions of authors who have inspired me, but Judy Blume sticks out as a favorite growing up. I was lucky enough to be born into a family of readers. My parents used to take me every week to the library where we would load up on books. It wasn’t long before I wanted to be writing my own stories.

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?

Eileen: I sometimes enjoy having music on while I write, but if it has words then I end up singing along and that isn’t good for anyone. I have downloaded a lot of movie soundtrack music as I find it is designed to evoke emotion and it gives me a push when I’m writing a difficult scene.

Q: What is next for you? What are you working on now?

Eileen: I have a middle grade series coming out for young readers (ages 8-10) in the Spring called The Fourth Grade Fairy. I’m also hard at work on my new YA novel. I’m working on a gothic story with the working title of Haunting Isobel. It has a creepy old house, a family mystery, a brooding handsome man and a possible ghost. It’s been a tremendous amount of fun to write so far.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love Eileen's books. They are always so fun to read. Really looking forward to this one!