Enchanting Reviews: Lisa Barham Interview

1. How long have you been writing?

1. That's a great question. Looking back, I think I've been writing ever since I could hold a pencil. Of course, I didn't know I was writing when I was doodling away stream of consciously––plunging the depths of my early pre-adolescent emotions, and drawing and developing characters in my notebooks. (Ahh, If only I had those precious notebooks today!!) Later, as an editor at a fashion forecasting company, I had to write. And subsequently, I worked in the entertainment industry, developing material for motion pictures and television. I'd also written a couple of screenplays, which helped me hone my writing skills. But it wasn't until A GIRL LIKE MOI, that I actually felt like a writer.


2. Why Young Adult?

2. It's interesting because YAs are, without question, the most sophisticated, diverse, global and brand–savvy audience in history. I felt Imogene and her circle of friends reflected this. But when the first rumblings of Imogene tumbled out of my imagination, I envisioned her older—in her early 20's—just out of college and beginning her career. It wasn't until an early creative meeting with a publisher and my agent, when it was pointed out that the experiences and the emotions I expressed for Imogene were younger. The things Imogene and her friends were struggling with––romantic infatuation, obsession, swirling hormones, confusion about the one's life path–– were some of the things more befitting high school girls. Also Evie and Imogene have a strong, inescapable bond of best friendship. That kind of bond generally peaks in high school. So all in all, the YA genre just followed suit.


3. What sparked the idea for A Girl Like Moi?

3. The initial spark was irony. There is just something that strikes me funny about real life fifteen year olds who seriously covet and will do anything in their power to purchase a $2,000 Chanel bag.. Girls today are faced with so much temptation, so plugged in and are such voracious consumers of everything from designer clothing to computers, communication, travel, electronics, music and entertainment. All this while straddling two worlds – the world of high school and childhood, and that of the grown up workaday world yet to come, and the struggle for how to keep true to ones self amid all the pressure and noise out there. Mix into that a yearning for fame, stardom, notoriety or whatever you want to call it. To me, that was all such a good backdrop for conflict and storytelling. It was so easy for me to see characters dropped into that crazy life.

4. I loved the character names in the book. Imogene. Spring Sommer. Winter Tan. How did you come up with them?

4. There are four shipping, or, selling seasons that the fashion industry revolves around: Autumn/Winter, Holiday, Resort, and Spring/Summer. Naming Imogene's boss, the head of Hautelaw, Spring Sommer, was a natural spoof on that. Regarding Winter Tan, sometimes things just jump out at you. I was on an airplane, reading a brochure from a shoe manufacturer, whose sales contact was in fact someone by the name of Winter Tan. Really! Winter being the opposite of spring… well, I almost died laughing, because it was so perfect. I couldn't have thought of that myself.


5. What's your favorite thing about Imogene?

5. My favorite thing about Imogene is her positive attitude. I think one of the things to keep in mind, is that life sometimes hands you lemons, which are usually challenges to be overcome. The trick is realizing that a challenge can be an opportunity to tap into something deeper within ourselves, and ultimately, when brought out, makes us better people. So, like Imogene, we have to all strive to make lemonade


6. Can you describe the book in three words?

6. The quick answer is: ambition, love, being true to yourself, fate. But scattered throughout A GIRL LIKE MOI are Imogene's affirmations. There is one affirmation at the beginning of the epilogue, which may sum it up best: A Coeur vaillant, rien d'impossible! Which translates: With a brave heart, nothing is impossible. (Oops, that's seven words!)


7. What was your favorite scene to write?

7. It's hard to distinguish one scene over another because I loved writing the entire book. But if I had to choose just one, it might be when Imogene meets Paolo for the first time––how insecure she was, her embarrassing tongue-ties, her butterflies, and ultimately how unprepared she was to meet anyone whom she could possibly fall in love with, and would lead to the conflict between her heart and her head.


8. Do you have any writing rituals?

8. No rituals in a bizarre sense. What I do is try to clear the decks of any distractions before I begin writing. I return email, read then newspapers (I am a voracious news junkie!). Sometimes I'll zip though my iPod to find some great music to get my molecules racing. Once I'm in the 'zone' I turn everything off--he phone, email, music, everything. And I'm gone. Sometimes for five hours or more. That's always my goal when I begin writing. For me, that's when my writing is the best.


9. What's next for you?

9. I just finished editing "Accidentally Fabulous," the third book in the Imogene series, so what I'm hoping for next is a vacation! Ha! But seriously, I've got three or four books rumbling around inside my brain, so I'm watching carefully which one of them will win the fight to be next. ?

Enchanting Review: Project Paris

PROJECT PARIS (The Fashion-Forward Adventures of Imogene)
LISA BARHAM
Simon Pulse
Trade
$9.99
ISBN-10: 1416914447

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Imogene is back. This time she gets to spend the summer in Paris, working again as an intern at Hautelaw and covering the much anticipated Couture week. Well that is, until the models go on strike and all the fashion shows are cancelled. Imogene panics, knowing if there's nothing to cover, there's nothing to keep her in Paris – that is, until she stumbles upon a hidden stash of designs. She and Evie concoct a scheme to keep Imogene in Paris, covering the hot, new and not to mention elusive designer Monsieur X.
The only problem, Imogene's not sure Monsieur X really even still exists and now her whole summer depends on that little piece of info not being found out.

I have to say I loved this book. It picks up a year after A GIRL LIKE MOI left off and Imogene is a little more mature and a little more experienced. Finally her dream of spending the summer in France is coming true. But when her dream summer is threatened, she'll do anything she can to convince Spring Sommer to keep her in Paris, overseeing the Parisian operation of HAUTELAW – which at the moment, doesn't amount to much more then checking in on the renovation of the houseboat that will serve as their offices.

Add in the appearance of Brooke and the rest of her Wolfe pack and Imogene's summer has the potential for disaster.

Reviewed by Lisa
Enchanting Reviews

Enchanting Review: A Girl Like Moi

A GIRL LIKE MOI

LISA BARHAM

Simon Pulse

Contemporary Young Adult

Trade

$8.99

ISBN-10: 1-4169-1443-9

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Fashionista Imogene's summer plans have suddenly fallen through. Instead of spending the summer in Paris with her best friend, she's forced to do the unthinkable and get herself a summer job. Just when things look their bleakest, that she's going to have to take the last posting on the internship board at school and work in the local library, there's a last minute addition to the board. An internship at the hot New York fashion magazine, HAUTELAW.

What could be better then spending the summer living with her best friend in NYC and working for the hottest fashion magazine around? It almost seems to good to be true. Maybe it is, when she meets Brooke, the senior intern at HAUTELAW who seems to have it in for her the moment they meet.

Can Imogene keep her job, her sanity and her newfound friends or will Brooke somehow sabotage all?

This is a really fun book filled with great characters. One of my favorite scenes is when Imogene first meets potential boyfriend, Paolo at the party. The words out of her mouth had me laughing out loud and it felt like so true to Imogene.

Imogene is a fabulously fun character who the reader gets to see really grow by the end of the story. A fun cast of memorable characters round out the book, including her fashion designing best friend Evie; her new boss Spring Sommer and newfound friend and model Caprice.

Reviewed by Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

Enchanting Review: Don't Get It Twisted

DON'T GET IT TWISTED
PAULA CHASE
Dafina
Paperback
$9.95
ISBN-10: 0758218613

Rating: 4 Enchantments

DON'T GET IT TWISTED is the sequel to the first book in the Del Rio Bay Clique series, SO NOT THE DRAMA.

Mina Mooney's been asked to one of the hottest parties of the year, the Frenzy, by one of the hottest guys at school. Craig Simpson. Only one little problem -- she's not allowed to date until she's fifteen. And her parents aren't exactly willing to let her go to the party, date or no date.

That's where the Clique comes in, they're going to have her back. Her girls are going to be her perfect cover to get to her to Frenzy and more importantly, to her big date with Craig.

But things are never that simple. Aside from the boy drama, Mina now has to tryout for the school newspaper, competing with another student to write a column that was her own idea. Not to be outdone, her clique has their own drama going on. Jacinta has boyfriend problems; JZ's got issues with his schoolwork that could cost him his spot on the basketball team; Kelly's interested in Angel, the hottie hustler from The Cove and the hot new basketball player Brian keeps flirting with Mina, even when she keeps telling him she has a boyfriend.

DON'T GET IT TWISTED shows what high school is like for a lot of teens, the struggle to fit in and make it through the year as unscathed as possible which in Mina's case is pretty impossible.

Readers would probably benefit from reading the first in the series before reading DON'T GET IT TWISTED as I did feel a little lost with the characters at times.

I look forward to reading the continuing stories in the Del Rio Bay Clique series.

Reviewed by Lisa
Enchanting Reviews

Enchanting Review: It's Not About The Accent

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT

CARIDAD FERRER

Contemporary Young Adult

MTV Books

Trade

ISBN-10: 1416524916

$9.95

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Caroline Darcy always wanted a life as exotic as her beloved great-grandmother's. Tired of being her boring old self, Caroline's got the perfect plan. When she goes off to college for the summer session, she's going to adopt a whole new persona. As vivacious Carolina, a half-cuban aspiring actress, Caroline is ready for adventure. But sometimes you should be careful what you wish for.

Things at school start off well. Carolina seems to be a hit with everyone, especially the guys. At her first party, she meets Erik, your typical frat boy. Their connection is almost instantaneous. Then there's Peter, the cute guy she meets at the same party who lives just down the hall. And the way he calls her Caro makes her smile.

It seems like Carolina is a success, but maybe too much of one. As she and Peter become good friends, her relationship with Erik heats up. Between studying with Peter and partying with Erik, her days are full. But when things suddenly go bad and Caroline finds herself in a dire situation, it's Peter who bursts in and rescues her from the brutal attack.

This book is darker in tone then Ms. Ferrer's debut, but it's just as engrossing a read. Caroline's journey is filled with a number of twists and surprising turns that take her from small town Ohio, to her summer on campus, to Miami, and back to Ohio as she discovers her own life might be just interesting as her beloved Nana's.

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

Enchanting Review: Goddess Girls

GODDESS GAMES

NIKI BURNHAM

Simon and Schuster

Contemporary Young Adult

Hardcover

$15.99

ISBN-10: 1-4169-2700-X

Rating: 3.5 Enchantments

GODDESS GAMES focuses mainly on the relationships between the three girls, all with totally different backgrounds who are forced to become room mates during a summer working at King's Crown resort in Juniper, Colorado.

Seneca could be the stereotypical poor little rich girl. She's harboring a secret - her mother's acting career is a mess, and her working in Juniper is part of her plan to help get her and her mom's life back on track.

Drew, the female jock, is on vacation from her mother after facing a terrible loss. Her focus is solely on training to become an even better runner.

Claire is the reforming party girl who's searching for a deeper relationship with God to help get her life on the right path.

Things aren't exactly smooth sailing for the three roommates, particularly with each other. In a tiny cabin it's easy to for conflict to arise, especially when they don't exactly make the best first impression on each other. Drew and Claire see Seneca as fairly superficial, Seneca sees Drew as rude, and Drew and Seneca see Claire as quiet and somewhat withdrawn.

Conflict abounds when Claire can't be sure of the motive behind Seneca's interest in her L.A. boyfriend and Drew can't stand what she sees as Seneca's superficial ways. As the summer wears on, each girl is forced to deal with their own growing problems until one night forces the three to bond together and their friendship is finally cemented.

I really enjoyed this book, as the reader gets to see other sides to the girls that the characters don't know about till later in the book. Each girl has their own point of view and it's interesting to see what is actually going on with them and their misconstrued views of each other. I especially enjoyed watching Seneca fall for a guy who is so not her typical type.

GODDESS GIRLS is an enjoyable read, with a strong focus on the budding friendship between three girls as they search for themselves.

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

Enchanting Interview:Kimberlee Mendoza

Interview with November AUTHOR OF THE MONTH Kimberlee Mendoza

How long have you been writing?

I started writing when I was 7, but I wrote my first full

novel when I was 13. It was originally called, "My Sister,

My Enemy." It is now published by Wild Rose Press under

the new name, "Love thy Sister, Guard thy Man." It's very

cool to see my first "baby" finally born.

What do you like best about being a writer?

Having my imagination come alive and being able to go into

any world.

Why Young Adult?

I love teenagers. I know that sounds cliché, but I teach a

young adult acting class and direct a young adult traveling

drama group. Most of my best friends are under 21. I just

think teenagers are cool. It is fun to write a book and

return to high school. I also tend to write with a young

voice without trying.

"Love thy Sister" was originally rejected by The Wild Rose

Press because the voice was too young. Then they opened the

young adult line and contacted me to be the "launch" book.

What's your writing process like?

I concentrate on the characters and the storyline as I'm

driving my kids to school, trying to go to sleep, or waiting

in line at the grocery store. Then when I finally have a

moment to sit down, I just start typing. I rarely outline,

because I like to see where the characters take me. Once

I've "finished" a story, then I go back through and

tighten it…again, and again.

Do you have any writing rituals?

MUST have chocolate before sitting down to write.

I sit on my couch, with a laptop in my lap, three pillows

behind my back and a bottle of water tucked between the

cushions.

What inspired this book?

I was a teenager when I wrote it, so maybe life. Of course

it's taken many rewrites over the years. My older sister is

afraid the story is about her, but I keep telling her that

the younger sister is the evil one.

How did you come up with the title?

As already mentioned, it was originally,

"My Sister, My Enemy." But other books were released this year

with the same name. So, I just started writing down every

idea I could come up with. Somehow I got to it.

Favorite character in the book?

Oh, I love April. She's my main character's best friend.

She's not afraid to say what she thinks and I love that

about her. She is a lot like a friend I had in high school.

Hardest scene to write?

The beginning. I wrote it four different ways before ending

where I did.

Do you have any sequels planned?

Yes. Actually, I've already contracted two books and have

one more to write. Each book in the "Russell Family Series"

is about one of the four siblings. The other books are

titled, "Oh Brother, You're Not My Keeper,"

"Seek Ye First My Heart" and

"Fried, Scrambled & Unequally Yoked."

"Brother" should be out early 2008.

"Seek Ye First" some time in mid-2008. (I've been told

this is the best one of the three. It is the story of the

"evil" sister.)

What's next for you?

I have "Fried, Scrambled & Unequally Yoked" to write still.

That'll keep me busy for a few months.