3. What's your favorite part of being an author?
I LOVE CREATING NEW CHARACTERS AND WORLDS THAT READERS CAN GET CAUGHT UP IN.
4. What inspired SECRETS OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE?
I WAS WORKING AT A MAGAZINE CALLED TEEN PEOPLE AND I WAS AN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME INTERVIEWING TEEN STARS AND I KNEW THERE WAS A STORY THERE. FROM THERE, KAITLIN WAS BORN.
5. What do you like most about Kaitlin?
STRANGELY ENOUGH, I LOVE HOW CONFLICTED KAITLIN IS. SHE WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN. SHE'S A PEOPLE PLEASER AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY COMMON IN A LOT OF PEOPLE (INCLUDING MYSELF!). BEING A TEEN IS HARD AND I THINK KAITLIN'S REACTIONS REFLECT THAT.
6. What's one thing you have in common with her?
WELL, DEFINITELY THE PEOPLE PLEASING PART. SHE ALSO GETS HER LOVE OF STAR WARS, THE COLOR GREEN AND TV LIKES AND DISLIKES FROM ME!
7. When you wrote the first book, did you envision it as a series?
I KNEW WHEN I WROTE BOOK ONE THAT THERE WOULD BE A SECOND ONE, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD GO ON FROM THERE. I'M SO GLAD IT HAS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY KAITLIN STORIES I WANT TO TELL.
8. Do you have a favorite secondary character?
THAT'S A TOUGH ONE. I LIKE SO MANY OF THEM! I LOVE NADINE BEING THE VOICE OF REASON, BUT I ALSO ENJOY WRITING SKY. THE MEAN GIRLS ARE SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE. SKY HAS SOME OF MY FAVORITE LINES.
9. What is your favorite moment of the series so far?
I'M NOT SURE I HAVE A FAVORITE, BUT FAMILY AFFAIRS HAD A LOT OF JUICY ONES. I ENJOYED MAKING KAITLIN AND SKY FRENEMIES. IT WAS FUN WATCHING THESE TWO GIRLS WHO DON'T TRUST EACH OTHER HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
10. What's next for Kaitlin?
PAPARAZZI PRINCESS, WHICH IS OUT IN MARCH 2009, IS ALL ABOUT KAITLIN TRYING TO WORK THROUGH A WORK CRISIS. SHE GETS A LITTLE WRAPPED UP IN THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE FOR A BIT, WHICH BRINGS ABOUT A LOT OF HILARIOUS MOMENTS.
11. What would readers be surprised to know about you?
HMM....TOUGH ONE. I LOVE SCRAPBOOKING. I CAN'T STOP DOING IT. IT'S SO TIME-CONSUMING, BUT I LOVE HOW THE ALBUMS LOOK WHEN THEY'RE COMPLETED. HOPEFULLY MY SON WILL APPRECIATE WHAT I'VE DONE SOMEDAY. IF NOT, MAYBE HIS FUTURE WIFE WILL!
Interview by Lisa
October 2008
