Author Interview: Kay Cassidy

AUTHOR BIO:

Kay Cassidy is the author of teen fiction she wishes was based on her real life. She is the founder of the national Great Scavenger Hunt ContestTM reading program for kids and teens and the host of the inspirational Living Your FiveTM web project. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, movies, music, and reading. Lots and lots of reading. She hopes her debut YA novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY (April 13, 2010 - Egmont), will help girls embrace their inner Cindy.

Q&A:

1. In The Cinderella Society, the Cindys work to combat the Wickeds. What inspired these two secret societies?

The Cinderella Society actually came from a magazine article about high school sororities. I'd never heard of that before and, once I started thinking about the kind of society I would create if I could, I realized I would want it to be an organization devoted to fighting the everyday battle of good vs. evil. The idea snowballed from there and The Cinderella Society was born.

2. The Cinderella Society contains a lot of positive messages about self-image, friendship, and cliques. Do you think these messages will have a positive impact on your readers?

I really hope so. I get a lot of email about the book that addresses those issues, actually. I've even had people tell me how using The Rule of Fives has made a difference in their lives. That's so cool! I use that one too. :-)

3. In your opinion, what's the hardest part involved with writing YA fiction?

I think that's different for every author… and sometimes for each book too. For me, I tend to write first drafts that are dialogue and action driven. I have to consciously go back and layer in description and sensory details because that's not what I'm thinking of when I'm first drafting. I'm just thinking of the characters and action as it appears in my head. It's almost like tunnel vision – I don't even think about where they are half the time because I'm so focused on how they're interacting with each other. It's only when I'm editing that I can see the bigger picture of the scene and bring that to the page more fully.

4.I know that I personally can't wait to learn more about Jess. Is there any possibility that a sequel could hit the shelves?

Right now, I'm working on the sequel to The Cinderella Society, titled Cindy on a Mission. It follows the further adventures of Jess and the Sisters as the Wickeds launch an offensive that threatens everything the Cindys hold dear. Cindy on a Mission will be on shelves in Spring 2011.

5. You're a creator, and active member of Living Your Five^TM, which focuses on making the world a better place. Can you briefly explain what LYF is, and do you have any suggestions for people who want to participate?

Living Your Five^TM is about choosing the five ways you want to make a difference in the world and then living your life according to those priorities. I created the concept in 2008 as a way to keep myself focused on what matters most when life gets crazy. It worked so well for me that I invited Alyson Noel and Tera Lynn Childs to join forces and create an inspirational web project where we share our progress on living our Fives. We encourage everyone to climb aboard and share their own Fives on their blogs too! All the details can be found at www.kaycassidy.com/lyf including how to become an Honorary Fiver. The more, the merrier!

More about Kay's book, The Cinderella Society:

OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB:

What a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

Sixteen year old Jess Parker has always been an outsider. So when she receives an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret society of the most popular girls in school, it's like something out of a fairy tale. Swept up by the Cindys' magical world of makeovers, and catching the eye of her Prince Charming, Jess feels like she's finally found her chance to fit in.

Then the Wickeds--led by Jess's arch-enemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers there's more to being a Cindy than reinventing yourself on the outside. She has unknowingly become part of a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and now the Cindys in charge need Jess for a mission that could change everything.

Overwhelmed, Jess wonders if The Cinderella Society made a mistake in choosing her. Is it a coincidence her new boyfriend doesn't want to be seen with her in public? And is this glamorous, secret life even what she wants, or will she risk her own happy ending to live up to the expectations of her new sisters?

BOOK TEASER:

I opened the card, my hands trembling in dread and the faint remnants of what I used to call hope, as a tiny silver high-heel pin bounced into my hand.

I juggled the pin for a second, barely managing to keep it from falling, and flipped open the note with my other hand. The words inside were not a message but an invitation that sent shivers down my spine:

Your presence is requested at The Grind.

Tonight, 7 p.m.

Wear the pin.

Discretion MANDATORY.

A huge thanks to Kay for answering my questions. You can check out my review of The Cinderella Society Here

Book Review: The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

When the Prom Queen becomes your fairy godmother…

Sixteen year old outsider, Jess Parker, gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret society of popular girls dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. The Cinderella Society guides all new recruits through its top secret ultimate life makeover. It’s all part of preparing them to face down the Wickeds and win. Determined not to let the Cindys down, Jess dives in with a passion. Finally, a chance to belong and show the world what she’s made of.

…be careful what you wish for.

Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of her dream crush and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a high stakes battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself. What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore? (From Goodreads)

I'll begin with Jess, the protagonist, and my favorite character. She was a great character for a few reasons. She was smart, and she had flaws. At the start of the book, Jess is fairly self-conscious, and is skeptical when the popular girls include her in their yearly sleepover. As the book progresses, Jess becomes more confident, and sure of herself. Cassidy did a great job of making Jess easy to relate to. Even as a senior in college, I was able to understand and sympathize with some of her insecurities.

Lexy, Jess's archenemy, is one of the Wickeds. Unlike the Cindys (the society in which Jess belongs), the Wickeds don't think about the consequences of their actions, and thrive on manipulation. In short, they're bullies. I'll admit that Lexy does her fair share of cruel things over the course of the story, but I had a hard time hating her. In fact, some information is revealed toward the end of The Cinderella Society that actually made me pity her. Lexy was the younger sister of Ryan, the prince charming of the story. He was an interesting character, too. He seemed to be the perfect, popular, chivalrous guy, but he had some secrets and insecurities of his own.

The plot was definitely unique, and Cassidy was able to promote kindness, community service, friendship, and self-love. She managed to do all this without preaching to the reader. Personally, I finished the book with a few ideas about how I could be more like a Cindy. I'll be trying to cut back on my Wicked Chatter (gossip, putting others/myself down), and using The Rule of Fives when something embarrassing or stressful happens. The one thing I would have liked to see more of is the wickeds. Readers get to see how they manipulate others through Lexy, but I wish I knew more. I'd really have liked to see into Athena, the headquarters of the Wickeds. I'm confident that we'll get to see more about them in the sequel, so it didn't detract from my reading.

Overall, I loved this book. The characters were realistic, and relatable. No character was perfect, and Jess wasn't a damsel in distress. I personally think that girls today are socialized to be self-deprecating. Honestly, how many of you say, or hear friends say "I'm so fat". It was refreshing to read a book with some great girl-power messages. This is definitely one I'll be passing on to my teen sister, and my friends.

The Cinderella Society
By Kay Cassidy
Published by EgmontUSA
320 Pages
Rating: A

Don't forget to stop back tomorrow, when I'll be posting an interview with the author!

Waiting on Wednesday (April 28)

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Waiting on Wednesday shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

StarCrossed by by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Digger thrives as a spy and sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse, dodging the Greenmen who have banned all magic. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner and lover Tegen is killed, she has to get out of the city, fast, and hides herself in a merry group of nobles to do so. Accepted as a lady's maid to shy young Merista Nemair, Digger finds new peace and friendship at the Nemair stronghold--as well as plenty of jewels for the taking. But after the devious Lord Daul catches her in the act of thievery, he blackmails her into becoming his personal spy in the castle, and Digger soon realizes that her noble hosts aren't as apolitical as she thought... that indeed, she may be at the heart of a magical rebellion. (From Goodreads)

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books
Release Date: October 1, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (April 27)

What is teaser tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers

"When I'd thought about what being a double meant, I'd imagined, vaguely, that I would be used as a decoy to throw off the paparazzi when she went to events or stuff like that. Like a stunt double. Not once did I ever think she actually wanted me to pretend to be her."
-My Double Life, Page 38, By Janette Rallison

This is based on the ARC edition, and quotes are subject to change

A Movie Trailer on Monday

As I'm sure many of you know, the movie Beastly is going to be released July 30th. It's based on the book by Alex Flinn, and stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, and Mary-Kate Olsen. Plus, Neil Patrick Harris is in it (who else loved Dr. Horrible?).

Here's the trailer (sadly the whole thing doesn't fit in my layout, but I don't think anything too important gets cut off):