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!

Teaser Tuesday (December 1)

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

"There are moments in life when you know things will never be the same. When you're called to the edge of adventure and given the chance to break free, uninhibited by your past, and claim the life you were meant to live. Relax. This was totally not that kind of day."

-The Cinderella Society, Page 1 (ARC edition), by Kay Cassidy


Happy December!

Waiting on Wednesday (November 11)

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Basically, these are books that haven't been released yet, but that I can't wait for.

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
(I love the cover!)

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?

Published by EgmontUSA
Release Date: April 13, 2010

In My Mailbox (September 12)

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week...

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy (won from Living Your Five)
(ARC/Published by Egmont USA/April 13, 2010)

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.

(How cute is that cover!)

Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs (won from Living Your Five)

Phoebe, who recently discovered she’s a descendant of Nike (the goddess, not the shoe), is finding that supernatural powers come with a crazy learning curve. Her stepfather, headmaster of the Academy for descendants of the Greek gods, has enrolled her at Dynamotheos Development Camp—aka Goddess Boot Camp—with a bunch of ten-year-olds for the summer. Embarrassing as that is, hopefully it’ll help her gain control over her powers in time to pass the test of the gods, continue training hard enough to qualify for the Pythian Games, and enjoy her godly boyfriend, Griffin, all while avoiding the ultimate mistake of accidentally misusing powers.

It’s another fast-paced myth-inspired heroine’s quest that’s sure to bring out the goddess in anyone.

(I loved the first book)

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great. Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years. Or not. Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods — thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom — Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries. However, at the cloisters, all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to — perhaps most dangerously of all — her growing attraction to a handsome art student... and a relationship that could jeopardize everything.

How to Catch and Keep a Vampire by Diana Laurence
(Advanced Copy/Published by Sellers Publishing/October 23, 2009)

Discover the Secret of the Red Satin Ribbon . . .In How to Catch and Keep a Vampire: A Step-by-Step Guide to Loving the Bad and the Beautiful, author Diana Laurence explores the romantic fascination we mortals have for the undead. Why do perfectly normal people fall for such sinister beings? And more importantly, what should we do about it when we do? Diana Laurence knows. With loads of personal experience to draw upon, Laurence does everything from explaining the attraction to blood-drinkers, to sharing what red satin signifies to them. In this book, she has created a road map to show readers how a vampire relationship can be achieved and conducted in harmony with everyday existence.
(I thought this seemed like a funny read, especially with the current vampire craze)

My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel (won from Tales of Whimsy)
Alexandrine Marit is a witch in mortal danger. An evil mage craves the powerful, mysterious talisman that supplies her magic, and the only person who can keep her safe is a dark and dangerous fiend called Xia. With his fierce animosity toward witches, he's hardly the ideal bodyguard. Yet as days turn into nights, she can't deny the white-hot passion between them.

Xia hates witches. They enslave and mercilessly kill his kind. But he's been ordered to protect Alexandrine, who, to his surprise, has a spirit he admires and a body he longs to possess. With the mage and his henchmen closing in, Alexandrine and her protector must trust the passion that can unite them...or risk losing everything to the enemies who can destroy them both.

(Sounds a little scandalous!)

What did you get in your mailbox this week?