I was thrilled a few weeks back when an invitation to join a group called the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit landed in my inbox. For those of you not familiar with this awesome group, it's web ring of YA authors dedicated to bringing you the latest news about YA releases and interviews with the fabulous people responsible for them.
Being new to this whole business of being a writer, I'm thoroughly fascinated by how other people do it. And I mean on a daily basis--what their writing day is like, where they work, what they snack on, listen to, procrastinate with. I love when I get a peek into these highly individualized worlds, so when I get to feature authors from the Circuit, that's what I will try to give you!
Today I'm happy to have with me Lucienne Diver, author of the popular Vamped series, and her latest book, FANGTASTIC!
What do you wear to face down a cadre of killer kids?
Gina Covello would rather be working on her manicure than missions for the Feds’ paranormal unit to which she’s been recruited. That changes when a group of killer kids takes out a family in the sunshine state and disappearances begin to plague the lifestylers who only play at the kind of existence our fanged fashionista leads. She and her crew are sent undercover into the vampire clubs…which turn out to be run by real vampires. While Gina’s BFF Marcy hangs with the steampunk-styled Burgess Brigade that spawned the killer kids, Gina herself is supposed to get in good with the fanged fiends behind the scenes, even to the point of playing double-agent, offering to hand over her powerful boyfriend Bobby. Her playacting threatens to become a bit too real when she discovers things about her spy handlers that make her wonder whether she’s truly on the right side of the battle between Feds and fangs. | |
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What Readers and Reviewers are Saying about FANGTASTIC:
“As ever, Gina's feisty, funny narration carries the day. Gina never fails to please, as she strides down the runway of afterlife with just the right mix of humor, make-up advice, youthful lust that never crosses the line and a kung-fu style all her own. This one doesn’t miss a beat.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Perfect for teens and adults, this is a book to share, savor and revisit. ReVamped is full of smart, spot-on dialogue, engaging, authentic characters and a plot that’s so much fun it’s impossible not get swept up.” —Examiner.com
"VAMPED is a total delight! Diver delivers a delightful cast of undead characters and a fresh, fast take on the vampire mythos. Next installment, please!" — Rachel Caine, New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series
“Diver uses wit and adventure to hook readers with this teen vampire story.” —VOYA
“Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Cordelia Chase got turned into a vampire? If you have, look no further than Vamped for the answer. It's like Mean Girls with fangs, with witty dialogue and more pop culture references than you can keep up with.” – Wondrous Reads
“Diver takes vampires to a whole new level.” —I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read
About Lucienne:
Lucienne Diver is the author of the popular Vamped series of young adult novels (think Clueless meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer). School Library Journal calls the first book, “a lighthearted, action-packed, vampire romance story following in the vein of Julie Kenner’s “Good Ghouls” (Berkley), Marlene Perez’s “Dead” (Harcourt), and Rachel Caine’s “The Morganville Vampires” (Signet) series.” VOYA has suggested that the books “will attract even reluctant readers.”
Her short stories have been included in the
Strip-Mauled and
Fangs for the Mammaries anthologies edited by Esther Friesner (Baen Books), and one of her essays appears in the anthology
Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen).
And now, to find out a little bit more...
1. Do you have a pre-game writing warm-up? Something you do before you write to help get you in the right frame of mind?
Coffee. It’s impossible for me to write without coffee. Aside from that, I don’t really have a routine. I try to write first thing in the morning, before my inner editor wakes up and starts getting in my way. I’m better when I write unselfconsciously and can just channel the characters. My inner editor is for the revisions stage of things, and boy, is she harsh!
2. Is there a time of day you like to write best?
Oops, I jumped ahead on this one.
3. Where do you write most often? Do you have a picture you wouldn’t mind sharing of your writing space?
I love the dock at our lodge. Peace, quiet and beauty!
4. What things do you always have on hand when writing? Special pens, notepads, snacks…
For some reason, I can’t write creatively on the computer, though I can write articles, letters and, of course, interview answers that way. I need a spiral bound, college ruled notebook (I doubled my output when I went from regular to college-lined, because I still felt the need to fill the same number of pages, but had twice as much to show for it). I also need several pens. I run them out of ink like nobody’s business. A drink is also crucial, because the worst thing in the world is to have to get up when you’re on a roll because you’re choking on air. Oh, I’ve done it! Then again, I can trip over stray air molecules as well…I’m talented that way.
5. How do you stay focused when writing?
When I’m on a roll, it feels like I’m really just sitting back, listening to the characters. I can keep writing until my time is up (sadly, I can only carve out an hour each weekday) or until my characters hit a point when they’re unsure what comes next. When they don’t know, I don’t know. We all have to stop and figure it out.
6. What is your worst writing distraction/procrastination tool?
My puppy! I have an adorable apricot colored cockapoo (a cocker spaniel/poodle mix) who thinks that if anything is going to be in my lap, it should be him. He’s been known to push my notebook aside to settle in or to fall asleep on my Kindle to keep my attention focused where he thinks it should be. If it isn’t that, it’s that he must go for a walk or play fetch or…. Yeah, there’s a good reason I write on that dock. It’s the only way I can get anything done!
7. Describe your perfect writing day:
I’m in one of the Adirondack chairs at the dock early in the day, when it’s still cool. (I live in Florida.) An iced latte is by my elbow, the breeze is blowing, though not too hard, and the pen in hand is smooth and full of ink. Heaven. It doesn’t take much.
Thank you so much for stopping by Lucienne! You've got one of the prettiest writing spaces I've ever seen!
If you would like to find out more about Lucienne and her books, you can find her here:
Vamped Series Music Video:
Websites:
