Chatting with Kay Cassidy!

Hello Readers, 

It’s a week of interviews! They’re flowing into my email inbox like crazy and I’m having a blast reading them all and sharing them with you. On today’s agenda? Kay Cassidy!

C: You’re one of our first-time authors this year! What does it feel like to be a published author? Did you always know that you wanted to write? Did you always know that you wanted to write for teens?

KC: Being published is pretty amazing. Seeing your book on the shelf—a story that used to live solely in your head—is such an unusual experience! I used to write when I was 7 or 8, but then stopped and never really started again until I was in my 30s. I'm living proof that it's never too late to start that career you've always dreamed of. :-) Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what you want to be when you grow up!

C: Your novel “The Cinderella Society” has a unique concept – I’ve been describing it as “The Princess Diaries” meets “I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You.” How did you come up with the idea for “The Cinderella Society?”

KC: I LOVE that comparison! Meg and Ally are two of the authors who inspired me to write YA. :-) “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.

C: Are any of the characters in “The Cinderella Society” based on you as a teenager? Or anyone that you knew as a teenager?

KC: I don't base characters on people I know because the characters are usually pretty vivid in my mind when they introduce themselves for the story. I will say that Jess and I have a lot in common. We have similar teen insecurities, were both cheerleaders who never felt like part of the In crowd, and were pretty independent (and, okay, stubborn). :-)

C: What was your favorite book as a teenager?

KC: I didn't read a ton as a teen, oddly enough. But my favorite book growing up was “The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin. It's still one of my all-time favorites and, in my humble opinion, one of the best children's mysteries ever written. In fact, I bought a new copy a few years back because I'm not sure what ever happened to mine in all of my various moves over the years. And it's a definite book for my permanent keeper shelf.

C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?

KC: There are so many fabulous authors – I can't wait to meet them all! One thing that's kind of neat: Alyson Noel and I are both part of the Living Your FiveTM inspirational web project devoted to making a difference in the world. But TBF will be the first time we've ever met in person! So that'll be fun. :-)

Thanks for the great answers, Kay! In 15 days we’ll get to meet you in person and we can’t wait!

Readers, I hadn’t heard of Living Your FiveTM until this interview with Kay and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing! Check out more information about Living Your FiveTM here.