Behind the Scenes is a new blog event of Books For YA! where we spotlight the authors and their works.
Ladies and gentlemen this is our first Behind the Scenes post and I am very excited to begin this event with a very special guest. Her debut novel, BLAZE (or Love in the Time of Supervillains), was release on February 1 by Sourcebooks and it already got a lot of bookish love from other bloggers. So, let's give her a very warm welcome, Ms. Laurie Boyle Crompton. *cue applause*
Hi Ms. Laurie, if you could talk to one of your characters, who would it be and what will you say to them?
It would definitely be Blaze. I'd take her out to lunch and tell her that she should never try to change who she is in order to get a guy. Also, I'd mention that she should probably run for the hills when Mark asks her out.
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?
Like many YA authors I'll say Judy Blume. She definitely inspired me to write novels for teens. Of course the great thing about this is the fact that I can always go back and read her books as a mentorship of sorts.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be?
I'd probably switch places with Libba Bray so she could figure out a few plot twists for the next book I'm working on. Although I should probably pick someone like Martha Stewart to get my house straightened up before the show Hoarders comes knocking.
If Hollywood made a movie about your book, who would you like to see play as Blaze?
I always say I'd like to see an unknown play her character since I love the idea of giving a talented young actress her first big break. Of course she would need to have a good sense of humor to pull off the role.
Blaze is a great comics artist, who do you think is her favorite superhero or supervillain?
She talks about her love for Jean Grey in the book, but her favorite supervillain would have to be Magneto. He's not actually evil so much as looking for peace between mutants and humans. Of course he has some twisted ideas for the best way to achieve this!
Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was bad but it turned out to be for the best?
Early on, my manuscript for Blaze was turned down by several publishers which was crushing at the time. Of course I now see that it was because Sourcebooks is the perfect publisher for this book and I'm grateful now for the way everything turned out.
What did you learn from writing this book?
That pressing on and believing in yourself is the only way to ever achieve your dreams. Also, getting a book published is a crazy amount of hard work. But worth it. :)
What's your favorite part of this book?
Definitely the dedication. My husband has been super-supportive throughout this whole process and it reads, "To Brett, who told me once that love is a superpower. And who continues to prove it is true." Also, I must say the book's ending was fun to write.
Do you have a playlist for Blaze?
I actually write in silence, but imagine Blaze would listen to Mumford & Sons, fun, and the Lumineers while drawing her comics.
What are the first three things you did on the release day of Blaze?
1. Blogged this: http://lboylecrompton.livejournal.com/64646.html
2. Went on a four mile run
3. Sat grinning at my computer while friends and family congratulated me online. (I have amazing friends and family!)
Thank you so much for having me! :)
About the Author:
When she was 17, Laurie Boyle Crompton painted her first car hot pink using 40 cans of spray paint. It dried really drippy but looked great when she was flying down the back roads of Butler, PA where she grew up. She now lives near NYC in Queens, but maintains a secret identity in New Paltz, NY where she and her family can often be found tromping through the forest.
Visit her on this site:
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Title: Blaze(or Love in the Time of Supervillains)
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Amazon | Book Depo | Barnes & Nobles
Synopsis:
Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now...
What do you think about the interview? Have you read Blaze yet? Let me know what you think in the comment section. :)
