Girlfriends Cyber Circuit Presents Eileen Cook

I did get the Ballet Nazi last night, and we've got him for one more week. Ouch. It didn't help that I barely moved off the sofa throughout the holidays, so now I've realized that I am woefully out of shape. I have semi-decent muscle tone, but no cardiovascular fitness. Time to start walking daily so I can get through a ballet class without gasping. Meanwhile, I seem to have established some cool cred with one of the ballet girls I was chatting with in the waiting area before class when I knew what she was talking about when she mentioned The Middleman. She was shocked that I knew what that was.

Now I've got another Girlfriends Cyber Circuit author visiting (this must be a big time for book releases), and for this one, I almost felt like part of a clandestine operation, as all messages had to be relayed through intermediaries since my ISP apparently decided it didn't like her ISP and refused to accept her messages directly. But now I'm able to bring you, through a top-secret intermediary, Eileen Cook, author of the new novel What Would Emma Do?

There is no greater sin than kissing you best friend’s boyfriend. So when Emma breaks that golden rule, she knows she’s messed up big-time. Especially since she lives in the smallest town ever, where everyone knows everything about everyone else….and especially because she maybe kinda wants to do it again. Now her best friend isn’t speaking to her, her best guy friend is making things totally weird, and Emma is running full speed toward certain social disaster. This is so not the way senior year was supposed to go. Time to pray for a minor miracle. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Emma to stop trying to please everyone around her, and figure out what she wants for herself.



And now, the interview:

Was there any particular inspiration for this book?
I had recently re-read the Crucible. In the play a group of people begin blaming others of being witches and the situation burns out of control. It got me thinking about what would be the worst thing you could accuse someone of today and how easy it is for the mob mentality to take over. Those thoughts were the beginning of the story that would grow into What Would Emma Do.

What, if anything, do you have in common with the heroine of this book?
Both Emma and I share a strong sense of curiosity. Neither of us are content to accept someone's opinion of something we want to find out for ourselves.

Are there any "girl laws" you think should be enforced (aside, maybe, from not kissing your best friend's boyfriend)?
My friends and I enforced a no left-overs policy. If one of us dated someone then even once the relationship was over no one else could date that guy either. It served us well.

(You know, I think that's a benefit of having mostly male (and straight, at that) best friends. We never had to worry about this rule.)

Were you been tempted by a friend's boyfriend (I promise not to tell the friend!)?
I was never seriously tempted by a friend's boyfriend, but I did kiss one of my college roommates boyfriends. She and I didn't get along and she used to steal my laundry detergent all the time, but I still felt bad about it after it happened. I'm lousy at keeping secrets (thus my career aspiration as an international spy was thwarted before it ever began) so sneaking around on someone wouldn't work for me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits or rituals?
I love my office, but I write about half of the time there and the other half of the time wherever my laptop and I end up. When I’m stuck I tend to write better in public like a coffee shop or the library. If I am really stuck then I write by hand. I think I’ve convinced myself that if I’m touching the paper I must be closer to the story. I am aware that this is completely illogical- but it works for me so I go with it.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on another YA, which is currently called Black and White. (Stay tuned the title may change.) It is a story of revenge, classic movies, friendship, and love. I’m having a lot of fun coming up with all sorts of evil plots for the revenge part. Turns out I have a very evil side.

Is there anything else you'd like to say about this book or the process of writing it?
I think every book is an adventure. I had a great time writing this book and hope people enjoy reading it!

For more info, visit Eileen's web site. Or you can buy the book at Amazon.

And now I actually want to get to work because new scenes for the revised version of the Nano book started flooding my brain last night. I think that's a good sign that the Idea So Big It Made My Head Hurt was just what I needed. And then I have a busy weekend ahead of me. It's hard to be a good recluse and agoraphobe when people keep scheduling events I want to go to that require leaving the house.