Welcome to author Janette Rallison. Janette has written some of my favorite humorous, young adult books. I've got a great interview and then a giveaway for her 2010 release My Double Life.
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
Well, according to the latest novels (and we know authors are always right) the future is populated by dystopian societies that will do things like make you fight to the death in hunger games, choose your spouse for you, or put you in a deadly maze. Whereas the past was populated by numerous hot dukes, lords, and viscounts who were always looking for spunky heroines to settle down with. Taking that into consideration, I think I would visit the past.
If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?
That depends whether my choices were limited to the living or if I could invite the dead too. (Although really, the dead don’t usually make good dinner guests.) And really, it’s too hard to choose just five, because George Washington gets all bent out of shape if you invite Abraham Lincoln and not him. So I’ll tell you which five writers I’d choose to have to dinner. Jane Austin, James Herriot, J.M. Barry, Ellen Conford (she was my favorite author growing up) and Charles Dickens
If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
A plane, a pilot, and a runway. But if escaping the island wasn’t part of the plan, I would want my husband, my laptop (so I could write) and a power source so my laptop didn’t die.
What is one book everyone should read?
Mine. Definitely. Just pick one—everybody should read it.
What is the last book you read?
Glen Beck’s The Christmas Sweater. I was on my way to a book event and listened to the CD in the car. Big Mistake. I started crying. As an author, you never want to show up to an event all teary eyed.
What is the last movie you watched?
Mega Mind—and yes, I did analyze the plot, the characterization, the theme, etc. You can’t help yourself when you’re an author. It’s a cute story though. Lots of funny lines, although it did make me wonder if society has stopped believing in heroes. (See, I told you I have to analyze everything.)
If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
I’ve always wanted to fly. Admittedly, it’s sort of a pointless superpower. I mean, besides not getting stuck in rush hour traffic, there are very few advantages to flying. (Plus you’d get a face-full of bugs, which is revolting.) But how cool would it be to go zooming around the sky? This may be why in an upcoming book (Slayers) I have a few characters who can fly.
When you were 12 years old what did you want to be when you grew up?
I did a school visit at my old junior high and the librarian there looked up my 8th grade yearbook. I wrote that I was going to be a writer. I was actually surprised when she told me. I had no idea at age 12 how hard it would be to achieve that goal. I guess it’s a good thing no one told me or I might have chosen something else.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate, but that’s only because you can never find black licorice flavored ice cream anywhere. I loved that as a child. Although, that flavor of ice cream may be one of those things that is better in memory than in actuality. Sort of like those 70’s and 80’s shows that I thought were so awesome. If by chance I see them now they all seem so cheesy.
If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose?
My mother. She died when I was six years old and I have very few memories of her. I’d like to know what she was like.
Which fictional character would you most like to meet?
My first inclination is to list some hot guy that I totally have a literary crush on. Darcy, Peeta—or even better, Apollo from the original Battlestar Gallactica series. (When I was 13 I wanted to marry him.) Of course, it probably wouldn’t be that thrilling to meet any of those guys since they were all in love with heroines who were not me. So maybe I should choose Sherlock Holmes. He could find my car keys when I lose them.
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
My favorite thing is a huge spread of omelets, pancakes, and sausage. What I eat every day is bran cereal. That really says a lot about my life when you think about it. I won’t think about it, because if I did, I would get in my car and drive to Village Inn.
How many books do you read a week/month?
I listen to books on CD. When it’s my turn to drive carpool, I can go through four books in a week. But normally, I only go through one or two. As far as books that I actually sit down and read—I have a book that I read in spare moments, and I think I’ve been on the same one for a month.
Is there anything you need in order to write? (ie Chocolate, quiet, music)
When my kids were little, I could write anywhere, and I did. I took a notebook with me to soccer games, ballet lessons, and the park. I wrote on scraps of paper while I waited in the car and even wrote while nursing. Now that my kids are in school, I’ve gotten used to writing in the quiet and solitude of my room, and it’s very hard for me to write anywhere else. I get too distracted.
Night owl, or early bird?
Night owl. I’m always wide awake at 10:00 pm, 11:00 pm, and midnight no matter when I woke up. I have to force myself to go to sleep. And it’s always hard for me to get up in the morning. When the kids all graduate, I’ll probably stay up until 2:00 am every night and get up at 11:00 am.
One food you would never eat?
Anything that could be considered a pet. Like rabbit, guinea pigs, etc
Pet Peeves?
Waiting in long lines. (It feels like such wasted time.) In fact, anything that wastes my time becomes a pet peeve. This includes books that start out really good and then have horrible endings. Also, I don’t like books that bash religion and books that profess that safe sex means having the characters use a condom. One day I will just snap and starting yelling STD facts from my roof top. “One in six people have Herpes! It’s incurable, painful, and spreads even if you use a condom!! Ditto for HPV!!”
My homeowners association will probably not appreciate my rooftop rants.
Favortie Cartoon?
Superman. I’m pretty sure that one day he’ll dump Lois Lane and fly me off into the sunset.
If you could trade your life for that of a fictional character, who would that character be?
Good question. I was about to say Elizabeth Bennet, (Who wouldn’t want to live in Pemberley?) but then I recalled that whole no indoor plumbing or electricity problem. And Bella—well, she has two hot guys who love her, but also a bunch of vampires who keep trying to kill her. I guess when you come down to it, I’m pretty happy being me.
If you could go back in time and meet one author, who would it be and why?
Jane Austin because she had such a good sense of humor and she clearly was a romantic at heart. I think we’d get along.
What was the first book you read?
I don’t remember, but I do remember the first book I really loved was The Phantom Tollbooth. I still love that book.
If you could be a paranormal creature , what would you choose to be?
I’m writing a paranormal romance right now which is tentatively called, Hunters and Hunted. I would choose to be one of the Hunters. They have extra strength, x-ray vision, and they can leap great distances. It would be fun. I’ll have to wait and see if readers agree though.
If you could re-write the ending to a book written by someone else, what would it be?
It’s a tossup between Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and Ptolemy’s Gate by Jonathan Stroud. I loved the first two books in both the Hunger Games and the Bartimaeus trilogy but was really disappointed in the third book of each series.
If you could choose only one time period and place to live, when and where would you live and why?
Definitely the one we live in now. I wouldn’t ever want to live without all the modern conveniences. I shudder to think how long it would take to write a book if you didn’t have a computer. Can you imagine writing out a book by hand? Or having to retype it every time you made a change?
What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
The next Narnia movie
Who is your favorite author?
Me. My books always end the way I want them too. Plus I amuse myself.
What kind of book do you read when you get sick?
I love romances. I devoured them as a teen. So I would try to find a good romance novel. Unfortunately, it’s hard for me to find a romance these days that isn’t waaaay too explicit. Seriously, some are so hot that they singe off your eyebrows when you turn the pages.
What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Gymnastics or figure skating because they’re both so graceful, beautiful and amazing to watch. I could care less about a bunch of men playing a game where they try to grab the ball away from each other. I mean, I don’t know any of the players, so why should I care who wins?
On the other hand, my oldest son played football and I got very enthusiastic about those games. So enthusiastic, in fact, that my teenage daughter was embarrassed because I was cheering so loudly.
Are you a loner or social butterfly?
Social butterfly. Although these days I feel more like a moth. I still get out, but I’m not nearly so pretty.
How do you react to a bad review?
I’ve never gotten a really horrible review but I have gotten some reviews where the reviewer clearly didn’t get the point of my book. If you read a romantic comedy and you have no sense of humor and don’t really like the romance genre, you’re not going to enjoy my books a whole lot. People who have a good sense of humor love them though, and I keep that in mind.
Which fictional character do you love to hate?
None. I think a really good villain is one you like, even though you’re routing for the hero to win the day. I’ve loved the movies The Prince of Egypt and The Ten Commandments for that reason. You feel for the character of Ramses in both those movies.
If it was the end of the world and you could only save 5 books , which ones would it be?
Five of mine, because hey, wouldn’t it be great to have a monopoly on books at the end of the world? (We have to do something when we’re not out fighting zombies)
If not a writer, you would have been?
I’d be an editor. Apparently I can’t keep away from books. Or maybe I just love telling people what to do, one of the two.
What do you do when you are in-between books?
I try to catch up on all of the things I put off because I was busy writing books. Things like painting the walls, calling the tree trimmers, and running errands. I also try to read a few books. It all sounds very glamorous, doesn’t it?
My Double Life
By: Janette Rallison
Published by: Putnam Juvenile
Website:
http://www.janetterallison.com/
Book Summary: (from Goodreads)
Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia's photo filters through the Internet, she's offered a job to be Kari's double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia's mother has always warned her against celebrities. Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!
Giveaway Details:
My Double Life by Janette Rallison.
Shipping to US & Canada.
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