Interview with Luisa Plaja

Meet fabulous author Luisa Plaja, author of The Kiss Series; Split By a Kiss, Swapped By a Kiss & A Stand Alone Novel - Extreme Kissing and she also has a new novel coming out this year: Kiss, Date, Love, Hate...

Read the review for The Kiss Series here

Read the INTERVIEW BELOW

1. Where did you get the idea for The Kiss series; Have you always wanted to write a novel about people switching bodies, or did you see something that inspired you?

I didn't set out to 'split' the character of Jo when I first started writing Split by a Kiss - it happened while I was writing. When I reached Jo and Jake's cupboard scene, I couldn't decide whether or not Jo's new experiences had changed her, and I decided to follow both possibilities in parallel stories. Initially, I was just figuring things out, but I soon noticed that both versions of Jo had a voice and a story to tell, so I stuck with them. After that, the body swap idea for the sequel came naturally. Rachel was always jealous of Jo and uncomfortable in her own skin, and Jo mentioned the various versions of Freaky Friday in Split by a Kiss, so swapping the friends seemed like a perfect way to tell Rachel's story. As for what inspired me to write a body-swap story... Well, I'm not sure, but I can tell you that the novel Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers was one of my favourite books when I was growing up. I re-read it recently and loved it just as much. I highly recommend it!

2. Are any of your characters based on real people?

No, they're all made up! Sometimes I might base parts of characters on my impressions of people, though not necessarily on anyone I've ever met.

3. Do you have any favourite books or authors?

Yes, lots, and I add to my list all the time! I love books that explore relationships, especially those that do so with a light and humorous touch. I have too many favourite authors to list but I do name some of them and review their books on Chicklish (a book blog - http://www.chicklish.co.uk ).

4. Do you have a favourite character or a moment in one of your books?

This is a hard one to answer. I spend such a long time with characters when I write a novel that I can't help forming a relationship with each one, and it feels wrong to pick favourites! I think I'm particularly fond of Rachel, though - I loved getting into her head and writing from her intense, troubled but well-meaning viewpoint. Lex is another character I have a massive soft spot for - you'll meet her in Kiss, Date, Love, Hate!
I do get fond of certain scenes as I'm writing, too, though I often change my mind about this over time. Right now I'd choose: the ice rink scenes in Split by a Kiss, Bets and Zac at the arcade in Extreme Kissing, the finale of Swapped by a Kiss... and the film-making scenes in Kiss, Date, Love, Hate.

5. When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I don't remember a time when I didn't want to be a writer! I think it must have happened around the time that I first learnt to read and I fell in love with books. As I got older, though, I became convinced that writing novels for publication was an impossible dream. I'm so glad I was wrong!

6. Have you ever written any other works under a pseudonym if not, what would you want your pseudonym to be?

Yes, I have written a series of novels for teenagers under a pseudonym. I'll now insert a secretive smiley of mystery: :-x

7. Do you have a designated writing time or routine, or is it just spontaneous?

I write whenever I can, and when I'm in the full flow of a novel, I'll even try to write when I can't! My best writing time is usually late evening and into the night. I'm a real night person. If only that didn't make mornings such a struggle...

8. Was there a book or an event that inspired you to be a writer?

Hmm, I've probably been inspired to some extent by everything I've ever read! There are a few lovely friends who inspire me to keep writing, and to write the kinds of books I do, and their help and support is invaluable to me. You'll see the names of some of them on the acknowledgment pages of my books!

9. Which character in your books are you most like?

I'm probably most like Jo from Split by a Kiss, in that I have nerdish tendencies, a love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and hair with a mind of its own.

10. If you were to write another novel, what do you think it would be about? 

It would almost certainly have something to do with friendships and relationships in teenage years - there are so many fascinating issues I still want to explore!

11. If YOU could switch bodies with anybody, who would it be?

Well, I get to do this every day, really, and call it 'writing'! I'm not sure whether I'd want to switch places with anyone in real life, though. (If you'd asked me this when I was a teenager, I think my answer might have been different...)

Thank you very much for interviewing me Isme!

Valentines Day Reads

As today is Valentines Day, enjoy reading some romance novels (or not), here is a recap of some great romantic / possibly comedy books that have been reviewed and some that have reviews coming soon...

Already Reviewed Awesome Books 

Kisses for Lula by Samantha Mckintosh
 
Matched by Ally Condie

The Serious Kiss by Mary Hogan

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Kiss series by Luisa Plaja

Lament by Maggie Stievfater

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

The Mediator series by Meg Cabot

Tremendous reviews coming soon!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Dash & Lily's book of Dares Rachel Cohn & David Leviathian

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

 

Day before Valentines Day - Read-a-Palooza

Leading up to Valentines day, I will review or remind you of one book each day that you can read to get in the mood for Valentines Day.

Today, there are many reads for you to enjoy for the day before the Big Day!

Kisses for Lula by Samantha Mckintosh
Can Lula defeat the curse and finally get her first kiss?
 
Matched by Ally Condie
In a time where everything is decided for you, can Cassia overcome the dictatorship of her society and fall in love?

The Serious Kiss by Mary Hogan
Libby Madrigal and her best friend promised that they would each get one serious kiss before they turn fifteen; when Libby is just starting to make progress, her parents move the whole family. To a retirement home no less! Can Libby survive the madcap drama and still get her serious kiss?

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Keenan, the king of the Summer faeries needs a queen. Aislinn isn't to let the faeries know that she sees them. But Keenan is trying to save summer before it ends, but can he persuade Aislinn in time?

The Kiss series by Luisa Plaja
When nerd Jo moves to the US, she automatically feels unaccepted; isolated from her friends, with no one to talk to. When the door to popularity opens, will she follow it, even though she might not want to? The choice is hers, To Kiss or Not To Kiss.

Have fun reading; your fellow book nerd,

Isme
The Book Slooth

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend By Emily Horner

Not just a unique and catchy title, but a compelling novel that surprises with twists and turns down the  long road of discovery.

After the death of her best friend Julia, Cass goes on the road trip that she and Julia were planning. As Cass travels across the states, she discovers herself, meets individual people and has entertaining and experiences along the way.

I loved this book. As soon as I saw it, I was drawn in by the distinct title, the simple but funky cover and the overwhelming need to know what the book was about.
I loved the characters, I felt that they were real and well-developed, making them entertaining and believable. 
Written int the style of Now, being the present -after the road trip, and Then, during the road trip; written in a sort-of chapter format.

A love story starring my dead best friend was original, thought provoking. As Cass was cycling across the states, she undergoes a journey, physical and emotional, with you along for the ride.

I highly recommend this book for girls aged 13 - 16. Fans of Luisa Plaja (The Kiss series) will love this quirky new novel.