Interview with Leah Konen for Happy Messy Scary Love

Happy Messy Scary Love

by Leah Konen
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release Date: May 14th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

As everyone at her Brooklyn high school announces their summer adventures, Olivia harbors a dirty secret: Her plan is to binge-watch horror movies and chat with her online friend, Elm. Olivia and Elm have never shared personal details, apart from their ages and the fact that Elm’s aunt is a low-budget horror filmmaker. Then Elm pushes Olivia to share her identity and sends her a selfie of his own. Olivia is shocked by how cute he is! In a moment of panic, assuming she and Elm will never meet in real life, she sends a photo of her gorgeous friend Katie. But things are about to get even more complicated when Olivia’s parents send her to the Catskills, and she runs into the one person she never thought she would see. This sweet and funny summertime romance is perfect for fans of Love and Gelato and The Unexpected Everything.

Can you briefly describe Happy Messy Scary Love and their main characters?

Happy Messy Scary Love follows Olivia and Jake, aka Reddit nicknames “Carrie” and “Elm,” as they navigate the sometimes-crazy world of social media, Reddit, and real-life romance—with a dose of horror-movie obsession and mistaken identity thrown in. 

The two teens meet in an anonymous Reddit community for horror-movie lovers, often spending hours a day trading movie recs. All goes well until Elm asks Carrie for a photo—in a moment of low self-esteem, she freaks and sends a pic of her best friend—of course, things only get messier when she ends up meeting him—and falling for him—in real life. 

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

Olivia/”Carrie” is truly a girl after my own heart. She’s a budding screenwriter and horror-movie addict. Her ultimate goal is to make horror movies, but she needs to learn to trust herself and her own creativity before she can take even the first step down her path. 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

In addition to horror movies, I’m a huge fan of 90s rom-coms, particularly the work of Nora Ephron. Happy Messy Scary Love is my ode to You’ve Got Mail and Cyrano de Bergerac, as well as all my favorite horror flicks. 

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

I’ll give you a whole soundtrack! The score to Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti. I listened to it nonstop while writing. 

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

I think Kiernan Shipka would make a perfect Olivia. 

Since it is still cold outside, what hot drink do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

Given that Happy Messy Scary Love is all about horror movies and set at a zip-line camp in the woods, I would have to go with some hot apple cider. Although it takes place in the summer, I think you can still sip on cider at night around the campfire. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish Happy Messy Scary Love?

I’m a huge fan of anything by Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. I think they both understand teen romance like no one else.

What’s next for you?

Some big changes for me! My next book will actually be for adults. It’s a thriller set in upstate New York, called Broken People. It follows a 28-year-old woman who reluctantly agrees to help the couple next door fake the husband’s death—but when he turns up dead for real, she realizes she’s the prime suspect in his murder.

Leah Konen is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied journalism and creative writing. She’s the author of the forthcoming HAPPY MESSY SCARY LOVE, LOVE AND OTHER TRAIN WRECKS, THE ROMANTICS, THE LAST TIME WE WERE US and THE AFTER GIRLS. She lives in Brooklyn and Saugerties, NY, with her husband and their dog, Farley.

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FFBC: Welcome to the club, Lucky in Love by Kasie West

Lucky in Love
by Kasie West
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: July 25th 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture. 

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

Hello Kasie! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours. Thank you so much for everything!

Favorite book? 

That is an impossible question. I don’t have a favorite. I read so much and I rarely re-read books, because I always feel like there is so much I haven’t read yet that needs to be read. So I don’t really have a favorite. Or maybe I should say that I have thousands of favorites! 

Favorite TV show? 

Right now? “Heartland.” I’m sure that will change the second I find another show to binge watch. 

Favorite movie? 

I like so many. Notting Hill or Easy A. Or any other one that combines humor and romance. Those are my favs. 

Your favorite song? 

I like Twenty-One Pilots right now. Pretty much any of their songs. 

Favorite food? 

Chocolate. Can I live on chocolate? I wish. 

Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat. 

Hogwarts, Narnia, the Shire. 

Who is your perfect fictional boyfriend? 

Again, it’s all about humor for me. I like a boy who is funny. Like Jace from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassie Clare. I also love Gansey from The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater. 

Favorite quote? 

“She believed she could, so she did.” 

What do you find yourself “Fangirl-ing” over? 

I fangirl over “Stranger Things”, “The Avengers” and books! 

If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be? 

I always say Charles Dickens is my author boyfriend, so I should probably meet him. 

Something to say to our Book Addicts? 

Thanks so much for loving books! I love books too! And thanks to all my readers out there who always have such nice things to say about my books. I love all of you!

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about Lucky in Love? 

Lucky in Love is about a girl who thinks she has everything figured out, and then she wins the lottery. It’s about both the excitement and the challenges that can come with suddenly being a multi-millionaire. 

Can you tell us a bit more about the main characters and/or one of their secrets? 

Maddie is the main character. She is very organized and thinks she has everything figured out. She’s a hard worker and goes after what she wants. Her secret is that she’s not as fearless about the future as she pretends to be. 

How did you come up with the story? 

I’ve always been fascinated with the lottery and stories of people who win the lottery. Did you know that 70% of lottery winners are people who get a big windfall and then go bankrupt within five years? That’s fascinating to me! Human nature is so interesting and I love exploring the different aspects of it. 

Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing? 

Not necessarily for this book. But I do find inspiration in watching movies and reading stories. That’s where many of my ideas are given their first spark. 

Tell us your favorite quote from Lucky in Love. 

“I don’t lie about socks, Seth.”

“That seems like a weird thing not to lie about.” 

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun writing? 

I loved writing Maddie and Seth’s first date. It was a lot of fun for me. I can’t say too much though because I don’t want to spoil anything. But Seth was fun for me to write. 

If you had to pick one song to be the theme song for Lucky in Love – which one would you pick? 

“Buy Me a Boat” by Chris Janson. This country song is about how we often think money can buy us happiness. Plus it’s fun! 

Imagine that we get to see your book on the big screen (how awesome would that be?). Who would you pick to play your characters?

I love, love, love Jordan Rodrigues best known for Dance Academy. He is a cutie! He would make a great Seth. As for Maddie, I think Lucy Fry would fit well in that role. 

Is there any recommendation you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read Lucky in Love (specific music, snacks…)? 

It’s funny you should ask about snacks. There are several scenes in the book where Maddie is doing that very thing (picking out snacks). So, get your Reese’s Pieces and Mountain Dew ready, because otherwise you’ll be craving them from the first scene onward. 

What would you do if you were in Maddie’s shoes? 

If I were in Maddie’s shoes, I would buy a beach house and fund some scholarships for college students. But that’s me now, as an adult. If I were 18 when I won the lottery, I might have thrown a big bash for my high school. 

What’s next for you? 

My next book out is called LOVE, LIFE and the LIST. It features best friends, true love, art, the beach and kissing. I think you’ll love it.

Follow Lucky in Love by Kasie West Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. My novels are: PIVOT POINT and its sequel SPLIT SECOND. And my contemporary novels: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, ON THE FENCE, THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND, PS I LIKE YOU, and BY YOUR SIDE. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

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FFBC: Welcome to the club, The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

The Love Interest
by Cale Dietrich
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQIA

Synopsis:

There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets.

Caden is a Nice: The boy next door, sculpted to physical perfection. Dylan is a Bad: The brooding, dark-souled guy, and dangerously handsome. The girl they are competing for is important to the organization, and each boy will pursue her. Will she choose a Nice or the Bad?

Both Caden and Dylan are living in the outside world for the first time. They are well-trained and at the top of their games. They have to be – whoever the girl doesn’t choose will die.

What the boys don’t expect are feelings that are outside of their training. Feelings that could kill them both.

Hello Cale! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours.

Favorite Book?

Ahh too many to choose, but of all time, it’d probably have to be one of the Harry Potter books (probably Deathly Hallows)

Favorite TV show?

Veronica Mars.

Favorite movie?

This changes all the time! At the moment, it’s a tie between The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Brokeback Mountain.

Favorite Song?

Mr. Brightside.

Favorite Food?

Pasta!

Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.

Easy – Hogwarts/Wizarding World or anywhere from Pokémon. I can’t think of a third, I don’t think anything could compete with how much I want to go to those places. I wouldn’t mind visiting Middle Earth, but I wouldn’t want to live there.

What were your favorite books growing up? (I was a Fear Street girl!)

Oh that’s awesome about Fear Street! I loved Goosebumps and Harry Potter. Also when I was a little older I became very obsessed with the Cirque Du Freak books.

Favorite Quote?

This is kinda weird, but I like “Why Not Me?” by Mindy Kaling. It’s a mentality I think about a lot. It’s basically: why *shouldn’t* it be me that gets that awesome thing? It encourages me to be a go-getter and I love that about it.

What are your fandoms?

The biggest two are Harry Potter and Pokémon. I also am pretty into gaming in a general sense! And if YA in general counts, I’d say I’m a fanboy of that.

What were your 3 favorite books from the last year?

So tough to answer! I’ve read so many amazing books. It’s not a book but SAGA blew me away. HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME was so moving and beautiful, and I had so much fun with GAUNTLET by Holly Jennings. These wouldn’t be top three (I couldn’t rank, I love so many books for different reasons) but they’re stand-outs for sure! Also, I keep a Goodreads list of the books I’ve read, and I would recommend any of these.

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about THE LOVE INTEREST?

Sure thing! THE LOVE INTEREST is about a guy called Caden, who has been trained his whole life to be the love interest of a special girl, named Juliet. He works for a company that dispatches spies known as Love Interests to get close to targets and steal their secrets. When the book starts, Caden, and a Bad boy called Dyl, who is also competing for Juliet, are sent in. And then Caden and Dyl start hanging out, and Caden gets a crush on him, and things get really messy from there.

What 3 hashtags would you most associate with your book? (Could be a word or phrase or anything that would instantly make you think of THE LOVE INTEREST.)

Ooh good question! I’m not great at hashtags, but how about #gay, #funny and #angst.

If you could hang out with any character from your book, who would it be? And what would you guys do?

Ahh I would love to meet all of them! And what I’d do with them would be so different depending on who it would be. With Caden I’d just like to talk. I’d like Juliet to show me her laboratory. And with Dyl, I’d like to go for a drive in his car.

How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other sto-ry/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?

It’s so hard for me to explain this, because the idea for THE LOVE INTEREST seriously did just come to me as the thought: “how cool would it be If there was a training academy for the love interests from YA books”. That sounded super fun to write, so I just started writing it and quickly became super into it. And I found so much inspiration from other places! I think VEROINCA MARS was a big influence, as was COMMUNITY, and YA books like THE HUNGER GAMES.

Tell us your favorite quote from THE LOVE INTEREST.

Ahh my favorite quote is a huge spoiler! Near the end, Caden basically sums up the whole book in four words and it’s easily my favorite quote. But I am really proud of this joke from early on: “For a Nice, the aim of the game is lean. I need to look friendly and cute, but when I take my shirt off I need to be ripped. Just in an approachable way that doesn’t look like I work out much. Like these muscles happened accidentally, the result of playing outside with a golden Labrador or good genes or something like that.”

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write? Or which part was the most difficult to get through?

I love any scene where I get Caden and Dyl together. Like, so much. And nothing about writing TLI was difficult! Caden talking about his feelings toward his sexuality was emotional, but not hard, if that makes sense. That said, I was so worried about letting people read it! It felt very personal.

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for THE LOVE INTEREST – Which one would you pick?

This is a tough one, but I’d say HOLD ON by Twin Atlantic!

Are there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read THE LOVE INTEREST (specific music, snacks…)?

I LOVE THIS QUESTION. And I’d say a Starbucks frappuccino, for sure. It just feels like a frappuccino kind of book to me.

What’s next for you?

Nothing I can talk about yet, I’m afraid! I really hope to have more news soon! But I think it’s safe to say that it’ll be a speculative romance with a gay hero.

Thank you so much for everything, Cale!

Thanks so much for having me!

Follow The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Cale Dietrich is a YA devotee, lifelong gamer, and tragic pop punk enthusiast. He was born in Perth, grew up on the Gold Coast, and now lives in Brisbane, Australia. The Love Interest is his first novel.

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