It's up early, guys! Real life intervened. (That's why I prefer books! ^^)
Laura Preble is the amazingly fantastic author of one of my favorite series, The Queen Geek Social Club. The first two books, The Queen Geek Social Club and Queen Geeks in Love are out in stores now, and the third one, Prom Queen Geeks, comes out later this year! And here... we... go!
1. Becca, Shelby, Amber and Elisa are all completely different characters. Which one is most like you? Which one is your favorite?
I am kind of like all four, in various ways, but I'm probably closest to Shelby. She's the most neurotic of the group, and always has these internal arguments with herself, which I manage to do most all the time. I guess I wish I were more like Becca, because she's so bold and unafraid of life, and willing to go out and get what she wants. Amber and Elisa, though, are close to me too...I was overweight in high school (though never organized), and I love Edgar Allan Poe.
2. I'm organized like Elisa - and I love Jack! - but I have some stuff in common with the other girls, too. Becca has a dragon tattoo - if you could get at tattoo, what would you get? Or do you already have one?
I have no tattoos because I'm deathly afraid of needles. Do you count those ones you get at the fair and rub on with water? If I could somehow get over my fear of needles (and the fear that my tattoo will sag when I'm an old lady), I would probably get the number 42. It's a reference to Douglas Adams' HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, a great book.
3. I'm dying for a tattoo, I'm just afraid of the pain - and I want a dragon on my back. I still need to read Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy'... The Queen Geeks love Twinkies - what's your favorite food?
I used to love Twinkies until they started living in my hips. Now my favorite food is barbecued chicken that my husband makes on the grill. For an indulgence, I love cheesecake.
4. Icecream is for me! My mom loves cheesecake, too... I don't know what you all see in it! What gave you the inspiration for each of the characters?
I am a high school teacher (ahghghg! Instantly uncool!) so I am around teenagers all the time. I draw a lot of inspiration from them, although no character is based on a single person. I've also had a lot of people write to me and say "Shelby (or Becca or Amber or Elisa) is just like me! How did you know? Have we met?" So, I guess they're kind of universal in some way.
5. If it counts, I'd happily have you as a high school teacher. :] Did you have Queen Geek friends in high school? If so, do you still talk to them?
I had nothing BUT geek friends in high school. I was a music geek, and most of my friends were also. We actually did have big slumber parties, dress up in togas and descend upon the local McDonald's to amuse ourselves. I do still keep in touch with several of them, and have used some of their names in my books. (Carl Schwaiger in book 2 was named after my good friend Jon Schwaiger, who lives in North Carolina now with his partner, Tommy, and their two gorgeous dog-children.)
6. I wish I had the guts to do that... the toga thing, that is. Euphoria is a most original character - what inspired you to stick her in the story?
I guess it was my intense preoccupation with the Jetsons and Lost in Space...Actually, when I started writing the books, I had no intention of sticking a robot in there. She just sort of showed up. I picture her as a cross between Rosie the Robot on the Jetsons, and the Lost in Space "Danger Will Robinson" robot, but with more soul. I love her. I've found that most people either really love her, or cannot stand the weirdness of somebody having a robot.
7. I'd like a robot! In Queen Geeks in Love, Becca and Amber fall for the same guy. Has that ever happened to you?
My best friend in high school LOVED this guy, and HE asked ME to our senior prom. I didn't go. I didn't really like him that much anyway, though, since he was obviously not very nice to my best friend, and friends are always more important than guys. Unless you are lucky enough to have a guy friend and marry him, like I did. My husband is a geek too, and one of my best friends.
8. Friends before boys any day. Care to give us any hints on what might happen in the upcoming continuation of the series, Prom Queen Geeks?
Of course, but then I'd have to have you abducted by robots. No, seriously, PROM QUEEN GEEKS continues the saga of the girls, but you meet some new characters like Evie, an Australian computer whiz, and Shelby and Fletcher have even more love and confusion than in previous books. The girls decide to stage their own alterna-dance, Geek Prom, as a protest against the high prices and uncomfortable shoes associated with the "real" prom. I absolutely love the last few chapters, when the Geek Prom, heats up. It still makes me laugh when I read it. I won't give away any more than that.
The first chapter is posted at my website,
http://www.queengeeksocialclub.com Go to the ABOUT THE BOOK link, and you'll find the PDF file of Chapter 1.
And I'm going to go read that... now.
Hope y'all enjoyed the interview!
~Nicole