YA Author Interview: Lisa Burstein

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Author Name: Lisa Burstein

Title: PRETTY AMY

Release Date: May 15th, 2012

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over

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Book Talk/Character Talk

Pre-order it: Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Book Depository

Add it: Goodreads

Describe your book in one word:

This is hard, I pick two. Funny and Bittersweet.

Cast your heroine:

Saoirse Ronan

Cast your hero(Joe):

Josh Hutcherson

Cast your hero(Aaron):

Dylan Patton w/ auburn hair

Describe your heroine in three words:

Real, Raunchy, Misunderstood

Describe your hero in three words(Joe):

Loyal, Pure, Wistful

Describe your hero in three words(Aaron):

Sexy, Dangerous, Aloof

Favorite line by your heroine:

After being tested for her ideal community service arrangement. The sum of my answers, told her I would do my best work with a roadside cleanup crew. Forget children, the homeless, and the elderly—my calling was trash.

Favorite line by your hero(Joe):

When Amy shows up on his porch after years of ignoring each other. “You’re acting weird, and not the way you usually act weird. Like, bald Britney Spears weird.”

Favorite line by your hero (Aaron):

When they meet for the first time and Amy is wearing a suit after her first court appearance. “You don’t have to lie.” He smiled. His crooked tooth looked sharp, like a shark’s, “Though you do make a cute librarian.”

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Author Talk

Why do you write in the genre you write?:

I write YA because I had a lot of self-esteem issues in high school and I was always looking for solace in books. I want to bring that same feeling to my readers. I write comedy because I love to laugh. I mean like a lot. I’m the kind of person who snorts when she laughs. I also like to hit people when I think something is funny. My husband has the bruises to prove it.

What other genres would you consider and why?:

Probably “chic-lit” I am pretty snarky and I feel like that might go well with a Sex and the City type book. I would also love to write a mystery or a suspense book.

Can you give us a hint of something else you’re working on?:

A companion novel to PRETTY AMY, titled DEAR CASSIE about the aftermath of the girls’ arrest and its effect told through diary entries of Amy’s best friend Cassie. And an additional manuscript is about a sixteen year-old girl who takes wanting to be famous to an irrational level. She lies about being pregnant to get on a reality show with hilarious and horrible consequences.

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Thank you, Lisa! I was lucky enough to read a galley of PRETTY AMY, and it is amazing! Everyone has been an Amy sometime in their life. Grab this book, you won’t regret it!