Authors Are Rockstars Tour: LAURA TOFFLER-CORRIE Interview + Giveaway!

I am SO excited to be participating in the second annual Authors Are Rockstars tour!  Today I am featuring a wonderful author, Laura Toffler-Corrie!

Why LAURA is a ROCKSTAR:

Laura is getting ready to release her second YA book next week, My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush.  Her books are completely appropriate for all audiences, and in particular Middle Grade readers.  They are snarky, funny, and completely adorable.  Not only are her books funny, she's got a great sense of humor too. Seriously, check out her twitter account, in particular, this post.  So if you are looking for something new or different, and you want to just enjoy a book that doesn't take itself too seriously, I really encourage you to check out her books.

 Interview with Laura Toffler-Corrie

Q: Your new book ‘My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush,’ will be released soon. On the blog, we have a feature where I write a review based on five words I think describe the book. What five words would you use to describe your new book?

A: Funny, quirky, paranormal, relatable, visual (and if I had one more work, I might say spoofy).

Q: This is your second book. How would you say this book is different from your first?

A: For one thing, ’My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush,’ is different in that it skews a little older and the main issues don’t revolve around religion or ethnicity. Additionally, the central conflicts have to do with the paranormal (which I satirize a bit) and there’s a more mature romance. Also, there’s a plot line that involves a community theater production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof. So, as someone once said, ‘My Totally Awkward…’ is, loosely, like Twilight meets Glee. Although, both my first book and this one are both humorous.

Q: You write for a  younger YA/middle grade audience, do you see yourself writing for an older YA audience in the future?

A: I think my ‘voice’ fits nicely into a lower YA groove, but I often wonder if it’s me or if the expectations of the genre demand that YA’s are supposed to be more sexy and serious. However, I am totally open to skewing older. Right not I’m writing a paranormal historical that I think might be more upper YA.

 

Q: Who are your favorite authors?

A: I’ve always enjoyed the classics and authors such Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Jane Austin, Flannery O’Connor, Kurt Vonnegut, Bram Stoker to name a few. Lately, I’ve been reading mostly kidslit, though, so I’ve been enjoying the works of Libba Bray, Louise Rennison, Rick Yancy, Neal Gaiman and Gabrielle Zevin to name some more. I really like Woody Allen both as an author and filmmaker.  

Q: What inspires your books?

A: I like absurd humor in books, films and theater. I also take inspiration from my own life experiences. I like to take the essence of an incident and give it a dramatic and humorous twist. I also love writing character and dialogue. I’m a big eavesdropper!

Q: What is the most difficult thing about writing?

A: I think it’s hard to start a new project and get through a first draft. Oftentimes, I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen until I write a scene so I feel like I’m groping along at the beginning. Because of this, I think it’s hard to make a commitment to write at least two pages a day, which is really critical for staying connected to the work. Having said that, there’s no better feeling than when you get going, are excited about the project and can’t wait to sit down and write. 

Q: You went to school to study playwriting and screenwriting. How did you make the leap to MG/YA books.

A: It actually happened somewhat accidentally. Once I decided to settle in the New York area, it became difficult to make headway in screenwriting. New York is really the place for books and theater. I started writing kidslit and realized that I loved it and never looked back. I still toy with the idea of writing a play one day, but in my first book, ‘The Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz,’ there are quite a few little plays. In general, I think my writing is very visual and almost cinematic in style.

Q: Anything else you want to let us know about you or your books?

A: Just that I’m excited for the release of ‘My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush’ and hope that people enjoy it. I invite your readers to come visit my website at www.lauratoffler.com to find out more about me and any upcoming signings, events or news regarding this book or future ones. Oh, and I really love animals and really, really love Halloween.

Find Laura Toffler-Corrie online:

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •  FACEBOOK  •  GOODREADS

GIVEAWAY!!

Laura has generously donated one signed hardcover to giveaway on this tour!
 Open US or Canada  •  Ends 8/31/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway