Kimberly Pauley

Book Launch Party: Day 11: Lara M. Zeises

All About Lara
My guest today is the incredible Lara M. Zeises (AKA Lola Douglas)! She’s just awesome and a wonderful person (even though I’ll never personally understand her fixation with reality TV, but that’s me against, oh, the rest of the free world). She’s written some truly awesome books (like Anyone But You and Bringing Up the Bones) and has recently “come out” about also writing as Lola Douglas, author of True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet (which has been made into an Original Lifetime TV movie!!). She’s also just gotten engaged (you should check the blog for one of the most romantic engagement stories EVER)!

You can learn more about Lara at her official website, http://www.zeisgeist.com. 

ANYONE BUT YOU
“Family, it turned out, was something you really could choose for yourself.”

Seattle should know. Critter and Jesse have been close to Sea since her dad moved in with their mother. Closer still since he took off six years ago and Layla decided to raise Sea as one of her own. It’s a decision none of them regrets, especially not Critter. He’s more than a brother—he’s Seattle’s best friend.

Now it’s vacation, and Seattle and Critter are stoop sitters, at least until summer school starts in July. It beats working like Jesse, or worse, studying like Layla wants them to. It’s too hot for Seattle to be on her skateboard—too hot, even, for Critter to be scamming on girls. But Sea comes up with a plan for them to bluff their way into the ritzy swimming pool the next town over. Big mistake.

Soon Critter’s got his heart set on a Penn Acres princess, while Seattle’s trying hard not to fall for a skater boy on the rebound. For the first time in a long while, they can talk to anyone but each other. Then Seattle’s dad shows up unexpectedly, and the way of life Critter and Seattle have always known begins to change even more. . . .

  
The Q&A

Here’s my question for Lara…

Ok, given the recent big news, I’m going to ask a non-writing related question…so…if money and time and space were no object, what would your dream wedding be?

And her answer…

Honestly?  It wouldn’t be much different from what we’re already planning – it would just be a lot less DIY (my team and I are doing everything from tablescapes to constructing the chuppa).  My fiancé and I are having our ceremony and reception at the Arden Gild Hall in Arden, Delaware, which is a space that actually has special meaning to me and my bridesmaids (a theater group we founded the summer after we graduated from high school had our debut there!).  Our officiant will be the Rev. Annie Lawrence (http://revannielawrence.blogspot.com/), whom I’ve known for ten years, and who I know will make our ceremony warm, personal, and unique.  For photography, I’ve been fortunate enough to get Laura Novak (http://www.lauranovak.net/), who took both of my headshots and who does the most amazing work. 

Truth be told, I’m actually not a huge fan of big-budget weddings.  I mean, if you’ve got the money, then great.  But on some of my wedding planning message boards I’ve heard stories about women who take out $40k in loans just to fund their “dream” weddings – and to me, that’s a nightmare!  The one thing I would splurge on if money were no object would be the honeymoon.  If the two of us had unlimited time and unlimited funds, we’d rent a cushy car and drive Route 66, taking in every tourist attraction possible.  Or we’d fly to San Francisco and drive the coast of California.  We’re big road tripping people.

And Lara’s question for me…

What scares you the most about transitioning from aspiring novelist to published author?

And my answer…

The follow up! While getting published the first time is hard enough, the second time isn’t guaranteed by any means. I definitely don’t want to be a “flash in the pan” and disappear forever after one book. I feel like I’ve got a lot of books in me! Of course, getting them out now is a little harder now that we have a baby. :-)  And it’s hard to figure out what the next best thing to work on is.

I also don’t want to be one of the authors that winds up essentially “typecast,” writing similar things over and over again (which, I suppose, could be potentially lucrative, but sounds kinda boring to me…I love too many genres). So, while I am working on a sequel to continue Mina’s story, I’ve got a lot of other (non-vampire) stories I also want to tell.

And, of course, there’s always the fear that no one will buy the book or that they’ll hate it. But so far it’s mostly been good (though I know all stories are not for all people—heck, as a reviewer I definitely know that!)!

The Giveaway

Want to win a copy of Anyone But You? All you’ve got to do to win a copy is visit Lara’s website and then email me at kim @ kimberlypauley.com with the subject line “Lara…Lola…Whatever Lola Wants!” and tell me…what songs are on Lara’s soundtrack for Anyone But You? (Hint: Click the Soundtracks link…) Be sure to enter by September 12th!

And don’t forget to check out all the other Sucks to Be Me Book Launch Party days with all great guest authors! The Grand Prize contest is getting closer and closer…