Someone asked if I decided to write a book about vampires after reading Twilight. And if you’ve read Sucks to Be Me or the first chapter excerpt, you might have noticed there’s a reference to Stephenie Meyer in there. 
Well, I actually wrote this book in 2005 before Twilight came out in October of that year. The first draft obviously didn’t mention Stephenie Meyer back then, since it was before anyone had even heard of Edward and Bella and the Cullens and Jacob. The reference at that point was actually to Anne Rice. But by the time I sold the book and was working on the revisions with my editor, Twilight was huge and my editor brought up the good point that Anne Rice was really more of an adult author and would most teens have heard of her nowadays? So we decided to change the reference to Stephenie Meyer instead. I hope she doesn’t mind (not even sure if she knows, honestly), since it was definitely meant as a mark of respect regarding her place in pop culture.
Now, as for why I decided to write a book about vampires…in a way, I really didn’t. I was even working on another book at the time. But I’d recently read this YA vampire book (that I won’t name) that had all these references to Dracula (which I’ve studied like a bazillion times) and it got so much stuff wrong. I was annoyed. And late one night the first line of STBM came in my head and I got up and wrote it down. And then wrote up the first couple of paragraphs. And then I went to bed.
I figured that was it, but when I got up the next day, I had more of Mina in my head and (in the immortal words of John Lee Hooker) it had to come out. I still haven’t finished the other fantasy I was working on, but maybe I’ll work on it after the sequel to STBM is done. So that’s the long and short of it, more or less.
She kind of knows.
I told her…
…
Seriously. At her LA signing. I mentioned it. xD No lie.
Oh, that’s cool! I hope she didn’t mind!
I interviewed her a couple of years ago via email, but I’m not sure if she’d remember. I imagine she’s done a ton of interviews.
she must of! when it comes to making vampires nicer and cooler than they seem u guys shud be sisters!
LOL Thanks
anne rice is awesome. ha. well i’ve only read the first 50 pages of Interview with the Vampire, but i love it. i never finished it because it’s so long…
and i still have to go buy your book when i have a chance.
and i want to know what vampire book you read that got you so mad; wondering if i read it
Oh no, I’m definitely not saying
It’s not a bad book and a lot of people like it; it just annoyed me personally.
Anne Rice is a great writer. I’m actually reading Queen of the Damned right now. My older brothers read her books a while back and after reading Twilight, I kind of fell in love with the whole vampire thing, so I began reading them. Fantasy novels as a whole are my favorite. Harry Potter is my first and foremost, true love.
Hi Lex! Well, Harry Potter is awesome
I do like Anne Rice too. I actually have Queen of the Damned but I haven’t read it yet (you’d understand if you saw my to-be-read stack).
I absolutely love your book. I finished it so quickly though, so im re-reading it!
Hi Rachel! Glad you liked it! It’s so great to hear from people who’ve read it!
I love your book. My mom is reading it right now.
I hope she likes it! I’m interested to hear what she thinks!
Ok, so I read STBM a month or two ago and I really liked it!
You did a GREAT job!
I’m writing a vampire book, and I was wondering if you’d read it…..just for grins and giggles:)
Thanks, Leigh! Honestly, I don’t read ANY vampire books anymore, other than non-fiction reference stuff. Some authors read EVERYTHING about their topic, but I’m one of the ones who doesn’t read anything about it — don’t want to get my vampires confused with someone else’s!
hi-i just wanted to say that i absolutely adore your book and am sooo glad you’re writing a sequel! i just fell in love with all of the characters and i think you portreyed a really good view on ‘teen angst’ haha. wish Still STBM could come out sooner! anyway wanted to let you know how much i love your book. thanks ☺
Thanks, Sabra! I wish it could come out sooner too, but I’m just happy I got a chance to write it at all! And that you guys will read it!
Will there be a third book?
I hope so! I do have a plot laid out for a third one. No word yet from the publisher. Feel free to write ‘em!
Just finished reading the 2nd book(Sill Sucks To Be Me) it was awesome. Any chance for a 3rd one.
Hi! So glad you liked it! There’s actually more on a possible third book here: http://www.kimberlypauley.com/2011/04/18/is-there-going-to-be-a-third-sucks-to-be-me-mina-book/
And I’ve started it, actually…with the short story winner of a recent contest!
http://www.kimberlypauley.com/2011/08/04/and-so-the-story-begins-literally/