Showing posts with label Kay Cassidy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kay Cassidy. Show all posts

Friday, October 08, 2010

Party with Kay Cassidy

Welcome Kay Cassidy to the party!

Kay is a TFC sister as well as a GCC sister. I finally got to meet her in person a couple of weeks ago at our power cheesecake summit in Dayton. (Never underestimate the power of cheesecake.) I was afraid I'd be intimidated - I mean, Kay is a member of Mensa. She's the founder of the national Great Scavenger Hunt Contest™ reading program for kids and teens featured in School Library Journal Teen and Publisher’s Weekly Children’s Bookshelf. And she's co-founder of Living Your Five™, an organization all about making a difference in the world. Plus, I'm a fangirl of her writing. But there is nothing intimidating about her at all. She's open and friendly and extremely welcoming.
Kay is the author of teen fiction she wishes was based on her real life. In her spare time, Kay loves watching Glee and Life Unexpected, hanging out on Twitter, and reading. Lots and lots of reading.

Here's the blurb on The Cinderella Society:

Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds--led by Jess's archenemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

Kay's numbers:

Your compound vibration numbers are sixteen and eleven.

Eleven is a master number, which is associated with wisdom, intellect and spirituality. Elevens are altruistic, sensitive, artistic, visionary, idealistic, have a sense of community. The number eleven can also hold a warning of hidden treachery from others, or a person who has a great deal to contend with.

The number Sixteen gives a warning of accidents or the defeat of one's plans. It should be carefully noted and plans made in advance to avert its fatalistic tendency. Sixteens should trust their own intuition to avoid hardship.

Your name number value is two.

The number two indicates someone who is empathetic, cooperative, considerate, but in some cases, co-dependent. Twos make good partners or diplomats.

Her reaction:

Eleven – I've gotten this one before when I had my numbers done, and a friend who was with me went, "Oh my gosh, that's totally Kay!" So I guess I'd have to say bingo to this one, even though it's weird to say "Why yes, I *am* visionary and wise." ;-) But I do strive to be altruistic and give back, so that part is an active piece of who I strive to be on my best day. :-)

Sixteen – Ooo… this sounds like a great plot twist. Too bad it's talking about my life! LOL Seriously though, I think intuition is essential to staying centered and happy. There are so many ways to get off course in life and in my career, but making sure I'm following my head AND my heart is definitely something I focus on. I'm analytical by nature so it's easy for my brain to take over and try to make all the decisions. But sometimes you have to go with your gut and trust that it's the right course for you. That's what I did when I decided to write fiction for teens and tweens. And that ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made!

Two – This one made me laugh out loud. I had someone once tell me when I worked in the corporate world that I would make a good politician because I was so diplomatic and tactful. I laughed and joked that I couldn't imagine being a politician because I have a really reeeeeeally low tolerance level for b.s. :-) I do try to be positive and tactful though because I think there are a lot of people in the world who enjoy being snarky and disrespectful in public. I think there's enough negativity in the world that I don't want to add to it, you know? I would much rather counteract it with acts of kindness and being positive. Nice girls CAN win!

You can read more about Kay on her website: kaycassidy.com.

Today's daily giveaway is a double: A copy of Selfish Elf Wish by Heather Swain, and a custom Cinderella Society bookmark and glass slipper, courtesy of Kay.

Friday, April 23, 2010

FF - THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY by Kay Cassidy

It's Freebie Friday time!

Today I'm excited to bring you an interview with Kay Cassidy, celebrating the release of her debut YA novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY. I got to read the ARC of TCS and I loved it. Not only was it fun to read, but it gave me plenty to think about. This is a must read for all girls!

Kay is the kind of person who lives what she believes. You can see by her official bio below that she's not all talk when it comes to making a difference. I'm inspired by her, both as an author and as a person. Kay's part of my GCC blog tour sisterhood and a member of Teen Fiction Cafe where I feel lucky to rub shoulders (so to speak) with her. If you haven't 'met' Kay yet, I am happy to introduce her to you!

The Author:

Kay cassidy is the author of teen fiction she wishes was based on her real life. She is the founder of the national Great Scavenger Hunt Contest TM reading program for kids and teens and the host of the inspirational Living Your FiveTM web project. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, movies, music and reading. Lots and lots of reading. She hopes her debut YA novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY will help girls embrace their inner Cindy.

You can find more about Kay on her website, on her blog, and by following her on facebook and twitter.

The Book:

What a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

Sixteen year old Jess Parker has always been an outsider. So when she receives an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret society of the most popular girls in school, it's like something out of a fairy tale. Swept up by the Cindys' magical world of makeovers, and catching the eye of her Prince Charming, Jess feels like she's finally found her chance to fit in.

Then the Wickeds--led by Jess's arch-enemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers there's more to being a Cindy than reinventing yourself on the outside. She has unknowingly become part of a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and now the Cindys in charge need Jess for a mission that could change everything.

Overwhelmed, Jess wonders if The Cinderella Society made a mistake in choosing her. Is it a coincidence her new boyfriend doesn't want to be seen with her in public? And is this glamorous, secret life even what she wants, or will she risk her own happy ending to live up to the expectations of her new sisters?

The interview:

If you could hang out with any literary character, who would you choose and why?

Well, other than wanting to hang out with Jess and the Cindys in The Cinderella Society (in hopes that they would invite me to be a part of the secret society too – I'm sadly still waiting for my invitation)… I would probably want to hang out with Cammie and her friends in Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series. How cool to learn the ways of a spy, you know?


Are you superstitious in any way?

A little bit. I have a routine I go through before going to bed every night. It's not so much a superstition that something bad will happen if I don't do it, but I always feel unsettled if I've skipped the nightly routine. :-)

Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?

I have a playlist for each book that really helps me get into the zone of the book. It's particularly helpful on those days when life is crazy and it's hard to make the shift from phones ringing, laundry washing, and dogs barking to really feel in the moment of the story.

What songs would make the playlist for The Cinderella Society?

Some of the songs would give away story points, but the theme song of the book is Soar by Christina Aguilera. Jess's theme song is Who I Am by Jessica Andrews, and Ryan's theme song is Savin' Me by Nickelback. I love the soundtrack.

What's one thing most people don't know about you?

I am a ridiculously bad cook. You know how some people joke that they could burn water? I'm pretty sure I could burn air. Even though I'm very organized and detailed-oriented in other areas of my life, I dissolve into a puddle of incompetence in the kitchen. I'm terrible at timing dishes to come out at the same time, so me putting together a special dinner is cause for celebration. Me putting together a special dinner that a) is not burned, b) does not have any food that is cold or congealed by serving time, and c) does not irreversibly damage anyone's tastebuds is a miracle of biblical proportions. And cause for me to reward myself with something nice like more awesome YA books. Or a pony.


What's your favorite quote?

I have Live – Laugh – Love plaques and items all over my house. It's not so much a quote as it is a mantra for me. I have a tendency to forget to slow down and breathe sometimes, and it helps me remember to savor the moment.

My favorite quote would have to be "Be the change you wish to see in the world." by Mahatma Gandhi. It's what inspired me to found Living Your FiveTM in 2009.


What are you working on now?

Right now I'm working on the sequel to The Cinderella Society. Cindy on a Mission follows the further adventures of Jess and the Sisters as the Wickeds launch an offensive that threatens everything the Cindys hold dear. Cindy on a Mission will be on shelves in Spring 2011.

The Freebie:

For this week's freebie, Kay is offering this way cool special edition TCS mini glass slipper. (Want!) To be entered to win, please leave a comment below telling us at least one thing that is special and unique about YOU!

This drawing will remain open until Wednesday, April 28.