A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the latest Spellman Files1 book, Trail of the Spellmans (and, in case you didn't know already, it's hilarious and awesome). Anyway, Lisa took time out of her busy book tour schedule to answer our questions and just be hilarious and awesome, despite a broken laptop. My worst nightmare! Anyway, raise your glasses and welcome Lisa!
1 Book 1 is available as an e-book for only 99 cents for two weeks only! The Amazon and the Barnes & Noble.
THE ACTUAL BOOK-RELATED QUESTIONS
I'm sure you get asked all the time if you're anything like Izzy, so I won't -- I'll just ask a sneaky corollary question instead. Izzy's brother is so normal, it drives her crazy -- even when he starts to change, he's still normal. He's the perfect foil, especially for one end of the sibling rivalry spectrum. Do you have siblings, or do you have a David?
I do have a sibling, who's about as different from David as a person can get.
Izzy's evolution as a person is one of the things that sets this series apart from others. Is it hard to change her while maintaining her essential Isabel-ness? How do you keep from falling into the formula trap so many other writers end up in?
As Isabel changes I have to find her humor in different ways. That's the greatest challenge. It also may be what keeps things fresh. I'm starting to think that when the Spellman books become easy to write, it will be time to stop. Rebellion and immaturity were certainly primary elements of Izzy's character, but as those fade I still find that she has a unique take on the world and is less concerned with social mores than most people.
Isabel has excellent taste in television, especially Get Smart. What's your current favorite TV show?
I keep hoping Arrested Development will come back on the air.
ME TOO.
THE YA QUESTIONS
If your real life adolescence/twenties was a book...What would you, the main character, be like?
A broke, bar-hopping temp who can see into the future and has to save the planet from a giant meteor (no one wants to see a movie that's just about a broke, bar-hopping temp).
Who is your secret crush?
It's a secret. But it rhymes with Reeve Tuscemi.
Who is PERFECT for the broke, bar-hopping temp with the future of humanity in her hands.
What is your number #1 source of angst?
My inherent laziness.
At what point would the reader pump his/her fist in victory?
Pg. 79 (my best footnote joke yet).
And who would play you in the film adaptation?
I'm the author, so unless it was a surprisingly artsy take on the Spellmans, I doubt they'd need to cast me. If you mean Izzy, I don't know. Aubrey Plaza maybe?
THE SLUMBER PARTY Qs
What is your secret power?
Falling asleep on airplanes.
Jealous!
What is your #1 favorite food?
French fries and licorice (not together).
Tell me about your area of expertise.
Efficient deplaning. I could teach a course and we'd all be waiting at baggage claim a lot longer.
If you could assemble your own Ocean's 11 of fictional characters, who would you pick and why?
I guess I'd just grab the Ocean's 11 cast and have them rob a casino for me. See "inherent laziness," above.
What is your best karaoke song?
I'd have to be knocked unconscious and wheel-barreled into a karaoke bar.
Tell me something scandalous!
Once I was knocked unconscious, wheel-barreled into a karaoke bar, and forced to sing Tom Jones songs.
What is your favorite adult beverage?
It's called a South Side. Don't believe bartenders when they tell you it doesn't exist. It does.
I love South Sides! Any drink with gin is automatically my favorite, but it's a toss-up between South Sides and Billy Taylors for my heart.
What book have you read the most number of times?
Lolita or The Killer Inside Me.
Who is your "freebie"?
Sadly, they're all dead.
Authors are so cool. Who would you give a BFF charm to?
Laura Lippman, so we could get matching LL charm bracelets.
Of course.
Out of all of the characters you've written, which one do you most wish you could be?
I don't want to be any of them. They're crazy and they're controlled by me. That would totally suck.
If you were invited to the FYA slumber party (and obviously, you ARE), what pajamas would you wear, and what is the most crucial snack food and/or movie you'd bring?
Blue pajamas, Crack Mix, and Withnail and I.
Now it's time for everyone's favorite dose of junior high nostalgia, MASH (since cootie catchers are hard to replicate online).
M A S H
Honeymoon
Scotland
Marrakesh
Paris, France
Paris, Texas
# of Kids
Anywhere from 0-10
1
2
20
Job
Writer
Airline pilot
Lawyer
Bail bondsman
Income
Something between being able to buy whatever I want and not offensive
Offensive
$42,000/year
Broke
Hometown
Whoville
San Francisco
Edinburgh
Birmingham, Alabama
Pet
Elephant
Dog
Snake
Cat
Car
Whatever has an excellent GPS and won't break down on me.
Whatever the fancy car service uses
Prius
the bus
I hope the bar-hopping temp predicts a better future than this one!
About the Author: Meghan is an erstwhile librarian in exile from Texas and writer for Forever Young Adult. She loves books, cooking and homey things like knitting and vintage cocktails. Although she’s around books all the time, she doesn’t get to read as much as she’d like.
