Kay Cassidy

It’s day three of the Egmont Blog Tour. Today I’m featuring Kay Cassidy! Kay Cassidy is the author of teen fiction she wishes was based on her real life.  She is the founder of the national The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest™ reading program for kids and teens and the host of the inspirational Living Your Five™ 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 (April 13, 2010 – Egmont), will help girls embrace their inner Cindy.

KM: Tell us a little about your teenage self.

KC: I was a cheerleader from seventh grade through my senior year and then cheered some in college as well.  I was really close to my teammates, most of whom where non-partying, honor roll students, so we broke pretty much every cheerleader stereotype out there (with great pride, I might add!).  Growing up, I was pretty athletic in general.  In addition to cheering, I also ran track, played volleyball and softball, dove for a season, and was a gymnast.  I was also a two-time national finalist in DECA.  Which probably explains why I went on to get my MBA during my corporate days.  Sports and extracurriculars pretty much defined my youth.

Here’s what Kay looked like in high school! So cute!   

KM: If you could spend a day with a character from your novel, who would you choose and why? How would the two of you spend your day together?

KC: I would actually love to hang out with Nan for a day.  She’s like the cool grandma of all time!  If I couldn’t hang out with Nan, I would love to hang out with Heather, just so I could give her a hug and tell her everything was going to be okay.  Well, maybe not entirely in Cindy on a Mission (the sequel to The Cinderella Society), but you know… later on.  😉

KM: Confession time. What quirky writer things do you indulge in? Do you  have any superstitions? Is there anything you need to have while writing? Or something specific that will kill your momentum?

KC: I’m very predictable when it comes to my writing routine.  If I’m writing new pages, I’m always at my computer with a giant mug of mandarin orange decaf green tea with honey.  If I’m brainstorming, I’m either in my recliner or on our screened porch, weather permitting, with my plotting charts and the aforementioned green tea.  If I’m editing or proofing, I will confess that I sometimes use food as a reward to keep me rolling.  Sometimes reading your book for the 90th time isn’t all that fun!  So I keep Nestle Treasures (milk chocolate with caramel variety) and Twizzlers on hand when I get to that point.  I’m pretty sure they’re the only thing that got me through copyedits.

The Book:

Check out this awesome cover for The Cinderella Society.

Summary:

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?

Teaser:

I opened the card, my hands trembling in dread and the faint remnants of what I used to call hope, as a tiny silver high-heel pin bounced into my hand.

I juggled the pin for a second, barely managing to keep it from falling, and flipped open the note with my other hand. The words inside were not a message but an invitation that sent shivers down my spine:

Your presence is requested at The Grind.

Tonight, 7 p.m.

Wear the pin.

Discretion MANDATORY.

Buy The Cinderella Society Now!

To learn more, go to Kay’s website.