What better way to spend your time at the beach than immersed in the world of Manhattan drama and glamor? So come on Gossip Girl fans, if you like Chuck and Blair, why not learn a little about Casey and Drew, the stars of GCC member Jennifer Banash’s The Elite series? The final book in this young adult trilogy, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, debuts this week through Penguin’s Berkley Trade imprint.
As always, here’s a little bit about her book to get you hooked:
She’s climbing the social ladder, to the dismay of her neighbor and rival, Madison Macallister. And Casey could end up as popular as Madison now that the two are set to star in their own reality show, ‘De-Luxe.’ But reality TV can be so unreal.
Madison loves the attention, but having every bit of her life caught on tape is often less than glamorous. Yet fame comes at a price – and she’s willing to pay. Meanwhile, now that Casey and her almost-boyfriend Drew Van Allen are currently more off than on, she’s beginning to wonder if everything in her life is just an illusion-and how much longer the illusion can last.
Here’s what Jennifer had to say:
Q: In AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS, Mariana discovers a hidden family secret. Are you a good secret keeper?
Jennifer: I used to be terrible at it! (See this story) Because of major lessons I learned about being a gossip in high school, I’m now a really, really good secret keeper.
Q: What is the favorite place you ever traveled to, and what was the coolest thing you saw/did there?
Jennifer: Paris. I went every summer when I was in graduate school, and spent 2 or 3 months there just walking around, sitting at sidewalk cafe, drinking wine, and, of course, shopping. I wrote In Too Deep, and my novel Hollywoodland there, and it’s always been a magical place for me to write.
Ah, scribbling away at a cafe in Paris…is there anything more writerly?
Q: I often tell the story of how a psychic once predicted that I would go on to write children’s books. Have you ever visited a psychic?
Jennifer: I’ve had my tarot cards read, but that’s about it. When I was in college, my roommate went to a psychic who told her that she had a curse on her, and that she’d need $1,000 to remove it. My roommate was so freaked and naive that she actually paid it!
Q: My character Mariana spends her summer in Puerto Rico connecting with her father’s heritage. Have you ever researched your family tree?
Jennifer: I never really knew my biological father, and he disappeared when I was 2 years old. I’ve searched for him on and off over the years, at various points in my life, but have never really turned up much.
Q: Where were you when you found out that your book was going to be published?
Jennifer: I was sitting at my kitchen table! So exciting and glamorous, I know. Afterward I was excited, but it also felt completely unreal at the same time. I think I had a really big glass of wine, and basically walked around in a daze for the rest of the day.
Thank you, Jennifer! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!
