Kelly Oram's Blog, page 11
January 31, 2015
Interview with Brian and Ella
Brian and Ella sit down with Mar & Mel at Words Feather blog.
Mar & Mel: We’re so excited to have the stars of Cinder & Ella here with us today! Thank you guys for stopping by to chat with us.
Brian: No, thank you for having us. We’ve been having a lot of fun with this blog tour thingie.
Ella: Blog tour thingie? Is that a technical term?
Brian: It is now. I just coined it. I can do that, you know. I’m a trendsetter.
Mel & Mar: Yes you are! Brian, we’re really big fans of both you and the books in The Cinder Chronicles series. We were very excited when you were cast to play Cinder for the movie. What was it like to play your favorite character of all time?
Brian: It was a dream come true. I’ve never had more fun on a project, or worked so hard to really bring a character to life.
Mar & Mel: Being such a big fan yourself, were you a headache (pain in the ass) to the writers/director/other people involved in making the film?
Brian: Hell yes I was. I’m not even ashamed to admit it. But I wasn’t difficult like the way Kaylee was. I’m not a diva or anything. I just had a vision for this film and I couldn’t stand to see anyone screwing it up. I swear my dad was ready to kill me so many times because I kept trying to take over his job. But it was The Druid Prince! I had to.
Mar & Mel: What's the best part about Ella being half Latin?
Brian: Obviously there’s her looks. The combination of her skin tone and her eyes makes her so gorgeous she’s literally painful to look at. But between you and me, I love it when she talks dirty to me in Spanish. Okay, knowing Ella she’s more likely insulting me than talking dirty to me, but the way the words roll off her tongue…it’s so hot. I can’t ever learn the language, because knowing what she’s saying might take away some of the magic.
Mar & Mel: Aw, that’s so romantic! You guys make such a great couple. Tell us more about how you met, and what was the best part about having done it online?
Brian: I wouldn’t give back the way I met Ella for anything. As you said, we met online. I came across a blog post about the books that really resonated with me and felt compelled to write the blogger a fan letter.
Ella: *snorts* A fan letter? Is that what you call it?
Brian: *grins at Ella* You liked it enough to respond with a love letter. The rest is history.
Ella: Don’t mind him, he’s delusional. He wrote a “letter to the editor” to tell me how crazy I was and I wrote him back and told him where he could stick his letter to the editor.
Brian: *laughs* And like I said, the rest is history. The best part about our relationship was that it was anonymous. I was able to just be myself with her for the first time in my life and not worry if she only liked me because I was rich, famous, and gorgeous. Plus, she never held back her real opinions with me. No one else in the world will ever defend themselves against me. Why do you think I fell in love with her after I red her reply to my letter?
Ella: It’s true. The boy lives for a good argument. Forget acting, he should have been a politician. I loved the honesty of our relationship too, but I didn’t have his fame problem, and I always wished we could have known each other in person. Though, if we had met in person, I probably would have never gotten to know the real him. He hides himself to most people. Which is a shame, because who he is on the inside is even better than who he is on the outside.
Brian: Aw, thanks babe. But I gotta say, I appreciate what’s on your outside just as much as the inner you. *grins wickedly* Especially certain parts of the outer you.
Ella: Brian!
Brian: I’m talking about your eyes, Ella. Your eyes are beautiful. Geez, woman, and you say I have a dirty mind…
Mar & Mel: Wow, okay, um, so Ella, we have lots of Chilean readers, which is where your mom born, would you like to visit the country? Or any other part of Latin America?
Ella: Of course! I want to see all of the world, but especially Chile. My mom’s family is from Concepcion, Chile. My grandparents came to the States when my mom was twelve, so she remembered a lot from her home country. She told me all about it and showed me tons of pictures, so it sort of feels like this magical place from a fairy tale as well as an old friend. I definitely have to visit there someday.
Mar & Mel: As a fellow blogger, any advice you could give us?
Ella: Get a famous movie star to pimp your blog. Kidding. Though, that does help. ;) Seriously though, the best thing is to be yourself in your posts. Let your personality shine through. If the readers feel like they know you personally, that’s what’s going to set you apart from all the other blogs they read.
Mar & Mel: Thanks. And can we just say that you are amazing at that? You are so funny on your blog! Especially now that you’ve gone public with your relationship. You and Brian are hilarious together. How does it feel dating this guy? Being famous and all. It must be hard but incredibly awesome at the same time. ;)
Ella: I’m not sure I can put it into words. The fame is really, really strange and a huge hassle, but I think knowing that he’s the guy I chatted online with for so many years overwhelms me more than the movie star thing. I mean Cinder was just Cinder for so long. Sometimes I’ll look at Brian and the truth that he’s the guy who’s always been my best friend will hit me all over again.
Mel & Mar: And would you like to do something/reach out/help other people that go through by all you went through?
Ella: I’ve actually already sort of started doing this. I’ve made a couple of motivational public speaking appearances, talking about my experiences, and I’ve got more scheduled for the future. It started when The Kenneth Long Show invited Brian and I to do a follow up interview after The Druid Prince Premiere. After telling my story on TV I got so many calls from all kinds of different organizations from people who wanted me to come and speak. What surprised me is how much I enjoy it. I thought I would be nervous to be in front of an audience, but Brian convinced me it wasn’t much different than posting my thoughts on my blog. He was right.
Brian: Of course I was. She rocked it. She had the whole audience bawling like babies. She’s truly an amazing woman.
Ella: *blushes* I just like that, if sharing my story helps others learn to cope with the troubles in their life, then at least something good came from all my tragedy. Well, something other than Brian, of course.
Mel & Mar: That’s great! I’m sure you’ll be able to help so many people. We were certainly inspired by your story. Thank you both so much for stopping by today. It’s been so fun. We wish you all the best with the new book and the new relationship!
Mar & Mel: We’re so excited to have the stars of Cinder & Ella here with us today! Thank you guys for stopping by to chat with us.
Brian: No, thank you for having us. We’ve been having a lot of fun with this blog tour thingie.
Ella: Blog tour thingie? Is that a technical term?
Brian: It is now. I just coined it. I can do that, you know. I’m a trendsetter.
Mel & Mar: Yes you are! Brian, we’re really big fans of both you and the books in The Cinder Chronicles series. We were very excited when you were cast to play Cinder for the movie. What was it like to play your favorite character of all time?
Brian: It was a dream come true. I’ve never had more fun on a project, or worked so hard to really bring a character to life.
Mar & Mel: Being such a big fan yourself, were you a headache (pain in the ass) to the writers/director/other people involved in making the film?
Brian: Hell yes I was. I’m not even ashamed to admit it. But I wasn’t difficult like the way Kaylee was. I’m not a diva or anything. I just had a vision for this film and I couldn’t stand to see anyone screwing it up. I swear my dad was ready to kill me so many times because I kept trying to take over his job. But it was The Druid Prince! I had to.
Mar & Mel: What's the best part about Ella being half Latin?
Brian: Obviously there’s her looks. The combination of her skin tone and her eyes makes her so gorgeous she’s literally painful to look at. But between you and me, I love it when she talks dirty to me in Spanish. Okay, knowing Ella she’s more likely insulting me than talking dirty to me, but the way the words roll off her tongue…it’s so hot. I can’t ever learn the language, because knowing what she’s saying might take away some of the magic.
Mar & Mel: Aw, that’s so romantic! You guys make such a great couple. Tell us more about how you met, and what was the best part about having done it online?
Brian: I wouldn’t give back the way I met Ella for anything. As you said, we met online. I came across a blog post about the books that really resonated with me and felt compelled to write the blogger a fan letter.
Ella: *snorts* A fan letter? Is that what you call it?
Brian: *grins at Ella* You liked it enough to respond with a love letter. The rest is history.
Ella: Don’t mind him, he’s delusional. He wrote a “letter to the editor” to tell me how crazy I was and I wrote him back and told him where he could stick his letter to the editor.
Brian: *laughs* And like I said, the rest is history. The best part about our relationship was that it was anonymous. I was able to just be myself with her for the first time in my life and not worry if she only liked me because I was rich, famous, and gorgeous. Plus, she never held back her real opinions with me. No one else in the world will ever defend themselves against me. Why do you think I fell in love with her after I red her reply to my letter?
Ella: It’s true. The boy lives for a good argument. Forget acting, he should have been a politician. I loved the honesty of our relationship too, but I didn’t have his fame problem, and I always wished we could have known each other in person. Though, if we had met in person, I probably would have never gotten to know the real him. He hides himself to most people. Which is a shame, because who he is on the inside is even better than who he is on the outside.
Brian: Aw, thanks babe. But I gotta say, I appreciate what’s on your outside just as much as the inner you. *grins wickedly* Especially certain parts of the outer you.
Ella: Brian!
Brian: I’m talking about your eyes, Ella. Your eyes are beautiful. Geez, woman, and you say I have a dirty mind…
Mar & Mel: Wow, okay, um, so Ella, we have lots of Chilean readers, which is where your mom born, would you like to visit the country? Or any other part of Latin America?
Ella: Of course! I want to see all of the world, but especially Chile. My mom’s family is from Concepcion, Chile. My grandparents came to the States when my mom was twelve, so she remembered a lot from her home country. She told me all about it and showed me tons of pictures, so it sort of feels like this magical place from a fairy tale as well as an old friend. I definitely have to visit there someday.
Mar & Mel: As a fellow blogger, any advice you could give us?
Ella: Get a famous movie star to pimp your blog. Kidding. Though, that does help. ;) Seriously though, the best thing is to be yourself in your posts. Let your personality shine through. If the readers feel like they know you personally, that’s what’s going to set you apart from all the other blogs they read.
Mar & Mel: Thanks. And can we just say that you are amazing at that? You are so funny on your blog! Especially now that you’ve gone public with your relationship. You and Brian are hilarious together. How does it feel dating this guy? Being famous and all. It must be hard but incredibly awesome at the same time. ;)
Ella: I’m not sure I can put it into words. The fame is really, really strange and a huge hassle, but I think knowing that he’s the guy I chatted online with for so many years overwhelms me more than the movie star thing. I mean Cinder was just Cinder for so long. Sometimes I’ll look at Brian and the truth that he’s the guy who’s always been my best friend will hit me all over again.
Mel & Mar: And would you like to do something/reach out/help other people that go through by all you went through?
Ella: I’ve actually already sort of started doing this. I’ve made a couple of motivational public speaking appearances, talking about my experiences, and I’ve got more scheduled for the future. It started when The Kenneth Long Show invited Brian and I to do a follow up interview after The Druid Prince Premiere. After telling my story on TV I got so many calls from all kinds of different organizations from people who wanted me to come and speak. What surprised me is how much I enjoy it. I thought I would be nervous to be in front of an audience, but Brian convinced me it wasn’t much different than posting my thoughts on my blog. He was right.
Brian: Of course I was. She rocked it. She had the whole audience bawling like babies. She’s truly an amazing woman.
Ella: *blushes* I just like that, if sharing my story helps others learn to cope with the troubles in their life, then at least something good came from all my tragedy. Well, something other than Brian, of course.
Mel & Mar: That’s great! I’m sure you’ll be able to help so many people. We were certainly inspired by your story. Thank you both so much for stopping by today. It’s been so fun. We wish you all the best with the new book and the new relationship!
Interview with Brian Oliver
The lovely Brita over at Bonjour Y'all somehow miraculously got Brian to sit down for a full interview and even answer some in-depth questions.
Brian, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. I must admit, I'm fangirling just a little! I've been a big fan ever since you played Kyle Hamilton in V is for Virgin. Tell me, did you ever get the chance to meet the real Kyle or Valerie?
Aw, well shucks, Brita. Thank you. I’m always happy to meet my fans. I’m glad you liked V is for Virgin. I have to admit, it was a little difficult for me to play the role of Kyle Hamilton. I know the guy personally, and I can’t stand him. He’s so full of himself and he will do anything to get media attention. It’s guys like him that give celebrities a bad rep. But, I have to admit their story was a good one. I enjoyed being part of the movie. Valerie is such a strong admirable woman. I haven’t met her, but I’d like to. Even if only to ask her what she sees in him.
I don't know who has the better real-world romance, Kyle and Valerie, or you and Ella. I met my husband online, so I love hearing about other successful online couples. At what point did you realize you were in love with Ella, without having ever met her in person?
Ella and I so trump Kyle and Val. (No offense to Val.) But seriously, Ella and me? EPIC. How awesome that you met your husband online. Online relationships get a bad reputation, but it’s nice to be able to be yourself. I don’t think I could have had a real meaningful relationship without the anonymity because of my fame. It’s good to know that Ella loves me for me, you know? And I don’t doubt that she does. Just like I love her. I truly did fall in love with a girl I’d never met. I always knew I’d liked her, from the very first time she responded to my letter to her. And I definitely had a blogger-crush on her. But I didn’t know how much she meant to me until she disappeared. She left this huge, gaping hole in my life. Losing her was like losing my heart, and that’s when I realized that I’d loved her—really, truly loved her. When she came back into my life it was no small miracle and I knew I wasn’t going to let her get away from me no matter what.
Now that you and Ella are together, what has been the biggest adjustment in your life?
Remembering to leave the toilet seat down. That drives Ella crazy. Sometimes I leave it up just to annoy her. She gives me this look that’s just—anyway she’s fun. Don’t tell her I do that on purpose. Seriously though, I think the hardest part is all the worrying. My relationship with Ella is solid, but our lives are crazy, and with her special circumstances, it’s impossible not to constantly worry about her. People still say hurtful stuff about her sometimes—there will always be idiots in the world—and it makes me so mad. She’s much better at ignoring all that stuff than I am. But I can’t help it. I don’t want to see her hurt. Ever. I’m always trying to protect her even though I know she’s strong and can take care of herself. I think I’ve given myself an ulcer since getting together with her. I imagine I’m going to be one of those dads who meets my daughter’s boyfriends with a shotgun in my hands someday.
Moving away from your personal life, can you tell me more about your next project?
Well I just wrapped on this incredible project with my all-time favorite director Zachary Goldberg, playing the part of Sir Percy in The Scarlet Pimpernel. That was an experience I’ll remember forever. The movie is going to be amazing! Then, I begin filming next month for A Shattered Kingdom—the second Cinder Chronicles movie. It’ll be good to meet up with my old pal Prince Cinder again, and I know Ella is DYING because she’ll get to visit the set. She hasn’t stopped talking about it for weeks.
What is your dream film adaptation of a book—not counting your current work, of course!—and what would be your dream role in that movie?
Well, obviously, it doesn’t get any better than playing Cinder. He is my favorite character of all-time. And then to be able to play Sir Percy was also like a dream come true, so I really have no complaints. But, if I could choose another one I’d definitely love to play The Count of Monte Cristo. That’s an excellent story and it would be such a great role to play. He’s such a complicated character. There’re so many sides to him. Plus he’s just plain cool. That would be fun.
Thank you again for you time. Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?
You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me stop by. I’m sorry Ella couldn’t join us, she had a thing with her dad today that she couldn’t miss, but she sends her love. That and buy the book. I’ve met the author. Kelly’s a pretty cool chick and she worked really hard to give me an awesome story.
Brian, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. I must admit, I'm fangirling just a little! I've been a big fan ever since you played Kyle Hamilton in V is for Virgin. Tell me, did you ever get the chance to meet the real Kyle or Valerie?
Aw, well shucks, Brita. Thank you. I’m always happy to meet my fans. I’m glad you liked V is for Virgin. I have to admit, it was a little difficult for me to play the role of Kyle Hamilton. I know the guy personally, and I can’t stand him. He’s so full of himself and he will do anything to get media attention. It’s guys like him that give celebrities a bad rep. But, I have to admit their story was a good one. I enjoyed being part of the movie. Valerie is such a strong admirable woman. I haven’t met her, but I’d like to. Even if only to ask her what she sees in him.
I don't know who has the better real-world romance, Kyle and Valerie, or you and Ella. I met my husband online, so I love hearing about other successful online couples. At what point did you realize you were in love with Ella, without having ever met her in person?
Ella and I so trump Kyle and Val. (No offense to Val.) But seriously, Ella and me? EPIC. How awesome that you met your husband online. Online relationships get a bad reputation, but it’s nice to be able to be yourself. I don’t think I could have had a real meaningful relationship without the anonymity because of my fame. It’s good to know that Ella loves me for me, you know? And I don’t doubt that she does. Just like I love her. I truly did fall in love with a girl I’d never met. I always knew I’d liked her, from the very first time she responded to my letter to her. And I definitely had a blogger-crush on her. But I didn’t know how much she meant to me until she disappeared. She left this huge, gaping hole in my life. Losing her was like losing my heart, and that’s when I realized that I’d loved her—really, truly loved her. When she came back into my life it was no small miracle and I knew I wasn’t going to let her get away from me no matter what.
Now that you and Ella are together, what has been the biggest adjustment in your life?
Remembering to leave the toilet seat down. That drives Ella crazy. Sometimes I leave it up just to annoy her. She gives me this look that’s just—anyway she’s fun. Don’t tell her I do that on purpose. Seriously though, I think the hardest part is all the worrying. My relationship with Ella is solid, but our lives are crazy, and with her special circumstances, it’s impossible not to constantly worry about her. People still say hurtful stuff about her sometimes—there will always be idiots in the world—and it makes me so mad. She’s much better at ignoring all that stuff than I am. But I can’t help it. I don’t want to see her hurt. Ever. I’m always trying to protect her even though I know she’s strong and can take care of herself. I think I’ve given myself an ulcer since getting together with her. I imagine I’m going to be one of those dads who meets my daughter’s boyfriends with a shotgun in my hands someday.
Moving away from your personal life, can you tell me more about your next project?
Well I just wrapped on this incredible project with my all-time favorite director Zachary Goldberg, playing the part of Sir Percy in The Scarlet Pimpernel. That was an experience I’ll remember forever. The movie is going to be amazing! Then, I begin filming next month for A Shattered Kingdom—the second Cinder Chronicles movie. It’ll be good to meet up with my old pal Prince Cinder again, and I know Ella is DYING because she’ll get to visit the set. She hasn’t stopped talking about it for weeks.
What is your dream film adaptation of a book—not counting your current work, of course!—and what would be your dream role in that movie?
Well, obviously, it doesn’t get any better than playing Cinder. He is my favorite character of all-time. And then to be able to play Sir Percy was also like a dream come true, so I really have no complaints. But, if I could choose another one I’d definitely love to play The Count of Monte Cristo. That’s an excellent story and it would be such a great role to play. He’s such a complicated character. There’re so many sides to him. Plus he’s just plain cool. That would be fun.
Thank you again for you time. Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?
You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me stop by. I’m sorry Ella couldn’t join us, she had a thing with her dad today that she couldn’t miss, but she sends her love. That and buy the book. I’ve met the author. Kelly’s a pretty cool chick and she worked really hard to give me an awesome story.
Brian and Ella internet chat with Burning Impossibly Bright
Another hijacked tour stop... :D This one they visited Ambur at Burning Impossibly Bright.
EllaTheRealHero:Hi everyone! I’m Ella from the entertainment review blog Ellamara’s Words of wisdom, and I’m here with Hollywood Superstar Brian Oliver to introduce our new book Cinder & Ella. I want to start by saying thank you to Ambur for letting us stop by today. It was really sweet of her to let us come.
Cinder458: I don’t know that she let us stop by. I think we sort of hijacked Kelly’s blog post.
EllaTheRealHero: No, Kelly asked us to come and help out. You’d know that if you’d read the blog tour schedule.
Cinder458: Ella, I told you I have an assistant for that kind of stuff. You know, Scotty—quiet, anal-retentive, Boy Scout looking guy, likes to follow me around all the time…?
ScottMichaels:Actually, you pay me to follow you around.
Cinder457: Hey, hey, Scotty’s here!
EllaTheRealHero:Yeah, he is, so you should watch yourself and be a little nicer to him.
Cinder458: What do you mean? I’m always nice to Scott. I love Scotty. I wouldn’t be able to function without him.
ScottMichaels:That’s very true. Brian is the most disorganized person I’ve ever met.
EllaTheRealHero:You called him anal-retentive.
Cinder458: Well, yeah, but that’s not mean, it’s just what he is. Scott knows I love him. Don’tcha Scotty?
ScottMichaels: I know. Don’t worry, Ella. He’s actually a pretty good boss.
EllaTheRealHero:Yeah, I’m sure he is. He likes to pretend he’s a big tough guy, but he’s actually very thoughtful and sweet.
Cinder458: Plus I don’t make him wear a tie to work unless I have to wear one.
EllaTheRealHero:Now that is love. They should give you a medal or something. World’s Best Boss.
Cinder458: They totally should. And they should give you one while they’re at it. World’s Snarkiest Girlfriend. Why do you always have to bust on me, woman?
EllaTheRealHero:Somebody has to. Why not me?
Cinder458:Because you’re my girlfriend. You’re supposed to be sweet and supportive and stroke my ego when I need it.
EllaTheRealHero:Ha! Okay. If there ever comes a day when your ego needs stroking, I promise I will do that for you.
Cinder458: And what if other things besides my ego ever need stroking?
EllaTheRealHero:BIRAN OLIVER! Stop! Right now! Do notgo there! We are supposed to be keeping this press tour teen-friendly and you know it. There’s no way Scott forgot to give you that memo from Kelly about keeping things appropriate.
Cinder458: What memo? I didn’t get any memo about that.
ScottMichaels: I emailed it to you, taped a copy of it to your fridge with certain parts highlighted, and I read it out loud to you twice.
Cinder458: What?
ScottMichaels:Once when Kelly sent it to us, and once half an hour ago before we signed on today.
Cinder458: You both are no fun. Fine. What are we allowed to talk about then?
EllaTheRealHero:Cinder & Ella. You remember that book we’re supposed to be promoting right now? Kelly Oram wrote it?
Cinder458: Oh, hey, yeah, I know her. She’s pretty awesome.
EllaTheRealHero:Of course you know her, she—you know what? Never mind. Cinder & Ella is a great book, you guys. You should really read it.
Cinder458:Definitely read it. It’s epic. You won’t be disappointed. (I’m in it.)
EllaTheRealHero:Hi everyone! I’m Ella from the entertainment review blog Ellamara’s Words of wisdom, and I’m here with Hollywood Superstar Brian Oliver to introduce our new book Cinder & Ella. I want to start by saying thank you to Ambur for letting us stop by today. It was really sweet of her to let us come.
Cinder458: I don’t know that she let us stop by. I think we sort of hijacked Kelly’s blog post.
EllaTheRealHero: No, Kelly asked us to come and help out. You’d know that if you’d read the blog tour schedule.
Cinder458: Ella, I told you I have an assistant for that kind of stuff. You know, Scotty—quiet, anal-retentive, Boy Scout looking guy, likes to follow me around all the time…?
ScottMichaels:Actually, you pay me to follow you around.
Cinder457: Hey, hey, Scotty’s here!
EllaTheRealHero:Yeah, he is, so you should watch yourself and be a little nicer to him.
Cinder458: What do you mean? I’m always nice to Scott. I love Scotty. I wouldn’t be able to function without him.
ScottMichaels:That’s very true. Brian is the most disorganized person I’ve ever met.
EllaTheRealHero:You called him anal-retentive.
Cinder458: Well, yeah, but that’s not mean, it’s just what he is. Scott knows I love him. Don’tcha Scotty?
ScottMichaels: I know. Don’t worry, Ella. He’s actually a pretty good boss.
EllaTheRealHero:Yeah, I’m sure he is. He likes to pretend he’s a big tough guy, but he’s actually very thoughtful and sweet.
Cinder458: Plus I don’t make him wear a tie to work unless I have to wear one.
EllaTheRealHero:Now that is love. They should give you a medal or something. World’s Best Boss.
Cinder458: They totally should. And they should give you one while they’re at it. World’s Snarkiest Girlfriend. Why do you always have to bust on me, woman?
EllaTheRealHero:Somebody has to. Why not me?
Cinder458:Because you’re my girlfriend. You’re supposed to be sweet and supportive and stroke my ego when I need it.
EllaTheRealHero:Ha! Okay. If there ever comes a day when your ego needs stroking, I promise I will do that for you.
Cinder458: And what if other things besides my ego ever need stroking?
EllaTheRealHero:BIRAN OLIVER! Stop! Right now! Do notgo there! We are supposed to be keeping this press tour teen-friendly and you know it. There’s no way Scott forgot to give you that memo from Kelly about keeping things appropriate.
Cinder458: What memo? I didn’t get any memo about that.
ScottMichaels: I emailed it to you, taped a copy of it to your fridge with certain parts highlighted, and I read it out loud to you twice.
Cinder458: What?
ScottMichaels:Once when Kelly sent it to us, and once half an hour ago before we signed on today.
Cinder458: You both are no fun. Fine. What are we allowed to talk about then?
EllaTheRealHero:Cinder & Ella. You remember that book we’re supposed to be promoting right now? Kelly Oram wrote it?
Cinder458: Oh, hey, yeah, I know her. She’s pretty awesome.
EllaTheRealHero:Of course you know her, she—you know what? Never mind. Cinder & Ella is a great book, you guys. You should really read it.
Cinder458:Definitely read it. It’s epic. You won’t be disappointed. (I’m in it.)
Vivian, Juliette, and Rob stop by for a chat with Bookworm Lisa
For this stop on the tour, my supporting characters made an appearance and discussed their own roles in this fabulous Cinderella story.
Vivian: Hey guys! I’m Vivian Euling, Ella’s best friend. And this is Rob Loxely, Ella’s…
Rob: Friend.
Vivian: Is that what you’re calling it?
Juliette: *snickers* Rob’s a complicated guy, but we love him anyway. Hey everybody! I’m Juliette Coleman. I’m Ella’s stepsister. Well, one of them.
Vivian: The good one.
Juliette: The awesome one. And just FYI, I totally resent the term “ugly” that is so often associated with my role in this tale. I’m not ugly! And you know, most of the stepsisters in all these Cinderella retellings aren’t bad looking either. Megan Dodds, who played the stepsister in Ever After is gorgeous. Why does everyone always have to call us the ugly stepsisters? It’s not cool.
Rob: I think it’s meant to be more, metaphorical—ugly on the inside.
Juliette: *scoffs*
Vivian: Oh stop. You know he doesn’t mean you, Juliette. He was talking in general—in terms of most Cinderella retellings.
Rob: Actually, I was talking about Ana.
Vivian: *snorts*
Juliette: *sigh* Yeah, she really doesn’t help the pro-stepsister cause much, does she? She’s not all bad though, you guys, seriously. She’s just…going through a rough time.
Vivian: *snorts again*
Rob: *raises eyebrow*
Juliette: *sighs again* Fine, lets not talk about Anastasia. We’re supposed to be talking about the book anyway.
Vivian: Yay! I love this book! And in it, I have the awesome privilege of playing the Fairy Godmother. I get to dress Ella all up and take her to the ball where she meets her prince. So fun!
Juliette: Um, actually, Brian and Ella’s meeting was my doing. You gave her the dress, but I got her into the ball, so I say we’re both her fairy godmothers.
Vivian: You just don’t want to be the ugly stepsister.
Juliette: I’m not!!! Ana is the ugly stepsister!!!
Vivian: And she plays the role to perfection.
Juliette: Right, so since I’m obviously not the ugly stepsister, and I’m the one who finally introduces Ella and Brian, I think we should get to both be fairy godmothers. It worked for Sleeping Beauty. She had three.
Vivian: All right, fine, you can be a fairy godmother too. *grins at Rob* I guess that makes you our third.
Rob: *raises another eyebrow*
Vivian: Hey, wait, what is Rob in the story anyway?
Rob: Ella’s friend.
Vivian: Yeah, but I mean, like, in the Cinderella scheme of things. You don’t really have a label.
Juliette: Sure he does. He’s Jacque.
Vivian & Rob: Who?
Juliette: You know, the mouse who’s Cinderella’s friend in the Disney version? Jacque? And Gus?
Vivian: *laughs* You think he’s the mice?
Juliette: Yeah, and the dog, and the pumpkin.
Rob: I’m the pumpkin?
Juliette: Well you drove us to the ball didn’t you? It was your car that was her carriage, so yes, you are the coachman who provided the coach. And you’re the mouse. You’re Cinderella’s… friend—
Vivian: *snort*
Juliette: —who was there for her when no one else was. You’re the one who always liked her from the beginning, and the friend who kept her from going insane while she was being tortured by her stepfamily. If you need an example in people terms, you’re that weird best friend who dressed up as Zorro in the Hillary Duff movie, and you’re that gay best friend from the yoga place in Robin Palmer’s book Cindy Ella.
Rob: Excuse me?
Vivian: *laughs*
Juliette: Metaphoricallyspeaking, Rob.
Vivian: Actually, Juliette’s right. I mean you kind of are the mice. You’re the BGF—Best Guy Friend. Most Cinderella’s have one. Ella Enchanted had that lawyer elf guy, and Shrek had Donkey.
Rob: First I was the mice, and now I’m Donkey?
Juliette: I guess it’s a good thing this is a contemporary retelling, huh?
Rob: No, you what I am? I’ll tell you what I am. I’m the sucker. I’m the chump who gets the shaft when the dumb prince shows up and steals my girl from me. And because I care about Ella and want her to be happy, I have to suck it up and be a good sport about it or I look like a total jerk. And in the end, what do I get? I get stuck with the two psycho chicks who compare me to rodents. You know what? Come to think of it, I don’t even really like this book all that much. I want to be in a different book!
Juliette & Vivian: *share a shocked glance*
Juliette: *mutters to Vivian* I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard him speak.
Vivian: *nods and mutters back* Is it just me or is he really sexy when he’s pouting?
Juliette: Definitely. Then again, when is Rob not sexy?
Rob: *gapes at Vivian and Juliette in complete bewilderment*
Juliette: *pats Rob’s knee and gives him a sympathetic smile* Don’t you worry your pretty little head Rob Loxley. You are going to be adored by everyone who reads this book, and I’m sure there is girl out there somewhere just waiting—dying—for you to come and be her hero.
Vivian: Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had your own fairy tale retelling just waiting to be written.
Rob: *scowls at both Vivian and Juliette, but calms down* Whatever. Just as long as you two aren’t my fairy godmothers.
Vivian: *rolls eyes* Juliette and I are awesome fairy godmothers. Cinder and Ella are epic. People will be retelling their love story for generations to come.
Juliette: Yup. All thanks to us. We rock.
Vivian: And so does the book. You should all go read it. Right now. Thanks for having us on the blog today!
Juliette: Yeah, this was so fun!
Rob: A real blast.
Vivian: Cheer up Donkey. You know you had fun.
Rob: *sigh* Just read the book, people.
Vivian: Hey guys! I’m Vivian Euling, Ella’s best friend. And this is Rob Loxely, Ella’s…
Rob: Friend.
Vivian: Is that what you’re calling it?
Juliette: *snickers* Rob’s a complicated guy, but we love him anyway. Hey everybody! I’m Juliette Coleman. I’m Ella’s stepsister. Well, one of them.
Vivian: The good one.
Juliette: The awesome one. And just FYI, I totally resent the term “ugly” that is so often associated with my role in this tale. I’m not ugly! And you know, most of the stepsisters in all these Cinderella retellings aren’t bad looking either. Megan Dodds, who played the stepsister in Ever After is gorgeous. Why does everyone always have to call us the ugly stepsisters? It’s not cool.
Rob: I think it’s meant to be more, metaphorical—ugly on the inside.
Juliette: *scoffs*
Vivian: Oh stop. You know he doesn’t mean you, Juliette. He was talking in general—in terms of most Cinderella retellings.
Rob: Actually, I was talking about Ana.
Vivian: *snorts*
Juliette: *sigh* Yeah, she really doesn’t help the pro-stepsister cause much, does she? She’s not all bad though, you guys, seriously. She’s just…going through a rough time.
Vivian: *snorts again*
Rob: *raises eyebrow*
Juliette: *sighs again* Fine, lets not talk about Anastasia. We’re supposed to be talking about the book anyway.
Vivian: Yay! I love this book! And in it, I have the awesome privilege of playing the Fairy Godmother. I get to dress Ella all up and take her to the ball where she meets her prince. So fun!
Juliette: Um, actually, Brian and Ella’s meeting was my doing. You gave her the dress, but I got her into the ball, so I say we’re both her fairy godmothers.
Vivian: You just don’t want to be the ugly stepsister.
Juliette: I’m not!!! Ana is the ugly stepsister!!!
Vivian: And she plays the role to perfection.
Juliette: Right, so since I’m obviously not the ugly stepsister, and I’m the one who finally introduces Ella and Brian, I think we should get to both be fairy godmothers. It worked for Sleeping Beauty. She had three.
Vivian: All right, fine, you can be a fairy godmother too. *grins at Rob* I guess that makes you our third.
Rob: *raises another eyebrow*
Vivian: Hey, wait, what is Rob in the story anyway?
Rob: Ella’s friend.
Vivian: Yeah, but I mean, like, in the Cinderella scheme of things. You don’t really have a label.
Juliette: Sure he does. He’s Jacque.
Vivian & Rob: Who?
Juliette: You know, the mouse who’s Cinderella’s friend in the Disney version? Jacque? And Gus?
Vivian: *laughs* You think he’s the mice?
Juliette: Yeah, and the dog, and the pumpkin.
Rob: I’m the pumpkin?
Juliette: Well you drove us to the ball didn’t you? It was your car that was her carriage, so yes, you are the coachman who provided the coach. And you’re the mouse. You’re Cinderella’s… friend—
Vivian: *snort*
Juliette: —who was there for her when no one else was. You’re the one who always liked her from the beginning, and the friend who kept her from going insane while she was being tortured by her stepfamily. If you need an example in people terms, you’re that weird best friend who dressed up as Zorro in the Hillary Duff movie, and you’re that gay best friend from the yoga place in Robin Palmer’s book Cindy Ella.
Rob: Excuse me?
Vivian: *laughs*
Juliette: Metaphoricallyspeaking, Rob.
Vivian: Actually, Juliette’s right. I mean you kind of are the mice. You’re the BGF—Best Guy Friend. Most Cinderella’s have one. Ella Enchanted had that lawyer elf guy, and Shrek had Donkey.
Rob: First I was the mice, and now I’m Donkey?
Juliette: I guess it’s a good thing this is a contemporary retelling, huh?
Rob: No, you what I am? I’ll tell you what I am. I’m the sucker. I’m the chump who gets the shaft when the dumb prince shows up and steals my girl from me. And because I care about Ella and want her to be happy, I have to suck it up and be a good sport about it or I look like a total jerk. And in the end, what do I get? I get stuck with the two psycho chicks who compare me to rodents. You know what? Come to think of it, I don’t even really like this book all that much. I want to be in a different book!
Juliette & Vivian: *share a shocked glance*
Juliette: *mutters to Vivian* I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard him speak.
Vivian: *nods and mutters back* Is it just me or is he really sexy when he’s pouting?
Juliette: Definitely. Then again, when is Rob not sexy?
Rob: *gapes at Vivian and Juliette in complete bewilderment*
Juliette: *pats Rob’s knee and gives him a sympathetic smile* Don’t you worry your pretty little head Rob Loxley. You are going to be adored by everyone who reads this book, and I’m sure there is girl out there somewhere just waiting—dying—for you to come and be her hero.
Vivian: Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had your own fairy tale retelling just waiting to be written.
Rob: *scowls at both Vivian and Juliette, but calms down* Whatever. Just as long as you two aren’t my fairy godmothers.
Vivian: *rolls eyes* Juliette and I are awesome fairy godmothers. Cinder and Ella are epic. People will be retelling their love story for generations to come.
Juliette: Yup. All thanks to us. We rock.
Vivian: And so does the book. You should all go read it. Right now. Thanks for having us on the blog today!
Juliette: Yeah, this was so fun!
Rob: A real blast.
Vivian: Cheer up Donkey. You know you had fun.
Rob: *sigh* Just read the book, people.
Brian and Ella Introduce Cinder & Ella to the world. (sort of.)
Still adding to my extras page... THe characters of Cinder & Ella hijacked a lot of my blog tour, so I'm posting those interviews in the extras page of my website. :)
This first one, Brian and Ella joined Lisa over at A Life Bound By Books via an internet chat to introduce the book for me.
EllaTheRealHero:Hey everyone! I’m Ella, average teenager and book blogger extraordinaire. Cinder458: And I’m Brian, star of The Druid Prince, and all of all Ella’s fantasies.EllaTheRealHero: Right. He wishes. Cinder458: I don’t wish, I know. Anyway, I play Prince Cinder in the upcoming movie The Druid Prince. It’s a film adaptation of the first book in the best fantasy book series of all time, The Cinder Chronicles by LP Morgan. EllaTheRealHero:Definitely the best book series ever. Cinder458: And now it’s going to be the greatest movie of all time.
EllaTheRealHero: Let me guess: because you’re the star?Cinder458: Well I am perfect for the role. Plus, I’m the book’s biggest fan. Who else could have played Cinder as well as me?EllaTheRealHero: Fine, you’re perfect for the part, but I have to argue that you’re the book’s biggest fan. I believe, that title belongs to me.Cinder458:Actually, it doesn’t. I love everything about the book. You hate the ending and would totally rewrite it if you could. That makes me the bigger fan.EllaTheRealHero:That’s not true. I love the ending. I just think Cinder picked the wrong girl. Cinder458: No he didn’t. You were just on the wrong “team” as you bloggers like to say. Hey, have you ever noticed that that happens to you a lot? EllaTheRealHero:It does not.Cinder458: Oh, please. Jacob? Puck? Gale? You even wanted Valerie to end up with Isaac in V is for Virgin. Nobodywanted Virgin Val to end up with the boring church boy over the rock star. EllaTheRealHero:Well, Kyle was a jerk! Val deserved better. Plus, the guy who played Isaac in the movie was hotter than the actor who played Kyle.Cinder458: And you say I’m shallow. Hey, wait a minute. I played Kyle in the V is for Virgin movie!EllaTheRealHero: I know.Cinder458: What???You seriously thought that guy was hotter than me???EllaTheRealHero:LOL!!! You are so easy!!!Cinder458: You’re such a brat!EllaTheRealHero: That’s why you love me. JCinder458: *sigh*That is true. You’re the only woman in the world who gives me crap. And you’re right. I love you for it. Anyway, enough of that. We’re supposed to be introducing our book and we’re failing miserably.EllaTheRealHero:Oh yeah. Hey, maybe we should just let Lisa introduce it. She’s an amazing blogger. She’s the one who inspired me to start blogging, you know. I’m sure she’ll do the book way more justice than either of us could.Cinder458: I don’t know about that. Lisa’s awesome, but you’re a pretty great blogger too. EllaTheRealHero:You’re biased.Cinder458: Maybe a little. Hey, you want to go get some dinner and have a Legend of the Seeker marathon?EllaTheRealHero:Definitely.
……
LISA: Uh… guys?
(They’re Gone.)
This first one, Brian and Ella joined Lisa over at A Life Bound By Books via an internet chat to introduce the book for me.
EllaTheRealHero:Hey everyone! I’m Ella, average teenager and book blogger extraordinaire. Cinder458: And I’m Brian, star of The Druid Prince, and all of all Ella’s fantasies.EllaTheRealHero: Right. He wishes. Cinder458: I don’t wish, I know. Anyway, I play Prince Cinder in the upcoming movie The Druid Prince. It’s a film adaptation of the first book in the best fantasy book series of all time, The Cinder Chronicles by LP Morgan. EllaTheRealHero:Definitely the best book series ever. Cinder458: And now it’s going to be the greatest movie of all time.
EllaTheRealHero: Let me guess: because you’re the star?Cinder458: Well I am perfect for the role. Plus, I’m the book’s biggest fan. Who else could have played Cinder as well as me?EllaTheRealHero: Fine, you’re perfect for the part, but I have to argue that you’re the book’s biggest fan. I believe, that title belongs to me.Cinder458:Actually, it doesn’t. I love everything about the book. You hate the ending and would totally rewrite it if you could. That makes me the bigger fan.EllaTheRealHero:That’s not true. I love the ending. I just think Cinder picked the wrong girl. Cinder458: No he didn’t. You were just on the wrong “team” as you bloggers like to say. Hey, have you ever noticed that that happens to you a lot? EllaTheRealHero:It does not.Cinder458: Oh, please. Jacob? Puck? Gale? You even wanted Valerie to end up with Isaac in V is for Virgin. Nobodywanted Virgin Val to end up with the boring church boy over the rock star. EllaTheRealHero:Well, Kyle was a jerk! Val deserved better. Plus, the guy who played Isaac in the movie was hotter than the actor who played Kyle.Cinder458: And you say I’m shallow. Hey, wait a minute. I played Kyle in the V is for Virgin movie!EllaTheRealHero: I know.Cinder458: What???You seriously thought that guy was hotter than me???EllaTheRealHero:LOL!!! You are so easy!!!Cinder458: You’re such a brat!EllaTheRealHero: That’s why you love me. JCinder458: *sigh*That is true. You’re the only woman in the world who gives me crap. And you’re right. I love you for it. Anyway, enough of that. We’re supposed to be introducing our book and we’re failing miserably.EllaTheRealHero:Oh yeah. Hey, maybe we should just let Lisa introduce it. She’s an amazing blogger. She’s the one who inspired me to start blogging, you know. I’m sure she’ll do the book way more justice than either of us could.Cinder458: I don’t know about that. Lisa’s awesome, but you’re a pretty great blogger too. EllaTheRealHero:You’re biased.Cinder458: Maybe a little. Hey, you want to go get some dinner and have a Legend of the Seeker marathon?EllaTheRealHero:Definitely.
……
LISA: Uh… guys?
(They’re Gone.)
Kyle Hamilton vs Brian Oliver
(Recycling this from the C&E blog tour so I can add it to my extras page.)
Cinder & Ellais a contemporary spin on the classic fairy tale Cinderella wherein my “Prince” is a famous movie star. I will admit it: I like books about celebrities. A couple of my favorites off the top of my head would be, Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot, This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith, and Teen Idol by Meg Cabot. Call it a guilty pleasure if you must, but I love these types of books and will read every one I come across. It’s not a surprise to me that I’ve written a few myself.
Cinder & Ellais my third book that stars a male celebrity as the lead love interest. (The first two being my V is for Virginseries, which features my infamous rock star Kyle Hamilton.) But that doesn’t mean that if you’ve already read the V is for Virgin books, you don’t need to read Cinder & Ella. The books are completely different. Kyle and Brian may both be celebrities, but they are two very different characters with two very different stories.
Yes, they’re both charming, passionate, creative guys with slightly inflated egos, but that’s really where the similarities stop. Kyle is a larger-than-life attention hog. He loves the spotlight and is a natural-born performer. Brian just wants to do what he loves best—act. The rest of it—the fame, the women, the parties—he could go without. Okay, well he does have a fondness for his Ferrari, but other than that he likes to keep things low key.
Cinder & Ellais not a sequel, or even a companion novel to the V is for Virgin series, but it does take place within the same fictional world, and Kyle Hamilton and Brian Oliver not only know each other, but they have a bit of history. (Which you already know if you’ve read A is for abstinence.)
I thought it would be fun to do a little comparison between my two Hollywood Divas to give you a feel for just how different these two guys are. I think Brian and Kyle could probably tell you better than me, so I’ll let them do it by pulling a few short excerpts from their respective books.
Kyle and Brian On Fame:
~Kyle Hamilton, A is for AbstinenceA lot of celebrities grumble about the inconvenience of fame—the lack of privacy, people only loving you for your money and connections, the constant hounding by fans and the paparazzi. I can’t say I agree with them. If ever someone was meant to live the life of a celebrity, it was me.I got my first taste of fame when I was eighteen and my band, Tralse, got our big break. Our song “Broken Passion” topped out at number one on the charts and our debut album went platinum. Our follow-up album, S is for Sex, went triple platinum, won six Grammys, and turned me into an international superstar.For the last three years people have worshipped at my feet, and I’ve yet to tire of the attention. I’m never without friends or something to do, I always get everything I want, and I’m treated like a king wherever I go. I’m not ashamed to admit that I love it.
~Brian Oliver, Cinder & EllaI hadn’t had a say about anything since my first teen movie hit number one in the box office. Agents, managers, publicists, lawyers, image consultants, personal trainers, a million others… They controlled my life now—what I could and couldn’t wear, what I could and couldn’t eat, what functions I could and couldn’t attend, what I could and couldn’t say. Hell, they’d scheduled this entire publicity tour without once consulting me.Before I could storm out of the meeting, Lisa, the executive producer of the film, and the only person in the room besides Scott I could actually stand, met me at the door and blocked my way. “Brian,” she said, taking my hand. Her smile was completely patronizing, but I still softened to it. “We know you’re frustrated. You’ve had some bad luck with the paparazzi over the last year, but this press tour is important.”Some bad luck? Ever since I was cast to play Cinder, I’d become the paparazzi’s new golden boy for the entire female market. They’d stuck to me constantly in order to sell millions of magazines to every woman in the country between the ages of twelve and sixty. They followed me everywhere. I couldn’t wipe my ass anymore without having it plastered on every magazine cover in America. I hadn’t had a moment’s peace in over a year.
Kyle and Brian On Education:
~Kyle Hamilton, V is for Virgin:“What about you? Do you ever think about going back to school?”Kyle shrugged. “Not really. I already get to do what I love, so I don’t see the point in a college degree.”“But what about high school? It doesn’t bother you that you dropped out?”“Can you keep a secret?” Kyle asked giving me a sly look. When I nodded he grinned. “I didn’t drop out. When the band got the record deal I transferred to an online high school so I could finish my education while I traveled. I’ve even taken a few random college courses in things like accounting and basic entertainment law—stuff that’s helped me keep up with the business end of my industry.” I stopped walking to stare at Kyle in astonishment. He laughed at my shock then linked his arm through mine and started pulling me forward. “Ignorance is dangerous in my line of work,” he explained.“Then why do you tell people you’re a high school dropout? Is it really that important to have the bad boy, rebel, rock star image?”Kyle sighed. “The image is almost as important as the talent, sadly. When ‘Broken Passion’ made the radio, and it looked like Tralse had a real shot at becoming successful, my managers suggested the dropout thing. They made me break up with my girlfriend too.”“Really?”Kyle shrugged like it was no big deal. “That’s appalling.”“That’s fame. Gotta be sexy. Three point six GPA and faithful devoted boyfriend don’t exactly spell sexy rock star.”
~Brian Oliver, Cinder & Ella:“How about enrolling him in college?” another person suggested.Yes! I could get on board with that. I’d always wanted to go to college. I’d been homeschooled with a private tutor my whole life. The closest thing I’d ever gotten to a real school was playing a high school student in the movies.“Hey, yeah, I could do that. I could go to UCLA—go Bruins! I’d like to study English Literature.”Joseph shook his head, sending me a sympathetic smile. “That’s a really good idea, but you wouldn’t have the time.”“But we’ve wrapped on The Druid Prince,” I argued. “I don’t have anything going on right now. I could totally do it. I can take a couple years off and go to school. It’d keep me out of trouble.”Everyone in the room collectively shook their heads. “Why not?” It pissed me off that they were so quickly dismissing the idea. “What would prove that I’m responsible more than getting a college degree? I’m plenty smart enough. I’d get good grades.”Lisa smiled, but it was full of pity. “Of course you would, but there are five books in The Cinder Chronicles series. When The Druid Prince hits theaters and breaks box-office records—which it will—the studio will green light the other four movies. They’re already working on the next script. You’ll be filming again by spring.”My heart sank. I should have known I wouldn’t be allowed to do something as normal as go to college.
Kyle and Brian On Temptation:
~Kyle Hamilton, V is for Virgin “Is sex really that vital? Am I really not worth waiting for?”Kyle swallowed hard. “If ever a girl was, Val, it’d be you, but I can’t promise that. You have no idea what my life is like. There are always too many beautiful and willing women. There’s too much temptation. Too much expectation. If I wasn’t getting it from you I’d probably stray. I know how that sounds, but I’m just being honest. I’m only human, Val. A weak one who’s been indulged way too long. I can’t give you what you’re asking for because I’m afraid of breaking your heart.”
~Brian Oliver, Cinder & Ella Kaylee stood there, staring completely dumbfounded, as she finally realized she’d lost this argument. In one last desperate attempt to get what she wanted, she crossed the room and placed her hands delicately on my chest. “Brian…”She gazed up at me with lust-filled eyes as she slid her arms up over my shoulders and pressed her body against me. “Baby, please don’t go.”As Kaylee brushed her lips over my freshly-shaven jaw, I wondered how I’d ever found her tempting. I grabbed her arms off my shoulders and untwined myself from her grip. “Sorry, Kay. There’s only one woman for me now, and you aren’t her. You don’t even come close.”
As you can see, Brian and Kyle live very similar lives, and are put in a lot of the same situations, but they react to things very differently. They feel like very different people when you read them, and their stories are completely different. Thanks for taking the time to get to know them a little bit better!
Cinder & Ellais a contemporary spin on the classic fairy tale Cinderella wherein my “Prince” is a famous movie star. I will admit it: I like books about celebrities. A couple of my favorites off the top of my head would be, Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot, This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith, and Teen Idol by Meg Cabot. Call it a guilty pleasure if you must, but I love these types of books and will read every one I come across. It’s not a surprise to me that I’ve written a few myself.
Cinder & Ellais my third book that stars a male celebrity as the lead love interest. (The first two being my V is for Virginseries, which features my infamous rock star Kyle Hamilton.) But that doesn’t mean that if you’ve already read the V is for Virgin books, you don’t need to read Cinder & Ella. The books are completely different. Kyle and Brian may both be celebrities, but they are two very different characters with two very different stories.
Yes, they’re both charming, passionate, creative guys with slightly inflated egos, but that’s really where the similarities stop. Kyle is a larger-than-life attention hog. He loves the spotlight and is a natural-born performer. Brian just wants to do what he loves best—act. The rest of it—the fame, the women, the parties—he could go without. Okay, well he does have a fondness for his Ferrari, but other than that he likes to keep things low key.
Cinder & Ellais not a sequel, or even a companion novel to the V is for Virgin series, but it does take place within the same fictional world, and Kyle Hamilton and Brian Oliver not only know each other, but they have a bit of history. (Which you already know if you’ve read A is for abstinence.)
I thought it would be fun to do a little comparison between my two Hollywood Divas to give you a feel for just how different these two guys are. I think Brian and Kyle could probably tell you better than me, so I’ll let them do it by pulling a few short excerpts from their respective books.
Kyle and Brian On Fame:
~Kyle Hamilton, A is for AbstinenceA lot of celebrities grumble about the inconvenience of fame—the lack of privacy, people only loving you for your money and connections, the constant hounding by fans and the paparazzi. I can’t say I agree with them. If ever someone was meant to live the life of a celebrity, it was me.I got my first taste of fame when I was eighteen and my band, Tralse, got our big break. Our song “Broken Passion” topped out at number one on the charts and our debut album went platinum. Our follow-up album, S is for Sex, went triple platinum, won six Grammys, and turned me into an international superstar.For the last three years people have worshipped at my feet, and I’ve yet to tire of the attention. I’m never without friends or something to do, I always get everything I want, and I’m treated like a king wherever I go. I’m not ashamed to admit that I love it.
~Brian Oliver, Cinder & EllaI hadn’t had a say about anything since my first teen movie hit number one in the box office. Agents, managers, publicists, lawyers, image consultants, personal trainers, a million others… They controlled my life now—what I could and couldn’t wear, what I could and couldn’t eat, what functions I could and couldn’t attend, what I could and couldn’t say. Hell, they’d scheduled this entire publicity tour without once consulting me.Before I could storm out of the meeting, Lisa, the executive producer of the film, and the only person in the room besides Scott I could actually stand, met me at the door and blocked my way. “Brian,” she said, taking my hand. Her smile was completely patronizing, but I still softened to it. “We know you’re frustrated. You’ve had some bad luck with the paparazzi over the last year, but this press tour is important.”Some bad luck? Ever since I was cast to play Cinder, I’d become the paparazzi’s new golden boy for the entire female market. They’d stuck to me constantly in order to sell millions of magazines to every woman in the country between the ages of twelve and sixty. They followed me everywhere. I couldn’t wipe my ass anymore without having it plastered on every magazine cover in America. I hadn’t had a moment’s peace in over a year.
Kyle and Brian On Education:
~Kyle Hamilton, V is for Virgin:“What about you? Do you ever think about going back to school?”Kyle shrugged. “Not really. I already get to do what I love, so I don’t see the point in a college degree.”“But what about high school? It doesn’t bother you that you dropped out?”“Can you keep a secret?” Kyle asked giving me a sly look. When I nodded he grinned. “I didn’t drop out. When the band got the record deal I transferred to an online high school so I could finish my education while I traveled. I’ve even taken a few random college courses in things like accounting and basic entertainment law—stuff that’s helped me keep up with the business end of my industry.” I stopped walking to stare at Kyle in astonishment. He laughed at my shock then linked his arm through mine and started pulling me forward. “Ignorance is dangerous in my line of work,” he explained.“Then why do you tell people you’re a high school dropout? Is it really that important to have the bad boy, rebel, rock star image?”Kyle sighed. “The image is almost as important as the talent, sadly. When ‘Broken Passion’ made the radio, and it looked like Tralse had a real shot at becoming successful, my managers suggested the dropout thing. They made me break up with my girlfriend too.”“Really?”Kyle shrugged like it was no big deal. “That’s appalling.”“That’s fame. Gotta be sexy. Three point six GPA and faithful devoted boyfriend don’t exactly spell sexy rock star.”
~Brian Oliver, Cinder & Ella:“How about enrolling him in college?” another person suggested.Yes! I could get on board with that. I’d always wanted to go to college. I’d been homeschooled with a private tutor my whole life. The closest thing I’d ever gotten to a real school was playing a high school student in the movies.“Hey, yeah, I could do that. I could go to UCLA—go Bruins! I’d like to study English Literature.”Joseph shook his head, sending me a sympathetic smile. “That’s a really good idea, but you wouldn’t have the time.”“But we’ve wrapped on The Druid Prince,” I argued. “I don’t have anything going on right now. I could totally do it. I can take a couple years off and go to school. It’d keep me out of trouble.”Everyone in the room collectively shook their heads. “Why not?” It pissed me off that they were so quickly dismissing the idea. “What would prove that I’m responsible more than getting a college degree? I’m plenty smart enough. I’d get good grades.”Lisa smiled, but it was full of pity. “Of course you would, but there are five books in The Cinder Chronicles series. When The Druid Prince hits theaters and breaks box-office records—which it will—the studio will green light the other four movies. They’re already working on the next script. You’ll be filming again by spring.”My heart sank. I should have known I wouldn’t be allowed to do something as normal as go to college.
Kyle and Brian On Temptation:
~Kyle Hamilton, V is for Virgin “Is sex really that vital? Am I really not worth waiting for?”Kyle swallowed hard. “If ever a girl was, Val, it’d be you, but I can’t promise that. You have no idea what my life is like. There are always too many beautiful and willing women. There’s too much temptation. Too much expectation. If I wasn’t getting it from you I’d probably stray. I know how that sounds, but I’m just being honest. I’m only human, Val. A weak one who’s been indulged way too long. I can’t give you what you’re asking for because I’m afraid of breaking your heart.”
~Brian Oliver, Cinder & Ella Kaylee stood there, staring completely dumbfounded, as she finally realized she’d lost this argument. In one last desperate attempt to get what she wanted, she crossed the room and placed her hands delicately on my chest. “Brian…”She gazed up at me with lust-filled eyes as she slid her arms up over my shoulders and pressed her body against me. “Baby, please don’t go.”As Kaylee brushed her lips over my freshly-shaven jaw, I wondered how I’d ever found her tempting. I grabbed her arms off my shoulders and untwined myself from her grip. “Sorry, Kay. There’s only one woman for me now, and you aren’t her. You don’t even come close.”
As you can see, Brian and Kyle live very similar lives, and are put in a lot of the same situations, but they react to things very differently. They feel like very different people when you read them, and their stories are completely different. Thanks for taking the time to get to know them a little bit better!
The Cinder & Ella playlist
Writing and music are like baseball games and hotdogs—they just go together. Most writers create playlists that remind them of their work in progress. Whether it’s a tone or lyrics, certain songs will just jump out at us.
Personally I can’t write to music. I need quiet to focus. I am a singer. Not a good one, but an enthusiastic one, and if there is music playing anywhere, you can guarantee I’ll be singing and dancing along, getting absolutely no writing done. Still, I always have a playlist that reminds me of my books and characters, and I will wear it out while working on that particular manuscript. I just have to listen to it during the off-work hours.
The Cinder and Ella playlist is totally going to date me. Can we say 90’s alternative rock, anyone? Not every song on this list is from the 90’s, but a lot of them are. And now that you all know I’m a 90’s child and entering into my mid-thirties, maybe we should get to the music. Here it is, my Cinder & Ella playlist…
Better Together Jack JohnsonUmbrella TrainHey Leonardo Blessed Union of SoulsIris Goo Goo DollsFarther Down Matthew SweetDeep Inside of You Third Eye BlindTruly Madly Deeply Savage GardenOver My Head Brian LittrellKiss Me Slowly ParachuteEverything Michael BubleI’ll Be Edwin McCainCrazy For This Girl Evan and JaronParachute Train
For one reason or another each of these songs just reminded me so much of Brian and Ella. If I had to pick one of them to be Brian and Ella’s theme song, it would probably be Parachute by Train. Love that song, but the lyrics were also just too perfect. If you get a chance, go listen to it!
Personally I can’t write to music. I need quiet to focus. I am a singer. Not a good one, but an enthusiastic one, and if there is music playing anywhere, you can guarantee I’ll be singing and dancing along, getting absolutely no writing done. Still, I always have a playlist that reminds me of my books and characters, and I will wear it out while working on that particular manuscript. I just have to listen to it during the off-work hours.
The Cinder and Ella playlist is totally going to date me. Can we say 90’s alternative rock, anyone? Not every song on this list is from the 90’s, but a lot of them are. And now that you all know I’m a 90’s child and entering into my mid-thirties, maybe we should get to the music. Here it is, my Cinder & Ella playlist…
Better Together Jack JohnsonUmbrella TrainHey Leonardo Blessed Union of SoulsIris Goo Goo DollsFarther Down Matthew SweetDeep Inside of You Third Eye BlindTruly Madly Deeply Savage GardenOver My Head Brian LittrellKiss Me Slowly ParachuteEverything Michael BubleI’ll Be Edwin McCainCrazy For This Girl Evan and JaronParachute Train
For one reason or another each of these songs just reminded me so much of Brian and Ella. If I had to pick one of them to be Brian and Ella’s theme song, it would probably be Parachute by Train. Love that song, but the lyrics were also just too perfect. If you get a chance, go listen to it!
January 24, 2015
Brian Oliver's original email to Ella (how they met.)
This is also originally from the C&E blog tour, but my extra's page needs some Cinder & Ella love. Enjoy!
In Cinder & Ella, Brian and Ella share a passion for all things reading and fantasy. Ella has a book and movie review blog, and “met” Brian the day he wrote her an email about a post she’d written on his favorite book series. While they agreed that The Cinder Chronicles was the best set of books ever to be penned, and that the author was a genius, that was pretty much where their mutual understanding stopped. Brian’s bold letter about Ella’s post, and Ella’s heated reply, sparked a strong Internet friendship that carried them both through some difficult times.
Excerpt from the book:
“I met Ella through her blog over three years ago, after I came across a post she’d written about my favorite book series.” He flashed the audience a devastating smile. “You guys might have heard of it—The Cinder Chronicles by L.P. Morgan.”
Cheers erupted, and after the noise died down Brian continued on. “She had this insane theory that Prince Cinder should have chosen Ellamara instead of Princess Ratana, which of course I absolutely had to argue with. I wrote a very nice and polite Letter To The Editor explaining how completely misguided her theory was.”
Brian chuckled, but I scoffed. “Nice and polite? He called me a pig-headed, naïve feminist romanticist!”
Everyone in the room laughed, and even I had to smile because a secretive smirk crept over Brian’s face. No doubt he was thinking about the exact same thing I was.
“When she wrote me back, it was love at first fight.”
****************
I thought it would be fun to share with you guys, the actual letter that Brian wrote to Ella, which you won’t find in the book. Enjoy!
Brian’s Letter To The Editor
To: EllaTheRealHero@yahoo.com
From: Cinder458@gmail.com
Subject: Words of wisdom…?
More like the absurd ramblings of a pig-headed, naïve, feminist romanticist. As much as I respect your love for the greatest book series of all time, I simply cannot let your backwards ideas stand without argument. Ella, the real hero of The Cinder Chronicles? In what reality? Was Obi-Wan the hero of Star Wars? Or Mr. Miyagi the hero of Karate Kid? I don’t think so. If Ellamara were the hero of the story, they’d have to change the title of The Druid Prince to The Boring Book About That Weird Chick No One Cares About.
And you think Cinder should have chosen her over Princess Ratana? ARE YOU CRAZY? Ellamara was a too-good-for-everyone, cryptic-just-to-be-difficult man-hater. All she ever did was give a bunch of vague, unhelpful advice and constantly harp on Cinder and try to change him. So typical of a woman. And she was way too stubborn—always thought she knew best, and always had to be right about everything. (Kind of reminds me of someone…)
Ratana was so much better for Cinder. I mean, come on. She was as fierce a warrior as he was. She was always up for an adventure, supported Cinder when he had risky ideas, and believed in him when no one else did. Plus, she was a princess. She understood the kinds of responsibilities Cinder had as the leader of his people. She was raised to be a queen. She could help Cinder run the kingdom after he took the throne. If Cinder had chosen Ella, it would have ruined the book.
I hate to say it but, as entertaining as your blog post was, it sounded a bit defensive. Are you sure you didn’t just hate the fact that Cinder chose the beautiful, fun, popular, rich chick instead of the quiet, shy outcast? Hit a little too close to home maybe? You know, they say our favorite characters are often the ones we can most relate to. Hence the reason Cinder is my favorite character ever written. He’s awesome. He’s impulsive and passionate. I’m impulsive and passionate. He’s under a lot of pressure. I’m under a lot of pressure. I’m awesome. He’s good looking. I’m good looking… You see what I’m saying?
You’re probably just like Ellamara, aren’t you? Only you’re much more capable of stringing together coherent thoughts. I bet you’re shy and awkward in real life, but you come alive online. You should stop hiding behind your blog. I’ve read a few of your posts. You’re funny, and though your opinions are severely misguided, you show a great amount of intelligence in your writing. Your wit and sarcasm are totally awesome. You’re pretty, too. I mean, the braces are a little unfortunate (been there, done that, hated it), but you still have a beautiful smile and your eyes are stunning. I bet if you borrowed a little of Cinder’s confidence you’d have the guys flocking to you like crazy.
From one die-hard fan to another, I sincerely hope this letter will help you realize how wrong you are, and that the book is absolutely perfect the way it is. But considering how obstinate you seem, it’s more likely we’ll have to agree to disagree. Still, your blog is pretty cool. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Your newest follower,
Cinder458
In Cinder & Ella, Brian and Ella share a passion for all things reading and fantasy. Ella has a book and movie review blog, and “met” Brian the day he wrote her an email about a post she’d written on his favorite book series. While they agreed that The Cinder Chronicles was the best set of books ever to be penned, and that the author was a genius, that was pretty much where their mutual understanding stopped. Brian’s bold letter about Ella’s post, and Ella’s heated reply, sparked a strong Internet friendship that carried them both through some difficult times.
Excerpt from the book:
“I met Ella through her blog over three years ago, after I came across a post she’d written about my favorite book series.” He flashed the audience a devastating smile. “You guys might have heard of it—The Cinder Chronicles by L.P. Morgan.”
Cheers erupted, and after the noise died down Brian continued on. “She had this insane theory that Prince Cinder should have chosen Ellamara instead of Princess Ratana, which of course I absolutely had to argue with. I wrote a very nice and polite Letter To The Editor explaining how completely misguided her theory was.”
Brian chuckled, but I scoffed. “Nice and polite? He called me a pig-headed, naïve feminist romanticist!”
Everyone in the room laughed, and even I had to smile because a secretive smirk crept over Brian’s face. No doubt he was thinking about the exact same thing I was.
“When she wrote me back, it was love at first fight.”
****************
I thought it would be fun to share with you guys, the actual letter that Brian wrote to Ella, which you won’t find in the book. Enjoy!
Brian’s Letter To The Editor
To: EllaTheRealHero@yahoo.com
From: Cinder458@gmail.com
Subject: Words of wisdom…?
More like the absurd ramblings of a pig-headed, naïve, feminist romanticist. As much as I respect your love for the greatest book series of all time, I simply cannot let your backwards ideas stand without argument. Ella, the real hero of The Cinder Chronicles? In what reality? Was Obi-Wan the hero of Star Wars? Or Mr. Miyagi the hero of Karate Kid? I don’t think so. If Ellamara were the hero of the story, they’d have to change the title of The Druid Prince to The Boring Book About That Weird Chick No One Cares About.
And you think Cinder should have chosen her over Princess Ratana? ARE YOU CRAZY? Ellamara was a too-good-for-everyone, cryptic-just-to-be-difficult man-hater. All she ever did was give a bunch of vague, unhelpful advice and constantly harp on Cinder and try to change him. So typical of a woman. And she was way too stubborn—always thought she knew best, and always had to be right about everything. (Kind of reminds me of someone…)
Ratana was so much better for Cinder. I mean, come on. She was as fierce a warrior as he was. She was always up for an adventure, supported Cinder when he had risky ideas, and believed in him when no one else did. Plus, she was a princess. She understood the kinds of responsibilities Cinder had as the leader of his people. She was raised to be a queen. She could help Cinder run the kingdom after he took the throne. If Cinder had chosen Ella, it would have ruined the book.
I hate to say it but, as entertaining as your blog post was, it sounded a bit defensive. Are you sure you didn’t just hate the fact that Cinder chose the beautiful, fun, popular, rich chick instead of the quiet, shy outcast? Hit a little too close to home maybe? You know, they say our favorite characters are often the ones we can most relate to. Hence the reason Cinder is my favorite character ever written. He’s awesome. He’s impulsive and passionate. I’m impulsive and passionate. He’s under a lot of pressure. I’m under a lot of pressure. I’m awesome. He’s good looking. I’m good looking… You see what I’m saying?
You’re probably just like Ellamara, aren’t you? Only you’re much more capable of stringing together coherent thoughts. I bet you’re shy and awkward in real life, but you come alive online. You should stop hiding behind your blog. I’ve read a few of your posts. You’re funny, and though your opinions are severely misguided, you show a great amount of intelligence in your writing. Your wit and sarcasm are totally awesome. You’re pretty, too. I mean, the braces are a little unfortunate (been there, done that, hated it), but you still have a beautiful smile and your eyes are stunning. I bet if you borrowed a little of Cinder’s confidence you’d have the guys flocking to you like crazy.
From one die-hard fan to another, I sincerely hope this letter will help you realize how wrong you are, and that the book is absolutely perfect the way it is. But considering how obstinate you seem, it’s more likely we’ll have to agree to disagree. Still, your blog is pretty cool. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Your newest follower,
Cinder458
My Cinder & Ella Dream Cast
I originally sent this over to Reading Teen to be a stop on the C&E blog tour, but I still get asked all the time so I'm adding it to the blog here also. :D I get asked the casting question with every book I write and it’s always the hardest one for me to answer. By the time I’ve written a book, I know the characters so well that they are their own people in my mind. It’s hard for me to put an actor to them. But alas, I shall try to get as close to my idea of them as I can, because hey, who doesn’t like to gossip about celebrities?
Starting with our stars…
Ariana Grande as Ella
Ella was hard because she’s half Latina, which cuts my options down significantly. Add to that her bright blue eyes and well… impossible. I couldn’t find anyone with the blue eyes, but I did find someone who I think looks like she could play Ella. Ella needs to be someone who can pull off shy and with a guy she likes but also stubborn, outspoken witty and feisty at the same time. She needs to be someone who could play beautiful but doesn't know it. The only girl that kept coming to mind for me was Ariana Grande.
Zac Efron as Brian/Cinder
This almost seems cliché but really, can we go wrong with Zac? He’s sort of the poster child for gorgeous Hollywood playboy. He’s charming charismatic, and can do both pretty and bad boy. Nice and jerky. Sensitive and arrogant. He’s very “Hollywood Actor,” you know?
And now for the stepfamily...
Patrick Dempsey and Charlize Tharon as Richard and Jennifer Coleman
Ella's dad is actually her real dad in the book, but she hasn’t seen him since she was eight when he left her and her mom for another woman and never looked back. Richard Coleman is a U.S. Attourney. He’s powerful and intimidating, but in a knight-in-shining-armor kind of way. He’s made mistakes, but deep down he’s a good guy and tries hard to be a good father. I can definitely see Patrick fitting into this role of trying to do his best in a difficult situation, sometimes making the wrong choices, and being overwhelmed. (Yet you can’t help but want him to win.)
Jennifer Coleman is “the other woman.” She plays the role of the “evil stepmom,” though I’ve taken my own “Hollywood” spin on her. She’s a professional model and is a little clueless and tactless but not inherently evil. But she’s absolutely gorgeous and the perfect trophy wife for Richard. Charlize is the perfect look in my mind and with her acting capabilities, I know she could accomplish the personality I was trying to create with Jennifer.
The Ugly/Evil StepsistersAnnasophia Robb & Brittany Snow as Anastasia and Juliette
The Ugly/Evil Stepsisters. Obviously not ugly. Evil… Well… Anastasia and Juliette (Yes, Anastasia is a nod to the Disney film but I couldn’t bring myself to use Drisella, so Juliette it was…) are your quintessential popular girls. They’re gorgeous, popular, spoiled and self-centered. They are two girls who are used to their perfect looks, and their perfect lives, in their perfect home, with their perfect family. Until Ella shows up and shatters that perfect world. The two have a lot in common, and you could probably use Annaspohia or Brittany for either sister, but I chose Annaspohia for Anastasia because, of the two sisters, Anastasia is definitely the more viscous of them. I would love to see Annasophia play up the Evil Stepsister.
And last but not least the supporting BFFs
Bella Thorne as Vivan
Vivian was easy for me. As our resident fairy Godmother, she’s quirky, fun, and very confident in herself. She has her own unique sense of style and flaire. Bella Thorne is perfect!
Jesse Metcalfe as Rob
Rob was harder like Ella. His character is a lot more subtle. I love him, and have big plans for him, so I couldn’t just pick any old face. In this story I suppose Rob would play the role of the mice in the Disney film—Jaque and Gus. Or in the Hillary Duff movie A Cinderella Story—which is totally my favorite, by the way—he’d be Carter, the lovable, sidekick the BFF. He’s there to support Ella and be her friend when no one else is. This star athlete is hot and confident, but he’s also very quiet and modest. He doesn’t mind letting others take the spotlight. He has an element of mysterious and sexy to him. Does Jesse not look like he could fill that role? Mmm. I’m a fan!
Anyway, those are my picks. I’d love to hear yours. And, Hollywood, if you’re listening, take notes! This movie could be EPIC!
How about we add just one more picture of Jesse because... well just because. :D
Starting with our stars…
Ariana Grande as Ella
Ella was hard because she’s half Latina, which cuts my options down significantly. Add to that her bright blue eyes and well… impossible. I couldn’t find anyone with the blue eyes, but I did find someone who I think looks like she could play Ella. Ella needs to be someone who can pull off shy and with a guy she likes but also stubborn, outspoken witty and feisty at the same time. She needs to be someone who could play beautiful but doesn't know it. The only girl that kept coming to mind for me was Ariana Grande.
Zac Efron as Brian/Cinder
This almost seems cliché but really, can we go wrong with Zac? He’s sort of the poster child for gorgeous Hollywood playboy. He’s charming charismatic, and can do both pretty and bad boy. Nice and jerky. Sensitive and arrogant. He’s very “Hollywood Actor,” you know?
And now for the stepfamily...
Patrick Dempsey and Charlize Tharon as Richard and Jennifer Coleman
Ella's dad is actually her real dad in the book, but she hasn’t seen him since she was eight when he left her and her mom for another woman and never looked back. Richard Coleman is a U.S. Attourney. He’s powerful and intimidating, but in a knight-in-shining-armor kind of way. He’s made mistakes, but deep down he’s a good guy and tries hard to be a good father. I can definitely see Patrick fitting into this role of trying to do his best in a difficult situation, sometimes making the wrong choices, and being overwhelmed. (Yet you can’t help but want him to win.)
Jennifer Coleman is “the other woman.” She plays the role of the “evil stepmom,” though I’ve taken my own “Hollywood” spin on her. She’s a professional model and is a little clueless and tactless but not inherently evil. But she’s absolutely gorgeous and the perfect trophy wife for Richard. Charlize is the perfect look in my mind and with her acting capabilities, I know she could accomplish the personality I was trying to create with Jennifer.
The Ugly/Evil StepsistersAnnasophia Robb & Brittany Snow as Anastasia and Juliette
The Ugly/Evil Stepsisters. Obviously not ugly. Evil… Well… Anastasia and Juliette (Yes, Anastasia is a nod to the Disney film but I couldn’t bring myself to use Drisella, so Juliette it was…) are your quintessential popular girls. They’re gorgeous, popular, spoiled and self-centered. They are two girls who are used to their perfect looks, and their perfect lives, in their perfect home, with their perfect family. Until Ella shows up and shatters that perfect world. The two have a lot in common, and you could probably use Annaspohia or Brittany for either sister, but I chose Annaspohia for Anastasia because, of the two sisters, Anastasia is definitely the more viscous of them. I would love to see Annasophia play up the Evil Stepsister.
And last but not least the supporting BFFs
Bella Thorne as Vivan
Vivian was easy for me. As our resident fairy Godmother, she’s quirky, fun, and very confident in herself. She has her own unique sense of style and flaire. Bella Thorne is perfect!
Jesse Metcalfe as Rob
Rob was harder like Ella. His character is a lot more subtle. I love him, and have big plans for him, so I couldn’t just pick any old face. In this story I suppose Rob would play the role of the mice in the Disney film—Jaque and Gus. Or in the Hillary Duff movie A Cinderella Story—which is totally my favorite, by the way—he’d be Carter, the lovable, sidekick the BFF. He’s there to support Ella and be her friend when no one else is. This star athlete is hot and confident, but he’s also very quiet and modest. He doesn’t mind letting others take the spotlight. He has an element of mysterious and sexy to him. Does Jesse not look like he could fill that role? Mmm. I’m a fan!
Anyway, those are my picks. I’d love to hear yours. And, Hollywood, if you’re listening, take notes! This movie could be EPIC!
How about we add just one more picture of Jesse because... well just because. :D
January 15, 2015
Dating Trouble by Anna Katmore cover and teaser!
I'm helping out the lovely Anna Katmore with her book release today. (Happy book birthday Anna!) I'm happy to help spread the word. I've read most of Anna's books and I'm always entertained. She's a wonderful writer! Today she's releasing book five in her Grover Beach Team series. This book can be read as a stand alone, so you don't have to have read the other books in the series first. Though, they are worth the read. And I was excited to see who the main character in this book was. We finally get to see Sue Miller's love story! (Hint, it involves twin brothers.)
Okay, so here's the cover, blurb, buy link and an excerpt! Have fun!
Trouble has never looked so hot…
Sue wants Ethan, and Chris wants Sue.
Drawn to Ethan and intrigued by Chris, Susan Miller finds herself caught between identical twin brothers at her school. When both of them start wooing her at the same time, she only has to take her pick. Right? Wrong! Ethan is reluctant to kiss her, and Chris wants her for the completely wrong reasons.
Nothing like his obliging and sweet brother, Chris Donovan has trouble written all over him. He changes girls like otherHow long will it be until Susan falls for his smooth charm and gets herself into more trouble than she can possibly handle? And where does that leave Ethan?
The Tease:
I cleared my throat and called out, “Hey, Chris!”
Folding his arms on the backrest of the chair he’d straddled by his friends, he cast me an intrigued and self-assured glance over his shoulder. I didn’t give him the time to even think about the word “sweetness” leaving his mouth, but continued, “It takes a little more than a cute smile to get on my good side, and luckily your brother comes equipped with the whole package.” I flashed a sardonic grin that hopefully stung his ego in front of his gang. “You want to freeze hell? Go ahead and try. It’ll get you nowhere with me.”
For a stunned moment, Chris gazed at me. My snappiness had certainly terminated his interest in me. After all, he seemed to be someone after an easy lay and a jolly good time, nothing more. Especially not if that something proved to require serious effort. Right?
Wrong. The left side of his mouth tilted up so slowly that a shudder made it through my entire body before he was done with the smirk. He blinked then ran his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip. The whole class had stilled and all eyes were on him and me now, gazes darting back and forth.
With an audience to quote him later, he stated, “Game on, little Sue.”
Available NOW on AMAZON
Excerpt from Dating Trouble...
I opened the message and read: Not like a geek.
Who in the world was supposed to make sense of that? Was there something missing? Scratching my head, I typed: What? And sent it off.
While waiting for his explanation, I keyed in a quick update about tonight for Simone, but also added Sam and Lisa to the receiver line. As soon as that text had gone out, my phone started to ring. My first thought was that one of the girls had been really quick to read my text and wanted to talk about it, but checking the display, it said that a certain Arrogant dick had dialed my number.
What in the world— “Chris, why are you calling me?” I groaned into the phone. But I’d probably run right into that one when I decided to respond to his text.
“To wish you a pleasant night and to answer your question,” Chris replied with a chuckle.
An irritated sigh escaped me. “Does your brother know that you’re talking to me?”
“No. He just came in…too soon after he drove you home, if you ask me.” He added with a tease in his voice, “Does that mean he, once again, didn’t kiss you?”
Teeth clenched, I snarled, “None of your business.”
“Come on, it’s a simple yes or no question.” An amused laugh drifted through the line. “I’ll sleep a lot better if I know the answer.”
What did I care if he slept well? “Why don’t you ask him yourself if you want to know so badly?”
“Okay… Since you told me to…” There was a pause and the sound of a door opening which added ten extra degrees to my blood. He wasn’t really going to— “Hey, Ethan!” Chris called out, cutting my thought short. “Did you kiss Susan tonight?”
“No. Why?” The answer came from far away. My heart sank with Ethan’s flat voice. Then a door banged shut somewhere in Chris’s house.
“Ethan said no,” he rubbed it in, as if I hadn’t heard the news myself. “I wonder why he didn’t.” His voice had adopted a thoughtful edge that was one hundred percent fake. “Could it be that he’s just not interested?”
Much as his suggestion stung, I was wondering it myself. But it was too early to give up hope just yet. Third time’s a charm, the saying chanted in my mind as I said to Chris, “FYI, he asked me on another date.”
“Aw, playing video games again? Is that really your idea of a successful date?”
“We’re going to the movies.” And might play some video games before that, but I didn’t mention it.
“Your idea of a successful date is probably coming out of your room with bed hair and a messy shirt.”
Chris waited a second. There was an unmistakable smirk in his tone when he purred in my ear, “I knew you noticed that.” His voice became even lower and a quantum more seductive. “Did it bother you?”
"Why the hell would it?”
“Because, for one,” Chris didn’t hesitate a beat to explain, “I look exactly like my brother and, from what I can tell, you’re totally into him. Means you’re totally into me, too. And two, only one out of us seems to be dying to snatch a kiss from you these days.”
His explanation, or whatever the heck that was, sent my thoughts into complete chaos. It was silent enough to hear a pin drop in my room.
“You stopped breathing, Sue.” There was, for once, not the slightest edge of teasing in his tone. Rather astonishment. But that faded away quickly and a chuckle carried through the line. “I guess that means you agree with me on both points.”
Did I? The likeness of the twins was striking and not something one could overlook. Since I thought Ethan was the cutest boy in the world, it would make sense to assume I thought the same about Chris. Except that Chris was lacking charm, manners, courtesy, and my fabulous taste in music. Although his singing “Stay” had stroked a sense of admiration awake in me.
“Chris, tell me one thing,” I whispered, not at all sure if I really wanted an answer. “You had the most beautiful girl in your room this afternoon. Why do you want to kiss me?”
“Because Lauren, like most other girls, is an easy catch.” After telling me this in the most nonchalant way, he made a dramatic pause. “You, on the other hand, challenged me today—and in front of my friends, too.”
“So you want me because you can’t have me?”
“Who says I can’t have you?”
“I do.”
“Oh, okay. So yes, then I definitely want you.”
His logic made me laugh, but there was more frustration than humor ringing in it. “You need to understand that I could never kiss a guy without having true feelings for him…which I don’t have for you, Chris.”
“Really?” His voice went up like he was scrunching up his face. “I’ve kissed more than twenty girls the past few months, and it was lots of fun. But not one of them made me feel anything. Well, other than—”
“Stop it!” I shouted, squeezing my eyes shut. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“Okay, okay,” he laughed. “Anyway, there’s another reason why I want you.”
“What’s that?”
“You looked way hot in that dress today. Definitely not like a geek, which should answer your question to begin with.” I thought he couldn’t sound any more seductive than that, but a moment later, he proved me wrong, as his voice dropped another notch and picked up a layer of heat. “If I’d been the one driving you home tonight, I would have kissed you. And you would have liked it.”Chills ran down my back and arms like a melting scoop of ice cream. Not unpleasant, but awkward, anyway.
“Sleep tight, sweetness,” he breathed and hung up.
***
Sounds fun, right? I just bought my copy and can't wait to read it. Congrats Anna and best of luck with the release!
Okay, so here's the cover, blurb, buy link and an excerpt! Have fun!
Trouble has never looked so hot…Sue wants Ethan, and Chris wants Sue.
Drawn to Ethan and intrigued by Chris, Susan Miller finds herself caught between identical twin brothers at her school. When both of them start wooing her at the same time, she only has to take her pick. Right? Wrong! Ethan is reluctant to kiss her, and Chris wants her for the completely wrong reasons.
Nothing like his obliging and sweet brother, Chris Donovan has trouble written all over him. He changes girls like otherHow long will it be until Susan falls for his smooth charm and gets herself into more trouble than she can possibly handle? And where does that leave Ethan?
The Tease:
I cleared my throat and called out, “Hey, Chris!”
Folding his arms on the backrest of the chair he’d straddled by his friends, he cast me an intrigued and self-assured glance over his shoulder. I didn’t give him the time to even think about the word “sweetness” leaving his mouth, but continued, “It takes a little more than a cute smile to get on my good side, and luckily your brother comes equipped with the whole package.” I flashed a sardonic grin that hopefully stung his ego in front of his gang. “You want to freeze hell? Go ahead and try. It’ll get you nowhere with me.”
For a stunned moment, Chris gazed at me. My snappiness had certainly terminated his interest in me. After all, he seemed to be someone after an easy lay and a jolly good time, nothing more. Especially not if that something proved to require serious effort. Right?
Wrong. The left side of his mouth tilted up so slowly that a shudder made it through my entire body before he was done with the smirk. He blinked then ran his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip. The whole class had stilled and all eyes were on him and me now, gazes darting back and forth.
With an audience to quote him later, he stated, “Game on, little Sue.”
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Excerpt from Dating Trouble...
I opened the message and read: Not like a geek.
Who in the world was supposed to make sense of that? Was there something missing? Scratching my head, I typed: What? And sent it off.
While waiting for his explanation, I keyed in a quick update about tonight for Simone, but also added Sam and Lisa to the receiver line. As soon as that text had gone out, my phone started to ring. My first thought was that one of the girls had been really quick to read my text and wanted to talk about it, but checking the display, it said that a certain Arrogant dick had dialed my number.
What in the world— “Chris, why are you calling me?” I groaned into the phone. But I’d probably run right into that one when I decided to respond to his text.
“To wish you a pleasant night and to answer your question,” Chris replied with a chuckle.
An irritated sigh escaped me. “Does your brother know that you’re talking to me?”
“No. He just came in…too soon after he drove you home, if you ask me.” He added with a tease in his voice, “Does that mean he, once again, didn’t kiss you?”
Teeth clenched, I snarled, “None of your business.”
“Come on, it’s a simple yes or no question.” An amused laugh drifted through the line. “I’ll sleep a lot better if I know the answer.”
What did I care if he slept well? “Why don’t you ask him yourself if you want to know so badly?”
“Okay… Since you told me to…” There was a pause and the sound of a door opening which added ten extra degrees to my blood. He wasn’t really going to— “Hey, Ethan!” Chris called out, cutting my thought short. “Did you kiss Susan tonight?”
“No. Why?” The answer came from far away. My heart sank with Ethan’s flat voice. Then a door banged shut somewhere in Chris’s house.
“Ethan said no,” he rubbed it in, as if I hadn’t heard the news myself. “I wonder why he didn’t.” His voice had adopted a thoughtful edge that was one hundred percent fake. “Could it be that he’s just not interested?”
Much as his suggestion stung, I was wondering it myself. But it was too early to give up hope just yet. Third time’s a charm, the saying chanted in my mind as I said to Chris, “FYI, he asked me on another date.”
“Aw, playing video games again? Is that really your idea of a successful date?”
“We’re going to the movies.” And might play some video games before that, but I didn’t mention it.
“Your idea of a successful date is probably coming out of your room with bed hair and a messy shirt.”
Chris waited a second. There was an unmistakable smirk in his tone when he purred in my ear, “I knew you noticed that.” His voice became even lower and a quantum more seductive. “Did it bother you?”
"Why the hell would it?”
“Because, for one,” Chris didn’t hesitate a beat to explain, “I look exactly like my brother and, from what I can tell, you’re totally into him. Means you’re totally into me, too. And two, only one out of us seems to be dying to snatch a kiss from you these days.”
His explanation, or whatever the heck that was, sent my thoughts into complete chaos. It was silent enough to hear a pin drop in my room.
“You stopped breathing, Sue.” There was, for once, not the slightest edge of teasing in his tone. Rather astonishment. But that faded away quickly and a chuckle carried through the line. “I guess that means you agree with me on both points.”
Did I? The likeness of the twins was striking and not something one could overlook. Since I thought Ethan was the cutest boy in the world, it would make sense to assume I thought the same about Chris. Except that Chris was lacking charm, manners, courtesy, and my fabulous taste in music. Although his singing “Stay” had stroked a sense of admiration awake in me.
“Chris, tell me one thing,” I whispered, not at all sure if I really wanted an answer. “You had the most beautiful girl in your room this afternoon. Why do you want to kiss me?”
“Because Lauren, like most other girls, is an easy catch.” After telling me this in the most nonchalant way, he made a dramatic pause. “You, on the other hand, challenged me today—and in front of my friends, too.”
“So you want me because you can’t have me?”
“Who says I can’t have you?”
“I do.”
“Oh, okay. So yes, then I definitely want you.”
His logic made me laugh, but there was more frustration than humor ringing in it. “You need to understand that I could never kiss a guy without having true feelings for him…which I don’t have for you, Chris.”
“Really?” His voice went up like he was scrunching up his face. “I’ve kissed more than twenty girls the past few months, and it was lots of fun. But not one of them made me feel anything. Well, other than—”
“Stop it!” I shouted, squeezing my eyes shut. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“Okay, okay,” he laughed. “Anyway, there’s another reason why I want you.”
“What’s that?”
“You looked way hot in that dress today. Definitely not like a geek, which should answer your question to begin with.” I thought he couldn’t sound any more seductive than that, but a moment later, he proved me wrong, as his voice dropped another notch and picked up a layer of heat. “If I’d been the one driving you home tonight, I would have kissed you. And you would have liked it.”Chills ran down my back and arms like a melting scoop of ice cream. Not unpleasant, but awkward, anyway.
“Sleep tight, sweetness,” he breathed and hung up.
***
Sounds fun, right? I just bought my copy and can't wait to read it. Congrats Anna and best of luck with the release!
