21 Questions starring... Lauren Henderson

**UPDATE. CONTEST WILL END THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 5, INSTEAD!!

Today we have with us author, Lauren Henderson. Her follow up to Kiss Me Kill Me, Kisses and Lies, was release back in January, so go get you a copy; of course you’ll need to get Kiss Me Kill Me first. From what I gather, you won't regret it, and it’s a MUST to read the series in order! Also, if you stay tuned, Lauren has been gracious enough to offer up Kiss Me Kill Me AND Kisses and Lies to not one, not two, but FIVE lucky commenters!

Are you working on anything new right now? If so can we get a sneak peak if not can we get a peak at the Kiss Me Kill Me series?
Yes I am! I just finished a bonkbuster (that’s the UK term for a big,
sex-and-shopping, naughty beach read of a book) for a UK publisher. It’s called DIVAS and it’s written under the name of Rebecca Chance (because publishers hate it when you write all kinds of different books under your own name). It’s about two very different heroines, a spoilt socialite heiress and a pole dancer, who have to come together to battle their enemy, the heiress’s evil stepmother, to get their inheritances back.

I’m also just finishing the third in the Kiss Me Kill Me Series. It’s called Kiss In The Dark and will come out January 2010. Scarlett is cast in the school play and has to learn trapeze, while investigating a mysterious death at school that’s very closely linked to her relationship with Jase Meanwhile, Plum’s being a total bitch (no surprises there).

I really like that word bonkbuster. The description totally fits it.

I like to start out my days with a laugh. Soo what makes you literally LOL?
Oh blimey. Awful reality TV shows, to which I am addicted. I really got into Rock of Love 1 & 2 and laughed a lot at those (while covering my face in horror at how idiotic some of the girls were). Right now I actually like The Big Bang Theory on TV, even though it’s a bit sexist that the guys are all ugly and the lone girl is gorgeous, but I think the nerds on it are really funny.

Has anything AMAZING happened to you as a writer? (Other than getting published?)
Selling the movie rights of my non-fiction book, Jane Austen’s Guide To
Dating, to the girl who wrote Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate About You. She’s planning to produce it as a movie, and even if that never happens I made a lot of money (for me) and I’ve got to read a movie script of a book of mine (from a completely made-up story, as the book really is a dating guide). Which was a ton of fun.

How about something EMBARASSING?
Hmm, as a writer? Probably some of the Russian covers for my Sam Jones mystery series. The one for Strawberry Tattoo was, uh, pretty weird.

What/Who inspired you to become a writer?
Well, I love the Modesty Blaise series by Peter O’Donnell, and that really made me realize that you could write an action series with a strong, resourceful heroine that I could really identify with. However, to be honest, when I started writing my Sam Jones mystery series, 13 years ago, I did it because there weren’t any women authors who were writing strong, funny, sexy, tough heroines, and I wanted to create a series that I would want to read! Now things have really changed, thank goodness, and there are tons of women writing books where the heroines aren’t pathetically weak and need a man to save them (I mean, the Twilight series is a lot of fun but I myself prefer a heroine that can save herself. I’d rather have the superpowers myself than have my boyfriend have them!!)

What would you do/be if you were not an author?
I’d definitely be a makeup artist. I LOVE doing makeup on myself and my friends and making them even prettier, or at least sparklier, than they are already! I’ve done three friends for their weddings and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

How do you associate with your fans? Are there any who’ve made a strong impression on you that you can’t forget?
Well, there was the guy in Manchester with very few teeth who followed me around so much my scary girlfriends had to get rid of him!! But I love to be in touch with my fans. I mean, you write books to find an audience who loves them, so there’s very little I like better than to have fans get in touch with me. Seriously!! My website right now is www.tartcity.com , which will be updated to
www.laurenhenderson.co.uk http://www.laurenhenderson.co.uk soon, and please visit me on those and on myspace under mslaurenhenderson

Who’s your best friend? How long have you guys (gals) been friends?
My sister Lisa. And we haven’t always been friends, as anyone who has a sister will understand!! But she’s the person I ring and talk to and confide in most, so that has to be my best friend. I’m also very close to Stella Duffy, a fantastic writer who I share Tart City with, and her wife Shelley Silas. But my husband Greg is also my best friend (we’ve been together since the day we met, which is five years now). Wow. That’s a hard question. I’m really lucky, I have lots of amazing friends. I didn’t even get to my friend Sophie in Italy, I’ve seen her through a tough divorce and she’s seen me through tons of stuff I value my friends more than almost anything and work really hard at maintaining my friendships.

I totally get your relationship with your sister. I Love mine to death. We’re so crazy when we’re together!

What’s a typical day like, when you’re not writing?
Ugh, I haven’t had a day without writing or planning a book for so long I can barely remember, as I’m doing both the Scarlett Wakefield/KISS series and the bonkbusters under the name of Rebecca Chance! A typical day not writing, I would lie around, watch Judge Judy and an episode of Supernatural, go to the gym, shop, read, cook dinner, watch a movie with my husbands’ lovely relaxing things!

What's a weakness of yours?
EATING. I am GREEDY.

Don’t feel bad. I Heart food too.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your closet right now?
Good question!!! A blue plaid short-sleeved top I bought from Express last fall with a deep v-neck little frill at the front. It sounds frightful but actually is really lovely and very hip and I’m living in it at the moment.

What could you eat all day long and never grow tired of?
CARBS.

What’s your favorite fairytale? Have you ever thought of re-doing it?
Tam Lin and Bluebeard. And I’ve retold both. One in the Twelve Days of
Christmas anthology, edited by Shelley Silas, and the Bluebeard one in an anthology edited by Mitzi Szereto. I love retelling fairytales. These are very good questions.

Thank you

When you get stuck writing, how do you unglue yourself?
The best way is to go for a run or a long walk and let your brain unglue itself while your body is distracted by physical exercise. Unfortunately I often don’t take my own advice and find myself lying on the sofa watching Dr Phil instead.

Which character from your series do you relate to the most?
Definitely Scarlett. I felt very alone when I was a teenager, though I’m not an orphan, and I really identify with her need to work out who she is and solve her quest for identity.

If the Kiss Me Kill Me series were to become a movie, who’d you like to play the main characters?
!! that’s so hard! There’s a girl called Natalie Dormer who was in The Tudors TV series, playing Anne Boleyn, who a producer suggested to play Sam Jones, my adult mystery heroine, and though she’s a bit old to play Scarlett her looks would be perfect for her. I do really visualize Scarlett with the pale skin, blue eyes and dark hair. Taylor actually, she’s so based on a girl called Meredith I did trapeze classes with for a while that I can only see Meredith’s face when I picture Taylor. Plum well, there are so many pretty bitchy girls who could play her! And Dan and Callum well, it’s very tempting to just say Robert Pattinson for any hot-boy role nowadays, isn’t it?

Can you relate your book title, Kiss Me Kill Me to your life in someway? How about Kisses and Lies?
Kiss Me Kill Me ¬ no, thank goodness I can’t relate it to my life! I’d be a bit worried if I could! Kisses and Lies is a different story, of course. I think we all have had, and given kisses, that we didn’t feel we were being completely honest about. I know I’ve kissed and lied myself My third book in the Scarlett Wakefield series is called Kiss in the Dark, and again, I think we can all relate to that!

It would be pretty awful to be able to relate Kiss Me Kill Me to your life. Unless it’s something like I would have rather died than kiss so and so, but that’s just kinda mean so we’ll not go there. =)

What’s your favorite book?
Ugh! This is SO HARD because I can never just pick one. I love the Modesty Blaise series and Agatha Christie mysteries and pretty much everything Georgette Heyer, PG Wodehouse and Anthony Trollope ever wrote.

Where’s your favorite place to travel?
Definitely Italy, where I used to live. We go back there on holiday a few times a year (it’s a short flight from London) and I also go there by myself to write when I need to really concentrate. We rent a small house there with some friends up a hill in the middle of Tuscany, there’s no internet or TV, just beautiful countryside, so it’s lovely and peaceful and the food is amazing! But I love visiting New York, where I also used to live, and I had a holiday over New Year’s to Sri Lanka with four girlfriends which was one of the best times of my life ¬ sun, beaches, incredible history, and elephants! Fantastic!

Sounds to me like Italy will be my next stop after England.

Which of your characters do you like the most?
Definitely Scarlett and Sam Jones, because they’re my long-running heroines and they’re most like me. But I’m also very fond of Lola and Evie, the heroines of DIVAS, because they have amazing journeys in the book and it’s such a big, sexy story.

Anything else you would like to share with us?
Just that I have fantastic fans and I love when they get in touch with me, so please do contact me on myspace mslaurenhenderson and on my website, www.laurenhenderson.co.uk or www.tartcity.com . I always love to hear readers’ feedback & what they think of my books. And, if you like some of my books, you’ll probably like all of them, so don’t just try one series and stop thereŠ keep going and try my romantic comedy novels as well, and maybe even Jane Austen’s Guide To Dating, if you’re single and looking for love!

Sounds to me like I'll need to take a look at Jane Austen's Guide To Dating. =)

Thank you Lauren. We were glad to have you.
For all things Lauren visit her websites, here or here, and friend her on myspace.

CONTEST TIME!!!

Deadline: March 29 11:59pm California Time.
Who: Everyone. It's open WORLDWIDE

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If any authors would like to Starr in 21 Questions, feel free to email me at stellargurl93[at]aim[dot]com and I'll tell you all you need to know.