Melissa de la Cruz is the author for this Thursday's Author Tales! She is the author of almost 20 some books! Which you might have heard of.... Blue Bloods, The Ashley's, Au Pairs... just to name a few. She's had two novels released recently, The Ashley's: Birthday Vicious (August 2008) and Revelations: A Blue Bloods Novel (October 2008). For a chance to win one of Melissa's novels, be sure to leave a comment! For official contest guidelines be sure to check out the Monthly Contest post for November!_____________________________________________

My favorite question.....What were you like as a teen? Does it have any influence over how you portray your characters?

I was both very shy and also completely goofy. I went to this very snobby all-girls school populated by debutante types where I never felt like I fit in, and therefore felt totally uncomfortable and miserable all the time. Then I went to an honors journalism camp one summer and met all these cool, smart kids and I finally felt like I could be myself. A friend there said I reminded him of the Dana Carvey character Garth from Wayne's World. But my Garth side only comes out around
people I know very, very well.

And yes - my misery and alienation definitely played a part in Schuyler's character in Blue Bloods. There's a little bit of me in each of my characters. Except maybe in Jacqui from the Au Pairs and Taj from Angels on Sunset Boulevard. Jacqui is way more confident with boys than I ever was, and Taj is just too cool. I am not cool. I am Garth.

Who or what inspired you to become a writer?

I just loved reading books. Reading is such a huge part of my life, and had been from the very beginning. My parents are both avid readers, and every Sunday after brunch and Church, we would go to the bookstore and I was allowed to buy as many books as I wanted--every week! So it just seemed natural for me to want to write and to want to write "when I grow up."

Wow! It must have been great to get as many books as you wanted! You must have read a lot of books! Who would you say are some of your favorite authors?

Seriously, there are so many, from childhood on--Louisa May Alcott, Gordon Korman, Enid Blyton, JRR Tolkien, Stephen King, Anne Rice. I went through a huge Tolstoy phase in my early 20s when I would press upon everyone I met to read War and Peace. It's still my favorite book. Now I'm in an urban-lady-novelist phase. I absolutely love Kate Christensen, Cheryl Mendelsohn, Lionel Shriver.

Those are some excellent authors! Speaking of excellent authors, do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

Read. Write. Never give up!

It seems so easy, yet at times it can be so hard. I'm always afraid to share what I write with others. Do you have any fears as an author?

I guess my biggest fear is disappointing my fans, my readership. Especially the Blue Bloods faithful. It actually gives me nightmares, when I think that they might not like the new book. But now, I've taken a more sanguine view, I'm still anxious, but I know I did my best to bring the story to life and to write an entertaining story. And I'm satisfied with that, and I'm proud of the book. And I do think they will like it.

I have a hard time finding the time to write and I really only have myself to take care of. How do you balance writing with being a new mom?

Capital D- DIFFICULT. Now that she's almost two years old it's a lot easier. But the first year was just simply, hell. I felt guilty all the time. Now I still feel guilty but in the end I know it's better for all of us if I'm happy, and I'm happy to
be working and to writing.

And to answer your question, I do it by working about four days a week, writing from 10-3pm. I have to be really disciplined now. I used to slack off for weeks and then write my books in a flurry of late-night cramming. But now I try to write a little every day on those four days when I have a deadline due. I usually take Fridays off to be with the baby.

Most of your novels would be considered Young Adult, but you’ve also started moving into the Middle Grade audience with The Ashley’s. What are the main differences in writing for these two audiences and which do you like better?

With middle grade, it's more about the discovery of things I think. Crushes instead of boyfriends. Your relationship to your mom is really important. You're still figuring out what makes a real friend.

I don't really feel like I write for an audience. I just write the story I want to write and it just happens that my stories are the kinds that teens like.

What are you working on now? Can you tell us anything about it?

Right now doing revisions on two books - the first book in a new series, GIRL STAYS IN THE PICTURE, about three different girls who become best friends and travel around jet-set locales. It's like Entourage, I call it "Femmetourage." And also doing second-draft revisions on the sequel to Angels on Sunset Boulevard, it's called The Strip, and I had to put it on hold because GIRL is going to pub earlier.

And I'm also working on the new Blue Bloods book, The Van Alen Legacy. I always try to have a few balls in the air, and it's nice to have books in several different phases. With the new Blue Bloods book everything is still wonderful since it's new. With GIRL, things are hard because I'm on the final stretch but the good news is that it'll be over soon. With The Strip, I'm right in the muck and have to fix the book!

I've also been working on some television pilots, so hopefully I'll have some news to share on that front soon!

I can't wait for the next Blue Bloods novel!! Speaking of vampires... What do you think of the vampire phenomenon that seems to be taking over literature?

I think it's great! I've always loved vampire books. Salem's Lot and Anne Rice's vampire chronicles were my favorite books and it makes sense that teens are discovering the seductive element of vampire escapism. :)

Do you see yourself branching out to any other genres, besides the ones you’ve written? Perhaps a historical fiction? (Although Blue Bloods, does have some historical elements)

Maybe! I never say never. Although I don't think I'll be doing historical fiction. I found those elements in Blue Bloods the hardest to write and I made them short because I was really worried about them. I'm glad it turned out okay, but I think I'll leave that alone for now. Although just as I'm answering this question I realize that I've written an outline for a Blue Bloods prequel that takes place in Florence in the fifteenth century. Argh. So I guess historical fiction might be in my future after all.

Do you have any television shows you watch obsessively or an all time favorite movie?

I have to admit a weakness for reality shows. Right now I am OBSESSED with Flipping Out (which ended its season sadly) and the Rachel Zoe project. I love, love, LOVE these shows. Somehow I can't get into scripted TV as much. Although I do follow Lost. And The Office. But I don't love those shows in the way I love Flipping Out. Seriously I watch that show and think, THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE MY FRIENDS. Which is kind of sad!

My all time favorite movies are the Star Wars trilogy (fading somewhat because of the second trilogy being so awful), the Lord of the Rings trilogy (my husband and I quote lines from it all the time) and Moulin Rouge (I think I watched it five times in the theater).

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Tucker Max's I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell. I have a weakness for obnoxious lad lit. I just read Bringing Down the House. And for YA I just finished The Giver by Lois Lowry.

On my to-read list is Joshua Ferris's Then We All Came to the End, I've owned this book for months now and never got around to reading it but I just read a short story by him in the New Yorker which made me really really want to read his novel now.

What are your feelings on Blue Bloods becoming a movie?

Actually right now I am developing it as a possible television show with some wonderful people. I'm involved in it, so I'm really happy about that, and the people I'm working with are awesome. I can't say anymore than I already have, but I hope it happens. We'll find out very soon.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I'm really sad about David Foster Wallace. In Blue Bloods, Schuyler and Oliver quote lines from Infinite Jest to each other. My friends and I had an Infinite Jest book club when it came out because it was so long and so difficult the only way we were going to finish that book was if we cheered each other on. But we felt so victorious when we finished and we loved that book. I can't help but feel angry - the same way I felt angry about Kurt Cobain. What a waste. What a tragedy. What a cliche. There are so many wonderful things to live for, and I am furious at them for giving up.

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For more information on Melissa and her novels you can visit the following links:

Website: http://melissa-delacruz.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/melissadelacruz
Blog/Diary: http://melissa-delacruz.com/index.php/diary/

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