Eileen Cook And GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD

MEET EILEEN COOK! Eileen and I have lots in common. We're agent sisters because we have the same agent. We're mirror opposites: She's an American living in Canada. I'm a Canadian living in the USA. We both have brown hair.

There is, however, one HUGE difference between us. I have SCADS AND SCADS more fashion sense than Eileen. (You'll see what I mean further down in this post.)

Here's cover copy for Eileen's most recent (as in this very month!) release: GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD:

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls–and now, at the start of her senior year, she’s the cheerleading captain, the quarterback’s girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she’s ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend. But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she’s moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn’t dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that’s ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend. Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.


And now for my hard-hitting interview!

Me: First off, I love the cover. Love it. Did you have any input? Is that your kitchen knife?

Eileen: I love this cover too! I may have actually squealed when I opened the jpeg the publisher sent. I There is a scene in the book where the main character dresses up a Barbie doll in a cheerleader outfit and then chucks it into a wood chipper. I thought it would be fun to show someone holding a Barbie doll by it’s hair and sticking a pin into it- voodoo style. I shared my idea, but the art department warned me that Barbie is trademarked so they frown on people sticking pins in her on book covers. (I thought this was a bit unfair as I've bought more than my fair share of Barbies over the years) The designer did like the concept so she ordered a custom made doll from China and created the cover we ended up with.

Me: Tell us about your best friends in middle school. Would you have been a Lauren, a Helen or maybe an Eileen? If you answer Eileen, what kind of teen were you? (See? Two can ask this question!!)

Eileen: I had the same best friend all through middle school and high school. We're still very close friends even though we live on different sides of the country. I keep threatening that if she ever shares my deep dark teen secrets I will tell her daughter what she was really like. I still have the diaries and some of our passed notes to prove it.

As a teen I had the super power of invisibility. I wasn't popular or unpopular- I had the ability to blend into the background. I can only wonder what I could have accomplished if I hadn't been so worried about what everyone thought of me all the time.

Me: Do you laugh out loud when writing? I ask this because I laugh out loud when reading your books. I'd like to think we're laughing together.

Eileen: I crack myself up when I'm writing. Sometimes I even get the full on snorting, tears in the eyes laughing. I'm so glad to know you're laughing with me as well. I would hate to think I was laughing all by myself, that would just be sad.

Me: What's up next for you writing-wise?

Eileen: I am sooo excited to be working on a new YA book. It is about a prank that goes wrong and the main character has to decide how to deal with the fall out. I'm also working on a middle grade series about a girl who is a part of a fairy godmother family. I'm one of those people who are happiest when I've got a project on the go.

Me: The next is sort of a delicate subject. But my readers expect me to ask the tough, hard-hitting questions, so here goes. Rumor has it that you wear your pj's out in public? Is it true? Be honest. We have cameras everywhere.

Eileen: What kind of person goes out in public in their pj's?

Me: Be honest...

Eileen: FINE! Yes, I have been known to go out in my pj's, but that is because of your bad influence which encouraged me to believe this was okay. Plus, I will have it known that I have very stylish jammies.

Me: Uh, no, you do not have stylish jammies. Au contraire...

Eileen: Strangely, I don't have a picture of me in my jammies out and about in the city....

Me: Ha! But I do!

The head and the hands have been removed for legal purposes. But, friends, this is Eileen Cook!

Additional information for your viewing pleasure:
Here's Eileen modeling Victoria's Secret or maybe it's a link to her very hilarious blog!

Here's Eileen's husband modeling Victoria's Secret or maybe it's a link to the first chapter of GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD.

Well, friends, I hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks for being such a good sport, Eileen!