Sensational 7 Q & A with Holly Cupala!

Have you ever wanted to know what it would be like to hang out with your favorite author(s)? In an attempt to get a better understanding of authors, my Sensational Seven Q & A takes a closer or more personal look at these authors to give you a glimpse of the personalities behind the writing of your favorite books.

“Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book; a personality which, by birth and quality, is pledged to the doctrines there set forth, and which exists to see and state things so, and not otherwise.” By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Holly Cupala wrote teen romance novels before she ever actually experienced teen romance. When she did, it became all about tragic poetry and slightly less tragic novels. When she isn't writing and contributing to readergirlz, she spends time with her husband and daughter in Seattle, Washington. These days, her writing is less about tragedy and more about hope. TELL ME A SECRET is her first novel. Ten percent of the author's proceeds go toward World Vision's Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls.

TELL ME A SECRET will hit shelves at June 22, 2010!

If you were given a chance to travel back in time, what year or place would you go / Why?
The beginning, or the end—to find out how it really went down, or how it will. With a bang or with a whimper? Or maybe both? Of course, then I’d love to hijack the time-travel system, because there would be so many more places and times and people to visit…

Describe your novel in seven words or less?
Sisters, secrets, superhot sci-fi guy, family, forgiveness.

Please share with us about your favorite book and fictional crush to date?
Book crush…ooh. Are we talking books or characters? If we’re talking characters, I’d say Kartik from Libba Bray’s Great and Terrible Beauty series. Maybe because in my mind, he looks like my devastatingly handsome husband (who is also Indian). ;)

If we’re talking books, I’d say I have a crush on Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going. It’s so funny and truthful and full of heart. And I have a crush on everything written by my favorite author, Italo Calvino.

If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be / Why?
I tend to like reading serious fiction, but in this fantasy, I’d like some fun and laughter and maybe a bit of romance—Princess Mia comes to mind! Or fantastic and adventurous, like Yvaine in Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. Then I would retreat to someone more thoughtful, like Deanna in Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you/ Why?
I can’t see this happening, but I’ll go with it! Someone who's a mix of serious, dorky, melancholy, funny, shy, and maybe a little outrageous...? Kirsten Dunst has a great mix of cheeky solemnity, with a dash of goofball—I think she could probably pull me off with much more charm than I do! .

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be – please explain?
Oh, eek—it took us hundreds of title ideas to come up with the perfect one for TELL ME A SECRET! But I do like to write about secrets, and there are many yet to be told and lots of layers to uncover. So…how about…Telling Secrets, One Page at a Time. (Ok, that needs some revision!)

How would you describe yourself/life in seven words?
Hard stuff, beautiful stuff, hope is left.

Bonus:

**Is there any additional info you would like to share with your readers about what’s next for you and your books?**
First, I would love to give a big virtual thank-you to you and all of the bloggers and readers who have generously supported me and TELL ME A SECRET. I’m amazed and grateful!

In addition to getting to visit your lovely blog, my blog tour kicks off this week—I’m visiting different blogs (books! secrets! swag!) through the end of July, and I will be featured at readergirlz throughout August (http://readergirlz.blogspot.com/). You can find the full schedule at my website, http://www.hollycupala.com/. Thank you so much for having me, Tina!

Thanks for stopping by Holly!

For more information about Holly Cupala and her books, please visit her website here.