AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Allie Larkin

Allie Larkin is the author of STAY (Dutton Adult, June 10, 2010).

Savannah “Van” Leone has loved Peter since the day they met. The problem is, Peter has loved Van’s best friend, Janie, since the moment they met. And now they’re walking down the aisle, with Van standing nearby in a Halloween orange bridesmaid dress, her smile as hollow as a jack-o-lantern. After the wedding, Van drowns her sorrows in Kool Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin-Tin-Tin, and does what any woman in her situation would do: She buys a German Shepherd over the internet...

The Magic 8:

1. Mindi Scott: At age eight, what did you want to be when you grew up? And at age eighteen? And while you’re at it, what about at age twenty-eight? 


Allie Larkin: At eight, I wanted to be a pig farmer. By nine, I’d learned that pig farmers didn’t get to just hang out with pigs for fun, so that dream was totally squashed. At eighteen, I was a theatre major. I think at that point I’d realized I loved working with characters, but I hadn’t found my medium yet. By twenty-eight, I knew I wanted to be a writer, and I also knew that I wanted it badly enough to actually make it my goal.

2. MS: Which Breakfast-Club-style label would have best fit your teenage self? 


AL: The Space Agent. I was a serious daydreamer!

3. MS: What are some of your superstitions and/or phobias?

AL: In second grade, my teacher told the class that it’s bad luck to leave the closet door open at night. That is, unfortunately, what I chose to take away from second grade. It’s not even that I think anything bad is going to happen if I leave the closet door open, it’s just an ingrained habit. If I don’t close the door, it bugs me and I can’t sleep. It drives my husband crazy.

4. MS: Without giving away too much from your book, which character or scene are you the most pleased about having created, and why? 


AL: I love my main character, Van, to the point where I wish she were real and we could be friends. But I also love Diane, who possibly falls a little into the love to hate category of characters. Diane and Van have such a complicated relationship. It was interesting to write their shared scenes, and watch Diane evolve from one draft to the next. She has a lot more layers than I’d originally thought she would.

5. MS: Was there any certain music that inspired you while you were writing this book, or is there a song that could serve as your protagonist’s theme song?


AL: Van is a HUGE Boston fan, so I listened to a lot of Boston while I wrote STAY, and it always helped to get me in her mindset. I had a playlist of songs just for STAY. It was a combo of bands Van would like (Scandal, Journey, The Breeders, Counting Crows, REM), and songs (like On Your Side, by Pete Yorn) with lyrics that seemed to fit perfectly with things that were going on in the story.

6. MS: What’s up next for you as a writer?


I’m working on something completely new with completely new characters, but I’m not really ready to talk about it yet. And someday, I’d love to get to check in with Van again. I have ideas. :-)

7. MS: And now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. ;-)

AL: Elvis. One of my friends from high school is an Elvis impersonator. I don’t think the Beatles ever inspired anything as awesome as Lady Elvis (http://www.ladyelvis.com/).

8. MS: Okay, your turn. Do you have a question you’d like me to ask my Magic 8-Ball on your behalf? (I’m telling you, this thing is scarily accurate! Well, except for when it’s lying.)


AL:  Will I ever get to go to the Galapagos Islands?

MS:  Well, apparently, that was a hard one to answer today!  Thanks so much, Allie!

AL:  Thank you, Mindi!!!

To learn more about Allie Larkin and her novel, STAY,visit http://allielarkinwrites.com/

Old Diary Entries on Monday

I added more diary entries today.  Like I do.  This week, 13-year-old Mindi plays her last league volleyball game and 14-year-old Mindi OD's on cough syrup and discusses Heathers, which she has just watched for the first time. One of my fans* said that the people mentioned in these diary entries are hard to keep track of, and requested that I use actual names instead of initials.  So, I invented new names for almost everyone and even went back and changed the old entries to reflect this. You're welcome.

*My husband, of course.

FREEFALL on tour

Right now, there are two Advance Reader copies of Freefall circulating the U.S.  (There might very well be others out as well, but I know only of these two).  One is with Traveling ARC Tours and the other is with The Tenners. So this news is only relevant to you if you are part of one of those groups and go to the sites to sign up.  But what it means for me is that people whom I don't know are going to be reading my book sooner rather than later.  Which is equal parts exciting and terrifying!

Friday Five.

Why do I only think to do these on late-Friday afternoon or Saturday morning?

1.  Tomorrow, it will be exactly FOUR MONTHS until October 5, 2010.  And you know what that means . . .  :-)

2.  Oh, and speaking of FREEFALL!  It is currently oot and aboot in some places of the world.  And, by that, I mean that it's getting advance reads by some Tenners, Traveling ARC Tours (starting tomorrow, I believe), and trade reviewers.  If it were possible to simultaneously scream, "Yaaaaaaay! and "Eeeeeeek!", I would do so. 

3.  I'm going to a vegan potluck birthday party this weekend.  I am not vegan; just a vegetarian (who doesn't eat any animals, including fish).  I wasn't sure what to bring, but luckily there was a cooking demonstration here at my office today by Kate Schenk!  She has is certified nutritionist who runs a blog called NudeFood.  Most of her recipes are not vegan (or vegetarian), but the spring rolls and Soba noodle salad she made for us were both easily adaptable to be, I believe.  And YUMMY.  So I might make one of those recipes.  Thanks, Kate!

4.  Two weeks ago, NBC aired the most horrifically spoilery "Next week on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS" that I've ever seen.  They gave away the Big Shocker for last week's episiode.  I still was affected when it all unfolded, but I can't even imagine the impact it would have had if those dillholes hadn't given it all away!

5.  Maybe I should switch to doing "Friday Four."  I can never think of a fifth item!

Book launch ponderings.

My publicist is working on setting up a book signing event in NYC the weekend after FREEFALL is released in October.  I don't know what's going to happen with that, but I'm moving forward as if she's already worked her magic.  What we're hoping for is an event on 10/10/10 with a group of other Tenners all signing with me.  Fun!

Meanwhile, I'm trying to make decisions about a book launch event to take place in the Seattle area the following weekend on 10/17/10, perhaps.  This would be my official launch party.  I'm trying to figure out what type of venue would best meet my needs.  Basically, I don't know how many people to expect.  Maybe 50.  Maybe over 100.  Maybe somewhere in between.

I've visited several indie bookstores in the area and determined which won't work and which might work.  The two I'm leaning toward at this point are Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park and University Bookstore in Seattle.  I also have a meeting set up at a bistro very near my house who has offered to hold the event and will be putting together a quote for me next week.

I'm conflicted about what I should do.  My husband is really in favor of the bistro because it will be a nice gathering place where people can hang out, have some appetizers and drinks, and I can mingle, sign books, and have fun.  He pointed out that there won't be anyone trying to browse the poetry books to my right, or making an espresso, or answering the phones and stuff while I'm doing my reading .  It will just be all about my book and me and the people who came to celebrate with me.  This all sounds very good!  But ,of course, there's that whole money thing to consider.  Plus, I'd have to figure out a way to get a bookseller out to sell the books for me.  Is this as big a hassle as it sounds like?

The bookstore idea holds appeal for me because the venue would be free and . . . a bookstore!  It feels more, I don't know, official or something to have it at a place like that.  Like, "Hey, look friends and family!  You can buy books in a bookstore.  You can buy MY book in THIS bookstore."

Maybe people would be disappointed to come to a book signing that isn't at a bookstore.  Maybe it wouldn't be glamorous enough.  Or maybe they'd be disappointed to come to a book signing that is at a bookstore because they'd have to wait in line to talk to me for a few seconds and then bust out of there.

I've heard of some people having their launch at two locations on the same day.  The signing is at a bookstore and then the celebration at a restaurant afterward.  I just wonder how well that would work for me.  It sounds like double the work.  And would enough people come to the second portion to even justify it?  And also, we're talking about paying money again if I go that route.

I just don't know what will be best.