I love that
Kay Cassidy's motto is about "leaving you feeling energized, inspired, and ready to make your mark on the world." I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Kay in person, but she has been ever so nice in the virtual realm. She even invited me to submit TELL ME A SECRET trivia for the
Great Scavenger Hunt Contest (in fact, she just added TELL ME A SECRET! Go check it out!), and she's here today to chat with us about her debut novel,
THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY.
Welcome, Kay!
*****
THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY is about a secret society of good populars dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. It about getting comfortable in your own skin, being true to who you are (no matter how many people try to bring you down), and the triumph of good over evil in the world of high school social politics.Here's a little teaser:I opened the card, my hands trembling in dread and the faint remnants of what I used to call hope, as a tiny silver high-heel pin bounced into my hand.
I juggled the pin for a second, barely managing to keep it from falling, and flipped open the note with my other hand. The words inside were not a message but an invitation that sent shivers down my spine:
Your presence is requested at The Grind.
Tonight, 7 p.m.
Wear the pin.
Discretion MANDATORY.Holly Cupala: Good...evil...awesome shoes...where did your Cinderella idea originate?Kay Cassidy:
The Cinderella Society actually came from a magazine article about high school sororities. I'd never heard of that before and, once I started thinking about the kind of society I would create if I could, I realized I would want it to be an organization devoted to fighting the everyday battle of good vs. evil...
Read more of Kay's secrets and enter to win a cool TCS prize here...~Holly Cupala
Here's what Kay's bio says:
Kay Cassidy is the author of teen fiction she wishes was based on her real life. She is the founder of the national Great Scavenger Hunt ContestTM reading program for kids and teens and the host of the inspirational Living Your FiveTM web project. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, movies, music, and reading. Lots and lots of reading. She hopes her debut YA novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY (April 13, 2010 - Egmont), will help girls embrace their inner Cindy.
Here's what she says about her book:
What a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?
Sixteen year old Jess Parker has always been an outsider. So when she receives an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret society of the most popular girls in school, it's like something out of a fairy tale. Swept up by the Cindys' magical world of makeovers, and catching the eye of her Prince Charming, Jess feels like she's finally found her chance to fit in.
Then the Wickeds--led by Jess's arch-enemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers there's more to being a Cindy than reinventing yourself on the outside. She has unknowingly become part of a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and now the Cindys in charge need Jess for a mission that could change everything.
Overwhelmed, Jess wonders if The Cinderella Society made a mistake in choosing her. Is it a coincidence her new boyfriend doesn't want to be seen with her in public? And is this glamorous, secret life even what she wants, or will she risk her own happy ending to live up to the expectations of her new sisters?
And I will add that she is also another lovely, generous Tenner who volunteered her time for an interview here! Welcome!
CBR: If you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, what fictional character would
Hi Kay, thanks for stopping by today.
Hi Shelli, thanks for having me!
Before we get started, tell me about yourself and your new book, The Cinderella Society.
Well, for starters… unlike some writers, I wasn’t born with a pencil in my hand. Aside from a brief attack of the writing bug, I didn’t really start writing until after I graduated and jumped into the world of grown-ups. I did my time as a good little Corporate girl, got married, got my MBA…but eventually, I got sick of reading business books and needed something to shake things up. One quick trip to my local library, and I was hooked on fiction again. I’d forgotten how much fun reading books without bar charts could be!
I decided it was way more entertaining to relive my teenage years by writing fiction that I wish was based on my real life. Lucky for me, the hubster is very supportive and sent me on my merry way to pursue the writing life.
My book, The Cinderella Society, is about an outsider who gets tapped to join a secret society of good populars dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. It's about girl empowerment: getting comfortable in your own skin and being true to who you are. It also deals with the effects of girl bullies and what unconditional friendship really means. And, of course, there are cute guys and lots of kissing. Romance rocks. :-)
What more could a girl ask for in a book! In addition to writing awesome books, I know you give back to the writing and reading community a lot. Can you talk more about your Great Scavenger Hunt ContestTM and how it has helped you build a network?
The Great Scavenger Hunt ContestTM is a national reading program for kids and teens. I founded the program in April 2009, so I just celebrated the 1-year anniversary last month. Time has flown by!
Kids ages 8-19 can choose from more than 300 participating YA and middle grades titles. They simply read the book, answer a fun 10-question trivia challenge about it, and turn the challenge into a participating librarian for entry into the monthly contest. Every month, one lucky reader wins a $50 gift card to the bookstore of his or her choice AND the reader's host librarian wins a prize tote filled with Hunt books to expand the library's collection.
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I love that Kay Cassidy's motto is about "leaving you feeling energized, inspired, and ready to make your mark on the world." I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Kay in person, but she has been ever so nice in the virtual realm. She even invited me to submit TELL ME A SECRET trivia for the Great Scavenger Hunt Contest (in fact, she just added TELL ME A SECRET! Go check it out!), and she's here today to chat with us about her debut novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY.
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Thanks so much for being part of the official THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY launch tour, Faith! It was fun being part of your Tenner series. :-)