The Fabulous Kieran Scott!

I'm so honored to be able to interview this triple threat of an author (super-sweet, extremely prolific, and totally gorgeous)! For those of you who are currently residing under a rock and don't know who Kieran is, let me give you a brief introduction. Kieran is the author of over 100 books including, JINGLE BOY, GEEK MAGNET, and the NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER Series. She also pens the extremely popular Private and Privilege series and other titles under the pseudonym Kate Brian. Oh yeah, she also writes books under the pseudonym Emma Harrison (Snow Queens coming out Jan 2010, don't you love that title?). I forgot to ask her if she feels the need to wear a name tag each day to remember who she is!

I wanted to find out more about the woman behind all those names so I threw some fun questions.

Steph: When did you start writing and how did you get your start?

Kieran: I wrote one half of a YA romance novel when I was a sophomore in high school. Shockingly the lead female was based on me and the lead male was based on this senior football player/photographer I was in love with. I think I got bored with it right around the time he asked one of my friends to the prom . . . . But oh, my actual career? Sorry. Right. I started out as an editor and one of my editor friends needed writers for a YA romance series she was working on. I wrote an outline and two sample chapters and got the job. The book was called Trust Me and it came out in on my 24th birthday, which was pretty cool. The rest is history.

(Kieran's extremely cool 24th birthday present)

Steph: Can you explain a little bit to our readers about the difference between writing a novel under your own name and writing under a pseudonym for a book packaging company?

Kieran: When I write a novel under my own name, it’s truly mine. My idea, my story, all me from start to finish (with some very insightful comments by my very insightful agent and editor). Writing for a book packager is a bit more like writing for TV. Because the books come out so fast, I plot them out with my editors and we all know where we’re going at least four books ahead of time. I do all the actual writing of the novels, but there’s a lot more help in the plotting/planning stages.

Steph: How many books have you written in total?

Kieran: Honestly, I stopped counting at a hundred. I’ve done a lot of ghost writing, quiz books, TV tie-in novels and biographies under several different names. These days, though, it’s just Kieran Scott, Kate Brian and Emma Harrison. Which is still a lot, I guess!
(That means that Kieran writes 10+ books a year! I'm fairly certain she subsists on Red Bull.)

Steph: Which cover is your favorite?

Kieran: I’ve always liked the Jingle Boy cover, which is funny since it’s probably my least-known novel. I also like the original hardcover art for A Non-Blonde Cheerleader in Love. Annisa jumping against an open sky. So cute!

(Kieran has some of the most adorable covers!)

Steph:Which of your characters do you feel mirrors you the most?

Kieran: KJ Miller of Geek Magnet is my most personal character. I had an alcoholic father just like she does and I felt trapped by my friends and family and their perception of me when I was in school. But luckily, like KJ, I found some people who took the time to understand me and support me and make me laugh. On some days I have a bit of Reed Brennan’s sarcastic outlook. On others I have Annisa Gobrowski’s positivity. Depends, probably, on how much sleep I’ve gotten the night before.

Steph: What author would YOU go completely fan-girl over?

Kieran: I would probably dissolve into a puddle if I met Sophie Kinsella or Maeve Binchy or Barbara Kingsolver. And I actually did drool a bit when I met Michael Chabon. Also, I think I scared Megan McCafferty when we first met. I believe the quote was. “I worship your writing!” Does that even make sense?

Steph: Did you attend a private school like Easton(the private school in the Private series)?

Kieran: No. Public school girl all the way. Although, like Reed, I was on the lower income side at a very high income school. My friends drove BMWs and had summer houses and ski houses and boats and horses. I had a Schwinn ten speed and two summer jobs at a time.

Steph: How were your summers as a teen spent?

Kieran: See above. :)I worked as a camp counselor, in a dry cleaner, at a Haagen Dazs, at a movie theater . . . And I did get to go to the beach a lot because I had friends with shore houses. (See above.) I remember having lots of sunburns and singing really loudly with the radio in the car. And pool parties. People were always having pool parties. Wow. I didn’t realize until this moment how much I miss pool parties . . . .

(I'll take two hundred scoops of chocolate peanut butter, please.)

Steph: Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

Kieran: Right now it’s definitely Taylor Kitsch aka Tim Riggins of Friday Night Lights. Chris Pine and James Marsden come in a close second and third. Huge crushes of the past include Michael Vartan, Taye Diggs, Matthew McConnaughey, Michael Hutchence and River Phoenix.

(James, Taylor, and Chris. Kieran also has exceptional taste!)

Steph: You are stranded on a desert island. What CD, DVD, candy, drink, food and comfort item do you take?

Kieran: CD: When The Pawn . . . by Fiona Apple
DVD: While You Were Sleeping. Wait! The Princess Bride. No . . .While You Were Sleeping. Can I have two?
CANDY: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
DRINK: Trader Joe’s Mango Lemonade
FOOD: Mom’s spaghetti and meat sauce
COMFORT ITEM: My husband? Okay, okay, if I can’t take a human . . . my huge Winnie the Pooh. He can be a pillow and give a good hug.

(Everybody needs a Pooh)

Steph: Are you an only child or do you have siblings? Do you think this affected your writing?

Kieran: I have an older brother and a younger sister. Both have definitely inspired characters in my novels, but I won’t tell you who, because they’d probably kill me. My older brother had a lot more freedom than me because he was older and a boy, and my younger sister got a lot more stuff than I did because she was the baby. Consequently, I think I heard the word “no” more than either of them did, which made me both A) bitter and B) responsible. The bitterness informs some of my writing. The responsibility helps me get stuff done!

Steph: Fictional Character Death Match
Noelle Lange vs. Blair Waldorf
Who is your money on?

Kieran: Are you kidding? Noelle would kick Blair’s butt! The girl tied one character to a pole and took out another with a lacrosse stick. Plus she’s an accomplished athlete, schemer AND know-it-all, whereas Blair only has the schemer part down. Now if they were competing in some kind of shopping event, I may have to put my money on Blair.

Steph: Do you ever get recognized in public? And if so, have you ever had any crazy fan moments?

Kieran: Only once was I recognized, and it was at BEA, so people were on the lookout. And once, at a signing, I had a girl threaten to kill herself if I didn’t bring Thomas Pearson back. There was a second there when I thought she was serious and that freaked me out more than a bit. (Yikes!)
Steph: What would you do if you weren’t an author?

Kieran: I’d probably teach English. That’s what I always thought I’d end up doing. Actually, I used to think I’d write for magazines, but I tried it and it was not for me. I’d rather make stuff up than report facts. I also love to bake and cook, so I might go to culinary school and give a career in food a whirl. Ooh! Or maybe I could be a pilates instructor! Wait. I’m having too much fun with this question. Next!
(Rachael better pray that Kieran sticks with writing or she could be in trouble!)

Steph: You can trade places with a celebrity for a week. Who would you pick?

Kieran: I would LOVE to know what Oprah Winfrey’s life is actually like. Or Michelle Obama’s. But I would also love to be someone really movie-star glamorous and cool like Kate Winslet or Cameron Diaz.


(Hmmm...#2 on the Forbes Celebrity Power List or make out with Jason Patric for money?? I would actually have a hard time deciding. )

Steph: Do you wish that some of today’s technology had been available when you were a teen?

Kieran: I wish I’d had access to the internet when writing papers, but I’m glad I didn’t have texting and facebook and twitter and all that because I never would have gotten anything else done.

Steph: Which of your books would you most like to see made into a movie and who would you cast as the main characters?

Kieran: Definitely I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader. It’s just so near and dear to my heart and I think the characters and action would translate so well on screen. Demi Lovato would be a perfect Annisa and I’m thinking Cody Linley for Daniel.


(Perfect casting!)

I want to thank Kieran for being an honorary bee today! If you want to find out more about Kieran, you can check her out here, http://www.myspace.com/kieranscott and here, http://www.myspace.com/katebrian. I also want to thank our readers by giving away four of Kieran's books, Geek Magnet, I Was A Non-Blonde Cheerleader, Brunettes Strike Back, and A Non-Blonde Cheerleader in Love. To be entered, just leave a comment telling us if you are a non-blonde cheerleader, a geek magnet, a boycotter of all things Christmas, or none of the above!

xo,

Stephanie

http://www.stephaniehale.com/