GCC presents Paula Chase

Today I'm touring Paula Chase and the second book in her Del Rio Bay Clique, called Don't Get it Twisted (which is such a super cute title and can't you just see a teenage girl saying that while rolling her eyes!!!!). Anyway, the book explores the consequences and repercussions of the choices we make when we set out to get the things we really want, and here is what people are saying about it:

“Surprisingly real and deep…well worth reading.” – Teens Read Too

“Excellent for showing friendship that crosses racial and social boundaries.” – YA Books Central

“Don’t Get It Twisted, is another winner.” – Urban Reviews

And since Paula has already toured here before, I thought it only fair to hit her up with a new bunch of questions, so here goes:

Tell me a bit about your book.
Don't Get It Twisted gives readers a peek into the Del Rio Bay Clique's foray into dating. And I dip my toe into the issue of student athletics and cheating. In this sequel, we find the MC, Mina, scheming to go on a date with her crush, Craig, to a coveted party thrown by the school's football team. She draws her friends into the plans only to have a monkey wrench thrown into her romantic endeavors by a newcomer. That same newcomer has her friend JZ, sweating over his spot on the Varsity basketball team. In the end, both JZ and Mina find themselves on the 'by any means necessary' road to trouble.

What was the inspiration for writing it?

I wish I had a funny anecdote to share about inspiration. But the truth is, I wrote this book back in 2003, right after I finished So Not The Drama. Basically, after I finished SNTD, the characters' voices were still in my head, so I started another book.

What authors inspire you and why?

I'm sure you mean creatively, but now that I'm writing novels professionally and have a series under contract, I'm finding inspiration has to come from more than a creative angle. Because some days, your creative bandwidth is at its end, like it or not. So lately, the writers that inspire me are the ones who are making a living from writing full-time. Both the writers who are snagging six-figure deals and those who are simply maintaining with smaller deals. These writers remind me, it's possible as long as you keep putting good work out there. And some nights, when I'm tired and my entire household is sleep while I'm still burning the midnight oil, I need that kind of inspiration just to jumpstart my creativity.

Finally, what's the best movie you've seen in the last six months?

I really had to think about this because we don’t go to the movies often. But I really enjoyed Tyler Perry’s – Why Did I get Married?