Author Interview: Jen Calonita

To read a book that speaks to you can be rare to some.  This past month, I was given the pleasure of reading one of those books and am so happy to have the author here today to share some of her thoughts on writing with you.  That book was Belles and the author is Jen Calonita.

My review for Belles can be read here.

So please extend a warm Turning the Pages welcome to Jen!

First off, a little about Jen (from her website 'Bio')

It's no secret how Jen Calonita knows the inside scoop on young Hollywood. A former Senior Entertainment Editor at Teen People, Jen has interviewed everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Zac Efron. An entertainment journalist for the past ten years, Jen has written for TV Guide, Glamour and Marie Claire.

It was her work in the entertainment world that inspired her first series, Secrets of My Hollywood Life. The six-book series is about a teen starlet named Kaitlin Burke who grows weary of the fame game, but loves being an actress. Us Weekly's Mara Reinstein said about Secrets: "At last! A witty, entertaining and refreshingly honest take on what it's really like to be a celebrity 'It' girl."

When the self-professed entertainment junkie is not working, she can be found doing one of three things: scrapbooking, watching Glee, or going to the movies. Jen resides in Merrick, New York with her husband Mike, sons Tyler and Dylan, and their Chihuahua, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Interview:

TTP: What was your inspiration for Belles and when you started writing, did you plan for it to be a series?

JC: I always saw Belles as a series. I like the idea of telling a story in parts and in Belles I really get a chance to take Mira and Izzie on a journey of self-discovery in a place like Emerald Cove. For me, I've always wanted to write about close sisterly relationships. My relationship with my sister is great, but there are times when I just want to rip my hair out dealing with her and then other times I want to confide in her like no one else! That's the relationship I was hoping to explore and giving the girls two different backgrounds from which to learn from seemed like a fun place to start.

TTP: Of the main characters, which do you relate to the most and why?

JC: I relate to both of the girls in different ways. I love Mira's ability to adapt to any situation. She's a real lady, or tries to be, and I love how sure of herself she is when she's in the spotlight. For Izzie, I love her strength to survive and to succeed. She never lets anyone tell her no and I think that's incredible. I've been in situations where I think, I just can't deal, but Izzie never backs down and I try to be that way myself when I can.

TTP: When I read Belles, I found Isabelle’s strength shine through the pages. Did you set out to have her be an unsung hero for teens that feel out of place at school or in other social situations?

JC: Thanks for saying that. For me, writing Izzie was a chance to write a character who didn't fit into the cookie cutter mold of a place like Emerald Cove. I know places like EC. I frequent them in my adult life too and people like Savannah really do exist. You just have to know how to deal with them, and what Izzie taught me, and what I tried to bring out in her, is that you can't let other people define you. Only you can decide who you are going to be and what sort of impact you want to have on this world.

TTP: It would be hard for an outsider to understand the Southern culture you chose to have Belles set in. What type of research did you do to ensure that the story flowed so well?

JC: I have a lot of friends who went to school in the South, or who live down there, and I've always been fascinated with the culture. I dream of moving down South all the time, but my husband is a New Yorker, born and bred! It was so much fun to dive into that world and create a place like Emerald Cove.

TTP: Where do you see the characters’ going as the series continues?

JC: Izzie needs to find her footing in Emerald Cove, and I think she's started to, and will continue to. Mira's had to deal with a major setback in her popularity, but a major step forward in figuring out who she really wants to be. Both girls have a lot thrown at them in Winter White, but it's probably my favorite Belles book yet (they're four) because I loved exploring the tradition of cotillion. Watching how the two of them react so different to this EC rite of passage is pretty funny.

And because no interview isn't complete without a little insight into the author life... 

Chocolate or Vanilla

Vanilla! I've never been much of a chocolate fan. Friendly's Butter Crunch on the other hand...

Cowboy Boots or Stilettos

Um...ballet flats? :) Those are my go-to shoes. I'd like to say I wear a lot of stilettos, but that's not true. They're not comfortable!

Beach or Ski Hill

Beach house all the way! I wasn't much of a beach fan as a kid, but these days I love being near the water. I love the sound of the waves and playing with my kids in the sand. My dream is to have a beach house of my own on the Jersey shore someday, or in Florida, or Cape Cod.... (the list goes on)

Morning or Night

Hmm...both for different reasons. Morning is when I have the most energy so I try to do most of my writing in the morning. I love to exercise in the morning too--before I come up with excuses about why I can't make it to the gym! I love nights because it's my chance to unwind and relax. I feel like I don't stop moving from the moment the sun comes up. When the kids are in bed, school lunch has been made, final emails and tweets have been finished, I like to turn on the TV and watch something on the DVR and just tune out.

Survivor or Sex and the City

Revenge? The Big Bang Theory? Once Upon a Time? Those are my go-to shows this season. Big Bang makes me roar with laughter and the other two shows have me riveted. I am in awe of the writers on those shows.

Thank you so much to Jen for taking time out of her busy schedule to stop by Turning the Pages. 

If you would like to learn more about Jen, please visit her website or follow her on Twitter for the latest news on the upcoming release of Winter White, Belles #2.