Here is our first author interview here on PLYAB and it’s with the lovely Luisa Plaja who is the author of Split By A Kiss, Extreme Kissing and, the sorta-sequel to Split By A Kiss, Swapped By A Kiss. Here are Luisa’s answers and believe me, it’s a fab read!

1. What made you decide to bring back Jo, Rachel, David and Albie in Swapped By A Kiss, did you always plan to bring them back?

I always knew I had a lot more to say about Rachel, but I didn’t know whether anyone else would want to hear it! She’s a character who stayed with me - I find myself worrying about her sometimes, even now! I’m so glad I had the chance to tell her story in Swapped by a Kiss.

2. Split By A Kiss, your debut novel, is quite unique, where did the idea come from to split Jo essentially in half?

Well, there are other novels that have a similar premise, though most of them rely on fate, as in the movie Sliding Doors, and their “splits” aren’t caused by deliberate decisions. Oh, but The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver, which came out while Split by a Kiss was in production, actually has a main character who is split by a kiss! Lionel Shriver and I must have written our books at the same time, which is strange to think about. As far as I know, though, Split by a Kiss is the first book to use this premise in a teen chicklit novel.

Anyway, to answer your question about where the idea came from: I’m not really sure! I didn’t set out to split Jo when I started writing the book. When I reached the snogging-in-a-cupboard scene, I couldn’t decide whether or not Jo’s new experiences had changed her reactions, and I decided to follow both possibilities in parallel stories.

(more…)

Maggie Stiefvater’s second book in the ‘Wolves of Mercy Falls’ trilogy, Linger, is due out on 21st July 2010 (20th July in the USA). I have to say I’m not a huge fan of the cover — I prefer the green US cover as it adds a bit more colour to the book! I know a lot of people (yes, Carla @ The Crooked Shelf, I’m talking to you!) loved Shiver so I’m sure a whole host of people are eagerly anticipating Linger! Here’s what it’s about:

In SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in LINGER, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past … and figuring out a way to survive the future. But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace finds herself changing in ways she could never have expected…