July 8, 2009
I’m thrilled to be touring Jennifer Banash’s book Simply Irresistible which is the third and last in The Elite book series.
Simply Irresistible (Penguin) brings us a whole new set of adventures now that Casey has had a big city-haute makeover, courtesy of her classmate and neighbor Madison Macallister – part teen icon and part queen diva-bitch. Wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and meeting the right people, has given Casey the look and the attitude – she’s “in” and loving it! Much to Madison’s dismay, her rival is climbing up the social ladder in a big way and could end up just as popular as Madison now that the two are set to star in their own TV reality show, “De-Luxe.” Yes, showbiz came knocking on two of The Bramford’s most illustrious doors and, as much as Madison thrives on the attention the show brings, she’s not thrilled about having every bit of her life of privilege caught on tape. However, fame comes at a price and Madison is one chick who is willing to pay anything…especially if it means becoming the next reality “it girl.” Casey, on the other hand, is realizing that Reality TV can sometimes beunreal, causing her to wonder if she even knows who she is anymore. With her relationship with Drew, Madison’s ex, currently more off than on, she can’t help wondering if everything i n her life is really just an illusion – and how much longer the illusion can last….
Now for the questions:
What inspired the plot for your book?
Reality TV! I’m absolutely hooked on it (I know, I know), and I knew from the very beginning of the series that I wanted the girls to get their own TV show. In the last novel in the series, IN TOO DEEP, the girls get a call from a MTV-esque music television network, and are offered their own series, a look inside the lives of Manhattan’s REAL Gossip Girls. In SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, we get to watch the process as the show is filmed and aired!
Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I did some ghostwriting for a popular YA series, and I just fell in love with the genre. I love how excited readers get over these books, and how much fun they are to write. It’s like getting to be 16 again–without having to have bad hair, or be socially awkward 
What is your writing process like?
If I’m actively working on a book, I write 5 pages a day, no excuses. I write for around 4 hrs a day, then call it quits, otherwise I’ll be too burned out to write again the next day.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a novel called WHITE LINES, about club kids in NYC in the late 1980′s.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Read, watch mindless reality TV, pet my beagle and take him to the beach, hug my boyfriend
Who do you like to read?
Megan Kelley Hall–can’t wait for the sequel to SISTERS OF MISERY!, Robin Benway, Melissa Walker, Barry Lyga, Anna Godberson, Sarah Dessen, Meg Cabot.
Reviews
“If you love all the drama, scandal, and high-end fashion of Gossip
Girl…you’ll want to check out…The Elite!”–Seventeen.com
“The Elite is Pretty in Pink for the millennium generation.”–Romance
Reviews Today
“An awesome tale of friendship and betrayal with just the right amount
of humor and heart. Seriously irresistible, and impossible to put
down.”-Alexa Young, author of Frenemies and Faketastic
Posted by Sara Hantz in Interviews @ 8:11 am
Melissa Says:
I love how it’s like NYC PREP–Jennifer is ahead of the curve with that reality show!