Kelly Oram Interview and Giveaway!

Today I have Kelly Oram, author of V is for Virgin, on my blog for an interview! If you continue reading you'll also spot a giveaway for V is for Virgin! :D

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Hey Kelly! :D It’s great having you here today! 

I absolutely loved V is for Virgin! :D What gave you the idea for the story? It was my little brother, actually. He asked me to write him as a character and he wanted to be a “hot famous rock star who got all the chicks.” I laughed at him, but indulged him. So I started with the character of Kyle and since he already got all the chicks, I decided to make it a story about the one girl he couldn’t have. Then I needed a reason why the girl wouldn’t want to be with him and Virgin Val was born. It didn’t take long for me to realize that V was really Val’s story and not Kyle’s  so I switched perspectives.

Kyle’s music plays a pretty big role in the book and in Val’s life, did any real life help inspire you to write Kyle’s character? I really had to have a specific sound in my mind before I truly understood Kyle’s character. His music is so much a part of who he is that without knowing “Tralse” and the kind of songs Kyle would write, I couldn’t know Kyle. The inspiration and sound behind Tralse was the band Head Automatica.  (Love, love, love them!)  And their song “Beating Heart Baby” is totally Kyle and Val’s theme song.

You left V is for Virgin pretty open-ended. Did you have any specific reason for doing that? I honestly just felt that the story was told. This was my first book where the main focus of the plot wasn’t the romance. I love the idea of Kyle and Val, but this story was meant to be more about Val’s fifteen minutes of fame than it was about her and Kyle’s relationship. I eluded to the fact that Kyle and Val would end up together, but left it up to the reader to see what they want. In my mind they go on to have a hilarious and chaotic courtship and then get married, FINALLY have sex and live happily ever after. My husband thinks they don’t stay together. (He’s no fun—totally hates rock stars—so I suggest you imagine it my way.) 

Any comments that you’d like to share about V is for Virgin? Um… I don’t have plans for a sequel, but I have toyed with the idea of writing a short story. I think Kyle and Val’s wedding night could be a riot! Someday… Oh! And also, it’s currently a finalist for the Whitney Award for best young adult (contemporary)! It’s my first award nomination. I was pretty surprised and flattered. Cross your fingers for me!

Now for some more general questions, what is your writing process like? Do you outline, or just go for it? Most of the time I outline, but I keep it fairly general. I need the main plot points and the main character arcs, but all the tiny in-between stuff I leave blank because that always changes a million times anyway. Every now and then a book just sort of comes to me and I don’t outline. That’s always nice, but it’s pretty rare.

A couple of my favourite aspects of your books are your characters and their banter with one another, how do you create such vivid characters? I don’t know really. I don’t have a process or anything. The banter and sarcasm is completely natural. Anyone who knows me would tell you sarcasm is my only form of speech. As for my characters, I try to get to know them before I start writing. I like to know their likes and dislikes and their personality quirks. The more you know your character before you write, the more their personalities will show on the page.

I’m a sucker for book recommendations, so do you have any books that you absolutely loved and want to share with us? HA! Where do I begin? Seriously, my list could be endless. I’m really caught up in the Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini. And last year I really loved Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgans and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. A good contemporary that I fell in love with was Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot. I could go on forever. It’s best to look me up on Goodreads and stalk my bookshelves!

And my final question, do you have any tips for aspiring authors? Two words: Read & Write! The more you read the better your writing will get. I promise. You’d be surprised how much you pick up through osmosis!  And also just write. Write, write, and then write some more. Your first novel will be the hardest to finish, and most likely will be nowhere near publishable, but don’t let that discourage you. You’ll get better with every book you write. Practice really does make perfect.

 

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About V is for Virgin:

When Val Jensen gets dumped for her decision to stay a virgin until marriage, the nasty breakup goes viral on YouTube, making her the latest internet sensation.

After days of ridicule from her peers, Val starts a school-wide campaign to rally support for her cause. She meant to make a statement, but she never dreamed the entire nation would get caught up in the controversy.

As if becoming nationally recognized as “Virgin Val” isn’t enough, Val’s already hectic life starts to spin wildly out of control when bad boy Kyle Hamilton, lead singer for the hit rock band Tralse, decides to take her abstinence as a personal challenge.

How can a girl stay true to herself when this year’s Sexiest Man Alive is doing everything in his power to win her over?

About Kelly Oram

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children. 

Connect with Kelly: Twitter | Website | Facebook | Goodreads

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In honour of her 32nd birthday, Kelly has generously offered to provide an awesome giveaway!!!
It's INTERNATIONAL, and there will be 32 lucky winners who each get a signed bookmark and an ebook of V is for Virgin!

Details:
- 32 Winners (V is for Virgin ebook and bookmark each)
- International
- Winners chosen with Rafflecopter and will be contacted via email
- Ends Apr.19th at 11:59 PM (MST)

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


So, what did you think of the interview?
And have you read V is for Virgin yet?

Good luck if you entered the giveaway!