Hey all, I want you to meet Bethany Lopez, someone I have known since we were college roommates at Central Michigan University. During those cold winters in Mount Pleasant, classes would occasionally be called off, and the one of us who had the earliest class would troop back up to the 8th floor, and let the other two of us know. After a bit we would all clamber out of our beds, and Lori and I would cover up on the couch, while Beth would read young adult books to us. Beth would change the names of the characters to our names and those of our other friends at CMU, and we would spend the whole day like that, happily lazy. Now, Beth is a talented author of her own YA books, and I couldn't be happier for her. I have been lucky enough to read all three in this series, Ta Ta for Now, XOXO, and now Ciao.
The Questions:
What can you tell us about your upcoming release, Ciao?
Ciao is the third book in the Stories about Melissa series. It begins with Melissa's fifteenth birthday and the beginning of her sophomore year. Melissa begins unsure about whether she should give Brian a second chance, or risk her friendship with Jimmy by admitting that she has feelings for him. Through the course of the book her life and the lives of everyone around her will be forever changed.
How did you choose the genre you are writing in?
I started with YA because I wanted something that my girls could relate to. My YA Fantasy started out with the girls in mind and morphed into something that I love. New Adult is purely for my enjoyment.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely allimagination?
In the Stories about Melissa series there are both real life experiences and scenes from my imagination. Well, I guess I can say that about all of my books. I like to incorporate something real, something familiar, in all of the stories I tell.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any wayeither growing up or as an adult?
I have always been a big reader. When I was in middle school I read Sweet Valley High, and the lessons really stuck. In high school I was more into Danielle Steele and Stephen King. Ever since I was introduced to Nora Roberts I have devoured all of her NR and JD Robb books. I always know what I'm going to get when I read her books, and I find that comforting. My favorite book since I was probably fourteen, is Little Women.
Do you work with an outline, or just write?
No, I don't use an outline. With the Stories about Melissa I free write. Since they are journal entries it seems more true to how an entry would actually be written. With one of my newest, I took another writers advise and wrote the scenes I was most excited to write first, then filled in the rest.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What
has been the best compliment?
I have been really lucky so far, or maybe just haven't reached enough readers yet, but I haven't had terrible criticism. I am a sensitive sort, so I take all critique's to heart, but I am getting better at at taking it constructively. The best compliment I have received was from a sixteen year old girl who said that whenever she picks up one of the Stories about Melissa books, she doesn't put it down until she stops. She said they make her laugh and cry, and that I really get what life as a teen is like. So sweet!
If your book were made into a movie, who do you picture playing each character?
I have a board on Pinterest with pictures of all of the characters. You can find it herehttp://pinterest.com/
bethanylopez2/characters-in-
the-stories-about-melissa-
series/
I have seen photos of famous authors offices where they write, and stood in Hemingways's. What is the environment like where you write?
What is the environment like where you write? Not quiet! :) Right now the computer is in the middle of the living room. Eventually, I am going to convert the large storage closet into an office, but that is about a year down the road.
Laptop or desktop or Ipad?
Desktop
What project are you working on now?
I just finished an Upper YA Contemporary Fantasy and am almost done with what I think will be the first book in a New Adult Contemporary Romance Trilogy. Oh, and I am working on book 4 in the Stories about Melissa series, TTYL
What do you do when you are not writing?
I work full time in the Air Force and have four kids at home. We are pretty much always busy, so I try to write when I can. The dream would be to be a full time writer, but I know that it will be a good six years before that would be possible, and probably not even then.
Finally, for fun, chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
Tea or Coffee? Coffee
Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? Lord of the Rings
Ciao will be available for purchase on Amazon.com, August 15, 2012.
You can also purchase the first two books in the series there as well - Ta Ta For Now and xoxoxo.
A little bit about the author:
Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult novel. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her contemporary Young Adult series, Stories About Melissa. Ta Ta for Now! and xoxoxo are available now. Book three, Ciao, will be released in Aug 2012.
