Olivia with YA-Mag: Laurie, welcome to the Young Adult Magazine! So this is it. The big finish. Camelia’s journey will be coming to an end.
YA: Which makes now a great time to ask: how did you first meet Camelia? What about her made her the perfect protagonist for the stories you had in this series? How has she lived up to those expectations, and how has she gone off in ways you never expected?
Laurie Stolarz: When I first began drafting notes on Camelia’s character, I knew that I wanted her to be relatable. She wasn’t going to be the smartest girl in school, nor the prettiest. She’s attractive, but doesn’t know it and often complains about her giraffe-like neck and lack of style. She’s not the most popular, but has a couple of really close quirky friends. She has a love of pottery and is talented in that department, but her artwork often falls flat. She’s also in love with a boy who’s rumored to have been responsible for his ex-girlfriend’s death.
I knew all of this about her before I began writing the series. I also knew that, though seemingly “average” (aside from that love interest part, perhaps), she’s a highly complex 16-year old girl.
After DEADLY LITTLE SECRET, the first book in the series, Camelia learns she has the power of psychometry – the ability to sense the future through touch (in her case, through her art). This power doesn’t come easily, however, and Camelia struggles with her own sanity, questioning her mental stability. I didn’t know how much of a role mental illness would play in this series until I was well underway. And, then, in DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS, there’s a huge reveal about Camelia that even I didn’t see coming until four books in.
YA: The two main dudes in Cammie’s life are Adam and Ben. What do each of these guys bring to the table? Why are they good for her; why are they bad for her? Where does she stand with each at the beginning of this story?
LS: Adam is the quintessential nice guy. He’s also good looking, funny, and thoughtful. Adam is simple, in contrast to Camelia’s (and Ben’s) complexity. What you see is what you get with him (your parents’ dream come true).
Ben, on the other hand, is dark and mysterious. He’s a loner by choice, harbors a lot of secrets, and sends mixed messages. He’s brooding, potentially dangerous, and has a shady past. But all of that is also what makes him so tempting. While things are easy and safe with Adam, the sexual tension between Camelia and Ben is palpable and electric. They can’t not be together, even when they try.
YA: Since this is the final book in a series, what are some great reasons for new readers to jump in on DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS? And what fun is in store for returning readers?
LS: New readers will find it all here: suspense, romance, drama, heartbreak, humor, good friends, letting go, moving on, self-acceptance, self-empowerment, and learning about the power of choice.
Returning readers will find Camelia away from home for the first time in the series and more isolated than ever before – away from her parents, away from her aunt, and away from Kimmie, Ben, and Adam. The one thing anchoring her in sanity is pulled out from beneath her in the first few chapters, setting her entire world off kilter. This will be a huge shock for readers, and Camelia will have to gather up the strength to accept the person that she is.
YA: What will readers find in DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS that they can’t find anywhere else in YA books?
LS: I think one of the really unique things about Deadly Little Lessons is that we see how the lessons Camelia has learned (or been exposed to) over the year – throughout the four prior novels – finally pay off. One of the biggest lessons revolves around the power of choice. Camelia often feels so powerless. She falls victim to her powers, to those working against her, to her family, her friends, her ex-boyfriend, etc. etc. Camelia finally comes to terms with the fact that she can choose not to be a victim. Even in the face of tragedy, she can choose to overcome, to gain perspective, and to learn more about herself.
YA: What non-book influences (films, television shows, music, plays, etc) helped spark the Touch series and DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS in particular?
LS: While there weren’t specifically any TV shows or movies that helped spark the Touch series, I do watch a lot of TV and movies aimed at the teen/young adult audience to keep myself abreast of the market. I like to keep an eye on the trends. I also think it’s important to watch really well-scripted TV shows and films to study the dialogue, character arcs, and plot lines.
As for music, whenever I need to get myself in the right mindset to write a particular scene, I do rely on some heavy listening. I played a ton of Gavin Rossdale for some of those intense, “angsty”-achy-thirsty-sultry Ben-and-Camelia scenes.
YA:When you were a teen, what was your favorite book (YA or otherwise)? Now that you’re an author for teens, what is your favorite contemporary YA?
LS: Even though I loved writing stories as a young person, I wasn’t a big reader. As soon as I got slightly bored, I’d put the book down. I tended to gravitate toward books that kept me turning pages. Those books turned out to be of the mystery/suspense/paranormal genre. When I started my first novel, I knew I wanted to write a book that would’ve appealed to me as a young person, namely one that had suspense, forbidden love, lots of angst, dark secrets, and that propelled readers to the end.
As a young person, I loved books by Lois Duncan, V.C. Andrews, and Richard Peck. My favorite contemporary YA book now? Way too hard to pick just one. I still consider myself a reluctant reader and still love books that are suspenseful in some way.
YA: What is the story behind the title DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS?
LS: Interspersed throughout the novel is a series of lessons, created by a girl who was abducted and who’s currently being kept captive. Her lessons revolve around the theme of survival as she struggles to remain hopeful that she’ll one be released or break free. Camelia has also learned a lot of lessons throughout the series and now that she’s away from home – on her own for the first time yet – she has to apply what she’s learned if she’s to survive both mentally and physically.
Titles are definitely hard, but Deadly Little Lessons seemed so fitting from the start. I was lucky it happened this way.
YA: If you could cast the dream Film Adaptation of this final Touch novel, who would you cast?
LS: So tough, but here are some actors that I think would fit the bill.
Camelia: Bridget Mendler or Hilarie Burton or Alexandra Daddario
Ben: Ian Somerhalder or Chace Crawford
Adam: Johnny Pacar
Kimmie: Ashley Greene or Krysten Ritter
Wes: Logan Lerman or Josh Hutcherson
Matt: Kelan Lutz or Alex Pettyfer
Spencer: Gael Garcia Bernal or Matt Bomer
Aunt Alexia: Michelle Pfeiffer
Camelia’s mom: Julianne Moore or a red-haired Jennifer Connelly
Camelia’s dad: Keifer Sutherland or Chad Lowe
YA: I like the thoroughness! It sounds like a movie I’d love to see!
On your site, you mention a new book DARK HOUSE (working title). How does this tale depart from your past work? How does it build on it?
LS: DARK HOUSE… not sure the title will stick yet (like it?) As I mentioned, titles are so tough. The book was inspired by a nightmare I had. I don’t normally have nightmares, but I did on this one particular night, last year. It was so disturbing and outrageous. When I woke up, I told my husband about it and the first thing he said was “that needs to be a movie.” Timing worked out for me. I needed to come up with an idea for my next book. I actually already had an idea – one that had been brewing in my mind, pre-nightmare. I pitched that to my editor. We both liked it, but admittedly it dappled with one of the major themes in DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS. I pitched my nightmare idea on the fly, on the phone, and we both felt that it was super-high concept and had a lot of potential. DARK HOUSE is probably my scariest book yet. There are sky-high stakes, brushes with romance, and readers will be guessing until the very end. I’m currently plotting out the sequel.
YA: Do you have any secret pet projects you’d like to try out sometime soon?
LS: I love the art of screenplay. I’ve read a ton of them and written a couple of my own. I’d love to try my hand at screenwriting again sometime soon.
YA: Last one! Spring is fast approaching! If you had the chance to spend one beautiful spring day with Cammie in Rhode Island, what would you do together?
LS: We’d go to lunch someplace that her mother wouldn’t approve of (her mom is a strict organic-only-eating, raw-foods vegan. Then we’d go shopping because Camelia always complains about having no fashion sense. We’d top it off at a coffee shop for Camelia’s favorite mochaccino with extra foam. I’d get the vegan version, because though I’m not as radical as her mom, I don’t do dairy or other animal products.
YA:Thank you very much, Laurie! And again, from YA Mag, congratulations on the final Touch novel! We look forward to hearing a lot more from you in years to come!
LS: Thank you so much!
~*~
Camelia Hammond’s trying junior year of high school is finally over…but her troubles aren’t. After she discovers a painful truth about her family, she escapes to a summer arts program in Rhode Island. Determined to put family – and boyfriend – drama behind her, she throws herself into her artwork.
At the arts school, she gets caught up in the case of Sasha Beckerman, a local girl who is missing. Even though all signs suggest that the teen ran away, Camelia senses otherwise. Eager to help the girl, she launches her own investigation. She finds a blog by someone named Neal Moche, a psychometric who might have clues to Sasha’s whereabouts. There is something familiar about Neal, and Camelia realizes how much she misses Ben, despite being committed to Adam.
But time is running out for Sasha, and Camelia will have to trust her powers if she’s to save her. Will the lessons Camelia has learned in the past give her the strength to do so?
Readers, be sure to check out Laurie Stolarz at her websiteLaurieStolarz.com. Or follow her on Twitter @LaurieStolarz.
DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS, published by Hyperion Books, is now available at your favorite retailers and local independent bookstores!
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Olivia Hennis is a transplanted New England girl dropped by a tornado into the magical Land of Jersey. For more info, follow her on Twitter or at her blog, Olivia’s Secret Reading Room.
(Twitter link: https://twitter.com/#!/OliviaHennis)
(Blog link: http://www.oliviahennis.wordpress.com)