I’m a Heather Demetrios fangirl you guys! Though admittedly I’m late to the party on this because for some reason I bought Something Real on release day, but didn’t read it right away. I’m still mad at myself for this. When I was thinking of the authors that I loved this year Heather was at the top of that list and for good reason. Her stories are amazing and I can’t wait for I’ll Meet You There to be out in the world and officially on my bookshelf. So I knew I had to beg and plead with Heather to take pity on us and answer a few fun questions! AND SHE DID!! But first… her books!
There’s nothing real about reality TV.
Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker’s Dozen. Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because Baker’s Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™’s mom and the show’s producers won’t let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own—even if it means being more exposed than ever before.
Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker’s Dozen. Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because Baker’s Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™’s mom and the show’s producers won’t let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own—even if it means being more exposed than ever before.
Forced to obey her master.Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.
Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.
Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?
If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.
ABOUT HEATHER
When she’s not traipsing around the world or spending time in imaginary places, Heather Demetrios lives with her husband in New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, she now calls the East Coast home. Heather is a recipient of the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for her debut novel, Something Real, which Publisher’s Weekly called“[An] addictive yet thoughtful debut” about reality TV stardom. She is the author ofExquisite Captive, the first in the Dark Caravan Cycle fantasy series, as well as I’ll Meet You There. Coming from Macmillan in Winter 2015, I’ll Meet You There is a love story about a young combat veteran and a girl trapped in their small town, both struggling to escape the war at home. Heather is the founder of Live Your What, an organization dedicated to fostering passion in people of all ages and creating writing opportunities for underserved youth. She is proud to have an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. You can always find her on Twitter (@HDemetrios) and pretty much any social media site you can imagine.
Let’s talk characters!
What would Josh have on his Christmas list?
Oh, god, I’d hate to have to shop for him. Probably something super manly like new rims for his truck. But he’d probably really love a gift certificate for iTunes, since he listens to music all the time. And, of course, he’d be happy with any Marine Corps swag. Get him a T shirt that says something about the Marines being the best and he’ll be happy.
If Josh and Sky are spending Christmas Eve together what would they be doing?
Even though they’re both desperate to get out of Creek View, it’s still home. So I think no matter where they are, they’ll always come back. I can imagine them throwing a Christmas party with Marge at the Paradise and inviting Chris and Dylan over. Josh would pretend to hate Christmas music, but Sky would get him to dance. Later, they’d go off on their own and pretend to watch Christmas movies, but pretty much just make out. Josh would make dirty Santa jokes and Sky would pretend to be horrified, but he’d make her laugh until her stomach hurt.
What would Josh put in Sky’s stocking?
Definitely the Special Collector’s Edition of Top Gun. And probably a gift certificate to an art store. He’d have to ask Dylan about where Sky goes for her art supplies, though. I can also see him being kinda sneaky and putting a piece of jewelry in there—also picked out with Dylan’s assistance. It’d be something really simple because Sky’s not into bling, but it’d special.
Now how about some questions for you!
When do you hang up your decorations?
Usually we hang everything up the day after Thanksgiving. We get a real tree (no fakes ever!) and a real wreath. We always decorate to this Bing Crosby WWII radio broadcast that I love. This year we didn’t decorate because we just got a dog and he’s still kind of a puppy so he gets into everything. He’s a German Shepherd mix and a rescue dog to boot, so he still needs some training. We live in a pretty tiny apartment in Brooklyn, so it just seemed like chaos with this 55 pound dog and ornaments from my childhood in the same room. This is the first time in years I haven’t decorated.
What’s your favorite holiday memory?
When I was little, my mom, my sister, and I lived with my grandparents. I don’t have a specific memory, but just really awesome warm fuzzy feelings about those Christmas mornings. My grandfather died two years ago and he and I were extremely close, and I miss being with him on the holidays. He’d always pass out the presents, like he was Santa (and, I guess, in a way he kinda was). The family tree would be surrounded with gifts and we’d all tear into them. The house would already smell like every good thing you could think of and I knew I’d have an afternoon of new books ahead of me.
What’s on your holiday wishlist this year?
Since my husband and I have our birthdays and our anniversary around the holidays, we’ve decided that this year we will just get each other a book. I have no idea what he got me, but I’m sooooo curious. And even though they’re people, my nephews are on my wishlist. I’m going to South Carolina to see them and it’s been a really long time. They’re adorable toddlers and I can’t wait to cuddle with them for a week.
What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
Watching Christmas movies. My husband and I always watch Love, Actually and White Christmas. We quote them year round because we’re cool like that. I’m thinking of adding the Little Women with Winona Ryder to the official list, too. It’s so Christmasy and LAURIE.
What’s your favorite Christmas song?
“All I Want For Christmas Is You”—the Mariah version, of course! And it’s not Christmas without the Bing Crosby version of “White Christmas.”
What’s your favorite holiday movie? See above!
It’s midnight on New Year’s Eve – you can kiss any celebrity, living or dead. Who do you pick?
I’m going to assume that my husband is totally cool with this hypothetical situation. Ummmm….okay, I’ve been sitting here thinking and trying to come up with an answer, but the truth is that the only people I’m interested in kissing are fictional! Okay wait—Matthew McConaughey. Yep. Can’t resist that.
Now tell us a little about what’s on the horizon for you? Are you working on something new? Do you have something coming out soon?
Well, of course, I’ll Meet You There, which comes out on February 3rd (eek!). Then I have two more books left in the Dark Caravan Cycle. Book 2, Blood Passage, comes out in October 2015 and that’s pretty much done now, so I’m deep into writing Book 3, Freedom’s Slave. I also have two other YA series I’m working on—one fantasy and one realism—but those are a secret for now! I’m really excited about them, though.
One lucky winner will win a copy of Something Real (US) and another lucky winner will win a copy of Exquisite Captive (Intl)
If Intl – please make sure The Book Depository delivers to you before entering!
** Must follow Fic Fare via Email **
If Intl – please make sure The Book Depository delivers to you before entering!
** Must follow Fic Fare via Email **
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