Author Interview: Lori Culwell

Author Interview with Lori Culwell

Release Date: November 11, 2011

Publisher: Booktrope Editions

Hi Lori! Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about your new book! So first off, describe The Dirt in 3 words.
Funny.  Quirky.  Scandalous!

What inspired you to write The Dirt?I grew up in Palm Desert, California (the town where the book is set), so I had years and years of “on the job research/ training,” so to speak.  Many of the stories and situations in the book are true (or close to true).

If your book was being turned into a movie, who would you cast as the leading roles?

I would definitely want Ashley Benson (Hanna from Pretty Little Liars) to play the mean big sister Sloane.  She’s so good at being bitchy!   I think for the Lucy character, I think it would be hard to get the quirky/ ugly duckling-into-swan thing going, though I do love Shailene Woodley on Secret Life.  Maybe we could have a contest—I’m sure the perfect Lucy is out there somewhere!

Are you working on anything new at the moment? If so, can you tell us anything about it?I own a company that helps authors learn how to promote their books (bookpromotion.com), and a book I wrote about that just came out (How to Market a Book), so I just spoke at BEA (Book Expo America) in support of that. I’m all about books!

Do you have any advice for young writers?Write every day, be organized, and think about writing as a business.  You can never be too prepared, and always be ready for your big opportunity.

What is your favorite Starbucks drink?I do love the Frappucino, though it gets me a little too speedy so I tend to stick with plain decaf.  I love those little VIA packets!

Once again, thank you for sitting down with us & good luck with your new novel!

And check out my review of The Dirt coming next week.

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About the Author
Lori Culwell is the author of five books. Her first novel, Hollywood Car Wash, was originally self-published, then was acquired and re-released by Simon & Schuster. She is also the owner of BookPromotion.com, a consulting firm that provides marketing and website services to authors. She has written for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Salon.com, the Huffington Post, and other publications. She and her husband split time between Los Angeles and New York. You can find her at www.loriculwell.com.

About The Dirt
Lucy Whitley cannot wait to get out of Palm Desert. It’s not a place for a frizzy-haired science nerd, particularly when her fashion-obsessed older sister Sloane is the head of a clique of pretty girls who rule the school – and practically the whole town.

Fortunately, life is about to change forever. Lucy’s dad is getting re-married, and then she can transfer to a boarding school in Connecticut, escaping all the mean girls and the endless whispers about the Whitley family scandal. Everything is going to be perfect – as long as the wedding goes smoothly.