Mandy Hubbard: YA Author of Prada and Prejudice
How did the idea for Prada & Prejudice come to you?
I went to the Idea store and put three dollars in the machine, and Prada and Prejudice is what came out.
Kidding.
I’d been reading Regency Romances for months, but ineviteably I always had to read a contemporary in between—I loved the setting, but the formal voice/actions were harder to get into. Since there wasn’t a book that combined a modern voice and a historic setting, I decided to create it.
What would you like readers to take away from your books?
That I am the next great big thing, and they should go back and buy three more copies.
Also kidding.
Mostly, I just hope they have fun—that it’s a great diversion for a few hours on a plane or a way to relax while sitting on the beach. Or heck, a way to enjoy Summer if they’re stuck at home with nothing to do.
Any of your characters in Prada & Prejudice based off of real people (like yourself)?
No. Of course, Callie is bound to have things in common with me. My best friend and my husband both said they could “see” me in the book in places. I’m sure it is her incredible sense of humor and fabulous style, not her klutziness or penchant for trouble.
What is your writing process like?
My usual method is to get an idea and simply sit down, type “Chapter 1”, and run with it. I tend to figure out plot twists and characters as I write. In some ways its just like reading, because I have no idea how it will end until I’m there. Of course it does mean I revise heavily, but it works for me.
How did you react the first time you saw Prada & Prejudice on bookstore shelves?
On release day I went to my local indie, but they hadn’t received the book yet. So I went and had lunch and went back to work. An hour or so later, a coworker walked into my cubicle with my book in his hand. He had went to the same indie and made them go upstairs and rummage through the boxes of new stock to find a copy for him. For some reason when I saw him holding it I felt weird—breathless and shaky. It was the first time someone had bought my book and asked me to sign it. . . it was like seeing it for the first time!
By the time I saw it on shelves, I was a little more cool about it, but I still couldn’t stop grinning and staring at it and touching the cover.
What are some of your cool or annoying writerly habits?
I guess it is cool that I can write anywhere—even on a train full of people. I type at around 100 words per minute, which I love, because it’s almost as fast as I think.
Annoying: I surf the internet way too much while writing. I wish I could concentrate!
If you could be ANY character in ANY book, who would you be?
I would say Elizabeth Bennet, but that choice is pretty obvious…. So I’m going to go with Alex from THE SEASON by Sarah Maclean. Her yummy love interest is just as hot as Darcy—and he’s an Earl!
What advice do you have for teen writers?
That publishing is a business. Enjoy your writing, and when you think you’re ready for publication, go in knowing that everyone gets rejected—even published authors who go to sell their second, third, fourth book will get rejections, so it doesn’t mean that you—or your work—isn’t good enough.
What book do you wish you'd written? Money and fame can factor into your answer.
You know, the only books I’ve ever re-read aren’t flashy ones: Z for Zachariah, True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Shiloh, Hatchet. Those are books that I read as a kid and then re-read as an adult because they stuck with me. I’d be proud to put my name on any of those!
Although, I wouldn’t mind taking credit for HUNGER GAMES.
What is your favorite word (real or made up)?
I really like “tool,” when used as an insult. Like, “Don’t be such a tool.”
What new projects are you’re working on now?
My 2010 NASCAR romance for Harlequin, DRIVEN, along with my 2010 YA for Razorbill. The YA is top secret for now, but I think it will really appeal to my Prada and Prejudice readers!
Tell me an “Oh. My. God. Really?” fact about yourself.
Um, how about this: When I was 17 I ran for King-Pierce County Dairy Princess. I have the sash and crown to prove it, I swear. We had to dress up in GOT MILK shirts and go to sporting events and hand out trophies and stuff like that. For realz.
Visit Mandy's Website: http://www.mandyhubbard.com/
Order your copy of Pride and Prejudice today on AMAZON!
