The Great Debate

Fall is around the corner and my creative side sent me a note saying - we need a new blog feature to kick off the "new" year. Now, now, I know I haven't been blogging much. You're like - new feature? You haven't even posted a regular blog since...hmm...yeah it's been awhile.

So sue me, I have books to write, kids to raise, a husband to feed and oh yeah, a full-time job to attend.

Still, I got to wondering...do great minds really think alike? Or is that just a bunch of bull crapola?

We're about to find out because, I present to you:

The Great Debate

I challenge fellow writers to a pop culture debate, right here.

Those who dare talk pop culture with P must bring their trivial knowledge to the fore, because this writer here, has a lot of mindless information locked away in her skull.

If you're looking for political, religious or serious debates, head on over to CNN.com. Here at the JORT it's all about music, movies, TV, books and pop fluff that makes the world a more fun place to live.

Stay tuned. This oughta be good.

Straight, No Chaser - Stephanie Kuehnert

Everyone knows I'm a huge music fan. My Del Rio Bay chapters all start with a song lyric that best describes the mood or action within. So I'm stoked when fellow music fanatics are also fellow sisters of the pen.

Stephanie Kuehnert's, I wanna be your Joey Ramone screams rock from the title and cover.



Ya know, I'm somewhat of a rock diva myself...when the fam and I play Rockband. I'm lead vocals for our band, Random Violence. Rock and Roll baby!

Stephanie, dish with us:


Which cliché best describes you as an author?

SK: Out of these three, Toni Morrison. I aspire most to be like Toni. She has a definitive style, but each story is so unique. I want to do that.


Complete this sentence: I'm a total….from my BLANK to my BLANK, I could write the book on being BLANK

SK: I'm a totally music junkie. From my collection of almost a thousand albums including a buttload of rare vinyl to my ears that ring at random from going to shows once a week for so many years, I could write the book on living for music… Oh wait, I did :)

Using either television, film or literary references, give us the one or two sentence pitch you'd give film agents:

SK: Okay, I am absolutely atrocious at these. I really could not come up with anything that worked because it would be a rock n roll story + a mother/daughter story, but it's a female rock story and there really aren't many of those and it's a different spin on the mother/daughter relationship because they have been separated since Emily was an infant... So I'm going to rebel against this and use music instead. I would say it's a Distillers song (loud angry girl punk for those who don't know them, which is the Emily part of the book) meets a Tori Amos song (you know, very introspective and emotionally nuanced, which is the Louisa part of the book). Hope this is permissible!

TLC says: Absolutely. Music tells a story just like books. Rock on, read on!

If you did an informercial for your book, who would be the perfect celeb to serve as the pitch guy or gal? And why?

SK: Patti Smith, one of the original queens of punk rock is the perfect woman to pitch IWBYJR. She's 100% pure rock 'n' roll and the idol of both my main character Emily and her mother Louisa.

Complete this sentence: It's a good thing I'm not a stalker or else INSERT NAME OF CELEB MINOR OR MAJOR would be in trouble because

SK: It's a good thing I'm not a stalker or else Courtney Love would be in trouble because I'd be following her to the studio so I could hear her new songs. Same goes for Brody Dalle.

A lot of times, authors start a book with one concept in mind (especially us pantsters) and end up with a totally different story. For your most current book tell us where you story started and ultimately ended.

SK: My book started out about tough girl rock goddess and ended up about girl rock goddess with a secret vulnerable streak because of her missing mother.

You're on a desert island with a cell phone. Miraculously it has two bars and enough battery life to make one three minute call. Who do you call?

SK: Well, it's a hard choice between my boyfriend and my mom. But I'm gonna go with boyfriend because my mom would probably freak out whereas my boyfriend would figure out how to rescue me. He could also tell me if my cats were doing ok. But he'd be instructed to call my mom and best friend immediately.

If someone were deserted on an island and came across your book washed ashore, what's the one thing they'd take from it and want to share with the world once they got back to civilization?
SK: That women are the future of rock 'n' roll and that is always better to follow your dreams than to run from your nightmares.

Which celebrity would you like to see put on a bus and dropped in the desert? And why?

SK: Paris Hilton. She's famous for being rich and obnoxious and she started the trend of people being famous for being rich and obnoxious. I can't stand that. What happened to having actual talent? And I think it sends a horrible message especially to girls, that money and looks are all that matter and you should act dumb if it gets you want you want. ARGH!

Straight, No Chaser - Megan Kelley Hall

I love suspense novels. I think it's because they're the direct opposite of what I write, so I really get into them without being distracted. I've not jumped onto the Twilight/Breaking Dawn bandwagon - I have a serious aversion to being mainstream - though the concept of dark, gothic tales appeal to me. So what's a girl to do for a little YA suspense fix?

In steps Megan Kelley Hall with Sisters of Misery complete with snotty cliques and a good old fashion what the heck just happened here mystery.

Have I found a new companion to my Scott Westerfeld obsession? Mayhaps so.

Megan dishes with us on the pop culture tip...


Which cliché best describes you as an author?

MKH: Even though people have been describing me as this dark, gothic writer, I’m actually a pretty upbeat, easy-going, non-threatening girl. I think people expect me to be this dark brooding type, but I’m actually more silly than scary.


Complete this sentence: I’m a total….from my BLANK to my BLANK, I could write the book on being BLANK

MKH: Creative spirit… from my house crammed with books and craft/jewelry making supplies to the fact that my daughter never wears matched clothing and often goes to school in a tutu over jeans and her various collection of tiaras and the fact that I’m always late, scatter-brained and living in a state of chaos, my husband could write the book on living with a free-spirited, creative, chaotic, procrastinating, chronically late for everything writer.


Using either television, film or literary references, give us the one or two sentence pitch you’d give film agents:


MKH: A Modern Day Witch Hunt is Ignited When “Mean Girls” Meets “Practical Magic”.


If you did an informercial for your book, who would be the perfect celeb to serve as the pitch guy or gal? And why?

MKH: Angelina Jolie because everything she does seems to attract the world’s attention. I think if she even used my book as a booster seat for her kid, it would become a bestseller. She would also make a great Rebecca in the movie version, though she might be a bit young to play the mother of a teenaged girl. She’s got the wild, ethereal, free-spirited thing going for her though.


MKH: Complete this sentence: It’s a good thing I’m not a stalker or else JOHNNY DEPP would be in trouble because I’ve been obsessed with him since the 21 Jump Street days.


A lot of times, authors start a book with one concept in mind (especially us pantsters) and end up with a totally different story. For your most current book tell us where you story started and ultimately ended.


MKH: My book started out about a thirty-plus year old woman returning to her hometown to find out the mystery of her cousin’s disappearance that happened over a decade ago and ended up about a teenager looking into her cousin’s disappearance that recently happened.


You’re on a desert island with a cell phone. Miraculously it has two bars and enough battery life to make one three minute call. Who do you call?

MKH: My daughter, just to hear her voice and tell her that her mommy is okay.


If someone were deserted on an island and came across your book washed ashore, what’s the one thing they’d take from it and want to share with the world once they got back to civilization?

MKH: Don’t go to New England. They have crazy, mean girls who live there. (just kidding!)

TLC Says: Megan, Stephen King had me avoiding the New England states long ago. LOL

Which celebrity would you like to see put on a bus and dropped in the desert? And why?

MKH: Every reality show “star”. I saw a girl from one of the Real World shows in an airport and she had her dark sunglasses on and was trying to avoid the paparazzi and fans that existed only in her mind.

TLC: LMAO at anyone on Real World thinking they're a celeb. Whew, that was a good one!!!