YA Fresh

We're continuing Hottie Week with an interview with Tina today, and don't forget about her chat tonight (Tuesday, January 15th) at 5:30 PST here. Thanks!

What's Fresh with Tina Ferraro's How To Hook a Hottie

Hey Tina, as always it's a pleasure to chat with you! :) Please tell us all about your latest novel, How To Hook a Hottie.

Tina: My latest novel, How to Hook a Hottie, was released by Delacorte Press (Random House) on January 8. Here's the blurb:

Kate DelVecchio plans to be a millionaire before she's 21. When she agrees to go to a sports banquet with a hotshot baseball player, she stumbles upon a possible cash cow. The rest of the school is amazed that the no-nonsense Kate could hook such a hottie, and one by one approach her for help hooking their own. She doesn't know anything about getting guys, but for $100.00 a pop, she's more than willing to try, including inventing a 6-step-plan on How to Hook a Hottie. And how could that possibly backfire?

Great, could you share a bit about the main character of your book and what makes her unique?

Tina: Kate is sooooo different from me that she scared me. At 17, she's exceptionally focused and driven, knows what she wants--and even more importantly, what she does not. I'm still working on those goals, even as an adult! But what she and I shared was a bit of daring--to throw ourselves into an uncertain project (me, the book; her, the matchmaking aspect). And while this sounds odd, I really felt like it was a collaborative effort that we pulled it off, me feeding off her determination, and she leaning on me when thing started to fall apart. So oddly enough, she's actually the heroine I've connected the strongest with, and I'm proudest of.

How did the idea for this novel come about?

Tina: There was no lightning strike moment with this book, the way there was with Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress. It came together over a period of time, trading in and out different ideas and character traits. But the introduction of the baseball hottie, Brandon, was the glue that made it start to stick, as was 12 year-old, Lexie, who Kate initially cannot stand, but in whom she starts to see herself and to realize that all she thinks about her life and what she wants isn't necessarily so black-and-white.

So tell us, Tina, what do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?

Tina: I hope they like the story and characters, of course, but also, the Hottie Hooking Tips, and the Hexagon on page 91 that allows them to play with people in their own lives and see who may or may not be compatible!

So fun! Thanks for sharing, Tina. Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?

Tina: Yes, I just finished reading a terrific book that will be released in September by MTV Books called Invisible Touch. Kelly Parra is the author. (Say who?) Okay, all kidding aside, Kelly has knocked it out of the ballpark again with this heartfelt and exciting book, and I recommend everyone check it out.

Thanks, Tina!!

Tina Ferraro is the author of two novels with Delacorte Press, Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress and How to Hook a Hottie. Next year, The ABC's of Kissing Boys will be released. She lives in California with her husband, their three teenagers, and a cat who thinks he's the hottie prototype for all her books. Visit her website, www.TinaFerraro.com.