What's Fresh with Eileen Cook's Getting Revenge with Lauren Wood

Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

Hello Eileen, it's great to have you back on YA Fresh! Please tell us about your latest novel Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood and what we can expect.

Eileen: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood, Simon Pulse, January 5, 2010

Readers can expect, humor, mayhem, hidden identities, best friends, secrets and a love for classic movies.

What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.

Eileen: I am doing a middle grade series about a girl who comes from a long line of fairy godmothers. All she wants is to be normal, but that is harder for her than you might imagine.

I’m also starting another YA book, but it is still in the idea forming stage and far too ugly to share.

Thanks so much for sharing, Eileen, I wish you the best with Revenge. Would you like to close with a writing tip?

Eileen: READ! Read a lot. Read books you like and even books that you don’t. Books and other writers are the best teachers.

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.