Behind the Scenes of Bradford: An Interview with Regan's Alter Ego

Today, we have a special behind-the-scenes treat: an interview with Caitlin, the model who portrays Regan Stanford in all the Bradford photos.

Tell us a little about yourself.
Well, I grew up in Maryland between Baltimore and D.C. I began college in Maryland, but left to pursue modeling about two years ago. I have been able to work in several places, including Paris, Athens, Senegal, Milan, Miami, and New York. I now live and work in New York City with New York Model Management. I plan someday to go back to school and get my Bachelor of Science.

Have you ever considered being an actress? Did being Regan influence you at all?
I have always been interested in acting. For me, getting to play a fictional character in a photo shoot was like a little taste of real acting and only piqued my interest more.

Was it more difficult for you to do this photo shoot than a regular shoot, knowing that you were also portraying a character in a book?
I don't think it was more difficult, I believe that all modeling is some form of acting. Acting sexy, acting silly, acting unnatural. I am not much like Regan though, so portraying her made the experience more of a challenge and much more interesting.

What’s your most vivid memory of that photo shoot?
My most vivid memory of that shoot was shooting the scene at the dance. It felt more like acting out a scene than some of the other shots. Trying to make a girl jealous and then getting into a fight with her is not something you have to do at most other photo shoots.

Do you keep a blog? If so, is it private (like a diary) or meant for other people to read?
I have never kept a diary or blog. I am not disciplined enough to keep up with them and I am not sure people would be that interested in my life, haha.

What kind of books do you like to read? What are you reading right now?
I love to read. Mystery, romance, fantasy. I am also a bit of a science geek. Right now I am reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything for the second time.

Awesome Authors: Lisa McMann

We are sooooo lucky to have Lisa McMann with us today! She is the author of the New York Times bestseller WAKE. Its upcoming sequel, FADE, arrives in February 2009 and the third book in the series, GONE, is slated for spring 2010. WAKE is a YALSA BBYA nominee and a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adults. You can find Lisa on Myspace, Facebook, Goodreads, Shelfari, Twitter, and http://lisamcmann.com.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
I started blogging several years ago as a way to tell funny stories about my family and general observations about life and writing. I had a small following of online friends and I used a pseudonym. A few years ago, I put that blog to rest and went "professional" with my blog. I called it Five Point Five, because I had a formula that said something like, if you write 5.5 words a minute for 5.5 hours a day, you'll end up with a 70,000-word novel in 5.5 weeks. Something like that, anyway. Now, my blog is simply my name, or WAKE, or something—I keep changing it.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I totally love the new button options after each post where people can check a "reaction" button. I usually have a "Cabe is so hott!!" option, and that one always gets the most votes, no matter what the post is about.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
A blog is so, like, OUT THERE. Public. I would never blog about my secrets. A diary is private. Sometimes a diary is just what's written in your thoughts.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
I went to a private, Christian high school. People sent their kids there because they thought that would keep them away from drugs and stuff. SO not the case. There were major parties always going on. I didn't really go, though. I was sort of nerdy. And I was pretty private. I just collected everybody else's secrets so I could write them into stories. Muahahaha.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
The WAKE trilogy. Book 2, FADE, comes out this month (Feb) and continues the story of Janie and Cabe. I just finished writing GONE (Book 3), and that is in the editing stages—it is scheduled for spring 2010. I'm not yet sure what my next project will be, but I have a few ideas and I'll be announcing that on my blog as soon as I am able.

Awesome Authors: Nina Malkin

Nina Malkin, author of the upcoming YA book Swoon, which goes on sale in May 2009, has agreed to be our guest at the Bradford Novels blog today. I can't wait to read her new book, 'cause if this interview is any indication, it should have a very unique, entertaining voice.

Here's a short author bio, in her words:
I’m Nina Malkin. I tell stories. I’ve had a few novels published, and also a non-fiction book about the cats in my backyard (uh-huh, really). I’ve also written a lot for magazines, specializing in relationships and pop culture.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?


First, kudos to Micol on GoldenGirl and the whole brilliant blog-as-book concept. I could never come up with such a thing—I’m not a very techy person. I’ve never sent someone a message using my thumbs (though I have found another finger quite effective all by itself). I don’t own a cell phone, and have never actually read a blog, much less written one. That’s got to change, since there will be a blog on my website, ninamalkin.com, when it launches in May. No surprise that I’m calling it BLARGHHH! or maybe BLAHG. I’m sure there are many incredibly interesting blogs out there, blogs blogged by fascinating bloggers. Unlike bloggers, though, writers are boring. A blog on the minutiae of a writer’s day would be like: “Stared at computer. Chased cat. Scratched butt. Stared at computer again. Typed, typed, typed, typed . . . ”

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
 
The Hitchcock classics are all pretty cool: Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief. Lots of twists and turns, you’re never sure what the deal is till the very end. Grace Kelly was staggeringly beautiful if you like that blond goddess perfection thing. To Catch a Thief isn’t my favorite Hitchcock movie (that would be either Spellbound or Strangers on a Train) but it’s my favorite for Grace Kelly because of the amazing clothes she wears.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school?
My high school didn’t have scandals. It had metal detectors. It was, I believe, the first high school in New York City with metal detectors built right in. So we weren’t really that worried about each other’s deep, dark secrets. We were more interested in not getting stabbed.

What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?

I freaked on her. It came out in conversation that we had different beliefs about a sexual politics issue, and to me it was like finding out that your friend is a Nazi. I handled it rather poorly—I yelled at her and told her she made me sick. I insisted she drive me home, and we never spoke after that. This is a regret, because we’re all entitled to our own opinions. By the time I accepted that I’d overreacted and behaved badly it was too late.

What are your most recent books?
Swoon is out in May. It’s about love and lust, possession and obsession, vengeance and betrayal, desire and deception and bliss . . . a girl, a guy, another girl, a ghost, a golem . . . y’know, the usual.

What new projects are you working on now?
A novel about sisters. That, and bargello (which is a craft, not a dessert).

Awesome Authors: Eileen Cook

Today we're talking with debut YA author Eileen Cook. Apparently she loves dreaming up scandals and watching old movies, so she'd fit right in with Spencer and her crowd.

Author bio, in her words: Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. Eileen’s first book, a romantic comedy, Unpredictable was released in February 2008. Her next book, a young adult novel, What Would Emma Do?, was released December 2008.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? I love having a regular connection with readers that provides that immediate feedback. Writing books from the start of an idea to bookshelf is a looooong process. Blogging lets me fill that gap. Plus, I come across all kinds of odds and ends (like a hamster powered paper shredder) that I feel the need to share with others. I see it as a form of public service.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
My mom can see the blog. For that matter so can the rest of the world, so I try to keep any deep dark abiding dark secrets in my diary alone.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? I LOVE classic movies. I have a near un-natural relationship with the Turner Movie Channel. Some of my favorites are the Thin Man series. As for Grace Kelly, I love Dial M for Murder and Rear Window. Oh, and High Society. In fact, I pretty much liked all of them.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? My deep dark secret was that almost all of my scandals occurred in my imagination. In my mind, I had a very exciting life full of passionate romance, daring adventure, and ill advised risk taking. In real life I was far more boring. I was a part of a group that played a lot of pranks. We used to steal school mascots and that type of thing, but alas no scandals. However, there is always time, so who knows what I might get up to now.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now? My current book is What Would Emma Do? It explores what can happen if you kiss your best friend's boyfriend. (I told you I was full of scandals in my imagination.) I am currently working on another YA project (still untitled). It is a story of betrayal, the art of revenge, and classic movies. I had a ton of fun coming up with the various revenge plans. It turns out that I have a deep and abiding evil side. Who knew?

Mondays with Micol: Who's Your Bradford BFF?

Friends? Or Frenemies? For today's Mondays with Micol question, we asked our favorite authoress which Bradford character she would most like to be friends with. Here's what she had to say:

Hmm . . . you need each of them for different purposes.


I think Spencer is the most tried-and-true of all of the girlies, always wanting to believe the best in people and give her friendlies the benefit of the doubt.

But Mads is all about fun and flair, and Regan is probably the most understanding.

Paige is the girl you go to when your ex starts dating someone new and you need her to remind you of why you're way cooler than his flavor of the week and how it will never last.

So, dear readers, which Bradford bestie would you hang with, if you could, and why? Tell us what you think by this Thursday at midnight EST, and you'll be entered in this week's giveaway. We'll use a random number generator to select a winner, and will announce the lucky recipient in Friday's post. Good luck!