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Guest Post: Claire Voyante (Dream Life by Lauren Mechling)

Today, I have a very special guest Claire Voyante. She is the main character of Dream Girl

and Dream Life

, two novels written by Lauren Mechling! I'm going to turn the blog over to Claire.


Greetings and salutations, book lovers! I’m Claire Voyante, the main character of Dream Life, Lauren Mechling’s brand new rip-roaring and way hilarious detective novel (and no, it is not immodest to say that about a book you didn’t write but in which you star—I checked in one of my grandmother Kiki’s etiquette books).

Dream Life is all about what happened after I found out my best friend Becca had just joined a super-exclusive, centuries-old secret society called the Blue Moons. I figured out how to wiggle my way into the club, and, of course, much craziness ensued. And it didn't do much for my suddenly peaceful love life either (drama-rama!). I warmly invite you to check Dream Life out—it’s available at a bookstore or Internet site near you.

When Dream Girl, the first book in the series, came out, my creator Lauren fielded questions from bloggers and journalists. Lauren is currently underground working on a secret project so I offered to step in and relief pitch. I’m taking a page from Dear Abby's book and writing an advice column. The questions came from fans of the series. The answers came from the heart. Warning: I don't have a degree in psychotherapy--use at your own risk!

Here goes:

Dear Claire,

My school’s career fair is coming up and we have to declare our dream job. I think I want to be a teen novelist—I’ve read every book by Maureen Johnson and I’ve even written some Meg Cabot fan fiction. I’m wondering, as somebody who knows more about the business that anybody in my hometown, do you recommend it?

Sincerely,

Lara Who Thinks She Just Might Have The Next Harry Potter In Her
Montclair, NJ

Dear LWTSJMHTNHPIH,

That is so cool! Of all the things there are to become—a plastic surgeon, an organic farmer, an insider trader, er, I mean banker—your heart is set on being a teen fiction queen. I say go for it!

Based on Lauren’s e-mail conversations with other teen writers (don’t tell her I’m snooping), it isn’t all book parties and canapes. These books, no matter how silly they may seem, take patience and persistence. Lauren wakes up at 6 most mornings and rocks out on her computer for a couple of hours (good for her, always a little annoying for me—I’m more of a night owl).

And unless you do find that Harry Potter inside of you—and the publishing world agrees that it’s a blockbuster and pays you a gazillion dollars for it—you might have to find a day job while you write. Lauren, for instance, works as an editor at the Wall Street Journal, which she loves. One of her writer friends works as a freelance editor for other young adult books, and she seems to enjoy that. If you add up the job-work and then the writing-work, it’s a lot of time. It would be hard for Lauren to take up the violin or make four new best friends. So that can be a drag.

And now for the good: there is nothing but nothing more fun or satisfying than writing. I get to see Lauren’s face when she’s working away on a scene, and deciding what to do with me next. And guess what? She never looks happier.

L’Amour Toujours!

Claire


Check out this awesome trailer for Dream Life:

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling -- Trailer from Richie Williams on Vimeo.