welcome blog: Delightful Debutantes #18: Laura Jane Cassidy & Angel Kiss.

Today's Delightful Debutante is Laura Jane Cassidy, author of Angel Kiss, a book which I recently read and enjoyed very much. If you haven't heard of Angel Kiss, you can read my review here and then you must rush out and buy a copy! It really is a good read!

Over to Laura...

Combining an unsolved murder mystery with elements of the supernatural, Angel Kiss is unique and really stands out in a YA market dominated by vampires, angels and werewolves. Where did you get the inspiration to write Angel Kiss?

Thank you! I love reading mysteries and crime, especially ones set in Ireland, and I read a lot of this stuff in my teens and early twenties. The younger characters in these books tended to be the children of the protagonists rather than the leads themselves, so I wanted to write something with a teenage girl in the central role. I basically wrote the kind of book I really wanted to read!

I really connected with the character of Jacki in Angel Kiss. She’s easy to relate to and even though she can’t help but obsess over the gorgeous Nick, she maintains a strong independent streak throughout the novel, which I think is really important. What do you like most about the character of Jacki and can you name any of your favourite female protagonists in books or movies who might have inspired the character?

What I like most about Jacki is, as you mention, her sense of independence. I can’t think of any particular characters from books or movies that inspired her, but I was definitely inspired by T.V. shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which both had strong female characters with supernatural powers in the lead role. These characters could do extraordinary things but, like Jacki, they also had to deal with everyday problems. I loved these shows as a teenager, still do!

Music plays a huge part in Angel Kiss. Jacki is a musician and her songs feature throughout the book. Can you name three songs that would feature on an Angel Kiss playlist?

There are so many to choose from but these three would definitely be on it!
Dancing in the Moonlight -Thin Lizzy.
The Only Exception – Paramore
He Loves You – The Pretty Reckless

For anyone who doesn’t know, Angel Kiss is set in Ireland, and I loved that element of the book as I don’t get to read a whole lot of Irish YA fiction. Can you recommend any other Irish YA fiction that I should be reading?

I love Claire Hennessy’s books, she writes contemporary, realistic fiction set in Ireland and her latest Every Summer is one of my favourites. Sarah Webb’s Amy Green series is seriously funny. There are also some great new writers emerging in Ireland at the moment like Sheena Wilkinson, Deirdre Sullivan, Anna Carey and Geraldine Meade.

While we’re talking about book recommendations, can you name three books that fans of Angel Kiss might also enjoy?

That’s a great question, it’s hard to say because Angel Kiss is sort of a mix of genres, but some of my favourite YA books include Looking for Alaska by John Green, Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine and What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell. They all have a mystery at their core and are amazing reads, these authors write the kind of books I aspire to!

Angel Kiss is the first in a series and Jacki’s story is set to continue in your next book 18 Kisses. Can you tell me anything about that one? Any sneak peeks into what happens next?

I can’t give too much away yet, but I can tell you that it involves Jacki trying to solve the mystery of a girl who went missing on the night of her 18^th birthday party. It’s due for publication in May 2012 and I’m really excited about it!