Interview: Andrea Lynn Colt + Torched

I'm thrilled today to welcome young adult author Andrea Lynn Colt to the blog to answer a few questions about her latest release Torched. I absolutely adored this book and highly recommend it to fans of contemporary YA who are looking for a fun and fast read. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Andrea!

Rose handles the evidence of Ryan’s alleged cheating far better than I would have in her shoes. I tend to jump to conclusions and hold a mean grudge :) Are you the type of person to jump to conclusions as well, or are you more like Rose, content to wait until you have more information before you formulate an opinion?

I guess I'm like Rose in that I always like to give people the benefit of the doubt. After all, until we know the whole story, there's always an alternate explanation that might be true - the world is a weird place!

If we could have been in Paxton’s head the minute he found out Rose was accused of arson, what would we have heard him thinking?

Probably something along the lines of, "Oh wow, she really went overboard – but I know she's ballsy enough to pull that off! Also, if Ryan's really cheating on her ... then Ryan's an idiot." ;-)

Rose and Paxton have such a tension-filled, antagonistic relationship – one of my very favorite things to read about. Aside from Rose and Paxton, do you have a favorite fictional antagonistic couple?

I absolutely love antagonistic couples! They're my favorite to read and watch. I adored Buffy and Spike on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show because of their tension and banter. For books, a favorite couple is Phedre and Joscelin from Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart series; their relationship starts off very antagonistic, and though they fall irretrievably in love, it's never easy for them.

Really, any couple that starts out as enemies, frenemies or simply at odds with each other makes me want to see their sparks. Some recent-ish YA examples can be found in The DUFF by Kody Keplinger, or Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.

Did you simply make up the practical jokes Rose and Paxton play on one another, or do you have any first-hand experience with such activities?

Making up the jokes was one of the most entertaining parts of writing Torched - I always love books with pranks in them, though my sister and I never pranked each other. We're twins, and I think if we'd started a prank war it would have escalated badly, and we would have wound up getting in a lot of trouble!

Two other prank-filled books I've read are A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, so if you're looking for more fun books, check those out.

Rose names her car Cloudmonster. Does yours have a name?

It doesn't, not officially! It's a red Prius, and my fiancé calls it the Hampstermobile because it's shaped (in his opinion) like a rodent, but I pretend not to hear that :)

If you were to design a movie poster for Torched, what would the tagline be?

Ooh what a fun question! Maybe, "Where there are sparks, there's fire!"

Let’s say you’ve been falsely accused of a crime as Rose is. Just how good are your detective skills and do you put them to work for you to help clear your name?

I am actually terrible at noticing things, and incredibly easy to surprise (which is fun when people surprise me with parties!), so I'd probably be totally blindsided by an accusation. I'd spend a lot more time freaking out than Rose does, but I like to think that once I put my mind to it I'd be able to regroup and kick some butt to clear my name the way she does!

Thanks so much for having me on Supernatural Snark!

Glad to have you Andrea! More information on Andrea and her books can be found here:

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TORCHED

Rose Whitfield's senior year just went up in smoke. Instead of having a blast with her best friend, her cheerleading squad, and her boyfriend Ryan, she's framed for arson. Popularity and criminal records don't mix, apparently.

Luckily, Rose knows exactly who's framing her: Paxton Callaway. Paxton and Rose have spent years locked in a war of practical jokes. This time he's gone too far. Rose sets out to prove her innocence, win Ryan back, and take Paxton down hard. Not necessarily in that order.