Jen Calonita is the author of six young adult book and four for middle-graders, including the Fairy Tale Reform School series and the VIP series. The following is a complete transcript of her interview with Cracking the Cover for her latest novel, “VIP: Battle of the Bands,” which is available for preorder now and will be released July 26.
Why do you write? Why specifically for young readers?
I love to tell stories. Ever since I was a kid, I would write short-stories about my friends and their lives–sometimes incorporating their love for their favorite boy band member–and I got such a kick out of their reactions. I love when readers tell me they enjoy my books and I find the younger the reader, the more excited the response. I’ve had so much fun writing for middle grade readers these past two years.
Your VIP series is quite different from your other books. Where did the idea come from?
When I was 12, my dream in life would have been for my mom to get a job with New Kids on the Block and take me on the road with them! That didn’t happen, but I know so many people who would love that life. Having spent time on the road with many bands when I worked at a teen entertainment magazine, I took my love of boy bands and what I learned on the road and mashed them together to form VIP. I love writing about Mac and her favorite boy band, Perfect Storm.
What was your favorite boy band?
New Kids on the Block, of course, and my heart belonged to Joey McIntyre. I once wrote him a poem asking him to come to a school dance with me and his mom wrote me back. I still have the postcard!
What is it about boy bands that appeal so much to teenagers? Why do you think this phenomenon is repeated throughout generations?
What I think my friends and I always loved about New Kids was that each guy in the band fit a different personality type – Donnie was the bad boy, and Joey was the sweet, charming young one that I fell for. I find when I talk to teens about bands like5 Seconds of Summer, R5, and One Direction, their feelings for the bands are the same ones I had for my band. You fall for the music, then the guy behind the song and it’s easy to get caught up in wondering what it would be like if you someday met them.
How did Mac’s character develop? Is she based on anyone in particular?
Mac is the closest I’ve ever come to writing a character that is like me at that age – I was a bit shy, I was obsessed with a band, and I wrote everything down in a journal. One difference: I cannot draw and Mac is an excellent comic book artist.
Why do you think books like your VIP series are important?
I feel like VIP is the ultimate wish fulfillment. If you’ve ever wondered what life would be like if your family got a job with Taylor Swift or Beyonce, VIP is the chance to live out that dream!
How has your writing evolved?
I think the more books I do, the more I learn about my own writing style and how to plot my stories. I work differently than I did several years ago, but I still always like to start with a fun story that I can twist and mold into something new and fresh.
How many more VIP books will there be?
Battle of the Bands is the last one for now, but remember: Bands like to talk about taking a hiatus a lot and then they go back on tour. I’d love to write more about Mac and Perfect Storm if the time is right!
What are you working on now?
There are at least three more books planned for the Fairy Tale Reform School series and I’m polishing the third book, TRICKED, which will come out next March 2017. It follows what happens when Rumplestiltskin tries to take over the school.
Is there a book from your own youth that still resonates with you?
I loved Anne of Green Gables. I was also a huge Sweet Valley High fan. But the one book I loved more than any other was Homecoming by Cynthia Voight. It got a hold of me and didn’t let go.