BY MINDI SCOTT

I’ve met author Eileen Cook a couple of times now, and was recently involved in a writing workshop that she organized in British Columbia. Our books are published by the same imprint AND we have the same editor, which means that we are practically related, right? I’m so pleased to have Eileen on the blog today! 🙂

I’ll tell you a bit about her newest book (The Almost Truth) below, but first, Eileen answered some questions for me.

At age eight, what did you want to be when you grew up? And at age eighteen? And while you’re at it, what about at age twenty-eight? 

Eileen Cook: Writer, writer, writer. I was very focused.  I didn’t think it would necessarily happen, it seemed like wishing to be a princess or a wizard when you grow up, a nice idea, but not practical.  I worked as a counselor for years as my day job. It’s great work for a writer because you spend your days trying to figure out why people do what they do.

EC: Weird gawky drama girl who dressed like Molly Ringwald.

Without giving away too much from your newest book, which character or scene from it are you the most pleased to have created, and why?

EC: I adore Brendan. This is a common problem for me, falling in love with cute boys that I write. Brendan is from the wrong side of the tracks and has a questionable sense of morality, but he’s fiercely loyal to his friends. I admire his tenacity and sense of humor. I always fall for the funny guys.
Which are your favorite movies to watch again and again?

EC: Love Actually, Gone with the Wind, Dial M for Murder, and Shawshank Redemption.

And, now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. 😉   

EC: Oooooh hard question.  I listen to more of the Beatles music, but I’ve had a chance to visit Graceland. You haven’t really lived until you’ve seen the beauty that is Graceland. It’s a shrine to tacky over the top-ness.

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About the author:

Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in eight different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

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.

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About the book:  

The Almost Truth / ISBN: 978-1442440197
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Summary:  From the author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, a smart, romantic novel about a teenage con artist who might be in over her head.

Sadie can’t wait to get away from her backwards small town, her delusional mom, her jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised…even though leaving those things behind also means leaving Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time.

But when Sadie’s mother wipes out Sadie’s savings, her escape plan is suddenly
gone. She needs to come up with a lot of cash—and fast—or she’ll be stuck in this town forever.

With Brendan’s help, she devises a plan—the ultimate con—to get the money. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax…and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn’t prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, suddenly it seems like she has a lot more than just money to lose….