Hello Swooners!
I am so excited to have C.J. Duggan here today! She is the Author of The Summer Series, and is here today to answer some questions about her new book Paradise City! I can't wait to see what she has to say.
I really enjoy writing books about wallflowers and underdogs. Paradise City is heavily based on a journey of self-discovery and the fear of the unknown. I wanted to set it in a rich, vibrant city setting after having holidayed in LA and the Gold Coast; I just loved the vibe of these places. And although Paradise City is set in a mythical location in Australia my experiences from my travels drew heavily on the inspiration behind Lexie’s story.
Are there any characters that were difficult to write?
It was particularly difficult to get into a certain male character’s head because he was naturally guarded, so it took some prying to work him out; he is still quite elusive to me, which I kind of love.
Did you identify with any character specifically?
I think at the crux of it Lexie personifies those anxious, uncertain years of youth that I think we can all identify with in some way. I really like her wit and her strength, I would like to think I have something in common with her. She was a very cool character to write.
What was the best part about writing Paradise City?
Pushing the envelope on anything I had ever written before, creating a new world with new characters, gaining new readers and having a flow-on effect from the Paradise series to the Summer series and vice versa. Paradise City is a lot grittier, sexier than anything else I have created, and I had an absolute blast writing it.
Were there any scenes that you found particularly difficult to write?
There were a few curly scenarios that were difficult to write, whether it was just a bump in the story line I had to figure out, or something that affected the character directly. But the difficult scenes are so important and needed, so it’s a justified difficulty.
Why did you choose Red Hole and Paradise City as the setting of this story?
I like the idea of setting my stories in a mythical Australian setting, being able to allow the reader the freedom to imagine it as they would like it to be. I often get emails from people who tell me that they grew up in a place just like ‘Onslow’ and I think that’s great. I love that dusty, rural Red Hill (Red Hole) or Paradise City could be the next mythical place that people connect with on some personal level. As for the names, I needed to choose something to reflect the complete polar opposites of the worlds. Red Hill and all its dusty, remote nothing to Paradise City with its coastal, urban setting filled with tourists and chaos: it had to be the ultimate culture shock for poor Lexie, even though Paradise is not all it seems.
There are some really awkward moments in Paradise City, did you ever cringe while you were writing them?
Completely. I would quite often think, “Oh no, what now?” Writing Lexie’s story definitely kept me on my toes; I really never knew what might happen from one minute to the next and I loved that.
What is your favourite moment in Paradise City?
Anytime Lexie found her voice are always fond moments for me, and anything to do with banter – it’s all about the banter.
If you were on a deserted island and could choose one of your book characters to be there with you who would you choose to be stranded with?
Hmm, maybe Ballantine? He could teach me how to surf.
What do you want the readers to know before they start reading Paradise City?
Paradise City is quintessentially Australian, heavily focused on family, friendships, love and pushing the limits. A sexy, sassy and witty character novel with plenty of twists and turns. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us! Please check out Paradise City which will be in stores April 28. You can enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a singed paperback of Paradise City! For more information about C.J. Duggan and her books check out her Website!
Author: C.J. Duggan
Expected Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Hachette Australia Books
When her parents decide a change will be good for her, seventeen-year-old Lexie Atkinson never expected they'd send her all the way to Paradise City. Coming from a predictable life of home schooling on a rural Australian property, she's sure that Paradise will be amazing. But when she's thrust into a public school without a friendly face in sight, and forced to share a room with her insipid, hateful cousin Amanda, Lexie's not so sure.
Hanging out with the self-proclaimed beach bums of the city, sneaking out, late night parties and parking with boys are all things Lexie's never experienced, but all that's about to change. It's new, terrifying . . . and exciting. But when she meets Luke Ballantine, exciting doesn't even come close to describing her new life. Trouble with a capital T, Luke is impulsive, charming and answers to no one. The resident bad-boy leader of the group, he's sexier than any boy Lexie has ever known.
Amidst the stolen moments of knowing looks and heated touches, Lexie can't help but wonder if Luke is going to be good for her . . . or very, very bad?
Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveawayAbout the author:
C.J Duggan is a number one internationally bestselling Australian author of seven independent titles of her popular New Adult Summer series. In addition to her chart-topping indie novels, C.J is set to publish two titles with Hachette, Australia with her brand-new Paradise Series in 2015 (Paradise City and Paradise Road).Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / InstagramC.J lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn't writing books about swoony boys and 90s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.
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