DDS: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Monica Leonelle and I spent years working in marketing before following my dreams of becoming a writer. I'm lucky to now have the opportunity to help writers through my free email consultations and free writer toolkit at proseonfire.com.
I'm a sucker for young adult novels, probably because I never grew up! I love to both read them and write them. All my novels are suitable and appealing for teens 14 and up.
DDS: What got you into writing?
I started a Gen Y blog in 2007 called Twenty Set. It actually gained quite a bit of steam early on, but eventually I moved away from Gen Y topics. The reason I started that blog, though, is because I couldn't clear my mind! I literally just needed to get things out of my system. So I wrote that blog 4-5 times a week for about six months until my ideas stop churning so quickly. My love for writing as an adult grew out of that experience.
DDS: Tell us about your books.
Socialpunk is a fast-paced thriller set in a future where everyone makes money through creating art. It's based a bit on my time working in digital marketing and has touches of social media that I think people in the biz will appreciate. There's also a ton of romance and a pretty awesome heroine, if I might say so!
DDS: What are your writing pet peeves?
I usually start to hate writing when I'm near the end of the book... I go into procrastination mode! There's something about crossing a finish line that can be so daunting at times.
DDS: Who is your favourite Character?
I would say Ima, because she changes so much throughout the book. Nahum is based on a guy I had a crush on in 4th grade (right down to the name, even). Nasser is also exciting because he's got such big ideas and he's so damn reckless. He's willing to completely derail his entire hash just to pursue a dream. I'm a bit like him at times, to be honest.
DDS: Now time for some fun facts about you. If your book was to be turned into a movie – which Actor/actress would you like to see playing the characters?
Brenda Song would probably be my choice for Ima. Ember is a tall girl, but for some reason I think Kristen Bell could embody her. The guys are more difficult, but maybe Cam Gigandet for Nasser, Hunter Parrish for Dash, Matt Lauria for Vaughn, and Raza Jaffrey for Nahum. Of course, most of those people are television stars, so I probably wouldn't get any of my choices if there ever was a movie!
DDS: Who is your favourite author & which is your favourite book?
Favorite author is JK Rowling and my favorite book right now is the Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.
DDS: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you want to take with you?
My dog, my boyfriend, and probably my laptop.
DDS: One thing readers would be surprised to know about you…
I'm constantly working so I'm always behind on reading! I have several YA books on my Kindle that I haven't gotten to yet.
DDS: Besides writing, what else do you enjoy?
I enjoy running and eating and drinking good wine. Thankfully those all go decently well together so I am not a complete blimp yet.
DDS: What’s next?
I'm finishing up the second book in my Seven Halos series, called Tin Soldier. That series is about archangels and archdemons and very pretty girl who is caught in the middle of their war. That series unfolds really slowly, so if you like deep worlds with lots of mythology and history, you might enjoy that book.
I'm probably moving into serialized fiction next, just because of my work schedule. I'm working on developing two different ideas at the moment—one, kind of like Game of Thrones meets Waterworld. The other is about superheros in the 1920's. These are super generic descriptions at the time, but that's all I have so far! Either way, I'm going to keep experimenting with new ideas. I'll probably never really leave YA.
Thank you!
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