Spotlight on Nicole O'Dell and Truth or Dare

SPECIAL: Today's spotlight is targeted at moms with teen or soon-to-be teen girls. If this is you, or you know someone who would love these books, make sure you enter. And tell anyone else you know who might like these books. Direct them to this blog.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NICOLE O'DELL is happily married to her husband Will, with whom she is attempting to restore an old Victorian home. She is the mother of six wonderful children, the most recent additions being triplets, born in August of 2008. Along with her six kids, Nicole is very proud to have birthed a unique teen-fiction series called Scenarios: Interactive Fiction for Girls. It has been a true labor of her love—in the most literal sense. The completed manuscripts for Truth or Dare and All that Glitters, the first two books in the Scenarios series, were submitted from her hospital bed as she awaited the arrival of the triplets.

www.scenariosforgirls.com -- a site for tween girls...giveaways, devotions, girl talk, etc.
nicoleodell.blogspot.com -- Nicole's blog

TRUTH OR DARE
by Nicole O'Dell
Published by Barbour Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lindsay Martin is faced with a tough choice: Does she give in to peer pressure and make her friends happy or does she do what she knows is right—even if it means losing her friends forever? Tween readers make the choice in this interactive story and see how the consequences change Lindsay’s life. Includes a contract and prayer to remind the reader of the importance of making godly decisions.

Readers, buy your copy of Truth or Dare or All That Glitters today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I play a game with my kids that I named "Scenarios". I tell them a story and put them in a moral dilemma and then give them options as to how they'd respond. We then talk about what they decided and what the consequences, good or bad, would be. It's been such a great tool for opening the lines of communication with my own kids, that I wanted to provide it for others, too.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

I find myself in parts of all of my character, and I draw from my own life probably more than I'd like to admit. Macy, one of the characters in this book, struggles with her weight and then blossoms through puberty. That's exactly what happened to me--I see myself in her a lot. Lindsay, the main character, has a lot of the internal struggles that I remember having as a teen.

3. If one of your characters were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Vanilla with marbled fudge. She's sweet and predictable like vanilla, but there's that saucy thread that runs through her.

4. Are there any themes in Truth or Dare that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

Even when poor decisions are made, there is forgiveness and redemption. Consequences might require work and pain, but that's part of life. Relationships are important, and it's just as necessary to offer forgiveness as it is to receive it.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

I struggled with the confrontational scenes between Lindsay and her parents. I think it's because I remember what I put my parents through. Conversely, my favorite scenes to write were the good times they had as a family.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Along with Truth or Dare, we released All That Glitters. It's the story of identical twin girls, Drew and Dani Daniels. Entering high school, Drew abandons her straight and simple roots and becomes a bit of a wild child, leaving her sister in the dust. Her new-found popularity forces her to deal with boyfriend issues and she becomes tempted with alcohol, drug, sneaking around and lying.

Books three and four, Magna and Making Waves, Will be out in April 2010.

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Thank you, Nicole, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win YOUR CHOICE of a FREE autographed copy of either Truth or Dare or All That Glitters.

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