Our guest today: Ben Svetkey
Why we love him: Not only does he write for our FAVE mag (Entertainment Weekly), his debut is really fun. (And he's cute too!)
His debut: Leading Man
The scoop: At 26, Maxwell Lerner thinks he has his whole life figured out. He's got the girl—his high-school sweetheart Samantha. He's got the job—low-level reporter for a prestigious national magazine. He even lives with aforementioned girl in a walk-up studio apartment in the West Village. Life is sweet. Until his aspiring actress girlfriend leaves him for his childhood hero, Johnny Mars, who, as action adventurer "Jack Montana," features in some of Max's favorite movies. Getting dumped for one of his idols sets Max off on a dual mission: to get inside the glamorous world Samantha left him for, and to win her back. But when Samantha's perfect life takes an unexpected turn, Max gets more of an education, in life and in love, than he bargained for.
Our thoughts: LOVED it--totally fun and juicy!
Giveaway: Two copies! Leave a comment to be entered to win--we'll choose the winners after 8am on Sunday, September 8th.
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...7 SECONDS IN HEAVEN WITH BEN SVETKEY
So excited to play 7 Seconds in Heaven with debut author Ben Svetkey--he's sharing 7 surprising facts about himself....
1. I once fondled Angelina Jolie. Her elbow, anyway. I was interviewing her at a restaurant in Toronto (Tomb Raider 2: The Cradle of Life was about to come out) and she was telling me about how she chipped a bone in her elbow while doing a stunt and that the little bone chip kept moving around. Then she took my hand and let me squeeze all over her arm to see if I could find it. I nearly fainted.
2. I know all the words to “Live and Let Die.” And “Goldfinger.” And a couple of other Bond themes. And I’ve taught some of them to my three-year-old daughter. There is nothing cuter than hearing her belt out, “When you were young and your heart was an open book…”
3. I know all the words to the theme song for Nick Jr.’s Little Einsteins. My daughter taught them to me.
4. I named the protagonist of my novel—Max—after our cat.
5. You know how authors sometimes say that characters end up writing themselves? That always sounded like BS to me, but I’ve learned that it’s kind of true. Once you decide what sort of person they’re going to be, you just wind them up and watch them go. It’s a little freaky.
6. The first book I ever really fell in love with was John Irving’s The World According to Garp. I read it over and over again during my teen years. Then, in my 20s, I read Philip Roth’s The Ghost Writer over and over again. In my 30s, I read Martin Amis’ Money at least a dozen times. I’m a literary monogamist. When I fall in love with a book, I stick with it.
7. My wife and I eloped and got married in a helicopter over Las Vegas. We figured we’d be so nervous about crashing that we wouldn’t have time to be nervous about getting married. Worked like a charm.
Thanks, Ben!