Fun Friday Q&A with Cassidy Shea aka "Twitter Girl"!

I shared my book release day yesterday with all-around nice guy Nic Tatano. I guess...I mean I've only met him "online" but still, he seems nice. Anyway. I asked Nic if he'd like to come over here and answer some questions today about his book Twitter Girl, but he referred me to the "twitter girl" herself, Cassidy Shea, the main character of this awesome book — and I know it's awesome because I started it last night, thank you. And thank you, Nic, for making me laugh when I really needed it.

So, here's my conversation with Cassidy.

Angela: Tell us about your new book.

Cassidy: Well, first off, your readers should know that I'm a fictional character who has gone rogue and become self-aware. Anyway, the book is about me, as I'm known as Twitter Girl, a television reporter who gets a little too snarky and gets fired. Alas, I end up working for a Presidential campaign and in a relationship with a candidate who happens to be America's most eligible bachelor. Will I become the next First Lady and a remake of Jackie Kennedy? Inquiring minds wanna know.

Angela: Why should readers pick up a copy?

Cassidy: Duh, so the author can get rich. Seriously, I'm a fun gal to hang around with on a plane ride or at the beach for a few hours. I'll take your mind off the world which is doing a swan dive into the dumper and give you a happily ever after that everyone needs from time to time. And I like to think there's a clever plot woven through my romantic escapades. Though you should know this is a sweet romance, so said escapades do not include whips, handcuffs or blindfolds. Fifty Shades of Politics, this ain't.

I should warn you, though, I'm snarky as hell and my sense of humor is an acquired taste. There's a sarcastic tweet at the beginning of each chapter.

Angela: So far, I'm loving the tweets that start each chapter. Where did you — sorry, your creator — get the inspiration for this story?

Cassidy: Well, it's not my story but I'll be happy to tell you how this whole muse thing works. The muses are a bunch of ethereal beings who float around creative people while dressed like Stevie Nicks in these wispy capes. Anyway, before I became a heroine in this book I lived with other unused characters in half of the muse universe. The other half is filled with plots.

When a writer is ready to start a book his or her muse selects a plot, then basically holds a casting call for the right character. You should see it when someone like Meg Cabot or Sophie Kinsella sends a muse... it's like a damn stampede at a Black Friday Christmas sale. Everyone wants to be in a best seller. Personally I was terrified of ending up in a literary fiction novel. I'm not the kind of girl who can spend ten pages describing a garden. You got your flowers, your grass, your dirt. The flowers are pretty and smell nice. Boom, done, outta here. Next chapter.

Anyway, here's the deal on this book's inspiration: The muse (who looked suspiciously like Olivia Newton-John in Xanadu) picks up on the fact the writer wants to do something fun with Twitter and politics. So the call goes out for a snarky redhead and I'm first in line. The muse tells me I'll have to jump through a bunch of romantic hoops but there's a happily ever after in my future. So I told her to sign me up. Next thing I know the author is in my head and he's putting words in my mouth and making me do stuff I shouldn't do. But I had the last laugh as I escaped and have my own Twitter account @TwitrGrlCassidy. Why should I shut up just because he finished the book?

Angela: *blinks* Okay. Darn, I hope this doesn't give my character Spider any ideas. *sighs* Next question. Let's get personal. What's your dream vacation destination?

Cassidy: Since I'm in a book I get to go wherever the readers take me. Though I will say someone downloaded me from Net Galley and took me to Lake Como in Italy. Can't think of a more beautiful place.

Angela: What book do you most recommend to others? 

Cassidy: You know, I ran into one of my old friends from the muse universe, this chick named Rowena who is the heroine in A.J. Nuest's book Rowena's Key. We're cut from the same spunky cloth and she landed in a cool story. Of course the lucky thing is in one of those books with a "heat level" which means her readers have to turn the air conditioning up a notch during the sex scenes.

Angela: I would also like to note for potential readers that Rowena's Key is currently FREE on Amazon. So go now and get it. Seriously. I already have it or I would. Next question. If you could have any superpower, what would it be, and why?

Cassidy: The ability to time travel. Is there anyone out there who wouldn't want a do-over on something in their life? Plus, you could go back in time, bet on sports since you know the outcome and live off the winnings.

Angela: Well, that was fun! Many thanks to Cassidy for stopping by. You should definitely pick up the book. It goes something like this...

Meet America's Tweet-Heart. 

She's network reporter Cassidy Shea, better known as @TwitterGirl, with more than a million followers thanks to her sarcastic tweets. One hundred forty characters that can take anyone down a notch. 

But while brevity may be the soul of wit, it can also get you fired. 

When a controversial tweet goes viral the snarky redhead finds herself locked out of the career she loves... and watches her boyfriend take a hike. 

Alas, no industry values sarcasm more than politics, and Cassidy becomes a marketable commodity for Presidential candidate Will Becker, a squeaky-clean, stone cold lock to be the next occupant of the White House. This candidate is unlike any other; he's the country's most eligible bachelor. He's also looking for a running mate, and we're not talking about a Vice President. 

Twitter Girl has caught his eye. 

Cassidy finds herself swept up in a whirlwind romance that turns her into the next Jackie Kennedy and becomes the favorite to be the next First Lady. The country can't get enough of America's First Couple... will Cassidy and Will Becker bring back Camelot?
But an anonymous tip triggers her journalistic curiosity. Is Will Becker all that he seems? The search for the answer teaches Cassidy the meaning of love.