An Interview with Pilou Asbaek of #GhostInTheShell!

Ghost in the Shell 
Director: Rupert Sanders
Writers: Jamie Moss (screenplay), Masamune Shirow (based on the manga by)
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt, Juliette Binoche
Official Socials: Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | IMDb
Hashtag: #GhostInTheShell

In the near future, Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals. When terrorism reaches a new level that includes the ability to hack into people’s minds and control them, Major is uniquely qualified to stop it. As she prepares to face a new enemy, Major discovers that she has been lied to: her life was not saved, it was stolen. She will stop at nothing to recover her past, find out who did this to her and stop them before they do it to others. Based on the internationally acclaimed Japanese Manga, “The Ghost in the Shell.”

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Pilou Asbaek is a Danish actor best known in the United States for his recent role as Euron Grayjoy in Game of Thrones. Recently, he played Batou in Rupert Sander's Ghost in the Shell and I was able to interview him regarding his experience in the film!

So, you're Danish

Asbaek: Yes

I was wondering if you find a lot of differences between the Danish film industry and the American film industry. If so, could you elaborate?

Asbaek: I think the biggest difference between the two, American verses Danish films, is the size of the budget. I think one weeks catering on Ghost in the Shell is like one big budget Danish film. So, you know, that's a big, big, big difference but, story wise, it's exactly the same. You wanna tell good stories, you want to create good characters. So the approach, in my job, is the same besides the language because as an actor you want to feel free, you want to have control. It's like driving a car, you navigate. It's the same thing with characters. If the performance is going a little bit too slow, you press a little bit on the gas, you shift gear. So, um, the language is difficult but everything else is the same.

I know you're very used to working in shows or movies that work with a very fictional reality, but did you find any aspect of Ghost in the Shell particularly difficult considering it's set in such a, to me at least, unimaginable future?

Asbaek: Yes, but actually I think that what Rupert (director) created is a very- I think he created a very interesting thing in the film because for me it's actually, I think- I think it's possible, what he created in Ghost in the Shell. I think that future might be the future of our world where, and I'm sorry to say, there is more and more artificial intelligence that is going to be a part of, maybe not our generation, but our children's generation. So, I don't see a big difference between doing Game of Thrones or Ghost in the Shell. It's just different genres, but it's the same work and the size of the character- the size of the character, it doesn't matter if it's the supporting character or the lead, the work is almost the same because you have to be prepared. That's at least how I work, so, no, I think- I don't see the big difference between doing social Danish realism and big American science fiction films.

Speaking of preparation, how did you prepare for this film particularly?

Asbaek: Ugh, I was in the gym so much! I hated it, I hated it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! There's nothing more - I hate it. [laughs] I, uh, started working out the moment I got the job, because I don't want to start working out before I get the job, uh, and then we went down to New Zealand two months before we would start shooting and it was a production decision that they wanted to bring all the cast to New Zealand- to Wellington- before we would start the film because they wanted that Section Nine, uh, spirit, you know. It's like an elite unit. And, you know, we would work, we would do tactical training, we would do weapons training, counter terrorist training and we would be working out and we would do that for five hours everyday and then we would go rehearse the script or we would go do fittings or we would go do prosthetics. I had a lot of prosthetic tests because, you know, we had to make those eyes look not idiotic. They still look a little bit funny but we did the best we could. [laughs] And it took four hours of makeup to get these on before I would do four hours of shooting.

But could you see through them?

Asbaek: No, I couldn't see shit so when I was doing stunts... I couldn't see! My peripheral vision was like zero! So, when I had fight scenes with Scarlett or I would be fighting with some guys at the bar, you know, I would like [hit] Scarlett! Because I couldn't see anything! [laughs] But she's okay, she's a tough girl so she can take it.

Were there any obstacles or challenges you had to face other than going to the gym when you were making this movie?

Asbaek: Yes, there was a big challenge regarding the- you know, it's based on the manga. It's like the written cartoon in the 80s and then they made the anime in the 90s, and it was a very loved manga, it's a very loved anime. And, I've learned from Game of Thrones, that when people are very fanatic about it, they don't want you to touch it. They think they own it, but it's, you know, that's selfish thinking that you own the whole franchise! Like, no, it's mine, you can't do that! I'm like dude, I've got just as much right to interpret Batou as you have you know, drawing or whatever. So you have to take ownership of it, you have to have a little bit of disrespect. Not for the material, but for the fans. To own it. And I loved it as much as the hardcore fans, but it was a big challenge. It was a very big challenge, and there's been some controversy about the whole Asian / American adaptation and stuff like that. And it came as a surprise honestly because I think it's such a- such a loved story and you know, Hamlet! Hamlet has been a black guy, he's been an Asian guy you know, Hamlet has been everyone and I come from a country of 5 million people. You know, whenever you see Vikings on films they rape, I'm like, dude, okay, thanks a lot! [laughs] So, you know, I'm just glad that it's a great discussion and we need to [make] it again and again and again because Hollywood needs to open up, you know.

You play easily one of the most significant anime characters of all time, really.

Asbaek: Yeah.

If you could do it again, if you could do any anime, comic book, video game character right now no matter who, who would you be?

Asbaek: I want to make Twisted Metal into a movie. And I'm actually writing on it right now.

Who would you play?

Asbaek: I don't want to play anything, I just want to write it. Honestly, I swear to god, I never wanted to be an actor. [Interviewer laughs] No, I hate it! I mean, I don't hate acting.

I would hope! [laughs]

Asbaek: No, I love my job, but I never wanted to be an actor. I always wanted to be writer. My wife is a writer, my best friends are writers. I wanted to be journalist when I was younger, and I still wanna! But, I went to school, and I had to take this acting [class] and- it's a classical, cliche story because there was a girl and I wanted to hang out with her and get a little bit closer to her and she took acting lessons. I was like [shrugs] I'll do it! And I came into to class and we had to prepare a text and then it was my turn up and I just went blah blah blah blah blah blah and the teacher was like, dude, I'm so sorry, but you gotta be an actor. I was like no, I'm going to be writer, I'm a writer, I'm smart, I want to do smart things! [laughs] And I found out later that acting was- there was a lot of challenge but, uh, she pushed me in that direction and I was 21. I was a pretty late bloomer and now I'm sitting here talking to you guys 14 years later!

Were you a fan of the anime before getting cast or did you just find out about it afterwards?

Asbaek: I was a teenager when I saw it for the first time. I'd never heard about Shirow's (Masamune) manga, I had never heard about it, but I saw the anime and you guys know, it was like- this is what I hope is going to happen with the film. Shirow created the manga in, I dunno, 88 or 89, the audience was [small], it was not many people that read it, but they were like pretty hardcore fans, and then Oshii (Mamoru) created the anime which traveled the world and became this cult thing, right, in the late 90s and the audience grew. They loved it! They loved it so much that they're like don't fuck around with it, you know. And now we're doing a live action version and Scarlett is such an incredible, talented actress that [more] people are going to know about Ghost in the Shell. Some of them knew about it already, but there's a lot of people that didn't know about Ghost in the Shell and if we, with our film, have shown it to some people who weren't aware of the source and go back and watch the original anime and read the original manga? That's fucking awesome! Then we've done our job well because this is one chapter in the whole story of Ghost in the Shell, but, was I a fan of it? Where I come from, fan is a very strong word. I'm from the North, from the cold countries, you know, where we don't show emotion so, even if I was a fan, I'd never say it. [laughs] But I liked it a lot.

Okay. [laughs]

Asbaek: There's two things I loved about it. I loved that it was a cartoon that took itself seriously. I'd never seen that before. And I loved that it was a strong female lead. I thought that was pretty cool, you know, I'd only seen that once before in Nikita, a French film I thought was pretty cool, and then they did a shitty American remake and it turned into a TV series.

Was it nice working with Scarlett again after working with her on Lucy? 

Asbaek: Well, in Lucy, I got to to meet her you know. I mean, how close can you get with a person in three days? I mean, she's a professional actor and she's there to work and so am I so it's not like you- I wanted to just be like hi! You know? You wanna go out and grab a cheeseburger or something? [laughs] But that's you know, that's not how it works. I got to meet her and we did a scene and she was incredible but it was not until Ghost in the Shell where you're like six months in Wellington and six months is a long time on that island. You're kind of isolated you know? So we got very good friends and I'm very proud of her, I'm very proud of calling her a friend.

Do you think there's any aspect of Batou that you relate to? 

Asbaek: Yeah, he likes beer and pizza. So do I, so do I- and he likes dogs! When I saw the anime the first time I actually didn't connect with him very much, I connected to with the Major. When I got the job, and I had to audition, I made like three or four tapes for Rupert and then Paramount and DreamWorks weren't super happy with my tapes. They didn't think I was smiling enough. So I flew to LA from  Denmark, that's a 14 hour flight, to have a meeting with Paramount and DreamWorks where I sat through out the entire meeting like this. [sits back and smiles very wide] Smiling! To persuade them that I can be charming if I want to, but he's not a charming guy. He's a serious guy. The heart and soul of Batou is all the looks, all the pauses, it's not all the actual, do you get what I'm saying? When you see a good actor on screen you think what the hell is she doing because the lines are information but what you do between the lines is art, okay.

Yeah.

Asbaek: What was the question again, I forgot. [laughs]

Are you similar to Batou?

Asbaek: Oh right, yeah, so I didn't connect with him and I saw the anime again and again and again and I ended up going back to the original manga and I found out- because Batou in the anime is much older than I am, much more quiet. So I thought, people are going to give me a hard time because I'm not old enough for this role, you know. I'm the first one to know, I'm the actor, I know what I'm doing, I know what people are going to say are the strengths and weaknesses. And then I went back to the manga and realized, oh shit! He's not old at all! He's much younger in the manga! It was Oshii, when he created the anime, that made him much older. So I can go back to Shirow's manga and go I'm the right age! He was the guy fucking up the character! [laughs] I mean, of course Oshii didn't fuck up, Oshii did the most beautiful Batou. What I wanted was the visual looks of the manga and the heart and soul of the anime, so that's also a personal homage from me to the two geniuses who created it.

Author Interview: Laurell K. Hamilton, Author of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novels

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We've got an exclusive interview with New York Times Bestselling Author Laurell K. Hamilton, the author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. 

OUaT: How did the idea for the plot of CRIMSON DEATH come to you?

Damian, the character, whispered in my ear that it was time to write his story, or more of his story than ever before. I've been making notes on his background for years, but this was the first time he let me know he was ready. Then a place name that I'd never even heard of consciously came into my head, and it turned out to be a real place in Ireland. A place I'd never read about to my knowledge, or even knew existed, but the name came to me and when I looked on a map it was real. I've only had that happen once before with Edward in the book Obsidian Butterfly where he led me to New Mexico where he lived. I remember arguing with the character inside my head that he couldn't possibly live somewhere I'd never been, but when I got off the plane it was perfect. Honestly, it freaked me out a little to have my imaginary friends know things that I have no way of knowing. How can my characters know about places that I've never visited, or heard of? How does that kind of creative alchemy work? I honestly don't know, but I know that it's real and when my imagination is that sure I know to follow where it leads even if that's a plane ride halfway across the world to a different country. I had to do more than just step off the plane in Ireland, but once I walked up the hillside and looked out at the view I knew it was the right place. I knew this was where Damian had led me.

OUaT: Please share several of your favorite quotes from CRIMSON DEATH.

“I screamed his name with my head thrown back, eyes closed, his name like a frantic prayer spilling over and over from my lips.”

“. . . After years of him kissing me good-bye when he didn't know if his badge-wearing fiancée was coming home safe, it was my turn. Let me just say that turnabout was not only not fair, but it was downright scary.”

"I don't want to kill you, damn it. It's a waste of centuries of talent and power, but if you force me to make the decision, I will."

"So instead of NRE it's NME?" I asked.
"I know NRE is Is new-relationship energy, but what's NME? Nathaniel asked.
"New metaphysical energy," I said.
He grinned. "I like it . . ."

“My first sight of Dublin was the sea. The air was damp and chilly, fresh with rain, and the constant murmur of the sea was like background music to the crackle of the police radios and the noise that always happens around a major crime scene. It was like we'd changed seasons along with countries.”

“. . . The door didn't fall down like it would in the movies. It bowed outward and I think she peeled it partway out of the doorframe, because I got a glimpse of her hair and face, a shoulder through the opening. I was strong, but not strong enough to look at that door and think, I'll just kick it until breaks. That was like superhero strong, supernatural strong.”

OUaT: What music did you listen to while writing CRIMSON DEATH?

I've gone through more music for this book than maybe any other. I find that a single album can see me through about 400 pages, and since this book came in rough draft at about three times that I went through a lot of different music. Adele's album, 25. Disturbed’s newest album, Immortalized. Katy Perry, July Talk (Great first album), Depeche Mode, Drowning Pool, Godsmack, Amanda Palmer, and Marilyn Manson. I know that there were other artists that came for a few days and then left my playlists, because I built, rebuilt, threw out, started over, and then finally settled into more playlists than ever. Tori Amos, particularly her albums, Unrepentant Geraldines and A Piano: The Collection. I'll confess that Tori Amos is probably the longest running musical muse for me. I wrote some of my early Anita Blake novels to her albums, Under the Pink, Little Earthquakes, Boys for Pele, From the Choirgirl Hotel, and Scarlet's Walk. I've created a large play list that intermingles her music, but some of the early albums are so wedded in my mind to the book I wrote to them that I still can't listen to some of the songs, neither for pleasure, nor for writing. I've lost several wonderful bands over the years because they are so enmeshed with a particular book, or character that I can't listen to them for new writing. I did a lot more soundtracks than ever before, especially those done by Hans Zimmer, and Alexandre Desplat. I'm sure I've forgotten some of the wonderful music I listened to while writing, but as I said I've never gone through so much different music for one novel.

Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the leading writers of paranormal fiction. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Hamilton writes the popular Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels and the Meredith Gentry series. She is also the creator of a bestselling comic book series based on her Anita Blake novels and published by Marvel Comics. Hamilton is a full-time writer and lives in the suburbs of St. Louis with her family. Connect with Laurell online at laurellkhamilton.org, facebook.com/LaurellKHamiltonOfficial, and twitter.com/LKHamilton.

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CRIMSON DEATH

An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel #25

Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

Release Date: October 11th 2016

Publisher: Berkley

An Interview with Kami Garcia + The Lovely Reckless Giveaway!

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We've got an exclusive interview with Kami Garcia, the author of The Lovely Reckless!

OUaT: What was your inspiration for The Lovely Reckless?
Kami: The people I knew in high school, the guys I dated, and my experiences inspired the novel, and then I threw in other elements that interested me—like street racing. In the novel, Frankie's dad is an undercover cop who works stolen cars, which was my stepfather's position in the DC police department when I was growing up. So I stole a lot of the cop stuff and the funny conversations between Frankie and her dad from my life.

OUaT: How did you get into the mindset of Frankie?
Kami: When I create a character, they become real to me. It's almost as if I'm eavesdropping on them as I tell the story.

OUaT: What kind of research on illegal street racing did you have to do for The Lovely Reckless?
Kami: I went to some street races as a teen, and I knew guys who raced back then, so that was helpful. I also talked to a few guys who race now and it isn't that different.

OUaT: What were your biggest challenges in writing The Lovely Reckless?
Kami: Switching genres was tricky, because every genre has different conventions that influence reader expectations. For example, you definitely can't kill as many people in a contemporary romance as you can in a romantic urban fantasy novel.

OUaT:  What was your favorite scene to write in The Lovely Reckless?
Kami: That's a hard question, because I love so many of the scenes—the street races, the funny moments between Frankie and her dad, Cruz (Marco's best friend) putting guys in the place. But the romantic moments between Frankie and Marco were my favorites.

OUaT: What do you aim to teach your readers through your books?
Kami: I just want to tell them stories and let them take away what they want from the book. But I do think there are re-occurring themes in my work. I write about heroines who have to find the strength to take chance—in love and life—and save themselves.

OUaT: What's one thing that you need to have when you write?
Kami: Aside from a notebook and a pen, I need my noise cancelling headphones.

OUaT: What's the hardest line to write—the first or the last?
Kami: The first line. I love writing the end.

OUaT: Do you talk to your characters while writing a story, to get in the mood?
Kami: I wear noise-canceling headphones while I write and my characters talk to me. It's like I'm watching a movie in my mind and I'm just recording what I'm seeing and hearing.

OUaT: What is the hardest part of being a writer?
Kami: Writing consistently. I'm not an "everyday writer." I burn out after I finish writing or revising a draft and k need a break. But sometimes a break isn't possible, and it's hard to get back on track.

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Giveaway: 

We have an exclusive giveaway from the one and only Kami Garcia! Her new book The Lovely Reckless comes out on October 4. You can enter the giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Interview with The Cast of #BenHur

Ben-Hur
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Writers:  Lew Wallace (based on the novel by), Keith R. Clarke (screenplay), John Ridley (screenplay)
Starring:  Jack Huston, Toby Kebell, Rodrigo Santoro
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Official Socials: Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | IMDb
Hashtag: #BenHur

The epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother, an officer in the Roman army. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption.

Here I am sandwiched between the 2 hotties

As I’ve stated before many times, I am a fangirl; a fangirl that loves meeting new celebrities –and if I get to ask them some questions, even better!

I was asked to go cover the press table for the upcoming super action-packed Ben-Hur and that two of the main cast would be there. Well, it was none other than Ben-Hur himself (played by Jack Huston) and Jesus Christ (played by Rodrigo Santoro). I had seen Jack earlier this year in his role as Lt. George Wickham in “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” (alongside my love, Matt Smith), so I was somewhat familiar with him. Rodrigo I hadn’t seen before, but I have now promised myself to check out some of his work because, after meeting him, I am that much more eager to see it!

I was very excited to meet these two incredibly talented actors because I have a great love for acting and, to me, meeting two fine and well-known actors is an honor. I have to say that these two were absolute and complete gentlemen: they were courteous, really looked each one of us in the eye as they responded our questions, and were all smiles. They even stayed longer than they were supposed to just to make sure we all got our questions answered, and they didn’t want to rush them. Big props to Rodrigo who was very sick with a bad case of the flu and said he felt terrible. Despite this, he was graceful and sweet and animated with all his answers. I am very honored to have met these two beautiful souls.

Enough of praising these guys, here’s the interview so you can read it for yourself:

What lead you guys to accepting the rolls you guys had in this movie?

Jack: To me, it was such a huge honor because, as an actor, you’re always looking for great characters. I truly believe the character Judah Ben-Hur is one of the great characters, and you know that because 130 years ago someone wrote a book and we are re-imagining this story for the fourth time on the movie screen. That’s what transcends everything. And I say re-imagine because the ’59 version is a very different version than the ’29 version, and because it was made for an modern audience and it’s introducing this amazing story to a new audience. This character really taught me a lot about myself, about life, about how things somehow that happened 2,000 years ago are still happening today, and this film is incredibly relevant right now, even though it’s written 130 years ago, even though it’s based 2,000 years ago. The subject that it’s about, it’s still happening right now. There’s so much hatred, so much animosity in the world, and it’s kind of beautiful to be part of something that has a message that has a way out of that: that it’s love, that’s forgiveness, and small acts of kindness. That’s what made it special for me.

Rodrigo: I think I had all the reasons to accept this challenge and responsibility because it doesn’t get much bigger, more special than that. But, also I don’t just get to play this part, but this part inside this film, this story. I was all over the place when I was offered to play him because I was swarmed with contradictions and anxiety and excitement, and doubts and everything. I took it as a real, personal experience; I really wanted to go through this experience. And the fact that I was going to be inside such a strong, beautiful, powerful story, was –as you say here in America –a no brainer. Actually, it was an all-brainer for me because I was all over the place and didn’t know what to think. But that lasted one day. I went to bed and the next day I woke up and thought ‘I really want to go through this experience, I really want to do this’, and I tried to shut down all the voices in my head telling me ‘are you sure? People are going to say this or that. It’s Jesus, are you sure? It’s been done so many times, what can you add to this?’ And I said, you know what? I think it’s going to be a very unique experience and I want to go through that and, basically, that was the instinct that told me to take it. Life is too short to rationalize everything, just go with your gut. I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience I had.

When the last Ben-Hur was made, it was a spectacle and it’s regarded as one of the best movies ever made. Were you guys trepid about going into it? Technology has advanced so much, do you feel it makes it more difficult to surprise audiences into this one?

Jack: As you said, the ’59 version was the first time we had seen a movie of that scale, of that epic nature, with that many horses and extras, the time it took to make it, it was unique at that time. But also, the style of acting back then was quite theatrical, it was a very different style of making movies, and it’s been nearly 60 years this movie and the Wyler version. The lovely thing that I think is so interesting is that, with all the special effects and the pressure of the film business, what Timur [Bekmambetov, the director of the film] and we wanted to do was bring it back to the characters, the story. We actually didn’t use that many special effects, we actually knew that the way to reach the audience was my immersing ourselves in those characters, and to do all those things and put ourselves through all these emotions and physicality; I’ve never trained harder in my life. I lost 30 lbs as a whole. Every time you see us with the horses it’s us with the horses. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of this movie, because when you say re-imagining, it is re-imagining because most people haven’t seen the ’59 version, and so we get to tell this story to a whole new generation of people. And I think Lew Wallace would say ‘that’s pretty cool, my book is still filmed.’

Rodrigo: He said it all. I don’t know what else I can really add. Maybe what I can is that the first question I asked the director in our first meeting was: How do you feel, as a director, the responsibility of the story, the title, the Oscars, it’s inevitable to have comparisons? And he said, “Are you crazy? I would never touch that movie! This is a completely different movie.” So I asked him, what do you mean? He said, “From the way I am going to tell the story, from the way I am going to shoot it, from the narrative standpoint, everything, and your character. And I said, well, it’s been done so many times, are you sure you’re going to have a different take on it? He then said, “I’m not even going to go there. It’s not about being different; I have a very specific vision, which is that I would like Jesus to be a very relatable figure. I want him to be very, very human.” And then he had me look at YouTube videos as references; like, very realistic, very much the approach he wanted to bring to the film, and for this character he said we are going to be very careful, we want him to be very powerful, we want it to be the way it has to be because we are going to follow the scripture. [Timur said] “Everything is going to be the way it has to be, but, I want you to bring something to this character that hasn’t been written, which is to be relatable as a man, as someone who is planting seeds and showing acts of kindness and having a relationship with another man, a fraternal relationship.” That is the message because all his teachings are there, but I wanted all of us to feel that we are all sons of God too, which is probably, I don’t know, what Jesus was trying to say. We all can do this, we all should shoot in that direction and try to be better, try to evolve, and really try to love as much as possible.

Jack: There was such a beautiful atmosphere on the set, which meant that everyone had a voice, and we were encouraged to talk about it, and how do we relate to this. Because Timur is unbelievable! He is constantly playing references [on YouTube] that he knows will relate to a modern audience. The scene when I punch Toby (as Messala) in the face 3 times, that’s from a clip of 2 people fighting. Everything, in a weird way, had some sort of reference like that. And the first time me and Rodrigo met, it was like 2 guys talking, not Jesus and Judah. This guy is showing me such an act of kindness, and that is such a relatable thing for us now. That’s not Jesus Christ to Judah, it’s this carpenter dude doing something nice for a second. And I thought it’s so great because it’s between 2 people right to the crucifixion, there was a very human connection with us, and all the characters. And it was a cool thing to explore, and it gave it a more modern take on something.

What was the best part of making this movie on it’s own separate entity?

Jack: As an actor, whether a several million dollar movie, or TV show, I think you have to approach it from a place of love, the character. I always have chosen characters because I love them, and I feel I have a need to play them. Very much on this one, and I think the greatest thing about this one is the journey: where you start and where you end, and everything in between. I got to go on a journey mentally, emotionally, physically. It’s one of my favorite things, it’s why I’ve gone into this business. It’s tough and it’s trying, but it’s like the tougher the work, the more the rewards, and I found that this one was the toughest of all jobs I’ve done. And it’s true, the rewards were exponential, they were amazing. I’ve always loved cinema, and this is the reason we go to the cinema: to watch these movies, to go through that experience, for that moment when you forget and lose yourself. Sometimes if I watch a movie about a painter or writer, I feel inspired to go paint or write, and that’s something about this movie, that if someone can walk out of it and feel they’ve actually learned something, then all the better for it, and I feel incredibly proud about that.

Rodrigo: I’m going to try to be straight to the point. I’ve been everywhere inside myself in the process of preparing for this because I just didn’t know where to go. I was trying to find an answer and there was no rational answer, there wasn’t an equation that could solve it and tell me, ok, that’s how I play it. The approach was different than any other character I have played because of my own impression and relationship with the figure of Jesus in my own respect, in my own expectations, my own ideas of who he really was. So, I really had to dive inside myself. I practiced yoga, I practiced meditation –things I already do –but I really went for it, just to center myself to try to be in that place. So, what I think I brought to the film is everything I’ve got inside my heart, because I really wanted to stand for that character, I really wanted to be my best. But, maybe, for the first time, I was able to set my ego aside, say ‘Rodrigo doesn’t have to be a great actor here, it’s beyond that.’ Because we, as artists, are insecure and creative, but we want to be the best; I always want to become a better actor, but this time I wanted to become a better person. I gave it all that I had and, as you see in the story, Jesus punctuates the story; Jesus is not all the story. I don’t know if I even accomplished that, and it doesn’t even matter to me. What matters is what I went through, what that I know 100% that I am good with myself because I gave all I had.

This movie took a lot from you guys, the actors, physically and emotionally, and I am wondering what scene took a lot emotionally and physically from you?

Rodrigo: I would have to say the cross, because there was another ingredient that day, which was the weather and we all know what Jesus is wearing on the cross. So, I didn’t have a nice, warm, cozy scarf wrapped around my neck and it was windy and it snowed the night before, and it’s going to be very windy and very cold. I was freezing up there and on top of everything there were wind machines! (Jack intervened to say: “It was the coldest day. I had clothes and thought, this is mad!”) If you for a moment stop and think about, how must it feel to be crucified, how does it feel physically, mentally, and emotionally? And then you have to add the scriptures of everything that Jesus is saying up there, what did he mean? Like, the real meaning of all those words. How do I deliver this? This is so iconic, this changed civilization! It’s BC and AC, it’s as important and scary as it gets. The day of, I went there, I froze, I did it. But there were 2 things that were interesting: first, due to the physical conditions, I wasn’t able to think too much, I was just focusing that I had to get this done. I begged the director to please let this be just one long take because, they tried to keep us comfortable, but it was very cold on top of this mountain, so I said, I will give you the lines in different ways, give you different options because to think to be up here and then have to come back, just no. And then, there was Jack; they had developed this powerful connection, with another human being, with a man that went through so much turmoil, and you’re cheering for him to overcome it. He looked at me, and I felt it was a rope that pulled me, that was the connection to the whole world, all humanity in one man, and it was very special, and I will never forget it.

How does this movie compare to any of the other ones you’ve taken on before in your acting career?

Jack: We were very lucky with this one because we got to film in Matera [Italy], which is one of the oldest cities in the world. The wonderful thing to immerse in that we were in a town that looks and feels like Jerusalem, it was amazing. You’d think it’d be the hardest to do, to go back 2,000 years, but the way that Timur wanted to do it with this modern edge, the way we spoke to each other in a more relatable way, it actually was one of the easiest places to work in because time changes, but humans don’t really.

Rodrigo: It’s inevitable for me to not go to the character when talking about the film because the character, to me, it meant so much –and because it was taken as a personal journey as well –I can’t even compare to the other stuff I’ve been in. I am not talking about the result, or as an actor. As I saw the film, I remembered the experience, as a human. It doesn’t happen all the time because I do catch myself thinking I could’ve done this, or I could’ve said it differently when seeing my scenes because you are constantly trying to get better. This time, I couldn’t really judge much, which is something I probably learned with the experience itself. The city of Matera is incredible and it just brought a lot to my imagination, my inspiration, because when we weren’t filming, I was just walking around. The only thing that was very difficult was that I was on a diet, and there was pasta and gelato everywhere and I couldn’t have a piece of it. Being on a diet in Italy, it’s sacrifice.

Do you think this movie will bring people to Christ?

Jack: I think this isn’t discriminatory against any religion. The great thing about it is that, the underlying message, is that of a good one. And maybe that is Christian, or that’s another one, but what I love about this one is that it’s about finding good and the humanity in each other, in people. I don’t think you need to be religious to take away from this what we have, and what the message is underneath it, and that’s the beautiful thing. People can jump on it all they like, but until they haven’t seen it –that’s why I am so passionate about this movie because even before it has come out, they’re jumping on it. That’s exactly what this movie is about: fear, hatred, all this anger and crap that is out there. It’s what people jump to, but why not try to experience it in its moment? It’s people like you who can go out and say you saw it and say it’s not actually a remake of the 1959 version, it’s a stand alone movie, and it’s got a beautiful message, and it’s got good vibes, and at the same time it’s why we go to the movie. So, if it brings people back to Christ, or back to goodness, or back to kindness, all of it is worth it.

Rodrigo: The movie is clearly not about Christ’s journey. What it’s about is his presence, changing people’s lives while he was there. That’s why the writer of the book chose to tell the story from Judah’s point of view. If you see in Wyler’s version, you don’t even see Jesus’ face. It was a conscious choice, but I think it’s meant to go much more beyond, which is humanizing and making the figure of Christ more relatable. It’s about how it touches you, because at the end of the day, if it doesn’t hit you, it doesn’t move you, nothing is going to happen; there’s no transformation. So, if the question is if it will bring people to Christ, I not only hope so, but I think it all depends on how you see the film. If people are ready to compare, or judgmental, or expecting –because human beings are filled with expectations –but, it’s not about fulfilling expectations; it’s about the experience. It’s about letting it touch you, or not. 

And that concludes the marvelous (but short) time I got to spend with these 2 up and coming hotties of the Hollywood world.

An Interview with Jeremy Strong from "The Big Short"

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Last week I got the amazing opportunity to meet one of the many talented actors from the movie "The Big Short", out in theaters December 23rd, 2015. The movie, which explains the whole financial crisis that happened in the mid-2000s in a very funny and easy to understand way, stars Jeremy Strong as Steve Carell's (Mark Baum) right hand guy. The actor talked to us about prepping for this role, about (possibly) being star struck, his love for theater, and about meeting Vinny Daniel (whom he portrays in the movie).

It was my very first time getting to interview an actor and it was a great experience actually! Jeremy made it so easy and comfortable that all my nerves flew out the window the moment he sat down to talk to me.

Without further ado, here's my interview with Jeremy Strong:

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Before landing the role in this movie, how much did you know about what brought upon the financial crisis?

Actually, we were on the same boat as you, which is that none of us in the movie knew the first thing about this. So, we had to learn about it. But also, [Director Adam] McKay wanted to make a movie fun and entertaining, but that kind of broke all these concepts down into really simple, understandable terms. Going into the movie, I read the book and I read a whole other books to understand. But, Michael Lewis (author who's book the movie is based on) wrote a very compelling book that is easy to understand and it reads like a thriller. It is really fun to read. Which is really surprising because you wouldn't think that a movie about the subprime mortgage crisis would be this much fun.

Did Michael Lewis have any involvement in the movie?

No, he wasn't around at all. I mean, he's seen so many of his books get turned into movies, he is over it. But I did meet him on Thursday, the night of the premier of the movie, and we all wanted to live up to his book and Adam McKay wanted to do right by it. I think this is one of those cases where the movie almost surpasses the book because it's just bigger than the book, because it's not just about the financial crisis, but about the way we live and our country.

So, how did you get involved in this project?

I had worked on "The Producers" from Plan B (production company owned by Brad Pitt), and so I got to know them doing that and then I was told this book was being turned into a movie, and so I read it and felt very passionately about it. I am very lucky that I got to work on a lot of films that are socially minded films, that are about, for example, moments of history. And for this film I actually auditioned for like four different parts of the movie because from the moment I knew about it, I knew I had to be a part of it.

The socially conscious movies you have been involved with have been very serious, but this one is very different because it juggles almost low ground humor with some very sobering drama. How was it on the set? Was Adam always saying "it's too funny" or "reign it in"?

Exclusive: A Day All About 'The Peanuts Movie'

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Once Upon a Twilight had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with the Director, Writers and Animation Supervisor from The Peanuts Movie in New York City and Los Angeles this summer. Below we will share our experiences and some pictures from the Los Angeles presentation. Enjoy and go see The Peanuts Movie in theaters TODAY!

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First up is Shawn's experience at the footage screening at the Little Theater in Los Angeles.

Walking the back lot of Fox Studios in Century City, you could feel a small excitement in the air! Inside of the Little Theater was a small crowd of journalists and a few movie insiders with their children, all of us there to catch a sneak peek of Snoopy and the gang for their new movie The Peanuts Movie out in November! Before the screening of some scenes the director of the film Steve Martino (also one of the directors of the Ice Age movies), Writer Craig Schulz and Jeannie Schulz (son and wife of Sparky Schulz, the creator of The Peanuts Comic Strips) were in attendance and spoke a little bit about the behind the scenes making of the film. It took Martino a year of research for the movie and with the help of the Schulzs and their museum in Los Angles, they learned the key of the famous Peanuts animation to transform the comic strips to the big screen! It took another whole year to get the animation just right and to create the world of Charlie Brown. It was a very difficult process to do combining CGI 3D animation with the original 2D drawings. Some of the Crew also went to St.Paul, Minnesota where Sparky Grew up to really animate more of the world of Charlie Brown. All the time, effort and research they put into this picture really did show thru the clips they played for us. The story feels new but keeps the nostalgia of the television specials and comic strips that America has fallen in love with year after year. After the show and tell, the studios graciously asked us to join them for a nice lunch with a meet and greet! I spoke to one of the head animators (whee) he gave us some interesting trivia about the casting of the voices of these beloved characters. They went thru 100s of auditions tapes for each character to find the perfect voices that sounded exactly like the voices from TV specials and old movies! Great detail, love and humor was put in this film and it's sure to be a new family favorite!

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Now we take you to the presentation that Erin attended in New York City. At this location they did not allow photos but Erin was able to capture everything for you in her summary.

On July 21, 2015 in NYC I had the wonderful opportunity of attending a sneak peek of the new The Peanuts Movie that is coming to theaters in November. Director Steve Martino and Animation Supervisor Nick Bruno from Blue Sky Studios lead the talk. It was so interesting to here Steve Martino speak about his love for the Peanuts and how the studio was thrilled when Charles Schultz children came to Blue Sky Studios asking them if they could make a full length feature film in honor of their father and his legacy. Basically Steve said how the Peanuts is a simple story about a boy and his dog and the studio wanted to hold true to that concept while expanding on the universe that made Peanuts so popular. As a result Charles Schultz children helped with the script and helped give the studio access to all of their fathers Peanuts drawings and comics. The Blue Sky team even went to the The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rose California for all of their research.

Animation Supervisor Nick Bruno talked about how they wanted to look and feel of this movie to be different from the TV films shown in recent years. They wanted to get back to the magic and feel of the classic peanut movies from the 1960's and 1970's. As a result they wanted to use Charles Schultz real drawings for the new movie. However the task was difficult. Follow the pen lines is what director Steve Martino told his animation staff. This means you have to see the pen drawings that Charles used when drawing his beloved characters. However the challenge of this was very hard to over come.

Nick talked about how they had to reteach the whole Blue Sky staff a new way to animate. They lovely called it the "Lucy Van Pelt University ". For four weeks the Blue Sky staff all went back to animation school to learn how to animate the new Peanuts. He said it is one thing to have a 2 dimensional figure in a small frame from the comic strip but it is quite different to turn that 2D figure into a 3D figure on a larger scale. Another problem they encountered was how profiles of the characters did not match up when the character was facing forward. He talked about how with trick photography and some advanced animation they were able to solve this problem. In the end he was very pleased with how the animation came out and how it felt like the comic strip was jumping off the screen in 3D form.

The Peanuts Movie Steve and Nick said that Blue Sky had been working on for the past 3 years and that the film was still in the editing process but they had a few clips to show us. It was also a lot of fun to see the clips of the movie where you could see a lot of classic elements about peanuts being brought to life. From music to timeless ice skating sequences used in the 1960's Christmas Special. It was nice to see them blend the old with the new.

They said the only new things they added to the movie were some updated music to make it more modern. They also introduced some new characters to this film. Such as Fifi the poodle who Snoopy loves. They told us that Fifi was mentioned in the comic strip over the years and was seen in the Peanuts TV special movie called Life is a Circus in 1980. Steven said it was a lot of fun to explore her character more and how Fifi could fit into the classic Red Baron dream sequence with Snoopy.

Over all I found the clips that they showed us from the film to be wonderful. Being a Peanuts fan myself I felt that the new movie had all of the timeless elements that makes Peanuts so great while introducing the comic in a fun way to a new generation.

I am looking forward to seeing the finished movie when it comes out in November.

An Interview with Paranormal Activity's Producer, Jason Blum!

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Last week, we got together with executive producer, Jason Blum, to talk a little about the upcoming movie PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION! He talked about his experience on the franchise, how everything started and that he is scare of ghost... Wait what? Yes, apparently this Emmy award winning producer is scare of ghost. Who would've thought of that? He even told us a story of when he was younger and saw a real ghost. Spooky!

Mind you, this was my first time and honestly, I had a blast! I hope you all enjoy the interview:

In this movie, audiences, it's been said that people finally see the activity. What made you want to finally reveal it? 

I felt like, after the fifth movie, it was just a feeling that audiences seem a little tired of keep getting a little information but not... keep withholding information. They've seen like, whenever we talked to the movie audiences, they had enough of that. It was just a judgment call. Like okay, let's try something different with this movie. But it was a resolve of at a kind-of-a-sense that the audience felt after the fifth movie.

This is the last movie of the Paranormal Activity series, is this a kind of bittersweet moment for you and everyone else?

It is! It's bittersweet. Paranormal Activity is the movie that started our company the way it exist now, so, I am very indebted and it's been fun to work on the movies over the last seven years. But it is sad that is it the last one but there are a lot of things that we are doing and I am very excited for. And those things wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Paranormal Activity. It's a happy and sad moment, but bittersweet as your word and that's the right way to describe it.

From Paranormal Activity to Jem and the Hologram, how do you set your mind to produce one from the other?

They do come out the same day. It's a different audiences. Jem and the Hologram is more for young audiences, you know, young girls, seven to fifteen. And Paranormal Activity is for older audiences. But there is a lot of cross over in the fans of Jem and the Hologram from the TV show, who watched it when it was on the 80s. There is a lot of cross over, since a lot those fans love scary movies. Jem and the Hologram is really about celebrating being different and weird and odd. Most horror fans, like myself, are weird, different and odd. So in my mind, there is a lot of cross over, even though on the outside it would seem very strange.

What' s your favorite scary movie? 

The Shining. I really loved that movie. It's a great scary movie.

In this movie, it's kind of everyone's worst nightmare for their child to be affected by something evil. Is that a preference feeling for you? Evil vs. innocence? 

I think that's a theme in most horror movies. Like, who is evil. There are a lot of evil children in horror movies and the reason why there're so many kids is because I think the most sacred human relationship is between a parent and a child. So when that's threaten, it's scary and it feels like the most vulnerable moment. I think, the reason why there is a lot of kids in many scary movies is because that is one of the most scariest thing that you can imagine. People always want movies to be scarier, so we often have kids to make it scarier. [EVIL LAUGH]

You've said The Shinning is your favorite horror movie, is this the movie that scared you to the bones? Was this the movie that has inspired you to produced these type of movies?

No, the movie that scared me the most was Friday the 13th. Which I saw when I was too young. I think I was ten or eleven when I saw at my uncle's house in California. I was alone and I too young and I was really scared. I didn't see any scary movie after that for three years. So that was the scariest one. And I think what inspired me to make scary movies is more of my liking of strange and weird stuff and Halloween, which was my favorite holiday as a kid. My mom and I would start my costume in August and work for it for two months. So it's not a movie that inspired me to make other movies. It was my liking of scary and weird stuffy that inspires me to make scary movies.

What specific qualities do you acquire on a project before you decide to produce it?

We look for two things. We look for, is it unique. Does it feel new? Does it feel original? Doe it appeal scary. I think these are connected. Like is it new, have I seen this before and is it scary? These are the two things we look for. And I think what makes the projects feel new and scary are three things. I think a good story. We are always look for a story that works even if it is scares in the movies. So if you take out everything that is scary is there a story that works without them. Then we look what's not on the script, so we look for good actors. Obviously, that's very important. And then, FINALLY, if you have a great story and great actors, then we talk about what the scares is going to be. But those are the ingredients we look for a great scary movie.

Do you believe in the paranormal? Or have you ever been affected? 

I saw a ghost once. I was in my early twenties and I was living in an apartment in New York. I was living in the basement and I woke up in the middle of the night and there was a ghost on the end of my bed. And it was not a nice ghost and it was not mean ghost. It was just there. And this was the only time I ever saw a ghost. I don't want to see a ghost and I don't like to tempt fate to try to see them and I don't really believe in them. But I did see this one ghost this one time and I know it was a ghost. It wasn't a dream. But I hope I don't one any more. [LAUGHS].

Did it have a specific quality? (continuation of previous question)

It was like holding, it was actually holding a child. It was a ghost. I don't even know if it was a man or a woman but it was a figure holding a child, staring at me at the end of my bed. It was really weird.

What scares you the most ghost or demons? And which one is easier to portrait?

I think ghost are scarier than demons. Demons wear their evil on their sleeves. You see a demon and you run. A ghost, you don't know. They can be good or they could be bad. For me,  a ghost is scarier than a demon. And a demons is easier to portrait in a movie. [LAUGHS]

So this whole franchise started with this one small indie film. Did you ever think of the amount of success that is today? 

No we didn't. Maybe the director of the original movie. He had a lot of ideas of how successful it could be. No one else involved ever thought of how successful it would turn out to be. We all thought the first movie was going to be a fun, cult-y success, but not what it turn into. But then no one else would thought we would make five more. When making the second movie, I thought it would be like a Clare Witch Project. Which the second movie was very intuitively... It doesn't make any sense to make a found footage movie and have sequels that work because it's like what do they just find more footage? It doesn't make a lot of sense, so we didn't really think the sequels were going to work. So we've been happy surprise as we continue going on.

We've been in a scary journey with Katie. Are there going to be some type of revelation on her character on this movie? 

Yes, there will be revelations about Katie but there will be many more revelations about Toby. [LAUGHS]

This is the last movie of the Paranormal Activity, do you have a favorite?

Three.

Which one is yours?

The first one. (We all said the first one). 

What inspired you to start the Paranormal Activity movies?

I was doing whole different kind of movies before I started Paranormal Activity, a lot of little indie/art movies that no one saw and I was kind of tired of making movies that no one ever saw. So I wanted to try something new. I think that's what kind of inspired me. I thought it was more commercial than what I've been doing so I wanted to try something there were actually audiences to. I was making movies that were more people in the crew than actually watching the movies. It was fun to make a movie that people were actually going to go see.

Basically since all the questions will be answered in this final film, what does it mean for the franchise as a whole? Will there be a reboot? 

We don't have any plans of reboot and we are not going to continue the Paranormal Activity. All these characters, Katie and Toby... that's done. In five years, if some amazing film maker that I love comes and comes and say here is a whole new way to approach Paranormal Activity that might happen. But we have no plans, we are not going out to pursue that. I think what will be special about this movie is that it is the end of this. We are not deciding it will be the end afterwards. We are deciding it is the end before it comes out. Even if it is a huge hit and makes a lot of business, it will still be the last one.

Speaking of Toby, how did you go by choosing names for the scary-scary demons in this series.

Choosing the name Toby?

Yes.

You know, I was thinking about that today. I was talking about Toby. I don't know who came up with Toby. It wasn't me. But it's a funny and but I do not know who came up with Toby. So I cannot answer this question but I did have the same question this morning.

It's perfect though, it works so well.

It does. Doesn't it?

Yes.

I think so too. I wish I could tell you who came up with this. I don't remember.

On set, is it ever completely freaky, or because you know how everything is not real, is it freaky for you? 

When you film a scary movie is not scary. Not at all. In fact, the set up of a scary movie is actually a lot more fun than a set of a comedy. First of all, there are young kids and their are parents, their tutors, and their sandwiches... but people who make horror movies are kind of like the fans... We're not solving the world's problems, we don't take ourselves seriously, so there is a lot of fun in it. When I made Sinister, Ethan Hawke, he doesn't like horror movies and he didn't want to do a horror movie. His biggest reason he didn't want to do a horror movie is because he thought the set would be scary. When he found out what I'm telling you, the set is not scary, he had such a good time. At that time we were doing The Purge and right after, he was like "this is fun"... That's actually a long story. But the set of scary movies are not scary at all. Never.

When you're casting actors for scary movies, is there a particular skills they need to have different than other actors?

Yes! When you cast actors for a scary movies, they need to be good actors. I know that sounds obvious, but a lot of people who make scary movies don't love scary movies. They think it's commercials, because they make money, or whatever... They don't appreciate that. Usually, a lot of times, they will put actors that who are like I've done a lot of scary movies before and the truth is a great scary movie actor is a great actor, period. It's very hard to act in a scary movie because you have to be totally be petrified of nothing, right?! The sets aren't scary and you really have to. A scary movie isn't scary unless the actor, you really believe that actor is scared. And the quality of actors in a scary movie is such a crucial thing about scary movie. Most people in Hollywood don't under that. So it's a great question.

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Friday Author Spotlight: Exclusive Interview with Author Katy Evans

Friday Author SPOTLIGHT! We will feature a Young Adult, New Adult or Adult Author. These post will contain interviews, author posts, book blasts, fill in the blanks, etc... This is just our way to get authors noticed and out there as much as possible. So we hope you enjoy and stay tuned Fridays to see who we have on and what they shared. To see previous posts click here.

Today OUaT is in thrilled to feature New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Katy Evans. Evans is the mastermind that created The Real Series which contains Real, Mine, Remy, Rogue and Ripped and book 6 is coming soon. And now Evans brings us a new series that her fans will love just as much. The Manwhore Series just released book one called Manwhore and the sequel will be Manwhore +1. 

Check out our review of Manwhore plus enter to win your very own copy HERE. 

Katy Evans

Katy Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love. They married and are now hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning…

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Is it possible to expose Chicago’s hottest player—without getting played?

This is the story I’ve been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don’t be fooled by that last name though. There’s nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he’s a man’s man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention.

Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he’s been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that’s where I come in.

Assigned to investigate Saint and reveal his elusive personality, I’m determined to make him the story that will change my career.

But I never imagined he would change my life. Bit by bit, I start to wonder if I’m the one discovering him…or if he’s uncovering me.

What happens when the man they call Saint, makes you want to sin?

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Interview with Author Katy Evans

OUaT: Hello Katy, welcome to OUaT. I am thrilled to have you on today. We have met in person a few times at book signing but this is our 1st one on one interview. So will start off by asking you to introduce yourself to our readers in case they have yet to read one of your fabulous books.

Hi Yara! Thanks so much for having me over today, it's a thrill to be here "connecting" online! :) Okay, as for intro . . . I'm Katy Evans, author of the Real series and the upcoming Manwhore series. Real debuted in 2013 as the first in the Real series and from that moment on, I've been truly blessed to be able to share my characters and stories with readers. The first book in my new series, Manwhore, releases March 24th and I'm especially excited about sharing this story.

OUaT: When I first heard of your new series, I literally jumped for joy. Can you tell us about your new sinful series that has a title that screams sexy, Manwhore is sure to grab anyone attention.

I truly hope readers fall in love with this story like I did! Manwhore begins with my heroine, Rachel, getting an assignment to approach and investigate Chicago's most notorious womanizer, the toe-curlingly gorgeous Malcolm Saint. What's great about Saint is that we get a glimpse of him through the social media first - basically, gossip. Before our heroine meets him in person, she judges him based on the exterior persona that he projects to the world. Daredevil. Ruthless. Relentless. A playboy. All true. But when Rachel is assigned to get the "real" deets on him, we get to see another side of him that you'd never expect. And that's what truly made me fall for him - I hope readers will fall for him as hard as I did too. There is SO much more to this man than meets the eye. He is so much more than a "manwhore."

OUaT: How did it feel to write about a new sexy bad boy? I really believe Malcolm Saint will give Remy a run for his money. I personally can't decide who I pine for the most now.

I loved meeting new characters and delving into their world. It felt fresh to me and exciting, and it gave me the opportunity to do what I most enjoy doing, which is watching two people fall in love.
OUaT: In your Real series, your main character Remy deals with a manic depressive illness that was just as important to the story as the romance. It was part of who "Riptide" was. What would you say is important in "Saints" story in Manwhore?

I think one of Saint’s handicaps is the fact that he’s so popular around town and so very famous. People are obsessed with him, and in one way or another, Saint has grown up to be a closed-off man, unaffected by what they say even while people clearly objectify him. He’s his true, unguarded self with very few people, so when Rachel becomes one of those ‘people’, it’s sheer magic to watch him open up.

OUaT: Now that I have finished reading Manwhore, book 1 in the series and the cliffhanger you shared, I am counting down till I get book 2 in my hands. How many books are planned in the series and will it all be circulating around Malcolm or will you eventually bring in new bad boys like you did in the Real series?

I can’t tell you how eager I am to share the next book with you! So far, the first books are only Malcolm and Rachel’s, but I’m definitely hoping to explore their world for future books since I really, really like it there.

OUaT: Do you have any other works in the pipeline besides the Manwhore series?

There's a Real book, #6, possibly to come - though I'm still waiting for the characters to solidify the story in my head. I also hope to maybe write a story about Malcolm and Rachel's friends once I finish with theirs. And there's a third idea teasing me in the back of my mind. I'm not sure how fiercely it will possess me, but if it does, then that'll definitely be coming soon too!

OUaT: What kind of research went into writing Manwhore and was it different than when you wrote the Real series?

I think I do a lot of my research slowly, living my life and following my passions, and sometimes those passions or interests later surface in a book. They surface naturally and only when the story seems to call it forward so it’s not “planned” but very organic.

OUaT: If your readers could walk away with one thing from Manwhore, what would you like it to be?

Manwhore touched me in so many ways, but if I only had to choose one way, then I hope it touches readers in that electrifying way it did me; watching this hot guy and this really nice girl, neither of them looking for love, discover love for the first time in their lives. It’s almost as if they come alive by that love. Electrified by it, for sure. :)

OUaT: I don't know about you but I'm a visual reader, once I connect with a book character, I try and picture someone famous that resembles the character to me so as I'm reading I can picture that person. Can you help me and your fans out by giving us some choices as to who you see as your Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint?

Oh, I have many Saint muses. Chris Hemsworth is the muse for all my heroes, he’s just a god! As is Channing Tatum. Some of my other muses were a dark-haired version of the sexy Travis Fimmel, David Gandy, Chris Pine, a slightly older Robbie Amell, Colin Egglesfield, and plenty of hot men whose names I don’t know but who grace my “muse” wall in my writer’s cave.

OUaT: Thank you Katy for taking time to answer these question. Before you go would you like to tell your fans of any upcoming book signings you'll be attending this year?

Thank YOU so much for having me over, Yara! I loved spending time here today. As for book signings, yes! I will be in Las Vegas at the Love N. Books signing on July 17th and I look forward to meeting everyone. Hope to see you there. XO