She writes. She talks. She reads. She changes diapers. Nicole O’Dell is a mom of six–including a set of toddler triplets who may or may not be potty trained sometime in 2011. Jury’s still out on that one. She is the author of a bunch of YA books, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the upcoming Diamond Estates Series, 10/11. She’s also the host of Teen Talk Radio at www.choicesradio.com. You can find her books and links to all the fun social stuff at www.nicoleodell.com.
Welcome back Nicole! Thanks for chatting yesterday–and coming back today 🙂 When you sit down to write – do you have the scene down pat in your head or do you just write and see what happens?
Yep.
It’s different every day. Sometimes I know where I’m picking up from the day before and I intend to start there and keep moving forward. Other times something else will scream at me, and I’ll have to write that down first. The key for me is be flexible and go with it.
I am fascinated with this radio show that you do! Tell us what it is about and when we can hear you.
Oh! Teen Talk Radio is so much fun! I’ve been doing it for almost a year and have loved every minute of it. I get to talk to exciting guests about fun topics and heavy issues. At Teen Talk Radio, it’s all about choices! Big or small, major or minor, there’s a moment before every decision when a teen can alter the course of her life. We cover topics like peer pressure, dating, purity, drugs, alcohol, modesty, popularity, the future, and anything else that comes up.
It airs live at 10pm EST at www.choicesradio.com where you can also peruse the past podcasts and download any of interest to you. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes here.
In October you have a new series called Diamond Estates, tell us about that!
Diamond Estates is a new series I’m doing with Barbour. The first book, The Wishing Pearl, releases on 10/1.
Sixteen-year-old Olivia Mansfield can’t wait to escape the confines of her home, which promises nothing but perpetual torment and abuse from her stepfather. When poor choices lead her to the brink of a complete breakdown, Olivia comes to a crossroads. Will she find the path to ultimate hope and healing once she moves into Diamond Estates?
Diamond Estates is modeled after my own experiences at Teen Challenge, a residential facility for troubled teens. This is the book of my heart—I’m so excited about this one and the two others to follow in 2012: The Embittered Ruby and The Shadowed Onyx.
Another new series, Drama Ensues, is set to be released in June 2012. What age group is this new series targeting and what is it about?
Drama Ensues is a fun series that tackles the issues in a completely different way. There’s even a website and blog in place already. Check it out at www.dramaensues.com and keep watch as it develops over the next year.
Book one, The Understudy is a Ventriloquist, will release June, 2012, and is the story of Jayde Henrick, a driven teen with a message–and you’re going to hear it one way or another. She volunteers at the crisis pregnancy center, authors a blog, and acts in school plays. Books two and three of this series are planned to release in quick succession.
You are one busy woman and I applaud you for that! Thank you so much for your time today, it was fun 🙂
Thank YOU, Heidi, for the fun interview!