Jessica Brody and The Karma Club

GCC Tours Jessica Brody and The Karma Club!!

The Karma Club released on April 27th from Farrar, Straus, Giroux Books for Young Readers, so if you haven't gotten your copy yet, go out and buy one today!

Here's a little bit about the book:

When you mess with Karma, Karma messes back...

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve. But when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind and get back at the people who have wronged them. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.

Praise for THE KARMA CLUB:

"Written with wit and panache. Readers will have fun with this one, and it might make them think a little, too."
--Booklist

“Fresh, funny and engaging. This is one YA debut you won’t want to miss.”

-Alyson Noël, NYT bestselling author of The Immortals series

"A well-paced comedy, with a nice balance of cinematic physical humor and genuine teen emotions."
--Publisher's Weekly

My Interview with Jessica Brody:

My second novel, THE LOST SISTER, deals with revenge and the repercussions of what happens when a hazing incident goes too far.

1. First topic: Revenge. What is your experience with it? Have you ever sought revenge? As the old adage goes, do you think that living well is the best revenge?

Well, since The Karma Club is about revenge, I think this is a very fitting question! I don’t think I’ve ever actually sought revenge on someone but I’ve definitely had my fair share of vengeful thoughts. But instead of acting upon them, I guess I just wrote them into a book! LOL. I don’t think that living well is the best revenge, I think that living well is the best way to move on…for you. The problem with revenge is that it’s external. It’s about someone else. Your life should only be about you. Don’t give people who hurt you any power by making your life about them.

2. Cliques and mean girls are everywhere. At book signings I've had everyone from 12 year old girls to 45 year old women tell me they still encounter them. Do you? How has it changed since you were a teen?

I definitely had my fair share of this when I was younger. I moved to a new city when I was 11 and did NOT fit in at all. The cliques were mean and ruthless and completely unwelcome to me. It definitely shaped who I am today. But I think in a good way. Because now I can recognize mean girls and cliques from a mile away and steer clear of them. Who needs that drama?! Cliques still exist in adulthood, but I’d like to think I’m now confident enough with who I am to be immune to them.

3. I have a "Writing Music" playlist on my iPod. What would be on yours? What one song or artist captures the essence of your book?

Actually, there is one song. It’s called Remember When and it captures the essence of my book so well that it’s become The Karma Club Theme Song! My friend Nikki Boyer sings it and my business partner and I have released it through our new record label, Plastic Guitar Records. It’s actually the first song off the Karma Club Original Book Soundtrack (due out this summer). You can listen to the theme song on my website: www.JessicaBrody.com

4. What do you tell people is your favorite book/author? Now what is your "real" favorite book/author. (i.e. I tell people Pale Fire by Nabokov is my fave, but right now I'm really into Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.)

My favorite book of all time is Bridget Jones’s Diary…and I’ll tell anyone who asks! J It’s actually the reason I started writing. When I read that book back in college, my life changed. It was the first book I’d read for “pleasure” (rather than for a school assignment) in a long time and I’d forgotten how entertaining and fun books could be. I knew right then and there that I wanted to write to entertain people in the same way. After that I started writing my first novel.

5. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

Ooh…fun question! I’d love to be a boy for a day. Any boy really. As writers we have to write both female and male characters. But let’s be honest here, we’re really just guessing at what it feels like to be the opposite sex. We could never really know for sure. And I’ll admit, some are better guessers than others! But I’d love to walk around in a guy’s shoes for just a day and see what it’s really like!

6. As a publicist, I know that it's important for every novel to have journalistic hook. For The Lost Sister, it's mean girls, bullies and hazing. What's yours?

It’s definitely the bigger picture of Karma. In The Karma Club, the characters learn the hard way that spreading “Good Karma” instead of the bad kind, is the key to leading a happy life. So to further that message, I started a non-profit website, www.TheKarmaClub.org that’s dedicated to helping teens find ways to spread Good Karma (and give back) in their communities and around the world. Plus, I’m hosting a huge red carpet fundraiser on May 1 to celebrate the release of the novel. It’s at the Barnes and Noble in Santa Clarita, CA and a portion of the proceeds from the event go to support the local schools. It’s all about spreading the good! You can learn more about the event at: www.JessicaBrody.com.

7. Just because it hasn't been asked yet, favorite 1980's movie?

Ack! WAY too many good ones to choose from! Okay, let’s do top three: Can’t Buy me Love, Sixteen Candles and The Princess Bride. Ahhh…Classics!

8. Why should I choose your book for my book club?

Because it rocks! Haha…just kidding. I think it’s a great book club pick because although it’s extremely commercial and fun, there’s also a deeper meaning there. The concept of Karma can strike up a lot of good conversations. The review from Booklist summed it up perfectly: “Readers will have fun with this one and it might make them think a little, too.” I like to keep my books light and fun, but I always make sure there’s something to think about in there as well!

9. I'm a huge and fabulously powerful movie producer and you have 30 seconds (an elevator pitch) to sell me on why your book is great and should be made into a movie. Go!

Ah! Pressure! Okay, here it goes. The Karma Club is about three teen girls who decide they’re tired of waiting for Karma to do its job so they decide to take Karma into their own hands and get revenge on those who have wronged them. But they soon discover, the universe often has plans of its own. And when you mess with Karma…Karma messes back... Ding!

ABOUT JESSICA BRODY

Jessica Brody is the author of two books for adults. The Karma Club is her first book for teens. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California where she is working on her next novel. Despite what some people from her high school might claim, she has never sought revenge on an ex-boyfriend. Visit her online at: http://www.jessicabrody.com

Free Flip Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of The Karma Club on April 27, Jessica is giving away FOUR Flip Video Cameras (as well as TONS of other cool prizes!) on her site. Visit her website, http://www.jessicabrody.com for all the details and to enter to win!