Author we dig: Frances O’Brien

Ever imagined what being the daughter of a celeb might be like? Big houses, cool clothes, super-cool parties - fabboos, right?

Well not if you’re Bliss Drew, the fabulous leading lady of Frances O’Brien’s new book, Sheer Bliss - Confessions of a (reluctant) Celebrity Spawn. This is a funny teen lit book for girls who know that all families are a little crazy - even famous ones.

Frances is fabulous, how do I know? ‘Coz I interviewed her!

Come crash our convo!

We love, love, love Bliss, what made you want to write about the whole celebutant world?
I guess I’m just fascinated with our fascination with the world of celebrities; you know, the whole obsession with Paris Hilton and being a size 0? And though it’s always tempting to imagine that there are people out there living this perfect, problem-free life, I don’t believe that’s ever the case. Even celebrities have their pressures – like always having to look perfect, being chased by the paparazzi and seeing ‘friends’ sell stories about their lives to the press.

Plus, some years ago I met a woman whose brother was (and is) a HUGE star in a hugely famous rock band and I immediately understood how painful it must be to live your life in the shadow of a celebrity. I mean, nobody wants to be known just as somebody’s sister or daughter, do they? How would you ever know who your friends were?

If Sheer Bliss was made into a movie, who would you like to play the part of Bliss?
Well I guess Lindsay Lohan would be too old now(!), though she has the perfect look for the part. The attitude would be as important as the long red hair.

Bliss has a slightly showbiz-like existence - who would be your fantasy celebrity family combo?
I can’t imagine a more fabulous celebrity Gran than Joan Collins – she could probably teach Bliss’ Grandma Ellen a thing or two… Madonna is probably the most obvious choice for celebrity Mom, but I’d bet J. Lo would be a lot more fun, plus her entourage would be outrageous! Celebrity Dad is tricky, but I guess it just has to be Tom Cruise – he would be intense. There would be way too much drama going on in that household to even think about having a hormonal strop!

This is your first book, how did it go from idea in your head to a real life book for us to read?
Books have always rocked my world. And for a long time I made a living writing ad copy and press releases, but I always knew I really wanted to write books. Moving to Jersey gave me more time to write. As soon as I started writing about Bliss’ weird life I knew that lots of people would love reading about her. And lots of American publishers did get very excited about the book, but unfortunately they then decided that teen girls would not be able to imagine that there could be a downside to the whole celebrity world (puh-leeze!), so I lost out on a major publishing deal – which was a huge disappointment. But I have always believed in Bliss, so I dusted myself off from that disappointment and managed to get the book out through a small English publisher.

What’s the coolest thing about being an author?
It has to be getting letters and emails from readers. Writing is a pretty solitary existence, so it’s wonderful to know that your story has brought pleasure to somebody else. I get a warm fuzzy feeling from just thinking about all of the places where people are reading about Bliss!

What was your favourite book as a teen girl?
I remember picking up a battered copy of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee and never really recovering from the experience.

What’s your fave book for teens now?
I love, love, love, ‘The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things’ by Carolyn Mackler – I have given tons of copies of the book to friends and recommend it to everyone! I’m also a fan of the ‘Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants’ series of books by Ann Brashares and I read everything by Jaclyn Moriarty.

If Sheer Bliss had a soundtrack - what would it sound like?
That’s a tough one! Maybe Lily Allen without the swearing ??

What’s a day in the life of FOB really like?
I am SO not a morning person, but my miniature schnauzer (Bertie) insists that we hit the beach for a long walk every morning – and that is always the best part of my day. It wakes me up and gets me going. Then it’s back to the keyboard, where I try to limit my snacks to healthy things like fruit and nuts – but at some point mid-morning that Toffee Crisp at the back of my fridge will start to call to me… I also like to hook up with friends on MySpace (myspace.com/francesobrien). If I have any press or promotional work to do I try to work that into the afternoon. Any night that ends with me snuggled on the sofa watching ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘House’, or ‘ER’ is pretty fabulous.

What’s next in the world of Frances?
Well I am busy making some final tweaks to the second Bliss book (‘A Very British Sort of Bliss’). That will take some weeks. And then I plan to resume work on the third Bliss book, which I hope to complete before the Summer. I’d like to take a break before I start working on another project in the Autumn.

The Colour pink. Discuss.
Pink is girl power. Pink is fun. What’s not to love?

You can have a blue day, live your life under a black cloud and go green with envy. But pink is always positive. I’m always happiest when I have pink highlights through my hair. If pink had a flavour, it would be chocolate!


http://www.myspace.com/francesobrien