Simone Elkeles interview

And here is my third author interview on the blog with the lovely Simone Elkeles :D ! I loved Perfect Chemistry. You can read my review here. I've bought the second book and I really need to read it soon. She has also wrote another series you can see Elodie's review of the first book Leaving Paradise here.
And here is the interview :

Why do you write for young adults?
I love writing for teens! I love teen movies, books, music, everything. Although, my teenage daughter gets really embarrassed when I get the words wrong to a song! How was I supposed to know it's "fly like a G-6" instead of "fly like a cheese-stick???" So much can happen when you're a teen that can define who you are and who you become. I love writing about those life changing situations, specifically about finding love!

What sorts of books do you read? 
I don't have a lot of time to read because I've been under crazy deadlines, but when I can I read teen novels. Some of my favorites are The Hunger Games, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Flipped, and Wicked Lovely. I also love to read adult romances.

So far, what has been your most gratifying moment as an author?
That's a difficult question. I have had so many great moments with my fans and I never forget the ones that tell me that my book was the first book they ever liked or ever finished. I have a lot of fans that say my books have changed their lives. I LOVE that! When Return to Paradise and Rules of Attraction hit the New York Times Bestseller list it was amazing! It's crazy when fans say they used to be Team Edward or Jacob but are now like "Forget Edward or Jacob, I'M ON TEAM ALEX!" (my hero in Perfect Chemistry)

Place most likely to inspire you when you're writing :
I can be inspired by any place - I never really know when inspiration is going to strike. Sometimes I need to be alone at my office to write, and sometimes I need to be at a coffee shop with lots of people around. I know it sounds weird or creepy, but I do get ideas when I'm in the shower because there's nothing else to do while I'm there but think!

A little about your book in your own words :
I just finished writing Chain Reaction, the third novel in the Perfect Chemistry series. It will be about Luis Fuentes, the youngest Fuentes brother. He’s such a good guy who doesn’t live with the angst that his big brothers have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams. Just when he thinks he’s got life all figured out, Luis learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life and might destroy his new relationship with a girl named Nikki.

What made you want to write about gangs and what kind of research did you do for that? 
When I heard that suburban gangs in the area were on the rise, I wanted to explore what it would be like for someone from one side of the town to fall for someone on the other side. I do love exploring love stories that have cultures clashing. Once I started researching suburban gangs (which are very different than city gangs), it was eye-opening. I didn’t know how much honor and loyalty to family and community are tied into gang affiliation, especially in the Latino gang culture. Some of the kids in gangs I interviewed have seen more violence, death, drug trafficking and crime than anyone should see in their lifetime. They live not knowing if they’ll survive another day, and some don’t even care.

I’m particularly fond of a bad boy with a good heart lurking underneath the edgy exterior. So that's why I loved your characters! What were your inspirations, if any, for Alex and Carlos? And do you have any favorite bad boys yourself? 
I've always been a fan of the bad boy with a heart of gold. I’ve met really good kids who are stuck in bad situations. They want to get out and live a clean, gang-free life, but don’t know how or don’t think there’s another way to live. My heart goes out to those kids. That part of it makes me want to write about boys like Alex, Carlos, and Luis Fuentes. A lot of teen boys in jail have read my books and I get fan mail from them all the time. They want to clean up their lives and be like Alex...he's an inspiration to them!

As a reader, it's really satisfying to have a book that's in different character's perspectives. As an author, is that more difficult to write? 
I love switching point of view between chapters. It lets me give my readers insight into both my hero and heroine and what they’re thinking. I don’t have a hard time switching, but maybe that’s because I’m switching from male to female characters. It’s refreshing to change gears and switch to another character.

I absolutely love your book covers! How much input, if any, do you have in deciding the final look? Do you have a favorite one? 
I do get some level of input, but not as much as most people think. Luckily, I've really liked some of the covers my publishers have picked. I think my favorite is the Perfect Chemistry cover because it shows such sweet intimacy.

Thank you Simone Elkeles !