We were lucky enough to snag an interview with the dynamic duo behind Beautiful Bastard. Trust us when we say that we were more than excited to do this. Take a look at their responses on everything from fan fiction to whether or not they sneak food into movie theaters.
How did you two meet and how long have you been writing together?
We met through fandom and have been writing together in one form or another for three and a half years.
What was the inspiration behind The Office/Beautiful Bastard?
We’re trying to come up with something deep here, but the real answer is that Christina wanted to have fun, and write a silly, smutty story that didn’t take itself too seriously.
After 2 million downloads of The Office in 2009, why did you take it off line and at what point was Beautiful Bastard written?
In 2009, the two of us with another fic author named Nina, started a charity called the Fandom Gives Back that benefited Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. We realized it was going to be very successful, and it had started to gain mainstream media attention. We made the group decision to take down our stories during the actual auction in an attempt to keep the focus on the charity itself, not the fact that we wrote relatively smutty fanfiction.
I (Christina) initially intended to put it back up, but once it was down it was kind of nice. It’s crazy but I didn’t realize I was ready to move on to something else until I’d actually done it. A couple years later, we knew some publishers were interested in it, and heard others were considering reworking the story somehow. At that point, in the summer of 2012, it felt like we could make it into something new, and wanted to do it ourselves for fun.
You have fans of The Office and current buzz around Beautiful Bastard. How are you taking all of it?
We’re busy but it’s the fun kind of busy! And we can promise you that nobody in our respective houses care that we have a book coming out. We still aren’t allowed five minutes of alone time while in the bathroom.
What is the one drawback of your book starting as fan fiction, if any? By the way, all fiction is fan fic, even Shakespeare.
Probably having someone make a decision about your book before they’ve read it. But, really, we understand every reaction. It’s a book that’s meant to be fun, and over-the-top, and it won’t be for everyone!
The feedback and reviews of this book varies from very high to the lowest of lows. What’s the craziest thing you’ve heard or read so far?
Lo says: All I know is that my mother called it “charming” so she must only be on page 2.
When it came to rewriting it for book release, what was the hardest part of the process?
Probably knowing what to cut and what to keep. There were things we’d have liked to change but were such a beloved part of the original story we knew we couldn’t. For example, the panty ripping. Yes, it’s silly. But it became it’s own thing very quickly. We didn’t want to change the overall feel of the book, so had to keep the level of steam and snark.
What was your favorite scene to write? Which was the hardest? (no pun intended) 🙂
Christina: Favorite – La Perla; Hardest – finding 12574 ways to describe ripping undies.
Lauren: Favorite – San Diego; Hardest – reworking the beginning. I still see things I’d change.
It is great to see a female character with a backbone of steel. Who or what inspired Chloe? Was she drawn from personal experiences?
Chloe needed to be someone strong enough to stand up to Bennett. He’d never have fallen for a damsel in distress. We just wrote someone we’d want to go out for drinks with.
Which one of you two is more sarcastic? We loved the sarcasm in the story.
Fortunately for us, we have a similar sense of humor. We really love making each other laugh.
We’ve read that you have written YA novels? Will those be published? What comes next after the release of Beautiful Stranger?
YES! We have a YA novel that’s complete and with our agent now, and another we’re in the process of revising. And another that’s about 50% complete. Aaaand another that’s about 10k in. Also several more that fall in the *ahem* adult genre. Clearly we need to watch more TV.
Do you have any plans for release day?
We’ll be together! Christina is heading to California and on Wednesday 2/13 we’re having a release party! Details are up on our website!
Six Smooches:
Hanes or La Perla??
If these are the only two choices, La Perla. Not super practical for everyday though . . .
What is your favorite word? Least favorite?
Christina: Shenanagans = favorite. Core = full body shudder
Lo: Epiphany = favorite. Moist = most reviled.
Do you ever sneak food or snacks into movie theaters?
Lo actually has an awesome story about the time she and some family members went to one of those “choose your own combo” candy stores to save money before going to a movie, and Lo’s sister in law, not realizing how much they charge per quarter pound, ended up with over $50 in candy in her baggie. We found out the next week that she was pregnant.
What is your favorite tv show of all time?
Lo: Buffy
Christina: Of all time?? Too much pressure. Now? The Walking Dead.
How many licks does it take you to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?
We just suck on it until it’s done. 🙂
What song describes you the best?
Lo: One Dozen Monkeys by They Might Be Giants
Christina: Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It. (HEEEEE I’M JUST KIDDING I HAVE NO IDEA).
Thanks, Christina and Lauren!
~Photo from The Hollywood Reporter~
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