Kyra Lennon talks football and other stuff

Kyra Lennon is touring with her new book, Sidelined, the third instalment of her Game On series. Today she's here with me to talk about football and other stuff. I've got the tea, and the cake, so I think we're ready.

Hello, Kyra, welcome to my blog.

Hello, and thanks for inviting me over!

Now you're here, you have to work for that cake, and answer a couple of questions...
What made you write a series based around a football team? (Yes, football, I’m British!)

Well, I needed something with a large team of famous people, and a sports team was the obvious solution. Football is the sport I know the most about, so I decided to run with it!

Do you understand the off-side rule?

Yes. I mean, in theory. My judgement when I’m actually watching a game is not so good lol.

I can think of a couple of referees who would answer that question the same way!
If you had to pick, which (real) team would you support?

You know, I was thinking about this recently. The reason I don’t watch football much anymore is that I don’t really have a team. Back in the day, it was all about Man U, but that had a lot more to do with Ryan Giggs’ legs than anything else! I’d probably go with a team local to me – it would be pretty cool to back an underdog team and watch them rise! (Well, you know, hopefully!)

Small clubs need all the support they can get. Okay, enough with the football questions… for now…
Game On is a five-part series – Sidelined is #3 – and I know you planned all five novels from the start. Has there been a time when you’ve considered stopping early? (BTW, if you did stop early, I’d have to disown you!)

Yes. Before I wrote Book 3, I did stop and wonder what I was doing. I felt that, since there had been a long gap between 2 and 3, that maybe nobody would care about the series and the characters anymore. Also, it was the halfway point, and I wasn’t sure I even had it in me to keep going for three more books. As it turned out, Sidelined has been well received, and I’m looking forward to getting Book 4 started!

Each of the books so far have had very different tones – how easy is that to write?

It hasn’t been as hard as I thought. I think a lot of authors fear they will fall into the trap of writing characters that are very similar, and have very similar voices. That has always been a big concern for me, I’m very aware of any similarities between my own characters. But with the Game On series, it hasn’t been too difficult. Each of the girls – and, of course, Jesse – all have very distinct personalities. Leah is very British and no-nonsense, Bree is bubbly and bouncy, Jesse is a young guy getting used to fame, and Freya is quieter, more reserved. So there are a lot of personalities to explore, and flipping between them hasn’t been as challenging as I expected.

What’s been your favourite review of the series so far? Which characters have people identified with the most?

This review by Cassie Mae.  Partly because it came with pretty pictures, but also because it made me believe I’d really got it right because Cassie identified so much with Bree.

It’s difficult to know which character people have identified with the most. I think a lot of readers identified with Leah, the small town girl wanting to escape from her life and find out what the world is really all about – but likewise, a lot of people hated her for the decisions she made. People also identified with Isabelle in Blindsided because most girls at some point in their lives feel they have been overlooked, or aren’t good enough. One of the things I like to think is special about the Game On series is that there are so many characters, hopefully there is someone for everyone to relate to!

Taylor is a great villain. How did a lovely lady like you write such a nasty character? And will there be any more like her?

Aww! Well, I don’t think any book series is complete without some kind of villain, and Taylor’s pretty evil! I can confirm, there is one new villain to come – and she makes Taylor seem like an angel!

Ooh, good...
How easy has it been – as a British woman living in Britain – to get the American feel into the novels? Is there anything you’d have done differently?

Haha, I don’t always feel like I’ve done a great job of that. I am aware there could be a lot more, but once I start writing the story, the characters take over and the scenery fades away. If I could afford it, I would go to LA for a while and really experience it so I could inject the feel of the place into the story more.

Well, if you ever need a travel partner, I'm sure I could oblige, or just hide in your luggage!
And finally, what’s next in the Game On series? And, who won the English Premier League this season?

I wanna say Man City…? Or was that last year? Crap, I have no clue!

(Yes, it was City!)

Next in the Game On Series is Freya’s story, which is as yet untitled. Due to the events in Sidelined, I can’t really give too much away about it, though!

I can't wait for the next book, but in the meantime - while Kyra and I eat cake - why don't you take a look at Sidelined...

At the age of twenty-one, Bree Collinson has more than she ever dreamed of. A handsome husband, a fancy house, and more shoes than Carrie Bradshaw and Imelda Marcos combined. But having everything handed to her isn’t the way Bree wants to live the rest of her life. When an idea to better herself pops into her head, she doesn’t expect her husband to question her, and keep her tied by her apron strings to the kitchen.

Isolated and unsure who to turn to, Bree finds herself falling back into a dangerous friendship, and developing feelings for the only person who really listens to her. Torn between her loyalty to her husband and her attraction to a man who has the perfect family she always wanted, she has some tough choices to make.

While Bree tries to figure out what she wants, a tragedy rocks the Westberg Warriors, triggering some dark memories, and pushing her to take a look at what’s really important.

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About the Author:

Kyra is a self-confessed book-a-holic, and has been since she first learned to read. When she's not reading, you'll usually find her hanging out in coffee shops with her trusty laptop and/or her friends, or girling it up at the nearest shopping mall.

Kyra grew up on the South Coast of England and refuses to move away from the seaside which provides massive inspiration for her novels. Her debut novel, Game On (New Adult Contemporary Romance), was released in July 2012, and she scored her first Amazon Top 20 listing with her New Adult novella, If I Let You Go.

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