About the Author: Carlyn Greenwald
What would you like readers to know about you?
In a more basic sense, hi, I’m Carlyn! I’m a romance and thriller author working in both the YA and Adult spaces. My debut, SIZZLE REEL, and TIME OUT, a book I co-wrote with Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner, are out now. My sophomore adult novel, DIRECTOR’S CUT, is out 6/11/24. I’m an LA native, work in publishing, and spend most of my time down random YouTube pop culture rabbit holes and spending time with my dog, Phoebe.
What music do you listen to (if any) when you write?
It’s a truly horrifying mix of 2000s emo and pop punk, oldies (like, 70s-90s classic rock), a bit of modern top 40, some random show tunes. If we’re talking about any book I’ve written in the last five-ish months, it’s also got a bunch of obscure 2000s pop/rock from a research rabbit hole I’ve been deep down.
What books or authors inspired you to become a writer?
I was originally a YA thriller writer, so my true answer to this question is authors like Stephen King, Anthony Horowitz, Barry Lyga, Libba Bray. When I started really entering my era of taking my (still thriller) YA writing seriously, Stephanie Kuehn, Courtney Summers, and Tess Sharpe really helped me hone what I wanted to say through the genre. Finally, when I entered my romcom era, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Rosie Danan, and Alison Cochrun were some of my all-time favorites informing what I loved and wanted to emulate about the genre.
About the Book: Director’s Cut
What is your book about for those who haven’t read it?
DIRECTOR’S CUT follows a disillusioned actress who, as her Hollywood career starts waning, decides to pursue a neglected passion in doing a guest teaching gig at a prestigious film school, only to butts heads with and fall for her co-professor (who hates her).
What has been your inspiration for writing it?
After writing SIZZLE REEL, I couldn’t get Val out of my head and imagined what her happily ever after looked like. After going to USC, there was this known thing that celebrities would teach classes in the film school, and I looked at [a now canceled celebrity whose name I will not drop to not give him publicity]’s course, only to see he had a regular professor also teaching. It made me wonder how much the two collaborated, and what that experience would be like for a seasoned academic to have to work with a celebrity to teach a course.
What was your favorite scene or part of your book to write?
Without a doubt, the first kiss! It was one of the first images that popped into my head for the book as the idea started to solidify. The choreography was so easy for me to visualize, and the inevitability and satisfaction of the sexual chemistry bursting was so fun to dive into. The book is also about musicals, and the scene there is actual music playing in the background (Taron Egerton’s version of Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock”) so it all just felt so sweeping and cinematic. Listening to that song still now gives me butterflies.
Where can your book be purchased?
From your favorite retailer! Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, Bookshop.org, your favorite indie, Amazon.
To the Future Writer:
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to write a book?
First and foremost, finish your book! And then, once you finish revising that book with a couple trusted CPs and it’s in the query trenches, write your next book. One of the best things that saved my mental health was to always be focused on what new thing I could be writing. It makes any rejections in the industry not hurt as much because I was never one book. There was always going to be a next chance. Alongside that, the advice to read in your genre/age category is so important. Lending your unique voice to your book is the #1, but having a book that respects reader expectations and understands the market is also a huge key to making it through all the business loops.
What’s next for you? Any events, upcoming pubs, etc.
Event wise, I have a few events cooking in SoCal for Director’s Cut as well as a virtual event, all with details to come (following me is the easiest way to get those updates!).
Book wise, I am so thrilled that my solo YA debut, MURDER LAND, will be out with Sourcebooks Fire in Summer 2025. It follows a teenage ride operator on the preview night for a new murder-themed land at the theme park she works at - when an employee dies mysteriously on her ride, she has one night to prove she had nothing to do with the murder as a killer stalks the park. You can add it on Goodreads here.
Where can we find you:
Twitter- @carlyngreenwald
Instagram- @carlyn_gee
Website- www.carlyngreenwald.com
Others- My TikTok and Threads are under @carlyn_gee
What’s on your TBR list?
PAST PRESENT FUTURE by Rachel Lynn Solomon
THE LOVERS by Rebekah Faubion
LOVE AND OTHER CONSPIRACIES by Mallory Marlowe
BOCHICA by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro
COMPOUND FRACTURE by Andrew Joseph White
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