Today we have Leigh Brescia, fellow North Carolina girl and author of One Wish, joining the party!
Overweight Wrenn Scott desperately wants to be popular and snag a hot boyfriend. Living with her single mom and younger sister, Karly, she lands a lead role in the high school musical, her voice for once overshadowing her weight. Pushing to get thinner by opening night, Wrenn’s waistline shrinks as she learns all the wrong ways to lose weight from a new “it-girl” friend in the show. Meanwhile, her mom is falling for Phil, “a balding Channel 8 News-nerd”; her sister is wrapped up in her own share of middle school drama, and Wrenn’s best friend has fallen for a guy she met online-but hasn’t even seen yet! Topping it off, geeky stage manager Steven has a crush on her. But Wrenn doesn’t want to be seen with him–she’s holding out for a trophy boyfriend whom everyone will envy. By opening night, the old Wrenn has almost disappeared. After a crisis reveals her weight-loss tricks, Wrenn realizes there are much more important things than being thin, popular, or even dating a hunk.
Thanks for stopping by and joining in the blog party, Leigh! Let’s get things started with some music: What song always makes you want to dance whenever you hear it?
I’ll dance to anything that has a beat, but you’re most likely to get me on the dance floor if the song is nostalgic: the Electric Slide (because we did this at EVERY party), the Macarena (who didn’t do this in the 90’s?), Dancing Queen; I also remember Ace of Base and I *heart* the Cranberries. What a hard question!!! I’ll dance to whatever. I swear I will. I might not look very coordinated, but I assure you I’m having a blast.
Where did the idea for ONE WISH come from?
The idea stemmed from my experiences in high school. I wasn’t overweight, but I was skinny and kind of nerdy and, even though I went to a small high school, I never really felt like I fit in. I hung out with people who I thought were cool…I don,t know if they were the “cool” people (I honestly don’t think there was such a thing). I had friends, but at the same time I felt totally lost. I thought popularity was the answer to everything. My diary was filled with phrases like: “If I can do (this) or (this) or (this) I will be *so* popular!” And my personal favorite: “If I could get a glamour shot, I could show it to (insert guy’s name here) and he will see how beautiful I am and he will fall in love with me!” (sigh) I wasted so much time worrying about what other people thought of me; I wish I would’ve just been myself. Wrenn learns a similar lesson in One Wish.
What made you decide to write about a heavy and sensitive topic such as eating disorders intertwined with the story of a girl finding herself?
Actually, One Wish didn’t start out that way, and the eating disorder storyline didn’t fully emerge until in the revision stages with my editor (the last 60 pages of the book were like, completely nonexistent in the first few drafts). I wanted to show that it’s one thing to strive for something, and another to hurt yourself (and the people around you) while doing it. Wrenn takes her diet to the extreme (though she doesn’t realize it…which goes to show that the narrator can’t always be trusted) but at the same time, she’s caught before she does any irreparable damage. You won’t find her skin and bones at the end of the story, but the slippery slope she’s on is obvious. I think she’s one of the lucky ones: there are plenty of girls/women who push and push themselves until it’s too late. I wanted to show how what seems like a good idea can suck us under before we’re even aware of it.
In ONE WISH, Wrenn gets a lead role in the high school musical. Do you have acting experience of your own that you drew from?
Of course! I was in a lot of plays in high school (both in school and church). The biggest role I ever had, though, was when I played Granny in The Beverly Hillbillies in the 8th grade. It was *so* much fun, and I liked that, as an “actor” (and I use this term loosely!) I could put on whatever persona I wanted. It’s fun to pretend to be something you aren’t. Drama was such a huge part of my high school experience; I wasn’t surprised at all that One Wish had a strong theater storyline.
*is now imagining Leigh dressed as Granny*
Can you tell us one weird fact about you that makes you the life of the party?
I wouldn’t call myself the life of the party, but I have the whole self-deprecating humor thing down. In most cases, I’m not afraid to laugh at myself. Every now and then I’ll throw in a good, sarcastic one-liner. More than anything, though, I like to sit back and observe. Unless it’s a dance party…which I’m really missing now thanks to your questions. If there’s music I wanna be dancin’.
Aw, I’ll throw in an extra dance party song just for you! Come on, everybody, let’s get up and dance! Don’t pretend you don’t know how to do the Macarena!
Where can you be found during a party? Are you making the rounds talking to everyone, enjoying all the great food, or doing something else?
I’m a floater, and kind of a wallflower at parties. I’ll make my rounds and see what everyone is discussing. I’ll spend some time with each little group trying to determine if I have something relevant to add, or if I should move on. If I’m comfortable about the topic, I will talk your ear off. If I don’t know you very well, or I’m not familiar with what is being discussed, I’ll listen for a while then move on. More than anything, though, I like to listen to people chat. You learn a lot that way.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on now?
(gasps) It’s top secret! I can’t spill! I will say that it’s an urban fantasy (which I’ve never written before), and there’s a love story (isn’t there always??). The ms I just wrapped up was realistic YA about a bad boy and a good girl who are forced together when they’re assigned to work as a team in their English class. It’s all about misconceptions, and how things aren’t always what they seem.
Oh, sounds very intriguing! Thanks for stopping by to party with us Leigh!
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Leigh Brescia is a full-time young adult writer who grew up in Greenville, North Carolina, spending most of her days playing in the woods behind her home. She earned a BA in English Communication from Mount Olive College and a Master’s degree from Fort Hays State University. As an undergraduate, Leigh worked in the college’s Office of Public Affairs, writing press releases and feature articles for local newspapers and campus magazines. When she’s not writing for young adults, Leigh enjoys reading, watching movies, singing, and playing the piano. Leigh lives in North Carolina with her husband, her little girl, and her miniature dachshund.
Visit Leigh online at www.leighbrescia.com and look for One Wish in stores now!
This was awesome! Thanks *so* much for having me!!
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