Writing. Reading. Travel to far off places. Prowling museums and odd shops. Avoiding direct sunlight.
Music
She Wants Revenge. Amy Winehouse. Bauhaus. Elvis Costello. And always, always Morissey. Siouxsie and the Banshees. Arctic Monkeys. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Sleater-Kinney.
Movies
Sid and Nancy. The Wild Bunch. Midnight Cowboy. Harold and Maude. Heathers.
Television
Arrested Development. The Office. Lately, Reno 911.
Books
The 6X series by Nina Malkin. Running with Scissors. Kavalier and Clay. Ghost World and anything by Daniel Clowes.
Heroes
Teachers. Social workers. Anyone who works too hard for too little.
..
About me: I'm a Los Angeles-based writer who recently pounded out my first book, Celebrity Skin: Fame Unlimited, for NAL/Jam (a subsidiary of Penguin Books). It's the first in a series, and it hits stores February 2007.
NEWS FLASH -- I'm hosting a contest for readers! The prize is a $100 AMERICAN EXPRESS GIFT CARD! Check it out here -- http://lianebonin.com/newsletters/contest0407.html
"A scandalously catty, guilty pleasure. It's Entourage for teenage girls. -- Laura Morgan, JANE magazine
I'd talk it up, but that's embarrassing and, bluntly, kind of weird. I'll let another writer do that for me. "Sexy guys! Psycho moms! Mean girls! A heroine to love—and one you'll love to hate! Who could ask for anything more than this glamorous, garish, behind-the-scenes glimpse of what really goes down in Tinseltown?"—Nina Malkin, author of 6X: The Uncensored Confessions and 6X: Loud, Fast, & Out of Control
My stuff has also appeared in places like Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, Maxim, Teen People, Variety and public radio. I've met lots of famous people (which is mostly fun, except when it's not), but it seems like every time someone asks me, "Hey, have you ever met X?" they name the one star I haven't met. It's a Murphy's Law kind of thing.
Anyway, all those close encounters with the Famous Kind led to a book series. And, having lived in L.A. for a looooong time and seen stars rise and fall at close range, I couldn't deliver a totally happy, smiley take on stardom -- there's as much grit in this book as there is glamour (but of course, there's glamour, I mean, come on -- otherwise, what's the point?). So, if you want the "Skin" skinny, read on --
Nowadays, Taylor Christensen is gorgeous, rich, and one of the biggest stars around, but the day Erin Kim meets her, Taylor is on the middle school D-list -- with the headgear to prove it. Erin, under her own stress from her traditional Korean-born parents who don't want her to change, is there for Taylor when she needs a friend, and is there for her when the braces came off and the whole world notices.
Sure, Taylor has exactly what Hollywood is looking for, but someone has to help her deal with the ups and downs of superstardom. Erin doesn't mind -- especially since it helps her get her mind off problems at home. Through it all, Erin is Taylor's one true friend. But as Erin watches her best friend self-destruct, she knows that telling Taylor the truth about what she's become could end their friendship once and for all.
For more info about me and stuff I've written, check out my website, www.lianebonin.com.
And finally, for fun, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Have you met XYZ? I love him/her!
A: Yeah, nice guy/girl! Shorter/thinner than he/she looks on television. And close up? Baaaaad skin/crooked nose/wrinkles. But really nice!
Q: So, who's your favorite celebrity in person?
A: The really, really nice ones. James Marsden. Bill Paxton. Kevin Smith. Catherine Keener. Viggo Mortensen. Sandra Bullock. Kristen Bell. They're all incredibly nice, smart, likable people who don't have fake bones in their bodies.
Q: Alright, dish. Who's a jerk in real life?
A: As the GoGos once sang, my lips are sealed.
Q: Oh, come on! No fair!
A: Well, the thing is that I still do entertainment reporting, and actors can be very sensitive (I've discovered the hard way) and can make your life a little (or a lot) difficult. So unfortunately, a moment of amusement for you is career suicide for me. So, you can understand, right?
Q: Why are you writing books now?
A: Because I've always loved fiction, even more than journalism. And having spent a lot of time thinking about celebrity, I was itching to write a story about a girl whose best friend was an A-list star -- Erin's A-list adjacent, privvy to all of Taylor's experiences and choices, but she still has enough distance from the action to keep her head on straight (and yet is close enough to see every bump in the road and every little victory). I had a blast writing "Celebrity Skin," so I hope you'll enjoy reading it!
And hey, check this out! Read my interview with TeenReadsToo.com! http://www.teensreadtoo.com/InterviewBonin.html
OK you'll like this but you'll need to follow these directions EXACTLY to get perfect results. Put the following into the address area of your web-browser. Type a random number between 1 and 100 then a dot and then type your favorite food and then a dot and then type your current mood and then a dot and then type "retwistic" (without the quotes) and then a dot and then type com and then hit enter. Let me know how it works out!
Hey, your book looks great, I love the cover! If you ever need anyone to review one of your books please feel free to contact me. Take care and have a great day!
