Author Interview with Leslie O’Sullivan

Zeli’s signature pop diva sound and image are nothing short of magical—literally. Her fame comes with hidden costs, a curse that could ruin her voice forever.

Aspiring indie musician, Justin MacKenzie, is determined to kick it to the top of the Rampion Records’ Summer Number One professional vs. amateur singing competition.

The favorite to beat in the annual televised contest is none other than the label’s smoking hot superstar, Zeli, whose crazy extensions flow the length of a football field. Those ridiculous extensions, coupled with her bubblegum brand of pop are an affront to everything Justin loves about music, until a stolen kiss blazes into a romantic encounter.

Once inside Zeli’s world, Justin discovers things are not as they seem. In their quest to allow the real Zeli to step into the spotlight, the pair must confront the mysterious force behind the dazzle of Rampion’s success. If these star-crossed lovers can’t rally their own magic to defeat the darkness, they will lose everything—including each other.

1. Your books are described as a mash-up of Shakespeare and notable fairy tales. What was the inspiration for that?

As a theater major at UCLA for both undergrad and graduate, Shakespeare was a constant. The Bard may seem lofty, but in his time, he was the king of pop culture with his plays. It’s fun to overlay his characters onto what might be their modern-day equivalents.

As an audience, I’ve always been attracted to the fantastical elements in fairy tales especially the magic systems. As a writer, I appreciate the clear stakes in fairy tales, i.e., stray off the path, get eaten by a wolf, or taste a bit of candy doorknob and get eaten by a witch. There’s a lot of “getting eaten” in fairy tales.

2. You’ve done quite a bit of set design and were the assistant art director on “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.” Can you tell us how set design prepared you to write your stories?

My goal as a theatrical designer be it scenic, lighting, or television art direction is not just about the physical functionality of a setting. It’s about digging into the subtext of a story and having the fabricated environment reflect that. My time as a designer enhanced my process as a storyteller especially in world building. In my stories, the world can work as either an ally or enemy to the main character. I also take in the psychological impact of design elements such as line or color and apply them to a character’s make-up. The awesome experience of working on “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” was a master class in observing the evolution of a script/story. To watch the writing process from inception to polish was fascinating and taught me to keep pushing my own work and always ask the question, “What else?” during creation of world, character, and plot. There was also an endless supply of laughs and the gift of working with majorly talented people who never settled for “that works,” but pushed for “what works best.”

3. It’s always nice to meet another fangirl. You’ve been to Comic Con. What was your favorite panel and/or your favorite Comic Con moment?

Fangirls rock! Being at Comic Con gives you the vibe of being among your people. I love the cosplayers and their jaw-dropping costumes. It’s so great to gush about fandoms like Star Wars with folks who “get” your devotion. There are so many, “Oh my gosh, am I really seeing this person in person” moments. I’m a massive Outlander fan of both Diana Gabaldon’s novels and the gorgeous television show so it was a dream come true to be at the Outlander panel a few years ago and see my favorites right there in front of me. My all-time unforgettable moments are attending panels that feature writer friends so I can cheer them on. It’s a dream of mine to someday be on a panel at Comic Con.

4. Book series are great fun. It’s your plan to make “Rockin’ Fairy Tales” a multi-book series. One book (Pink Guitars and Falling Stars) is done, and one (Gilded Butterfly) is being released in July. Do you have an idea of how many books will be in the series?

I do love a series! After PINK GUITARS AND FALLING STARS, a Rapunzel/Romeo and Juliet blend, there are five books in the works for the Rockin’ Fairy Tales series that will release approx. every six months. GILDED BUTTERFLY is a King Midas and the Golden Touch/King Lear mashup. WILD AZURE WAVES is Little Mermaid meets The Tempest. CRIMSON MELODIES pits a gender swap Beauty and the Beast against Much Ado About Nothing, and EMERALD SPIRE meshes Jack and the Beanstalk with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Of course, there is an ample supply of delicious material from both sources for additional stories.

5. What other projects are you working on–any works-in-progress or ideas in development? BTW, what’s your preferred way to make note of inspirations: notebooks, tablet, the backs of envelopes?

I am fortunate to have a second series coming out from City Owl Press called “Behind the Scenes” which looks at the off-camera romantic entanglements on a television show. In the first book, HOT SET, a U.S. catalog copywriter lands a writing gig on an Outlander-esque TV drama set in Ireland, and must keep her relationship with its star, the most Googled man on the planet, a secret to preserve his public status as an available heartthrob. HOT SET will be out in September/October 2022. Book 2 in the series, PRESS RELEASE, is set at my happy place, Comic Con.

To catch fleeting inspirations at home, I keep a color-coded journal for each project to fill with ideas zinging through my brain. I probably have five or six on my nightstand for those middle of the night “ah ha” moments. When I’m out, I blow up the Notes app on my phone with thoughts. I usually use the mic to record. It is very entertaining to decode what made it to the screen.

Thank you so very much for allowing me to chat with you. It was a treat. XO