Overnight Sensation: Interview and Review

A big welcome to author Hal Eisenberg!

~ Overnight Sensation ~

I'm a writer of young adult novels with a background in advertising. You know those commercials you sometimes laugh at? Those are (hopefully) mine.
My first YA book, Overnight Sensation, surrounds an average teen named Jonah who accidentally becomes a rock star in the most unusual way. And I managed to write it without including any vampires, wizards, demons, shifters, or dragons. Amazing, I know!
There are however, a couple of Elvis jumpsuits in the mix.
I enjoy classic rock as well as a bunch of current groups and singers, playing drums, singing, Coke Zero, Marvel movies, and homemade macaroni and cheese - and not in that order. I can't stand beets, brussel sprouts, and waiting...for anything.

Hi Hal! Tell us something unusual about you.

I speak fluent drive-­‐thru. It’s true! I have this uncanny ability to pull up to the drive-­‐thru at virtually any fast food restaurant and despite the intermittent static and unintelligible mumbling on the other end, understand what is being said.

For example, if I hear: “Wilcmtabgrkngmyahtkeyoarerrder?”

My response would be: “Yes, I’d like a number one with cheese and a Diet Coke.” What can I say. It’s a gift.

What gave you your start as a writer?

As creative director of my own ad agency, I have written about a kazillion ad campaigns. (That’s a number I just made up to represent something larger than a gazillion, copyright pending, 2012). So, it occurred to me that if I could write award-­‐winning, thirty-­‐second radio and TV spots blind folded with both wrists securely bound by duct tape, it should be a piece of carrot cake for me hammer out a book much like the ones I was reading to my kids every night, right?

Little did I realize only seven years and a dozen re-­‐writes later how easy it would be! I remember asking my first editor (in a series of four), who had just marked up my second draft with so much red ink it looked like a war zone, if the process of writing a young adult fiction manuscript would get any easier. Her reply was an emphatic, resounding, NO -­‐ followed by cricket sounds. And after picking my ego up off the kitchen floor, I proceeded to write, write, write, and re-­‐write until I was finally satisfied with the end result. Okay, maybe one more re-­‐write.

What has been your favorite part of writing Overnight Sensation?

Creating the characters was fun. Especially the part of the quintessential school bully, Monroe Buford, also called, Gozzy, short for Godzilla (but not to his face). Early on, when developing the characters and to help me flesh out their personalities, I chose actors I thought could play each part if and when Overnight Sensation was made into a movie. You’re laughing, but it could happen. In fact, a few people have expressed interest in the project. Tip: If you call it a project, technically, it already exists. Anyway, I can’t mention any names (because I lost the cocktail napkin), but I’ll tell you that some of those people are on the West Coast. That’s right. I’m talkin sunny LA, as in -­‐ have your assistant’s assistant call mine and we’ll jet over for a half double decaffeinated half-­‐caf, with a twist of lemon. If you’d like to see the actors I was thinking about when writing the book, go to my website: www.hal-­‐eisenberg.com and then click on the blog page: http://hal-­‐eisenberg.com/blog/115176. And please blog back and let me know if you agree -­‐ or who you’d like to see play the parts.

What has been you’re biggest inspiration behind this novel?

There were more than one, however, one of my inspirations to write this novel came from an experience I had back in high school when my 9th grade English lit teacher gave us an assignment to write a fictional story of at least a thousand words. I considered myself a pretty creative teen, so when she said it could be based on anything, for some unknown reason, I conjured up a story about a young outlaw’s struggle in the old west during the 1800’s and his true love named Chastity, who turned out to be not-­‐so-­‐true when she turns him in for his crimes. I was so proud of it. It was a little masterpiece -­‐ in my mind, that is. When I got my paper back, all that was written on it was big red “C” with the word, “Confusing”, next to it, followed by a lot of question marks. So, in the back of my mind, when writing Overnight Sensation, part of me was trying to prove to myself, as well as that teacher, that I was indeed a competent writer. Take that, Miss Beck! Yeah. She’s probably reading my book and marking it up with question marks at this very moment.

Is Jonah’s character based off of anyone in particular?

Sort of. Maybe. Could be. Actually, Jonah is a mix of different people from past and present, including myself. Okay, true story. When I was a teen, my dad told me how he had played drums when he was young, and then he went out and bought a nice kit. Although I had taken guitar lessons for five years, I was fascinated with his drums, and at age fifteen, I “borrowed” that kit and set it up in my bedroom (he never saw it in one piece again). I would take my cheap-­‐o, plastic stereo with the detachable speakers and set one up next to each ear. Then I’d put my music on really loud and bash away. When my parents couldn’t take it any longer, I’d see the door of my room bending out, which was my dad banging on it, yelling at the top of his lungs, “Shut it down son!” I ended up playing in rock bands all my life with dreams of becoming a rock star. Jonah is a composite of all teens out there, especially in this day of instant YouTube and reality show fame who want to be a rock stars in the worst way, and in Jonah’s case he gets to live that dream… in the worst way.

Are you a fan of rock music and if so, who is your favorite artist/band?

 Yes, I’m definitely a rock music fan. As for my favorite artist, that’s tough because there I like so many. Number one on the list would have to be the Beatles. Then there’s the Beach Boys, the Doobie Brothers, Chicago, Steely Dan, and the list goes on. I also have an admiration for and listen to a lot of current groups who might not be labeled rock, but are incredible. Groups like Cold Play (mentioned in the book!) Linkin Park, Neon Trees, Maroon 5, Train, Muse, Alter Bridge, Katy Perry (she doesn’t even have to sing…), etc.

What has been your greatest challenge while writing?

Without question, my greatest challenge while writing is to not second-­‐guess myself. I’m constantly in re-­‐write mode, which slows me down. I think it comes from years of writing thirty and sixty-­‐second spots and having to get them perfect because every word counts when you only have that much time to spare. However, I’m trying to practice writing first and editing later. Oops, just edited that last line. Okay, it’s a slow learning curve.

Where is your favorite place to write; what do you snack on?

Okay, this is getting kinda personal. What’s next, “What are you wearing right now?” (t-­‐shirt, kakis, gun holster) Well, if you must know, I write mostly at the breakfast table. It’s got a huge bay window that looks out onto a field and just beyond that is a horse farm where I can see horses galloping and it’s so pretty and so distracting and look at all those tall trees and….wait, what was I saying? As for snacks, I like Beluga Caviar, champagne, you know, the usual. All seriousness aside, I try to snack healthy – nuts, low-­‐fat popcorn, yogurt – pretty boring stuff, z-­‐z-­‐z-­‐z-­‐z-­‐z. Are you still reading this?

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Write what you know. Write about what excites you. Don’t set out to write something just because it’s popular. If you’re into Paranormal Romance, or Steampunk, then write about it. But if you’re not, and your heart’s not into it, don’t even try because there are far too many writers out there who are passionate about that and do an excellent job. My second piece of advice is don’t give up -­‐ no matter what. Even if you’re in the middle of writing your first novel and you start to feel it’s total junk, keep writing because the next day, you’ll be inspired and the words you wrote the day before will suddenly appear brilliant. Or even if after you’ve finished your novel and some reviewer trashes it, just smile, keep writing that second novel, and concentrate on all the good reviews you get. Remember – not everyone is going to like your book.

You absolutely can’t please everyone, but then again, you’re not writing for everyone. You’re writing because you love to write. And if you do that, it will show and the reviewers that get it and appreciate your passion and style, will reflect that in their reviews.

If you had to pick a literary figure that has been the most influential to you, who/what would it be?

There isn’t just one I’d pick however, if there was an arrow pointed at my head by Katniss, I’d probably choose someone like Louis Sachar, who wrote the now famous novel, Holes. I admire writers that write something extraordinary, something that that goes beyond the conventional and that also involves quirky humor. Holes is such a bizarre, fun story that it reads well even today. When asked in an interview where he got the idea, Louis said it was very hot where he lived, so he started writing about a lake that had dried up, and then about a boy’s detention camp situated around the dried up lake, and then things just happened from there. Brilliant!

Do you have any works in progress?

Why yes, I do! Here’s the logline: When 16 year-old Casey discovers her grandfather murdered at his landscape business, she begins uncovering clues leading to his killers, as well as who her deceased mom’s real father might be, and how a box of old love letters, a ‘60s rock star, and a cache of stolen Russian diamonds may all be involved. The tentative title: Number One, With a Bullet. You knew there had to be rock and roll involved in some way…

Thanks for reading my interview and Overnight Sensation!

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Fifteen year-old Jonah Levine is practically invisible at Applecrest High. His Facebook page is pathetic, his baseball skills are mediocre at best, and his IQ seems to drop 50 points when talking to girls. But everything changes when his rock band, Hitstreak, becomes the hottest teen sensation in the country. And now they’re about to perform in front of 15,000 screaming fans.
So why isn’t he jumping for joy?
Well, for starters, that hit on the radio wasn’t really recorded by his band. In fact, six months ago, he and his friends could barely play a note between them. And now they’re about to perform in front of 15,000 screaming fans. What begins as a mindless prank quickly spins out of control, involving his father’s secret past as a 70’s rocker, a high school bully who wants in on the action, and a powerful, ruthless, media mogul who will stop at nothing to claim the band as his own. 

Will Jonah prevail? Or will he and his band go down in flames and become the biggest farce in pop music history?

~ MY REVIEW ~

Overnight Sensation is a fun ride through one teens Rock n' Roll dream. Hal has written an entertaining, easy to read young adult novel. This somewhat unbelievable chain of events will instantly intrigue you. I became wrapped up in Jonah's story and was eager to see how things would play out. Hal is a talented writer and I enjoyed his light-hearted and comical writing style. There was quite a few times where the Hitstreak antics had me laughing out loud. This book begins with a snippet of the end, which helps to build not only the suspense but also the tension. As you start to see the boy's situation unravel at the seams, knowing where they end up ahead of time really ups the amount of tension the reader experiences. From start to finish, Overnight Sensation is an intense and imaginative ride. The characters are real and relatable for young adults. Although this book is aimed more for teen boys, it is easily enjoyable for any age. Jonah is a great main character and his family is awesome. How cool would it be to have a rock star dad! Gozzy was by far my favorite character! Turning the school bully into a real and sensitive band mate was a great touch to the story. Gozzy's quirky and brash personality kept things interesting. And his mom, hilarious! 
There are a few twists to this story that you won't see coming. Over all, Overnight Sensation is definitely worth a read! If you have a love for music you will definitely be into this story!

I will have a signed paperback and swag pack of Overnight Sensation in my Bloggin Birthday Bash Giveaway OCT 9th!

Overnight Sensation is available in paperback and digital format:

Amazon  / Barnes & Noble