Friday, February 7, 2014

Historical Heartthrobs Blog Tour: Interview with Kelly Murphy


I'm so excited to have Kelly Murphy on the blog today answering my questions. I have to say this is one of the most fun books I've come across lately, and appropriately, this interview was just a blast. I think you'll find you can't help but fall in love with Historical Heartthrobs and Kelly Murphy.
-----------------------------
Interview

In the Best Worlds: What were you like as a teenager?

Kelly Murphy: HAHA, I was a little weirdo. Gangsta rap was big when I was a teen, so I cornrowed my hair everyday and wore huge hoop earrings and listened to Mary J. Blige exclusively with almost no cultural awareness. I was big on Krispy Kreme donuts and melodramatic poetry. It was fun!

     ItBW: What inspired you to write a book like Historical Heartthrobs?

KM: History gets a bad rap a lot of the time because it’s often presented in a super boring way. That’s a shame because historical figures are often total nutcases, and that’s what makes them incredibly fascinating people to study. The book was an effort to showcase the wild sides of a lot of these people and expose what makes them tick, which is often what leads to making them extraordinarily powerful.

ItBW: Your bio says that you currently work in publishing. Was there anything surprising about publishing from the perspective of an author?

Great question! Just the reality of being an author is really startling—and awesome. After working on the campaigns for hundreds of books for authors around the world, I didn’t realize that nothing could prepare me for the feeling of actually being published and turning the pages in your hands for the first time.

ItBW: Was there anything great that you found out while researching for this book that you weren’t able to include? 

KM: Definitely! Here’s a terrible tidbit from Stalin: When his son Yakov survived a suicide attempt, Stalin disgustedly said, “He can’t even shoot straight.” Also, check out Greek statesman Pericles—no one really talks about him, but he was so well-rounded and influential that there was a whole “Age of Pericles” era named after him.

ItBW: If you had the opportunity to date someone from this book, who would it be? What do you think that date would look like? 

KM: Oh my goodness, so many choices! Dark and mysterious is definitely my type, so maybe Bugsy Siegel? I don’t think that date would be great, though—I imagine he’d take me out to a fancy dinner, I’d wear a knee-length faux-fur coat, then he’d probably get an urgent and illicit call in the middle of dinner and make a super-smooth but also rude exit to go plan a giant heist or something.

ItBW: Which two people profiled in this book would make the best couple? What do you imagine their relationship would look like?

While they probably wouldn’t actually be super compatible, I would love to witness sparks fly with Dorothy Parker and Lord Byron. A wild child duo with acerbic, unconventional wit, and a serious disrespect for authority would definitely be a love story to tune in for.
-------------
ItBW: Finish these sentences…

 If I could have been a teenager in any era it would have been…. 
The late sixties—so much chaos, so many intellectuals, so much social progress!

I think Teddy Roosevelt is… 
A pretty chill dude and I’m digging the environmentalist streak, but not really my type ;)

The historical figure I wish could be my best friend is… 
Gloria Steinem! If you’re listening, Gloria, I’m always down for lunch.
-----------------------------
About the Book
History comes alive in Historical Heartthrobsespecially when reading it causes you stop and consider the likes of Eva PeronLord Byron and Ernest Hemingway as potential members of your dating pool. Some items for consideration: Nikola Tesla was a brilliant inventor who made Victorians swoon, but he seems incapable of swooning back. Che Guevara had the smoldering good looks, but would he only look out for himself in a relationship? And what about Nelly Bly? Was it legal to look that good in 1884? Historical Heartthrobs includes both men and women from a wide range of countries, ethnicities, and historical epochs. Some are artists, some are scientists, and many are political or military leaders, but all have had a lasting impact on human life—and a sizable impact on their admirers as well.


And as a bit of a bonus - check out this slideshow previewing the book on Flavorwirehttp://flavorwire.com/432180/6-historical-heartthrobs-were-still-crushing-on/
-----------------------------
About the Authors
Born and raised among the sprawling cornfields of rural Pennsylvania, Kelly Murphy now writes from her child-sized apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Her articles have appeared in Brokelyn, Brooklyn Based,Chic Today, NCTE’s The Council Chronicle, and various other publications. A Penn State graduate, Kelly currently works in publishing. Hallie Fryd is the author of Scandalous!: 50 Shocking Events You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends), which was a Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Winner in 2012.

Find Kelly Online: Facebook :: Twitter :: Tumblr

Friday, February 7, 2014

Historical Heartthrobs Blog Tour: Interview with Kelly Murphy


I'm so excited to have Kelly Murphy on the blog today answering my questions. I have to say this is one of the most fun books I've come across lately, and appropriately, this interview was just a blast. I think you'll find you can't help but fall in love with Historical Heartthrobs and Kelly Murphy.
-----------------------------
Interview

In the Best Worlds: What were you like as a teenager?

Kelly Murphy: HAHA, I was a little weirdo. Gangsta rap was big when I was a teen, so I cornrowed my hair everyday and wore huge hoop earrings and listened to Mary J. Blige exclusively with almost no cultural awareness. I was big on Krispy Kreme donuts and melodramatic poetry. It was fun!

     ItBW: What inspired you to write a book like Historical Heartthrobs?

KM: History gets a bad rap a lot of the time because it’s often presented in a super boring way. That’s a shame because historical figures are often total nutcases, and that’s what makes them incredibly fascinating people to study. The book was an effort to showcase the wild sides of a lot of these people and expose what makes them tick, which is often what leads to making them extraordinarily powerful.

ItBW: Your bio says that you currently work in publishing. Was there anything surprising about publishing from the perspective of an author?

Great question! Just the reality of being an author is really startling—and awesome. After working on the campaigns for hundreds of books for authors around the world, I didn’t realize that nothing could prepare me for the feeling of actually being published and turning the pages in your hands for the first time.

ItBW: Was there anything great that you found out while researching for this book that you weren’t able to include? 

KM: Definitely! Here’s a terrible tidbit from Stalin: When his son Yakov survived a suicide attempt, Stalin disgustedly said, “He can’t even shoot straight.” Also, check out Greek statesman Pericles—no one really talks about him, but he was so well-rounded and influential that there was a whole “Age of Pericles” era named after him.

ItBW: If you had the opportunity to date someone from this book, who would it be? What do you think that date would look like? 

KM: Oh my goodness, so many choices! Dark and mysterious is definitely my type, so maybe Bugsy Siegel? I don’t think that date would be great, though—I imagine he’d take me out to a fancy dinner, I’d wear a knee-length faux-fur coat, then he’d probably get an urgent and illicit call in the middle of dinner and make a super-smooth but also rude exit to go plan a giant heist or something.

ItBW: Which two people profiled in this book would make the best couple? What do you imagine their relationship would look like?

While they probably wouldn’t actually be super compatible, I would love to witness sparks fly with Dorothy Parker and Lord Byron. A wild child duo with acerbic, unconventional wit, and a serious disrespect for authority would definitely be a love story to tune in for.
-------------
ItBW: Finish these sentences…

 If I could have been a teenager in any era it would have been…. 
The late sixties—so much chaos, so many intellectuals, so much social progress!

I think Teddy Roosevelt is… 
A pretty chill dude and I’m digging the environmentalist streak, but not really my type ;)

The historical figure I wish could be my best friend is… 
Gloria Steinem! If you’re listening, Gloria, I’m always down for lunch.
-----------------------------
About the Book
History comes alive in Historical Heartthrobsespecially when reading it causes you stop and consider the likes of Eva PeronLord Byron and Ernest Hemingway as potential members of your dating pool. Some items for consideration: Nikola Tesla was a brilliant inventor who made Victorians swoon, but he seems incapable of swooning back. Che Guevara had the smoldering good looks, but would he only look out for himself in a relationship? And what about Nelly Bly? Was it legal to look that good in 1884? Historical Heartthrobs includes both men and women from a wide range of countries, ethnicities, and historical epochs. Some are artists, some are scientists, and many are political or military leaders, but all have had a lasting impact on human life—and a sizable impact on their admirers as well.


And as a bit of a bonus - check out this slideshow previewing the book on Flavorwirehttp://flavorwire.com/432180/6-historical-heartthrobs-were-still-crushing-on/
-----------------------------
About the Authors
Born and raised among the sprawling cornfields of rural Pennsylvania, Kelly Murphy now writes from her child-sized apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Her articles have appeared in Brokelyn, Brooklyn Based,Chic Today, NCTE’s The Council Chronicle, and various other publications. A Penn State graduate, Kelly currently works in publishing. Hallie Fryd is the author of Scandalous!: 50 Shocking Events You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends), which was a Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Winner in 2012.

Find Kelly Online: Facebook :: Twitter :: Tumblr