BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Flawed: The Young and Privileged of Washington, DC [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Vivian Kohlman to talk about Flawed (7 August 2015, Vivian Kohlman, 352 pages), a Contemporary Romance, book one in the The Young and Privileged of Washington, DC series.

“Amazing book! Kept me wanting more the whole time I was reading. Can not wait for book 2... Highly recommended!! Loved it!”

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Vivian Kohlman; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!
Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Flawed , or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"The songs below each reminded me of scenes or other aspects of Flawed; I created this playlist while writing the book, and listened to it often while editing. I created playlists for each of the books in the series…and still listen to them today."

What was the inspiration for Flawed ?

"The inspiration for Flawed, and the whole Young and Privileged of Washington, DC series, is a combination of real life events (mine or my friends’), and TV shows like Sex and the City and Gossip Girl. The various inspirations started to become an idea for the book, and I just started writing."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"The main character, Kara, is based on me in my late teens and early twenties. Her stories are sourced from some of mine, and she’s got similar attributes to me. She’s introverted, likes to go out and have fun, and is trusting (until proven wrong). So I’d say a decent amount of myself is reflected in this book."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Flawed - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I tried to design my own covers at first; they were generic and didn’t grab attention. So I did a bit of research and chose Damonza to create my covers for me. I sent the requisite information about the books to Damonza, and they responded with a few ideas to choose from.

I chose the cover of Flawed because I felt it describes the story so well! The girl on the cover represents Kara…she’s standing (walking?) on a city street at night in a short (but cute) skirt, dangling her five inch heels from her hands, as if she’s resigned to however the night played out. Much of the story is about the nightlife of Washington, DC, and Kara’s story doesn’t come without heartache. This cover just called to me."

Why should we read Flawed and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Flawed is not a “girl meets boy, they fall in love, something goes wrong, they work it out” kind of novel. It’s a story about two people so uniquely connected, but unable to stay together. It’s also not a poor girl/rich guy story. Kara’s well off and can take care of herself; the guy doesn’t save her or give her a great professional life, or whatever.

So what it is? It’s a romance in the lives of well-to-do youths—but be warned: it’s not sappy or PG-13. These aren’t sweet, inexperienced people—they’ve grown up a lot faster than most, they party like rock stars, do whatever they want, and have the world available to them. But they’re all just like us, too…at least in the challenges they face and the emotions they feel."

Can you tell us something quirky about Flawed, its story and characters?

"Every single character in Flawed is based of a real-life friend or family member of mine. Kara and her friends are me and my friends—and events in the book are based off of events in my own life. Yes, enough was changed to protect the innocent, and events were embellished (or changed) for literature's sake. But those who were in my life at the time can easily detect the truths in the book."

Who would you recommend Flawed to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this book to any young adults who are used to or OK with city life including nightclubs, drinking, and cursing. This book is rated R, but there’s no erotica (just slightly steamy scenes). I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a romance novel that’s rooted in “something more” between the characters, or someone who just loves to get a glimpse into the lives of young, attractive, one percenters (or at least 2 percenters)."

If you could / wished to turn Flawed and the The Young and Privileged of Washington, DC series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I’ve often envisioned my stories as a movie or TV show as I was writing them, so I already have this answer figured out! The location is key—the story is all about the Washington, DC area, so I’d want it to be shot here in the nation’s capital.

A director is hard to identify, as I’m not too familiar with them. I think I’d go for Tarik Saleh, a Swedish-born director, writer, and producer. He directed a few music videos for Lykke Li [see I Follow Rivers in the playlist above, Sadness Is a Blessing and No Rest For The Wicked ] that I love—his style is inline with how I’d like the books to play out on film.

Actors are also hard to identify for Kara and Naheed. I’ve always envisioned Kara like a young Sophie Marceau—maybe she could be played by Zoey Deutch or Nina Dobrev.

Naheed needs an actor who’s very attractive and smoldering…maybe someone like Assaad Bouab (though he’s a bit old for the part) or Gregg Sulkin."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular Contemporary Romance or do you like to explore different ones?

"I like writing contemporary romance stories, which all five books of the Young and Privileged of Washington, DC series are. This is my favourite genre to read, but I also like paranormal books. Every once in a while, I like classics like Emma or Frankenstein (if you’ve never read it, give it a try!).

I would love to write paranormal stories, but I just don’t have the creativity it takes to do so! I also write screenplays; so far, I just have a couple based on the books in my series. But I do have plans to write a comedy and a thriller screenplay someday—the stories are in my head, I just need to get the stories figured out."

What is your writing process?

"I only write when I’m hit with the story idea…I can’t make myself generate creativity. But once the bug bites me, I write the core story very quickly; the first draft of Flawed was written in just over a month. After I get that down, I start a couple of rounds of revisions and editing.

The initial stories are usually written on my laptop, and then I upload the Word document to Kindle and read through it there—while making notes and editing directly in the Kindle app. Then I go back through the copy on my laptop and incorporate the edits from the Kindle app. Writing and reading on a laptop is different than doing so on my iPhone—each makes me see the story differently, for some reason.

Finally, I do my last edit on a physical copy—I print the book out and edit with a pencil. Yes, this is old school, but it makes me see the book differently than when I read it electronically. This method works for me…and I enjoy every step of it!"

What is in store next?

"I’ve already begun to write book six in the Young and Privileged of Washington, DC series; book six will complete Ava’s story. Each of the books can be read alone, but it’s always best to read them in consecutive order, so here’s the breakdown of the series as of today:

Flawed. Part 1 of Kara’s story

Found. Part 2 of Kara’s story

Let Go. Billi’s story

Girls Like Me. Part 1 of Ava’s story

Guys Like You. Part 2 of Ava’s story

(not yet released). Part 3 of Ava’s story

I also have written a couple of screenplays based on the books—just because I’d love to see these stories in a movie or TV show. I plan to write a couple of screenplays outside of the romance genre also—one comedy and one thriller are already formulating in my head."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I had a dog, Clea, who passed away a few years ago. Clea and I were very, very close…and I’ve never quite gotten over her. Her leash is still on a ledge by the door, her bed is still upstairs in my bedroom, and pictures of her with us (my husband and I) are all over our condo.

Clea was, and still is, very special to me. She’s my Baby Girl (my nickname for her) and I just can’t replace her. My husband and I both—theoretically—want another dog, but I can’t bring myself to get one. Maybe someday I’ll find another special puppy…for now, I’ll live with the memory of Clea."

Clea was absolutely beautiful; thank you for sharing her with us. I would definitely encourage you to let another fur-baby into your lives; it would never replace Clea but you will be able to give them a great life in her memory xxx

Kara falls for that guy—the one other girls avoid, the one whose stare penetrates her soul. She falls for him; he breaks her heart... lather, rinse, repeat. Eventually she's given no other option but to cut him off for good.