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I’m so excited to be part of Kelly Oram’s blog tour for the release of Cinder & Ella. I LOVED reading Cinder & Ella, and I’m thrilled that Kelly has been willing to give us extra insider information about her characters. For my part of the blog tour, I interviewed protagonist Brian Oliver, aka the Cinder in Cinder & Ella.
Brian, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. I must admit, I’m fangirling just a little! I’ve been a big fan ever since you played Kyle Hamilton in V is for Virgin. Tell me, did you ever get the chance to meet the real Kyle or Valerie?
Aw, well shucks, Brita. Thank you. I’m always happy to meet my fans. I’m glad you liked V is for Virgin. I have to admit, it was a little difficult for me to play the role of Kyle Hamilton. I know the guy personally, and I can’t stand him. He’s so full of himself and he will do anything to get media attention. It’s guys like him that give celebrities a bad rep. But, I have to admit their story was a good one. I enjoyed being part of the movie. Valerie is such a strong admirable woman. I haven’t met her, but I’d like to. Even if only to ask her what she sees in him.
I don’t know who has the better real-world romance, Kyle and Valerie, or you and Ella. I met my husband online, so I love hearing about other successful online couples. At what point did you realize you were in love with Ella, without having ever met her in person?
Ella and I so trump Kyle and Val. (No offense to Val.) But seriously, Ella and me? EPIC. How awesome that you met your husband online. Online relationships get a bad reputation, but it’s nice to be able to be yourself. I don’t think I could have had a real meaningful relationship without the anonymity because of my fame. It’s good to know that Ella loves me for me, you know? And I don’t doubt that she does. Just like I love her. I truly did fall in love with a girl I’d never met. I always knew I’d liked her, from the very first time she responded to my letter to her. And I definitely had a blogger-crush on her.
But I didn’t know how much she meant to me until she disappeared. She left this huge, gaping hole in my life. Losing her was like losing my heart, and that’s when I realized that I’d loved her—really, truly loved her. When she came back into my life it was no small miracle and I knew I wasn’t going to let her get away from me no matter what.
Now that you and Ella are together, what has been the biggest adjustment in your life?
Remembering to leave the toilet seat down. That drives Ella crazy. Sometimes I leave it up just to annoy her. She gives me this look that’s just—anyway she’s fun. Don’t tell her I do that on purpose.
Seriously though, I think the hardest part is all the worrying. My relationship with Ella is solid, but our lives are crazy, and with her special circumstances, it’s impossible not to constantly worry about her. People still say hurtful stuff about her sometimes—there will always be idiots in the world—and it makes me so mad. She’s much better at ignoring all that stuff than I am. But I can’t help it. I don’t want to see her hurt. Ever. I’m always trying to protect her even though I know she’s strong and can take care of herself. I think I’ve given myself an ulcer since getting together with her. I imagine I’m going to be one of those dads who meets my daughter’s boyfriends with a shotgun in my hands someday.
Moving away from your personal life, can you tell me more about your next project?
Well I just wrapped on this incredible project with my all-time favorite director Zachary Goldberg, playing the part of Sir Percy in The Scarlet Pimpernel. That was an experience I’ll remember forever. The movie is going to be amazing! Then, I begin filming next month for A Shattered Kingdom—the second Cinder Chronicles movie. It’ll be good to meet up with my old pal Prince Cinder again, and I know Ella is DYING because she’ll get to visit the set. She hasn’t stopped talking about it for weeks.
What is your dream film adaptation of a book—not counting your current work, of course!—and what would be your dream role in that movie?
Well, obviously, it doesn’t get any better than playing Cinder. He is my favorite character of all-time. And then to be able to play Sir Percy was also like a dream come true, so I really have no complaints. But, if I could choose another one I’d definitely love to play The Count of Monte Cristo. That’s an excellent story and it would be such a great role to play. He’s such a complicated character. There’re so many sides to him. Plus he’s just plain cool. That would be fun.
Thank you again for you time. Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me stop by. I’m sorry Ella couldn’t join us, she had a thing with her dad today that she couldn’t miss, but she sends her love. That and buy the book. I’ve met the author. Kelly’s a pretty cool chick and she worked really hard to give me an awesome story.
Check out these other highlights from the blog tour.
A comparison of my secret book boyfriends, Brian and Kyle. (What? I love them both!)
AND as part of Kelly’s blog tour, she’s hosting a giveaway!!!!! Winner receives SIGNED copies of Kelly’s five contemporary romances. I’ve read four of the five books, and I can assure you, they’re all awesome! Serial Hottie, The Avery Shaw Experiment, V is for Virgin, A is for Abstinence, and Cinder & Ella. One of these days, I’ll get around to reading Serial Hottie, which I’m sure is just as good as her other novels.
Author Bio:
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen—a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She’s obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat named Mr. Darcy.
Author Links:
Twitter and My Website
Have you read any of Kelly Oram’s books? Which is your favorite? If you could do any book character interview (not just with Kelly’s books), whose mind would you want to pick?
