Buy Vol. 3 The Lip Gloss Chronicles: Paper Thin here.

I got a moment to chat with Shelia Goss the author of the hot teen book series The Lip Gloss Chronicles. We’re writing buddies and I’m so excited for her. I have to find out what reading level my niece is on so that I can turn her on to this series and have her Mom keep up. This series is so appropriate for Princess Dominique because it’s so girlie–but the books are more than that–they have depth and life lessons that you’ll really want your teens and young adults to learn. Read our mini interview and find out how you can win a copy of the first book in the series The Ultimate Test! Paper Thin is the 3rd book in the series and it’s in stores now! Order @ Amazon via the link above.

I think that a teen series is a great thing. How did you come up with the title The Lip Gloss Chronicles?

The original title for the series was the Diva Chronicles, but before I could get a book deal for the series, another well known author came out with a similar title so my agent suggested I change it. One Sunday I was at church and a few teens were busy talking and putting on their lip gloss and then it hit me–the Lip Gloss Chronicles. It was also confirmed when later during the week, when I heard this song on the radio with the lyrics, “My lip gloss is cool…My lip gloss is popping…” by rapper Lil Mama.

What made you want to write a teen book series for young adults?

I’ve actually wanted to write young adult books since being a teenager and reading Nancy Drew. What prompted me to finally take the plunge to do it? I would hear people complain about their teens reading adult books. Some of these women read my women’s fiction, so I wanted to give their teenagers books written specifically for them. The stories still have the same flair as my women’s fiction, but the topics are based on issues that young adults face.

The Lip Gloss Chronicles is a series seems like it’s chock full of drama and there’s never a dull moment, can you read the books individually or do you have to read them in succession?

Britney, Jasmine and Sierra are drama magnets so there’s never a dull moment in The Lip Gloss Chronicles. Each book is told from one of the girl’s point of view. Britney’s story is told in The Ultimate Test. Jasmine’s story is told in Splitsville and Sierra is the lead in Paper Thin. The books do not have to be read in order; however I would suggest that readers start out with The Ultimate Test, only because each book is written with different lead characters.

What kind of lessons do you want teen girls to take away from reading your books?

I want readers to be conscious about the decisions they make in their lives. For example, The Ultimate Test shows the importance of friendship and deals with growing pains that kids face transitioning from middle school to high school.

In Splitsville, I wanted to show the impact divorce has on kids and different ways teens handle divorce. In that book, I also show the dangers of improper internet usage by allowing one of the characters to communicate with a stranger they met online. Internet safety is important and bringing awareness to this issue will hopefully make teens and their parents think twice about time spent online and on social networks.

Paper Thin – The Lip Gloss Chronicles Vol. 3 is my new release and it tackles an important issue of teens and their weight. Sierra is the lead character in this book. I decided to tackle this issue because many teenage girls are struggling trying to look like unrealistic images they see in various forms of the media. I also talk about teen dating violence in Paper Thin.

Some of the issues that the teens are going through mirror issues that adults face as well, do you have adults who are fans of your teen series as well?

Yes, a lot of my fans are adults. They read the books and then share them with teens in their lives. I like that because it’s a way to open up dialogue between the adult and child.

Thank you for the interview and I appreciate all of your support.

Shelia M Goss is the national best-selling author of six multi-cultural romance books: His Invisible Wife, My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum and Hollywood Deception (April 2010) and three young adult books: The Lip Gloss Chronicles series: The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, and Paper Thin (January 2010). For more information, visit her website: www.sheliagoss.com or www.thelipglosschronicles.com.

Buy Vol. 1 The Ultimate Test here.

Buy Vol 2 Splitsville here.