Unmasked
Trashing someone's house is as easy as counting numbers off your fingers - at least for Aria and Jay.
After a fateful night that irrevocably changed Aria's life; she finds herself in trouble with a celebrity, befriending her long-lost childhood friend who mysteriously disappeared five years ago, getting into arguments with an arrogant CEO, encountering a masked villain, and pulling more pranks than ever before.
Interview
1. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.
I'm 17 and I'm from Malaysia. I have an unhealthy obsession with shoes, books and potato chips (preferably barbecue). I love baking, writing, listening to music, my family and making people smile. I have 5 dysfunctional siblings whom I love to death and two equally wacky parents which I wouldn't change for the world.
I'm currently taking a shoe course (Yes, my obsession has gone to an extent where I have to learn how to make shoes) while waiting to enter university where I will be taking alternative medicine. :-)
2. What types of books do you write?
Humor/Romance/Teen Fiction.
3. How many books have you written?
Two.
4. What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
The Hobbit 2, of course. (An avid LOTR fan over here!)
5. What type of books do you enjoy reading?
Crime, Psychological thriller, Romance, Mystery, Classics and Humor.
6. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
1. An axe
2. A 'How to survive on a deserted island 101 for dummies' manual.
3. Ropes
7. Are you considering a sequel?
For Unmasked yes, but it will be focusing more on other characters.
8. What inspired you to become a writer?
When I was still in high school, my teacher always told me I had potential, I just needed to improve my style of writing. So when I was sixteen, I decided to try it out. The feedback I received from my friends were lovely, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So I've been writing ever since.
Excerpt
There was silence as Aria twiddled with her thumbs. Nate spoke up. “Do you know why you’re here, Miss Cruz?”
She was quiet for a while. “I can’t believe I trashed your house.” She said quietly, her face downcast.
Nate was satisfied with her answer. Surely she knew what she got herself into.
She looked up suddenly and spoke animatedly. “Do you have the tape? Do you know what this means? If I put the video up I’ll be rich! It’ll be an instant-”
“Silence!” he snapped in annoyance. “This will not be spoken about outside of this room. Utter a single word Miss Cruz and you’ll be in debt for life.” He threatened with a menacing look on his otherwise handsome face.
To his astonishment, the girl chuckled. Chuckled! Like he had said something funny.
“Oh! Now I know why you’re an actor too,” she gasped out, once her laughter subsided. “You’re good.” She grinned.
He held his head between his hands and groaned. He looked up at her, “Don’t you know the severity of this situation?” he asked with desperation lacing his tone.
“Quit the dramatics buddy, this is hardly ‘severe’,” she muttered indifferently.
He scoffed. “You trespassed a private property. And not only that, you trashed the place. You’re lucky I’m not suing you for this, buddy.”
Aria rolled her eyes. “What do you want me to do? Not say anything about this? Done. No one would even believe me. And besides, what's up with your security? I expected your house to be secured by security alarms”
"It was disabled since that night; it should be fixed in no time." He muttered. Nate sat up straighter in his chair and nodded his head. “And because of your outrageous act, you’ll have to come here after school every day to clean it up, with your partner in crime of course.”
Aria remembered the rules Jay’s parents gave her. “What partner?” She asked looking everywhere but him and letting out a nervous chuckle.
Nate gave her a pointed look. “The blond in the mask.”
When she didn't reply, Nate attempted to threaten her. “If you don’t tell me her name, I’ll have my guys find out in your school until they find her.”
She looked up in alarm, “Look, I’ll do everything you tell me to, just don’t drag her in this. It was my idea anyway.”
Nate raised his eyebrows and sighed resolutely. “Alright. And after you’re done, whatever job is thrown your way you’ll take it, no questions asked.”
She clenched her jaw. “Fair enough.”
