Secrets of My Hollywood Life: There’s No Place Like Home (27 page)

“Yes to
Ellen
, no to
The View
. I have an Introduction to Art History class test that afternoon,” I say, walking briskly across the grassy knoll, sidestepping
two guys throwing a Frisbee and a group of people reading books on an oversized picnic blanket.

“Apologize and send flowers, though, and tell the ladies I’d love to cohost the next time they’re in town,” I add, hiking
my heavy Kate Spade messenger bag over my shoulder. “Uh-huh. Yep. Eight PM. Tell Rodney I’ll be at the southwest corner this
time chatting with Larry the Liar.” I laugh. “Kidding! But I will be there.” BEEP. I look at the iPhone screen and practically
scream out loud I’m so excited. But I don’t want to draw attention to myself. I’ve done such a good job of not doing that
so far. I put the phone back to my ear and say to my assistant, “Shannon? It’s Liz on the other line! I have to take this.
Thanks again, Shannon. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I click over. “Lizzie? How’s the Big Apple treating you?”

“Kates!” Her voice comes through loud and clear like she’s standing next to me, not three thousand miles away at New York
University. Liz may have thought she was a true-blue California girl, but she realized she had room to love New York too.
I’m glad. She belongs there, even if I miss her. “Sorry I missed your call last night,” she says. “I tried calling you back,
but Shannon said you guys were in the middle of a taping. How’d it go?”

“Great. Season two, episode four is in the can, and we premiere this week.” I shade my eyes from the warm California sun.
Everyone on campus is in shorts, tees, and flip-flops, and my green Alice + Olivia tank dress sticks out like a sore thumb.
I just came from an eight AM table read for the next episode. The rest of the day I’m here, at University of Southern California,
taking college classes. The studio has been so accommodating; sometimes I still can’t believe it. We worked it out so that
I get to take day classes in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, after putting in five early-morning hours on set.

“They’d rather make it work with you than lose the hottest star on the planet,” Seth explained when he and Nadine put the
deal through back in May. “They know how lucky they are to have the George Clooney of current TV on their network.” Seth winked.
“I’m not exaggerating! Everyone who knows anything is talking about your work with James Cameron, and you being on the network
makes them look good. Your film is the most groundbreaking project Cam’s had in years. Dare we say Oscar territory?”

“We dare not,” I said with a laugh, even though the thought makes my skin tingle. “It’s too early to speculate.”

“Maybe for you, but
EW
is already saying it, and the film won’t screen for months,” Nadine pointed out. “Sky forwarded me the article and—don’t
tell her I said this—she actually said she wants to be on your career path now.”

“Wow,” I marveled. “After spending months telling me what a mistake I’m making, she’s doing a one-eighty.” Sky’s got me helping
her with
her
admissions application to USC now. She’s hoping to take a few classes in the spring now that we have this
Small Fries
schedule that works with coursework. “She told me the two of you are meeting with Peter Jackson about his next project.”

“You’ve really inspired her, Kates,” Nadine told me. “Even if she won’t tell you that herself. ”

“She does in her own way,” I said with a smile.

Nadine continues to inspire me too. She’s kicked butt as my manager, not only passing along the best scripts for me to read
but filtering through everything Shannon gets offered to make sure I do what’s necessary to make it in Hollywood and yet still
have time to be a college coed. Nadine’s business is doing great. She has four clients, including me and Sky, and has hired
her own personal assistant.

A text interrupts my conversation with Liz and pulls me back to the present.

“Guess what my roommate asked me to see tomorrow night since she got student rate tickets?” Liz is saying. “
Meeting of the Minds
! I feel like I should check it out and see how they’re faring without you.”

“Last I heard they had a proper trained stage actress doing my part, so they should be fine,” I say. “I wish I were going
with you, though. Promise we’ll get tickets to something when I’m in town in a few weeks to do the morning show rounds for
Small Fries
?”

“Already on it,” Liz informs me. “Sky wants tickets to—don’t laugh—
Rock of Ages
.”

“Isn’t that a little commercial for her?” I ask. “Not that I mind seeing it.”

“I think Josh is going to drive down from Rhode Island and meet us,” Liz says. “I wish Austin could be there. Then we’d have
a real party.”

“I know,” I say sadly. “I talked to him about it, and he can’t miss lacrosse practice. They’ve got a few big games coming
up.”

“I miss that boy,” Liz says wistfully. “And you. Bet you don’t have time to miss any of us.”

I laugh. “I’m not
that
busy! Not anymore.”

“True,” Liz agrees. “Matty’s the one on overload.”

“And loving it,” I add. “Mom booked him two movies for his hiatus and he’s doing the Thanksgiving Day Parade and has a guest
judging spot on
American Idol
this winter. Mom is elated. She told him he has to mention Dad’s dealership and the Darling Daisies at least once during
the broadcast.” I giggle.

“You mean she’s not going to be there with cue cards offstage telling Matty what to say?” Liz asks dryly.

“Actually, she and I are going to be at the Canyon Ranch Spa that week,” I tell Liz, checking my bag for one of my assignments
that is due today. I thought I printed it out, but if not, I can just plug my MacBook Air in at the computer lab and make
another copy. “We’re having a girls’ weekend. It was her idea.”

“She’s really come around,” Liz marvels. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say she’s a clone.”

“Lizzie!” I admonish. Although I can’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind. I just thought it was because I watch too many
Clone Wars
reruns.

“Okay, sorry, sorry.” I hear her apologize to someone talking in the background. “Kates? My roommate’s here, and we’re going
to grab some coffee before philosophy. I’ll talk to you tonight, though, I’m sure.”

“I talk to you more now than while you were here!” I tell her. “Of course we’ll talk tonight. Love you!”

“Love you too,” Liz yells back.

I hang up and quickly text Sky.

I laugh and put my phone in my bag, setting it to vibrate. If anything urgent comes up, Shannon can always text me. She knows
not to while I’m in class unless it’s an absolute emergency, and she’s never had to yet. Only Mom has—to ask me what Matty
should wear on
The Tonight Show
. Mom still wins most improved, though.

I check my watch and see it’s almost two. I still have a ways to walk, so I pick up my pace and hike my bag on my shoulder.
I feel guilty not using the ruby red one I love so much, but it doesn’t really go with my green dress. Besides, I hate throwing
it on the floor when I’m in a lecture hall. That red bag is still my favorite, and it deserves to be used for special occasions,
like the Golden Globe Awards.

Before I know it, I’m walking toward my usual table at the outdoor coffee bar. My date is already waiting.

“We need to get you Rollerblades, Burke,” Austin says with a huge grin. I throw my messenger bag onto the waiting chair and
lean over to give him a kiss. “You take way too long to get across campus.”

Austin was
thisclose
to taking a partial scholarship at Boston College when he got a full scholarship offer for University of Southern California. He couldn’t pass it up. “I’ve been thinking
of taking up surfing,” he told me, explaining his decision to stay on the West Coast. “I can’t do that in Boston in January.
And besides, I like the warm weather. I think I’d miss it too much if I went east.” He didn’t add, “And I’d miss you,” but
he didn’t have to. I knew. I always know when it comes to Austin.

Can I just say how relieved I am that he’s still here? Forget just being my boyfriend, Austin has been the best campus tour
guide any girl could ask for. A few months at Clark Hall was not enough training for me to fit in on a college campus. Austin
showed me around, helped me buy textbooks, and stayed by my side at freshman orientation. I was worried that people would
treat me differently because I’m a celebrity, but so far, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Well, other than the fact that
everyone on campus has seen my admissions essay. It was leaked and ran in
Hollywood Nation
. (Laney made USC donate a huge chunk of money to the Darling Daisies committee for that slip-up, which made Mom happy.) That
sort of mishap is part of the price of being me, and I’m okay with that. Finally.

“Since when should walking around campus be a sprint?” I place my hands on my hips in mock indignation. “Some of us don’t
get to spend all afternoon outdoors, so we walk slowly and take in everything around us from the birds to the noise of the
students, to the architecture of the buildings.”

Austin gives me a look, his classic bangs falling across his big, blue eyes with a small gust of wind. “English was definitely
the right major for you, Miss Drama. I smell a screenplay in your future.”

“Maybe,” I say with a smile and let Austin pull me toward him and onto his lap instead of my own seat. “I have time to decide.
I’m only eighteen.”

“Yeah, but you’ve already lived a lifetime,” Austin semi-jokes. “You could probably write an autobiography at this point.
It would be juicy too.” I laugh.

“Nah. Some of my secrets should stay secrets.” I kiss him lightly on the lips. “I think I’ve shared enough of mine already,
don’t you?”

“That’s for sure,” Austin says with a grin and kisses me right back.

I’ve got my whole life ahead of me to tell more secrets. For now, I’m going to enjoy keeping some to myself.

Cindy Eagan, I will forever be grateful to you for taking a chance on someone who had a big idea, but no clue how to put it
down on paper. Thank you for helping me create Kaitlin’s world and for letting me follow it through six amazing adventures.
Who knew coffee at the Rock Center Café would completely change my life? I couldn’t have done any of the heavy lifting without
my incredible editors, Cindy, Kate Sullivan, and Phoebe Spanier. Phoebe gave Kaitlin her voice all those years ago, and Kate
kept it going and has made it stronger. Whether it was cupcake debates or questions over alternate realities, Kate, you cared
as much about getting it right as I did. And here we are at the end of the finish line (on this one at least). I think it’s
time we had a good cry now.…

My wonderful agent, Laura Dail, also gets kudos for taking chances on a complete unknown. Thank you for walking me through
every detail and offering feedback where it’s needed most. Tamar Rydzinski, you rock too!

To the entire Poppy and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers team, you’re the most incredible cheering squad an author could
ask for. Thank you to: Andrew Smith, Elizabeth Eulberg, Ames O’ Neill, Melanie Chang, Lisa Ickowicz, Andy Ball, our incredible
Secrets cover girl, Tracy Shaw, and her sidekick, Neil Swaab.

My family and friends have been the Secrets pep squad since the very beginning. You guys have always showed up at my events
(in the beginning, you were the only ones!) and you’ve practically hand sold hundreds of books with your kudos and praise.
Special attention must be given to my mom for helping me out with the boys; my grandfather, Nick Calonita, who loves to tell
people he has an author in the family; and to my official go-to girl, Mara Reinstein, who is always just a phone call away
when I need her expertise on retail therapy and dining hot spots.

Finally to my boys, Mike, Tyler, and Dylan (and Jack, of course), you make this whole thing possible. Thank you for being
such an incredible support system and inspiration, especially Tyler, who was the reason this whole journey started in the first place.

How did you come up with the title
There’s No Place Like Home
for the last Secrets of My Hollywood Life novel?

I always knew that when it came time for Kaitlin’s journey to come to a close, she needed to make a decision about what she wanted from life and stick with it. Kaitlin tends to be very wishy-washy! It’s hard for her to stand up for herself because she has people advising her from every possible angle. She has this incredible career, but she’s always secretly longed to be a normal teen too, and in Hollywood she’s found it’s sometimes hard to do both. This book gave me a chance to explore the fantasy life Kaitlin has always dreamed about—and to show how she reacts to the change. It was hard keeping track of all the details, but I loved squeezing in people and places that have been with her from the very first book. I always knew exactly how I wanted the story to end, but I still get a little choked up when I read the epilogue. It was the most fun book to write in the whole series, and I hope readers will enjoy reading it as much as I did working on it.

What was your favorite part of writing Secrets of My Hollywood Life?

I love entertainment! Give me a bowl of popcorn and my TV remote or an hour’s worth of movie previews and I’m a happy girl. I started my career as an entertainment editor at a magazine, so I’ve always had a huge appreciation for movies, TV, and celebrity culture. Secrets has been a great way to keep a toe in that world. Whenever I buy a new magazine or see a movie, I say it’s part of my research for the books!

What will you miss most about the series?

Um… everything? Kaitlin’s world is so much fun to explore. Sometimes I’d read about some catfight in a magazine and think, “That has to happen to Kaitlin!” Or I’d see Selena Gomez wear some gorgeous gown to an event, and I would say to myself, “Kaitlin should wear something like that!” Most of all, I’ll miss the characters, who have become like family to me in many ways. (Sky is one of my absolute favorite characters to write.) It’s going to be hard putting these characters to bed, but I know it’s time for Kaitlin to try something new, and it’s time for me to do the same.

What are you working on now?

I’m really excited about a new teen novel I’m writing called
Belles
. It’s about two girls named Isabelle Scott and Mirabelle Monroe who come from completely opposite cultures and backgrounds, but find themselves suddenly living under the same roof. Mira’s dad is a state senator hoping to run for the US Senate, so her life is all about glitz, glamour, and little responsibility. Izzy’s life up until now hasn’t been as charmed. She’s grown up with much less than Mira has, but she is proud of where she’s come from, she’s a fighter, and she has a lot of heart. I love fish-out-of-water stories, and
Belles
is definitely that, with, of course, a lot of romance, drama, and splashy parties thrown in too. I love a good party! The book will be out in spring 2012.

As a girl from Long Island, New York, what inspired you to set this new book in the South?

I think I’ve always secretly wanted to live in the South! I’m fascinated by the culture and the beauty of it all. I would love to hear friends of mine who went to college below the Virginia state line tell me stories about cotillions, elaborate private schools, and how football was practically a religion. I knew I wanted to write about a privileged world set in the Carolinas that gets rocked by an outsider who has very big ideas that don’t always jive with the culture.

How are your new leading ladies similar to and different from Kaitlin?

Isabelle and Mirabelle, despite their very different lives, have the same issues that Kaitlin has always had—
Who am I?
and
What do I want for my life? Where do I fit in?
And
Why are boys so hard to understand?
Whether you’re the biggest star on the planet or a girl who counts every penny, I think you have the same problems. It’s how you handle those issues that makes it different.

What are your new characters’ favorite movies? TV shows? Things to do when they’re not in the spotlight of Mr. Monroe’s political career?

Mira would be into whatever is hot at the time, but I could definitely see her being hooked on the CW and everything on it! She and her friends spend a lot of time planning and going to Emerald Cove events, which require incredible clothes and lots of shopping! Izzie, on the other hand, rarely shops and doesn’t go to parties. She’s busy, but in ways that don’t allow for a lot of TV time. Izzie is a lifeguard and spends a lot of time at her community center, but if she did have a night off, I’d expect her to veg out and watch MTV.

Would Kaitlin Burke have any advice for these characters?

I think Kaitlin would tell both girls to do what makes them happy and not to get hung up on the small things. By the end of
There’s No Place Like Home
, Kaitlin has finally learned to do just that.