◌ k a r r i s ◌

bandits
As a Filipina, how do you "fuck that shit up?"

I fuck it up because I refuse to let my parents down. They worked so damn hard to be where they are today, and I will not throw it away. You see, my parents immigrated to the United States when they were only 21 years old. They came to the U.S. to fulfill the American Dream. In the Philippines, my parents were poor and didn't live in the greatest conditions because of the drug crime happening within their neighborhoods. But both my mom and dad attended university in Manila, they worked hard, obtained visas, and after being illegal for many years, both became American citizens. My mother is an amazing doctor and my dad was named one of the most influential businessmen according to Forbes magazine. My parents struggled for many years in order to really relish in all America has to offer, and I want to do their handwork justice.

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pluke_flemmings
When did you realize that Ashton was the one?

It's hard to actually pin point the moment I realized that Ashton was the one for me. I think it was a mixture of things adding up to it. He's incredibly kind hearted. He puts others before him, and I admire the way he takes care of the people he loves. Also, Ashton is very hot.

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5sos_queen2003
How long do you want to wait before starting a family with Ashton?

I can't really think about starting a family with Ashton when I'm not even sure if we'll be forever. I do know that Ashton can have my heart for as long as he wants. I definitely want to have my life together before kids. I want to graduate university, I want a stable job, and enough money to raise a baby.

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calumsroses
How did it feel to co-coach the hockey team?

It was difficult, stressful, yet rewarding all at the same time. It was one of the best experiences ever and I'm thankful that Coach Benson believed in my potential to succeed.

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multifandomness101
When did you discover that alpacas were your spirit animal?

Since I was a little girl. I received an alpaca stuffed animal and fell in love. Alpacas are super cute and they totally are an underrated animal!

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Spiderdimples
What university do you want to go to? How can you scrape up enough money? American colleges are so expensive! Go to England, that's my advise.

I've been accepted into UC Berkley in the Aerospace Studies program. I've received a small scholarship to help pay for school, and without sounding like a privileged, pompous girl, my family is extremely well off— even before my dad's food app skyrocketed. I'm one of the lucky ones that grew up never having to worry about money or paying for school. I would love to go to England and study there. Maybe for my Master's Degree?

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summerlover2004
Will you and Ashton get married?

Maybe one day. Marriage isn't on my radar right now— I just wanna go to college and have fun.

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Lucas_has_penguin
What do you see happening in your future?

I do well. I go to college and submerge myself in all university life offers. I graduate. I do good in the world and I live fully, while loving wholly.

❉

◌ a s h t o n ◌

bandits
How do you manage to put everyone before yourself and still get through all life throws at you?

Honestly, I don't know— I just fucking do. I put my big boy pants on and take it one day at a time. There's no room to crawl into a fetal position, whine about life, and give up. I have two little siblings who need me and I would do anything to protect them. They're my number one priority.

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AliveAfterDark
How can you possibly balance everything and everyone you have. Your problems, your fears, your insecurities and even your heart, how did you balance it?

I just do it. Lauren and Harry need me; they look up to me and I can't be the type of person to hide in a tunnel when life gets fucking hard. I just take it one day at a time.

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calumsroses
How did you feel, falling for Karris?

I've always had strong feelings for Karris, way before she transferred to Willowridge High and became my coach. It was a build up of moments that made me slowly fall for her.

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Lucas_has__penguin
How are Harry and Lauren?

They're stronger than I thought. For being so young, both Harry and Lauren have a firm grasp on life and the wonderful one our mother built for them. They inspire me.

❉

◌ b e r k l e y ◌

bandlits
What are your key inspirations and lessons you want to share that helped you develop your character?

My mom has always been my role model. She's a strong, brilliant woman who constantly rises up from the ashes. My mom keeps me going. She's worked so hard to raise my siblings and I. She taught us to be strong-willed and driven because life isn't going to hand you things on a silver platter— you've got to work hard for the things you want. There will always be people more privileged than you; people who have things easier, but when you finally accomplish your goals, it'll be a lot more satisfying because you reached them on 100% on your own.

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summerlover2004
How can you tell someone to be comfortable in their own skin and be confident?

You can't tell a person to be comfortable in their skin— it's something that comes from the soul. To be comfortable in your skin means power; it means to strut through the streets of the world with grace and confidence. First, you need to learn how to not care about the opinions of those around you because you are a badass. Every little aspect about you is what makes you unique. Learning to embrace every quirk gives one the power.

Lucas_has_a_penguin
Do you have any tips on how to be as confident as you are?

Embrace who you are-- every little part about you, take it, and flourish it. Then, don't let the opinions of others hinder your journey to live the best possible life.

❉

◌ m i c h a e l ◌

bandlits
Did you only see Karris as a sister or was there a point wherein there is something more?

Let's be real— I'm pretty sure the entire Willowridge hockey team has had a small crush on Karris since the beginning of time. But Gabe swore to rip our balls out if anyone ever tried anything. Ashton was the bravest among us all.

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Spiderdimples
What surprised you the most about Karris? Did you think she was the same as her brother?

She's courageous as fuck. She's resilient. Karris is a tiny motherfucker but can be extremely intimidating. And yea, in many was she was just like her brother. Gabe cared deeply for everyone on the hockey team. Once he viewed you as family, he always had your back. Karris is like that too— she'll do anything for family.

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Steph571821
Marry Me?

One day ;)

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summerlover2004
Can I adopt you and my cat just ran away, what should I do? Should I get a new kitten?

Yes, get a new kitten if your cat doesn't come back. If you wanna adopt me, ask Luke for permission.

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Lucas_has_a_penguin
Did you ever see Karris as more than a friend?

Definitely had a little crush on her once or twice. I mean, look at Karris-- she's a crazy, cute, monster. But Gabe would've ripped my balls, and she's much more perfect with Ashton.

❉

◌ l u k e ◌

bandlits
You were a breadstick the whole time, what are you doing Luke? Be a pasta FFs.

What was I doing? I was chilling, that's what I was doing. I was also taking hot yoga classes because I actually really enjoyed it.

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perkypillows
Luke, why do you call everyone except for me baby girl?

Hey baby girl :)

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AliveAfterDark
Man where were you most of the time and what were you doing? Love you anyway!

I was chilling. And taking hot yoga classes— those were the shit!

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pluke_flemmings
Did you ever have a crush on Karris?

Everyone had a little crush on Karris at one point, but Gabe would kill us all if anyone tried anything. Also, I would've asked her out but then Ashton would've killed me.

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Spiderdimples
Did you think that Karris was like her brother? What college do you wanna go to?

Karris and Gabe were very similar. Both are fucking crazy out on the ice, and they value family over everything. Even though Gabe and I sometimes didn't get along, he saw me as a brother and always had my back. Karris is like that too. She never gives up on ya. As for college, I'm going to a community college first and then transfer over to a university, I just don't know which one. I'm deciding between studying Kinesiology or Management.

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Steph571821
Do you ship Muke?

Yes, 100%

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summerlover2004
Can we expect a love story with you? Do you like the name Danielle? What's the best way to make your crush notice you? How can you stop being obsessed with cats my cat just ran away. Any advice? Should I get a new kitten? Do you like Cats? Can I adopt you?

You'll get a love story when I'm ready to be in love. I just wanna have fun and be reckless. Danielle is a nice name and you get a crush to notice you by being fun— not like dancing on a table, drinking fun, but knowing how to have a good time. It helps if you both have something in common. I'm sorry about your cat and no you cannot adopt me... Calum already called dibs.

❉

◌ c a l u m ◌

bandlits
Calum, did you and Natalia get a dog? Please get a dog.

Natalia? You mean Mollie? Mollie and I would love to adopt a dog one day.

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mallboy5sos
Hey daddy

Hey baby.

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calumsroses
How are you doing Cal? I know you've been through a lot but stay strong

Thank you. I'll be fine. I have hope.

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Spiderdimples
What as it like in rehab? What started yours and Gabe's 'war'?

Rehab is like medicine. It tastes like shit but makes you feel better. And Gabe and I started disliking each other because we both liked Mollie. But then it escalated into more than that. Honestly, I was also very jealous of Gabe. He had everything— he had a loving family, he was captain of the hockey team, girls always wanted to be with him, he had friends, money, and everything that I always wanted. I hated him because I couldn't measure up to him.

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summerlover2004
Have you found that special someone yet and how are you feeling? What was the worst thing that Gabe ever did to you?

I have something special with Mollie. And I'm doing alright, just taking it one step at a time. The worst thing Gabe has ever done to me, was make me feel inferior. Whether it was intentional or without any effort, Gabe always managed to make me feel like my life had no value.

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Lucas_has_a_penguin
This isn't a question, but I hope you're doing okay.

Thanks babe. Taking it one day at a time.

❉

◌ t e g a n ◌

bandlits
What were your thoughts whenever you had to encounter certain situations that sometimes feel unfit or pressuring to you? Do you sometimes speak out impulsively and not thinking through the words you say?

I've always felt pressured my entire life. My parents are extremely hard on me and expect nothing but the best. Sometimes, I just want to be a normal teenaged girl who wears sweatpants and eats Skittles, but my mom who was a former pageant queen, refuses to let me live like that. I'm also the princess of impulsive speaking. My mouth runs faster than my brain and I'm trying to fix that. It's a terrible habit.

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Spiderdimples
What was it like when your brother was taken away from you? And did you have real feelings for any of the boys?

My older brother is my best friend. He's truly the only one who understood what it was like to live in our house and be raised by perfectionists. When my parents sent him off to get "fixed" for being gay, my heart was ripped to shreds. I was so angry because our parents view being gay as some kind of treatable disease; as something that is wrong. I'll never forgive them for that. As for feelings, I can say I truly had them for Ashton when I had him. Obviously, I screwed that up. In hindsight, I understand why though.

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summerlover2004
Has anything ever caused you a lot of pain and how do you deal with pain?

Story time: I gained a little weight once— nothing crazy, just shy under ten pounds for living life. I indulged on sweets and soda over the summer because it was summer break. My mom told me I was fat to my face, and then forced me to eat a salad without a shirt on, in front of the mirror so I could see every flaw as I scarfed down each piece of lettuce. That was also around the same time when my parents sent my brother away. I had no one. That pain was inflicted by my own parents who swore they loved my brother and I. Wrong. They love the idea of perfectly molded children, not the ones they already have.

❉

◌ a u d r e y ◌

bandlits
As I've seen from your stories, you always use Filipino women as the lead, will you still write stories using other ethnicities? And were you from a Filipino heritage? Are you still planning to write any extra content for Slapshot, probably a spin off or some exclusive POVs? Or would you rather let your readers fantasize how the characters develop beyond the story?

I do want to use different ethnicities as a lead character but as a Filipina-American myself, it's a lot easier to really delve into the main character and develop them because I know what it's like. I understand first hand the struggles of being a proud Filipino, but also adapting to a typical American teenaged life. I might do bonus chapters for Slapshot, and I'm not oppose to writing them from the POV of other characters. That'd be awesome!

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perkypillows
Are you going to be doing a spin-off? If not, will you be starting any new projects?

No spin off, but there's the possibility of bonus chapters! As far as new projects go, I have two: a Luke one, and a Harry Styles one. But I have no idea when I'll have those up because I really want to make sure the plot is near perfect first.

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AliveAfterDark
Karris might be one of my favorite characters on Wattpad. She is just so carefree and relatable. Where did you find the inspiration for her story line? I always love when authors have a unique style to their character and something people don't see very often. Was it difficult to plan out the transitions all the characters had faced during the story? Or did you have it all planned out before? Thank you for an amazing and entertaining book! I'll still be reading all your other books btw!

Karris is one of my favorite characters I've ever created! And I crafted her character based on my own personality and life. No, I didn't have a brother who was murder before my very eyes, but she and I are a lot alike in the sense of shyness with an unapologetic weirdness. I believe that going through pain and hardships are what make a person grow. Karris had a seemingly perfect life before Gabe's murder, but then she had to learn how to deal with the terrible things life threw at her, while figuring out her identity. As far as the other characters go, I first planned out their personalities-- who they are as people. And from there, the side plots just unraveled. With Berkley, I knew she was going to be badass and confident, but her secret is being gay. That's where her development and identity crisis comes from. Berkley has always been this Latina firecracker, but when she connects with Natalia, she's not sure who she is any more-- hence why she sends nudes to Luke with the hopes of losing his virginity to him, because in her mind, "if she's never been with a boy in that way, then how does she know if she really is gay?"

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niallers_princess22
I love how you use Filipino women as the lead instead of a basic white girl, but can you please write a book with a different race like Indian or Mexican please?

Thank you! Putting Filipinos in mainstream media is what I aim to do! And I would love to feature a Mexican or Indian lead character, but for now I'd rather have them play the best friend. I am a Filipino-American and it's easier for me to write Filipino characters because I understand the culture.

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eringreenk
Will you be writing an epilogue?

Fun fact, Chapter 52 was actually the Epilogue but I decided to make it a chapter. No, there won't be an official Epilogue but I'd definitely like to write bonus chapters.

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KrisztinaKlnay
Where did you find the ideas for the story? (Place, Characters, Actions) How did its writing start? What inspired you during writing it?

My ideas comes to me wherever, whenever. I tend to always set my stories in small coastal towns because I grew up in cities next to the beach my entire life. Arden Heights, Percival Shores, and Lotus Cove are all fictional towns based off of the cities I've lived in. Despite living in California, a melting pot of ethnicities, I grew up in predominately Caucasian neighborhoods so being one of the only brown kids at school was something I had to deal with. Characters are always based off of people I know in real life. From high school, to my friends in college, I've met lots of interesting people with amazing personalities. When it comes to plot, I don't know, haha. A lot of the times, the main plot line comes from having a wild imagination.

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mallboy5sos
Will there be a sequel?

No, no sequel. There is a possibility of bonus chapters though!

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5sos_queen2003
Can you pleaseeee make a sequel?

No, not going to write a sequel. Personally, I can read them, but I can't write them. Once I finish a story, I kind of like to let the characters go and move on.

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aili127
Okay your story was amazing but do you know how hockey works score wise?

LOL, not a clue. I did do tons of research on hockey and kept them in my story notes, in addition to talking to fellow Wattpadders who knew a lot about hockey. I also watched a bunch of hockey films, and studied top hockey plays on YouTube as I wrote the hockey scenes. But as I wrote, my mind kept getting hockey and basketball mixed up since that's the sport I know more about.

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calumsroses
Will you write more books?!

Yes, definitely!

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Spiderdimples
How do you come up with the idea and the plot? I admire your ability to make the plot sophisticated but still easy to understand and enjoyable to read. What books do you want to continue next? Do you want to make a new one or maybe start on an old one *hint*hint*cough*crazy, stupid, you and me*? How do you choose the name for the characters?

Thank you so much for your kind words! When it comes to plot, it's usually my wild imagination. But characters and locations are always a play on people I know and places I've lived or been to. Character names I try to keep as "unique" as the characters themselves; I try to make sure the name fits the personality of the character. I'm actually reworking the plot to Crazy, Stupid, You and Me. I'm not too passionate about the original plot even though I do like a lot of the plot points I had plans for. I have ideas for new books but I definitely won't be posting those for a while.

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Steph571821
Do you plan to be an author when you're older?

I would love that. Even though I'm studying other subjects, and want to pursue other careers, I'm definitely going to always write. Being a successful, published author is what I aspire to be, but I know it takes incredibly hard work. So I'm going to have a backup plan too.

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calphysics
What inspired you to surround your plot around the sport of hockey and not a different sport?

I'm not a sporty person at all and including a sport as a main plot in a story would be an awesome challenge for me. My family is super into basketball and football, and hockey is a sport I've watched from time to time that I've found  interesting.

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summerlover2004
Can we expect more books and can we also expect to find out if the other boys fell in love?

The boys will fall in love eventually. I think Calum will find love while he backpacks around the world. Michael will fall in love with a girl when in college, and Luke will unexpectedly stumble into the arms of a lovely coworker. As for more book, yes. I have two in the works but it won't be for a while till it's posted.

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Lucas_has_penguin
My question is, are you going to write a sequel and if not, do you have any other ideas for other books?

No sequel. I do have two new story ideas. A coming of age, dramatic comedy featuring Luke, and a action comedy featuring Harry Styles. Those won't be posted for a very long time because I really want to develop and write several chapters first.