American Cheerleader

Name: Deborah Gregory

Nickname: Mamacheetah

Best known for: The Cheetah Girls book, which launched the franchise and brand

Hometown: The Boogie-Down Bronx

Why she’s a cheerleader at heart: Deborah took her tough experiences growing up in the foster care system and turned them into a positive, by creating books about strong female characters who overcome adversity to achieve their dreams.

Deborah with 3 of the Cheetah Girls

AC: You’re the fabulous brain behind the Cheetah Girls! Did you ever think your book would create such a phenomenon? Deborah Gregory: I always envisioned The Cheetah Girls as so much more than a book. My initial vision was inspired by “The Partridge Family.” I wanted this faux singing group to have a show, books, records, concerts and cheetah-licious clothes. So as you can see, it was much more than creating just a book—I really wanted girls to want to be the Cheetah Girls.

AC: How does it feel to know you’ve affected so many young people’s lives in such a positive way? Deborah: I was very clear about what I was doing—I wanted to create something multicultural—to sort of blur the racial lines, so that young girls of color could have something fun to read. So it’s amazing to see it actually happen and how much it’s impacted their lives.

AC: What was the inspiration behind The Cheetah Girls? Deborah: The Cheetah Girls came together through a culmination of events. As a magazine writer, I began writing articles on girl groups for Essence, US magazine and Entertainment Weekly. I followed the girl groups Seduction, Sweet Sensation and Pajama Party for an article called “Shop in the Name of Love” for US. I also interviewed the Spice Girls, En Vogue and Destiny’s Child.

When I went to Houston to interview Destiny’s Child, that was when the seed was really planted for the Cheetah Girls. That’s why the characters, Aquanette and Anginette Walker move to New York—so they won’t be eclipsed by the popular group, “Karma’s Children” (read between the lines with that one). Destiny’s Child was actually flattered that they were a seed of inspiration for the book and thought it was adorable.

AC: Now you’re back with another series about a group of sassy, fashionable and determined young girls. Tell us a little about the Catwalk series. Deborah: Fashion is definitely the inspiration behind Catwalk and Catwalk: Strike a Pose (the second book in the series, which debuted nationwide in September). In a recent AOL study, fashion designer was in the Top 10 category of dream careers. And there isn’t a girl alive who doesn’t fantasize about being a model. I was a model—for one glorious year—and wish I’d had the emotional stamina to pursue it, but the aftermath of growing up in foster care overwhelmed my life.

Catwalk shows the inner workings of the fashion world. Like with Cheetah Girls, I see the characters in these books being able to empower teens through runway lessons and live fashion shows. Fashion is a global force. It’s a way to bring multicultural ideas into the forefront. The characters are from all over the globe—and I’m glad I could create a few gay teen characters, too, as they are an essential part of any fashionable tale.

One of the Catwalk characters, Nole Canoli, was actually inspired by my close friend, Nole Marin, who’s a fashion stylist and former judge on “America’s Next Top Model.” I can’t wait to see that character come to life on screen—prancing around with his thick black Gucci glasses on his pudgy face—and carrying his pooch Countess Coco in his Prada bag!

AC: Catwalk: Strike a Pose is a book about fashion and how passionate the characters are about it. Is fashion important to you, too? Deborah: Yes! Fashion is a part of my life. I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. I cut out my first dress when I was 11 years old. As a foster child, I’d stand in front of the mirror and look at myself in the different outfits I’d made and fantasize about wearing beautiful clothes all the time. So, yes, fashion is an intrinsic part of who I am. I’m a hardcore fashionista!

AC: Who are some of your favorite designers? What are your favorite trends right now? Deborah: I love Betsey Johnson—she’s one of my idols. She always keeps her youthful vibe going. The only thing that [frustrates] me about her design philosophy is that she’s never embraced plus-size fashion. I feel that she could have sent a powerful statement to women by presenting her collection in every size. It honestly could have revolutionized the fashion industry.

There is one designer who embraces this and I dig her tremendously. German-born designer, Anna Scholz, designs clothes that are for sizes 6 to 24. I actually wear a lot of her clothes, although until recently they weren’t even available in the United States.

Young Fans with Cat-itude!

AC: Did you always want to write books? Why do you think you were drawn to teen stories? Deborah: I began writing when I was around 10 years old. I wrote a book called Dial “L” For Love. It was a bunch of loose leaf pages all Scotch Taped together—hundreds of pages with a pink phone illustrated on the cover—about a group of girls in college. I remember showing it to my teacher and she thought it was very inappropriate! After school, I started writing an adult novel about a girl growing up in the foster care system who gets involved in gritty things before she reinvents herself—but I never finished it. I started writing teen books because I wanted to give girlitas something fun to read.

AC: Buzz has it that the television network NICK Teen plans on making a TV series out of Catwalk! Are you going to be involved in this project? Deborah: Yes! Catwalk has been optioned by Teen NICK Network for a TV series! I think that just like with the Cheetah Girls, the Catwalk characters are destined to have an onscreen shelf life. It took five years for the first Cheetah Girls movie to find its way onscreen. TV and film development is a long process.

AC: Working in Hollywood, you probably get to meet a lot of celebs. Who have you been starstruck over meeting? Deborah: I actually met a lot of people as a magazine writer. One of my faves was Tina Turner. She’s awesome. I met Prince at an after party once. You can imagine my surprise when we were whisked to a table to be seated…with Prince! He was so tiny that when I went to hug him, he cringed. I mean, I’m six feet tall and twice his width! I knew I was in the presence of a superstar.

I’ve met Denzel [Washington], Whitney [Houston], Ciara, Tyra Banks, Oprah, etc., but the only other time I was starstruck, starry-eyed and tongue-tied was when I was invited to one of [President] Obama’s fundraiser. I was floored when I walked up to him and he knew who I was. At the time, I hadn’t known that he had daughters, which helped to explain his Cheetah Girls knowledge. Regardless, I knew I was in the presence of greatness. He has such an awesome spirit about him.

AC: What was your favorite book growing up? Deborah: I didn’t have favorite books growing up, because I wasn’t supposed to be reading. My first foster mother was illiterate, so my reading and writing skills were relegated to helping her or doing my homework. But I did sneak books as much as I could. One book that had an impact on me was Love Story. I got the idea to go to college from reading that book. My favorite books as an adult are Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Passage to India by E.M. Forster, Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra and everything by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

AC: What advice would you give teen writers? Deborah: Writing doesn’t have to be defined to book writing. Just write. Write in journals, write stories, shape your voice. It’s important to go to college to become a writer. An educated writer is a better writer.

*Are you a Cheetah Girls fan? Which character are you? Leave your comments below!