Denise Jaden

Secrets, Contests, and a New Blog!

2012-01-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

I'm launching my new blog today! I hope you will all follow me there...and here's a couple of things to entice you.

Today I'm starting a new series called "Never Enough Secrets," in which I will divulge some secrets about my new book coming out in July. These secret posts will only stay up for a short time and then they'll get hidden somewhere in the "Top Secret" areas of my website, so here's a time-sensitive reason for you to stop by and follow the new blog right away.

Also, to kick off the new blog, I'll be holding a contest starting on Thursday. It's part of the YA Giveaway Hop, and I'll be opening up a whole shelf of strictly YA books for you to select from. You won't want to miss this!

For the time being, I'll leave this blog up statically, but I will no longer be updating posts here. Hope to see you at my new location!

http://denisejaden.blogspot.com

GCC Presents Lucienne Diver and FANGTASTIC!

2012-01-18T08:26:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to welcome another member of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit to the blog, and aspiring writers pay attention, because this author is also a literary agent!

Lucienne Diver is the author of the popular Vamped series of young adult novels (think Clueless meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer). School Library Journal calls the first book, “a lighthearted, action-packed, vampire romance story following in the vein of Julie Kenner’s “Good Ghouls” (Berkley), Marlene Perez’s “Dead” (Harcourt), and Rachel Caine’s “The Morganville Vampires” (Signet) series.” VOYA has suggested that the books “will attract even reluctant readers.”
Her short stories have been included in the Strip-Mauled and Fangs for the Mammaries anthologies edited by Esther Friesner (Baen Books), and one of her essays appears in the anthology Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen).

Lucienne's next book, FANGTASTIC, releases this month...

What do you wear to face down a cadre of killer kids?
Gina Covello would rather be working on her manicure than missions for the Feds’ paranormal unit to which she’s been recruited. That changes when a group of killer kids takes out a family in the sunshine state and disappearances begin to plague the lifestylers who only play at the kind of existence our fanged fashionista leads. She and her crew are sent undercover into the vampire clubs…which turn out to be run by real vampires. While Gina’s BFF Marcy hangs with the steampunk-styled Burgess Brigade that seems to have spawned the killer kids, Gina herself is supposed to get in good with the fanged fiends behind the scenes, even to the point of playing double-agent, offering to hand over her powerful boyfriend Bobby. Her playacting threatens to become a bit too real when she discovers things about her spy handlers that make her wonder whether she’s truly on the right side of the battle between Feds and fangs.

Sample praise for the Vamped series:
“As ever, Gina's feisty, funny narration carries the day. Gina never fails to please, as she strides down the runway of afterlife with just the right mix of humor, make-up advice, youthful lust that never crosses the line and a kung-fu style all her own. This one doesn’t miss a beat.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Perfect for teens and adults, this is a book to share, savor and revisit. ReVamped is full of smart, spot-on dialogue, engaging, authentic characters and a plot that’s so much fun it’s impossible not get swept up.” —Examiner.com

"VAMPED is a total delight! Diver delivers a delightful cast of undead characters and a fresh, fast take on the vampire mythos. Next installment, please!"   — Rachel Caine, New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series

“Diver uses wit and adventure to hook readers with this teen vampire story.” —VOYA

“Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Cordelia Chase got turned into a vampire? If you have, look no further than Vamped for the answer. It's like Mean Girls with fangs, with witty dialogue and more pop culture references than you can keep up with.” – Wondrous Reads

“Diver takes vampires to a whole new level.” —I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read

A Short Interview with Lucienne Diver:

1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.

True vamps infiltrate lifestylers to solve murder.

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

I love her guy, Bobby, always have. He reminds me of my husband…killer blue eyes, dark shaggy hair… mixed with Zac Efron. Plus, he’s a geek. And I’m a geek, so we’d have a lot in common.

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Don’t give up. Really dedicate yourself to your craft, learning about it, seeking critique, listening to the comments and advice that make sense, incorporating them into your work. Understand that it will take time and that raw talent is only a start. It must be honed. But if you have the talent and the perseverance, you will achieve your goals. The system isn’t set up to keep you down, it’s to make sure that the very best get to stand out.

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

All of the above. I kept a very angsty journal, mostly to do with guys. He’s Just Not That Into You pretty much described my love life. I wrote overly dramatic poetry about things I never experienced, like the Trail of Tears. I wrote clichéd stories about unicorns, werewolves and sirens (not all in the same tale!). Mostly, I think I had to get a lot of the dreck out of my system so that I could move on.

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?

I’m a literary agent as well as a novelist. The last book I read and really loved I hope to take on this week. It’s a debut, so see #3 about that advice!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Lucienne! And just for fun, here's a music video for the Vamped series...

Words DO Have Power!

2012-01-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a little video, celebrating the release of Holly Cupala's newest (wonderful) book, DON'T BREATHE A WORD!

Holly explains this video better than I ever could, but it's great and inspiring, and did I mention that I'm in it?! So I hope you'll take a peek!

NEVER ENOUGH...Six Months and Counting...

2012-01-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

I'm late by a couple of days, but I can't believe how quickly my release date went from being over a year away to ONLY six months away! I'm terribly excited, and over the next months I'll be dishing all kinds of secrets about this book here on the blog, so stay tuned!

But to celebrate my six month countdown, I've listed my first GoodReads giveaway for NEVER ENOUGH. Just click below to enter to win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Never Enough

by Denise Jaden

Giveaway ends July 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Favorite Books of 2011

2012-01-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

As promised, I've narrowed down my reading list for 2011 to a few favorites. Sorry it took so long. I kept going back over it and changing my mind. This year it was a real chore. Seriously. There were so many books that I absolutely loved, sat in awe at the talent of, and/or can't get out of my mind. There's really no criteria for this favorites list, some just applied so well to things I was going though this year, some just gave me that swirly feeling in my belly that comes back every time I look at the book.

These are in no particular order. It was hard enough narrowing them down--I had to go through my list like ten times--there's no way I could order them further. I'd love to know if you share any of my favorites!

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick
Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
I Know It's Over by C.K. Kelly Martin

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook
Past Perfect by Leila Sales
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

A Couple of Links...

2012-01-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

Life has been crazy again, but mostly good crazy. Anyway, I wanted to stop by and pass on a couple of links...

First, here's an awesome contest that my good author friend is holding. Oh, and did I mention there are free video games? Well yes, there are! And it's super easy to enter. http://peterswiftbooks.com/fright/blog-books-peter-swift-fright-files-horror-fiction/

Also, I've been working on setting up a new blog. Why, you may ask. Well, when I set up this blog (I'm sure some access it through my website at www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html ) but the official address is http://baskinex.blogspot.com . Baskinex is an old word I made up and it only actually means something to myself and one other person in the world. So...I'm finally setting up a blog at denisejaden.blogspot.com

It will take a bit for me to get fully switched over, but if you enjoy reading this blog, please cruise on over there and just click "Join this site" on the right. Then when I do make the official switch, you'll be set up!

Here's the link for that: http://denisejaden.blogspot.com

Happy Monday to you all!

GCC Presents Eileen Cook and UNRAVELING ISOBEL!

2012-01-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

It's not often that I get the opportunity to read a book before I spotlight it on my blog (I try to spotlight it when it first releases) and it's even more rare that I get an early chance to read AND I count it as one of my favorite books.

But it doesn't surprise me at all that Eileen Cook's latest release fits into that category. It's kind of strange being all fangirly with one of your friends, but that's just the kind of relationship I have with her. She's a great person all around, hilarious, I love hanging out with her, and her writing blows me away.

Pick up this book. You will love it too.

And it's not just me that thinks this book is awesome. Here's what others are saying...

"Thrilling and creepy, super sexy, and so very hilarious." --Lisa McMann, bestselling author of the Wake trilogy

“Ideal for readers who like their stories supernatural but their dream guys human.” –The Bulletin
“Spine-tingling setting….Isobel’s sass and her steamy romance with her new stepbrother will help readers race toward the dramatic conclusion.” --Publishers Weekly

“This blend of paranormal romance, murder mystery and quirky, coming-of-age narrative offers tasty moments….Cook gives readers a fast-paced plot, a likable narrator, and interesting characters.” -Kirkus

"Isobel, all snark and sharp edges covering some intense vulnerability as she continuously checks in to see if she has crossed into mental illness (as her father did when she was young), is a compelling narrator."- Horn Book Magazine
About the Book:

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.
But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

About the Author:

Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

And a quick interview with Eileen Cook:

1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Ghosts, love, fear, courage, challenges, family, and creativity.

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

Hard question, I tend to love them all. In this case Richard, or as Isobel fondly calls him, Dick, was fun to write because he was such a jerk. However, I did fall in love a bit with Nathaniel. Who doesn’t love a handsome brooding boy who has a giant house on the ocean complete with a library and a ghost?

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

If this is really what you want to do then don’t give up. This is a very hard business, but if you keep pushing forward, keep learning, keep reading, keep writing you can do it.

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I always loved writing, although I was terrible at finishing things. I must have had a thousand books and stories that I started and never completed. I did keep a journal. It’s interesting to read it now because I almost don’t recognize the person I was then. Perspective changes everything. Turns out my parents weren’t nearly as mean and heartless as I thought they were.

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?

One of the very best things about being a published writer is that you get a chance to get a sneak peek at some books. I recently read two that I’m raving about- the first is Never Enough by Denise Jaden (You may have heard of her) and the other is The Right and the Real by Joelle Anthony. People should keep their eyes peeled for both of these books in 2012.

Happy New Year Giveaway Hop Winners!

2012-01-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who entered my Happy New Year Giveaway Hop! The following are the winners...

Morganlafey will receive a copy of SWOON by Nina Malkin!
Robinblankenship will receive a copy of FURY by Elizabeth Miles!
Rstephen will receive a copy of WEST OF HERE by Jonathan Evison

Congratulations to all!!!

Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway Hop!

2011-12-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway Hop. Thanks to Babs Book Bistro for Co-hosting.

This Hop Start on Friday, December 30th and runs through January 3rd.

Rather than offering one or two books that you may or may not want for a giveaway, I've opened up an entire bookshelf for your choosing! I've tried to include lots of variety, so there's something for everyone here. All you have to do is pick your top three choices (each person will only win one, but I'll try to get you your top choice)!

In case you can't see them well enough, the books to choose from:

I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE by Laura Lippman

THE HOURGLASS DOOR by Lisa Mangum

THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNO LITTLEMORE by Benjamin Hale

WEST OF HERE by Jonathan Evison

DESIGNATED FAT GIRL by Jennifer Joyner

A LOVE STORY STARRING MY DEAD BEST FRIEND by Emily Horner

JULIET by Anne Fortier

VIRGIN TERRITORY by James Lecesne

THE DIVAS INDIA by Victoria Christopher Murray

THE DIVAS DIAMOND by Victoria Christopher Murray

I LIKE IT LIKE THAT by Cecily von Ziegesar

SIENNA SUMMER by Ann Chandler

PUCKER UP by Rhonda Stapleton

JUNGLE CROSSING by Sydney Salter

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE AND DEATH by C.K. Kelly Martin

HUSH by Eishes Chayil

SWOON by Nina Malkin

REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN by Stephanie Hale

FURY by Elizabeth Miles

Some are gently used, some are advance copies, and a few are even signed. This contest is open to anyone with a US mailing address. I'll give away one book from my shelf for every fifty entries I receive, so the more people you get to enter, the more books I will give away!

Fill out the following form to enter:

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My 2011 Reading List

2011-12-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

Each year I try to tally up the books I've read during the course of the year, just to keep track and share with anyone who's interested. This year was a hard year for me personally, and as you can see by my extensive list, I must have felt the need to lose myself a little in books.

These are listed pretty much in the order I read them. Believe it or not, I am not a fast reader. I usually try to whittle down to my top ten or so, but this year I'm having such a difficult time with it! There were SO MANY GOOD BOOKS. I hope to be back in the next day or two with some favorites, though probably more than ten.

A couple of these I have listed twice because, well, I read them twice this year. And at the time of writing this, there are still three books near the end I haven't finished, but I'm close enough to list them.

The List! Are any of your favorites on here? If not, what are some of your favorite books you read this year?

Title                                         Author

1. The Freak Observer            Blythe Woolston
2. The Education of Hailey Kendrick    Eileen Cook
3. Dirty Little Secrets            C.J. Omololu
4. The Lighter Side of Life and Death    C.K. Kelly Martin
5. Twenty Boy Summer            Sarah Ockler
6. Extraordinary                Nancy Werlin
7. Party                    Tom Leveen
8. Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List        Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
9. Savvy                    Ingrid Law
10. Freaksville                 Kitty Keswick
11. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl     Barry Lyga
12. Personal Demons             Lisa Desrochers
13. Guyaholic                 Carolyn Mackler
14. Revolution                Jennifer Donnelly
15. Scumble                    Ingrid Law
16. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner     Stephenie Meyer
17. Vegan, Virgin, Valentine         Carolyn Mackler
18. That Summer                Sarah Dessen
19. Good Girls                Laura Ruby
20. Beautiful                Amy Reed
21. Scarlett Fever                 Maureen Johnson
22. Days of Little Texas            R.A. Nelson
23. Fall for Anything            Courtney Summers
24. Matched                 Ally Condie
25. Bleeding Violet             Dia Reeves
26. Pretty Little Liars             Sara Shepard
27. Mockingjay                 Suzanne Collins
28. Sorta Like a Rock Star            Matthew Quick
29. The Secret Year                Jennifer R. Hubbard
30. Girl, Stolen                April Henry
31. Invincible Summer            Hannah Moskowitz
32. A Girl Named Mister            Nikki Grimes
33. The Dark and Hollow Places         Carrie Ryan
34. I Know It's Over            C.K. Kelly Martin
35. Across the Universe             Beth Revis
36. Where the Red Fern Grows        Wilson Rawls
37. Please Ignore Vera Dietz        A.S. King
38. The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June        Robin Benway
39. Angel's Choice                Lauren Baratz-Logsted
40. Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer        John Grisham
41. Between Here and Forever        Elizabeth Scott
42. The Summer of Firsts and Lasts        Terra Elan McVoy
43. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks    E. Lockhart
44. Where She Went                 Gayle Forman
45. Chasing Brooklyn             Lisa Schroeder
46. Will Grayson, Will Grayson        John Green
47. Pretty Things                 Sarra Manning
48. Crank                     Ellen Hopkins
49. Swoon                     Nina Malkin
50. Restoring Harmony            Joelle Anthony
51. Five Flavors of Dumb            Antony John
52. Imaginary Girls                Nova Ren Suma
53. Drawing Conclusions             Donna Leon
54. Inconvenient                Margie Gelbwasser
55. Her and Me and You            Lauren Strasnick
56. Divergent                 Veronica Roth
57. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour        Morgan Matson
58. What Happened to Goodbye        Sarah Dessen
59. Fixing Delilah                Sarah Ockler
60. Save the Cat!                Blake Snyder
61. Jumping Off Swings            Jo Knowles
62. I'm Not Her                Janet Gurtler
63. Take Me There                Carolee Dean
64. Stolen: A Letter to My Captor        Lucy Christopher
65. Ballads of Suburbia            Stephanie Kuehnert
66. Hold Still                Nina LaCour
67. Down River                John Hart
68. You Are Not Here            Samantha Schutz
69. If I Tell                Janet Gurtler
70. Cryer's Cross                Lisa McMann
71. Bumped                     Megan McCafferty
72. Perfect                 Ellen Hopkins
73. Like Mandarin                Kirsten Hubbard
74. Moonglass                Jessi Kirby
75. Lola and the Boy Next Door        Stephanie Perkins
76. The Replacement                Brenna Yovanoff
77. Burned                     Ellen Hopkins
78. How to Save a Life            Sara Zarr
79. Virtuosity                Jessica Martinez
80. Anne of Green Gables             L.M. Montgomery
81. Illusions                 Aprilynne Pike
82. Don't Breathe a Word            Holly Cupala
83. Impulse                 Ellen Hopkins
84. Unraveling Isobel            Eileen Cook
85. Amplified                Tara Kelly
86. Saving June                Hannah Harrington
87. Clean                    Amy Reed
88. Past Perfect                 Leila Sales
89. Anna and the French Kiss Stephanie Perkins
90. Pieces of Us                Margie Gelbwasser
91. A Reliable Wife                Robert Goolrick
92. So Much Closer                Susane Colasanti
93. Invincible Summer         Hannah Moskowitz
94. Wanderlove                 Kirsten Hubbard
95. Tricks                    Ellen Hopkins
96. The Broken Thing            Peter Swift

GCC Presents Laurie Faria Stolarz and DEADLY LITTLE VOICES

2011-12-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to highlight another member of the Girlfriend's Cyber Circut, who has a book releasing this week. DEADLY LITTLE VOICES by Laurie Faria Stolarz just released from Disney/Hyperion Books for Children.

Synopsis:
Camelia Hammond thought her powers of psychometry gave her only the ability to sense the future through touch. But now she’s started to hear voices. Cruel voices. Berating her, telling her how ugly she is, that she has no talent, and that she'd be better off dead. Camelia is terrified for her mental stability, especially since her deranged aunt with a suicidal history, has just moved into the house. As if all of that weren't torturing enough, Camelia's ex-boyfriend, Ben, for whom she still harbors feelings and who has similar psychometric abilities, has started seeing someone else. Even her closest friends, Kimmie and Wes, are unsure how to handle her erratic behavior.
With the line between reality and dream consistently blurred, Camelia turns to pottery to get a grip on her emotions. She begins sculpting a figure skater, only to receive frightening premonitions that someone's in danger. But who is the intended victim? And how can Camelia help that person when she’s on the brink of losing her own sanity?

An excerpt from DEADLY LITTLE VOICES:
“You’re just one big fat joke,” the voice hisses.
I cover my ears, but the insults keep coming.
“Just do it,” a voice whispers. It’s followed by more voices, of different people. They talk over each other and mingle together, producing one clear cut message – that I’m a waste of a life.
I rock back and forth, trying to remain in control. I smother my ears with the sheet. Press my forehead against my knees. Pound my heels into the floor, bracing myself for what comes next.
Meanwhile, there’s a drilling sensation inside my head; it pushes through the bones of my skull, and makes me think that I’m going crazy.
“Please,” I whisper. More tears sting my eyes. I shake my head, wondering if maybe I’m already dead, if maybe the voices are part of hell.

Check out the book trailers:
DEADLY LITTLE SECRET: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fzMpVMy2fQ
DEADLY LITTLE LIES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Qk0VG2Nz0
DEADLY LITTLE GAMES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc8N4Q0YDuM

Praise for the TOUCH series:
Texas Tayshas List, 2010 (DLS)

Children’s Book Council’s 2010 & 2011 Teen Choice Book of the Year Nominee

Reluctant Reader Quick Pick Nominees, 2010 & 2011, American Library Association

Teens@Random, Favorite Book of 2009 (DLS)

Gold Star Award, TeensReadToo.com, 2009 (DLL)

"...lively first-person narrative.... CW-worthy dialogue, quirky secondary characters, romance and suspense: a winning combination" - Kirkus Reviews

"An engaging, eerie tale about the darker side of relationships - when it becomes a matter of life and death to know who your friends are." - KLIATT

“The book was full of shocking surprises and revelations, earning the book five stars. This is a must-read for fans of romance, suspense, and mystery because it won't disappoint.” – Teens Read Too (DLL)

"Laurie Faria Stolarz is a master creator of suspense and romance. Her words cause the heart to pound, the palms to sweat, the spine to shiver, and the stomach to flutter. The trepidation born from the anonymous threats will make the pages fly, and the palpable tension between Camelia and Ben as they attempt to ignore their hearts causes the fire to burn hotter." - TeenReads.com

Author Bio: Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, Project 17, and Bleed, as well as the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, please visit her Web site at www.lauriestolarz.com.

Laurie’s Guilty Pleasures:
Favorite snack: Popcorn with soy butter and lemon/pepper seasoning.
Touristy Trip: Paris.
Fashion addiction (at the moment): artfully torn jeans, tall boots, pretty scarves, and Michael Stars tees.
Dessert: Dark chocolate in almost any form - the darker the better.
Fast food: French fries at least once every few months (with lots of ketchup).
Beauty Binge: Aveda haircare products, which includes indulging in high-and/or-low-lights every eight weeks. Also, Caudalie skincare, Ineke perfume (Field Notes from Paris), Revitalash mascara, and Buxom Lips from Bare Escentuals.
Late-Night TV: Real Housewives of (wherever), Mad Fashion, Fashion Hunters.
Chick Flick: Never Been Kissed, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Juno, Green Card, Once, The Devil Wears Prada, Bridget Jones Diary, Thelma & Louise, Mean Girls, Moonstruck, Clueless, Under the Tuscan Sun, and anything with John Cusack.
Nightlife: Pilates in front of the TV (a regular occurrence), answering e-mail (also regular), and dinner and/or a movie out with friends (happens far too rarely).
Cheap Thrill: Window-shopping, tabloid magazines, buying a new lip gloss, a tall cup of coffee from Peet's or Starbucks.
Ultimate Splurge: G2O Day Spa for a massage.

Other Random Info:
Favorite Quote: Perseverance is key.
Favorite cuisine: Indian food – onion chutney, curried vegetables, and kashmir bread. I also love cheeseless pizza from Bertucci's.
Interests: Vegetarian cooking, holistic nutrition, aromatherapy.
Favorite Music: Adele, Fergie, James Blunt, Gavin Rossdale, Tori Amos, Sting, Sarah MacLachlin, Gwen Stefani, Black-eyed Peas.
Hobbies: Walking, napping, cooking, shopping, interior decorating.

For more information, go here: www.lauriestolarz.com

Galley Grab

2011-12-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to pass along a quick update - apparently people are having trouble getting NEVER ENOUGH from Simon and Schuster's Galley Grab program. It seemed to have worked when I first posted the link (I downloaded a copy myself to make sure) but now people are having trouble getting it.

Rest assured, this is in the hands of The People That Know What To Do at S&S and I have high hopes that the problem will be resolved soon. Sorry to those of you who have had problems and/or gotten frustrated. More soon...

Friday Four!

2011-12-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

1. It's December. I guess that's my only real excuse for not blogging more.

2. Well, that and the fact that I'm really enjoying writing these days. I sent a proposal for my companion novel to LOSING FAITH off to Agent Awesome this week. I'm eager to get back to my NaNo novel (have I mentioned how much I love this book??) but my mind has been nagged all week by a new story idea. So I'm taking a few days to bash out some of that, enough so I can remember it and come back to it another time.

3. My son and his two cousins (8, 8, and 6 years old) also took part in NaNoWriMo this year. I still don't have a combined word count between the three of them, but I'm thinking it might be up over 5000 words. I'm hoping to get their stories typed in and bound for them for Christmas (Shhhh, it's a surprise!)

4. I went Christmas shopping for the first time this year on Wednesday night and you know what surprised me the most? They have actual tea stores in the mall now. Small stores that sell nothing but tea. I was intrigued at how a store selling only tea could make it at the prices malls charge for space, so I went in. And okay, I'm kind of hooked. A friend of mine once told me that the definition of tea is = Smells amazing, tastes like water. But I've always been a big tea fan, and these Davids Teas? Pretty much the ultimate in flavor/aroma mixtures. It is expensive (that's obviously how they pay for their expensive mall rent), but I admit, right now I want to give everyone tea for Christmas.

Have you been Christmas shopping yet this year? Any cool discoveries you've made?

Friday Four - Lots of Excitement!

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

1. First of all, I finished NaNo this week! Not only that, but I finished the book I was writing for NaNo, and let me tell you, it was a lot longer than 50,000 words! But it gets better...my 8 year-old son completed his first attempt at NaNo. His goal wasn't 50,000 words, but he wanted to definitely reach over 1000. He made it to over 1600 words! And he's not done his story, so he's still working at each day.

2. In other exciting news...remember how I mentioned there could be an opportunity for bloggers to get easy access to a copy of NEVER ENOUGH (even overseas bloggers)??? Well, the opportunity is here! It has just been launched on Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab program. Follow this link to get your hands on a copy: http://www.galleygrab.com/?asset_url=9781442444287
I hope you enjoy it!!

3. It's been a crazy-busy month between Nano, homeschooling, and moving my mom into her new house. But we're finally almost done with moving and her new place is beautiful. Yay!!!

4. It's December!!! Holy cow, I can't believe it! I"m a bit of a Christmas nut, and yeah, I've had my tree up all year, but my son now has it decorated and it's feeling very festive in our household. I think it's nearly time to break out the eggnog! We're off to our first little Christmas party this weekend. How about you? Have you decorated? Are you excited about any upcoming holiday parties?

My First School Visit!

2011-12-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

I mentioned on Twitter a few weeks ago that I did my first school visit just recently. It was a blast, and the kids were so great to get to know. There was around 60 kids--all grades 6-8--and they were ALL enrolled in NaNoWriMo! Isn't that the coolest thing ever?!

I talked to them a little about my experiences with NaNo, hopefully inspired them a little, and came home inspired myself--both to get my son writing during November, as well as to set up more opportunities to talk to kids about NaNoWriMo.

In between writing over 89,000 words this month, homeschooling my son, and generally keeping up with life, I didn't have time to visit any more schools, but I want to let all the teachers out there know well in advance that I'd LOVE to talk to you class next year about NaNo, hopefully in September or October, if you're interested in participating in the month-long writing stint. I'm happy to do Skype visits or local visits, whatever works best depending on location, but please do shoot me an email if you'd like to set something up!

And a couple of pictures from my recent event... (Notice their rapt attention and their very organized list of all their individual word count goals!)

Thanks again to Cheryl Angst for the invitation. It was great fun!

Teaser Tuesday: 1st Page of my #NaNoWriMo Project!

2011-11-29T07:23:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's a tiny excerpt from my NaNoWriMo draft. It's currently titled MILANO, but I suspect that will change. The book spans three different countries and has taken more research than any book I've ever written. Anyway, here's just a little bit of the opening, about a page and a half. Keep in mind I haven't edited it yet and this is only a first draft. Let me know what you think!

CHAPTER ONE

It should be illegal for girls over five-seven to wear heels. And I’m not saying that because I’m jealous. Believe me. It’s just that when you’re five-two and not a lesbian, there are better ways to spend your day than staring at forty-eight female breasts.

    And to be honest, they all look the same from this angle.

    But then, I guess that’s the point, isn’t it? To look like a herd of perfect, beautiful, tall bodies. That’s why people will come to this fashion show. To see beautiful bodies in beautiful clothing. That’s why it will pay my way to Spain.

    The actual show isn’t for two weeks. Labor Day Weekend, right before school starts up. It’s billed as a back-to-school event, but looking over the rack of outfits the stores are supplying, I’m sure our crowd will be made up of mainly skanky over-forty women and leery-eyed men.

    “Can these hemlines get any higher?” my best friend Tristan asks, spinning in front of the mirror to see if her underwear shows. If she’s wearing any, that is. If there are two things I’ve learned about models in the last six weeks they’re these:

1.    Models are not shy about their bodies. By not shy, I mean they’d walk through the mall in their own bra, or even without it, if it meant getting to the stage on time.

2.    If models wear any underwear at all, it’s usually thinner than the dental floss in my bathroom cabinet.

“Any cheek, Jamie?” she asks me. Tristan is the one and only model I’ve ever met who cares at least a little bit about how much of her goods she’s showing. But she’s still ruled by the dental-floss underwear rule.

“Yeah, there’s cheek,” I tell her with a smirk. “But not under the dress.”

If Tristan’s one thing, it’s cheeky. She’s also smart, funny, beautiful, popular, and fiercely loyal. To me. Which means I’m fiercely loyal right back.

She smirks, because along with being loyal, we can both take a joke.

Yay!!! I Finished!

2011-11-28T15:17:00.000-08:00

Guess what I got today???

89,284 words later, I have completed my NaNoWriMo draft. And believe me, this is a first draft. But it's done and I LOVE so much of it. In fact, I don't even remember much of it, because with that many words, I was writing so fast that scenes literally flew by. But I skipped back to the beginning, just to see how horrible it really was, and surprisingly, I fell in love all over again. I really love the premise of this book and the voice came out just the way I'd hoped.

I have to run for today, but I hope to be back tomorrow with a small Teaser Tuesday excerpt. For others who have been working at drafting, how's your progress?

An Honest Post About #nanowrimo

2011-11-24T05:31:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I'm an official 2011 NaNo Winner! (though I can't claim my winnings officially until the 25th I think). I've actually blown by the 50k mark, which is still quite amazing to me, since I've always been known as an under-writer.

Even at nearly 74k I'm still not done my book, so I'm racing against the clock to try and get it finished by the end of the month. I figure if I don't wander too much, I might get there in another ten thousand words.

But as this year comes to a close, I've been reflecting on my NaNo experiences, and thought I would share, for those who might be interested.

2007 was my first year participating in NaNo. As many of you probably know, my debut YA novel, LOSING FAITH was my first attempt at NaNo (but definitely not my first attempt at writing a novel). I wrote the first draft in 21 days. It came in at around 46k, and I had to pad some of the descriptions and so forth to get it up to 50k by the end of the month.

I took almost a year to revise it with the help of stellar critique partners. I sent out queries to agents starting in September, and by November, 2008 I had myself an agent. My agent helped me with some small edits and then submitted it to editors in January 2009. By April we had a deal with the amazing Anica Rissi from Simon Pulse. LOSING FAITH hit the shelves of bookstores throughout North America in September 2010.

This is the quickest I can imagine getting a novel traditionally published, from conception to on sale. Really, the edits all along the way were not the "rewriting-the-whole-book" variety. And it still took THREE years. Just sayin.

2008 - This year during NaNo, I wrote a YA novel called BELLY UP. And because of my success from the last year, I also decided to write a second novel simultaneously. We'll call this one "The Novel We Don't Speak Of Because It's So Bad." (TNWDSOBISB). I wrote BELLY UP with an outline, revised it a couple of times, sent it to my agent, and I still need to do one more revision before we try to sell it, but I have confidence that one day it can be done. TNWDSOBISB, on the other hand, was written without an outline, just on a spurt of an idea, and yeah, we don't talk about that one.

2009 - This year I wrote a YA novel called PERFECT AIM. It's about a teen archer, and I still really love this book, but it needs some major work before I send it to my agent and so far I have not had the time. I started this one with a 38k outline (yes, you read that correctly). The one problem I found with this is because so much of the story was in the outline, I got a bit lazy while writing during NaNo, and the voice ended up a bit stilted. So that will be one of the main things I need to fix when I go back to revise.

Also, during this year's NaNo, I was under a deadline for LOSING FAITH revisions for my editor, so that kept me VERY busy!

2010 - This year I attempted a companion novel to LOSING FAITH for my NaNo Project. I wrote a basic outline, discussed with my critique partner, and started writing with a basic idea of where the plot would go. I ended up going out of character quickly with my MC, I figured out later because many of the plot points in my outline just didn't suit her personality. So I'm still in the midst of revising this one and the plot has changed so much that it really is a brand new book.

2011 - I've been working on another YA contemporary novel. The working title is Milano, but I suspect that will change. I had a short synopsis written prior to NaNo, which I had sent to my critique partner, which she shredded apart. I went through her criticisms and wrote a return email to her with some ideas of how to fix her concerns. Because of the busyness of life, I never got around to revising my synopsis. I just worked from the email that I had sent back to my CP, and I only looked at that once before November the first. I haven't looked back at it since.

To be honest, this has been my easiest year. I haven't felt blocked hardly at all. It has required a lot of research, but other than that, it has been going just amazingly well. It's definitely the most words I've ever written in a month, and I've loved this story every day I've been working on it. For those who follow my blog, you know I've had an incredibly hard year, and all I can say is that I believe this is just the favor and grace of God, a much needed refresher for my life. I'm so very thankful.

So those are all of my experiences with NaNoWriMo. I hope they help add some perspective to what you may have (or are) gone through, or at the very least, I hope my pain and suffering has made for entertaining reading! :-)

If you're looking to check out a published novel that was originally written during NaNo, there are several on the NaNo website, but some of my favorites (besides LOSING FAITH, of course) are WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS.

Happy writing, and I'd love to hear about your NaNo experiences if you'd like to share!

November Giveaway Hop Winners!

2011-11-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

I had such a great response to the November Giveaway Hop that I get to give THREE books away from my shelf. Unfortunately, my brain was absorbed in Nanowrimo when I posted the contest, and I neglected to have a "name" category on the form. So I"ll just have to announce the beginning of the winner's email addresses (I'll email them separately).

Congratulations to...

wilsondev, winner of CRESCENDO by Becca Fitzpatrick!

Jennifer, winner of THE 13TH REALITY by James Dashner

and xxsquigglesxx, winner of I AM NUMBER FOUR by Pittacus Lore

Thanks to all who entered! Congratulations again to the winners!!

November Giveaway Hop

2011-11-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the November Blog Hop!

This contest will run from November 8-11, 2011.

Rather than offering one or two books for a giveaway, I've decided to open up an entire bookshelf for your choosing! I've tried to include lots of variety, so there's something for everyone here. All you have to do is pick your top three choices!

In case you can't see them well enough, the books to choose from:

I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE by Laura Lippman

THE HOURGLASS DOOR by Lisa Mangum

THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNO LITTLEMORE by Benjamin Hale

WEST OF HERE by Jonathan Evison

I AM NUMBER FOUR by Pittacus Lore

JULIET by Anne Fortier

CRESCENDO by Becca Fitzpatrick

THE DIVAS DIAMOND by Victoria Christopher Murray

I LIKE IT LIKE THAT by Cecily von Ziegesar

THE 13TH REALITY by James Dashner

JUNGLE CROSSING by Sydney Salter

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE AND DEATH by C.K. Kelly Martin

HUSH by Eishes Chayil

SWOON by Nina Malkin

REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN by Stephanie Hale

COOL CACHE by Patricia Smiley

Some are gently used, some are advance copies, and some are signed. This contest is open to anyone with a US mailing address. I'll give away one book from my shelf for every fifty entries I receive, so the more people you get to enter, the more books I will give away!

Fill out the following form to enter:

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

And here are the links to other great contests in this hop:

#NaNoWriMo Tips, Tricks, and Reasons to Start (if you haven't already!)

2011-11-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

The other day I did my first school visit. It was a ton of fun, and most especially fun because I got to talk about NaNoWriMo! I seriously could talk about that all day long.

Since many of you are either A. Enduring the pain and suffering of NaNoWriMo along with me, or B. Think people who try to write a book in a month were dropped on their head as babies....

I thought I'd share a few notes from my school visit. For your enjoyment and/or argument:

1.   It’s only a month.

You can use this month to do all the normal stuff you do, and feel the same at the end of the month, and wonder why your life never changes and why you never accomplish anything great. Or you can decide that this month you WILL accomplish something great. BTW, do you know that writing a novel is really something great?

2.   Do you even know how many people have thought about or attempted to write a novel?
Human nature – we want to be similar enough to the general population to not be a weirdo, but different enough to know we are special – to have a unique story that people would want to hear. Different but still relate-able. That’s why writing is such a popular idea.

Ask anybody you know over the age of 35. I bet they’ve either thought about writing a book or even tried it. So what percentage of those people do you think have succeeded and what percentage have failed? All it will take is 30 days to surpass that multitude of people.

3.   NaNo is a great excuse for not getting your homework done (shhh, don’t tell your teachers this trick).
The next time you have an assignment that you haven’t gotten done, ask your teacher if they’re over 35 (then see point number 2) – have they written a novel? Do they have any idea how much work goes into writing a novel in a month? ‘Nuff said.
4. On that note…It’s a great excuse to stay up past your bedtime. Ask your parents if they’re over 35.

5.   There’s a great energy that comes with a bunch of people all trying to reach a similar goal.
Ride on that energy, and the momentum will carry you through.
Know that others have difficult writing days too, and be a support for them when they need it. Then they’ll be a support when you need it.

6.   Your writing will be much better than you think it is. Even if you think it’s craptastic.
When you come back to what you wrote in a month or a year, you’ll be surprised how many great things you find in there.
NaNo allows you to explore directions you may not explore if you weren’t letting your brain loose.
Always write forward. Kill perfectionism.

7.   Schedule:
I get up half an hour early in November. What’s half an hour?
Write 1000 words when you’re in that sleepy, weird-ideas-sound-amazing! state of mind.
Think about your story during the day.
Come back and write another 1000 words later.
Two chances for your muse to show up. If not one, maybe the other.

8.   Getting stuck
It will happen. It happens to everybody. Write anyway. Who cares if you have to scrap entire sections later? Sometimes you have to take detours to get where you’re going. And often that’s the ONLY way to get there.
Some of my best stuff I’ve written when I’ve been stuck. In Losing Faith, Tessa showed up. She wasn’t in my outline, but my MC was wandering aimlessly, alone for far too long during my “stuck” period. To shake things up, I brought in an unlikely friend.

9.   You will be amazed how impressed people are when you tell them “I wrote a book. Yes, a real one.

Aloha Oe!

2011-10-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

NaNoWriMo is upon us and I'm going to be very busy for the month of November. But instead of saying goodbye, or promising I won't be blogging at all during the next month, I'll say Aloha Oe, which loosely translates to "Until we meet again."

I'll be around throughout the month to let you know how my NaNo project is going, to give away that copy of Losing Faith, and for a blog hop with some awesome prizes next week, but I probably won't be saying much coherent on here otherwise.

Wish me luck! I'm still undecided on which project I'll be starting at seven AM tomorrow. Nothing like leaving things until the eleventh hour...

All the best to everyone else attempting NaNo. It's only a month. Give it all you've got, and I promise you won't regret the effort. You can find me on their site under denisej. And of course I'll be around on Twitter under @denisejaden

Hope everyone has a wonderful November!!

Sunday Boring Post

2011-10-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

I warned you, this post has nothing exciting to say. I'm two days away from blogging every day of October, though, so I must finish!

Last night my husband and I went to a friends house. Kind of a party. Not really a Halloween party. During the day we discussed how it hadn't even occurred to us to dress up in costume and find a fun costumey place to go this year. We think this is a sure sign that we are getting old.

Today I slept until almost ten, which I haven't done in YEARS. Then I had an all day practice with my Polynesian dance group. I'm tired, but the pumpkins have yet to be carved, so I better run.

Let's hope tomorrow's post will be slightly more exciting! Did you do anything fun for Halloween? (Or will you tomorrow?)

Saturday Stuff

2011-10-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Eek! It's October 29th and I almost missed my first day of blogging this month! I just remembered, and I'm about to go out, so a couple of things real quick...

1. I haven't forgotten about the NEVER ENOUGH Cover Reveal Contest. I'll still be giving away my signed copy of a 2nd printing edition of LOSING FAITH, but I just wanted to give a little extra time for people who mentioned they would be featuring my new cover soon.

2. I'm still gearing up for NaNoWriMo, but I'm thinking I may be changing projects at the last minute. My agent and I need to discuss my "Tessa" project before I'll be able to write that, and I'm not sure we'll be able to accomplish that before Tuesday. I do have a couple of other outlines semi-ready, so I hope to look at those over the weekend.

3. I'm doing my very first school visit this coming week! I'm very excited, and I probably would be really nervous, but I'll be going in to talk to a class who's attempting NaNoWriMo, and I love talking about that so much that it's actually keeping me fairly calm. I'll be back to let you know how it goes.

I'm getting dragged away by my toenails here, so I have to run. Happy weekend, everybody!!

How to Write a Logline

2011-10-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend at the Surrey Writers' Conference, one of the most useful things I took home was a simple formula of how to write a logline, courtesy of Luke Ryan from Disruption Entertainment.

During his workshop, he had the ability to make so much of the screenwriting and targeting your audience processes seem so easy. I don't have much time to blog today, so thought I'd pass along his formula.

Fill in the blanks from your work in progress (and if you can't easily fill in the blanks, perhaps that will point you to a potential problem or an area of your manuscript you can make stronger).

I'm interested to hear if you think this is as useful as I do!

Luke's Logline Formula:

____________________ (Main Character) sets out to ___________________________________________________(achieve a goal) but runs into ___________________________________________________(unexpected or sometimes ironic obstacle) and must
__________________________________________________(grow in a way to triumph or face certain doom.)

Thankful Thursday: Book Bloggers, Teachers, Librarians, and Booksellers

2011-10-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

I was going to add this to yesterday's post, but thought that post would get far too long. Because I have plenty of thankfulness when it comes to bloggers, teachers, librarians, and booksellers. In fact, you're even in my acknowledgements for NEVER ENOUGH (I wanted to put you in big flashing neon lights, but that was vetoed at higher levels because of cost). I'm now moving into publishing my second novel. I'm not Sarah Dessen or JK Rowling. And yet, I'm seeing support already, all over the place, for NEVER ENOUGH. My gratitude is huge.

Let me start with Book Bloggers, because you hold a very special place in my heart. You gave my debut book a chance before it was even released, before you had even heard of me, and not only that, but you plastered it all over the Internet, telling others they should read it too. Whenever anyone questions the value of book bloggers, I want to punch them in the nose.

Teachers: I feel for you. You get a bad rap a lot of the time, and I feel worse, because I gave you a bad rap for many years. It's the same kind of regret I feel for not noticing how great my parents were when I was at that age where everybody sucked. You deal with that age--that suck rep--every day. You shape the next generation, and open their eyes to so many great things (like books they might not pick up otherwise). You deserve a medal for putting up with ungrateful kids like I was.

Librarians: Let me just say, that as a profession in general, you are some of my favorite people in the world. There is nothing more refreshing to me than to walk into a building (a library) where I *know* I will end up running into someone passionate about books. I could hang with you people all day long.

Booksellers: Of anybody on this list, I feel a kinship with you. You have to mesh what you love with what sells every day. And sometimes you don't get to sell what you love. But when you do, you make sure everybody knows about it. I'm so incredible thankful for the many bookstores that carried my first novel--that took a chance on me--and even put extra care into displaying my book and hand-selling it to your customers.

This is why, when I received an extra galley of NEVER ENOUGH this week, all of you were first on my thoughts. I wanted so badly to get my next book into your hands. If you fit into the list above, or even if you don't, but you really want to read and help spread the word about NEVER ENOUGH, make sure to sign up and get on the ARC Tour. I hope everyone who wants to gets a chance to read it and I hope you love it!

Thank you again, all of you, for everything you do!

Bloggers! Teachers! Librarians! Want to Read NEVER ENOUGH?!

2011-10-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Eeeeeeee, look what I got in the mail this week:

Even the spine is so pretty!! For those of you who don't know anything about this book yet, it is my second YA Contemporary novel and will be releasing from Simon Pulse / Simon & Schuster in July 2012.

Here's the little back of book synopsis:

Never Enough

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like
her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts
flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it
takes to feel special…even if that means
betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers
that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for
perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a
dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws
from friends and family, Loann struggles to
understand her and make amends. Can she heal their
relationship—and her sister—before it’s too late?

I already put one call out for bloggers, teachers, and librarians who want to read this, and I did receive a number of emails from people, but I thought it would be easier to keep track of to add a form here, then I can make sure I get the same info from everybody. Also, at this point I can only open this up to people with a Canadian or US mailing address. I'm still hoping NEVER ENOUGH will be available some other ways for overseas bloggers. I'll let you know when I have details.

But before I get to the form, I want to ask a few favors from you.

First, this is really EARLY to have an advance copy, but since I only have TWO copies (with one of them I will look like Gollum and his Precious, so don't be thinking you'll pry that one out of my greedy little hands ;) But I'd like to make sure my one "spare" galley makes it through to as many people who want to read it as possible. So I'd like to start it on it's tour right away!

I'd love to ask if you read it, if you'd save any reviews you might post until at least April 2012.

I'd also ask that you be gentle on the book, so it can hopefully hold together for as many people on the list as possible.

Please read and pass on to the next person as quickly as possible, hopefully within two weeks (if you know you won't be able to do this, make a note and I'll try to put you closer to the end of the list).

I think that's it! Please full out the form below thoroughly if you're interested in reading an early copy of NEVER ENOUGH!!

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Spotlight on VIRTUOSITY by Jessica Martinez!

2011-10-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

While away at the Surrey International Writers' Conference, you may think I was hanging in the bar, partying my nights away. But no. My wonderful editor had just sent me a couple of books the week before, and there was one in particular that I Could. Not. Put. Down. So, yes, I was the girl who sat in her hotel room reading every chance she got!

This book captivated me from the first page. I loved being taken into the world of a teen professional performer, as I was one of those (to a lesser degree than Carmen) myself. Did I mention there's a hot British boy in it too?

Here's the synopsis from the back of the book:

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love.

Two weeks before the most important violin competition of her career, she has bigger things to worry about—like growing out of that suffocating "child prodigy" label, and not disappointing her mother.

But it isn't just the wrong time. It's the wrong guy. Jeremy is Carmen's most talented rival, and according to her mother, he's only interested in one thing: winning.

He isn't the only one.

Carmen is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to control performance nerves. But what started a year ago as an easy fix is now a hungry addiction. Carmen is too terrified to quit, but sick of not feeling anything on stage, sick of doing what she's told.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

About Jessica (a fellow Canadian, I might add): Jessica was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. As a child she played the violin, read books and climbed trees incessantly. She went on to study English and music at Brigham Young University, and since then has been a high school English teacher, symphony violinist, elementary school teacher, violin teacher, and mother. She currently lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband and two children.

I don't generally review books on the blog, but when I find a book I love, I want to share it. I hope you'll pick up a copy of VIRTUOSITY and because Jessica is also pretty hilarious, you should follow her on Twitter.

#SIWC2011 Recap!

2011-10-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at the Surrey International Writers' Conference. It was the 19th year, and you know what that means. Next year is the big 2-0, which promises to be a huge celebration. The theme will be Roaring 20's, and there will be a big dress up gala on the Saturday night. Write it on your calendar now: October 19-21,2012.

But I'm getting ahead of myself! What about THIS year? I went to some great workshops and took oodles of notes. I'll have to spend a bit of time sorting through them and figuring out what will make sense to you, but here are a few of the highlights:

On Thursday I took in Donald Maass's Master Class: Impossible to Put Down: Mastering the three levels of story to construct a gripping novel. Don talked about the iron skeleton, upon which the big problem of the novel is built, the scene by scene tension, and the micro-tension.

My biggest takeaway phrase from this class was: "What would you do in your story if you were a braver writer?" Don spent a lot of time helping us wrap our mind around pushing the boundaries and our characters further in our novels.

One of my favorite workshop presenters was my friend, Eileen Cook (and I'm not just saying that because I like her, either!) She came prepared with notes and jokes (she goes everywhere with those), and even movie clips. One of her workshops was on tension (Make War, Not Peace) and talked about how we can take the rules of counseling on how to resolve conflict and reverse them to put our characters into some entertaining situations.

Eileen's other workshop was on the stages of change. Her made-up character "Stan" went on a hilarious and though-provoking journey throughout the class as she took him through the stages of change - starting with getting hit by a bus. If you ever get a chance to take a workshop or writing class from Eileen Cook, I highly recommend it!

I also enjoyed taking a screenwriting class from Luke Ryan, and even though I'm not a screenwriter, I've always found the principals of screenwriting extremely helpful with novel-writing. He talked about appealing to the four quadrants of viewers: under 25 year old men, over 25 men, under 25 women, and over 25 women, as well as what producers are looking for and why.

Hallie Ephron is another great teacher. Several years ago I took a mystery-writing workshop from her, and I still refer back to my notes from that class. This year, I was able to glean some insight on beginnings and endings, and suspense-writing.

There were lots of other wonderful workshops, and I'll be back later this week with some notes. The food was awesome. The company was even better (*waves hello to the Calgary ladies and all the new folks I met this year*) but probably a highlight for most people was seeing Donald Maass strip an auctioned T-shirt off of Robert Dugoni. True story.

Any of you who were not fortunate enough to attend this year's conference, I highly recommend listening to this inspiring (and funny) keynote by Robert Dugoni:

http://booksontheradio.ca/2011/10/21/robert-dugoni-this-day-we-write-live-audio-from-surrey-international-writers-conference/

Conferences and Kismet

2011-10-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm having a great time at the Surrey International Writer's Conference. I've blogged a bit about this idea before, but this conference has reminded me again that kismet is key to the business of writing and publishing. But the thing is, there's not a lot of opportunity for kismet when you're sitting in your house.

I know it's not always possible to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to go to writing conferences. I was extremely blessed this year to receive a grant from the Access Copyright Foundation, which has covered my conference expenses for this weekend. But even if you can't attend a conference, I encourage you to get off of your computer once in a while, get out around other writers, booksellers, librarians, whomever, and get some facetime that's focused on writing and books.

Every time I've come to this conference, or any writing conference, actually, I've had moments of kismet that I can look back on and pinpoint--certain people I've spoken to that have ended up making a difference in my writing life and/or career. In every one of these cases, it took a little bit of coming out of my comfort zone to make the opportunity happen.

This weekend I've seen friends of mine get really impacting writing advice, find new opportunities, and one friend even got an offer of representation right on the spot here. I've had several very informative conversations with professionals about foreign rights, e-rights, film options, and many other things. Not only do I feel enlightened, but I have some new contacts in the business, some of which I have high hopes will be fruitful.

So I encourage you...step out. Talk to someone new about books and writing, and see where it leads. Even if it's a little uncomfortable.

Saturday Stuff

2011-10-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm at the Surrey International Writer's Conference and having a fabulous time. Plenty to do here, so just a quick update:

No, I did not shake hands (or offer a signed copy of LOSING FAITH) to the ex-presidents.

But...much more exciting....I have been able to hang out with some great authors, including Eileen Cook, KC Dyer, Elizabeth Boyle, Elena Aitkin, and the ultra-fun Calgary gals! (One of these ladies even got an offer of representation right at the conference! - Which is understandable if you hear her pitch. Still laughing out loud thinking about it).

Aside from celebratory drinks and laughs, I've also been taking some great workshops! Highlights include a great workshop on screenwriting by Luke Ryan (I'll be back this week sharing his extremely easy way of writing a logline), a wonderful, in-depth master class with Donald Maass on making your book a page-turner, and an inspiring keynote by Robert Dugoni.

And I still have two days left of the conference!

I'm just starting another session right now, but I'll be back with more. Lots to share!

Free! Frightful! Horror-Filled Fun!

2011-10-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

With Halloween approaching, I wanted to let you all know about a fright-filled new ebook. And the best part? It's completely FREE.

It's releasing today (October 21st, 2011), for ages 9-99.

Why will you like it? I'll tell you...
The Broken Thing is a modern paranormal middle-grade thrill ride full of action, suspense, and ghosts. With a main character and best friend that both boys and girls will relate to, the story moves at a fast and frightening pace. It’s fun, scary, and will get kids thinking about what might be out there, just outside of what they can see. And why maybe they’d rather not find out.

Here's a little description:
Stevie Barton loves a scary story, until he finds himself living one! Two days before Halloween in Newhope Nohope, Vermont, Stevie discovers a mysterious antique toy sitting in the spooky forest the townspeople call The Grove. He pockets the abandoned toy, but a local bully drives him deeper into the dark forest. Soon, Stevie learns that the bully is the least of his worries. Something evil slept in those dark woods, and he woke it. Now the evil is after him! Along with his best friend Angie Lewis, Stevie must find and stop the horror before it finds him.

About the Author:
Peter Swift grew up in a small town outside of Philadelphia. He was surrounded by ancient places steeped in legend, mystery, and myth. Dark forests, abandoned houses, and overgrown cemeteries were a very real part of Peter’s childhood adventures and explorations, and his imagination often populated these places with ghosts and monsters, both light and dark.

Where to get it: (The most important part, right?!)
Fright Files: The Broken Thing is the first book in the Beware the Author series. All of the stories are independent of one another, so readers can pick up only those they find most interesting. As a promotion, Peter is giving away this first book for free digitally on his website. If you like it, he only asks that you share it with friends, and consider reading more of the Fright Files as they become available. Please stop by his website and click on the “Follow Me” tab to keep up with the world of Peter Swift’s Fright Files. You can also sign up for his newsletter there, which will inform you as the books become available.

www.frightfiles.com
www.peterswiftbooks.com

I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of The Broken Thing on my Kindle (Yes! It works on Kindle!) and I'm going to read a little each night between now and Halloween (just so I can be really scared by then! LOL. Hope you check it out, and let anyone who has kids who like a good, clean-but-thrilling story know!

#SIWC Madness!

2011-10-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I was excitedly getting ready to go to the Surrey International Writer's Conference, when an email popped up in my inbox from the conference coordinator. The email was instructing all of us "Master Class Attendees" to arrive plenty early today. Why, you ask?

Because--I kid you not--Bill Clinton and George W. Bush would be sharing the hotel with us today.

So I arrived early, as instructed, to this:

In case you can't make it out in the pictures, there are protestors galore (and I'm not going to repeat the things they are yelling!), TV, cameras, there are police in neon jackets everywhere and secret-servicey guys-- complete with the dark suits and little earpieces--throughout the hotel. In our usual "pitch" room, they're right now having the Mayor's lunch with the presidents.

This is just my arrival and it's already very exciting! Can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of the conference!!

Exciting Stuff!

2011-10-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Since revealing my beautiful cover of NEVER ENOUGH, I'm overwhelmed by all of the support!

Today, I've found four bloggers who have featured my new book as their Waiting on Wednesday pick (Thank you!!!) and several more who have written to tell me they plan to feature it soon!

Also, over A HUNDRED people have already added it to their to-read list on GoodReads. In only a matter of days! And WOW, it has a 5-star rating (LOL, okay, that was mine :)

I'm getting packed for the Surrey International Writer's Conference. Very excited!!! If you're interested, I'll most likely be on Twitter, updating what's happening using the hashtag #siwc or #siwc2011 or #siwcya. Or, you know, just check my name.

This has to be short today. Too much to get ready for the weekend. But don't forget to let me know if you've spread the word about NEVER ENOUGH, so I can enter your name for the contest!!

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Greg Fishbone and THE CHALLENGERS!

2011-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

It seems I have some middle grade fiction to highlight this week! Greg Fishbone, the author of this spotlight, is also the creator of Class of 2k7 - A wonderful group of middle grade and young adult authors. I would have been lost last year without my Class of 2k10, and will forever be thankful to Greg for his foresight!

Greg's latest novel, The Challengers, is the first book in the Galaxy Games series of humorous middle-grade science fiction from the Tu Books imprint of Lee & Low Books. Tu Books is dedicated to releasing multicultural MG and YA novels in the fantasy, science fiction, and mystery genres. The Challengers was released in September and is available in hardcover from bookstores everywhere and as an ebook for Nook, Kindle, iBooks, and Google Books.

Greg stopped by for a short interview:

Welcome, Greg! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?

Earth kids vs. aliens in galactic sports!

Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your new novel and why?

I had a lot of fun with El Gatito Grande, an aspiring Lucha Libre wrestler who maintains a secret identity with a mask that he wears all the time. He's a lot of fun.

Tell me a little bit about yourself, Greg.

I've always loved writing and dreamed about writing books like the fantasy and science fiction authors I idolized as a kid: Madeine L'Engle, Isaac Asimov, Douglas Adams, and others. My path took me through a lot of day jobs but I've always returned to writing. In 1999, I joined the Society of Children's and Book Writers and Illustrators and have served as regional webmaster, assistant regional adviser, and conference co-coordinator in New England. In 2007, I formed the Class of 2k7 marketing group of debut authors, which has inspired a new class each year ever since. And this past summer I attended the Launch Pad program at the University of Wyoming where I was drilled in astronomy for science fiction authors.

What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?

I've been surprised by how much there is to learn about the writing, revising, and publishing process. I'm still learning and applying new things all the time!

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Don't try to be a great writer. Be a constantly-improving writer.

Are you swept up with promotion for your book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?

I just finished a draft of the second book in the Galaxy Games series, which is going to be an amazing ride into the galaxy.

What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I wrote adventure stories and fantasy stories in high school, and had a group of friends to share work with. We challenged each other all the time, and it was always fun and exciting. My first idea of writing as a social activity, and I still get that today with my wonderful critique group.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?

I have to give a shout out to TANKBORN by Karen Sandler, another book from the Tu Books launch list, because it's very cool what she's done with the character, the world, and the technology she writes about.

If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where should they look?

My author site is http://gfishbone.com

The Galaxy Games series site is at http://galaxygamesseries.com

And check out the Great Galactic Blog Tour at http://galaxygam.es/tour

Thanks so much for visiting, Greg, and all the best with The Challengers and Galaxy Games!

#Nanowrimo Prep: Make a Character List

2011-10-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Another tool I've added to my NaNoWriMo Prep Chest is a character list.

This should be something you can add to, but basically just a rundown of the characters you hope to include in your novel. Give each a one or two sentence description, who they are, how they relate to different characters. Sometimes I include a line of dialogue or catch phrase. Dialogue helps to make the character immediately full in my mind.

I also add labels, just to remember who's who, when my brain gets all mushy (which it always does!) Here are the labels I use:
PR - protagonist
AN - antagonist
MA - main character (not the protagonist in this case. Just characters who play a major role but are not PR or AN.
SC - secondary character

You can further group your characters as I've done in the following example if you like. This is a fairly complete example, as I have a pretty thorough outline and several chapters already completed for this book, but I'm starting a fresh Character List for my NaNoWriMo novel this week.

Character List – FINDING HOPE

Family:
Tessa (PR) – Main Character. Tough, independent, speaks her mind. "I'm hear, aren't I?"
Tessa’s Dad (SC) – A hermit since his youngest daughter died.
Tessa’s Mom (SC)– Gail/Abigail, left shortly after daughter died. Very "together".
Corey (SC) – Tessa’s younger sister, who died when she was six.

Extended Family:
Shawn (SC) – Gail’s new husband. Bossy, a natural leader.
Hope (SC)– Gail and Shawn’s six year old daughter. Tessa’s half-sister. Tough. Speaks her mind. "What do you want?"

School Friends:
Brie (MA)– Tessa’s closest school friend, who she teamed up with in LOSING FAITH. Is willing to do what it takes to help her friends. Her sister Faith died a year ago.
Alis (MA)– Brie’s boyfriend. Conflicted but sweet. His sister Reena is in a mental hospital since she was responsible for killing Brie’s sister Faith a year ago.
Trev (MA)– English classmate of Tessa’s. Shy, a little nerdy, but good-looking.
Cami (SC)– English classmate, very academic, who has a crush on Trev.
Mark (SC)– Trev’s bandmate who looks a lot more streetwise than Trev.

Peripheral Characters:
Vi Masterson (AN)– Friend of Gail and Hope, but a thorn in Shawn’s side. Irresponsible but good-hearted.
Diane Masterson (SC)– Vi’s mother, who works for Shawn.

This is just an example. If you do anything to keep your characters straight, I'd love to hear of different methods of doing this. This is fairly basic, but it works for me.

The iPod Anti-Connection

2011-10-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was at the gym yesterday, rockin out to the Freaky Friday soundtrack on my iPod, my ear buds blocking out the rest of gym-goings-ons. Now I like my solitude--boy, do I like my solitude--but just this flash of an image came into my brain of days gone by when I'd come for a workout, look across the gym and see I'm not the only who's bopping my head to whatever is on the radio station. There was just a second of connection, and I was thinking about how I miss that a little bit. We're off in our own worlds now, always busy, getting things done, looking for the quickest means to get things done, but I think something gets lost. How few people still share connections in everyday life?

My husband has always remembered people's birthdays--it's always been his thing, and people have always appreciated him for it. This morning he said he thought that Facebook has kind of ruined that for him. Everybody remembers birthdays now, because their computer tells them to, and everybody sends a (usually) meaningless birthday message. I think this falls into the same category.

This all got me to thinking. The great thing about books, at least as an author, is that I feel like that connection hasn't been lost. When I'm working through each of my books, I regularly think about the real people who are going through similar things and how they might find a connection, even if I never hear about it.

Anyway, this is all just me blabbering on. Do you see areas that digitizing everything is taking away connections, or is it just me?

Saturday Stuff

2011-10-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone for their kind words about my new cover for NEVER ENOUGH! I love it too.

I'm off today to watch my almost-eight-year-old compete in his first judo tournament. Very excited, and yeah, a little nervous for him.

I know I keep saying this, but I'm reading some of the most amazing YA contemporary books lately. This week I've been devouring HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Sara Zarr. It's one of the best multiple point of view books, and one of the best books dealing with grief I have read. Highly recommended!

We are finally seeing blue skies around here (thank you, God!) and I'm off to spend as much time as humanly possible soaking it up. So for today this will be very short.

What are you up to this weekend?

NEVER ENOUGH Cover Reveal and 2nd Printing #Contest

2011-10-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

I'm *thrilled* to be able to finally show you the cover for NEVER ENOUGH!

...But, before I do, let me tell you about a little contest I'm having. A month or so ago, my editor for LOSING FAITH sent me a couple of copies hot off the press of my 2nd printing edition. I only need one of these copies for my own posterity, so I'm giving the other one away! (Sorry, I don't have any copies of NEVER ENOUGH yet - I wish I did!) Of course I will sign it with something lovely and heartfelt. And...because I'm feeling extra excited, I will open this up internationally. I'll also be giving away some swag packs for NEVER ENOUGH, so lots of fun stuff to win!

The best thing about this contest? You can do about a zillion things to win (just make sure to tell me what you've done in the comments so I can count your entries). Spread the word, tweet, show the cover, tell your mom how excited you are for this book...or about LOSING FAITH - or review LOSING FAITH... or... about a gazillion other things. Even if you just tell me what you think of the cover, I'll enter your name!

To get you started, here's a link to NEVER ENOUGH on GoodReads. Add it to your to-read list, and there's one entry for you right there!

And now...onto my new cover! Let me know what you think!!!

And here's a little about the book:

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special…even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship—and her sister—before it’s too late?

Librarians or teachers who work with teens! I'm trying to put together a special ARC tour just for you! If you're interested in reading an advance copy of NEVER ENOUGH, please email me at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com with ARC Tour in the subject line and I'll let you know more.

Bloggers! If you want to get your hands on an early copy of NEVER ENOUGH, you can email me too! I'm trying to work out a few different ways of getting this into your hands. And if you happen to feature NEVER ENOUGH as a Waiting On Wednesday pick (first of all, thank you!), please let me know so I can pass it along to my publisher.

As you can probably tell, I'm terribly excited that my second book is finally starting to find its way into the world! Please help me spread a little bit of anticipation for it. I'd so appreciate it!!

One of Those Days...

2011-10-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

I think I've blogged every day this month so far (If I've missed any, don't tell me, because I'm really driven by goals when I think I can meet them, but if I've already failed, the rest of the month will be one long, lonely place around here.)

Anyway, it's pretty much one of those days when I don't have much to say. I spent the morning at the gym. As I mentioned on Twitter, this new gym I'm trying out has MASSAGE CHAIRS! So cool. So after my workout, I've been zoning out on one of them and reading through one of my works in progress to make some notes.

My first pass pages have gone through two of my trusty eagle-eye friends, and so this weekend I'll be going through them. I have two big deadlines I'm working toward at the moment: I need to get three opening chapters to my agent by Monday for a proposal we're working on, and I need to get my first pass pages back to my editor, I'm hoping by Thursday before I go away.

Which brings me to...I'm so excited to have the opportunity to attend the Surrey International Writer's Conference again this year! Things have been more than tight financially for us this year, but I was awarded an Access Copyright Foundation grant which has made it possible for me to go. I won't be signing books on the Saturday night there, but if you bring a copy of LOSING FAITH along, I'd be happy to sign them anytime through out the weekend. And even if you don't have a book, please stop me and say hi. I love meeting writers, and ESPECIALLY ones who read my blog.

I'm off to put together my next blog post for tomorrow, because it is a special one! Remember the cover reveal contest for NEVER ENOUGH I've been going on about....

#Nanowrimo Prep: Mapping it Out

2011-10-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last week narrowing down my ideas (I had three loglines for three different projects and I've decided on one). So now I basically have a main character, a goal, and an antagonist. I feel like I have the A and the Z. Now it's just a matter of filling out B through Y, which, yeah okay, that IS a lot of letters.

So what I plan to work on this week is filling in just a few key scenes in my novel outline. I'm going to try to visual three scenes that will either help my main character toward her goal or prevent her from reaching it (I hope to find a little more about my antagonist in the process too!)
Because I want these to be strong scenes, full of conflict, I’ll be asking myself questions such as: What’s most important to my character? What would happen if I took that away? Where should my protagonist and antagonist first meet in the novel? From a distance or up close? In public, where they may have to put up a front and there are lots of undercurrents to the scene, or in private, which might put my MC in more danger? What would be a good setting for the climax of the novel? What would it take to get my MC to that place?

So what I hope to have by next week is something like this:

A – What state my MC will be in at the beginning of the book
C – An early success for my character toward her goal
F – A major opposition to my MC’s goal
T – Possibly a climax scene, or at least a climax setting
Z – What the outcome of the story will be

I don’t know that I’ll fill in all the letters from A-Z, but I still have lots of my MC’s journey to fill in. This is just a start to help get me dreaming about my new book. I still have extra characters and subplots to add, plus make my MC’s journey a lot fuller.

If you’re continuing to plan for NaNo, I’d love to hear what you’ve been doing!

GCC Presents Kristina Springer and JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS!

2011-10-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to welcome Kristina Springer and spotlight her latest release JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS!
On sale 10/11/11 by FSG/Macmillan
Book Summary:
Jamie Edwards has loved everything about growing up on a pumpkin patch, but ever since her cousin Milan Woods arrived, things have really stunk. Jamie can’t imagine it was easy for Milan to leave her life back in Los Angeles and move to Average, Illinois, population one thousand. But it’s kind of hard to feel sorry for her since (a) Milan’s drop-dead gorgeous; (b) she’s the daughter of two of Hollywood’s hottest film stars; (c) she’s captured the attention of everyone in town, including Danny, Jamie’s crush since forever; and (d) she’s about to steal the title of Pumpkin Princess right out from underneath Jamie!

Praise for Just Your Average Princess:
“This cheerful and heartwarming novel set in a small town will appeal to teens who enjoy YA chick lit.” --VOYA

“It was such a quick and cute read! The dialogue contained a generous amount of wit and snark. As a fan of both, it heightened my enjoyment of Just Your Average Princess even more. I really enjoyed Kristina Springer’s style of writing as well as the cast of characters she created in Just Your Average Princess.”
--The Fiction Enthusiast

“Springer does an excellent job capturing the fall setting, and describing the pumpkin patch. So much so, that I found myself wishing I could find the place and go there! Overall, this is a fun lighthearted read that is sure to entertain. Definitely a perfect fit for the season.”
-Melissa from Goodreads, Teen Librarian

About the author:
Kristina Springer is also the author of The Espressologist, a Society of School Librarians International Book Award Honor Book, and My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours, which Meg Cabot calls, “Irresistible as a fluffy kitten. I laughed out loud and so will you!” You can visit her online at www.KristinaSpringer.com, follow her on Twitter @TinaSpringer, or friend her on Facebook at facebook.com/KristinaSpringer.

The Interview:
Welcome, Kristina! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?
Pumpkin Patch Girl vs. Hollywood Princess.

Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
Milan. She’s so bad she’s good!

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Don’t give up. It’s such a long road but worth it.

What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I journaled and wrote loads of way angsty poetry.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Thanks, Kristina, and all the best with JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS!

Naming Characters

2011-10-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

I've been working on several outlines lately, and one of the most time-consuming things for me is picking the right names. Names always carry with them a set of expectations. Sometimes I like to break those expectations (like in LOSING FAITH, I used Tessa--a name I would normally think of as a soft name--for the tough chick in the novel).

A big problem I have when choosing names is that I'm from a different generation than most of the characters I write about. In each novel I write, there's usually at least one name that has to be updated into this decade. In NEVER ENOUGH, it was the older sister's best friend, originally Susan, which I updated to Jasmine.

Here's another stumbling block: names that sound or look too much alike on the page. In NEVER ENOUGH, one of the main character's names is Marcus. That was fine until the mom of the protagonist--Marcia--came into the picture. Worse, yet, my protagonist was originally calling her mother by her first name! She's now referred to as "Mom" through most of the book, and "Beth" on odd occasion.

A few other things I try to keep in mind are not having too many names starting with the same letter, watching out for rhyming names, varying the length of names (too many four-letter names, for example, can get confusing).

I don't have too much problem changing names in later drafts of books if it's a secondary character. But for main characters, I shudder at the thought of having to change their names. So I try really hard at the outlining stage to at least nail down a protagonist, antagonist, and love interest name that I'm really happy with .

My biggest aim with my MC is to make sure it's a likeable name that won't get annoying over time, and will be memorable. One of my critique partners had the most likeable names EVER for her MC and love interest (not sure if she'd want me to disclose them or not) but I always use these names as kind of a measuring stick when I'm thinking up my own character names.

So I'm curious...what are some of the most likeable, memorable character names you've read?

Here's a list of a few of my favorites in published fiction that I can think of off the top of my head (which have been done, so I wouldn't use these, but I always think of these, and what makes them likeable when I'm brainstorming). These are in no particular order:

Patton
Mia
Kara
Tyler
Etienne
Ruby
April
Robin
Amber
Adrian
Jackson

There are many more, but that's just the top of my head list. What do you think makes a name likeable and/or memorable? Or do you think the name doesn't matter and it's only the character development that matters?

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!!

2011-10-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hope all my Canadian friends have a great holiday weekend! I posted a thankful list on Thursday, but I'm continuing to come up with new things to be thankful for each day. How about you, what are you most thankful for?

Why Write Contemporary YA?

2011-10-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

Mary from Anxirium Blog has put together a great Author's Voice post from different authors (including myself) on why they write YA Contemporary. Check it out here.

If you write (or read) contemporary YA, what do you like most about it?

Friday Four - Writerly Business!

2011-10-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

1. I ALMOST have a cover to show of NEVER ENOUGH! The cover is actually complete, I'm hoping I can have a summary to post with it so it makes it IMPOSSIBLE for you to not want to read this book! LOL. I'll have a little contest with the unveiling of the cover giving away a couple of cool prizes, like a copy of the 2nd Printing edition of LOSING FAITH, and some cool new swag for NEVER ENOUGH. Fun, yes?

2. My agent got back to me yesterday about my outline for the companion novel to LOSING FAITH. It's tentatively called FINDING HOPE, and it will be in Tessa's point of view. My agent had lots of good things to say about my outline, but she still thinks it needs to be a bit more focused. She likes it, though, and is eager to get it off to my editor, as soon as we tweak it a little. Yay!!!

3. Until I heard from my agent, I was working on a new project. I think of it as "the forbidden manuscript" because A. It's about forbidden love, and B. It's not the manuscript I *should* be working on. But sometimes you just have to stop shoulding on yourself and follow your heart. Right? RIGHT?

4. My 1PP (otherwise known as First Pass Pages) for NEVER ENOUGH arrived yesterday, which is basically the interiors of the book the way it will look when it is finished. Not quite as much squealing with this one as with LOSING FAITH. It's a little plainer in comparison. Here's a little glimpse:

But I still love it. Annnnddd...there is an excerpt of LOSING FAITH at the back, so there ARE still butterflies:

I'll be busy petting, er, I mean WORKING THROUGH these pages over the weekend. This is my last, last chance at making changes (at least I think it is. I have heard of authors working on 2nd pass pages, but so far I haven't had any part in that stage) so I'll be going through it with a micro-fine tooth comb, trying very hard to concentrate on every word, paragraph, and page.

How about you? Do you have any writing/revising/reading planned for the weekend?

Thankful Thursday

2011-10-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

To be hones, I've been a bit of a grump lately. So I thought I might be due to count my blessings. And already it is putting a smile on my face. Besides, Canadian Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

1. As always, I'm so thankful that I have a happy, healthy family who loves me.
2. I'm thankful that my mom sold her house.
3. I'm thankful for the community of writers I know and how generous everyone is with sharing their wisdom and experience.
4. I'm thankful for blogging. Yes, it's true. There's something about blogging that makes me feel happy, and I love to see comments and know there are people listening, and I love hearing from old friends as well as seeing brand new names show up in the comments.
5. I'm thankful that I've had a new gym to workout in lately. Before I went there, my husband told me, "yeah, but it's really warm and spread out in this new place." How little he knows me! If there are two things I LOVE warmth and spaciousness!!
6. I'm thankful that my edits on NEVER ENOUGH are practically done. All I have left is a read-through of first-pass pages, which I'm really looking forward to.
7. I'm thankful that LOSING FAITH is still receiving so many glowing reviews, and awards nominations too!
8. I'm thankful for my son and husband's lightheartedness and sense of humor (remind me of this on April first).
9. I'm thankful for all the new, amazing books I've been blessed with lately.
10. I'm thankful for steadfast faith, even through a difficult year.

How about you? What are you most thankful for?

Contemps Blogging

2011-10-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging over at The Contemps site today, spotlighting an awesome book by a friend of mine.

I won't tell you who this author is, but here's a quote I just read from her the other day, which I did not know...

"My editor thought that my (first) book sounded like gay erotic porn because of the first sentences I had. Which my editor made me change."

So if you want to find out who this is and what she's writing now, stop by The Contemps!

Monday Stuff

2011-10-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well, it's October 3rd, and so far I'm doing really well with NaBloWriMo - Blogging every day of October. Of course my blog titles are already suffering. Sigh.

Let's see, what do I have to blog about today...

I added a new little widget highlighting some blurbs and review excerpts for LOSING FAITH at the top of my blog. Do you like it, or is it annoying?

Also, very exciting news for me over the weekend...Several months ago LOSING FAITH was nominated for an INSPY award (An award for faith-driven literature). I just found out that my book was short-listed for the award!! The winner will be announced in December, so please cross your fingers and toes (and your eyes) for me :-)

I finished reading MOONGLASS by Jessi Kirby. I really enjoyed it. As you probably know, I don't usually do reviews on this blog, but as a challenge to myself, I thought I'd see if I could convince you to read it in five words or less (because it really is a very good book!) Okay, here it goes...

Hot lifeguards cliff-jumping naked.

Did it work? Are you going to check out this book???

But seriously, it has a lot more going for it than naked lifeguards, I promise. Here's the summary from GoodReads:

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.
That's all the news I have for you today. Catch you back here tomorrow (probably).

How Awesome is @SaraZarr ? Pretty Freakin Awesome

2011-10-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had it in my thoughts that I might get to the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour - on location in Vancouver. I did have several other things going on, so I didn't know for sure if I'd make it (plus Vancouver is a bit of a drive for me). But I did get there, and I was so glad I did!

More than anything, I wanted to meet Sara Zarr, because, well, she's my hero, and I hoped to get my greedy little hands on her latest book HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, which doesn't actually release until October 18th. I got there late and the place was PACKED, but I did see a copy of Sara's book and snagged it right away. I was directed to get into line or I wouldn't be able to get it signed.

Well...the lineup was about a mile long. No kidding. Granted, it was for five awesome authors (Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Beth Revis, Margaret Stohl, and Sara Zarr). The section of line I was in was all very hyped over Kelly Armstrong. I personally haven't read any of Kelley's books yet, but it was so fun to see groups of teens so excited over books and authors!

We got to talking, and I mentioned I was also an author and passed out a few bookmarks. A couple of the girls in line with me rushed off to get my book so I could sign it for them. :-))))

But in reality, I was there as a total fangirl. It's not all that often that we get great YA authors in Vancouver and Sara Zarr really is one of my favorites. The five authors gave what sounded like a very entertaining Q&A (unfortunately I couldn't hear much of it from my place in line). When they started signing, it seemed like the line didn't move for ages, and at one point I tweeted about being in a very long line with my copy of HOW TO SAVE A LIFE.

The sweet girls who bought copies of my book held my place in line repeatedly while I went roaming the store to check on my seven-year-old. He was doing fine (Chapters has a huge toy section) and by the time I got back, the line had finally moved so we could now actually make visual contact with our idols. Though we were still many rows of people away.

At one point, Sara Zarr stood behind her table on the stage and waved in my direction at the back of this huge crowd of people. As much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, she doesn't know me, so I did what any other person in the crowd would do and looked behind me. There were a few customers, a few Chapters staff members, but none of them were looking back in Sara's direction.

Weird.

So I got to talking with my Kelley-Armstrong-fangirl-friends again, and was lost in conversation, when suddenly who was standing beside me? Yup, Sara Zarr herself.

Apparently she'd seen my tweet and didn't want me to have to wait all day. How freakin' cool is that?! THEN...to make my day even BETTER, when I introduced myself and told her what I wrote, she said she already knew that! So now Sara Zarr AND Elizabeth Scott totally know who I am! (Somebody slap me before I truly embarrass my fangirlish self here.) The day that Laurie Halse Anderson walks up and says, "Hey, aren't you Denise Jaden?" my life will be complete!

So, yeah, I had an awesome time, with an awesome picture of Sara (not so great of me) and an amazing book to show for it. I'm a little sad that I didn't get to say hi to Beth Revis, but I would have had to keep my son in that store for another couple of hours to accomplish that.

Anyway, here's the pic, and the book (which I *may* give away in an upcoming contest after I've had a chance to read it.

#NaBloWriMo and my #NaNoWriMo History

2011-10-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

So there's this thing I saw floating around Twitter last night called NaBloWriMo. Any guesses as to what it stands for? I was lacking creativity last night, so I just asked. Apparently it's National Blog Writing Month - which they're naming the month of October. The idea is to blog every day - AKA Write Every Day. If you want to get more involved, here's their website.

It's probably a good idea, to warm up for NaNoWriMo and all. Not sure I can commit to really, truly doing it every day, but I thought I'd at least start and keep my fingers busy. I'll try to blog a bit more about my process of getting prepared for NaNoWriMo as I do it, but I've been tying up a few other projects first.

At this point, I'm at the brainstorming stage, so not much to share yet. For today, I thought I'd give you a history of my NaNo experience, what has worked for me and what has not.

2007 - First draft of LOSING FAITH - started with a logline/query blurb. Not a very thorough outline.

2008 - First draft of BELLY UP - thorough outline and SOUNDS LIKE THUNDER - without an outline. The one without an outline was fun, and easy to work on during the days I wasn't feeling super-driven on the other one, but it kind of ended up as a plotless heap of *$#$%&*. I've since learned that I need some sort of an outline. The outlined book is still in revisions, and I hope to publish it one day.

2009 - First draft of PERFECT AIM. During this NaNo, I was also in the midst of heavy edits on LOSING FAITH. I had a 38k outline for this one, but to tell you the truth, I think it was over-outlined. I got lazy because of the outline and the writing became stilted. I still hope to go back to this one, but I know it will require a complete rewrite.

2010 - first draft of FINDING HOPE, a companion novel to LOSING FAITH. I'm still in revisions on that one, so I can't tell you for sure about the success of the outlining/preparation, but I did try to go back to a simpler outline for this one, and even though my revisions have been almost total rewrites, the first draft has helped me worked out a lot of issues.

Hope that has helped you some. It actually has helped me, so I'm glad I took the time to get it down.

See you tomorrow...Maybe.

Friday Four

2011-09-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

1. Wow, I blogged FIVE times this week! I can't promise this will be a regular thing, but I do hope so, because it kind of gave me a bit of a feeling of "normal" back. Which I've been looking for for a long time.

2. I learned a few interesting things from yesterday's post (thanks to all who weighed in!) about being a Sprint Writer or a Marathon Writer. First off, in a way, I have been a Sprint Writer for several years, really, because I participate in NaNo. I hadn't thought about that! Also, sprinting doesn't mean I have to take long periods of hiatus. That's the part of it that I've struggled with the most. During long breaks I really lose my mojo. Having ambitious goals really does work for me, though, so I think I'm re-categorizing myself as a marathoner who sprints from time to time.

3. I still can't show you my cover for NEVER ENOUGH (sad face) but I do have a copy of it, sans the tagline, and so I ordered some cool new swag this week. If you're into passing some goodies around for me to help get people excited for my next book, email me your mailing address and I'll pop some into the mail for you when they arrive. Also, with my cover reveal (which truly should be very, very soon!) I will have a special contest and some more deets about how you might get your hands on an early copy. It's coming...

4. Apparently my first pass pages for NEVER ENOUGH will be done by the end of the week (which is, like, today!) Didn't I JUST finish copyedits? This seems really soon, but I'm excited! First pass pages are the first time I get to see the interiors of the book the way they will look in their printed form. It was one of my most exciting times for LOSING FAITH, one of the parts that really made it feel real to me (and also, have you seen the cool little butterflies they added on the chapter heading pages??) This stage also comes with it's share of anxiety of course. This will possibly be the last time I see my book before it's, well, a book. Last chance for changes and all that. I'm not going to talk about it anymore for fear of heart palpitations!

5. I have one more thing to ask before I go (Friday Five again!) I'm thrilled to be part of The Contemps again this year. Our big objective is to spotlight up and coming contemporary YA. Last year, as part of The Tenners and Class of 2k10, I was really up on what would be coming out later in the year. This year I'm feeling out of the loop. So if you have suggestions for me...YA Contemporary that is releasing this fall or next year that you think sounds really awesome...I'd love to hear about it!

Happy weekend, everybody!

Sprint Writer vs. Marathon Writer

2011-09-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

When it comes to physical training, I'm a big believer in the sprint over the marathon. Sprinting increases muscle mass and is not as hard on your joints. Besides, look at the body of a marathoner vs a sprinter!

But when it comes to writing, I've always been a marathoner. In it for the long haul, taking a little bit at a time, plodding along every day whether I've felt like it or not. I enjoyed the process, and even when I had a less than stellar writing day, I always figured my ideas were just brewing and my writing would be better the next day (which it usually was). I know many sprint writers--writers that take months off at a stretch and then come back with lots of time and energy and zeal for their projects, but that has never been me.

In this last season of life, though, I've transitioned into more of a sprint writer. I could say that I've "had to," but I believe we always have choices. To be honest, I don't like it. I don't like myself as a writer this way. I feel like the people who always make excuses of why they aren't getting to the gym. Always looking to "the next big break in their lives" when they'll have time for it. And besides that, my brain just works better as a marathoner. If I have my story in my head every day, even if I only get a few hundred words down on it, at least it's still brewing. At least my mind has opportunities to find solutions to literary problems. When I come back to another "sprint" of writing, I feel so much pressure to be writing while I have this time I've set aside that I don't feel like I have the space to sit back and ponder. I write through things because I have to, but to me they feel mediocre. And worse, I don't expect more from myself the next day.

Are you a marathon or a sprint writer? I'd be interested to hear if you're a sprint writer, why it works for you.

Why Writing History Is Cool - A Guest Post by @Elle_Strauss

2011-09-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned on Monday, my good friend Elle Strauss is releasing her first novel this week. As part of her blog tour for CLOCKWISE, she has stopped by with a guest post on writing historical fiction. Don't forget to comment on this post to be entered to win one of her fab blog tour prizes!

I suppose it's fair to say that the older I got the more interested in history I became. It's the ultimate study in human nature, how man/womankind responds to stressful, unpleasant or unusual situations and circumstances. I think this is why there is such a huge fascination with WW2. How could human beings behave that way? Some to become monsters with the desire for ethnic cleansing, and others prompted to push science to its limits by splitting the atom.

Recent history and ancient history are both fascinating to me and as a writer, delving into historical aspects for research is more than just fact finding. It's about discovering the heart of our characters in the midst. Because as much as some things change over time, especially in the areas of information and technology, the basic wants and needs of people do not. No matter how far back you search, men and women have looked for meaning and purpose in life. They've struggled with greed and lust, anger, betrayal, the desire to succeed and to be loved.

Writing historical fiction has caused me to be a continuous student. I've studied in depth subjects like ancient Rome, World War 2 and Hitler Youth. Writing time travel allows me to mix contemporary characters with my love of history. For CLOCKWISE I studied up on the civil war and another era I can't say (spoiler alert). I'm working on a companion book that's taking me into the 1950's.

It's all very interesting and exciting stuff.

How about you? Do you enjoy reading historically based fiction?

Thanks for having me guest blog today, Denise!

Elle Strauss writes time travel and merfolk chic-lit, light SF and historical YA fiction. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, hanging out with friends and family, and sometimes traveling. She has one husband, four kids and two tabby cats. To ward off writer's butt she does a bit of hiking, biking and yoga.

Gearing up for #NaNo

2011-09-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

It's September. Practically the end of September. For me, this is very late to start thinking about NaNoWriMo, but that's just the way things have gone this year.

I thought I'd share a bit of my process of preparation for those of you who may be thinking of getting involved with NaNoWriMo this year.

For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it's a time where hundreds of thousands of writers cheer each other on to write a novel in a month. My first attempt at this was in 2007, and you can now see that book on the bookstore shelves.

I wrote the first draft of Losing Faith in 21 days, but it took me almost another year to revise the book, find and agent, and then sell it to Simon & Schuster. And even that year doesn't fully cover the time I spent on it. I believe I started brainstorming that book during the summer prior to NaNo. By the time NaNo rolled around, I had a pretty good idea of what the book was going to be about.

My aim is always to start with a logline - or a one-line pitch for the book. For Losing Faith, the original logline was probably something like this: A rebellious teen girl finds out dark secrets about her older perfect religious sister after her death.

Not terribly eloquent, but I started talking to friends about it, and I got the ooh/aahhh response I was looking for. Even more so when I added the word "cult" to the logline.

From there, I worked at developing a fairly thorough outline of where I expected the book to start and where I expected it to go. You see, writing a book in a month is not the hard part. At least not for me. Coming up with the ideas AND writing the book in a month - now that would be hard!

My idea/advice is to not start November 1st with a blank page. At least come up with your idea. And then find out what kind of a reaction you get from it. You'll go into November with more confidence to boot.

Through the next month, I'll be blogging about my own process, plus offering a few tips and tricks to get you ready and excited for NaNo. Are you planning to NaNo this year? Have you done it before? How do YOU plan to prepare?

CLOCKWISE! And a #Contest including LOSING FAITH!

2011-09-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited for my friend, Elle Strauss, whose debut novel is out this week!

“A teen time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.”

CLOCKWISE is launching electronically this week and it’s only 2.99 on Amazon , £2.17 on Amazon.co.uk! To celebrate, Elle is giving away five debut books by authors that you can meet on her blog tour which is happening now.

LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden

THE CLEARING by Anne Riley

THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorkle

PERILOUS by Tamara Hart Heiner

THE HATING GAME by Talli Roland

How to win? Sign up for Elle’s newsletter to enter. For extra entries just comment on any blog in the tour. The more blogs you visit and comment on the more chances you have to win.

Five books, five days, five winners!

And Elle will be back here this Wednesday as part of her blog tour, so make sure to stop back here for an extra entry! (And let me just say that $2.99 makes it pretty darn easy to support this debut author - click on the link above!)

Congratulations, Elle!

Friday Four

2011-09-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

1. I forgot to mention it here, but I was blogging over at The Contemps this week. Our new plan for 2011-2012 is to spotlight new contemporary YA fiction. My spotlight post was for Ellen Hopkins's latest verse novel PERFECT. I also listed a few recommendations of verse novels, but if you have more, I'd love to hear them!

2. Besides out spotlight posts, we hope to be a resource for new releasing contemporary YA on the web. Lisa Schroeder has put a lot of effort into this calendar of upcoming releases. If you're looking for some new contemporary reads, this is the place to check.

3. I haven't been around the social media front for the past few weeks because I've been using every last ounce of my energy re-building our deck. It's been on it's last legs for a while, but we knew it wouldn't last the upcoming winter (or probably even the fall), so my whole extended family got involved and we got it re-built and recovered just in time for the rain!

4. And there's one more thing that's been keeping me busy. I finally bought an e-reader! I had a very hard time deciding, but since my birthday was in July and this was supposed to be my present, I thought I should really get on it. I spent many hours agonizing over the pros and cons of each unit, but finally settled on this one for now:

If you know anything about e-readers, you may be confused, so let me explain. I borrowed my brother's Kobo case while I'm waiting for my case that's on order. I also am using the sticky piece of plastic that came with it for a screen protector until the real one comes. But it is a Kindle - one of the ones that has ads (which aren't bothersome, btw) and only cost $114!

Besides the low price, I decided on this one for a few reasons: It's super-easy to email my own writing to my Kindle and make notes, or highlight as I'm reading. Also, it has the text-to-speech option, and since I'm on the road a lot, I'm sure I will use that a lot. Yes, it's a robotic voice, but especially for my own writing/outlines/etc. I'm okay with that. Hey, it's the closest thing I have to my own audiobook at the moment!

Also, as of yesterday, I can get library books on my Kindle. The only thing I'm missing is not being able to read some epub files, but for the price, this is a great starter e-reader for me.

Happy weekend, everyone!

GCC Presents “Bridge” in the anthology ENTHRALLED by Jeri Smith-Ready

2011-09-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

I'm terribly excited to welcome one of my Class of 2k10 friends back to the blog, Jeri Smith-Ready! Jeri is celebrating the release of the anthology ENTHRALLED, which came out September 18th. Jeri also dropped by for a quick interview (below) and gives The Best Author Advice Ever!

ABOUT THE BOOK

ENTHRALLED: PARANORMAL DIVERSION, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong

This collection of original paranormal YA short stories grew out of the 2010 Smart Chicks Kick It Tour, a multiauthor, multicity, author-organized tour of the US and Canada. With it, these 16 authors hoped to bring a little taste of the Smart Chicks experience to readers everywhere.

Contributors to ENTHRALLED:

Claudia Gray
Carrie Ryan
Margaret Stohl
Kami Garcia
Jackson Pearce
Rachel Vincent
Melissa Marr
Kelley Armstrong
Sarah Rees Brennan
Jeri Smith-Ready
Kimberly Derting
Ally Condie
Jessica Verday
Mary E. Pearson
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Rachel Caine

ABOUT THE STORY “BRIDGE”

In the world of the SHADE novels, everyone seventeen and under can see and hear ghosts, but no one else can. So when Logan Keeley dies and his eighteen-year-old brother Mickey blames himself, they can’t ease each other’s pain or reconcile their rage. Over the course of SHADE and SHIFT, Mickey sinks into a near-suicidal depression over Logan’s death.

“Bridge” is the story, told in free verse, of how two brothers, with the help of a stranger, forge the chasm between them to find a lasting peace.

REVIEWS

“A solid collection of stories...Sarah Rees Brennan's ‘Let's Get This Undead Show on the Road’ follows a vampire in a boy-band and stands out with its perfect blend of snark and sincerity. It's followed in a one-two punch by Jeri Smith-Ready's intense and earnest ‘Bridge.’...This collection is ideal as a sampler tray for paranormal readers looking to pick up new authors to follow or to further explore the fictional worlds they already know. —Kirkus Reviews

A standout among the many paranormal-themed anthologies. -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (Recommended review)

Buy links:

Constellation Books (signed by Jeri): http://www.constellationbooks.com/book/v/9780062015785

B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Enthralled/Melissa-Marr/e/9780062015785

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062015788/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jerismithread-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0062015788

On 12:01am eastern time, Tuesday September 20, the lyrics to a song Logan wrote for Aura (mentioned in SHADE) will be posted here: http://blog.jerismithready.com/2011/09/lyrics-to-logans-song-forever.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. Her nine published books include two series for adults and the SHADE trilogy for teens, about a world of ghosts only the young can see, which concludes May 2012 with SHINE. Like many of her characters, Jeri enjoys music, movies, and staying up very, very late. Visit her at www.jerismithready.com, or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JeriSmithready) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/jsmithready), where she spends way too much time. Logan himself can be found on Twitter @keeley_logan, as can his rival/”brother-in-pulp,” Zachary Moore (@moore_zachary). The boys love to chat with each other and with their real-life fans.

THE INTERVIEW:

1. Tell me about your story in seven words or less.
Ghosts, music, brothers, forgiveness, redemption, free verse.

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours
in your story and why?
I love Logan’s sister Siobhan. She just is who she is and never tries to be anything else. I would love to be so comfortable in my skin.

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Once you submit a book for publication, get to work on the next one—and NOT a sequel to the one you just let go. For several reasons:

1. It helps you distance yourself emotionally from the book you submitted. If it gets rejected, it’ll hurt less, and if it’s accepted, you’ll be able to revise it with a clearer head.
2. If the editor likes your writing in general but for can’t or won’t buy that particular manuscript, they might ask, “What else do you have?” You should have an answer ready, other than “Um, nothing,” or “Um, I have two sequels to that book you don’t want.”
3. Most important, whenever you tackle a new world or set of characters, your storytelling will take a quantum leap in strength and quality.

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I pretty much just wrote for class assignments, but I was very good at fit. I didn’t decide I wanted to be a writer until I was in my twenties.

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?
I just finished Maggie Stiefvater’s SHIVER trilogy. So many tears! I’m a sucker for any writing that truly understands music and the power it has.

I also just read an ARC for INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows, a unique fantasy also infused with music. It blew me away on every level, mind, heart and soul. That one comes out on January 31.

Thanks for stopping by, Jeri, and all the best with ENTHRALLED and your SHADE series!!!

GCC Presents Megan Kelley Hall and DEAR BULLY!

2011-09-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to spotlight a book with a much-needed theme this week. DEAR BULLY releases this month, and below I have some more thoughts from one of the collaborators, Megan Kelley Hall. The other day, someone on Twitter suggested that people pick up a copy of this and donate it to their local middle/high school. I think that's a great idea. Nobody likes to feel alone.

THOUGHTS ON DEAR BULLY

WHY THEY DID IT

Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones formed the group YAAAB (Young Adult Authors Against Bullying) in April 2010 when they both coincidentally blogged about the Phoebe Prince case on the same day. Megan reached out to Carrie expressing her frustration with this case and the fact that bullying that seemed to be growing at a ridiculously fast rate. As a Massachusetts resident and having already spoken about bullying in schools, Megan was horrified after hearing about the bullying that took place in the Phoebe Prince case. While writing her books, SISTERS OF MISERY and THE LOST SISTER, she had to dig deep to make “mean girls as evil as she possibly could. When she heard about all the bullying and bullycide stories in the news, she felt like the bullies had jumped off the pages of her book and into real life. She was also disheartened by the numerous times she’d done book signings and would say to readers, “I hope you never meet girls as mean as the ones in my book.” Shockingly, they almost always said, “We already have.” Carrie Jones was also moved to do something, as she was the target of bullying as a young child due to a speech impediment. Together, they felt that they owed it to teen readers to discourage bullying -- to make it "uncool." Megan Kelley Hall started by creating a Facebook page that kicked off an entire "movement" to end bullying. This was the day that Megan, Carrie and other authors decided to use their platform as Young Adult authors to actually facilitate change and to be a voice for those kids who cannot speak out or are too afraid to be heard.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Right away, a large number of authors jumped on board of this cause -- wanting to be involved in any way possible. The Facebook group jumped from 5 to 1500 members in one weekend and is now closing in on nearly 5,000 members. Carrie and Megan were thrilled when HarperTeen offered to put all of the stories into an anthology. The thought of having 70 authors – well-known, highly successful writers – sharing their personal bullying stories with their fans was something beyond what they had ever hoped for.

The stories in DEAR BULLY come from all angles: from the point of view of the victim, the mother, the friend, the sibling, the classmate – even a few from the actual bully. Some of the stories are light-hearted, while others are raw and emotional. All of them drive home the point that bullying is something that almost everyone has experienced. And while that is a sad fact, they want to prove that it's not a rite of passage. It doesn't make you stronger, wiser, or better. But it is something that can be overcome, something that can be changed, something that is relatable, and something that one should never be ashamed of. Through these stories, the authors want to show that they understand what teens are going through today. It is important to encourage bystanders to speak up and make bullying unacceptable. Parents and adults must get involved. Bullying is something that people no longer have to endure--at least, not by themselves.

Though quite a lofty mission, the goal of DEAR BULLY is to help just one person get through a difficult time, and hopefully make bullying a thing of the past.

Don't forget to join the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dearbully, visit the website at www.dearbully.com, or follow DEAR BULLY on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dearbully.

IN THE NEWS:

“FIGHT BACK WITH WORDS. Better Homes & Gardens recommends DEAR BULLY: Remind youngsters heading back to school that getting picked on is tough—but that words can also heal as much as they can hurt, as one anthology proves.” – Better Homes & Gardens
“This anthology of personal essays provides empathetic and heartfelt stories from each corner of the schoolyard: the bullied, the bystander and the bully himself are all represented. Their words will be a welcome palliative or a wise pre-emptive defense against the trials of adolescent social dynamics.” --New York Times

“Two of them, both authors of novels for young adults (Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones), have drawn on the power of the written word to focus attention on the problem and offer solace to the bullied.” – --The Boston Globe

“You’ll love it if… You know someone (or are someone) who’s ever been involved in any type of bullying incident. There’s something in it for everyone, on all sides of the spectrum. You’ll love it even more if you can find a story that inspires you to help someone else.” – Seventeen.com
“With authority often turning a blind eye and cyber-bullying rampant, this timely collection is an excellent resource, especially for group discussion, and the appended, annotated list of websites and further reading extends its usefulness.” – Booklist

“Powerful…All of these stories feel authentic and honest, and readers will find a story or a person to identify with, to look to for comfort or guidance.” School Library Journal

“Bottom line is this anthology is a terrific tool for the counselor who can customize the entries to the needs of the victimized student.” -- Harriet Klausner

ON BLOGS

“This should be required reading of ALL young girls (not to mention some adults)….Dear Bully is for everyone who has grown up in this culture where bullying takes place every day, not just in the schools, but in our streets, in our homes, our place of work (and globally).Dear Bully unveils the truth of who we are as a community of people, and it's not pretty.” – New Pages Blog
“This is why I think this book is brilliant: Much like It Get's Better, this is a situation where one generation is reaching back to support the other... When you share your story you are shining a light. You never know who is at sea and relying on that light to get them home.” – Miss New York, Kaitlin Monte “Life Under the Crown” blog

“Dear Bully is a novel that needs to be on the shelves of every school library, and in every classroom. I hope it makes its way to the hands of the bullied and the bullies.” –The Crazy Bookworm Blog

“You Can't Protect Your Kid From Bullies Until You've Done This I was about halfway through Dear Bully, a new book of essays from 70 big name teen lit authors (for my fellow YA fans, I'm talking the likes of Megan McCafferty, Alyson Noel, R.L. Stine, etc.) when it hit me. These were all grown-ups talking about some of the worst days of childhood. And almost none had kind words to say about adults.” – Jeanne Sagar, The Stir and Yahoo Shine

“70 poignant essays that will make your tear and/or cheer. There is literally something in this book for everyone. I cried, I laughed, I wanted to write a letter to my Congressman, but most of all…I learned a few things. Bullying doesn’t take one form and it can occur at any age. This is must have for every library, teacher, and anyone who owns a shelf…or a table. Be a hero and buy this book for someone who is struggling.” –I Read Banned Books Blog

“I wish there had been a Dear Bully book 14 years ago.” --Lost in the Library Blog

“I personally think that this book should be required reading for all kids in the 7th grade. I’d even be so bold as to say a compilation for younger kids should be written as well.” --Confessions of a Real Librarian Blog

GOODREADS REVIEWS

“This collection is so important and it couldn't come at a better time. This book should be in every administrator's office (their predecessor's failing to address this issue is a common thread woven through the experiences shaed), every media specialist's office, every counselor's office, and in the classroom libraries of every teacher works with these students who stories have not been told. . .yet. Here is the catalyst for discussion. Here are the authors saying, "It happened to me too. . .tell me your story." --Paul Hankins

“EVERY ADULT who works with tweens and teens should read this!” - Sandy

“Once I get the library's budget, this is going to be top of the list - and I'm buying two copies. I want to have one copy on the professional shelf for the teachers to look at and one on the shelf for the students to take out.” - Sarah

“This is a valuable look at how bullying shapes the lives of both the bullies and the bullied.” - Sarah

“Absolutely fantastic. Heart-wrenching and a reality check for anyone believing that this doesn't happen. I'm recommending this to every librarian I know to put this on the shelf.” - Maya

“What a beautiful, amazing, honest, important book. Five stars isn't near enough to show my love for Dear Bully. I'll be donating my copy to my old junior high.” - Colleen

“I knew I would enjoy this book, I just didn't think it would impact me as much as it did. I wish this could be in every middle and high school in the country.” - Stephanie

“I wish I could individually hug everyone who has ever been bullied. Seeing as how that mission is too tragically expansive to take on, I will settle for shouting, "Bravo!" to all the authors to contributed, and to HarperTeen for publishing this anthology. "Encore!" – Gabrielle Carolina

“Amazing anthology of stories about bullying (victimization, perpetration, being a bystander). I mean, what can I say? This collection moved me beyond words. Teachers, parents, and librarians NEED to share this book with their teens. Core title for all teen/ya collections.” - Lalitha

“It's another stark reminder that kids can't do this on their own. They need our help. Thank you to all 70 of these authors and Megan and Carrie for helping me not only set to rest my own past but to chart a path for my future as a mother.” – Jeanne Sagar, Goodreads

“These writers have taken a stand. It's time for all of us to do so as well.” - Jackie

Copyedits!

2011-09-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

My copyedits arrived this week and I'm super-busy trying to get them completed. My deadline to have them back in NY is September 12th.

Copyedits really don't take long, at least mine haven't. But there is a difference this time compared to last time. Last time, my editor told me to just pay attention to the copyeditor's markings and not bother to re-read the whole thing until my first pass pages came.

For this book I have a different editor, and she has told me that I should make any changes I want during copyedits, as they prefer to get most of the changes done at this stage. So I am feeling a bit panicked, like this is my last chance to make any significant changes.

As per usual, I've noticed I have very little understanding of how and when to use a comma. Some other things I haven't been too skilled at with this manuscript: hyphenating words that don't need hyphens, repeating words, and not putting enough breaks in the text.

Otherwise, it's very similar to my last experience with copyedits, so I thought I'd share a video I made about it last year, for those who are interested.

Happy weekend to you all!

Cover Reveal for CLOCKWISE!

2011-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting writerly things that can happen to me is seeing one of my books launch out into the world. One of the NEXT most exciting things is seeing one of my friend's books launch out into the world.

I'm terribly excited to show you the cover for my friend Elle Strauss's new YA book, CLOCKWISE!

CLOCKWISE will be released first in e-book form, launching September 26 and then in print form in November. More to come on that, but first glimpses at cover art are so terribly exciting, so I wanted to share this for now.

If you want to know more about CLOCKWISE, here's the little one-liner:

Teen time traveler Casey Donavon accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.

Sounds fun, right?!

And here's a link to find out more and read the first chapter.

Congratulations, Elle!!!

Friday Four

2011-08-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

1. I know I've been MIA lately. I wish it was because I've been enjoying the sun that has finally arrived in B.C. Not so. Just busy with life.

2. I arranged for two guest posts over at The Contemps this week, and I have to plug them because they're both so good! On Tuesday, Eileen Cook stopped by to talk about what stresses her out and how she handles it. Who couldn't use an encouraging post about handling stress? *runs back over to read it again*

Then on Thursday, Amy Holder stopped by to tell us about her rebellious teen years--complete with adorable teen pictures of her!

3. I still don't have a final cover for NEVER ENOUGH to show you. Sigh. And I still haven't received copyedits. But I'm not so upset about that part, because I'm trying to come up with a new first page for the book before my copyedits arrive, and I'm having a heck of a time with it. I quite honestly have spent a few hours just trying to tabulate exactly how many versions of a first page I've had for this novel. I don't have an exact number, but it's definitely over 20.

4. I've been reading some amazing books lately. The most recent is STOLEN by Lucy Christopher. Here's a little teaser...

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Friday Four - My Ever-Exciting Life

2011-08-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

1. I haven't been around in a while, but believe me, it's not because I have had nothing to talk about! My life has been a blur. Last week, this happened...

That's the gym where my husband used to work. Um, yeah. It was gutted by fire, and we've been very sad for the owners of the business, but that has also meant big changes for us. We're hoping the dust, so to speak, will settle soon.

2. It was also a difficult week for my family, as it would have been my dad's birthday as well as my parent's anniversary. They say that all the "firsts" are the most difficult, but the nice thing is our family is sticking really close together through these hard times. It would have been my parents' 47th wedding anniversary, which I think is awe-inspiring. I hope to follow in their footsteps.

3. I still don't have a cover to show you on book 2, but I'll say it again...SOON! In the mean time, I've been revising my outline for the companion novel I'm working on for LOSING FAITH. I'm looking for someone with some experience writing mysteries to look over the outline for me when I'm done. Any takers???

4. I finally got my contract in the mail for my second book. It's been in negotiations for many months. I've spent many hours looking over all the small print (all 15 pages of it!) because I want to understand more about the business. This is how it describes NEVER ENOUGH - A teen novel about a girl who idolizes her older (bulimic) sister. Ages 14 and up.

The part that made me laugh out loud (again) is this:

Not sure if you can read that or not, but if not, it says: Theme Park Rights - Reserved by Author.

Yes, to be honest, I would way rather have a theme park designed after one of my books than foreign languages, audio editions, or even a movie. I love theme parks. And when I told my agent about my excitement over this clause, this was her response: "Hmmm, the NEVER ENOUGH theme park. Where...all the rides induce vomiting after you eat!"

I love my agent.

Happy weekend to you all!!

Blogging To Do's

2011-08-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been out of the loop and a bit MIA on my blog lately. I'm still around, just really busy with RL stuff. I thought this would be a laid-back summer, as we didn't have many plans to travel this year, but it has turned out to be super-busy.

There have been some cool things that I want to blog about soon, and I thought I'd put them here as a bit of a To Do List (and a bit of a heads up that they're coming.)

1. Researching the serendipitous way: I've had opportunities lately to hugely expand my knowledge in areas that will help in writing some of my next books. I want to share a couple of stories and encourage you to look for learning in every situation.

2. I have a couple of upcoming workshops that I'll be teaching. One about your online presence, the other about grief in YA. As I'm putting these together, I'll share a few of the greater points on the blog here.

3. I've been reading lots of fabulous books! I can't wait to share a few recommendations and hear what you've been reading.

There's more, but as usual, I can't think of the other eight million things I hope to blog about. But those are a few to get me started. See you back here soon!

Friday Four

2011-07-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

1. I'm off to help out with another bodybuilding show this weekend, this one in Seattle. I admit, I'm hoping for a repeat scenario where I have lots of time and focus for plotting. I've been plotting three books at once lately, which is very strange for me. I'm usually very singly-focused.

2. I've been reading lots of great books lately. AMY AND ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR by Morgan Matson was full of awesome. It was a road trip story, and I don't think there have been many road trip stories that I have not enjoyed. (Another great one of these was Albert Borris's CRASH INTO ME). I'm open to suggestions if you know of more great road trip YA books. At the moment I'm reading FIXING DELILAH by Sarah Ockler--another Contemps Challenge book and very engaging, as well as listening to WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE by Sarah Dessen on audio. Yes, I seem to like authors named Sarah. But come to think of it, aren't there an awful lot of amazing authors named Sarah? *considers name change*

3. People often ask me how many books I've written, and to be honest, I have a really hard time with this question. The more I learn about writing, the more I look back on earlier novels and realize they are far from being done. So my answer usually goes something like this: "I have written around eight novels that are in various stages of revision. Two of them are complete - one in bookstores and another is coming out next summer." But that always feels so vague. Yet, I fear if I was to give a complete picture, the explanation would be very confusing and people would regret that they'd asked. How do you answer this question? (Or do you find it a really simple one and think I'm crazy for over-analyzing it?)

4. My second book, NEVER ENOUGH, has apparently gone off to copy edits. I find this equally exciting and terrifying. I'm hoping to have a cover to show you next week!

Happy weekend to you all! I *think* we will finally have some sunshine.

GCC Presents Jennifer Echols and LOVE STORY!

2011-07-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

From Jennifer Echols, the award-winning author of Going Too Far and Forget You, comes LOVE STORY(Gallery Books; July 19, 2011; $11.00), a provocative and powerful story of teen romance, set against the bustling world of a New York City university.

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions – it’s her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family’s racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin’s college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a local coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter… so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she’s sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He’s joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin’s heart with longing. Now she’s not just imagining what might have been. She’s writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter… except this story could come true.
“A tremendously talented writer with a real gift for developing relationships.”
– Romantic Times Magazine

JENNIFER ECHOLS is the author of teen romantic dramas for MTV Books and teen romantic comedies for Simon Pulse. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her family. Please visit her online at www.jennifer-echols.com.

Congratulations, Jennifer! She stopped by for a short interview:

Tell me about your book in seven words or less.
Erin writes about Hunter. He finds out!

Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
I love Erin’s best friend and roommate, Summer. Sometimes I like to create tension between the heroine and her best girlfriend, but this time I had fun writing this girl who is wholly supportive of Erin and has a pure, innocent spirit.

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Write the book you want to read.

What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
My ninth grade English teacher made us keep a journal. I wrote stories, poems, and (I thought) funny entries about my life, and I credit that experience with getting me started as a writer. It is one thing to talk about writing and a totally different thing to actually do it.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?
CHARLIE ALL NIGHT by Jennifer Crusie. I have not read all Crusie’s adult romantic comedies, but I have read a lot of them. This was not anywhere near my favorite of her books, but it is STILL one of my all-time favorite romances. I love being a fangirl of an author whose books I KNOW will be terrific, and I’m so glad I have more of her books left to read.

Friday Four

2011-07-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

1. I just got back from Sunny Sacramento...sunny being the key word there. Where IS our sunshine, by the way? I had a great time away. Spent one very long day tabulating a bodybuilding competition (my husband was a judge). In between categories, I replotted my current WIP, so it was also a useful day! Besides that, I toured San Francisco and spent lots of time relaxing by the pool. It was exactly what I needed.

2. I had a birthday yesterday...a little sad, since it's my first birthday without my dad. But I was seriously completely overwhelmed by all the birthday messages yesterday. They did make me feel very loved, so thank you all!

3. My family gave me an enormous set of cutlery (you should see my mish-mashed selection, sans teaspoons!) and also some money toward an e-reader. I've been asking on Twitter for e-reader recommendations, but I also wanted to ask here. Do you have a favorite? And why do you love the one you love? I definitely want a black and white one with e-ink, since I really need something easy on the eyes, but I'm not sure what else is important to me yet. What is important to you in an e-reader?

4. I may have mentioned this last week, but this coming Sunday I'll be in Snohomish, WA. If you're in the area, I hope you'll stop by the KlaHaYa Days festival and say hi to me and Mindi Scott (We'll both be hanging around chatting and signing books from 3-4 PM).

I can't believe it's the weekend! Coming back from holidays on a Wednesday night and then having a birthday is totally where it's at! This has felt like one very, very long weekend!! What are you up to this weekend?

GCC Presents Melissa Walker and SMALL TOWN SINNERS!

2011-07-19T05:24:00.000-07:00

ON SALE JULY 19TH, 2011

“A devilishly good read.” —Lauren Myracle, NY Times bestselling author of Shine

SMALL TOWN SINNERS
A NOVEL OF FAITH, FRIENDSHIP AND FAMILY

Small Town Sinners is the story of Lacey Anne, daughter of the pastor and perennial good girl, who is eligible for a lead role in the season’s Hell House production—a role she’s been coveting for years. But when Ty moves to town as casting begins, a new perspective is added to Lacey Anne’s world and she starts to see her tight-knit, Evangelical community in a different light. With the help of her two best friends Starla Joy and Dean, and her potential first love Ty, Lacey Anne begins exploring her own thoughts and feelings about her religion, her community, and her place within both. While this novel deals with provocative issues like religion, teen pregnancy and underage drinking, it is not an “issue” book; the topics are masterfully interwoven into this story of friendship and family.

Early readers agree:
“Small Town Sinners shines a light on the fascinating world of the teenage Hell House. Sit back and let Melissa Walker be your guide. She writes without a shred of judgment and plenty of heart.” —Dana Reinhardt, author of A Brief Chapter of My Impossible Life

“Walker is sympathetic and respectful of her characters’ faith, while putting on display the shocking extremist scare tactics that make Hell Houses, well, hellish.” —Donna Freitas, author of This Gorgeous Game and The Possibilities of Sainthood.

“A non-judgmental, nuanced, fascinating look at the teenage religious right… Walker writes an outstanding contemporary novel with a cast of characters who, far from being portrayed as hateful zealots, are relatable for readers of all faiths. The extremism of Hell House is tempered by the perfectly understandable attitudes and intentions of Lacey Anne, who struggles with what it means to grow up, to question and to think for herself.” –Romantic Times

“Both tender and provocative… Walker creates an astutely balanced portrait of a conservative congregation’s in-your-face response to perennial issues of domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, and suicide, as well as of those who struggle to fit the prescribed Christian mold.” –Publishers Weekly
“This secular story about religious people could easily devolve into camp mockery, but because Walker takes her character’s crisis of faith seriously and sensitively, readers will, too.” –Kirkus Reviews

MELISSA WALKER: Melissa has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. She is the author of the Violet on the Runway series as well as Lovestruck Summer. Melissa manages I Heart Daily, an e-newsletter and blogs for ReaderGirlz, an online community for teens. www.melissacwalker.com

AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA:

1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.
Religious small town girl meets curious boy.

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
I really like Tessa, the older sister of my main character's best friend. She radiates positivity and confidence, and whenever I wrote about her I could picture her inner glow.

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Read everything, good and bad! The good will give you something to aspire to; the bad will make you think, "Hey, maybe I can do this too!" (At least it did for me.)

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I wrote articles for my yearbook and school newspaper, but I also kept a journal that was FILLED with angst and emotion. I still love to reread it (even when it makes me cringe).

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?
I adored Tara Altebrando's DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB. I got so lost in the characters' world that I would be disoriented when I looked up from the book (I love it when that happens).

Melissa also holds regular contests on her blog. Check out July's contest here. Congratulations to Melissa and SMALL TOWN SINNERS!

Friday Four

2011-07-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

1. For those of you haven't heard me shouting from the rooftops (aka: Twitter/Facebook) my new novel finally has a title, and I'm absolutely in love with it. It will be called:

NEVER ENOUGH

and it is tentatively slated to release July 10th, 2012. YAY!!! More to come soon in the way of summary and cover art...

2. I'll be signing books and hanging out to talk with people at the KlaHaYa Days Festival in Snohomish Washington. The festival takes place July 22-23rd, and Uppercase Books will have a booth showcasing different authors during the event. I'll be there (along with the fabulous Mindi Scott) from 3-4 PM on Sunday, July 23rd. If you're around the area, I hope you'll stop by and say hi.

3. I think I need to take a tutorial on iTunes. I love my iPhone, I really do. And I love audiobooks. But often putting the two together is just one big recipe for crazy-making. What if each CD of an audiobook is simply labeled Track 1 - Track 10? All the track 1's from each CD get mish-mashed together. I know there must be a smart way to get around this. But obviously that would take a smarter person than I.

4. I'm getting ready to head down to Sacramento for a few days to visit friends and help out with their bodybuilding competition (my husband and I used to run bodybuilding competitions). I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends, but also? I'm very-much looking forward to seeing the sun. Summer in B.C., so far hasn't been terribly dry or warm.

Happy weekend to all of you! Hope where ever you are that there is sunshine to brighten your day!

Tuesday Recommendation: INCONVENIENT by Margie Gelbwasser

2011-07-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

I don't have an author interview for this Tuesday, so instead I've been thinking about a book I can highlight. Tara Kelly recently started a Realistic Revolution on her blog, where she asked her readers for suggestions of contemporary realistic fiction, with a focus on books that have been overlooked, or may not have gotten the attention they deserve.

I've recently read lots of books I've really loved, but one in particular that I think falls into this category. I'm not a book reviewer, but just want to throw this out as suggestions, if you're looking for something contemporary to read.

Inconvenient by Margie Gelbwasser. Here's the summary from GoodReads:

In fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bondar's Russian-Jewish culture, having a few drinks is as traditional as blinchiki and piroshki. So when her mom's midday cocktails turn into an all-day happy hour, it seems like Alyssa's the only one who notices—or cares. Her dad is steeped in the nightly news—and denial—and her best friend Lana is too busy trashing their shared Russian heritage so she can be popular.

Alyssa would rather focus on cross-country meets and her first kiss with her running partner, Keith, but someone has to clean up her mom's mess. But who will be there to catch Alyssa when her mom's next fall off the wagon threatens to drag her down, too?

I finished reading this book in a few short days. The characters drew me in and the writing was wonderful. I know people usually want to rush out and read The Next Popular Book, but I encourage you to take time to look for some lesser-known gems as well.

Do you have any lesser-known gems you want to recommend?

A Couple of Friday Things...

2011-07-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

First, Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends!!!

Secondly, because I have strong doubts about being back on the blog before Monday, Happy 4th of July to all my American friends!!!

Thirdly, I'm super-busy trying to get these revisions done, but I hope to have some exciting things to share about this new book by next week!

And lastly, I wanted to share a special book with you that came out this week. If you are a fan of contemporary fiction (as I am), if there's one book you should buy this year, it should be this one:

And I'll tell you why...

First of all, if you haven't read a verse novel by Lisa Schroeder, you're missing out. But besides that, Lisa has done an incredible job this year of giving contemporary YA fiction a solid place in the book market through spearheading The Contemps.

I want more great contemporary fiction to get published and I want to thank Lisa for everything she's done to bring contemporary fiction into the spotlight. What better way to thank an author than by buying their latest book? So I'll be picking up a copy of this as soon as can get my hands on it. And I hope you will too! Thanks Lisa!!

Happy holiday weekend to you all!!

GCC Presents Suzanne Young and A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL!

2011-06-28T04:42:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to share a book from another author-friend, fellow-Tenner, Suzanne Young. Her latest novel, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, is on sale 6/21 from Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins

Book Summary:
We all want to be remembered. Charlotte’s destiny is to be Forgotten…
Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?

Praise for A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL:
"A clever and well-written fantasy. Whether Charlotte is an angel or a being less freighted by religious tradition is left up to the reader, but the dilemma of how we can make a lasting impression is a very human concern. Young offers an elegant solution that is well worth consideration."
— Booklist, starred review

“A gripping supernatural romance… An imaginative twist on the timeless battle between dark and light.”
— Kirkus Review

“A beautiful, poignant, and gripping tale of love and sacrifice.”
-Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH

“A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL is equal parts haunting mystery, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, and epic love story. Charlotte’s story captured me—and still hasn’t let me go!”
-Kimberly Derting, author of THE BODY FINDER

A Short Interview with Suzanne:

Tell me about your book in seven words or less.

A story about love and sacrifice.

Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

I really love Onika. It was fun to explore such a sinister side of my writing.

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Keep writing. I thought about giving up several times in this journey. But I kept writing, and it’s what got me through the lower points.

What did you write when you were a teen?

I used to write murder mysteries starring all of my friends.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?

I adored Lisa Schroeder’s THE DAY BEFORE.

About Suzanne:

Suzanne Young currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she uses the rainy weather as an excuse to stay inside and write obsessively. After earning her degree in creative writing, Suzanne spent several years teaching middle school language arts. Now she can be found at home chasing after her two children and poorly behaved dog and writing novels for teens. You can visit her online at www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter @suzanne_young.

Watch the book trailer:

Huge congratulations to you, Suzanne! I can't wait to read it!!

Friday Four

2011-06-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

1. I am consumed in line edits. That's enough to be all four points of Friday Four today, but I have more...

2. The Contemps are accepting applications for new members. If you have a YA Contemporary book coming out between 9/2011 and 8/2012, check out this blog post to find out how you can join us! It's been a great project to get connected with teachers, librarians, and contemporary fans.

3.Things are coming together for my summer 2012 novel! I should have a title by next week, and a cover to show you very soon. Terribly excited about this!

4. I just found out I'll be teaching a Pro Series workshop for the Western Washington division of SCBWI. It's not scheduled until March, but I'm thrilled that my proposal was accepted. Many of you know about the terrible losses I've suffered recently. Well, want to hear something ironic? I submitted my proposal before most of the tragedy hit, and the topic I proposed? Grief in Fiction. Um, yeah. So I think I'll have a lot to share by March.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

GCC Presents Elana Johnson and POSSESSION!

2011-06-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm super-excited to tour this next guest on the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit! You may know her as the organizer of WriteOnCon, an amazing online writer's convention. She's also the author of FROM THE QUERY TO THE CALL, a great resource for writers, and the founding author of the QueryTrackerBlog. Besides all of that, we share the same fabulous editor at Simon Pulse! If you don't know Elana yet, here is your chance! Her debut YA novel POSSESSION just released and we're celebrating it this week on GCC!

About the book:
Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

What People Are Saying:

"Possession held me completely captivated from beginning to end. And what an end! I fell in love with the characters and had countless moments of 'Wow.'"
--James Dashner, bestselling author of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials

"Who Should Read This: Anyone who wants a challenge: This plot is so twisty, I had to read the last chapter twice before I could believe what happened. There's also a very nice balance between badass action and romantic tension for readers who like a good mix of the two."
--MTV.com

“Most [readers] will be drawn in by the love triangle, revelations about Vi and her family, and a dark twist ending that maintains the faintest glimmer of hope.”
--Publisher's Weekly

"This debut dystopian succeeds at suspense and tension.... Revelations come hard and fast." --Kirkus

“Emotion pumps through every scene of this thriller. Given all the urgency and action, the novel’s ending may surprise readers as the heroic adventure turns into a tragic love story.” –School Library Journal

“An intriguing dystopia…A good choice for fans of Pam Bachorz and Ally Condie.” --Booklist

The Interview with Elana:

1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Angry girl + brainwashing messages + cute boys = Possession

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

I really like Pace Barque. He’s the brother of my male MC, and there’s something “quiet” about him that I love.

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Allow yourself to write badly, so you can figure out how you write best.

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

Oh, I hated writing as a teen. I was a math girl. I even have a math minor! Writing didn’t come until much later in my life.

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?

VARIANT by Robison Wells. It’s coming from HarperTeen in October.

All the very best to Elana and POSSESSION! To read the first two chapters or find out more, go to the official POSSESSION website.

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Karyn Henley and BREATH OF ANGEL!

2011-06-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to welcome another Elevensie to the blog today! Karyn Henley's debut novel, BREATH OF ANGEL, releases June 21, 2011 from WaterBrook/Random House. It's a YA fantasy, for ages 14 and up.

Welcome, Karyn! Please tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Angels, immortals, romance in an ancient world.

Sounds interesting. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in
your debut novel and why?

I like the warrior angel Jarrod, because his gruff nature hides a deep heart that struggles with love and grief and commitment to a cause.

Can you tell me a little bit more about yourself?

I grew up in treeless West Texas and now live in Tennessee. The trees are so tall and full in my back yard that I feel I’m living in a park. I write where I can watch the birds and squirrels and see the tops of the trees dance in the wind.

What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?

I was truly surprised at how long it took. In 2004, I got my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where I first began writing Breath of Angel. I began shopping it around even before I graduated. It took me four years to find a great agent and another year for her to find me a publisher. Other friends published right away, and it was hard for me not to get jealous of them and discouraged about my path. Now that my novel is soon to be released, I realize I was blind to the shortcomings of my story seven years ago. It wasn’t ready. I’ve learned a lot doing the hard work necessary to get it into shape – both before and after getting an editor.

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

If writing is really what you want to do, be persistent, keep learning, keep writing. You’ll get there.

Great advice! Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you
give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?

Since Breath of Angel is the first book in the Angelaeon Circle series, I’m deep into revisions of book two. Breath of Angel has a female protagonist. Book two is from the point of view of the male “romantic lead.” It has been fun to see the story from his perspective. And it looks like the promotion of book one and the editing of book two will overlap.

What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I read more than I wrote when I was a teen. Loved fantasy, of course, as well as historical fiction and nature-logs. When I wrote, it was poetry. Haikus mostly.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?

I recently finished Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta. I was totally enthralled.

Sounds great. Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today, Karyn, and all the best with your debut! If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where should they look?

My website: www.breathofangel.com
My Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Karyn–Henley/140411189331787?ref=ts
My Twitter: http://twitter.com/karynhenley
My Blogger: http://maybeso.wordpress.com
My LiveJournal: www.community.livejournal.com/2011debuts

Friday Four

2011-06-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

1. Guess what I saw in Publisher's Marketplace today?!

Author of LOSING FAITH Denise Jaden's untitled novel, exploring the fragile relationship between two teen sisters - one, a gifted photographer, and one, a dancer who struggles with bulimia, to Anica Rissi at Simon Pulse, with Annette Pollert editing, for publication in Summer 2012, by Michelle Humphrey at ICM.

2. Yay! I must admit, though, I'm a bit frustrated at not having a title. This is the book formerly known as APPETITE FOR BEAUTY. It won't quite feel like a real book that's being published until I have something to call it.

3. The brilliant folks at Simon Pulse are, however, working on a cover for this untitled novel. I've seen one mock-up (though I'm not able to show that around yet) and I love the direction they're going with it. I also have a tentative release date in July 2012.

4. I received a hefty set of line edits on the first 130 pages of this book. I was worried about whether I'd have enough mental focus to complete them, but actually it's been nice to sink myself into something else for a while.

I hope you all have a happy weekend. I know Father's Day will be difficult for my family, but hopefully the weather will hold out and we'll do something picnicky together.

GCC Presents Amanda Ashby and FAIRY BAD DAY!

2011-06-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to welcome another author from the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, Amanda Ashby! Amanda's latest novel FAIRY BAD DAY is out from Puffin/Speak this week.

About the book:

It’s going to be a fairy bad day

First, my rightful designation of dragon slayer is STOLEN right out from under me by Curtis Green. Sure, he’s really cute, but that doesn’t give him an excuse.

On top of that, I am assigned to slay fairies. I know what you’re thinking—how hard could it be, right? Wrong! These menacing beasts with their tiny hipster clothes and mocking sarcasm love taunting me. And they won’t STOP!

But the thing that tops my list of stuff to ruin my day? That would be the GIANT KILLER FAIRY that I have to hunt down and slay because I am the only one who can see it. There is someone who can help me. Unfortunately…it’s Curtis.

About Amanda:
Amanda Ashby was born in Australia, and has spent the last fifteen years dividing her time between England and New Zealand before finally deciding that to move home. When she's not moving country, she likes to write books (okay, she also likes to eat chocolate, watch television and sit around doing not much, but let's just keep that amongst ourselves, shall we?)
She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. As well as writing, she works part-time at the children/teen desk of her local library, which basically means that someone pays her to talk about books. Her debut book, You Had Me at Halo was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award, and her first young adult book Zombie Queen of Newbury High was listed by the New York Public Library's Stuff for the Teen Age 2010.

A short interview with Amanda:
1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Funny, cute and full of skittles!

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

I have some little fairies in the book that spend most of the time making Emma’s life hell and they were lots of fun to write. I tend to get a bit carried away with secondary characters and these guys are the perfect example. All they do is mock people, hang out at the mall and moon people!!!!

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

If you’re writing for publication then you need to keep the faith and believe in yourself. This is a tough business that is full of rejection and if you don’t have that little kernel deep down inside to push you through, it can be hard going.

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I didn’t do any private writing at all, however I was always good at creative writing in school and the more people liked what I wrote, the more over the top I became with my writing. I then went to college and studied English and Journalism (which was a sad disappointment when I realized that I had to tell the truth and we weren’t allowed to make things up!). But it wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties that I realized I wanted to actually write books!

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?

Eon by Alison Goodman. She’s an Australian author but the book is out in the US now and it is extraordinary. It’s the story of a young girl who has to disguise herself as a boy to try and become a dragon warrior.

What people are saying:
"Teens with a taste for the paranormal school story and a tolerance for raucous humor will be involved with and amused by this romantic fantasy. The exciting plot, humor throughout—often provided by the little fairies—and relatively innocent romance between characters will grab readers and keep them involved. " Kirkus Reviews

"In a fun mashup of the modern and the magical, Ashby (Zombie Queen of Newbury High) creates nicely developed characters and supports them with strong plotting and zippy writing. Laced with humor, danger, and romance, this book will have readers smiling all the way to the last page." Publisher's Weekly

“Great fairy fun from page one! If Buffy and Harry Potter got together and threw a magical slayer party, it would be the world Amanda Ashby created in Fairy Bad Day. With plenty of laugh-out-loud humor, emotional depth, and cute boy romance, reading this book will guarantee your day is fairy awesome.” Tera Lynn Childs, award-winning author of Oh. My. Gods. and Forgive My Fins

"Fairy Bad Day is fairy awesome supernatural slaying fun." Stacey Jay author of You are So Undead to Me and Undead Much

"I really liked that no matter how mad Emma wanted to be at Curtis, she just couldn't stay mad—not with those beautiful brown eyes and that lopsided grin. I loved the cover design, it really drew me in. This was a very good book and I would highly recommend it."— School Library Journal Vanessa, age 12

Want to find out more about Fairy Bad Day?
http://www.amandaashby.com
http://www.amandaashby.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/amandaashby/

Friday Four

2011-06-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

1. I've taken the exclamation point off of my Friday Four. I'm still not feeling peppy enough to use exclamation points.

2. I'm generally doing pretty well. Still very busy with exhausting details in the aftermath of my dad's passing, but feeling a bit more like myself. I'm even going to go back to the gym today for the first time in months. I don't really care about the workout--my big challenge is to get in and out of there without crying (not that I mind crying, but really, do I have to do it at the gym?)

3. I've finally gotten back into reading. I had thought I had lost my ability to concentrate on books. It turned out I was trying to read the wrong books. I picked up WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman the other day--the day before yesterday, actually--and I'm on the last chapter. I'm really enjoying this book and it's even feeling a bit cathartic to me.

4. I do that often--pick up books where the characters deal with similar hardships as I'm going through at the moment. WHERE SHE WENT is the follow up to IF I STAY, where Mia lost her whole family in a car accident. When I had recently miscarried, I read plenty of novels about pregnancy. I think a lot of people would purposely avoid these types of books that hit too close to home, but I search them out and they really help me process.

This whole topic makes me think of the whole #YAsaves topic on Twitter (there's also a funny parody hashtag - #YAkills - which is quite fun to follow) and the Wall Street Journal articles/opinion pieces that sparked it. I can see that there are two sides to the story--it's too bad that edginess is seen sometimes as a marketing tool. But as for me, personally, I'm very glad I have books that deal with the harder stuff that I can read in the midst of the harder times of my life.

I'm not going to get into a big rant one way or the other. That's all I have to say on the topic, really, but I'd love to hear other thoughts too if you have them.

Happy weekend, everyone!

GCC Presents Jessica Brody and MY LIFE UNDECIDED!

2011-06-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to welcome another guest from the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, Jessica Brody. Her latest release MY LIFE UNDECIDED is out this week, and if you haven't heard about this book yet, this is the place to be! Scroll down to see the fabulous trailer, the summary, and an interview with Jessica.

Book Summary:

PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.

Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.

But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I’m gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!

Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.

But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.

Reviews:
"Brooklyn is a sympathetic protagonist with whom teens will identify. Her journey is fun to read, and decision-challenged readers will learn an important lesson about self-acceptance along the way."
--School Library Journal

"Brody taps into a universal human desire...An amusing coming-of-age story with many funny moments...[Brooklyn's] flustered, off-the-cuff narration should keep readers as invested in her actions as her blog followers are."
--Publisher's Weekly

About the Author:
A few fun facts about Jessica Brody’s own life undecided:
•    Jessica was born in Los Angeles, moved to Colorado when she was twelve, moved back to California after college and now indecisively splits her time between both states.
•    Jessica graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts with majors in Economics and French because she was convinced she wanted to be an “important business woman.” After a brief stint as a strategic analyst for MGM Studios, she abandoned her business background to become a full-time writer. Now she uses her mad spreadsheet skills to build complicated outlines for her books.
•    Appropriately, when writing this book, Jessica couldn’t decide on a title. So she polled 50 of her closest friends to finally come up with My Life Undecided.

The Interview:
1. Welcome, Jessica! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?
Girl lets blog readers run her life.

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
Ooh, toughie! I think I’m going to have to say Mrs. Moody, the cranky old lady who lives at the nursing home where Brooklyn has to do her community service hours (a direct result of one of her notorious bad decisions). Mrs. Moody was really fun to write. She’s very true to her name!

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Write every day. Writing takes practice, just like a sport or musical instrument. And the more you write, the better you’ll get.

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
Actually, I was a pretty big writer when I was a teen. I was just going through a box of old school work from high school and found this Shakespearean style sonnet I was assigned to write in one of my English classes. I read it and was like, “What the heck does that mean?” Apparently I was a little more poetic back then than I am now! Haha. Or I was just a really convincing poser. But I did like to write poetry and short stories. And I even tried my hand at a few novels but never got past page 30 or so.

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?
I just recently read RUBY RED by Kerstin Gier which was just released. It’s the first in a series and I’m now TOTALLY hooked. I’m dying for the second one. The series was originally published in Germany and I’m about this close to buying the German edition and running it through Google Translate, just so I can find out what happens! Too bad I studied French!

Thanks Jessica! Visit her online at: www.JessicaBrody.com.
And coming soon: www.MyLifeUndecided.com, where you can post your own undecided questions, poll the community, and get some answers.

Friday Four

2011-06-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

1. I feel like I haven't blogged in forever. I'm here because I miss it. I miss having casual conversation about the smaller things in life. I'm doing pretty well, my family is slowly adjusting to the loss of my dad. Still really busy with appointments and details and stuff, but getting through it. People have been so incredibly kind, giving us everything from cyber-hugs to flowers and meals. It has all been so incredibly appreciated!

2. My cross-border friend, Angelina Hansen, told me about her wonderful library and even went online to figure out the details of how I can join it. That was a while ago, of course, but I finally got myself a Whatcom County library card this week, and Angelina was right - they do have a lot of teen new releases! I think I have ordered over 20 books to be brought in for me so far (like I don't have enough waiting for me on my shelves!)

3. Losing Faith is headed into its second printing! As an author, I think every step along this road to publication leaves you with different "wants", and that was definitely a big one of mine - that my first book would be into a second printing before it's first year was up. Many of these things are not in our control, of course, so it was a nice little surprise to get a happy email from my editor about it. Yay! We made it!

4. I think I only have 3 things this week. There's not much to talk about in my life right now, aside from the stuff that no one would want to hear about. But I did miss you all and missed blogging and really just wanted to say Hi.

Not Going To BEA Winner!

2011-05-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late getting back here to draw the winner of this awesome prize pack, but better late than never, right?

This beautiful boatload of books goes to...

Chey!

I've also contacted Chey by email, but if you get this first, send me your mailing address to d (at) denisejaden (dot) com and Ill get them out in the mail to you as soon as I can.

Thanks so much to all who participated, and also thanks for all the kind words and condolences over my dad's passing. My family has really appreciated all of your thoughts and prayers. I hope to be back to talking about books here soon, but still just taking one day at a time right now.

Congratulations again to Chey, and hope to see you all again soon!

GCC Presents Elizabeth Scott and BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER!

2011-05-23T04:02:00.000-07:00

As part of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, I'm excited to welcome one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Scott. I've also featured her new book, BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER, on The Contemps blog tomorrow.

Also, if you're not going to BEA, make sure to enter my Not Going to BEA contest, as there's a copy of BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER included in the prize pack!

Onto the interview...

1. Welcome Elizabeth! Tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Small town, family, secrets, falling in love

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

I'm pretty fond of both Eli and Clement. And Katie and Dave, of course!

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Read as much as you can, in as many genres as you can.

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I didn't write when I was teen. I was always "sick" whenever we were assigned "creative writing" assignments.

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?

You can check out books I've read and loved on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/363405.Elizabeth_Scott

Great! Thanks so much for visiting my blog, Elizabeth, and all the best with the release of your new book!

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Amy Fellner Dominy and OyMG!

2011-05-17T05:48:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to welcome another 2011 debut author to the blog! Amy Fellner Dominy's contemporary YA novel, OyMG was released from Walker/Bloomsbury May 10, 2011. It is aimed at ages 11 to 16.

Welcome, Amy! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?

Jewish girl. Christian camp. Holy moly.

Haha. Sounds great! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?

I can’t believe I’m going to pass on the hot guy, but I have to admit that my favorite character is Zeydeh, Ellie’s grandpa. (Zeydeh is the Yiddish word for grandfather.) He’s grouchy and prickly. He spouts Yiddish curse words and talks to ghosts. And his heart is pure gold. He and Ellie have an amazing connection full of love and respect. It’s one of my greatest regrets that Zeydeh is imaginary. He’s the grandpa I would have loved to have.

Can you tell my readers a little more about yourself, Amy?

Random facts: I got sick on vanilla frosting when I was a kid, and I still don’t like it. I hate to shop but I love to buy shoes. I do triathlons—races where you swim, bike and run. I talk out loud while I write.

And here's a little pic, so you can envision her talking while she writes!

What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far, Amy?

How much I didn’t know. Every step of the way has held surprises: copyedits, first pass pages, marketing expectations, ARCs, cover jackets. I’ve discovered that a sale isn’t an end. It’s just another beginning.

So true. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Finish. It’s amazingly difficult to actually finish a work-in-progress. I’m not sure why that is, but it’s true. (Which is why many writers have a lot of beginnings and no endings.) My advice is to write all the way to the end. To finish whatever you’re working on. That, in itself, is a huge accomplishment.

Great advice! Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?

My next book is titled Audition and Subtraction, and it’ll be out fall 2012, from Walker & Company. (I’m so glad to continue working with my editor!) It’s about fourteen-year-old Tatum who could suddenly lose her spot in District Honor Band—and her best friend—when a new guy transfers to her school. Friendships change and romance develops in unexpected places.

Sounds great! What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

Besides keeping a diary, I also wrote a lot of stories as a teen. It appears I had a darker bent in those days. My first chapter book was titled, Cecelia and the Coffin of Blood.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?

The first book that comes to mind is Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman. It’s a new debut and a powerful story about a girl in juvenile detention. I couldn’t put it down, and neither could my daughter.

If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, Amy, where should they look?

Website: www.amyfellnerdominy.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/amyfellnerdominyauthor, Twitter: http://twitter.com/amydominy,

And for a sneak peek of OyMG, watch my book trailer here on YouTube.

Thanks so much for visiting, Amy, and all the very best with your launch! I can't wait to read it!

Update

2011-05-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give a quick update, but I'm not thinking very clearly, so I may just do this in point form.

The "Not Going to BEA Contest" is still on. Scroll down for details and feel free to keep entering/spreading the word. I may be a little late getting back here to draw a name and announce a winner, but I promise I will get to it eventually.

I have a few author interviews pre-scheduled to post on the blog, but other than that, I probably won't be around much for a little while.

Some of you may have heard, but for those who haven't...I was already having a very difficult month, with my health and other things. Apparently things were only going to get harder.

On Thursday afternoon my dad passed away suddenly. Some of you may have already heard,maybe some haven't, but I've been getting lots of emails from people who know me and/or my family well (some very kind words - thank you!) and may want some details. If this isn't you, please feel free to skip the rest of this post and I'll see you again when I'm back to blogging.

The details: Thursday morning my dad went to work on a job appraising a group of seven buildings (he's a real estate appraiser). At around 11:30 he went into one building alone, we think to take some pictures. The building had no electricity, and he was found around four o-clock in a very dark part of the building. He had taken a fall down a long flight of stairs and was unconscious. After being rushed to the local hospital, he was still unconscious and we were told he had several broken bones as well as two skull fractures. They rushed him by ambulance to another bigger hospital to undergo neural surgery. The doctors warned us that he may not survive the ambulance ride. Unfortunately his heart stopped in the ambulance on the way. They were able to restart it for a short time, but it didn't last.

We are all very shocked, we miss him terribly, and it continues to hit us again and again each day. We have a small but very close family, and we are all pulling together to get through it. I was very close to my dad--he was one of the best and most selfless people I've had the privilege of knowing--but each day is getting a little bit better, a little bit easier.

Please go tell all your loved ones how important they are to you. I know my dad knew how much we loved him, but still, I can't help wishing I had one more day to spend with him, one more time to say all the important things.

Thank you all for your good thoughts and prayers for my family during this time. We appreciate it so much, I can't even tell you.

The "I'm NOT Going to BEA" #Contest

2011-05-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I was psyched to go back to New York for Book Expo of America this year. Well, unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. I've faced a few health issues and ended up having to cancel my trip. And I've been very, very sad about it.

But....rather than mope around the house, I've decided to harness my sadness and do something good with it...something that in it's own way will make me happy, because it will make someone else happy.

I have a lot of wonderful books here, and I've been holding regular giveaways from my bookshelves, but I've decided to do One Big Giveaway to make all of us who can't get to BEA feel a little bit better. There are three rules to this Contest of Awesomeness:

1. This contest is only open to those who are not able to attend BEA 2011.
2. Unfortunately I must keep this to people with a U.S. mailing address only because of mailing costs. If you can convince somebody to make media mail worldwide or otherwise cheapen the mailing rates, I would LOVE to open all of my contests up internationally.
3. The chances to win are limitless! All you have to do is let me know where you have spread the word about this contest, and you will get entries for everything you do, even if it's just telling your best friend about it! (If you use @denisejaden when tweeting, I'll be sure to count your entries there.)

As always, you'll get extra points for following this blog, following me on Twitter, GoodReads, and liking my Facebook Page.

Here's a tweet to get you started (go paste it into Twitter right now.)

Not going to #BEA11? Don't be sad! @denisejaden is having a Contest of Awesomeness just for you! http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html

Easy, right? And now for the GRAND PRIZE!!!

One lucky winner will receive an entire box of awesome books! Many are brand-new releases. I'll be drawing the winner's name sometime during BEA, so make sure you leave a way to get a hold of you in the comments or check back during that week.

Here is the bounty of books...

BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER by Elizabeth Scott

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis

INVINCIBLE SUMMER by Hannah Moskowitz

REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly

BEAUTIFUL by Amy Reed

THE SECRET YEAR by Jennifer R. Hubbard

INFINITE DAYS by Rebecca Maizel

THE SUMMER OF FIRSTS AND LASTS by Terra Elan McVoy

ENDLESS SUMMER by Jennifer Echols

Now, go forth and spread the word...a little happiness and excitement for the rest of us this May, including some awesome summer books and three books edited by my amazingly talented editor! Best of luck to all of you!!!

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Clete Barrett Smith and ALIENS ON VACATION!

2011-05-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to welcome another debut author, an Elevensie, Clete Barrett Smith. Clete's debut novel, Aliens on Vacation, releases May 3rd, 2011 from Disney-Hyperion Books for Children / Disney Publishing Worldwide. It's a Middle Grade novel, for ages 8-12.

Welcome, Clete! Please tell us about your book in seven words or less.
Boy gets job at hotel for aliens.

Ha. Sounds great. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character in your debut novel and why?
I really like my antagonist, a suspicious local sheriff who wants to shut down the bed & breakfast for aliens. He's grumpy and sees himself as the sole protector of this little town, so he tries to intimidate anyone who he views as a threat. I think he's hilarious and his scenes were the most fun to write.

Can you tell my readers a little more about yourself?
I live in the Pacific Northwest with my wife and two daughters. I have always loved hiking in the forests here, and my childhood game was to make up stories about fantastic things happening in the woods that only I knew about. I finally wrote one of those stories down and I'm excited to share it with kids!

Well hello from another Northwest writer! What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?
I was most surprised by all of the people reading my book: agents, editors, marketing people, publishers in foreign countries who ended up buying the book. I had worked on this thing in relative isolation for years with only a few close friends and colleagues looking at it. Now the story feels like it's out there in the world and doesn't really belong to me anymore. I wish it well on its journey!

Any advice for aspiring authors?
Get help. Join a critique group, go back to school, read craft books. Don't try to do this all alone.

Great advice, Clete! Can you tell us about anything new you're at work on?
I am currently in rewrites with my editor on a sequel to my debut novel entitled Alien on a Rampage.

What did you write as a teen?
In middle school and high school I took Journalism class and wrote for the school newspaper, where I basically tried to make people laugh. My friend and I had an ongoing feature where we reviewed terrible slasher films. Instead of the traditional "five stars" rating system, we used a little "bloody chainsaw" icon to rate movies.

What's the last book you read that your really loved?
I read The Yearling last year and was amazed. Great characters, laugh-out-loud funny and a story with heart.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today, Clete, and all the very best with your release! If readers want to find out a little more, where should they look?
My website: http://www.cletebarrettsmith.com/Website/Welcome.html

My Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clete-Barrett-Smith-WriterEducatorSpeaker/128946553839867

A Hug for a Not-So-Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

I know that for many women, including me, Mother's Day can be a difficult holiday. There are many women who have lost their mothers, or who have lost babies, or have never been able to have children, and for them this holiday sometimes feels like it brings focus back to their loss, while it seems like it's bringing joy to everyone else in the world.

So this is a virtual hug for anyone who's feeling sad and alone. For anyone who doesn't want to be anywhere near a flower shop or a restaurant today.

You're not alone. And it's good to remember that.

Friday Four!

2011-05-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

1. If you're around the Bellingham or Vancouver areas, I have two events coming up this weekend, and I hope you'll stop by. Details are here if you missed them.

2. Today is my second to last day of teaching my writing class for teens. I never did get around to posting some of my notes from my classes, but I still intend to do that. Sorry! Time just slipped away. Today is an open house day where other homeschoolers can drop in to see if they want to be part of the program for next year. So in other words: now that I've finally gotten my introverted students talking to one another and to me, we have to open it up to strangers! But actually, truth be told, some of my brave students have volunteered to read a bit of their writing to 200-some people on the last day. We've come a long way, baby!

3. I've wanted to watch Veronica Mars for a long time, but my husband was never into it, and quite honestly, I never watch TV on my own. If I have time to myself, I feel like I should be writing, since I don't get enough writing time as it is. Anyway, miracle of miracles, this week I put on an episode and my husband didn't fight me on it. In fact, he enjoyed it, and now we've watched four episodes!

4. It's been a pretty crazy month for me. Actually a couple of crazy months. I know I haven't been terribly insightful or interesting on my blog lately, haven't been writing craft posts or updating much on the publication process, but it would take an entire blog post of its own to explain my reasons. So for now I'll just say that things are looking up, and I'll hopefully be back to my normal self soon (not that that is terribly interesting or insightful either, but you know what I'm sayin').

Happy weekend to you all!

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Jessi Kirby and MOONGLASS!

2011-05-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to welcome another Elevensie to the blog today! Jessi Kirby's debut novel,
MOONGLASS, releases May 3, 2011 from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. It is
Contemporary YA for ages 12 and up.

Welcome, Jessi! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?

Loss, mother, romance, beach, summer, sea glass, mermaids

Sounds great! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?

Another of my favorite characters from Moonglass is the crawling man on the beach. He’s actually based on a real man I used to see and wonder what his story was. In Moonglass, I got to give him a story.

Can you tell my readers a little bit more about yourself?
I worked as a lifeguard for four years, which is where I got many of my ideas for this story. I found a red piece of sea glass on my birthday this year. I have a thing for mermaids and all the myths that surround them.

What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?

The most surprising thing so far has been that it’s actually happened! I still only kind-of believe it. The other thing that’s surprised me along the way is just how long a process it is to see a book through from its initial draft to it hitting the bookstore shelves. I had no idea how many steps are involved along the way, but they’re all well worth it.

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Read as much as you possibly can! It’s the best way to study the craft and artistry of writing. Read the authors you love and pay careful attention to why you love their stories so much, how they speak to you, and what they inspire in you. Then go write!

Great advice, Jessi! Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you
give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?

Right now I’m working on revising my second novel, IN HONOR, along with writing the first draft of my third. Busy days!

What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

Ooh, it’s like you knew me! I did the first three—journals, terrible poetry, and overly dramatic stories. I wrote all the time, and most of it was terrible.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?

THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson. Hands down the best I read last year. I wanted to wrap myself up in its pages.

I couldn't agree more! I loved that book. If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, Jessi, where should they look?

My website: www.jessikirby.com

My blog: http://beachjess.livejournal.com/

Great! Thanks so much for visiting today, Jessi, and all the very best with your book launch!

Bellingham and Vancouver Peeps: Children's Book Week!

2011-05-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

It's Children's Book Week. At least in Canada it is, maybe someone can let me know if this is also the case in the U.S.

As part of the celebrations, I am involved in a couple of different events:

Friday, May 6, 2011 - Yapalooza! at Village Books in Bellingham, WA
I'm thrilled to have been invited for a panel discussion, along with Teri Hall, Alexa Martin,
and Kimberley Derting! This will take place from 6:30 - 8:30 P.M.

Saturday, May 7, 2011 - TD Canadian Children's Book Week, Vancouver B.C.
1-3 PM at the Burnaby Public Library, Bob Prittie Metrotown Branch

I hope to see some of you there!

Ordering From Bookstores by Jeri Smith-Ready

2011-04-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Jeri Smith-Ready and originally posted on her blog. Since she's happy to share it, and I think it's great information, I'm cross-posting it here as kind of a guest post:

***

Has this ever happened to you? You walk into a bookstore on any given Tuesday (the usual day for new releases), giddy with excitement over the book you've been dying to read for weeks. Within a few hours you'll be curled up on your couch with your favorite hot drink, or stretched out in the sun with your favorite cold drink, reveling in the printed word.

You search the store's shelves, the tables, and endcaps. But the book isn't there. If you're feeling intrepid, you check the computer or go to the information desk and ask for it.

Nope. It ain't there. Maybe the store only ordered a few copies and they're already sold out. Maybe the books haven't been delivered yet. Maybe the store simply hasn't ordered any at all.

SADFACE!!

You go home, disappointed, and write the author an e-mail, or comment on their blog or Facebook or Twitter, telling them the store didn't have their book.

DOUBLE SADFACE!!

Now two people feel bad, but there's a difference between these two people.

Because authors have no control over which stores sell their books (oh, how we wish we did). Even publishers don't have that control (oh, how they wish they did).

But readers do. By making one phone call, you can be sure your favorite store will have a copy of Shift waiting for you on or near release day.

After all, your store wants to sell books. An order is a guaranteed sale, so they are more than happy to get a book in for you. Everybody wins!

There are two ways to do this, in order of certainty:

1. Phone your closest bookseller. Here are links for store locators for independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Books-A-Million. Tell them which book you want. They'll call you when it comes in. No wasted time and gasoline on your part--yay!

2. Sometimes you can pre-order it online for in-store pickup, or order it online for pickup once it comes out. But if it's not in stock to begin with, the website might disable this option, and the only way to get it is to call. Here are the links for Shift:

Independent bookstores
Barnes & Noble
Borders

These days, bookstores are buying smaller initial amounts of each book from the publishers than they used to. It has nothing to do with the individual books--it's across the board (not including huge bestsellers, of course). If a book sells out fast, they might reorder it, they might not.

So if you really want to help to an author (and help yourself), pre-order their book at your local store. It will not only help get that copy where you want to buy it, it'll also encourage the bookseller to buy more of that author's next novel. And thus, we get to stay employed. Everybody wins again!

There's certainly nothing wrong with preordering from Amazon or another online bookseller. Authors still earn royalties on those sales. We love you for buying our books anywhere and any time.

But each pre-order on Amazon results in one sale. If enough people pre-order a book from their local chain or independent bookseller, that might convince the store to order extra copies to put on their shelves. Clearly people want this book! So a pre-order (or an order) to your neighborhood store might ultimately result in two, three, five, or ten sales.

I know, the business of bookselling is really confusing, and it's changing every day. I can't guarantee that your store will be carrying Shift next Tuesday, or at all.

But you can. You have the power. USE THE FORCE, LUKE! Or, you know, the telephone.

Thanks--you rock!

***

Thank you, Jeri and congrats on your upcoming release of Shift! One thing I just want to add, because as a reader I never really considered this. While there's nothing morally wrong or illegal with buying books used, unfortunately none of the proceeds get to the author that way. Rather than buying used books, I now save myself the two or three dollars (plus shipping) and check them out from my library (or ask my library to order them if they don't already carry them). Heaven knows most of us can't afford to buy every book we want to read brand new, but library sales do still benefit authors - and hey, isn't "free" the best price?

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Winners!

2011-04-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all those who entered the Hoppy Easter Eggstraveganza Contest!

I had several hundred entries, so as promised, I will give away three books from my shelves. There were a few people who couldn't read the titles, and I apologize for my lame camera, but rest assured, everyone's name did go into the hat, whether you had chosen books or not.

The winners are...

WAKE will go to Leebee19!

LOSING FAITH will go to Stellarbookblog!

PERSONAL DEMONS will go to brittanylovesbooks!

Congrats to all, and thanks so much for entering!

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Allan Woodrow and THE ROTTEN ADVENTURES OF ZACHARY RUTHLESS!

2011-04-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today I'm happy to welcome another debut author from The Elevensies. Allan Woodrow's first novel, The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless, releases May 1, 2011 from Harper/HarperCollins. It is a Humorous Middle Grade, for ages 8-12.

Welcome, Allan! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?
World's most evil kid, up to rottenness.

Ha. Sounds great! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?
Zachary Ruthless would be helpless without his henchman, Newt. But despite his lofty evil position, doubts remains about Newt's true rottenness. After all, he has freckles and evil people never have freckles. True, one of his freckles looks like a small rat. Well, maybe it's the shape of a kitten. No, definitely a rat. But he does play a "Jiminy Cricket" role to help guide Zachary down less evil paths. He's the "heart" of the books.
Can you tell my readers a little bit more about yourself, Allan?
Growing up, I was cursed with a boring, happy and loving family, giving me nothing interesting to write about. I resented it for years. Eventually, a voice inside my head convinced me to write children’s books. At least that’s what I think the voice said; i had a head cold at the time. The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless is my debut novel, with additional Adventures launching every six months. Additionally, I have written for TV and work as an advertising Copywriter and Creative Director. I live in the Chicago area with my family and two goldfish. The goldfish are wanted in 22 states.

What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?
Although I write this sheepishly ... how easy it was. I didn't write for years and get tons of rejection slips, which is what I expected and was prepared to endure. I promised myself to be positive and persistent. But I didn't need to be. I decided to write children's books as my New Year's Resolution, 2009. By the time 2010 rolled around I already had an agent, a book deal for four books with HarperCollins, and a boatload of hope. But I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm sure I'll need to suffer through years of writing turmoil at some point, maybe soon.

Wow, I must say, that's the first time I've heard that! But congratulations on a quick and painless journey! May it continue to be that way for you, Allan. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Your book isn't going to write itself. At the risk of sounding like an athletic shoe, Just do it. I dreamed of writing a novel forever and never tried it because I assumed I was going to be rejected; I wasn't good enough. Why risk my dream being crushed? Then, when I finally decided to go for broke, it happened quickly. Ignore the negative in you. You just never know.

Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?
I have two different .mss in my agent's clutches, both potential series starters: one chapter book and one older MG; and have been hired to create an entire imaginary world, humanoid characters (but not human), and three books for a potential book/TV/merchandising series . None of which I will go into detail about, in fears I'll jinx any/all the projects. But I keep busy.

Wow, a busy guy! They both sound very interesting. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
Lots of short stories and unfinished random books which I haven't looked at since I was a teen but might be in my basement somewhere. I wrote for my High School literary magazine and a short story I wrote for was the inspiration behind, "The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless."

What's the last book you read that you really loved?
The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. I could say the Hunger Games Trilogy, but that's like saying I like the Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest trilogy -- very unoriginal, although I loved them both, too.

If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where should they look?
My website: allanwoodrow.com
The book website: evilbadguystuff.com
Follow Zachary on Facebook: www.facebook.com/zachary.ruthless
My blog: woodrowbooks.wordpress.com/

Great! Thanks so much for visiting, Allan, and all the best with your first book's release!

Interested in seeing more? Here's the book trailer for THE ROTTEN ADVENTURES OF ZACHARY RUTHLESS! Enjoy!

April #wipmadness Check-In

2011-04-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

I think this is our last Monday check-in! I won't be continuing the official check-ins here, but I do plan to keep updating once in a while on my progress. I hope you'll all continue to use the #wipmadness hashtag though, so we can keep in contact and find out how we're all doing.

As for my last week, I spent some time outlining my bright, shiny idea, and although it's really kind of a mess right now, I have found a beginning, middle, and and end for the story! I'm really happy about that, and now this week I will get back to working on my priority proposal.

How about you? How's progress? Do you think you'll meet your April goals?

If you haven't entered my Hoppy Easter Giveaway yet, it's not too late. I have another Teen Author Tuesday guest planned for tomorrow, but will be back with the giveaway prize winner on Wednesday.

Happy Monday, everybody!

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop & Giveaway!

2011-04-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

This contest is now closed. I'll be back on Wednesday with the winners!

Welcome to the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop! This hop has been organized by I'm a Reader Not a Writer blog.

Over 260 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. The hop runs from Wednesday, April 20th through Monday, April 25th.

I'm opening up TWO of my bookshelves for you to pick a book from. I will give books away to up to THREE winners (for every 50 entries I will add another prize). Some are advance copies, a few are even signed copies! (Click on pictures to enlarge.)

Giveaway Details:
To enter giveaway please follow this blog, then fill out the form below.
Last Day to Enter is 4/25/11
Open to Canada/US mailing addresses only

Optional Extra Entries:
+1 Be or become my friend on Goodreads
+1 Follow on Twitter
+ Follow this blog

To Enter Giveaway Please Fill Out This Form:
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After you have entered my giveaway, hop to another giveaway on the list:

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Amy Holder and THE LIPSTICK LAWS!

2011-04-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to welcome another writer friend of mine to the blog today, Amy Holder. I can't believe her release date is finally here! I've been watching her go through and nerve-wracking process of waiting to see that first book on the shelves, and now that it's here, I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

THE LIPSTICK LAWS was released April 4, 2011 from Graphia/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It is Contemporary YA for ages 12 and up.

Welcome Amy! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?

Humorous coming-of-age story about popularity gone wrong. (Oops! That's nine words...can I count coming-of-age as one? lol)

Judges, can we allow that? Sure! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?

I had a lot of fun writing Britney’s character because it was entertaining to be able to create and write a villain. But, my favorite character (other than April) has to be Delvin. He’s so awkwardly sweet, well-meaning and genuine… I wish I could pick him out of my story and be friends with him in real life.

Can you tell my readers a little bit about yourself, Amy?

I’m a huge animal lover with an affinity for chocolate, laughing, art, my CHI hair straightener, and having fun. I’m originally from upstate New York (close to the setting of THE LIPSTICK LAWS), but I currently reside in the Philadelphia area with my verbally challenged sidekicks (pets).

What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?

One of the most surprising things has been realizing the amount of time and steps that go into making a manuscript a published book. There are so many people involved in a book’s publication (author, editor, copy editor, proofreader, cover designer, marketing team, publicist, etc, etc.), it’s amazing how much effort is put into each book that’s published every year. I have a whole new respect for each and every book that’s ever been published.

Yes, that was shocking to me too! What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Never give up! The road to publication is a bumpy one…and the bumps don’t necessarily end when you secure a book deal. You have to have determination, perseverance and the talent to back up your ambition in order to succeed.

Great advice! Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?

Getting ready for my upcoming release has sucked up most of my free time, but I am working on another humorous YA manuscript as much as I can when I have time.

What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I wrote angst-ridden poetry that would be fully deserving of an emo-rific award! It was filled with teen torture (my own inner torture, not torturing teens…just had to clear that up ), philosophical questions, gushing over teen love…and then venting over a broken heart. Yes, I was very overdramatic and set on a path to write tragedies. I’m not quite sure what happened between then and now.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?

Well, that’s an easy one! LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden, of course!

Aw, you just made my day! If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, Amy, where should they look?

Please visit my author website to find out more information about me, my book(s), upcoming events and more at www.amyholder.com

Thank you SO MUCH for visiting, Amy, and all the very best with your debut!