Jennifer Echols's Blog, page 13
November 23, 2010
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit presents Caridad Ferrer!
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA authors. Check these posts for the latest releases!
This tour is very special to me because it involves a wonderful friend and a fantastic book.![[info]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1380442897i/1319734.gif)
fashionista_35
and I became cyber-friends a loooong time ago when we realized our debut novels, both YA novels with music themes, would be published within a month of each other. A few years later, she wrote a book set in drum corps that echoed the story of the opera Carmen. She knew I would be intrigued, and she asked me to read it and make sure the drum corps terminology was clear to someone who had been a fan but never a member.
What I read blew me away. The YA genre is filled with terrific books, fast-paced stories, intriguing plots, hilarious dialogue, but it's not often that you encounter such lush, gorgeous writing, here or anywhere.
When this book hit a rocky patch on the road to publication, I lost all the confidence I'd ever had in the publishing industry. ALL of it.
And when St. Martin's Press chose it for publication, I finally gained some of that confidence back.
So without further ado, I present
WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE
A dancer driven to succeed.
A musical prodigy attempting to escape his past.
The summer they share.
And the moment it all goes wrong.
Dance is Soledad Reyes's life. About to graduate from Miami's Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.
But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad's affections appears: Taz, a member of an all-star Spanish soccer team. One explosive encounter later Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened, but her entire future as a professional dancer.
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Caridad: Because it allowed me to revisit a time and activity that was very important to me during my own teen years. From the ages of fifteen to eighteen, there was nothing more important in my life than drum and bugle corps. It was there I found a place for myself-- where ironically, I forged an independent identity within an activity that's so thoroughly grounded in group dynamics. I was able to travel, to learn more about music than I ever did in any classroom and really, where my storytelling skills began to really develop. Writing STARS is my love letter to drum corps and to the arts in general.
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?
Caridad: See above, re: drum corps. :) In a more physical sense, the book starts and ends in Miami, my original hometown, and probably the last book I'll be writing for a while that's set in Miami. I love being from Miami, but now that I'm in the Pacific Northwest, I'm really looking forward to exploring it as a setting for future books. The rest of the setting, on a bus, traveling throughout the U.S., is important, because it was just such a huge part of being in corps. I would never have seen anywhere near as much of the country if I hadn't been in corps and I got to see it in the best way possible, from the roads and byways. I think that might be where my love of car travel was born. To this day, I love driving places whenever possible.
Jenn: My May release, Endless Summer, is the sequel to The Boys Next Door, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Caridad: Sequels are iffy things, both as a reader and as a writer. They can be really fabulous and give you an additional chapter into the lives of characters you've grown to love, but an author has to know when it's time to say goodbye. As a writer, I've tended to get twitchy with the idea of a series-- it makes me crazy to think of being restricted to a single world/setting for an unforeseen amount of time, but at the same time, I'm fascinated with the idea of exploring an adult sequel to a couple of my YA novels. (I actually have an outline for an adult sequel for ADIÓS TO MY OLD LIFE-- pity I was never able to get anyone to bite on it. *g*)
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Caridad: I'm halfway through MaryAnn in Autumn, by Armistead Maupin and loving it. (There's an example of a series that sank for a bit, but is back on form after a long hiatus. Go figure.) I also just reread C.S. Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series, since my sister was also reading them for the first time and I wanted to discuss them with her. I love those books so much and I'm so bummed that book six isn't going to come out now until next March when it was originally scheduled for December. I wanna know what happens!
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Caridad: I tell them anything by Jennifer Echols.
Jenn: Come on now.
Caridad: No, seriously, I really do, especially the MTV Books. Also Stephanie Kuehnert's books and Serena Robar's GIVING UP THE V.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Caridad: WILL WRITE 4 FOOD? Just kidding... sort of. Seriously, though, I just finished an adult manuscript, set in the 1960s, that I'm hoping will start making the submission rounds some time after the new year, and I'm working on a new YA that takes me to some places I haven't really been before. It's got paranormal elements, which is something I never imagined myself doing, and it's also in third person POV, which I haven't attempted in a really long time, so wish me luck!
GOOD LUCK CARIDAD! Okay, everybody, WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE is in stores TODAY and available on Amazon now. The first week of sales is very important for an author's future career, so treat yourself and support Caridad by grabbing a copy! Or two. And keep up with the latest on Caridad at her web site, caridadferrer.com.
This tour is very special to me because it involves a wonderful friend and a fantastic book.
fashionista_35
and I became cyber-friends a loooong time ago when we realized our debut novels, both YA novels with music themes, would be published within a month of each other. A few years later, she wrote a book set in drum corps that echoed the story of the opera Carmen. She knew I would be intrigued, and she asked me to read it and make sure the drum corps terminology was clear to someone who had been a fan but never a member.What I read blew me away. The YA genre is filled with terrific books, fast-paced stories, intriguing plots, hilarious dialogue, but it's not often that you encounter such lush, gorgeous writing, here or anywhere.
When this book hit a rocky patch on the road to publication, I lost all the confidence I'd ever had in the publishing industry. ALL of it.
And when St. Martin's Press chose it for publication, I finally gained some of that confidence back.
So without further ado, I present
WHEN THE STARS GO BLUEA dancer driven to succeed.
A musical prodigy attempting to escape his past.
The summer they share.
And the moment it all goes wrong.
Dance is Soledad Reyes's life. About to graduate from Miami's Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.
But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad's affections appears: Taz, a member of an all-star Spanish soccer team. One explosive encounter later Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened, but her entire future as a professional dancer.
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?Caridad: Because it allowed me to revisit a time and activity that was very important to me during my own teen years. From the ages of fifteen to eighteen, there was nothing more important in my life than drum and bugle corps. It was there I found a place for myself-- where ironically, I forged an independent identity within an activity that's so thoroughly grounded in group dynamics. I was able to travel, to learn more about music than I ever did in any classroom and really, where my storytelling skills began to really develop. Writing STARS is my love letter to drum corps and to the arts in general.
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?
Caridad: See above, re: drum corps. :) In a more physical sense, the book starts and ends in Miami, my original hometown, and probably the last book I'll be writing for a while that's set in Miami. I love being from Miami, but now that I'm in the Pacific Northwest, I'm really looking forward to exploring it as a setting for future books. The rest of the setting, on a bus, traveling throughout the U.S., is important, because it was just such a huge part of being in corps. I would never have seen anywhere near as much of the country if I hadn't been in corps and I got to see it in the best way possible, from the roads and byways. I think that might be where my love of car travel was born. To this day, I love driving places whenever possible.
Jenn: My May release, Endless Summer, is the sequel to The Boys Next Door, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Caridad: Sequels are iffy things, both as a reader and as a writer. They can be really fabulous and give you an additional chapter into the lives of characters you've grown to love, but an author has to know when it's time to say goodbye. As a writer, I've tended to get twitchy with the idea of a series-- it makes me crazy to think of being restricted to a single world/setting for an unforeseen amount of time, but at the same time, I'm fascinated with the idea of exploring an adult sequel to a couple of my YA novels. (I actually have an outline for an adult sequel for ADIÓS TO MY OLD LIFE-- pity I was never able to get anyone to bite on it. *g*)
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Caridad: I'm halfway through MaryAnn in Autumn, by Armistead Maupin and loving it. (There's an example of a series that sank for a bit, but is back on form after a long hiatus. Go figure.) I also just reread C.S. Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series, since my sister was also reading them for the first time and I wanted to discuss them with her. I love those books so much and I'm so bummed that book six isn't going to come out now until next March when it was originally scheduled for December. I wanna know what happens!
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Caridad: I tell them anything by Jennifer Echols.
Jenn: Come on now.
Caridad: No, seriously, I really do, especially the MTV Books. Also Stephanie Kuehnert's books and Serena Robar's GIVING UP THE V.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Caridad: WILL WRITE 4 FOOD? Just kidding... sort of. Seriously, though, I just finished an adult manuscript, set in the 1960s, that I'm hoping will start making the submission rounds some time after the new year, and I'm working on a new YA that takes me to some places I haven't really been before. It's got paranormal elements, which is something I never imagined myself doing, and it's also in third person POV, which I haven't attempted in a really long time, so wish me luck!
GOOD LUCK CARIDAD! Okay, everybody, WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE is in stores TODAY and available on Amazon now. The first week of sales is very important for an author's future career, so treat yourself and support Caridad by grabbing a copy! Or two. And keep up with the latest on Caridad at her web site, caridadferrer.com.
November 7, 2010
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit presents Daisy Whitney!
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA novelists. Check these posts for the latest releases!
THE MOCKINGBIRDS
Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.
Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.
In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.
Jenn: What's your favorite gizmo advertising your book?
Daisy: I'm digging my Facebook page - Facebook.com/MockingbirdsBook
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Daisy: I have always believed in the power of speaking up and THE MOCKINGBIRDS is grounded very much in the idea that healing and love can stem from speaking up, taking a stand, doing the right thing.
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?
Daisy: The story takes place at a fictional boarding school Themis Academy in Providence, Rhode Island. I went to Brown in Providence so the setting is very familiar to me!
Jenn: My May release, Endless Summer, is the sequel to The Boys Next Door, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Daisy: Oh, sequels! I just turned in a sequel for THE MOCKINGBIRDS and it ate up a portion of my soul! They are harder to write than you think, but when done well readers adore them.
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Daisy: I am madly in love with Steph Perkins ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS (Dec 2 release) and Gayle Forman's WHERE SHE WENT (April, 2011).
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Daisy: Well, since my first novel is just coming out I would suggest readers pick up anything by Courtney Summers, Laurie Halse Anderson or E Lockhart. I say the latter two in particular because my publisher has pitched THE MOCKINGBIRDS as SPEAK meets THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Daisy: I'll be finishing editing the sequel to THE MOCKINGBIRDS and I hope to sell a standalone edgy, sexy, YA mystery I wrote soon!
For the latest on Daisy's books, visit her web site at DaisyWhitneyBooks.com!
THE MOCKINGBIRDSSome schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.
Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.
In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.
Jenn: What's your favorite gizmo advertising your book?
Daisy: I'm digging my Facebook page - Facebook.com/MockingbirdsBook
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Daisy: I have always believed in the power of speaking up and THE MOCKINGBIRDS is grounded very much in the idea that healing and love can stem from speaking up, taking a stand, doing the right thing.
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?
Daisy: The story takes place at a fictional boarding school Themis Academy in Providence, Rhode Island. I went to Brown in Providence so the setting is very familiar to me!
Jenn: My May release, Endless Summer, is the sequel to The Boys Next Door, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Daisy: Oh, sequels! I just turned in a sequel for THE MOCKINGBIRDS and it ate up a portion of my soul! They are harder to write than you think, but when done well readers adore them.
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?Daisy: I am madly in love with Steph Perkins ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS (Dec 2 release) and Gayle Forman's WHERE SHE WENT (April, 2011).
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Daisy: Well, since my first novel is just coming out I would suggest readers pick up anything by Courtney Summers, Laurie Halse Anderson or E Lockhart. I say the latter two in particular because my publisher has pitched THE MOCKINGBIRDS as SPEAK meets THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Daisy: I'll be finishing editing the sequel to THE MOCKINGBIRDS and I hope to sell a standalone edgy, sexy, YA mystery I wrote soon!
For the latest on Daisy's books, visit her web site at DaisyWhitneyBooks.com!
November 1, 2010
Clearly I don't have enough to do
The authors from the MTV Books Blog have migrated to a new blog called
YA Outside the Lines
and invited lots of our friends. It's kicking off this morning, so be sure to check it out!
In personal news, I am starting National Novel Writing Month this morning, and if you want to be my buddy, my user name over there is jenniferechols. I was not planning to do this because I have been working on some other stuff. However, on Saturday I sent in the revision of The Book I Love So Much That I Will Just Die If It Never Gets Published, a.k.a. my NaNoWriMo book from 2008. That clears my plate.
Sort of. There's still the matter of TWELVE GIFT BASKETS to make for the Southern Magic Reader's Luncheon . I did make a lot of progress yesterday, though. My personal assistant (a.k.a. 9-year-old child) helped me divide the books by genre. Then I went shopping.
I had already been to Hobby Lobby and their baskets were not 50% off! If you have ever hit the Hobby Lobby 50% off basket sale, you are not buying a basket full-price at Hobby Lobby, let me tell you. So I hit the 40% off basket sale at Michael's.
To repeat: I am not a crafty person. I did have a crafty phase when I was a child, because my grandmother got me into painting and crocheting and macrame. Cross-stitch was a popular thing to do in my hometown when I was a teenager (which is probably why I have such a problem coming up with hip ideas for teen novels sometimes), and in college I found myself cross-stitching a LOT. It was a cheap yet thoughtful Christmas gift, and most importantly, it was SO much easier than studying for world history exams. One day I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "You are an addict." So I went cold turkey and threw out all my cross-stitching paraphernalia, and I have never fallen off the wagon.
But walking through Michael's was HARD, man. It wasn't just the cross-stitching. I lingered for a very long time over this:
Think of the wonder my life would become if I could make my own bows! I was saved when I turned the box over and saw a DVD was included. If you have to watch a DVD to make it work, I am not buying it. Which, today, includes just about everything, so I save a lot of money.
I continued browsing. Everything called to me as something glittery I could use to create a beautiful gift basket, yet I knew a lot of it just wouldn't do. A very special set of circumstances have to come together in order to make a functional gift basket:
1. You need a basket with a handle, because you have to gather the clear plastic covering the basket on top of something and put a bow on it.
2. Or, if the basket doesn't have a handle, you need a Tall Thing to go in the back of the basket in place of the handle. I know from experience that the purchase of the Tall Thing is no laughing matter. It has to be Tall But Not Too Tall, it can't tip over (like loofah brush for a spa basket--believe me, I considered everything), and it has to be something I would actually want if I won one of these baskets, which leaves out earring trees shaped like headless women in dresses.
Michael's had plenty of baskets, but very few baskets with handles, and absolutely no suitable Tall Things! After half an hour of shopping, this is what my cart looked like:
And lest you get greedy, that hot pink feather boa is for MY personal author basket, okay? I don't have the budget to splurge like that on all twelve.
Finally I hunkered down and chose some baskets. I could not see over the top of the cart anymore
so I was going to check out, take them to my car, and come back in to browse, but the line was so long that I decided to do all my shopping first. I stumbled blindly around the store for another hour, and at one point a clerk asked me, "Are you finding everything okay?" I just looked at her.
Next stop: JoAnn Fabrics. No baskets with handles. Hot pink feather boas at 50% off, which made me cry.
Then: Kirkland's. Actually it is next door to Pier One and I thought it WAS Pier One. I wandered around for a long time thinking, "Wow, Pier One is even tackier than usual" before I realized my mistake.
Then: Pier One. No baskets with handles. They did have glittery skulls for 50% off and I thought they might look good in the paranormal basket, but I exercised restraint. They were not Tall Enough and I am on a budget.
Then: Home Goods. Christmas wreaths and Christmas trees made of hot pink feather boas, I kid you not. But no baskets with handles. At this point I realized that it is a vast conspiracy! The basket factories of the world KNOW we need baskets with handles, but they are only making boxy storage-type baskets now because they fit better on the store shelves! I was very angry about this until I came across...TALL THINGS!!! So I bought a bunch of Tall Things.
Then: T. J. Maxx. No baskets at all! Lots of earring trees shaped like headless women in dresses.
Finally: World Market. BASKETS WITH HANDLES!
And then I wanted to go home and put all these baskets together and get them out of the way so I could start NaNoWriMo today, but I had to take my personal assistant trick-or-treating. I have placed the books in the baskets and I foresee some serious problems. I will let you know.
In personal news, I am starting National Novel Writing Month this morning, and if you want to be my buddy, my user name over there is jenniferechols. I was not planning to do this because I have been working on some other stuff. However, on Saturday I sent in the revision of The Book I Love So Much That I Will Just Die If It Never Gets Published, a.k.a. my NaNoWriMo book from 2008. That clears my plate.
Sort of. There's still the matter of TWELVE GIFT BASKETS to make for the Southern Magic Reader's Luncheon . I did make a lot of progress yesterday, though. My personal assistant (a.k.a. 9-year-old child) helped me divide the books by genre. Then I went shopping.
I had already been to Hobby Lobby and their baskets were not 50% off! If you have ever hit the Hobby Lobby 50% off basket sale, you are not buying a basket full-price at Hobby Lobby, let me tell you. So I hit the 40% off basket sale at Michael's.
To repeat: I am not a crafty person. I did have a crafty phase when I was a child, because my grandmother got me into painting and crocheting and macrame. Cross-stitch was a popular thing to do in my hometown when I was a teenager (which is probably why I have such a problem coming up with hip ideas for teen novels sometimes), and in college I found myself cross-stitching a LOT. It was a cheap yet thoughtful Christmas gift, and most importantly, it was SO much easier than studying for world history exams. One day I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "You are an addict." So I went cold turkey and threw out all my cross-stitching paraphernalia, and I have never fallen off the wagon.
But walking through Michael's was HARD, man. It wasn't just the cross-stitching. I lingered for a very long time over this:
Think of the wonder my life would become if I could make my own bows! I was saved when I turned the box over and saw a DVD was included. If you have to watch a DVD to make it work, I am not buying it. Which, today, includes just about everything, so I save a lot of money.
I continued browsing. Everything called to me as something glittery I could use to create a beautiful gift basket, yet I knew a lot of it just wouldn't do. A very special set of circumstances have to come together in order to make a functional gift basket:
1. You need a basket with a handle, because you have to gather the clear plastic covering the basket on top of something and put a bow on it.
2. Or, if the basket doesn't have a handle, you need a Tall Thing to go in the back of the basket in place of the handle. I know from experience that the purchase of the Tall Thing is no laughing matter. It has to be Tall But Not Too Tall, it can't tip over (like loofah brush for a spa basket--believe me, I considered everything), and it has to be something I would actually want if I won one of these baskets, which leaves out earring trees shaped like headless women in dresses.
Michael's had plenty of baskets, but very few baskets with handles, and absolutely no suitable Tall Things! After half an hour of shopping, this is what my cart looked like:
And lest you get greedy, that hot pink feather boa is for MY personal author basket, okay? I don't have the budget to splurge like that on all twelve.
Finally I hunkered down and chose some baskets. I could not see over the top of the cart anymore
so I was going to check out, take them to my car, and come back in to browse, but the line was so long that I decided to do all my shopping first. I stumbled blindly around the store for another hour, and at one point a clerk asked me, "Are you finding everything okay?" I just looked at her.
Next stop: JoAnn Fabrics. No baskets with handles. Hot pink feather boas at 50% off, which made me cry.
Then: Kirkland's. Actually it is next door to Pier One and I thought it WAS Pier One. I wandered around for a long time thinking, "Wow, Pier One is even tackier than usual" before I realized my mistake.
Then: Pier One. No baskets with handles. They did have glittery skulls for 50% off and I thought they might look good in the paranormal basket, but I exercised restraint. They were not Tall Enough and I am on a budget.
Then: Home Goods. Christmas wreaths and Christmas trees made of hot pink feather boas, I kid you not. But no baskets with handles. At this point I realized that it is a vast conspiracy! The basket factories of the world KNOW we need baskets with handles, but they are only making boxy storage-type baskets now because they fit better on the store shelves! I was very angry about this until I came across...TALL THINGS!!! So I bought a bunch of Tall Things.
Then: T. J. Maxx. No baskets at all! Lots of earring trees shaped like headless women in dresses.
Finally: World Market. BASKETS WITH HANDLES!
And then I wanted to go home and put all these baskets together and get them out of the way so I could start NaNoWriMo today, but I had to take my personal assistant trick-or-treating. I have placed the books in the baskets and I foresee some serious problems. I will let you know.
October 23, 2010
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit presents Denise Jaden!
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA novelists. Check these posts for the latest releases!
LOSING FAITH
A terrible secret.
A terrible fate.
When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.
As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.
Jenn: What's your favorite gizmo advertising your book?
Denise: My favorite gizmo is my book trailer:
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Denise: I've always loved sister stories, and this character, Brie, and her pain over the loss of her sister kept nagging at me until I finally wrote it.
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?
Denise: The book is set in a fictional town called Sharon, Oregon. I had originally set it in Illinois, but the Illinois setting didn't jive with several scenes that take place on a cliff. I've traveled through Oregon many times, and love the rich, green landscapes. I knew the moment I made the change that Oregon was perfect for this book.
Jenn: My May release, ENDLESS SUMMER, is the sequel to THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Denise: As an author, series-writing scares me to death! I don't know how writers make everything consistent with just the right amount tied up and left undone between books. I think it takes a bigger brain than I have! I do love reading series, as it's nice to stick with characters once you've had a chance to get to know them. I'm currently trying my hand at a companion novel to Losing Faith, telling a different character's story.
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Denise: There are so many great books out there, it's hard to narrow it down to just a few. I loved HARMONIC FEEDBACK by Tara Kelly and THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson, to name a couple.
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Denise: I think people who have enjoyed my book might also enjoy LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green, CATALYST by Laurie Halse Anderson, and ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Denise: I'm working on another YA novel called APPETITE FOR BEAUTY. It's about a cheeky and forthright girl who discovers a dangerous, self-destructive side in her sister, and has to decide between helping her sister and a powerful and unfamiliar desire to become appealing to a mysterious boy.
For the latest on Denise's books, visit her web site at www.denisejaden.com!
LOSING FAITHA terrible secret.
A terrible fate.
When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.
As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.
Jenn: What's your favorite gizmo advertising your book?
Denise: My favorite gizmo is my book trailer:
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Denise: I've always loved sister stories, and this character, Brie, and her pain over the loss of her sister kept nagging at me until I finally wrote it.
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?
Denise: The book is set in a fictional town called Sharon, Oregon. I had originally set it in Illinois, but the Illinois setting didn't jive with several scenes that take place on a cliff. I've traveled through Oregon many times, and love the rich, green landscapes. I knew the moment I made the change that Oregon was perfect for this book.
Jenn: My May release, ENDLESS SUMMER, is the sequel to THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?Denise: As an author, series-writing scares me to death! I don't know how writers make everything consistent with just the right amount tied up and left undone between books. I think it takes a bigger brain than I have! I do love reading series, as it's nice to stick with characters once you've had a chance to get to know them. I'm currently trying my hand at a companion novel to Losing Faith, telling a different character's story.
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Denise: There are so many great books out there, it's hard to narrow it down to just a few. I loved HARMONIC FEEDBACK by Tara Kelly and THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson, to name a couple.
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Denise: I think people who have enjoyed my book might also enjoy LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green, CATALYST by Laurie Halse Anderson, and ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Denise: I'm working on another YA novel called APPETITE FOR BEAUTY. It's about a cheeky and forthright girl who discovers a dangerous, self-destructive side in her sister, and has to decide between helping her sister and a powerful and unfamiliar desire to become appealing to a mysterious boy.
For the latest on Denise's books, visit her web site at www.denisejaden.com!
October 18, 2010
There's nothing I won't do for my writing group...
Even crafts!
That's right, the Southern Magic Readers' Luncheon is coming up on November 6 (and you are welcome to come), and I am making gift baskets.
I am not a crafty person. Normally I would not volunteer for something like this. I might volunteer for keeping up a database or something. But here's what happened. Kelley St. John sold her first book about 6 months before I did. Then she sold a LOT of books. She also became the secretary for the Romance Writers of America national organization. All of this forced her to stop doing much of the work she'd been doing for Southern Magic. And I mean MUCH. She had volunteered for EVERYTHING.
And I, seeing how successful Kelley was, took it upon myself to take all the jobs that Kelley had been doing.
Including running the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. And keeping up with the Milestones & Recognitions duties. And making gift baskets for the luncheon.
And though I have given up most of the jobs myself now, somehow I am still making baskets.
The reason this job is so important is that we have a drawing for these huge baskets full of books, and this is one of our nonprofit organization's biggest fundraisers. Admittedly I used to just...uh...put some books in a basket. But a trip to the luncheon put on by Heart of Dixie (the RWA chapter in northern Alabama) and a look at their beautiful and professional-looking baskets made me ashamed. So I started watching videos on how to make gift baskets (YES I did! and YES the Internets are full of videos on how to make gift baskets!) and stepped up my game.
Tomorrow I'm picking up several hundred books that authors have donated to the chapter for this purpose. And in the next few weeks I will be haunting Hobby Lobby and Michael's, looking for sales on baskets and wrapping and ribbons and glue dots (there is a whole industry built around making special glue dots and other stuff to hold baskets together. I'll bet you didn't know that. I kind of wish I didn't either).
And I will be sure to post pictures of my baskets here, so that you have to suffer through my annual crafts phase with me.
How about you? Have you ever done anything really strange or out-of-character for your writing career?
That's right, the Southern Magic Readers' Luncheon is coming up on November 6 (and you are welcome to come), and I am making gift baskets.
I am not a crafty person. Normally I would not volunteer for something like this. I might volunteer for keeping up a database or something. But here's what happened. Kelley St. John sold her first book about 6 months before I did. Then she sold a LOT of books. She also became the secretary for the Romance Writers of America national organization. All of this forced her to stop doing much of the work she'd been doing for Southern Magic. And I mean MUCH. She had volunteered for EVERYTHING.
And I, seeing how successful Kelley was, took it upon myself to take all the jobs that Kelley had been doing.
Including running the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. And keeping up with the Milestones & Recognitions duties. And making gift baskets for the luncheon.
And though I have given up most of the jobs myself now, somehow I am still making baskets.
The reason this job is so important is that we have a drawing for these huge baskets full of books, and this is one of our nonprofit organization's biggest fundraisers. Admittedly I used to just...uh...put some books in a basket. But a trip to the luncheon put on by Heart of Dixie (the RWA chapter in northern Alabama) and a look at their beautiful and professional-looking baskets made me ashamed. So I started watching videos on how to make gift baskets (YES I did! and YES the Internets are full of videos on how to make gift baskets!) and stepped up my game.
Tomorrow I'm picking up several hundred books that authors have donated to the chapter for this purpose. And in the next few weeks I will be haunting Hobby Lobby and Michael's, looking for sales on baskets and wrapping and ribbons and glue dots (there is a whole industry built around making special glue dots and other stuff to hold baskets together. I'll bet you didn't know that. I kind of wish I didn't either).
And I will be sure to post pictures of my baskets here, so that you have to suffer through my annual crafts phase with me.
How about you? Have you ever done anything really strange or out-of-character for your writing career?
October 15, 2010
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit presents Linda Gerber!
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA novelists. Check these posts for the latest releases!
TRANCE
Almost everyone has wished that they could take a glimpse into the future—but what if such visions came unbidden, and they only foretold danger? Linda Gerber weaves this idea into a chilling and satisfying young adult novel with TRANCE. Perfect for fans of WAKE, Gerber's latest paranormal thriller is a dark but addictive tale of one girl's curse to unwillingly foresee future tragedies, and the debilitating toll that it takes on her present life--until she realizes that her unwanted power may be more of a gift than a curse.
Ashlyn Greenfield has always known when bad things are going to happen. Each time that familiar tingling at the back of her neck begins, she knows what's to come—a trance. She's pulled in, blindsided, an unwilling witness to a horrible upcoming event. But she's never been able to stop the event from actually occurring—not even when the vision was of her mother's fatal car accident. When soulful Jake enters Ashlyn's life, she begins having trances about another car accident. And as her trances escalate, one thing becomes clear: it's up to her to save Jake from a near-certain death.
Combining romance and suspense, Linda Gerber delivers a paranormal thriller that is unique in its ability to appeal to sci-fi and chick lit fans alike.
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Linda: I chased a lot of what-ifs in the creation of the book. To me, telling the story is about finding the answers to all those questions.
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?
Linda: TRANCE is set in the Midwest. I chose that location because it could be anywhere. Ashlyn could be anyone. It's a story of something extraordinary happening to an ordinary girl. I wanted the setting to reflect the ordinary.
Jenn: My May release, ENDLESS SUMMER, is the sequel to THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Linda: As a reader, I like series if I connect with the characters and want to follow their story. I also like standalone books. Honestly, I won't choose one over the other when deciding what to read next. Whether it's a series or not, it depends on the individual book.
As a writer, I enjoy writing series books because I like the challenge of keeping the characters moving and growing.
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Linda: WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse-Anderson
THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE by Carla Buckley
CATE OF THE LOST COLONY by Lisa Klein
ONCE WAS LOST by Sarah Zarr
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Linda: I usually recommend The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter for readers who loved the DEATH BY BIKINI series, and Lisa McMann's WAKE series for those who have read an ARC of TRANCE. Chances are, they've already read those books, and if so, I will offer a recommendation of whatever great books I just finished or am reading.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Linda: In January, the DEATH BY BIKINI Mysteries (Death by Bikini, Death by Latte, and Death by Denim) will be released as a bind-up in trade paperback.
My next release will be my Middle Grade series, LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY, about the daughter of popular TV travel show hosts, and the trouble she manages to get into every time she goes on location with them.
For the latest on Linda's books, check out her web site at lindagerber.com!
TRANCE
Almost everyone has wished that they could take a glimpse into the future—but what if such visions came unbidden, and they only foretold danger? Linda Gerber weaves this idea into a chilling and satisfying young adult novel with TRANCE. Perfect for fans of WAKE, Gerber's latest paranormal thriller is a dark but addictive tale of one girl's curse to unwillingly foresee future tragedies, and the debilitating toll that it takes on her present life--until she realizes that her unwanted power may be more of a gift than a curse.Ashlyn Greenfield has always known when bad things are going to happen. Each time that familiar tingling at the back of her neck begins, she knows what's to come—a trance. She's pulled in, blindsided, an unwilling witness to a horrible upcoming event. But she's never been able to stop the event from actually occurring—not even when the vision was of her mother's fatal car accident. When soulful Jake enters Ashlyn's life, she begins having trances about another car accident. And as her trances escalate, one thing becomes clear: it's up to her to save Jake from a near-certain death.
Combining romance and suspense, Linda Gerber delivers a paranormal thriller that is unique in its ability to appeal to sci-fi and chick lit fans alike.
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Linda: I chased a lot of what-ifs in the creation of the book. To me, telling the story is about finding the answers to all those questions.
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?Linda: TRANCE is set in the Midwest. I chose that location because it could be anywhere. Ashlyn could be anyone. It's a story of something extraordinary happening to an ordinary girl. I wanted the setting to reflect the ordinary.
Jenn: My May release, ENDLESS SUMMER, is the sequel to THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Linda: As a reader, I like series if I connect with the characters and want to follow their story. I also like standalone books. Honestly, I won't choose one over the other when deciding what to read next. Whether it's a series or not, it depends on the individual book.
As a writer, I enjoy writing series books because I like the challenge of keeping the characters moving and growing.
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Linda: WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse-Anderson
THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE by Carla Buckley
CATE OF THE LOST COLONY by Lisa Klein
ONCE WAS LOST by Sarah Zarr
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Linda: I usually recommend The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter for readers who loved the DEATH BY BIKINI series, and Lisa McMann's WAKE series for those who have read an ARC of TRANCE. Chances are, they've already read those books, and if so, I will offer a recommendation of whatever great books I just finished or am reading.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Linda: In January, the DEATH BY BIKINI Mysteries (Death by Bikini, Death by Latte, and Death by Denim) will be released as a bind-up in trade paperback.
My next release will be my Middle Grade series, LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY, about the daughter of popular TV travel show hosts, and the trouble she manages to get into every time she goes on location with them.
For the latest on Linda's books, check out her web site at lindagerber.com!
October 11, 2010
Full of personality
I'm always on the lookout for new books on personality types, because they help me imagine characters very different from myself. Now that
the enneagram has been featured on AOL
, it's time I pointed out how helpful it can be for writers. There are lots of books on the enneagram, but the one I work from is, predictably,
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Power of the Enneagram
.
Let me say up front that I don't believe in the horoscope (somewhere in Washington State,![[info]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1380438177i/889613.gif)
fashionista_35
is gasping in horror), and I think any personality typing device is helpful only to a point. Categories are, by their nature, false. They are a tool to make order out of the chaos of life, but life is still chaotic.
But I also think people are more alike than they are different. As I teen I loved to think of myself as one-of-a-kind (that was my inner 4 coming out, as you'll see), but as I have gotten older, I've realized how similar I am to a lot of other people. That's a good thing, because if your human experience were vastly different from other people's, you wouldn't make a very good novelist.
I got interested in the enneagram because a friend from high school told me she had used it to solve some problems between herself and her friend at work. They typed themselves and figured out that they needed to switch some of their duties, and after doing this, they got along so much better! I was also having a personality conflict at work. So, being a 5 (which you'll hear about in a minute), I was intrigued by a new system, and a new book that I could read to find out about a system. And I was struck by how true the system seems to be for most of the people close to me.
There's a huge amount of fascinating info in the Idiot's Guide, but here's a run-down. A person has one of nine basic types, but they're also going to have shades of the types on either side of them--for instance, a 2 is going to have shades of 1 and shades of 3, and either the 1 or the 3 is going to be stronger. Here are the types:
1 is the Perfectionist.
2 is the Nurturer. They have a million friends and want to do stuff for their friends. However, they keep score and want their friends to do stuff for them, too, and they have to be careful about this.
3 is the Achiever. As the Idiot's Guide explains, a lot of people in America pretend to be this self-made go-getter, but the 3 actually is this person. My husband is this person and I find him eternally fascinating. He gives major presentations to the presidents of automotive companies without worrying about it beforehand. Who does this??? A 3 does this.
4 is the Artist. They're dramatic and love attention.
5 is the Librarian. That's me! We love systems. We love books. If we have a problem, we read a book to figure out how to fix it. If 3's have a problem, we give a book about it to the 3's, and the 3's get all offended and think we are saying they are stupid. If 7's have a problem, we give a book about it to the 7's, and the 7's call us and say, "Have you read it already? Can you just tell me what it says?"
6 is the Worrier. That's not what the Idiot's Guide calls it--their name for it is "the Questioner/Guardian," but as a 5, I have a lot of 6 in me and I hate it.
7 is the Optimist. They are the life of the party.
8 is the Director. They get things done and can be brusque.
9 is the Peacemaker. They're fairly passive and avoid conflict.
Another cool thing about the system is that every type has a "stress type," a person you tend to turn into when you're under a lot of pressure. 3's turn into 9's. 7's turn into 1's. I have seen this happen. And 5's turn into 7's. If you have ever seen me speak in public and you wondered how somebody that air-headed could ever finish writing a book, much less have the wherewithal to get it published, you have witnessed me turning into a 7.
In some ways I think this system isn't as helpful for writers as some others, because it's too true. A lot of us want to write about an artist but it's going to be hard to make that character sympathetic if that character is truly a self-centered 4. Or maybe that is just my 5-ish impatience with 4's.
But I've gotten a lot of mileage out of the system, both personally and as a writer. Now I can write somebody who doesn't solve problems with books, and I understand how they could possibly think something so illogical.
The system has not helped me be less of a 5, though. I am having a problem revising a proposal, and you know what I did last night? Went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham medical library and studied psychology articles for reasons my characters would do what they do. This morning I am still fretting over it. Everybody else would just kind of figure it out and wing it, wouldn't they? I'm pretty frustrated with myself. But I'm about to pull another plotting system out of my filing cabinet, and I'm sure that will fix everything...
Let me say up front that I don't believe in the horoscope (somewhere in Washington State,
fashionista_35
is gasping in horror), and I think any personality typing device is helpful only to a point. Categories are, by their nature, false. They are a tool to make order out of the chaos of life, but life is still chaotic. But I also think people are more alike than they are different. As I teen I loved to think of myself as one-of-a-kind (that was my inner 4 coming out, as you'll see), but as I have gotten older, I've realized how similar I am to a lot of other people. That's a good thing, because if your human experience were vastly different from other people's, you wouldn't make a very good novelist.
I got interested in the enneagram because a friend from high school told me she had used it to solve some problems between herself and her friend at work. They typed themselves and figured out that they needed to switch some of their duties, and after doing this, they got along so much better! I was also having a personality conflict at work. So, being a 5 (which you'll hear about in a minute), I was intrigued by a new system, and a new book that I could read to find out about a system. And I was struck by how true the system seems to be for most of the people close to me.
There's a huge amount of fascinating info in the Idiot's Guide, but here's a run-down. A person has one of nine basic types, but they're also going to have shades of the types on either side of them--for instance, a 2 is going to have shades of 1 and shades of 3, and either the 1 or the 3 is going to be stronger. Here are the types:
1 is the Perfectionist.
2 is the Nurturer. They have a million friends and want to do stuff for their friends. However, they keep score and want their friends to do stuff for them, too, and they have to be careful about this.
3 is the Achiever. As the Idiot's Guide explains, a lot of people in America pretend to be this self-made go-getter, but the 3 actually is this person. My husband is this person and I find him eternally fascinating. He gives major presentations to the presidents of automotive companies without worrying about it beforehand. Who does this??? A 3 does this.
4 is the Artist. They're dramatic and love attention.
5 is the Librarian. That's me! We love systems. We love books. If we have a problem, we read a book to figure out how to fix it. If 3's have a problem, we give a book about it to the 3's, and the 3's get all offended and think we are saying they are stupid. If 7's have a problem, we give a book about it to the 7's, and the 7's call us and say, "Have you read it already? Can you just tell me what it says?"
6 is the Worrier. That's not what the Idiot's Guide calls it--their name for it is "the Questioner/Guardian," but as a 5, I have a lot of 6 in me and I hate it.
7 is the Optimist. They are the life of the party.
8 is the Director. They get things done and can be brusque.
9 is the Peacemaker. They're fairly passive and avoid conflict.
Another cool thing about the system is that every type has a "stress type," a person you tend to turn into when you're under a lot of pressure. 3's turn into 9's. 7's turn into 1's. I have seen this happen. And 5's turn into 7's. If you have ever seen me speak in public and you wondered how somebody that air-headed could ever finish writing a book, much less have the wherewithal to get it published, you have witnessed me turning into a 7.
In some ways I think this system isn't as helpful for writers as some others, because it's too true. A lot of us want to write about an artist but it's going to be hard to make that character sympathetic if that character is truly a self-centered 4. Or maybe that is just my 5-ish impatience with 4's.
But I've gotten a lot of mileage out of the system, both personally and as a writer. Now I can write somebody who doesn't solve problems with books, and I understand how they could possibly think something so illogical.
The system has not helped me be less of a 5, though. I am having a problem revising a proposal, and you know what I did last night? Went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham medical library and studied psychology articles for reasons my characters would do what they do. This morning I am still fretting over it. Everybody else would just kind of figure it out and wing it, wouldn't they? I'm pretty frustrated with myself. But I'm about to pull another plotting system out of my filing cabinet, and I'm sure that will fix everything...
October 9, 2010
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit presents Lauren Strasnick!
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a webring of YA novelists. Check these postings for the latest releases!
HER AND ME AND YOU
First love, broken friendships, and heartache all play a part in this evocative, voice-driven novel about Alex, a girl whose world is ripped apart when her father's affair splits her family in two.
Alex moves with her mess of a mother to a new town, where she is befriended by hot, enigmatic Fred–and alternately flirted with and cold-shouldered by Fred's twin sister, Adina. Others warn Alex to steer clear of the twins, whose sibling relationship is considered abnormal at best, but there's just something about Fred–and something about Adina–that draws Alex to them and makes her want to be part of their crazy world, no matter the consequences.
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Lauren: Oh gosh, tough question! I don't know if I've ever really asked myself why this book was an important book to write. I think it's just the book I needed/wanted to write at the time. My stories usually come from a character idea or a momentary obsession/rumination… and while I was writing HER AND ME AND YOU, I was pondering creepy twins and claustrophobic relationships!
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?
Lauren: H&M&Y is set in a fictional Connecticut town called Meadow Marsh. I grew up in Connecticut and chose to create a fake town so I didn't have stay true to any specific place.
Jenn: My May release, ENDLESS SUMMER, is the sequel to THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Lauren: It's an interesting question, because I don't write series fiction, and I don't read much of it either – but I adore series television. I think it's a fantastic way to explore story and character. Sort of strange that I don't read more series books (although I am reading, and loving, THE HUNGER GAMES right now!). As for why I don't write it – my brain just doesn't go there. Once I've completed a story, I feel done with it. But who knows, that could change. Ten years ago I wrote only short fiction and couldn't imagine writing a novel!
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Lauren: I just read a really great YA from 2000 called THE FOOL REVERSED by Susan Whitcher. I loved Jandy Nelson's THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. Also read recently: A FORTUNATE AGE by Joanna Smith Rakoff, ONE DAY by David Nicholls, and the new Nick Hornby, JULIET, NAKED.
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Lauren: Oh! I haven't gotten that question yet. But a fellow writer wrote to me the other day and mentioned she thought Courtney Summers and I had similar writing sensibilities. So perhaps I'd recommend Courtney's books! I love Courtney's voice. It's cool and effortless.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Lauren: Another messy relationship book! This one's a mystery. DAKOTA WEBB IS MISSING (Simon Pulse/S&S), slated for Spring 2012.
Thanks to Lauren for visiting! You can find out more about her books by visiting her adorable web site at laurenstrasnick.com.
HER AND ME AND YOUFirst love, broken friendships, and heartache all play a part in this evocative, voice-driven novel about Alex, a girl whose world is ripped apart when her father's affair splits her family in two.
Alex moves with her mess of a mother to a new town, where she is befriended by hot, enigmatic Fred–and alternately flirted with and cold-shouldered by Fred's twin sister, Adina. Others warn Alex to steer clear of the twins, whose sibling relationship is considered abnormal at best, but there's just something about Fred–and something about Adina–that draws Alex to them and makes her want to be part of their crazy world, no matter the consequences.
Jenn: Why was it important to you to write this book?
Lauren: Oh gosh, tough question! I don't know if I've ever really asked myself why this book was an important book to write. I think it's just the book I needed/wanted to write at the time. My stories usually come from a character idea or a momentary obsession/rumination… and while I was writing HER AND ME AND YOU, I was pondering creepy twins and claustrophobic relationships!
Jenn: Where is this book set, and what does the setting mean to you?Lauren: H&M&Y is set in a fictional Connecticut town called Meadow Marsh. I grew up in Connecticut and chose to create a fake town so I didn't have stay true to any specific place.
Jenn: My May release, ENDLESS SUMMER, is the sequel to THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, and it's the first sequel I've written. How do you feel about sequels and series versus stand-alone novels as a writer, and as a reader?
Lauren: It's an interesting question, because I don't write series fiction, and I don't read much of it either – but I adore series television. I think it's a fantastic way to explore story and character. Sort of strange that I don't read more series books (although I am reading, and loving, THE HUNGER GAMES right now!). As for why I don't write it – my brain just doesn't go there. Once I've completed a story, I feel done with it. But who knows, that could change. Ten years ago I wrote only short fiction and couldn't imagine writing a novel!
Jenn: What good books have you read lately?
Lauren: I just read a really great YA from 2000 called THE FOOL REVERSED by Susan Whitcher. I loved Jandy Nelson's THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. Also read recently: A FORTUNATE AGE by Joanna Smith Rakoff, ONE DAY by David Nicholls, and the new Nick Hornby, JULIET, NAKED.
Jenn: When readers tell you they've read and loved all your books and they want recommendations for similar books to read now, what do you say?
Lauren: Oh! I haven't gotten that question yet. But a fellow writer wrote to me the other day and mentioned she thought Courtney Summers and I had similar writing sensibilities. So perhaps I'd recommend Courtney's books! I love Courtney's voice. It's cool and effortless.
Jenn: What's next for you?
Lauren: Another messy relationship book! This one's a mystery. DAKOTA WEBB IS MISSING (Simon Pulse/S&S), slated for Spring 2012.
Thanks to Lauren for visiting! You can find out more about her books by visiting her adorable web site at laurenstrasnick.com.
October 4, 2010
You can do a-ny-thing that you wanna do!
Yet again I am listening to Steve Burns' brilliant story that he told at The Moth on September 15. It's available now via free podcast at The Moth's Facebook page
here
.
Who is Steve Burns and what is The Moth? Well, do two things you love ever come together for you, like the old commercials for Reese's Cups? My son had this experience when we went to Legoland last year and there was LEGO and it also happened to be STAR WARS WEEKEND!!! This is what listening to Steve's story is like for me.
Steve Burns was the host of the TV show Blue's Clues from 1996 to 2002. I was introduced to Blue's Clues when my toddler niece would stand in front of it, mesmerized with wide eyes, teething on her sleeve. I sat down and watched it with her and understood what the big deal was, and when I had a toddler of my own, we watched it together every day. It's an educational show for very young children about a cartoon dog who leaves clues for Steve about what she wants to do that day. Steve figures out the puzzle, and along the way he teaches a lesson about colors or shapes or numbers while interacting with cartoon bars of soap, salt shakers, buckets, etc. The whole show is a cartoon except for Steve, who is real.
What I particularly appreciated about the show was (1) it was uniformly positive, a happy little game, rarely building up fake anxiety about lost children trying desperately to find their way back to their mothers (I am looking very hard at you, Dora the Explorer), and (2) Steve. Apparently Steve had a lot of adult female fans and I am not going to be creepy and put myself in this group. But if you watch the show, you will realize what a terrific actor he is to be that convincing and engaging in front of a blue screen, talking to cartoon characters who aren't really there. Occasionally something REALLY strange will happen in cartoonland and one of his eyebrows will go up. And very occasionally he will turn to the camera and, without ruining the experience for children, break the frame and say something postmodern to the parent, letting you know that he knows that this is all very weird. It's hard to explain but I found it very entertaining and laughed uproariously in parts that did not have a punchline. I think my toddler and I looked forward to it equally.
What I didn't know until I looked it up on Wikipedia to write this blog entry was how highly acclaimed the show was by educators, and how decorated with TV awards. Neither did I know this:
"Burns' departure caused a resurface of the rumors that had circulated about him since 1998. As Burns said, 'The rumor mill surrounding me has always been really strange.' These 'specious claims' included dying from a heroin overdose, being run over by a car, and being replaced, like Paul McCartney of The Beatles, by a look-alike. Some viewers claimed that 'clues' regarding Burns' demise were placed within the show. Burns made an appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show to dispute these rumors, and he and co-creator Angela Santomero appeared on Today to help parents assuage the fears of children who might have heard the rumors."
But I did remember that there was some kind of stink (which I cannot find record of after a cursory search on the Internets) because Steve appeared as a murderer Law & Order and parents were upset that their children saw their beloved Steve acting like a monster. I remember discussing this with my husband back then, and we were wondering what these parents were thinking, keeping their children up until 10 Eastern to watch an adult crime show. And I thought this might be the topic of Steve's story at The Moth. It isn't, but he does discuss trying to have a real life as a single young man in New York City while holding a job as a children's icon and cult figure.
Which brings me to The Moth. I have sung its praises before, but basically it's a show in which five people tell true stories of about 20 minutes each about their lives, in front of an audience, without notes. The shows have themes, but otherwise the storytellers aren't connected to each other, and they vary wildly: actors, writers, directors, editors, the White House Press Secretary when President Clinton was impeached (remember Joe Lockhart?), kids, cops, a retired pickpocket. The creative director is Catherine Burns, my BFF from high school in Alexander City, Alabama. I learned to write a novel by staying up all night with Catherine and discussing how we would rewrite Lois Duncan's YA novel Five Were Missing (now republished as Ransom) starring ourselves. She has told me before that for her, directing stories at The Moth is a lot like writing novels is for me. This suits her extroverted personality better because she's meeting someone new, talking with them, and helping them craft their experience into a story the audience will love.
Since she started working for The Moth in NYC, it has opened branches in Chicago and Los Angeles, it has gone on tour (the only show I've seen live was on their tour stop in Atlanta), they've put their stories on DVD (you can buy them here ), and now they're broadcasting specials on public radio. I listened to their wonderful show on the radio here in Birmingham a few months ago, and I look forward to their return. But if you want a taste, you won't find better than Steve's podcast. Give it a listen and tell me what you think!
Who is Steve Burns and what is The Moth? Well, do two things you love ever come together for you, like the old commercials for Reese's Cups? My son had this experience when we went to Legoland last year and there was LEGO and it also happened to be STAR WARS WEEKEND!!! This is what listening to Steve's story is like for me.
Steve Burns was the host of the TV show Blue's Clues from 1996 to 2002. I was introduced to Blue's Clues when my toddler niece would stand in front of it, mesmerized with wide eyes, teething on her sleeve. I sat down and watched it with her and understood what the big deal was, and when I had a toddler of my own, we watched it together every day. It's an educational show for very young children about a cartoon dog who leaves clues for Steve about what she wants to do that day. Steve figures out the puzzle, and along the way he teaches a lesson about colors or shapes or numbers while interacting with cartoon bars of soap, salt shakers, buckets, etc. The whole show is a cartoon except for Steve, who is real.
What I particularly appreciated about the show was (1) it was uniformly positive, a happy little game, rarely building up fake anxiety about lost children trying desperately to find their way back to their mothers (I am looking very hard at you, Dora the Explorer), and (2) Steve. Apparently Steve had a lot of adult female fans and I am not going to be creepy and put myself in this group. But if you watch the show, you will realize what a terrific actor he is to be that convincing and engaging in front of a blue screen, talking to cartoon characters who aren't really there. Occasionally something REALLY strange will happen in cartoonland and one of his eyebrows will go up. And very occasionally he will turn to the camera and, without ruining the experience for children, break the frame and say something postmodern to the parent, letting you know that he knows that this is all very weird. It's hard to explain but I found it very entertaining and laughed uproariously in parts that did not have a punchline. I think my toddler and I looked forward to it equally.
What I didn't know until I looked it up on Wikipedia to write this blog entry was how highly acclaimed the show was by educators, and how decorated with TV awards. Neither did I know this:
"Burns' departure caused a resurface of the rumors that had circulated about him since 1998. As Burns said, 'The rumor mill surrounding me has always been really strange.' These 'specious claims' included dying from a heroin overdose, being run over by a car, and being replaced, like Paul McCartney of The Beatles, by a look-alike. Some viewers claimed that 'clues' regarding Burns' demise were placed within the show. Burns made an appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show to dispute these rumors, and he and co-creator Angela Santomero appeared on Today to help parents assuage the fears of children who might have heard the rumors."
But I did remember that there was some kind of stink (which I cannot find record of after a cursory search on the Internets) because Steve appeared as a murderer Law & Order and parents were upset that their children saw their beloved Steve acting like a monster. I remember discussing this with my husband back then, and we were wondering what these parents were thinking, keeping their children up until 10 Eastern to watch an adult crime show. And I thought this might be the topic of Steve's story at The Moth. It isn't, but he does discuss trying to have a real life as a single young man in New York City while holding a job as a children's icon and cult figure.
Which brings me to The Moth. I have sung its praises before, but basically it's a show in which five people tell true stories of about 20 minutes each about their lives, in front of an audience, without notes. The shows have themes, but otherwise the storytellers aren't connected to each other, and they vary wildly: actors, writers, directors, editors, the White House Press Secretary when President Clinton was impeached (remember Joe Lockhart?), kids, cops, a retired pickpocket. The creative director is Catherine Burns, my BFF from high school in Alexander City, Alabama. I learned to write a novel by staying up all night with Catherine and discussing how we would rewrite Lois Duncan's YA novel Five Were Missing (now republished as Ransom) starring ourselves. She has told me before that for her, directing stories at The Moth is a lot like writing novels is for me. This suits her extroverted personality better because she's meeting someone new, talking with them, and helping them craft their experience into a story the audience will love.
Since she started working for The Moth in NYC, it has opened branches in Chicago and Los Angeles, it has gone on tour (the only show I've seen live was on their tour stop in Atlanta), they've put their stories on DVD (you can buy them here ), and now they're broadcasting specials on public radio. I listened to their wonderful show on the radio here in Birmingham a few months ago, and I look forward to their return. But if you want a taste, you won't find better than Steve's podcast. Give it a listen and tell me what you think!
