Daisy Whitney's Blog, page 4

Garbled Voice Mails

Google Voice is great. Here's how it translated a message my son left for my husband.

Hello Dad, You can log I'm calling from Nigel. So when I got him in mom's phone asking for a dead so yo okay. It's not even back. They won't even John signature like Oliver. Your Honor. Well, as many Yeah few hours.

Makes perfect sense, right?

Meet Eileen Cook, Author of THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK

As part of the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit, I am pleased to host Eileen Cook today. Her novel "THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK" is now out!

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way…and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life–and her reputation–are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy–but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

Daisy: If you met your 16 year old self, what piece of advice would you give her?

Eileen: Lighten Up! I worried a lot as a teen. I worried about what other people thought of me. I worried that it bothered me that I cared what other people thought. I worried about friends and guys and school and my parents. Then sometimes I worried about the fact I worried too much.

Daisy: I have created magnificent ass dents in two couches from all the writing time I log. I also have a pair of white fuzzy boot slippers that look like something a yeti might wear if yetis wore boots. What piece of clothing or item in your home would provide the necessary evidence to prove to the authorities that you are a writer if questioned?

Eileen: Our sofas could be twins! I also have an office (which for some reason I rarely write it) but it is almost always piled high with stacks of papers, scribbled notes that don't make sense to me anymore, but clearly at one point I thought was vital to the story, pictures ripped out of magazines and a color coded timeline chart. I have an office supply addiction issue so when struggling with a book I purchase more index cards, highlighters, pens, colored paperclips and anything else that I think might help. I would totally borrow your yeti slippers, but there is a reasonable chance that my dog would eat them.

Daisy:When you tell people you write books for teens, what do you say when they ask, "Oh, like Twilight?"

Eileen: I want to say "Actually, I wrote Twilight. I used a pen name" just so I can watch them freak out. In reality I say, "Sort of. My books are more like Meg Cabot meets Judy Blume and with non-glittering men."

Daisy: When you're not reading or writing, where can you most likely be found?

Eileen: I love to spend time at the beach with my dogs. I'm a huge fan of large bodies of water. I'm not sure I could thrive inland. I'm also a knitter so I'm usually dragging around a few balls of yarn and the plan to do something with them.

Daisy: In my first novel The Mockingbirds, a group of boarding school students form an underground justice system to right the wrongs of their peers. Looking back on your high school experience, what type of secret society did your school need the most?

Eileen: First off – I loved Mockingbirds. I read it when you toured my blog. I think most schools would benefit from a justice system, especially with the amount of bullying that goes on. Since you already had that idea, I would go with the idea of a secret society that encouraged you to go for your dreams even if they felt risky or impossible. We all could use more encouragement. (Thank you Eileen!)

Daisy: Most people want to know who would play your main character if your novel became a film. But I'm a Broadway geek, so I want to know what you would call the show-stopping number from your novel when it becomes a Broadway musical.

Eileen: In a homage to Wicked's Defying Gravity, I'm going to go with Outside the Bounds.

Daisy: I'm going to tweet this blog post. So tell me in 140 characters or less, why people should buy your book.

Eileen: Please buy this book as I have 2 dogs to support, they eat a lot. And it's funny.

Thanks, Eileen!

Ready for a Tablet? What if it's not an iPad?

Get ready for a slew of new tablet introductions at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. Manufacturers like Vizio, Toshiba, as well as Motorola, LG, Dell and Microsoft are expect to introduce new tablet computers this week in Las Vegas. But will anyone want a tablet that's not from Apple? For the latest insight in how the tablet market should shape up, check out this week's New Media Minute.
Tags: daisy whitney, new media minute, natpe, digitalsmiths, the platform, theplatform, vizio, toshiba, microsoft, motorola. lg, dell, tablets, emarketer, google tablets, ipad

Sex, Death and Drunkenness

I recently read a comment on NPR's best teen reads of 2010 list about how the five books picked were about "sex, death, drunkenness and war."

This comment made me think and contemplate and consider. And then come to this conclusion — I believe it's good for books about teens to deal with these issues. Not all books need to, but some books should. Literature can help teens frame their sense of right and wrong. Through books that delve into some of the above issues, teens can figure out how they might feel about sex, death, drunkenness and war.

In my novel, for instance, the main character was drinking when she was date raped. Does that mean my book promotes drinking? Um, hardly. In fact, the main character never drinks again after this night. In the sequel (due out in the fall) she also states that she doesn't drink.

So while drinking is a topic that is handled in my book, it's never promoted, it's never glorified. In fact, I will never glorify drinking or drug use in any of my novels. The topics may be addressed but you won't find a character drinking anywhere in The Mockingbirds besides the flashbacks to the rape and you won't find any alcohol consumption in the second book either. In fact, the main character in the novel I'm currently writing most definitely doesn't drink either.

BUT, I don't think drinking or drug use have to be wholly removed from a book for teens either. Beautiful by Amy Reed is one of the most amazing books I've ever read and it's about a teen's descent into drug use. But again, the drug use is never glorified and the girl eventually recovers and cleans up.

I think it's healthy and smart for books to tackle meaty topics like Sex, Death, Drunkenness and War. I can't speak for other authors, but I take my role seriously to show the good and bad when it comes to the issues I tackle. That's why, if anything, The Mockingbirds is a cautionary tale when it comes to teen drinking.

Library Love!

I noticed my local library didn't have my book. I solved that problem quickly by giving it a copy! And look! It's now on display!!!

I love libraries, and library binding, and library displays, and librarians! And did you know that a library book features prominently in The Mockingbirds? Well, it does.

Vote for me!

Oh hi. I'm sure you've never been asked to vote for anything on the Web before. BUT, please please please would you vote for THE MOCKINGBIRDS in this TeenReads.com Children's Choice Book Awards? It would mean a lot to me especially because I adore TeenReads.com and the site has been very good to me indeed! Plus, you can read this fab review of my book and even an excerpt on TeenReads.com!

Is there anything cuter than this dog?

Four Years In Writing

Four years ago at this time I was getting ready to query literary agents for my first novel. That novel went on to land me my first agent in April 2007, but no book deal.

Three years ago at this time I was writing my third novel, the novel that would land me my current literary agent in November 2008. We did not take that book out to market.

Two years ago at this time I was writing THE MOCKINGBIRDS, the book that my agent would go on to sell to Little Brown in August 2009.

One year ago at this time I was copy editing THE MOCKINGBIRDS for its November 2010 release date and drafting an outline for its sequel for Little Brown.

Now, my first published book has been on bookstore shelves for nearly two months, my second novel is going into copy edits, and I am revising a new novel that I hope will be the third book we sell.

For all of you writers – keep writing, keep the faith. It takes time and patience and love of the craft.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Guess what my new book is about!

I'm writing a new book. Or rather, revising. Or rewriting. Whatever you call it, I'm massaging this novel into something showable to the professionals in my life. And no, I can't tell you what it's about. But I can share this playlist I just made for myself to listen to while I write! And maybe you can guess what the book is about!

Grace by Kate Havenik

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley

Life in Rain by Remy Zero

Turn Me On by Union of Sound

Fix You by Coldplay

Librarian by My Morning Jacket

See Me Shining by Adam Pascal and Larry Edoff

Still by Matt Nathanson

More Than This by Roxy Music

A Little Priest by Michael Cerveris and Patti Lupone from Sweeney Todd

If you guessed cannibalism, you're right!!! (No, just kidding. But A Little Priest is just a good song that should be in every playlist in my opinion.)

$300 off NATPE registration for New Media Minute Viewers

NATPE 2011 is shaping up to be the best in years. Its not too late to register at NATPEMarket.com Use code N11NMM and save $300.
Tags: natpe, daisy whitney, new media minute, natpe 2011