Lisa Roecker's Blog, page 43

Across the Universe (Part 2)

Lisa here. Laura is busy NaNo-ing and I'm two glasses of wine deep, which might not sound like a lot of much, but after approximately 10 months on the wagon...it's enough.

So here's the deal. Beth Revis = Awesome. Elana Johnson once called her the smartest person she knows and after reading ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (Penguin/Razorbill, January 11, 2011) we totally understand why.

Anyway, to celebrate her book launch Beth has gathered some amazing authors on her blog (including us, YAY!) to share their personal adventure stories. Laura is up today and while her adventure doesn't involve passing out on a train and ending up in Germany, it does involve surfing. And blue water. Sorry, that's all I can really remember about her blog post. Don't forget, I'm a little tipsy here.

Anywho, the clue for today is

T
Happy code cracking! 

Across the Universe

Good morning Across the Universe-ers! Welcome to Lila Land where everything is a little delayed...totally on purpose, of course.

If you haven't heard, Beth Revis, incredible author of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (Penguin/Razorbill, January 11, 2011) has put together the most epic journey of all time. Authors have gathered on her blog and are sharing their own personal adventure stories.

Now here's where YOU come in. Go to Beth's website and search for the hidden link--LOOK for it and you'll SEE it. Visit Beth's blog everyday to pick up your clue and eventually unscramble the entire secret password for a chance to WIN! Not only will you win advanced secrets about Beth's incredible book (yep, we've read it, and we have no words. NO WORDS. It's that good), but you'll be entered to win a doodled ARC of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and other swag--in addition to a MAJOR prize to be announced!!! How cool is that?

Anyway, we hope you're enjoying your trip so far. Your clue for today is...

H
See you tomorrow where we swear we'll be more punctual.

Top 5 Things We Learned This Week

5. NaNo isn't for the faint of heart. AND there are two of us! Bravo to you solitary NaNo-ers out there. We thought 2,000 words every other day was hard. We can't imagine not being able to ship off our nonsense with a "fix this" message. Thank God for writing partners.

4. We LOVE the new Senior Editor at Sourcebooks, Leah Hultenschmidt. Love. Love. Love. Total raging girl crush. You'll understand completely when you see some of the stuff we've got cooking for THE LIAR SOCIETY. It's genius. GENIUS! Even better, she blogs!!! Commence cyberstalking immediately.

3. Know who else we love? Leila Sales. Not only is she chatting live with her rockstar agent, Stephen Barbara and fielding all your nosy questions about her debut novel MOSTLY GOOD GIRLS, she's also giving away a signed copy and a killer "mix CD that has nothing to do with my book. It's just that the only thing I am capable of providing, other than books, are mix CDs." Awesome. If you participate in the chat and leave a comment on the WriteOnCon blog post, you're automatically entered to win! We'll announce the lucky winner LIVE on November 15th immediately following the 9 EST chat. Be there.

2. And we've finally figured out who we want to be when we grow up. Read this post and you'll understand completely. I mean, don't we all want to be able to tell the story of how we went from slinging burritos and stalking female basketball stars to New York Times Bestselling authors?


1. Turns out fun size Snickers really do satisfy you. Particularly when you eat 7 of them in one sitting. Now that's fun.

Have a fab weekend everyone! As always, we'll be back next week with more nonsense.

P.S.
Be sure to stop by and congratulate our phenomenal agent sister, Katy Longshore, on the sale of her debut novel GILT, the story of teenage Queen, Catherine Howard, told in a vibrant and contemporary voice, the first in a series of novels set in the court of Henry V111, to Kendra Levin at Viking Children's, at auction, in a three-book deal, for publication in Fall 2012.

Selfishly we're just really excited that she's getting published so we can read it! Congrats Katy!!!!

Bookinistas: THE LOVE GODDESS' COOKING SCHOOL

We were lucky enough to get our sticky little fingers on an ARC of Melissa Senate's latest THE LOVE GODDESS' COOKING SCHOOL and we have one warning. It's like the rule don't grocery shop on an empty stomach; don't read this book if you're hungry. I may or may not have gained five pounds over the two days I devoured it (those Halloween candy wrappers littered around me have nothing to do with it). It's also not a coincidence that every meal I've prepared over the past week has been Italian-inspired. And I seriously have Melissa to thank for helping to end my stove-strike. I even made chicken parmesan using homemade spaghetti sauce. Okay, okay, it wasn't my homemade sauce, it was Stacey's, but it still counts, right? Right.
Here's what the back cover has to say: Holly Maguire's grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine—a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can't make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that's why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla's Cucinotta, she's determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother's legacy.

But Holly's four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla's chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter's heart. Juliet, Holly's childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can't find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla's essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed—and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

Lila's Take: We've been so caught up in the world of YA that reading this book reminded us of our first love, chick-lit women's fiction, that we've been neglecting the past two years. It was a little jarring to read about a main character in her *gasp* thirties who *gasp* drinks wine and is*gasp* allowed to have sex! But we liked it. We liked it a lot. Holly might start out with your typical broken heart, but her journey is unique and exciting. She heads back to Maine where she used to spend the summers and plans on helping her grandmother with her Italian cooking school to distance herself from her ex-boyfriend and his little girl. Of course, things don't always go according to plan, and when her grandmother unexpectedly passes away, she decides to try to take over the school to keep her grandmother's spirit alive. Throughout the course of the novel, Holly teaches herself to cook (it is obvious that Melissa has a great knowledge of Italian cooking, because the language, recipes and ingredients are authentic and ridiculously mouthwatering to boot. Our Grandma Josephine would be proud!), helps to heal the hearts of her broken students and even manages to stumble upon some love of her own. It's feel-good in the best way possible and even includes exact recipes in the back for brave readers to try on their own! What more could we ask for? Well, besides Melissa coming over and cooking for us.

Check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week!

Elana Johnson marvels over The Mockingbirds

Lisa and Laura Roecker dish about The Love Goddess' Cooking SchoolChristine Fonseca is nostalgic over books she loved growing upShannon Messenger is excited about the Ninth WardMegan Miranda adores The Adoration of Jenna FoxMyra McEntire raves about NetGalleyKirsten Hubbard considers the good, the bad and the ugly impact of reviewsBethany Wiggins can't get enough of Black Hole SunJamie Harrington is thrilled about The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

WTF Wednesday - The Molly Ringwald Edition

According to UsMagazine.com Molly Ringwald has some fabu parenting advice that really hit home for team LiLa:


"I don't let my babies watch TV at all since there have been tests done that link it to ADD [because of the rapid editing]," mom to twins Ringwald, 42, tells The Washington Post. "I didn't have a TV for the first four years of my older daughter's upbringing, and now she really just doesn't much care for it."

This is bad news bears for the two women currently attempting to write 50,000 over the course of the next 30 days with 4 kids under the age of five and a six measly hours of preschool a week for childcare.

In honor of Molly's exceptional parenting advice we're rewriting a scene from Pretty In Pink to reflect our feelings on the issue:


Molly: What do you want to hear?
LiLa: Tell me!
Molly: What?
LiLa: You think we're bad mothers!
Molly: No, I don't!
LiLa: You're ashamed that we believe that Nick Jr. really IS preschool on demand. You're terrified that your god forsaken nannies aren't nearly as effective at teaching multiculturalism as Dora.
[Lisa hits Molly]
LiLa: Just say it!
[Laura hits her again]
LiLa: Just tell us the truth!
Molly: You don't understand that it has nothing at all do with you. I just can't stand for my kids to watch television shows that I'm not starring in.
[LiLa runs away]
Molly: [wipes a tear] LiLa!!!!

[End scene] *LiLa bows*

LiLaWriMo

That's right bitches, we're officially NaNo-ing this year. Because obviously it's like the best idea ever to attempt to write an entire novel in one month immediately after one half of your writing team has popped out a baby and is operating on 4 hours of sleep per night. I mean, it's not like she has anything better to do, like, oh, I don't know, attempt to keep child services at bay.

Anyway, we'll still be on our five day a week posting schedule because we clearly have some kind of death wish. Stay tuned to find out if this is ends in twin divorces. All signs point to YES.

Mark Your Calendars!

That's right...we're excited to announce another WriteOnCon Live Event scheduled for:

Monday, November 15th at 9 PM EST
featuring...drum roll please...
agent extraordinaire Stephen Barbara of Foundry Literary + Media as well as author and client the lovely  Leila Sales
Stephen Barbara represents everything from Young Adult fiction to picture books as well as adult fiction and nonfiction with a young, hip feel, and crossover potential. His clients include (Leila Sales, of course), Lynne Jonell, Lauren Oliver, Laura Amy Schlitz, Todd Strasser, and Tom Venuto. Before Foundry, Stephen worked previous stints at HarperCollins and the Donald Maass Agency.
Leila Sales' debut novel MOSTLY GOOD GIRLS released on October 5th. She grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from the University of Chicago. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York and spends her time thinking about sleeping, kittens, dance parties, and stories that she wants to write. She also works in publishing, so we've got a two-for deal on our hands.
The topic for discussion will be the Agent-Author relationship, so start brainstorming questions now! We'll see you on the 15th!

Friday With a Side of Shame

Photo courtesy of http://www.eatliver.com/1. Damn you candy-filled plush pumpkin trick-or-treat bag. Now I'm going to have to lie to my daughter about where all her candy went and it's not even Halloween yet.

2. I hate you excercise bikes at the gym with your come hither seats and sweat-free settings. I'm sitting, I'm reading, I'm barely cycling, I'm not sweating. It's happening.

3. Go to hell crate of cleaning supplies mocking me from the linen closet. You too vacuum cleaner with a layer of dust on top. And I'm looking at you full dishwasher of clean dishes. You can all just suck it. SUCK IT.

4. Hey, screw you stove. How dare you judge me? So what if we've eaten out all week. It was kid's night at Donatos. Lydia had the time of her life. You just stand there all pretentious with your rows of burners and fancy buttons. The next time the power goes out, I'm not resetting your clock. Deal with it.

5. Thermostat? Yeah, you. It's 60 degrees out and it's kind of chilly in here. I'm too lazy to go upstairs to get a sweatshirt. Warm up my house, biatch.

6. Well, hello Microsoft Word. Yes, I know I'm supposed to be writing an outline and fixing our cluster of a WIP, but The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is calling my name. Smell ya later.

7. What's that you say, skinny jeans? Yes, I do realize two glasses of wine and carboloading like a marathoner isn't going to get my ass into you any sooner. And no, actually at this point in time I really don't care. There's nothing wrong with an elastic waistband, dammit.

8. Hi there, fellow preschool moms. Why yes, that handsome young man in the rock n' roll t-shirt shouting profanities into the pretend phone is my son. What's that? You want to cancel our playdate next week? Yeah, well your kid just stuck a straw up someone else's nose, so now might be a good time to dismount from that high horse of yours. You're welcome.

9. Good morning social worker from child services. Yes, I'm aware that it's frowned upon to scream like a lunatic while attempting to get three children out of the house fully dressed in the morning. No, I have no intention of changing my tactics at this point in time unless you count bribing them with Halloween candy? No? Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree then.

10. You know what sleep, you can just SUCK IT. Yeah, that's right. I have a newborn, I'm trying to write a book and I hate that we're involved in this crazy codependent relationship where I need you. I just can't quit you, sleep. But I'll try dammit. I. Will. Try.

Wow. We feel 10 pounds lighter and we didn't even have to pretend to break a sweat at the gym. Score.

Happy Friday guys!

Bookinistas: THE MOCKINGBIRDS

The Roeckers were lucky enough to bring Daisy Whitney's THE MOCKINGBIRDS to Hilton Head when we went on vacation in August. Almost every member of our family took turns with her book, all of us finishing within hours. Everything from the cover, a nod to the classic TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, to the pacing, pages FLY, was pitch-perfect. Daisy's debut will not only open eyes, but it could also be used as a valuable teaching tool for young adults.


Here's what the back cover has to say:
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.

Lila's Take:

Daisy opens THE MOCKINGBIRDS during the hazy aftermath of a drunken stupor. Alex learns quickly that the previous night has gone horribly wrong and while she desperately tries to hide the shameful truth, The Mockingbirds, a secret organization of students, are waiting to help her not only uncover it, but seek justice. While not everyone has been sexually assaulted, I think every person can relate to Alex's character. It's all very reminiscent and fortunately, Daisy's message is a powerful one. Being taken advantage of is not okay. With all of the controversy surrounding Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK, it's so important for writers to continue delving into difficult issues and Daisy does this with grace. Her author's note at the end of the novel will truly resonate with readers who have ever been victimized, sought justice and have fought to overcome.


Check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week:

            Christine Fonseca is also raving about THE MOCKINGBIRDS
            Jamie Harrington is dying over CRESCENDO.
            Michelle Hodkin is loving on some book blogs.
            Kirsten Hubbard is gushing over ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS.
            Shannon Messenger is amazed over THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA  
            Carolina Valdez Miller interviews the incredible Daisy Whitney.
            Megan Miranda is blown away by SHIP BREAKER.

The Case of the Very Tired Idea Whore

So, we've been working with our kick ass publicist to dream up amazing contests for the Teen Fire Ning leading up to THE LIAR SOCIETY release in March. November was going to be epic. Until we found out that tag lines are a little too important to be subject to a popular vote. Who knew?

Bottom line, we need an epic contest for the Teen Fire site ASAP. We're trying to think of ideas that will make participants feel like they're playing an active role in the publishing process. The winners of our first contest named a couple of our secondary characters and won ARCs and all entrants were sent the first chapter of the book.

This time around we're going to be giving away a huge prize pack of books from some of the uber amazing authors who are blurbing the book and all contest participants will get the first and second chapters of THE LIAR SOCIETY. (Um, get excited about the books we're giving away. Some of them are ARCs that are in VERY high demand.)

So, this Idea Whore is operating on about 4 hours of sleep and a reduced calorie diet that does not leave room for Twizzlers or ice cream (ouch). Help me. Please, for the love of God, HELP ME.

Here's what I've got so far:

Ok, I've got nothing. NOTHING. We could let people vote on two different bio options but that is SO freaking boring.

Have pity on this sleep and sugar deprived new mom, and post some ideas for us, okay?