Halloween 2010

A seven-year-old zombie bride and her desert commando brother.... And a lot of strange looks from doorways as we trick-or-treated.... :-)




Happy Halloween!!!!!

A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL- The Cover!!!!!!!!

I thought about writing a long post about covers because honestly, I never get tired of telling the story about The Naughty List (my mom thought it was porn). But instead, I just want to say that I'm SO HAPPY WITH MY NEW COVER!!!

I have obsessed and fretted about what the cover for A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL (Summer 2011) would look like. The book is about a girl who is compelled to help people, even though each time she does, her friends and family start to forget who she is--her very existence fading into a glowing light. So... what kind of cover could express that????

Well, I'm so excited to show you!! I just think.... it's so pretty. :-)

Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit: Starring Denise Jaden

Today I'm talking about Denise Jaden's debut novel LOSING FAITH-out now from Simon Pulse. Here's a little more about the book:



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.

And I love this trailer!!! Check it out--



Pick up your copy of LOSING FAITH today!!

What are you working on?

I've been writing non-stop lately and I don't think my schedule is going to let up anytime soon. I've finished and handed in a draft of the sequel to A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL (6/21/11). I think I'm okay to release the title now... (hope so) but the sequel is called A WANT SO WICKED (Summer 2012)

Beyond that I finished a new book that I'm crazy excited about. It's my longest novel, but I adore it because Pink Floyd is part of the inspiration there. (You ate a puzzle??) I also started a creepy YA horror series that I'm not going to try to explain because I'm not even sure where to start. Plus it might be offensive.

So I'm getting lots of writing done and soon I'll be preparing for the SCBWI's winter conference in NYC in January. You're going too, right?

I'm just wondering, what are you working on??

Books, Books, Books!

I swear, I can never get caught up with all of the awesome books coming out. And really, it's so hard for me to recommend books when I know authors, but I'm going to try. Lately, three have caught my eye and even though I'm friends with the authors, I'm recommending these books based solely on how good they are.

AVAILABLE NOW:

THE UNIDENTIFIED by Rae Mariz



I remember seeing a query for this book a loooong time ago. And now, I have it in my hands. At first I was nervous because I'm not tech savvy and I was afraid this would go over my head. Instead, I was totally immersed in this cool world. With an intriguing mystery, and yay! a sweet romance, this was my type of book! I thought it was SMART. The writing was clever and honestly funny.

Description from Amazon:

Fifteen-year-old Katey (aka Kid) goes to school in the Game—a mall converted into a “school” run by corporate sponsors. As the students play their way through the levels, they are also creating products and being used for market research by the sponsors, who are watching them 24/7 on video cameras.

Kid has a vague sense of unease but doesn’t question this existence until one day she witnesses a shocking anticorporate prank. She follows the clues to uncover the identities of the people behind it and discovers an anonymous group that calls itself the Unidentified. Intrigued by their counterculture ideas and enigmatic leader, Kid is drawn into the group. But when the Unidentified’s pranks and even Kid’s own identity are co-opted by the sponsors, Kid decides to do something bigger—something that could change the Game forever.

This funny, sharp, and thought-provoking novel heralds the arrival of a stunning new voice in teen fiction.

Favorite lines: "Meat Hammer sounds gross. Couldn't they think of a better team name? Was One-Eyed Flesh Spear taken?"



COMING (very) SOON:

THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney (November 2nd, 2010)



Contemporary!!! I adore realistic contemporary that doesn't just read as wish fulfillment. Daisy has a way of writing honest words that capture raw emotion. She's one of my favorite writers with a style all her own. Just check out the reviews on this one!

Description from Amazon:

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.

Favorite line from review: "A new SPEAK for teens"


PREORDER NOW:

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins (December 2, 2010)



Ahh! I love this book and I'm sorry to torture you now since there are still weeks until it's available. But it is so incredibly romantic and witty... it's a must have.

Description from Amazon:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris until she meets Etienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna and readers have long awaited?

My favorite part: The romance with St. Claire.... sigh

Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit: Starring Linda Gerber

I'm very excited to talk with another girlfriend today--Linda Gerber!! Linda is AWESOME and she has a new book out this week: TRANCE. Let's hear more about it!



From the author of the popular Death By series
TRANCE
By Linda Gerber

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 (Speak; 9780142414156; October 14, 2010; Ages 12 up; $7.99). 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.

(more)
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.

About the Author



Linda Gerber (www.lindagerber.com) is the author of the popular Death by Bikini, Death by Latte, and Death by Denim as well as two books in the S.A.S.S. series. She lives with her family in Dublin, Ohio.

Be sure to check out her fun blog at www.lindagerber.blogspot.com ! She read my numbers last weekend and it was so cool!

I got a chance to ask Linda a few questions:

1. Okay, first question. If this were high school, which senior superlative in the yearbook would you score?

Most disorganized.


2. What is one thing you wish you would have done when you were younger? For me, it’s that I never studied abroad. How about you?

I quit piano when I was in middle school. My mom said I would regret not sticking with it, but I didn’t believe her. * sigh * You were right, Mom.

3. Now here’s the self-promotion part: Can you please tell us all about your book? We have some book shopping to do!

Trance is the story of two sisters who share premonitions through trances. Each sister only sees part of the vision, so they have to piece the warnings together like a puzzle to know what it means - which doesn't always work. Enter Jake, the hunky motorcycle-riding musician. When Ashlyn senses he's in danger, she has to learn to control the trances before it's too late.

4. So, say your book just got picked up for a movie (congratulations!) Who’s playing your MC?

I like Nickelodeon’s Victoria Justice.

5. If you could take one literary character to prom, who would it be, and why?

Oooh. I really like Owen from Sarah Dessen’s Just Listen…. Although he’d probably loathe the kind of music they play at proms, so… Wait! I know! Jesse, the hot Spanish ghost from Meg Cabot’s Mediator series.

6. And finally, since all of the other questions were so serious… What do you hope teens take away from your book?

Most anything broken can be fixed. And...

Never give up.

Thanks again for stopping by, Linda! And everyone, pick up your copy of TRANCE today!!

Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit: Starring Lauren Strasnick

I'm so excited to have fellow girlfriend Lauren Strasnick here today with her fabulous new book: HER AND ME AND YOU! Let's hear more about it!



Her and Me and You
Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster, October 2010

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.

What reviewers are saying:

“Strasnick’s slim second offering packs a lot into its short chapters: divorce, broken friendships, crushes, the lines between love and sex and more. Characterization, scenes, dialogue and setting are seamlessly distilled into so few sharp, image-rich phrases that the novel reads almost as if it were written in verse. Less is definitely more here, and readers are plunged into Alex’s physical and emotional world within three to four words. Although the plot moves swiftly, the author’s ability to capture Alex’s inner world in so few words give the novel depth and balance. Complex and thought-provoking.” –Kirkus

The author:


Lauren's website & blog: www.laurenstrasnick.com

I was even lucky enough to interview Lauren:

1. Okay, first question. If this were high school, which senior superlative in the yearbook would you score?

Weirdest Wardrobe. I wore some insane stuff to school. Velvet hot pants. Fishnets. plaid kilts and doc martins and burgundy bell bottoms and alice bands and blackberry lipstick.

2. What is one thing you wish you would have done when you were younger? For me, it’s that I never studied abroad. How about you?

Ha, I don’t think I can answer this question honestly without exposing too much of myself. I have regrets! I plead the fifth!

3. Now here’s the self-promotion part: Can you please tell us all about your book? We have some book shopping to do!

H&M&Y is about Alex, a girl whose parents have just split up. Alex moves with her heartbroken mother to her dead grandmother’s place in Connecticut. There she meets Fred and Adina Bishop. They’re twins. They’re weirdos. The three of them hang out constantly. It all gets very messy.

4. So, say your book just got picked up for a movie (congratulations!) Who’s playing your MC?

Kat Dennings! Who I think is adorable.

5. If you could take one literary character to prom, who would it be, and why?

Marcus Flutie from Megan McCafferty’s SLOPPY FIRSTS. He’s just so smart and crushable! And I think he’d be fun to slow dance with.

6. And finally, since all of the other questions were so serious… What do you hope teens take away from your book?

Oh gosh, I’m not sure. I suppose I hope teens will read H&M&Y and be engaged, entertained, moved, and challenged.

Thank you so much, Lauren. Everyone, pick up your copy of HER AND ME AND YOU today!!!!

Start making plans... SCBWI Annual Winter Conference

The SCBWI Annual Winter Conference in NYC is just around the corner! It's time to start making some PLANS!! *packs scarf and high-heeled boots



The Official Team Blog led by the amazing Alice Pope, will be back again to bring you up to the minute action. Including behind the scenes pictures, interviews and top secret information. The conference is happening January 28-30, 2011, at the Hyatt Grand Central. This year's amazing line up will include (hold on for leaked, top-secret information):

Mo Willems, RL Stine, Sara Zarr, Jules Feiffer and Lois Lowry among many others! How can you miss this??? Registration begins tomorrow at 10am!!! Click HERE to join us!!!

See you there!!

Book Signing: Starring LK Madigan, April Henry and Lauren Kate

Super fun time today! I took a break from my psychotic writing schedule to head out to a book signing. Amazing lineup with the always awesome LK Madigan (Flash Burnout, The Mermaid's Mirror), Bestselling author April Henry (Girl, Stolen) and Bestseller Lauren Kate (Fallen, Torment).



Amazing author Tara Kelly (Harmonic Feedback) came with and we met up with Lisa Schroeder (I Heart You, You Haunt Me, Chasing Brooklyn) and Amy Baskin. It was a full crowd at our local Powell's!

Each read from their books (which was great!) and LK tossed chocalotes and passed out one of her early novels about mermaids (was it from 4th grade?) So fun.

The highlight of the event was during question time when an audience member asked Lauren if the author of Twilight helped her write Torment. That Stephanie Meyer--she's just everywhere.

Anyway, Portland once again rules the universe turning out for an awesome event! More coming up soon!!!