Sad news

I lost another friend this week.

Bridget Zinn was one of the sweetest, kindest, bravest people I’ve ever known. She was the embodiment of hope—fighting cancer, beating so many odds. Any of my problems seemed trivial when I talked with her because she never dwelled on the negative. She talked about the future. About life. And she loved life.

I’m heartbroken that the world didn’t get more of Bridget—33 is far too young to be taken. I’m heartbroken for her wonderful husband and family and friends. But I know that Bridget is watching over us now, and that even here, she is still that embodiment of hope to me. A beautiful soul. I’ll miss you, Bridget.

(Bridget and her husband, Barrett)

(Our rockstar lunch, Cyndi, me and Bridget)

Also, Bridget's agent Michael Stearns has a great post with a video of Bridget that really does capture her beautiful spirit HERE.

Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit: Starring Elizabeth Scott

So excited to feature author Elizabeth Scott and her new book BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER on the blog today! I'm a huge fan! Let's hear more about it!

(From Amazon) BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER-A romantic but dark coming-of-age teen novel by the author of Perfect You and Living Dead Girl.

And a quick interview!

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

I was actually voted most musical in high school (I know!!)

2. What is one thing you wish you would have done when you were younger?

I wish I'd been able to spend at least one semester studying overseas
when I was in college.

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

Abby accepted that she can't measure up to her beautiful, magnetic
sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second
best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby's life is on hold. It may have been
hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without
her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and
mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something
that was always there, but that she'd never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it
is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

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

If that happened, I'd be so thrilled, I honestly wouldn't care!

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

I'd rather take a real person, and I'd take my husband, who never went
to any of his proms!

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

I hope they enjoy reading it!

Thanks, Elizabeth! Pick up your copy of BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER, today!

I wonder...

I've seen the inside pages of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL--totally exciting. I've seen the cover. I've looked through the Advanced Reader Copy--even read a few pages. The final jacket was gorgeous as I tried it on my other books to daydream about what my real live book would someday look like. I've wondered....

Until now. YAY!! A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL is ALIVE!! Not really, but I got a finished author copy and she is so pretty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love her.





It's small moments like this, holding your finished book--that make it real. All the rest is just blog posts and guesses. So I'm going to take a moment to cuddle my book, and in 32 days A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL will be on a shelf near you.

A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL is also part of Teenreads.com Beach Bag Contest and here you can read a three-chapter excerpt from the novel. If you want...

Some Coolish Updates

A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL comes out in just a little over a month. I honestly can't believe it. It seems like a million years ago (last January) that I announced the deal and did a little dance. But now... it's almost here! Yay! Have you preordered it yet? It might be kinda cool if you did....

Anyway, the reviews are just starting to come in, and I'm super excited to say that BOOKLIST gave it a STARRED REVIEW!!! *dies. *revives

Here's a quick peek:

"A clever and well-written fantasy. Whether Charlotte is an angel or a being less freighted by religious tradition is left up to the reader, but the dilemma of how we can make a lasting impression is a very human concern. Young offers an elegant solution that is well worth consideration."
— BOOKLIST (STARRED REVIEW)

Kirkus had some kind things to say as well:

"A gripping supernatural romance… An imaginative twist on the timeless battle between dark and light. " --Kirkus

And then today, I ventured out into the day in search of a magazine--Girls' Life (GL) Magazine to be exact. The June/July issue is finally out and A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL is included on their Beach Blanket Book Club!! (Hope you don't mind sand in your tears).



So it has been a pretty cool last couple of weeks. I also sold a new book series (details on my books page) and FINALLY caught up on the laundry.

Feel free to grab the A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL countdown widget from the sidebar or embed the awesome book trailer that VLC Productions put together on your own blog!

Have a fantastic week!!!

Suz

Trailer: A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL

A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL
Balzer&Bray/HarperCollins-June 21st, 2011

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences?


Watch the trailer:



"A clever and well-written fantasy. Whether Charlotte is an angel or a being less freighted by religious tradition is left up to the reader, but the dilemma of how we can make a lasting impression is a very human concern. Young offers an elegant solution that is well worth consideration."
— BOOKLIST (STARRED REVIEW)

And for a super awesome contest to win a signed, finished copy of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, visit the Novel Novice HERE.