A few basic rules for clothes shopping:

1. If you look in your sock drawer and realize that it's been 9 years since you bought white crew socks, it's time to buy new ones.

2. Don't wait until the 4th day of a 5-day "extra 30% off" sale to shop for clothes. Nothing in your size will be left. This is true no matter what size you wear. (Could this be why I haven't bought new socks in 9 years?)

3. My car has a stick shift, so I need shoes with a closed heel. Why are there no such shoes in Fashion Land anywhere between orthopedic loafers and 4-inch heels?

Add a Comment

So here comes Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of figuratively smacking people upside the head and asking them, "Are you serious?? Who do you think you are?"

Parents have the right, and the obligation, to monitor and control what their own children read. Their own children. Not my children.

Even so, I wish parents would give their own kids a little more leeway when it comes to reading books (see purple prose below).

Every time you turn around, you hear people lamenting that kids won't read books any more. Then you turn around and people are trying to take books out of kids' hands.

Make up your minds, people.

Better yet, just let the kids read.

Author Laurie Halse Anderson says it very eloquently here, and she knows whereof she speaks. Her entire post is important reading, but my favorite line is here, and sums it all up:

"Storytelling is the traditional vehicle mankind uses to pass wisdom from one generation to the next."

Yes.

Yes! Crikey, wouldn't you rather they read about it in a book than do it themselves? Let them get wise by reading.

But that's almost beside the point.

The Point: If you, as a parent, or citizen, or whoever you are, even suggest controlling what other people's children will or will not read, by any means...

that's censorship.

And in a free society, censorship is obscene.

Add a Comment

Talking about the movie here, which was made in 1961.

A few observations after watching it last night, for the first time since I was a kid (when SO much went over my head):

1. In 1961, Fifth Avenue was a two-way street.

2. I remember watching the NY Public Library scene as a kid, and wishing that some day I could go there, and see the lions, and sit at one of those long wooden tables with the brass lamps, and read a book.

3. That wish was granted approximately 30 years later.

4. In 1961, the library had a physical card catalog, which took up whole walls.

5. I'm pretty sure that sometime between Roman Holiday and this movie, Audrey Hepburn had her teeth straightened. Which is too bad, because perfect teeth are kinda boring.

6. Brad Pitt has nothing on George Peppard.

7. Mickey Rooney as the Japanese landlord?? Oh dear. (In a 2005 interview, director Blake Edwards said he wished he could take back that decision.)

8. Now I need to read the book.

Add a Comment

I love Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book for lots of reasons, but especially because it breaks some unspoken "rules" of books for kids:

1. It's a middle grade book that uses the occasional really long sentence and the occasional, undefined, difficult word (Convocation; ululation, for example).

2. It tackles scary things in a book for kids. I mean, really, truly, viscerally terrifying things. (Which means, things that ALL kids think about.)

3. It does not stick with one point of view. It goes all over the place and into many characters' heads, which actually is pure and classic omniscient point of view. (When did that get to be a no-no for kids' books?)

4. It's a book for kids, but it only has a few chapters where Bod (the main character) deals with other kids in a kid-world. Most of the book shows Bod dealing with adults (of all ilks and eras) in a very adult world.

5. It uses a cliche! And I love this phrase, and I'm so glad NG did not cave in to whatever critiquer or editor must have asked him to change it.  Here it is:

"I am still not talking to you," said Liza Hempstock's voice, proud as a peacock and pert as a sparrow.

That right there is a line every writer wishes he/she had written.

And how did Mr. Gaiman manage to "get away" with that cliche, "proud as a peacock"? Is it the multiple alliteration he achieved by adding the stunningly unique "pert as a sparrow"? Does adding a stunningly unique phrase forgive the cliche?

Maybe.

Maybe cliches aren't necessarily such a bad thing in children's lit. I mean, every kid has to hear a cliche for the first time, and that time it's not a cliche, right?

(Maybe someone is over-analyzing.)

Anyway. I'd love to hear some opinions, or other examples.

Add a Comment

Rumor has it these are Neil Gaiman's bookshelves:




Everybody all together now: "Mmmmmm........"

Currently I have a writer's crush on Neil Gaiman. His Graveyard Book is a little masterpiece. (And the audio version, narrated by the author, will give you goosebumps.)

This picture just proves to me that it's not how many books you have, it's how you store them.

Apparently there' s a Shelfari group devoted to Neil Gaiman's Bookshelves , "where everyone can chat about ... anything related to Mr. Gaiman’s shelves."

So I know it's a cool photo and all, but chatting about it? That sounds a bit, um...obsessive.

Add a Comment

Every novelist has a file, labeled "Deleted text" or "Edited Out" or "Save for Later."

It's the place where you've moved bits of your book because they don't quite work, but you hate to get rid of them completely in case later you decide it wasn't such crap after all or, hey, maybe this will work in this later scene here.

I always label my such file "Snippets," which has a kind and gentle ring to it.

Out of curiosity, I went back and counted the pages in my various Snippets Files for my novels.

Jump the Cracks : 70 pages of Snippets / 204 final manuscript pages. This included several rounds of full-scale revisions.

Good Girl's Guide (working title): 67 pages of Snippets / 224 final manuscript pages. Again, several revisions.

Truthfully, I'm surprised at how many pages are in these files. It didn't seem like that much at the time.

I'm also surprised that the Snippets Files for both books are almost the same size. It felt like I "snippeted" much less for the second book, but obviously I was wrong.

I'm consistent, anyway.

The Snippets file for my WIP? 3 pages, so far. But I have a looooonngg way to go!

How big are your Snippets Files?

Add a Comment

This week the GCC welcomes author Megan Kelley Hall and her newest YA release, The Lost Sister   

(Kensington, August 2009)

Sisters are born, not chosen. . .

Maddie Crane is grappling with the disappearance of Cordelia LeClaire, and trying to escape the grasp of The Sisters of Misery—an insidious clique of the school's most powerful girls, whose pranks have set off a chain of horrific events, and who have Maddie in their sights...

Beware the sister betrayed. . .

Now in a prestigious boarding school far away from her mysterious hometown of Hawthorne, Massachusetts, Maddie feels free from danger. But when an unmarked envelope arrives at her dorm containing a single ominous tarot card, Maddie realizes with terror that some secrets won't stay buried. Knowing she must return to Hawthorne—a town still scarred by the evil of the Salem witch trials—Maddie prepares to face the fears of her past. . .and the wrath of the sister she wronged.


Praise for The Lost Sister:

A character driven tale containing a deep Gothic feel and haunting foreboding atmosphere that hooks fans of all ages....With strong ties to the late seventeenth century Salem Witch Trials, THE LOST SISTER is a super thriller. -- Harriet Klausner

Hall will have your heart racing and you will not be able to put this book down. With historical allusions to the New England witch trials and a touch of the paranormal, THE LOST SISTER is a thriller in a league of its own.
-- TeensReadtoo / Awarded THE LOST SISTER the Hall of Fame Gold Star Award for Excellence

Blown away... The suspense, mystery, intrigue, and drama steadilybuild up throughout the novel, making it impossible to put the bookdown. I would recommend it to almostall book lovers. It has made me hungry for more of Ms. Hall's work! - Mrs. Magoo Reads

The Author Interview:

Stacy:  If you couldn't be a writer, what would your dream job be?

 

Megan: Is Johnny Depp’s personal biographer still available? Wait that would be writing…. Um, how about being the caretaker of his island or boat? Are those positions available?

 

 

S: What's the most surprising thing to happen since publication of your book?

 

Megan: The fact that I’ve had famous people (writers/screenwriters/directors) tell me that they’ve read my book and liked it. Those moments are indescribable.  But, just as powerful are the emails that I receive from teens who’ve written to me to tell me how much they loved SISTERS OF MISERY.  Teens are so passionate about what they read. It makes me just as passionate about writing for them.

 

 

S: What are you working on now?

 

Megan: I finished my third YA suspense novel and my agent is out with it right now! Fingers crossed!

 

 

S: Did you have a favorite teacher who encouraged your writing/reading habit?

 

Megan: I’ve been inspired by every Shakespearean professor I’ve ever had.  I think being interesting and engaging is a prerequisite for teaching Shakespeare. Although I was in the presence of greatness in college, studying under Pulitzer Prize winning author, Steven Millhauser (he hadn’t won the Pulitzer at that point), it was another professor that improved my writing. Tatyana Tolstoya (Tolstoy’s granddaughter) invited me to have coffee with her to discuss my writing.  I was very excited, wondering what words of wisdom she would pass on to me.  We were having coffee and smoking cigarettes at Skidmore’s coffee house.  I was looking forward to some form of praise for my latest short story.  Instead, she blew smoke in my face and said in her thick Russian accent, “You have too much vanity in your work.” I didn’t understand, so I asked her to explain. “You think you’re a better writer than you really are.” Way to bring someone down a peg.  Especially, since I really didn’t think that I was all that great a writer (not anymore, at least). From that point on, I never let myself have lofty visions of my work.  I always know that I can do better.  I’ll never allow myself to rest on my laurels. So, all in all, it was excellent, albeit harsh, advice.

 

 

S: What's your favorite kind of chocolate?

 

Megan: Dark chocolate. My husband once told me that he went to a corporate party that had a CHOCOLATE ROOM. Fountains of chocolate, chocolate covered fruit, every type of chocolate dessert imaginable.  That is my idea of heaven.

About the Author:

Megan Kelley Hall is a freelance writer and literary publicist living North of Boston. Her first YA novel, SISTERS OF MISERY, was published by Kensington in August 2008. Hall also has an essay about her recent open heart surgery in former CNN anchor Daryn Kagan's anthology, WHAT'S POSSIBLE! (Meredith Books, 2008). THE LOST SISTER, the second in the SISTERS OF MISERY series, is in stores now.

Hall regularly writes articles for a variety of local and national magazines and publications, including Elle, Glamour, Boston Magazine, Parenting, American Baby, Working Mother, The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and several other publications.

Find out more about Megan at:

www.megankelleyhall.com

www.sistersofmisery.com

 

www.kelleyandhall.com

 

Add a Comment

The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is pleased to present Stephanie Kuehnert and her brand-new YA novel, Ballads of Suburbia (MTV Books).

There are so many ballads. Achy breaky country songs. Mournful pop songs. Then there’s the rare punk ballad, the ballad of suburbia: louder, faster, angrier . . . till it drowns out the silence.

Kara hasn’t been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park. . . .

Amidst the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives.

Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

Here's what people are saying about BALLADS OF SUBURBIA:

"....an intensely real and painfully honest novel of high-school anxiety." and "....Kuehnert nails the raw vulnerability of teendom and delivers a hard-hitting and mesmerizing read." - Booklist

"Like an American Beauty for the teen set." - NewCity 

"With her first two novels, Kuehnert has created vivid pictures of teenage lives that lie in that borderland that abuts adulthood. It is a fertile, confusing and intense place, and Kuehnert never holds back. But like a good ballad, she keeps the stories taut and precise, with a touch of heart thrown in for good measure." - Chicago Sun-Times

"This book is powerful. It's been haunting me for days. Yes, haunting me." - The Story Siren, 5 star review, Recipient of the Luminous Pearl Award

"BALLADS OF SUBURBIA is a remarkable achievement that hits you right where it counts (your heart) and lingers where it matters (the brain). I’m truly looking forward to seeing what Stephanie Kuehnert will do next." - Steph Su Reads, 5 out of 5 rating

"This novel was addicting. It was harsh, raw, cruel, sad, and painful, but the scariest of all is that this is real. In one powerful novel, whole worlds are exposed. I recommend this novel to anyone ready to see the truth." - Reading Is Bliss

"All that really needs to be said about Ballads of Suburbia is that it's spectacular, and that I can't recommend it enough." - Frenetic Reader

The interview:

Stacy: If you couldn't be a writer, what would your dream job be?

Stephanie: Librarian. Not super glamorous I know, but I love librarians and would love to spend my days with them, surrounded by books if I couldn’t be writing books.

S: What's the most surprising thing to happen since publication of your book?

Stephanie: I’m always pleasantly surprised by the reactions of readers. When I get emails or meet people in person who really love the book. I know it’s silly, but I’m still an insecure teenager at heart so to hear that I actually created something that impressed or really helped someone. That means the world to me.

S: What are you working on now?

Stephanie: I’m in that place where I’m working a on a few different ideas, trying to determine what idea is working the best. At the moment, I’m most in love with a story I’m writing about a girl who goes on a road trip to each city she lived in, trying to figure out where she really belongs. I’m also toying with (as I have been for years) my re-telling of the Persephone myth and a post-apocalyptic story.

S: Did you have a favorite teacher who encouraged your writing/reading habit?

Stephanie: I had lots of great teachers over the years, but probably my favorite was a college professor, Randy Albers at Columbia College Chicago, who really pushed me to do my best writing and gave me so much feedback that was truly invaluable.

S: What's your favorite kind of chocolate?

Stephanie: Dark chocolate. I’m vegan so I don’t eat milk chocolate, but even when I was a little kid I loved dark chocolate best!

About the author:

Stephanie Kuehnert got her start writing bad poetry about unrequited love and razor blades in eighth grade. In high school, she discovered punk rock and produced several D.I.Y. feminist ‘zines. She received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago and lives in Forest Park, Illinois. Her first novel, I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE, was released by MTV Books in July of 2008. BALLADS OF SUBURBIA, also published by MTV Books, is her latest release.

 Important Links:

 Website: www.stephaniekuehnert.com

Blog: stephaniekuehnert.blogspot.com A cyber launch party for Ballads of Suburbia is running there through August 14 with lots of guest bloggers and daily prizes!

 Link to Epilogue (ie the very first chapter of the book):
http://www.stephaniekuehnert.com/ballads/index.html#chap1

Link to Chapter 1 on Simon & Schuster’s site:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Ballads-of-Suburbia/Stephanie-Kuehnert/9781439102824/excerpt

 Book Trailer for Ballads of Suburbia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kiPRci2vG4

Add a Comment

Setting:  A hotel in lower Manhattan, on a Wednesday morning.

Me (to concierge): Do you know where the nearest public library is?

Concierge: Uh...there's a really nice library up on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street. It has lions.

Me: I know, but I was thinking of something within walking distance?

Concierge: Uh...

(pause for Internet clicking, Mapquest checking, more clicking...and finally, success!)

Concierge: Sorry it took so long. No one's ever asked me that question before.

Add a Comment

My kid's iPod died, so he asked to borrow mine whilst he mowed the lawn.

Kid: "Do you have music on it that I would like?"

Me: "Music? I only have one song on my iPod*. But I do have lots of books."

Kid: (sighs) "Never mind..."

Me: (calling after him): "I've got The Graveyard Book. Neil Gaiman reads it himself! You'd love it!"

(sound of door slamming and lawnmower firing up)


* "Flathead" by The Fratellis. Which is a good song, but I'm not sure how it got on there.

Add a Comment

It's true. 

I was in 8th grade, and at the time Bud Selig wasn't the Commish. He was just president of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club. And in those days, they were horrible, game attendance was sometimes in the hundreds, and Bud Selig was listed in the local phone book.

We were baseball groupies -- we'd talk one of our dads into dropping us off at County Stadium a few nights a week, and we'd sit in the bleachers for $2 or so, and we lived and breathed every pitch.

So during a long stretch of away games, we decided to conduct our own telephone survey, and we were serious. We made up our list of questions, and started calling random numbers in the phone book.

Most people were polite and cooperative, and we diligently recorded the responses, hoping to turn the earth-shattering info over to Brewers management in exchange for something awesome, like hot dog coupons.

We took turns calling. When it was my turn, one of the other girls called out seven digits, and I dialed. The man on the other end was very polite, but after the first couple of questions he asked, "Who are you with again? What are you collecting this information for?"

I stammered and gulped, and my girlfriends started giggling uncontrollably. Which caused me to hang up and ask what's the deal.

"You just called Bud Selig!" they squealed.

Oh.

Add a Comment

I had the pleasure of talking to author Jennifer Banash about her brand-new YA book, Simply Irresistible. It's the last installment in the Elite series from Penguin.


More adventures from the spoiled, rich teens in Manhattan who nearly ate Casey McCloy alive when she first arrived in the Big Apple from her small town of Normal, Illinois.  Casey learned very quickly after she moved in with her grandmother at The Bramford, the most exclusive luxury apartment building on New York’s Upper East Side and got into the prestigious Meadowlark Academy on a full scholarship, that it’s not who you are but who you know!

Add a Comment

(or: Why You Should Always Read Your Work Out Loud)

So there's a local car dealer who airs TV commercials every night during the evening news. It's your typical low-budget fare, starring (if I had to guess) members of his family.

No big deal. Except at the end of the commercial, a boy about 9 years old delivers this tag line:

"He just wants to get you a loan."

Think about it.

Add a Comment

I read this about Ray Bradbury in the New York Times this morning:


His most famous novel, Fahrenheit 451...was written on a pay typewriter in the basement of the UCLA library."


That is amazing, because *I* have written on a pay typewriter in the basement of the UCLA library!

What a close connection I suddenly feel to Mr. Bradbury!

OK, I wasn't there anywhere near the same time he was. And I was pounding away on some Psych term paper and not a novel of vast influence.

Come to think of it... the typewriters were probably not even the same ones, since his was most likely a manual model and mine was an IBM Selectric that literally chugged when you dropped a quarter in the slot.

It might have been the same chair. Same 3 cubic feet of space? Same room? Someone please tell me it was the same room.

Oh well. I'm hereby claiming to have gotten a whiff of his literary karma, and the beauty of it is:

You can't prove me wrong.

Add a Comment

So I survived the trip to Vegas. It was a feast for the imagination.
In Las Vegas, you can...

...see a pretend Eiffel Tower:



















Imagine that all the pretty buildings are NOT surrounded by miles and miles of empty desert:




You can walk into the casinos and pretend smoking is not bad for you.

You can also pretend those little chips are not real money (unless you win, of course).

But the best part? On a Wednesday afternoon you can sit poolside and pretend there's nothing more urgent
than reading a good book.

Add a Comment

Hold on to your lobster roll, honey -- this Connecticut Yankee is going to Vegas!

It's my first time.

That's right.  I'm a Vegas virgin.

It'll be a whirlwind tour... a toss of the dice--literally (uh, how do you play that little dicey game again??)...a world premier movie...a luscious novel to read poolside...

What's that, you say? World movie premier? Moi?

Oh yes, baby. I'll be all red carpet on Wednesday night. Say a prayer for my tootsies, 'cause I'm gettin' dressed up.

Saint John of Las Vegas is the coincidentally-titled flick.

I'll have my paparazzina camera at the ready.

Even I have no idea what will happen, but I'm pretty sure it'll be something I've never done before.

Add a Comment

I stumbled upon the following "advert" for a DVD on The Guardian's website. (Where you can also buy a "space-saving water butt." See what I mean? Those guys across the pond are a riot!):

New restored BFI version of 'Night Mail' with lots of extras for only £12.99.

You can buy 'Night Mail' on DVD, the critically acclaimed film which remains one of the most popular and instantly recognised films in British film history. (That's my boldfacing. Such high praise! Let's see what it's about...)

An account of the operation of the Postal Special - the Royal Mail train delivery service - it shows the various stages and procedures of that operation, through mail collection to sorting. (I'm all a-flutter!)

As the train nears its destination we see the best-known sequence, in which WH Auden's spoken verse and Benjamin Britten's music are combined over a montage of racing train wheels.  (Well, no wonder. A montage of racing train wheels. With a literary connection, no less.)

How can you not love a country that's sort of one big nudge in the ribs? I mean, with the left-hand driving and all, and their funny words like "water butt."

Which reminds me. I need to go order mine...

Add a Comment

This week the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit welcomes Melissa Walker, whose new YA novel, Lovestruck Summer, is out this month from HarperTeen.

Win a copy!
For a chance to win Lovestruck Summer, plus 3 other great beach reads, go to iheartdaily.com/Harper2009.html

About the book:

 

Quinn is an indie rock girl who came out to Austin, Texas for a music internship. She also plans to spend long, lazy days in the sun at outdoor concerts--and to meet a hot musician or two. Instead, she’s stuck rooming with her sorority brainwashed cousin, who now willingly goes by the name “Party Penny.” Their personalities clash, big time. 

But Sebastian, a gorgeous DJ, definitely makes up for it. Sebastian has it all: looks, charm, and great taste in music. So why can’t Quinn keep her mind off Penny’s friend cute, All-American Russ and his Texas twang? 

Sebastian is the kind of guy Quinn wants, but is Russ the guy Quinn needs?  One thing’s certain: Quinn’s in for a summer she’ll never forget!

The interview:

Stacy: If you couldn't be a writer, what would your dream job be?

Melissa: Magazine editor, which I was and still am from time to time. Does that count? If it has to be out of publishing entirely, I choose librarian. And I want to be a chic librarian like the one in Beth Kephart's NOTHING BUT GHOSTS.

 

S: What's the most surprising thing to happen since publication of your book?

Melissa: Since the publication of LOVESTRUCK SUMMER, honestly, my biggest surprise is that my Violet Series readers have really like LOVESTRUCK SUMMER too (so far!). I was worried that if I didn't write about fashion/modeling, people might not like me anymore. But I think they still do. Yay!

 

S: You have smart readers! ;) What are you working on now?

Melissa: A new book! But I can't talk about it yet. More soon!

 

 S: Did you have a favorite teacher who encouraged your writing/reading habit?

Melissa: Yeah, his name was Dad.

 

S;that's such a sweet answer!! Speaking of sweet, what's your favorite kind of chocolate?

Melissa: Dark, dripping off of a big strawberry. Mmm....


About the author:

A former editor at ELLEgirl and Seventeen magazines, Melissa Walker knows her indie rock. She hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. She loves talking about books, fashion, magazines and all kinds of pop culture. Visit her at melissacwalker.com or on iheartdaily.com.

LOVESTRUCK SUMMER
Isbn:  9780061715860
Ages 14 up
$5.99
On sale May 2009

Add a Comment

This Saturday!

The first annual! Rain or shine!




Over 50 children's and YA authors and illustrators;

Hundreds of books to browse, buy, and have signed;

Author and illustrator presentations,
arts and crafts, cooking and workshops;

Food and other treats!







10am - 4pm
Henry Hudson Middle School
102 Harry Howard Avenue
Hudson, NY

Add a Comment

This week the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit welcomes Lucienne Diver, fellow Fluxian, LJer (varkat ), and author of Vamped (Flux, May 1 2009).

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Rule #1:  Do not get so loaded at the after prom party that you accidentally-on-purpose end up in the broom closet with the surprise hottie of the evening, say the class chess champ who’s somewhere lost his bottle-cap lenses and undergone an extreme makeover, especially if that makeover has anything  to do with becoming one of the undead.  

Gina Covello has a problem. Waking up a dead is just the beginning.  There's very little she can't put up with for the sake of eternal youth and beauty.  Blood-sucking and pointy stick phobias seem a small price to pay.  But she draws the line when local vampire vixen Mellisande gets designs on her hot new boyfriend with his prophecied powers and hatches a plot to turn all of Gina’s fellow students into an undead army to be used to overthrow the vampire council.  

Hey, if anyone's going to create an undead entourage, it should be Gina!  Now she must unselfishly save her classmates from fashion disaster and her own fanged fate. 


THE INTERVIEW:

Stacy:  If you couldn't be a writer, what would your dream job be?
Lucienne: Taste tester for Lindt chocolate!  Oh, you want a serious answer?  I love being an agent.  I work with over forty of the most brilliant, creative, fabulous authors I can imagine and adore every second of it.

Stacy: What's the most surprising thing to happen since publication of your book?
Lucienne: People actually like it!  I know, I know, that’'s what’s supposed to happen, but when you’'re on the six-millionth revision you lose all perspective.  I hit a point where I was convinced that I was a fraud and just hoping no one would notice.  But the publisher had already bought the book, invested in it.  There was no going back.

Stacy: What are you working on now?
Lucienne: A middle grade idea came to me last year on a trip to New York while I was in the midst of writing something else and couldn’'t let myself get sidetracked.  Now that I’'ve turned in Revamped, the sequel to Vamped, I can finally answer the other voices in my head.

Stacy: Did you have a favorite teacher who encouraged your writing/reading habit?
Lucienne: Absolutely!  My fifth grade teacher, Mr. Hart was the best.  I think that English was his real passion.  He had the entire class divided into writing groups and gave us regular free-writing assignments, sometimes with a first line or a topic to start with.  For a certain time our pens were not allowed to stop moving, even if we couldn'’t think of anything to say and just had to settle for “Nothing at all.  Nothing at all.”  Then we'’d read our assignments out loud or break into groups to read and critique them.  I give him a lot of credit for my work ethic.  I don’'t allow writers block.  If I’'ve set aside an hour to write, I sit with pen in hand.  Boredom, which is what happens when the pen isn'’t moving, is a great motivator.  He was the first person to really encourage my writing and to work with me to improve it.

Stacy: What's your favorite kind of chocolate?
Lucienne: Dark chocolate …or anything with toffee chips. Ooh, no, wait…a friend once gave me chili pepper chocolate.  It was perfect because you could only eat a little bit because of the burn, but it was so satisfying you didn'’t actually need any more than that!

THE REVIEWS:

"VAMPED is a total delight!  Diver delivers a delightful cast of undead characters and a fresh, fast take on the vampire mythos.  Next installment, please!"   — Rachel Caine, New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series.

"I really sunk my teeth into Lucienne Diver's VAMPED.  A fun, frothy, teenage romp with lots of action, a little shopping, and a cute vampire guy.  Who could ask for more?"  — Marley Gibson, author of Ghost Huntress: The Awakening.

“This book rollicked along, full of humor, romance, and action.  Gina is a smart-aleck heroine worth reading about, a sort of teenage Besty Taylor (Undead and Unwed) with a lot of Cher Horowitz (Clueless) thrown in.  Fans of Katie Maxwell will devour VAMPED.  — Rosemary Clement-Moore, author of the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series 

"Move over Buffy! Lucienne Diver transfuses some fresh blood into the vampire genre. Feisty, fashionable and fun--VAMPED is a story readers will sink their teeth into and finish thirsty for more."   —Mari Mancusi, author of The Blood Coven Vampires series.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lucienne Diver is a long-time book addict who went to work for NYC’s Spectrum Literary Agency fifteen years ago to feed her habit.  Recently, she traded in her high-rise for a lake view.  She now lives in Florida and works for The Knight Agency (www.knightagency.net).   Through various play-dates and in various coffee bars, on the backs of envelopes, carry-out bags and anything else within reach, including, sometimes, her checkbook, she's penned the serio-comic tale of what happens when a young fashionista goes from chic to eek. 

Now go! Read! Enjoy!

Add a Comment

This week the GCC welcomes Linda Gerber, author of the brand-new YA novel, Death by Denim (Penguin), the third in the Death By series.


Aphra Connolly is being chased by some very dangerous people. She knows her survival depends upon staying far away from love interest Seth, and listening to her mom’s lectures on the finer points of anonymity and survival. But how is a girl supposed to live under the radar and not think about her boyfriend when she’s in Paris—the most romantic city in the world? When her mom’s contact in Paris is found floating in the Seine with a deadly message stuffed in his mouth, Aphra realizes that she will never be able to stop running unless she confronts the situation head-on. Sneaking away from her mom, Aphra tracks down the criminal mastermind in Italy, only to unwittingly reveal Seth’s location. And her mistake has just put them both in mortal danger. . . .



The interview:

Stacy: DEATH BY DENIM is set in France and Italy. Did you do any on-site research, I hope?

Linda: Ha! I would have loved to use this as an excuse to go back to Europe, but I was not so lucky. I have been to Paris, though, so I was able to use that experience in describing the settings there. I've also been to Italy, although not to the city Aphra travels to in the book. For that, I had to rely on a lot of books, pictures, maps and other travelers' accounts. Not quite as fun as going there...

Linda: Where do I begin? We live in a suburb now with no public transportation to speak of, which means we have to drive to go anywhere. In Japan, we rode our bikes the train most of the time. My kids had more freedom there, not having to rely on me to take them places. Which brings up another huge adjustment. In Japan, even young children go places, walk to school, go to the store, ride the train, etc. by themselves. We would never dream of letting the same age kids out of our sight around here.

Stacy: What's the most surprising thing to happen since publication of your book?

Linda: My 13-year-old daughter thinks I'm cool.

Stacy: What are you working on now?

Linda:  I'm just about to tackle the revisions for my first YA paranormal that will be released next year.

Praise for Death by Denim: 

“Starting with a heart-pounding chase scene… Gerber weaves in some major cultural landmarks as Aphra races through Paris and then Italy on a mission to expose the would-be assassin and rescue her love interest, Seth. Taut suspense… along with interesting tips of the espionage trade, will propel readers to the neat ending.”   - Booklist 

“Death by Denim, the third book in Linda Gerber's fun, action-packed, and suspenseful series, is just as riveting as its prequels. Gerber's style is not only modern and down to earth, but cunning and intelligent as well… Aphra is an engaging and lively narrator whose bravery and smarts readers will admire. Equal parts action, romance, and mystery, Death by Denim is a fun-filled and engrossing read that will appeal to fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series.”  – The Compulsive Reader 

“Gerber does not disappoint with this exciting novel from her Death by… series. Gerber’s strength is by far in creating such a thrilling and fast paced plot that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. …Death by Denim is a wholly enjoyable read, full of action, romance, and international flair. Fans of Death by Bikini and Death by Latte, the earlier installments in this series, won’t want to miss Death by Denim. Teen girls in particular looking for a fast and fun mystery to devour will enjoy Gerber’s Death by… series.”  - The Book Muncher 

“Nancy Drew meets "Alias" in the latest fast-paced, murder-mystery romance.” - Paddyfield 

***  Top Choice Award - Flamingnet Book Reviews *** 

 

Praise for the series: 

“Will capture mystery fans.” – Booklist 

“Strong writing and plenty of plot twists.” -The Providence Journal 

“Fast-paced, fun, and maybe just a little scary.”-YA New York 

Just “the right amount of intrigue, suspense, humor and romance.”-Flamingnet Book Reviews 

“Five enchantments.”-Enchanting Reviews 

“Refreshing read.”-Simply Books

About the author:

Linda Gerber recently returned to life in the Midwest after four years in Japan, where she served as the Regional Advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her books include SASS: NOW AND ZEN, SASS: THE FINNISH LINE and the YA mysteries DEATH BY BIKINI, DEATH BY LATTE and DEATH BY DENIM. She currently lives and writes in Dublin, OH, blissfully ignoring her husband, kids, and one very naughty puppy.  

You can find Linda online here:

http://lindagerber.com

http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=518643863

http://lindagerber.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/gerbsan

Add a Comment

Reported in The Guardian today, poet U.A. Fanthorpe has died at the age of 79.

She was better known in Britain than in the U.S. The article says she was seriously considered for poet laureate of the UK, and yet she didn't even publish anything until she was almost 50 years old. A lady after my own heart.

I like her poetry. It's accessible, and plain, yet it touches nerves.

Here's what she said about the importance of poetry, from an interview for The Poetry Archive in 2005:

Poetry...(is) with us from the start of our lives to the end: at the start of our lives, with lullabies and mothers crooning to babies, at the end of our life, with hymns over a grave. It's there all the time, and for the biggest moments of all.

Amen.

Add a Comment

Melissa Wyatt's YA novel Funny How Things Change is officially released today.

I can't wait! Congratulations, Melissa!

(Now, where did I put my birthday gift card?...)

Add a Comment

This week the GCC welcomes Jennifer O"Connell, editor of  the YA anthology Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume.

 
Whether laughing to tears reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great or clamoring for more unmistakable “me too!” moments in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, girls all over the world have been touched by Judy Blume’s poignant coming-of-age stories. Now, in this anthology of essays, twenty-four notable female authors write straight from the heart about the unforgettable novels that left an indelible mark on their childhoods and still influence them today.  Drawing on their own experiences of feeling like a Fourth Grade Nothing before growing up to become Smart Women themselves, these writers pay tribute, through their reflections and most cherished memories, to one of the most beloved authors of all time.






The Interview:

Stacy: If you couldn't be a writer, what would your dream job be?

Jennifer: Chocolate chip cookie taster.

Stacy: What's the most surprising thing to happen since publication of your book?

Jennifer: Judy Blume invited me to spend the day with her at her house on Martha’s Vineyard. It was awesome.

Stacy: What are you working on now?

Jennifer: A new teen book. I’m not very far along, but I know what happens. Which, unfortunately isn’t as important as WRITING what happens.

 Stacy: Did you have a favorite teacher who encouraged your writing/reading habit?

Jennifer: I’ve always loved to read and I had a teacher my senior year in my Women and Fiction class who had us read books I loved: The Awakening, The House of Mirth, The Women’s Room. I think she spoiled me. I rarely read books with male characters.

Stacy: What's your favorite kind of chocolate?

Jennifer: The ice cream kind (with rainbow sprinkles)

What the critics are saying:

“Funny, poignant, honest, and reverential, these stories will resonate strongly with the legions of readers who, like the authors, are grateful and lifelong Blume devotees.”—Booklist

“From bittersweet to laugh-out-loud hilarious, the essays in this collection all sparkle with charm, style, and wit. No doubt about it, if you grew up reading Judy Blume, you will love this book.”—Sarah Mlynowski, author of Spells & Sleeping Bags and Me vs. Me

“Writing in the spirit of Blume, these women present their experiences as a series of personal truths: ‘girl moments. Woman moments. Human moments.’”—Publishers Weekly

“Judy Blume’s adolescent books have left such an indelible mark that two dozen of today’s female writers of young adult fiction wrote essays about the impression her novels left on them. . . . This is the gift we Judy Blume-raised mothers can give our daughters now: the voice that told us everything we were feeling was normal.”—The Record (Bergen County, NJ)

“By turns funny and poignant, this essay collection captures the essence of Judy Blume’s appeal.”—Library Journal

“These stories are intensely personal recollections that offer an insight into the influence that Judy Blume’s works have had on everyone who reads them.”—Teens Read Too

About Jennifer:

Jennifer O’Connell is the author of ten books, the most recent of which are her two teen novels Local Girls and Rich Boys. She received her BA from Smith College and her MBA from the University of Chicago. Visit her website at www.jenniferoconnell.com and www.jennyoconnell.com.

 

Add a Comment

Edinburgh has a Book Festival every August, and I want to go.

Yes, in Scotland. It's a lovely place when it's not raining, which may actually happen for a day or two in August. It has a cool castle and a firth (the Firth of Forth -- how can you not love THAT alliteration?) and beautiful cobbled streets, and churches where men wear their best kilts on Sunday, and restaurants that serve haggis (but you don't have to eat it).

And there's a bookstore in Edinburgh I'd love to visit, and during the festival they'll have a gallery of children's book art, and that would be fun to see too. Here's one sample:


Jackie Morris, The Snow Leopard

Sigh....I want to go there.*


*Tina Fey. Who is my hero for this (It's from :25 to 1:15 in the video):

</lj-embed>

Add a Comment