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Last month, I posted an open invitation to the Hopewell Hotel, asking if anyone was interested in participating in a roundtable discussion of September's picks, Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson. Before I knew it, I had a number of volunteers, ready and willing to talk about hotel life, New York City, Law & Order, and unicycling actors - not necessarily in that order.

(Psst....If you want to be a part of the October roundtable, where we'll discuss Lips Touch by Laini Taylor, please leave a comment below with your email address!)

Little Willow: Let's jump right in. What was your favorite part of Suite Scarlett?

Melissa Walker: Being introduced to the Martin family was sheer delight. I've never met characters whom I wanted to know in real life so quickly. I think my favorite parts were the intros to each of them -- I was so excited to hang out with them for a while!

Lindsay F: When Spencer punched Eric. Big brother to the rescue!

Marjolein: I loved that there was a big piece for theater,(I think Suite Scarlett itself would be a perfect story to turned into a play!) the long gone glory of the Hopewell and the mysterious Mrs.Amberson with her even more eccentric demands.

Little Willow: What was your favorite scene in Scarlett Fever?

SamanthaRowan: When Max muscles Dakota out of being Scarlett's lab partner. It's a good piece of foreshadowing and it reaches all of us on a deep level. We all remember the pressure of finding a lab partner or being picked for the dodge ball team.

Melissa Walker: I loved it when Scarlett met Lola for lunch and they finally talked openly about things with Chip. It felt so real and sisterly, especially for these two girls who love each other but don't always communicate well. Fantastic moment.

Lindsay F: When Scarlett pushed Max off his stool. ...I think I just may like violence in MJ's books.

Mariah: When Spencer got pelted with doughnuts!

Little Willow: Do you think Suite Scarlett warranted a sequel? Why or why not?

Micol Ostow: Definitely! Scarlett and her world are so colorful that I think there must be infinite sequels and stories to tell!

Mariah: Yes, because the characters could never stop giving wonderful stories and making messes of things!

SamanthaRowan: Yes. There were certainly enough story lines to follow. There's probably a logical sequel to Scarlett Fever too.

Melissa Walker: Yes, and I would very much like to follow the Martin siblings into middle age. Please, Maureen?

Lindsay F: I think Suite Scarlett was a good stand alone novel. However I think Scarlett will always be doing something worth writing about. I feel like Scarlett Fever was more of a cliff hanger than S.S.

Marjolein: Defininetly warrented a sequel, and I am still curious what is going to happen now that I finished reading Scarlett Fever.

Little Willow: Which of Scarlett's siblings did you like the most? Why?

Olivia Wood (elfarmy17): Oh, Spencer, definitely. He's the older brother I've always wanted. He has his own life, but he's okay with sharing parts of it with Scarlett. As she says (somewhere in a paragraph regarding Spencer's past gi

Here's a big merci to the awesome Maureen Johnson for joining us at readergirlz this month!

We loved hearing more about the Martin family's antics and schemes in the Scarlett series.

Some highlights:

The Live Twitter Chat!

Maureen wonders if she got "siblings" right... you did!

Did you miss any chit chat with Maureen and rgz this month? Check out these links if so!

Over at her blog, Maureen Johnson gives her thoughts regarding the current "boys' crisis" in YA lit. Here's an excerpt, but check out the entire entry. Spot on, Maureen!

"I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be working harder to improve boys’ literacy. Quite the opposite. I’m suggesting that in doing so, consider the many female authors and readers of today, and think about how we grew up—and frankly, how female readers are still growing up. You can’t turn a blind eye to the basic reality that 50% (or more) of the school population is still getting a steady diet of male authors, even though an astounding variety of women are writing books of extraordinary quality. And it is certainly not the case that we are running out of male authors. That concept is demeaning to everyone."

Have you checked out our postergirlz recommended reads for September? Our non-fiction pick is Shaking the Family Tree: Blue Bloods, Black Sheep, and Other Obsessions of an Accidental Genealogist by Buzzy Jackson. She offered up these words of wisdom for you aspiring writers lurking here at readergirlz:

How to Write

Sure we all know how to write: a series of letters forming words, forming sentences, forming paragraphs... et cetera. So why is it so difficult to write in a way that expresses who we are inside and what we feel? For most of us there’s one big reason: fear of the less-than-perfect.

It took me two books and hundreds of pages to get over my own fears of not writing well enough. Well enough for... what, exactly? Ah, there’s never a good answer to that question.

Most of us can come up with a cool idea for a poem, a story, or even a Facebook post, but when it comes time to put the words down on the screen, we’re suddenly faced with the fact that what we’re feeling doesn’t quite match what we’re writing. It’s just not good enough – that’s what we tell ourselves, anyway.

Stop telling yourself that! I’m serious: Just stop it. The very first step to writing well is to learn to make that inner “it’s-not-good-enough” voice shut up. We all hear it, but the folks who learn to ignore it are the ones who end up making things: books, songs, fashion, films… You must start ignoring the critic inside your head.

Will ignoring the critic make you a good writer? Not by itself, but it will allow you to do one of the two things good writing requires: practice writing. Just like dancing or biking or drawing, the more you write, the better you get at it.

The second thing every good writer does is read – a lot. Read as much as you can and read everything you can. Try to mix your genres: science fiction one week, Joseph Conrad the next. Personally I find that good books fall into two categories: those that are so good they intimidate you and make you afraid to even attempt your own writing, and those that are so good they inspire you to sit down and write your own great book.

The next time you get a good idea, take one of those inspiring books with you for courage, sit down, and just start writing. Tell the inner critic to shut up, and just write. No matter what the result, know this: you’ve just overcome something most people can’t: fear of not being good enough. You’re good enough. And the more you write, the better you’re going to be at it.

- Buzzy Jackson

Featured Author Maureen Johnson hand-picked songs for the playlist that accompanies Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever this month (take a sneak peek, left). Listen to the full soundtrack with the player in the right-hand sidebar or see the list of songs in the September issue!

Did you love the Scarlett books? Are you looking for more standout family stories? Check out these additional postergirlz recommends. They are perfect companion reads!

Fiction
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan (previously titled My Big Birkett)
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
Girl, 15, Charming But Insane by Sue Limb
The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas
Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Non-Fiction
Shaking the Family Tree: Blue Bloods, Black Sheep, and Other Obsessions of an Accidental Genealogist by Buzzy Jackson

Maureen says, "Marlene, Scarlett's younger sister who once had cancer, gets away with a lot of bad behavior. Do you think she's entitled?"

If you're digging this month's books, Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson, we'd love for you to participate in an online roundtable discussion.

It's really easy to do. Just leave a comment below with your email address. Next week, I will send you an invite through Google Docs, where you may respond to some basic discussion questions to get things started. Then add in questions of your own, and check the document every couple of days throughout the month to respond to questions and comments from other readers. Google Docs is available 24/7, so you may keep adding to the discussion any time an idea strikes you until we wrap things up in late September. I'll post the complete roundtable at both the Bildungsroman and readergirlz blogs at the close of the month.

Check out previous roundtables to see how they work.

Check out the September issue of readergirlz for more about the books and their author.

Maureen says, "Spencer and his sister Scarlett are normally very close, but he gets very angry with her when he finds out about her dating his friend Eric. Why do you think this is?"

Besides the fact that MJ is charming and hilarious and way entertaining on twitter, here are some other lovely facts:

On the nightstand: Large pile of books and an ABBA coaster.

Favorite drink while you write: As many as possible. I drink a lot. Hydration, hydration, hydration!

Pet: Sadly, I don't have one. I travel a lot. I WOULD LIKE to have about 17 pets and plan to at some point.

Dream book tour: We all go to the Caribbean together. Let's make this happen!

Writer buddies: Many. Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, John Green, Libba Bray, Robin Wasserman, Cassie Clare, Holly Black, E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle, Lauren McLaughlin, Ally Carter, Sarah Rees Brennan, David Levithan... I'm missing people. We all know each other. It's like HIGH SCHOOL, but more awesome.

Cure for writer's block: Deadlines, banging head on desk, snacks.

Favorite outfit: Just a simple ball gown. I'm not fancy.

Other YA novels: The Key to the Golden Firebird, The Bermudez Triangle, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Devilish, Girl at Sea, Let it Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle)

Next up: I'll be in the Zombies vs. Unicorns collection coming out in September. The sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Last Little Blue Envelope, is coming out next May. And next fall, I'm launching a NEW MYSTERY/PARANORMAL SERIES I am VERY excited about.

Also check out Maureen's vlog about Suite Scarlett!

Maureen says, "Scarlett has less money than her friends. Is this an advantage or disadvantage?"

We are super-psyched to welcome the mighty Maureen Johnson to the featured author slot this month. Her duet of Scarlett novels are our September picks! Check out our interview with Maureen, book party ideas themed around her book, and our Reach Out project idea--as well as the awesome soundtrack Maureen has chosen for the book--on readergirlz.com.

Here's a little about Suite Scarlett: