Archive for February, 2009

February 24, 2009 • 3 Comments

Head on over to Amanda Ashby’s blog for the chance to win loads of awesome prizes, in celebration of the release of her latest book ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH. And while you’re at it, rush out and buy it because it’s the funniest book ever!!!

I’ll be posting at Amanda’s party later in the week and giving away a copy of The Second Virginity of Suzy Green.

February 21, 2009 • 6 Comments

This weekend is the Art Deco festival in Napier, and people come from all over the world to take part. In the 1930s there was a huge earthquake in Hawkes Bay and everything was destroyed, hence all the buildings being in Art Deco style. There are loads of things going on, and every motel is full (including us… yay!!!).

Well, yay apart from the hot water tank we use in our house and the motel laundry has cracked and we are without hot water… and of course we can’t use any motel units to shower in because we’re full!!!!! Hopefully a new one will be fitted Monday…. so only a couple of days left to use kettle, flannel and jug!!!

Hope you all have a fab weekend (with lots of hot water!!)

February 17, 2009 • 1 Comment

I’m thrilled to be touring Jennifer Banash and her latest book in The Elites series, IN TOO DEEP:

If you don’t belong here— you just don’t belong…

The Bramford building’s newest resident and small-town transplant Casey McCloy is adapting to life in the Big Apple and loving it. She’s got the look, the attitude, and a delish new boyfriend, Drew Van Allen. But she’s starting to have second thoughts as to whether the “New York” Casey is the real Casey. And she’s not so sure she likes herself much anymore. She’s not the only one.

Madison Macallister has always had her Manolo Blahniks firmly planted on the top rung of the social ladder—until that corn-fed cow Casey stole Drew away from her and made her look the fool. So what if Madison wasn’t exactly dating Drew at the time? She wanted him. And everyone knows that Madison gets what she wants, like Drew—and a little revenge.

What inspired the plot for your book?

Reality television–I’m kind of obsessed with it! Since the characters in IN TOO DEEP wind up getting their own reality show (think “The REAL Gossip Girls of NYC), I wanted the PLOT of the book to resemble a reality show as much as possible.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?

Because it’s a genre I love! I really love being able to write for teens because they’re so passionate about YA literature.

What is your writing process like?

I am a procrastinator who puts everything off until the last second if I have a choice, so I don’t give myself one! When I’m actively working on a book, I have to write a chapter a day, five days a week, no exceptions. Whatever else I do that day, the chapter must get done. I find that if I keep to a strict schedule, I don’t have the chance to become distracted.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a YA series about a girl who moves with her family from Malibu, California to a castle in Romania. She discovers a diary in the cellar that belonged to one of the most prolific female killers in history–and becomes drawn into her story in ways she never imagined possible . . .

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I read–A LOT! I also watch tons of movies and TV shows–GOSSIP GIRL, HOUSE, ROCK OF LOVE BUS, LOST, THE BACHELOR, THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NYC, THE REAL WORLD, to name just a few

Who do you like to read?

Alyson Noel, Megan Kelly Hall, Anna Godbersen, Barry Lyga, Daniel Waters, Alexa Young, Maureen Johnson, AS King, Virgina Woolf, Bret Easton Ellis, Stephen King.

Praise For THE ELITE series, and IN TOO DEEP:

“The Elite is Pretty in Pink for the millennium generation.”
—Romance Reviews Today

What’s a Normal, Illinois girl to do when she enters the world of New York City’s rich and bitchy? Hold tight, because this is one drama-filled ride.”
–Melissa Walker, author of Violet on the Runway.

“In Too Deep is a seductive read.”
—Innovative: A Word for the WriTeen Blog

“Fans of the drama, romance, gossip, and privileged lifestyle depicted in Gossip Girl and Blue Bloods will be drawn to In Too Deep… In Too Deep continues to showcase the glitzy and glamorous lifestyle of New York City’s privileged teens…Banash’s Elite series continues to rock above the rest.”
—The Compulsive Reader Blog

“As you know, life in the posh and drama-filled Upper East Side is never easy! Hold onto your Hermes scarves and Coach handbags, the Bram Clan is back for more action and drama!”
—The Book Vault Blog

“Banash is fabulous at creating relatable characters in over-the-top situations.”
—In Bed With Books Blog

About Jennifer Banash:
Jennifer Banash attended high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and currently lives in Southern California with her Beagle, Sigmund, and her vast designer shoe collection. She is the author of THE ELITE series, published by Berkley Jam. Watch for the third installment of THE ELITE, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, coming in July 09!

Jennifer’s Blog:

jenniferbanash.wordpress.com

Jennifer’s Website:
http://www.theelitebooks.com

MySpace:

www.myspace.com/theeliteseries

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=14826272&ref=profile

February 12, 2009 • 2 Comments

I’m so thrilled to be touring my very good friend and awesome writer, Wendy Toliver, with her latest book Miss Match. I’m hanging out to read it (as in waiting for it to arrive in the post – had to order it from the UK) and if it’s half as good as Wendy’s last book I know I’m in for a huge treat.

Here’s the blurb:

Sasha Finnegan has always had a knack for setting people up, and at sixteen, she’s turned her talent into an online business, molding high school crushes into true love. But Sasha finds her toughest match yet when hottie Derek Urban asks her to set him up with Sasha’s gorgeous sister, Maddie. It’s not that Derek isn’t a good catch. In fact, after spending so much time with him, Sasha can’t help but think he’s perfect — for her, that is.
Can Sasha push her feelings aside for the sake of her business? Or has this miss finally found her match?

What inspired the plot for your book?
I’ve always loved fixing people up. I still do! (By the way, if anyone out there is interested in meeting my 29 year-old brother who lives in Orlando or my adorable mom who lives in Denver, leave a comment. Haha) Also, my sister and I have a great relationship and though we might not have always seen eye-to-eye growing up, we always came through for each other like Sasha and Maddie do in Miss Match.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
My first MSS (unpublished) was a chick lit, and several of the comments I received from editors led me to believe my voice was “young.” I had the idea of writing a book about a modern-day siren and decided to write it as teen fiction. Since my first attempt in the genre proved successful, I’ve continued to write teen fiction. I might someday write another genre, (for example, I’m working on an idea for a middle grade novel) but for now, I feel very comfortable and happy.

What is your writing process like?
Recently I’ve been selling my books on proposal, so I write a detailed synopsis and three chapters. Then, if the book sells, I write the remainder of the novel, using the synopsis as a guide. I drug my feet at first, but the process has proven to be time efficient, and with three little boys running around the place, I must use my time wisely.

What are you working on now?
LIFTED, the story about a transplant to a parochial school who learns that not all students are as pious as they seem when she’s inducted into a shoplifting clique and soon finds herself in over her head. It comes out with Simon Pulse April 27, 2010 and I’m so excited.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Since I’m currently on a deadline, I like to sleep when I’m not writing. I also enjoy skiing/boarding with my little boys, going on dates with my husband, traveling, and reading. I’ve recently volunteered to coach little boys’ basketball.

More Info about Miss Match
Miss Match is Wendy Toliver’s second Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy. It was a 2007 finalist in the Romance Writers’ of America© Golden Heart® contest in the Young Adult category (under the title Cupid Girl).
“What I like best about this book is that it’s about a smart, funny, down-to-earth sixteen year-old who isn’t super skinny and drop-dead gorgeous. It takes place in Salt Lake City, close to where I live, so I was able to weave some fun local aspects into it.” –Wendy Toliver

Author Bio
Wendy Toliver lives in the Utah mountains with her three little boys, her husband, and other various wildlife. She graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in Speech Communication/Broadcast and has had a variety of jobs, from performing singing telegrams to working at an advertising agency.

Now a soccer (etc.) mom and the author of The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren and Miss Match (both Simon Pulse), she couldn’t be happier. Well, if she had a self-cleaning house, a Porsche, and an endless supply of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, she just might be a tad happier. Visit her online at www.wendytoliver.com.

Websites, Blogs, Etc.
www.wendytoliver.com
www.teenfictioncafe.blogspot.com
www.pulserocom.com
www.simonandschuster.com
www.myspace.com/roxytoliver

In The Not-Too-Distant Future
Coming in Spring 2010 from Simon Pulse … Lifted, in which a transplant to parochial school learns that not all students are as pious as they seem when she’s inducted into a shoplifting clique and soon finds herself in over her head.

February 9, 2009 • 6 Comments

I thought I better do a quick post before the next GCC tour comes along. My fabulous GCC sisters have been very busy and lots of exciting new books are coming out. Two of which I’m desperate to read (and have ordered) Evermore by Alyson Noel (see previous post) and Miss Match by Wendy Toliver (which will be my next post).

So….. I barged my way back in and all I want to talk about is the weather. Well, it does feature heavily in my thoughts at the moment. Temperatures in my part of NZ are at an all time high. At the moment our temperatures are constantly in the 30s where I live. Such a contrast to the UK at the moment, when they regularly are below freezing and lots of people are snowed in. I’m sure glad to be living here.

TV is good at the moment. House and Boston Legal are both back. As is Idol (be still my beating heart), Criminal Minds and ANTM. And soon Greys, Desperate Housewives and Cold Case will start. I’m sure there are more but my minds gone blank!

Our house is back to being quiet again (hurray!!) as visitors have gone and children are back to studying. So now what excuse will I make for not writing so much… oh yes… the weather….. lol…. my office is like a goldfish bowl and gets very hot in afternoon…. ok that’s no excuse…. even if I’m not actually writing I’m thinking about it and working out what my characters are going to do next, so it’s not all bad!

Hope you’re all having fun, and writing up a storm if you’re a writer (reading up a storm if you’re a reader).

February 2, 2009 • 4 Comments

I’m so excited to be touring the fabulous Alyson Noel. Not just because she writes awesome books… and trust me, she does. But she’s such a cool person to hang out with… which is what we did when I went to RWA San Fran last year.

I’m hanging out to get my hands on Evermore, Alyson’s latest book, and if it’s half as good as her others you’re in for a real treat. And how gorgeous is the cover????

Sixteen-year-old Ever used to have two parents, a little sister, a dog, and a nice house in Oregon. She used to be a varsity cheerleader and go to school dances. But that was before the horrible accident that claimed the lives of her family.
Now Ever blares the Sex Pistols through her headphones and hides under her hoodie in class. She doesn’t need to listen to hear, or see to know. All she needs is to touch someone to know their entire life story, not to mention always seeing their auras and hearing their thoughts. She’s been branded a freak at her new high school in Laguna Beach as she goes out of her way to avoid human contact, but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

From the moment Ever first looks at Damen, she feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen is equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies, and nothing is as it seems…

What inspired the plot for your book?
Well, a few years ago I lost a three people I loved in five horrible months, and just when the dust began to settle, my husband was diagnosed with leukemia and it felt like my entire world was crashing down. A year later, when he was in full remission, I wrote SAVING ZOE and CRUEL SUMMER, both of which explore the subject of grief and unavoidable change. But when it came time to write my next book, I realized I wasn’t finished exploring those themes though I wanted to do so in a much different way, by giving the story a paranormal twist and pushing the boundaries between life and death, and EVERMORE just came pouring out of me.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I’ve been fascinated by all things paranormal since I was a kid—seriously, CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST was my favorite cartoon—so I’m actually kind of surprised that it took me as long as it did! But I’m glad I got around to it, because writing this series has been an absolute blast, allowing me to delve into all sorts of mystical things I’ve always been curious about, all under the guise of “research”!

What is your writing process like?
Well, I wake up around 8:30, turn on my laptop, and sip green tea while I go through my e-mails and blog hop a bit. Then after a few more hours of procrastinating like that, I finally settle in and get to it. Rereading whatever I wrote the day before and editing as I go, then writing new stuff until I’m too tired to continue and/or the good shows come on TV, whichever comes first!

What are you working on now?
Well I recently finished BLUE MOON, the second book in my IMMMORTALS series, that’ll be in stores on 08.04.09, and I’m about half way through the next book in the series, which, for the moment I refer to as UNTITLED BOOK #3 though I the title will probably change!

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Oh, you must be referring to this mysterious concept of “free-time” I keep hearing about?! Well, I love to travel, have dinner with friends, go to the movies, watch Buffy DVDs—you know, the usual diversions. But even while I’m engaged in those things, I’m still writing—either scribbling notes onto napkins or crafting a story in my head, I just can’t escape it, no matter how hard I try!

Who do you like to read?

Everyone. Seriously. I love to try new authors as much as I love my old standbys. But I hesitate to list them for fear I’ll leave someone out!

PRAISE FOR ALYSON

“Alyson Noël truly captures what it’s like to be a teenager struggling to find herself.”
–Portrait magazine

“Noël…writes with a bit more humor and authenticity than some of her chick-lit contemporaries…” —Booklist

PRAISE FOR EVERMORE

“Every once in awhile, a book comes along that I end up getting sucked into and become addicted. EVERMORE was one of those books. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about how I could sneak away to read some more. I couldn’t put it down. I dreamt about this book. When I finished, I couldn’t get it out of my head. This book was simply breathtaking.” 5 STAR GOLD AWARD, TeensReadToo

“Teen angst and the paranormal make for a combustible mix as Noel utilizes typical themes and gives them a dangerous and eerie twist. Getting hooked on this new series, IMMORTALS, is guaranteed.”- 4 STARS, Romantic Times magazine

Top Choice Award, Flamingnet

Alyson Noël is an Orange County native and now lives with her husband in Laguna Beach, CA. She is also the author of Saving Zoë, Cruel Summer, Kiss & Blog, Faking 19, Art Geeks and Prom Queens, Laguna Cove, and the adult novel Fly Me to the Moon. For more information, please visit her website at: www.alysonnoel.com

Fun, fast, Alyson Facts:

Born and raised in The OC, Alyson’s lived on the Greek island of Mykonos, the New York island of Manhattan, and now resides in Laguna Beach.

She is married to a brilliant man who is so good at so many things she sometimes wonders if he’s a secret immortal.

Her favorite color used to be turquoise, though it’s recently been replaced by purple.

She and her BFF answer to the code name “Sthnark,” which is purposely pronounced with a lisp.

She’s hopelessly addicted to: Seven jeans, Dior lip-gloss, Buffy DVD’s, and playing Rock Band on the wii.

Even though she loves writing about immortals, she wouldn’t actually want to be one herself.