Archive for the 'Interviews' Category

January 14, 2011 • Comments

I’m really thrilled to be touring Laurie Faria Stolarz and her book DEADLY LITTLE GAMES.

High school juniors Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: they both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to see the future through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control. Camelia’s gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn’t yet comprehend. Before either one has a chance to fully grasp their abilities, a new danger surfaces, but this time, Camelia is not the target. Adam, a familiar face from Ben’s past, is drawn into a puzzle he can’t solve. . . and his life is on the line. As the clues pile up, Camelia must decide whether to help him and risk losing Ben or do nothing and suffer the consequences. But in these games, who can be trusted?

Check out the book trailers:
DEADLY LITTLE SECRET: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fzMpVMy2fQ
DEADLY LITTLE LIES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Qk0VG2Nz0

And now for the usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your series? Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I wanted to write a story where the main character has to struggle with the idea of falling in love with someone who could potentially be dangerous. I tinkered with this concept in the first three books of my Blue is for Nightmares Series [(Blue is for Nightmares (Llewellyn 2003), White is for Magic (Llewellyn 2004), and Silver is for Secrets (Llewellyn 2005), as well as in Bleed (Hyperion 2006)]. In Bleed, in particular, there’s a young male character who was convicted for the murder of his girlfriend. His next relationship consists of pen pal letters he exchanges with a young girl while he’s in prison. Without giving too much away, the relationship is briefly pursued once he is released, but I wanted to bring this concept to another level.

Additionally, I wanted to continue experimenting with the supernatural (which I also use in my Blue is for Nightmares Series as well as in Project 17), showing how we all have our own inner senses and intuition, and how with work we can tap into those senses and make them stronger.

I started researching different types of supernatural powers and discovered the power of psychometry (the ability to sense things through touch). The concept fascinated me, and so I wanted to bring it out in a character, showing how sometimes even the most extraordinary powers can also be a curse.

Lastly, I wanted to apply these concepts to be part of a series. I love the idea of growing a main character over the course of several books.

What is your writing process like?
I write at least ten pages per week when I’m on deadline. I also do a lot of marketing/promotion and editing on other projects in addition to those pages per week. I go by an outline, though I do discover things along the way. In my current work-in-progress, for example, though I had an outline, I ended up having to throw over 80 pages awaybecause I’d figured something out that needed to be changed. The outline helps me know certain essentials, though, before I start, i.e. what my character needs, what he has to learn to get it, etc., etc.

What are you working on now?
DEADLY LITTLE VOICES, the fourth book in the TOUCH series.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
I have two kids, 7 and 3, that keep me pretty busy. I also do yoga and dance/aerobics. I enjoy cooking, power-walking, shopping, and spending time with family and friends.

Who do you like to read?
There are way too many authors to list, but I’ve been reading a bunch
of adult books lately, after a full year of YA. I’m currently reading I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman and I just finished Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (amazing!).

Bio:
Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, Project 17, and Bleed, as well as the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series, which has sold nearly 750,000 copies worldwide. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, please visit her Web site at www.lauriestolarz.com.

Laurie’s Guilty Pleasures
Favorite snack: Popcorn with soy butter, salt, and garlic powder.
Touristy Trip: Paris (lived there), the south of France (been there), Stockholm (almost went there and want to go), Maui (really want to go).
Fashion addiction (at the moment): Gap Long & Lean jeans, Ugg crochet boots (not Cardy, just the regular knit), Michael Stars tops.
Dessert: Dark chocolate in almost any form – the darker the better.
Fast food: French fries at least once every couple of months (even better when dipped in vegan tartar sauce).
Beauty Binge: Aveda haircare products, which includes indulging in high-and/or-low-lights every eight weeks. Also, Caudalie skincare, Ineke perfume (Field Notes from Paris), Revitalash mascara, and Buxom Lips from Bare Escentuals.
Late-Night TV: The Hills (so sad it’s over), The City, Real Housewives of (wherever), and The Real World.
Chick Flick: Never Been Kissed, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Juno, Green Card, Once, The Devil Wears Prada, Bridget Jones Diary, Thelma & Louise, Mean Girls, Moonstruck, Clueless, Under the Tuscan Sun, and anything with John Cusack.
Nightlife: Pilates in front of the TV (a regular occurrence), answering e-mail (also regular), and dinner and/or a movie out with friends (happens far too rarely).
Cheap Thrill: Window-shopping, tabloid magazines, buying a new lip gloss, a tall cup of coffee from Peet’s or Starbucks.
Ultimate Splurge: Giuliano’s Day Spa for a massage and soft-pack wrap treatment, oxygen facials, and spray-tanning (in summer only).

Other Random Info
Favorite Quote: Perseverance is key.
Favorite cuisine: Indian food – onion chutney, curried vegetables, and kashmir bread. I also love cheeseless pizza from Bertucci’s.
Interests: Vegetarian cooking, holistic nutrition, aromatherapy.
Favorite Music: Fergie, James Blunt, Gavin Rossdale, Tori Amos, Sting, Sarah MacLachlin, Gwen Stefani, Black-eyed Peas.
Hobbies: Walking, napping, cooking, shopping, interior decorating.

TOUCH SERIES CONTEST
From Laurie: “In celebration of the release of DEADLY LITTLE GAMES, I’ve launched a very exciting contest. You will need to read a copy of DEADLY LITTLE GAMES to enter. Prizes include having a minor character in DEADLY LITTLE VOICES, the fourth book in the TOUCH series, named after him or her, or a phone call from me. OFFICIAL RULES for this contest are on my website, under NEWS. ALL ENTRANTS MUST SIGN A RELEASE FORM, DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.LAURIESTOLARZ.COM/NEWS.html. Sign up for my e-Newsletter for updates on contest, book, and appearance info: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/newsletter.html.”

January 4, 2011 • Comments

I’m thrilled to be touring one of my favorite authors, the extremely talented and very funny Eileen Cook and her book The Education of Hailey Kendrick

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what’s expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way…and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly, Hailey’s perfect life–and her reputation–are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don’t trust her. Her boyfriend won’t even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she’s been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy–but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

And now for the usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your book?
The inspiration came in part from coming across a copy of The Scarlett Letter. I’m very interested in how the process of what everyone thinks of us shapes how we view ourselves. If your identity was suddenly

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
What I enjoy about writing for teens is the intensity. Everything matters so much more as a teen. It may be the first time you’ve had a particular experience from falling in love, to having your heart broken, to having a best friend betray you. When you love someone no one has ever loved like that- and when you hate someone, then they better look out. If you are hurt as an adult you know from experience that you’ll bounce back, but as a teen you aren’t certain. The flip side is also that as an adult you have lost the sense that anything is possible (Let’s be honest, if you are in your 40’s it’s pretty safe your chances of making the Olympic figure skating team has passed you by and it’s also unlikely you’ll move to Europe after falling in love with royalty.) As a teen, the possibilities are endless.

What is your writing process like?
I desperately want to be one of those writers who have a schedule and routine, alas, I am not. Rather than having a typical day I set weekly word count goals, and leave myself the flexibility to have shorter or longer writing days depending on where I am in the story, how well the words are coming on a particular day, and what else may be competing for my attention. I do try to write a bit each day in order to stay connected to the story.

Unlike some writers who feel tortured by their muse and find the creative process painful- I love writing. If I don’t have a project on the go I feel out of sorts and as if something is missing. When I sit down and let the story take my complete attention is my favorite part of any day. I’ll write in my office, at the beach, at the library-anyplace I drag a notebook or my laptop.

What are you working on now?
I have a middle grade series coming out for young readers (ages 8-10) in the Spring called The Fourth Grade Fairy. I’m also hard at work on my new YA novel. I’m working on a gothic story with the working title of Haunting Isobel. It has a creepy old house, a family mystery, a brooding handsome man and a possible ghost. It’s been a tremendous amount of fun to write so far.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Reading is the most common thing, but I have certain shows I love to watch including Glee, The Walking Dead and Castle. I’m also a huge knitter. I have yarn issues. I can’t keep my hands off of it

Who do you like to read?
How do you pick just one? I love everything from other YA’s to women’s fiction, literary fiction, non-fiction, historicals, mystery- you name it. Our house is stuffed with overflowing bookshelves.

Reviews:
“Hailey may be an A student headed to the Ivy League, but when it comes to taking a chance on life, she’s clueless. She’s also enormously appealing and great company throughout this breezy read. Yes, it’s chick lit, but of the highest quality—like a gourmet truffle. Cook has whipped up a real treat.” –Kirkus starred review

“Cook effectively builds both Hailey’s (justified) feelings of rebellion and the social dynamics of her ostracism, especially in her growing friendship with a challenging townie, Drew, who supervises her punishment working with the janitorial staff….Cook coaxes considerable empathy for the otherwise privileged Hailey as she abandons the achievement treadmill to explore her independence.” –Publishers Weekly

Bio:
Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

November 23, 2010 • Comments

I’m thrilled to be touring Caridad Ferrer and her book When The Stars Go Blue.

About the Book:

A dancer driven to succeed.

A musical prodigy attempting to escape his past.

The summer they share.

And the moment it all goes wrong.

Dance is Soledad Reyes’s life. About to graduate from Miami’s Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.

But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad’s affections appears: Taz, a member of an all-star Spanish soccer team. One explosive encounter later Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened, but her entire future as a professional dancer.

And now for the usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your book?
The primary inspiration is Bizet’s famed opera, CARMEN, probably the most popular opera in history. Even people who swear they’ve never heard a note of opera, have in all likelihood, heard something from CARMEN because its music has permeated pop culture to a huge extent. And the story the music supports is absolutely fantastic– a love triangle with passion, betrayal, forbidden attraction… it’s pretty much got it all. Another important component of my version is the setting, which is competitive drum and bugle corps, an activity with which I was heavily involved as an adolescent. It’s an intense and passionate pursuit– the sort of thing you have to really love in order to do it, because of the massive amounts of work involved. I’d been looking for an opportunity to set a book in that world and reimagining Carmen within a contemporary setting just seemed to provide the perfect fodder.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
Um, because my then-agent told me it was a good idea and told me there was an editor looking for Latina-themed YA? Luckily, I discovered that I have both a knack for writing in the genre and a true love for writing it.

What is your writing process like?
I’m a very linear writer– I start at the beginning and go to the end. I’m also a hybrid pantser/plotter, pantsing my way through the first several chapters, then, once I have a decent grasp of the story and characters, I’ll stop and write a chapter-by-chapter outline for the rest of the novel. And I also have music playing. Lots and lots of music!

What are you working on now?
I just finished an adult manuscript, set in the 1960s, now I’ve switched gears completely, going back to YA and tackling some new things– writing in third person POV and with a hint of paranormal. I do so like a challenge.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
I love to read, of course, and watch TV and films. I play with my dogs and putter about in the kitchen, trying new recipes and lately, I’ve really enjoyed exploring my new hometown of Seattle.

Who do you like to read?
Armistead Maupin, C.S. Harris/C.S. Graham, Gail Carriger, Matthew Pearl, Victoria Dahl, Elizabeth Hoyt– really just so many authors, like my music loves, I could go on and on.

Bio
Caridad Ferrer is a first generation, bilingual Cuban-American, whose young adult debut, Adiós to My Old Life won the Romance Writers of America’s 2007 RITA® for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance as well as being named to the 2009 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list, awarded by the ALA. Her second novel, It’s Not About the Accent was released in 2007 with Publisher’s Weekly stating, “…this twisting book amply rewards readers.”

She has also contributed to the anthology, Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and Other Quinceañera Stories. Her newest young adult novel, When the Stars Go Blue, is a contemporary retelling of Bizet’s Carmen, and will be released by Thomas Dunne Books in November 2010. Booklist calls it, “Beautifully written, with contemporary characters and an engaging story line.”

Check out Caridad here: http://caridadferrer.com/

November 2, 2010 • Comments

I’m excited to be touring Daisy Whitney and her book Mockingbirds. I can’t wait to read it.

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.

And now for the usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your book?
I’ve always been intrigued by boarding school and also by the potential teens have to take a stand for what’s important. THE MOCKINGBIRDS – an underground student-run justice system – was born from those twin thoughts as a way to look at what it takes to stand up for yourself and for others.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I believe writing for teens offers a freedom and expansiveness lacking in writing for adults. Teens are open to anything and writing for them is a true joy because of their open mind!

What is your writing process like?
Butt. In. Chair. I write every day, every where. I don’t believe in waiting for the muse. Writing is like exercise so I do it every day.

What are you working on now?
I just turned in a sequel to THE MOCKINGBIRDS, and I am now revising an edgy, sexy, mystery-caper story and just started a new novel about a boy that I’m really digging too!

What do you do when you’re not writing?
I love walking my dog, playing with my kids and watching movies and TV shows with my husband. Oh, and mani-pedis!

Who do you like to read?
I mostly read young adult, usually contemporary novels. I also am in love with Paris so I like to read memoir-y type books about Americans living in Paris.

Web sites

http://www.amazon.com/Mockingbirds-Daisy-Whitney/dp/0316090530
http://www.Facebook.com/MockingbirdsBook
http://www.DaisyWhitneyBooks.com

October 20, 2010 • 2 Comments

I’m excited to be touring Denise Jaden and her book LOSING FAITH.

About the book:
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.

What inspired the plot for your book?
At first, I just knew I wanted to write a sister story. From there, I figured out that one of the sisters had a secret, and the secret would only be discovered after she died. I lost a close friend of mine when I was sixteen, and I’ve always felt there was a lot to explore with a teen experiencing such a big and devastating event.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I think contemporary YA kind of chose me! My first novel was
officially for the adult market, but critique partners told me again and
again that it felt very teen to them. It wasn’t until I started on my next
novel, and specifically aimed it at teens, that I realized how right the
genre and young voice felt to me.

What is your writing process like?
I write almost every day, at least six days per week, and almost always in the afternoons. I try to write a first draft of something each November, and spend the rest of the year polishing it up. Though I admit, lately it’s been taking me more than a year to polish anything.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on another YA novel called Appetite For Beauty. It’s about a cheeky and forthright girl who discovers a dangerous, self-destructive side in her sister, and has to decide between helping her sister and a powerful and unfamiliar desire to become appealing to a mysterious boy.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
I’m also a professional Polynesian dancer and spend a fair amount of time practicing and touring around with the other girls in my dance troupe. I also spend lots of time home-schooling my seven-year-old son.It definitely keeps me busy!

Who do you like to read?
My favorite stories are usually contemporary YA, and to be honest, I don’t have much time to read beyond that genre. I love books by Laurie Halse Anderson, Sarra Manning, and Sarah Dessen, but there are also lots of up and coming debut authors that I will be following now too. Tara Kelly, Jandy Nelson, and Lauren Strasnick to name a few.

Bio:
Denise Jaden lives just outside Vancouver, Canada. When she’s not writing, she can often be found homeschooling her son or dancing with her Polynesian dance troupe. Losing Faith is her first novel. Find out more at denisejaden.com.

October 13, 2010 • Comments

I’m so excited to be touring the fabulous Linda Gerber and her latest book Trance, a paranormal thriller. I LOVED all of Linda’s ‘Death by’ series and am hanging out to read this one.

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.

And now for the usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your book?
Several years ago, I had a very vivid dream about an airplane crash. Some of the details were so clear and disturbing to me that I wrote them down, just to get them out of my head. Then, a couple of weeks later, I saw an article in the paper about a plane crash on the other side of the country. The real crash was eerily similar to the one I had seen. It really shook me up.

Later, when I was finally ready to talk about it, I shared the dream with one of my sisters. She told me that she had also had dreams before about things that hadn’t yet happened.

It made me think… what if there were sisters who shared precognitive visions?And what if each one of them only got part of the vision and the other one got the other part, so they had to put the pieces together to see the whole?

Oooh… and what if when they had the visions, they went into trances, which made it really hard to hide what was happening from their family and friends? And what if they wrote clues about the meaning of what they were seeing while they were in the trances? And what if those clues weren’t given in words, but in numbers? (Actually, my ingenious editor came up with that idea.)

So, long story short, the idea for TRANCE evolved from a long string of what ifs, and my quest to find the answers.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I love to read YA, so writing it is a natural fit for me. I’m trying supernatural fiction because that’s the story that came to me.

What is your writing process like?
I outline by necessity, although I’m a pantser at heart. I usually start out with a pretty good idea of where the story’s going, although I don’t always know how I’, going to get there. Each day, I start by reading back the last couple of pages I wrote from the previous day and then continue on from there. I use a timer on my computer to set goals (and limits, such as staying off the Internet.)

What are you working on now?
HACKED, book three in my upcoming Middle Grade series, LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY, about the daughter of popular TV travel show hosts, and the trouble she manages to get into every time she goes on location with them.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Read. Listen to music. Catch up on TV. Be a mom.

Who do you like to read?
Wow. How much space do you have? Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen, Alyson Noel, Becca Fitzpatrick, Lisa McMann, Kate Coombs, Sara Zarr, Eoin Colfer, Jonathan Stroud, Neil Gaiman, and so many, many more.

You can find Linda online here:
http://lindagerber.com
http://lindagerber.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/gerbsan