I’m so excited….. the Tiara Girls together again!!!!

Check out my post at Teen Fiction Cafe and don’t forget to comment on all the posts for a chance to win a prize or two!!

I’m very excited because in August Amanda and I are presenting at the RWAustralia conference – a workshop on writing young adult fiction. It’s the first time I’ve been to the Australian conference and it’s going to be awesome. Deb Dixon (goal, motivation, conflict) is presenting a day long workshop on the Friday andI know I’m going to learn soooooo much. I’ve also signed up for a workshop all about crime scenes…. can’t wait for that either.

I better go as I want to get all my work done this morning so I can watch the Oscars this afternoon, live from the Kodak Theatre…………… I LOVE award shows!!

MySpace Glitters

Three years ago in March, Wendy Toliver and I set up Teen Fiction Cafe. We asked several of our young adult author buddies to join us and so we began.

There have been some changes in author line-up since then, but not many.

Anyway, to celebrate our 3rd Birthday we’re partying big time. From 1st – 13th March we’ll be having fun and loads of prizes are up for grabs.

So head on over….. you won’t regret it!

At the moment, it’s 5 weeks and 5 days until I go on holiday to the Sunshine Coast!!!!! I think imagining all the things I’ll be doing (which I do constantly) is good because instead of having just 2 weeks there I’m living it over and over.

I’m also counting down to the Australian conference in Sydney in August. I’ve never been to Sydney and can’t wait to explore, as well as catch up with all the RWAustralia members.

So what about you, do you get excited about things that are going to happen? I know some people who say they don’t like to look forward in case it doesn’t work out. I don’t hold with that, because looking forward to things gives me such pleasure, and I wouldn’t swap it.

Oh yes, I almost forgot…………….. make sure you keep checking out Teen Fiction Cafe because from March 1st for a couple weeks there are big things happening!!!!

I’m so thrilled to be touring Suzanne Young and her book THE NAUGHTY LIST, which I’m hanging out to read.

About The Naughty List:

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!
When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?
The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

And now for my usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your book?
Once I got past the fact that they were cheerleaders and that they were busting cheaters, I thought about the pain that can be involved in betrayal. I really tried to explore the emotions there.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I love the pacing and voice in YA. I have a really short attention span, and I’ve found that YA fascinates me.

What are you working on now?
I’m just finishing up the third book in the series: A Good Boy is Hard to Find. Other than that, I have some other projects that are non-Naughty List. But that’s top secret. lol

Who do you like to read?
I really like Carrie Ryan, and I just finished Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. FAN!

What bloggers are saying about The Naughty List:

www.bookchicclub.blogspot.com: “Suzanne Young’s The Naughty List is a fast, original, and fun romp that fans of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series will surely enjoy! Tessa is a wonderful, relatable character full of depth, quirks, and heart. A sure-fire hit!”

www.thestorysiren.com: “Espionage, lively cheerleaders, and very naughty boys… equal one debut that I found unputdownable!”

www.sharonlovesbooksandcats.com: “Holy cannoli! The Naughty List is one of the most adorable books I have ever read. Seriously people this book is just dripping in cuteness.”

Bio:

Suzanne Young is a brilliant scientist. Not really. But she is a former middle school teacher turned zookeeper (mother). When Suzanne’s not fending off zombie squirrels or narrating her daughter’s Barbie soap operas, she can be found camping on the Oregon coast or writing obsessively.

Suzanne is the author of The Naughty List series coming February 4th, 2010 from Razorbill/Penguin. The Naughty List is about a group of cheerleaders who investigate cheating boyfriends. Which Suzanne never did. Or at least, not that you can prove.

Learn more at www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com

I’m thrilled to be touring the fabulous Carrie Jones with her latest book CAPTIVATE.

About CAPTIVATE:

In this NYT-Bestselling sequel to NEED, Zara and her friends knew they hadn’t solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king’s needs grow deeper every day he’s stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It’s made him vulnerable. And now there’s a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he’s one of the good guys. Nick isn’t buying it, though Zara isn’t as sure — despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it’s a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It’s her life — and his.

And for the usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your book?
Well, CAPTIVATE is the sequel to NEED, and NEED was inspired by this weird thing that happened.

I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.

While I was walking, right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy—blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth.

I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out.
When we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.

I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.

It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.

It also creeped me out.

So, I started writing.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
It was an experiment really. I’d been writing literary, contemporary YA and at Vermont College of Fine Arts (where I got my masters) they are always talking about taking chances with your writing and experimenting, so I did.

What is your writing process like?
I wake up. I pull myself out of bed. I flop on the floor. I crawl across the hardwood, dragging myself to the computer. I open it up. I stare. I stare some more. I will my fingers to move.
 I’m not a morning person.

What are you working on now?
The third novel in the NEED series, a horror novel collaboration with Steve Wedel.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Kiss people

Who do you like to read?
Anyone and everyone. I am very easy.

What People are Saying About NEED and CAPTIVATE:

“If you asked Stephen King and Stephanie Myers to co-author a book, they would come up with NEED.” – Justine Magazine.

“An exciting venture filled with nasty evil creatures,
nail-biting action and heart-pounding romance.” 
—teenreads.com

“Romance, suspense, and a very clever heroine 
make this a must-read!” —Toledo Blade

“Genre fans will enjoy the sizzle between Nick and Zara 
as well as the paranormal cast.” —PW

“This book is for fans of Holly Black and Melissa Marr… fairy lovers crowd in! It’s got some really good reviews coming in already. We’re talking a love story people, with fairies – please, who would not buy this? So look out!”— Annette’s Book Blog

“Jones masterfully blends paranormal fantasy, suspense, and romance to craft a new supernatural tale that is certain to appeal 
to fans of dark urban fantasy like Marr’s Wicked Lovely and paranormal romances like Meyer’s Twilight books. A likeable cast 
of engaging and interesting characters combine with a plot that grabs readers and refuses to let go.” —VOYA

“A fast-paced novel worthy of the fantasy greats, 
Need will take you for a ride.” —VOYA, teen reviewer

About Carrie Jones:
1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.
2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.
3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.
4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.
5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….
6. Carrie is not above begging.
7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.
8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!
9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.
Forget that. She’d still probably come.

Links:
http://www.carriejonesbooks.com
http://www.needpixies.com (This is where sneak peaks and contests are. You can win a computer. Seriously!)
http://www.facebook.com/carriejonesbooks?ref=profile
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Need-by-Carrie-Jones/53387039515?ref=ts

If you’re wondering which ones, it’s probably simpler to say which ones I’m keeping……. the losing 14lbs before my holiday in March (though I have already slipped up, but now I’m back on track).

I went to the library twice, last time over a week ago. I keep forgetting to smile and laugh more (though I usually manage a good laugh every day), having said that have you ever tried to consciously laugh and smile it’s really wierd, especially if you’re sitting in the car and other drivers can see you.

What about you, have you stuck to yours????

Btw, I’m very excited that American Idol is starting soon and we won’t be very far behind the USA…. not that that will stop me checking out the result in advance…. it’s a sickness hahahahahaha

I’m really excited for my first tour of 2010 to be Eileen Cook’s GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD. I can’t wait to read it, Eileen’s such a funny writer.

About the Book:

Popularity is the best revenge.
In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls–and now, at the start of her senior year, she’s the cheerleading captain, the quarterback’s girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she’s ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she’s moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn’t dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that’s ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

And now for my usual questions:

What inspired the plot for your book?
The book was inspired in part by rereading The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s such a great revenge tale with secret identities, romance and betrayal between best friends. It made me think how things would play out if the story were to take place in a high school. Right then I was off and running with a story.

Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I love writing for teens! Everything matters so much more at that age that it allows books and characters to have a great intensity. I tend to use humor in my books because I don’t seem capable of writing without it.

What is your writing process like?
There’s a process? Dang, I should get one of those. I don’t have a set routine or system to my writing. I still work part time at my day job and my life seems to teeter towards chaos at times so a set schedule doesn’t work well for me. I do try and write a bit every day so that I can keep the story moving forward and tell myself not to get too bogged down if something is wrong, I can always fix it once I have something on the page.

What are you working on now?
I have two projects on the go. I am doing a middle grade series about a girl who comes from a long line of fairy godmothers. All she wants is to be normal, but that is harder for her than you might imagine. I’ve also just started a YA about a girl caught in a prank gone wrong and her ability to deal with the fall out.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Reading! I’m a book junkie. I love to snuggle up on the sofa with my dogs and lose myself in a good book. I also love watching movies and knitting.

Who do you like to read?
I read EVERYTHING. I love mysteries, and non-fiction, funny books, serious books, books with dogs, scary books, romance – you name it and I bet I have it on my shelf.

About the Eileen:

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.

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

www.eileencook.com

Praise for Eileen’s Writing:
“Sassy and sly and sweet all at the same time, this book made me laugh out loud.” –Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Airhead
“Not since Judy Blume’s Margaret introduced herself to God has there been such a funny, genuine, conflicted, wanna-be-sorta-good-maybe-later girl as Emma. Cook’s tone as she takes on the big ones—life, love, faith, and friendship—is pitch perfect.”–Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Midnight Twins and The Deep End of the Ocean
“Smart and fun and full of heart.” –Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Broomsticks and How to Be Bad