YA Author Interviews

I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing quite a few YA authors over the past year (and a couple MG authors, too!). Here are links to the interviews, in case you missed any of your fave authors:

• Cyn Balog, author of Fairy Tale
• Karen Bass, author of Run Like Jager and Summer of Fire
• Kristin Butcher, author of Return to Bone Tree Hill, the Zach & Zoe MG series, and many other books for teens and children
• Megan Crewe, author of Give Up the Ghost
• Tina Ferraro, author of The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, How to Hook a Hottie, and Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
• Danette Haworth, author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning
• Carrie Jones, author of Need, Girl, Hero, Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend, and Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape)
• J.E. MacLeod, author of Waiting to Score
• Keri Mikulski, author of Screwball and Change Up
• Lisa Schroeder, author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me and Far From You
• Kristina Springer, author of The Espressologist
• Courtney Summers, author of Cracked Up To Be and Some Girls Are
• Barrie Summy, author of I So Don’t Do Mysteries and I So Don’t Do Spooky – coming December 1!

20 Questions YA Author Interview: Kristina Springer

I’m happy to welcome author Kristina Springer to my blog today. Kristina’s debut novel, The Espressologist, just released on October 27 ( Farrar, Straus, and Giroux). It’s about a teenage coffee barista who discovers a talent for matchmaking customers based on their favourite coffee drinks. Grab a cuppa and check out Kristina’s responses to my 20 Questions!

1. Morning person or night owl?
   Morning.
2. Outliner or pantser?
   Outliner.
3. Rejection letters – save ‘em or toss ‘em?
   Save ‘em.
4. What’s the best thing a reader ever said to you?
   That she laughed out loud in so many spots.
5. What was the last song you had stuck in your head?
   That Beyonce one– Ring on It? It was on GLEE. So funny.
   
6. What was the last movie you watched?
   Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
   
7. What was the last book you read and loved?
   Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree, by Lauren Tarshis.
8. What’s your all-time favourite story?
   Tough question! Hmm…I’m always a sucker for A Christmas Carol.
9. Any nicknames we might come across if we delved into your past?
   I had a lot of names that end in “head” from my Dad while growing up. Really, me and my three brothers had a whole slew of them: Melon Head, Pumpkin Head, Knuckle Head, Meat Head, and so on.
10. Any phobias you’re willing to admit to?
    I‘m not a fan of hospitals.
11. What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
    Pool attendant at an apartment complex. I just had to be there. And check the chlorine once a day.
12. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
    Hmm…probably giving birth. Especially the last kid– he was ten pounds.
13. What’s one thing that really bugs you?
    Spam.
    
    Oh wait… you probably mean this:
    
14. What’s one thing you’re really proud of?
    My kids.
15. What’s the last thing you Googled?
    Addresses (I’m working on Launch party invites).
16. Where’s the farthest place from home you’ve travelled?
    France.
17. What’s your idea of a perfect vacation?
    Somewhere tropical.
    
18. What’s your favourite sports team?
    I’m so not into sports teams. I never know who is playing or what season it is.
19. What’s up next for you writing-wise?
    My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours comes out in the fall of 2010.
20. What’s your favourite piece of advice for writers?
    Be persistent.

Definitely good advice! Thanks so much for being here, Kristina. Congrats on the release of The Espressologist!

Thanks Shari!

Blurg: Eyes Like Stars

I just read Lisa Mantchev’s Eyes Like Stars and loved it! Unique, innovative, and freakin’ hilarious at times, thanks to Lisa’s take on the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Here’s the blurb:

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater. She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents. She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own. Until now.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book–an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family–and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Highly recommended!

(*blurg = blurb in a blog)

20 Questions YA Author Interview: Megan Crewe

Although I’m in denial about it being October because that would mean summer is really, really over  (seriously… how is that possible?), I’m aware enough to know it’s a new month, which means *insert drum roll here* a brand new 20 Questions YA Author Interview! Yes, it’s true, and I’m delighted to welcome Megan Crewe to my blog on this, the first day of the month-which-must-not-be-named.

Megan is a fellow Canadian (*waves to Megan from across the country*). Her debut novel, Give Up The Ghost, launched September 15 from Henry Holt Books for Young Readers.

Welcome, Megan!

And now, 20 Questions….

1. Morning person or night owl?
   I think of myself as a middle-of-the-day person.  I’m at my sharpest between about 10am and 2pm. 
2. Outliner or pantser?
   Outliner all the way! If I don’t have an outline I inevitably end up writing myself into a corner I can’t get out of.
3. Rejection letters – save ‘em or toss ‘em?
   Save them. They’re part of the journey!
4. What’s the best thing a reader ever said to you?
   That they stayed up late reading my book because they found it impossible to put down.
   
5. What was the last song you had stuck in your head?
   “Suddenly I See” by K.T. Tunstall
   
6. What was the last movie you watched?
   At home: Audition (a Japanese horror movie). In the theater: District 9.
7. What was the last book you read and loved?
   Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.
8. What’s your all-time favourite story?
   It is absolutely impossible to pick just one! The one I’ve loved the longest is The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.
9. Any nicknames we might come across if we delved into your past?
   My dad calls me “pumpkin” sometimes–that’s about it.
10. Any phobias you’re willing to admit to?
    Spiders. And I’m mildly claustrophobic.
11. What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
    I haven’t had any really unusual jobs! I do get pretty goofy with the kids I work with, though.
12. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
    Spend five weeks overseas by myself (my first non-family trip). But it was also incredibly exciting.
13. What’s one thing that really bugs you?
    Having dry skin on my hands. I carry moisturizer everywhere.
14. What’s one thing you’re really proud of?
    My book!
15. What’s the last thing you Googled?
    A teacher’s name, so I could invite her to my launch party.
16. Where’s the farthest place from home you’ve travelled?
    China.
17. What’s your idea of a perfect vacation?
    Going to a far-off country I’ve never seen before and exploring its cities and landscapes.
18. What’s your favourite sports team?
    I cheer on the Canadian team during the Olympics!
19. What’s up next for you writing-wise?
    More YA novels, paranormal and fantasy.
20. What’s your favourite piece of advice for writers?
    Read. Write. Revise. (and repeat!)

Thanks so much for being here, Megan!

Thanks for the interview!

Check out the book trailer for Give Up The Ghost:

Blurg: Because I Am Furniture

I just finished Thalia Chaltas‘ YA novel-in-verse, Because I Am Furniture (Viking Children’s, 2009). Here’s the blurb:

Anke’s father is abusive. But not to her. He attacks her brother and sister, but she is ignored, forced to be an invisible witness in a house of horrors. Believing she isn’t worthy of even the worst kind of attention, Anke feels about as significant as the living room sofa. Until she makes the volleyball team at school. In a sport where you have to yell “Mine!” to play the ball, Anke learns for the first time how to make herself heard.

As her confidence on the court builds, she finds a voice she didn’t know existed. And it’s not long before she realizes that if she can make people hear her while she’s playing volleyball, then maybe she can be heard at home, too.

Thalia handles the tough topic of abuse with honesty, and the verse reads smoothly, making this a quick, compelling read. Highly recommended!

(blurg=blurb in a blog)

What I read on my summer vacation

[ETA: I just noticed the top book in the pile was cut off in this pic. Such a fine photographer I am... oops. It was If I Stay, by Gayle Forman, which, btw, was an amazing book!]

Blurg: Crash Into Me

I usually only post a blurg (blurb in a blog) after I read a novel I love. I haven’t yet read Crash Into Me because it was just released yesterday and I haven’t managed to get my hands on a copy yet. However, since the author, Albert Borris, isn’t able to promote the book himself, I thought I’d give him a hand.

Albert suffered a massive stroke in December. Here’s a little about his story, from the Class of 2K9 blog:

This past December, just months before the release of CRASH INTO ME (Simon Pulse), Albert suffered a stroke so powerful, his doctors told him he was lucky to be alive.

And alive he is, having made a full physical recovery, enough to roughhouse with his two young sons and work out at the gym. However, Albert is still working on recovering something else: his words.

To be sure, they are all up there in his brilliant mind. He just can’t get them out – verbally or on paper – in the correct order, yet. But he’s working on it.

And here’s a little about his debut novel, Crash Into Me (again from the Class of 2K9’s blog):

When Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae meet online after each attempts suicide and fails, the four teens mak e a deadly pact: they will escape together on a summer road trip to visit the sites of celebrity suicides…and at their final destination, they will all end their lives. As they drive cross-country, bonding over their dark impulses, sharing their deepest secrets and desires, living it up, hooking up, and becoming true friends, each must decide whether life is worth living–or if there’s no turning back.

You can help Albert by spreading the word (blog about this, or just pass on the link to someone who might be interested) or by buying the book!

Peace….

Lightning and Harry Potter…

…which may sound connected but they’re not, at least not in this post.

A few things on a Monday:

1. Fantastic electrical storm last night, plus hail, plus ongoing pouring rain. Meanwhile, Son2 is at woodsman camp on a nearby island…. Lucky him.
2. I slept through the phone ringing early this morning — it was the staffing office asking if I could work today. So, I lost a potential day of work and the very helpful paycheque that goes along with it, but I gained a day to devote to writing. (Bills, schmills… I’d always rather write than head to the day-job!)
3. I did a word-count check on the novel I’m revising and… ta da!… I’ve now added more than I originally cut. Not that I’m hung up on word counts, but it does seem to be a bit of a milestone.
4. I switched my ISP a few weeks ago, despite the new ISP’s VERY persistent sales agents that totally annoyed me in the weeks leading up to my choosing to switch (it was purely a $ thing for me). And now, I’ve decided that the new ISP sucks with great amounts of suckage, despite being a large, popular company. I will likely switch again…. Sigh.
5. I have managed to turn Son3 into a total HP fan. He’s done nothing but read today (a good thing to do during the aforementioned pouring rain). He’s currently 1/3 through HP and the Half-Blood Prince. (He knows I won’t take him to see it in the theatre, though, at least not without me seeing it first. I think the Inferi and the Dementors may be a bit much for him on the big screen!) As for me, I’m totally stoked to see the movie!

That’s all for now. Have a great week!

Peace….

20 Questions YA Author Interview: Cyn Balog

I’m delighted to welcome debut author Cyn Balog for July’s 20 Questions YA Author Interview.

Cyn Balog grew up in Edison, New Jersey and has been writing for most of her life. She graduated from Douglass College, Rutgers University, with a degree in Communication. An avid fitness enthusiast, she has been living in Bucks County for five years with her husband and children and working as an Events Manager for Runner’s World Magazine. Fairy Tale is her first novel.

1. Morning person or night owl?
   Morning! I fall asleep at like, 8:30 every night.
2. Outliner or pantser?
   Pantser for the first half, Outliner for the second!
3. Rejection letters – save ‘em or toss ‘em?
   Toss– they’re just one person’s opinion, after all.
4. What’s the best thing a reader ever said to you?
   You’re good at this!
5. What was the last song you had stuck in your head?
   Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast
   
6. What was the last movie you watched?
   Quantum of Solace, though I fell asleep halfway thru. I know the beginning to every movie out there, but few ends.
7. What was the last book you read and loved?
   I’ve read and liked a lot of books, but one that made me weep is FEED by MT Anderson.
8. What’s your all-time favourite story?
   Charlotte’s Web.
9. Any nicknames we might come across if we delved into your past?
   Cinderella
10. Any phobias you’re willing to admit to?
    I hate talking on the phone, New York City, and driving.
11. What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
    I used to work for a company that made shrink wrapping machines. All I did was use a copier for 8 hours a day.
12. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
    Went whitewater rafting on the Dead River in Maine and capsized on Class 5 rapids.
    
    (Okay, this is not the Dead River, but it’s definitely white water. Now, doesn’t that look fun? Eep.)
13. What’s one thing that really bugs you?
    Self-absorbed people.
14. What’s one thing you’re really proud of?
    Certain members of my family, especially my sister, my husband, and my daughter.
15. What’s the last thing you Googled?
    Telephones; I was trying to figure out the history of the telephone circa 1900 for a book I am writing.
    

    (Image from wikimedia commons.)

16. Where’s the farthest place from home you’ve travelled?
    Maui
17. What’s your idea of a perfect vacation?
    I want to show my daughter Disney World for the first time SO BAD that I think about it every day.
18. What’s your favourite sports team?
    Philadelphia Flyers
19. What’s up next for you writing-wise?
    SLEEPLESS is a book about a sandman who falls in love with a mortal whose sleep he controls; should be out in 2010!
20. What’s your favourite piece of advice for writers?
    Never let anybody tell you that you can’t.

Thanks so much for being here, Cyn, and congratulations on the launch of Fairy Tale!

Reading is ice cream

New books = yay! Here’s what I got today:

(Dull Boy, by Sarah Cross; Always Looking Up, by Michael J Fox; Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen)

Okay, enough shopping. Time to get back to work. (Sadly, I can’t read these quite yet, but they will be sweet incentive to reach my revision goals — kinda like no ice cream until you finish your cake, which I know is a bit of a twist on the old saying, but revisions are fun, too. Just not quite as fun as jumping into an awesome new book. Revising is cake, reading is ice cream. So no ice cream until I finish my day’s cake quota. And I’m thinking I should probably back away from the analogy right about now….)

Wishing you peace and good books. And ice cream.