Teenreads.com Blog

Today's guest blogger is Carrie Jones, author of the fantasy novel, NEED, and its upcoming sequel, CAPTIVATE (due out in January). Below, she shares of list of fun facts you may have wanted to know about her --- and perhaps a few things you didn't!


1. I do not base my characters on me, because I want them to have less embarrassing lives than my life.

2. I am nice that way.

3. For instance, while I have stood outside a New York city hotel (that was super ritzy) with two huge bags of books in my hands and had my skirt fall ALL THE WAY DOWN right in front of the taxi line and a seven-year-old boy and his dad, I would never do that to Zara, the main character in NEED and CAPTIVATE.

4. Really, I am too nice to do that.

5. Similarly, even though I was talking to a book publisher’s publicity person at the Bar Harbor Book Festival and suddenly felt something fall out of my skirt and I just kept talking, only to step backwards and see a man’s sock on the floor, I would never do that to Issie --- also in NEED and CAPTIVATE --- because I know she would just die of humiliation.

6. I almost die of humiliation a lot, but I somehow survive. I have no idea why. I’m not sure it’s fair.

7. One of the worst, most embarrassing things that ever happened to me was in high school when I was talking to a guy I was 100 percent crushing on, and a tampon fell out of my locker right in between us. I stepped on it. No, I stomped on it really, and gasped.

8. Note: If you step on a feminine hygiene product in front of a guy you like, do not gasp and then kick it backwards so that it skitters down the hall because unless he is really super unaware, he will notice and start laughing so hard that he’ll fall over, clutching his stomach and someone will call the principal because of the commotion and then you will have to explain to the principal what happened.

9. I truly believe there are certain things a person shouldn’t have to endure.

10. Public humiliation is one of them.

11. Yes, Zara does have to deal with horrible things --- evil pixies, dead dad, stalking, nasty girls who rank on her choice of classic rock bands and love of Amnesty International --- I, as the author, solemnly swear not to ever make her skirt fall down, nor make a sock fall out of her skirt, nor make her have an embarrassing incident like the one mentioned at #7 and #8 above.

12. Maybe. ;)

-- Carrie Jones

Labels: Captivate, Carrie Jones, Need

J. Adams Oaks's gritty debut novel, WHY I FIGHT, straddles the line between YA and adult fiction, as he tells the story of a 12 year old on the run from his dark, violent, and unstable past. In today's guest blog, he recalls his struggles in trying to find the right audience for his book, and shares his surprise over the unexpected response he received from an unlikely group of readers.


Okay, so I’m pretty stumped. My very first novel, WHY I FIGHT, just came out this past spring and the target audience, according to the publishing company and all the media, was supposed to be 14 to 20 year olds. The book has sold over 10,000 copies (which is awesome), yet I haven’t met one single young adult who’s read it. I’ve had readings and book signings, and I’ve gotten emails from people who liked it or had questions, but every single one of them has been an adult. What’s up with that?

It’s kind of ironic really, because when I wrote the first draft of WHY I FIGHT, I really had no idea who the audience was. Oh, sure, I could talk a good game about Wyatt's --- the main character’s --- voice, but I had no idea who would read my book. So when Richard Jackson, my amazing editor at Simon and Schuster, bought the book back in 2005, he told me it’d be published as Young Adult fiction. Then he asked me one seemingly simple question:

“Who is Wyatt telling his story to?”

That means ‘who is the audience?’ and, man on man, now I was caught. I couldn’t avoid answering this question any longer. Plus, what I really wanted to say was, "I just want people to read my book! Everybody! Anybody!"

But instead I said, “Well, I always imagined Wyatt on a bus talking to a stranger.” Usually, that answer got people off my back, even though there was no stranger in the book and there was no bus.

“Well,” Dick said to me, “if that is what you intended to do, then you haven’t written that novel.”

And so the rewriting began, imagining the reader, through numerous drafts. Remembering someone was sitting there, listening, and making sure the story was being told to them.

Once the book came out this past spring, with the publishing company focusing on fourteen to twenty year olds, and the bookstores and libraries shelving it in the YA section, it surprised the heck out of me that the people showing up my readings and the people getting in touch were all adults.

The audiences I get all seem to be moms and dads who are worried about Wyatt and feel bad for him. Sure, they ask some good intelligent questions. And, man, I’m just glad people are interested. But some people freak out that Wyatt kills a fish and bird and that he fights and, truthfully, I think they’ve either forgotten what it’s like (or never experience what it’s like) to be a kid, much less a boy becoming a man.

Kids kill stuff. They wreck stuff and mess up. They do things that they don’t think is right because someone tells them to. And still, look at how many of them out there turn out to be perfectly awesome human beings. That is what I hope for Wyatt in the end. And it’s what I hope for the young readers who connect with him, that maybe they understand that life moves on and things ain’t so bad. It’s simple, I know, but important.

Anyway, if you read the book and you are younger, I’d love to hear from you. I’m always up to a chat.

-- J. Adams Oaks

Labels: J. Adams Oaks, Why I Fight

We have nine exciting and highly anticipated new releases to share with you this week, including Kristina Springer's debut THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, about a match-making barista; Alexander Gordon Smith's jailbreak novel, LOCKDOWN; SPLENDOR, the final chapter in the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen; Lisi Harrison's Clique prequel, CHARMED AND DANGEROUS; and TEMPTED, the latest installment the mother-daughter duo P. C. and Kristin Cast's House of Night series.


New Releases for October 27th

Hardcover

THE ESPRESSOLOGIST by Kristina Springer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers)
What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

With overtones of Jane Austen’s EMMA and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.

LOCKDOWN: Escape from the Furnace, by Alexander Gordon Smith (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers)
Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison.

Together with a bunch of inmates --- some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers --- Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world.

THE SHADOW DRAGONS: The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, Book Four, written and illustrated by James A. Owen (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
World War II has been raging for three years, but a more terrible evil is just over the horizon. The last stones are falling from the Keep of Time, and the Imperial Cartological Society, led by Richard Burton, has collected doors and is building a new tower at the request of an old enemy: the Winter King's shadow. He has a terrible weapon --- the Spear of Destiny --- that can be used to command the shadows of anyone it touches.

The Shadow King uses the Spear of Destiny to enlist an unstoppable army of Dragon shadows. And after the Archipelago falls, the Shadow King intends to use the turmoil of World War II to take over both worlds.

All the legendary Caretakers, past and present, come together to save two worlds, and their only hope lies with a small group of companions who are on the quest for the broken sword Caliburn; the Grail Child, Rose Dyson; her clockwork companion, the owl Archie; a dead professor of ancient literature; and the mythical knight Don Quixote.

SPLENDOR: A Luxe Novel, by Anna Godbersen (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
New beginnings.

Shocking revelations.

Unexpected endings.

A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.

Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty --- but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.

In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?

DESTINY’S PATH: Warrior Princess, Book Two by Frewin Jones (HarperTeen)
Her destiny must be fulfilled . . .

Ranwen refuses to take orders from anyone --- even the Shining Ones, the ancient gods whose power is feared throughout the land. They want her as their Chosen One, destined to save her country from the Saxons. But Branwen doubts she's truly ready to be a leader.

Then a messenger from the skies shows her a vision of a bleak and violent future --- a future in which Branwen has abandoned her destiny, and those most dear to her suffer unspeakable horrors. There's a blurry line between good and evil, and those Branwen trusts the most are capable of the greatest betrayal. The Shining Ones have spoken. Will Branwen answer their call?

CHARMED AND DANGEROUS: The Rise of the Pretty Committee, by Lisi Harrison (Poppy/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Happy New Clique!

Once upon a time, in Westchester and Orlando, there were four betas just waiting for their alpha. It took a miracle to bring the Pretty Committee together --- or rather, a New Year's Yves party. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it just cliques.

Massie Block: Is destined to lead, but trapped as a beta in the Ahnabees, the top clique at PMS (Presbyterian Middle School). She has ah-mazing ideas --- Friday night sleepovers, Gossip Points, and atching charm bracelets. When will it be her time to rule?

Alicia River: Is dying to lead the Body Alive Dance Studio Squad. With the captain on vacation, BADSS’s live performance on Merri Lee Marvil’s New Year’s Yves show is her chance to shine. Will she prove herself alpha-worthy --- or will she need to find a whole new clique?

Dylan Marvil: Is done, done, and done with people kissing her teeny-tiny butt just because her mom is famous. But who would be brave enough to stand up to someone so Marvilous?

Kristen Gregory: Has made a New Year’s resolution to make friends and get a life. Escape from Planet Loser starts… now!

Claire Lyons: Is psyched times ten to win a last-minute invitation to the New Year’s Yves satellite party in Orlando. But first she needs to sneak out of the house. And the countdown to midnight begins in ten… nine… eight…

The Clique… the only thing harder than getting in is staying in.

TEMPTED: House of Night, Book Six by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (St. Martin’s Griffin)
So… you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul? Find out in the next spectacular installment in the House of Night Series, TEMPTED.


Paperback

THE PATRON SAINT OF BUTTERFLIES by Cecilia Galante (Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books)
Agnes and Honey have been best friends for as long as they can remember. But everything is about to change, from their friendship to the only home they’ve ever known: a religious commune called Mount Blessing. Agnes loves being a believer and following the rules of the commune, but Honey has started to rebel. Then, when Agnes and Honey experience the outside world (on the run, no less), their friendship is tested further. After all, when everything you’ve ever known turns out to be a lie, how do you find the truth? A powerful story of faith, doubt, abuse, and above all, friendship.
- Click here to read our review of THE PATRON SAINT OF BUTTERFLIES.

PERFECT MISTAKE by Kate Brian (Priviledge)
MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND KILL THE OLD....

Ariana Osgood has everything she's ever wanted. A place at elite Atherton-Pryce boarding school. Fabulous friends. A new crush. And most importantly, a new identity. Now that she's officially become Briana Leigh Covington, Ariana's troubled past is dead and buried.

Or is it?

When the one person who knows her secret arrives on campus, Ariana decides it's time to say good-bye to her ex-best friend --- forever. From the author of the bestselling Private novels comes a series about the dark world of wealth, secrets, and PRIVILEGE.


New Releases for October 29th

Paperback

DRAGONHAVEN by Robin McKinley (Speak)
Jake lives at the Makepeace Institute of Integrated Dragon Studies in Smokehill National Park. There are five million acres of the Smokehill wilderness, and the endangered dragons rarely show themselves. Jake’s never seen one except at a distance. But then, on his first overnight solo in the park, he meets a dragon—and she is dying. More than that, she has just given birth, and one of the babies is still alive. . . .
- Click here to read our review of DRAGONHAVEN.

Labels: New Releases

Erik Raschke's debut novel, THE BOOK OF SAMUEL, follows a teenage boy whose world gets turned upside down the day his father leaves his family. From that moment on, poor Samuel seems to have one trying situation after another thrown in his direction, making him seem more like a tragic biblical figure than an ordinary kid growing up in the '80s, just trying to make sense of the complex world around him.

We'll be reviewing THE BOOK OF SAMUEL next month, so check back soon! In the meantime, take a look at the trailer below, and download an excerpt here. And if you haven't read Erik's guest blog, you can do so here. Don't forget to let us know what you think in the comments below!

Labels: Book Trailer, Erik Raschke, Excerpt, The Book of Samuel

Erik Raschke is the author of numerous short stories, as well as the debut novel, THE BOOK OF SAMUEL --- a coming-of-age tale about a boy's struggles with family, love, faith, and changing surroundings. Aside from penning fiction, he also teaches it to high school students, who serve as the inspiration behind today's guest blog. Below, he discusses the personal significance of a Dorothy Parker short story to both himself as well as two very disparate groups of his students, and reflects on just how powerful the art of telling a story can be.


On the two separate occasions that I read “Clothe the Naked” by Dorothy Parker to my high school classes, it rained. For me, rain has always whispered, “read,” gently encouraging me to engage with a slower, more thoughtful world, a world that is rarely brought fully and satisfyingly to life in a sterile classroom. But sometimes, a good story or just perhaps the right story, at the right time, can flutter around a classroom, connecting each and every student’s brain via an electric current, as if the entire class has suddenly and simultaneously clambered onto Tesla plasma lamp.

The first time I read "Clothe the Naked" was to my students who were from one of the poorest parts of New York City, and the second time was to my students at a private school in one of the wealthiest parts of Holland. But on both days, I could sense almost every student transcend my nasal, almost whiney voice and grab hold to Dorothy Parker’s magnificently constructed sentences, not because they admired the foreshadowing, metaphor, point of view, blah, blah, blah, but because they were lost in the sounds, the character’s emotions, the ignorant bliss of a mute child. With every paragraph, they were drawn deeper and deeper into the narrative until I, the reader, was the farthest from their minds.

As I paced the room, reading the story with as much passion as a teacher and a non-actor can, I remember looking out over my class and discovering that many students had simply pushed the copied pages to the edge of their desk and lowered their heads. Others stared at me as if I were telling them something deeply personal. And the rest, who followed along with me, word-for-word, while I read, didn’t look up until long after I had finished the last sentence.

When I think of “Clothe the Naked” and how a story composed by a white female writer, about a blind African-American boy, brought two very distinct groups of students, Dutch and Dominican, into a awkwardly real world of ignorance and cruelty, but yet, in the end, gently delivered us all into meditative contemplation, I think, “this is why I teach fiction.” To do what Dorothy Parker does: telling a story that reaches across all groups and speaks to us intimately, pulling something grand and magnanimous from each of our souls, something we always suspected was there, but had struggled to articulate. To create the kind of story that needles us all, individually, to make certain changes in our own lives and warns us of the consequences if we don’t. To write the kind of story that has the ability to pacify thirty boys and girls, all preoccupied with love and conflicts with friends, family, and teachers (or in the case of my Dominican students, drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, eviction) and quietly bring us face-to-face with issues connected to the core of our collective humanity.

After ten years of teaching, I have held on to one conviction, and that is there are certain stories that should be enjoyed, relished, savored, and left unmolested by us teachers. At least once a month, I read a single short story (or a chapter), one that is no longer than half-hour to forty-five minutes. I promise my students I will not ask any “discussion questions” afterward as long as they promise to listen quietly. Some of the stories work. Many of my favorite, unfortunately, don’t. But in the case of Dorothy Parker’s “Clothe the Naked,” we were all on the same page.

Click here to read Dorothy Parker's "Clothe the Naked."


-- Erik Raschke

Labels: Clothe the Naked, Dorothy Parker, Erik Raschke, The Book of Samuel

Today's very special guest blogger is Linda W. Braun, the president of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Below, she shares details about this year's Teen Read Week program, discusses the benefits of reading for pleasure, and even recommends some exciting titles that'll allow us to "read beyond reality."

Each October, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) --- a Division of the American Library Association (ALA) --- sponsors Teen Read Week, a program that encourages teens to read for pleasure. This year, Teen Read Week takes place October 18 through 24 and has the theme, “Read Beyond Reality.”

What does reading beyond reality mean for teens? For some, it means reading science fiction and fantasy books with imaginary characters such as those in the manga DEATH NOTE by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Or, it might mean reading about extraordinary events as in Cory Doctorow’s LITTLE BROTHER.

For other teens, reading beyond reality means reading materials set in the present real world, but a world very different than theirs. For example, a teen who has never been to New York City may read beyond reality when picking up Cheryl Diamond’s autobiography MODEL, which tells of Diamond’s life in New York as a teen model. Or, a teen in a public school might read beyond reality with E. Lockhart’s THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU BANKS, which takes place in a private boarding school.

Teen Read Week also promotes the idea that reading for pleasure doesn’t happen just with books. Reading magazines, graphic novels, blog posts, sports websites, etc. are ways in which teens can enjoy content. When one is engrossed in words, story, and/or information, in whatever format it might be presented, that is an example of reading for pleasure.

Why is it important to promote teen pleasure reading? Because different types of reading bring different types of experiences, different types of understanding, and different ways of acquiring literacy skills. For example, when a teen reads an article for a class assignment, he is certainly reading and acquiring knowledge. But, while the physical act of reading that article for that purpose is the same as the physical act of reading an article in a sports magazine, personal interest in the content can help to make the reading more pleasurable and, as a result, give a teen a stronger sense of their own reading skills and help them to think of themselves as a reader and even a lover of reading.

Around the country this week, libraries are celebrating teen pleasure reading with a variety of related activities and programs. You can read more about the week and what’s going on in libraries on the Teen Read Week web site, here.

-- Linda W. Braun

Labels: Teen Read Week, YALSA

The 2009 Kirkus Reviews Book Video Awards challenges student filmmakers to produce video trailers for three upcoming YA novels published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books: FALLEN by Lauren Kate, VERY LeFREAK by Rachel Cohn, and THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner. The finalists for the 4th annual Teen Book Video Awards are Benjamin Bliss (FALLEN), Rosie Lambert (VERY LeFREAK), and Brighton Linge (THE MAZE RUNNER).

It’s safe to say that all of the videos are amazing, chilling, and highly entertaining, but only one of these promising young filmmakers can win this competition. The polls are open through Oct. 30th, so be sure to vote for your favorite video and send the link to everyone you know so they can check them out too!

To watch these enticing book trailers, vote for your favorite, and read more about the competition and each of the filmmakers, visit http://www.barnesandnoble.com/kirkusbva/. We had a lot of fun watching the videos, and can’t wait to see who wins. Which video excites you about reading a book the most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Labels: Fun Stuff, Kirkus Reviews, Teen Book Video Awards

In today's guest blog, Amber Kizer --- author of ONE BUTT CHEEK AT A TIME and GERT GARIBALDI'S RANTS AND RAVES --- shares a family anecdote passed down from her grandparents that inspired elements of her latest novel, MERIDIAN.


As a reader, I’m always intrigued to learn of an author’s experiences influencing the writing of a book --- the autobiographical or “real life” bits and pieces. Everything in our lives as authors is fair game --- it all goes into the creative well, though what we pull out might not appear that way to readers. Not all ideas translate directly from life to a story, but for me this particular one worked exactly as it’s been in my family for generations. THE special code.

Meridian is a girl who shepherds souls to the afterlife and the story reflects a battle of good versus evil. I have lots of connections to parts of this book --- I quilt like Auntie. I’ve sat vigil like Meridian. It’s a story about death, but maybe more importantly, it’s about hope for the after. But it’s also a love story, and that’s what I’d like to talk about today!

Meridian is a Fenestra --- a race of angel/human beings who act as windows to the Afterlife. Tens is a Protector --- guardians for Fenestras. When possible, Fenestras and Protectors are soul mates. There’s a special code in this story that I took directly from my family’s history and tradition. 1-4-3. Think about it. Know the hidden meaning? I love you. I (1) love (4) you (3). Now, here’s where it came from.

My grandparents met while attending Texas Christian University in the 1940s. They lived in dorms directly across a large open space, so each could look out their window and see the other dorm and room windows. I’ve never seen these buildings or photographs of them, but in my mind’s eye they’re tall, boxy, brick apartment-like buildings. And the open space between them is about a football field of grassy space with paths cutting through it. Who knows what reality really is? As my grandparents became more serious in their dating, each night before going to bed they’d use a flashlight and blink it toward the other’s window. 1-4-3. Whoever was waiting would do it in return. An “I love you” before sleep. Usually my grandfather started and my grandmother responded in the same manner.

They thought they were pretty sneaky and didn’t tell anyone they were doing it. But one night, my grandfather blinked his 1-4-3 across the quad and my grandmother’s entire dorm blinked back. Every girl, in every window, had a flashlight! Imagine it --- the whole dorm flashing 1-4-3 right back to my grandfather! I can almost hear the girls giggling, then dissolving into full-out laughter from here.

I can see my grandfather walking to class the next morning and girls smiling or giggling when they saw him. Or his dorm mates ribbing him about it because they’d seen it or heard about it or were dating a girl who’d done it. I can hear my grandmother saying, “Oh, Joe, don’t be so embarrassed.”

Even fifty years later when my grandfather told the story, he’d turn red and sputter. My grandmother always insisted that she had nothing to do with it, but she was such a rabble rouser it wouldn’t surprise me if she’d helped the idea along. She did so love to make my grandfather blush with embarrassment.

They married in 1944 and were still together when my grandfather died in 2006. What they started continued with their children, and then to my generation. Cards and letters may be signed with 1-4-3.

In MERIDIAN, it’s a code that Charles and Auntie pass on to Meridian and Tens. Today, I’m passing it on to you. Make it your own!

I love to hear from readers. Feel free to email me: Amber@AmberKizer.com

Readers can find more behind the scenes information about Amber and her books by visiting www.AmberKizer.com, www.MeridianSozu.com, and www.OneButtCheek.com or on Facebook and Goodreads.

-- Amber Kizer

Labels: Amber Kizer, Meridian

As we shared with you in our New Releases Roundup Blog a few weeks back, Kristin Cashore recently published FIRE, the much-anticipated prequel to her debut novel, GRACELING. Though set in the same fantasy world as Cashore's previous book, FIRE takes place 30 years earlier, and introduces us to a 17-year-old heroine who will just about make you forget everything you thought you knew about "monsters."



After checking out the trailer above, use the casting widget below to play director, and build your own movie version of FIRE by selecting which actors you'd like to see play Fire, Brigan, Archer and Nash!

Labels: Book Trailer, Fire, Fun Stuff, Kristin Cashore

In case you didn't already know, October 18-24th is Teen Read Week! And what would be a more perfect way to kick off the festivities than with our latest roundup of new releases, which offers eight rich and thought-provoking titles that tackle some pretty heavy topics, like culture clashes in Katherine Patterson's THE DAY OF THE PELICAN; the difficulties of loss in Valerie O. Patterson's THE OTHER SIDE OF BLUE and HOLD STILL by Nina LaCour; coming-of-age angst in Barry Lyga's GOTH GIRL RISING, and matters of the heart in K. L. Madigan FLASH BURNOUT and Lauren Strasnick's NOTHING LIKE YOU. This week also marks the release of the last installment of the endearing Dairy Queen series, FRONT AND CENTER by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, as well as the third book in Nancy Farmer's The Sea of Trolls Trilogy, THE ISLANDS OF THE BLESSED.


New Releases for October 19th

Hardcover

THE DAY OF THE PELICAN by Katherine Paterson (Clarion Books)
Meli Lleshi is positive that her drawing of her teacher with his pelican nose started it all. The Lleshis are Albanians living in Kosovo, a country trying to fight off Serbian oppressors, and suddenly they are homeless refugees. Old and young alike, they find their courage tested by hunger, illness, the long, arduous journey, and danger on every side. Then, unexpectedly, they are brought to America by a church group and begin a new life in a small Vermont town. The events of 9/11 bring more challenges for this Muslim family --- but this country is their home now and there can be no turning back. A compassionate, powerful novel by a master storyteller.

FLASH BURNOUT by L. K. Madigan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him; the other one needs him.

When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth-addicted mom. Blake’s participation in the ensuing drama opens up a world of trouble, both for him and for Marissa. He spends the next few months trying to reconcile the conflicting roles of Boyfriend and Friend. His experiences range from the comic (surviving his dad’s birth control talk) to the tragic (a harrowing after-hours visit to the morgue).

In a tangle of life and death, love and loyalty, Blake will emerge with a more sharply defined snapshot of himself.

FRONT AND CENTER by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I'm always in the background...

But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who's keen for romance and karaoke. Not to mention Brian Nelson, who she should not be thinking about! Who she is done with, thank you very much. But who keeps showing up anyway...

GOTH GIRL RISING by Barry Lyga (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Time is a funny thing in the hospital. In the mental ward. You lose track of it easily.

After six months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit, Kyra Sellers, a.k.a. Goth Girl, is going home. Unfortunately, she's about to find out that while she was away, she lost track of more than time. Kyra is back in black, feeling good, and ready to make up with the only person who's ever appreciated her for who she really is. But then she sees him. Fanboy. Transcended from everything he was into someone she barely recognizes. And the anger and memories come rushing back.

There's so much to do to people when you're angry. Kyra's about to get very busy.

THE OTHER SIDE OF BLUE by Valerie O. Patterson (Clarion Books)
Cyan was named after a shade of blue, her artist mother's favorite color. The color of the sea. Since her father's death last year, she’s felt just as mercurial and dark as her namesake, and the distance between Cyan and her mother has grown as wide as an ocean. Now they're returning to the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean, where her father's mysterious accident occurred, and joining them will be Kammi --- who may soon become a stepsister. Haunted by the secrets of the past, Cyan will explore all the depths of her blueness this summer, discovering the light, the darkness, and the many shades in between that are within her --- and within us all.


New Releases for October 20th

Hardcover

HOLD STILL by Nina LaCour (Dutton Juvenile)
An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, from a breakthrough new voice in YA fiction.

dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t.

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid --- and Caitlin herself.

NOTHING LIKE YOU by Lauren Strasnick (Simon Pulse)
When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly...and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly's mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she's getting desperate to feel something, anything --- so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul's kisses are a welcome diversion...and it's nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren't so simple with Saskia around. Paul's real girlfriend is willowy and perfect... and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly's choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had.
- Click here to read Lauren Strasnick's guest blog about the release of NOTHING LIKE YOU.

THE ISLANDS OF THE BLESSED by Nancy Farmer (Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books)
In this much-anticipated conclusion to the Sea of Trolls trilogy, Notland is no place to seek one's true calling. Or is it?

Labels: New Releases

For most authors, writing a novel is definitely a long and complicated process. Today's guest blogger, Justine Larbalestier, gives us a bit of insight into hers, explaining the nonlinear approach she took to penning her latest book, LIAR.


Writing LIAR was a big departure from my previous books. Usually, like many novelists, I start at the beginning and keep writing until I get to the end. I call that my draft zero, which I write very quickly. Draft zero is always utter, utter, utter rubbish. (Seriously, if you read one of my zero drafts you would be horrified. I frequently am.) I then have to make the draft be not utter rubbish. That takes much much longer and involves rewriting the whole novel from start to finish multiple times.

LIAR was different. Because the narrator, Micah, is, um, not what would you’d call trustworthy --- she is, in fact, a liar --- her story took lots of twists and turns, and the book did, too. Micah backtracks, forwardtracks, sidetracks. I wound up writing her story completely out of order. One of the earliest parts of the novel is now close to the end. The opening was one of the last bits I wrote.

I also didn’t write the book in chapters. Something else I’ve never done before. I wrote it in small chunks --- some as short as 45 words. (A page is typically around 250 words.) The majority were around one or two pages, and only a handful were longer than four pages.

In some ways, it was more like writing poetry than a novel. I rewrote each one multiple times before the draft was completed, thinking about every single word, worrying about its placement on the page. At the same time, I was constantly moving these chunks around as if the novel were a jigsaw puzzle. Every time I moved one to another part of the novel, I had to rewrite it so that it actually fit there. Each move led to more rewriting, so that some bits of LIAR were rewritten twenty or thirty or one hundred times or more. (I lost count.)

When I had a complete draft, it was way more polished than my usual zero draft. It was more like a fourth or fifth draft --- a miracle for me. I think my editor fainted when she read it.

Hmmm, I think I’ve made writing LIAR sound like a fiddly nightmare. But, it turns out I love writing like that. It’s made me a better writer. Having written LIAR, I now feel like I can write anything. Thus, I’m also writing my current novel out of order even though it’s way more conventionally structured than LIAR. I’m having a blast.

I will admit that I was very nervous about how readers would respond to my strange little novel with its many teeny tiny chapters (that aren’t chapters at all) and the more poetic style. I was worried it would bog them down. Instead, people are reporting that LIAR is a page turner. Who knew that shorter chapters make for a faster read?

Other than James Patterson and Dan Brown, I mean.

-- Justine Larbalestier

Labels: Justine Larbalestier, Liar

Instead of celebrating the publication of her second novel FAT CAT, which just hit stores yesterday, Robin Brande has been keeping a low profile, opting to go hiking in the Alps --- partly doing research for her next book, but also partly hiding out in fear of her book's dreaded release date. Below, she explains why she's so anxious about this usually exciting occasion, and shares details about what she considers to be the most personal work she's ever written.


Usually when an author has a new book coming out, it’s all countdown widgets and promo bits and contest giveaways and “guess what --- almost here!”

A few author friends of mine noticed I wasn’t doing any of that. “What’s the deal? Don’t you care?”

“Oh yeah, I care --- too much. Which is why I’m going into hiding.”

Because out of all the books I’ve written, both published and as-yet unpublished, FAT CAT is the most personal one by far. It makes me feel like I’m baring my butt to the world.

Sure, the book is full of romance and comedy and cool science --- those were the easy parts to write, even though the science took a lot of research and personal experimentation. When Cat talks about making a lentil and barley loaf --- trust me, I ate that. Wild rice and pine nuts and dried cranberries? Zucchini muffins? Mmm, ate all that. I ate everything Cat eats in the book.
More important, I stopped eating all the things she stopped eating. No more processed foods. No more chocolate. No more salty snax. I even gave up (brace yourselves) coffee, which for me is like giving up air. But if Cat had to ditch her Diet Cokes, the least I could do was skip Starbucks for a while. Even though it made me want to cry.

But the fat parts of the book. Ugh. So personal and hard to write.

Because I’ve been that girl. And that woman. Off and on for years upon years, I’ve been up and down in my weight, felt the pudge pile on and then deflate again --- those of you who have had weight struggles know what I’m talking about.

And a good stretch of that fat time was during high school and college. I won’t reveal my top weight, but trust me, it was intimidating. And I kept it up there through long stretches of superfatty eating, followed by weird diets I’d find in women’s magazines, followed by losing my mind and breaking down and eating a whole box of Little Debbies in one sitting. Good times.

So when Cat talks about how she feels about her body, that comes from my heart. When she talks about her love of cookies and ice cream and all the great comfort foods --- yeah, word. And about some of the humiliations she’s suffered --- yep, I was there.

But she also gets to experience what I have, which is the gradual whittling away of the excess, until one day you’re surprised to find how strong and light and energetic you feel, how clean, how free of all those chemicals you were accidentally pumping into your body along with the box of this or bag of that. I know how great it feels to feel great, and that’s an experience I wish I could have had back in my high school and college days. In a way, I wrote FAT CAT for the girl I was. She would have been all over Cat’s experiment.

Plus, it was fun to give Cat some guy trouble, since I never had a scrap of that myself when I was younger. What good is it to be an author if you can’t insert your fantasy high school romantic situations into a novel? Come on now. Seems like a fair payoff for having to give up Starbucks for so long.

So, the book came out October 13th. In the weeks right before that, I was hiding out in the Alps, hiking from hut to hut and sleeping in bunk beds next to a bunch of German and Austrian strangers. Which, I might as well tell you, is part of the research for my next book. Being a mountain adventurer might not feel as personal to me as being a fat girl, but I’m throwing myself into the research and writing that book as much as I did into FAT CAT. I know it’s going to be a lot of fun.

And guess what? This time I’m not giving up coffee.

-- Robin Brande

Labels: Fat Cat, Robin Brande

This week's New Releases Roundup offers a wide range of subjects, settings and genres by both new authors as well as old favorites, giving readers the perfect excuse to do a bit of exploring of their own this Columbus Day. These 14 titles will take you around the world and through time --- from the English countryside in John Harwood's THE SÉANCE and South America in Mal Peet's EXPOSURE, to 1918 Texas in Marian Hale's THE GOODBYE SEASON, not to mention the fictional fantasy city of Fellsmarch in Cinda Williams Chima's THE DEMON KING --- as well as introduce you to some memorable characters, like a descendant of Shakespeare 's infamous Scottish king in LADY MACBETH'S DAUGHTER by Lisa Klein, steampunk alter egos of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland cast in Frank Beddor's ARCHENEMY, and a young girl with psychic powers in the latest installment of Wendy Corsi Staub's Lily Dale series.

New Releases for October 12th

Paperback

THE SÉANCE by John Harwood (Mariner Books)
Wraxford Hall, a decaying mansion in the English countryside, has a sinister reputation. Once, a family disappeared there. And now Constance Langton has inherited this dark place as well as the mysteries surrounding it.

Having grown up in a house marked by the death of her sister, Constance is no stranger to mystery, secrets, and the dark magic around us. Her father was distant. Her mother was in perpetual mourning for her lost child. In a desperate attempt to coax her mother back to health, Constance took her to a séance hoping she would find supernatural comfort. But tragic consequences followed, leaving her alone in the world --- alone with Wraxford Hall. Saddled with this questionable bequest, she must find the truth at the heart of all these disappearances, apparitions, betrayal, blackmail, and villainy, even if it costs her life.

John Harwood's second novel delivers on the great promise proven by his first with this gripping mystery set in the heart of Victorian England.


New Releases for October 13th

Hardcover

ALMOST PERFECT by Brian Katcher (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
You only hurt the ones you love.

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been home-schooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.

EXPOSURE by Mal Peet (Candlewick Press)
When a black South American soccer star signs on to a team in the country’s racist south, headlines blare. And when he falls for the sensual Desmerelda, a stunning white pop singer and daughter of a wealthy politician, their sudden and controversial marriage propels the pair to center stage, where they burn in the media spotlight. But celebrity attracts enemies; some very close to home. And its dazzle reaches into the city’s hidden corners, exposing a life of grit and desperation the glitterati could never imagine. When a girl is found murdered, reporter Paul Faustino is caught between worlds as he witnesses the power of the media in making --- and breaking --- lives. Inspired by Shakespeare’s OTHELLO, this modern tragedy of desire and betrayal, incisively and compassionately told, is a truly enthralling work of crossover fiction.

FAT CAT by Robin Brande (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
You are what you eat. . . .

Cat smart, sassy, and funny --- but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment --- on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living --- and eating --- like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .

This funny and thoughtful novel explores how girls feel about their bodies, and the ways they can best take care of their most precious resource: themselves.

GIRL IN THE ARENA by Lise Haines (Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books)
Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules --- and the GSA --- can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’s debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.

THE GOODBYE SEASON by Marian Hale (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
Mercy Kaplan doesn’t want to be like her mother, saddled with crying kids and failing crops for the rest of her life. Mercy longs to be on her own --- until her wish comes true in the worst possible way. It is 1918 and a deadly flu epidemic ravages the country, leaving her utterly alone and penniless.

Mercy soon finds a job with Mrs. Wilder. But there’s something unsettling about the woman, whose brother died under mysterious circumstances. And then there’s Daniel, who could sweep a girl off her feet if she isn’t careful.

LADY MACBETH’S DAUGHTER by Lisa Klein (Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books)
Albia has grown up with no knowledge of her mother of her father, the powerful Macbeth. Instead she knows the dark lure of the Wychelm Wood and the moors, where she’s been raised by three strange sisters. It’s only when the ambitious Macbeth seeks out the sisters to foretell his fate that Albia’s life becomes tangled with the man who leaves nothing but bloodshed in his wake. She even falls in love with Fleance, Macbeth’s rival for the throne. Yet when Albia learns that she has the second sight, she must decide whether to ignore the terrible future she foresees --- or to change it. Will she be able to save the man she loves from her murderous father? And can she forgive her parents their wrongs, or must she destroy them to save Scotland from tyranny?

In her highly anticipated follow-up to OPHELIA, Lisa Klein delivers a powerful re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, featuring a young woman so seamlessly drawn it seems impossible she was not part of the Bard’s original play.

SOLACE OF THE ROAD by Siobhan Dowd (David Fickling Books/Random House)
Memories of mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school, and the way everyone is always on at her. Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. Wearing the long, flowing blond locks she feels transformed. She’s not Holly anymore, she’s Solace: the girl with the slinkster walk and the supersharp talk. She’s older, more confident --- the kind of girl who can walk right out of her humdrum life, hitch to Ireland, and find her mum. The kind of girl who can face the world head-on. So begins a bittersweet and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through memory, discovering her true self and unlocking the secrets of her past.


WE WERE HERE by Matt De La Pena (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
The story of one boy and his journey to find himself.

When it happened, Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge gave him a year in a group home --- said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he actually did Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened, his mom can’t even look at him in the face. Any home besides his would be a better place to live.

But Miguel didn’t bet on meeting Rondell or Mong or on any of what happened after they broke out. He only thought about Mexico and getting to the border to where he could start over. Forget his mom. Forget his brother. Forget himself.

Life usually doesn’t work out how you think it will, though. And most of the time, running away is the quickest path right back to what you’re running from.

LILY DALE: DISCOVERING by Wendy Corsi Staub (Walker Books for Young Readers)
After finally learning who was behind her mother’s death, Calla still doesn’t understand why it happened. Somewhere out there, someone seems to share the powerful psychic abilities that allow Calla to see not only into the past, but to the Other Side --- someone who apparently doesn’t want to be found. Will Calla’s journey lead to the closure she's been searching for, or will it force her to accept yet another loss and forever wonder what might have been?

As new mysteries unfold and old ones are solved, this spine-tingling series continues. With an eye-catching new look, Wendy Corsi Staub’s fans will not be disappointed.

THE DEMON KING: A Seven Realms Novel, by Cinda Williams Chima (Disney-Hyperion)
Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked-as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history-it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Helena, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father's family at Demonai camp --- riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties.

Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea-the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her --- plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning new page-turner from bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima.

WHITE HEAT: Book Two of the Perfect Fire Trilogy by K. M. Grant (Walker Books for Young Readers)
Picking up where BLUE FLAME left readers, Raimon has escaped the pyre and is hiding deep within the mountains of the Occitan. He longs to follow Yolanda to Paris, where she has been forced to marry Sir Hugh. However, he knows he must instead fulfill his duty of protecting the Blue Flame and save their beloved country from the advancing forces set on destroying it. In Paris, Yolanda believes Raimon is dead, she still resists her marriage, and as Sir Hugh’s war train --- backed by the French king --- heads for the Occitan, Yolanda must find new ways to fight. Weaving a satisfying, complex tale, master storyteller K. M. Grant draws readers right back into the dramatic love triangle and the chaos of war. Can Yolanda and Raimon’s love survive the ravages of a siege, her forced betrothal, and the growing divisions within their beloved homeland?


New Releases for October 15th

Hardcover

GATEWAY by Sharon Shinn (Viking Juvenile)
As a Chinese adoptee in St. Louis, teenage Daiyu often feels out of place. When an elderly Asian jewelry seller at a street fair shows her a black jade ring --- and tells her that “black jade” translates to “Daiyu” --- she buys it as a talisman of her heritage. But it’s more than that; it’s magic. It takes Daiyu through a gateway into a version of St. Louis much like 19th-century China. Almost immediately she is recruited as a spy, which means hours of training in manners and niceties and sleight of hand. It also means stealing time to be with handsome Kalen, who is in on the plan. There’s only one problem. Once her task is done, she must go back to St. Louis and leave him behind forever. . . .

THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA: The Secrets Behind What You Eat – Young Readers Edition, by Michael Pollan (Dial Books for Young Readers)
“What’s for dinner?” seemed like a simple question --- until journalist and supermarket detective Michael Pollan delved behind the scenes. From fast food and big organic to small farms and old-fashioned hunting and gathering, this young readers’ adaptation of Pollan’s famous food-chain exploration encourages kids to consider the personal and global health implications of their food choices. In a smart, compelling format with updated facts, plenty of photos, graphs, and visuals, as well as a new afterword and backmatter, The Omnivore’s Dilemma serves up a bold message to the generation that needs it most: It’s time to take charge of our national eating habits --- and it starts with you.

ARCHENEMY: The Looking Glass Wars, Book 3 by Frank Beddor (Dial Books for Young Readers)
Discover the fate of Wonderland --- and imagination itself --- in this riveting conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy.

The Heart Crystal’s power has been depleted, and Imagination along with it. The people of Wonderland have all lost their creative drive, and most alarmingly, even Queen Alyss is without her powers. There is some comfort in the fact that the vicious Redd Heart seems to be similarly disabled. Amazingly, she is attempting to team up with her enemy, Alyss, in order to reclaim Wonderland from King Arch. Alyss might have no choice but to accept Redd’s overtures, especially when she begins to receive alarming advice from the caterpillar oracles.

Page-turning and complex, this culmination of the Wonderland saga is intensely satisfying.

Labels: New Releases

Today's guest blogger, Tonya Hurley, is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and director, as well as the bestselling author of GHOSTGIRL and its sequel, GHOSTGIRL: HOMECOMING. Below she discusses how a trip back home rekindled some old insecurities from her teen years, and reflects on how much --- or how little --- things have changed since.


I recently went back to my hometown of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh, to do a book appearance at my old high school and middle school for my latest novel, GHOSTGIRL: HOMECOMING. In the new book, ‘homecoming’ means several different things for the ghostgirl character, Charlotte Usher, and it did for me too. For one thing, it was a literal homecoming since I decided to stay with my Mom in the house I grew up in for the entire visit. Even though this wasn’t a holiday trip filled with family obligations, I still had mixed feelings about being ‘home.’

It wasn’t my first time back, but I’m not a very frequent visitor these days either so small changes in the town, the school, the neighborhood and my one-time neighbors seemed huge. On the way to the appearances, I found myself noticing things that had only barely registered before --- an overgrown front yard here, peeling paint on house shingles there, yellowing curtains in a kitchen window, the hunch in a next door neighbor’s back, the unsteady gait on a once-spry spaniel that used to chase my car down the street. All the real-life evidence of time passing. I looked over at my Mom in the passenger seat and laughed a little to myself. Now, I was driving her to school. Ironically, however, being home didn’t force me to notice or acknowledge changes in my surroundings or in others nearly so much as they did changes in myself. I was very different now.

As we pulled into the school parking lot, those mixed feelings I’d been nursing turned almost to panic. It would feel good to see a lot of the people I graduated with as well as some of the teachers that I had, and of course, my extended family whom I love dearly; but, I also felt that same twinge of nerves --- like I didn’t fit, but on a more grandiose level. I even felt a little guilty, since most of the time I’d attended school here was spent dreaming about leaving. Whether it’s the fact that I have lived in New York City so long and have made my living as a writer had a lot to do with it, but it stirred up even those old feelings of insecurity and doubt.

Out of nowhere, I recalled the day I showed up with purple hair and a fauxhawk. I felt liberated and really enjoyed all the confused faces that I left in my wake. It wasn’t easy --- I don’t want to give that impression. Quite the contrary. My stomach was in my throat. In my town, people just didn’t do this. It was almost as if I had snapped. But, it felt good. I didn’t have to try and fit in anyway and I was letting the world --- well, at least everyone at Laurel Highlands High School --- know it. Now, the outside of me was reflecting my love of music and going to see alternative and punk bands every weekend and I felt, for the first time, comfortable with myself. I even enjoyed people making fun of me. In fact, I tried to push the envelope every day with my outrageous outfits, changing my hair color as often as I changed my moods. It felt good. I suffered for so long and now, now I was myself. In my town back then, no one even thought about coloring their hair, let alone wearing the clothes that I did. It was like I was dressing for a performance every day, expressing myself any way I wanted. I will be honest, I did get ostracized and made fun of, and yes, it hurt. One thing is for sure --- I didn’t want to fit in back then, and I still don’t. I started thinking maybe I’m not all that different at all.

We approached the highschool/middle school complex and I looked it over like an old acquaintance you might see in the grocery store. Tentatively. Apart from a few architectural nips and tucks it was very much the same, except for the metal detectors standing guard at the door, a not-so-subtle reminder of even bigger changes since my days there. I passed through without incident and was greeted by a group of student leaders and faculty, many still-familiar faces, though I hadn’t seen them in years. The entourage grew as we walked down the hall to the gymnasium, stopping occasionally for hugs and handshakes, me smiling through my anxiety. I could hear the tell-tale buzz and chatter that leaked out into the hall as it always does before an assembly is about to start. I’d heard it many times before, except now it was for me.

The 600+ crowd grew silent as I was introduced, and I felt myself being looked over just as I’d scrutinized the school building. But as the applause and cheers rang out, from people I’d known forever and people I didn’t know at all, I felt such a sense of acceptance and support. Welcomed. My anxiety melted away as I saw the pride in the eyes of family and friends and teachers. I came to the microphone and started my little motivational chat about ‘believing in yourself and living your dreams’ and it suddenly had new meaning for me. The students were excited to ask questions about the ghostgirl books and my career as a writer, and I was excited to answer them. “Anything is possible,” I kept reminding the eager faces in the bleachers and it never seemed more true to me.

I’d always imagined my ambitions and dreams as an escape route, and to a great degree they were, but it turns out they were also a way back.

-- Tonya Hurley

Labels: ghostgirl, Homecoming, Tonya Hurley

Josh Lieb’s buzzworthy new novel, I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT, will be hitting stores October 13, and it’s already catching our eye with a brand new book trailer starring Jon Stewart! Lieb is the executive producer of "The Daily Show," and he’s exerting his executive powers to get the funnyman to talk about his latest work, so we just had to share this video with all of you.

In the book, everyone in Omaha thinks twelve-year-old Oliver Watson is dumb as rocks, but he is really a mad evil genius on his way to world domination, and he’s used his tremendous brain to make himself the third-richest person on earth. He decides to run for class president of his middle school, but it seems getting kids to like you is way more difficult than overthrowing foreign dictators.

It looks to be a hilariously entertaining and memorable read, so check out the book's website, not to mention the video below, and let us know what you think!

Labels: Book Trailer, Fun Stuff, I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want To Be Your Class President, Jon Stewart, Josh Lieb

Pursuing a lifelong dream is never an easy task, as today's guest blogger Melissa de la Cruz --- author of the bestselling Au Pairs and Blue Bloods series --- can attest. Below, she looks back on her determined, albeit less than straightforward path to becoming a published author and reflects on some of the tough decisions she made along the way.


People often ask me if I knew when I wanted to become a writer. The answer is, I've wanted write ever since I learned to read. My parents were both voracious readers, and they read for the pleasure of it. My dad is seldom without one or two mysteries in hand (if no one's dead in his book, he's not interested in it) and my mom is a general fiction reader (when she was younger, she read all of Harold Robbins, Sidney Sheldon and Judith Krantz; now she reads Alice Sebold and Lisa See).

When I was growing up, every Sunday my parents took us to church, then to brunch at a fabulous hotel, then to the bookstore, where we were allowed to buy any and every book we wanted. I had almost all of Enid Blyton's books, and even though my mom looked doubtfully at my V. C. Andrews collection, she didn't stop me from buying or reading it.

In elementary and high school, I was always on the newspaper and yearbook clubs, and I wrote a lot of poetry and short stories, and attempted to start many a novel. In college, I took as many creative writing classes I could, and I wrote in my journal religiously (mostly mawkish poetry filled with the usual teenage angst). I didn't join the newspaper and the literary journals because I had way too much fun just living it up in New York City. But, that didn't mean that I stopped writing, or stopped dreaming of making it as a writer one day.

There was a moment my junior year when I had to decide whether to take the LSATs, the entrance examination for law school. Many of my friends were planning to go to law school, and it seemed like the law profession would be an ideal choice for me as well. I liked to do research, I could write well, and I had the grades for it. I signed up for the test-prep class and my parents sent me a check for it.

However, I remember never cashing the check. I was twenty years old, and I knew that if I started on this path --- the LSATs, the applications, law school --- I would enter a career that would never fulfill my artistic ambitions and would also be incredibly difficult to leave. My dreams of becoming a writer would fade, and I would become just another of those lawyers, with a "novel in the drawer" --- the one that never saw the light of day.

But, I didn't come from a rich family (we were rich once, but not anymore) and it was very important for me to be able to support myself financially. So, it was a very difficult decision. But I'm glad I made it, I'm glad I took the chance on myself. When I graduated, I did get a day job --- as a computer consultant, which allowed me enough headspace to do my freelance writing on the side --- and seven years after I decided not to become a lawyer, I sold my first novel.

I think you come into those forks in the road, as that Robert Frost poem says, and when you get there, you have to know yourself, your abilities, and your determination. I knew what I needed (to be able to live independently in New York), but I also knew what I wanted (to become a writer). You make your decision and you try as hard as you can to make it come true.

I don't have any regrets about my life, it's another lesson my parents taught me. Don't look back. Don't blame. Don't be wishy-washy. Make your decision and get on with it. It wasn't the easiest path --- my first novel was rejected by every publisher (it was my third written novel that became the first published one) and I went through six agents before I found the right one. The editor who bought my first novel left the publishing house in the middle of the process, and the editor who inherited it didn't "get" it in the same way. For a while there, I thought I would never sell a second book. (THE VAN ALEN LEGACY is my 16th novel).

But, I was happy. I was a writer. I was making enough to support myself in the big bad city. Everything else is gravy.

-- Melissa de la Cruz

Labels: Melissa de la Cruz, The Blue Bloods, The Van Alen Legacy

You most likely grew up reading, listening to, or watching the tales of Winnie-the-Pooh as a child. Pooh Bear is probably one of the most beloved storybook characters around the world and will always hold a special place in our hearts regardless of our age, so we wanted to share some exciting news about the latest happenings of our favorite honey-loving stuffed animal and all his pals.

Eighty years ago, in the publication of THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER, Christopher Robin said goodbye to Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. Now they are all back for new adventures in a companion volume that truly captures the style of A. A. Milne --- a worthy sequel to THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER and WINNIE-THE-POOH.

Now available worldwide, RETURN TO THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD is the first authorized sequel by writer David Benedictus --- who adapted and produced the audio adaptations of Winnie-the-Pooh --- and Mark Burgess --- the illustrator of countless classic children’s characters including Paddington Bear and Winnie-the-Pooh.

Be sure to visit the RETURN TO THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD site to discover fun facts about Winnie-the-Pooh, see the just-released cover, read the first chapter, and more!

Also, listen to award-winning narrator Jim Dale, best-known for his narration of the Harry Potter audio books and ABC’s "Pushing Daisies" TV show, reading the Exposition to RETURN TO THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD:

Labels: Fun Stuff, Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie-The-Pooh

Attention, all Twilight fans! Creating an Amazon.com wish list this week could get you 2 tickets to the New Moon movie premiere in L.A. next month!

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Amazon wish list, Amazon.com is kicking off 10 weeks of special sweepstakes, with giveaways ranging from a high-def home theater to a trip to meet the Jonas Brothers. This week, October 5-11, 2009, our favorite online bookseller is giving away a trip to L.A. to attend the New Moon premiere AND to meet members of the cast! Not only will you be among the first to screen this highly anticipated sequel, you'll also score some Twilight swag, including the Twilight Saga hardcover boxed set, the Twilight 2-disc Special Edition DVD, the New Moon Illustrated Movie Companion and the movie soundtrack, not to mention Barbie Bella and Edward Dolls, plus a New Moon Movie Board game, a New Moon-themed hat/glovescarf winter set, and a Twilight Lion and Lamb key ring.

To be invited to enter this contest, all you need to do is create, add to, or share an Amazon.com Wish List. Please remember to read the fine print, though, as you need to be over 18 to enter (you can have your parents enter for you!). Click here for more details.

We have quite a fantastic list of new releases to share with you today, as some of the most anticipated books of the season are among this week's offerings, including Melissa de la Cruz's 4th installment in the Blue Bloods series, THE VAN ALEN LEGACY; yet another wacky Georgia Nicolson adventure with an equally wacky title, ARE THESE MY BASOOMAS I SEE BEFORE ME?; not to mention a holiday-themed romance from Kate Brian, EX-MAS. Fans of The Hunger Games should not miss James Dashner's dystopic sci-fi novel, THE MAZE RUNNER, as well as Scott Westerfeld's illustrated spin on World War I in LEVIATHAN.


New Releases for October 5th

Hardcover

FIRE by Kristin Cashore (Dial Books for Young Readers)
She is the last of her kind...

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised GRACELING has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't need to have read GRACELING to love FIRE. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it next.


New Releases for October 6th

Hardcover

BAD APPLE by Laura Ruby (HarperTeen)
"If I really wanted to open up, I'd confess that I really am the liar everyone believes I am."

High-school junior Tola Riley has green hair, a nose ring, an attitude problem, and a fondness for fairy tales, which are a great escape from real life. Everyone thinks she's crazy; everyone says so. Everyone except Mr. Mymer, her art teacher. He gets her paintings and lets her hang out in the art room during lonely lunch periods.

But then rumors start flying and Tola is suddenly the center of a scandal. The whole town is judging her --- even her family. When Mr. Mymer is suspended for what everyone thinks is an affair, she has no choice but to break her silence. Fairy tales won't help her this time . . . so how can she tell the truth? And, more importantly, will anyone believe her?

HOW BEAUTIFUL THE ORDINARY: Twelve Stories of Identity, edited by Michael Cart (HarperTeen)
A girl thought to be a boy steals her sister's skirt, while a boy thought to be a girl refuses to wear a cornflower blue dress. One boy's love of a soldier leads to the death of a stranger. The present takes a bittersweet journey into the past when a man revisits the summer school where he had "an accidental romance." And a forgotten mother writes a poignant letter to the teenage daughter she hasn't seen for fourteen years.

Poised between the past and the future are the stories of now. In nontraditional narratives, short stories, and brief graphics, tales of anticipation and regret, eagerness and confusion present distinctively modern views of love, sexuality, and gender identification. Together, they reflect the vibrant possibilities available for young people learning to love others --- and themselves --- in today's multifaceted and quickly changing world.

ICE by Sarah Beth Durst (Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster)
When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe.

Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back --- if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie's own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her --- until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice.

THE VAN ALEN LEGACY: A Blue Bloods Novels, by Melissa de la Cruz (Disney-Hyperion)
With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss's true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry, love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Jack and Schuyler are over. Oliver's brokenhearted. And only the cunning Mimi seems to be happily engaged.

ARE THESE MY BASOOMAS I SEE BEFORE ME? by Louise Rennison (HarperTeen)
For Georgia, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Just when she thought she was the official one-and-only girlfriend of Masimo, he's walked off into the night with the full hump, leaving Georgia all aloney on her owney --- again. All because Dave the Laugh tried to do fisticuffs at dawn with him!

Two boys fighting over Georgia? It's almost as romantic as Romeo and Juliet . . . though perhaps a touch less tragic.

It's time for Georgia to get to the bottom (oo-er) of this Dave the Laugh spontaneous puckering business once and for all. It's like they always say: If you snog a mate in the forest of red bottomosity and no one is around to see it, is he still a mate? Or is he something more?

LEVIATHAN written by Scott Westerfeld and illustrated by Keith Thompson (Simon Pulse)
It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade --- a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up --- the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.


Paperback

EX-MAS: A Love/Hate Story, by Kate Brian (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa.

Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau --- a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.

It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?

GO AHEAD, ASK ME by Nico Medina and Billy Merrell (Simon Pulse)
Would you rather be a stereotypically beautiful class-A moron or a Nobel Prize winner with a gimp arm?

Your best friend's significant other hits on you --- and not in a cute, in-front-of-your-best-friend sort of way. What to do? Blow them off? Flirt back? Play it cool, then fill your friend in?

Would you rather marry the love of your life and have no friends, or never marry and have friends for life?

Whether you're hanging out with your besties or getting closer to your crush, these five hundred questions are sure to spark convos, truths, laughs, and buried secrets. Start from the front, the back, or flip to any page to find out who you --- and your friends --- really are.

Labels: New Releases

Sara Zarr's three novels, STORY OF A GIRL, SWEETHEARTS, and the newly released ONCE WAS LOST each cover some pretty somber topics --- failed relationships, substance abuse, rejection, teen pregnancy, disillusionment, etc. --- so it may be hard for some to believe that in real life, she actually is, in fact, a funny person. In today's guest blog, she examines the origins of her sense of humor and attempts to make sense of these two disparate but co-existing aspects of her personality.


If you ask anyone who knows me in quote-unquote real life, one of the top three words they’ll use to describe me is: FUNNY. My first instinct when faced with the absurdities of life and relationships is to laugh and make a joke, thereby getting other people to laugh with me. “You’re so funny, Sara!” and “It must be a riot at your house!” (because my husband is pretty amusing, too) are phrases I hear all the time. But, if you’ve ever read any of my books, you know that there are not a whole lot of laughs. You are more likely to find my characters struggling to connect with one another than you are to find them yucking it up.

Why is this? I’ve given it some thought and have come to a couple of conclusions. One is that I write serious stories precisely because of my affinity for the funny in real life. As is the case with a lot of funny people, my sense of humor was forged in the fires of dysfunction --- it developed, at least in part, as a survival skill. Like: “Wow. Life kind of sucks. If I can’t find some humor in this, I might have a nervous breakdown or slip into a permanent depression.” Humor was/is a good way for me to diffuse tension and side-step conflict. In fiction, diffusing tension and side-stepping conflict would be bad. Bad! Tension and conflict are what make a story compelling.

Another reason my books aren’t a comedy act is that underneath Funny Sara, there is Serious Sara. I get a lot out of thinking as deeply and complexly about life as I can. It’s hard work sometimes to go there, but worth it. Life is very chunky and chewy. It can be easy to skim over the surface of it --- wrapped up in the daily grind, getting from point A to point B, and always looking for the joke. Writing is where I challenge myself to probe and dig, and it’s also a safe place for Serious Sara to come out and be appreciated, whereas in my non-writing life I fear people would be thinking, “What a drag. I like you better when you’re funny.” I mean, you don’t exactly want to raise the “Why is there suffering in the world?” question at a party.

ONCE WAS LOST might be my most serious book yet --- the narrator, Samara, has some very serious questions about family, herself, God, the universe, the safety of the world and the basic goodness of people. There were tears in the writing of this book and the experiences that led to me writing it. As much as I love good laugh, I’m also fond of a good cry. And, let’s face it, sometimes there’s a lot to cry about.

All that said, there may be a funny book in me yet. If not, I will continue to attempt to see the humor in life and relationships over on my blog at www.sarazarr.com!

-- Sara Zarr

Labels: Once Was Lost, Sara Zarr