Teenreads.com Blog

Today's guest blogger is 15-year-old Mary Sturgis from Chicago, IL. Last month, she attended a book signing for Melissa de la Cruz's THE VAN ALEN LEGACY, and was able to catch up with the author afterwards for an interview, which she was kind enough to share with Teenreads.com. Over some sushi, they discussed inspiration behind the series, favorite characters, fictional love interests, and what lies ahead for Schuyler and the Blue Bloods gang. You can read the original interview on Mary's YA book blog, http://officiallymrs.blogspot.com/. And be sure to check out Mary's previous post about meeting Ally Carter, here.


Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a book signing with Melissa De La Cruz for the latest installment of her Blue Bloods series, THE VAN ALEN LEGACY. Walking in, I was surprised to see that it wasn't very crowded, but with an audience that size, it was really nice to sit around and chat with other fans beforehand --- some were in costume, some had traveled from a high school in Indiana, and some were just random people who were as excited to meet the author as I was. Melissa showed up wearing a gorgeous pair of shoes that was definitely not made for walking, and we all got the chance to discuss her books. Afterwards, we all had our copies signed and everyone went on their merry way. I, however, stayed behind to interview her!

Before you start reading this, you may want to read my review of the Blue Bloods series and the ten things that I loved about Melissa's newest book, THE VAN ALEN LEGACY. Also, if you have not read it yet, this interview does contain spoilers!


Which one of your characters do you relate to the most?

I like all of them because they are all a part of my personality. Schuyler definitely has a lot of my alienation and feelings of isolation when I was that age. Just the whole scene with her going to a dance with Oliver and everyone is holding a long-stemmed rose, but she has a corsage --- I'd always felt like I went to this school with all of these social events, but I would be so out of it! I would be doing or wearing all the the wrong things. When I went to prom, I thought everyone would be wearing big satin ball gowns, so I wore one. But, I went to this big private school and everyone thought that prom was this ridiculous notion, so all the cool girls were wearing sweaters and skirts! And you know, once again, fail! So I definitely wanted to write a character with that kind of experience.

I think a lot of people feel like that. My school definitely had a lot of cliques, and it was an all-girls school with only 39 students in my class --- half of them were all good friends and they all came from families that had known each other forever. It just seemed like they were a part of this club I was just didn't belong to. I thought that Schuyler could be that kind of a character, who went to that kind of school. It is supposed to be a great experience going to these schools, but when your not a part of this club, it is very difficult.

Mimi is the one I enjoy the most because she is so fun and bitchy. I have always loved those kinds of characters. She is probably most like me when I was in college. People used to call me The Queen, which stood for "The Queen Bee." I always thought that was funny! People said I was always so bossy and that I always told people what to do and I was like, Oh, no! So there is a lot of me that is always Mimi. And I sympathize with her because Schuyler is the rebel who is going to shake up all the Blue Bloods and Mimi is kind of the one who is trying to keep them together.

Bliss has grown on me. She has the hardest story line to deal with, being the devil's child and all. Bliss is getting her own series, with the werewolves, so that will be fun.

What is up next for Schuyler and the gang?

Schuyler and Jack are kind of together, but there are new obstacles in what they find. Are they finding safety and shelter, or did they just walk into some kind of dangerous situation at the end of the book? Mimi is trying to keep it together. Oliver is still around so they all kind of have to work together, and there will be new characters and new dangers. And then we are going to find out about Allegra and what she was like as a teen. A lot of the story takes place in the 1590s so part of it is more of a historical Renaissance novel, which I am scared to write.

If you could pick one character from the Blue Bloods series to be real, who would it be?

Just one!?! They are all so great! That’s really hard. I think I'd pick Schuyler, because it would be really cool to hang out with her. Go to a goth club and stuff!

If you could be one character from Blue Bloods, who would it be?

I don’t want to be any of them because all of their lives are so difficult and fraught with danger. And drama. I would rather be a cool socialite who didn’t know what was happening --- I don’t want to save the world.

The vampires in your book have a completely different spin! How did you come up with the idea for the books? Why did you choose to have them be wealthy NY socialites?

I wanted to combine things that I knew firsthand. I covered that kind of world when I worked as a reporter. I once wrote an article on private jets and I asked things like, How do you use your private jet? and, What do you put on your private jet? I was fascinated by that kind of world and wanted to use all of this material I had.

Were there any particular books that the Blue Bloods series was either based on or influenced by?

I think of the Blue Bloods books as Harry Potter mixed with Sex and the City. The Harry Potter books brought back the pleasure of reading, and New York was such a big influence. So, I see the series as a sexier, hotter Harry Potter.

In THE VAN ALEN LEGACY, Schuyler and the gang travel all around the world. How many of these countries/cities have you been to?

I've been to all of them, actually! I have a friend in Buenos Aires and we went to Rio for a weekend. I've also been to Venice, and Paris is just awesome. I don't get to go there often enough. It's fun, because when I write my books, I want to not only talk about the places I have have been, but also also give myself an excuse to go to somewhere new. I want to go to Shanghai and put that in one of the books. I want to do a city in Asia.

One of my favorite parts about THE VAN ALEN LEGACY and the Blue Bloods books it the fact that you fit your stories into history, particularly American history, and Biblical stories. How did you come up with this idea?

One of my most vivid memories is of my high school history teacher, who was great. World History and Roman history was one of her specialties and she really brought that world to life. As an immigrant, you don’t take American History for granted too much. And I always loved the stories from Christian mythology --- the angels and stuff.

Romance is a huge part of the Blue Bloods books, and therefore, it is littered with steamy and/or spicy guys. If you could pick one guy in the book for yourself, who would it be?

It's funny, because Oliver and Jack are both similar to my husband. I kind of split his personality in two. That’s why I can’t chose! But they are both their own person. Oliver is a little bit based on my best friend from college, and Jack is based on the hot, unattainable guy that you always wanted.

At this point in the interview, we whipped out the sushi. Yum!

Another thing I really enjoyed, about THE VAN ALEN LEGACY especially, is that even though these characters have lived before, there is still a level of teen angst. How do you find this balance?

I wanted them to be modern teenagers with all the relateable problems and the stuff that I went through; but, I also wanted to give them this layer of having lived for centuries and knowing more than there is. It’s like when you say someone is an “old soul,” they have more maturity. I just thought it would be cool that while they are growing into adolescence, they also have this other thing, changing from human to vampire with all of those memories. It was fun because it gave them more depth. With Mimi, you think she is just some stupid socialite, but they it turns out that she is a *butt*-kicking warrior.

How do you get the ideas for your characters? Are any of them based on people you know?

Some of them are. Oliver and Jack, as I said before, are my husband and my friends from college. Bliss is somewhat based on of one of my guy friends from Texas --- I just turned him into a girl. He has a big personality and all of these fun stories about him growing up in Huston and driving his dad’s Cadillac. I am fascinated by all of these people who were popular in high school because I wasn’t, and I wanted to find out what that was like. As a writer I think that I am fascinated by people and their stories.

Then we had a random tangent about goth clubs. It was entertaining. And my dad showed up. It was mortifying.

How did your first book get published? What are some things that surprised you about the publishing and editing process?

My first book was published when I was 27, THE CAT'S MEOW. I had been trying to get published for six years. I was writing a column with the same name about socialites. When I turned in my first draft, they said that it had no plot, and I had to rewrite it. I quit my job, worked on it for three months and pulled it together. In the beginning I was very naive about sales. I just thought that if you had written a good book, it deserved to be published. But the longer I am in the industry, I realize that you have to write stuff people want to read!

What is your full name?
Melissa Anne De La Cruz

Where did you grow up?
Manila, until I was thirteen, and then we moved to San Fransisco. Then I went to Columbia for college, and I lived in New York City for 15 years. And then we moved back to LA, but I still think of myself as a New Yorker.

Do you have any siblings?
Yup, I have two siblings.

What are some of your favorite books/ authors of the moment?
I didn’t read a lot of YA. I actually just started reading it again, and I just read KING DORK and books by Sara Zarr. I have to read books that are very different from mine so that they take me to a different place. I also read a lot of Julian Fellowes, and anything by Lionel Shriver or Kate Christensen.

What was your favorite and least favorite part about being a teenager?

My favorite part was not having to worry about bills. Having all this time for my art. I just remember having no responsibilities and having all this time. My least favorite part was not having a whole lot of confidence. I think you kind of grow into yourself. Some people are very confident, but a lot of us are figuring out who we are and if we like who we are. I love being thirty. I think 13 Going on 30 had it right on.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I like LA. We live between LA and NYC, so we really like where we are.

What is your favorite color?

Fuchsia! I have always like Fuchsia since I was a teen. I like the way it is spelled. I like the F. I like the hot pink. I used to have a lot of Fuchsia outfits. Kinda frightening….

If you were trapped on an island and you could only bring one person and three items with you, who and what would they be?

I would like to bring my husband and my daughter. I can't bring one without the other. 1) A lot books. So maybe a kindle. 2) Something to eat. Asian food. It would have to be sushi or Ramen noodles. 3) A toy for Maddy, my three year old.

Edward of Jacob?
Edward.

Gale or Peeta?
I can’t decide!! I would say Peeta but then I feel bad for Gale! I guess when it comes down to it, Peeta.

What is your favorite movie/tv show/ music of the moment?

I watched Mulan Rouge five times in the theatre. I love "Battlestar Galactica." I love '80s music. The Adventureland soundtrack is pretty much my ipod. I really like dance music. Techno and remixes.



And probably my favorite question of the evening: If the world were being invaded by aliens and you just won five million dollars in the lottery, what would you do with it?

Oh, so we are going to die?

It’s a distinct possibility at this point.

How long do we have?

Um.. Let’s say a week.

(In a very cheerful voice, considering we are talking about our own impending doom) Oh, Okay. Well, I would probably go on a big shopping trip in Paris. A lot of couture. Go to all of the wonderful restaurants. Stay at the Ritz. One million a day! Throw a lot of parties.


Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Melissa!! I had such a fun time with you! You can learn more about Melissa and her books by looking at her website, following her on twitter, or reading my review of THE VAN ALEN LEGACY and the Blue Bloods books.


-- Mary Sturgis

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

For all you Alex Rider fans out there, good news! CROCODILE TEARS, the eighth book in Anthony Horowitz's bestselling series about a gifted 14-year-old boy unwillingly recruited to the MI6, hits stores this week! This latest installment finds Alex up against a seemingly unstoppable villain looking to reap the financial benefits of an epic "natural disaster" strong enough to wipe out an entire East African country.

Check out the video below, as the author himself brings you up to speed with all of Alex's adventures leading up to the most exciting book of the series!

Labels: Alex Rider, Book Trailer, Crocodile Tears

It's a quiet week for new YA releases, but for fans of thrillers of the fantasy or espionage variety, the latest installments of the Strange Angels and the Alex Rider series may be all that you need.

New Releases for November 17th

Hardcover

CROCODILE TEARS: Alex Rider, Book Eight by Anthony Horowitz (Philomel)
It's just another day in the life of an average kid. If you're Alex Rider, that is. A con artist has realized there is big money in charity --- the bigger the disaster, the greater the money flow! So that is what he will produce: the biggest disaster known to man, all thanks to genetically modified wheat that can release a virus so potent it can knock out an entire country in one windy day. But Alex Rider will face whatever it takes--gunfire, explosions, hand-to-hand combat with mercenaries-- to bring down his most dangerous adversary yet.

Often imitated, never equaled, the series that triggered a reading phenomenon is back, exhilarating and addictive as ever.


Paperback

BETRAYALS: A Strange Angels Novel, by Lili St. Crow (Razorbill/Penguin Young Readers Group)
She’s no angel…
Poor Dru Anderson. Her parents are long gone, her best friend is a werewolf and she’s just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn’t entirely human. (So what else is new?)
Now Dru is stuck at a secret New England School for other teens like her, and there’s a big problem --- she’s the only girl in the place. A school full of cute boys wouldn’t be so bad, but Dru’s killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead. And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide…

Can Dru survive long enough to find out who has betrayed her trust --- and maybe even her heart?

Labels: New Releases

Today's guest blogger is Wendy Corsi Staub, the bestselling author of over seventy novels, including LILY DALE: DISCOVERING --- the latest addition to her paranormal series for young adults. Below, she retraces her career as an author and reflects on how much --- and how little --- has changed since she began writing more than fifteen years ago.


I launched my career writing novels for teenagers back in the early nineties, when the YA market was booming. At the time, I was a mere half-decade or so beyond my own teenaged era --- roughly the same number of years, in fact, that now separate me from a certain milestone birthday I’d rather not reveal. (I’m sure some of you left-brainers can use the clues above to create some kind of algebraic equation and figure out my age --- i.e., A x B – C = O+L+D. Personally, math was never my strong subject.)

When my first novel won the RWA Rita Award for Best Young Adult Novel of 1993, I figured --- ah, optimistic youth --- that I was set for life. Selling almost a dozen more books in the next few years didn’t exactly dissuade me. Then, out of nowhere, the YA market hit the skids.

My editor suggested that I try writing for adults. I did, with great reluctance. I mean, I aspired to be the next Judy Blume, and everyone knows SUMMER SISTERS was no ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT’S ME MARGARET.

Surprisingly, however, my first adult novel did well. The next did even better, and wouldn’t you know I hit the New York Times Bestseller list a few titles later? A career was born.

Flash forward about a decade. Now that I’m an almost middle-aged (somehow, my definition of middle age moves just beyond my reach with every birthday) adult novelist with a string of bestsellers, the YA market has heated up again. Thus, I’ve created a paranormal series of books for teens and tweens, set in Lily Dale, New York, the real-life town filled with mediums who communicate with the dead.

I quickly discovered that a lot has changed since I started writing YA in the early 1990s --- let alone since I was a teen in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Kids today live in a world of instantaneous gratification, thanks to the Internet. According to my editor, they don’t have the patience to read narrative, or long chapters, or pages without a lot of “white space.” I had to change my writing style accordingly. And I had to get to know a whole new generation.

These days, kids listen to Kanye and Jay-Z and wear Uggs and hoodies. We listened to Cheap Trick and the Eagles and wore clogs and cords.

Ah, cords. Made by Levis or Lee, they were all the rage the fall I entered high school. Straight-leg cords, worn, of course, with wooden-soled clogs. Levis were the coolest, but the hip tag advertised your size, while the Lees only said LEE. I had a pair of Levis. With my fingernail, I scratched at the tag enough to obliterate the size. (I clearly remember my size --- 28X36 --- which doesn’t seem so horrible now.)

But I usually wore Lees. My favorites were skin tight and dark green, and I wore them with a cream-colored velour top that was the height of fashion in 1980.

In the back pocket of your cords, you would carry a big comb --- or, if you had enough hair, a pick --- that you would frequently remove to style back your feathered hair. These days, this hairdo is known as the mullet, and no kid would be caught dead in it.

Not everything has changed, of course.

My own kids, who now happen to be a tween and a teen, run a familiar daily gamut of angsty emotion. They are frequently --- and often simultaneously --- grossed out, insecure, indignant, ravenous, mortified, sullen, and in urgent need of some item that can only be obtained if I A) drive through the rain at night to a store that’s about to close; B) lay out a tremendous amount of cash or C) Get so worn down by nagging and/or whining that I cave and agree to do both of the above.

Every day, I hear myself repeating things my own parents said:
“Shut the door/the fridge/your mouth.”
“Turn off the light/the TV/the music.”
“Who took the scissors/tape/notepad out of the drawer and didn’t put it back?”
“Put that cup/bowl/plate in the dishwasher when you’re done.”
“Who ate the last Popsicle/Twinkie/Donut and put the empty box back into the cupboard?”

Yes, I’ve learned that many things, for better or worse, never change.

My favorite enduring quality? Most kids still enjoy a good book --- narrative, long chapters, non-white-space, and all.


-- Wendy Corsi Staub

Labels: Discovering, Lily Dale, Wendy Corsi Staub

Rachel Caine is the bestselling author of over twenty novels for adults, but is widely known to teen audiences for her popular Morganville Vampires books. In today's guest blog, she shares a touching story about how the series may not have existed at all without the help of a very good friend.


The first thing you need to know about me is that I can be completely wrong about things. For instance: I almost said no to writing the Morganville Vampires series.

Wait, I'm wrong: I actually did say no.

I was on about the fourth book of the other series I was writing, the Weather Warden series, when the publisher approached me and said, "We're starting up a new line of books for young adults. Would you be interested in writing a series for us? We were thinking about a vampire series." (This was pretty farsighted on their part, considering that TWILIGHT had come out, but wasn't the monster hit it would become later.)

Now, I had written about vampires already. A lot. My first original novel, in fact, was called THE UNDEAD, and featured a Dallas surgeon who became a vampire (I also wrote a sequel to it, COLD KISS). I wrote short vampire fiction (most notably the Nebula-nominated "Faith Like Wine"). So I wasn't new to the idea, but that was the problem: I'd already written a lot of words about vampires. And I wasn't sure I had anything new to add.

So after thinking it over for not nearly long enough, I said no. Then I got worried, because as a writer, you really don't say no when someone offers you a chance like that, not without a whole lot of thinking.

I got on the phone during my drive home from work to talk to my good friend, Ter Matthies. Ter read extensively in young adult books; she also knew my writing style. So I said, "Ter, they offered me this chance, and I said no, because I really don't have anything to say about vampires right now, and also, I don't write young adult."

Ter was quiet for a moment, then said, "You can write young adult. Trust me."

Well, that was one problem down. "But I don't have any good ideas!" And Ter, bless her, laughed.

"You will," she said. "Before I hang up the phone, you'll think of something."

And I did. On the drive home, I talked about Morganville (although it wasn't named that at the time). About all the things that suddenly started putting themselves together in my head. About Claire, and Shane, and Michael, and Eve. And Ter asked me questions, prodded me, pushed me, and encouraged me. And by the time I pulled into my driveway, I had the basics of the series.

And Ter said, "Get off the phone with me, call your agent, and make the deal."

And I did.

This is especially important to me because about a year later, Ter became ill, and after long months, she was finally diagnosed with cancer. After a year of battling it, we lost her in 2008. She was a fantastic friend, and without her, Morganville would quite simply not exist. Her instincts were right, mine were wrong, and I have learned the best lesson of all from her:

Anything is possible.

All you need is imagination, and a friend like Ter to tell you when you're being an idiot. And I think I carried that on into Morganville, which is, to my mind, a living memorial to Ter, and friendship. With love, from me.

-- Rachel Caine

Labels: Fade Out, Morganville Vampires, Rachel Caine

Whether you're in the mood for gripping historical fiction, heart-racing thrillers, quirky comedies or mind-bending fantasies, we're sure you'll find something to satisfy your literary cravings in this week's New Releases Roundup, which includes two installments in Laurie Faria Stolarz's paranormal Touch series; David Almond's heartbreaking tale of survival, RAVEN SUMMER; HAZEL, Julie Hearn's anticipated follow up to last year's IVY; and Margaret Peterson Haddix's latest suspense novel about a young Hollywood starlet, CLAIM TO FAME.


New Releases for November 10th

Hardcover

ANGEL IN VEGAS: The Chronicles of Noah Sark, by Norma Howe (Candlewick Press)
Who is Noah Sark, really? And what is he doing in the men’s room at Angelo’s Donut Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada? No use asking him; he doesn’t know. But he’s gambling that an assignment from above will shed some light --- after all, a life depends on it! Only master satirist Norma Howe could craft a provocative meditation on free will from blending one (or maybe two) budding teen romances, a psychic fair, a dead frog, a headful of blond curls, and Las Vegas in all its glitz and kitsch (hello, Elvis!) with the dramatic backstory of Princess Diana in Paris. The jackpot? A wild and witty portrait of an unlikely guardian angel on a desperate mission to save a certain unknown girl from a certain unknown disaster.

THE BROTHERS STORY by Katherine Sturtevant (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers)
Teenage twins Kit and Christy have grown up amid grinding poverty in their Essex village. As Christy has been “simple” from birth, Kit is literally his brother’s keeper. But the latest hardships visited upon their country home by the Great Frost of 1683–84 bring Kit to frustration and despair, and he abandons Christy to make his way to London, seeking to better himself. There he finds work as an apprentice to a struggling artist and much else to take his mind off what he has left behind. But the time comes when he can no longer ignore the problem of his brother.

A fascinating portrait of a young person struggling to balance family and freedom, The Brothers Story is also a frank depiction of Restoration London in its bawdy, raucous glory.

CLAIM TO FAME by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
I have to tell you my secret. I can't go on...without revealing it. I had a pretty good run, hiding from everyone for five years. For five years I was safe. But now...

It was a talent that came out of nowhere. One day Lindsay Scott was on the top of the world, the star of a hit TV show. The next day her fame had turned into torture. Every time anyone said anything about her, she heard it. And everyone was talking about Lindsay: fans, friends, enemies, enemies who pretended to be friends....

Lindsay had what looked like a nervous breakdown and vanished from the public eye. But now she's sixteen and back in the news: A tabloid newspaper claims that Lindsay is being held hostage by her father.

The truth? Lindsay has been hiding out in a small Illinois town, living in a house that somehow provides relief from the stream of voices in her head. But when two local teenagers try to "rescue" Lindsay by kidnapping her, Lindsay is forced to confront everything she's hiding from. And that's when she discovers there may be others who share her strange power. Lindsay is desperate to learn more, but what is she willing to risk to find the truth?

THE MAGICIAN OF HOAD by Margaret Mahy (Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster)
Heriot Tarbas was born with a gift. Visions wake him in the middle of the night, and others' thoughts invade his head. Heriot's mind already feels torn apart when the King of Hoad decides to tear him away from his family.

Heriot quickly discovers that life in the royal court is much more difficult and complex than life on the farm. Being at the beck and call of a King who expects him to read friends' and foes' minds alike is no small challenge, but neither is being caught in a power struggle among three princes and an intimidating Hero of Hoad.

As Heriot hones his skills and grows into the role of the Magician of Hoad, the number of people he can trust becomes smaller. Loneliness threatens to engulf him until a chance encounter brings a street urchin named Cayley into his life. Heriot feels inexplicably drawn to Cayley, someone he sees so much of himself in, yet at times feels like he does not understand at all. But even amidst the turmoil, Heriot is certain that his ever-developing power is the key to his destiny...if only he could figure out exactly what that destiny is supposed to be.

Award-winning author Margaret Mahy conjures a faraway, majestic land where truth is an illusion, freedom is a battle, and pure magic may be the only saving grace.

RAVEN SUMMER by David Almond (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Liam and his friend Max are playing in their neighborhood when the call of a bird leads them out into a field beyond their town. There, they find a baby lying alone atop a pile of stones --- with a note pinned to her clothing. Mystified, Liam brings the baby home to his parents. They agree to take her in, but police searches turn up no sign of the baby’s parents. Finally they must surrender the baby to a foster family, who name her Allison. Visiting her in Northumberland, Liam meets Oliver, a foster son from Liberia who claims to be a refugee from the war there, and Crystal, a foster daughter. When Liam’s parents decide to adopt Allison, Crystal and Oliver are invited to her christening. There, Oliver tells Liam about how he will be slaughtered if he is sent back to Liberia. The next time Liam sees Crystal, it is when she and Oliver have run away from their foster homes, desperate to keep Oliver from being sent back to Liberia. In a cave where the two are hiding, Liam learns the truth behind Oliver’s dark past --- and is forced to ponder what all children are capable of.

WINTER’S END by Jean-Claude Mourlevat (Candlewick Press)
In a gripping dystopian novel, four teenagers risk impossible odds to fight against tyranny in a world of dangerous choices --- and reemerging hope.

Escape. Milena, Bartolomeo, Helen, and Milos have left their prison-like boarding schools far behind, but their futures remain in peril. Fleeing across icy mountains from a terrifying pack of dog-men sent to hunt them down, they are determined to take up the fight against the despotic government that murdered their parents years before. Only three will make it safely to the secret headquarters of the resistance movement. The fourth is captured and forced to participate in a barbaric game for the amusement of the masses --- further proof of the government’s horrible brutality. Will the power of one voice be enough to rouse a people against a generation of cruelty? Translated from the French, this suspenseful story of courage, individualism, and freedom has resonated with young readers across the globe.

DEADLY LITTLE LIES: A Touch Novel, by Laurie Faria Stolarz (Disney-Hyperion)
Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift --- pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred?
Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then when an unexpected kiss leads to a frightening argument, Camelia makes the painful decision to let Ben go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at work, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. Adam is easygoing, and seems to really care about her.

But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events upturns secrets from Ben's past --- and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who-before it's too late.

EVERWILD: Skinjacker Trilogy, Book Two by Neal Schusterman (Simon & Schuster)
There was the rumor of a beautiful sky witch, who soared across the heavens in a great silver balloon. And there were whispers of a terrible ogre made entirely of chocolate, who lured unsuspecting souls with that rich promising smell, only to cast them down a bottomless pit from which there was no return.

Everlost, the limbo land of dead children, is at war. Nick the "Chocolate Ogre" wants to help the children of Everlost reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Mary Hightower, self-proclaimed queen of lost children and dangerous fanatic, is determined to keep Everlost's children trapped within its limbo for all eternity. Traveling in the memory of the Hindenburg, Mary is spreading her propaganda and attracting Afterlights to her cause at a frightening speed.

Meanwhile, Allie the Outcast travels home to seek out her parents, along with Mikey, who was once the terrifying monster the McGill. Allie is tempted by the seductive thrill of skinjacking the living, until she learns a shocking secret: Those who skinjack are not actually dead.

Critically acclaimed author Neal Shusterman writes a book about life, death, and how the choices we make define ourselves in this luminous sequel to EVERLOST, which Orson Scott Card called "marvelously inventive...and magically beautiful."

HAZEL by Julie Hearn (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
Hazel Louise Mull-Dare has a good life, but it's so dull. With an adoring father who grants her every wish, a place in the Kensington School for the Daughters of Gentlemen, and no pressure to excel in anything whatsoever, her future looks primly predictable.

But on the day of the Epsom Derby --- June 4, 1913 --- everything changes. A woman in a dark coat steps in front of the king's horse, in protest at the injustice of denying women the vote. She dies days later, bringing further attention to the suffragist cause. Young Hazel is transfixed. And when her bold new friend Gloria convinces her to take on the cause, Hazel gets her first taste of rebellion.

But doing so leads her into greater trouble than she could have ever imagined. Such great trouble that she is banished from London, all the way to where her family fortune originates --- a sugar plantation in the Caribbean. There Hazel is forced to confront the dark secrets of her family --- secrets that have festered, and a shame that lingers on.


Paperback

DEADLY LITTLE SECRET: A Touch Novel by Laurie Faria Stolarz (Hyperion Books for Children)
Sixteen-year-old Camelia Hammond’s normal life gets turned upside down when Ben Carter transfers to her school. Rumors fly that Ben murdered his girlfriend. Then Camelia starts receiving threatening letters and phone calls. Her gut says she can trust Ben, but then who is stalking her every move? And is the stalker really capable of the threats he makes?
- Click here to read our review of DEADLY LITTLE SECRET.

WTF by Peter Lerangis (Simon Pulse)
Two parties, six alternating points of view, and three letters that says it all --- WTF!


New Releases for November 12th

Hardcover

THE BETRAYAL OF NATALIE HARGROVE by Lauren Kate (Razorbill/Penguin Young Readers Group)
A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake...

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party --- when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.


Paperback

BEAUTIFUL AMERICANS by Lucy Silag (Razorbill)
A story of four American teens in Paris… and the scandal that leads one girl to disappear.

This sparkling novel reveals exactly how it feels to be a teen in love, in angst, in a big, gorgeous, unfamiliar city. Fall in love with the elusive model --- gorgeous PJ, on the run from a mysterious past. Or Olivia, a hardworking ballerina whose fall from grace --- both literal and figurative --- lands her in the arms of the wrong boy. Witness the melodrama of jaded but beautiful Alex, whose seductions will never fill the void left by her father. Finally, let fun-loving Zack warm your heart with his vulnerability and sweet Memphis accent.

On their own for the first time, these kids go wild in Paris. But when PJ disappears, the others must face the lies they’ve told and the secrets they’ve kept in order to help find her.

Labels: New Releases

Today's guest blogger is Christa Holder Ocker, whose memoir, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, chronicles her harrowing childhood experiences in Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Below, she recalls a poignant moment shared with her ailing, elderly mother that prompted her to finally write about a past she's kept buried for decades.


What was it like growing up in Nazi Germany? I've been asked many times. With countless others of my generation, I shared the guilt of the Holocaust and evaded this question for a very long time --- the answer buried behind the floodgates of my soul. But then one day, many years later, I went to visit my aging mother.

"Oh, it's you." My mother sits at the foot of her bed as I enter her room. Her life grown fragile as the old worn shoes on her swollen feet, she waits each day for me to come by. "Where were you yesterday?" she asks, an edge of reproach in her voice.

"I told you I had a luncheon date with Debbie Panchino, remember?” A shaft of sunlight slants through the far window and touches her feet. “Why do you always wear those old shoes? You have much nicer ones.”

She ignores my question and raises her silky eyebrows a trifle. "Debbie who?"

"Debbie Panchino from New York Pictures. They're interested in doing my story, Broken Bonds."

“Oh.”

My lips touch her hollow cheek and I detect a scent, a bit musty like a moss-covered stump.

"Did you have a shower?"

"No, I don't feel good." Her eyes, set deep in a pale face, narrow as if in pain. "Maybe tomorrow…"

"I think you'll feel much better after a shower," I insist as she allows me to get her undressed. I'm always amazed at how immodest she has become in her old age. She used to be so private, private and proud.

Bent like a tree leaning away from the wind, she weighs heavily on my arm as I lead her into the bathroom. "I don't know why I can't walk anymore," she complains, holding on tight. I turn on the water and let it run over the palm of my hand until I am satisfied that it is nice and warm, but not too warm. I help her step under the spray and slide the soap gently over bumps and lumps on her body, remnants of a life ravaged by storms. I adjust the showerhead so that the warm water reaches her all over.

Wrapped in a towel and smelling like a rose in June, she continues with her litany of ills. "I don't know what's wrong with my hand." She frees a trembling right hand with utmost concentration. "I have no more strength in it."

If only she would stop moaning, I think as I help her get dressed. She never asks anymore, How are you? How are the kids? Just moan…moan…moan.

"Do you think I had a stroke?" She looks at me with something like anticipation showing in her weary eyes.

"No, Mom, I don't think so." I hold both my hands in front of her and say, "Squeeze." As she squeezes, quite firmly and evenly, the trembling subsides. "No, Mom, I don't think so," I repeat. "I think it's just weakness."

"But it wasn't like this before." She brings her right hand, steadied by her left hand, close to my eyes. "Something isn't right," she maintains, shaking her head from side to side. "See?"

And I see my mother, her hands having pushed aside the floodgates of my soul --- my mother young once again, cheekbones flushed, flashing eyes expressing a readiness to kill, a soldier’s rifle pointed at her heart, her arms extended backwards, her beautiful hands strong and steady shielding two little terrified girls.

Suddenly, I am breathing in gasps from a source that is somewhere deeper than my soul. My fingers, hardening into bone white, dig into my palms. And then I feel my mother's tremulous hand on my arm. "Are you all right?" She asks. The concern in her smile echoes in her voice, and her hand remains on my arm until I become, once more, quiet as morning mist.

As I drove home, my thoughts began to form the idea to at last answer the question of what it was like growing up in Nazi Germany. Vignettes of my life as a child danced before my eyes. As soon as I got home, I started to write. I hope that my book, AUF WIEDERSEHEN --- a story about a journey that begins toward the end of World War II, a journey that weaves through everyday life and world-changing events --- will have a broad appeal not only for adults who are curious about that period in history, but also as a lesson for our youth.

-- Christa Holder Ocker

Labels: Auf Wiedersehen, Christa Holder Ocker

Aside from dispensing beauty and lifestyle advice on her website, JustAskMarlene.com, Marlene Wallach --- president and owner of the model and talent agency Wilhelmina Kids & Teens --- has also published a four-book series called The Tween Lifestyle Collection, which aims to help teens and tweens navigate the bumpy road of adolescence. In today's guest blog, she shares some great tips on creating a healthy self-image that she's learned from first-hand experience and has been passing on to her clients for the past ten years.


Terrific, terrifying, wonderful and wacky. Being a girl today is all those things and so much more. It’s great to be you, but it’s also complicated. You’re a best friend, a daughter, a student, a trendsetter and a thrill-seeker --- which is quite a lot for one girl to handle! That’s why I wrote the My Tween Lifestyle Collection of books and created the JustAskMarlene website --- so you can feel good about yourself and enjoy all of the amazing opportunities headed your way. Never before have there been so many fun activities, ideas to ponder and doors to open to your future. So let’s turn the knob and enter!


Confidence Club
Your life is an amazing adventure, with everything changing so quickly. You might like different activities than you did when you were a little kid. Maybe you’ve changed schools and even have different friends. You are certainly growing, which means your body is changing as well. All of these things are exciting, but they can be a little scary too. You need to value who you are to easily navigate through the ups and downs of this time. The amount you value yourself is your self-esteem. If you believe that you nail any activity you try and anyone who doesn’t want to be your friend is crazy, then you have high self-esteem. If you think you’re crummy in school, sports and everything in between, then your self-esteem is low. Most people fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Wherever you land on this spectrum, you can always build your self-esteem. Let’s find out how.

Give your Self-Esteem Some Steam!
Self-esteem is important because it affects everything you do. When you feel good about yourself and are appreciated by others, it’s easier to make friends, try new activities, and push yourself in school. This is different than being conceited. You don’t need to pretend you’re the greatest person in the world. That would be fake. A healthy self-image actually comes from accepting who you are --- just the way you are. Here are some ways to improve your self-esteem:

—Let lots of people into your life: Camp counselors, teachers, relatives, classmates and neighbors make up your support network. Don’t forget friends who move to another town --- pen pals are a terrific hobby. Keep the members of this network updated on what’s going on in your life. Their opinions, love and guidance will come in handy one day.

—Be helpful: Whether it’s carrying an elderly person’s groceries across the street or showing a new student around the school, helping out feels great. Making a difference in someone else’s life will definitely make one in your own.

—Try new experiences: Are you a jock? Then give drama a try. At first it might be intimidating to experiment with a new activity, but soon enough you’ll find that you’ve developed a host of new talents, skills and friends!

—Don’t try to be perfect: Everyone makes mistakes. It’s normal to worry about making them, but they are really lessons in disguise. So don’t let the fear of mistakes keep you from trying new things. When you learn how to ride a bike, every time you fall off you are teaching your body how to balance. If you keep getting back on the bike, eventually you will ride like the wind… or at least to your friend’s house.

—Believe in yourself: Have faith that you can accomplish the goals you set for yourself. Make a plan for what you want to achieve and stick to it. You might not always end up where you thought you would, but you’ll be better for the journey.

—Ask for help: There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it. If you are stuck on a math problem, ask your friend the math whiz to explain it to you. You can learn from everybody in your life, not just your teachers. Your friends and family are a rich resource, so use them.

For more articles and tips like this one check out www.justaskmarlene.com and the My Tween Lifestyle Collection. And don’t forget --- you are BEAUTIFUL!

Labels: Marlene Wallach, The Tween Lifestyle Collection

I hope you remembered to set your clocks back an hour yesterday, as the first Sunday in November marks the end of Daylight Savings Time throughout most of the country. While most of us opt to use our newly regained hour for a bit more snooze time, we're willing to bet a few of you fellow book junkies spent those extra sixty minutes with your noses buried in a great book! And for the rest of you who slept right through it, we have seven fantastic titles in this week's New Releases Roundup to help you catch up, including 2 juicy new installments to the Gossip Girl and It Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar; FADE OUT, Rachel Caine's next book in the Morganville Vampires series; and the heart-wrenching FREAKS AND REVELATIONS by Davida Wills Hurwin.


New Releases for November 1st

Hardcover

FREAKS AND REVELATIONS by Davida Wills Hurwin (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
This raw, moving novel follows two teenagers --- one, a Mohawk-wearing 17-year-old violent misfit; the other, a gay 13-year-old cast out by his family, hustling on the streets and trying to survive. Acclaimed author Davida Wills Hurwin creates a riveting narrative told in alternating perspectives of their lives before and after the violent hate crime that changed both their futures. This tragic but ultimately inspirational journey of two polarized teens, their violent first meeting, and their peaceful reunion years later is an unforgettable story of survival and forgiveness.

This story is inspired by the real lives of Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal, who have shared their story on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and NPR.

DEVIOUS: An It Girl Novel, created by Cecily von Ziegesar (Poppy/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Popular Gossip Girl character Jenny Humphrey never goes looking for trouble; but trouble always seems to find her. What Waverly Academy mischief will Jenny, Tinsley, and Callie stir up now?

It's January, and a new semester at Waverly Academy means one thing: new students. Make that hot new students. A gorgeous brother-sister pair is taking Waverly by storm, and the campus is abuzz with fresh gossip and even fresher crushes. But while all the girls are busy drooling over the new it-guy, they'd better watch their backs --- because his sister is going to give them all a run for their money. After all, there can only be one It Girl...

STRUTS & FRETS by Jon Skovron (Amulet Books)
Told in a voice that’s honest, urgent, and hilarious, STRUTS & FRETS will resonate not only with teenage musicians but with anyone who ever sat up all night listening to a favorite album, wondering if they’d ever find their place in the world.

Music is in Sammy’s blood. His grandfather was a jazz musician, and Sammy’s indie rock band could be huge one day --- if they don’t self-destruct first. Winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all the band’s compromises and reassure Sammy that his life’s dream could become a reality. But practices are hard to schedule when Sammy’s grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend.

When everything in Sammy’s life seems to be headed for major catastrophe, will his music be enough to keep him together?


Paperback
BREAKFAST AT BLOOMINGDALES by Kristen Kemp (Scholastic)
Kat's come to New York City with a dream: to be a big fashion designer and to see her name on a label in Bloomingdale's. Back in upstate New York, she imagined a city paved in Prada . . . but the reality isn't quite so fashionable. Still, there are friends to be made, boys to be flirted with, and amazements to be found . . . sometimes when she least expects it. Even when her lame boyfriend from back home comes to the city to try to reclaim her, Kat knows she's found her place . . . now all she has to do is have NYC find her back!


New Releases for November 3rd

Hardcover

MILLION-DOLLAR THROW by Michael (Philomel Books)
What would you do with a million dollars, if you were 13?

Nate Brodie is nicknamed “Brady” not only for his arm, but also because he’s the biggest Tom Brady fan. He’s even saved up to buy an autographed football. And when he does, he wins the chance for something he’s never dreamed of --- to throw a pass through a target at a Patriots game for one million dollars.

Nate should be excited. But things have been tough lately. His dad lost his job and his family is losing their home. It’s no secret that a million dollars would go a long way. So all Nate feels is pressure, and just when he needs it most, his golden arm begins to fail him. Even worse, his best friend Abby is going blind, slowly losing her ability to do the one thing she loves most --- paint. Yet Abby never complains, and she is Nate’s inspiration. He knows she’ll be there when he makes the throw of a lifetime.

Mike Lupica’s latest sports novel is also his most heartwarming.

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU: A Gossip Girl Novel, created by Cecily von Ziegesar (Poppy/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Blair, Serena, Nate, Dan, and Vanessa went off to live their lives.

Now they're coming home for the holidays.

A lot can change in a few months . . . but some things never do.

It finally happened: we went to college. We started over. No one knows who we've coveted, what we scored on the SATs,where our parents live, or when we became debaucherous. We've learned new things, made new friends, and maybe even met the loves of our lives. We've changed.

Or at least, some of us have. But old habits are hard to break -- -especially when faced with your former besties and former flames. With everyone back in the city for the holidays, this break is guaranteed to be filled with makeups, breakups, and shakeups.

Lucky for you, I'm here to report all the scandal as it happens. Let the games begin!

You know you love me,
xoxo Gossip Girl

FADE OUT: The Morganville Vampires, Book Four by Rachel Caine (Berkley)
Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedom, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again...Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realise that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger --- and way more dangerous --- than anyone suspected.

Labels: New Releases