Read This Book: YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME

Today I'm pleased to welcome Stacey Jay to my blog to chat about her new release, YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME, now available for purchase. I am beyond psyched to read this book--how can you beat a combination of zombies and homecoming? That's right. You can't.

Here's a taste of what her story is about:

Megan Berry's social life is so dead. Literally. Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people. All Megan wants is to be normal--and go to homecoming. But someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it's looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party--the bloody kind.

Stacey somehow found time in her incredibly busy life (I am awed by how productive and together this lady is!) to answer a few questions:

What are you most proud of in YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME?

The freight train barreling down the tracks, edge of your seat plot. It gets going and doesn't stop and I'm really proud of that. I love to entertain and for slightly ADHD people like me, non-stop action is a must. I hope my fellow short attention spanners enjoy it. (And those with longer attention spans too, lol.)

You're performed on stage. If YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME became a Broadway musical, would you accept a part in it? Which one? Assume makeup and costumes can work wonders.

I'd have to be Monica because I LOVE being the bad guy. Playing the bad guy is way more fun than the heroine. This is assuming all her songs are written in an easy-to-sing mezzo-soprano, of course. I was always one of the background dancers in musicals never the lead because my voice...she ain't that great. But on the upside, I've still got a killer high kick, lol.

Who is most suited for the zombie lifestyle? The least?

Most suited for zombie lifestyle=moms of very young children. We're already surviving on very few brain cells so I think we'd make the transition to zombie-hood fairly well. (If I could munch some brains and feel recovered from nine weeks of no sleep while caring for my new baby, I would TOTALLY consider it.)
Least suited for zombie lifestyle=picky eaters with texture issues. I don't imagine brains taste that great or feel good sliding down. Ya know?

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.

To remember what it felt like to fall in love for the first time. And because Megan isn't just a "teen", she's a pretty interesting person and I, personally, have enjoyed being in her head for two books. (The second Megan Berry book is in edits as I type.)

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?

You are a dork and there should be more cussing and kissing in this book. (I would tell her that yes, I am still a dork and that I tried to put more cussing and kissing in there, but my editors said I had to tone it down.)
 

And finally, here's the scoop on Stacey:

Stacey Jay is a workaholic with three pen names, four kids, and a decidedly macabre sense of humor. She loves zombies, creepies, crawlies, blood, guts, gore, and of course, romance. "You are So Undead to Me", Stacey's debut paranormal Young Adult Romance featuring Zombie Settler, Megan Berry will be a January 22nd 2009 release from Razorbill books.

Thanks for visiting, Stacey. Everyone, go pick up your copy of YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME today!

getting to know your characters

How do you first get to know your characters?

I'm working on a new project and I'm finding that the characters are being elusive--coy, even. The only way I get to know them is to write. And then, as I learn new things, I have to edit previous chapters to match up with what I've learned.

I can't get them to talk to me any other way. I've tried character worksheets, free writing, even modeling them on people I know. But in the end, the only way they'll speak to me is if I start writing their story. Every other method feels forced and false.

So how do you do it?

too neat (free verse)

The Boys are
elsewhere.
I am home
Alone.

Every surface is
piled high.
Books
toys
dirty dishes
three gloves
(where did the other one go?)

I could...
watch TV
work out
call my sister
write some more
read a book.

But disorder
makes me itch.
Living with my Boys
means I always
itch.

So I clean.
Legos under the playtable.
Cozy throws folded.
Find a home for new birthday toys.

Two hours
and done.
The first floor, at least.

But I am lonely now.
No evidence of
Boys.
Anyone might live here.

I take out the legos again.
Build something tall
with wheels.

Leave it in the middle of the floor.
There.
Now it is home again.

Read this book: SHADOWED SUMMER

Today I'm pleased to welcome Saundra Mitchell in her latest stop on our Debutantes blog tour. Saundra's spookfest SHADOWED SUMMER is now available for purchase. Like great suspense that doesn't let up? Then pick up a copy today.

 

Settle in for the details about Saundra's great new yarn:

Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared. His mother knew he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, and his girlfriend thought he was murdered.
 

 

Decades later, certain she saw his ghost in the town cemetery, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out the truth behind "The Incident With the Landry Boy."

Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette's latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts, in search of a boy she never knew.
 

 

What she doesn't realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.

I asked Saundra my three favorite questions and here's what she said:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Because Shadowed Summer is about friends and family, love and grief, and being human, and I think those things matter no matter your age.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
Whoa, that's weird. Iris' dad cooks the exact same thing for dinner that my mom cooks on Fridays...

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.

Well, uh... I made up the entire town of Ondine, Louisiana. Even the stores in it. Did I mention Iris' dad makes my mom's Friday dinner?

 

And here's a little bit about Saundra:

A screenwriter and author, Saundra Mitchell penned the screenplays for the Fresh Films and Girls in the Director's Chair short film series. Her short story "Ready to Wear" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her first feature film, Revenge Ends, debuted on the festival circuit in 2008. In her free time, she enjoys ghost hunting, papermaking, and spending time with her husband and her two children.

Hope you enjoyed hearing about Saundra; more blog tour stops coming soon!
 

Read This Book: THE SEASON

A Valentine's treat today: I'm celebrating the release of the page-turner THE SEASON, by Sarah MacLean, a fellow Debutante. Romance! Intrigue! Frothy dresses! Put down that box of chocolates and curl up with this instead--it's far tastier. Here's a sneak peek:

Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford doesn't fit into the world of Regency London — she's strong-willed, sharp-tongued, and she absolutely loathes dress fittings. Unfortunately, her mother has been waiting for years for Alex to be old enough to take part in the social whirlwind of a London Season so she can be married off to someone safe, respectable, wealthy, and almost certainly boring. But Alex is much more interested in adventure than romance.

 

Between sumptuous balls, lavish dinner parties and country weekends, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get entangled in her biggest scrape yet. When the Earl of Blackmoor is killed in a puzzling accident, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. It's a mystery brimming with espionage, murder, and suspicion. As she and Gavin grow closer, will Alex's heart be stolen in the process?

 

Romance and danger fill the air, as this year's Season begins!

Sarah graciously consented to answer a few questions for me:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grammy, this book harkens back to a day when men were gentlemen and smooching was scandalous...but everyone did it anyway. Who doesn't love gentlemen and scandals?

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
"Oh. My. God. This is the book is exactly the kind of book I would write!"

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
The last time I was in London with my mom we flew a red eye in, landing at Heathrow at 6am. Our hotel, which was right on Hyde Park, didn't have a room ready for us at that ungodly an hour, so we dropped our bags, grabbed some tea-to-go and headed for the Park.

We walked for a while through the greensward, and ended up at the horridly gaudy Albert Memorial, where my mom took a nap while I wrote in my journal. While the Albert Memorial wasn't built until long after my girls had their picnic in Hyde Park, I like to think that they sat under a tree that wasn't too far away from where mom and I spent time that morning.

And here's some info about Lady Sarah:

Sarah MacLean is the author of THE SEASON, a YA novel coming in March 2009 from Scholastic. She grew up in Rhode Island, where she spent much of her free time bemoaning the fact that she was more than a century too late for own Season. Her unabashed addiction to historical fiction helped to earn her a degree in European History from Smith College before she moved to New York City to pursue a career in publishing. After receiving a Masters in Education from Harvard University, Sarah returned to New York, where she lives with her husband, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She is currently working on a series of regency-set romances to be released in 2010 from Avon/HarperCollins.

Many thanks to Sarah for visiting my blog today. Happy Valentine's Day, all!

protecting your work from the hawk

I got a beautiful bird feeder for my birthday, back in December. It's state of the art--squirrel proof (really!), perches that are supposed to encourage both small and big songbirds, and full of premium black sunflower seed. My father carefully hung it up at the edge of the yard, in a sheltered spot, so I could see the birds while I worked.

There haven't been many customers. A chickadee here, a finch there. But there has been this big, bold cardinal who's stopped by a number of times. I like watching him. The seed is barely gone, but at least those few birds have been happy.

But then Diana came back.

Diana, who I named after the famed huntress. Diana, the juvenvile hawk who first appeared after wild windstorms right after Christmas. She ate three of our squirrels and was never seen again.

Until today. High winds. And now, Diana.

Diana plucked my cardinal friend from the feeder. Then she sat the fence and had a long and thorough feast. I couldn't look and I couldn't look away. My sole flashy birdfeeder friend had met his end. And why? Because I invited him there.

I killed my dinner guest.

So how does this relate to writing? It makes me think of what we writers do to our ideas. We try to get our lives and our minds open to ideas: we buy the feeder, we hang it, we fill it with the best seed. And then we are overjoyed when even the most drab chickadee shows up. It's something! And sooner or later, we hope flocks of songbirds visit.

But what if just one cardinal shows up? One brilliant idea, something you know you can develop into a special story. What happens when you, yourself, devour that idea?

What happens when you unloose your own personal Diana--your own inner critic?

How do you protect your ideas from your inner critic? You need a critical eye to make your work shine--at least eventually. But how do you let that cardinal flit around the yard before unleashing the hawk?

Better yet--is there some way to outfit your cardinal with some kind of anti-hawk missile? A way to make sure that critic doesn't destroy him?

These questions are on my mind because I recently let me own hawk eat a good idea. I worked it to death without writing a chapter. And now I'm so sick of it, and it's such a mess, that I had to set it aside. Happily another idea arrived. But I'm afraid I'll do the same thing all over again.

Maybe I just need to find a way to cage up my hawk...

Time stolen from sleep (free verse)

Alarm too early.

Husband rolls over

back to Sleep.

Jealous.

So jealous.

But time is precious

And too easy to give

to child, work, cleaning, friends, TV, e-mail.

Too easy to steal

from myself.

So I get up.

Stumbling

and

whining.

My desk.

My computer.

Scribbled notes.

They all wait.

I wrap Nana’s quilt

around my shoulders

and begin.

Bleary.

Still stumbling

over words

over ideas.

But I persist.

Because writers write.

And this is my

time to do it.

I take my hour

before the day

DEMANDS
it back.
 

Read This Book: MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES

This year the Debutantes will be throwing each other virtual launch parties with blog tours. Today I'm putting out my best china for my first visitor: Erin Dionne . Grab your Oreos and rejoice, because her sweet and funny book MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES is now available in bookstores everywhere (not to mention your favorite online outlets). Congratulations, Erin!

Here's a peek between the covers:

Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean, but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn’t entered her in the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. To get out of it, she’s forced to launch Operation Skinny Celeste—because, after all, a thin girl can’t be a fat model! What Celeste never imagined was that losing weight would help her gain a backbone . . . or that all she needed to shine was a spotlight.

Erin graciously consented to answer a few questions from me:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grandma Grace--you should read MODELS because it'll make you laugh your socks off! Also, because no matter how old you are, I think any one can relate to feeling left out and losing a friendship.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
"Dude--I can't believe you put the puking scene in there! Why would you do that?! SO embarassing!"

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
Uh-oh...well, you asked for it! My main character, Celeste, makes a series of poor choices that lead her to, ummm, "toss her cookies" on her gym teacher's shoes. I, also, thew up on my gym teacher's footwear in junior high after running the mile. When it happened to me, I was legitimately sick with a stomach bug. Awesome, huh?


And here's a little more about Erin:

Erin Dionne has lived on two coasts and in four states. Her debut novel, MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, was inspired by events that occurred in seventh grade, when she wore a scary peach bridesmaid dress in her cousin’s wedding and threw up on her gym teacher’s shoes (not at the same event). Although humiliating at the time, these experiences are working for her now.

 

Erin lives outside of Boston with her husband and daughter, and a very insistent dog named Grafton. She roots for the Red Sox, teaches English at an art college, and sometimes eats chocolate cookies.

Want to hear more from Erin? Head over to her LiveJournal for a list of where she'll be stopping by next.

halfway through page proofs

Tonight I hit the halfway mark on reviewing my CANDOR page proofs--happily ahead of schedule, despite an offspring ear infection and an awesome trip to NYC. I shouldn't gloat. The universe will deliver some giant smackdown, like a catastrophic ginger tea spill or something.

I love peeks into other people's workspaces, so I'm sharing mine. There's the page proof, with my blue pencil waiting for action. In the background is the Winston Churchill paperweight my husband gave me--it reads "never, never, never give up". Smart dude, that Churchill. You can just glimpse my lab-beaker pencil holder and yes, in the far edge, that's Knuffle Bunny egging me on. Just one See's candy wrapper. Must be early in the session. And it's all on top of my beloved $125 oak desk from the antique mart in Mount Dora, Florida. Part of it is made from a citrus crate (admittedly that portion of the desk is probably not oak!). 

Next time I'll have to post a pic of my crazy writers' wire running overhead!

My website is live

I am pleased to announce that www.pambachorz.com is up and ready for your viewing pleasure. It includes the basics--a bio, contact information, a section for announcements--and also offers some fun extras like photos of settings that inspired CANDOR and a quiz to see if you're brainwashed. I hope you'll check it out!

For details about the tools I used to build the site, check out this previous post.