Read this book: THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU

Today must be the day for awesome covers, because I'm welcoming Heather Duffy-Stone to my blog in celebration of her new release, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU. Heather's cover is one of my favorites in this year of amazing releases. And I can't wait to read what's INSIDE that great package! Heather's title is available for purchase now. Congrats, Heather!

Here's the scoop on Heather's title:

The stories people tell are always about the things we left behind, and about the things we wish we could do again. The real story isn't about what you know; it's about what you wish you knew then. When my brother and my best friend fell in love—that was the end of everything I knew.

 

Fraternal twins Nadio and Noelle share a close connection—and as Noelle's best friend since they were five, Keeley Shipley fit perfectly into their world. But everything changes after Keeley spends the summer before junior year at Oxford. When Keeley returns, Nadio falls in love with her. Noelle, ripped apart by resentment, sees her as an ungrateful rich girl. But Keeley has a painful story that she can't tell yet. As Nadio and Keeley hide their romance, Noelle dives into something of her own—a destructive affair with an older boy.

 

Beautifully presented by dual narrators in a haunting stream of memories, this is the deeply moving story of how secrets can consume a friendship—and how love can heal it.

Heather answered my three favorite questions for authors:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grandma Grace remembers the first time she fell in love, I bet. She remembers her best friend and what it felt like to grow apart. She remembers her brother who reminded her of the best part of herself. I bet she remembers, too, when she realized her parents were human. And they weren’t always right. I think she’d like this story.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
I loved him too. He never called me either.

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
The loft party certainly came from real life. I went to a party once nearly one hundred years ago in this sweeping loft in Brooklyn. The loft was so big you couldn’t see from end to end. And there were so many people there… everyone was so impossibly cool I could barely speak. I felt about three inches tall and yet fascinated. Everyone was fascinating. And I met a boy there. So… there you go.

And here's the scoop on Heather:

Heather Duffy Stone writes stories and essays that are mostly inspired by high school—either her own or someone else’s. This Is What I Want to Tell You is her first novel. She has lived in Vermont, England, Los Angeles, rural New York and Rome, Italy. For now she cooks, sleeps, explores, writes and teaches in Brooklyn, New York.

Cover revealed!

It's finally here! The fantasic final cover for CANDOR is complete, with a thumbnail below. Click on the image to see a larger version of the cover. It does a great job of tying into the story, introducing the elements of isolation, conformity, rebellion, and a really hot guy who obviously is up to no good. Just 6 more months until you can all find out exactly what Oscar Banks is up to!

Many thanks to the Egmont USA team for working so hard on making this cover. It was well worth the effort!

Read this book: THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH

Looking for a gripping, dark read? Look no further than THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, the debut young adult novel by Carrie Ryan. Carrie, a fellow Debutante, is stopping by today to answer a couple of questions about her book, which recently got a starred review in Publishers Weekly--and is available now.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Forest of Hands and Teeth is about a young girl named Mary growing up generations after an apocalypse in a village surrounded by fences protecting them from the Unconsecrated, zombie-like creatures inhabiting the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Cut off from the rest of the world and told they are the last survivors of the Return, every part of her life is controlled by the religious order called the Sisterhood. As Mary starts to fall in love with someone she shouldn’t, she learns the extent of the Sisterhood’s power and starts to discover more of their darkest secrets. When the security of the fences is threatened and her world is thrown into chaos, Mary must decide what she’s willing to risk to find out if there’s life beyond the Forest.

Carrie Answered My Three Favorite Questions:

--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
I totally agree that grown-ups should read teen books! My mom has totally been loving a ton of YA books. I think your grandma Grace would like my book because it's about the same thing as a lot of adult books: life, hope and love.

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
Wow, you/I wrote that?

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
There isn't really a real life setting, but there is a real life moment. There's a scene in the book when the protag has totally broken down and is wondering what right she has to think that her dreams can come true. I pulled this from an email I sent to my fiance a while back when I wondered what right I had to think that my dreams of becoming an author could ever come true. I still have the email :)

ALL ABOUT CARRIE:

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie Ryan is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full time. She lives with her writer/lawyer fiancé, two fat cats and one large puppy in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are not at all prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

 

Hello pretty little ARC

I have my ARC! Just one, for now, but that's enough to relish, to wave about gleefully, to make it all so very REAL.

NOTE that this is not the final cover--which is common in ARCs. Although the spray-paint font DOES relate to an important element in the book. As soon as I've got the final cover (and my publisher's OK!) I'll be happily unveiling it on this blog.

For the uninitiated, ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. They are not the final text, but are close enough for the publisher to distribute ARCs to reviewers, librarians and booksellers. Using ARCs gets the book out there much earlier than waiting for final hardbound copies.

Excuse me while I go cradle my pretty little baby and coo to it.

 

it's OK if it's hard

So I'm in the midst of some hard work in my WIP and I will admit to a little whining and a lot of chocolate eating. But as I was walking back from McDonalds at lunch today (I hoped to get an ice cream cone for dessert...sadly, the machine was broken ahhhhhhhgain, which prompted more whining), I had this flash.

This is something simple--something I should have figured out years ago, but i think it's been an excuse for quitting things sometimes, for me.

Which is kind of an embarassing admission because really, this is basic.

Here it is.

Just because it's hard doesn't mean you're not good.

If I had figured this out years ago, and believed in it, maybe I would have played soccer long enough to not suck at it. And maybe I wouldn't have quit that biochem major I had for three minutes. Well, maybe I still would have. That lab DID smell funky. :-)

I think if you're good at enough things (you know I'm talking about you, overachievers), this is an even harder lesson to learn. Since some things do come relatively easy, then it's easy to dismiss the hard stuff. "I'm not one of the people who can do that," we say. Or, "that's not meant for me... I'm more a writing/math/swimming/take-out food kind of person."

Well, that's my wisdom for the week. But really it's enough wisdom for the year. I'll be reminding myself of this one for awhile.

Back to that plotline...

When to stop fiddling

Last night I decided I was giving myself One Last Plotting Session (for now!) for my WIP, DROUGHT. I grabbed coffee, Edy's French Silk Ice Cream, and stayed up until the wee hours working on my synopsis. And then I finally sent the half-alive, gasping thing to Agent Elana. She has been sending me kind (perhaps unfounded--we'll see!) e-mails saying things like I'm sure it's not as rough as you think. I hated to make her pay for skywriting that said "SEND THE DAMN THING ALREADY"! Jet fuel is expensive these days.

Actually, Agent Elana blogged yesterday about when to stop fiddling, and I'm taking her thoughts to heart. Put on your red strappy shoes and check out her post too!

Make it a Fab Sunday and Win Some Debs goodness

Got the Sunday blahs? Or feel like you're unstoppable? Either way, stop by TODAY (and today only!) for you chance to win the March goody bag from the Debutantes. More than 30 goodies and gadgets, people! Why not give it a shot?

Read this book: THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA

It's a grey gloomy day in Maryland and I'm dreaming of escape. Escape to somwhere very different from here, a place that would give me a stamp on my passport and a whole new view of the world. And watching Amazing Race tonight just may not be enough!

Luckily I've got Cynthea Liu stopping by my blog. Her new  YA release, THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, takes readers all the way to CHINA while also spinning a great tale. Check it out!

And now, excuse me while I dig up that passport and call my travel agent...how far would three nickels and a toy firetruck with a missing wheel get me?

 

About Cynthea's new release:
Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she's bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi'an, China, she jumps at the chance. She'll be able to learn about her passion—anthropology—and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots. But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she's been looking for?

Cynthea answered my favorite 3 questions for authors:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Dear Grandma Grace,
Do you fancy yourself a world traveler? Have you ever been to China? If you have, would you like to take a walk down memory lane? Are you into hot Asian guys and Peking duck? If so THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA is for you!

Okay, I'll be serious. Grandma Grace, if you like stories about teens searching for connection, or if you enjoy a hopeful story that might tug at your heartstrings, this book is for you.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
16-year-old-self would probably say, "so this is where they've been hiding books with Asians in it!"

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
So many places in THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA are real-life places. You'll see many famous hotspots in and around Xi'an and Beijing. My brother lives in China so I was lucky enough to go to most of the places featured in THE GREAT CALL. Enjoy reliving my experiences!

And finally, here's the scoop on Cynthea...
Cynthea spent her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was a Whiz Quiz member, an Academic Decathloner, and a spelling bee champion. (Yes, she was very popular.) After attending college on the East coast, she worked at a corporate job where she mastered PowerPoint and racked up thousands of frequent flyer miles. Eventually, she traded in her suit for sweats to do the fun stuff–writing for children. In addition to PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE and THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, Cynthea's nonfiction book WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS: A CRASH COURSE (how to write, revise, and publish your kid's or teen book with children's book publishers) is available in paperback

using interviews to develop characters

My WIP has two pairs of sisters, and I've been trying to get a handle on their relationship. I've got the bestest sister in the world (awwww... no, really, I do!) but  I want to dig into other sister relationships besides my own. So, I'm trying interviews.

I have started with willing victims: my mother and my aunt, who are just 12 months apart. Perfect, since one pair of my fictional sisters is that close in age. I talked with them both (apart from each other) for about a half hour, asking pre-prepared questions about what it's like to be a teen with a sister who's so close in age. I think the most helpful part was hearing specific anecdotes that showed what their relationship was like.

Next, I hope to talk to friends and friends of friends. Of course I won't use their specific stories or experiences, but I hope that I'll be inspired and that their interviews will help to flavor my characters' development.

Read this book: WINNIE'S WAR

Thanks to my insatiable appetite for historical novels as a tween and teen (Sunfire Romances, anyone?), I aced my AP American history exam. I kid you not--I remember reading the topic for one of the long essays and thinking "this is just like the plot of Josie!" (thanks for the college credits, Vivian Schurfranz, wherever you are).  So I'm always psyched to see exciting new historical fiction. Today I'm welcoming fellow Debutante Jenny Moss to my blog, author of debut historical novel WINNIE'S WAR.

About Winnie’s War

 

A debut novel set against the backdrop of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918.

 

Life in Winnie's sleepy town of Coward Creek, Texas, is just fine for her. Although her troubled mother's distant behavior has always worried Winnie, she's plenty busy caring for her younger sisters, going to school, playing chess with Mr. Levy, and avoiding her testy grandmother. Plus, her sweetheart Nolan is always there to make her smile when she's feeling low. But when the Spanish Influenza claims its first victim, lives are suddenly at stake, and Winnie has never felt so helpless. She must find a way to save the people she loves most, even if doing so means putting her own life at risk.

 

Jenny answered my favorite questions for authors:

--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.  Twelve-year-old Winnie learns a lot about grownups during the course of the book. Grownups, reading Winnie's story, might learn (or rather *remember*) what it's like to be young and curious.

I'd be very interested to know what your grandma Grace thinks of any of the Deb books. Will you report back? :)

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book? Sixteen-year-old me would have wanted to meet Winnie.

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book. My grandmothers lived down the street from one another in a small Mississippi town. My memories of the time I spent there inspired me to create my own small town: Coward Creek, Texas.

Finally, here's the scoop about Jenny...

 

JENNY MOSS is a former NASA engineer. She earned a master's degree in literature and taught writing as an adjunct at University of Houston-Clear Lake. Winnie's War is her first novel. She lives with her two teenagers in Houston, Texas.

The index cards are up

I promised a picture of my "plot wire" picture awhile ago. I've been playing with it a lot lately so I thought I'd post a pic. I shot it from the back (far more picturesque) so unfortunately you won't see any writing on the cards!
 

Willing victim (free verse)

I am

captured,

but willingly.

Gleefully.

Sisters pull me under

and whisper

Stories.

Garbled

watery

but enchanting.

I scribble it all down.

The sisters

Demand.

Don’t surface.

Don’t sleep.

Don’t eat.

Just write.

But I must emerge.

Family

and paycheck

demand.

I pull myself out.

Reality is cold

muddy

unpleasant.

The sisters cry…

come back

it’s warm here.

we might fade.

we might forget.

But it’s dinnertime.

I close my door

And hope

they can wait.

There are no warm-ups

I once aspired to being the next Julie Andrews. Certain that summer stock was the next step--and that the community theater in Round Lake came close enough--I auditioned for YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN one summer. I think I was 15, or maybe 16.

I still remember what I wore: cut-off jean shorts along with a sleeveless button-down shirt that I made myself, and the Payless version of white leather Keds. I thought I looked a little like Jennifer Grey in DIRTY DANCING, only, you know, with Mary Martin hair. I was the youngest person there, along my buddy Jason from my high-school theater group (not to be confused with Loyal Long-Suffering Arts Patron Jason).

When they called my name, I walked up to the pianist. I gave him my music and asked him to play a few bars. I sang softly, just warming up, like we always did at my high school. I wasn't trying to sound good. I was just trying to warm up. (I use the same excuse now when I fall on my butt during pilates. Just warming up over here, people!).

Well, after about a minute, the auditioners told me to STOP.No more needed.

"Wait," I said. "I was just warming up. I'm way better, really..."

"We got what we needed," the guy said. "NEXT!"

That was my big shot. Not surprisingly, I didn't get a part with a solo. Surprisingly, I did get a part that gave me stage time. Not a lot of people showed up for auditions. Or maybe they really liked that Mary-meets-Jennifer look, eh?

I learned to always take my best shot everytime. No public warm-ups.

I think of this lesson a lot lately, as I work on my next project. It's so tempting to forward the first few rough chapters to my agent and editor, hoping they'll pass out with joy and shock at my artistry. But I don't--because I want to take my best shot. I'm not saying I'll sit on my pages forever, or wait until the book is done (Pam's editor and agent now pass out from relief, not joy). But I will make sure they're ready for prime time. Because you never get a second shot.

Hey Round Lake---you casting for this summer yet? I almost fit in those cut-offs...

Read this book: WAITING TO SCORE

Here in the metro DC area, we're shocked, resentful and gleeful (depending on who you ask) to be looking out our windows at about 6 inches of snow. We had a roaring fire last night and my son was thrilled to don snowpants this morning. So I'm feeling very northern and totally in the mood for a HOCKEY tale!

Today I'm welcoming debut author J.E. MacLeod to my blog, in celebration of the release of her Young Adult tale, WAITING TO SCORE.Grab a cup of hot cocoa and curl up to learn more--then scoop up a copy for yourself!

About WAITING TO SCORE:
Zack Chase, new in town, gets a crash course in the dangerous, fast-paced lives of local teen athletes. A good-looking, book-loving hockey star, Zack’s also expected to be a womanizing, alcohol-abusing party animal, but it’s not who he is. As jealous, obnoxious team captain Mac hounds him, Zack falls for Goth-girl Jane and befriends her teammate brother, both with their own secrets. Tragedy strikes and affects them all in this true-to-life debut novel, giving readers an insight into the lives of high school students and athletes. J.E.'s path to becoming an author was a windy one. After college, she wrote advertising copy for radio and then television and eventually moved on to work in sales and marketing for too many years.

J.E. kindly answered 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.Hi Grandma Grace. You should read Waiting To Score, because it will show you what teens today have to contend with and how brave and noble they can be. It's not easy being a teen, but sometimes they get a bum rap when they don't deserve it.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book? Holy crap. I write a book that gets published when I'm older?? That is the coolest thing ever.

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that founds its way into your book. Oh man. So much of real life creeps into my stories. Hockey rinks though. Yup. I spent a lot of time in them babies when I was young. A lot of times I was like Jane, Zack's crush, reading a book in the stands, freezing my butt off wishing the game would end. (Not always though. I did like watching sometimes, especially play off games)

And finally, here's some info about J.E.:

After having a son, J.E. followed her dreams and wrote her  first book. Once she started writing YA, she felt like she’d found her home and has been writing it ever since. J.E. lives near the Canadian Rockies with her husband and son and a new puppy named Meeko.  She does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot.