Merry Wanderer of the Night:
author

I am so excited to have a guest post today with Sarah Ockler! She has a really fun post today, in the spirit of love for all genres, which I totally adored and even though Contemporary is my favorite, I do read and love many other genres and I love this post talking about the common threads between all genres.

Contemporary Realism vs. Paranormal & Fantasy: Smackdown or Lovefest?

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As an author of contemporary realistic teen fiction, I'm often asked about the imbalance in the bookstores between contemporary titles and paranormals — yes, those sparkly black covers of awesome. Some have asked me why I write contemporary instead of chasing the fantasy "trend." Others want me to convince them to read one over the other, or defend my own favorites, or talk about why contemporary is so much better.

Some of this is in jest, of course. All in good fun. But sometimes it does feel like there's a bit of rivalry going on, doesn't it?

I'm not sure why. To me, fantasy isn't a "trend" anymore than realism *isn't*, and the only thing that's "so much better" is that teens and adults are reading tons of YA — way more than we used to. A big part of that is availability and choice. Even as recently as ten years ago, bookstores might've only had one YA shelf, or the teen fiction might've been mixed in with the younger children's stuff. Now, it's so popular that it usually has it's own section, and that section includes rows of ever-expanding shelves — plenty of room for magic *and* reality.

My favorite local indie, the Tattered Cover, just expanded its YA section, and they host young adult and middle grade authors almost every month — contemporary, fantasy, scifi, dystopian, romance, mystery — we're all represented, and we're all awesome.: -) Walking down those long shelves stuffed with sparkly black covers, pink ones, white ones, scenic ones, close up kissing ones, monster ones… it just makes me insanely happy to have so many choices for my ever-growing TBR list.

So what about the original question? Smackdown or lovefest?

I say lovefest. I love contemporary realism. I love fantasy, paranormal, and scifi. I love it all. Because in young adult fiction, contemporary realism and paranormal / fantasy are just two sides of the same coin. The difference is in the execution. Maybe your boyfriend broke up with you because the scent of your blood makes him want to tear you apart with his pointy little fangs. Or maybe he just likes another girl. Maybe your parents are getting divorced because Mom discovered that dad is a dark elf plotting to take over the world. Or maybe he just leaves the toilet seat up. These are silly examples, but the point is, the underlying emotional strife is the same. Both types of story explore complex emotions and issues like changing friendships, death, sexuality, sex, heartbreak, addiction, family problems, physical challenges, violence, and economic hardship, to name a few. Both feature multi-layered characters forced by difficult — sometimes life-threatening — external situations to dig deep to uncover their own hidden strengths. Both have the twists and turns and surprises that often come when teens experience new situations for the first time. And let's not overlook the best part — all the kissing. Sexy vampires, beautiful witches, six-pack-ab-rockin' shapeshifters, and plain old regular humans… there's plenty of romance to swoon over in most young adult fiction. Team Kissing, are you with me? Yes!

So whether you're typically into contemporary realism or paranormal, whether you like your boys human or bloodsucking, whether you go gaga for girls with wings or wands or just plain old pom poms, whether you're reading about transgender issues or trans-species ones, whether you like escaping to the beaches of California or the halls of Hogwarts, I encourage you to read a bit more of… well… everything. This is a lovefest, after all. Let's show some love!

Need a few recommendations? Check out the newly posted Best Teen Books of 2011 over at Kirkus. Editor Vicky Smith says, "With shelves fairly groaning under the weight of paranormal love triangles, it may be easy to think that books for teens are all the same these days. Not so, we are delighted to report. In sifting through the piles of great books published for teens this year, I was happy to discover soulful romance of the utterly normal kind, deliciously frothy historical novels, piercingly intelligent nonfiction, thrillingly inventive fantasy and science fiction and some great kickass horror, as well as some books that may leave you weeping with laughter."

Some of my faves from the list are Misfit, Winter Town, Virtuosity, Anna Dressed in Blood, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and many more are on my TBR list. There's something for everyone over there. Happy reading!
~ Sarah Ockler

Author of Twenty Boy Summer, Fixing Delilah, and the upcoming Bittersweet (which features the special magic of cupcakes and hockey boys… mmmmm...)

Thank you again Sarah, so very much! I love it!:)

And for all my awesome readers, Sarah has been generous enough to donate a signed paperback of Fixing Delilah to one luck winner! This is a phenomenal book, absolutely amazing, and I'm already excited for whoever wins this one!

Enter Below. Like all Just Contemporary Giveaways, it will end Dec 10th. This is also only open to US/CN.

I read Antony's Five Flavors of Dumb earlier this year and was blown away. It is seriously amazing and I loved it. So of course I wanted to get Antony on board for Just Contemporary and he has been totally awesome to work with! He is an author that will be on my stalk watch list for the rest of forever! You can read my review of Five Flavors of Dumb here, and later today I will be posting my review of his upcoming novel, Thou Shalt Not Road Trip.

Five Flavors of Dumb is an awesome novel and the basic idea — a deaf band manager — is something unexpected. How did you get the idea for Dumb and what made you decide to make Piper deaf. (Or did you decide...)

First off, thanks for the HUGE compliment, and a big hi to all your readers. Since I often read your blog, that includes me. *waves at self*

Okay, moving on...

Before I started writing, I was heavily into music. As in, I have a Ph.D. in it. I always knew I wanted to write a YA novel about rock music, but as my agent ever-so-gently reminded me, there are quite a few of those already. So I sat down with my wife (who is much smarter than me) and asked if she had any ideas. Straight away, she suggested that if I wanted a true challenge, I should consider writing about music from a deaf teen's perspective.

I knew straight away that she was right. Still, it took another four months of research before I dared to write it!

Dumb has gotten a lot of attention and love (and least in the blogging world). How does it feel, knowing that a book you wrote has resonated so strongly with such a large and varied group of people?

It feels wonderful! And you’re right... it really is a varied group. I’ve had messages from deaf and hearing readers, young and old.

But it’s also a relief. When the book came out, I was nervous. I mean, really nervous. What if deaf teens felt misrepresented? What if just one said, “That’s not how it really is”? I knew I’d feel like I’d let them down. Realistically, no more than a handful of books featuring deaf narrators will be released each year. If mine had failed to give deaf teens a narrator they could root for, and failed to shed light on deafness for hearing teens, then it would have been worse than a flawed novel. It would have been a wasted opportunity. The first is inadvisable; the second, inexcusable.

The fact that the book resonated with readers has enabled me to sleep again at night. (So thanks, bloggers!)

I actually just realized that you had a novel come out before Dumb (saw the title in the signature of your email, actually) called Busted: Confessions of an Accidental Player. Have anything you'd like to share with us about your debut?

It’s definitely funny. And fast-paced. But Five Flavors of Dumb is better. Can we leave it at that?

Your third book, Thou Shalt Not Road Trip is coming out next year. What has been the difference in your experience waiting for each book release?

Ooh, what an interesting question...

I think with my debut novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect. There’s so much that goes on around the book (i.e. publicity, distribution, trade reviews, etc) that I felt swamped.

With #2 (Five Flavors of Dumb) I was better prepared, and I knew that the book was much stronger, so I was just excited, rather than freaked out. I was also impatient, I suppose (a common trait among writers, I've heard).

For book #3 (Thou Shalt Not Road Trip) it’s different again. Dumb is still going strong, and so I’m going to be busy answering questions about that, and doing school visits connected with it. Plus, the paperback has only just come out, so it’s certainly not an “old” book yet. At the same time, the ARC of book #4 (see below) will be coming out at the same time as Road Trip, so I’ll be dealing with that too. In other words, it’ll be a really interesting (and possibly chaotic) period. But I still can’t wait!

What inspired Road Trip?

Growing up, I spent a lot of time at church as a member of the choir. Because of that, I was privy to a lot of really interesting theological discussions, not all of which made a whole lot of sense to me.

Oh, and I adore road trips. Route 66 is a national treasure. So...

I had an idea of a smart, religious sixteen-year-old boy named Luke who writes a bestseller called Hallelujah. To capitalize on the success, his publisher sends him on a road trip along Route 66. Trouble is, his older brother is driving, and the guy has some serious baggage (no, I’m not talking about suitcases). Then Luke’s ex-crush, Fran, hitches a ride. Suddenly the road trip is veering off-course as fast as the curveball questions at his turbulent book signings.

It’s funny, slightly crazy, but also (I hope) thought-provoking.

Why Contemporary?

Contemporary YA is my first love (in terms of books, I mean). There’s such extraordinary variety, and room for everything from laugh-out-loud comedy to highly literary explorations of personal tragedy.

To be honest, it’s far too broad to be a single genre, and it benefits from that, I think.

Whereas readers of adult genres often confine themselves to their favorite sections of the bookstore, fans of contemporary YA might be surprised by a book that’s a romance, another that’s a thriller, another that’s a comedy, and so on. I reckon that exposure to multiple kinds of book has to be a healthy thing for teen readers especially.

Aside from the writing itself, what would you say has been the most challenging part of being a writer?

That would have to be staying on top of publicity. I do regular tour events, school visits, even Skype appearances with book clubs. I love it too, but almost every one requires a lot of organization, and there’s never a day when I can focus exclusively on writing. I think this is maybe the one aspect of being a published author that most writers underestimate. Again, though... I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Are you working on book 4 now? Any details you can share with us?

Yes, indeed! Book 4, titled Elemental, is almost finished, and will be released in fall 2012. It’s the first in a fantasy trilogy set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It tells the story of a colony in which everyone is born with powers of the elements—earth, water, wind, and fire—except for one boy who is powerless... or is he? I’m so psyched about it I can barely see straight.

Thanks so much for having me along today, Ashley!

Website: http://www.antonyjohn.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Antony-John/124596187591570

You are so welcome Antony! Thank you so much for participating! This was such a great interview! I loved it! Also, I'm really intrigued by book 4! I'm always a little apprehensive when a favorite writer switches genres (because I'm a huge baby: P) but it sounds awesomeand I've always loved stuff that ties into the elements like that! It sounds amazing!! And now — YOU have a chance to win a copy of one of Antony's novels! He's offering a signed copy of both Dumb and Road Trip to two different winners! It's only open to US/CN and just enter below!

I have loved all of the authors I've invited to participate in Just Contemporary. They were all invited because I especially loved whichever of their books I've read. But I definitely have to admit that Melina Marchetta agreeing to participate is the icing on my awesome cake. I've never tried to hide how much I love her writing or how strongly I've connected to her books, so here is my interview with Melina Marchetta! (runs off to fangirl squee more)

You've written both Contemporary and Fantasy. What made you decide to switch genres? Which do you prefer writing? Which is more of a challenge?

When Finnikin the character came to me, I knew I couldn’t set it in the here and now. It would have been too political, so I decided to set it in a world that looked like the year 1000. But I didn't want to deal with the Crusades so the fantasy novel was born. I had always been frightened of writing fantasy because I’m a bit in awe of good fantasy writing and didn't think I was good enough.

With regards to my preference, I always prefer the novel I’m working on so if you asked that question two years ago when The Piper's Son was being written, I’d say contemporary. I’m writing the follow up to Froi at the moment, so I’m preferring fantasy. With regards to difficulty, what I actually find is that the Contemporary novels are emotionally the hardest to write and the plot driven novels (Jellicoe and the Lumatere Chronicles) are structurally the hardest. The Lumatere Chronicles require much more research and world building and I’m currently in a great state of anxiety. Do not believe for one moment that writing gets easier.

Jellicoe Road is absolutely one of my most favorite books of all time. I recommend that book to so many people, more so than any other book I've ever read and I honestly doubt that I will ever find another book that affected me the way Jellicoe Road did. So, I'm so curious — What was it like? Writing that book?

Out of all my novels, it’s been in my head and heart the longest. I started writing a version of it back in 1993 and still today I’m putting the last full stop on the film script. So Taylor’s been there for quite some time. Plot, as I said earlier, is difficult. If you get one thing wrong, the whole thing pretty much falls to pieces and every time I solved one problem, I’d discovered another. It really hurt my head trying to get it right. While writing the film script I had to find a completely different way for Taylor to piece together the clues of the past so it hurt my head a second time. In the script, there are visuals like maps and wall charts and photographs and artwork to do the job of the words in the novel. I never want to have to replot this story again.

I think the key word is patience. I would never ever criticise someone who can write a novel a year. But I can’t. Some of the magical moments come to me when I've let it simmer between drafts. Jonah Griggs was born in that simmer. He appeared as a multi-dimensional character in Taylor’s story almost ten years after I first started writing it. I’d wait those ten years again for another character like him.

On a similar note — I've talked a lot of people who feel the same, who just so fully connected to the characters and the story you created. What does it feel like, knowing that you've inspired and created such intense emotions in so many people?

Overwhelming seems a cliché, but that’s what it is. What I love best is that most readers have responded to the friendships rather than just the love story. There are many things you want as a writer. Awards, shortlists, starred reviews etc are fantastic. But I want to be read, not just referred to. So knowing that someone in the deep south of America or a reader in Russia or Korea or Sweden or Spain is relating to Taylor, well that’s pretty mindboggling for someone on the other side of the world. Twenty years ago when my first novel was released, I calculated I knew two hundred people in the world and that only 200 people would ever read my work.

You said you wrote The Piper's Son because Tom wouldn't leave your thoughts alone. Are there any other characters that have been sneaking back that we might get to see again?

If that’s a surreptitious way of asking about Jimmy Hailler, no. I don’t know where Jimmy is. I think he’s happy though because the real Jimmy is happy and I never thought he would be. I looked up the real Jimmy’s profile on facebook the other day and under interests he wrote, “ laughing at people when they fall down”. Cruel, but very Jimmy-like and it made me laugh in the same way as when I knew him as a teenager.

The problem with revisiting a character is that you don’t just have to concentrate on one. You have to work out where they all are. How can I do that without breaking a reader’s heart with life’s realities or fooling them into believing in perfect endings for everyone? What I try very hard to do is leave the ending open for the reader so they can work it out for themselves. But I promise that in my head, they get a happy ending. Jonah appears in his little brothers book, The Gorgon in the Gully and I think I’ll be writing another Danny Griggs novel next year so Jonah’s bound to make another cameo. A friend and I are also working on a 10 part TV series which may go nowhere, but we think it’s about Jessa McKenzie, four years on.

You caught me.:) Although I'm beyond delighted to hear that Jonah makes a reappearance, I was most definitely hoping we'd get to see more of Jimmy!

Jellicoe Road is one of the most complex and layered books I've ever read. There is so much, so many secrets and hidden things to learn. Did you start Jellicoe Road knowing how the story was to unfold, knowing where it would take you? Or did the story surprise you too, unfolding slowly, layer by layer as you wrote?

I think I failed for so long because I didn’t know what the story was about. I only knew who the story was about and where it was set. But plot is very important in a mystery and it wasn't until I read the novel, Holes, that I figured out I was going to have a parallel story line. There are things that did surprise me. Without giving anything away, I remember exactly when mid-writing I discovered why Jonah was on the railway platform that day when they were younger. I've said before, there are parts in this novel that make me cry every time. The Jonah on the platform incident is one of them.

As you've probably guessed, I'm not exaggerating when I say that I LOVE Jellicoe Road. Are there any secrets or unknown tidbits you can share?

Just a few film script things. We have a producer, director and a complete film script. The two major differences between the script and novel are that Sam, the kid from Taylor’s past, isn't in the film script. But I do promise that the emotional impact of those scenes is still there. The other thing is that the Hermit is now part of the present, rather than the past. I’m almost sure we’ll cast mostly complete unknowns. It will be shot in Australia and I do have a dream actress for Taylor. I don’t think we have a chance of getting her but I spent twenty years on this story so I’m not exactly one to give up on a dream

What's next from you in the Contemporary world? Will there be a Finnikinthree, or will another Contemporary be next?

Well Froi of the Exiles has a cliffhanger ending. Not a Finnikin ending, but a true cliffhanger. The third novel, Quintana of Charyn, begins three weeks after and every time I read a fantastic review of Froi, I’m elated and stressed out of my head at the same time. QoC comes out in October 2012. After that I think I’ll be concentrating on our TV series idea. We want it to be really edgy and dark, but with a great sense of hope and powerfully flawed relationships and characters. That will be keeping us very busy.

Thank you so incredibly much for participating! I loved learning a little more about the books and your writing!

And to everyone reading this, go pick up a Melina Marchetta book pronto!!Seriously. She's amazing.

Tara Kelly is the author of Harmonic Feedback (which I loved) and the just-barely-released Amplified which I have not yet read but am dying to). I knew I had to ask Tara to participate after how much I loved Harmonic Feedback so I am thrilled to have this interview with her to post for you! You can see more of Tara at her website — The Tara Tracks

Why write Contemporary? What is it about the genre that draws you?

It's funny because I grew up reading a lot of horror, but I also had a soft spot for realistic contemp books. The book that made me fall in love with reading as a child was Anne of Green Gables. I found the heroine so relatable--I loved how stubborn she was, how she didn't just fall over the minute a cute boy talked to her, how she was strong, independent, and not afraid to be herself in a time when women were expected to follow a certain path. Drea in Harmonic Feedback was inspired by her in some ways, I think. What draws me in most about the contemporary genre is relatability. I like reading about characters who could've been me or someone I knew. As a teen these books made me feel less alone. Sometimes the stories took me to a place I wished I could be. Sometimes they inspired me to try something new or be more tolerant of others. It's amazing how you end up relating to a character you never expected to connect with.

So, why do I write it? It's the genre that calls to me. I think some of the most powerful stories come out of the real world. A teen who fights their way out of a really bad situation with their own strength (no superpowers or angels in shining armor to bail them out). A tragic, but realistic event that tests real and flawed human beings to their limits. I'm all for escape and 'other' realities (hello, I'm a huge Buffy fan), but I think it's important for teens to read stories about what CAN happen too. Stories that feature other teens in similar situations.

Do you have any interest/desire/ideas for a book outside the Realistic/Contemporary genre?

Well, the book I'm working on right now falls into the psychological-thriller/horror category. It's quite a bit different than the coming-of-age stories I've written so far. But it's set in the real world... and it's something that CAN happen, which I find kind of scary. I always found thrillers that can happen the most frightening. I'm pretty excited about this book--even if it's shaping up to be the most intense/difficult story I've written yet.

You talk about it some in your author's note, but what inspired Harmonic Feedback? What made it the story you had to write?

My younger brother is on the spectrum, and due to that I've been fascinated with autism since I was quite young. I remember doing a 7th grade research project on it and presenting it to the class--I got an A+:) I also have friends on the spectrum (mostly mild AS, like Drea) Nobody on the spectrum I know is defined by their diagnosis. They aren't walking boxes of symptoms--in fact, they're all quite different from each other. My brother is talkative, social, and outgoing, for example. Not something you picture when you think of 'autism'. The one commonality they have is they've had problems with socializing. A lot of them felt different their whole lives, but never understood why. Drea popped in my head one day, and she had quite a bit to say. I think she's kind of a mix of all the people I've known, including myself, who have had trouble making friends or were judged based on a 'label'. But Harmonic Feedback wasn't just about Drea. I've known quite a few people like Naomi, and I've known a couple Justins. I wanted to see what happened when you gave three completely different people a shared passion. How would they shape and change each other?

Music plays a huge role in the lives of the main characters in both of your novels. What role has music played in your own life?

Music has had a starring role in my life since I can remember. Both of my parents are musicians--my mom is this insanely talented piano prodigy (she was playing entire songs at 2, I'm not kidding), and my dad has been playing guitar since he was quite young. I don't think a day went by where my mom didn't play piano. Sometimes they'd have jam sessions in the living room for hours. Oddly enough, I had no interest in playing an instrument until high school. In fact, my piano lessons went so poorly (I never wanted to practice) my parents were convinced I hadn't inherited the musical gene. But that wasn't actually the problem. The problem was they pushed me toward the wrong instrument. I'm first and foremost a guitarist, although these days I love to play everything. In the last five years I've developed a deep love for the piano... and I'm currently wishing I knew how to play the violin. On top of all that, I'm a huge music FAN. I simply cannot write or create art without great music.

If you could ask one thing of your readers, before or after they read your book(s), what would it be?

Who is your favorite/least favorite character and why? I'm always fascinated by how readers react to and interpret my characters.

Do you have a favorite novel? A book that you read and recommend over and over again? (or more than one?:) )

Anne of Green Gables. It's a classic and a story I don't think I'll ever grow tired of... which is saying a lot since I'm more of a dark, gritty kind of girl.

What's next from you? Anything you are working on that you can share with us?

Like I said above, I'm currently working on a thriller. Not ready to share the details yet, but I'm hoping I'll be able to share a bit more in the near future:)

Thank you so much Tara! I can't wait to see what you come up with next and will definitely be stalking the internets to see about this psychological thriller! And I agree, those are the most terrifying because they are the most real!

Today's interview is with a writing duo. Yvonne and Sandy have written quite a few books together and while I've only read two of them so far, they have both been lots of fun to read, and exactly what I was looking for at the time. Lots of fun, a little bit of fluff and just overall enjoyable.

What is it like writing as a team? How do you get past disagreements on pieces of the story?

We've been writing as a team for over a decade, and it’s still fun. The toughest part is picking one of many ideas floating like balloons over our heads, and focusing on just one.

Over the span of 10 books, we’ve had to develop a three-stage technique to shoot down each other’s ideas in a way that isn’t hurtful:
1. Listen to the entire idea, nodding and smiling;
2. Offer lukewarm praise; and
3. Present new idea so obviously superior that the first one is instantly forgotten.

Seriously, though, you can’t get too attached to your ideas when you’re a team. You have to trust than another, better one will come along, because it always does.

How did the two of you meet? How did you decide to become writing partners?

We met as teens working in a public library. We were friends for years—and even roommates after college—and the idea of writing together never occurred to us. But one day, Yvonne went looking for a non-fiction book for her nieces to answer their questions about relationships with boys, friends and family. She couldn't find a book with the right, light-hearted tone, so she suggested we write one. That led to Totally Me: The Teenage Girl’s Survival Guide. It was a natural fit, since we've spent our entire friendship talking about relationships with boys, friends and family.

Have either of you written alone? Or written with a different partner?

We've only collaborated with each other. In some cases one of us has written “more” of a particular book than the other person, depending on our schedules. But we developed our voice together, so I doubt anyone could tell who wrote what. In fact, sometimes we compliment each other on our own lines, forgetting we wrote them!

What are the differences to writing alone vs as a team and what are some advantages/disadvantages to both styles.

A huge advantage to collaborating is simply the “we're in it together” feeling. It’s nice to share the highs and lows of publishing, and the weight of deadlines. The only disadvantage—other than the loss of full creative control!—is that you have two schedules to coordinate. We have other jobs and commitments and they don’t always sync up as we’d like.

Why Contemporary?

We started out that way and just kept going. Spending time with our teen friends keeps us grounded in the present and we’re intrigued by the challenges they face.

But to be honest, we have always wanted to give paranormal a try and soon... we will! Expect something a little different from Collins-Rideout in a few months.

I've heard talk that *Love, Inc.* is actually a series. Is there any truth to that rumor? If so, is there any information you can share with us?

Yes! We just released the sequel to Love, Inc. It’s called Trade Secrets, and it will soon be available across all electronic platforms. You can already find it on Amazon

Here’s a short overview:

Kali Esposito and her best friends Syd and Zahra revive Love, Inc. to help the lovelorn break-up, make-up or take-up with someone new. A die-hard romantic, Kali can turn the most socially-challenged clients into confident charmers and the “Kali Method” takes Love, Inc. to new heights. But when a competitor corrupts her method to turn regular guys into players, Kali must reclaim Love, Inc.’s trade secrets before every girl in Austin gets her heart broken.

Speaking of sequels/series, are they harder to write than the first book? Do you *like* them or do you prefer writing a standalone story?

The challenge with sequels is trying to recap the first book for new readers without boring returning readers, who already know the back story. But on the whole, sequels are easier to write in that you’ve already developed the key characters, and their world. Our favorite book of all is the third book in the Vivien Leigh Reid series: Diva in Control. By that point, we’d hit our stride and could just enjoy getting poor Leigh into trouble. We’d still love to do a sequel to The Black Sheep. Judy is our most obnoxious villain ever—she deserves another outing.

What made you decide to self-publish Trade Secrets? Will you continue to self-publish all your future books? Will Trade Secrets also be released in a hard copy edition (I'd love to have a hardcover to match Love, Inc!)

It all started when Sandy bought a Kobo for her mom for Christmas... and kept it for herself. If a hard-core book lover like Sandy can fall for an e-reader, it can happen to anyone.

So we started researching e-publishing, and it just seemed to suit our needs. First, you can get books out faster. We have always wanted to write more than one book a year, and also, different types of books. Now, with e-publishing, it’s a lot easier to follow your heart—as long as you hire experts to rein you in! We’re pretty excited by this new opportunity and expect to e-pub our next few books. But we've been around the book biz long enough to know that you have to stay flexible.

If there’s enough interest in paper copies of Trade Secrets, we’ll look into making that option available.

Is there anything you can share with us about your current work in progress or upcoming stories?

We’re working on a bunch of projects right now, including a paranormal novel, and possibly, if people enjoy Trade Secrets, more from our Love, Inc. trio. It seems like their story wouldn't complete without another cycle of revenge hits, led by Sydney Stark.

We love hearing from readers, so please join us on twitter @collins_rideout or visit our websites: collinsrideout.com and loveincbook.com

Thank you both, so very much! I loved hearing from you and I'm definitely excited to read Trade Secrets! Hopefully, I will have a review up soon! I haven't had a chance to read the book yet, but I do have some copies to giveaway!! Yvonne and Sandy have generously offered copies of three of their novels as giveaway prizes! Enter below! The hard copies are US/CND only but the ecopies are International!
*edit — I can't believe I forgot the Rafflecopter widget! SO sorry! I will still allow those who entered through the comments to maintain that as their entry, because this is my error, but anyone entering now needs to use the widget!*

I am soincredibly excited to have Stephanie on my blog today! She is amazing. I read Ballads of Suburbia earlier this year and was completely blown away by the book and the stories within the story. Stephanie wrote such a raw and emotional book that I was consumed by it for days and now I talk about it all the time. (Wanna read my review? :) ) So, when I got the idea for Just Contemporary, I knew that I wanted to ask Stephanie to be a part of it and I made embarrassing noises she emailed me yes!:)

Here are some links to places where you can see more of Stephanie — Her website, her blog, Rookie an online magazine she writes for (and is crazy excited about, with good reason to be), and Twitter. And now — The Interview:

I've heard you mention before that Ballads of Suburbia is a deeply personal book, one that a lot of you went into writing. What was it like, to write a book like that? A book that used so much of you? Did that make it easier or harder to write that I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone?

It was definitely a lot harder to write than IWBYJR, though that book dealt with some pretty hefty things, too, so there were some scenes that were difficult, but all of Ballads was hard. I mean I guess writing the setting was easier because unlike with IWBYJR, I wasn't making it up, I was writing about the place I lived during the time I lived there, so it was all in my memory, but that was the only easy part about that book. Early on, I worried a lot that I didn't want to make it too autobiographical. Fortunately as soon as I stopped thinking about it and started really creating the characters, especially through their ballads, I was relieved to find that they were all fictional... Well, Kara has a lot in common with me, but her story is different. Then it was time for revisions and the main feedback I got from my editor on it was something like "get closer to Kara's emotions, get into her head and really let us feel what she's feeling." At first I was all mad, thinking, I did that! Kara's head was basically my head when I was a teenager. But then I reread it and realized I'd actually held back a lot during my first few drafts, not intentionally but because I didn't want to go back there. The things I dealt with as a teenager, primarily the depression and the self-injury affected me into my early twenties. I'd felt like I'd healed, but probably only about five years before I was working on Ballads, so I had those emotions locked up pretty carefully and I knew it would be scary to revisit them. I reread old journals and things I wrote about cutting to get into Kara's mindset. I actually got so scary close to her that I was exhausted both mentally and physically when I finished the revision. When I was a teenager I'd had an ulcer form from all the stress and that ulcer had healed in my mid-twenties, but started acting up again after I finished Ballads. It really was the hardest thing I've ever done, but as a result, it is also the thing I am most proud of.

Does I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone draw from your personal experiences the way that Ballads did?

Both books in a way are me looking at my own life and saying "What could have happened if... " With Ballads it was, "What could have happened if I did heroin more than once" because in real life I did it one time and it scared the shit out of me, so I sobered up completely for the rest of high school. With IWBYJR it was, "What would have happened if I actually could have learned to play the music I loved so much." If Kara from Ballads was the girl I was was, then Emily from IWBYJR is the girl I wanted to be. However, I actually have more in common with Louisa. Without giving the book away, I'll say that Louisa is carrying an awful secret that has to do with a guy she dated in high school, while I dated a guy who didn't do quite as bad things as this guy, he did some pretty bad things to me and while I didn't do what she did to the guy, I still came away from the situation, well to put it bluntly, really fucked up and I ran away in a manner of speaking for awhile, but not as long as Louisa did. Once again, with her I projected, "What would have happened if I never came to terms with that guy did to me... " I know that a lot of readers really don't like or relate to Louisa, but I actually feel for her because that could have been me. For the most part though, IWBYJR came from my love of punk rock, especially girl bands like Sleater-Kinney whose song "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" I named the book after. I dreamed of a world where they would take over the mainstream rock airwaves.

Did you have a goal while writing either of these books? A specific message or meaning you hoped people would take away from the experience? Or were they just stories that needed telling?

They were just stories that needed telling. I honestly wrote both books because they were the books I needed as a teenager. I was a punk kid and I wanted there to be this big girl rock revolution, and would have loved reading about it, so I wrote it. On a more serious note, my friends and I were dealing with some pretty heavy stuff like the characters in Ballads, but in the mid-90s there weren't really YA books that dealt with that or if they did, they were all preachy and after-school special like. I just wanted to see someone like who survived so that I could draw strength from that. I wrote that story to give voice to teenage me and all the other teenagers like me who weren't seeing their stories out there.

Do you look back on either of these novels and see things you would like to change? Things you wish you would have done differently?

There is one minor character in IWBYJR that I wanted to kill off, but my agent told me not to. I still sort of wish I had. I can't really say more without spoilers. There are probably sentences or words here or there that I might change just because everyone grows as a writer (hopefully) so I might see a phrase as awkward or overwritten now that I didn't back then, but if I intentionally looked for that stuff it would make me crazy, so I don't. I am very proud of those books. I told the stories I wanted to tell. The only thing I wish is that I'd fought harder for them to be marketed more as YA. Sometimes they were in the adult sections of book stories and libraries and I want more teens to be able to find them.

I know the 'Bartender Book' is considered to be more Women's Fiction than YA, but is there crossover appeal? Are the people (specifically the teens) who enjoyed your previous novels likely to want to read the Bartender Book?

I must say that the Bartender Book isn't the actual title, I'm just being all secretive about that because I'm afraid of jinxing it, but yeah it is set a lot in a bar, so that and the fact that the main characters are 18 and 38 makes it "women's fiction" rather than YA, but like IWBYJR it is a mother/daughter story. The mother is in the story a lot more than Louisa was in IWBYJR because the chapters alternate, but the mother is actually a lot more like a teenager than the daughter. I actually tried to inject a bit more humor into it because I had to after writing a book like Ballads or that ulcer would come back for good, but it's not a "light" book by any means
It deals with a lot of the same issues as my other books though, like finding a home or place to fit in, coping with grief and life not turning out like how you thought it would be. I'm pitching it as "an edgier version of The Gilmore Girls." So if you liked that show and/or if you like my other books, I think you'll like this one. At least I hope so!

Any hints or ideas you can give us for what is in the works next?

The Bartender Book is only just going on submission, so I'm not deep into anything else yet. I have three ideas... No, two, I think I've successfully limited it down to two. They are both YA, so a YA project is definitely next. They are both the edgy, real-life type of stories that readers have come to expect from me, but both would have a paranormal/magical realism twist to them because I have always admired Francesca Lia Block and wanted to add some small element of strangeness to the very real contemporary issues that my characters are dealing with. Though I love reading paranormal and sci-fi books, I'm kind of afraid to dip more than my feet into those waters, but I feel like I should at least deep my feet in and challenge myself if that makes sense.

Other than the writing itself, what is the hardest part of being a writer.

Honestly there are a lot of hard parts. Waiting is hard. Things happen at a snail's pace in publishing. Rejection is super hard and so is reading really nasty reviews. I am not a thick-skinned person and that is why I would say hardest of all is the self-doubt and the worrying. Even though I have two books published, I worry that I am not good enough to get published again. I worry that I will never be successful enough as a writer to properly make ends meet and should get a more reliable job. I worry that I will run out of ideas or start to suck. I worry that deep down I really do suck, but have been managing to squeak by somehow. In short, there is a lot of self-doubt and worrying that goes along with writing for me. But I do my damnedest to push past it because I love telling stories, I don't know what I would do if I couldn't write.

Anything else you'd like to add or share with us?

I just want to thank you for having me and supporting contemporary fiction!

You are so welcome Stephanie and thank you so very much for being a part of this event! You are amazing and I for one am very grateful that you keep writing! Can't wait to read your next book!

And now — The giveaway! Because Stephanie is all kinds of awesome, she has donated a signed copy of either of her books, winners choice! How awesome is that?! Both are amazing and I'm so excited that you will have a chance to win!

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below! It's open US/CN only will end Dec 10 and there are chances for extra entries!! I promise, you don't want to miss this one! Here is the link to Rookie , the online magazine. Going there will get you extra giveaway entries!

I am so insanely excited to have Jay Asher on my blog today! I read Thirteen Reasons Why in college and it just slayed me. Such a phenomenal story, totally brilliant. AND because he really iscompletely awesome, he's donated a signed copy of Thirteen Reasons Why. Information below.

Thirteen Reasons Why is a very powerful and emotional book. What inspired this book?

A close relative of mine attempted suicide when she was a junior in high school, the same age as Hannah Baker in the novel. Around that same time, I came up with the idea of an audiotour-style novel, using two simultaneous narrators. Nine years later, the subject matter and the structure came together, and I began writing the book. I knew the structure allowed me to discuss the very serious issues with an element of suspense, which was important to me. There's no reason serious books shouldn't also be entertaining.

Did you always know the direction you wanted Thirteen Reasons Why to go? Or did Hannah and Clay surprise you? I always knew the emotional arc of Hannah's character, but the details that happened along the way were mostly surprises. As well, I had already written a large chunk of the book before I realized Clay's role in the story. Basically, I wanted to keep myself in the dark as much as possible, discovering the story as I went along. That way, if it was a suprise to me, I figured it would also be a surprise to the readers.

Did you have any idea writing this book the kind of reaction it would have? That so many people would so connect to it, would find it so powerful and emotional?
I had no idea this many people would love the book and tell so many other people about it. I always figured it would have a very strong, but rather small, following. There just happens to be a lot more people than I anticipated who allowed themselves to open up and try to understand what Hannah was going through. Many times, that's because they could identify with her a little bit. Other times, it's because they knew other people who'd been through similar circumstances. My main focus while writing Hannah's story was to write it with completely raw honesty, and I think that's what connected with so many people.

What has most surprised you (positive, negative or both) about the response to Thirteen Reasons Why? On the positive side, it surprised me how many readers say the book inspired them to reach out and get help. They identified with Hannah in some ways, but also recognized where she could have, and should have, done more for herself. On the negative side, I'm always surprised when people say they didn't like the book because they didn't think Hannah had good reasons to kill herself. Of course she didn't! Does anyone? Yet it still happens. The alternative is to have written a book where, when people were done with it, they said, "Yep, she totally did the right thing." People who were hoping to read a book like that, they make me a little nervous.

The Future of Us, your upcoming release, is not really Contemporary. Was it a lot different than writing Contemporary? Which do you prefer?

The premise required us to set our world in 1996, but we didn't write it any differently than if it took place today. Along the same line, there's a sci-fi element to the story, but we wanted it to feel very real. So while it's set in the mid-90s, and has a fantastic element, we wanted it to feel like a realistic contemporary novel.

You also wrote Future as part of a team. What was that writing experience like? Would you want to write as a team again, or do you prefer solo writing?
It honestly felt no different than writing alone... just faster. Before Carolyn Mackler and I wrote a single word, we had several discussions about our writing styles and philosophies. Because we have very similar thoughts on those things, the entire time we wrote and brainstormed the story, we never clashed. Sometimes we challenged each other, but always pushing toward the same goal. Having someone to bounce ideas around with every step of the way, the process flowed much quicker than usual. So while I would be afraid to write a book with someone else, because there's no way they could compare to writing with Carolyn, it was much more enjoyable to write as a team (with that team!) than writing alone.

What's next for you? Any information you can share with us about your work in progress? Nothing I can share, no. Like I said, I like surprises!
Oh you tease!! I cannot wait to see what you will be working on next! Thank you so much for taking part in my event! It's been awesome having you here!! And, as mentioned previously, Jay has donated a signed paperback of Thirteen Reasons Why. This is an International giveaway. (Everyone should tell Jay how awesome he is, because he is the one shipping the book. The contest will close, as are all Just Contemporary contests on December 10th. Enter on the widget below. (Also, I feel like I have to say that I am jealous of whoever wins this one. This is one of the books I would love to have signed! Le sigh.:) )

Today's guest post is from one of my favorite author people. Lisa Schroeder is seriously one of the nicest authors I've ever spoken to and the fact that I love her writing just makes it all better. She was one of the first authors I thought about when thinking about who to invite for Just Contemporary and I was thrilled when she said yes! So here are her thoughts on Contemporary fiction, why she reads it, and why she writes it.

Why Contemporary:
If you were to ask me my favorite authors, most of them would be contemporary authors. John Green, Sara Zarr, Stephanie Perkins, Sonya Sones, and more. Of course, I love other genres too. Laini Taylor is one of the best authors of our time, and I will read everything she writes because she takes me to amazing places I didn't even know I wanted to go.
But why contemporary? Why am I primarily drawn to the stories about real people dealing with real issues?
I think it's because life can be hard. Like, really freaking hard. And usually, in a contemporary YA novel, we find a character who is struggling with something. And I love watching them go through whatever painful thing it is they're going through, and coming out the other side okay. Maybe even better than okay.
From a young age, I learned life doesn't always go the way you want it to go. People hurt you. People leave you. People tell you one thing, and do another. Contemporary fiction reminds us we aren't alone in dealing with the crap life hands us. Not only that, it shows us that it's possible to make it through, despite the fear and pain and sadness.
My YA novels are very much about teens who have had something bad happen to them.
In I Heart You, You Haunt Me, Ava's boyfriend has been killed in a tragic accident. In Far From You, Alice's mom has died from cancer. In The Day Before, Amber has discovered the family she loves isn't her biological family, and now she has to go and live with people she's never even met.
I've been told my books make people cry. That is probably because life makes me cry. And so, what do I do with that pain? I put it into my stories. I put it there, for other people to experience along with me. But I do it with a purpose. Every character, at the end of my books, has hope.
Because you guys, for me, it's all about that wonderful, beautiful thing called hope.
Isn't it hope that keeps us going? The hope that things will get better. That the pain won't last forever. That a day will come when we look outside and we see more beauty than heartache.
Adult books don't always end on a hopeful note. But books for kids and teens pretty much always do.
That's why I love them. And that's why I'll keep writing them.
***
Lisa Schroeder is the author of numerous books for kids and teens, including her lastest YA novel The Day Before (Simon Pulse) and the MG novel Sprinkles and Secrets (Aladdin). She lives with her husband, two teenage sons, and the cutest pets you've ever seen just outside Portland, Oregon. You can visit her on the web at www.lisaschroederbooks.com.

Beautiful post Lisa! And SO well worded!! Guys!! Do you SEE why I love her?! I mean, really!:) And to further prove her awesome, Lisa has been generous to donate a signed copy of Far From You, one of her amazingly beautiful verse novels. Enter below! Ends December 10th US Only MUST leave a MEANINGFUL comment for Lisa, letting her know you read and appreciate her post.

Earlier today, Shanyn posted an awesome interview with Elizabeth Scott. I almost had a review up for today, but didn't manage to finish the book in time, so you'll just have to wait for it. (But I'm sure it's coming soon.:) ) BUT — I definitely think you should go check out Shanyn's interview — Go ahead. This post isn't going any where.

But I also wanted to 'say a few words' about Elizabeth Scott.

Normally, I am a huge fan of those really tough issue books. That is where I generally gravitate and I'll be honest and admit that I'm rarely drawn to the... lighter, more romantic Contemporary fare. But, I kept hearing Scott's name come up as a must read every time someone asked for an awesome & cute & romantic Contemporary recommendation. I saw Something, Maybe and The Unwritten Rule on sale so I snagged them — and Sigh. Something, Maybe was just such an incredibly fun and cute book. Ashley is full of love!! And The Unwritten Rule seriously surprised me too! I didn't expect to like either book so much (although both for different reasons) and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself hugging the book and thinking — Love! when I finished. (If you want to know more about why I love them, the above links take you to my reviews). I haven't read all of Scott's books yet but I own a copy of them all and I plan to read every one of them (hopefully in the near future)

If you haven't given Elizabeth Scott a try yet, I strongly suggest that you do! AND — to make it easy for you, I am also hosting a giveaway for 5 copies of Between Here and Forever. (Note — This is a separate giveaway from the one Shanyn is hosting, so really there are 10 copies available between the two of us.:) )

These books have been donated by Elizabeth Scott (because she is made of awesome) and she is shipping them out herself. Because of this, it is US Only. The giveaway will run through the entire month of November, ending on December 10th. Enter below:)

Hey everyone and help me welcome Julianna today! She's a character in the upcoming Never Eighteen and she has agreed to answer a few questions for us today!

If you could change one of your past choices, change one decision that you made, what would it be?

I wish I'd never said yes to Ben.

Austin worried about you, because of the situation with your boyfriend, and made sure to talk to you, to try and persuade you to get out of a dangerous relationship. Do you have any intention of following Austin's advice? Of getting help before it's too late?

It’s already too late. I have no doubt in my mind that if I try to break up with Ben he’ll hurt me again, maybe even kill me this time. He’s threatened it before and I have no reason not to believe him. I stood up to him once—told him I was tired of his shit and that he better stop or I was going to call the cops. You know what he did? He laughed. Then he choked me to the point that I passed out. When I woke up he was leaning over me. Scared the hell out of me. I’ll never forget what he said. “Try to leave again and next time you won’t wake up.”

Austin spent a lot of time thinking about how he wanted to spend that weekend and you were definitely one of his priorities. Does knowing that trying to make sure you would be safe was one of his priorities make you more inclined to listen to his advice? What does knowing that mean to you?

Austin lost his right to care when he broke up with me. I mean, he comes over to my house with Kaylee? Things didn’t exactly end well between us. I was in love with him and he broke my heart. Just because he’s seeing the world through death glasses, doesn’t mean he has the right to butt in where he has no business.

How did you feel at the party, when Austin stepped in front of you?

I wanted to hit him. Such an idiot. He just made everything worse. I got a good beating after that party. One of the worst. Ben didn’t even bother to hit me in places that wouldn’t show like he normally does. I had a black eye, a swollen lip. I had to lie to my parents about what happened. If he wasn’t already dying, I might just kill him.

What would you say has been the defining moment or experience of your life so far?

Defining moment? I don’t have any defining moments. The only thing that defines me is Ben. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Oh Julianna! It's never too late! This interview is breaking my heart, because I know that there are people who feel this way. So I'm going to take a moment here to just say — There is never such this as too late. Find people who you can talk to, who can help you. There are always options!

ALSO — Megan has been generous enough to donate some fun & awesome swag!! Just leave me a comment with your email address AND a statement related to Never Eighteen or the character interview above!


The swag pack includes a bookmark, sticker, bracelet, notebook, pen, temporary tattoo, a button, pack of tissues and a CD of songs that inspired the novel. This giveaway is also open Internationally and will close in 10 days, on November 9.

Author Janet Gurtler has helped us today get Jackson, one of the main secondary characters in her upcoming novel If I Tell, to stop by and answer some questions. He was genuinely one of my favorite characters in this book, so I was thrilled to get this chance to hear from him!

Jasmine is really shy and can be hard to talk to when you first meet her. What were your impressions or thoughts after that first time you spoke to her?

I had already noticed Jaz at school and knew she was shy. I thought it was amazingly cute how flustered she got when we spoke.

What do you think of Jasmine's decision not to tell her mom about what she saw? Do you
think it's right or okay to keep that kind of secret from someone?

It was her decision to make and she made it for the reasons she thought were right. I try not to judge. Secrets are hard. Sometimes they’re necessary. I believe that it’s okay to do things to protect the people you care about.

If you had the chance to meet Jasmine again for the first time, would you change anything
about that initial conversation? Would you do anything differently?

Nope. I’m pretty happy with the way things turned out, so why would I want to change anything and risk jinxing it!

If you were given the choice, would you pick to have your deepest wish come true? Or to beable to grant a wish for someone else?

Someone else.

What would your wish have been?

I would wish that my mom could have been a happier person. And that my grandma didn’t have to worry about me or money ever again in her life.

We know from reading the book that music is a huge part of your life, but what about reading? Any favorite books?

Books are cool. I have an eclectic taste in books. My favorite would have to be All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.

Thanks so much for stopping by Jackson! It's been great to hear your thoughts!

Today, Shanice Williams, author of Kane Richards Must Die is visiting today to share some This or That answers with us!:)

Spring or Fall

Hmm, definitely spring. I love seeing all blooming flowers and falling petals from the trees So cute.

Hardcover or Paperback

Makes no difference to me. But I guess hardcover has that more kinda “serious business” feel to it.:)

M&Ms — Peanut or Peanut Butter

Don’t think I’ve ever tried peanut butter ones. So just the peanut for me!

(What?! No PB M&Ms?! EVER?! You are SO missing out! They are the best!!)

Barefoot or Shoes

Depends on the situation I guess. I won’t be walking through the snow barefoot unless I want my toes to fall off! I’ll just say Shoes:)

One room library or Books in every room in your house

Books in every room. Might as well add a touch of knowledge in every room than have it all bundled in one place!

A little bit of clutter or Everything perfectly neat and tidy

Everything’s more fun with a little bit of clutter! You get to find things that you was looking for a couple weeks back while you’re searching for something else!

Past or Future

Past has the memories and the little things that make you who you are. I’m always wishing I could go back rather than go forward.

Uncertain theory or Absolute fact

Uncertain theory I think. Facts are so boring. Uncertainty brings mystery!:)

Marvel or DC comics

Um… Marvel? I don’t really read comics so I’m just going with the one that sounds familiar.

Legos or Lincoln logs

Ha! Not quite sure what Lincoln logs are, so Legos for me!

(Sadness! What is it with no one knowing about Lincoln logs?! They are almost as awesome as legos!!)

Detailed planning or Spontaneous decisions

Hmm.. Spontaneous decisions I think!

Ocean or Mountains

Mountains. You can get right in there without drowning. So to speak.

Gum or Breath mint

Gum! Keeps your mouth working for longer. (LOL)

Truth or Dare

Truth. I’m a real scaredy cat when it comes to dares.

Painting or Photograph

Photograph. That’s where the real memories are!

Thanks so much for stopping by Shanice! I have to say that (other than being shocked and slightly appalled that you are unfamiliar with both Lincoln Logs and PB M&Ms) I agree with most of your choices! This was a fun T/T to read through!

Today's character guest is Richard, one of the two narrators from Second Hand Heart, a book that covers a lot of emotional ground. Richard made the decision to donate his wife's organs after her death and meets Vida, the recipient of the heart. He's here today to give us a little more information about how he feels now.

Why did you initially decide to meet Vida? Your mother in law knew you wanted to meet her, and yet she only warned you against meeting the heart recipient. I know why the heart was the 'most important' organ for you, but why didn't you try to even meet the other recipients?

I know this sounds overly simple, but…Vida asked. Well, her mother asked. Abigail. If I’d been invited to meet the old woman in Tiburon who received Lori’s corneas, I might have. But still. There’s that fascination with a heart. Someone’s heart. It’s just a bit more to the point about a person than their corneas. Somebody told me about this interesting little experiment: if you ask people to point to themselves, they’ll almost always point to their own hearts. Rarely their brains, though we say we put so much stock in brains. Never their corneas.

We don’t use the phrase “the heart of the matter” for nothing.

Frankly, I think Myra would have warned me against anything that brought my loss more sharply into focus. That’s just who she is. She means well, and she was a lot of support for me. But she dealt with the loss of her daughter by keeping it at a distance. Sometimes people have to walk right into the sorrow if they want to heal.

In fairness, I only asked her advice about Vida. And I think it was my level of investment in the situation that set off her warning bells. I think I decided to meet Vida because of sheer curiosity. I knew the curiosity was not going to leave me alone. Or maybe I thought it would make me feel better. And it did. But not in the short run.

If you were able to do something differently in your relationship with Vida, what would you change?

Oh, God. So much. Everything.
I would have believed her. Trusted her to know what she was feeling. Really listened to her when she tried to tell me what her world was like. I treated her like a foolish child. And, well, in some ways she was. But she’d never really been given a chance to grow up. In other ways she knew more than I did.

God, I would do that whole thing over if I could. But I can’t. And, Vida being Vida, she doesn’t blame me. It’s not in her to hold a grudge.

If Vida never again made contact, would you continue to express an active interest in her life?

Oh, absolutely. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. Wonder where she is. If she’s okay. And not just the heart, either. The girl wrapped around it, too.

What do you think the most important part of your story? The most important thing for people to take away from reading about this experience?

I think the key lies in the difference between Myra and me. When we advise others about loss, how often are we really telling them to ignore it, or distract themselves? When we advise each other on our actions, aren’t we usually telling each other not to take a risk, so we won’t get hurt?

I know we mean well. But in my experience, the greatest changes and experiences in life happen when we take risks and get hurt. I’m glad for the whole experience with Vida, painful as it was. I’m a different person as a result of that. I wouldn’t subtract that pain from my experience for all the money on earth. It woke me up to life. This was the first time you had ever tried keeping a journal. Do you think it is something you would want to continue or resume in the future? Or is it something that you feel will be reserved for this portion of your life?

I think it’s one of those things like breaking down a dam. I don’t think I will ever manage to dam up my feelings again. Now that they’re flowing, I think I’ll always journal. As Ram Dass (or Richard Alpert, for starchy academics like myself) once said. “The trouble with awakening is that you just can’t seem to get back to sleep.”
Thanks so much for sharing! I love the extra details and information you've given us!

Today, I have J.L. Powers, author of This Thing Called the Future here to share with us to share the books her main character, Khosi would love. Who doesn't like talking about books right?! So here we go!

What books do my characters love?

In my recent novel, This Thing Called the Future, my main character Khosi is a fourteen year old citizen of South Africa, struggling with school, a boy she likes, and the conflict between her grandmother (who is a traditional Zulu) and her mother (who is very modern and wants Khosi to leave behind what she calls the “superstition of the old ways”). Khosi wants to please everybody in her life, but she also wants to be herself. At the beginning of the novel, the next-door neighbor accuses Khosi’s mother of stealing money; a witch
curses the family; and a drunk man with shape-shifting powers starts to stalk Khosi.

Khosi doesn’t have access to a lot of books, since her family struggles to survive and doesn't have extra money for books. And to be honest, she doesn't crack open a book during the entire novel. But she loves school and there is a library there. So what books would she check out and read in her spare time?

Khosi’s world is steeped in mystery and spiritual beings that talk to her, help her, and wreck havoc in her life. She would definitely be a fan of fantasy and would probably appreciate the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien’s creation of evil beings, and the ability of goodness to stand up against evil power, would appeal to her. She would probably enjoy books by Janni Lee Simner. She would probably like the classic fantasy books by Madeleine L’Engle and would definitely identify with Nancy Farmer’s protagonist Nhamo in A Girl Named Disaster.

She would probably find the books by Gabriel Garcia Marqez to be set in a world that is familiar to her—the spiritual and the physical worlds meshed together, not kept distinct and separated the way they are in so many books written by American and European writers.

Khosi also loves loves loves science, so although it’s not sexy to say so, she would probably really like to read a biology textbook. Most of the herbal knowledge she will eventually learn and know will come to her through access to her ancestors, who have passed on to the other world, as well as from her mentor who ushers her into the secret knowledge of traditional healers. But still, she’d like a handbook on herbal lore, especially one that identified the herbs of South Africa. Perhaps she’d like Mad Apple by Christina Meldrum because of the plant and herbal lore in it.

And this might surprise people but, like many girls in South Africa today, she probably read the Twilight series and swooned over Jacob and Edward!

How fun! What a varied list!! Thanks so much for stopping by to share with us today J.L.!

Today's guest is Gemma Halliday, author of the soon to be released Deadly Cool. She's here today to share with us some insider info on her cover. Not gonna lie — I'm kinda diggin those eyes!:)

How much input did you get into your cover?

My publisher was really great about including me in the cover choices. They asked tons of great questions about the characters, the setting, the plot, etc. Unfortunately, I'm not super visually creative, so I mostly let them do their thing. I figured as long as they understood the feel of the book, they'd know far better than I would what sort of cover would catch readers' attention.

Do you like the way it turned out?

I absolutely love it! It's sort of eerie and cool at the same time. The girl on the front is gorgeous and perfectly fits the visual look of the character in the story that she represents. (She's the murder victim, by the way.)

How well do you think the cover fits your story?

Very well. I think it really conveys the dynamics of social status and the "beautiful people" at my character's high school, as well as serving up a hint of mystery, too. Plus I absolutely adore how they used the ear buds as part of the title. Those play very prominently into the story.

Are those blue eyes real?: P

I wish I knew! They look so vibrant, right? I've already had one parent write to me saying that her daughter wanted to get blue contacts after reading the book.

If there is one thing you could change about your cover, what would it be?

I honestly wouldn’t change anything! I really love it and have had several people comment on how striking it is. I guess if there was just *one tiny* element in my story that I feel the cover doesn’t portray, I'd say it's humor. Even though this is a murder mystery, there is a lot of humor in the story. However, like I said, I really am in love with it and am beyond pleased with the art department!

Thank you so much for stopping by Gemma! I love how thrilled you are with the cover! It's pretty awesome and definitely eye-catching! Kudos to the art department!

Welcome to Robinson Wells today, author of Variant who is here to share with us some memories of the teenage years.:)

So, I’m not sure if I understand this correctly: If I was selling all of this stuff at a garage sale, that would mean that I don’t like it, right? If there was something I was selling as a teenager, then it wouldn’t matter much, so I’m going to change the rules: this isn’t a teenage garage sale; it’s a museum of my teenage years.

A collection of Supertramp CDs: No I’m not old enough that I was into Supertramp when they first came out (in the seventies), but for whatever reason I latched onto them as a teenager. I think it first was because of the kitsch of it—I mean, they have an album called “Breakfast In America”—but they started growing on me to the point where I owned all their albums and listened to them constantly. (I’m mostly over them now. Mostly.)

A fishing tackle box full of oil paints: Long before I ever thought about writing, my creative outlet was in the visual arts. My mom signed me up for an oil painting class when I was about eleven, and I really fell in love with it. (I don’t mean to brag, but I once took fourth place in the Utah State Fair. I’m kind of a big deal.) Sadly, writing has taken all my painting time away, and I haven’t done anything in years.

A road sign: In typical teenage fashion, my friends and I went through a phase when we would try to acquire (steal) the best signs we could find. We made a rule that we’d never do anything unsafe—no stealing STOP signs, or anything like that—but we got a lot of awesome ones. And, fortunately, one of our friends had a bus stop in front of his house, and we’d re-hang our stolen signs in front of his place: my favorite was a sign from the cemetery directing hearses toward the correct entrance. As you can imagine, my friend’s dad was not happy about this kind of thing.

A drafting table: In addition to painting, I briefly worked as a teenager drawing houses for real estate advertisements. I’m not great at drawing other things, but I can draw the heck out of a tract home.

My student government sweater: I think I ran for office every single year of junior high and high school, and never won, and then my senior year came around and I ran and lost AGAIN. But then they created a new position, held a special election, and I finally won! I was the Assembly Coordinator, which was a horrible job that I never would have taken had I not so desperately wanted to be in student government.

A 1972 Chevy Impala: This was my first car (and, since you don’t know how old I am, it was more than twenty years old when I had it). My dad bought it from someone for $300, and it ran about as well as you’d expect for a $300 car. The main benefit of the car was that it was indestructible—it was made of solid steel. More than once, as I was backing into the driveway, I hit the concrete side stairs and heard horrible scraping only to jump out and see the car was completely unscathed—not even a scratch in the paint.

Playbills from numerous shows: I came from a singing and dancing family, and we (all of us, Mom and Dad included) ended up heavily involved in community theater. Although I did my share of acting and singing (I could NEVER figure out how to dance), I ended up falling in love with the backstage stuff, and eventually worked for years doing set design.

How fun! I come from a theater family too! I love that you guys all got involved together. I can't tell you how many times I get that look when family members ask me why I'm not involved with a show.: P Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

I'm SO sorry! This was supposed to post on Friday, but apparently blogger's scheduling has failed me.: ( So, a few days late, here is a fun This or That questionnaire with the author of My Beating Teenage Heart (among with several others).

Spring or Fall

Spring because it means there are months and months of warm weather ahead of me whereas during fall I find it impossible forget winter’s right around the corner. My absolute favourite month is May.

Past or Future

Past. Not that I prefer it because who can say what the future will bring but I do tend to get very nostalgic about certain periods in my past, especially my years in Dublin in the 90s.

Marvel or DC Comics

I read more graphic novels than comic books and am a bigger fan of Drawn and Quarterly, Slave Labor and Fantagraphics than either Marvel or DC.

Legos or Lincoln Logs

We always had Lego at my house growing up so I have to go with them. I wasn’t sure what Lincoln logs were and Googled them and they look really cool too. I don’t know why I never had any of those!

Detailed planning or spontaneous decisions

Detailed planning, for sure. You should see all the research print-outs I amass when going on holiday.

Turkey or Ham

Turkey. I could practically have it every day for a week without getting tired of it. I don’t like ham but crispy bacon is yummy.

Sweet or Salty

Salty. I’m a potato chip fiend. I discovered Pop chips not long ago (they pop their chips rather than frying them so they’re healthier) and they’re amazing. When I was young I sometimes used to eat Oxo (bouillon) cubes on their own because I was crazy for the salt. Kinda gross, I know.

Ocean or Mountains

Ideally both like in Vancouver but if I had to choose I love being near the water so have to vote for ocean.

Hardcover or Paperback

Paperbacks because they’re lighter and more portable, though I’m not a fan of e-books (which are the ultimate in portability). I prefer reading a physical copy of a book, even if it’s one I borrowed from the library.

Truth or Dare

Truth, because I’m a chicken!

M&Ms — Peanut or Peanut Butter

Peanut butter. And now I’m craving some!

A one room library or Books in every room in your house

Ideally I’d prefer a library but since our apartment is small right now it’s more like books in every room.

Gum or Breath Mint

When I’m over in Ireland or England I go mental for spearmint Polo mints but normally I prefer a long lasting gum like Excel sweet mint.

Painting or Photograph

I like both a lot but I’m better at taking photos, when it comes to painting I’m purely a spectator.

Uncertain theory or Absolute fact

The detailed planner in me is drawn to absolute fact but my curious mind is pulled in the direction of uncertain theory. Ultimately curiosity wins here, I’m going with uncertain theory.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today! I seriously love your answers!:) PB M&Ms ftw dude, FTW!!

(You can skip this whole post by just clicking THIS LINK RIGHT HERE. Or, you can stick around to read my blatherings on [and lets be honest, you know you love it; P] and then click the same link down below)

Earlier this year, I read and loved Antony John's Five Flavors of Dumb. I haven't reviewed it, because I'm lame like that, but I loved it. Like, a lot. Seriously. It's one of the most intensely unique books I think I've read in a very long time, and seriously — it boasts one of the most fantastically awesome set of characters that I have ever come across. I mean I just... Well, I'll save all my lovin for my review (which will go up sometime, hopefully) soon.

But this post is for something different. Something I never, ever do. I'm going to tell you about a giveaway that someone else is having.

If you haven't already figured it out, Antony John is kind of like, you know, made of win. Many of you know that I'm hosting an event in November devoted entirely to Contemporary YA (and if you don't, shame on you — here is the link to the Just Contemporary Intro post). Given that I seriously loved Five Flavors of Dumb, I really wanted to see if Antony would be interested in participating. And he's totally in!! How exciting is that?!

The paperback release of Dumb is coming up at the end of this month, the 29th if I'm not mistaken, and Antony has set up an awesome giveaway to coincide with this release. He's offering a signed bookplate to anyone who orders a paperback copy and he's also entering anyone who lets him know they purchased a copy into a giant giveaway prize pack of win. It's one of those prize packs that make you go all week and wobbly in the knees.

So go check it out. The full details are available on his blog-

FIND THE DETAILS BY CLICKING THIS LINK

And really, if you haven't discovered the awesomeness that is this book, you should go do that now, so we an be friends again.:)

Hey everyone! Help me welcome Sarah Raymond, author of Signs of Martha to the blog today! She's helping share some This or That questions from John, one of the characters from her book! I liked John a lot — He's real down to earth, just a solid, steady guy. Let's see what he thinks about-

Spring or Fall
Spring is planting time, when the new year is dawning and you haven’t started worrying yet about the price of corn.

Past or Future
The past is over and done with and there isn’t a darn thing you can do about it. Look to the future or you’ll end up in the gutter of regret. It’s the truth.

Marvel or DC Comics
Neither, as I don’t have time for comic books. On a rare holiday I might read a science fiction novel.

Legos or Lincoln Logs
Lincoln Logs. Call me old-fashioned.

Detailed planning or spontaneous decisions
If you want to get somewhere in life, I’m afraid you have some detailed planning to do.

Turkey or Ham
I’ll take either, or whichever there’s more of.

Sweet or Salty
Sweet. In life, I mean. You need a little sweetness, but not too much or your teeth and your attitude will erode down to sorry pits.

Ocean or Mountains
Mountains, absolutely. They’re like the future. You have to look up.

Hardcover or Paperback
Hardcover. What I buy, I keep, and hardcover books are for keeps.

Truth or Dare
Truth and nothing but the truth.

M&Ms — Peanut or Peanut Butter
What kind of question is that? I’m still thinking about scaling mountains and about truth.

A one room library or Books in every room in your house.
A one-room library. Everything in its place.

Gum or Breath Mint
Breath mints keep me fresh.

Painting or Photograph
Photographs, I believe, are more dependable.

Uncertain theory or Absolute fact
Fact. Absolutely.

Thanks so much for stopping by to share with us! And I still maintain that the M&Ms question is totally legit! Who doesn't love M&Ms?!: P

Visiting today, we have R.T. Kaelin, author of Progeny: The Children of the White Lions. He's stopping by today to talk about how he came up with the idea for the cover, what decisions went into creating it, and why he chose such a stark look for an epic fantasy. Let's welcome him!

The idea for the cover came to me very early on in the process of writing the book. The title of the novel is “Progeny” with the subtitle—and the name of the series—being “The Children of the White Lions.” The White Lions—a group of heroes from the past—were going to be a very important part to the story and history of the world, and the cover is a simple reflection of the origin of their moniker.

I purposely chose the cover to be a stark, simple look for a number of reasons. Most fantasy novels have a million different things happening on the cover. Or the art tries to capture too much of the essence of the story and it ends up feeling forced. I wanted the opposite. Put Progeny on the shelf in your local bookstore, run your eyes over the selections, and see how it stands out.

The design is also somewhat iconic in the sense that the subsequent books in the series can have the same basic look and there will be no mistake as to what series the books belong. My plan is for there to be other logos and the title of the next books to be in different colors, but the basic design will be the same.

The current cover is actually a second version. For the first five months the book was available, it did not have “The Children of the White Lions” on the cover. Also added was “Vol. 1” on the spine, and a collection of review quotes on the back cover. One of the nice things about being an indie author and publisher is that I was able to make that change on my own.

That would be a nice benefit — being able to make the changes you chose! Thanks so much for stopping by today R.T.!