Merry Wanderer of the Night [Search results for Author Guest Post] 

Fairy Tale Fortnight is officially over! This is our final post, one last time to speak while you are all listening, and we wanted to take this opportunity to express our thanks. It's a bit bittersweet actually. It will be nice for us to have our days back in our control, rather than being consumed with magic and wishes, witches and trolls, but at the same time, we're sure going to miss it. It's been a huge part of these last couple months. We have had such an awesome turn out! There were so very many awesome people who expressed interest and made Fairy Tale Fortnight a part of their April.

This event has been a crazy awesome experience for me! I have had a blast spending so much time in this world of fairy tales and meeting, or getting to know better, so many awesome people! Whether it's my fairy tale soul twin (I'm looking at you, Bonnie) or my Fairy Tale Sister who seems to share my Fairy Tale brain wave length (cue Twilight Zone theme song, and enter Misty!) or bringing my Twitter friends into the Fairy Tale Fun (hello to Enna, Farah, Jayme, Lynn Marie, and Laura) But everyone who participated has made this event great! It really meant a lot that so many people were able to come together and share a love of fairy tales. I hope you all enjoyed this event as much as I did.

in my blog to fill out our survey for the event, and tell us what you thought!

And for all of you who participated, and all of you who read the posts and shared some fairy tale love, Misty and Ashley have one thing to say to you:

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you for joining us, for reading the posts, for writing your own posts, tweeting and spreading the word, putting our button on your sites, talking about it with your friends. Thanks to the authors who took time out of their busy schedules to answer emails and interview questions, write up guest posts and offer giveaway prizes, and generally make these two bloggers shake and shimmy squee. (be glad you couldn't see/hear it... it wasn't pretty) You are all wonderful people, truly amazing and this event would not have been this amazing without you. Again, thank you. Thank you, thank you, and we hope to see you all again next year.

What's that you say?! Next year? Yup! Fairy Tale Fortnight will return again next year. Tell all your friends.

Here is an alphabetical list of all the wonderful participants.
For links to each participants contribution, in my blog to be taken to the schedule

Alanna (giveaway [2], guest post [2]) Alex Flinn (author interview) Ammy Belle (guest post [2]) Andrea (photo guest post) Angelique (video clip) Bonnie (guest post, sent authors to us) Carolyn Turgeon (author interview, giveaway) Cindy Pon (author interview) CSI Librarian (guest post [2]) Curlypow (guest post) Danya (guest post) Diane Zahler (author interview, giveaway) Donna Jo Napoli (author interview, giveaway, video clip) Edie (giveaway) Elie (fill-in game) Elizabeth C. Bunce (author interview, giveaway) Emily (guest post [2]) Enna Isilee (giveaway, guest post [2]) Erika (guest post, video clip) Farrah (video clip) Heather Dixon (guest post) Her Royal Orangeness (guest post) Jaclyn Dolamore (author interview, giveaway, guest post, video clip) Janette Rallison (author interview, giveaway) Jayme (guest post, video clip) Jen (video clip) Jennifer (giveaway, guest post) Jessica Day George (author interview, giveaway, guest post, video hello) JG (fill-in game, giveaway) Khadija (fill-in game) Kristen (giveaway, guest post [2]) Kristen C (giveaway, guest post) Laura (guest post) Liz (video clip) Lynn Marie (video clip) Marissa Meyer (author interview, guest post) Maureen McGowan (fill-in game) Meghan Nuttall Sayres (giveaway) Mel U (guest post [2]) Mette Ivie Harrison (author interview, giveaway, guest post) Midnyte Reader (guest post) Miss Eliza (guest post) Nancy Werlin (giveaway) NoraBell (video clip) One A Day YA (video clip) Sara (guest post, video clip) (and her daughter) Katelin (video clip) Sarah Porter (author interview) Sierra (giveaway [2], guest post [2]) Sheila D (giveaway, guest post) Susan Fletcher (giveaway) Tia Nevitt (author interview) Titania (giveaway, guest post [2]) Tricia (guest post) Velvet (giveaway) Zoë Marriot (author interview, giveaway, guest post, video clip)

So, it's no secret that I love Contemporary Fiction. Or, if it is — I'm going to feel like a failure as a book lover and blogger. Because Contemporary Fiction has been my absolute favorite genre for my whole entire life. I was thinking about this the other day, about how I wanted to do something majorly huge to demonstrate to the whole world just how much I obsess over love Contemporary Fiction.

So, I was thinking out loud on Twitter, asking what people would think of a Contemporary Only Month on the blog. And the response was awesome! It warms my heart to see just how many people really love Contemporary. Shanyn over at Chick Loves Lit was especially helpful, offering ideas and just being her generally awesome self & I thought.. Hmm. I love her blog. I know she loves Contemporary Fiction. I wonder if she'd want to co-host with me. So I asked, she said yes and Viola!:)

So, now that I've talked way to much about why I wanted to have this Contemporary month, I'm going to give you some details.

It is important to know that this is all still a little tentative. Depending on the amount of interest we get from both bloggers and authors, many of the specifics are still liable to change.

This is going to happen in the month of NOVEMBER. The full month of November will be nothing but Contemporary YA on both mine and Shanyn's blogs. Our author spotlights, interviews, book reviews, guest posts, discussion topics, Waiting on Wednesday's etc will all be completely devoted to Contemporary YA.

We would love to have as much participation from other bloggers as possible! We don't really expect anyone else to devote the entire month of November to Contemporary, because that is a really long time (although, if you really wanted to, that's totally awesome too!) But we do want to get more Contemporary love going round! So, pull those Contemporary books off the shelf that you keep pushing down the tbr, grab that review notebook to finally write up those Contemporary reviews you've been meaning to write for months now and brush off your persuasion skills to convince the world that Contemporary is the best.

We hope to get a huge turn out for this, a chance to prove that Contemporary YA really IS well loved by SO many people. We want to get as many people as possible involved, excited and talking, not only about this event, but more importantly, about Contemporary YA in general.

We also have a button and a banner that you can add to your blogs — Katie of KD Designs is the genius behind these fabulous images! Isn't she AMAZING?! So, grab the button for your blog, and use the banner in a post to tell all your friends!

We want to give everyone the opportunity to participate as much as possible, and to post, not only on their own blogs, but to also write guest posts. Because we hope to have a huge amount of interest, we decided to make a Blogger Guest Post Swap for the month. There will be five opportunities to guest post. You are welcome to participate in as many as interest you.

Each of the five guest posts will be assigned a topic and a corresponding week in which they will all post. Below is a list of the post topics and the tentative weeks they will post. There is also a form at the bottom of this post that you can fill out if you are interested. Note — Fill this out even if you aren't 100% sure you will be able to do it. This is to get a general idea of who is interested in what topics. We will be asking in September for a more specific list of who wants to participate and we will be assigning blogging buddies on October 1st. Your blogging buddy is who will post your guest post on their blog, and you will post their guest post on your blog. (Any questions?)

Here is our tentative list of Guest Post Topics-

Week 1: Why I love Contemporary YA

Week 2: The Tough Stuff

Week 3: Romance!!

Week 4: Top Ten Lists!

Week 5: What I'd like to see more of in Contemporary YA

FILL OUT THIS FORM RIGHT HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN THE BLOGGER GUEST POST SWAP FOR THE EPIC AWESOMENESS THAT WILL BE JUST CONTEMPORARY NOVEMBER!!!

Can't wait to see what this turns into!!

Matt Royal is a lawyer in FL who always seems to get into trouble of some sort. His ex-wife, Laura, contacts him. Her stepdaughter, Peggy, is missing and she needs his help to track her down. Since she's a legal adult, the police don't seem concerned. Matt tracks Peggy down to a private island in the Keys, Blood Island. The island, and a number of "questionable" businesses in the area, are all owned by the same Bahamian corporation. Matt soon discovers a hidden world of at-risk teens, drugs, cults, and prostitution. Just as Matt saves Peggy, he uncovers a terrorist plan to destroy several churches in large cities. BLOOD ISLAND is action packed from page one and keeps you hooked til the end. This is my first taste of Griffin's work and I hope to read more of his work in the near future!

H. Terrell Griffin is giving away a signed copy of his book, Blood Island, to one lucky tour visitor. Go to Terry’s book tour page, http://h-terrell-griffin.omnimystery.com/, and enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 5796, for your chance to win. Entries will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow (Wednesday). No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on Terry’s book tour page next week.

About the Author

H. Terrell Griffin is the author of Blood Island, the third mystery in the Matt Royal series.

Born in Waycross, Georgia, H. Terrell Griffin moved to Sanford, Florida, at the age of twelve. Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After three years of active duty, he began his studies at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where he earned degrees in history and law.

A board-certified trial lawyer, Griffin practiced law in Orlando for 38 years. In addition to Blood Island, Griffin is the author of Murder Key and Longboat Blues.

He and his wife Jean divide their time between Longboat Key and Maitland, Florida. His website is HTerrellGriffin.com.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

• In Reference to Murder: Author Interview

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

• Reader's Respite: Book Review
• Lesa's Book Critiques: Author Guest Post

Thursday, December 04, 2008

• The Friendly Book Nook: Author Guest Post

Friday, December 05, 2008

• Murder by 4: Author Interview
• Mystery Reader Discussion: Book Review
• Wendi's Book Corner: Author Guest Post

Saturday, December 06, 2008

• Allie's Musings: Author Interview
• Bookish Ruth: Book Review

Once again, here is a link up of all the Contemporary happenings I've stumbled across in the past week on blogs other than Shanyn's and my own! There are some seriously awesome things happening around the blogosphere, so click through the list and check it out!

And since it is absolutely impossible for me to really be aware of all that is happening everywhere, if you have seen or posted anything Contemporary related, Let me know! I will either add it to this list, or include it in next week's post!

Awesome Reading Challenge: The Keeping It Real Contemporary YA Reading Challenge hosted by Kat @ I Write, I Read, I Review. And, there will be prizes!:)

REVIEWS:

Sarah @ The Storybound Girl — Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Candace @ Candace's Book Blog — Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler, Amplified by Tara Kelly, Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl, North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headly

L.L. @ The Story Girl — I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Katelyn @ Katelyn's Blog — The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner and My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Melina @ Reading Vacation — Past Perfect by Lelia Sales and The Daughters Join the Party by Joanna Philbin (this is the third book in the series.)

Author Jessi Kirby — Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Asheley @ Into the Hall of Books — We the Animals by Justin Torres

Samual @ Books for All Seasons — The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Danya @ A Tapestry of Words — Dear Bully by Various

Shannon @ Books Devoured — Looking for Alaska John Green and The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

The Busy Bibliophile — Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee

Anna @ Anna Reads — Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Raquel @ The Book Barbies — Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Page @ One Book at a Time — Lie by Caroline Bock

Emily @ Red House Books — Reasons to be Happy by Katrina Kittle

Giselle @ Xpresso Reads — dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman, and Room by Emma Donoghue (probably more Adult than YA, but it is definitely a crossover book).

Somer @ A Bird's Eye View — Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Liz @ Consumed by Books — The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Nicci @ Paper Dreams — Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez (she also wrote a fun — Five Reasons to Read Virtuosity post!)

Julie @ A Tale of Many Reviews — The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

Chris @ Between the Covers — Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Ginger @ Greads! — Amplified by Tara Kelly

Carrie @ Stalking the Bookshelves — Saving June by Hannah Harrington and The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Rowena @ The Book Scoop — My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Mindi @ Books Complete Me — Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Sarah @ YA Love — How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Jennifer @ Novel Thoughts — Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Aubrey @ holes in my brain — How to Save a Life — Sara Zarr

Mary @ Anxirium — Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Lori @ Pure Imagination — Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Lisa @ The Garden of Books — Where She Went by Gayle Forman and Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

John @ Dreaming in Books — Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Kelli @ I'd So Rather Be Reading — Going Too Far — Jennifer Echols

Princess Bookie — Past Perfect by Lelia Sales and Pure Red by Danielle Joseph

For the Love of Contemporary — His Eyes by Renee Carter

Tiffany @ Tiffany Reads — The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder and Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Ashley @ Bookaholics Anonymous — Raw Blue by Kirsty Egar

Hannah @ Paperback Treasures — If I Tell by Janet Gurtler, Calli by Jessica Lee Anderson and Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott.

Bailey @ IB Book Blogging — Past Perfect by Lelia Sales

The Book Faerie — The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder (WARNING — This review DOES contain spoilers)

Jenny @ The Mimosa Stimulus — Amplified by Tara Kelly and Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Sophia @ The Book Basement — If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Natalie @ Quirky Vintage — Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (not completely Contemporary, but mostly & amazing, so...)

Karen @ For What It's Worth — Where You Are by Tammara Webber

Lisa @ The Garden of Books — Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (this is actually a short — What on Earth could I possibly say about this level of intensity — post)

AUTHORS:

The Nerd Girls @ Books to the Sky Interviewed Janet Gurtler! (And there is a giveaway!)

For the Love of Contemporary spotlighted Sarah Ockler!!!

Candace @ Candace's Book Blog interviewed Anne Pfeffer (and there is an international giveaway!) and she also interviewed Stasia Kehoe!

The Contemps blog spotlighted new author Josie Bloss and her novel Faking Faith.

Sam @ Books for all Seasons interviewed Melissa Kantor!

Liz @ Consumed by Books has a fun This or That Interview with Hannah Harrington!

Hannah @ Paperback Treasures has a guest post from Megan Bostic about the songs that inspired her book!

Melina @ Reading Vacation has a guest post from Joanna Philbin.

Kristi @ The Story Siren has a guest post from Catherine Ryan Hyde (with a giveaway)

DISCUSSION TOPICS

Allison @ The Allure of Books vlogged about her favorite YA Contemporary Books
Mandie Baxter: Why I Love Contemporary
Rowena @ The Book Scoop: Why I Love Contemporary
Author Carol Tanzman: Why I Write Contemporary YA
Bee @ Dreamcatcher's Lair: Her favorite Dark YA books. (Not all are Contemporary, but most of them are!)
Author Abbi Glines: Her 11 favorite Indie Contemporary YA Romances

Tough Stuff in Contemporary YA: (again, many of these were written as guest posts and I am only identifying the author of the post, not the host blog)

Rie @ Mission to Read
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Candace @ Candace's Book Blog
Jacinda @ Reading Housewives
Katelyn @ Katelyn's Blog
Cara @ Chasing Words
Mandie Baxter
Nicci @ Paper Dreams
Shannon @ Books Devoured
Ginger @ GReads!

Again — If you have seen or written a post talking about Contemporary YA or reviewing a book, LET ME KNOW!! I'd LOVE to include you in the link up AND I personally read and comment on all of them. (It takes a while, but I'm LOVING It!) So leave me a comment, shoot me an email or send me a tweet and I'll add you to my list!:)

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.

Hello everyone and WELCOME! Today is the first day of November, which also means it is the first day of Just Contemporary, a full month dedicated to nothing but the awesome that is Contemporary YA. I mean seriously, how awesome is that?! Best idea ever, right?! Thank you, thank you. You may now bask in my glow...

Or, better yet — Bask in the awesome that will be coming to you ALL THIS MONTH!!!

Shanyn and I have so killer awesome stuff coming at you. There will be authors, guest bloggers, interviews, guest posts, giveaways, videos and lots of reviews and bookish talking posts. It's gonna be intense. Like, whoa.

I am devoting my entire blog, the entire month of November to ONLY Contemporary talk. The reviews will all be Contemporary, the authors all write Contemporary, even the Memory Mondays will be about Contemporary reads! Shanyn's blog will be the same. Contemporary FTW yo!

Now, I don't actually expect anyone else to do this. Devoting an entire month to only one genre is hard. I get that. If you want to become an entirely, or even mostly Contemporary place for November, YOU WILL ROCK MY FACE OFF. If you can't become entirely Contemporary, don't worry, I'll still love you!:)

But here is a list of seriously great things you can do to still show your love and support for Contemporary YA (some of these are Shanyn's and some are mine)

*Read a Contemporary book, especially if it isn't your normal go-to genre
*Review a Contemporary book you loved
*Add the button/banner to your sidebar and/or any Contemporary themed posts in November
*Write a post about the Just Contemporary event on your blog. Talk about it on Twitter. Tell all your friends.
*Read the awesome Contemp happenings on the host blogs for the month
*Write a post talking about Contemporary YA (write about your own topic, or check out our guest post topic list)
*Enter the giveaways!! (easy peasy, yes?!)
*Keep an eye out for participating authors & post about those authors or their books around the same time we do
*COMMENT! There is a lot of time and effort that's been put into showcasing all this awesome Contemp & all of the participants, bloggers, authors, readers and writers would love feedback!
*Talk to friends, IRL & online about Contemporary YA that you love. Buy a book. Buy a book for a friend or your library. Buy a book and give it to a random stranger on the bus... And then tell us!:)
*Tell a Contemporary YA author that you love them.:)

I could keep going here... Really, I could. There is so much you can do to help! Both this event and Contemporary YA in general!

Also — I plan to have a weekly post going up where I talk about all the awesome Contemporary love happening around the blogosphere. But, for this to really be a good round up, I'm going to need your help! There is no way I can possibly find everything going on. I'm going to try, but it's not gonna happen.: P SO. PLEASE — If you are participating in the event, if you grab the button to add to your Contemp reviews, if you interview a Contemporary author, review a Contemp novel, Let me know!! I am going to be on top of my commenting game, reading (hopefully) hundreds of awesome Contemporary posts every day!

So what are we waiting for?! Let's get this show on the road and SPREAD THE LOVE!!!

There have been so many awesome blog posts about Contemporary YA this week! I have loved reading the ones I've discovered, but just know that I had to have missed a bunch. So, if your blog post isn't listed here, please let me know!

Announcement of Contemporary Win!- A whole bunch of bloggers have gotten together to put on a John Green week this January! How awesome is that?! John Green pretty much oozes Contemporary awesomness so a week to spotlight him sounds awesome! Here is a link to one of the blogs hosting sign ups!:) Click me for John Green Week info!!!

Also, I cannot believe that I have so far forgotten to mention this — BUT — November is also Aussie Month over at Carla's blog, The Crooked Shelf. Since it's Aussie authors in general, not everything is Contemporary but there is definitely some Contemp love and seriously, who doesn't love Aussie authors?! There must be something in the water over there because they Rock!
Some of the Contemporary Australian Awesome — An interview with Melina Marchetta! (Whom I absolutely adore!) Reviews of Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley; Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell; A Straight Line to My Heart by Bill Condon; Good Oil by Laura Buzo;

REVIEW:

Alissa @ The Grammarian — Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (not entirely Contemp, but mostly)

Candace @ Candace's Book Blog — Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols (and a giveaway!), The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz, Dreamland Social Club by Tara Atebrando, Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin and Shattered Soul by Jennifer Snyder (also has an author interview and a giveaway!).

Somer @ A Bird's Eye View — Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Mandie Baxter — Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Allison @ The Allure of Books — Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Mary @ Anxirium — Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Jacinda @ The Reading Housewives — Sea by Heidi R. Kling and The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Busy Bibliophile — You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Jennifer @ The Book Barbies — Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Racquel @ The Book Barbies — If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Where She Went by Gayle Forman, Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski and Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez.

Magan @ Rather Be Reading — Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chboksy

Krazy Book Lady — Joint Mother/Daughter review of Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennet

Estelle @ Rather Be Reading — Fringe Girl by Valerie Frankel

Katelyn @ Katelyn's Blog — Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Amanda @ Book Love 101 — Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Hannah @ Paperback Treasures — Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Bonnie @ A Backwards Story — Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Rachel @ Rachel Reads — The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Ginger @ Greads! — Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Farrah @ I Eat Words — Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Amanda @ On a Book Bender — Cut by Patricia McCormick (guest review by Amanda)

Karen @ For What It's Worth — Saving June by Hannah Harrington

A Beautiful Madness — Dancergirl by Carol Tanzman, Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter (second in a series) and Saving June by Hannah Harrington.

Ashley @ Book Labyrinth — I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

Laura @ The Reading Nook — Lie by Caroline Bock

Jamie @ Writers write, right? — The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols

Rachel @ Fiktshun — Where You Are by Tammara Webber (second book in series)

Melissa @ I Swim for Oceans — The Shattering by Karen Healy

April @ Good Books & Good Wine — Playground by 50 Cent and Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner — Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Anna @ Anna Reads — Kiss It by Erin Downing and Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Jayme @ The Secret Life of an Avid Reader — Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

Yani @ The Secret Life of an Avid Reader — Double Clutch by Elizabeth Reinhardt

Chey @ The Hollow Cupboards — Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins and Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf — North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley, Dancergirl by Carol Tanzman and Where You Are by Tammara Webber (second book in series)

Farah @ Maji Bookshelf — The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler and Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Chelsey @ Starry Sky Books — Rhymes with Cupid by Anna Humphrey

Melissa @ This is Your Brain on Books — The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Mari @ Escape in a Good Book — All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield

Nina @ Escape in a Good Book — Dancergirl by Carol Tanzman

Sarah @ Whispering Words — Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning

Cass @ Words on Paper — Audition by Stasia Kehoe

Samual @ Books for All Seasons — Moving Day by Meg Cabot

Lena @ Addicted to Novels — Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay and Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Steph @ Steph Su Reads — Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Giselle @ Xpresso Reads — Fury by Shirley Marr

The Book Faery — Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Tee @ Dreaming Dreams — Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, and Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday.

Lizz @ Dreaming Dreams — Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

Annette's Book Spot — Saving June by Hannah Harrington

AUTHOR:

Mary @ Anxirium — Guest post w/ author Jennifer Castle about Being a Contemporary YA Writer

Candace @ Candace's Book Blog interviewed Tara Altebrando.

Krazy Book Lady interviewed Cindy C. Bennett

Avid Reader Yani has a guest post from Elizabeth Reinhardt about dating

Kody Keplinger interviewed Hannah Harrington

Kirsten Hubbard is giving away Wanderlove bookmarks

Hannah Harrington lists her Top Ten Road Trip Songs.

DISCUSSION:

Misty @ The Book Rat talks about her most anticipated Contemporary YA (and it's a linky! You can too!!)

Molly Jo @ Surrounded by Words — Contemporary YA: A Love/Hate Relationship
Danielle @ Alpha Reader talks about her favorite Aussie YA novels.
Samual @ Books for All Seasons talks about favorite YA/MG Contemps about friendship

Romance:
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Danya @ A Tapestry of Words

More of the Tough Stuff posts that I missed last week:

Candace @ Candace's Book Blog
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Sarah @ The Storybound Girl
Amanda @ The Fiction Fairy

Once again — If I've missed anything, Let me know!!:) I'd love to add your stuff to my link up!

Today I have author Jill Alexander to share with all of you! She is the author of Paradise which I reviewed yesterday, (click to read) as well as The Sweetheart of Prosper County (stay tuned for after the post for the giveaway!)

Jill is here today answering sharing what she does when she's not reading and she's amazing folks. So give her some love and welcome, and see what she has to say to us.

“When I’m Not Writing”

There’s a passage in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, a description of Dill, to which I’ve always identified: “Beautiful things floated around in his dreamy head. He could read two books to my one, but he preferred the magic of his own inventions. He could add and subtract faster than lightening, but he preferred his own twilight world, a world where babies slept, waiting to be gathered like morning lilies.”

I think Dill’s “babies” were the stories swirling in his mind. Like Dill, I drift off in stories. I’m writing – with pen or without. I cannot remember a time in my life when I was not creating. In all facets of my life – teaching English, road-tripping with my husband and son, driving backcountry roads with Kings of Leon blaring, stories find me.

In my novel, Paradise, the narrator Paisley cannot separate herself from her passion for drumming. She says, “Sometimes when I played, I got the urge to tear it up, just pound away like I was running across the pasture racing for home. But at the moment, like a kid swinging on a summer afternoon, I closed my eyes and rode the rhythm.” The beat of the drums is ever present in her daily life, her activities. It is her heartbeat. She’s always drumming.
Truth is, I’m always writing.

Thank you so much for sharing that Jill! I, for one, am glad that you are always writing!

Jill has been generous enough to offer one signed copy of The Sweetheart of Prosper County to one of my readers! To enter:


You MUST leave a meaningful comment on this post. If I don't think you actually read the post, I won't enter you.
Also, be sure to include you email address so I have a way to contact you if you win.


That's it! Spreading the word is appreciated but it won't earn you an extra entry today.:)


*Edit: Sorry! Forgot to mention — Giveaway will close at the end of July 15th. Winner will be emailed and given 48 hours to respond.

I am so excited to have Christopher visiting us on the blog today! He is the author of the soon to be released — The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, the previously untold story of who all those "Prince Charming"s really are! I mean, seriously... How awesome does that sound?! I've already posted an excerpt with some awesome illustrations and in May, I'll be posting my review but now, you get a killer guest post about humor in fairy tales from the author himself!

Fairy Tales: Dark, Gory, Frightening, Hilarious
I understand if you don’t think of fairy tales as an inherently funny genre. Kidnapping, cannibalism, animal maulings, children getting their feet chopped off — none of that is exactly laugh-a-minute material. But was I crazy for wanting to write a comedic fairy tale? It’s not like all of those old stories were dark, violent cautionary tales. The vast, vast majority, perhaps — but not all. The point is: There’s plenty of humor in classic fairy tales if you know where and how to look for it.

And that is exactly what I did when I sat down to write The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. I read through a slew of classic fairy tales, hunted down the funny bits, and utilized the same types of humor as Andersen, the Grimms, and Perrault (albeit with a modern spin).

Let’s start with slapstick. Pratfalls are perhaps the oldest form of comedy; probably dating back to the first time some Neanderthal tripped on a rock and landed in some sabretooth tiger dung. And it’s in fairy tales, too. Perfect example: When Goldilocks breaks Baby Bear’s chair. If you don’t think that scene was meant to be funny, look at almost any illustrated version of the story. She sits on a chair and it collapses — I’d be surprised if they didn’t borrow that exact gag for the new Three Stooges movie. Plus, it follows the Rule of Three: When something happens twice, but goes wrong on the third try, it is always hilarious.

And then there’s mistaken identity — a pretty common device in fairy tales, but not always used to comedic effect (meaning the Grimms missed a lot of awesome opportunities). But you’ve also got stories like The Bremen Town musicians, where a hapless robber gets batted around in the dark by a dog, a cat, a rooster, and a donkey. That climactic scene is a ripsnorter from the start, thanks to its element of Home Alone-ness (see “slapstick,” above), but the real kicker comes when the thief runs from the house and tells his buddies that he was attacked by long-taloned witches and knife-wielding murderers. Hey, I didn’t say it wasn’t dark humor.

On a related theme, there’s also the verbal misunderstanding, often paired with puns or word play. This is often my personal favorite type of comedy. The plot of “The Brave Little Tailor,” for instance, revolves entirely around someone’s misinterpreting of “seven with one blow.” It could have been the premise of a Three’s Company episode.

And finally, there’s food humor. What can I say? Food is funny. Especially when it’s out of context. Just look at the sausage on the nose gag from “The Fisherman and His Wife.” You don’t even have to view that one in Freudian terms to realize how hilarious it is. It’s a guy with a sausage on his nose! Comic genius.

Taking all of these different types of bona fide fairy tale humor into account, perhaps you will now understand why I have a scene in Hero's Guide where someone misinterprets a question and mistakenly replies in reference to the melon that was just smashed over Prince Charming's head by somebody who failed to recognize who he was.
__________________________

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom will be released May 1st by Walden Pond Press. It's a book you won't want to miss.

And stay tuned! A little later today, you will have a chance to win a copy of Hero's Guide along with other amazing Walden titles!

Click the button to be taken to the
Fairy Tale Fortnight Main Page & Schedule
(button image via)

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?

----------------------
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've been meaning to get this post up for a while now, but as I've mentioned before, I've been insanely busy lately and my real life doesn't seem to want to allow my blogging life to be a *thing*. Ahem...

Anyway — This is going to become a regular feature here each Saturday. (Yes, I am well aware that today is Monday, but bear with me...)

Each Saturday I'm going to put up a linky where ANYONE can link ANY post dealing with Contemporary YA. It can be a review, author interview/guest post, a giveaway, opinion post, anything, as long as it is related to Contemporary YA.

You do NOT have to be a participant in the Just Contemporary Reading Challenge to use this linky. I want everyone to link up their posts! So tell your friends, tweet about it & get linking. I would love to have a huge linky each week with all the awesome Contemporary happenings online.

Feel free to link retroactively too! Please only add each post to one linky, but the post does not have to be written this week to be added.:)

AND — I will guarantee a read and a comment from me to every single person who links up using this linky system. And, I'll tweet about it and do all that I can to spread the word.

Contemporary is a genre that I wish got more love and attention, so let's get linking!!:)

I've been meaning to get this post up for a while now, but as I've mentioned before, I've been insanely busy lately and my real life doesn't seem to want to allow my blogging life to be a *thing*. Ahem...

Anyway — This is going to become a regular feature here each Saturday. (Yes, I am well aware that today is Monday, but bear with me...)

Each Saturday I'm going to put up a linky where ANYONE can link ANY post dealing with Contemporary YA. It can be a review, author interview/guest post, a giveaway, opinion post, anything, as long as it is related to Contemporary YA.

You do NOT have to be a participant in the Just Contemporary Reading Challenge to use this linky. I want everyone to link up their posts! So tell your friends, tweet about it & get linking. I would love to have a huge linky each week with all the awesome Contemporary happenings online.

Feel free to link retroactively too! Please only add each post to one linky, but the post does not have to be written this week to be added.:)

AND — I will guarantee a read and a comment from me to every single person who links up using this linky system. And, I'll tweet about it and do all that I can to spread the word.

Contemporary is a genre that I wish got more love and attention, so let's get linking!!:)

Please welcome me in joining fantasy author Kim Hanks on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations as he travels the blogosphere in March to talk about his latest release, "Save the Best For Last".

About the author:

Kim is a 21 year older author who has hit the literary world with his debut novel, Save the Best for Last. Born in Uganda, mityana district. He grew up in a wonderful small family and studied in almost five different schools from childhood until college. Story telling was a secret in his blood, he also loved reading. “I always read fantasy and a variety of other genres that caught my interest. Though, I always lay my honor on books that were on my literature syllabus by then.” Kim explains.

From a comprehensive junior school, he joined modern ss where he started taking English literature classes. Exposing himself to reading earlier, these were few of his favorite authors; Stephen king, terry brooks, shake spears, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, and Charlotte Bronte. However, due to the fascinating magic spells in the world of Harry, Kim added JK Rowling on the list of his best authors, “at school, I loved the English literature teacher, she was not just a teacher, but also a parent to me.” he says now. Towards the end of his college, he wrote and self published a book, which was titled “My Trip”. It was only published in few countable copies for schoolmates and his family. Publication of that book intrigued praise from his teachers and compliments about his work started influencing his desire to write. This was a wonderful experience laying ground work to his literary craft. His fantasy novel Save the Best for Last, is the first book of the series. Now living in Dubai, he’s working on two edgy and engrossing novels coming in the near future. And he spends his free time reading and listening to music.

Book summary:

Zwick Lamps, a secret admirer to Whitney Barnes, got targeted by a genius son of the past eveil family that had lived in Green Oasis Town. However, it was once before that Zwick had finally discovered his supernatural powers that were only known by the isolated old woman Tabitha, a misfortuned lady whose husband died on their wedding day. You can visit his website at http://www.kimhanks.net/.

Check back on Thursday for a guest post by Kim Hanks.

Hey everyone! Help me welcome Maureen McGowan today! She's the author of the Twisted Fairy Tale series, which so far includes Cinderella, Ninja Warrior (read my review here!) and Sleeping Beauty, Vampire Slayer (read Misty of The Book Rat's review here) . She also participated a little during Fairy Tale Fortnight (you can read that here) and it's great to have her back!

Hi Ashley and thank you so much for inviting me to guest post on your blog.

While I’ve always loved the romantic aspects of traditional fairy tales, I wanted to write stories in which the heroines were strong and capable—not waiting around for a prince to save them.

One of my aims in writing Cinderella: Ninja Warrior and Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer was to “fix” some of the story elements that bothered me in the traditional versions of these classic tales. Both of my stories include the tried and true fairy tale themes of finding true love and good triumphing over evil, but there are twists, too.

The traditional Cinderella character was too much of a victim for my taste, and I never liked the idea that the prince needed a shoe to recognize her the day after supposedly falling in love. Plus, he falls in love at first sight—presumably because of her beauty— but then doesn’t recognize her the next day when she’s out of her fancy dress? What kind of message does any of that send to modern young readers about love or self-worth?

Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer probably has fewer similarities to the traditional tale. (There were no vampires in the original? An oversight, I’m sure.) When I first started the book, I thought it was about prejudice—humans’ misconceptions about vampires and vice versa. But as soon as I started writing, it became more of a child of divorce story. Sleeping Beauty has to learn that her parents’ and kingdom’s problems aren’t her fault— even if she’s cursed. This theme popped out at me as soon as I started thinking about how parents might react if they knew their daughter carried a curse. And what it would feel like to grow up with this huge weight hanging over you.

But, although I think the stories do have positive messages for girls and an overall theme of empowerment, they are by no means “issue books”. They’re meant to be fun, fast — paced, exciting and most of all—entertaining.

When I began to explore adding reader interaction to updated fairy tales, I had no idea how to pull it off, but I knew what I didn’t want to do: I didn’t want to include “wrong” paths or unhappy endings. (Even thought I know this has disappointed a few readers.)

Fairy tales by their nature promise happy endings—and pretty specific happy endings in some cases—so, I decided that each book in the series should have a single ending. As I started to write, I did look at a few choose-your-own-adventure stories, hoping for hints or clues as to how to structure my books, but I didn’t like the “bad choice—you die!” aspects of some of those “old school” stories.

The way I see things, each day we face choices, and the alternatives aren’t necessarily right or wrong—just different. Smart heroines (and smart readers) will make smart choices, so I wanted to present reasonable alternatives at each decision point without making it obvious which choice was better. Also, a capable heroine—even if she makes a mistake—should be able to face whatever challenges her chosen path places in her way.

When I decided on the structure, I didn’t realize what a difficult path I was laying out for myself! My choice created challenges for me—almost as tough as those facing Cinderella in her magic competition, or Lucette when she’s the only one awake and facing vampires in the night.

There were times while writing these books when my head was spinning so badly I didn't know which end was up!

But ultimately, I had as much fun writing them as I hope readers will have reading them.

Getting In the Door
by Bruce Skye

I use the phrase “getting in the door” to refer to becoming published. The process now is both easier and harder than in years past. If you have the money, you can easily get into print with a self-publisher or a print on demand (POD) firm. And, I’ve discovered some POD companies actually have literary agents on their payroll. So, you need to be extremely careful in seeking an agent, much less a publisher.

Having a literary agent represent you is perhaps the smartest thing to do. They know the people you want your work to be examined by. And they can get to them, you can’t. But, again, finding one willing to represent you can be extremely difficult. And with POD firms having agents in their employ, you may do yourself more harm than good.

Is it still possible to have a conventional publisher print your work? It is. But they tend to stay away from fiction and focus instead on self-help works and biographies. It does seem as if all they want are bestsellers and ignore anything that isn’t guaranteed to sell at least a million copies. And, granted, they don’t seem interested in taking the risk of promoting excellent unknown writers.

Another rule to remember: don’t go with a publisher who effusively promises to promote your work. Always keep in mind you’re on your own in this area. It’s your book, not theirs. Whether they even care if you succeed or not is extremely debatable in my experience. There are excellent book promotion firms available which do not charge the heinous $47/hour rates I’ve seen advertised on the Net.

So, it is easy to see your name on a book cover. However, it is not easy to get that volume on a New York Times bestseller’s list. So, in the end, if you’re not making money by what you’re doing, why bother? I write because I love it. And sometimes, someone writes a wonderful review which makes all the frustration and effort worth it. Let me share a portion of one such review of my recently published novel Grayrider:

Fans of sword-and-sorcery adventures and fantasy novels will enjoy this book. It is fast-paced with intricate story lines, and a depth familiar to students of Celtic lore and history. Written in a style reminiscent of Tolkien's "The Two Towers," the reader is swept into the story from the first page.

So I’ll keep at it. The question is, will you?

I'd like to welcome Elizabeth Walker to Jenn's Bookshelf! On Monday, I reviewed her book The Tablet of My Heart. Thank you, Elizabeth, for stopping by!

Gift Giving by Elizabeth Walker

I did a book signing at Barnes and Noble last Saturday and someone said the kindest thing to me, She said, "you’re so talented. I love to read but I could never write." I didn’t know what to say other than thank you, of course – but her compliment danced inside my head for a while.

My mind took me on a little exploration through the thought. I thought about my oldest son, who hates writing. It’s curious, I thought. He hates building a story. He can build a computer out of some boxes and wires I swear it, but he hates building a story. I, on the other hand, can spend all day uploading my thoughts onto the computer, and get lost in my love of it - but I wouldn’t dare ruin it by considering what it takes to make a "p" appear on the screen when I type "p" on the keyboard.

From there my thoughts carried me into my own childhood, and I wandered in my mind to a memory of my dad playing spoons – He could make music with them. He’d put them together back to back with his finger in between the handles, and bounce them from his knee to the hand that he held just slightly above his knee, and make music. I loved it. I loved to listen to him "play" the spoons. I thought it was so cool when he did it, that I decided I’d try it. I hated it! They slipped off of each other, pinched my fingers and sounded like little more than racket that should only be heard from utensils while at the dinner table. I loved hearing it when he did it, but I hated doing it. The weightless thoughts tickled my mind with their simplicity, and made me smile.

I had reached a conclusion to my curiosity. I guess every body has a little gift to share that makes the rest of us think – how do they do that? Thing is, I have thought that about other people hundreds of times without acknowledging that I have a little gift to share too! And, more importantly that all of those little gifts that other people have, add something quite special to my life and to my writing. for instance, if I didn’t have my son who has a gift for gadgets of a technical nature, I wouldn’t have any idea how to use my computer (you’ve no idea how true this is!) If I hadn’t had my dad who had a gift for making my heart dance for the eight years that I had him, I wouldn’t have those sweet memories of him making the silly music that sprung my heart into motion. If there weren’t people in my life who loved reading a story better than building one, they would surely all be so busy building that I might be the only one with the time to peel open and run my fingers through my projects, which is really no fun at all – admiring someone else’s work is far more entertaining.

So, thanks Virginia, and others like her, for the compliment – apparently your gift (at least one of them) is the strength to make other people aware of their own gifts. You certainly gave me a smile that lasted me all the way home (and a little longer). And, quite frankly, I’m glad that you and others like you would rather read than write :0) This way I can possibly make you all smile once or twice, as well.

I don't dare close without mentioning the importance for all of us to support, in what ever way we can, the treatment and prevention of child abuse.

PUMP UP YOUR BOOK PROMOTION VIRTUAL BOOK TOURS
"We take books to the virtual level!"
www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com
Book Marketing Buzz
www.bookmarketingbuzz.com

Have you written a post involving Contemporary YA?! Link it up!

You do not have to be a participant in the Just Contemporary Challenge to you this linky! It's for any and every post involving Contemporary YA! Let's spread the love!:)

You can link any Contemporary post (review, giveaway, author interview/guest post etc) but it does have to be Contemporary.

And I know I'm behind, but I do promise a read & a comment to anyone who links up!:)

PASSION

I love people with passion. People that sweat and bleed the love they have for something. The people whose confidence is unshakeable, unbreakable...because they believe. I love it. I admire it. I eat it up... To believe in something so deep that you have blinders on and don`t care about what society says, to me is a trait that is rare and to some, absolutely scary. I respect someone that is willing to go "All In" and play the game. "We cannot change the cards we are dealt with, just how we play the hand..." That`s living. Because for all of you that don`t realize it, tomorrow is promised for no one! So why not take a chance, follow your heart, follow your dreams, lay it all out there. How many people can say they are doing it!? Yeah, exactly. Be that person.

They say the reason we fall is so that we can learn how to pick ourselves back up (I stole that from the Dark Night)! Think about when you were a child and how many times mom had to apply some rubbing alcohol and a band-aid...but you always got back up and charged right back.

Just pick yourself back up if you fall, and if you are so passionate about something, you won't even think twice about it.

What's even better is when your passion is so strong that you accept that there will be tough times...but hey, you have to take the good with the bad. And nothing worth living for is ever that easy.

Thank you, Stephen! I'll be reviewing Stephen's book, Katka

,on June 26th so be sure to check it out!

So, tell me...what's your passion?

Mine, it's obvious: reading & books. Getting books out to underprivileged kids. Getting them excited about reading!

Not Your Average Retelling By Marissa Meyer
Fairy tales and folk tales have been around for hundreds of years, being re-shaped, re-twisted, and re-told again and again. And yet readers continue to hunger for more, as is evidenced by not only the deluge of fairy-tale retellings in the book market, but also Hollywood’s current obsession with them. (Have you heard of the three Snow White movies coming out in the next few years?) How do writers continue to work with the same material, yet give us such vastly different renditions?

Here are some ways that today’s writers are keeping our beloved tales alive and new.

Lesser Known Tales
There are some tales that pop up again and again. How many Cinderella remakes can you list off the top of your head? How many Beauty and the Beasts come to mind? While there are good reasons these tales have stood the test of time and popularity, there are also a lot of great stories that, in the past, went ignored in our Disney culture. Not the case anymore! As the market for fairy tales becomes more saturated, more writers are delving deeper into the works of Grimm, Andersen, and even non-European cultures, and seeking out stories that haven’t yet received their due.

Tales that once would have been considered fringe (such as “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” or “East of the Sun, West of the Moon”) have received more attention lately with books such as Entwined by Heather Dixon and East by Edith Pattou, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more and more non-Disnified tales on the rise. After all, the Grimm brothers alone had over 300 tales collected, so writers have plenty of material to choose from.

Examples of Lesser Known Tales Retold:
Matchless by Gregory Maguire (based on “The Little Match Girl”)
The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott (based on “The Wild Swans”)
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce (based on “Rumpelstiltskin”)

Original Settings
Another way authors are setting apart their fairy-tale retellings is by choosing interesting times and locations for them to take place in. Writers are no longer trapped in fantastical, make-believe worlds just because they lend themselves so easily to the original stories. From ancient Greece to futuristic space colonies, the options are endless, and (lucky us) writers are taking advantage of that! Will we soon be watching Puss in Boots in the court of Louis XVI? Will the next Frog Prince hop out of Cleopatra’s Nile? We’ll just have to wait and see where authors are willing to take us.

Examples of Retellings with Original Settings:
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (“Sleeping Beauty” set during the Holocaust)
Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson (“Diamonds and Toads” set in pre-colonial India)
Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire (“Snow White” set in 16th-century Tuscany)

Unique Twists
No matter how rare (or common) a tale is, or what fascinating time and place it’s set in, the best retellings still have one thing in common: the author has made it strictly their own. There is still something that sets that story apart from the Grimm Brothers’ or Hans Christian Andersen’s or any other author who may choose to re-spin the same tale.

Gregory Maguire is renowned for telling fairy tales from the villain’s perspective (see Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister). Gail Carson Levine turned the classic Cinderella story upside-down in Ella Enchanted, when she gave Ella an unusual curse—she must do whatever she is told to do. These “retellings” are almost more like “re-envisionings”—they may use the bones of the classic tale for inspiration, but then the author took the story in a new direction that we’d never seen before.

I believe it’s these new twists on the old stories that keep readers hungry for more retellings, because you just never know what an author is going to do next. How will tomorrow’s fairy tales differ from today’s? I, for one, can’t wait to find out!

Examples of Retellings with a Unique Twist:
Ash by Malinda Lo (“Cinderella” with an LGBT romance)
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (a modern “Little Red Riding Hood,” in which two sisters become werewolf hunters)
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz (a collection of tales, including “Hansel and Gretel,” strung together into one continuous storyline)

~*~*~*~*~*~

Marissa Meyer’s debut novel, Cinder (“Cinderella” set in the future), re-imagines our princess as a teenage cyborg faced with the task of saving the world. It’s scheduled for release in early 2012. You can find her online at: Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube

I do not care much for plot, so I am not a writer of plot driven work. There. I said it. This is part of the longstanding discourse between me and my agent. He (rightfully) insists that plot sells, and I (more rightfully) insist that I do not care. That is of course not entirely true. I do care. I want to sell my work. I want an audience, a following. I want readers who will delight in what I have to say, but it is a dilemma because I do not think in plots or see a story unfold in my head. I don’t suddenly get a great idea for a story and plan the details with precision. Nor do I have the ability to construct a story with intricate sub-plots and dynamic characters that each has the ability to move the story forward with compelling speed and grace. It is one of my dirty little secrets: I don’t do plot. I do words, images and feelings, but I don’t do plot.

So, how does a writer who wants to be published survive in this market? Do you succumb to pressure? Do you abandon your commitment to your craft and create a story with a legitimate beginning, middle and end? Do you create conflict and shape characters that are prepared to take on the challenges of the plot and solve them with stunning insight and grace? The answer to all the questions is: Yes, but not really. I wrote The Sinner’s Guide to Confession because I knew I needed to write a more plot driven book if I wanted to get back into the market. I had meandered my way through several manuscripts that, though inarguably well-written, were deemed unmarketable by well-intentioned and savvy editors (what do they know anyway?) who encouraged my agent to encourage me to write a plot-driven book. I refused. I held my ground. It was sort of like my stubborn determination to resist an epidural after twenty-some hours of really hard labor. My obstetrician of many years finally said, “We know each other a long time, Phyllis. Is there any reason I don’t know about that you might have for wanting to be in excruciating pain?” Truthfully, I was more interested in the fact that he had called me “Phyllis” than I was in anything else. After a three-way with the good doctor and my husband (no, not that kind of three-way), we decided it was time for me to take an epidural. My pressure was elevated, and the epidural was the least invasive route. Mind you, once I had that epidural, I never took my eyes off the vial taped to my chest. As soon as the medication came near the vicinity of the line that marked the time for a refill, I screamed, “Get the doctor!” What relief. My point is that sometimes you just have to give in or give up. I never give up.

I justified my decision to write a plot driven book by telling myself that whatever I write will be good. I invented a mantra: I will always honor my craft. I will always strive for excellence. I will write to please myself even if there is a plot. I repeated my mantra each time I sat down to work on The Sinner’s Guide to Confession, and it worked. I believe I wrote a well-crafted and well-written novel. . . . with a plot. I believe I managed to intercept complete acquiescence by weaving in intermittent indulgences to language, my first true love.

I am in love with words. It is an addiction borne of a lifetime of reading. I marvel at the one sentence in a novel that seems to dance off the page. The line that makes readers gasp with recognition. That is what I want to accomplish, and the only way to achieve that is with words, with language, with the ability to configure words in such a way that they have the power to arrest the reader’s attention. It is possible to achieve both a great story that uses wonderful language to tell it, but I think it is rare. My writing mentor, Hayes Jacobs, used to tell me that every writer should read Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert every year. Hayes believed it was among the greatest literary achievements ever produced. I have read and reread Madame Bovary each time with renewed delight. The power of Madame Bovary reminds me of a conversation I had with a dear friend, an artist of great accomplishment and renown, who after he returned from Italy where he saw, for the first time, the works of Michelangelo said, “I have to work harder.”

Willing Spirits is a quiet book that explores its characters more deeply than it pays attention to the plot. I know this, and I don’t mind. I am in love with the language of the book. I adore the well-placed ramblings that do not seem to have any greater purpose than to bring some character illumination and to delight. That seems like quite a lot to me.

Sometimes it is necessary to yield. I yielded to an epidural in spite of months of preparing for an “all natural” birth. My child’s health was at risk, and he needed to be born. I avoided a Cesarean and, with my doctor’s skill and forceps, delivered a healthy eight-and-a-half pound, twenty-one inch beautiful baby boy. My doctor reassured me that I had made the right decision. My son’s head had been stuck behind m pubic bone, and he needed help. I yielded when I listened to my agent and wrote a plot driven book. I struggled with the decision, but I am glad I made it. The Sinner’s Guide to Confession is a fine book, and I am proud of it. Nevertheless, Willing Spirits is a reflection of my great love for words, for how they can be strung together to make sentences that seem so right. I am still on the journey, still working to bring the two worlds—plot and language—together in way that will be memorable. Like my friend, I know that I just have to work harder.

________________________________________________________________

Check back later for my review of Willing Spirits. My apologies to the author--my son's were under the weather yesterday, preventing me from completing and posting my review yesterday.