AUTHOR INTERVIEW: David Wasserman (THE ETERNAL CHILD)

AUTHOR BIO:
THE ETERNAL CHILD is the first novel by David Wasserman, currently a senior at Millburn High School in New Jersey. He is studying performing arts and fiction writing, and hopes to one day make a career out of both.

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What is your book about?
My book is about a fugitive vampire who has been on the run for his entire existence. He suddenly comes to the rescue of a young woman who had been attacked by what appears to be an animal. For some reason he decides to stop running, and stays with her. He integrates himself into her life, and gets to know her friends, and is finally able to pursue a human-esque life. That is until vampires from all over the globe catch up with him looking to collect his bounty. The true essence of the book is this: For every vampire, there is one human, one human in the entire world who can make that vampire a human again, but the catch is, they may come at any time, and only once. If the human dies or becomes a vampire, then that vampire will never get another chance to become human again.


Why did you decide to write it?
I decided to write this story, because I feel somewhere in the recent years, vampires have been stripped of what makes them what they are. In my opinion, vampires are the most dangerous of the mythological creatures. They are all about seduction and corruption, not to mention they have all of these illusionistic powers. I wanted to bring that back to vampires, and I hope I did.


How did you get your book published?
I sent in my manuscript to Outskirtspress, hoping that self-publishing was a smart direction, and I was more than happy with the result.


What types of readers will be interested in your book?
Hopefully the readers that are big on fiction and heavy sci-fi, but I feel it could appeal to all kinds of readers, the story is much, much more than just vampires.


What is special about your book? What differentiates it from other books in the same category?
Personally, what I feel is special about my book is it's heart, the human connections these non-human creatures make with ordinary human beings. What I feel differentiates it from other books in the same category, would have to be the depth and emotion behind the characters, especially the vampires. Because it shows how such an inhuman thing can feel human emotions stronger than most human beings could.


Have you published any other books? Do you plan to publish more?
I have not published any other books, but I plan to publish two sequels of The Eternal Child.

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THE ETERNAL CHILD by David Wasserman

For centuries, Alex Montera has led a life of running and hiding. That all changes when he comes to the rescue of Iris Lisanté. He finds himself mysteriously drawn to her, and as the two grow close, Iris soon discovers a world beyond her wildest imagination, a world of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures hidden from the rest of the world. Unknown to Iris, a bounty on Alex's head has forced him to lead a rather reclusive life. As every vampire in the world, led by Alex's elusive, sadistic sire William, catches up with him, Iris finds that with Alex, she is swept into a centuries old feud, that has been carried and fought for centuries, one from which there may be no escape.


PUBLICATION DATE: 25 September 2011 by Outskirts Press, Inc

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THE ETERNAL CHILD description and cover art courtesy of author DAVID WASSERMAN.

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(BLOG TOUR) Author Interview and Giveaway: Jessie Harrell (DESTINED)

DESTINED by Jessie Harrell

Publication Information: 17 November 2011 by Mae Day Publishing

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

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DESTINED description and cover art courtesy of the author via GOOD CHOICE READING.

I received an electronic ARC of DESTINED as part of a blog tour arranged by GOOD CHOICE READING.

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Jessie Harrell, author of DESTINED, will be featured today on An Avid Reader's Musings. She has made a great video tour of her writing work space and has answered some questions as well. So sit back in your comfiest chair and enjoy the video below!

And if you leave a comment (including your email address), you'll automatically be entered to win an e-copy of Destined. The contest will be open INTERNATIONALLY to anyone over 13 years of age from midnight on 12 November to midnight on 14 November. Random.org will be used to select a winner. Available formats include .mobu, .epub and .pdf.

Please be sure to visit the other stops on DESTINED'S OFFICIAL BLOG TOUR for chances to win copies of Destined and other goodies.

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For more information on DESTINED and author Jessie Harrell, visit:



GOODREADS | WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | AMAZON

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Pre-Order DESTINED at your local indie bookstore.

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(BLOG TOUR) Author Interview: G.S. Wolff (THE GIRLZ OF GALSTANBERRY)

AUTHOR BIO:
Author, Scientist, Professor, and Medical Student! A true Renaissance young woman that has lived in Boston, New York and Washington D.C. Born and raised in Michigan she attended the prestigious private school Detroit Country Day from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade.

Miss Wolff is an '07 alum of Wellesley College, a women's college renowned for its prominent alumni, such as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, and Diane Sawyer. Throughout her Wellesley years, she conducted biological research at Duke, Wayne State and MIT. She graduated with a B.A. in Neuroscience.

Additionally, she holds a Master of Science (MSc) from Wayne State University's School of Medicine. During the 2009-2010 academic year, she moved to Washington D.C. to conduct research at the National Institute of Health (NIH) as an Intramural Research Award Fellow.

Writing the Galstanberry series is just one of Miss Wolff's many accomplishments. She has been the recipient of multiple awards, such as the Hitachi Foundation's Yoshiyama Award; and featured in national publications such as, Ebony Magazine (October ‘09) and Essence Magazine (June ’10), for her mentoring program, OfficialCityPrep.

Currently, Miss Wolff is a medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM).

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Author bio courtesy of The Girlz of Galstanberry WEBSITE.

Book cover courtesy of GOODREADS.

Character pictures courtesy of author, G.S. WOLFF.

I received a finished copy of THE GIRLZ OF GALSTANBERRY as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE.

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Describe yourself in five words.

1) Spunky
2) Determined
3) Confident
4) Sassy
5) Clever
Interestingly, those are the 5 exact adjectives I use to describe my Galstanberry girlz…


What author and/or book has influenced your writing the most?

Authoress Isabelle Allende! Her book, House of Spirits, is pure genius. Seriously. Although she writes magic realism, I’ve learned tremendously from her. My writing reflects her use of vivid details in order to make characters and settings jump from the page. For example, I meticulously detail the sacred pearling ceremony in Book #2, from the grand tent to the faculty’s robes. Narration is also one of Allende’s literary gifts. Like her, I want readers to feel like they have a companion reading with them. A narrator that can emphasize the seriousness of particular moods, while joking about others.

How difficult was it for you to write in five different, yet distinctive, voices?

Great question! It was definitely a challenge to write 5 distinct voices. Each Galstanberry character represents an aspect of my personality. However, they are fully expressed in a particular character. For example, Lillian embodies the spunky and fun part of me. From singing while walking down the street (despite the strange stares) to performing at a fair—I am Lillian and she is me! The other material for the characters comes from my diverse group of girlfriends.


Was there one character that was harder to write than the others?

Nisha was perhaps the most difficult. She is quite complicated and although I can sympathize with her struggles, I’ve never experienced them to the degree she has. Regardless, it’s this complication that makes her very intriguing and relatable to girls.


Out of the five girls, which one is the most like you were at their age?

Funky Fei Chen! She marches to her OWN drum and thus reflects me 100% at 12 years old. I was (and still am) very confident and uninfluenced (to some degree) by others’ opinions. While some girls hung out at the mall, I was busy wrapping a hot dog in foil and seeing if it would cook under the hot sun in our backyard. Nerd—No; Adventurous—Yes.

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(Blog Tour) Author Interview: Janet Ruth Young (THE BABYSITTER MURDERS)

AUTHOR BIO:
Janet Ruth Young, who lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, graduated from Salem State College and from the creative writing program at Boston University. She was a co-editor of the literary magazine stet and a founder of Writers' Circle, the writing workshop at the Cambridge Women's Center. Her travel articles and book and theater reviews have appeared in The Boston Globe and other local publications. She left her job as an editor at a publishing company to write The Opposite of Music.

The Opposite of Music, published in 2007 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, a division of Simon & Schuster, garnered enthusiastic reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, The Denver Post, The Boston Globe, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, and the website TeensReadToo. It won the PEN New England Discovery Award and was a Book Sense Pick, a Borders Original Voices selection, and an American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults nominee. A paperback edition was released in May 2008.

Janet's second novel, The Babysitter Murders, about a babysitter who has thoughts of harming the child she cares for, will be published in July 2011.

Janet has appeared as a featured speaker at the annual conference of the Massachusetts Library Association, on the cable TV program The Writer's Block with John Ronan, and on the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance's Real Recovery Podcasts.

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In THE BABYSITTER MURDERS, what character was the hardest for you to write?
Malcolm Pinto needed special tending. I had to make sure he had sufficient motivation to respond to Dani the way he does. His behavior toward her stems from his idolization of his father. To still be obsessed with Dani when others have moved on, Malcolm has to believe Dani ruined the paradise he built with his dad. And despite Michael’s and Malcolm’s frequent references to the physical attributes of this or that girl or woman, the paradise they’ve created excludes women. The father/son relationship in this novel was really satisfying for me to develop, and I hope readers and reviewers pick up on it.

If you could choose a soundtrack for THE BABYSITTER MURDERS, what are the top three songs you would pick?
I’d like “Trouble Child” by Joni Mitchell when Dani is running along the Charles River in Boston, hiding behind sunglasses and a big hat. The Hawtones (the high school a cappella group in the book) could rehearse the Doris Day classic “Secret Love” with Shelley, who is just coming out as gay, singing lead. Several people in the group have crushes on others, so eye contact would be flying around the room. Very cinematic! And we would need some maddened, fast-paced background music representing Dani’s obsessive thoughts. Yesterday I heard a J.S. Bach partita for solo violin that would fit the bill.

Do you have any rituals you do when writing?
I have a beautiful study that I consider the most important room in the house. When I sit down to write I check my favorite websites (two e-mail accounts, Facebook, and The New York Times) one last time and then, if I’m worried about being distracted, I shut off the modem so I don’t go back to them again. I don’t answer the phone unless I know the person calling has a knack for keeping it brief. I also close the door, and my boyfriend, who lives with me, is not allowed to interrupt. If he’s home and hears the clacking of the keyboard he usually practices his guitar and does a great job of leaving me alone. There’s enough activity on the street (I live close to our local high school, the train station, and a free meals program) and in the tree outside my window (ornamental cherry blossoms, cedar waxwings, butterflies) to provide stimulation without true interruption.

What author and/or book has most influenced you?
When I decided that The Babysitter Murders would have a tight, complicated, and suspenseful plot, I thought immediately of Tom Perrotta’s book Little Children. Like my story, his has a character who’s considered sick and evil and a police character who’s determined to protect others from that person. I also thought of House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III, which features a squickily inappropriate police character. Both books do a great job of making the characters collide in a way that seems inevitable.

Are you working on a writing project now? If so, can you share with us what it is?
I’m working on a third book to be published by Atheneum. It’s YA, first person, present tense; it deals with another mental illness; and it follows a couple of the same characters I wrote about in my first two books as well as introducing a whole new environment and a bunch of new teen characters.

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THE BABYSITTER MURDERS cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.

AUTHOR BIO courtesy of Janet Ruth Young's WEBSITE.

I received an electronic copy of THE BABYSITTER MURDERS as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE

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For more information on THE BABYSITTER MURDERS, author Janet Ruth Young and her writing, visit her WEBSITE.

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Find THE BABYSITTER MURDERS at your local indie bookstore.

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(Blog Tour) Author Interview and Giveaway: Jane George (THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS)

AUTHOR BIO:
Jane George writes novels and young adult novels. She makes pictures to go with words. She illustrated her first young adult novel, titled THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS, and is working on ideas to expand that notion and create a (separate) series of heavily illustrated young adult novels. Something between a graphic novel and an illustrated novel.


More About Jane George (in her own words)
I love horses, was previously a horse owner, and hope to have another horse.

We have four cats, Skibbleshanks, Papillon, Lizzy Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Although Darcy really should have been named Bingley because there is little of which he does not approve. And he'll walk right in the neighbor's house.

I love old things with excellent workmanship.

I am not afraid of watercolor.

I do not ski.

I celebrate and observe the Wheel of the Year.

I am a Pisces sun sign, Scorpio moon, Scorpio rising. I have been known to laugh in the face of Mercury Retrograde and later regret it.

I am a writer and illustrator because that's what I am. I fought it for a long time, but the truth of who you are wins eventually.

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Jane George bio and photo courtesy of Jane George's WEBSITE.

I received an electronic copy of THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE

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Describe THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS in a few sentences.
A beaten down girl with nowhere else to go ends up at a struggling magical circus. If she can accept the truth and value of who she is, she might have a chance to save the circus and make it her home. But along with fighting her inner demons, she must discover the traitor behind a string of circus disasters, before he puts her ‘out of business’ too.

What character in THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS was the hardest for you to write?
The main characters all developed pretty easily. It was a minor character who gave me the most trouble by remaining flat and boring. Chuck started out as the boss hostler and head canvas man. A boss hostler is in charge of all the stock, the horses etc. And a canvas man takes care of advertising. It wasn’t until I decided to make Chuck the circus “Fixer” as well, that he really took shape. A “Fixer” is a bit of a snake-oil salesman, often with some legal knowledge, who would help a circus get out of scrapes with towns and townspeople. When I read about “Fixers,” I saw Chuck as a greasy wheeler-dealer in a Seventies suit and cowboy hat. Chuck’s basically a good guy. His heart’s in the right place, just don’t examine his methods too closely. The Ringmaster is a dreamer, an idealist, and in consequence not a very good manager. Chuck tries to compensate by cutting corners and red tape here and there.

What book and/or author has made the biggest impression on you as a writer?
The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. Some of the imagery in that book hits you broadside like a whale. I love it.

When not writing, what activities do you like to do?
I try and get out in nature as often as I can. Or get my hands in dirt. I love it when I’m out in the garden and the cats are there with me. In contrast, I also like to hear live music, such as The Decemberists. They’re great live. Or I go see unique exhibits, like the Wicked Plants show at the San Francisco Conservatory. I’m looking forward to that one.

Are you working on another writing project now? If so, can you share some details?
I’m working on two books right now. The sequel to The Mumbo Jumbo Circus, which is titled, The Daring Young Man:
Dante Delgado is a teen without a profession, a home, or a country. Once he was one of the few trapecistas to do a quad. Now, his family's circus in Mexico is bust, his hand is crippled from working in a meat-packing plant, and he's selling oranges on the streets of L.A. Can he stomach joining The Mumbo Jumbo Circus as a translator in order to avoid a murderous gang? Or will the circus turn out to be the more dangerous choice?

I’m really enjoying working on Dante’s story. It’s pushing me to learn about and explore all kinds of things, from trapeze arts to the Day of the Dead.

And I’m writing a dark comedy for adults called The Cookie King:
What happens when the mild-mannered man behind the high-powered woman known as the Cookie Queen discovers she’s dead? One option is to put her in her top-secret recipe freezer and pretend it's business as usual. Only it's difficult to continue the ruse as he becomes attracted to the Cookie Queen's drone of an assistant and the company's continued existence depends upon winning a snooty European baking contest. He's an accountant, not a cook!

Thanks for inviting me to visit!

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Thank you, Jane, for doing this interview! I loved THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS (read my REVIEW) and am really looking forward to reading its sequel, THE DARING YOUNG MAN.

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GIVEAWAY TIME!

Comment below (include email for winner notification) and you will be entered to win a MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS T-SHIRT. Contest in open to US Residents only and will end on 5 July 2011.

Complete choice of styles and sizes can be found at CafePress

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For more information on THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS and author Jane George, visit
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER

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(Blog Tour) Author Interview and Giveaway: Geoff Herbach (STUPID FAST)

AUTHOR BIO:
Hello. I’m Geoff Herbach. I am a book author first. My new Young Adult Novel, Stupid Fast, is just out (read some early reviews) and will be followed in spring of 2012 by its sequel, Nothing Special. I also wrote The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg from Three Rivers Press.

I do love writing for performance, though. Right now, I’m working on a new story show called Tales from the Poor House that will be broadcast on KMSU out of Minnesota State, Mankato (where I teach in the English Department).

My past is filled with that stuff. I’m the co-founder of The Lit 6 Project, a group dedicated to bringing literary storytelling to broader audiences (via humor and beer). I wrote and performed in The Electric Arc Radio Show, a literary tragi-comedy done in the radio style, which aired on Minnesota Public Radio. I co-hosted Powderkeg Live, with my partner Steph. And, I am one of three authors of the original musical, Don’t Crush Our Heart.

If you’re in New York or traveling that way, I’m also helping out with my pal Sam Osterhout’s Radio Happy Hour. It is an amazingly good show! Go to it!

If you like writing, join me at Minnesota State University — Mankato. You should definitely apply there.

Other than that, I have two perfect kids, Leo and Mira.

What were you like in high school? Did you play football or another sport?

I really liked high school, which is weird considering I was on fire and in pain constantly through 8th grade (could not sit still, could not think, could not shut up, smelled weird). I actually remember walking to school the first day of football practice my freshman year thinking, “Now it gets better.” Football was really at the center of who I was (jumpy!). My instincts were right. People noticed I was good, liked me for it, and that gave me space to be to be myself, really sort of a theater/musical geek. When I wasn’t at some sports practice, I was doing theater and other music. Lots of the other athletes at my school ended up doing theater and music, too. The social blending was awesome. Our high school class was very close. A lot of the inspiration for the book came from that experience (everyone is to be respected).


If you could go back to high school, is there anything you would do different? An event you would like to change the outcome of?

Oh yeah, there are many (I liked high school, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t an total idiot at times). I accidentally flipped off the band and was kicked out of the music department during study halls. I accidentally wrote the name of a freshman girl I loved on a desk using white-out, and then couldn’t get wipe it off with my hand, then I licked the white-out and got white out all over my tongue and face. I accidentally threw a bunch of beer bottles on my girlfriend’s neighbor’s lawn. The girl thought I was bullying her, which I wasn’t at all. Her dad thought so, too. Her dad threw some beer bottles at me when I drove by the next time (I felt awful, plus they dented my car). There are some other more personal disasters, too and some really devastating events (especially suicides among friends) that I can’t help but wish I had known more and done more. Maybe high school wasn’t so great?!


What character was the hardest for you to write in Stupid Fast?

Aleah Jennings, the main character’s girlfriend. I really, really wanted her to seem amazing and brilliant, but also real. I watched so much youtube of great women classical musicians – taking notes on how they attacked the music – and I tried to blend the personalities of girls I knew who were booky and arty and funny. I just worked so, so, so hard to make her real. She’s really one of my favorite characters ever, so… hope it worked!


Who/what has inspired your writing the most?

My parents were both English teachers (and I teach English at a University… hmm… how strange that I became this…). There were always tons and tons of books around. I read JD Salinger over and over. Later, I went to work at a regular 9-5 job. This place had about a million cubicles and the lights were too bright and I had to answer the phone and pretend I knew what I was talking about. I felt a little crazy. After about a year, instead of working, I sat there in my cube writing stories all day long until I had to quit or I’d be fired. After that, I couldn’t stop writing. I realized that my whole world would have to revolve around writing, or I’d get fired a lot. So, something about having English teacher parents and freaking out at a real job caused this total obsession.


What's your favorite sport? Athlete?

Football for sure. I’m a huge Sconnie Cheesehead Green Bay Packer fan. I have to say, although it is strange for me to say it, Aaron Rodgers is my favorite player (not Brett Favre as it has been for what feels like my whole life). I also love Clay Matthews, B.J. Raji, Charles Woodson, Donald Driver, and Greg Jennings.

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For more information on STUPID FAST and author Geoff Herbach, visit:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK

Click HERE to purchase STUPID FAST from The Book Depository.

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STUPID FAST cover art courtesy of GOODREADS. Geoff Herbach bio and photo courtesy of GeoffHerbach.com

I received an ARC of STUPID FAST as part of a blog tour arranged by TEEN BOOK SCENE

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INTERESTED IN READING STUPID FAST? Comment below to be entered to win a copy! Contest open to US/Canada residents only until 14 July 2011. One entry per person.

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(Blog Tour) Author Interview: Tracy Deebs (TEMPEST RISING)

AUTHOR BIO:
Tracy Deebs is the YA pseudonym of romance novelist Tracy Wolff. Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from contemporary to paranormal to erotic suspense.


Author photo courtesy of GOODREADS.

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Why mermaids?
I love mermaids. Love, love, love mermaids. When I was very young (about three or so) my father brought home a VHS tape of Hans Christian Andersen’s version of The Little Mermaid (long before Disney made a version). Though it was really dark and ended with the little mermaid becoming sea foam instead of living HEA with her prince, I fell in love with the story the first time I saw it. From then on, I was all about mermaids. I watched the movie every day (and I mean every day) for three years. My mom swears to this day that she can recite the dialogue word for word. While I eventually outgrew my obsession with mermaids, when I sat down to write my first YA and was still undecided about what paranormal creature I wanted to tackle, my agent asked, “How do you feel about mermaids?” Instantly, I was right back where I started all those years ago and knew I wasn't going to be happy writing about anything else.

Which character was the hardest for you to write?
Tempest’s mom. She was a killer for me, largely because I figured I’d hate her completely. But as the story evolved, I realized there was a lot more to her decision than I originally thought there would be. Trying to show that, in Tempest’s first person, while holding on to Tempest’s very justified anger, was difficult. I hope I pulled it off …

If you were creating a soundtrack for TEMPEST RISING, what five songs would you include?
How about eight songs?
Dirty Little Secret—The All-American Rejects
Crash Into Me—The Dave Matthews Band
Soul to Squeeze—Red Hot Chili Peppers
Secrets—One Republic
Don’t Speak—No Doubt
Something Beautiful—Need to Breathe
I Can’t Stay—The Killers
I Will Follow You Into the Dark—Death Cab for Cutie

What is your favorite thing(s) to do when not writing?
I love to shop, hang out with my four guys, swim, dance, read whatever I can get my hands on, go to movies and hang with my friends.

Are you working on a new writing project? If so, can you share some details?
My next YA book is a contemporary called THE INTERNATIONAL KISSING CLUB by Ivy Adams. I wrote it with two of my closest writing friends and it is due out January 2012. It’s the story of four small-town Texas girls who become international exchange students to search for life, love and Facebook fame. To document their kissing exploits, they form the IKC Facebook page and record points for kisses. Much to their shock, the International Kissing Club teaches them more about themselves and their friendship than they ever imagined possible.

My next YA on my own is a dystopian story tentatively titled Zero Day. It’s a modern-day Pandora story, but instead of opening a box, my Pandora opens an attachment and hearkens technological Armageddon. It’s due out in January 2012. And if things go well with Tempest Rising, the next Tempest book will be coming soon after that …

Thanks so much for having me. You've got a great blog and I really appreciate you making time for me!


TEMPEST RISING cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.
I received an ARC of TEMPEST RISING from the publisher, WALKER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS.

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Thank you, Tracy Deebs, for joining me and my readers today. I enjoyed reading TEMPEST RISING and am looking forward to reading your future works also!

For more information on TEMPEST RISING and Tracy Deebs, visit her BLOG and the TEMPEST RISING FACEBOOK page. And don't forget to check out Tracy Deebs' Top Ten List HERE.

Tracy Deebs will be participating in the Thrills and Chills Teen Book Tour. Click HERE for more information.

Click here to purchase TEMPEST RISING from The Book Depository.

(Blog Tour) Author Interview: Lara Chapman (FLAWLESS)

Author Bio:
Lara Chapman lives with her family in Central Texas, where she reads and writes daily. She's rarely – if ever – found without her laptop and iPhone. Lara has a life-long love affair with animals, especially dachshunds, and always has an animal or two snuggled close when writing.

Lesser Known Facts About Lara Chapman:
She have an obsession with dachshunds. No, really. It’s ridiculous.
She was accepted to law school but withdrew before her first class when her mom became terminally ill.
She used to hate that her name was spelled L-A-R-A. Her entire first grade year, she spelled her name L-A-U-R-A.
She would give ANYTHING to be psychic.
She has broken her big toe twice: once crossing the Frio River and once from dropping a can of hairspray on it.
She's seen the movie GREASE over a hundred times and will stop everything to watch it when it’s on TV. Same for URBAN COWBOY.
When her son was three, he told her he was going to take her back to the Mommy Store because she made him wear his seat belt.
Her daughter once hid their phone in the freezer; it took Lara two weeks to find it.
If she thought she could convince her children to move with her, sh’d live in Hawaii. Tomorrow.
She once worked for a Private Investigator. People are really, really sneaky. Especially when they’re lying.
She turned down a college scholarship in vocal performance. Big mistake. Huge. Kids… learn from Aunt Lara. GO TO SCHOOL!
She's had the same best friends for nearly thirty years!


Bio courtesy of Lara Chapman's WEBSITE.

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How hard (or easy) was it to adapt the Cyrano story into not only a modern retelling, but one that you felt would appeal to teens?

It was pretty easy, actually! I just looked at the most important themes of friendship and self-acceptance and built the story from there, using the Cyrano plot as a skeleton for FLAWLESS. I thought the storyline would appeal to teens because the struggles Sarah faces are so similar to the issues today’s teens face. We all have something we’d like to change about ourselves. Accepting ourselves is a universal struggle for teens and adults alike.

What author (beside the obvious Edmond Rostand) has most influenced your writing?
Before I began writing FLAWLESS, I had never actually read Cyrano de Bergerac. Everything I knew about the story came from the movie “Roxanne,” starring Steve Martin! Sidebar: If you haven’t seen it, you really need to. It’s a riot!
Hands down, the author who influenced my writing the most is Janet Evanovich. I know I should probably say something like Jane Austen, but the truth is that I am most drawn to writing that makes me laugh and introduces me to characters with heart and flaws and an ability to laugh at themselves.

Tell me a little about the road to publication for you. How long did it take from the first time you put pen on paper to write FLAWLESS to the day you found out it would be published?
It took me about four years to get published. I began writing after reading “How I Write” by Janet Evanovich and there was no turning back after that! Initially, I wrote adult romantic comedy but, after submitting to contests and getting a lot of comments like “your heroine sounds like a teenager,” I decided to try my hand at YA. It was a perfect fit for my voice – I can’t imagine writing anything else.
I was pretty specific in my submission process. Initially, I focused on 5-6 agents. I was referred to my agent (Holly Root, Waxman Literary Agency) by another agent and submitted to her almost exclusively for two years after that. She just seemed like a good match for me – she’s insanely intelligent and a complete delight to know. I met her at a couple of conferences, then she offered representation on FLAWLESS. I signed with Holly in August 2009 and FLAWLESS sold to Bloomsbury in January 2010.

I read on your website that you are a fan of GREASE. What is your favorite song and/or scene?
Summer Lovin’ is by far my favorite song! I mean, come on… who doesn’t want a summer fling like that? It’s such a great song because you see so clearly how much Danny and Sandy really care about one another. And I think it’s hilarious how he tries to blow it off as something unimportant. I also love Rizzo’s song, There are Worse Things I Could Do. She’s so misunderstood and that song is just heart wrenching!

You also mention that you would move to Hawaii tomorrow if you could. Why?
There is a tranquility to the islands that I can’t describe. The pristine beaches, the laid back temperament of the islanders and the unsurpassable beauty is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. If you can’t find peace there, I’m not sure you can find it anywhere!

TITLE: FLAWLESS
AUTHOR: Lara Chapman;
IMPRINT: Bloomsbury
PUBLICATION DATE: 10 May 2011
PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES: Standalone

Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-all right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking?

This hip retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is filled with hilariously misguided matchmaking, sweet romance, and a gentle reminder that we should all embrace our flaws


FLAWLESS description and cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.


I received an ARC of FLAWLESS from the publisher BLOOMSBURY.

Author Interview and Giveaway: D.C. Grace

Today I am happy to welcome D.C. Grace to An Avid Reader's Musings.

First, I would like to thank D.C. Grace for allowing me to interview her. Thanks also to The Teen {Book} Scene for arranging this blog tour.


Now on to the interview:

What inspired you to write about the Hocak tribe?
I've always loved NA culture. My daughters really are half Chiricahua Apache, like Angelina in the book. I chose the Hocak (or Ho-Chunk) for two reasons: their myths and legends are absolutely fascinating, and have so many layers to them. I could really create beautiful extensions of their folklore. And also, the Dells have what the call the "Beast of Bray Road"; werewolf sightings, if you will, in the Dells. I took both and melded them into what we now know as the Guardians.

How much of the customs and culture of the Hocak tribe mentioned in The Sacred Oath are true (or based on truth)? Did you have to do a lot of research?
All of the customs and culture are based in 100% fact - I made no embellishments at all in that regard, for the Ho-Chunk or the Apache. I would never want to disrespect a culture by misrepresenting their belief system. The legends within TSO are all actual Ho-Chunk legends - with the exception of the Guardians themselves. My descriptions of Bug-Way-Jinini, the Thunderbirds, Wak 'Tcexi and Herecgunina are all accurate. They follow the legends to the letter. I just added the Guardians as the protectors of the Thunderbirds to round out the story. And yes, it took a lot of research!

Was it difficult to write in two different voices (Dasan and Angelina)?
I actually wrote in, I believe, seven different voices. It is hard to get inside so many different characters heads, but for this story, it needed to be done. So many times you're reading a book and think "I wonder what so-and-so is really thinking!" I decided I wouldn't let that happen in The Guardians series. Each different perspective gives more depth and detail to the story. And after awhile, it gets so much easier to adopt those different voices - they become a part of you!

Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what did you listen to while writing The Sacred Oath?
My musical tastes are very diverse! I listened to everything from Janis Joplin to the Eagles, Metallica to Paramore! Whatever fit the mood of the scene I was writing. I think my playlist is posted on TSO's Facebook page...

Can you give readers a sneak peak at book two, Season of Destruction? What's in store for Dasan and Angelina?
I've actually posted the entire Prologue on TSO's Facebook page, but here's a snippet:

“Angelina isn’t very happy with you, is she, wolf boy?”
I jumped up at the sound of Brett’s voice. I was sure it had come from behind me, but when I turned to look, there was nothing there but a wall. Pictures of Angelina and Rosie smiled back at me. I turned back around and scanned the room.
“What the hell are you trying to pull, Brett?” I growled.
His laughter seemed to ring all around me. I felt the wolf pull out of hiding, ready to defend these women that I, that we loved so well.
“You are a comedy, though, aren’t you?” Brett’s voice swirled around the room.
The wolf was ready to engage.
“If you want me, come and get me,” I hissed. “But you leave the women out of this. All of them. You hear me?”
“It seems to me that you’re a bigger threat to them than I am, now aren’t you?”
As if manifesting from the shadows, Brett appeared on the other side of the room. His face was mocking as he folded his arms across his chest. He seemed totally pleased with himself as he leaned against the wall, daring me to make a move. I felt my canines start to lengthen, that familiar feeling of crowding before my jaws would start to extend.
“This is your last warning, Brett.”
He chuckled.
“Oh, I’m so scared,” he grinned. “You’re no threat to my fun. And who knows, maybe I can get lucky and land myself an Angel in the process.”
“I’ll see you in hell first.” My body started shaking, and my hands clenched into fists. Brett laughed again.
“Please, Dasan. Don’t you realize what’s happening here? I’m not doing anything. It’s you. You’re doing it all.”
I growled so deep in my throat that it made my chest rattle. The wolf couldn’t be contained any longer. I was just about to give him release.
“Dasan, who are you talking to?” Angelina asked as she came around the side of the couch.
I reached out and shoved her behind me. My chest heaved at her presence in the room, the wolf so aware of the dangerous threat she needed to be protected against.
“Angel, get back!” my voice was almost unrecognizable through my contorting jaws. “Brett’s in the house!”
Angelina gasped at the name. As I turned to look back across the room, he was gone. Angel looked around, seeing no one, and her panic subsided.
“Dasan,” she began. “There’s nobody here.”
I looked around me wildly. Brett had vanished.
I looked at Angelina. The wolf faded back. We were both confused.
“I swear, Angel, he was here,” I told her. “Didn’t you hear him talking to me?”
Angelina glanced around the room again before she looked back at me. She shook her head.
“I only heard you talking, Dasan.”
I had no idea what was going on, or how he was doing it. But as I looked at Angelina, I knew this would be another strike against me. I almost winced as I felt her raise that mental wall on me for the second time in a day.
“Angel,” I held her hands, pleading with her. “Angel, you have to believe me. He was here.”
“I believe you,” she said softly.
But as I looked in her eyes, I saw something I thought I’d never see—doubt...."

-excerpt, Season of Destruction


Sounds great! I can't wait to read it. Thanks again, DC!

And now, for one lucky person out there, D.C. Grace is giving away a SIGNED copy of The Sacred Oath and a t-shirt. Please fill out the form below to be entered into the giveaway. Giveaway has ended.

Author Interview: Mandy Hubbard

I want to thank Mandy Hubbard for being here today and allowing me to interview her. 

Mandy Hubbard is the author of Prada & Prejudice and You Wish. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary, where she represents authors of middle grade and teen fiction.

What inspired you to write You Wish?

I really loved the idea of contrasting a teen today with the girl she used to be. I came up with the concept first (a girl getting all of her past wishes) and then asked myself what kind of character would be most interesting in a book like this? I realized that the wishes were really whimsical and goofy and fun, so I wanted Kayla to be the opposite—jaded, cynical, sarcastic. Plus, I wanted to write an entirely different character than Callie, in Prada & Prejudice, who was so desperate to fit in she bought $400 Prada pumps.

How long did it take you to write You Wish? What is your writing process (plotter, pantser, or hybrid?) 

YOU WISH was a whirlwind book. I pitched it to my editor on June 24, 2009. She immediately loved it and took it to the others for approval. They said yes and we brainstormed things on the phone on June 29th. The first draft was due October 1st, three months later. I had a couple weeks off and then four weeks to revise it. I turned it in, my editor had minor line edits, and it went to be copy edited by December 8th.

So basically, three months to write, one month to revise, wham-bam-done. Definitely my fastest turn around!

Why YA?

Why not? Heh. I got into YA because I was 23 when I was writing the book that got me my agent. I wrote it about four early twenty-somethings because, well, I was in my early 20s. She said my voice worked better for YA, so we made them into teenagers. I did so, and then started reading YA like crazy. The rest is history!

What one birthday wish from your childhood would you like to have come true?

To be rich and famous, JL. So if you want to go out and buy like, a million copies of my book, that one can come true. Get on it, will ya? What? No? Sigh.

Let's say you want to tweet a description of You Wish. What would your 140 characters be?

YOU WISH is about a cynical teen who gets everything she ever wished for- to disastrous effect.

If you were creating a soundtrack for You Wish, what's the one (or two) songs you would have to have on there?

Taylor Swift’s YOU BELONG WITH ME is the epitome of the book. It’s all about a girl pining for a boy who is clearly in love with the wrong girl.

I also love Paris Hilton’s song, SCREWED, for the lyrics: “Boy meets girl and she falls much harder than him, same old story….”

What's next for you writing wise?

In 2011 I have my first foray into realistic/contemporary, with a very dark YA book about a girl in an abusive relationship. Then in July, my first paranormal romance, RIPPLE, releases. It’s about a siren who accidently kills the only boy she’s ever loved, and she becomes an Ice Queen to keep people at arm’s length—and thus, safe from her deadly voice—but then a new boy comes along and he’s impossible to resist, despite the life or death consequences.

To learn more about Mandy Hubbard and her books, visit her website. A special thanks to The Teen {Book} Scene for arranging this interview and blog tour.

Book cover images courtesy of Goodreads.  Author photo courtesy of www.mandyhubbard.com.