Archive for July, 2009
July 31st, 2009
A quick reminder… today is the last day to get your comments in for the July monthly drawing! Comments before midnight EST will be entered in July and comments after that will be entered in the August contest. The July winners of the ARC of The Cinderella Society and the You 2.0 Prize Dive will be announced on Monday!
Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so brilliant in concept that I know I have to buy it. The fact that my guest today is a wonderful person (as is his wife, Lauren Baratz-Logsted) makes the auto-buy even more of a necessity. This week, I’m delighted to bring you the fabulous…
Greg Logsted!
Friday guests will be sharing their You 2.0 stories about pursuing their dreams, changing their world, gratitude, and paying it forward. Then they’ll be talking about why they love the YA and middle grades genres and why they love being an author, librarian, or teacher. And good news… Three Truths and a Lie is alive and well on Fridays too!
So without further ado, please join me in welcoming the talented and charming Greg!
The Basics
Name:
Greg Logsted
Web Site:
www.greglogsted.com
Short Bio:
Greg Logsted is the author of SOMETHING HAPPENED and ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH. He’s also the co-author of THE SISTERS EIGHT series with his wife, author Lauren Baratz-Logsted, and their nine-year-old daughter Jackie. He presently lives in Danbury, CT.
The Books
Alibi Junior High
June 2009
Aladdin (Simon & Schuster)
Thirteen-year-old Cody Saron has never lived in one place longer than a few weeks, and has never attended a regular school. Growing up on the run with his father, an undercover agent for the CIA, Cody has traveled the entire globe; he speaks five languages, and he has two black belts. What Cody isn’t prepared for is…junior high.
When the danger surrounding Cody’s dad heats up, Cody is sent to stay with the aunt he’s never known, Jenny, in her small Connecticut suburb. Cody has no idea how to fit in with other kids, how to handle his first crush, or how to make it through a day of classes.
As Cody struggles to adapt to the one thing he’s never experienced — a normal life — he starts to fear that his father’s world has followed him and no one he loves is safe. Greg Logsted weaves together action, humor, and heart, building to a surprising revelation about what Cody has always believed to be true.
P.S. Check out teen librarian Jennifer Rummel‘s review of Alibi Junior High posted today. (The fab YA Booknerd for you savvy blog readers out there.) Now that’s synchronity, no? 
Questions About You 2.0
The You 2.0 blog is about becoming everything you’re meant to be. It’s about pursuing your dreams, changing your world, showing gratitude, and paying it forward. Here’s a chance for our Spotlight guests to share what You 2.0 means to them.
1. PURSUING YOUR DREAMS: Everyone has the ability to be extraordinary, they just have to embrace what makes them unique and special and pursue their dreams with passion and confidence! Was being a published author a dream of yours? If so, how does it feel to have achieved your dream?
Yes! I’ve always wanted to be a published author. How does it feel? Well, it feels great but sometimes it doesn’t feel real to me. Some people give me this really odd look when I tell them about my books. It’s a look that says, “Yeah, right.” Then I have to spend my time convincing them that I’ve really written and published a book. It’s an unsatisfying situation. It made me realize that you have to gather your own pleasure from your accomplishments. If you’re waiting for others to praise you, well, that doesn’t happen very often.
2. CHANGING YOUR WORLD: Changing the world doesn’t have to mean finding a cure for cancer or creating lasting world peace (though it definitely can!). It just means finding a way that you can make the world a little better off for having lived here, whether it’s making a difference to one person or a million, to the earth, to animals… whatever is important to you. What is one way you would personally like to make the world a better place?
I really try to treat everyone the way I would like to be treated. It’s such a simple thing but if everyone did it this would be a much better world to live in.
3. GRATITUDE: Gratitude is a huge part of the You 2.0 life. Taking a moment to count our blessings is the best way to remember what’s truly important (especially when life is hectic and crazy!). What are you grateful for?
Well, my wife and daughter always pop into my head first. I don’t know what I’d do without them. I’m also grateful for my health – after that everything else is bonus material.
4. PAYING IT FORWARD: If everyone took a moment to pay it forward, even just once, the world would be changed in ways we can’t even imagine. What is one thing you’ve done (or plan to do) to “pay it forward” in some way?
I’m always “that guy” who’s suddenly by your side if you’re pushing a car down the street. I’ve also given up my spot in front of lines to someone who’s struggling with a crying baby. Someone did that for me quite a few years ago and I’ve paid that one forward on a number of occasions.
Questions About You, The Author
5. Why did you decide to participate in The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest? Do you think you would’ve participated in the contest as a teen or tween?
This is definitely something I would have loved as a teen, so why not be a part of it now?
6. What do you love most (and least) about being an author?
I love seeing my book in a bookstore. I also love the idea that many people around the world are enjoying something I created in my room by myself.
What do I like least? Well, I’m not too crazy about public speaking. I’ve given a few author talks and found it a very difficult and humbling experience. I’m a solitary person who works by himself and writes by himself so standing in front of a group of people isn’t something I’m generally comfortable with. I’ll do it…but it ain’t easy.
7. What is the coolest thing that’s happened to you since becoming a published author?
The seeing my book in a bookstore part, that’s really cool. Trust me. A close second is the first time your publisher shows you the cover of your book.
8. Which YA or middle grades book has had the greatest impact on you and why?
When I was in 5th or 6th grade I inhaled Tom Sawyer. It was the first book I actually read in a day. I loved it. Until that point I had no idea a book could deliver that much pleasure.
9. If you could go back in time and give your teen/tween self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t fear rejection. If you get rejected, so what? At least you tried. There’s only one thing worst than failure: failing to try. I’d also say, get out there and do more – live every day to the fullest.
Will the Real You 2.0 Please Stand Up?
10. I love the game Three Truths and a Lie because there are so many unexpected and interesting things about people that we never get a chance to learn about them. What are three truths and a lie that our blog readers can guess about you?
– I once had a dog named Mushmouse.
– My father’s brother’s second son shares the same name as my father’s first son’s younger brother.
– I once ate 27 hardboiled eggs on a bet that I lost. I was trying for 30 but just couldn’t make it.
– I once got into the VIP tent at a major rock concert simply by presenting a blue rubber ball in place of a ticket.
(Readers: Your guess gets you an entry into the You 2.0 monthly contest for an ARC of The Cinderella Society or a prize dive in the awesome You 2.0 Prize Basket. Guess correctly and you get a bonus entry! I’ll update the post on Monday to spill the big lie, so get guessing and have fun!)
Thanks to Greg for a terrific interview!
July 30th, 2009
… you’d really like to know, wouldn’t you? 
First, let me just say thanks to everyone who came over to say hello to the fabulous Elizabeth Law! She really kept you guessing, didn’t she? Be sure to check out which tidbit was her lie. Elizabeth’s Booklover of the Week post is now updated.
The winner of my very own, much-loved ARC of CANDOR by Pam Bachorz and a signed bookplate from Pam herself is:
Briana
(What Bri Reads)
Congratulations Bri! Contact me here with your mailing info and I’ll send it along. And those of you participating in the Teen Author Challenge, be sure to post your comments to get entered into the drawing for one of the craft books I’m donating from my shelf. Choices include:
1. Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress
2. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
3. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
4. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
5. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
6. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
7. Mastering Point of View by Sherri Szeman
8. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
9. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
10. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
I’ve got an awesome Author Spotlight lined up for you tomorrow with Greg Logsted (author of the brilliant Alibi Junior High). And you never know when I’ll be doing another giveaway!
July 28th, 2009
Welcome to Week 3 of the Teen Author Challenge!
With your fresh, wow-worthy story idea solidly in place, we’re going to talk about finding the key hooks in your story that you can build on.
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“The best thing I ever did to develop myself as a writer was to keep a journal. I started when I was ten and haven’t stopped. Not only have my journals been a great resource for material (if you can’t steal from yourself, who can you steal from?), journaling was also excellent practice for learning how to describe details and tell a story.”
~ Josie Bloss
Band Geeked Out (Flux, 4/09)
Teen Author Challenge, Week 3
When you’re pitching a new book–whether you’ve been published previously or this is your first time submitting–you need to be able to describe the most marketable elements of your story clearly and succinctly. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to make sure that your blurb (think back cover blurb on a book) highlights the key hooks in your story.
What are hooks? Hooks are simply the easy-to-recognize, tried-and-true elements that make us care about the story. Here are a variety of examples to show you what I mean.
– Good vs. evil
– Second chances
– Overcoming obstacles
– Romance
– Paranormal elements
– Opposites attract
– Fish out of water
– Underdog coming out on top
– Accepting yourself
– Redemption
– Quest
– Mystery
– Glamour and glitz
– Small town America
– Hitting rock bottom and climbing your way back out
The list goes on and on. Some hooks are character-based (e.g. accepting yourself), some are plot-based (e.g. the underdog coming out on top), and some are world-based (e.g. your unique paranormal mythos). The key is that they’re all instantly recognizable and make people immediately grasp why they should care about your story.
For instance, I’m a big fan of romance, so that’s a hook I’m actively looking for in blurbs. I also love any story where the underdog comes out on top and stories about people getting a second chance at life. Those hooks resonate with me as a reader. If you can weave those elements into your blurb, I’m going to be much more inclined to read the book.
And just in case you’re wondering, you don’t have to use a particular hook term in your blurb. Describing the situation in a way where I can clearly see that the hero or heroine is the underdog is going to hook me without you having to say “And hey, look over here! This character? This guy is the underdog!”
Agents and editors have a knack for quickly identifying the hooks in a potential acquisition. In fact, my own editor (the fabulous Elizabeth Law who will be featured here tomorrow!) and I had a chat recently about a new book I’d just pitched. I gave her the basic blurb and she responded by saying “I like the X and Y hooks there” and then went on to discuss some of the finer points of the story as I’d described it. Hooks are kind of like a shorthand between you and your agent/editor and, ultimately, your reader. It shows that you understand what makes a story compelling and can articulate that in a few simple words.
Let’s take a popular book and see what kinds of hooks we can find. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot was one of the books that inspired me to write empowering YA, so I’m going to use that as an example. Just off the top of my head, I can come up with three major hooks:
– Glamour and glitz (the royal world of Genovia)
– Fish out of water (Mia being thrust into this crazy new princess life)
– Romance (friends become sweethearts)
Let’s try another one. Here are a few key hooks from Alyson Noel‘s Evermore:
– Paranormal mythos (Ever’s psychic abilities)
– Overcoming grief (dealing with the loss of her family)
– Romance (forbidden love)
Are there more hooks in these stories than the ones I’ve noted here? Absolutely. If you dig deep enough you can sometimes uncover half a dozen or more hooks all deftly woven into the fabric of the stories you love most. But often, there are a few key hooks that really stand out. Those are the meat and potatoes (or the black beans and rice for you vegetarians out there) of your story.
Your Weekly Challenge
Grab your Teen Author Challenge notebook and jot down all the hooks you have in your story. If you’re not sure if something qualifies as a hook, write it down anyway. There are no hard and fast rules about what constitutes a hook. And I promise, this isn’t a graded assignment.
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Mastering Point of View by Sherri Szeman
7. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
8. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
9. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
10. Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Today we’re doing an extra special entry for the contest since we’re nearing month-end. Here’s how to get bonus entries for the TAC monthly contest:
– Comment on today’s post (+1 entry)
– Share some of the hooks that you love as a reader (+2 entries)
– Share the hooks you’ve discovered for your own story (+4 entries)
I’ll announce the first monthly winner on Monday. Go forth and be creative!
July 27th, 2009
Happy Monday!
I’m having a great visit with my family this week. They arrived last Friday and we’ve been having a fabulous time every day. As some of you know, The Cinderella Society is dedicated to my mom. I have managed to keep this a secret from her for the entire eleven months since the book officially sold. I didn’t even tell her my ARCs arrived a month ago because I didn’t trust myself not to blurt out the secret that’s been bubbling inside me for so long.
The unveiling was quite a moment. Not only was she thrilled to see that a) my ARCs had arrived and b) she was the only person in the family to get her very own copy (though she didn’t know why at first), we both got teary-eyed when she read the inscription. For those of you who don’t have a copy yet, it reads:
For my mom,
my role model, my friend, and
the world’s first Honorary Cindy.
I love you, Mom.
Watching her read the dedication was hands-down one of the best moments of my life since finding out the book was actually going to be on bookstore shelves… and worth every single second of secret keeping. A special thanks to Nico Medina at Egmont USA for going above and beyond to make sure the dedication made it into the galleys. I appreciate you!
So there you go. That was the secret I was bursting to share last week but couldn’t. And now, I get to spread the joy by announcing the winner of the fun prize pack in honor of Friday’s first Librarian Spotlight (with the awesome Eleanor Wood). If you haven’t gone over to check out her lie, be sure to check it out. Has she lived a fascinating life or what? She gave that sorry old librarian stereotype a big-time throwdown, I tell you.
Here’s the prize pack that was up for grabs simply by commenting on Friday’s blog:
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
**unabridged audiobook – 6 hours on CD**
~AND~
Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley
**ARC – an upcoming Great Scavenger Hunt Contest title!**
So, who won these prizes? Please join me in congratulating…
Alex (A Flight of Minds)
Way to go, Alex! To claim your prize, contact me here. See you all tomorrow for Week 3 of the Teen Author Challenge!
July 24th, 2009
For today’s Friday Spotlight, I’m delighted to bring you the very first You 2.0 Librarian Spotlight! This is a feature I’m super excited about because it gives us a chance to get to know some really fab teen librarians (and teachers too!) who are as passionate about YA and middle grades fiction as we are. To kick off this feature, I’m delighted to welcome…
Eleanor Wood
Decatur Public Library
As always, Friday guests will be sharing their You 2.0 stories about pursuing their dreams, changing their world, gratitude, and paying it forward. Then they’ll be talking about why they love the YA and middle grades genres and why they love being an author, librarian, or teacher. And good news… Three Truths and a Lie is alive and well on Fridays too!
SPECIAL GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
To celebrate the first spotlight of a participating Great Scavenger Hunt Contest librarian, I’m giving away a prize pack to one lucky commenter that includes:
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
**unabridged audiobook – 6 hours on CD**
~AND~
Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley
**ARC – an upcoming Great Scavenger Hunt Contest title!**
You don’t even have to guess her lie correctly to be eligible. Stellar, right?
So without further ado, please join me in welcoming the wonderful Eleanor!
The Basics
Name:
Eleanor Wood
Library:
Decatur Public Library
Location:
Decatur, IL
Short Bio:
I’m a reference librarian as well as being the young adult librarian at DPL. I’m still the new kid on the block here, and patrons still come in and know I must be Eleanor because I’m the only face they don’t know yet. I love being a librarian, but started out in another direction entirely. I grew up in New Mexico and studied theatre and anthropology in college. If I ever go back to school, I hope to earn a degree in Forensic Anthropology. (I’ll still be a librarian though!)
A Bit About the Library:
Our library is renovated from a Sears store and is about a block long = big and beautiful! We serve a community of approximately 81,000 people. The library is a member of the Rolling Plains Library System. We’re in the middle of our summer reading programs, which we have for adults, teens, and children so everyone can partake of reading fun.
Questions About You 2.0
The You 2.0 blog is about becoming everything you’re meant to be. It’s about pursuing your dreams, changing your world, showing gratitude, and paying it forward. Here’s a chance for our Spotlight guests to share what You 2.0 means to them.
1. PURSUING YOUR DREAMS: Everyone has the ability to be extraordinary, they just have to embrace what makes them unique and special and pursue their dreams with passion and confidence! Tell us a little about a dream you’ve achieved or are pursuing right now. If you’ve achieved it already, how does it feel to know you’ve made your dream a reality?
I have always loved movies. When I finished college I moved to Hollywood to be a makeup artist in the film industry. I only stayed for a few years, worked on a couple movies, countless short films, commercials, and photo shoots (no, I don’t know anyone famous), but I was there. I did it. Sometimes when you reach the stars you’re shooting for… you don’t like it as much as you thought, so you find a new star to shoot for… there are millions after all. Achieving the dream isn’t the end, just a new start.
2. CHANGING YOUR WORLD: Changing the world doesn’t have to mean finding a cure for cancer or creating lasting world peace (though it definitely can!). It just means finding a way that you can make the world a little better off for having lived here, whether it’s making a difference to one person or a million, to the earth, to animals… whatever is important to you. What is one way you would personally like to make the world a better place?
Being polite. Gandhi is quoted as saying, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It’s a small thing, but I try to be polite to everyone – which can be challenging in a library with very upset patrons. Someone may be having a terrible day, and the only thing they remember as being good is that someone was kind and polite.
3. GRATITUDE: Gratitude is a huge part of the You 2.0 life. Taking a moment to count our blessings is the best way to remember what’s truly important (especially when life is hectic and crazy!). What are you grateful for?
My family and my job. I love my job, and with the current economy I realize how blessed I am with this library position. Many of our patrons are homeless or live in shelters, so many times I make it home at the end of the day and realize how lucky I am to have a roof over my head. My family is great. I can always be myself with them; my sister is my role model – and vice versa. She’s actually working as a YA librarian as well.
4. PAYING IT FORWARD: If everyone took a moment to pay it forward, even just once, the world would be changed in ways we can’t even imagine. What is one thing you’ve done (or plan to do) to “pay it forward” in some way?
I’m not sure if I’ve already done this, but I will continue to do what was done for me: listen and respect the speaker. When I was a teen, my teachers and my guidance counselor listened to what I had to say. They never shrugged off my comments as coming from a kid, they heard me out and considered my arguments. It’s very empowering to know that your voice can and does make a difference. This counts for adults too – patrons will come in who are just lonely and want to talk to someone. They aren’t wasting my time, I’m still helping them by listening.
Questions About You, The Librarian
5. Why did you decide to participate in The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest?
I think it’s a great way for our younger patrons to put their love of books and book trivia to use. And it’s fun.
6. Do you think you would’ve participated in the contest as a teen/tween?
You bet! Any time I could enter to win prizes for reading I was there – I figured if I was going to spend all my time reading, I might as well try to win prizes for it!
Least: the public speaking aspect! (I’m still a work-in-progress there…)
7. Tell us about some cool teen programming your library has hosted. We love to hear new ideas!
For Teen Read Week a few years back we arranged with a small independent movie theatre in town to show a special scary movie just for teens who participated in TRW; and teens could also enter a drawing to win concession packs (purchased by our Friends of the Library).
We also held a very successful video game tournament – our first was in April and we’re hoping to have these bi-annually.
This month we’re having a Henna workshop as well as various Harry Potter things (movies and book talks) for the new movie coming out.
8. Why did you choose a book-related career?
I’ve always loved to read and always loved libraries. Anywhere I went, I knew a library would be there. It’s like finding something familiar when you’re away from home. So I decided since I like them so much and always volunteered in them, why not make that my career?
9. What do you love most (and least) about being a librarian?
Most: Helping people. When someone has a question or can’t find a book, I love being able to help them. It seems like a small thing, but it’s positive all around.
Least: Having to ask people to leave the library for not following our policies.
10. What books inspired you as a teen/tween?
I missed out on most literature as a tween/teen because I obsessively read R.L. Stine’s Fear Streets and a lot of Shakespeare. I remember several books I read a little bit younger: Number the Stars, Letters from Rifka, A Walk in Wolf Wood, and The Hobbit. I love different cultures and fantasy worlds.
11. What do you love most about the YA and middle grades genres?
Best fantasy books. The fantasy novels in adult (at least the ones I pick up) get bogged down in describing the minutia of their fictional world. YA and tween books live in the world without worrying about setting up and explaining all the whats and whys. And there’s rarely mention of taxes.
12. Are you also a writer yourself? If so, what do you like to write?
I’m not a writer. I have this crazy imagination that is always going 100%, but nothing in my imagination stays the same long enough to put it on paper. Mostly I just write emails and snail mail (with fountain pens and bottles of ink) to family and friends.
13. If you could go back in time and give your teen/tween self one piece of advice, what would it be?
I would tell myself not to do something I felt I was supposed to do to make my parents and teachers happy because everyone expected me to, which I didn’t want to do. A family friend asked if I really wanted to go… I didn’t, but my mother was listening so I said I wanted to go. Biggest mistake of my life. Listening to your heart is more important than pride and a mistaken feeling of duty. And never worry about disappointing your parents.
Will the Real You 2.0 Please Stand Up?
14. I love the game Three Truths and a Lie because there are so many unexpected and interesting things about people that we never get a chance to learn about them. What are three truths and a lie that our blog readers can guess about you?
– When I was 14, I rode a runaway horse along back roads of the rolling Montana landscape. (I was so scared!! But I stayed on!)
– At 16, I was almost taken into custody by a military general on a train in Germany for not having my (whole) ticket.
– I was stung by a jellyfish when visiting a beach in New Zealand on a school trip.
**UPDATE: Here’s the lie!**
– When I was 15, a boy asked me to marry him in the middle of a bazaar in Istanbul.
(Readers: Your guess gets you an entry into the You 2.0 monthly contest for an ARC of The Cinderella Society or a prize dive in the awesome You 2.0 Prize Basket. Guess correctly and you get a bonus entry for the monthly contest AND today’s special giveaway! I’ll update the post on Monday to spill the big lie and announce the special giveaway winner, so get guessing and have fun!)
Thanks to Eleanor for a terrific interview!
July 23rd, 2009
Wow, this day got away from me! Family arrives tomorrow and house is… well, mostly clean. Big surprises in store for my parents which I’m very excited about. Will spill the details next week.
Some fun things to share today:
** Be sure to go check out Kristi’s lie from yesterday’s Booklover of the Week feature. The guesses were pretty well split, so she did a great job coming up with her three truths and a lie!
** I’m very excited that the Publisher’s Weekly Spring 2010 Sneak Preview came out this week and The Cinderella Society got a nod! I had no idea that I’d be mentioned, so that was super fun.
** I got a blog award from Bookworming’s lovely Kristen (thank you!!) that I will be sharing next week when all the travel stuff settles down and I can think straight. But it was super sweet of her to think of me, so I wanted to do a preemptive thanks to her here.
** And finally… be sure to tune in tomorrow for the very first Librarian Spotlight. I’ll be doing a giveaway of not one, but two fab prizes to celebrate (because librarians ROCK!). Don’t miss it!
July 22nd, 2009
I kicked off the Booklover of the Week series with the first two of three YA book bloggers that I’ve been following since way back when. This week, I’m delighted to round out the trio by welcoming the wonderful…
Kristi
(aka The Story Siren)
I was lucky enough to be able to meet Kristi at the ALA conference a few weeks ago, and she is every bit as delightful in person as she is in her vlogs. Welcome, Kristi!
Booklover Basics
Name: Kristi
Blog Name: The Story Siren
Blog URL: www.thestorysiren.com
Country: USA
Teen or Adult? Adult
Short Bio:
A Siren by definition is a device that makes a loud signal, or if you refer to Greek Mythology a siren can be referred to a mermaid or a winged creature whose singing lured sailors onto rocks. As a Story Siren, I’m not so much into the death by drowning, but I am interested in “singing” the praises of novels that deserve such a melody.
I’m a twenty something dental assistant, I’ve snagged my prince charming (who’s still currently being held hostage) and my only child is my rottweiler Xander.
The Story Siren is basically my outlet for my book addiction. My drug of choice Young Adult novels.
Questions About You 2.0
The You 2.0 blog is about becoming everything you’re meant to be. It’s about pursuing your dreams, changing your world, showing gratitude, and paying it forward. Here’s a chance for our Booklovers to share what You 2.0 means to them.
1. PURSUING YOUR DREAMS: Everyone has the ability to be extraordinary, they just have to embrace what makes them unique and special and pursue their dreams with passion and confidence! Tell us a little about a dream you’ve achieved or are pursuing right now. If you’ve achieved it already, how does it feel to know you’ve made your dream a reality?
One of my biggest dreams that I’ve accomplished was graduating from college. I’m one of the only people in my family that has actually gone to college and finished, so it was a big deal for me to do that. Education has always been important to me, so to accomplish that dream was completely fulfilling. I’d love to go back to school and pursue something literary related possibly, maybe someday. I’m one of those weird people that love learning. I think maybe that’s why I like to read.
2. CHANGING YOUR WORLD: Changing the world doesn’t have to mean finding a cure for cancer or creating lasting world peace (though it definitely can!). It just means finding a way that you can make the world a little better off for having lived here, whether it’s making a difference to one person or a million, to the earth, to animals… whatever is important to you. What is one way you would personally like to make the world a better place?
I’m such a cynical person at times, I mean honestly, can one person change the world? And it seems whenever I think that, there will be some news story about some 12 year old kid making a difference somehow, and it’s like fate is telling me: yes, one person can.
I don’t think I do enough to help make the world a better place. Sure I give donations every once in a while to a good cause, I recycle, carpool and buy green products. But even though I do a few things here or there, I don’t really feel that it adds up.
Personally I’d like to volunteer more. I’d like to volunteer at the library for the young literacy program they have, because I know how much joy reading brings me. I’d like to volunteer at my local humane society, because I know how much joy having my dog brings me. I like to volunteer at the nursing home, because I know how much I miss having the company of my grandparents.
I’m going to get on that changing the world thing. I might not change the world, but I think I’ll make a difference to someone.
3. GRATITUDE: Gratitude is a huge part of the You 2.0 life. Taking a moment to count our blessings is the best way to remember what’s truly important (especially when life is hectic and crazy!). What are you grateful for?
I have an AWESOME family. Not only my family, but my in-laws are even awesome. I’m very close to my parents. My dad is actually my step-dad, but he is the only father figure I’ve ever known. People actually tell me that I look like him all the time. I totally think people are a product of their environment. Have you ever heard the country song “He Didn’t Have to Be” by Brad Paisley, that’s what my dad and I danced to at my wedding. That’s my dad. He didn’t have to be my dad, but he did and I’m thankful for that. He married my mom when she already had a rugrat, lots of guys wouldn’t do that. So, my family is the epitome of my gratefulness.
I’m grateful that I have a very loving and understanding husband, who tolerates my book addiction, and lets me spend hours on the internet when I should be gazing intently into his eyes! I’m grateful that my husband cleans the house, he does dishes too. I really only do the laundry…. how bad of a Susy Homemaker am I!?
I have lots of things, too many things really, but the things I’m most grateful for aren’t things at all, they’re the people in my life.
4. PAYING IT FORWARD: If everyone took a moment to pay it forward, even just once, the world would be changed in ways we can’t even imagine. What is one thing you’ve done (or plan to do) to “pay it forward” in some way?
I believe in paying it forward in little ways. Like holding a door open for someone, smiling, giving your last five bucks to charity, letting a car in front of you in line. I really think that little things like that go a long way. You’d think something like that would be commonplace amongst everyone, but it’s not, at all. Truly sad.
Questions About You, The Book Blogger
5. Why did you decide to start blogging about books?
I used to blog and read, but not together. I never thought people would be interested in what I thought about books and on top of that I didn’t even know there were book blogs. Ultimately I started blogging because I had a need. A need to find people like me, people that liked the same books as me. I found a book blog (The Page Flipper) and it was like I found an old friend! And I thought, hey I could do that, I should do that. I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into! But honestly I love it just as much today as I did then.
6. What do you love most (and least) about being a YA book blogger?
Things I love:
Getting to meet other bloggers/non-bloggers/bookish people, having and belonging to a community of book lovers. That in itself is so fulfilling. My family thinks I’m crazy when I talk about my “friends on the internet” but I really feel like I know these people! It’s fantastic.
Getting to meet authors. Who would have thought that authors are regular people. Regular people that will even talk to you! That still to this day totally blows my mind.
Books. If I didn’t say that I love getting the books, I’d be lying. I mean free books are freaggin fantastic, because if I bought all the books I wanted there is no way I could pay my bills. I still buy a ton of books, because I want to give something back, obviously, but the free books are a very nice incentive.
Things I could live without:
The guilt of not reading every book or not reading them in a timely manner. I try, I really do. I feel bad when I have a book three months early and it’s still sitting on my shelf to be read when its release date rolls around. I could definitely do without that feeling.
Blog drama. I never knew there was blog drama, but it happens. It usually happens in bursts too it seems. I’m just glad when it’s over.
But the things that I love far outweigh any of the bad things.
7. What do you love most about the YA and middle grades genres right now?
That they are bursting with fantasy! I love books about made up places, I mean I owe Harry Potter for re-instilling my love of reading.
8. What makes you fall in love with a book?
Really that varies from book to book, but one thing that makes it or breaks it for me is characters. If the characters fall flat then so does the book. I can read a book with a so-so plot line and so-so writing, but if the characters are so-so? Forget about it!
9. Which books have inspired you most?
I’ll just plug Harry back in here. When I was growing up I read all the time, my grandma taught me how to read before I started school. I probably just had the books memorized, but she swears I could read. I’ll never know for sure! They always had a different book series every season at the grocery store, so I would get a book every time we went. Raggedy Anne and Andy was one I remember. But I was the kid that had forty book-it pins, was one of the highest readers in my grade. I remember the Amelia Bedelia books. I think the one that started my love of fantasy was The Castle in the Attic. Loved the Goosebumps books too!
I didn’t do a lot of reading in high school, until I took my youngest sister to see Harry Potter the movie. Then I just had to read those books, but by that time I was in college and read my text books more than anything. But after college is really when I started hitting up the books again. Harry Potter led to Twilight, Twilight led to everything else.
10. Are you also a writer yourself? If so, what do you like to write?
I try to be a writer. I guess I should say I’d like to be a writer.
I have a few stories I’ve sort of outlined and started.
One is a story about an abusive relationship that is roughly based on my own during high school.
Another is a fantasy, about a mythical creature…
11. What advice would you give to other avid readers who want to launch their own book blog?
Whenever I get emails from readers about starting book blogs, I always tell them to go for it! It’s such a fun thing to do. I usually also point them to some posts about blogger tips I’ve done. I wish I would have had some of that information when I started. Three tips I’d give that I think are the most important are:
1. Do it because you love reading and talking about books, not for any other reasons.
2. It’s what you make it. You DO NOT have to post every day. It’s your blog, do what YOU want.
3. Have fun! If you’re not having fun doing it, it’s not worth doing.
Will the Real You 2.0 Please Stand Up?
12. I love the game Three Truths and a Lie because there are so many unexpected and interesting things about people that we never get a chance to learn about them. What are three truths and a lie that our blog readers can guess about you?
– Besides YA novels, my second genre of choice is romance novels.
– Richelle Mead is the first author I met.
– I prefer paperbacks over hardcovers. **UPDATE: Here’s the lie!**
– I like to read in the bathtub.
(Readers: Your guess gets you an entry into the You 2.0 monthly contest for an ARC of The Cinderella Society or a prize dive in the awesome You 2.0 Prize Basket. Guess correctly and you get a bonus entry! I’ll update the post tomorrow to spill the big lie, so get guessing and have fun!)
Thanks to Kristi for a fabulous interview!
July 21st, 2009
I know. You’ve been wondering who the winner of Tina Ferraro’s The ABC’s of Kissing Boys is going to be, right? Well, wait no more! Congratulations to…
Kristen (Bookworming)!
You’re the lucky winner! Please email me via my online contact form to send along your mailing address. I’ll take care of getting it to Tina so she can mail the book. And thanks to Tina for her generosity!
If you didn’t win this giveaway, don’t fret. I’m going to be giving away more than a dozen ARCs this summer in addition to the You 2.0 monthly contest. So tune in every day. You never know when the next giveaway will be!
July 21st, 2009
Welcome to Week 2 of the Teen Author Challenge!
Now that you know what inspires you to write, we’re going to dive into StoryLand. This week, it’s all about creating a story idea that pops. A story idea that will get agents, editors and, ultimately, readers to stand up and take notice.
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“Write the book that only you can write, something no one else has ever read before. It’s tempting to write a ‘better’ version of something that already exists, but the reason that book was a success was because it was something no one else had ever read before.”
~ Brent Hartinger
Project Sweet Life (HarperCollins, 2/09)
Teen Author Challenge, Week 2
If you want your work to stand out, you need to clearly convey why your work is special. That doesn’t mean you can only write something that has never been thought of before. There’s a popular saying: there are no new stories out there, just new ways of telling stories. I don’t entirely buy into that because I do believe there are wholly unique ideas brewing in the brains of writers. But I think the essence of it holds true. It’s about taking ideas that are out there in the ether and giving them a unique twist to make them feel fresh and new again.
It’s about creating a story only you can tell.
When I set out to write The Cinderella Society, secret society books already existed. They had for generations. But my particular take on a secret society–a secret girl empowering society dedicated to helping girls celebrate their strength, embrace their future, and be extraordinary (while defeating the mean girls of the world in the process!)–hadn’t been done before.
I’m a former corporate leadership specialist who’s passionate about helping people harness their full potential. As a sorority alum, I bring a knowledge of secret societies to the table. And as a writer, I’m all about leaving people feeling energized and inspiring them to embrace their destiny and change their world. All of these weave together to make The Cinderella Society a story that I’m uniquely able to tell.
So yes, our basic story idea may have been done before. In fact, there’s a very strong chance it’s been done many times over in one form or another. But by bringing our own experience, passions, and talents to the idea, we can create something different than anything else out there. That, to me, is our job as authors.
Where to begin then?
It all begins with the story idea itself. Let’s say you love vampires and want to write a vampire story. There are hundreds of vampire stories lining the shelves of your local bookstore. How can you possibly compete? You compete, very simply, by making your vampire book so unique and different that vampire lovers everywhere–including agents and editors–will clamor to read your version.
That can be hard to do with a subgenre that’s fairly saturated. But it’s not by any means impossible. The easiest way to begin is by thinking about what makes your idea special.
How can you make your story idea unique and special? There are zillions of ways. (Yes, zillions is a technical term.) Here are three to get you thinking:
1. Create a unique setting, somewhere that’s never been done before for your kind of book
EXAMPLE: You’ve got a quirky middle grades book about an offbeat family and their zany community. Instead of setting it in a small town as those books often are, what about setting it smack dab in the middle of LA or on a remote island in the Caribbean?
2. Take a traditional element in your book and give it a unique twist
EXAMPLE: A girl’s parents get divorced and are involved in a nasty custody battle over her. But what if instead of them both fighting for custody of her, they’re both fighting to make the other person take her? Heartbreaking and memorable.
3. Take a traditional character type and give him or her a unique twist
EXAMPLE: Instead of the superhero saving the city out of a sense of moral duty, what if the superhero is saving the city because there’s something in it for him on the side? Money, fame, whatever. Suddenly a two-dimensional character is human (figuratively speaking) and flawed and vastly more interesting.
We’ll be talking next week about how to identify the well-loved hooks that make your story most appealing to agents, editors, and readers. But for now, focus on ways you can make your basic story idea itself different and unique and memorable.
Your Weekly Challenge
Grab your Teen Author Challenge notebook and make a list of 10 ways you could tweak the setting, characters, or traditional story elements to make your story idea pop. Anyone who comes up with 15 or more ideas gets a bonus entry into the monthly contest.
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Mastering Point of View by Sherri Szeman
7. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
8. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
9. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
10. Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
July 20th, 2009
What a fun weekend! First things first… if you haven’t checked out the update to Tina Ferraro’s great Author Spotlight interview on Friday, be sure to do that. Many of you guessed her lie correctly, giving you a bonus entry into the monthly contest!
Second, HUGE CONGRATS (!!!) to the awesome ladies who won the RITA and Golden Heart awards this weekend at the annual RWA National Conference. You make YA look gooood! Monster congrats go to:
– Tera Lynn Childs for winning the Best First Book RITA for Oh. My. Gods.
– Rosemary Clement-Moore for winning the Best Young Adult Romance RITA for Hell Week
– Shoshana Dawn Brown for winning the Best Young Adult Romance Golden Heart for Stage Fright
What an exciting night! Tera sat next to me when I won the Best Young Adult Romance Golden Heart award last year, so I was very sad not to be able to be in D.C. this year cheering her on. Tera and I texted back and forth during the ceremony though, so it was wonderful to *be* there with her in spirit. Ah, technology.
I also want to give a shout-out to Sheila over at the fab BookJourney blog. She gave me my very first blog award! (Thanks, Sheila!!!)
So now it’s my turn to pay it forward. (I know! I would love this award for that reason alone.) I’m supposed to list 7 of my favorite things and then nominate 7 other bloggers for the award.
7 of Kay’s Favorite Things:
1. My family
2. Boston Creme donuts
3. My screened porch (even though you already know this)
4. Any book that can make me laugh and cry
5. Comfy yoga pants
6. Romantic comedies with great banter
7. Willow Tree statues
And now I get to nominate 7 bloggers for the Kreativ Blogger award! I thought it would be fun to nominate some authors who are also awesome bloggers.
I hereby nominate:
1. Becca Fitzpatrick
2. Lindsey Leavitt
3. Tera Lynn Childs
4. Alyson Noel
5. Tina Ferraro and Kelly Parra at YA Fresh
6. Amanda Ashby
7. Christy Raedeke
Happy Monday!!
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