Friday Spotlights presents… Alibi Junior High author Greg Logsted

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!

Entry Filed under: Author Spotlight