Archive for 2010
August 31st, 2010
It’s GCC time! This week, I’m delighted to bring you the fabulous…
Kristina Springer
Welcome, Kristina!
The Girlfriend
Name:
Kristina Springer
Short Bio:
Kristina Springer is the author of THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS and the forthcoming PUMPKIN PRINCESS (fall 2011). She has a Masters in Writing from DePaul University and she resides outside of Chicago with her husband and children. Visit her at www.KristinaSpringer.com.
Kristina loves to hear from readers, so please visit her at www.KristinaSpringer.com, on her blog (KristinaSpringer.blogspot.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/KristinaSpringer) or on Twitter (@TinaSpringer).
The Book
My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours
August 31, 2010
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
**On shelves now**
Seventh grade was supposed to be fun, but Tori is having major drama with her BFF, Sienna. Sienna changed a lot over the summer—on the first day of school she’s tan, confident, and full of stories about her new dreamy boyfriend. Tori knows that she’s totally making this guy up. So Tori invents her own fake boyfriend, who is better than Sienna’s in every way. Things are going great—unless you count the whole lying-to-your-best-friend thing—until everyone insists Tori and Sienna bring their boyfriends to the back-to-school dance.
Up Close and Personal
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! It didn’t become a dream for me until I was in my twenties but then I was determined and it feels amazing to be published.
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?
Make people laugh. 
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, my friends, reality tv (kidding), my health, and happiness!
Author Fun!
4. SECRET SQUEE MOMENT: What is the coolest thing that’s happened to you since becoming a published author?
Walking up to my booth at ALA and seeing a long line of people waiting to see me—it was pretty cool!
5. ALL-TIME MOST MEMORABLE BOOK: What book had the greatest impact on you growing up?
The Little House on the Prairie series.
6. THE REAL DEAL: If you could go back in time and give your teen/tween self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Hold tight, things seem intense and dramatic now but life post high school is a blast!
Thanks to Kristina for a fun interview. Be sure to pick up your copy of My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours today!
August 28th, 2010
What a great turnout we had for Skip a Starbucks Day to help the awesome C.J. Redwine finally bring her adopted daughter home! You helped raise more than $4,000 of the $8,000 they need to bring Johanna home from China.
As promised, I am giving away an extra special combo pack with a Cinderella Society mini glass slipper, a TCS glass slipper bookmark, and an ARC of the sequel to The Cinderella Society, CINDY ON A MISSION, when ARCs go out in early 2011.
And the winner of the extra special Cinderella Society combo pack is…
Valorie
(aka Truth Be Told blog)
Congratulations Valorie! Please contact me here with your mailing address by September 15, 2010 to receive your prize. Thanks to everyone for being your amazing, generous, awesome selves!
August 23rd, 2010
The chance to help someone so deserving AND be in the running to win cool stuff?
Life is good, I’m telling you.
The scoopage is this:
C.J. Redwine, my wonderful friend, agentmate and fellow Pixie Chick (our 2008 GH class), is a force of nature. She hosts a hysterical blog (I just blogged there with the famous Were-Llama), teaches writers how to write rockin’ queries and is a rockin’ writer in her own right. But that’s just C.J. in her professional life.
In her personal life, she and her wonderful husband (who is a super talented cupcake baker LIKE WHOA) have been trying to adopt an orphaned little girl from China for the last five years. With delay after delay, they are finally on the verge of bringing her home! But… with delays come expense hikes and new red tape and they now need an additional $8,000 to bring their daughter home at last. You can read about C.J.’s journey here. If this doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will.
So many of us want to help bring their family together! So C.J. created the fabulous idea of Skip a Starbucks Day – where instead of getting your usual Starbucks, you could donate that $5 to the wonderful adoption fund. But C.J. is all about paying it forward (even though adopting a child is the ULTIMATE paying it forward already!), so donors will also be in the running to win fabulous prizes too!
You could win an ARC of Rachel Hawkins’ DEMONGLASS…
You could win an ARC of Bree Despain’s THE LOST SAINT…
You could win the Grand Prize Made of Awesome…
Plus TONS (oodles and scads and loads) of other fabulous prizes. But wait, there’s more! You can even win COOL CINDY GEAR and an ARC from me!
For my contribution, I’ll be offering up:
A mini TCS glass slipper…
A cool glass slipper bookmark…
And (drum roll, please)… an ARC of the upcoming CINDY ON A MISSION (the sequel to THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY) when ARC’s go out in early 2011!
No cover available because it’s SO EARLY! And you could be one of the very first to hold one in your hands next year!
Here’s what you need to do to help make a difference for one very deserving family:
1) Go here and read the full story. Seriously, it is amazing.
2) Click on the Donate button in the upper right corner
3) Donate at least $5 (though you’re always welcome to donate more – I did!)
4) Come back here and comment below by Thursday, August 26th to let me know you donated and hope to win the extra special Cindy prize pack. (C.J. will double check my winner against her donation list, just so’s you knows.)
With your help, we can give a little girl a real home for the first time in her life. Now that’s making a difference.
(Disclaimer: This organized little to do list was stolen from Rachel Hawkins and tweaked for here because no one touches Sophie’s lip in CINDY ON A MISSION.)
August 13th, 2010
I’m counting down the days to my deadline for CINDY ON A MISSION, the sequel to THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY, and have some fun things planned for the web site to finish out the year! Here’s what’s in store in the months ahead…
It’s Big Blog World
Coming this fall, look for these fun features on the blog:
– A month-long Booklover Spotlight series on dozens of awesome YA book bloggers
– A month-long Author Cave series (See where the magic happens and get the inside scoop on what your favorite authors’ writing processes are like!)
– The return of the Bundle of Bookmarks giveaways!
Newsletter goodness
I’ll also (finally!) be launching my newsletter this fall with some long-awaited HUGE (and totally exclusive) giveaways just for newsletter subscribers.
Haven’t signed up yet? Just sign up in the left hand column of the home page. Easy peasy and your email address will never be shared – this is a no spam zone because SPAM ROTS.
Just For Writers
And coming in late 2010 and early 2011, a brand-new section of the site called FOR WRITERS. I’ll be including the Teen Author Challenge here for easier use and adding loads of articles about embracing your own writing process, boosting your productivity, having fun with effective marketing and social networking, keeping your sanity in the business, and much much more. I’ll also have some awesome words of wisdom from tons of your favorite authors to share!
But first, it’s back to work. Just wait until you see what the Wickeds manage to pull off in chapter one of CINDY ON A MISSION (coming Fall 2011). It shakes the Cindys to the core and threatens the Sisterhood in ways Jess and the Sisters never imagined.
July 31st, 2010
International Winners!
I am delighted to announce the winners of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY International Book Blogger Tour! (What a strong showing from Team Brazil! Now I really can’t wait for you to meet the Brazilian character in the sequel to TCS, titled CINDY ON A MISSION – coming Fall 2011 in the US!)
Huge congrats to:
– Renata Chaves (Roses’N’Wine)
– Lynsey Newton (UK Book Tours)
– Mariana Paixão (Muito Pouco Crítica)
– Priscila Braga Curto (Bookaholic)
WINNERS: Please contact me here with your mailing address to receive your touring copy of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY!
And now…
The 10 in ’10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge Check-In!
Can you believe it’s the end of July already? Where did this month go??? It’s time to post our progress on our 10 in ’10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge reading lists.
I so happy to finally have gotten some reading in this month despite being on deadline for CINDY ON A MISSION. Kiersten White’s fabulous PARANORMALCY is a Must. Read. If you’re a fan of Rachel Hawkins’ HEX HALL (i.e. if you love The Funny and The Paranormal), then PARANORMALCY should definitely be on your radar. It recently got bumped up by a month on the release schedule, so look for it at your local bookstore on August 31st!
Okay, your turn. What have you been reading in the YA chick lit realm?
July 8th, 2010
Happy July, everyone!
Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of review requests from international bloggers who don’t have an easy way to purchase a finished copy of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY. Unfortunately, my publisher doesn’t generally send ARCs internationally and I don’t have any ARCs left to give away.
But it got me thinking.
Right now, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY is out on submission in a dozen or so different countries. We know that it will be released in Poland from the fabulous publisher Wydawnictwo NASZA KSIEGARNIA and we would love to see the Cindy message of “Celebrate your strength – Embrace your future – Be extraordinary” shared with girls all over the world!
The lovely Renata of Roses ‘n Wine book blog in Brazil wanted to help me get the word out about THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY in Brazil. So I was trying to figure out a good way for us to do that. US bloggers frequently “tour” books where one person receives an ARC and sets up a tour with a small group of other bloggers they think would love that book. I asked Renata what she thought about possibly doing something like that for THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY in Brazil and her enthusiastic response convinced me this was a great idea. Not just for Brazil, but for other countries as well.
And so, I’m delighted to announce…
THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY
International Book Blogger Tour!
For all you wonderful international bloggers who actively read chick lit and YA books, I am going to be sending out up to 5 finished copies of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY.
Because this is a big expense for me, I need to make sure the people who are signing up genuinely want to read THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY and are 100% committed to setting up a small book tour with other bloggers in their home country, bloggers they believe would also enjoy this particular book.
With that in mind, here are the guidelines for the book tour…
TOUR COORDINATOR GUIDELINES
1) If you receive a copy of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY during the TCS International Book Tour event, you agree to set up a 3-person tour of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY with other YA book bloggers in your country.
2) The 3 book bloggers you choose to participate in your country tour a) must be active readers of teen (YA) books and b) must LOVE the chick lit genre.
3) The 3 book bloggers you choose must also:
– Read the basics about THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY on the books page
– Read the excerpt of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY on the excerpt page
Your 3 bloggers must read those pages and be excited to read the rest of the book before they are confirmed to be part of your tour. This ensures that all of the bloggers on your tour are genuinely interested in THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY’s girl power theme and chick lit voice.
4) All book bloggers must agree to read the book within 2 weeks of receiving it on your tour and must mail the book, at their own expense, to the next person on the tour. (The last person on your tour will mail the book back to you to keep.)
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
If you would like to coordinate a book tour of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY in your country, here’s how to submit your name for consideration:
1) Read the basics about THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY on the books page.
2) Read the chapter one excerpt of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY on the excerpt page.
3) Tell your blogging friends about the event and link them to the basics and excerpt of the book (using the links noted above).
4) Make your list of 3 bloggers who have read the book blurb and first chapter, are excited to read the rest of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY, and agree to read the book within 2 weeks of receiving it and mail it (at their expense) to the next person on your tour.
5) Comment below by Friday, July 30, 2010 with the following information:
– Your name
– Your blog name and blog URL
– Your country
– The 3 bloggers (blog name and blog URL) you’ll be touring the book with if you receive a copy
– Why you are excited to read THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY
HOW I’LL CHOOSE PARTICIPATION
Since this is a large business expense for me, I’ll be making my decision like a publisher would. I’ll be looking at your blog and the kinds of books you usually review. I’ll be checking out the blogs of the other 3 tour members too. I’ll be considering which countries are represented (e.g. if there are several requests for the same country, they probably won’t all get chosen). And I’ll be giving a lot of thought to why you want to read THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY (so be as specific as you can about why THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY is a must read for you!).
My goal with this event is to make sure that the international book mailings go out to people who may genuinely enjoy THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY’s girl power themes and upbeat chick lit voice. I will be sending out up to 5 finished copies of THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY. The final number of copies sent out will be decided solely at my discretion.
I will announce the official tour participants here on the blog on Saturday, July 31, 2010 and will ship out the books shortly thereafter to begin their tours. Best of luck to everyone who wishes to participate!
July 3rd, 2010
It’s GCC time! This week, I’m delighted to bring you the lovely…
Jenny O’Connell
Welcome, Jenny!
The Girlfriend
Name:
Jenny O’Connell
Short Bio:
Jenny O’Connell received her BA from Smith College and her MBA from the University of Chicago. The author of PLAN B and THE BOOK OF LUKE, she lives outside of Boston with her family.
The Books
LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS
MTV Books
**On shelves now**
There are two kinds of people on the island — those who leave at summer’s end… and those who are left behind.
Bestselling author Jenny O’Connell presents a sizzling series for summer. Her first two Island Summer novels, LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS highlight the lives of the summering visitors, the year-round locals living in the beach towns of Martha’s Vineyard, and the fireworks that explode when they combine for three steamy months.
In LOCAL GIRLS, friendships are in danger of ending with the summer. Kendra and Mona are best friends, local girls who spend their summers catering to rich tourists and the rest of the year chafing against small-town life. Then Mona’s mom marries one of the island’s rich summer visitors, and Mona joins the world of the Boston elite, leaving Kendra and Martha’s Vineyard behind. When Mona returns the following summer, everything is different.
Unlike his sister, Mona’s twin brother Henry hasn’t changed. He’s spending his summer the way he always has: with long, quiet hours fishing. Early mornings before work become special for Kendra as she starts sharing them with Henry, hoping he can help her figure Mona out. Then Kendra hatches a plan to prove she’s Mona’s one true friend: uncover the identity of the twins’ birth father, a question that has always obsessed Mona. And so she begins to unravel the seventeen-year-old mystery of the summer boy who charmed Mona’s mother. But it may prove to be a puzzle better left unsolved–as what she is about to discover will change their lives forever…
In RICH BOYS, Winnie jumps at the chance to babysit for a wealthy summer family and earn some extra money—but soon learns that life in the Barclay’s beautiful vacation home isn’t as perfect as it appears. And what was supposed to be a carefree summer quickly becomes more complicated than she ever thought possible.
Jenny’s Cool Giveaway News
Learn how you can win an Island Summer t-shirt – just in time for the beach. Go to http://jennyoconnell.blogspot.com and enter to win today! And learn more about LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS at www.jennyoconnell.com.
June 23rd, 2010
It’s GCC time! This week, I’m delighted to bring you the awesome, charming, talented and all-around FABULOUS…
Wendy Toliver
Welcome, Wendy!
The Girlfriend
Name:
WENDY TOLIVER
Short Bio:
Born in Texas, raised in Colorado, and now living in Utah, Wendy Toliver has successfully eliminated “y’all” from her vocabulary. However, she still managed to marry a pickup man. They have three young sons and an assortment of furry, scaly, and slimy pets. She is the author of three novels for teens: The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren, Miss Match, and Lifted.
Visit her online at wendytoliver.com where you’ll find more great YA books from Wendy plus links to all the fun places where you can find her blog musings.
The Book
Lifted
June 8, 2010
Simon Pulse
**On shelves now**
Being Bad Never Felt So Good.
Poppy Browne had never stolen anything in her life before moving to Pleasant Acres, Texas and meeting Mary Jane and Whitney. But when Poppy walks out of the mall with her two new friends and her first pair of stolen jeans, she’s hooked.
Before long, Poppy is lifting whenever she gets the urge—it’s never about the merchandise, it’s always about the thrill. But when her secret gets out, the girls in Poppy’s clique turn on one another. As she watches her life collapse around her, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie … and how far she’ll go to protect herself.
Up Close and Personal
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?
Though I only came up with it later in life, yes, being an author was a dream of mine. I realize how lucky I am to be able to say I’m a published author because there are so many talented writers with extraordinary stories to tell who never get this far. How does it feel? Crazy. Exhilarating. Mind-boggling. Surreal. Fantastic.
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 agree that it can be something simple, something that’s true to your heart. I’d have to say that children’s health and well being is my life’s focus, especially right now. One of the things I do is support my local Junior League, and one of its projects is providing free healthcare (dental and medical), haircuts, socks and underwear, haircuts, and books to uninsured children in the community (Children’s Health Connection).
This year is especially wonderful because my publisher, Simon & Schuster, donated thousands of dollars’ worth of books to this great cause. Another charity I recently helped out with (in a small way) is Aveda’s clean water campaign, which was brought to us locally by Free Spirit Holistic Mountain Spa. I love how simple it is: People in the world need to have clean water, right?
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 am thankful for the health of my family. With three little boys we rarely have a “blood free” day, but when we do we have a little celebration.
Author Fun!
4. SECRET SQUEE MOMENT: What is the coolest thing that’s happened to you since becoming a published author?
I have so many! One that comes to mind was when I was in Hastings and this lady was in line buying Miss Match and she overheard the bookstore manager mentioning to an employee that I was in the store (just shopping with my kids) and the lady ran over to me and asked me to sign the book. It was just so unexpected and she was really cute about meeting “a real author” and it also had a big impact on my boys who see me as “famous.” LOL
5. ALL-TIME MOST MEMORABLE BOOK: What book had the greatest impact on you growing up?
I loved A Wrinkle in Time and I think the reason is being able to read about an imaginary place and feeling like I was there.
6. THE REAL DEAL: If you could go back in time and give your teen/tween self one piece of advice, what would it be?
I’d tell myself to quit wasting so much time being boy crazy and just concentrate on having as much fun as possible.
Thanks to Wendy for a terrific interview. Be sure to pick up your copy of Lifted today!
June 10th, 2010
Huge congrats go to our newest monthly winners of the national Great Scavenger Hunt Contest reading program for kids and teens! Please join me in cheering on the winning hunter:
** Amber T. **
And the winning librarian:
** Sylvia Sepulveda **
from La Habra, CA
Enjoy your prizes!!
June 10th, 2010
Check out the June 2010 additions to the national Great Scavenger Hunt Contest reading program for kids and teens!
Everlasting by Angie Frazier (YA)
The Farwalker’s Quest by Joni Sensel (MG/Tween)
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (YA)
The Knight in the Shadows by Chris Eboch (MG/Tween)
A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis (MG/Tween)
Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz (YA)
Reality Check by Jen Calonita (YA)
Secrets of a Lab Rat: Mom, There’s a Dinosaur in Beeson’s Lake
by Trudi Trueit (MG/Tween)
Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron (YA)
Happy hunting!
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