Kate has her summer all planned out - hanging out with her BFF and playing tennis. But she doesn't count on her mother dragging her across the country to visit her college friends and to get away from her husband. Kate knows that her parents have their marital issues - but why does she have to be pulled into their fight. At first she's seriously annoyed at her mother. They have to stay in the guest cottage - which is actually a garage. Kate has to share the one room with her mother who won't stop talking, which is a problem because Kate and her mother have never been close. Tina has a daughter the same age as Kate and the two moms force the girls to hang out. Kate feels more and more like an outsider with Sarah and her friends as Sarah's making it perfectly clear that she doesn't want to hang out with Kate. Slowly Kate begins chatting with her friends and finding her own groove. Celebrating the 4th of July, Kate has a romantic moment that changes her summer. Adam is everything a girl could want in a first boyfriend. Kate's finally happy being in Cape Cod , but in just a few days her world comes crashing down. Will it be a summer to remember or a summer to forget?
Melissa Kantor pens a sweet summer novel filled with romance, family drama, friendships, and finding yourself. The cover is cute and eye-catching. Check it out if you're looking for something fabulously fun.
On a side note, she's also the author of which I just adored. While I was at a book signing last week for Sarah Dessen, I overheard some girls talking about this book. I didn't join in, but I wanted to. It's a super fun cover, plus that title is to DIE FOR!
Callie is a class A klutz. She's convinced her mother to allow her to go to England as part of a class trip. Now that she's here, she's completely miserable. If leaving the hotel, they have to use the buddy system, and her buddy is definitely not interested in hanging out. When Callie overhears her buddy and her BFFs talking about sneaking out and going to a club, she vows to go too. But first she needs a new outfit. She uses her mom's emergency only credit card to purchase some new Prada shoes. On leaving the store, she trips and flat on her face - knocking herself unconscious. When she wakes up - nothing is the same. In fact, she has no idea where she might be but one things clear, she's not in London. She starts walking until she stumbles upon a house. She's mistaken for a long-lost friend and taken in. Callie soon discovers that she's in 19th century England. From klutz to incredibly awkward, Callie's life doesn't improve. There's so much that she doesn't know: social rules, fashion, and dancing. While she's pretending to be someone else, she's also trying to figure out how to get back to her own life. Callie must play by the rules of 19th century England even though she no idea what they are or if she'll ever get back to modern day London. All she has are those gorgeous Prada shoes...and a talent for getting into trouble.
Mandy Hubbard debuts her first YA novel. Check out the interview here previously on the blog.It's a funny, fresh time traveling tale with an awkward girl looking to find herself. The cover's amazingly cute, check out Melissa Walker's cover story.
Welcome Tera! Thanks for stopping by to chat with us about your newest book Goddess Boot Camp. It's fabulous and she's clearly a
So let's get started...
What made you choose to write?And why YA specifically? After I got my Masters degree (in Historic Preservation, of all things) I moved back home and basically house-sat while my parents were on the road. That left me with a lot of free time in which I did a lot of reading. The more I read the more I started thinking, “That character should have said XYZ,” or, “Wouldn't it be cool if they'd done ABC instead?” From there, I decided to try writing a book in which the character said XYZ and they did ABC. I started off writing romance, but I kind of fell (happily) into YA. I came up with a title/premise that could only be a teen story (Oh. My. Gods.) and wrote the first draft in record time (six weeks, I think). It just came so easily to me, probably because I'm still a seventeen-year-old girl at heart. I love the complete and total freedom you have in writing for teens, there are no rules, no Do/Don't lists, because teens are ready for anything you can throw at them. We adults aren't usually that open-minded.
I love that you happily fell into YA. And I can't believe it only took six weeks to write Oh. My. Gods. - that's crazy! I must say, I'm glad that you did, because that book ROCKS!
Where do you write best? In a coffee shop. At home, there are too many distractions (email, laundry, television, refrigerator). At a coffee shop, I get a steady stream of caffeinated beverages, a comfy chair (usually), and all the people-watching I could want. I just pop in my headphones, tune out the world, and get to work.
Is there a topic you’ve always wanted to write about? I have a number of ideas tickling at the back of my brain (the ones that might take a few years to settle into an actual book). The one that stands out the most is an unsolved mystery/missing persons case that's based on something that happened at my high school. It's not exactly the fun, fast-paced fantasies I'm writing right now, but it's a story that I'll tell some day.
What was the last book you’ve read that you’ve been recommending to everyone?Life As We Knew Itby Susan Beth Pfeffer. (Last year it was Fly on the Wall by E. Lockhart.) I am dying to be able to talk about this book with someone who has actually read it. It took me a while to get fully sucked into the story, but by the end I was completely emotionally attached. I have never cried so hard over a book before, and in a different way than books usually make me cry.
Loved this book - and I'm pretty sure I cried too.
5.How do you get your ideas?Do you use real events in your novels and if so, can you describe one? My ideas usually come randomly. The idea for Oh. My. Gods. came from the working title, Growing Up Godly, which was a twist on the reality TV title, Growing Up Gotti. The idea from Goddess Boot Camp started with the opening line(s), I. Am. A. Goddess. I do, occasionally, use real experiences in my novels. Like in Oh. My. Gods. when Phoebe is talking about the race through the Paris airport for their connecting flight, getting misdirected twice, and barely skating back through security before the door closed... that really happened to me.
How do you come up with your titles? I don't know that I have any specific methods, especially since I often come up with the title before the premise of the book. I like to play around with sounds and twist well-known words or phrases into something unique. My editor came up with the title for Oh. My. Gods. (because we thought that Growing Up Godly my come across as inspirational fiction).
Good Call!
Are there any authors you’d love to meet? Jaclyn Moriarty! She's my hero/author crush. I adore absolutely everything she writes—including her rarely-posted blog. But she lives in Australia, so I'll have to save up for that long flight.
I LOVED The Year of Secret Assignments.
How did you become a BUZZ girl? Stephanie Hale, who had already been asked to join the initial group (that included Heather Davis, Dona Sarkar, and Simone Elkeles), suggested/nominated me.
That's so sweet!
Can you tell us a little bit about Goddess Boot Camp? The story takes place the summer after Oh. My. Gods., just a few months after (Warning: OMG Spoiler!) Phoebe learns that she's a descendant of Nike. She's got these awesome new superpowers ... but she's having a little trouble (of the palm tree in the living room variety) controlling them. Her stepdad Damian enrolls her in Goddess Boot Camp, a special summer training program for girls who haven't quite got a handle on their powers yet. In addition to that, she's left alone with stepsister Stella while her mom and Damian are on their honeymoon, she's having a bit of a rocky time with Griffin, she's trying to train for the marathon-length race in the Pythian Games, and someone's sending her anonymous messages about her dad's death. Is it any wonder she can't keep things under control?
How many books will there be in the series? Right now, just the two. I have ideas for more stories, but the sales need to improve before my publisher is going to want more. Anyone who wants to know what really happened to Phoebe's dad, what happens in Level 13, and (finally!) who Nicole's ancestor god is, needs to tell everyone and every library they know to buy the first two books!
We NEED more. Start spreading the news about these fabulous books!
You create collages for each of your characters, and their are super cool – when did you start making those and what inspired them? Thanks! A friend of mine did a workshop at our local writing group about making book collages. The idea of a single collage representing the whole book didn't work for me, but once I started making them for individual characters then everything clicked. I'm a very visual person, so seeing that character and his/her possessions in photo format kind of fleshes them out in me head. When I get about thirty pages into a book I usually stall for a bit. That's when I make the collages, and they get me right back on track.
Any news about the option (for a TV series) from Ashley Tisdale camp? Sigh. No news yet. The option is up in July, so they'll have to decide at that point if they want to: a) buy the rights, b) renew the option, or c) drop it altogether. You can bet that as soon as there's news I'll post in on my blog!
I hope there's some news soon, I'd love to watch these books turn into a TV series!*fingers crossed*
What's up next for you?
I'm excited to tell you that FORGIVE MY FINS, the story of a half-mermaid princess attending high school on the mainland, will be a Summer 2010 release from Katherine Tegen Books at HarperCollins!
How fun! Looking forward to reading it.
You move around a lot – is there a place you’ve always wanted to live? Oh, everywhere! I've been in Houston for two years now and I'm starting to get antsy. I'm looking at New York or Denver (I've lived both places before) or maybe even L.A. (one of my dream locales). Or I might just pack everything into storage and travel for a while. There's a lot more of the world that I'd like to see.
And finally, a listing if your favorite things:
Candy – I'm not a huge candy person, but I'm not particularly picky when I am
Pizza topping – pepperoni (sometimes with pineapple or jalapenos)
Genre of books – YA, duh! (okay, maybe that's not specifically a genre, so I'll say fantasy/paranormal)
Singer and/or Song – at the moment, it's The Climb by Miley Cyrus (I know, I know, but it's a great message)
Restaurant – Does Starbucks count?
TV show /Movie – it's a toss-up between Psych and Leverage and Deadliest Catch
Color – turquoise
Shoe – flip-flops
Video Game – I love the Nancy Drew mystery games! Store – Target!
Want more? Check out this fun interview our Goddess did with Linda Gerber
Sophie and Josh are still on their whirlwind adventure. They’ve moved from Paris, leaving confusion and disaster in their midst, and are traveling to London. When they arrive in London, they’ve been noticed and are being tailed.Dr. Dee is still after the twins. However, the stakes have been raised. With them both awakened, he doesn’t need Nicholas Flamel alive. He also needs to find the twins fast without letting them slip away again or his master will inflict terrible consequences upon him. Meanwhile, his partner in crime, Machiavelli, heads to the island of Alcatraz to finish off the Sorceress. His master’s also concerned about the number of failures in regards to capturing the twins and the Flamels. Time is of the essence to seize both the twins and to open the doors between worlds. Plus, every hour the Flamels grow weaker and older. Can they hold together and combine their strength to fight off the evil beings?
Michael Scott blends mystery, fantasy, and history perfectly together into an adrenaline-filled, action-packed, fast-paced, addicting novel in THE SECRETS OF THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLAMEL series. I LOVE this series!
Morgan, aka the Tornado, has a unique talent for messing up and getting into trouble. Normal teens might get away with some of her mishaps, but not the President’s daughter. Since she’s in the limelight, some of her escapades actually become news. She’s just lost her school’s presidential race. She’s trying to juggle her boyfriend, schoolwork, and a best friend all while under intense security scrutiny. When her security detail switches, she finds herself developing feelings for her Secret Service bodyguard. Morgan’s also having a hard time communicating with her mother. Their talks are always interrupted with special meetings and phone calls. It seems like her mother has time for everyone in the world, except her only daughter. When her mother needs to address a vital situation, Morgan fills in as the President of the United States.While Morgan simply wants to live a normal life, is it possible to have average experiences given that she lives in the White House? Or will she adjust and learn to like the advantages that come with her mother’s station? Cassidy Calloway writes an expose of a first daughter’s life filled with hilarious moments, a little romance, and saving the world one meeting at a time. Morgan’s adventures are not to be missed. I have to admit that I don't like the cover of this book - it just doesn't speak to me. But the story was super cute and funny.
Raven and her vampire boyfriend, Alexander, have had the perfect summer. With fall comes the beginning of school and the ending of their nights together. The arrival of Alexander’s parents makes things worse. While they’re seen all over town, Alexander waits to introduce Raven to his parents, making her feel both neglected and hurt. However, once they meet, she adores his parents and they seem to like her. Before long, Raven’s family and Alexander’s family start socializing – with Raven and Alexander on hand to make sure Raven’s parents don’t discover the truth. But Alexander’s parents didn’t come to town to visit, they came to sell the mansion and take their son back to Europe with them. When the devastating news hits the couple, they vow to stop the sale. ROYAL BLOOD continues with the romantic vampire saga of Raven and Alexander in a Gothic tale of love, loss, and friendship.
Last night, I got to meet Sarah Dessen! She was at RJ Julia's in CT - which is fabulous independent bookstore with books filling up every nook and cranny. They also have black and white photos hanging on the wall of all the authors who have visited the bookstore.
She read from her new book, did a Q and A, and then signed books.
In the Q and A, I was lucky enough to be called on. I asked the question I ask most authors - because I always want to know. What was the last book you read that you loved. She mentioned a memoir and also If I Stay. She also mentioned that she looks at writing as a party every day. Also when she's in the process of writing, she tends to think of her characters staying where she left them. "When I went on tour of Lock and Key, I remember just leaving Auden in the hallway and not being able to get back to her and thinking, Oh no, she's been stuck in that hallway for six weeks. She's probably really bored."
Luckily I was able to sneak in early for the signing line. While there, eavesdropping on people talking about books (Ally Carter mentioned), a woman behind me was talking about her writing. And it turned out, it was Natasha Friend. We're friends on facebook, so I ease my into that conversation. Before I know it, it's my turn. And Yes, I did squeal with glee. I met Sarah Dessen after all. And she was super nice. She posed for pictures, signed three books (one for a friend, one for the library, and of course one for me), and then it was sadly over. But I'll always have this:
I had already read the book as I couldn't wait a week!
I LOVED it, Here are my thoughts: Auden's parents divorced and since then, she's become an insomniac. When she decides to visit her father, his new wife, and their new baby for the summer, she surprises everyone including herself. At first, she doesn't know what to do with herself. She hangs out during the day reading her textbooks, getting a head start of her college courses and at night she drives around the neighborhood. Then she offers to help Heidi (her step-mom) with her book keeping for the store. When she enters the pink shop, she almost dies. She can't imagine herself working here. She keeps to herself at first, but slowly starts answering questions from the girls who run the store. Auden meets Eli several times, but soon discovers that he has the same problem sleeping. So the two of them meet up and he shows her the real town. They start talking about Auden's lack of a childhood and he comes up with an idea to go on a quest and fulfill all the things she's never done - like ride a bike, have a food fight, and go bowling. Soon, they hang out every night. One night, Eli comes too close to Auden and her secrets and she bolts. Can she recover or has she lost the one friendship that matters most of all?
It's the story of a girl who's a perfectionist and has little time for anything else. A story the relates to everyone. A story you can feel. A story you can see perfectly in your mind. A story to share during the summer. It could very well be her best novel yet (though I'm still partial to Truth About Forever).
Kate has her summer all planned out - hanging out with her BFF and playing tennis. But she doesn't count on her mother dragging her across the country to visit her college friends and to get away from her husband. Kate knows that her parents have their marital issues - but why does she have to be pulled into their fight. At first she's seriously annoyed at her mother. They have to stay in the guest cottage - which is actually a garage. Kate has to share the one room with her mother who won't stop talking, which is a problem because Kate and her mother have never been close. Tina has a daughter the same age as Kate and the two moms force the girls to hang out. Kate feels more and more like an outsider with Sarah and her friends as Sarah's making it perfectly clear that she doesn't want to hang out with Kate. Slowly Kate begins chatting with her friends and finding her own groove. Celebrating the 4th of July, Kate has a romantic moment that changes her summer. Adam is everything a girl could want in a first boyfriend. Kate's finally happy being in Cape Cod , but in just a few days her world comes crashing down. Will it be a summer to remember or a summer to forget?
which I just adored. While I was at a book signing last week for Sarah Dessen, I overheard some girls talking about this book. I didn't join in, but I wanted to.
