Welcome to a special musical edition of Freebie Friday. We're going indie rock today with the phenomenal band Miniature Tigers. I'm extra excited to introduce them to you because the band (including my nephew Alex) is on their way to Columbus even as I write and I get to see them tonight.
Miniature Tigers started out in Phoenix around 2006, and now is based out of Brooklyn, New York. Their sound is indie rock with elements of indie pop. The members of the band are frontman-guitarist Charlie Brand, Rick Schaier on drums and vocals, Algernon Quashie on guitar, keyboard and vocals, and my good-looking and talented nephew Alex Gerber on bass and vocals. (Can I say that without embarrassing you, Alex?)
And the winner of WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE by Caridad Ferrer is:
The Author:Caridad Ferrer is a first generation, bilingual Cuban-American, whose young adult debut, Adiós to My Old Life won the Romance Writers of America’s 2007 RITA® for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance as well as being named to the 2009 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list, awarded by the ALA. Her second novel, It’s Not About the Accent was released in 2007 with Publisher’s Weekly stating, “…this twisting book amply rewards readers.”
She has also contributed to the anthology, Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and Other Quinceañera Stories. Her newest young adult novel, When the Stars Go Blue, is a contemporary retelling of Bizet’s Carmen, and will be released by Thomas Dunne Books in November 2010. Booklist calls it, “Beautifully written, with contemporary characters and an engaging story line.”
The Book: A dancer driven to succeed.
A musical prodigy attempting to escape his past.
The summer they share.
And the moment it all goes wrong.
Dance is Soledad Reyes’s life. About to graduate from Miami’s Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.
But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad's affections appears: Taz, a member of an all-star Spanish soccer team. One explosive encounter later Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened, but her entire future as a professional dancer.
Have you ever (done something your main character does in your book)?
For three years, I was a member of the Florida Wave Drum & Bugle corps, plus I spent an additional nine years in high school and college marching band, so I know the marching world VERY well.
If you could hang out with any literary character, who would you choose and why?
Sebastian St. Cyr, from C.S. Harris' Regency mystery series. He's a fascinating character in that he's well-read, interested in the arts, very independent, intellectual, and curious, yet very tough, having served as an Intelligence Officer in the British Army. He just strikes me such a multi-faceted character with so many stories to tell.
Have you ever had your numbers done? Did they reveal anything about you?
I have and found it fascinating, because it really pinpoints all of the contradictions in my personality-- the combination of cool and analytical with painfully shy and sensitive was especially interesting, since so many personality profiles or horoscopes don't tend to allow for both aspects.
Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?
I have to have music-- I create soundtracks for each of my books, sometimes multiple soundtracks, and in creating them, it's as if I'm creating the world I'm going to be inhabiting for the foreseeable future.
What songs would make the playlist for WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE?
Well, the song from which I took the title, of course, WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE, the gorgeous Ryan Adams composition, but as performed by The Coors with Bono. Other songs (among many, many, MANY):
Dreaming With a Broken Heart- John Mayer
Gravity- Sara Bareilles
Since I've Been Loving You- Corinne Bailey Rae
Little Wing- The Corrs feat. Ronny Wood
My Heart Was Home Again- Josh Groban
A Beautiful Mess- Jason Mraz
If WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE were made into a movie, who would you like to see in the role of Soledad? Jonathan and Taz?
Well, for Soledad, I can easily see Naya Rivera who plays Santana on GLEE in the role of Soledad. I think she could portray the right combination of strength and vulnerability. Jonathan is really tough to cast, because it has to be someone who's physically very attractive, almost pretty-- sensitive, yet can turn on a dime, emotion-wise. I've loved Jackson Rathbone ever since I saw him in an episode of Criminal Minds, and he's certainly very pretty, but he's not quite as physically imposing as I see Jonathan in my mind's eye. Taz is maybe the easiest for me, in that I think Spanish actor Javier Beltrán would be absolutely perfect.
What kind of chocolate best describes you?
Dark, dark chocolate with an intense flavor yet is extremely rich and smooth. Boy that makes me sound egotistical, doesn't it? But it's more that really dark chocolate of that nature is not for everyone and I've come to the conclusion that's how I am. People either like me or they don't and that's okay. There are all kinds of chocolate for all kinds of palates. :)
For my US readers, Happy Thanksgiving!
In keeping with my goal-setting (thanks again, everyone, for your suggestions), this week's post will have to be brief. For my US readers and me, next week is Thanksgiving. You wouldn't know it by looking at the stores - retail seems to jump straight from Halloween to Christmas. I always feel bad that Thanksgiving gets glossed over. Especially now, when it's so important to take the time out to remember all we have (even if it doesn't seem like much) and to give thanks.
much rather set out the turkey and trimmings and pick at it all afternoon than to sit down to a "feast" and stuff myself. I've also never learned to like pumpkin pie (I love the smell of it and the flavor of it, but the texture creeps me out) so at our house, we have pumpkin cheesecake for dessert instead. For fun, I'm posting the recipe below.
Swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh says there's "nothing as powerful as the made-up mind." Maybe it's as simple as deciding that I'm going to meet my goals, visualizing me meeting them, and then doing whatever it takes to get there.
This drawing will remain open until Wednesday, November 17. You can count on it. This week, my mind's made up about that!
The author:
Some schools have honor codes.What inspired you to write THE MOCKINGBIRDS?
I’ve always been intrigued by boarding school and also by the potential teens have to take a stand for what’s important. THE MOCKINGBIRDS - an underground student-run justice system - was born from those twin thoughts as a way to look at what it takes to stand up for yourself and for others.
Have you ever had to speak up for yourself, even when it wasn't easy?
Yes. When I was date raped my freshman year of college I pressed charges at my university and that’s a big reason why I believe in the power of speaking up to heal.
If you could hang out with any literary character, who would you choose and why?
My fictional idol is Frankie Landau Banks in THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANK because she is a total kick-ass smart girl who challenges the system.
What songs would make the playlist for THE MOCKINGBIRDS?
The Ninth Symphony by Beethoven, Wake Up by Arcade Fire and Stop, Hey What’s That Sound by Buffalo Springfield.
What's one thing most people don't know about you?
Despite writing about fairly serious topics, I am a very happy go lucky person!
What's your favorite quote?
| "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle If THE MOCKINGBIRDS were made into a movie, who would you like to see in the role of ALEX? |
I adore Emma Stone and think she has what it takes to play my main character!
What kind of chocolate best describes you?
Dark chocolate with orange peels and earl grey flavoring.
The book:
is will have to be quick because I'm on my way to the airport to fly back to Ohio today.
Please check out Leave a Mark this week where TRANCE is the featured auction book. You could bid for a marked copy of TRANCE, and help Leave a Mark and firstbook.org supply books for kids in nee
d.
The signing at Changing Hands bookstore was phenomenal. Thanks everyone for coming. Kari, it was great to meet you. Lisa McMann read from her upcoming book, CRYER'S CROSS (*shivers*) and gave us a sneak preview of her upcoming mid-grade series, THE UNWANTEDS (*more shivers*), Aprilynne Pike read from SPELLS and told us about the next book she just turned in, and I got to meet Tom Leveen, who attended the event, and grab his new book, PARTY.
Happy day-after-TRANCE-release day!
* Yay! TRANCE is now available at a bookstore near you!
**
TRANCE hits the shelves today!
The winner of a signed copy of NEED by Carrie Jones is:
Our final party girl is Jen Lynn BarnesJennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.
Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
The low down on her latest book, RAISED BY WOLVES:
Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.
But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.
But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?
Eleven, is a master number. It is associated with wisdom, and exists on the highest plane of intellect and spirituality. Elevens are altruistic, sensitive, artistic, visionary, idealistic, have a sense of community. Eleven can also be a warning of hidden dangers, treachery from others, or a person who has a great deal to contend with.
Fourteen holds a strong element of risk attached to it, usually caused by the actions and foolhardiness of others.
Sixteen gives warning of danger of accidents and defeat of one's plans. It should be carefully noted and plans made in advance to avert its fatalistic tendency. Sixteens should trust their intuition to avoid hardship.
Eighteen is an ambiguous number. It can be a warning of materialism striving to destroy the spiritual side of nature, but it can also indicate counsel and the promise of being led in the right direction if one listens to the guidance they are given.
The number seven indicates someone who is intuitive and introspective, philosophical and spiritual. They will seek answers about their existence and things unseen. Sevens are happiest near water. They can be witty and composed in front of large groups. They often have terrific imaginations and make good entertainers, actors and writers
Welcome Marsha Skrypuch to the party!
Here's the lowdown on STOLEN CHILD:Honor, faith? Sure. Self-confidence? Not so much. And that wheel of fortune I sure do agree with. The ups and downs of being an author are completely unpredictable.Ten is a number of honor, of faith and of self-confidence. Ten is a fortunate number that indicates that one’s plans are likely to be carried out – however, it is symbolized by the wheel of fortune, whi
ch can signal a rise and fall in success.
This fits well. I write about those bits of history that many would rather stay shoved under the carpet. Being the genocide queen of YA lit means getting my share of hate mail and death threats.
Sixteen is a warning to guard against the defeat of one's plans. It should be carefully noted and plans made in advance to avert its fatalistic tendency. Sixteens should trust their intuition to avoid hardship.
Thirty is a number of thoughtful deduction, incisive thinking, retrospection, and mental superiority. A person with this vibration often chooses to put all material things to the side. It can be a powerful or indifferent vibration, depending on the mental outlook of the person it represents.
The number one indicates someone who is creative, independent, original, individual. Ones are good self-starters and natural leaders. Ones show interest in the arts, such as singing, acting, writing, painting, and love to curl up with a good book.
Meanwhile, welcome party girl and GCC sister Carrie Jones to the blog!
Here's the story of NEED:Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.
Carrie's Numbers:
Your compound vibration numbers are fourteen and twenty-one.
Fourteen is associated with movement, creativity, and changes. It holds a strong element of risk attached to it, usually caused by the actions and foolhardiness of others.
Twenty-one is a number of advancement, honors, and general success, but victory generally comes after long initiation and tests of determination.
ome party girl Jeri Smith-Ready to the blog!
*Seventeen* is known as the Star of the Magi. It is a highly spiritual
number and indicates that the person it represents will rise with
superior spirit to the challenge of trials and difficulties early in
life. Seventeen is also considered the number of immortality and
indicates that the persons name will live after her.
*Twenty-one* can be a number of advancement, honors, and general
success, but victory generally comes after long initiation and tests
of determination.
friendly, and in some cases, wasteful. Threes tend to be creative,
sensitive, ambitious and intuitive.
