LOVE FEST WINNERS

How's your Valentine's Day going so far? Here's a little extra sweetness... the winners of this week's LOVE FEST drawings thus far.... (Remember, you still have time to enter to win a signed copy of Wendy Toliver's MISS MATCH and the heart cell phone charm!)


*Signed copy of DEATH BY LATTE - Epic Rat
*Signed ARC of DEATH BY DENIM - GreenBeanTeenQueen
*SWEETHEARTS by Sara Zarr - Paradox
*Choice of signed TINA FERRARO book - Kelsey
*Signed copy of PERFECT CHEMISTRY - Bookworm
*Anthony Thomas chocolates - Emma
*Lip Gloss - Liviania
*KEEPING THE MOON by Sarah Dessen - Korianne
*Signed copy of VIDALIA IN PARIS - Carol(ina)

If you have won, please drop an email to gerb @ lindagerber .com with your mailing info so we can get them sent off to you.

Everyone else, don't forget to leave a comment on Wendy Toliver's post to be entered to win, and be sure to join us this Friday with another Freebie with tween author Jessica Burkhart and on the 27th with the fabulous Lisa McMann!

Thanks again to our YA LOVE FEST contributors, Simone Elkeles, Tina Ferraro, Melissa Walker, Sasha Watson and Wendy Toliver! And thanks to you for joining us!

LOVE FEST FINALE with WENDY TOLIVER

Happy Valentine's Day! Welcome to our final day of YA LOVE FEST week here on the blog.

Today's romance expert is my friend, teenfictioncafe sister and GCC sister, the lovely and talented Wendy Toliver, whose new book, MISS MATCH, made it's debut this week, just in time for Valentine's Day! MISS MATCH is about a high school matchmaker, and also touches on sisterly love and healthy body issues.

Things you might not know about Wendy:
* She lives in the mountains of Utah and loves to ski and snowboard.
* She has a real-life whodunnit in her family lore - her great grandfather's murder remains unsolved.
* She once taught a transvestite to dance like a woman!
* She knows great places for sushi and undercooked pizza in Roy.
* She is featured on this week's Women Who Rock on Stephanie Kruenert's blog. Check it out!

Meanwhile, on to the Q&A!

I'm a freshman in high school and there is this guy who's a junior who sometimes purposefully bumps into me in the hall. He always makes jokes when I'm around, and sometimes that makes me uncomfortable. My friends say it's because he likes me. I don't know what to think. Help!

Sometimes it's hard to tell if a guy likes you, but it's my opinion that your friends are right on this one. As long as he's not physically hurting you when he bumps into you, or making crude or ugly jokes, I think this junior is crushing on you. Now you have to ask yourself if you like him. If so, you might want to engage in a little flirting yourself. Smile, laugh at his jokes, give him some eye contact, and be your irresistible self. Good luck!

How long did you wait to say "I love you" to your significant other? What is the longest that you waited to say it?

I met my significant other in college, and I think it took me about 4 months to say "I love you." I'm pretty sure I was in love with him well before that, but where we lived in different states, some of that time was the long distance relationship thing. But anyway, I wanted to wait until I knew I meant it, and not just say it because it seemed like the thing to say.

There is this guy I met from another school and he texts and calls me all the time, but we've never gone out. I just found out that he has a girlfriend at his school. (He didn't tell me.) Is it wrong for us to keep texting?

This is a complicated situation, and I hope you don't mind that I have a few questions. First of all, are you texting as friends or is it getting romantic or flirty?

Second, have you mentioned to him that you know he has a girlfriend? If so, how did he react? If not, do so ASAP.

If it's a friendly relationship (not romantic), and you've come clean about knowing about his girlfriend, I'd ask him if she'd care that you two text and call so much.

You haven't done anything wrong (to answer your question), but if it makes you feel uncomfortable that he's made an effort NOT to mention his girlfriend (which, if you text and call often, is the case), then you might consider putting all your time and effort into another guy--someone who doesn't have a girlfriend.

There's this really cute guy at school that I want to meet, but every time I'm around him, all we do is look at each other. I don't even think he knows my name. How do I just walk up to him and strike up a conversation? Please help!

Once there was a really cute new guy in my class and I didn't know the first thing about him except he rode a skateboard and was really cute. He was in my earth science class, and like you, all we did was look at each other. If the cute guy at your school is in a class with you, you can ask him a question about the class. If not, and you can't think of anything to say, just start small and general, like saying "hi" when you pass him in the hall. Or maybe compliment something he's wearing or doing. The good news is, if you catch him looking at you, he's probably eager to talk to you, too, and if you open the conversation line, he'll be excited to keep it going. Good luck!

For today's Freebie, Wendy has generously donated a signed copy of Miss Match!

I'm throwing in this adorable heart cell phone charm.

To be entered to win, you know the drill - give your own advice to one of the questions above. This drawing is open until Tuesday.

All other LOVE FEST winners will be announced today after noon, eastern time.

LOVE FEST with SASHA WATSON

Welcome back to our love fest! Before we begin day #5, a couple of things-
Remember Alyson Noel, who was just here visiting last week? Check out her fantastic news about EVERMORE! Yay, Alyson!
And, um, does anyone have any really great flu remedies? I do not have time to keep being sick!

But no whining from me, because today I'm pleased to YA romance expert Sasha Watson to the blog. Sasha is the author of VIDALIA IN PARIS, which Kirkus Reviews says "portrays Paris with a doting accuracy and delineates all the torments of first love." In fact, Sasha used to live in the City of Love. Sounds like she knows what she's talking about.

You can read more about Sasha and VIDALIA on her blog.

Now on to the questions:
Do you have any Valentine's Day traditions?
Yes, and it's my favorite thing about Valentine's Day. I send valentine's to all my best female friends. Some are single and some aren't, but either way, they need to know they're loved!

What do I do if my best friends hate my boyfriend? I want to keep both my friends and my boyfriend. Is there a way to do that? Thank you!

The real question here is WHY do your friends hate your boyfriend? Assuming your friends have your best interests at heart, it sets off some alarms if they don't like him. The first thing to do is to sit down with your friends and really listen to why they don't like your boyfriend. Is it because they're worried about you? Because they have good reason not to trust him? If so, then maybe you need to look more closely at your relationship with your boyfriend. Your friends might be helping you out here! If, on the other hand, their reasons seem selfish or mean, then you'll have to tell them that you care about them but that you're going to continue seeing your boyfriend. If they're really your friends, then they'll accept that.

Is it ever ok to be jealous?
A little bit of joking jealousy can be a nice way to show your loved one that you care, but only a little. If jealousy starts to get out of control, then it's the most destructive thing for a relationship. If the jealousy is justified (i.e. someone's cheating), then the relationship should probably end. If it's not justified, then the jealous person needs to get a handle on his or her emotions. One way to do that is simply to tell your boyfriend or girlfriend that you're feeling jealous and let them reassure you. Just make sure not to make any accusations when you do so, because that's sure to drive the most loyal lover away.
What do you do if your best guy friend starts acting all different around you and you think he likes you, but you're not sure?

Well, do you like him back? If you do, then I'd say do some flirting and see how he responds. You'll figure out pretty quickly if he likes you when you give him a valentine or hold his hand the next time you're at the movies! If you're not interested in making your friendship romantic then I'd just keep acting the way you always have, like a good friend, and wait and see if he brings it up.

How important is it to you for your significant other to get along with your family? If he or she does not get along very well with your family, will it bother you?

What would really bother me is if my significant other were rude to my family. As long as he's polite, though, it doesn't bother me if he's not best friends with my parents or my siblings. The important thing is to be respectful of the people in your partner's life. If your significant other is disrespectful to your family, then what that really means is that they don't respect you - and that is not okay.

For the freebie, Sasha has generously offered a signed copy of VIDALIA IN PARIS to today's lucky winner. To enter, leave a message below, offering your advice to one of the questions above.

LOVE FEST with MELISSA WALKER

Sorry I'm later posting this today. Bad. Flu. *urgle* Glad I prepared in advance cos I can't stand to look at the screen for long. Also why I haven't been replying to comments like I usually do. Sorry! But I have peeked in as much as I can and I must say, you guys are awesome. Thanks for your comments - your advice is great! Just a note - if you haven't left a comment on a previous day and you want to qualify for that day's drawing, you can still comment until Saturday when the winners are selected.

Meanwhile, I am very pleased to bring Melissa Walker back to the blog. Melissa's both a TeenFictonCafe sister and a GCC sister and I had to opportunity to hang out with her in New York a few months ago. Let me tell you, she's as fabulous as she is beautiful (which, as you can see, is a lot!) You may know her as the author the VIOLET series, VIOLET BY DESIGN, VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY and VIOLET IN PRIVATE. She's also the one who posts those cool cover stories on her blog I keep talking about. AND, she is co-creator of I HEART DAILY, a free email newsletter and website that keeps you in on all the best of fashion, entertainment, beauty and news one snippet at a time. If you haven't subscribed already, I highly recommend it. In fact, you might want to check out yesterday's topic - Valentines For Guys Gift Guide! (Mentioned in her advice below, too!)
AND!!! Be on the lookout for her upcoming summer romance, LOVESTRUCK SUMMER, hitting the shelves this May!

You should know that Melissa is the consummate romance expert - she's up to her ears in romance every day, planning her summer wedding! So without further ado, Melissa's advice:

Do you have any Valentine's Day traditions?
Nope! But I do remember my favorite one was going to see WAYNE'S WORLD with my friend Ruthie. Then we went out to dinner afterwards--we were 15 and 16--and suddenly realized it was Valentine's Day. Oops! I didn't have much high school action until senior year.

Is it OK to go out with a guy if you know your friend likes him? They have never gone out and he only likes her as a friend.

This is definitely something to discuss with your friend. It kind of depends on how much she likes him. If she's been pining over him for two years and telling you about it all along the way, he's off limits. But if he's just a passing crush for her, the best thing to do is to talk to her and tell her that you think you and he might have something special, but you don't want that to mess up your friendship with her. I went through this very situation, and my friend gave me permission to date the boy she had a casual crush on. Now I'm marrying him in July! (And she's happily married to someone else too.)

I'm a guy who likes a girl at our school. My friends told her that I had a crush on her and now I'm nervous just being around her. How do I find out if she likes me, too?
Sounds like she's already aware of your crush, but hearing it from friends isn't the same as hearing it from you. I'd advise telling her straight out the next time you get to talk to her alone. Just say, "I'm sure you've heard that I like you," and then gauge her reaction. I did this once with a guy I had a HUGE crush on (I did it very spastically, told him I liked him, turned red and then ran out of the room--this I do not advise--though it did end up in a year-long relationship). Once you've told her about your feelings, you can ask her, "Do you feel the same way?" and then the ball's in her court. It's best to be honest about it--no matter what the end result. Good luck!

Do guys care about Valentine's Day? What kinds of gifts do they like? A card? Candy? Just a kiss? Help!

It's always nice to give a Valentine's Day gift. Cards and kisses are just perfect. And if you have a more serious boyfriend and want to buy something for him, there's a guide from Hey Josh (heyjosh.com) up on I Heart Daily! (From Linda: See note above... subscribe to this newsletter!)

My boyfriend wants to do it, but I don't know if I'm ready. He says if I really cared about him I would. I don't want to lose him. What do I do?

Anyone who tells you you'd do it "if you really cared" is not looking out for you. If he loves you, he'll wait until you're ready. End of story. Don't let him pressure you--if you lose him because you won't do it, he wasn't worth your time in the first place. TRUST me. (From Linda: AMEN!)

Since LOVESTRUCK SUMMER is not out until May (tho you can preorder it now!) Melissa is offering for our freebie today this glam Valentiney Estee Lauder lip gloss!

And - because Melissa attended Chapel Hill High like another one of my favorite YA authors, I am also throwing in KEEPING THE MOON by Sarah Dessen.
Edited to add: Hey! Check out Melissa's blog for a great article on her with Sarah Dessen - the Teen Idols from Chapel Hill!!!

To be entered to win, leave a comment below giving your advice on one of the quandries above. Winners will be announced on Valentine's Day.

LOVE FEST with SIMONE ELKELES

Welcome to day #3 of our YA LOVE FEST!

Joining us today is romance expert Simone Elkeles, award winning author of LEAVING PARADISE, HOW TO RUIN A SUMMER VACATION, HOW TO RUIN MY TEENAGE LIFE, and the newly-released PERFECT CHEMISTRY (which Romantic Times Magazine calls "a gripping tale!") If you don't already know her, let me tell you - Simone is made of awesome and "certainly knows how to write romance," according to Kirkus Reviews.

Check out this rap video book trailer for PERFECT CHEMISTRY. I love it!



(You can also see the making-of video on her website. Too fun!)

Today's LOVE FEST giveaways are:

Signed copy of PERFECT CHEMISTRY
Buckeyes Chocolate Heart from Anthony Thomas

The Q&A:

What do I do? My best friend and I like the same guy! Help!
I actually had this happen when I was in high school. My friend Crissy liked this guy I was friends with - but while I was spending more time with him in an attempt to set him up with Chrissy, I started really liking him more than a friend.

If you and your friend started liking the guy at the same time, I say wait until he sets off some signals to see who he likes. If he likes you, your best friend shouldn't be mad if you start dating him. Break the news gently to her. If he likes her, try and be understanding and happy for her. Just remember, though, that best friends will be there for a long time and guys come-and-go.

If your friend started liking the guy first, then if he likes her you should let her date him and find another guy to crush on. That's just my opinion. I didn't go after Chrissy's crush, and they dated for over a year. I gave him up, and I'm still friends with Chrissy twenty years later...we both don't have any communication with Jon, the guy Chrissy dated and even went to prom with.

So, in my opinion, don't let your crush go just because your best friend has a crush on the same guy unless she liked him first and he really likes her. But at the same time, you don't want to jeopardize your friendship with your best friend. Is there someone else you like as well? Try and find a different guy to like...it will save you and your friend a lot of stress.

Good Luck!

I love my mom, but she can be really nosy. She even friended all my friends on facebook so she can read our walls! I can't go out on a date w/o her trying to arrange all the details. Now there's this guy I like and I think he likes me but I don't want to talk w/ her about it b/c she'll try to take over like always. How do I tell her to let me handle this one?
Oh, this is a tough one! I think they call this a "helicopter mom" or "hovering mom". Remember that your mom loves you and wants to make sure you date the right type of boy and are not doing anything online that would jeopardize your safety. If you want to date this new guy, I think you need to have a heart-to-heart talk with your mom. But don't do it when you're angry or upset - do it in a really mature way.

Tell her that you understand she loves you and wants the best for you (even if you don't believe this right now, just say it because it'll make her feel really good and it is probably true). Tell her that she's taught you to have high morals (no drugs, sex, drinking, etc.) and that she needs to trust you more. Tell her about the new guy (she'll respect you telling her up front) and that you really want to handle the relationship without her interference (although you should make him meet her). Tell her you'll be honest and open with her about the relationship, but you can't be open and honest if she's too involved. Tell her that her hovering is pushing you away instead of bringing you closer together (have tissues here, because a little crying on your part would be good right about now). Remind her that you love her, and always will. And then, when you're dating this new guy, ask your mom for advice so she feels involved in some way.

Good Luck!

The guy I like is really nice to me in private. He texts me every day and IMs on facebook. But when I see him, he ignores me! What's up with that? What do I do about it?
Sometimes guys will act different in private than they do in public. Just keep doing what you're doing - keep having a really fun and happy private relationship because I have a feeling the guy is just shy and needs time to be open about liking you in public. Texting is easy, and shy or relationship-phobic people can suddenly act and communicate how they would in public if they weren’t so shy because it’s not face-to-face. Be patient, because I have a feeling he’ll come around and start a more “public” relationship with you soon.

I know you might want to have the serious “why do you ignore me in public” conversation, but I’d hold off on that. Guys do not like drama or being pushed into something they’re not ready for and that might be the fastest way to get this guy out of your life. As I said, be patient. I know it’s hard to, though, because I’m the kind of girl who has the motto “I want it, and I want it NOW!”

Good Luck!

How do you get over a guy when you see him almost every day at school?
Oh, my heart goes out to you! I have had this happen to me, and it's not fun. Every time you see the guy, it’s totally depressing. Time does heal a little bit - every day that goes by gets easier and easier. Chocolate does help, but then afterward you feel chocolate overload and the good feeling only lasts as long as your chocolate binge. But for me, I have found that crushing on someone else helps more than anything. Is there someone else you might like? Open your eyes to new guys and look for someone else to crush on. Because soon you'll be dating someone else and wondering what you ever saw in guy#1 in the first place!

Good Luck!

And that's it for today! To be entered to win today's freebies, leave a comment below offering your advice for one of the questions above.

LOVE FEST with TINA FERRARO

Welcome to day two of our YA LOVE FEST!

Before we begin, I want to give a huge CONGRATULATIONS to WENDY TOLIVER and LISA McMANN, both of whom have a release day TODAY!!! Be sure to grab yourself a copy of MISS MATCH and FADE! (Right after you finish reading this post...)

Today's YA romance expert is the fabulous Tina Ferraro,

author of TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS, HOW TO HOOK A HOTTIE and THE ABCs OF KISSING BOYS.

Tina is also the co-creator of YA FRESH and blogs with six other YA authors at BOOKS, BOYS & BUZZ. You can read more about Tina on her website, tinaferraro.com.

Meanwhile, today's lucky LOVE FEST winner will get to choose a signed copy of one of these books:











Now on to the Q&
Do you have any Valentine's Day traditions?
Yes. When my husband and I were first dating, we spontaneously tried to go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. I think we got turned away at six different restaurants for not having a reservation before we gave up. So you’d think what we learned was to make a reservation...but no. We pick a different day of that week to go out. It’s never crowded, and we can be spontaneous!

Why do girls always fall for the hot bad boys even though we know they aren't good for us?
Hmmm...I was totally guilty of this one, so I can tell you from my point of view, it has to do with blood pressure. Hot guys, and especially hot bad boys, gave me an adrenaline drop, got my heart working overtime, gave me a rush, made me feel alive. Regardless of whatever objections my head offered. The good news for girls is that in most cases, a truly bad boy will go and do or say something that becomes a deal-breaker, and then your head wins out. (And it’s on to the next hot bad boy?)

My school's Valentine dance is this week and there is this guy that I like and I really want to dance with him. I want to ask him to dance, but I'm afraid he might freak out or laugh at me. What should I do?
Research, research, research! Has he had a girlfriend before? Does he tend to stay inside a safe huddle of guy friends? Is he confident in awkward situations? And most importantly, does he dance? If your spies tell you he’s mature and willing to dance, go for it! If not, I’d suggest hanging back and just trying to talk to him or smile at him, and hope he gets the signal that you’re interested in him.

I'm dating a guy, but he's not my boyfriend. We're going out on Valentine's Day. Do I get him a Valentine's gift? I don't want to send him mixed messages.
Yeah, this is touchy. Perhaps mention to him that your next date is on Valentine’s Day, say like, “Places are bound to be crowded” and gauge his reaction. That might give you an indication of how seriously he’s viewing his Valentine’s commitment to you, and whether or not he’s thinking of exchanging gifts. Also, you could have a little gift in your backpack or purse, and wait and see if he gives you something first.

What do you do when you are dating someone and you find out they love someone else?
There are a lot of variables here like how did you find out and from whom...but if you have reliable information that the guy you’re dating is in love with someone else, your best bet is to end things with him immediately. Then turn to your friends for a pity party, and try to focus your energies elsewhere. It may take awhile to get over him, but if he’s fallen for someone else, clearly he does not deserve you!

P.S. I happened to have three high school guys in my home when I was working on these, and incorporated their advice into questions 2 and 3!

To be entered to win one of Tina's books, leave a comment below offering your advice to any of the questions above. The winner will be announced on Valentine's Day.

Winner and the LOVE FEST Begins!

Happy Monday!

Before we begin today's LOVE FEST... I loved all the unique aura descriptions for our Alyson Noel Freebie Friday! Special thanks to those of you who also to show some love at the Bradford Bash. By random drawing, the winner of the signed copy of EVERMORE is:
purplg8tr

Please send your mailing info to gerb @ lindagerber . com and we'll get that sent out to you!

Everyone else - welcome to the LOVE FEST!

Let me start by thanking all those who sent questions for our illustrious panel. The response was overwhelming! Please note that to conserve time and space, I have combined some questions that were similar. I'll be answering privately a couple that may have been too personal for this blog.

I'm going to kick off the week (and give my fellow panelists a couple of days to formulate their answers since they just got their questions Sunday.) Today's LOVE FEST give-aways are:

A signed copy of DEATH BY LATTE
A signed ARC of DEATH BY DENIM
SWEETHEARTS by Sarah Zarr

Here we go!

Do you have any Valentine's Day traditions?
Our traditions keep changing. When my DH and I were first married, Valentine's Day meant a romantic dinner with candles and roses and Seal on the stereo. Then it meant stuffing tiny envelopes with heart-shaped candies and helping the kids address them to their classmates. Lately it means finding a single quiet moment together (not easy).

Why does he say sweet things to me one day only to act the opposite the next?
Simple answer: guys don't always know what they want. Plus sometimes it's easy to say sweet things one on one, but embarrassing in front of witnesses. Be patient. This is not to say that you have to put up with someone being a jerk to you. If it's as opposite as that, maybe it's time to move on.

I think I like a girl, but my friends think she’s a loser. How do I find out if she likes me without my friends finding out?
First of all, are your friends right? If this girl really is trouble, maybe they're just trying to look out for you. But if they don't like her because she doesn't move in the same circles or wear the right clothes or something shallow like that, then you have to ask yourself - why to you care so much what your friends think? In any event, sneaking around trying to hide things from your friends is never a good idea. Plus you may end up hurting this girl if she thinks you are ashamed to be seen with her. Honesty is your best bet here - to yourself, to the girl you like and to your friends.

How come the guys I like don’t like me, but the guys I don’t like won’t leave me alone???
I wish I knew! This is age-old problem. Maybe it has something to do with the thrill of the chase. The guys you like don't have to chase you and the guys you don't like do. Hang in there. Like all hopeless romantics, I believe there is someone for everyone and one day you're going to like a guy who likes you back and everything will be sunshine and roses for you both!

What is the greatest present you have gotten for your significant other?
I asked my DH what he thought, since he's the one who has gotten the gifts for the past *mumble* years. He said it was the card and photo I had signed by his favorite baseball player for his birthday. The player retired shortly thereafter and the card is probably worth a lot of money now, but it's worth even more in sentimental value because of the effort I had gone through to give him something I knew he would really LOVE.

To be entered to win one of today's prizes, leave a comment below, offering your own advice to one of the questions above. Winners will be announced on Valentine's Day.