READ MY LIPS - Interview with Teri Brown

Welcome to the first snow day post! As the weather forecasters predicted, we had a bit of a storm last night. A few inches of snow followed by a sleet - which left a nice thick crust of ice - followed by more snow - which is still coming down. Guess what? That combination is hard to shovel! Here's the view out my back door... We'll see what it looks like when the storm is done.

As a reminder, the countdown is still on for DUST OF 100 DOGS and the giveaway. Be sure to enter here before February 1 for your chance to win!

Meanwhile, I am pleased to bring you a snow day interview with my online friend and GCC sister, YA author Teri Brown. Teri's first book, READ MY LIPS just came out this past summer to critical acclaim.

Here's the official blurb:

Popularity is as easy as a good secret.

Serena just wants to fly under the radar at her new school. But Serena is deaf, and she can read lips really well—even across the busy cafeteria. So when the popular girls discover her talent, there’s no turning back.

From skater chick to cookie-cutter prep, Serena’s identity has done a 180…almost. She still wants to date Miller, the school rebel, and she’s not ready to trade her hoodies for pink tees just yet. But she is rising through the ranks in the school’s most exclusive clique.

With each new secret she uncovers, Serena feels pressure to find out more. Reading lips has always been her greatest talent, but now Serena just feels like a gigantic snoop…

Now on to the interview:

What inspired you to write READ MY LIPS?
My niece is profoundly deaf and my mother in law was very involved in deaf advocacy. The germs for the book started from my experiences. It actually began as a paranormal though!

Are any of your characters based on real people that you know?
Not really - more like a conglomeration of a lot of people I know. I meet a lot of interesting teens through my kids and I always pay attention to when they are around! When I go to the highschool to pick up my daughter, I often just sit and watch the students. I get a lot of my ideas from that.

What excites you?
A new season of The Biggest Loser! LOL Honest!

What turns you off?
People who aren’t honest with others or themselves. I feel bad for them and for everyone who has to deal with them.

What's the biggest lie you ever told, and what happened as a result of the telling?
Oh, wow. That’s a leading question. I wasn’t honest with my son about something, (Not telling you what it was!) and when he found out I was lying, all hell broke loose. He’s older now and totally forgives me, but at the time he was furious. I hate when my kids are mad at me… I don’t mind if it’s for normal parent stuff, but being in the wrong sucks… they hold it over your head forever!

If you could invite anyone you wanted - living or dead - to hang out with you at a weekend retreat, who would you invite and why?
Louisa May Alcott. I wanna see how she wrote all those books with a fountain pen!!!!

What's one thing most people don't know about you?
Another hard one. I’m pretty much an open book. I guess most people don’t realize I have an on again off again addiction to nicotine. Currently off again, thank goodness!

What's your favorite quote?
“That don’t make no sense.” (From the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou.) It’s a family favorite and we say it all the time. You have to say it like the guy did from the movie. Also from the same movie, “I have … no name.” (With drama and feeling, very James Earl Jonesess.) Only we use it for anything, like, “I have … no milk.” Or, “I have… no cash.”
We’re just weird like that.

Milk Chocolate or Dark?
Dark. Is there any other kind?

Tuesday Thingers

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Normally, this is the day that I announce our Freebie Friday winners, but just a reminder... this one stays open until February 1st to celebrate the release of A.S. King's DUST of 100 DOGS, so you still have time to enter this week's contest!

Also, Reviewer X is giving away five copies of DEATH BY BIKINI on her blog! You must tell her that you love her to enter, but really, she's very lovable. The contest is open until February 10.

Meanwhile, it looks like we are about to get snowed in here in Central Ohio, so I've got some special snow day posts coming your way this week. Here's what's on the docket:

Wednesday: Interview with Teri Brown, author of READ MY LIPS.
Thursday: Interview with Diana Wallach, author of ADIOS ALL THE DRAMA.
Friday: FREEBIE FRIDAY - Interview with Alexa Young and a chance to win her book FAKETASTIC!
Sunday: Do100D contest winner announced.

But wait, there's more!

Get ready for the special LOVE & STUFF week here at the blog to celebrate Valentine's Day with interviews, freebies and love advice from YA romance authors such as Tina Ferraro, Wendy Toliver, Melissa Walker and more!

Do you have a love life question for our distinguished YA panel? Be sure to submit it to gerb @ lindagerber . com (omit the spaces) by February 7th.

* apologies to Wendi from Wendy's Book Corner. I have just realized she regularly features 'Tuesday Thingers" on her blog. Didn't mean to rip off your name!!!
EDITED: Ooooh. Tuesday Thingers is a meme from LibraryThing! Got it.
Well, I didn't mean to rip off their name!

LATTE DAY 1 - TERI BROWN

Next, give it up for Teri Brown, author of READ MY LIPS that was just released this summer. If you haven't read it yet, you really should. And here's your chance!

I'm currently working on a novel that deals withthe topic of lying at length. My 17-year-old character gets a dream job for a soap opera, only she knows her mother wouldn't approve. At all. So instead of fessing up, my character lies to her mom, telling her she got a job at Disney Land and then has to hide the fact that she's now famous from her monther. It's a win-win situation, right? My character pays for her first year of college and can funnel some money into the family's meager budget.

I think we've all told a lie or two for the greater good... or at least something we thought was for the greater good. It often doesn't turn out that way! Of course, most lies are told on the fly as we desperately try to avoid getting in trouble. It's something like skipping school, taking our Mom's (or daughter's!) makeup, or maxing out the credit card at a Sephora sale. Oh, wait. Did I say that out loud???

See, lying usually doesn't work out so hot. I can never remember exactly what the lie was and it always comes out. So I learned a long time ago that sticking to the truth is safer. And that's the truth.

To be entered to win a copy of READ MY LIPS, leave a reply and tell us about a desperate lie you've told. Come on, fess up!

READ MY LIPS release!

Congrats to TFC sister TERI BROWN on the release of her debut book, READ MY LIPS. Check out her cool book trailer: (Note - for some odd reason, the trailer doesn't fit here next to the archives list on some computers so you may need to scroll down a bit to find the trailer...)

More Bikini! #4 Teri Brown

The ocean has always frightened me. I was three when I first saw it. Loved the sand. Loved the picnic my mom brought. Hated the ocean. Would not, could not, go near the water.

As a teen, I hid my fears—almost as afraid of being made fun of as I was the ocean. I would skirt the edge, claiming that I didn’t want to get wet, but in reality, I was terrified, because, let’s face it, the ocean is huge. Standing in front of that vast body of water, I felt like the proverbial drop in the bucket, so very, very small and insignificant.

It was a horse that finally changed my mind. As much as I feared the ocean, I loved horses more. It had been ten years since I had been on a horse, and for a girl raised with them, it seemed like an eternity. When my boyfriend stopped at a horse ranch on the Oregon coast, I was more than intrigued, I was excited. Is there anything more romantic in the world than riding a horse on the beach?

The sun sat low on the ocean as we headed off. Because I was an experienced rider, the trail guide told me I didn’t have to stay with the group and my boyfriend and I headed out by ourselves. My horse kept veering into the water to paw at the waves, soaking me with spray. For the first time, the ocean didn’t scare me. And when I urged the horse into a gallop, I knew I would never be afraid of the ocean again.

And I’m not. I still have a healthy respect for the ocean… here in Oregon, we have sneaker waves— huge waves that come out of nowhere and take the unwary off their feet. But afraid? Not anymore.

Of course, Linda Gerber’s Death by Bikini might change all that…But luckily, I’m more afraid of wearing a bikini than I ever was the ocean!

What are you afraid of? Reply to this post for a chance to win a Borders gift certificate.