I am GONE Though I am Here...

On the iPod: Voodoo Chili by Jimi Hendrix

Another on-the-run post.

The winner of 8th GRADE SUPERZERO is: Llehn

Please send your mailing instructions to gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com and we'll get that sent out to you.

This week I'm rushing to meet a Monday deadline, so there will be no Freebie Friday (sorry) but be sure to come back next week for a chance to win a signed copy of Lisa McMann's GONE! (I'll be seeing her Tuesday at her Cincinnati signing (yay!))

(P.S. Extra points towards the GONE freebie to the first person who can accurately identify the line quoted in this post title. )

This week's video linkie because I love you guys:

FF - 8th GRADE SUPERZERO by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Wow, guys. I am so sorry. I meant to have this post up before I left for my crit group meeting, but I didn't make it! But it's still Friday, right? So here we go!

The author:

Today I'm happy to welcome another 2010 debut author, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. Don't you love her smile? ---------------------->
It's contagious. I can't help smiling right along with her.

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the daughter of a Nigerian father, a Jamaican mother, ,and married to a man of Croatian descent. She was born in New York City, and was the 'new kid' at school many times, in more than one country. She now lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York, where she loves working on crafts in many forms.

You can find out more about Olugbemisola on her website.

The Book:

Publisher's Weekly gave EIGHTH GRADE SUPERZERO a starred review, calling it “…a masterful debut…" Kirkus says it is written with "lively good humor." And Amazon choose it as a Best Book of the Month for January 2010!

The interview:

Are any of your characters based on real people (or cats) that you know?
I think that yes, in a sense, my characters include some part of everyone I know, or come across (including cats). There may be a moment, or personality trait, or mannerism that I incorporate into a character if it seems appropriate... A lot of the characters have the spirit of some of the people that I knew in junior high, and college.

What excites you?
Seeing my daughter make her own books and toys, the availability of diverse stories by people of colour, radio documentaries, snacks, making things, podcasts, the books of Jean Ray Laury, kids getting really excited about new books, the cover illustrations of Langston Hughes' The Best of Simple collection, Weston Woods videos, the prospect of travel, the moment right before I open a book that I just *know* is going to be good, the chance that I'll be surprised by a good story, getting ready to re-read an old favourite, oh! sharing an old favourite with my daughter!, Advent & Easter, 'adult' works by old favourite children's lit authors (like Elizabeth Enright's Doublefields), a really good meal that I feel comfortable enough to enjoy wholeheartedly, an opportunity to laugh, cheese, The Muppets, when SuperGrover comes on Sesame Street, rainbows, pants that fit, Martha Speaks, studying the Bible...I could go on.

What turns you off?
Rare meat. baby pink. the sound of my own voice. finding out that there's been food in my teeth for a while. the times when people, including myself, take themselves too seriously. People who go on for too long in meetings. People who complain about other people. Ahem.

How does one pronounce your name? : )
My first name? The closest I can offer is Oh-loo-bemmy-soul-ah. :)

Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?
I like to write with a pot of black tea by my side, and I usually say a quick prayer before I start. If I'm struggling, I might read a bit from a collection like Bird by Bird, The Rock That Is Higher, On Writing, The Creative Habit -- something inspirational/motivational.

What songs would make the playlist for 8th Grade Superzero?
That would be a *long* playlist! It would include music 'about' the book, and music that I listened to while I worked...some would be Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama's "There Will Be A Light", Bob Marley's "Redemption Song", Souad Massi's Raoui album, Jill Scott "A

Long Walk", Yo-Yo Ma's 6 Unaccompanied Bach Cello Suites, Cecile Licad's Schumann: Carnaval/Papillons/Toccata album, Ella Jenkins' You'll Sing a Song, I'll Sing a Song album, Odetta's This Little Light of Mine album at least twice, Pete Seeger's "If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus", Bonga's "Sa Ka Mache", Blind Melon's "No Rain", Prince's "Starfish and Coffee", Billy Joel's "River of Dreams", and Nneka's "Heartbeat"....Again, I could really go on and on!

What is an interesting writing quirk of yours?
I don't know how interesting it is, but a lot of people are surprised at how much I write longhand. For me, it's another revision opportunity; I think differently about the words and the work when I use different media to write.

The Freebie:

Olugbemisola is offering this week's winner a signed copy of EIGHT GRADE SUPERZERO. Since part of Reggie's growth in this book involves his service to the community, to be entered to win, leave a comment below telling one thing you can do this week to make a positive change for someone (including yourself).

This drawing will remain open until Wednesday, February 24.

Everybody Wins!

On the iPod - No Time by The Guess Who
(not really, but it would be the perfect theme song for me this week!)

This is going to be a quick post. The combination of very sick child, broken clothes dryer that forces me to go to a laundromat, four snow days in the past week for the kids, possible strep for me, a foot of snow outside and a looming deadline has left me with zero time to blog.

So here's what we're going to do... Everyone who commented on Julie's interview wins. The first three to send me an email with their mailing instructions to gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com get a signed THE IRON KING bookmark. Everyone else can have either a DEATH BY bookmark or, if they are willing to wait until mid-March, a shiny new TRANCE bookmark. Or both.

Oh, whatever... ANYONE who wants a TRANCE bookmark or two or three (and is willing to wait until mid-March to get it) go ahead and send me your mailing instructions, too and I'll put you on the list.

Meanwhile, do come back on Friday for another debut author interview with Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (ten points if you can say her name three times, fast!) author of 8th GRADE SUPERZERO.

Enjoy the rest of the week! See you Friday!

FF - THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa

On the iPod - Use Somebody by Kings of Leon

Finally! It's Friday. My son has been counting down to this day for months. Today we're going to see The Lightning Thief. I really hope it lives up to the book. Meanwhile, I am pleased to welcome debut author Julie Kagawa to the blog! Julie's celebrating the recent release of her first YA novel, THE IRON KING. Yay, Julie!

The author:

I'm taking Julie's bio straight from her website because it made me smile: Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.

You can learn more about Julie and the Iron Fey series on her website, her blog, on facebook, and by following her on twitter.

The book:

The interview:

What inspired you to write The Iron King?

I wanted to write a faery story that was different than the other fey stories I’d read. So I thought: what are the fey afraid of? In myth, the answer was iron, so what if there was a type of faery that had evolved to be completely immune, and how would that impact the more traditional fey? Then I thought of all the “monsters” lurking in machines: gremlins, worms, bugs, ect. And from that thought, the Iron Fey were born.

Are any of your characters based on real people (or cats) that you know?

People, not so much. Meghan and I share the same loner status I had in high school, but a lot of my inspiration comes from books, video games, and anime. (For instance, my villain is a straight-up Sephiroth, and props to those who know who he is!) With Grimalkin, I took everything I knew about cats and rolled them all into one sarcastic, arrogant, exasperating feline.

What excites you?

I'm going to assume you mean in a book, lol! Good characters obviously, romance, danger, and action. I’m a sucker for a great battle scene, and I love it when a story has some kind of sacrifice at the end. I also love assassins for some reason (look at Poison Study’s Valek and tell me he’s not sexy)

.

What turns you off?

Moopy goopy love scenes, mean-for-no-good-reason love interests, spineless heroines, fight scenes that make no sense or are completely illogical, and MARY SUES.

If you could invite anyone, living or dead, to hang out with you at a weekend retreat, who would it be and why?

Ooh, Neil Gaiman. He’s my hero. And he has a great voice. I could listen to him all day.

Does the Faery King look like David Bowie? :

AHAHA! That is awesome! “You remind me of the babe …” Yes, that reference has been brought up a few times, but strangely has encouraged people to read the book more. Would it be bad of me to say that David Bowie WOULD make a great Iron King, if he had longer hair? And got rid of those pants…

Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your
muse?

Does caffeine count? Or the army of Mt. Dew cans lined up along my desk? I can’t work without caffeine. Its impossible. Maybe I should make a totem of Mt. Dew cans.

What songs would make the playlist for The Iron King?
I actually have a playlist for The Iron King on my site if anyone is interested.

http://juliekagawa.com/books.html

What's one thing most people don't know about you?
That I lived in Hawaii for ten years and never learned to swim.

What's your favorite quote?

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” And: “Of course you don’t have wings. You’re a boy.”

What are you working on now?

At the moment I’m finishing up edits for the third and final book of the Iron Fey trilogy.

What is an interesting writing quirk of yours?

If I get stuck in the story, I automatically check email. I don’t know why this is. Maybe I expect to find the answer there, somehow?

If The Iron King were made into a movie, who would you like to see inthe role of Meghan?

Oh goodness. I don’t really know. I’m horrible at actor names and faces, so I’m not even going to attempt to embarrass myself. ;-)

The freebie: This week we'll have three winners. Each one gets a signed IRON KING bookmark. Because I love Julie's Princess Bride and Dark Crystal quotes above, to be entered to win, leave a omment below, telling us your favorite movie quote.

This drawing will remain open umtil Wednesday, February 16.

)

Oh, yesss! The Fan Girl in Me Does the Happy Dance*

On the iPod - Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes by Kristin Andreassen

And the winner of Jen Nadol's THE MARK swag pack is: kathleenliz

Please send your mailing instructions to gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com and we'll get that send out to you. Everyone else, please come back on Friday for another freebie with debut author Julie Kagawa and her new book THE IRON KING.

What's up?

My sweet friend and amazing author Kate Coombs nominated me for the Prolific Blogger Award. Thank you, Kate! I'm going to pass along the nominations in a couple of weeks - as soon as I meet my current deadline!

Snowpocalypse has created a winter postcard outside my office window. Very pretty, but not so fun to drive in or shovel. The kids are on their second snow day from school. Have I mentioned how hard it is to get any writing done with the kids home? *grumble, grumble* Oh, um... hi, kids. I love you! : D

Ellen DeGeneres made her American Idol debut last night. I really liked her. Yeah, yeah, I know. But I love that cheesy show. Anyone else watch it? What did you think?

*Huge week for fabulous YA new releases... HAPPY RELEASE WEEK to Lisa McMann (GONE: WAKE), Heather Brewer (ELEVENTH GRADE BURNS: THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD), Ally Carter (HEIST SOCIETY), Kristin Harmel (AFTER), Jillian Cantor (THE LIFE OF GLASS) and Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (TOKEN OF DARKNESS)!

And finally, today's video link: My friend Nikki Stone was on the TODAY SHOW on NBC! Go, Nikki!

FF - THE MARK by Jen Nadol

For today's Freebie Friday, I'm happy to welcome another debut YA author to the blog - Jen Nadol, author of the just-released novel, THE MARK.

The Author:

Jen grew up in Reading, PA, the hometown of John Updike, Taylor Swift and the now-defunct Monopoly railroad. She has a BA in Literature from American University and has lived in Washington DC, Boston, and New York City. She currently lives in a 150 year-old farmhouse in Westchester County, New York with her husband and three young sons.

The book:

Sixteen-year old Cassie Renfield has seen the mark since forever: a glow around certain people as if a candle were held behind their back. The one time she pointed it out taught her not to do it again, so Cassie has kept quiet, considering its rare appearances odd, but insignificant. Until the day she watches a man die. Mining her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person's imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today. Cassie searches her past, her philosophy lessons, even her new boyfriend for answers, always careful to hide her secret.

How does the mark work? Why her?

Most importantly, if you know today is someone's last, should you tell?

The Reviews:

Nadol has interwoven an absorbing and thoughtful philosophical dilemma with a YA romance...characters grapple convincingly with the moral question and nothing is oversentimentalized. A great book for discussion groups, this will engender plenty of conversation. --Booklist

A thoughtful exploration of fate and free will...the engrossing narration and realistic characters create a deep, lingering story. –Publishers Weekly

The Interview:

What inspired you to write THE MARK?
I'd pretty much thrown in the towel on my (utterly horrible) first novel and was trying to come up with something interesting to write about, something *I'd* want to buy if I saw it at the store. When the idea - what if you knew it was someone's day to die - popped into my head, I knew I'd found it.

Are any of your characters based on real people that you know?
No, they really only exist on the page and in my head.

What excites you? Change.

What turns you off? Undercooked beef.

If Cassie told you today was your last, what's the first thing you would want to do?
Try to make it not so. I'd probably run home and hide in my office. It seems like the safest place in my house.

Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?

Nope. Got any I can borrow? The only thing that works for me is the old-fashioned BIC (butt in chair).

What's one thing most people don't know about you?
I lived in Copenhagen for four months and can say "yes", "no", "thanks" and "twenty-two beers" in Danish.

What are you working on now?
I'm about to start a new book. I've got two ideas that have been simmering and I'm ready to run with one as soon as I find out what's happening with my second book, which is on submission now. So, uh, I guess the real answer is "nothing".

What is an interesting writing quirk of yours?
I save all the stuff I've cut from my books in computer files. Pages and pages (and pages) of scenes, paragraphs, lines, even single-words that I've deleted from the manuscript.
I edit pretty ruthlessly when I finally start going back over a draft. Anything that gives me the "I wonder if this really works here..." feeling, goes. So, I started these files - with page numbers noted - just in case I wanted to put something back in. 98% of the time, though, the cut stuff stays cut.

The Freebie:

For this week's lucky winner, Jen has generously donated THE MARK "swag pack" which includes a bookmark, a glowing pen and a THE MARK notebook. To be entered to win, leave a comment below, telling what you would do if you found out today was your last day to live.

This drawing will remain open until Wednesday, February 10.

Winner and GCC Tour: THE NAUGHTY LIST by Suzanne Young

The winner of Anna Jarzab's ALL UNQUIET THINGS is: M

Please send your mailing instructions to gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com and we'll get that sent out to you. Everyone else, come on back this Friday for another Freebie with debut author Jen Nadol and a chance to win THE MARK.

What's up this week?

LOST! (And I am even more lost after last night's season opener.)

Amazon vs. MacMillan Not cool, Amazon, to remove the buy buttons for MacMillan books. Your fight is with the publisher but you're punishing the authors.

BONUS GCC INTERVIEW! It's GCC tour time with Suzanne Young, author of THE NAUGHTY LIST!

About Suzanne: Suzanne Young is a brilliant scientist. Not really. But she is a former middle school teacher turned zookeeper (mother). When Suzanne's not fending off zombie squirrels or narrating her daughter's Barbie soap operas, she can be found camping on the Oregon coast or writing obsessively.

Suzanne is the author of The Naughty List series about a group of cheerleaders who investigate cheating boyfriends. Which Suzanne never did. Or at least, not that you can prove.

Also! Suzanne just announced the sale of an upcoming book, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL "in which a 17-year-old discovers that by performing the good deeds that her body compels her to, she will disappear into the Light and be forgotten, but by fighting "the Need," her fate could be even more dire." Sound cool or what?

About THE NAUGHTY LIST:

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

(Series book release dates: The Naughty List-2/4/10, So Many Boys-6/10/10, A Good Boy is Hard to Find-10/2010 )

The interview:

What inspired you to write The Naughty List?
Ninja Cheerleaders. Then it evolved into a secret society who investigated cheating boyfriends… something I could have maybe used in high school.

Have you ever done the things your characters do in your books?
What? You mean like spy on a boyfriend, or sneak in his window at night, or get in a physical altercation with a girl that I think is trying to steal my boyfriend because she is a—oh. I mean. No. I haven’t.

Have you ever had a premonition? What happened?
I’ve had dreams, but never anything really cool. Sometimes I get a feeling that something will
happen, but usually it’s just simple stuff like things being dropped.

If you could hang out with any literary character, who would you choose and why?
Hm… I wouldn’t mind meeting Dexter from This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. He’s dreamy.

Are you superstitious in any way?
HAH! I am SO SUPERSTITIOUS. In fact, if I’m not wearing the right jersey while watching ESPN, I’m convinced my basketball team will lose.

Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?
Do Reese’s Pieces count?

What's one thing most people don't know about you?
I used to be in the Speech and Debate club in high school. And I was pretty good at it!

What are you working on now?
I’m working on book 3 in the Naughty List series. It’s called A Good Boy is Hard to Find.

You can read more about Suzanne on facebook or her blog and you can follow the ninja cheerleading squad here.

FF - ALL UNQUIET THINGS by Anna Jarzab

The author:

Today I'm pleased to welcome another debut author, Anna Jarzab. Anna knows the 'burbs. She grew up in a suburb outside of Chicago and then traded that in for a suburb in San Francisco’s East Bay area, where ALL UNQUIET THINGS is set. Despite spreading herself paper thin doing things like editing the University's literary journal and serving on the Peer Judicial Board, she graduated from Santa Clara University and went on to earn her Master’s degree from the University of Chicago. She lives and writes in New York City.

The book:

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

Publisher's Weekly calls ALL UNQUIET THINGS "a tense and immersive thriller" and School Library Journal says it's a "rich, psychological mystery." Booklist adds that "the story hooks readers immediately."

The Interview:

What inspired you to write All Unquiet Things?

There wasn't anything in particular that inspired me to write it, it was just a book that grew out of a seed over a long period of time--and that seed was Neily. It was almost like he was born, and then I had to figure out what sort of trouble he could get himself in to. All Unquiet Things is the result of that very prolonged process.

Are any of your characters based on real people that you know?

No, not at all, although I think most of my main characters have something in themselves that's a part of my personality, but none of them is an actual true-to-life portrait of me or anyone else.

What excites you?

Books!

What turns you off?

Lateness.

If you could invite anyone you wanted - living or dead - to hang outwith you at a weekend retreat, who would you invite and why?

Probably Nancy Mitford. I'd love to hear her gossip bitchily about all the rich and famous people she knew. Also, I would insist that the weekend retreat was her house in France.

Have you always been interested in mysteries?

I don't think of myself as a mystery reader, because I honestly don't read that many, but I've always been a fan of Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. I went through a huge Mary Higgins Clark phase in junior high, same with Stephen King, so those five are probably my heaviest mystery influences. I always love a literary mystery, though; Tana French writes some amazing murder mysteries that are also beautifully executed and totally compelling.

Who are some of your favorite mystery writers?

LOL, see above.

Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?

I don't really believe in a "muse" per se, I just believe in working really hard and then taking a break when the struggle becomes insurmountable. I find that my greatest moments of inspiration come as a surprise when I'm feeling exhausted and at my wits' end with a book. I do like to read over what I've written on the screen while holding a book (whatever book I'm reading, usually) and miming turning the pages, which is sort of weird and ritualistic. I also write in incredibly short burst. Five minutes writing, interspersed with five minutes reading or surfing the Internet or watching a DVD. I'm constantly bouncing back and forth, which I find actually makes me more productive.

What songs would make the playlist for All Unquiet Things?

I actually put together a whole playlist for AUT, which you can find on my website. But definitely some of the most influential songs for me are "What a Good Boy" by the Barenaked Ladies, "Perfect Crime #2" by the Decemberists, "At Your Funeral" by Save Ferris, and "Who Will Love Me Now?" by (I think) PJ Harvey. There's a ton of songs on the soundtrack, though.

What's your favorite quote?

"You've no idea how long life goes on and how many, many changes it brings. Young people seem to imagine that it's over in a flash, that they do this thing, or that thing, and then die, but I can assure you they are quite wrong." It's from Nancy Mitford's brilliant comic novel, Love in a Cold Climate. I like it because I'm the type of person who always believes that, for better or for worse, things will remain exactly as they are forever and nothing will change. I always have to remind myself that life is long and things are constantly changing. Nothing lasts forever, but the good news is that nothing lasts forever.

What are you working on now?

I'm working on another mystery set in California about a recent high school graduate who mysteriously disappears. Did he run away? Did he take his own life? Was he hurt or killed? You'll have to read to find out.

What is an interesting writing quirk of yours?

I use a lot of dashes, especially in dialogue but everywhere, really. I also write "once and a while" instead of "once in a while" ALL THE TIME.

If All Unquiet Things were made into a movie, who would you like to see in the role of Audrey? Neily? Carly?

I think it'd have to be all unknowns, but if we're just going with names people would recognize, I like Johnny Simmons or Kyle Gallner for Neily (you can check them both out in Jennifer's Body), Amanda Seyfried for Audrey, and Amber Tamblyn for Carly. They're all sort of too old to be playing high schoolers anymore, but in Hollywood you're in high school until you're 30, so whatever.

The freebie:
Anna is offering a signed copy of ALL UNQUIET THINGS to this week's lucky winner.
To be entered to win, leave a comment below, describing how much you want to read this book!
This drawing will remain open until Wednesday, February 3.

Winner! And... What's Up?

On the iPod: Halfway Gone by Lighthouse

The winner of CAPTIVATE by Carrie Jones is: *drumroll...*

Robin Cain

Congratulations! Please send your mailing instructions to gerb(@) lindagerber (dot) com and we'll get that sent out to you!

Everyone else, be sure to come on back this Friday for another freebie when we welcome debut author Anna Jarzab to the blog. Anna will be giving away a signed copy of her debut novel, ALL UNQUIET THINGS.

What's up this week?

Singing the Praises of the Unsung - The best YA you've never read. (Yannabe) Any of your favorites not on these lists?

The iPad makes its debut Looks like a big iPhone.

Book trailer debates - where do you stand? Is it effective/a Good Idea to promote books with movie-style trailers?

Speaking of trailers (Fused Film) I blogged about Books to Movies coming in 2010 over at TFC and worried about Diary of a Wimpy Kid. But the trailer is out now and it looks like fun!

Ugly Betty meets Glee? (EW) Is Huge the next big thing?

YALSA's Top Ten Books For Young Adults List (YALSA) Yay, Donna Jo!

And finally, happy release week to Geraldline McCaughrean (THE DEATH-DEFYING PEPPER ROUX), Sara Shepard (HEARTLESS), Jen Nadol (THE MARK), Hilari Bell (PLAYER'S RUSE), Ridley Pearson (STEEL TRAPP) and Stacy Jay (UNDEAD MUCH?)!

Today's youtube linkie... Remember the Thriller dancing inmates? They're back with Michael Jackson's own choreographer, Travis Payne:

Freebie Friday with Carrie Jones

On the iPod: Explain by Faunts

The author:

Today I'm proud to welcome GCC sister Carrie Jones to the blog. Carrie is one of my favorite authors not only because I love her writing, but because she cracks me up. Here are nine fun facts about Carrie:
1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.
2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.
3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.
4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.
5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….
6. Carrie is not above begging.
7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.
8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!
9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.

Forget that. She’d still probably come.

The book:

CAPTIVATE just debuted at #7 on the NYT hardcover list! (Read about this and Carrie's other great news here.)

Here's the official blurb:
In this NYT-Bestselling sequel to NEED, Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

Publisher's Weekly says "Genre fans will enjoy the sizzle between Nick and Zara" and teenreads.com calls it an "exciting venture filled with nasty, evil creatures, nail biting action and heart-pounding romance." About Carrie, VOYA says she "masterfully blends paranormal fantasy, suspense, and romance to craft a new supernatural tale that is certain to appeal 
to fans of dark urban fantasy like Marr's Wicked Lovely and paranormal romances like Meyer's Twilight books."

You can read more about Carrie on her website, from the official Need website (This is where sneak peaks and contests are. You can win a computer. Seriously!), on her facebook page, or on the facebook fan page.

The Interview:

What inspired you to write CAPTIVATE?
It’s a sequel. I wanted to see what would happen next. I am curious that way.

Have you ever done any of the things Zara does in the book?
Yes, I have:
a. eaten food
b. kissed a hot guy
c. driven off the road because it was icy
d. written letters for Amnesty International
But I have not:
a. met a werewolf
b. or a pixie (that I know of)
c. hung out in a hotel room with a guy I barely know

Have you ever had a premonition? What happened?
All the time. It is usually about airplane crashes, people dying, people cheating, people getting hurt, natural catastrophes.

If you could hang out with any literary character, who would you choose and why?
Wilde's The Canterville Ghost or Ron Weasley’s owl. I’m into owls.

Have you ever had your numbers done? Did they reveal anything about you?
They said I was special. Thank you numbers! Honestly, I think my mother put them up to it.

Are you superstitious?
I am very superstitious about talking about superstitions. * lowers voice * However, I do believe if a cat sits on your book it will sell. This is why I put cat nip on all my prepublished pages.

Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?
Mostly I just beg.

What songs would make the playlist for CAPTIVATE?
There are soooo many, but here are a couple:
Mad Girl's Love Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb8ZadWhHKs&feature=related
Vindicated: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf5qrVdD9E0&feature=related
Uninvited: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvgi7P97lu0
Nobody's Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtL8FcO6lAQ&feature=related
Who Knows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX518lEPis8&feature=fvw
Feels Like Tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8fYZbjJEkM&feature=channel

What's one thing most people don't know about you?
I like men in uniform and I sleep with strudel every night.

What's your favorite quote?
There are so many.
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway” – John Wayne

What are you working on now?
The third book in the NEED series. There will be updates and stuff here: www.needpixies.com. Also, my publisher is having a win-a-computer contest there.
I’m also working on two picture books and a horror novel with Steve Wedel.

What is an interesting writing quirk of yours?
Strudel. That’s all I can say. My mom might read this.

If CAPTIVATE were made into a movie, who would you like to see in the role of Zara?
That is so hard because no actress is perfectly Zara, you know? I’m currently going to say Lea Michelle because of how she looks, plus I’d like her to see her acting chops outside of GLEE.

What kind of chocolate best describes you?
An XOX Caramel Truffle.

The Freebie:
Carrie is generously offering a signed copy of CAPTIVATE to this week's lucky winner. To be entered to win, leave a message below, telling us what kind of strudel you like best! This drawing will remain open until Wednesday, January 27.