Guest Star: Laurie Stolarz

It's time for another Guest Star! Our guest this week is Laurie Stolarz, author of the brand new release, Deadly Little Voices!

About DEADLY LITTLE VOICES

Camelia Hammond thought her powers of psychometry gave her only the ability to sense the future through touch. But now she’s started to hear voices. Cruel voices. Berating her, telling her how ugly she is, that she has no talent, and that she'd be better off dead. Camelia is terrified for her mental stability, especially since her deranged aunt with a suicidal history, has just moved into the house. As if all of that weren't torturing enough, Camelia's ex-boyfriend, Ben, for whom she still harbors feelings and who has similar psychometric abilities, has started seeing someone else. Even her closest friends, Kimmie and Wes, are unsure how to handle her erratic behavior.
 
With the line between reality and dream consistently blurred, Camelia turns to pottery to get a grip on her emotions. She begins sculpting a figure skater, only to receive frightening premonitions that someone's in danger. But who is the intended victim? And how can Camelia help that person when she’s on the brink of losing her own sanity?

From DEADLY LITTLE VOICES

“You’re just one big fat joke,” the voice hisses.

I cover my ears, but the insults keep coming.

“Just do it,” a voice whispers.  It’s followed by more voices, of different people.  They talk over each other and mingle together, producing one clear cut message – that I’m a waste of a life.  

I rock back and forth, trying to remain in control.  I smother my ears with the sheet.  Press my forehead against my knees.  Pound my heels into the floor, bracing myself for what comes next.

Meanwhile, there’s a drilling sensation inside my head; it pushes through the bones of my skull, and makes me think that I’m going crazy.

“Please,” I whisper.  More tears sting my eyes.  I shake my head, wondering if maybe I’m already dead, if maybe the voices are part of hell.
    
Check out the book trailers

DEADLY LITTLE SECRET:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fzMpVMy2fQ
DEADLY LITTLE LIES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Qk0VG2Nz0
DEADLY LITTLE GAMES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc8N4Q0YDuM

TOUCH SERIES CONTEST

From the author: “In keeping with Touch series tradition, in celebration of the release of DEADLY LITTLE VOICES, I’m launching my annual “winner-gets-to-have-a-minor-character-named-after-him/her” contest!  The grand prize winner will get to have a minor character in DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS, the fifth and final book in the TOUCH series named after him or her.  Other prizes include autographed book copies and the opportunity to have original work appear on my web site, Facebook, and Twitter pages.  OFFICIAL RULES and GUIDELINES for this contest are on my website, under NEWS.  ALL ENTRANTS MUST SIGN A RELEASE FORM, DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.LAURIESTOLARZ.COM/NEWS.html. Sign up for my e-Newsletter for updates on contest, book, and appearance info: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/newsletter.html


Praise for the TOUCH series

Texas Tayshas List, 2010 (DLS)

Children’s Book Council’s 2010 & 2011 Teen Choice Book of the Year Nominee

Reluctant Reader Quick Pick Nominees, 2010 & 2011, American Library Association

Teens@Random, Favorite Book of 2009 (DLS)

Gold Star Award, TeensReadToo.com, 2009 (DLL)

"...lively first-person narrative.... CW-worthy dialogue, quirky secondary characters, romance and suspense: a winning combination" - Kirkus Reviews

"An engaging, eerie tale about the darker side of relationships - when it becomes a matter of life and death to know who your friends are." - KLIATT

“The book was full of shocking surprises and revelations, earning the book five stars. This is a must-read for fans of romance, suspense, and mystery because it won't disappoint.” – Teens Read Too (DLL)

"Laurie Faria Stolarz is a master creator of suspense and romance. Her words cause the heart to pound, the palms to sweat, the spine to shiver, and the stomach to flutter. The trepidation born from the anonymous threats will make the pages fly, and the palpable tension between Camelia and Ben as they attempt to ignore their hearts causes the fire to burn hotter." - TeenReads.com

Laurie’s Guilty Pleasures

Favorite snack: Popcorn with soy butter and lemon/pepper seasoning.
Touristy Trip: Paris.
Fashion addiction (at the moment): artfully torn jeans, tall boots, pretty scarves, and Michael Stars tees.
Dessert: Dark chocolate in almost any form - the darker the better.
Fast food: French fries at least once every few months (with lots of ketchup).
Beauty Binge: Aveda haircare products, which includes indulging in high-and/or-low-lights every eight weeks. Also, Caudalie skincare, Ineke perfume (Field Notes from Paris), Revitalash mascara, and Buxom Lips from Bare Escentuals.
Late-Night TV: Real Housewives of (wherever), Mad Fashion, Fashion Hunters.
Chick Flick: Never Been Kissed, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Juno, Green Card, Once, The Devil Wears Prada, Bridget Jones Diary, Thelma & Louise, Mean Girls, Moonstruck, Clueless, Under the Tuscan Sun, and anything with John Cusack.
Nightlife: Pilates in front of the TV (a regular occurrence), answering e-mail (also regular), and dinner and/or a movie out with friends (happens far too rarely).
Cheap Thrill: Window-shopping, tabloid magazines, buying a new lip gloss, a tall cup of coffee from Peet's or Starbucks.
Ultimate Splurge: G2O Day Spa for a massage.

Other Random Info

Favorite Quote: Perseverance is key.
Favorite cuisine: Indian food – onion chutney, curried vegetables, and kashmir bread. I also love cheeseless pizza from Bertucci's.
Interests: Vegetarian cooking, holistic nutrition, aromatherapy.
Favorite Music: Adele, Fergie, James Blunt, Gavin Rossdale, Tori Amos, Sting, Sarah MacLachlin, Gwen Stefani, Black-eyed Peas.
Hobbies: Walking, napping, cooking, shopping, interior decorating.

How to bring your psychometric senses to fruition

By Camelia Hammond, main character, TOUCH series by Laurie Faria Stolarz

1. Make yourself comfortable in a place that feels “sacred” to you. For some it’s outside, surrounded by nature; for others it’s a favorite chair or surrounded by candles; for me, it’s wherever I’m doing pottery.
2. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breath, letting go of any stray or nervous thoughts.
3. Now, take an object in your hand. A good idea is to have someone give you something they’ve owned for a long time, i.e. a favorite bracelet or a set of keys.
4. Close your eyes again and concentrate on this object. Be aware of any thoughts or feelings that come about as a result of holding this object. Talk those ideas through, even if they seem silly or insignificant, but never make information up.

Remember, this takes practice and a bit of experimenting. The goal is to begin tuning in to your own inner awareness and your ability of perception. What often works for me is asking a question aloud, and then sculpting out the answer, using my power of touch in a creative and organic way.

Good Luck!

About the author: 

 Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, Project 17, and Bleed, as well as the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series.  Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, please visit her Web site at: www.LaurieStolarz.com

Revisions and Cruises and Holidays!

Hey all! Sorry for the LONG gap between blog posts. Things have been quite busy over here. I FINALLY finished the second draft of UNREMEMBERED, the first book in my upcoming sci-fi trilogy! I'm really excited about how the revision came out and now my fingers are TIGHTLY crossed that my editor is just as excited!

The hubby and I celebrated the completion of the manuscript by taking a quick last-minute cruise to the Caribbean. It was so amazing and JUST what I needed.

Here are few of my favorite pics from the cruise!

Hanging with our new friend, "Mickey" at the Roatan Marine Sciences Institute in Honduras!

Very excited to have my lovely SeaPass card!

Saying goodbye to Miami.

My "Statue of Liberty" pose, complete with napkin hat provided by Angel, our  kick-ass waiter!

Showing off my SUPER stylish motion sickness pressure point wristbands!

So, now I'm relaxing at the in-laws house in Dallas, getting ready for a BIG Texas Christmas! I hope everyone has a very happy holidays!

Peace on Earth,
Jessica

Guest Star: Kristina Springer

It's time for another Guest Star! Our guest this week is Kristina Springer, author of the brand new release, Just Your Average Princess!

About JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS

Jamie Edwards has loved everything about growing up on a pumpkin patch, but ever since her cousin Milan Woods arrived, things have really stunk. Jamie can’t imagine it was easy for Milan to leave her life back in Los Angeles and move to Average, Illinois, population one thousand. But it’s kind of hard to feel sorry for her since (a) Milan’s drop-dead gorgeous; (b) she’s the daughter of two of Hollywood’s hottest film stars; (c) she’s captured the attention of everyone in town, including Danny, Jamie’s crush since forever; and (d) she’s about to steal the title of Pumpkin Princess right out from underneath Jamie!

Praise for Just Your Average Princess:

  

“This cheerful and heartwarming novel set in a small town will appeal to teens who enjoy YA chick lit.” 
--VOYA

“It was such a quick and cute read! The dialogue contained a generous amount of wit and snark. As a fan of both, it heightened my enjoyment  of Just Your Average Princess even more. I really enjoyed Kristina Springer’s style of writing as well as the cast of characters she created in Just Your Average Princess.”

--The Fiction Enthusiast

And here's my interview with the author, Kristina Springer 

Just Your Average Princess sounds like such a great concept. How did you come up with the idea?

I love pumpkin anything—candles, bread, you name it. I was staring at my pumpkin colored kitchen walls and the idea of a pumpkin patch setting popped into my mind. Then I thought what if you were a teen girl who grew up on an awesome touristy pumpkin patch. And I was off from there.

What kind of research did you have to do to bring Jamie’s story to life on the page?

I researched the heck out of pumpkin patches! I read everything I could on life as a pumpkin farmer (and family), what goes in to running a big patch and fall festival every year, and I went to visit pumpkin patches. I even went through my kids’ books on the different types of pumpkins for added details.

The Danny character in your book is very dreamy. I fell just a little bit in love when I read it. Is he inspired by anyone you know?

Yeah, pretty much every guy I ever had a crush on but was too afraid to tell. The more in love from afar I was with them the more perfect I thought they were. They could never do any wrong. Danny is sorta like that.

If there was one thing about Jamie’s life that you’d like to have in your own life, what would it be? What about the one thing about his life that you’d NEVER want to have?

I’d love to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere with lots of land. But I wouldn’t want to do all of the farm work that Jamie has to do! 

What are you working on next?

Right now my newest YA book, THE PAPARAZZI PROJECT, is on submission. This was a super fun book to write and I think any tabloid loving teen will love it.

About the author: 

Kristina Springer is also the author of The Espressologist, a Society of School Librarians International Book Award Honor Book, and My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours, which Meg Cabot calls, “Irresistible as a fluffy kitten. I laughed out loud and so will you!” You can visit her online at Kristina Springer, follow her on Twitter @TinaSpringer, or friend her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KristinaSpringer.

Guest Star: Jeri Smith-Ready

It's time for another Guest Star! Our guest this week is Jeri Smith Ready, contributor to the brand new anthology, Enthralled

About ENTHRALLED

This collection of original paranormal YA short stories grew out of the 2010 Smart Chicks Kick It Tour, a multiauthor, multicity, author-organized tour of the US and Canada.  With it, these 16 authors hoped to bring a little taste of the Smart Chicks experience to readers everywhere.

About the story "BRIDGE"

In the world of the SHADE novels, everyone seventeen and under can see and hear ghosts, but no one else can.  So when Logan Keeley dies and his eighteen-year-old brother Mickey blames himself, they can’t ease each other’s pain or reconcile their rage.  Over the course of SHADE and SHIFT, Mickey sinks into a near-suicidal depression over Logan’s death. 

“Bridge” is the story, told in free verse, of how two brothers, with the help of a stranger, forge the chasm between them to find a lasting peace.

“A solid collection of stories...Sarah Rees Brennan's ‘Let's Get This Undead Show on the Road’ follows a vampire in a boy-band and stands out with its perfect blend of snark and sincerity. It's followed in a one-two punch by Jeri Smith-Ready's intense and earnest ‘Bridge.’...This collection is ideal as a sampler tray for paranormal readers looking to pick up new authors to follow or to further explore the fictional worlds they already know. 

—Kirkus Reviews

A standout among the many paranormal-themed anthologies. 

—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (Recommended review)

And here's my interview with the author, Jeri Smith-Ready

What was your favorite part of writing this book? Your least favorite part?

My favorite part was trying something different-writing in free verse. I've always loved reading it, in books by authors like Ellen Hopkins, Lisa Schroeder, and Jame Richards.  It drills down to bare emotions and forces the writer to choose precise words to express their meaning.  I loved creating rhythms and sounds to reinforce the feelings and thoughts Logan was trying to get across.

My least favorite part is my fear that I did it wrong.

As writers, we all love to procrastinate. What's your favorite procrastination activity?

Hands down: Twitter.  I've never been addicted to anything-food, video games, drugs-but I'm addicted to Twitter.  It's like my lifelife to other people.  I have this fear that if I leave it for a day, everyone will forget about me.  So it's more than an addiction, it's a full-blown existential crisis! ;-)

If your main character, Logan, could give one piece of advice to teenage girls, what would it be?

Since he died from a mixture of drugs and alcohol (not an overdose, but a deadly combination), he would definitely warn teens to stay away from that stuff.  Especially alcohol, because it makes you do stupid things (like take drugs).

As a guy talking to girls, he would say to watch out for "bad boys." They're so popular in YA literature, but in real life, they're not secretly good on the inside, waiting for the right girl to come along and redeem them.  They're just bad. Except Logan would use a harsher word than "bad."

If there was one thing about Logan's life that you'd like to have in your own life, what would it be? What about the one thing about his life that you'd NEVER want to have?

I would love to be a musician!  I've always dreamed of performing in a band-I guess that's why I love reading aloud so much.  And to have the close relationship he has with his siblings, both the ones in the band (Siobhan and Mickey) and his younger brother Dylan.  My brother and sister are eight and ten years older, and while we're close now, when I was growing up it was like having four parents.

I wouldn't want to live in a world with ghosts everywhere, even if I wasn't young enough to see them.  That would be really creepy.

What are you working on next?

I'm still revising/perfecting SHINE, the third part of the SHADE trilogy, which comes out May 1.  Then I'll write the final book in my adult vampire series, LUST FOR LIFE, which comes out next October.

Then I start my first YA contemporary, slated for a Fall 2013 release. We'll be announcing more details next month, but I can tell you this much: 1) it's about a boy and 2) I am very, very excited about it!

About the author:

JERI SMITH-READY has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. Her nine published books include two series for adults and the SHADE trilogy for teens, about a world of ghosts only the young can see, which concludes May 2012 with SHINE.  Like many of her characters, Jeri enjoys music, movies, and staying up very, very late.  Visit her at www.JeriSmithReady.com, or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JeriSmithReady) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/jsmithready), where she spends way too much time.  Logan himself can be found on Twitter @keeley_logan, as can his rival/”brother-in-pulp,” Zachary Moore (@moore_zachary).  The boys love to chat with each other and with their real-life fans.

First Impressions: What I Love about Brazil!

So here I am in gorgeous, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and it couldn't have exceeded my expectations more! It's so beautiful here! I love it!

Atop Sugar Loaf Mountain!

I really enjoy experiencing new countries and cultures. And since it's my first time here, I thought I'd share with you a few things that I love (so far!) about Brazil.

A quick disclaimer: I've only been in the city of Rio and so these impressions are limited to what I've seen here. I obviously can't speak for the rest of the country!


Food/Drink:

•  There's cheese EVERYWHERE! In the pastries, in the bread, served as a side dish. And since I'm such a big lover of cheese, this won me over on day ONE!
  
  
• The soda here is made with actual sugar (not high fructose corn syrup!) In fact, when I tried to explain this strange American phenomenon of the High Fructose Corn syrup to a Brazilian friend of mine here, she looked at me with a funny expression and said, "Corn? In soda?" Exactly!
  
  
• The coffee is heavenly! And it's served (at least at my hotel) with a choice of cold AND hot milk! And the milk is thick and creamy and delicious! I haven't seen a dinky little artificial creamer cup anywhere.
  
  
• They serve coconuts with a straw in it! As evidenced in the photo. It's better than any "juice box" of coconut water I've ever tasted! The coconut is literally pulled from the tree, a whole is drilled in it, a straw is added, and voila! Refreshing drink! (And" it's got electrolytes!" Note: if you haven't seen the movie, Idiocracy, either go rent it or disregard this joke.)
  
  
• Other random foods I've found irresistible: Pão bisnaguinha (little sweet bread rolls that look like mini hot dog buns), pipoca caramel (caramel popcorn), Aipim Frita (some kind of fried root vegetable similar to a potato that reminded me a lot of potato pancakes), Guarana Soda (which tastes kind of like ginger ale but sweeter, hence, better!) and Pão de Queijo (cheese bread. Let's face it, is it EVER possible to go wrong when you put cheese and bread together?)

 
General Cultural Observations:

• When you order something "pequeno" (small), like coffee, drinks, etc, it's actually SMALL! As someone who has often been accused of "eating like a bird," I'm very appreciative of this. I'm tired of ordering "small" portions in the U.S. and not even being able to finish them. And then feeling guilty for wasting food. Since when did the "small" soda at fast food restaurants become a Big Gulp? Observe the photograph. This was a "chocolate pequeno" (A small hot chocolate) or as my husband likes to say, "Jessica Size" and I actually finished it! And the tiny little spoon was just too "fofa" (cute) for words.
  
  
• The public buses (at least the ones in Rio) have both a driver AND a cashier, who sits in a little booth behind the driver and sells tickets. I find this to be completely brilliant! I've been to so many countries where the driver is both the driver and the cashier and not only does it slow down the entire boarding process, it puts a lot of stress on the foreigner (that would be me) who is trying desperately to figure out how much I owe, how to ask how much I owe in a language I barely speak, and which one of these unfamiliar colorful bills is the right denomination (all while the driver is speeding to the next stop). So thank you, Rio, for this simple yet effective solution!
  
• And speaking of unfamiliar colorful bills, the money here has animals on it! As an animal lover, I find this to be totally awesome! I mean, seriously, how cool is it to pay for your dinner with money that has a monkey, a parrot and a jaguar on it? I'll tell you.... it's REALLY cool!
  
• Rio has some of the most well groomed dogs I've ever seen! I'm not kidding! Around 6-8 pm, everyone is out walking their dogs and it looks like a dog show. The coats are shiny and immaculate, as though the dogs spent the entire day at the beauty parlor while their owners were at work. They make my dogs (who spend their days, rubbing themselves in the dirt and chasing squirrels through fields) look like bums!
  
• Everyone here is really active and in shape. There are always people jogging, biking, and playing volleyball all day long. It's great! Check out the picture of the Ipanema beach strand on Sunday. They close the street to cars and everyone is out walking! And instead of fast food restaurants and Starbucks on every corner, they have juice shops. Seriously, the Brazilians LOVE their juice. And I don't blame them, it's delicious! So hmmm....juice instead of fast food on every corner, real sugar instead of High Fructose Corn syrup, and I haven't seen a single overweight local? Seems pretty self-explanatory to me!
   
• And the final thing that I love about Rio (so far)...is that everyone is really nice! They smile at you, and are helpful and are very appreciative when you try to speak Portuguese! (The operative word here being "try").

Well, that's all for now! I'll post more first impressions as they come!

Tchau!
Jessica

Brody Book Hunt #2

Time for another Brody Book Hunt!

Background:

I travel around so much I thought, wouldn't it be fun to leave things behind in the various cities I visit...as little mementos for others to find. And thus the idea of the "Brody Book Hunt" was born.

This is what I'll be doing:

In random cities that I visit, I'll be "hiding" an autographed copy of one of my books somewhere. (Stores, shops, restaurants, etc.) Then I'll Tweet and Facebook clues and photos about where it is.

If you're the first to find the book, it's YOURS! Yep, FOR FREE! Just Tweet/Facebook me back to let me know you found it so I can mark it as "claimed." 

So without further ado, here is the next Brody Book Hunt location:

If you're in the LA area, head over to Sony Studios in Culver City. On the corner of Washington and Motor, you'll find a surprise. For a hint, check out the photo below:

Happy Hunting!

Jessica

 

52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER Cover Reveal!

Hoorah! Today I revealed the cover for my next book, 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER, which will be released on July 3, 2012. And here it is!

 

As you can probably tell from the cover and the title, the book is another comedy. And I think this cover represents the humor and tone of the story perfectly!

52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER is about a spoiled teen heiress, famous for her party-girl antics and tabloid headlines, who is forced by her ever-absent mogul father to take on a different low-wage job every week for a year, if she wants any hope of receiving her trust fund.

The book was recently optioned for film by producer Jane Startz (Ella Enchanted, The Babysitter's Club, Tuck Everlasting). We've got our fingers crossed that it will be made into a movie soon!

Click here to mark this book as "To Read" on GoodReads!

Have a great week, everyone!
Jessica

The Pen Fatale Tour Coming this FALL!

Sooooo! I'm getting REALLY pumped because the big Pen Fatale Tour with fellow authors Alyson Noel, Mary Pearson, Gabrielle Zevin, and Alexandra Adornetto is kicking off in a little over a month!

And the publisher just released this AWESOME poster for it! Check it out!

So the BIG question now is...will you be there????

Check out the dates and list of cities below.

I hope to see you at one of the events!

XO
Jessica


TEXAS

September 28, 7:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
The Woodlands, TX

September 29, 7:00 p.m.
Off-site event hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop
Houston, TX

October 1
Austin Teen Lit Festival
Austin, TX


ILLINOIS

October 4, 7:00 p.m.
Anderson's Bookshop
Naperville, IL



COLORADO

October 5, 7:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Boulder, CO

October 6, 7:00 p.m.
Tattered Cover
Highlands Ranch, CO



CALIFORNIA

October 9, 3:00 p.m.
Vroman's
Pasadena, CA

October 10, 5:00 p.m.
Upland Public Library
With Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop
Upland, CA



WASHINGTON

October 12, 7:00 p.m.
Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park, WA

October 13, 7:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Lynnwood, WA

Guest Star: Melissa Walker

It's time for another Guest Star! Our guest this week is Melissa Walker, author of the brand new novel, Small Town Sinners

About SMALL TOWN SINNERS

Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver's license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, Lacey's junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn't know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion.

Melissa Walker has crafted the perfect balance of engrossing, thought-provoking topics and relatable, likable characters. Set against the backdrop of extreme religion, Small Town Sinners is foremost a universal story of first love and finding yourself, and it will stay with readers long after the last page.

"Walker has written a credible and tender evocation of the moment when a young person’s beliefs begin to emerge and potentially diverge from the teachings of a family’s religion"
— New York Times Book Review

“Both tender and provocative… Walker creates an astutely balanced portrait of a
conservative congregation’s in-your-face response to perennial issues of domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, and suicide, as well as of those who struggle to fit the prescribed Christian mold.”
— Publisher's Weekly

And here's my interview with the author, Melissa Walker

Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel. I was calling it HELL HOUSE while I was writing it, until people started telling me that might not fly with some bookstores/libraries. I never thought of "the H word" as especially bad, but I didn't want to risk it being an issue, so my agent and I brainstormed SMALL TOWN SINNERS and I love it just as much!

If you could choose one dessert or snack food that you could eat as much as you want of (and never gain an ounce!) what would it be?

Buttered popcorn. I can't stop eating it if it's in front of me. I'll eat until the bottom of the bowl and then I'll chew on unpopped kernels. It's a sickness. I blame years of working in a movie theater in high school.

If your main character, Lacey Anne, could give one piece of advice to teenage girls, what would it be?

Explore the boundaries of your world and don't be afraid to ask questions about why people believe what they believe.

I love the name Starla Joy [Lacey's best friend]! How do you come up with your character names? 

I love to walk through cemeteries to look for character names, but Starla Joy actually started out as just "Sarah." Then I wanted her to have a punchier name, so I moved to "Starla," and I wanted her to have some personality aspects of my friend "Joy" so I added that in the draft to remind myself of who she was. It became "Starla Joy" and I loved it too much to drop the double name.

What are you working on next?

I have a May 2012 novel with Bloomsbury that's untitled at the moment... but it involves summer sun and a very fraught double-love story.

About the author:
MELISSA WALKER has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. She is the author of the Violet on the Runway series as well as Lovestruck Summer. Melissa manages a daily newsletter, I Heart Daily, and handles blogging for readergirlz.com, an online book community that won the 2009 National Book Award for Innovations in Reading.

Visit her online at: www.melissacwalker.com

My Life Undecided in Teen Vogue AND Seventeen

Hey everyone! I'm so delighted, I just have to share!

MY LIFE UNDECIDED was chosen as both a TEEN VOGUE Must-Read Book of the Summer AND a SEVENTEEN Summer Beach Read pick! Squeee!!!

You can read the reviews from each by clicking the links below.

Teen Vogue
Seventeen

MY LIFE UNDECIDED is about a fifteen-year-old girl, notorious for making terrible decisions, who enlists blog readers to vote on how she should live her life. But she soon discovers, some things in life simply aren't a choice...like who you fall in love with.

If you haven't seen the book trailer yet, watch it below!



And check out the brand new book website I just launched for the book: www.MyLifeUndecided.com where you can post your own undecided questions and poll our readers for some advice!

Happy Friday everyone!

XO
Jessica

Brody Book Hunt #1

Who likes scavenger hunts!? ME!

I travel around so much I thought, wouldn't it be fun to leave things behind in the various cities I visit...as little mementos for others to find. And thus the idea of the "Brody Book Hunt" was born.

This is what I'll be doing:

In various cities that I visit, I'll be "hiding" an autographed copy of one of my books somewhere. (Stores, shops, restaurants, etc.) Then I'll Tweet and Facebook clues about where it is and the secret password you need to claim it. 

If you're the first to find the book, it's YOURS! Yep, FOR FREE! Just Tweet/Facebook me back to let me know you found it so I can mark it as "claimed." 

So without further ado, here is the first Brody Book Hunt location:

If you're in the Dallas area, visit the Yogurtville in Carrollton (on Hebron Pkwy) Tell them, "Karma Sent Me" to claim the prize.

Happy Hunting!

Jessica

 

Follow me on Twitter and Win an Autographed Copy of THE KARMA CLUB!

So, I just noticed I'm ALMOST at 1000 followers on Twitter. I know 1000 followers is just a Wednesday afternoon for people like Jessica Simpson and Justin Bieber, but for me, it's pretty dang exciting!

To help me reach that 1000 mark, for every 25 new followers I get, I'll be giving away a free autographed copy of THE KARMA CLUB to a lucky (random) follower. 

So since I'm currently at 900, the first giveaway will happen at 925, then 950, etc, until we reach 1000!

Which means, if you're not already following me, you should! Just click on www.Twitter.com/jessicabrody and click "Follow"

And if you ARE already following me, then just relax. You're already entered!

Winners will be announced on Twitter (obviously!) so all the more reason to follow so you can see your name printed when you win!

Good luck! And thanks for the follow!

XO
Jessica

Guest Star: Suzanne Young

It's time for another Guest Star! Our guest this week is Suzanne Young, author of the brand new novel, A Need So Beautiful

About A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL:

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte’s destiny is to be Forgotten…
Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?

"A clever and well-written fantasy. Whether Charlotte is an angel or a being less freighted by religious tradition is left up to the reader, but the dilemma of how we can make a lasting impression is a very human concern. Young offers an elegant solution that is well worth consideration."
— Booklist, starred review

“A gripping supernatural romance… An imaginative twist on the timeless battle between dark and light.”
— Kirkus Review

And here's my interview with the author, Suzanne Young!

A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL sounds like such a great concept. How did you come up with the idea?

A family member was sick and I was feeling lost. At my lowest point a stranger gave me advice and it helped me through the tough times. I often wondered how she was there, just when I needed her. It sparked the idea of these beings from the light, meant to help others. And A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL was born.

Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel. My original title was just BEAUTIFUL—but that was taken. So I thought about it and came up with A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL. And after that, I couldn’t imagine calling it anything else.

What’s your strangest writing quirk or habit? Something that would make all of us go, “huh?”

I like to eat candy corn or other tiny food items while I work.

I love the name Charlotte! How do you come up with your character names?

I discovered a site for old fashioned baby names and now I’m hooked. My characters sometimes go through a few different name changes before I find the perfect fit.

What are you working on now?

The sequel is called A WANT SO WICKED and comes out next summer, so I’m busy revising. I also have a new series THE PROGRAM that comes out Spring of 2013 from Simon Pulse.


About the author:
Suzanne Young currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she uses the rainy weather as an excuse to stay inside and write obsessively. After earning her degree in creative writing, Suzanne spent several years teaching middle school language arts. Now she can be found at home chasing after her two children and poorly behaved dog and writing novels for teens. You can visit her online at www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter @suzanne_young.

Watch the book trailer:

Pen Fatale Fall Tour Dates and (some) Details!

I'm so excited to be part of a fantastic fall tour featuring FIVE totally kick-ass authors! It's called the Pen Fatale Tour (get it? Femme fatale, pen fatale, 5 female authors? Haha!) and it features the following authors:

Alyson Noel (author of the Immortals Series and the Riley Bloom series)
Mary Pearson (author of the Jenna Fox series)
Gabrielle Zevin (author of Elsewhere, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, and the upcoming All These Things I've Done)
Alexandra Adornetto (author of the Halo series)
And Yours Truly! Moi!

The details are still being ironed out, but here's what I know so far about where we'll be stopping:

September 28, 2011: Barnes & Noble, The Woodlands, TX
September 29, 2011: Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX
October 1, 2011: Austin Teen Lit Festival, Austin, TX
October 3, 2011: Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
October 4, 2011: Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
October 5, 2011: Barnes & Noble, Boulder, CO
October 6, 2011: Tattered Cover, Denver, CO
October 9, 2011: Vroman’s, Pasadena, CA
October 10, 2011: Los Angeles, CA (events TBD)
October 12, 2011: Third Place Books, Seattle, WA
October 13, 2011: Barnes & Noble, Lynnwood, WA

These events are subject to change but should stay the same. So mark your calendars! Hopefully you can make it to one! I really hope to meet some new readers who haven't been able to make it to my usual LA/Denver events.

I will post more details as they come to me. So check back!

XO,
Jessica

Guest Star: Elana Johnson!

My Guest Star author this week is Elana Johnson, author of the brand new novel, Possession

About POSSESSION:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

"Possession held me completely captivated from beginning to end. And what an end! I fell in love with the characters and had countless moments of 'Wow.'"
--James Dashner, bestselling author of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials

"Who Should Read This: Anyone who wants a challenge: This plot is so twisty, I had to read the last chapter twice before I could believe what happened. There's also a very nice balance between badass action and romantic tension for readers who like a good mix of the two."
--MTV.com

“Most [readers] will be drawn in by the love triangle, revelations about Vi and her family, and a dark twist ending that maintains the faintest glimmer of hope.”
--Publisher's Weekly

And here's my interview with the author, Elana Johnson!

If you could have dinner with one of your characters who would it be?

Oh, I would definitely have dinner with Zenn Bower. He’s so mysterious in the book—and in my head. I still don’t quite have him figured out. So dinner with him would be fab!


What’s the first thing you do when starting a new book? What’s the first thing you do when finishing a new book?

I don’t really have a process for writing. So sometimes I begin my books with an email to myself. Or a scene in my head that just needs to be written down. I think a lot. I might write another scene. And another. After a while, I think, “Hmmm, this might be a book.”

The first thing I do when I finish a book is celebrate. Writing an entire novel is a lot of work! Then I let the MS cure for a little while before coming back for the first round (of many) massive rewrites.

Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel came first. I brainstormed a billion titles with the word “control” in it. I thought I had a good one. My publisher and I discussed it, and decided something a little less punny would be better. That’s how we came to POSSESSION.

If you could choose one dessert or snack food that you could eat as much as you want of (and never gain an ounce!) what would it be?

Oreos and milk.

What are you working on next?

I’m working on resting before I have to do edits for the companion to POSSESSION, which is tentatively titled FUGITIVE and will be out with Simon & Schuster in June 2012.

To read the first two chapters, go to the official POSSESSION website.

MyLifeUndecided.com is NOW LIVE!

I'm SO excited to announce that my new website project, MyLifeUndecided.com is now LIVE!

The site has been a fun little project of mine for a few months. It's the same site Brooklyn starts in the book, MY LIFE UNDECIDED (where she posts all her life's decisions and has people vote on what she should do) but now it's been expanded so that anyone can post their life's big questions and ask for help deciding what to do!

So head on over and post your pressing questions, collect votes, and get help making those decisions. Or just head over and vote on everyone else's questions. Either way it's fun!

And keep a look out for little posts, notes, and photos from Brooklyn herself. After all, she's the original founder of the site. :)

Enjoy!
Jessica

Guest Star: Amanda Ashby!

My Guest Star author this week is Amanda Ashby, author of the brand new novel, Fairy Bad Day


I ordered my copy last week and let me say, it looks fantastic! I can't wait to start reading!

About FAIRY BAD DAY:

It’s going to be a fairy bad day...

First, my rightful designation of dragon slayer is STOLEN right out from under me by Curtis Green. Sure, he’s really cute, but that doesn’t give him an excuse.

On top of that, I am assigned to slay fairies. I know what you’re thinking—how hard could it be, right? Wrong! These menacing beasts with their tiny hipster clothes and mocking sarcasm love taunting me. And they won’t STOP!

But the thing that tops my list of stuff to ruin my day? That would be the GIANT KILLER FAIRY that I have to hunt down and slay because I am the only one who can see it. There is someone who can help me. Unfortunately…it’s Curtis.

"Teens with a taste for the paranormal school story and a tolerance for raucous humor will be involved with and amused by this romantic fantasy. The exciting plot, humor throughout—often provided by the little fairies—and relatively innocent romance between characters will grab readers and keep them involved. " Kirkus Reviews

"In a fun mashup of the modern and the magical, Ashby (Zombie Queen of Newbury High) creates nicely developed characters and supports them with strong plotting and zippy writing. Laced with humor, danger, and romance, this book will have readers smiling all the way to the last page." Publisher's Weekly


And here's an awesome interview with Amanda!

What fictional character would you like to have coffee with?

Bartimaeus from Jonathan Stroud’s amazing series or Stephanie Plum from Janet Evanovich. Or both. In fact I think they’d have a lot in common since they both accidently get into lots of trouble despite having the best of intentions and while I’m not sure that Bartimaeus has blown up as many cars as Stephanie has, he’s sure pissed off his fair share of Kings, which has to count for something!

As writers, we all love to procrastinate. What’s your favorite procrastination activity?

Twittering with Jessica Brody about our shared love of English nineties pop music and chocolate bars. I also tend to check pinkisthenewblog a zillion times a day for my latest celebrity gossip (for research purposes obviously!)

Who’s your favorite character in the book and why? Who was the most fun to write?

I really loved writing Emma, my main character. She’s quite bolshy (and I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that some people might find her annoying) but I just really felt she was justified in acting the way she did. Plus, she was pretty tough, which made her fun to write because she got to play with swords and kill things!!!!!

Which came first, the title or the novel?

Title!!!!! I actually started writing a werewolf book called Bad Hair Day and then I decided to change it to a fairy book and steal the title! Unfortunately my agent didn’t like the first chapter I sent her but she adored the title so we brainstormed the book and she actually came up with the idea of a fairy slayer who was the laughing stock of her entire academy. And then, because I always have FAR too many ideas, I suddenly remembered that I’d plotted yet another fairy book and so I sort of lifted the world building from that and plotted the new idea (and then spent six torturous months trying to make it behave itself!!!!!)

What’s your strangest writing quirk or habit? Something that would make all of us go, “huh?”

It might not make you go “huh” but it will make you go “ewh” because it’s disgusting, but I’m totally addicted to chewing drinking straws (after first using them to drink my Diet Coke of course). It really is a disgusting habit and my family hates it, but I just can’t seem to stop doing it. And besides, if I did try and stop doing it then I would only go and search out all the Easter chocolates that my kids have been saving and apparently that is frowned upon, so really I’m doing everyone a favor! And btw, I actually think that Stephen King once wrote about a writer who chewed straws so that made me feel a little less freakish!!!!

Be honest, how many drafts did you have to write for this book? Any horrific scenes that were cut from the original that you want to share?

There were so many rewrites of this book that I’ve actually lost count. I did a load for myself then about two for my agent and then about three for my editor and while the basic premise stayed the same, there were a lot of changes. In fact by the end of it I was starting to feel more like a patchwork quilt maker than a writer. There were no horrific scenes that I lost but I did have to cut a lot of my wildly hilarious one-liners (I’m assuming it was because my editor didn’t think that they were quite as wildly hilarious as I did). Oh, and I’ve actually remembered that I did have to cut the love interest between two of my secondary characters Loni and Tyler, which was a bit sad (fortunately, they still hook up in my head so shhhhh, don’t tell my editor!!!!!!)

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m in the middle of writing new stuff and also doing revisions on my MG series that is coming out next year called Sophie’s Mixed-Up Magic. It is so much fun and I basically gave an eleven year old magical powers and then made sure that she made as many mistakes as she possibly could. There is also a djinn ghost who looks like Zac Efron and a shark-obsessed six year old sister.

About the Author
Amanda Ashby was born in Australia, and has spent the last fifteen years dividing her time between England and New Zealand before finally deciding that to move home. When she's not moving country, she likes to write books (okay, she also likes to eat chocolate, watch television and sit around doing not much, but let's just keep that amongst ourselves, shall we?)

She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. As well as writing, she works part-time at the children/teen desk of her local library, which basically means that someone pays her to talk about books. Her debut book, You Had Me at Halo was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award, and her first young adult book Zombie Queen of Newbury High was listed by the New York Public Library's Stuff for the Teen Age 2010.

http://www.amandaashby.com

http://www.amandaashby.blogspot.com/

Click here to order FAIRY BAD DAY now!

Overdue Winner Announcement!

So apparently my scattered writer brain has failed me once again! A lot of people have been asking me when I'm going to announce the winner of the Find the Typo Contest from back in March and I quickly realized that although I announced the winner on Facebook and Twitter (and emailed the winner), I forgot to add it to the blog. Doh!

My apologies if I've kept you waiting!

The winner was John Nowakoski.

If you didn't win, fear not! We'll be having TONS more contests to win copies of MY LIFE UNDECIDED (which releases in FOUR days!) so keep an eye out for those coming soon!

Again my apologies!
Jessica

#FastForward: Coming of Age in the Digital Age

I consider myself lucky. I was born and raised in a time before internet and 300+ TV channels, and being able to control your refrigerator with your iPhone. When you had to be home at 8:00 pm on the dot if you wanted to catch your favorite TV show and writing on people’s walls would land you in jail.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those luddites who despise technology and think it’s the end of the world. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. I LOVE technology. I embrace it. I read books on my eReader and make dinner plans via text and do my Christmas shopping with a single click.

But the reason I consider myself lucky is because I’ve been able to witness the rise of all these advancements. I remember what it was like to have to drive to the AAA store and buy a map for your next road trip, or ask people for step by step directions, or look things up in the phonebook. I remember what a phone book is. And therefore I feel as though I can fully appreciate things like Google maps and phone apps and the soothing voice of my car’s navigation system. More so than the generation that’s growing up not knowing any different.

A few years ago I was babysitting for a friend. Her two year old son and I were watching a Tivoed episode of Sesame Street. Like any human being with a developing personality and sense of taste, there were certain characters and skits in the show that he liked better than others. But I’ll never forget when Bert and Ernie came on and this two year old kid turned to me and made a pantomime motion of pushing on a remote button with his thumb. It took me a few seconds (and him a few more fake remote jabs) to realize that he was asking me to fast forward. He didn’t want to watch Bert and Ernie. He wanted to skip it and get to Elmo or Grover. And I remember being so blown away by this realization. This kid can’t speak yet. Can’t tell me what he wants for dinner. But he can tell me that he wants to fast forward through Bert and Ernie.
There is an entire generation of kids today who don’t know (and will never know) what it’s like to watch live TV. To be forced to sit through things you don’t like in order to watch something you do. And that is simply baffling to me.

Although I didn’t grow up being able to fast forward through things I didn’t want to watch or have an entire conversation with my friends using 140 characters or less, as an author of young adult fiction, it’s my job to understand what it’s like. If I’m going to write believable stories for teen audiences, I have to be able to put myself in the shoes of someone coming of age in today’s world. A world in which your embarrassing moments are not only at risk of being gossiped about…but at risk of being caught on film (sorry, digital video) and posted on YouTube for all to see.

Everyone knows your teenage years define you. It’s when you start to search for your own identity. Seek independence. Rebel from your parents. Try to figure out what kind of person you want to be and why. And in today’s modern society, those kinds of life-altering reflections are not done in private anymore. They’re done in public. For all to see. On the internet.

Today’s teen is growing up on Facebook and Twitter and Youtube. They’re posting things we use to only share with our closest friends in notes passed between classes. Photographs that used to be kept privately in our photo albums are now sitting on a server somewhere in Palo Alto, CA for all of eternity. You can no longer rip your ex-boyfriend out of a picture after he cheats on you. There’s no physical photograph to rip. All you can do is “unfriend” him. “Unfollow him.” Unsubscribe. But it’s only virtual. It’s not real. Like money in your bank account. It’s all just data on a screen. 1s and 0s.

This modern day setting for teenage life fascinates me and it’s what I set out to explore in my upcoming novel, MY LIFE UNDECIDED, about a girl trying to decide who she is and find her identity…through an anonymous blog. By asking strangers to make her decisions for her, she ends up discovering the person she wants to be. And it’s certainly not the person she thought she wanted to be.

I had so much fun writing this book and putting myself in the shoes of a girl who grew up in today’s “when you want it, how you want it” culture. And interestingly enough, what I found through my writing and research was that although today’s technology offers a whole slew of new social issues that teenagers have to deal with, being a teenager is pretty much still the same. The emotions are the same. The heartbreak is the same. The way you feel about your first kiss hasn’t changed with the times. And this made me smile.

Apparently there are some things that are not only universal. But timeless as well. Teenage life is hard. It’s trying. It’s memorable. It’s full of decisions that define you. Regardless of whether or not you grew up being able to fast forward through Sesame Street.  



*First published on Get to the Point, a blog from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Buy THE KARMA CLUB This Week and Win MY LIFE UNDECIDED next week!

New contest alert everyone! I know how we all LOVE contests!

So here it is. It's quite simple: Buy THE KARMA CLUB this week and win MY LIFE UNDECIDED next week! That's two books for the price of one!

Here's how to enter:

1) Buy a copy of THE KARMA CLUB paperback edition between 5/24 and 5/31.

2) Post a photograph of you with the book on your facebook page

3) Tag The Karma Club Book Fan Page in your photo (this part is important so we can count your submission!)

That's IT! You're entered!

Next week we'll be choosing FIVE lucky winners to receive autographed copies of MY LIFE UNDECIDED (which releases in stores June 7!)

The Karma Club Paperback can be found in Barnes and Noble bookstores, online at B&N.com, Amazon.com or other online book retailers. If your local bookstore doesn't have it in stock, tell them to order it (they can!)

**Open to U.S. and Canada only

A Great Review and a Gift from Brazil!

This just in! The Brazilian cover for Karma Club has long last been revealed. TA DA!

Isn't it gorgeous? I just want to eat it up! Okay, perhaps I'll simply frame it and put it on my wall. Purple is my favorite color, so I'm just loving this one! Thanks, Brazil! And side question: how can I get that dress in my size. I adore it!

The book releases in Brazil on May 27th! So if you live there (I wish I did!) then go pick it up next Friday! And if you haven't seen the Brazilian book trailer, watch it here.

Okay, in other good news, this great review just came in from the School Library Journal for MY LIFE UNDECIDED. And let me tell ya, it definitely made my day!

"Brooklyn is a sympathetic protagonist with whom teens will identify. Her journey is fun to read, and decision-challenged readers will learn an important lesson about self-acceptance along the way."
--School Library Journal

Woo hoo! More evidence to support the fact that I truly still am a teen and never did grow up past age 15. But hey, I'll take it!

That's all I got for now. Except to say that MY LIFE UNDECIDED comes out in (yikes!) 17 days! And The Karma Club Paperback edition releases on TUESDAY! Be sure to hit stores and pick up a copy. It's got LOADS of bonus stuff in it. 

Tchau! Ate mais! (That's bye and later in Portuguese) :) 

Jessica