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

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.

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

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:

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.

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!

Guest Star: Denise Jaden

My Guest Star author this week is Denise Jaden, author of the brand new novel, Losing Faith.

About LOSING FAITH:

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.

As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.

And here's an awesome interview with Denise!

1) What's the first thing you do when starting a new book? What's the first thing you do when finishing a new book?

This is a great question for me, because it's the stage I'm at right now. The first thing I did after finishing my last book was take a few days off. I actually don't like taking time off writing, as my mind starts to come up with all sorts of critical thoughts when I'm not in the throes of working. But usually I need a few days to let my mind refresh. My first thing upon starting a new book: brainstorming! I love to chat with my friends, husband and critique partners about my new ideas and how I plan to implement them. It can be a really fun time in the process!

2) Who was the most fun to write?

Tessa Lockbaum was absolutely the most fun to write. She was not in my extensive outline, but just showed up in a scene while I was writing the first draft. After that, she just seemed to take over every scene she was in. She was constantly surprising me. I'm toying with the idea of writing a companion novel in Tessa's point of view.

3) What's your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite part?

I love first drafts! There's so much freedom, and often the characters do some pretty unexpected things. It's a very exciting time for me, and there is much celebration when I reach "The End." As for my least favorite part, that's a little more difficult to answer. I usually don't mind revising, but I guess the worst part is when I know something is not working and can't seem to find a fix for it. Often it feels like I'll never find the solution.

4) I love the name Brie! How do you come up with your character names?

Brie is an interesting situation. A few years ago, my husband met his birth mother and birth sister for the first time. His birth sister's name is Brie, and I loved it the moment I heard it! This is not always the way I select names, of course. I often jot down names I come across while I'm out around town and the odd one makes it into a book.

5) What are you working on next?

I'm working on another contemporary YA novel called PERFECT AIM. It's about a teenage archer whose plans to reunite her family go way off target and she finds solace in the arms of a young and understanding teacher.

Click here to order Losing Faith on Amazon!


About the Author
Denise Jaden lives just outside Vancouver, Canada. When she’s not writing, she can often be found homeschooling her son or dancing with her Polynesian dance troupe. Losing Faith is her first novel. Find out more at www.DeniseJaden.com

Guest Star: Jenny O'Connell

My Guest Star author this week is Jenny O'Connell, author of the hot summer teen reads, LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS, the first two books in the exciting Island Summer series!

About the Island Summer Series:

Bestselling author Jenny O’Connell presents a sizzling series for summer. Her first two Island Summer novels, LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS highlight the lives of the summering visitors, the year-round locals living in the beach towns of Martha’s Vineyard, and the fireworks that explode when they combine for three steamy months.

In LOCAL GIRLS, friendships are in danger of ending with the summer. Kendra and Mona are best friends, local girls who spend their summers catering to rich tourists and the rest of the year chafing against small-town life. Then Mona's mom marries one of the island's rich summer visitors, and Mona joins the world of the Boston elite, leaving Kendra and Martha's Vineyard behind. When Mona returns the following summer, everything is different.
Unlike his sister, Mona's twin brother Henry hasn't changed. He's spending his summer the way he always has: with long, quiet hours fishing. Early mornings before work become special for Kendra as she starts sharing them with Henry, hoping he can help her figure Mona out. Then Kendra hatches a plan to prove she's Mona's one true friend: uncover the identity of the twins' birth father, a question that has always obsessed Mona. And so she begins to unravel the seventeen-year-old mystery of the summer boy who charmed Mona's mother. But it may prove to be a puzzle better left unsolved--as what she is about to discover will change their lives forever...

In RICH BOYS, Winnie jumps at the chance to babysit for a wealthy summer family and earn some extra money—but soon learns that life in the Barclay’s beautiful vacation home isn’t as perfect as it appears. And what was supposed to be a carefree summer quickly becomes more complicated than she ever thought possible.

Click here to order Rich Boys on Amazon!

Click here to order Local Girls on Amazon!

Praise for Jenny O'Connell:


“Sweet romances with relatable characters trying to find themselves.”
—Cosmo Girl

"O’Connell is a smart, talented author; I’m really looking forward to
seeing what she writes next!”
—Teens Read Too.com


About the Author
Jenny O'Connell received her BA from Smith College and her MBA from the University of
Chicago. The author of PLAN B and THE BOOK OF LUKE, she lives outside of Boston with her family. Visit her online at: www.jennyoconnell.com

Guest Star: Elizabeth Scott

My Guest Star author this week is Elizabeth Scot, author of the brand new novel, The Unwritten Rule

About THE UNWRITTEN RULE:

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like you best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself
from wanting more...

And here's an awesome interview with Elizabeth!

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

Start: Write down everything I know. Finish: Send the draft off trusted readers!

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

Reading celebrity gossip.

3. When you set out to write a new book, are you usually sparked by a story idea or a character?

It depends--sometimes it's an idea or even just a scene that I know is going to grow into something, and sometimes it's a character.

4. What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite part?

I love writing. I hate, hate, hate revising. But you have to do it.
(And I have to do it a lot!)

5. What are you working on next?

My next book, Grace, will be out from Dutton in September. It's about a girl who's been raised to be a suicide bomber--and what happens when she decides she wants to live.

Click here to order The Unwritten Rule on Amazon!


About the Author
Elizabeth Scott grew up in a town so small it didn't even have a post office, though it did boast an impressive cattle population. She's sold hardware and panty hose and had a memorable three-day stint in the dot-com industry, where she learned that she really didn't want a career burning CDs. She lives just outside Washington, DC, with her husband; firmly believes you can never own too many books; and would love it if you visited her website: www.ElizabethWrites.com

Guest Star: Hank Phillippi Ryan

My Guest Star author this week is Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of the Charlotte McNally Mystery series, Prime Time, Air Time, and Face Time.

About AIR TIME, the latest in the series:

Star reporter Charlotte (Charlie) McNally enters the glamorous and high-stakes world of high fashion ...and soon discovers when the purses are fake, the danger is real.

To break her latest big-money blockbuster, Charlotte must go undercover--but what if the bad guys recognize her? This savvy TV journalist must face more than her fear of flying when her inside scoop on designer duplicates suddenly turns deadly.

Carrying a hidden camera and dressing to deceive, Charlie finds she's not the only one disguising her identity. Nothing--and no one--is what they seem. And that means nothing--and no one--can be trusted. In her high-risk job and in her suddenly steamy love life, how can she tell the real thing?

Charlie is forced to make some life-changing--and life and death--decisions. With only a split-second to act and with her own life in the balance, Charlie knows if she chooses wrong it will be the last decision she ever makes.

Real-life investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan devises a scheme so timely and innovative you'll wonder why someone hasn't tried it. AIR TIME takes you behind the scenes of TV news--and reveals what can happen when a savvy, sexy journalist turns from hard-working reporter into becoming a killer's target.

And here's an awesome interview with Hank!

1. Charlotte (Charlie) McNally is an investigative TV reporter, and so are you! What qualities do you share with Charlie, and how are you different?

When my husband talks about Charlie, he calls her "you." As in--when "you" are held at gunpoint, when you track down the bad guys, when you solve the mystery . . . and I have to remind him, "Sweetheart, it's fiction. It didn't really happen."

But a couple of things: I've been a TV reporter for more than 30 years. (Yes, really.) And so it would be silly, in writing a mystery about TV, not to use my own experiences. Think about it--as a TV reporter, you can never be wrong! Never be one minute late. Never choose the wrong word or miscalculate. You can never have a bad hair day, because it'll be seen by millions of people! It's high-stakes and high-stress--literally, people's lives at stake--and I really wanted to convey that in the books.

And everything that TV people do and say in the books is authentic and genuine. (Of course, Charlie can say things I can't say, and reveal things I can't reveal.) We're both devoted journalists, and over-focused on our jobs.

But Charlotte McNally is different, too. She's single--I'm happily married. She's ten years younger than I am, and so is facing different choices and dilemmas. She's braver than I am, certainly. Funnier. And a much better driver.

2. Charlie has some exciting adventures in your mystery series--going undercover, confronting some really bad guys. Tell us about some of your adventures as an investigative reporter.

There's a huge been-there-done-that element to the books--I've wired myself with hidden cameras, confronted corrupt politicians, chased down criminals . . . been in disguise, been stalked, and threatened and had many a door slammed in my face. I've had people confess to murder, and others, from prison, insist they were innocent. So when that happens to Charlie, it's fair to imagine me. Although the plots are completely from my imagination, those are real-life experiences.

3. Your job sounds very demanding. How (and when) do you find the time to write? Do you ever take a vacation, and, if so, what do you do with your time off?

Short answer--no. I don't take vacations anymore. We used to! We love Nevis, a tiny island n the Caribbean with empty white beaches and nothing to do. We love to go to western Massachusetts, to Tanglewood, to go to plays and the symphony and museums. We love to go to Cape Cod, to Truro, to sit on the beach with pals and read, then go out to wonderful dinners. All in the past. Now, I write. And Jonathan lounges in the back yard. Luckily, we have a lovely yard, with a pool and beautiful gardens.

4. Charlie is afraid of flying, and the airlines are constantly losing her luggage. When you write in Charlie's voice about these dilemmas, you sound like you're writing from experience. Is this true?

Sigh. Yes. I am a luggage-loss magnet. If they can lose my bags, they will. It's almost funny. Almost. As for fear of flying, yes, I am afraid. (Although not as much has I used to be. I've worked very hard and tried a lot of things to get over it.) I was once covering a very bad plane crash, in a major airport, and was in a room with a lot of the bleeding and upset survivors of the crash. I often wonder if that bad energy someone affected me.

5. Even though Charlie has a love interest, basically she's married to her job. You are married to a very successful criminal defense and civil rights attorney. Is it difficult to maintain a balance between the demands of your careers and your relationship, or do your exciting careers help "keep the fire going."

Fire? Well, hey. We both really respect each other, and we each think the other is really attractive and funny. We each understand when the other is immersed in work--in a story, or a writing a book, or handling a big case. We think each other's work is fascinating. Jonathan is incredibly patient. An endlessly interesting. It's wonderful for me to have in-house counsel to make sure my books are authentic when it comes to legal issues--and it's fun for him to have a writer-wife who had advised him on his dramatic closing arguments.


Click here to order Air Time on Amazon!

Visit Hank online at: www.HankPhillippiRyan.com

Guest Star: Joanne Rendell

Our Guest Star author this week is Joanne Rendell, author of the new novel, Crossing Washington Square, which I had the pleasure to read an advanced copy of earlier this year. And so I can say with authority that it's a fabulous read!

And if you head over to Free Book Friday before Thursday night, you can enter to win a free autographed copy!


Here's what the book is about:

A story of two strong-willed and passionate women who are compelled to unite their senses and sensibilities, from the author of The Professors' Wives' Club.

Professor Diana Monroe is a highly respected scholar of Sylvia Plath. Serious and aloof, she steadfastly keeps her mind on track. Professor Rachel Grey is young and impulsive, with a penchant for teaching relevant contemporary women's stories like Bridget Jones' Diary and The Devil Wears Prada, and for wearing her heart on her sleeve.

The two conflicting personalities meet head-to-heart when Carson McEvoy, a handsome and brilliant professor visiting from Harvard, sets his eyes on both women and creates even more tension between them. Now Diana and Rachel are slated to accompany an undergraduate trip to London, where an almost life-threatening experience with a student celebrity will force them to change their minds and heal their hearts...together.


And here's my interview with the author!

1. Any fan/fan mail stories you care to share?

My first novel was The Professors' Wives' Club. A couple of months after its release, a woman contacted me and said she'd read and enjoyed the book. She told me she was a professor's wife and after a few emails, she revealed that she was the wife of a very distinguished professor of cultural studies whose work I'd read, who I'd seen giving keynotes talks at conferences, and whose work greatly influenced the writing of Crossing Washington Square. Not really a "rock star" moment, but still exciting to know the wives of influential professors (professors I really dig!) read my book.

2. Where do you write?

I write at my desk at the front of our apartment. We live on a very busy street in Manhattan so my writing is "lulled" by taxis honking, firetrucks hooting, and jackhammers pounding. With all this practice, I could probably keep writing through a asteroid shower!

3. What was your inspiration behind your latest novel?

The idea for Crossing Washington Square evolved over a few years. As someone who has lived the academic life (I have a PhD in literature and now I'm married to a professor at NYU), I've always loved books about the university - novels like Michael Chabon's Wonder Boys, Richard Russo's The Straight Man, Zadie Smith's On Beauty, and Francine Prose's Blue Angel. But what I noticed about such campus fiction was the lack of female professors in leading roles. Even the female authors like Francine Prose and Zadie Smith's novels focus on male professors. Furthermore, most of these male professors are disillusioned drunks who quite often sleep with their students! I wanted to write a novel with women professors taking the lead and I wanted these women to be strong and smart and interesting – instead of drunk, despondent, and preoccupied with questionable sexual liaisons!

4. What line or section of your novel are you most proud of?

Rachel Grey and Diana Monroe are both literature professors in the old boys club of Manhattan University. While this should create a kinship between them, they are very much at odds. Rachel is young, emotional, and impulsive. She wrote a book about women's book groups which got her a slot on Oprah and she uses "chick lit" in her classes. Diana is aloof, icy, and controlled. She's also a scholar of Sylvia Plath who thinks "beach" fiction is an easy ride for students. My favorite scene is where these two women face-off in a department meeting. Neither of the professors is a shrinking violet and thus sparks really fly! The scene was such fun to write.

5. If you were in charge of casting the movie adaptation of your book, who gets the call?

Crossing Washington Square loosely echoes Austen's Sense and Sensibilty - with one professor being led by her sense, the other by her sensibility. I love the Ang Lee adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet playing the two very different Dashwood sisters. I'd love Emma and Kate to play my professors too!


Praise for Crossing Washington Square:

"Joanne Rendell has done it again! Crossing Washington Square is a book that will stay with you long after you turn that final page. Curl up on a park bench somewhere, watch the leaves fall, and spend some much beloved time with Rachel and Diana."
-Jessica Brody, bestselling author of The Fidelity Files and Love Under Cover

"For every reader who has ever wondered why nineteenth century novels about women are called ‘the canon’, but contemporary novels about women are called 'chick-lit' comes a charming, witty and cerebral novel about Rachel Grey, an Austen-worth heroine fighting for love and respect in the academic shark tank."
-Nicola Kraus, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Nanny Diaries

Click here to order Crossing Washington Square on Amazon!

About the Author:

Joanne Rendell was born and raised in the UK. After completing her PhD in English Literature, she moved to the States to be with her husband, a professor at NYU. She now lives in faculty housing in New York City with her family. Visit Joanne's website at: JoanneRendell.com

Guest Star: Carleen Brice

Our Guest Star author this week is Carleen Brice author of the new novel, Children of the Waters.


Here's what the book is about:

Still reeling from divorce and feeling estranged from her teenage son, Trish Taylor is in the midst of salvaging the remnants of her life when she uncovers a shocking secret: her sister is alive. For years Trish believed that her mother and infant sister had died in a car accident. But the truth is that her mother fatally overdosed and that Trish's grandparents put the baby girl up for adoption because her father was black.

After years of drawing on the strength of her black ancestors, Billie Cousins is shocked to discover that she was adopted. Just as surprising, after finally overcoming a series of health struggles, she is pregnant--a dream come true for Billie but a nightmare for her sweetie, Nick, and for her mother, both determined to protect Billie from anything that may disrupt her well-being.

And here's my interview with the author!

1) How do you come up with the names for your characters?

I often use family names or names of friends to start and then see if the name changes as I go along.

2) When you got that first phone call announcing your had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate? If you've sold more than one novel, do you have a celebration ritual for subsequent sales?

I yelled and cried and beat on the steering wheel (my agent called just as I was leaving for work). I bought myself a pair of diamond earrings and got hubby a guitar, and there’s been lots and lots of champagne. This is my 2nd novel and it was part of a 2-book deal, so I celebrated the deals for both at once, but I also partied when each book was released.

3) If your book were to be made into a movie, who could you see playing the lead role?

Halle Berry could play Billie. Jennifer Aniston as Trish. Or Alicia Keys as Billie and Reese Witherspoon as Trish.

4) Since becoming a writer, what's the most glamorous thing you've ever done?

Attended awards ceremonies and actually received 2 awards! Almost like the Oscars! (not really, but you know what I mean)

5) If you could be a superhero, what would you superpower be?

Invisibility. (She said after months of doing self-promotion.)

Paise for Children of the Waters:

"I was exhausted and singing the blues the hour I began Carleen Brice's new novel, CHILDREN OF THE WATERS. Five hours later, I'd finished this fresh, free-rein novel about mothers' secrets and children's sorrows and was shouting 'Hurray!'"
--Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean

Click here to order Children of the Waters on Amazon!

About the Author:

Carleen Brice was recently named 2008 "Breakout Author of the Year" by The African American Literary Awards Show for her debut novel Orange Mint and Honey, which was also a selection of the Essence Book Club. She is also the author of Walk Tall:Affirmations for People of Color, and Lead Me Home: An African American's Guide Through the Grief Journey and edited the anthology Age Ain't Nothing but a Number: Black Women Explore Midlife. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and two cats. Visit her online at: www.CarleenBrice.com

Guest Star: Samantha Wilde

Our Guest Star author this week is Samantha Wilde author of the hilarious debut, This Little Mommy Stayed Home. Samantha was also featured and interviewed on my site, Free Book Friday. To check out the feature and listen to our podcast interview click here!

I had the privilege to read an early copy of this novel and to blurb on it. Here's what I had to say:

"Riotously hilarious, unabashedly honest and positively impossible to put down. Samantha Wilde's debut is a must read for all moms and non-moms alike."
-Jessica Brody, author of The Fidelity Files


Here's what the book is about:

The Mother of all Motherhood novels.

In this riotously funny, ruefully honest, and irresistibly warmhearted debut, Samantha Wilde writes about one new mother who discovers the wonders and terrors of motherhood--one hilarious crisis at a time. For new moms, potential moms-to-be, and anyone who just wants to (wisely) live the experience vicariously...

New mom Joy McGuire hasn't changed her sweatpants since her baby was born. Of course she's crazy about her newborn son; it's her distracted, work-obsessed husband and his impossible mother she can't stand. Joy turns to her own mom for support, but she's too busy planning her fourth wedding to a suspicious self-help guru. Sure, Joy's a woman on the brink, but it's nothing a little sleep, sanity, and chocolate can't fix.

Until her old college boyfriend shows up at their ten-year reunion. The one she was still in love with when she married her husband. It must be the lack of sleep, because Joy is starting to think she might have ended up with the wrong man. Not to mention she's obsessed with her sexy yoga instructor, who might just be interested in her. Joy used to be single, skinny, and able to speak in complete sentences, but who is she now? As she's trying to figure that out, her husband goes missing….

Frank, bawdy, and full of keenly self-aware observations, this novel tells the story of one new mother, three men, one marriage, and the baby love that keeps us up at night.

And here's my interview with the author!

1) What was your inspiration behind this novel?

Life with babies. The incredible transformation into motherhood. A growing fascination with mothering, what it means to mother, what becomes of a woman who becomes a mother. And what becomes of a marriage when a baby is born. I wrote the story I wanted to read, essentially.


2) Since becoming a writer, what's the most glamorous thing you've ever done?

I bought new bras! Of course that's not so glamorous but I went to the expensive bra store and had a proper fitting and paid a LOT for them and wore them for my book signings. That IS glamour when you live in the country.

3) Which scene (or scenes) in your novel did you love writing? Why?

I loved writing the fights between Joy and her husband. It was more fun than fighting and used up all my crankiness. Actually, I enjoyed writing most of it. Joy is so sassy and funny, I looked forward to what she might say or do.

4) What's the best piece of advice you've ever gotten about writing?

My mother, Nancy Thayer, has been quoted as writing, "It's never too late, in fiction or life, to revise." We laugh, because this is true and also not true. (When it's on the shelves, it's too late.) Still, it helps when I'm writing to know there is a time later to perfect things. She also always said to me, "put it in your work." I do. I put it all in my work. It's a great place for things, the good, the bad and the ugly. And it makes of a mess, a meaning.

5) If you had to to offer a bumper sticker explanations for your novel, what would it be?

Caution: Exhausted Mother at the Wheel.

Click here to order This Little Mommy Stayed Home on Amazon! For more information, check out Samantha's blog at: www.wildemama.blogspot.com

Guest Star: Judi Fennell

Welcome Judi Fennell, this week's guest star author! She's just released a brand new novel, IN OVER HER HEAD and she's taken the time to answer some of my questions about her work.

Here's an overview of the book:

When Erica Peck, one terrified-of-the-ocean marina owner, finds herself at the bottom of the sea conversing with a Mer man named Reel, she thinks she's died and gone to her own version of Hell. When the Oceanic Council demands she and Reel retrieve a lost cache of diamonds from the resident sea monster in return for their lives, she knows she's died and gone to Hell.

When they escape the monster and end up on a deserted island, she amends her opinion - she's died and gone to Heaven.

But when Reel sacrifices himself to allow her to return to her world, she realizes that, Heaven or Hell, with Reel, she's In Over Her Head.

"Nora Roberts? Danielle Steel? Much acclaimed romance writers should step aside. There is a new romance writer in town and she is certainly causing a great splash with her debut novel, In Over Her Head."
-ABibliophile.com

"I truly found a pearl in my oyster when I read this delightful tale. I was surprised how good of a book In Over Her Head is. It is extremely well-written, the storyline flows and I was hooked from the first page."
-LongAndShortReviews.blogspot.com

And check out this awesome contest where you could win a romantic beach getaway!

To celebrate the release of each of her books, Judi Fennell and the Atlantis Inn (www.AtlantisInn.com) and the Hibiscus House (www.HibiscusHouse.com) bed and breakfasts are raffling off three romantic beach getaway weekends. All information is on Judi's website, www.JudiFennell.com

1.How do you come up with the names for your characters?

All of the names in my stories mean something, whether they are a play on words, a twist on other characters, named for people I know, for a certain characteristic, etc., rarely do I just pull a name out of the air and assign it to a character.

2. When you got that first phone call announcing your had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate? If you’ve sold more than one novel, do you have a celebration ritual for subsequent sales?

I got an email first from my editor that she couldn't believe it hadn't sold yet and could I call her. So I had an idea going into the call. She let me know she was taking it into the editorial meeting the next day, so, again, not a total surprise. Then I got the email from the meeting that she wanted it AND the next two stories, and, yes, I cried. I think I squealed first, then I cried. Then I stood in my family room, flapping my hands and being speechless while the kids and Hubs laughed and cheered, then I calmed down and called my agent. Then after I made a few more calls, the emotions got to me an I picked up the book I'd been reading and parked my butt on the sofa and just read and read and read. Champagne and flowers followed over the next few days. It was a great time.

3. If your book were to be made into a movie, who could you see playing the lead role?

I could see either Matthew McConaughey or Zac Efron for Reel, and Sandra Bullock, Kate Hudson or Anne Hathaway for Erica. I don't know any stunt remoras, so I'll leave that up to the casting director. And if we could get Susan Sarandon for Ceto, the sea monster, that'd be great.


4. What was your inspiration behind your latest novel?

I was writing a series of twists to fairy tales: Beauty and The Best,Cinda Bella, and Fairest of Them All, and I wanted to twist The Little Mermaid. The best way to do it was to make him the Mer.

5. Desert Island time. You can bring one person and one "thing" what would you bring?

I'm bringing Hubs - he and I can use some uninterrupted time after the whirlwind since selling, so we need a vacation. As for what we'd bring, suntan lotion. If it's deserted, who needs clothes, but we'd need the lotion. And, hell, lotion? 'Nuff said.


For more information, check out Judi's website at: www.JudiFennell.com