What do you think about BOOK TRAILERS?

Sunday, July 24, 2011       •       2 Comments

Every year around this time, I put together a survey anyone and everyone can help and participate in. It’s a way for me to learn what you all like and don’t like and meanwhile also finding out how I can improve my own work.

I am dedicated to bringing the best to you all and only way is if you tell me what works and doesn’t work. And harsh, real and truthful criticism is the only way I can learn.

So don’t hold back. Tell me what you really think. The survey is anonymous so I won’t know who says what and the more specific you can be the better!

Once I get 200 replies on the survey I’ll hold a contest for an ARC of FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater!I know you want it, so if you or your friends have ever watched a book trailer, send them to this survey! I’ll greatly appreciate it!

Recommend Me a Book… with Nova Ren Suma

Sunday, July 24, 2011       •       15 Comments

The YA novels I write play with magical realism—they’re set in the here and now with a fantastical, otherworldly twist—but lately looking back I guess I’ve been reading mostly contemporary realistic and dystopian. The thing is, I don’t like to think about genre. I don’t care so much about where in the store a book will be shelved, but what I do care about as a reader is voice. The novels I like—the novels I love—are many times novels with strong first-person voices: YA novels of any genre, adult literary fiction, short story collections… If you swallow me up in a memorable, original voice from page one, you probably have me for good.

There were two novels I finished recently in which I paused and actively said to myself, “I wish I wrote this book.” Or, more forcefully, “WHY can’t you write a book like this!”

The first is BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray: such a funny, moving, important and transcendent book. I admire the depth of her imagination and her skill at weaving together so many characters and perspectives. I wish I could do something like that. Now, I’m sure a lot of us walk around wishing we could borrow Libba Bray’s mind for a week of writing. Even a day would help. But, as a reader, I’m just glad she keeps a hold of it so she can write books like this for us.

And the second, a book I just finished, is THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin, which comes out this fall. As I was reading I found myself longing to be able to write something this exciting, sexy, twisted, and utterly surprising. I also love her title. As soon as I saw the words THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER, I knew it was a book for me. I saw that title and admonished myself: “WHY can’t you think up an awesome title like that!”

I’d love to write a dystopian novel. I know, I know—everyone who follows trends will say it’s too late. I wish I had the kind of imagination to twist and reimagine the world like that. I’ve also been known to long to write a short story collection, a screenplay, and a historical adult novel set in New York City, the city where I live that endlessly fascinates me.

I haven’t blurbed a book yet. When I do, you’ll know it’s something I loved to desperation.

Here are two books that are coming out soon that I highly recommend—due to voice and searing subject matter… and due to the fact that I completely connected with them:

CLEAN by Amy Reed, coming out this month, is such an honest, moving, hopeful novel about a group of teens in an addition recovery center. I’m also a devoted fan of her debut novel BEAUTIFUL, which is one of my favorite YA novels… ever. I have a feeling I’m going to be following Amy Reed’s career for a long time to come.

And then the last book I’ll leave you with is the utterly brilliant BROOKLYN, BURNING by Steve Brezenoff—about love, music, and accepting who you are—which comes out this September. This book! This book changed me as a person. It’s my favorite novel of 2011 so far. I want to run around shoving it into everyone’s hands, asking strangers to read it. So please read it, okay?

Recommend Me a Book… with Tabitha Suzuma

Friday, July 22, 2011       •       21 Comments

If you’re following my blog you’ll know that I am hosting some of my authorly friends and authors whose books I love and want to recommend to YOU (if you haven’t read it,yet!)

So I’m having an author tell us what they like to read, wish they could write, and what they have loved recently! AND at the end I’ll be giving away a mystery box of books that I am recommending to you!

So far we’ve had Carrie Ryan, Cassandra Clare, Kami Garcia, Suzanne Young, Kendare Blake and Victoria Schwab. Go back and comment on the previous posts and tell us what you think of their recommendations. Have you read them? Want to read them? What do you recommend?

So if you want to get entered to WIN this BOX OF BOOKS, comment on the next few posts, too,  and make sure to follow this blog so you don’t miss anything because who knows what I’ll do next!

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Have you heard of Tabitha’s books? Well dear readers you need to get acquainted with her and her writing. The stories she tells, and the subject matter is edgy and dark and difficult and you will cry your eyes out but it’s so worth it! I LOVED Tabitha’s FORBIDDEN and you need to fall in love with it too!

Q: What kind of books do you like reading? Do you read in your genre?

Although I write young adult fiction, I don’t read as much of it as I probably should. I mainly read adult fiction and memoirs. I am particularly drawn to books with a psychological slant or to memoirs written by people who have gone through some kind of mental illness. I have suffered from severe chronic depression all my life and all my books feature, to some extent, problems of the mind. Two of my favourite books are memoirs, both written by psychiatrists who themselves have suffered from a mental health condition: An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison, and Undercurrents by Martha Manning.

Q: What book do you wish you had written?

Recommend Me a Book… with Kendare Blake

Wednesday, July 20, 2011       •       17 Comments

If you’re following my blog you’ll know that I am hosting some of my authorly friends and authors whose books I love and want to recommend to YOU (if you haven’t read it,yet!)

So I’m having an author tell us what they like to read, wish they could write, and what they have loved recently! AND at the end I’ll be giving away a mystery box of books that I am recommending to you!

So far we’ve had Carrie Ryan, Cassandra Clare, Kami Garcia, Suzanne Young and Victoria Schwab. Go back and comment on the previous posts and tell us what you think of their recommendations. Have you read them? Want to read them? What do you recommend?

So if you want to get entered to WIN this BOX OF BOOKS, comment on the next few posts, too,  and make sure to follow this blog so you don’t miss anything because who knows what I’ll do next!

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Today I have the awesome debut author, Kendare Blake who’s upcoming ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD needs to be on everyone’s lists. For one, it’s creeptastic featuring the most bad ass ghost you’ll ever read about. Secondly, the boy Cas… *swoons* nuff said. Thirdly, there’s action and romance and adventure that both girls and boys will devour in one sitting. Promise!

So I’m recommending you ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD and probably anything else Kendare ever writes but check out below what she has to recommend!

That old watch you had

Wednesday, July 20, 2011       •       6 Comments

There’s this old watch my grandpa used to wear. For as long as I have memories of him I know he’s worn that watch. It’s face is rounded on the edges like a magnifying glass, the digits obscured from the scratches on the surface but large and beckoning. The strap is nothing but woven strands of tiny yarn, or string, that are now frayed at the edges.  And a rustic clasp at the end that had imprinted itself onto the frayed strap revealing its age.

It was the one thing that was as constant as my grandpa. Grandpa was consistent and predictable if nothing else. We could predict that he’d be irritated when we got home late from the rose festival despite the fact that we were more than old enough (and with adult company) to take care of ourselves.  We could predict that he’d wake up before the sun is even thinking about waking up itself, to go bike miles so he could tend to his little plots of vegetables and fruits and herbs. We could predict that he’ll sneak questions in about Dad’s smoking habits only to call him, tell him how bad it is, how much it had damaged him years ago, and hope Dad listens.

Grandpa was the only person I knew that had the face and demeanor of a soldier. Stoic. Unmovable. Straight shooting. Strict. But had the heart of an angel.  He’d gently grab the phone from grandma’s frustrated fingers so he could make sure she heard the precious words coming from loved ones overseas.  Only his reassuring pat on the shoulder would ease her mind that her family will be back to visit. To visit while they’re still there.  Still biking. Still tending to the land. Still tuning his watch. While he reassured grandma, wiping her tears away, no one reassured him.

And now, I hold his watch. Its face demanding  to tell me it’s secrets.  With each tick a new whispered secret. With each tock a new whispered memory. And as I wind it up, the memories tick and tock back at me.

Recommend Me a Book… with Suzanne Young

Monday, July 18, 2011       •       15 Comments

If you’re following my blog you’ll know that I am hosting some of my authorly friends and authors whose books I love and want to recommend to YOU (if you haven’t read it,yet!)

So I’m having an author tell us what they like to read, wish they could write, and what they have loved recently! AND at the end I’ll be giving away a mystery box of books that I am recommending to you!

So far we’ve had Carrie Ryan, Cassandra Clare, Kami Garcia and Victoria Schwab. Go back and comment on the previous posts and tell us what you think of their recommendations. Have you read them? Want to read them? What do you recommend?

So if you want to get entered to WIN this BOX OF BOOKS, comment on the next few posts, too,  and make sure to follow this blog so you don’t miss anything because who knows what I’ll do next!

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Today I have the very sweet and oh so talented, Suzanne Young. She’s the author of the newly released (as you can see above) A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL! Now I’m not gonna lie… this book had me from the first page and held me till I was crying at the last page. Best of all is Harlin, the boyfriend of the main character, Charlotte, who has a motorcycle (so hot!), is totally hot (swoonworthy!) but best of all is SUCH A GOOD GUY! Girls, you’ll fall in love with him instantly! I promise! And then you’ll be like me… pining away for A Want So Wicked!