Author Interview with Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (Firsts Blog Tour)

Today we have Laurie Elizabeth Flynn here for an author interview! This interview is part of the blog tour for Firsts.

1. Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in Firsts?

That’s a great question! The first chapter was seriously fun to write. But there’s a particular scene later in the book that has my heart. Without giving anything away, I’ll just say it involves a reference to a certain type of pasta.

2. If you had to pair up your main character Alma from Firsts with any other character from any other YA book (either romantically or as a friend), who would it be and why?

I’d love to put Mercedes in a room with Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl. Their combined sarcasm would be deafening, and so entertaining. I think sparks might fly.

3. I absolutely love the idea for Firsts, and I’m always really excited about sex-positive YA books. Could you talk a little bit about what made you want to write about this?

I was working on an entirely different New Adult contemporary when the idea for Firsts struck me. All I had was the name Mercedes and the hook—a girl who wants to give virgin guys the perfect first time. I didn’t know what happened beyond that. I just knew I had to write the rest to find out. As I wrote, I thought more and more about the double-standard that exists for teenage girls when it comes to sex, and I got angry. I wanted to write something from the point of view of a girl who would be slut-shamed because of her actions—and in doing so, raise tough questions that people don’t always want to think about.

 4. How do you go about naming your characters?

I don’t name them intentionally. I like to think they choose their own names. Generally when I have a new idea for a story, the first things to come to me are the main character’s name and the hook. As I write, the other characters show up on the pages and their names just seem to fit.

5. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

Write what you want to write, not what you think an agent will want to read. If you’re passionate about your writing, that will make your words electric. It’s okay to be scared by an idea, but don’t let that stop you from writing it.

Also, try not to compare yourself—to other authors or to different projects you’ve worked on. There’s a saying that comparison is the thief of joy, and I believe it. Be happy with the stage you’re at, and don’t be hard on yourself if every book you write follows a different process.

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for Firsts, which came out January 5th! This is what the book is all about:

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

ESeventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.

Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy- so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.

When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.

Author Interview & Giveaway with Marie Marquardt (Dream Things True Blog Tour)

Today we have Marie Marquardt here for an author interview! This interview is part of the blog tour for Dream Things True. 

1. Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in Dream Things True?

I loved writing one of the earliest scenes, when my protagonist, Alma, meets her love interest, Evan. They fall for each other almost immediately, which is one reason the story is compared to Romeo and Juliet. It was a really fun set of emotions to write. They feel instantly connected, but they also realize how complicated it will be for them to relate, on many levels. Alma knows it will be almost impossible to get permission from her strict dad to hang out with Evan. This is sort-of baffling for Evan, whose family has very different rules and expectations.

2. If you had to pair up your main character Alma from Dream Things True with any other character from any other YA book (either romantically or as a friend), who would it be and why?

Oh, it would break my heart into a thousand tiny pieces if I had to put Alma with another boy, romantically! But I think she’d have a great time hanging out (just as friends) with Étienne St. Clair, from Anna and the French Kiss. Alma dreams of exploring the world, and is drawn to people who have big life experiences. I’m not sure how well Evan and St. Clair would get along, but Evan is full of surprises.

3. What comes easier for you - dialogue or description?

Dialogue, for sure. I often have to revise and re-write dialogue many times, but when I’m writing the first draft of a story, the dialogue pours right out of me. Then I go back and add the descriptive elements.

4. How do you go about naming your characters?

Haphazardly! I tend to steal the names from people I know, or from people I barely know, but just happen to be hanging around when a new character pops into my mind. Alma is an exception – It’s an old fashioned name, but I love that it means “soul”. I also chose the name for Alma’s aunt (Tia Pera) because “Pera” is short for “Esperanza”, which means “hope”. I love that name.

5. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

If you love to write, keep writing! If you want to be a traditionally published author, you’ll have to keep writing through the rejections. They will come. The best way to deal with them is to absorb any good advice they may offer and then sit back down at the keyboard and put words on the page.

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for Dream Things True, which came out September 1st! This is what the book is all about:

Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt

Evan, a soccer star and the nephew of a conservative Southern Senator, has never wanted for much -- except a functional family. Alma has lived in Georgia since she was two-years-old, excels in school, and has a large, warm Mexican family. Never mind their differences, the two fall in love, and they fall hard. But when ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) begins raids on their town, Alma knows that she needs to tell Evan her secret. There's too much at stake. But how to tell her country-club boyfriend that she’s an undocumented immigrant? That her whole family and most of her friends live in the country without permission. What follows is a beautiful, nuanced, well-paced exploration of the complications of immigration, young love, defying one’s family, and facing a tangled bureaucracy that threatens to completely upend two young lives.

St. Martin's Griffin is giving away one finished copy of Dream Things True!

Giveaway rules:
- Must be 13 or older to enter.

- Open to US and Canada only.

- Open for one week; giveaway ends September 23rd at midnight. The winner will be contacted by e-mail. They will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen.
- I am not responsible for items lost or damaged in the mail.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview with Miranda Kenneally (Jesse's Girl Blog Tour)

Today we have Miranda Kenneally here for an author interview! This interview is part of the blog tour for Jesse's Girl. 

1. A lot of the previous Hundred Oaks books have been focused on some kind of sport - what made you want to write about music in Jesse's Girl instead?

I just love music and wanted to write about it. ! I grew up singing and performing, and was in my high school's show choir. I still (poorly) sing along to the radio.

2. I've loved all of your books, but I think Breathe, Annie, Breathe was my favorite (so far!). I know I'm horrible for asking this and making you choose, but which one of your books is your personal favorite? Or which one is most important to you, personally?

Thank you! Breathe, Annie, Breathe is the book I'm proudest of in terms of my writing, while Catching Jordan and Jesse's Girl were the most fun to work on.

3. If you had to set up Maya with another main character from your previous books, which one do you think she could be BFFs with and why?

I think Maya would get along great with Savannah. Both girls are sassy, stand up for themselves, know how to have fun, and love kissing (but who doesn't? *wink*).

4. Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in Jesse's Girl?

Probably the scene where Jesse takes Maya to his favorite spot: his secret fishing hole where his great-grandfather used to bring him as a little boy. Maya decides to shove Jesse into the water, and much chasing him around in his underwear ensues.

5. How do you go about naming your characters?

Generally I first see if the perfect name pops into my mind. If not, I consult BabyNames.com ;-)

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for Jesse's Girl, which comes out today! You can check out my review here. This is what the book is all about:

Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.
But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

Author Interview with Katie M. Stout (Hello, I Love You Blog Tour)

Today we have Katie M. Stout here for an author interview! This interview is part of the blog tour for her YA debut, Hello, I Love You.

1.Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in Hello, I Love You?

My favorite scene is definitely spoiler-y! What I can say is that all the scenes with Grace and her mother are my some of my favorites. The interplay between those two was something I really enjoyed exploring. Her mom is just so terrible, even I as the author cringed writing some of her dialogue. But the heart of the story for me is Grace’s relationship with her family, so those scenes flowed really easily for me, and I loved writing them.

2. If you had to pair up your main character Grace from Hello, I Love You with any other character from any other YA book (either romantically or as a friend), who would it be and why?

I’d love to see Grace hang out with Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy. They’re both fierce, opinionated ladies that have a lot of growing up to do. But in their hearts, I think they’re both kind, compassionate people who have been hurt by the world and have reacted in a way that isn’t great - but they have the potential for being strong women.

3. What comes easier for you - dialogue or description?

Oh, description for sure. I could write that for days. I had to be really careful not to weigh down this book with too much.

4. How do you go about naming your characters?

I don’t really have a system for this. The characters in this book all got named in different ways. I researched popular names in Korea for Tae Hwa’s and Yoon Jae’s names. But then Grace’s sort of came to me, and I really love it, because I think it’s exactly what she has to learn through the story: grace.

5. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

Go out and live your life. The best stories come from personal experiences.

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for Hello, I Love You, which was released June 9th. You can also check out Katie's Spotify playlist for the book here. Here's what the book is all about:

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.
She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.
Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

Author Interview with Juliana Stone (Some Kind of Normal Blog Tour)

Today we have Juliana Stone here for an author interview! This interview is part of the blog tour for her newest release, Some Kind of Normal.

1.Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in Some Kind of Normal?

Ah, that’s easy! (kinda because I’ve got two!) The scene at the drive-in really hit home to me, when Everly is surrounded by hundreds of kids but has never felt more alone. I remember feeling like that.

2. If you had to pair up your main character Lucy with any other character from any other YA book (either romantically or as a friend), who would it be and why?

I think Caleb from Simone Elkeles’s book Leaving Paradise. They both have secrets and trauma and are involved with girls who have the same. They could totally support each other I think.

3. What comes easier for you - dialogue or description?

Dialogue hands down. I love writing dialogue and spend half of my time at home talking as I write! My daughter thinks I’m sorta crazy but that’s okay!

4. How do you go about naming your characters?

Funny thing is, I can’t start writing a book until I have the perfect name for a character. I usually envision my character and go from there. I have found that there are certain names I tend to use more than once and then have to go back! (Jake is one!)

5. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

Write from your heart. Never give up. Know that the journey is long and not for the faint of heart. Honestly, writing is the hardest job I’ve ever had but also the most worthwhile!

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for Some Kind of Normal, which was released May 5th. Here's what it's all about:

Some Kind of Normal by Juliana Stone

SFor Trevor normal was fast guitar licks, catching game-winning passes and partying all night. Until a car accident leaves Trevor with no band, no teammates and no chance of graduating. It's kinda hard to ace your finals when you've been in a coma. The last thing he needs is stuck-up Everly Jenkins as his new tutor—those beautiful blue eyes catching every last flaw.
For Everly normal was a perfect family around the dinner table, playing piano at Sunday service and sunning by the pool. Until she discovers her whole life is a lie. Now the perfect pastor's daughter is hiding a life-changing secret, one that is slowly tearing her family apart. And spending the summer with notorious flirt Trevor Lewis means her darkest secret could be exposed.

Author Interview: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski (The Summer After Me and You Blog Tour)

Today we have Jennifer Salvato Doktorski here for an author interview! This interview is part of the blog tour for her newest release, The Summer After Me and You.

1. I love books set in the summer, like How My Summer Went Up in Flames and The Summer After You and Me. What makes you want to set your stories in the summer?

I didn’t plan it that way, but this is my third novel set in the summer! When you write a book, you spend a lot of time “living” your story. The characters feel like real people, and the setting feels like a real place. This particular story was written between September and March and I have to say, as the months turned colder, it was nice to be living at the warm Jersey Shore—inside my head at least. There were many times that I forgot there was snow on the ground until I looked up from my laptop and remembered it was winter.

2. If you had to pair up your main character Lucy with any other character from any other YA book (either romantically or as a friend), who would it be and why?

Well, Lucy and Sam from Famous Last Words would definitely be friends. They’re both serious, smart girls who are more focused on college and careers than boys. Spencer from How My Summer Went Up in Flames is one of my favorite characters. I love him for his big heart and unabashed nerdiness and I’m still rooting for him to find his soul mate. Too bad Lucy and Spencer never met. I can picture a scenario where the pair really hits it off at smart camp.

3. How do you go about naming your characters?

My daughter picked Lucy’s name for this novel, so I have to give her the credit! Most times though, I pick names that I like or seem to fit the personality of the character. When I was choosing a name for my daughter, I made a short list of faves. The names I didn’t pick have ended up as characters, which is fitting because in a lot of ways, those characters come to feel like my children. Rosie in How My Summer Went Up in Flames is named for the Springsteen song “Rosalita” and Andrew Clark, from The Summer After You and Me, is named after my first friend in kindergarten. We both took the wrong bus home from school on the first day and I’ve never forgotten him.

4. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

One of my favorite books about craft is Stephen King’s On Writing. I re-read all or parts of it all the time. Here is my favorite quote from that book:
“Don’t wait for the muse…Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be every day from nine ‘til noon or seven ‘til three.”
Even before I was lucky enough to get paid to write fiction, I treated writing like a full-time job. The other piece of advice that I always come back to is from Meg Cabot. I read an interview with her in Writer’s Digest in which she said that she writes about things that she wished happened to her. It’s something I keep in mind with all my characters.

5. Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in The Summer After Me and You?

My favorite scene to write was the one that formed the basis of this novel. It’s the scene that shows what happened between Lucy and her longtime summer neighbor and crush, Connor Malloy, on the day before Superstorm Sandy hits the Jersey Shore. It was written before most of the book and rewritten more than any other scene.

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for The Summer After Me and You, which was released May 1st. Here's what it's all about:

The Summer After Me and You by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Sunbathing, surfing, eating funnel cake on the boardwalk—Lucy loves living on the Jersey Shore. For her, it's not just the perfect summer escape, it is home. And as a local girl, she knows not to get attached to the tourists. They breeze in over Memorial Day weekend, crowding the shore and stealing moonlit kisses, only to pack up their beach umbrellas and empty promises on Labor Day. Lucy wants more from love than a fleeting romance, even if that means keeping her distance from her summertime neighbor and crush, Connor.
Then Superstorm Sandy tears apart her barrier island, briefly bringing together a local girl like herself and a vacationer like Connor. Except nothing is the same in the wake of the storm. And day after day, week after week, Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and broken home. Now with Memorial Day approaching and Connor returning, will it be a summer of fresh starts or second chances?

Author Interview: Courtney Summers (All the Rage Blog Tour)

I'm so excited to have one of my favorite authors, Courtney Summers, here for an author interview today! This interview is part of the blog tour for her newest release, All the Rage.

1. How has writing All the Rage been different or similar from writing your previous novels?

All of my novels have been challenging to write in their own ways but All the Rage was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever written. My writing process isn’t the tidiest, but it’s a little more straightforward than All the Rage’s turned out to be. I’d been working on it since around 2009/2010 and I’d set it aside for my other books. When St. Martin’s acquired it in 2012, it went through about six drafts before it was done. It took a while to figure out exactly how I wanted to tell it. It was all worth it in the end, though! I’m very proud of this book.

2. As an advocate for sexual assault survivors, I'm always excited to see authors whose books I enjoy take on this topic. What message would you like readers to take from All the Rage regarding sexual violence? What were some of the difficulties of writing about such a sensitive topic?

I want someone who picks up All the Rage to be angry about rape culture and victim blaming by the time they’ve finished it. I want them to keep the conversation about both going—because we need to keep talking about it if we want anything to change. I hope they will also want to raise awareness and advocate for survivors, like you do.

All the Rage was difficult to write because when you’re writing about rape culture, about victim-blaming, about the lack of support and justice for survivors, you want to be very conscious of what you’re contributing to the larger conversation—you want to make sure that you’re treating the subject sensitively and carefully. This creates a lot of pressure for a writer, but it’s a very necessary pressure.

3. If you had to pair up your main character from All the Rage, Romy, with the main character from any of your other books, who do you think she would get along with best?

Oh, wow! That’s a great question. I almost think Eddie from Fall for Anything—she’d get along with Romy best. I think they’d balance each other out. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by Paperback Treasures on your blog tour!

Thanks for having me on your blog!

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for All the Rage, which was released April 14th. Here's what it's all about:

All the Rage by Courtney Summers

The sheriff's son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything-friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy's only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn't speak up. Nobody believed her the first time-and they certainly won't now-but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear. With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women in a culture that refuses to protect them.

Author Interview: Janet Gurtler (The Truth About Us Blog Tour)

I'm so excited to have Janet Gurtler here for an author interview today! Her newest book, The Truth About Us, just came out last Tuesday.

1. Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in The Truth About Us?

Well, I don’t want to spoil things, but there’s a scene late in the book that takes place on the beach that I really enjoyed writing. :) There may be kissing.

2. If you had to pair up your main character from The Truth About Us, Jess, with the main character from any of your other books, who do you think she would get along with best?

That’s actually really hard to think of! Jess is going through some “things” in this book and has a lot of growing up to do. By the end of the book, I think I’d most like to see her hanging out with Jaz from If I Tell. I think they would be really good for each other. Different people with different backgrounds, but they have a lot of core similarities and I think they’d mesh together well.

3. What comes easier for you, description or dialogue?

By far, dialogue flows easiest for me. When I’m writing a first draft I usually write dialogue and I’ll write, “description here” to fill in later. I like doing description but it takes me more thought and for me getting the characters and the story flow out comes from the dialogue and I build the scene later.

4. How do you go about naming your characters?

These days I often use psych sheets from my son’s swim meets. Psych sheets have all the competitor’s names. The names are all modern and popular names of kids around the same age as my characters. There’s some great names out there I still want to use.

5. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

Keep writing. That’s the best advice. Keep writing and be persistence. Okay, also find some craft books on writing that really speak to you and use them to write write write.

6. I've liked all of your books, but my favorite one would have to be How I Lost You. I know I'm terrible for asking this, but which one of your published books would you say is your favorite?

Thanks for that! How I Lost You thanks you too. I would have to say that Who I Kissed is my favorite published book. It was personal to me and really emotional to write because my son has peanut allergies, and I “may” have shed lots of tears while writing it. I actually felt awful for Samantha, the main character even though she caused one of my worst nightmares. She had a lot on her plate to deal with.

Thanks so much for stopping by Paperback Treasures on your blog tour!

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for The Truth About Us, which was released April 7th. Here's what it's all about:

The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler

The truth is that Jess knows she screwed up.
She's made mistakes, betrayed her best friend, and now she's paying for it. Her dad is making her spend the whole summer volunteering at the local soup kitchen.
The truth is she wishes she was the care-free party-girl everyone thinks she is.
She pretends it's all fine. That her "perfect" family is fine. But it's not. And no one notices the lie...until she meets Flynn. He's the only one who really sees her. The only one who listens.
The truth is that Jess is falling apart – and no one seems to care.
But Flynn is the definition of "the wrong side of the tracks." When Jess's parents look at him they only see the differences-not how much they need each other. They don't get that the person who shouldn't fit in your world... might just be the one to make you feel like you belong.

Author Interview with Nicole Maggi (The Forgetting Blog Tour)

I'm so excited to have Nicole Maggi here for an author interview today! Her newest book, The Forgetting, just came out on Tuesday.

1. Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in The Forgetting?

I loved writing this whole book. It’s odd, because the book is dark and goes to some disturbing places, but I wrote the book in a state of complete joy. Before I started working on this book, I’d really fallen out of love with writing, and it was this book that made me fall back in love with it again.
That said, there’s a scene maybe two-thirds of the way through the book, where Georgie finally goes to the place where Jane Doe died, that was really kind of exhilarating to write. It’s the scene where Georgie and Jane Doe really converge, where they sort of become on the same page with each other. It’s a huge turning point in the book. Writing those Big Moments are big moments for the author, too. 

2. If you had to pair up your main character Georgie with any other character from any other YA book (either romantically or as a friend), who would it be and why?

I would totally pair Georgie up with Clay from 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I’m not sure they’d get romantically involved, but I think they would be good friends. I could definitely see them bonding while working at something like a Teen Crisis Hotline. They’d probably try to outdo each other at who could help more kids in one night. Actually, I bet if they teamed up they could probably save the world. Or at least start a really awesome non-profit together.

3. What comes easier for you, description or dialogue?

Dialogue comes very naturally to me. I think it’s because of my background as an actor. Working on plays made me attuned to how people really speak to each other. I can hear dialogue very clearly in my head and it’s easy for me to translate it onto the page. Sometimes I’ll even speak the lines out loud while I’m writing…but only if I’m writing in my house by myself. I’m sure I’d get kicked out of one of the coffee shops I usually write in if I did that.
I also love writing description, to the point of, ahem, over-describing. One of my former editors once had to point out that I had seven similes in one paragraph. Haha! I can see things in my head very clearly, like a movie, but sometimes I have to tone it down when I put it on the page and trust that the reader knows what I’m talking about.

4. How do you go about naming your characters?

Oh my gosh, it’s SUCH a process. I can spend days looking for the right name for a character. I’m very attached the meanings of names. When I was a kid I used to read the baby names book that my parents had on their bookshelf. It’s because of that book that I love my own name so much because the meaning of Nicole was listed as “Victorious army, victorious people. A girl who succeeds at all she does.” Pretty powerful, right?
When I was naming Georgie, I wasn’t so caught up in the meaning as the sound of it. I wanted it to be a long, British-sounding name that could be shortened into something boyish. I know that seems insanely specific, but somehow I knew that’s what it had to be. With Nate, I wanted something short but strong. Nate comes from Nathan which means “he gave.” That just seemed to fit him so well, because he is so generous and selfless.
In my Twin Willows Trilogy many of the names are Italian, and it’s really fun to just pore over different Italian names. The main character in that series is named Alessia. It means “defender.” It actually felt like such a stroke of fortune when I discovered that name because it is so perfect for her.

5. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

This advice actually came from an acting teacher, the very brilliant Alexandra Billings, who inspired the character of Tommy. She said, “If there is art in your life, there will be life in your art.” I don’t believe that you need to write every day to be a writer. But I do think you need to have art in your life every day to be an artist. That doesn’t mean going to a museum every day and studying the Monets. It means doing things like going for a walk and noticing all the different shades of green you see along the way. Or singing in the shower at the top of your lungs just for the joy of it. Or cooking something really elaborate and then eating it with total gusto. Doing these things keeps you filled with art and will infuse your writing when you do eventually sit down to write.

Thanks so much for stopping by Paperback Treasures on your blog tour!

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for The Forgetting, which was released February 3rd. Here's what it's all about:

The Forgetting by Nicole Maggi

Georgie Kendrick wakes up after a heart transplant, but the organ beating in her chest doesn't seem to be in tune with the rest of her body. Why does she have a sudden urge for strawberries when she's been allergic for years? Why can't she remember last Christmas?
Driven to find her donor, Georgie discovers her heart belonged to a girl her own age who fell out of the foster care system and into a rough life on the streets. Everyone thinks she committed suicide, but Georgie is compelled to find the truth - before she loses herself completely.

Author Interview with Natalie D. Richards (Gone Too Far Blog Tour)

I'm so excited to have Natalie D. Richards here for an author interview today! I really liked her debut Six Months Later, and this post is part of the blog tour for her new release, Gone Too Far.

1. I really enjoyed the mystery element of Six Months Later, and it sounds like Gone Too Far will be heavily driven by a mystery storyline as well. What made you want to write within the contemporary YA mystery genre?

Thank you so much for your kind words about Six Months Later! Yes, Gone Too Far definitely shares that creepy what-is-going-on vibe!! I think I write thrillers and mind-benders because I love to read them. Great books come in all shapes and sizes, but there is something that gets me about a good thriller, one that keeps me up way too late, turning pages to find out what the heck is going to happen.

2. Could you talk a little bit about how writing Gone Too Far was similar to or different from writing Six Months Later?

Oh, I could write a blog, a book, an epic ten-volume series on how these processes were different. But I’ll try to condense it here, so your poor readers don’t get bored. ;-) Writing Six Months Later had its challenges, but Gone Too Far just about killed me. My critique partner, Romily Bernard, and I talk about it like Voldemort—the-book-that-shall-not-be-named. In essence, this is because every single thread in Gone Too Far is braided into something else. It was a very tightly woven plot and pulling at any one thing in editing, snagged the whole book. It took tremendous time and effort, but I’m really happy with how it turned out. This book required very serious focus and work and it was worth it.

3. Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in Gone Too Far?

Oh, man. Um. The whole chapter at the basketball game – near the end. And that’s really all I can say, because it would spoil everything, but I wrote that chapter practically vibrating with energy and excitement. It had been SUCH a long ride to get there and it was such an intense scene to get out. Awesome and terrifying and thrilling all at once.

4. If you had to pair up your main character Piper with any other character from any other YA book (either romantically or as a friend), who would it be and why?

Fantastic question!! Piper would without a single question be incredibly good friends with Wick from Romily Bernard’s Find Me series. They both have a raw honesty to them, and a fierce commitment to the people they love. So, yeah. I’m thinking Wick.

5. What comes easier for you, description or dialogue?

Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. If you read my rough drafts, my characters are essentially floating around in outer space talking to each other and feeling things. I always get caught up in the suspense and relational stuff, so setting is something I always have to remember to edit back in.

6. How do you go about naming your characters?

Oh, wow, I wish I had the cool answer for this—you know, that every one of my characters has an important meaning to their name and some sort of reason that it had to be that. Really, I use nameberry.com like it’s my personal naming guru (and it is) and I go completely on feel. I’ll just keep saying names out loud until I’m like—yeah, that’s it.

I will say there’s usually one name per book that completely sticks for me. Piper was that name in Gone Too Far. She was Piper. Renaming her would have been brutally hard.

7. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Never, ever, ever, EVER give up. I know that seems basic. I know it might feel like a cop-out answer, but to this day, this is what I go back to when I’m struggling or unsure. I always need to read more. I always need to write more. And I can’t give up. Not ever. ;-)
Lots of writers have said similar things, but in On Writing, Stephen King said something like “Talent is a dime a dozen, it’s hard work that will get you everywhere.” I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the thing I live by.

Thank you so much for having me!! It’s great to be here and I’m thrilled that you’re featuring Gone Too Far on your blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by Paperback Treasures on your blog tour!

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for Gone Too Far! Here's what it's all about:

Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards

Piper Woods can't wait for the purgatory of senior year to end. She skirts the fringes of high school like a pro until the morning she finds a notebook with mutilated photographs and a list of student sins. She's sure the book is too gruesome to be true, until pretty, popular Stella dies after a sex-tape goes viral. Everyone's sure it's suicide, but Piper remembers Stella's name from the book and begins to suspect something much worse.
Drowning in secrets she doesn't want to keep, Piper's fears are confirmed when she receives an anonymous text message daring her to make things right. All she needs to do is choose a name, the name of someone who deserves to be punished...

Interview and Giveaway with Holly Schindler (The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky Blog Tour)

I'm so excited to have Holly Schindler here for an author interview and a giveaway today! This post is part of the blog tour for The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, Holly Schindler's new MG.

Interview

1. Your previous books, A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT, are very different in style, but both seem to be written for the more mature YA readership. What made you want to try your hand at MG next? Was it difficult to change your style to match the younger audience?

You’re absolutely right—my YAs really are pretty upper-end YA. Oddly enough, the MG is also pretty upper-end as well! Actually, I initially drafted THE JUNCTION as a picture book. Auggie wasn’t the artist—Gus was. In that first version, Auggie didn’t even have a name. We were simply looking through her eyes as she described her Grampa Gus, the folk artist.
The response I got from editors, though, was that the subject of folk art was too advanced for the picture book readership. I was encouraged to turn the concept into an MG novel. So really, THAT was the biggest challenge—not figuring out how to write a middle grade after devoting my attention to YA, but figuring out how to take a 1,000-word story and turn it into a roughly 45,000-word novel, complete with several main characters and subplots. Finding the right structure was the toughest part of that revision process; Auggie’s voice was the easiest part—it always flowed completely naturally.

2. What does the title THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY mean to you and why did you choose it?

The simplest answer is that Gus and Auggie literally live on the corner of Sunshine and Lucky streets.
But the deeper meaning is that of all the characters I’ve ever written, Auggie is by far the sweetest, most positive, sunniest character of all of them. When she gets sent to a new school, though, she feels anything but lucky. Her heart also breaks when her best friend, Lexie, befriends a junior member of the House Beautification Committee, but that positive attitude of hers still has her believing that she and Gus can turn their house into something beautiful—and show that House Beautification Committee up—all by reconstructing rusted old pieces of trash, turning them into something new.
It’s after Auggie discovers her own artistic talent that she realizes just how lucky she really is to be with a grampa that allows her to explore her creativity in such bold ways.
So on the deeper level, I feel like the title also kind of sums up Auggie’s disposition, and her journey toward feeling “lucky.”

3. What comes easier to you, description or dialogue?

Metaphorical writing comes the easiest—or maybe it’s what I enjoy the most. I can’t say enough about how much I love putting together a pretty turn-of-phrase. Dialogue comes next, after description, in terms of ease of writing.
What comes hardest is physical description of action. When I was in college, “genre” fiction was a bad word. It was considered “lesser” fiction. But I can guarantee that there’s nothing harder than depicting physical action through words in a way that makes a scene come to life. A physical scene that flows easily, without getting bogged down in too much description? Seriously tough.
Comedy’s tough, too—another genre that’s often considered “lesser” when placed next to drama. But comedy is seriously hard. Especially on the page. So much of comedy is timing—you’ve really got to work to make sure your sentences or description are punctuated and phrased in a way that gives them a sense of “timing” as well. Again, tough stuff.

4. Without spoiling anything, can you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY?

It’s not so much a scene but a quirk of Auggie’s. In order to cope when she loses something—whether it’s her best friend or her much-loved school—she pledges to only miss three things about it. If she just misses three things, she says, she’s not overwhelmed by sad feelings. I think that shows a great deal of Auggie’s sweetness and positive energy…

5. How do you go about naming your characters?

There’s no real magic formula for picking a name. When I started writing the picture book version of THE JUNCTION, the name “Gus” appeared just as easily and quickly as the image of Gus’s face. (When you read the book, you’ll find that Auggie and Gus share something in common in regard to their names…)
Naming a character isn’t quite so different as naming a child (or a pet). You just kind of look them over and decide what sounds right to you. You have to be pretty careful with different or unique-sounding names. I think a lot of new authors try to invent names as special as their characters are. But you have to trust that your character’s words and actions will make them far more special than any “unique” name ever could.

6. For someone (like me) who reads mainly YA and only the occasional MG, what MG reads would you recommend (aside from your own)?

I’m the administrator of Smack Dab in the Middle, an MG blog. We have a handful of regular bloggers who are incredible MG authors; we also do guest posts and interviews with MG writers, as well as interviews or posts with other kid-lit pros: we’ve interviewed editors, illustrators, even a PW reviewer! It’s a great place to become acquainted with all things involving middle grade literature. Follow along with us at http://www.smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com/ 

Giveaway

As part of the blog tour, Holly is giving away two signed bookplates and bookmarks! This giveaway is open until January 29th. Enter using the form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the tour, and keep your eye out for The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, which will be released February 6th.

The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schindler
Add to Goodreads | Purchase from Amazon

August “Auggie” Jones lives with her Grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town. So when her wealthy classmate’s father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that are deemed “in violation.” Auggie is determined to prove that she is not as run-down as the outside of her house might suggest. Using the kind of items Gus usually hauls to the scrap heap, a broken toaster becomes a flower; church windows turn into a rainbow walkway; and an old car gets new life as spinning whirligigs. What starts out as a home renovation project becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time. Auggie’s talent for creating found art will remind readers that one girl’s trash really is another girl’s treasure.

Author Interview with Christine Duval (Positively Mine Book Blitz)

Today we have Christine Duval here for an interview as part of the book blitz for Positively Mine! This book blitz is hosted by Xpresso Blog Tours. You can find out all about the blitz here.

This interview is an excerpt from Christine's Q&A with the Goodreads New Adult Book Club.


Raquel:

Hey Christine! I'm curious about where you got your inspiration for the idea behind Positively Mine? It was unlike any book I've read, in a refreshing way!

Christine:

Hi Raquel, A couple years ago my dearest friend announced she was pregnant and at the same time my babysitter was going off to her freshman year of college. I don't know why but I started thinking, wow, if you were newly pregnant and heading away to college, you really could hide it from people back home (I know I have a weird brain). I've had 2 kids, so I know how the weight comes on and realized Laurel could easily hide it through Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then I just let Laurel tell me her story.

Caryn:

Hi Christine, I really enjoyed Positively Mine. How did you weave together elements of fiction with such a strong sense of place that was based on a specific area of upstate?

Christine:

Easy...I lived up in the Finger Lakes for 4 years. It is a beautiful place when the sun is shining but there are a ton of dark, grey, cold days. You live for the sunny ones but honestly, when I was there in college, my mom received more than her share of phone calls from me begging to come home just to see the sun. Ultimately, the good friends I made kept me planted but it is a long, hard winter (thus easy to hide behind a big coat).

Holly:

Hi Christine! Really enjoyed Positively Mine! What is your writing process? Do you find you write better at certain times of the day or do you run to the computer when inspired? Also, how did you connect with your publisher?

Christine:

Hi Holly, I am the most undisciplined writer that ever lived! I have no process. I drive a lot in my car and let the story unfold in my head and then go back home and recreate it when I have time. Still, that usually backfires because at that point my characters have changed their minds and all of a sudden I am writing a completely different story. A prime example of this is in Positively Mine. I never meant for Sheryl to end up pregnant. It happened as shocking for me as it was for Laurel! Seriously, I was writing and all of sudden she just cleared the room and announced it. I had no plan of this, no outline. Regarding Bloomsbury, I saw on NA Alley - a blog I follow - that they were starting Bloomsbury Spark and I sent an inquiry to Meredith Rich and a few months later the rest is history!

Beatriz:

Hi Christine, I really enjoyed reading your book. Congratulations! Are you working on a sequel? If so when can we expect it by :) I would like to know how long did it take you to complete your book?

Christine:

Thanks so much Beatriz! I am working on the sequel and hopefully will have it complete this winter, after Positively Mine is released. I wrote the first draft two years ago during a NANOWRIMO competition (National Novel Writing Month), where you are challenged to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Then I put it away for December, picked it back up in January and had it complete to enter into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest around the third week of that month. But it has evolved quite a bit since that version thanks to a bunch of beta readers and a really good critique group who demanded more of my characters and more from the plot.

I'd recommend doing NANOWRIMO if you are just starting out writing your first novel. It really is an inspiring month and around the clock, through Twitter, there is someone in the world working on their novel. I remember I used to do word sprints in the middle of the night with a girl in South Africa. We'd turn on the timer and race write for ten minutes then compare how many words we wrote. With NANOWRIMO, it is all about quantity, not quality. You push yourself to write as much as you can and amazingly by doing that, you let your guard down and really surprise yourself with what you come up with. Plus, it forces you to look at your novel every day so it is always with you, you are always thinking about your characters. And, there's one right around the corner since it is an annual event. Best of luck with your project!

Sherry:

One of the things that struck me about your book is the very strong and distinct voice of Laurel. She feels very real. Is she based on anyone, or a group of people, you know?

Christine:

She really isn't based on any one person or even a group of people. Some of the situations she finds herself in are based on real things. Not the pregnancy but the premature death of her mom, the places, the struggle to move on while her dad is building a new life with someone. I don't think there is one person out there who hasn't witnessed, whether first hand or via a good friend, someone who needs to accept a parent's new husband or wife. And the gossipy doorman...yeah. I think the choice to write the book in first person, present tense helped to strengthen Laurel's voice. It isn't an easy way to write because everything is happening to your character while you are writing it. I was very influenced by two books when I set out to create this story: Laurie Halse Anderson's "Speak" and Julie Buxbaum's "The Opposite of Love." I loved how Laurie was able to keep Melinda quiet the whole year in a believable way when she had such a big secret to tell. And, I love the way Julie balances strong emotion and humor as her main character Emily is forced to face her fears.

Check back tomorrow to read my review of Positively Mine!

Positively Mine by Christine Duval
Add to Goodreads | Purchase from Amazon

It is four weeks into her freshman year of college, and Laurel’s first test was unexpected. Discovering she’s pregnant isn’t exactly what she had planned for her first semester, and while she intends to tell her emotionally-distant father, being away at school makes it all too easy to hide.
An imperfect heroine plagued by bad choices and isolated during what should be the best time of her life, readers are sure to identify with Laurel as she confronts teen pregnancy, in secret.