Interview with Lauren Bjorkman

Lauren Bjorkman grew up on a sailboat. She met her husband to be in a poetry class at the local junior college. She was a senior in high school then. She went to UC Berkeley and UC Davis, majoring in International Agricultural Development. Secretly, she hoped to be a writer one day. After her first son was born in Honolulu, she quit my job, and pursued my dream. She lives in Taos, New Mexico with her husband and children. Her first book, My Invented Life is in bookstores now.

1. My Invented Life really shows how sister relationships are today, keeping secrets and more distance. Were you inspired by your own sister?
Yes and no. My sister and I were very close growing up. We lived on a sailboat, and shared the tiny foc’sle. So we had to be! When we moved back into a house, things changed. Secrets came between us, and the distance grew. Luckily, we got through it, and became close again.
But Jolene and I are nothing like Eva and Roz. And the secrets and the issues between us were entirely different. When she read My Invented Life, Jolene was a little disappointed that she couldn’t recognize us in the story.

2. I love Eyeliner Andie. I have read that you would love to write a book about her. What would you like to write about her?
Andie is so mysterious. This makes her unpredictable, and a bit dangerous as a close friend. In My Invented Life, I never lay out the reason why she’s this way. She just is. The truth is, I don’t know the answer. I would love to write a story where she’s the main character, and gets peeled layer by layer to her core. Then I would understand her at last.

3. What was your favorite thing about writing about theater geeks?
I was too shy to audition for a play in high school, but I found the whole scene fascinating, and would often attend school plays two nights in a row. In my senior year, I got an “in” to the theater geek crowd and attended their parties. They are a wild lot—uninhibited, talented, and a bit crazy. While writing the novel, I especially enjoyed imagining doing the things I never dared to do.

What are some other plays that you can see Roz in?
Roz would be excellent as Medea in the play called Media by Euripides. Or as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. And though she might not be content in a smaller role, Nathan Detroit’s girlfriend Adelaide would be perfect for her.

4. What is a normal writing day for you?
I write while my kids are at school. After I drop them off, I make myself a cappuccino, pile up snacks on a tray, and go back to bed! Really. I did all my school work in my bunk on the boat, and the habit stuck. I work on a laptop propped up with pillows. When I get excited about an idea, or don’t know what to write next, I get up and pace around.

5. What book(s) are you working on right now?
I’m almost finished with a major revision of my new YA, Miss Fortune Cookie. It will come out in the spring of 2011. It is the story of a friendship triangle gone wrong—with bad advice, teen pregnancy, a Mini Cooper, and fortune cookies. My agent is calling it a Chinese-American Juno.

6. Other then writing, what do you enjoy doing?
I love to travel to far flung places. Other than that, I gravitate towards quieter activities like sewing, reading, and eating good food. But my daredevil husband has gotten me mountain climbing, kayaking, and camping among Grizzly bears in Alaska. When I do these things, part of the joy is the sheer terror.

7. How did being a part of Class of 2k9 help you with the release of your book?
When I got the book contract, I hadn’t the slightest idea what to do next. Both the Class of 2k9 and the 2009 Debutantes have been enormously helpful and supportive groups. Now I can ask questions and get advice when things go wrong from other authors. The Class of 2k9 focused on marketing, which was great because I didn’t have the faintest idea how to go about it. When I started, I barely knew what a blog was! Now I’m a huge fan of the book blogging community.

8. Is there anything that you would like to add?
My sisters from My Invented Life have started their own advice column, like Dear Abby with a twist. It’s called Ask My Sister—(mostly) good advice for those who dare. And if you write a letter asking for advice, I’ll send you a signed My Invented Life bookmark.
Go here for details: http://laurenbjorkman.wordpress.com/

Waiting on Wednesday (37)

Title: A Blue So Dark

Author: Holly Schindler

Publisher: Flux

Release Date: May 1st, 2010

Terrified that her mother, a schizophrenic and an artist, is a mirror that reflects her own future, sixteen-year-old Aura struggles with her overwhelming desires to both chase artistic pursuits and keep madness at bay. As her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet keeps drawing Aura toward the depths of her own imagination—the shadows of make-believe that she finds frighteningly similar to her mother’s hallucinations. Convinced that creative equals crazy, Aura shuns her art, and her life unravels in the process.

This book looks really interesting and the cover is so pretty...

The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith

Rating:
Characters: 18/20
Plot: 19/20
Originality: 19/20
Writing: 18/20
Recommendation: 18/20
Overall: 92/100 or A
Joel died living the way that he lived. He gave away his water on a hike, in order to save the lives of his friends. Six teens are left to find out who Joel was and how much he mattered to each person. His two sisters, Tabbatha and Clair are able to show how they see their family without Joel. Their mom locks herself away from the world and their dad has thrown himself into his work. His debate partner Alden and his best friend Miles are not sure what to think of Joel's death and are slowly trying to get over the tradegy that happened. Norah is trying to get over her confusing crush on Joel. Lissa is trying to move on from not Joel, but her boyfriend Miles and deal with Joel's death. The impact that Joel had on each person is unique and displays how many different dimensions a person has.
The characters seemed as real as people that I know. Their personality shine through like a light. This book is unlike anything that I have read. Smith creates a one of a kind tale. Smith is an amazing writer and created such a great story of six teens that are trying to find themselves in such a great tradegy. Smith is an amazing writer. She created a fantastic setting and set of characters that I didn't want to leave. I recommend The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith to anyone that is searching for an emotional story that just make you cry.

In My Mailbox(Week of December 6th)

Sorry that this is a day late.

Books that I got for Cybils:
Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Shine Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti
What Would Emma Do by Eileen Cook
Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey
The Summer That I Turn Pretty by Jenny Han
You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith
Bait by Alex Sanchez
One of the Survivors by Susan Shaw
Girl Stays in The Picture by Melissa De La Cruz
Prue by Terra Elan McVoy
The Rock and The River by Kekla Magoon

Book Trailer!

Here is a trailer for Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore. I have a copy of this book and I am really excited to read it. What do you think of this trailer? In My Mailbox will be tommorrow. My house is noisy today with the sounds of football watching.

Series that I love...

This is just going to be a few series that I love. I read all of these series, before I started blogging. So, these are mini reviews of thewhole series.

The Sweep series by Cate Tiernan.

I read this whole series in about two months. There are fifteen books and they are around 150-200 pages each. The books are fairly quick reads. The series is about Morgan Rowlands. She finds out that she is a blood witch from the new kid in town, Cal. She learns what happened to her family and how she is the last of her line. The characters are trully amazing, like Hunter. Also, she has to fight againist dark magic. I don't want to say anything else, because I might spoil it. These are really fun books that I loved. The first nine books are from strictly Morgan's point of view. The last six books are from mixed views. I read these books, way before blogging. If you are interested in this series, the first book is Book of Shadows.

The Midnighter Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

These are the books that I found Scott Westerfeld from. I read them as they came out. Anyways, the plot is that Jessica Day moves to Bixby, OK. Her mother gets a job offer from a high tech areospace comapany. Jessica finds out that she is a Midnighter. That means that she gets an extra hour hidden within the instant of midnight. A midnighter is born at midnight and has some sort of special power. For some reason, there is only a Blue Hour in Bixby and it was created by the Darklings and Slithers. They are dangerous and powerful beings that are also in the Blue Hours. I wasn't happy with the ending, but overall I enjoyed this series a lot. If you are interested in reading it, the first book is The Secret Hour.

The Guardians of Time Trilogy by Marianne Curley

The Guardians of Time (also known as The Guard) are trying to protect the past, present, and Future by traveling into the past to thwart their enemies, The Order of Chaos(also known as The Order), who are trying to change the past events to give themselves more power in the the future. The setting is Austrailia, which is amazing. I also enjoyed the characters, then. I was mad that some of the characters that I wanted to end up together didn't. I also enjoyed the authors othe book Old Magic. If you want to read this series, it starts with The Marked.

Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Series by Louise Rennison

I luuuurve the is series. It is totally fab. I have not read the last one, but if Georgia does not end up with Dave the Laugh... I am going to cry in a basket. I always expect to laugh a lot during this book. Pretty much this book is the diary of a teenage girl named Georgia Nicolson. She lives in London with her mad father, her crazy mother, and her crazy little sister, Libby. She has a cat that is half Scottish Wild Cat. Her best friend is Jasmine and the rest of the Ace Gang. This book is basically about being a teen and has marvy vocab. If you want to read this series, it starts with Agnus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. I love the characters and it is truly a one of a kind book with fun characters and an awesome plot.

Ekk... I wanted to add more, but I think that four is a good start. I might add to this at another time. I am also borrowing this idea from Khy.

Just a few things...

First off, the original winner of The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard has not responded. The new winner is Kate at The Never Ending Shelf.
Second, I am going to be doing Christmas Cards soon. If you want one, e-mail me your address at sarahbear119(at)hotmail(dot)com, with the subject "Christmas Cards".
Lastly, I have been getting a few episodes of chills, which is common with what I have. I am trying to rest a lot more, so I might not be on the Internet as much as usual.

Interview with Kristina Springer

Kristina Springer has a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Illinois State University and a Master of Arts in Writing from DePaul University. Her first novel, The Espressologist will be published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in the fall of 2009. She lives in a suburb of Chicago, IL with her husband Athens and their four small children Teegan, Maya, London, and Gavin. She is also a regular contributer for Author2Author.

1. Where did you get the idea for The Espressologist?
At a coffee shop! My local Starbucks to be specific. I was sitting there having drinks with my husband and watching people come in and out and it sorta hit me that I could tell what they were going to order. Then the book idea started to come to me.
2. For those that don't know what The Espressologist is about, can you give them a brief summary? Also, What other books can we look forward to you in the future?
THE ESPRESSOLOGIST is about a 17-yr old coffee barista at a Chicago coffee shop who discovers she has this talent for matchmaking people based on their favorite coffee drinks.
And coming next fall is MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS. It's about these two 7th grade BFFs who both suspect the other's boyfriend is a fake and keep trying to one up each other with who has the better guy. It becomes competitive and hilarious.
3. You are a contributor to Author2Author. How do you think that it has helped you? What is your favorite part about being a part of the group?
We (me, Deena, Emily, Kate, and Lisa) started Author2Author almost two years ago now and I love it! We're all at different stages of the writing process and we talk a lot about what we're going through at the time and also offer lots of tips/advice/experience. It's helped me a lot personally because I'm with four super smart ladies and they're always coming up with great topics for things I haven't tried yet or haven't heard of. I'm always learning from them. My favorite part about the group? Their advice. I can e-mail them anytime with an OMG, what do I do?! situation and one or all of them will have an answer.
4. What are some of your favorite books from this last year?
Oh, there have been so many!! Let's see, Prada & Prejudice, Wings, Hate List, Being Nikki, Paper Towns, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Secrets of Truth and Beauty, Stupid Cupid, and A Match Made in High School (though that comes out in Feb 2010-- I read the arc.)
5. What is a normal writing day for you?
Fit it in whenever I can! Generally this is a couple of nights a week, maybe a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, for a couple of hours at a time.
6.What are hobbies that you like to do other then writing and reading?
My kids! Seriously, my days are jam packed with kid stuff (their activities, appts, schools, playdates etc. There are four of them between the ages of one and seven). Other than that I try to exercise everyday. And drink coffee. Is that a hobby? And visit/chat with friends and family as often as possible. Oh, and I like movies! And hanging out with my husband!
7. Is there anything else would you like to add?
Thanks for having me! :)

Waiting on Wednesday(Week Thirty-Six)

Title: The Tension of Opposties
Author: Kristina McBride
Publisher: Egmont USA
Release Date: May 25th, 2010
Two years ago, when Tessa’s best friend, Noelle, was kidnapped, survivor’s guilt kept her from living her life. But that all changes the day she learns Noelle has been found . . . Alive. Tessa becomes determined to help her friend acclimate to the life she should have been living all along. But Max, the new kid in Tessa’s photography class, pulls her attention in a different direction. And Noelle, who insists on being called Elle, returns as a distant and self-destructive girl who Tessa has trouble connecting with. Will Tessa regain the friend she thought she’d lost forever? Or will Elle slip away and leave Tessa feeling more lost and confused than ever?
This book sounds amazing and I am excited to read it. The cover is going to change a bit, but it looks amazing.

Girl in The Arena by Lise Haines

Rating:

Characters: 15/20

Plot: 13/20

Originality: 16/20

Writing: 14/20

Recommendation: 13/20

Overall: 76/100 or C

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter. Her mother actually married seven of them, the first six having been killed in the ring. The rules require her mother to never marry again if her seventh husband dies in the ring. Her father has an upcoming fight and the whole house is on edge. Lyn gives stepfather Tommy her dowry bracelet for luck, and when his opponent Uber kills him, Uber takes the bracelet and wears it. According to the rules, Lyn must then marry him...

When I heard about a book called Girl in the Arena. I expected the Girl to actually be a gladiator. I was disappointed to find out this wasn't the case. Lyn was not relatable to me. She was constantly complaining and informing you that she is a pacifist. Uber on the other hand, was developed and actually a bit interesting. The plot was rather boring. There were only two fights in the very beginning and the very end. I felt that their should have been more. The plot also resolves too quickly and it felt like the ending was rushed. It had bits of originality, but I felt that this it wasn't developed well. The writing was okay, but it was rather confusing how the chapters were formed and dialogue was put together. I honestly don't recommend this book, if you want to read it, I would suggest going to the library before buying Girl in The Arena.