Ch-ch-ch-check it out! My book, STUPID CUPID, is on Amazon HERE, all ready for preordering. And just as awesome, my cover's on there too!!
WHEE--so stinking cool!! I'm suddenly feeling very nervous/excited. hahaha
Let me know what you think of the cover! Isn't that model adorable? :D
Has anyone else read the YA novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? WOW, it was jaw-droppingly amazing. I reviewed it on the Fictionistas site HERE.
I'd love to hear what you thought of it, or if you have any other recommendations for killer awesome books. Share, please! :D
I watched a DVD last night with the manpanion that I'd never heard of before--it's called Youth Without Youth (it came out in 2007 and was directed by Francis Ford Coppola). It stars Tim Roth.
In it, Roth plays a 70-year-old linguistics genius who is struck by lightning in 1938...which burns him all over and almost kills him, but mysteriously makes him back to being a man who remains perpetually aged 40. But along with this gift comes a bit of a curse--he ends up having a double in him that seems pretty malicious and self-focused/obsessed.
The guy struggles throughout the decades that pass to finish his life's work, a massive volume on the origins of language. But he also struggles with his lost love, the fiancee who broke up with him due to his obsession with his work...and who remarried, but died in childbirth.
She appears again in the 50's in a new reincarnation. But she is afflicted with another personality in her, one that is regressing back through time.
Of course, the guy is drawn to her because of who she is and because of her other, hidden self...but the more he encourages her regression (and records them so he can study them for his life's work), the most she withers away and ages prematurely. So he has to decide what he should do--let her go so she can live, or keep pushing so he can finish his work.
Gripping movie. Very unusual. I've never seen one like it. It was heartbreaking, seeing him struggle with this double side of himself, with his feelings for the reincarnation of the woman he loved, and grows to love again...and then fight with what the right thing is to do.
The movie has lingered with me. The images and setting were beautifully shot. I was really drawn into it. I keep thinking about it, about the thematic oddness of the roses and ancient languages and reincarnation. Truly, it was a love story, and I was gripped. It's unusual, and it doesn't have the requisite "happy ending" that a romance would, but I still recommend it.
Have you seen a movie that's lingered with you? Tell me about it--I always like getting interesting movie recommendations!
Okay, my next blog tour guest is Saundra Mitchell, whose book Shadowed Summer debuted on February 10!! I read the ARC of this story in ONE sitting--I could not put it down. It's such a gripping, haunting story (and yes, pun intended!)
Here’s a blurb about Shadowed Summer:
Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared. His mother knew he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, and his girlfriend thought he was murdered. Decades later, certain she saw his ghost in the town cemetery, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out the truth behind "The Incident With the Landry Boy." Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette's latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts, in search of a boy she never knew. What she doesn't realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.
Aaaaaand, a little about author Saundra Mitchell:
A screenwriter and author, Saundra Mitchell penned the screenplays for the Fresh Films and Girls in the Director's Chair short film series. Her short story "Ready to Wear" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her first feature film, Revenge Ends, debuted on the festival circuit in 2008. In her free time, she enjoys ghost hunting, papermaking, and spending time with her husband and her two children. Check her out on the web at http://www.saundramitchell.com and http://www.shadowedsummer.com.
You can visit your local bookstore, or go to Amazon HERE to buy a copy of her book online!
And now, onto the vastly important 3 interview questions:
1--What was the spark of inspiration for this story? Tell us what event, or idea, or dream got this book started.
The main character, Iris, showed up in my head one day and wouldn't go away. And there she loomed until I decided to write something about her in the hope that I could exorcise her. Mostly, it worked.
2--What food did you looooove getting from the cafeteria at lunch in high school, and why? (or if you didn't eat cafeteria food, what was your favorite brown-bag lunch?)
I liked the turkey sandwiches. In fact, for nearly 4 years straight, if I had lunch, I had the deli turkey sandwich. And I liked it best because all the parts were recognizable as food- as opposed to the petrochemical nightmares which spontaneously generated in a vat in the "kitchen".
3--What is your absolute favorite part of being a writer?
Meeting other authors! I totally have an excuse to say hi now. We're *peers*. Hiiiiiiii Lois Duncan hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! I promise I am not a creepy and awkward fan of whom you should be wary. I'm an author *too*.
Thanks for coming to my blog, Saundra--I hope people love your story as much as I do. CONGRATS on the release!!!
I've read several books lately and wanted to tell you about them on here. If you've read them, I'd love to hear what you thought!!
I finally finished the adult novel Cloud of Sparrows. Wow, I adored this story so much, I instantly went on to my computer to find the author's website so I could write him an email and rave over the book. I don't always have this impulse, so I know the story must have moved me strongly.
Imagine my devastation when I couldn't find his website! WAAAAH! I guess he doesn't have one. :-( I soooo wanted to email him, and I was very disappointed that I couldn't. But I guess the next best thing I can do is rave about it on here, LOL.
If you love historicals, if you love Japan, if you love strong characters with fascinating action, you must pick up this book. There's romance, death, intrigue, mystery, honor, sacrifice, total madness...so many good elements mixed up in here in such a wonderful, suspenseful way. He is a seriously talented author.
Being a writer, it's often hard for me to lose myself in a story, because I'm usually busy picking it apart and seeing how and why it works (or doesn't, sometimes, LOL). But this story totally sucked me in--watching love develop between two unlikely characters in such a slow, meaningful way made my heart flutter with anticipation, and I was desperate to see how the book finally ended. Definitely a keeper.
Next, I read another historical called The Wayward Muse. I'm assuming this one is an adult novel too, even though the heroine starts out as an older teen at the beginning. This one is set in one of my favorite eras, in England with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood--it's from the point of view of a poor girl who ends up being an artist's model and marries one of the artists, but is madly in love with another one. If you haven't heard of the PRB, go look them up--they created beautiful poetry and artwork, including some of those romantic victorian images you may have seen of King Author, Camelot, etc. I looooove this era, so finding this book was a real treasure.
I enjoyed the story a lot, though in some spots, it felt like it glossed over stuff I would have loved to see. But the story spanned many, many years--and dedicating space to cover all of the time wouldn't have been plausible. Still, I loved getting into the heads of the characters that I've read about, seeing the author's perspective on who they are really fleshed the era out for me.
The last book I recently read, a contemporary young adult novel, was Generation Dead--this one was killer awesome, and I've decided to blog my review on the Fictionistas on Wednesday. I hope you'll come by and read my review!!
Read any great stories lately? Please share--I'm ALWAYS looking to add to my shelf!!
Okay, my next blog tour guest is Stacey Jay, whose book You Are So Undead To Me debuted on January 22!! I already snagged my copy at my local Books-a-Million, and I can't WAIT to read it. It looks so awesome.
Here’s a blurb about You Are So Undead To Me:
Megan Berry's social life is so dead. Literally. Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people. All Megan wants is to be normal--and go to homecoming. But someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it's looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party--the bloody kind.
Aaaaaand, a little about author Stacey Jay:
Stacey Jay is a workaholic with three pen names, four kids, and a decidedly macabre sense of humor. She loves zombies, creepies, crawlies, blood, guts, gore, and of course, romance. "You are So Undead to Me", Stacey's debut paranormal Young Adult Romance featuring Zombie Settler Megan Berry, was a January 22nd 2009 release from Razorbill books. Check her out on the web at http://staceyjay.com.
You can visit your local bookstore, or go to Amazon HERE to buy a copy of her book online!
And now, onto the vastly important 3 interview questions:
1--What was the spark of inspiration for this story? Tell us what event, or idea, or dream got this book started.
I've always been a zombie freak. I find them weirdly hilarious as well as scary as all heck. So when I started my first paranormal YA, I knew I wanted to incorporate zombies in some way. I didn't want them to be the bad guys, but I didn't want a zombie hero either because decomposition just isn't sexy, you know? After letting the idea sit I came up with the zombie Settlers, people who have to de-angst the Undead and get them back into their graves with magic and plain old good listening skills. The rest of the book grew from there.
2--What food did you looooove getting from the cafeteria at lunch in high school, and why? (or if you didn't eat cafeteria food, what was your favorite brown-bag lunch?)
I loved vanilla and chocolate frozen yogurt. Not the healthiest lunch, but yummy. And high is calcium so that's good right? I also secretly loved Frito Pie day, but never would have admitted it at the time.
3--What is your absolute favorite part of being a writer?
Getting to work in my PJs and take a day off when my family needs me. It's nice being able to make your own schedule.
Thanks for dropping by, Stacey--I hope your sales go through the roof. CONGRATS!!
I have a wiiiiide variety of music on my iPod. Which is good, because there are lots of CDs where I love one or two songs on it, but don't care for the rest. I tend to flit through songs I like (which is why I looove mix CDs, so I can compile the songs I like).
However, there are some CDs where I just adore all the songs on it, and I'll listen to the entire CD. Here are some of those CDs that I'll pop in and listen to all the way through:
Fleetwood Mac -- Rumours
Coldplay -- A Rush of Blood to the Head
Sarah McLachlan -- Fumbling Toward Ecstacy
Radiohead -- The Bends
The Postal Service -- Give Up
There's a ton more, but I'd like to hear from you guys. What CD can you pop in and listen to the whole thing?
It’s finally time to get the 2009 blog tour rolling--I'll be hosting a veritable cornucopia of awesome new young adult and middle grade authors on my blog throughout the year. YAY! I hope you stay tuned and check them out, because there are some KILLER great books coming out this year. :D
My first guest is Erin Dionne, whose hilarious book Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies is debuting TODAY, February 5, 2009!! I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of the story, and let me tell you—it’s really, really funny. OMG--there's a scene involving a box of bras...you just have to read it. I was dying laughing at what happened to this poor heroine.
Here’s a blurb about Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies:
Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean, but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn’t entered her in the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. To get out of it, she’s forced to launch Operation Skinny Celeste—because, after all, a thin girl can’t be a fat model! What Celeste never imagined was that losing weight would help her gain a backbone . . . or that all she needed to shine was a spotlight.
Aaaaaand, a little about author Erin Dionne:
Erin Dionne has lived on two coasts and in four states. Her debut novel, MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, was inspired by events that occurred in seventh grade, when she wore a scary peach bridesmaid dress in her cousin’s wedding and threw up on her gym teacher’s shoes (not at the same event). Although humiliating at the time, these experiences are working for her now. Erin lives outside of Boston with her husband and daughter, and a very insistent dog named Grafton. She roots for the Red Sox, teaches English at an art college, and sometimes eats chocolate cookies. Check her out on the web at http://www.erindionne.com/.
You can visit your local bookstore, or go to Amazon HERE or Indie Bound HERE to buy a copy of her book online!
And now, onto the vastly important 3 interview questions that all of my blog tour visitors will answer:
1--What was the spark of inspiration for this story? Tell us what event, or idea, or dream got this book started.
MODELS began as a short story. I had an image of an overweight girl eating spinach salad, alone in a corner of the cafeteria. I had to find out who she was and why she was there.
2--What food did you looooove getting from the cafeteria at lunch in high school, and why? (or if you didn't eat cafeteria food, what was your favorite brown-bag lunch?)
We could go off campus for lunch in high school, so I ate a lot of Chinese food and burritos. My fave brown-bag lunch? Turkey sandwich on wheat with cheddar cheese, a bag of chips, can of soda, and cookies. Plus a cute note from mom. <3>
3--What is your absolute favorite part of being a writer?
Sitting around in my pajamas, making stuff up that other people want to read! What a racket!
Thanks for dropping by, Erin, and BEST of luck to you on the sale of your awesome book. CONGRATS!!
Well, maybe not the absolute best...but I totally suffer for my children. LOL
Last night, I sat through what was possibly one of the worst movies I'd ever seen: Big Top Pee Wee.
Have you seen this movie? If not, let me enlighten you as to what happens.
Pee Wee lives on a farm and works on perfecting a chemical that makes plants grow faster and makes hot dogs grow on trees (and he sleeps with a pig...yeah, I won't even go there). He's engaged to Penelope Ann Miller's character Winnie, who makes him egg salad sandwiches (which he happens to hate) every day for their lunch date.
But then this horrible storm comes, and when it's all over, there's a huge circus group in his front yard. Of course, being Pee Wee, he gets involved in it...and falls in love with one of the beautiful acrobats in the circus.
When Pee Wee and the circus girl...um...consummate their relationship, it's filled with all sorts of fun imagery like a train going through a tunnel, and waves crashing on rocks, other stuff that blessedly went over my kids' heads. haha
Some other weird stuff happens as he tries to find his place in the circus world, and Penelope Ann Miller and him break up and she gets engaged to 4 guys who are in the circus, and Pee Wee uses his weird chemical that he'd accidentally screwed up to shrink all the mean old people in the country town into kids so they'll come see the circus they'd previously snubbed, and at the end of the movie, Pee Wee kisses the circus girl he loves, as he's wearing a gold and white costume the girl's deceased circus father had worn.
So, did any of that synopsis make sense to you guys? Yeah, it didn't to me, either. ROFL. Welcome to my world.
Okay, I confess--there were spots in there where I giggled and laughed. I mean, come on--it's PEE WEE. But overall? Not NEARLY as good as Pee Wee's Big Adventure.
And Kris Kristopherson was in it as the head honcho of the circus...and I just kept saying, KRIS...OMG why did you do this movie? Did your kids need braces or something? LOL
However, my son looooved it, and that's what counts. Even though he's grounded for making me watch that with him. hahaha kidding...maybe...
* * *
Oh, and I also wanted to let you know that over the coming months in 2009, I'll be part of a blog tour. So I'll be hosting a brief interview with young adult authors who, like me, are debuting their books in 2009. YAY!
The first one will come on Thursday, so stay tuned!!
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