Girl vs. Boy and The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout

GIRL VS. BOY and THE BLACK SHEEP

by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout

Commercial Young Adult
Hyperion
www.CollinsRideout.com

4 Signed Copies (2 of each) will be given away on Friday April 3, 2009


Girl vs. Boy

Fifteen year old Luisa Perez is not going to win any awards for school spirit. In fact, she and her friends make it a point to avoid all activities considered "extracurricular." So when her English teacher volunteers her to be an anonymous columnist for the school paper, Luisa's first impulse is to run. But, unlike her high-school dropout sister, Luisa does want to go to college—it may be her only ticket out of a life spent working at the cowboy-themed diner where she waitresses part time—and it would be nice to have something to put on her applications.

Her first assignment is to cover her high school's latest fund-raiser, which pits the girls against the boys. Luisa will cover the events from the female point of view, while another anonymous writer provides the male perspective—or, at least, that's how it begins. The two columnists soon find themselves engaged in an epic battle of the sexes—a battle that Luisa is determined to win, even if it means risking the best relationship she's ever had.

The Black Sheep

Fed up with her parents and all their ridiculous rules (they keep a binder full of them), fifteen-year-old Kendra Bishop writes away to The Black Sheep, a reality TV show that offers the chance to swap families with another teen. But when the camera crew, led by brash TV producer Judy Greenberg, shows up at her Manhattan apartment, Kendra starts to have second thoughts.

Too late. Kendra is whisked away to Monterey, California, to live with the Mulligan family in a household that couldn't be more different from her own—complete with hippie parents, their five kids and a pet ferret. Of course, when Kendra falls for Mitch, the Mulligans' seventeen-year-old son, it only complicates things further, especially since Mitch despises the reality TV show and everything it stands for. But given the chance, Kendra might just be able to juggle first love, her new stardom, and a pushy producer who will stop at nothing for higher ratings.

In this hilarious and touching novel, Kendra learns to live under a new roof but finds true refuge in the unlikeliest of places—her own family.

1) Writing teams always fascinate me. How does it work between you two? Do you have a special process that you follow?

With our first book, Yvonne wanted to sit side by side and write every word together (probably because she knew Sandy would try to take over and hog the whole thing!). That plan didn’t survive long. Our schedules are just too different. So we had to develop a way of working on projects independently that gives us equal input.

During the brainstorming stage, we get together in person at Starbucks (cappuccinos are a critical part of the process). We hammer out a high level outline together and then go our separate ways.

Yvonne writes the first draft of each chapter and passes it on to Sandy for the next draft. Sandy sends the full manuscript back to Yvonne for a second pass and then Sandy gives it a final polish.

2) Come on, be honest. Name one time where you disagreed about something. A character’s outfit? A plot element? Which guy the character should end up with? How did it go down?

We disagree all the time during the brainstorming stage but no one else at Starbucks would know it because of our special “distraction technique.” It requires lightening reflexes. When one of us offers up a lame idea, the other one jumps in with “OR, she could do this… Or how about this…?” Eventually the first person forgets her original (bad) idea under the barrage of options. With enough coffee, we reach a solution we both like.

To keep the work interesting, we leave room in the outline for surprises. That way, when we’re reading, there are moments when we think, “Hey, I wasn’t expecting that,” or “Cleverly done, partner.” (Not to mention, “She’d better not leave me to figure out a way out of this trap.”)

3) I love the idea of Black Sheep, it sounds like Wife Swap but for Teens! How did this idea come about?

It did start with an episode of Wife Swap. We liked the idea of giving a teenage girl a chance to trade in her family and try someone else’s on for size. Plus, we wanted to give people a look at what really happens behind-the-scenes on “reality” shows. Yvonne has worked in the film business for years, and for us, it’s a never-ending source of comic relief. Our “Vivien Leigh Reid” series is set in the film world, too.

4) Which one of you was the Black Sheep of your family? Both? Neither?

Sadly, neither. We are still waiting for the big moment of rebellion to hit.

5) What’s up next for you two?

We’ve just started work on the “Love Inc.” series for Hyperion. It’s about three girls who set up a business to help other teens make their way through the minefield of romance. The first book will be out in 2011.

About the Authors:

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout are freelance writers in Toronto, Canada, who have had a longstanding friendship since they were teenagers. They write together to share their knowledge of friendship and growing up with girls everywhere. Learn more about their books at: www.CollinsRideout.com