Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH

by Amanda Ashby

Paranormal Young Adult
Puffin
www.AmandaAshby.com

3 Signed Copies will be given away on March 6, 2009





This book comes out THIS week! Sign up to win one of the first released copies...autographed by the author!



Amanda Ashby was also featured on Free Book Friday's main site last year for her adult book: You Had Me at Halo. Check out her post here and listen to her previous podcast interview here!


About the Book:

Quiet, unpopular, non-cheerleading Mia is blissfully happy. She is dating super hot football god Rob, and he actually likes her and asked her to prom! Enter Samantha—cheerleading goddess and miss popularity— who starts making a move for Rob. With prom in a few days, Mia needs to act fast. So she turns to her best friend, Candice, and decides to do a love spell on Rob. Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus onto her whole class, making herself their leader! At first she is flattered that everyone is treating her like a queen. But then zombie hunter hottie Chase explains they are actually fattening her up, because in a few days, Mia will be the first course in their new diet. She’s sure she and Chase can figure something out, but she suggests that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy.

1) So Zombies, huh? I’ve always known you’ve had quite an imagination. What inspired you to write about this topic?

To be honest, it actually started out as a bit of a joke! I use to threaten my critique partners that if they weren’t careful I would write a book called I WAS A KILLER ZOMBIE BRIDE and then make them read it! Of course the more I said it, the more the idea of writing a zombie book grew. Unfortunately, deciding to write a zombie book and knowing what to write about are two very different things and full credit goes to my husband who soon discovered that his years of watching zombie movies was suddenly of interest to me!!!


2) If you could put a love spell on anyone (husband excluded!) who would it be?

David Boreanaz. Oh, was I meant to pretend to think about that one for longer??? Actually, my DB obsession is so well known that my husband doesn’t even blink an eye when I talk about it anymore!!!

3) This is your first YA book. How different was it from writing adult fiction?

This is embarrassing to admit but there is no difference whatsoever for me. I really love teen culture and when I write I’m not trying to aim at a market, I’m just trying to do justice to the story the best I can.


4) Be honest, how many drafts did you have to write for this book? Any horrific scenes that were cut from the original that you want to share?

Once my agent gave me the thumbs up for the synopsis, I wrote it very quickly. I think it only took three weeks. Of course the fact I was moving from the UK to NZ a month later probably spurred me on to get it finished. However, I had two rounds of revisions after we sold the book. The first letter was 6 pages of singled spaced comments and the second letter was even longer, so I definitely spent more time revising it than I ever spent writing it. Hmmm, is there a life lesson in there somewhere??

As for scenes that had to be chopped, I must admit that I was devastated when editor wanted me to lose the Elvis scene. Basically, my fine and upstanding hero, Chase had to go undercover to try and get some information from the woman who sold Mia the ‘love spell’ but because she had already seen what he looked like, and because she was obsessed with Elvis, Mia and her friend Candice had the inspired idea of making him dress up as a Elvis –singing-gram (Vegas years for those who were interested). Of course not only did Chase not know any Elvis songs, he was a bad singer as well and so it was a super fun scene to write. I mean zombies and Elvis. That’s funny, right?

5) If your main character, Mia, could give one piece of advice to teenage girls, what would it be?

Er, don’t buy love spells from dodgy old women with beady eyes who pretend that they are naturopaths but who are really evil hags who want to sell you a zombie virus so that they can get ahead with the evil chaos makers of the world, and in the process ruin your life…

Of course the chances of that happening twice are pretty slim so the other piece of advice that Mia would probably give to teenage girls is to not judge a book by its cover. She fell for Rob Ziggerman because he looked so gorgeous and while he was a nice guy, he wasn’t big in the brains department. But it wasn’t until she met Chase and spent time with him that she realized how much better it was to be with a guy who is gorgeous AND clever!

About the Author:

Amanda Ashby was born in Australia and studied English and journalism at Queensland University. Since graduation, she has worked in sales, marketing and travel before discovering that she was no good at any of them and so decided to turn her attention to writing instead. She is married with two young children and has recently returned from the UK to live in New Zealand. Visit her website at: www.AmandaAshby.com

Sophomore Undercover - Winners

It's Friday! Which means time to give away some free books!

The following four people were chosen at random to receive a free signed copy of Sophomore Undercover by Ben Esch. Congrats!



1) Nancy Brown
2) Patricia Platon
3) Laura Belanger
4) Mindy Aptecker



If you didn't win, but still want to join in on Dixie Nguyen's adventure, you can order your own copy of Sophomore Undercover by clicking here. Or find it in our FBF Amazon Book store.

**Redraw Announcement!

Every once in a while, someone doesn't claim their free book within the 30-day time period and we have to draw a new winner.

Today we're redrawing for a free signed copy of FRENEMIES by Alexa Young

And the new winner is: Cecilia Pham. Congrats!

Please make sure to add info@freebookfriday.com to your address book so your winner announcement email doesn't get lost in the spam folder!

Next week's author was featured on our main site for her commercial fiction novel and now she's back on our Teen site to give away some copies of her brand new young adult novel! Stay tuned...

Sophomore Undercover by Ben Esch

SOPHOMORE UNDERCOVER

by Ben Esch

Contemporary Young Adult
Hyperion/Disney
www.BenjaminEsch.com

4 Signed Copies will be given away on February 27, 2009






This book releases this week! Sign up to win one of the first released copies...autographed by the author!



About the Book:

For fifteen-year-old, adopted Vietnamese orphan Dixie Nguyen, high school is one long string of hard-to-swallow humiliations. He shares a locker with a nudist linebacker, his teachers are incompetent, and he's stuck doing fluff pieces for the school newspaper. But Dixie's luck takes a turn when he stumbles across one of the jocks using drugs in the locker room; not only does he finally have something newsworthy to write, but the chance to strike a blow against his tormentors at the school as well.

However, when his editor insists he drop the story and cover homecoming events instead, Dixie sets off on his own unconventional--and often misguided--investigation. He soon discovers that the scandal extends beyond the football team to something far bigger and more sinister than he ever thought possible. Once he follows the guidelines of his hero, Mel Nichols (journalism professor at Fresno State University and author of the textbook Elementary Journalism) this high school reporter just might save the world. That is, of course, if Dixie can stay out of juvenile hall, the hospital, and new age therapy long enough to piece it all together.

Part social satire, part teen-mystery parody, and wholly hilarious, Sophomore Undercover is a dazzling debut that will make headlines with teens everywhere.

1) Tell us, what really spawned a book about a socially outcast high school sophomore? Do I sense a personal story coming on here?

I think this might hurt my street cred as a YA writer a bit, but I actually had a pretty good time in high school. Don’t get me wrong, there was the usual constant rejection by girls/getting wedgies from large, angry jocks/general teenage discontent and malaise, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I was a social outcast. Actually, my high school years were decidedly “incast.” And if “incast” isn’t a word, it totally should be.

2) Your website has a Youtube video of you telling cat jokes (see video below). What gives?

The cat joke video started pretty organically…or, as “organic” as a video of me reading cat jokes in a Cosby sweater could possibly be.

For some reason the comments on my blog kept coming back to cat jokes, so I figured I would give the people what they obviously wanted and posted a cat joke contest-extravaganza with me reading the winning entries on video. It’s not exactly what I thought I’d be doing when I started the website, but you gotta give the customers what they want.

And in my humble opinion, I think I look pretty fetching in that sweater. So, that’s a bonus for everybody.

3) What’s your worst high school memory?

Junior year. Yep…that whole year pretty much sucked.

4) What about your best high school memory?

I was voted homecoming king. You know, that loses its coolness factor pretty much the second after you graduate from high school, but at the time I thought that was pretty neat.

5) Does Dixie Nguyen have any good advice for teenagers out there?

Dixie’s advice: try to avoid any direct eye contact with football players.

Ben’s advice: Uhh…join a club or something? Man, I am terrible at advice.

Ben's Cat Jokes Video:
(See interview above for an explanation)




About the Author:

While writing Sophomore Undercover, Ben Esch slept on a fold-out sofa in his parents' basement, gained thirty pounds, and developed a crippling fear of raccoons. The author did not date much during this period. Ben now lives in Los Angeles and sleeps in an actual bed. Chase your dreams, kids. Visit his hilarious website at: www.BenjaminEsch.com

Need - Winners

Hello everyone! Welcome to Free Book Friday. As today is Friday, it's time to announce the winners and give away some free books! The following five people will be sent free autographed copies of NEED by Carrie Jones. Congrats!



1) Stacey Ratliff
2) Stephanie Pippin
3) Jackie Black
4) Donna Simmonds
5) Feyi Ojo


If you didn't win, but don't want to experience Zara's encounter with mysterious pixies, order your own copy of Need here!

We have another fantastic author coming up next week with more chances to win free books so stay tuned!

Need by Carrie Jones

NEED

by Carrie Jones

Paranormal Young Adult
Bloomsbury
www.CarrieJonesBooks.com

5 Signed Copies will be given away on February 20, 2009






About the Book:

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

Check out exclusive author interview with Carrie Jones!

1) On the back of the book it says, “Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks.” I’m curious. What does it mean to “collect phobias?” Is it like a stamp collection?

Well, yeah…I guess you could compare it to a stamp collection only:
1. They aren’t stamps
2. You can’t actually hold phobias in your hands
3. You also can’t sell phobias on EBay.
4. Or lick them

But she does collect phobias. They’re sort of a mental collection though. Zara finds phobias kind of intriguing and she chants the names of phobias to herself when she gets scared. She thinks (and so do I) that sometimes if you can name something scary it lets you control it a little bit more. It makes you acknowledge it and then work beyond it. Plus, the fact that other people might be afraid of balloons or earrings or ear wax makes her feel better about her own fears. The naming of fears makes her realize that other people are neurotic too.

2) In your book you explore the legend of pixies. But your pixies are not nice and cute like Tinkerbell; they’re actually quite scary. Why did you choose to go that route?

Pixies in Victorian folklore aren’t cute and Disneyfied like Tinkerbell. They could be really nasty. Some could be helpful to people. I like the dichotomy there between those two types of pixies and that comes into play in the sequel.

I started out with the nasty kind of pixies because it was a lot scarier to write about fae that had uncontrollable needs and were a sinister presence in the Maine woods. It’s hard to get too scared of Tinkerbell, unless you have a phobia about tiny females who have a hankering for Peter Pan.

3) What’s your greatest “Need” as a writer? What about as just a regular person?

Oh boy. This is quite the go-into-the-soul-of-Carrie question.

I think my greatest need as a writer is to feel like I’ve gone somewhere with my book; like I’ve made something with my story. I am always terrified that I’ll fall flat. So maybe my greatest need is to feel that or else to be medicated enough that I don’t have to worry.

My greatest need as a person is to feel like I’m doing something for good. I know that sounds like I’m a superhero or something who has been tempted by the greed and riches of dark side and will soon leave the Justice League. What I mean, though, is that I am pretty miserable if I feel like I’m not making the world a little bit better somehow. I need to feel that way to be happy. And, um, I need food and water too or else I’d die.

Maybe I should just say nourishment or something?

4) Your previous books have had some fantastic titles, LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE) and TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND. (Kudos on all the clever use of parenthesis, btw!) And then there’s NEED. Short but extremely effective. What comes first for you? The title or the story?

I am VERY bad at titles. The other books (plus GIRL, HERO, which has an interesting comma placement but alas no parenthesis) are all my publisher’s titles that were created at a marketing meeting with my editor. This was necessary because my titles were so very awful… cringe worthy really.

NEED is the only title that was actually mine.

I usually name documents after the main character. So NEED was ZARA and TIPS was BELLE. I usually only find the title when I’m 3/4ths of the way through the book’s first draft. So, story always comes first.

5) I’m so excited that there’s going to be a sequel. What’s it called?

Right now the sequel to NEED is called (originally enough) SEQUEL.

See!?! That’s how awful I am at titles.


About the Author:

CARRIE JONES is an award-winning author who recently graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program. She is the author of the YA novels Girl, Hero; Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape); and Tips on Having a Gay (ex)Boyfriend, which was nominated for a YALSA Quick Pick and won the Maine Literary Award. Carrie lives in Ellsworth, Maine. Visit her website at: www.CarrieJonesBooks.com

Don't forget to check out our special Valentine's Day Edition of Free Book Friday on our Main site: www.FreeBookFriday.com

Revelations (a Blue Bloods Novel) - Winners

I'm officially a newly converted Blue Bloods fan! This is such a fantastic series. I'm really excited to be giving away five signed copies of Book 3 in the series, Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz

And those five lucky winners are...



1) Aliya Slayton
2) Molly Zeigenbein
3) Jennifer Wang
4) Ashley Vuu
5) Tara Novosel


Congrats to all the winners!

If you didn't win, but don't want to miss what happens next in the Blue Bloods world, order your own copy of Revelations here!

We're keeping with the paranormal theme for another week and next week's author has written a captivating novel about pixies. But not the cute, lovable kind...the other kind. Stay tuned...

Revelations (a Blue Bloods novel) by Melissa de la Cruz

REVELATIONS (a Blue Bloods novel)

by Melissa de la Cruz

Paranormal Young Adult
Hyperion/Disney
www.Melissa-delaCruz.com

5 Signed Copies will be given away on February 13, 2009

In this exclusive author interview, we asked Melissa our most pressing questions about what it's like to create the Blue Bloods world and what she has planned for the rest of the series. Listen to Melissa de la Cruz's interview here!

About the Book:

Have you ever wondered what secrets lurk behind the closed doors of New York City’s wealthiest families? They’re powerful, they’re famous… they’re undead.

Schuyler Van Alen’s blood legacy has just been called into question—is the young vampire in fact a Blue Blood, or is it the sinister Silver Blood that runs through her veins? As controversy swirls, Schuyler is left stranded in the Force household, trapped under the same roof as her cunning nemesis, Mimi Force, and her forbidden crush, Jack Force.

When an ancient place of power is breached by Silver Bloods in Rio de Janeiro, however, the Blue Bloods will need Schuyler on their side. The stakes are high; the battle is bloody; and through it all, Schuyler is torn between love and passion, duty and freedom. And in the end, one vampire’s secret identity will be exposed in a revelation that shocks everyone.

About the Author:

Melissa de la Cruz is the author of the best-selling Au Pairs novels for teens and the coauthor of the popular adult novel The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-Inch Heels and Faux Pas. Melissa has appeared as an Expert on Style, trends, and celebrity for CNN and E ! Entertainment network and is a frequent contributor to popular magazines like Glamour, Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Melissa is not a Blue Blood, but she knows people who are...

Visit her website at: www.Melissa-delaCruz.com

Gallagher Girls Series - Winners

Happy Free Book Friday, Everyone!

We're giving away four signed copies of Ally Carter's bestselling Gallagher Girls series (two of each book!). The winners were chosen at random and here they are!


1) Snowee Rojo - I'd Tell You I Love You
2) Kristina Blevins - I'd Tell You I Love You
3) Chris Cowee - Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
4) Brianna Todd - Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

Congrats, guys! And enjoy your free books!

If you didn't win, but don't still want to read about Cammie Morgan's adventures in Gallagher Academy Spy School, order your own copies here: I'd Tell You I Love You or Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

And don't forget to visit our new Free Book Friday Amazon Store where you can check out and purchase all the books we've ever given away!

Next week we're going all Vampire. So check back tomorrow to see who our next featured author is. She's yet ANOTHER New York Times Bestseller! See you then!