3 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, July 2, 2010!
About the Book:
Being Bad Never Felt So Good.
Poppy Browne had never stolen anything in her life before moving to Pleasant Acres, Texas and meeting Mary Jane and Whitney. But when Poppy walks out of the mall with her two new friends and her first pair of stolen jeans, she’s hooked.
Before long, Poppy is lifting whenever she gets the urge—it’s never about the merchandise, it’s always about the thrill. But when her secret gets out, the girls in Poppy’s clique turn on one another. As she watches her life collapse around her, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie … and how far she’ll go to protect herself.
Read our Exclusive Interview with the Author!
1) Lifted sounds like such a great concept. How did you come up with the idea?
Thanks, Jessica! I was watching a show on TV about how shoplifting is a huge problem, especially with teens, and thought it would make an interesting topic for a book. Most people have either shoplifted themselves, have been tempted to try it, or know someone who has, so I think it’s something we can all relate to.
2) Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
Naturally, I love Poppy Browne because she’s the main character and I was “in her head” for countless hours. But I think my favorite character would have to be David Hillcrest, the pastor’s son. I love his rugged appearance and how he’s such a shameless flirt, but also how his heart is pure gold and he always knows the right thing to say—and says it. I would have loved to know a guy like him when I was in high school.
3) Who was the most fun to write?
I loved writing Mary Jane Portman. I love how she says “tres chic” and “bless her heart” and is always twirling her beautiful blond hair. She has the power to make someone’s day with a simple smile. She seems so perfect on the outside—gorgeous, great clothes, fancy house, fun car, hot boyfriend, popular, etc. And then you get to know her better and you see how complicated and conflicted her life really is. I’ll be curious to see whether the readers like or dislike her after reading Lifted.
4) Which came first, the title or the novel? The novel, or at least an early version of it. This baby was a good two years in the making and one day my agent and I were brainstorming titles. She said, “How about just … LIFTED?” and I squealed in delight because with its double-meaning, it’s the perfect title.
5) If you could choose one dessert or snack food that you could eat as much as you want of (and never gain an ounce!) what would it be?
Chocolate covered cinnamon bears.
6) What are you working on next?
I’m trying my hand at a paranormal YA. Fingers crossed!
About the Author:
Born in Texas, raised in Colorado, and now living in Utah, Wendy Toliver has successfully eliminated “y’all” from her vocabulary. However, she still managed to marry a pickup man. They have three young sons and an assortment of furry, scaly, and slimy pets. She is the author of three novels for teens: The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren, Miss Match, and Lifted. Visit the author's website at:www.WendyToliver.com **Please enter to win using the form on the left side bar of our website. Comments left on the post, while appreciated, are not used as entry.Thanks!
5 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, June 25, 2010!
About the Book:
Enter the realm of the Immortals-the #1 New York Times bestselling series that has been acclaimed as breathtaking, mesmerizing, flawless and extraordinary.
Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside. As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions
At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch. As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender.
Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …
Check out our exclusive interview with the Author!
1) What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of and why?
I had a lot of fun writing Chapter 22 of DARK FLAME when Damen surprises Ever for her birthday with . . . well, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but let’s just say it was probably even more fun for Ever to experience it, than it was for me to write it!
Here’s a mini excerpt to give you a hint:
My fingers pick at the soft, silky blindfold Damen used to cover my eyes. A silly formality since we both know I don’t have to look to see, but still, he’s so intent on keeping the secret, he chooses to cover every single one of his bases, whether or not it’s actually necessary.
He laughs, the sound so melodic it makes my heart swell. Grasping my hand, his fingers entwined around mine, as the almost feel of his palm emits the warmest, most delicious tingle and heat—a sensation I’ll never take for granted again, especially after knowing what it’s like to lose it completely.
“Ready?” he asks, moving behind me and untying the knot at the back of my head, dropping the blindfold and taking a moment to smooth down my hair, before spinning me around and adding, “Happy Birthday!”
I smile—smile before I’ve even had a chance to open my eyes. Already convinced that whatever it is, it’s sure to be good.
And the second I see it, I gasp, my jaw dropped, hand clutching my neck, gazing upon a scene so wondrous it hardly seems possible—even for Summerland.
2) If you could have one super power what would it be?
The power of instant manifestation, please!
3) Series like these always fascinate me because I want to know where the author is going and if he/she even knows where they’re going. So do you? Do you have it all plotted out in your head until the end or are you winging it as you go?
When I first started writing EVERMORE, I was so focused on the story that I didn’t really think much beyond it. But once I got to the end, I realized it was really more like the beginning, in that there was so much more to tell. So I started working on its sequel, BLUE MOON, and somewhere in the middle of Act I, I knew how the entire series would ultimately end. Now it’s just a matter of getting there!
But even though I’m eager for Ever to realize her destiny, the journey of getting her there is half the fun. Writing these books has been such an amazing experience I feel like I actually know these characters, they’ve become like friends—which also makes it hard to put such difficult obstacles in their paths. But, in the end, I know it will make them stronger and better, and every single thing that happens is leading them there. Nothing is tossed in—nothing is an accident—every single event is leading to the next.
4) What’s your typical celebration ritual when you sell a new book or get exciting news about an existing one? Anything strange or quirky we should know about?
Well, not that it’s all that strange or quirky, but every time I close a new book deal, or get good news about a book, my husband and I pop open a bottle of champagne. So when EVERMORE first hit the New York Times bestsellers list back in February ’09, we toasted with champagne. The next week when it hit again, we opened another bottle. And as the books stayed on the list for 55 weeks, we found ourselves swigging champagne (though we switched to splits!) every Wednesday (the day the list is sent to publishers), for over a year—a day we referred to as “Champagne Wednesday.”
When the inevitable Wednesday came that I fell off the list, we weren’t sure what to do with ourselves as the ritual had become so ingrained. So my husband came up with the idea to find something else to celebrate instead—be it a particularly beautiful sunset, a nice bloom on my orchids—nothing is considered too small. And I loved the idea of celebrating the small things so much that the tradition lives on so that every week, once a week, no matter what kind of week it’s been—we find something to toast to!
5) What's up next for you?
This fall will see the debut of Riley’s new series beginning with RADIANCE on August 31, and on November 16, book 5 in THE IMMORTALS series, NIGHT STAR, will hit stores, and then sometime in 2011, the 6th and final IMMORTALS book will be released, along with SHIMMER, the second book in the Riley series . . . oh, and I’ve also got a brand new YA series in the works for 2011/12, more details on that coming soon!
About the Author: Alyson Noel is the #1 New York Times, and USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestselling, award-winning, author of FAKING 19, ART GEEKS AND PROM QUEENS, LAGUNA COVE, FLY ME TO THE MOON, KISS & BLOG, SAVING ZOE, CRUEL SUMMER, FIRST KISS (THEN TELL)- an anthology, and the IMMORTALS series including: EVERMORE, BLUE MOON (July 09), SHADOWLAND (Jan 2010), and more to come in 2010/11/12. Her books have won the National Reader's Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Books for the Teenage, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, Reviewer's Choice 2007 Top Ten, nominated for YALSA's Teen's Top Ten Award, chosen for the CBS Early Show's "Give the Gift of Reading" segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine's "Hot List" and Beach Book Club Pick. She was born and raised in The OC and has lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan, but now finds herself settled right back in California where she lives and writes full time. Visit her online at: www.AlysonNoel.com or visit the series website at: www.ImmortalsSeries.com
**Please enter to win using the form on the left side bar. Comments left on the post, while appreciated, are not used as entry.Thanks!
5 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, June 18, 2010
13 To Life releases in JUST OVER ONE WEEK (on June 22nd). Sign up to win one of the first released copies... autographed by the author!
About the Book: Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…
Check out our exclusive interview with the Author!
1) If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be?
Surviving Life Altering Change. Heck, with a theme like that I could invite the Rusakovas to attend too.
2) If you could have dinner with one of your characters who would it be?
Dinner? Pietr. He has decent table manners and can talk intelligently about almost anything. To the movies or just out—Max. He’s trouble but he’s a guy you could pal around with easily.
3) 13 to Life is a great title! Who came up with it? Was it the original title or did it change along the way?
Thanks, Jessica! Lots of people have told me they like the title. It just started out as a random phrase that seemed to fit with (and drive) a major theme in the story. I definitely wanted to keep the title when we headed for publication, but there were some doubts about it. So I made a strange deal and bartered away my original pseudonym in order to keep my title.
4) Series like these always fascinate me because I want to know where the author is going and if he/she even knows where they’re going. So do you? Do you have it all plotted out in your head until the end or are you winging it as you go?
I admit it. I started out just winging it. I had no idea when I was first creating the cell phone novel version of 13 to Life where my characters were taking me. I created the serial version interactively and organically—I even let followers of my blog determine some points of action or character details based on public polls. But halfway through the Textnovel.com version of 13 to Life I started to see where we were going. I thought I had a handle on it until I was writing the rough draft of book three recently. Suddenly where I thought Pietr and Jess were headed wasn’t where they wanted to go. So the end of the third book in the series got a massive overhaul.
5) This would make a great film. Any talk of turning your book into a movie?
As soon as 13 to Life was announced as the winner of the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the western world a movie producer contacted me through Facebook (and most people think catching up with their high school friends is the weirdest thing Facebook does!). Then we got contacted by people representing several other movie production companies. At this point everything’s in the hands of my publisher. But as soon as I know something exciting—believe me—it’ll be on my Twitter, author site, Facebook and blog!
About the Author:
Previously a teacher and now a farmer raising heritage livestock in upstate New York, Shannon Delany has always been fascinated by history, myths, legends and paranormal research. Visit her online at: www.ShannonDelany.com and explore Junction at www.13toLifeSeries.com
**Please enter to win using the form on the left side bar of our website. Comments left on the post, while appreciated, are not used as entry.Thanks!
3 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, June 11, 2010!
About the Book:
Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.
Lori can't wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she's turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that's not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.
Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori's romantic summer melt into one hot mess?
Read our Exclusive Interview with the Author!
1)What kind of research did you have to do to bring Lori to life on the page?
Absolutely none. Lori is the character I’ve written who is most like me, and the book is set on a lake very similar to the one where I grew up. All I had to do was remember my favorite parts of my teenage summers, which was lots of fun!
2) Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
My novel Going Too Far is a finalist in the National Reader’s Choice Award, the Book Buyer’s Best, and the RITA. My critique partner, Victoria Dahl, also had a book final in the RITA, and the award is given out at a huge ceremony at a writer’s conference in Florida in July. We’re both really excited and have no idea what to wear.
3) As writers, we all love to procrastinate. What’s your favorite procrastination activity?
I actually do not procrastinate at all. I swear this is true. I work at home as a freelance copyeditor. That work has to get done first because I have deadlines almost daily. So when I end that part of my day and start my writing time, I get right down to business. I have to!
4) What’s your strangest writing quirk or habit? Something that would make all of us go, “huh?”
I don’t write in order! Usually the first scene that comes to me is in the middle of the book. Then I might write the ending, then the beginning…but I usually meander for 150 pages, then get so confused that I have to make graphs and charts to straighten myself out and fill in what I’m missing. I have tried to write in order and it was a disaster—MORE of a disaster!
5) What are you working on next?
My next romantic drama for MTV Books, Forget You, is coming out on July 20. Right now I’m writing still another novel for MTV that will be published in July 2011. I’m really happy with the way it’s going, but I’m not ready to share!
About the Author:
Jennifer Echolsgrew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama--a setting that has inspired many of her books. Always interested in creative writing, she finished her first (and still unpublished) novel soon after graduating with a degree in English from Auburn University at age 20. She worked as an editor for newspapers, a writer for business publications, and a writing instructor for three major universities, completed a master's degree in English, and finished the coursework for a PhD in genre studies before selling a book. Since then, she has written many young adult novels for Simon & Schuster, including Major Crush, which won the National Reader's Choice Award, and Going Too Far, which is a finalist in the 2010 RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Book Buyer's Best. Her next novel, Forget You, will be released on July 20. Currently she works as a copyeditor and lives in Birmingham with her husband and son. Visit the author's website at:www.Jennifer-Echols.com **Please enter to win using the form on the left side bar of our website. Comments left on the post, while appreciated, are not used as entry.Thanks!
It's simple. Every Friday, we give away free young adult books!
Each week, we feature a new YA author with a chance to win autographed copies of his/her book.
Just sign up using the entry form on the left sidebar. Winners are chosen at random and posted every Friday morning. Hence the name, "Free Book Friday!"
