This one's for YA readers, teachers, librarians, reviewers, bloggers, authors, and anyone interested in young adult books. I'm working on my Web and social media strategy (which sounds so officially stuffy but I assure you, it's almost 5 PM here on the east coast and I'm still in my snowflake PJs and big fuzzy slippers, neither pantsuit nor pantyhose in sight, and I've got no immediate plans to make myself even remotely presentable, let alone "officially stuffy") and I'd love to know what you think about connecting with young adult authors online.
It's a quick survey - 8 questions - and your responses will help me tremendously! At the end, you can enter for a chance to win a $25 gift card to your favorite book store (or whatever book store sells gift certificates online) to load up on some of the books you've been Twittering, Facebooking, blogging, reviewing, and otherwise fangirling/fanboying online.
As an added incentive, if I get 50 or more responses, I'll post a picture of me in aforementioned snowflake pajama glory on an upcoming blog post. Now how can you put a price on that? Better get on that survey and send your book-lovin' friends over there, quick! :-)
SURVEY: Connecting with Young Adult Authors Online
Boring Small Print
The survey is anonymous. The survey and contest are open to anyone anywhere who has a connection to YA books. Participants under age 13 who want to enter for a chance at the $25 gift card must have a parent or guardian provide an email address for their entry. One winner will be selected at random and can select the book store of his or her choice, provided I'm able to order the gift card online. Email addresses entered for the contest will not be saved, shared, or used for any other purpose aside from this contest. The contest is open until 12 midnight ET on Sunday, April 5. Winner will be announced on April 5.
As many of you know, I don't have a television. This is actually a good thing, though most people give me the does not compute stare when they hear it. Despite the pull of the blue glow, giving it up isn't as hard as it sounds. Think you could tune out? Visit me at AuthorsNow to see why books better than TV, and to see if you're up for a fun challenge!
Top 10 Reasons Books are Better than TV
Yep, there's another online way to win an advanced review copy Twenty Boy Summer, courtesy of My Favorite Author. No, not my literal favorite author, who's dead and probably would roll over in his grave and die a second time before he'd do something as bourgeois as blog, or read about Anna and Frankie's California adventures (even though he's actually named in Twenty Boy Summer, as are some of his old hangouts!). No, not him. I'm talking about My Favorite Author, the fabulous book review and author interview blog run by Aubrey and Speed Reader.
For this contest, you can enter to win an ARC while simultaneously helping Aubery and Speed Reader improve their blog. Just visit My Favorite Author, complete the 5-minute survey, and leave a comment letting them know that you shared your two cents. Easy, right? Check it out!
My Favorite Author Twenty Boy Summer Giveaway
The Page Flipper's Weekly Contest
Page Flipper, who totally rocks (no, I'm not just saying that because she gave props to TBS!), is giving away an ARC this week on her blog. To enter, just drop by and leave a comment. For a second chance to win, leave an additional comment about a summer vacation you've had:
Page Flipper's Weekly Contest: Twenty Boy Summer
eBay
Seeing my ARC for sale on eBay when it's clearly marked "Not For Sale" has been a total right of passage for debut authors. Not everyone is happy about this, since authors and publishers don't receive royalties for sales of ARCs, but I was starting to feel like the last kid picked for kickball before my ARC finally made an appearance. Of course, the current bid is only $0.99, so I still feel kind of like the kickball loser!
Anyway, if you're interested in checking it out and submitting a bid:
Twenty Boy Summer on eBay!
More contests and giveaways coming soon. But I don't know how soon. Because like I said, I'm still not counting!
It happens on all the talent search reality shows: American Idol. America's Next Top Model. The one about... well, okay, so those are the only two talent search reality shows I've seen, but that's a statistically relevant sample, right?
Anyway, on both shows, I've consistently heard comments like:
- "We see you as a really wholesome commercial pop singer."
- "You're definitely a high-fashion, runway type."
- "Country music is your zone, not hip-hop."
- "You've got that commercial appeal. Not high fashion, but definitely Seventeen magazine stuff."
- "I see you recording a bluesy rock record, not pop."
- "Not sure about fashion, but you could definitely sell makeup with that face."
- "You're more like a Kelly Clarkson rocker-girl type."
And the judges or mentors or hosts (in other words, people who are experienced and presumably know best) are always so certain about it. It's never "Hey, you've got a really fresh face. Have you thought about makeup modeling?" or "The fans seem to love when you chose the rock songs over the country. How do you feel about that?" It's always "You're going to do this..." and "We see you doing that..."
Identifying and encouraging someone's particular talents and strengths is great, but what if that person doesn't want to be a rocker girl? What if she wants to be a soulful blues diva? What if that model turning heads on the runway wants to be in Seventeen magazine selling lip gloss? Should she give up, and focus her efforts on the strengths identified by the industry pros? Follow the "safe" path that everyone has already assumed for her?
Typecasting
The film term is typecasting --- to cast repeatedly in the same kind of roles. And just as with singers, actors, and models, it happens with writers, too. Sometimes it's the author's choice. I mean, if the books are selling, why mess with a good thing? Or, if you love writing a particular genre, and that's your passion, why switch if you're not interested in exploring other options? Other times, I wonder about the publisher's influence. Has Stephenie Meyer ever had this conversation with her editor?
- Editor: Steph, baby! Your numbers are through the roof! Tell me what's next in the vampire lineup?
- Steph: *Clears throat* Well, it's not so much vampire... I wanted to go in a different direction. Try something new.
- Editor: Great! We love new! So what is it now, murderous ghosts in high school? A pirate-zombie love story?
- Steph: *Shuffles papers* No, nothing like that. This one is more... well, there are these baby mice, and---
- Editor: Perfect! Bringing back the Black Plague. Quarantined at school. A young girl risks her life to care for her plague-infected crush. Yes, yes, yes!
- Steph: No, not so much. The mice aren't sick. They're just trying to find their way home, and they enlist the help of the new girl at school who's kind of nerdy---
- Editor: And suddenly the mice turn on her and attack her in the school cafeteria, leaving nothing but her glasses and bones and a warning to all who think it safe to befriend rodents?
- Steph: Gross. No. More like, they hide out in the girl's pink glitter unicorn backpack until after school when she can take them to the field across town to reunite with the rest of the mice-clan. No one dies in this book. It's all very warm and wholesome.
- Editor: Warm and wholesome? That's it? Stephenie, are you $#%@ing with me?
- Steph: No, of course that's not it! I didn't tell you the best part. *Raises eyebrows in hopeful expectation* The mice dress like humans, with little mouse-dresses and tiny mouse-spectacles!
- Editor: *Head explodes*
An unlikely conversation, I know. But as a writer, it's definitely something I think about (whether my publishers would encourage a departure from my usual thing, not about the Black Plague or mice who wear spectacles). My first two books are similar in genre, tone, and style. I've gotten really great, positive, and in some cases totally over-the-moon amazing feedback on them. But that's not all I want to write. I want to try new things, to push myself creatively. Dark urban fantasy? Middle grade murder mystery? Historical? Why not? Stories are like music. There are only so many words, just as there are only so many notes. But writers have the opportunity to arrange them in limitless ways, to create limitless characters and worlds and plots. Just thinking about all of the possibilities makes me dizzy!
Trying new and crazy things --- it's one reason Radiohead is my fave band. They went through this whole techno kind of phase that I wasn't into before they returned to their indie rock style roots, but I appreciate that they tried something totally different. And now I've learned to enjoy their experimental stuff. I love that they weren't afraid to break out of their "safe" zone. Simon and Randy might insist they made the wrong song choices, but I'm glad they did it.
That's exactly the kind of thing I aspire to in my writing, even if Simon or Tyra shake their heads at me all up and down the book shelf! Maybe I'll find that I suck at historical. That my urban fantasies are tame and weak. But at least I will have tried.
Thoughts from Writers and Readers
What about other writers? What do you guys think? Do you have a safe zone? What is it? Are you comfortable stepping out of it? Do you even want to step out of it, or do you see yourselves developing and perfecting your single style? Is your answer influenced more by the passion in your heart or the straight-up logic of your contracts and finances? Both are very real motivators!
What about you, readers? Do you prefer that your fave authors stick with the genre and style you've grown to love, or do you like when authors explore new territory?
Share your thoughts in the comments!
So, after a yummy get-acquainted lunch in which Miss Lily, Laura's adorable daughter, downed a chocolate shake faster than even my fry-stealin' shake-lovin' husband could have done it, we headed to The Strand with full stomachs and a singular mission: to load up on some great YA picks. Pretty simple, right?
Right. That was before. Before, when Laura and I still thought Sharon was another sweet, good-natured book blogger. A lover of cats and upstate New York scenery. A kind, well-read soul with a heart of gold (or at least a high-grade silver). Before, we actually laughed when Sharon grabbed a double-decker basket thingy. "Why would you need two big baskets?" I asked (ignorantly). "I don't think we need a whole cart," Laura said (cluelessly). Yep. Before. I think I speak for both of us when I admit my utter shock on discovering that our tall blond companion is none other than... The Strand Master!
Listen, people, and learn as we did. When it comes to YA books, The Strand Master does not mess around.
She got her cart. Led us up to the second floor, past the YA shelves, straight for a low shelf near the children's books. Dropped to the floor. Rolled up her sleeves. And dug in, hunting and pecking her way through doubled-up rows of ARCs. Fascinated, I pulled up an adjacent spot of floor and watched as The Strand Master (TSM) hunted for the besties of the book bunch, a bit like Frankie Perino's bikini mission in TWENTY BOY SUMMER:
...Frankie takes a deep breath and gets to work. She weaves her way through racks of swimsuits, foraging like a mother antelope for her starving babies, passing over colors or styles that are “soooo last year” or “too blah blah blah for the beach.” When she finds something with potential, she tugs on the fabric to simulate a hard day in the surf and holds it to the light to ensure it has the right amount of see-throughability.
After fifteen minutes of hunting and gathering, Frankie emerges from the racks with two armloads of try-ons. A broken fingernail and a slight breathlessness are her only battle scars.
Speaking of battle scars, I almost lost a finger when I held up an ARC of Aprilynne Pike's WINGS, so badly did TSM want it! It took me all of twelve seconds to relent, reasoning that I kind of need all of my digits for writing the next YA best seller (*grin*). TSM had been talking an awful lot about zombies that day, and she had that look in her eye...
*Shudder*
Anyway, after cleaning out the ARC shelves, TSM led us on another mission. Get-Sarah-to-buy-more-books-like-it's-no
By the time we'd finished ransacking all the nooks and crannies of The Strand, we probably had 50 books between us, including Lily's fave Spongebob pick. Laura and Lily had a long drive ahead of them, so TSM and I wished our Massachusetts friends farewell and headed into Starbucks for some coffee. There, squeezed around a crowded corner table, we met a man. A man who, as we soon learned thanks to his uncanny ability to rock the M in TMI, had seventeen recipes for rice krispie treats but no bones in front of his heart. It was all very Metropolitan Diary meets House, but Sharon couldn't get enough of the gory details. Hmmm. I really think there's something to her whole zombie obsession...
*Ponders*
Medical mishaps aside, the afternoon was full, fun, and fabulous --- enough to exhaust any book-seeking urban explorer. I'm so happy that Sharon, Laura, and Lily shared their New York adventures with me! Ah, Internets. How ever did we instantly share the level of information cyberstalking requires without you? :-)
Don't forget to read Sharon's take on our day at The Strand (and see a few more photos) here!
From over 75 entries on SarahOckler.com, Facebook, LiveJournal, AuthorsNow, and MySpace, the winners are...
- Erika Lynn from Kiss My Book
- Krista F. (via Facebook)
Check back again soon! We'll have plenty more contests, giveaways, and more fun stuff on the fan page between now and the book's debut on June 1. Which for you counting-down-the-days types is 91 days away. Or, 13 weeks. Also known as 2184 hours. 131,040 minutes. 7,862,400 seconds...
...hey, not that I'm counting. I totally said I wasn't counting!
Contest is open until 11:59 PM, Saturday, February 28. Check out the details here:
TWENTY BOY SUMMER signed ARC giveaway!
Yeah. 96 days. But that doesn't mean you can't get a sneak peek! Join me now through Saturday for the first ever TWENTY BOY SUMMER giveaway!
The Rules
- For this one, you have to be on Facebook to play.
- Join the TWENTY BOY SUMMER fan page on Facebook. If you're already a fan, you can still enter - just leave a comment here letting me know that you're already showin' the love!
- For more chances to win, bring a friend! If your friend joins the fan page, leave me a comment here letting me know your friend's first name. You'll get an extra entry for each new friend you bring to the fan page, and your friends will be entered, too!
- For yet another entry to win, post about this contest on your blog or other social network site and leave a comment here with your link.
- The contest runs from now until 11:59 PM Saturday, February 28. Two winners will be announced on March 1.
- The contest is open to anyone, anywhere. Participants under age 13 must have a parent or guardian enter for you.
The Prize
Two winners will be selected from the entries at random to receive an autographed ARC (advanced review copy) of TWENTY BOY SUMMER!
And remember guys, YA novels aren't only for girls. Just ask these two die-hard TWENTY BOY SUMMER fans, caught in the act with an ARC!
Other Contests
I hope you'll play along, and stay tuned for more contests and giveaways as we count down to the TWENTY BOY SUMMER release on June 1. Well, by we, I mean you. I already said I'm not counting. You're counting, and I'm doing the giving away of fun stuff!
Either way, check back soon!
"Conflict is the first encountered and the fundamental element of fiction, necessary because in literature, only trouble is interesting." --Janet Burroway, WRITING FICTIONIn fiction, as in life, trouble comes in many forms. Confrontation. Impossible decisions. Disastrous consequences. Heartbreak. Danger. Anything that interferes with or prevents a character from getting what he or she wants. Without trouble, there's no story.
One Ring to Rule Them All
Consider J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy, THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Here are just a few of the many, multi-layered conflicts surrounding the story's primary quest to destroy the evil One Ring:
- If not destroyed, the ring could fall back into the hands of the big, bad Dark Lord.
- The only way to destroy it is to cast it into the fiery chasm from whence it came.
- Said fiery chasm is far away in Mount Doom, deep within the evil domain of the super scary Dark Lord.
- The ring tries to corrupt the very beings who swear to protect the ring bearer, putting his life, the quest, and the entire land at risk.
- The Dark Lord and his evil minions constantly seek the ring, making crossing the lands treacherous for all.
- If anyone uses the ring, the minions will immediately sense its power and be drawn to it.
- The ring tempts everyone to use it, weakening them until almost none can resist.
- There's a whole 'nother bunch of evil creatures trying to kick off a war... and so on.
Without that movie, none of us would've seen Viggo Mortenson as Aragorn clad in leather and just the right amount of scruff get all up in the Dead Army King's face with the best verbal bitch-slap ever: "You will suffer me!"
*Swoon*
Ahem... as I was saying. Trouble. Conflict. It's what makes story possible.
Making Trouble for Our Characters
Jessica Verday's Let's Talk Torture post got me thinking about what writers do to amp up conflict in our fiction. Like Jessica, I don't generally set out to torture my characters, I just try to tell their stories. But if it's all roses and easy street, the story fizzles out fast, creating no conflict but my inability to pay the bills when I can't sell my books. Lucky for me, my agent is great at pointing out when a character's life is going too smooth. "I really like this," he might say. "But what can we do to raise the stakes here?"
In other words, how can we turn a ho-hum trip to the nurse's office for a paper cut into a severed appendage during an earthquake where the character has to chose between saving her thumb or saving her secret crush's prized Stradivarius violin that he inherited from his great-great grandfather---all that's left of his family's legacy---moments before the ceiling in the cafeteria caves in?
Got Conflict?
Writers, how do you cause trouble for your characters? Do you let the story roll out first, seeing what kinds of messes the characters get into on their own, or do you throw bombs in their paths from page one? Do you brainstorm a bunch of "what if" scenarios before writing, or test out different conflicts and ideas as you go? Do your agent or critique partners help you see where the stakes can and should be raised?
And readers, what do you think? How "amped up" do you like your fictional conflict? Do you prefer trouble that's realistic and reflective of your own struggles in life, or do you like to read about characters whose difficulties are more magnified or exaggerated? What kind of trouble makes a good story for you?
Discuss. Argue. Throw down some verbal bitch-slaps. All in the name of a good story, right? ;-)
I know, right? I mean, isn't every young adult author's dream to see her listing on Amazon? Like this?
Twenty Boy Summer (Hardcover)
by Sarah Ockler (Author)
Key Phrases: @$$hole rule, inner jerk, destructive jerks...
That's just the beginning, before scrolling to the "statistically improbable phrases" and "capitalized phrases." Readers (and parents and teachers), I can assure you that despite what Amazon says, TWENTY BOY SUMMER's Anna Reiley and Frankie Perino have never uttered any of the following phrases. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I myself haven't uttered the following phrases, either (at least not since I left my last office gig):
- @$$hole rule
- inner jerk
- destructive jerks
- certified @$$hole
- @$$hole management
- jerk rule
- The Virtues of @$$holes
- Garbage Dump Troop, or
- Satan's Cesspool Strategy
(No pressure. I mean, it's not like I would call you the A-word on my blog or anything. That would be pretty statistically improbable.)
No, I'm not talking about the rent. Nope, not the taxes either (but you should get on that, because you've only got 2 months to go!). Not the gas bill, the mortgage, the car payment, or any of those other necessary unpleasantries, either.
So?
I'm talking about the 12 Months of Debsness!
*Insert general pandemonium here*
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Ahem. Right. So if you want the chance to win an entire goody bag stuffed with fun story-related treats and maybe even a $50 gift certificate to you favorite bookstore from the 2009 Debs, run on over and leave a comment today by 11:59 PM ET!
That's it! That's all you have to do to enter!
*Insert more pandemonium here*
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Thank you, peanut gallery. Um, why are you still here? Go!
Reading --- not necessarily book-buying, but actual reading --- can skyrocket during a recession because:
- It's a great way to escape, especially when we're feeling stressed or sad. Science fiction and fantasy titles do especially well here.
- Reading can be relatively cheap compared to other forms of entertainment. Sometimes it's even free.
- Reading is shareable, reusable fun. One book can benefit an entire household or group of friends or work buddies.
As an author, I'm constantly reading (currently on the nightstand: RED GLASS by Laura Resau and ONE WISH by Leigh Brescia). I read to keep up with market trends, to see what all of you are reading and blogging about these days. I read to get new ideas, or to see new twists on old ones. I read to analyze the craft and talents of my fellow authors, hoping that some of their elusive magic might rub off the pages into my fingers. I read my friends' work, like the wonderful new books of the 2009 Debutantes. I read because I love words and language and all the crazy beautiful ways they come together. And sometimes, I forget all the author / bibliophile stuff and read just as I always have, hoping to fall headfirst into a story that carries me far away and stays with me long after I've turned the final page. Those are the best books, aren't they?
But all this reading can get costly. I like to think that I'm doing my part in staving off the next Great Depression by keeping both my fellow authors and Mr. UPS in business, but that's not the smartest strategy. Amazon just makes it all too easy to click-click-buy, click-click-buy... they'll even tell you what you should buy based on stuff you already bought! Frightening, huh?
Reading and Book-Buying Habits
I'm at a point in my life where I read more than I ever have before, for both work and fun, but I've made some changes in the way I get my books. I used to order (click-click-buy!) any book that sounded remotely interesting or even tangentially related to something I might like, but now I'm more careful:
- I visit author Web sites to read chapter excerpts of books I'm considering.
- I check out review sites like GoodReads or scan Amazon's customer reviews.
- I ask friends for recommendations, or chat with the bookseller if I'm in a store.
- I read one or two books by an author before purchasing her entire backlist.
- I visit the library (*heart* libraries!), especially if there's a book I'm interested in but not sure I'll love or want to read more than once.
Truth is, I rarely read a book more than once, even when I enjoy it. I have so many unread books on my to-be-read pile (only partially shown here!), it seems criminal to dive back into something I've already experienced. But still, I like having them. I like looking at them. I like to know that I can reread them, even if I don't want to. I suppose it's the last bit of consumerism I'm still holding on to. I don't have a shoe thing or a bag thing or a clothes thing. I hate shopping, hate malls, hate trying stuff on or looking for something on a rack or shelf, hate returning things that just don't work, hate feeling pressured to buy things just because everyone else thinks I should. And I hate accumulating stuff in my home that I don't absolutely need or love. But books, well, I love them. I really do. They're the boxes I'll always cart with me, every time I move, everywhere I go, every new place I set up shop. I'll always have my books, always add to my collection of words and stories, even in a recession. I'm just trying to be better about which ones I collect!
What Do You Think?
Tell me, readers and book lovers, have your reading and book-buying habits changed? Are you reading more, but borrowing from a friend or the library instead of buying? Are you buying as much as ever? More? When you go into a book store, do you pick up something you weren't planning on, just because the cover or back copy looks good, or are you only getting things you've researched or already heard good things about?
Leave some love in the comments here and tell us how you're reading in a recession!
After partying with Sarah MacLean and the Regency crowd last week, we're back in the present for a little zombie action with author Stacey Jay. I haven't read YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME yet, but it's already flying --- er, shambling --- off the shelves across the country. Can't wait to get my copy and get my undead on!
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.
Megan's 2009 Debut Party
Given the recent news of the zombie apocalypse hitting Austin, I think partying with Megan is a pretty good way to hedge your bets!
The Guest List
Megan had to invite Buffy, just because so many parallels had been drawn between the two of them. But they both agreed that Megan is nowhere near as bad ass as the Buffster. Buffy tried to make a case that supernatural therapy skills are almost as cool as supernatural fighting skill, but Megan wasn't buying.
The Party
Join us at Megan's house for an undead pastry party in a small, intimate gathering of fellow Settlers, family, and friends. Everyone has to make a dessert with a zombie theme. We've got cupcakes with zombie hands bursting from the chocolaty ground, zombie sugar cookies with missing limbs and walnut brains, a jello mold made in the shape of a brain...all kinds of gross and yummy stuff. All guests receive glow in the dark zombie finger puppets!
Glow in the dark zombie finger puppets?! *Secretly wants glow in the dark zombie finger puppets!*
The Guest of Honor: Megan Berry
Megan dons a cute summer dress with shorts underneath, just in case zombies attack unexpectedly and she has to kick a little ass. Flashing your party guests is never cool.
And her theme song? Disturbia by Rhianna.
Stacey Jay's Advice for Megan on Her Big Debut
Enjoy it and eat lots of cake. There are things you might regret in life, but one night of unlimited cake is not one of them.
Unlimited cake?
*Runs --- er, shambles --- to zombie party!*
Thanks for the invite, Stacey, and best of luck to you and Megan!
YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME is available in book stores now, and also online at Amazon.
About the author: 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 released January 22nd from Razorbill books. Visit her online.
Here to kick off our first 2009 Character Debut Party is Sarah MacLean, author of THE SEASON, which I was lucky enough to read back in November. It kept my poor husband up all night, as every other page I was either oh-ing or oooh-ing or flat our laughing at strong-willed, sassy Lady Alexandra and her equally-engaging BFFs. One of the things I loved most about THE SEASON was the characters. Each was so well-developed and distinct, unique and multi-dimensional without ever overshadowing Lady Alex's lead. Even the minor characters were full of life, each making his own impact on the story. After I read this book, I emailed Sarah for a crash course in Jane Austin for beginners -- I'd never read Lady Jane and was so inspired by THE SEASON that I wanted to dive right in to Regency romance! About THE SEASON
Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford doesn't fit into the world of Regency London — she's strong-willed, sharp-tongued, and she absolutely loathes dress fittings. Unfortunately, her mother has been waiting for years for Alex to be old enough to take part in the social whirlwind of a London Season so she can be married off to someone safe, respectable, wealthy, and almost certainly boring. But Alex is much more interested in adventure than romance.
Between sumptuous balls, lavish dinner parties and country weekends, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get entangled in her biggest scrape yet. When the Earl of Blackmoor is killed in a puzzling accident, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. It's a mystery brimming with espionage, murder, and suspicion. As she and Gavin grow closer, will Alex's heart be stolen in the process?
Romance and danger fill the air, as this year's Season begins!
Lady Alexandra's 2009 Debut Party
Sarah MacLean is letting us crash! Let's see what she has in store for Lady Alex and her friends on the big debut day.
The Guest List
- Emma Woodhouse from EMMA, sure to put her foot in it, but makes for a fun party nonetheless
- Lizzie Bennett from PRIDE & PREJUDICE, who is very clever and intelligent and would certainly add to the conversation
- Diana Holland from the LUXE series, real and fun and precisely the kind of friend Alex gravitates to
- Cedric Diggory from HARRY POTTER, a great sport and more than a little bit handsome
- Annabel and Owen from JUST LISTEN, an adorable couple and whom Alex would definitely like
- Rosalind from AS YOU LIKE IT -- she's smart and not afraid to masquerade as a boy. She's bound to be fun!
The Party
Well, Alex has already had the debut her mother wanted her to have, complete with tepid lemonade, too many people and a hot, sticky ballroom.
The debut she would have liked to have had would have been outside at Hyde Park on a glorious, sunny, Spring afternoon... and very chill. No dancing, no inane conversation and absolutely no dress fittings. It would have included an elaborate picnic spread, Ella, Vivi, Nicola Salisbury, her brothers, Gavin (who is *like* a brother) and Freddie Stanhope, who is always good for a laugh. In a perfect world, Gavin would have let her drive his curricle to the party, which would have made the afternoon that much more fun.
The theme for Alex's party would be good friends, good conversation. Guests would receive copies of PRIDE & PREJUDICE by A Lady.
The Guest of Honor: Alex Stafford
Alex would wear a dark green riding habit. That way, if she dirtied her gown while playing Pall Mall, her mother won't flip out.
And her theme song? Like a Luminous Girl, by Mike Doughty.
Sarah MacLean's Advice for Alex on Her Big Debut
Don't get caught in the gardens doing something you shouldn't be doing with someone you shouldn't be doing it with.
Hmm... how very scandalous!
Thanks, Sarah, for letting us peak in on Alex's debut party -- sounds like the perfect way to spend an afternoon. And if you guys ever met Gavin, well... put it this way. As long as he's around, a freak thunderstorm complete with hail couldn't cool off that garden party!
THE SEASON is available in book stores now, and also online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound. If you pick your copy up at the local book store, take a picture and head on over to Sarah's blog to let her know. On top of having a great book on your nightstand, you could win a cool Regency prize!
About the Author: Sarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, where she spent much of her free time bemoaning the fact that she was more than a century too late for own Season. Her unabashed addiction to historical fiction helped to earn her a degree in European History from Smith College before she moved to New York City to pursue a career in publishing. After receiving a Masters in Education from Harvard University, Sarah returned to New York, where she lives with her husband, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She is currently working on a series of regency-set romances to be released in 2010 from Avon/HarperCollins. Visit her online at MacLeanSpace.
The best part? We're totally crashing!
Join me throughout the year for the 2009 Character Debut Party Crash, where we sneak ahead of the A-list to mingle with the new crop of YA leading lads and ladies. Think Sweet 16 meets southern-style society debut, but less proper, and with a little bit of made-up stuff in between.
Winter / Spring Party Lineup:
- Thursday, February 5: Sarah MacLean, author of THE SEASON
- Thursday, February 12: Stacey Jay, author of YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME
- Sunday, February 22: Jenny Moss, author of WINNIE'S WAR
- Monday, March 2: Cynthea Liu, THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA
- Friday, March 6: Erin Dionne, author of MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES
- Tuesday, March 10: Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER
- Saturday, March 21: J.E. MacLeod, author of WAITING TO SCORE
- Monday, April 6: Heather Duffy-Stone, author of THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU
- Tuesday, April 14: Neesha Meminger, author of SHINE, COCONUT MOON
- Wednesday, April 15: Carrie Ryan, author of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH
Hours later, still waiting in the lobby with all the other cold people to get my heat turned back on, the desk woman tracked me down. She needed me to sign some forms because they wanted to give me a $2 million grant to work on my next book.
"My supervisor really loved your book, miss," she said, handing me a pen. "And we really just have this money sitting around. We have to give it out in grants. It's yours."
2 million dollars. Nice, right? Well I must be some kind of mystic, because when I woke up this morning, well... guess which one of those dreams came true?
Hint: Effing brrrrrrrrrrrrr!
National Fuel didn't shut down, but my furnace died, and I froze all day, and even though they came and fixed it pretty fast, I'm still frozen, because if I start out the day cold (or with bad hair or in a bad mood), my whole day is shot. And still, hours and hours later, no one has arrived with my $2 million check, despite the fact that I signed about seven different forms for that woman!
Life is, like, so totally unfair.
Effing brrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Speaking of unfair, and waiting around for things that never materialize, yes, I abandoned my faithful blog readers again for nearly a month. A lot of exciting things have happened since I last rambled here, including but not limited to two trips to the ER (only one was my own), the start of a brand new year, and the long-awaited swearing-in of a brand new president.
George, don't let the door hit you in the...
*Ahem*
Anyway. January is just the beginning. There are lots of fun things happening in 2009, especially on the YA lit front. Check it out:
12 Months of Debsness
On the 15th of each month, you can win a Debsness bag stuffed with goodies from the 2009 Debutantes member authors. All you have to do is leave a comment on the Debsness post and you'll be entered to win. I'll put the link up here before the next giveaway.2009 Debs Blog Tour
Starting in February, running throughout the year, 36 of the 2009 Debutantes will stop by SarahOckler.com during the craziest blog tour in history1. We'll learn a little bit about their 2009 releases, main characters, interesting trivia, and maybe some other fun stuff, too. First up is Stacey Jay, zombie mama and author of YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME. Check back here on February 12 for more on zombies. ‘09 Debut Authors Challenge
Blogger Story Siren is hosting the ‘09 Debut Authors Challenge for anyone interested in reading a set number of YA or MG novels from debut authors published this year. I've been lucky enough to get a sneak peak at several '09 debuts in ARC format, with a few more on the way, so I'm excited to be part of the challenge. If you like to read and you <3 YA as much as I do, check it out!TWENTY BOY SUMMER hits the shelves!
On June 1, 2009, just about two years after finishing TWENTY BOY SUMMER and signing an agent, I'll get to walk into my favorite bookstore and see it on an actual shelf. Like, next to other actual books.
That people can actually buy.
And read. OMFG.
*Faints*
1. This claim has not been scientifically proven.
On to the goods.
The Reading List
RED GLASS by Laura Resau. I first heard about this book during the 2008 Colorado Book Awards, where RED GLASS won in the Young Adult category. I feel especially connected to and excited about this one because Laura lives in Colorado, where I wrote TWENTY BOY SUMMER and lived for 5 years. And, RED GLASS was released on the same day I officially accepted my book deal. And... just look at that cover!Here's a synopsis from Laura's Web site:
One night Sophie, her mother, and her stepfather are called to a hospital, where Pablo, a five-year-old Mexican boy, is recovering from dehydration. Pablo was carrying the business card of Sophie's step-father - but he doesn't recognize the boy. Crossing the border into Arizona with seven other Mexicans and a coyote, or guide, Pablo and his parents faced such harsh conditions that the boy is the only survivor. Pablo comes to live with Sophie, her parents, and Sophie's aunt Dika, a refugee from the war in Bosnia. Sophie loves Pablo - her Principito, or Little Prince - but after a year, Sophie's parents are able to contact Pablo's extended family in Mexico, and Sophie, Dika, and Dika's new boyfriend and his son must travel with Pablo to his hometown so that he can make a heart-wrenching decision.
Sophie has always been afraid of everything - car wrecks, cancer, becoming an orphan herself. But traveling with Dika, Pablo, Mr. Lorenzo, and Angel - people who have suffered losses beyond Sophie's imagining - changes her perception of danger. Sophie feels a strong connection to Ángel, but she fears losing him almost as much as she enjoys their time together. When a tragic event forces Sophie to take a dangerous journey, she recognizes that life is beautiful even in the midst of death - and that love is worth the risk of losing.
WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED by Judy Blundell. This WWII historical YA is the 2008 National Book Award winner and just seeing that cover brings swing jazz to my ears. I can't wait to read it. From BookBrowse:
When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.
As she begins to realize that almost everything she believed to be a truth was really a lie, Evie must get to the heart of the deceptions and choose between her loyalty to her parents and her feelings for the man she loves. Someone will have to be betrayed. The question is . . . who?
THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX by Mary E. Pearson. I'm looking forward to reading this for Page Flipper's online book club discussion later next month. Here's a summary from The Adoration of Jenna Fox site - check out the link for an erie book trailer, excerpts, reviews, and more info about the book.
Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a year-long coma, and she’s still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. Her parents show her home movies of her life, her memories, but she has no recollection. Is she really the same girl she sees on the screen?
Little by little, Jenna begins to remember. But along with the memories come questions—questions no one wants to answer for her. What really happened after the accident?
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman. Okay. Not to get anyone all excited or anything, but creepy middle grade boy books might just be my new thing. I've already heard great things about this book and can't wait to curl up with it on the couch. Or in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Delaware Park, pretty much right up the street.
Hmmm. Maybe when the snow melts.
No summary needed - check out the trailer, with extra creep-factor for the music and accent:
THE HIGHWAYMAN and THE ANCIENT, both by R. A. Salvatore.
A little sword and sorcery fantasy to change up the YA fun. I'm sure the literary elite consider fantasy about as worthy as YA fiction, but I think we could all use a little trip down fantasy lane these days. Down with highbrow hobnobbing! Bring on the barren landscapes, golden ale, leather-clad women warriors, animal traveling companions, magic gems, and the dark elves we love to hate! So, did you do it? Did you buy your books to save the world? Eight days left!
First it was Entertainment Weekly's 2007 review of Jenny Downham's BEFORE I DIE, spoiling a starred review with, "...unfortunately, Downham's publisher has handicapped BEFORE I DIE by labeling it a young-adult novel, thus ghettoizing this gem to the back of most bookstores..." Entertainment Weekly swooped in for another poke at YA with Stephen King's review of Suzanne Collins' THE HUNGER GAMES, wrapping up with, "...although 'young adult novel' is a dumbbell term I put right up there with 'jumbo shrimp' and 'airline food' in the oxymoron sweepstakes..." Then Caitlin Flanagan of The Atlantic in What Girls Want, letting us all know "I hate Y.A. novels; they bore me..." before going on to praise Stephenie Meyer's Y.A. vampire series, TWILIGHT, for "illuminat[ing] the complexities of female adolescent desire."
Now The New Yorker steps up to the YA-bashing plate in Book Bench Reads: "Headlong," Part I, twisting a relatively positive review of HEADLONG by Kathe Koja into another jab at the misunderstood genre of young adult literature.
A few choice quotes from the article:
"I tend to think of young-adult fiction as sort of facile—a straightforward style, uncomplicated themes and morals..."
If you're a young girl and your best friend -- also a girl your age -- is sexually molesting you and mentally tormenting you for years before her not-so-accidental death, is that straightforward and uncomplicated? Jo Knowles' LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL doesn't make it look that way. What about setting a young neighbor kid on fire and watching him burn alive? Any uncomplicated morals there? Not in Gail Giles' RIGHT BEHIND YOU. Both of these books are on the YA shelves today.
"When I was a teen-ager, I assumed that the label was synonymous with preachy and boring, a companion to sex-ed classes."
If you haven't read a young adult novel since you were a teen, perhaps a walk through the YA section at your local book store or library would do you some good -- especially if you're working on an article about current teen reads. YA books today are anything but boring. THE HUNGER GAMES practically gave me nightmares with it's not-so-hard-to-believe plot about a dystopian future where kids are forced to compete annually in a fight to the death on live television. Speaking of nightmares and dystopian futures, if you're looking to get your zombie apocalypse on, check out Carrie Ryan's upcoming THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. A snoozer? I think not.
"All the boys in my life read as teens, which begs the question: why do I surround myself with such wimps?"
Really? Boys who read are wimps? I guess that makes John Green a wimp. And Jay Asher, Kaleb Nation, Cory Doctorow, to name a few. They're in good company with fellow 2009 and 2010 debut authors Kurtis Scaletta, Chris Rylander, Jon Skovron, and Josh Berk. And my little brother -- the one who loves YA books? And my husband, who devoured everything by R.A. Salvatore as a kid and still does? Wimp? Right. Frankly, New Yorker, I think we all need to surround ourselves with more of these so-called wimps. I want wimps on every corner, in ever school and library and corporate office and television station. I want to be immersed in a feast of wimps. Thankfully we just put one in the White House -- a big ol' presidential wimp who loves to read and wants his kids (and all of our kids) to share the same passion for words.
"Surely we demand of 'adult' writers (or perhaps what I really mean is 'great' writers) higher moral and philosophical stakes?"
Are you saying that only adult writers are great writers? I think that's what you're saying, and I don't like that one bit. I think you're also saying that we should have different expectations for adult literature than we do for young adult works in terms of complexity and depth of issues, and frankly, that's a cop-out. Yes, there are crappy, shallow, one-dimensional, stereotypical YA books just as there are crappy, shallow, one-dimensional, stereotypical adult books. A genre label is not a judgment on quality or authenticity. It's just a way to shelve a book in the store or library so that readers can more easily find the books we like.
"I think the Y.A. genre is typically defined by very straightforward moral messages, ones that are deemed 'suitable' for children, even if the subject matter deals with more grown-up topics (like sex or drinking)."
I'd venture to say that mortgages and prostates are grown-up topics. But sex and drinking? Teens and even younger kids are faced with these topics -- including other tough issues like suicide, rape, self-mutilation, runaways, drugs, bullying, poverty, depression -- every day. Calling any of these "grown-up" topics is the same head-in-the-sand mentality that prevents some parents from ever truly knowing or understanding their kids and the issues they and their closest friends are confronting every time they walk out the front door. YA literature tackles tough topics, often with ambiguous or open-ended messages that reflect the gray shades of reality rather than conforming to any "straightforward, suitable" morality.
Readers, what do you think about young adult literature today? Do you find it preachy, boring, uncomplicated or un-challenging? If not, what are some of your favorite teen reads from today or yesterday? Comment here and head on over to the New Yorker to tell them what you think!
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