Linger Blog Tour Part 2 and 3: Review//Interview//WINNER

And the WINNER of the LINGER giveaway is......

MY NAME IS PATRICIA!!

Please email me (blackdiamond508 AT aol DOT com) with your mailing address within the next 48 hours.

Thanks to everyone who participate in my first contest!

Part 2 and 3 of the Maggie Stiefvater's book, Linger, is an interview and review.

Here's the link to my review of Linger: http://bclement412.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-linger-by-maggie-stiefvater.html

And here is my interview with Maggie about Linger:

1. Why did you decide to have 4 alternating narrators in Linger?

Because two just wasn’t hard enough! No, actually, it was because I really wanted to have two characters to play off Sam and Grace and their relationship. In order to really dig into the angst back story, I had to get inside their heads.

2. Who is your favorite character from Linger, and why?

You can’t really pick favorite characters for the same reason you can’t pick favorite children: they’ll come and kill you in the night. But I have to say I really enjoyed writing Cole’s narrative arc. He changes really dramatically and that is fun and challenging for a writer.

3. What element(s) of Linger do you wish could be part of your own life?

The chicken parmesan Grace and Rachel made. Everything else would send me to therapy. Oh, well, I guess I’d like to hear Sam’s music from this book. I have a couple of tunes I’ve written for his songs, but I think they’d sound better if he sang them.

4. Do you ever dream about your characters/stories? If so, do those dreams ever become part of the actual book?

I dream about my characters and stories all the time. Dreams are often the genesis of my short stories and while I usually can’t use them exactly as they happen, they often have kernels of great stuff that I couldn’t think of while awake. I can always tell when I’m really deep into a rough draft because I’ll start dreaming scenes from the book. Yay, subconscious. I think a lot of authors take inspiration from their dreams.

5. When you were writing the Shiver, did you have an idea of what was to come in Linger?

Not at first, but as I dug deeper into Grace’s backstory, little pieces began to fall into place. I’m afraid I’m a rather loosy-goosy plotter -- I come up with final scenes and a few key scenes along the way and then I just go from there.

6. Can you share anything at all about the third and final book in the series, Forever?

No. But nice try :)

Interview with Laurie Faria Stolarz

Summary:

Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades, an okay relationship with her parents, and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when a mysterious boy named Ben starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead, she's inexplicably drawn to Ben.and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help-but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.

Interview:

Q: What inspired you to write the Touch series?

A: I wanted to write a story where the main character has to struggle with the idea of falling in love with someone who could potentially be dangerous. I tinkered with this concept in the first three books of my Blue is for Nightmares Series [(Blue is for Nightmares (Llewellyn 2003),White is for Magic (Llewellyn 2004), and Silver is for Secrets (Llewellyn 2005), as well as in Bleed (Hyperion 2006)]. In Bleed, in particular, there’s a young male character who was convicted for the murder of his girlfriend. His next relationship consists of pen pal letters he exchanges with a young girl while he’s in prison. Without giving too much away, the relationship is briefly pursued once he is released, but I wanted to bring this concept to another level.

Additionally, I wanted to continue experimenting with the supernatural (which I also use in my Blue is for Nightmares Series as well as inProject 17), showing how we all have our own inner senses and intuition, and how with work we can tap into those senses and make them stronger.

I started researching different types of supernatural powers and discovered the power of psychometry (the ability to sense things through touch). The concept fascinated me, and so I wanted to bring it out in a character, showing how sometimes even the most extraordinary powers can also be a curse.

Lastly, I wanted to apply these concepts to be part of a series. I love the idea of growing a main character over the course of several books.

Q: What was your query process like?

A: I approached editors and agents at the same time, trying to target those who worked with writers like me (namely, writers who wrote in the young adult supernatural genre). It took me a long time to sell my first novel. I have a folder filled with rejection letters. My favorite one is from an editor who said: “While this is an interesting project, I do not feel it is strong enough to compete in today’s competitive young adult market.” That same young adult novel, BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES, has sold over 200,000 copies, has been translated into numerous different languages, and has appeared on many different award lists. When I speak to young people and aspiring writers, I always tell them this story, that if I had stopped persevering, after I received my first – or my 40^th rejection letter – I may never have been able to enjoy the success of my series.

Q: Are any of your characters based off people you know?

A: No, though sometimes I’ll steal a character quirk from people I’ve known. For example, in the Blue is for Nightmares series, Amber carries around a pair of chopsticks for whenever she’s eating out. I once knew someone who did that.

Q: Cameila has a love for pottery—do you have a love for it as well? Does it help you relax like it does Camelia? If not, how do you relax?

A: Yes, I love pottery, and have been doing it since I was a kid. My mom worked in a ceramics studio and I often went to work with her, helping out whenever I could. I also relax by walking, napping, cooking, yoga, and watching lots of reality TV.

Q: When writing, do you use an outline or just wing it?

A: I use an outline.

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: I’m currently working on the edits of DEADLY LITTLE GAME, the third book in the TOUCH SERIES. I’m also editing DO YOU SEE, the third book in THE AMANDA PROJECT.

Q: Is there anything you can tell us about the next installment of the Touch Series?

A: The title DEADLY LITTLE GAMES holds very true – there is a literal game going on. Things between Camelia and Ben continue to get complicated, and Adam’s presence doesn’t help things. We’ll also get to see more of Camelia’s aunt.

Q: Did you always know that you wanted to write young adult novels? More specifically, paranormal?

A: Yes, though I loved telling stories as a young person, I wasn’t a big reader. As soon as I got slightly bored, I’d put the book down. I tended to gravitate toward books that kept me turning pages. Those books turned out to be of the mystery/suspense/paranormal genre. I knew I wanted to write books that appealed to me at that age.

Q: Did you test other genres before settling on teens as your audience?

A: I started with screenplay, because I love to see my books as scenes. I then went on to write young adult novels. My second novel, BLEED, (though 4^th published), was originally written for adults before I sold it in the young adult market.

Interview with Gayle Forman

Synopsis:
A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family.

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.


Interview:

Q: What inspired you to write If I Stay?

A: This is such a long and complicated story that I’ve kind of hemmed and hawed around but I’ve decided to stop hemming. In a nutshell here it is:

Ten years ago there was a car accident very much like the one in the book. A family was out driving and then the family was gone. One member of that family held on a little longer before he gave up his fight and I always wondered: Did he know what had happened to the rest of his family? Did he choose to go with them? Seven years later, a 17-year-girl named Mia, an object of pure fiction, pops into my head out of the blue, and I knew she was going to answer that question for me. At least as it pertained to her. That’s how I got the idea.


Q: What was your querying process like?

A: It was an interesting process. If I Stay was my third book, but I was in the position of having to get an agent again because my first agent—the one who’d sold my first two books—was quitting the business. Because neither of my first two books had done terribly well, I was in the same position of every first-time writer of having to prove myself. But the process was much less fraught this time around because, I don’t know, I just was more obsessed with the work than finding representation for it. I sent out a few feelers early on, including an email to one agent I really wanted to work with because she had a strong YA list, but when nothing came of it immediately, I didn’t sweat it. I just finished the book I was working on and only then sent out a query letter to half-dozen agents. Most ignored me. One asked to see the manuscript. After five months, that first agent, the one I’d initially wanted to work with, finally read If I Stay and within hours of finishing it was calling and emailing and offering me very enthusiastic representation. I’ve actually gone into great detail about all this, including showing the query letters for various projects, on my blog. If readers want all the dirty details, they’re here:
http://www.gayleforman.com/blog/2010/01/19/answers-part-2-query-letters/


Q: Like Mia, did you have aspirations to become a musician?

A: None at all. I’ve never been a musician. I barely even play an instrument, save for a few years of piano lessons and a few years dickering around on the guitar. Mia arrived in my head, fully formed, as a cellist, and a very serious one at that. But like Mia, I’m ambitious, just in other ways.


Q: Did an event as monumental, not necessarily quite so devastating, as that in Mia’s life ever happen to you? How did it change you as a person? As a writer?

A: The family in that car accident I mentioned—they were very good friends of mine. So this was definitely one of the most devastating events of my life. I certainly hope it changed me as a person. Every day I hope to live a little better to honor them. I don’t know that I always succeed but I keep trying. It changed me as a writer, I suppose, in that it added one more mystery to haunt me, one that eventually emerged, transformed through fiction.


Q: If I Stay in it’s entirety was heart wrenching. What was the hardest part of it to write? (yes, I admit, I shed a tear or two while reading ☺)

A: Believe it or not, it wasn’t that hard to write. I know that might sound strange given what I’ve just told you, but I based some of the characters on the friends I’d lost so even though I was writing painful bits, being immersed in the book was like being with them again. A lot of the book was emotional; I cried some serious tears while writing, but that’s different from something being heart-wrenching.

But the really tough stuff all pertained to Mia. One thing that stands out is the accident scene early on: I intentionally wrote that in sort of a distant tone. Mia seeing what she’s seeing but not fully comprehending it or digesting it. The point of it was, if she really took it all in, it would be too much and she’d lose it, lose it for the entire book. 200 pages of waaahhh and nooooooo! So she had to detach. When I finished writing a draft, it was suggested that I needed to give Mia a moment of singular piercing horror, when she recognized what had happened, takes it in and then really emotionally detaches as fully as she has physically. So when I wrote that part, about seeing her hand, trying to wake herself up, screaming that this can't be real, that gutted me. For one, that felt so familiar to me. That’s how you react to bad news: “No, this must be a dream.” Also, by that point, I knew and loved Mia, so I knew what I was about to put her through. That was the hardest scene for me. Oh, and when she finds out about Teddy. I wanted to crawl under my desk into a little ball. There’s a reason that after all those intense revelations, I switch to such happy flashbacks; my sanity depended on it.


Q: What are you working on right now? Is there anything you can tell us about it?

A: I have finished up a new project and it’s with my editor and I’m just waiting for her thumbs up before I make an announcement on my web site about what it is. I hate to be coy but I’m superstitious. So until Julie says “yep,” I keep my mouth shut. You can check in at http://www.gayleforman.com/blog/ for updates. It should be coming soon.


Q: What can you tell us about what is going on with the film version of If I Stay?

A: The last I heard we were due to go into production this spring. But it’s still up in the air who will direct. I’ve got my fingers crossed for Catherine Hardwicke but she has several projects in development so it’s just a matter of which one gets greelit first. I heard a rumor that Dakota Fanning was going to play Mia but then I didn’t see it followed up in the trade newspapers, which is how Hollywood announces its official news. Again, I’m as in the dark as anyone. When I get news, I post it on my blog.


Q: If you had the control, who would you cast as your characters?

A: Dakota Fanning is pretty awesome. I haven’t seen her in anything that she wasn’t amazing in and she’d be the same age as Mia. I also love the actress Mia Wasikowska. I just saw her in In Treatment and thought she was amazing. I have NO IDEA who could play Adam. I have a fantasy of Johnny Depp for dad. Someone a little wild and fun for mom.


Q: Have you always wanted to write for the teen audience?

A: Yes. My first real job as a journalist was at Seventeen and I plotted my way to that job. I really had wanted to work at Sassy Magazine, the coolest teen mag ever, but it had folded by the time I graduated college and moved to New York. But Seventeen had taken over the mantle of sass and cool by then so I worked there for five years. I’ve always written about teens, for teens and in a voice that is authentically teen, I think, because that’s how I write (and, yes, talk). So, it’s no surprise that when I started writing fiction, it was for this age group. I’m not sure how I’m going to pull of being 80 and writing YA, but if Judy Blume can do it, why can’t I?


Q: What are some of your favorite YA books you’ve read recently?

A: I’m glad you said recently; it narrows the field.

I just finished and loved Libba Bray’s Going Bovine and was delighted it won the Printz. I’m completely gaga for Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere, which comes out in March and is spectacular. I finally read Shiver and thought it was even better than all the hype—i.e. so, so good. A few of my favorite books from last year were middle-grade novels (and now Newbery winners): When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead and The Evolution of Calpunia Tate by Jaqueline Kelly. The upcoming Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan is wonderful. And I have Marcelo In the Real World on my nightstand. it’s coming on vacation with me next week! I love YA!


Q: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

A: Write for the joy of writing, not for the ambition of getting published. This sounds very hokey, the kind of advice Pa would give to Half Pint, but it’s the truth. The best writing is the stuff that comes from the authentic, crazy, real, risky, you-y part of you. So yes, it’s great to know the trends and the business and all that but at the end of the day, I truly believe the best work is done when you strip that down and write what’s deep inside you. That’s also what I believe is the most gratifying. If you obsess about keeping up with the races, who got what deal, that is where your energy will go when it should go into your work. Sit at your desk. Get your fingers going at the keyboard. Give the magic a chance to happen.

Interview with Kristina McBride

Happy Wednesday! Here's an interview with YA author Kristina McBride, whose debut novel The Tension Of Opposites comes out May 25th, 2010.


Summary:

Up / Down
Hot / Cold
Free / Noelle


It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.


Interview:

Q: What was your querying process like?

A: Crazy long and painful. I’ll make it quick. Manuscript 1: Over 100 rejections – only one partial requested (Um, what was I thinking?). No offers for representation in 2006. Manuscript 2: roughly 50 rejections – 5 partials & 2 fulls requested. No offers for representation in 2007. Manuscript 3 – From my first batch of 20 queries, I had roughly 10 requests for partials and fulls. I was pleased and excited to accept representation from Alyssa Eisner Henkin with Trident Media Group in May of 2008.


Q: On your website, it says you were nearly kidnapped. Can you tell us about that? How much did that influence The Tension of Opposites? What else sparked the idea for The Tension of Opposites?

A: One day when I was very young, my mother and I returned home to find a man in our garage. He took her inside, leaving me in the car in the driveway, and while he ransacked our house, he lost the keys to the stolen car he had parked in our garage. He put all the stolen items in the car I was still sitting in, and almost drove away with me. So, “kidnapping” is a strong term since he wasn’t after me, specifically, but he would have taken me if my mother hadn’t pleaded with him. Because of that day, that story from my childhood, I have always feared being kidnapped. Which is why I was so drawn to the story of a young man who Oprah interviewed several years ago. He had recently been returned to his family after spending four years with his kidnapper. I was captivated, and soon after watching that show, Tessa started speaking to me.


Q: Many of us aspiring authors have dreamed about the Call, for both the offer of representation and the book deal. What was yours like?

A: The Call when I was offered representation was very professional and businesslike. I was terrible nervous! But it was good! Very, very good! I connected with Alyssa immediately and knew she would be perfect to help me launch my career.

The Call when I learned of my first offer was much different. It was a horribly hot summer day, and I had just returned from a family trip to the pool. When the phone rang, I didn’t even hear it. Why? I was in the bathroom scrubbing two sticky children, who were screaming and writhing like I was giving them a bath in acid. It wasn’t until later that I saw the blinking light on the answering machine.

“Great,” I thought. “What next?”

All I wanted was to sit back and relax, but I hit the play button. When I heard the voice of my agent, I knew it would be something big because she had NEVER called me without scheduling. I shrieked with delight and ran to tell my husband the good news. We celebrated later by taking the kids out for ice cream. Which made them sticky all over again. But I didn’t care one bit!


Q: Are any of your characters based off people you know?

A: While there are little traits in my characters that you might find in my friends (my BFF in high school always wanted a yellow Jeep) or family (my Grandpa Lou loved taking photographs and owned an old-school Nikon), none of the characters are based on anyone in particular.


Q: Can you tell us about the extensive revisions you made with your agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin? Was there ever a time you felt like giving up?

A: Oh, dear. I worked on revisions with Alyssa for nearly a year. I knew I was in for it from our very first call when she warned me that my manuscript needed a “major overhaul”, and greatly appreciate her patience and guidance. That said, it was HARD. I allowed myself specific evenings to wallow in self-pity and eats loads of chocolate, but I never once felt like giving up. To be painfully specific, I submitted four drafts, changed the title three times, and six months into revisions, dropped everything but five chapters to basically start over. Ouch. That hurts to admit ☺


Q: Does music help you write? Do you have a special playlist for The Tension of Opposites?

A: Music (or any background noise) throws me off when I’m writing. I prefer complete silence, which is rare in my house. If I had to pick one song that comes to mind when I think of my novel, I’d say it’s Don’t Follow by Alice in Chains. It’s Noelle’s song, all the way.


Q: What are you working on now?

A: The second book in my two-book deal with Egmont USA. That’s all I can say for now.


Q: What some of your favorite YA books you’ve read recently?

A: I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an ARC of Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards http://www.jamerichards.com/Books.html Amazing.


Q: Why write for young adults? Is it the audience you always planned on writing for?

A: My first manuscript was an adult suspense/thriller. It obviously didn’t go over too well (see my query issues above). Two of the main characters in that manuscript were teens, and after completing it, I realized that the scenes with them flowed better than any of the other scenes, and the dialogue seemed to come to me without much effort. They were the most fun to write, and to read and revise. I was a high school English teacher for eight years, and I really connect with the young adult age group. Basically, I just think it’s fun to read and write about teens. Teens face so many struggles, and it’s interesting to play around with plotlines that surround those types of issues.


Links:

Website: http://www.kristinamcbride.com

Blog: http://kristinamcbride.livejournal.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/McBrideKristina

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6889070-the-tension-of-opposites

Interview with Bree Despain

I had the amazing opportunity to interview Bree Despain, author of The Dark Divine!


Summary: Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood—but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.


Interview:

Q: What inspired you to write The Dark Divine?

A: Lots of things inspired the story, including a random memory from the 9th grade, a book I had just recently read at the time (Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson), some great music I would listen to, etc. But mostly what sparked the story was a conversation between a brother and a sister that popped into my head one night as I was driving home. The brother was warning his sister to stay away from a former friend who had recently returned. I was so intrigued by what was going on between these two and why the brother would want his sister to stay away from this friend; that I had to know the whole story.

Q: What was your querying process like?

A: When I queried the book the first time, I received several “I like it, but I’m not in love with it” comments. I decided something was missing from the story and shelved it for a few months while I worked on another project. But as I was working on this other project, I kept getting new ideas for The Dark Divine story. I took it back off the shelf and rewrote ¾ of the book while adding another 100 pages. After several revisions, and a lot of research on agents I thought would be a good fit for the story, I queried the book again. I started with my top agent choice (I know… who does that?) as well as a few others. I received some manuscript requests, including one from my top choice agent, and a few anxiety filled weeks later he offered me representation.

Q: Many of us aspiring authors have dreamed about the Call. What was yours like?

A: When my agent was calling me to tell me that my manuscript had an offer, I actually didn’t recognize the number and thought it was a telemarketing call. Fortunately, he left me a message telling me to call him back right away. . . so about 0.25 seconds later I call him back and he says, “you screening my calls?” Then he says to me, “Well, I’ve got some bad news. . . I can’t call you one of my unpublished clients anymore.” I squeed really loud and then got mad at him for making me think it was bad news. The happy dance didn’t stop for several days after that.

Q: What authors have influenced you as a writer?

A: As I mentioned before, Laurie Halse Anderson has had a big impact on me as a reader and as a writer. Some of my other favorites that have helped me to find my own voice are Martine Levitt, Meg Cabot, and Elizabeth Peters.

Q: Your main character, Grace, has been raised in a religious household. Was your upbringing similar to Grace’s?

A: Yes. Sort of ☺. My dad isn’t a pastor, but I do have a very close-knit and religious family.

Q: Grace and Daniel share a passion for art. Have you always had a love for art as well?

A: Absolutely. I used to paint as a teenager, but the real talent in my family is in my younger brother. I often asked him for advice when it came to talking about the art stuff in the book.

Q: Why did Grace remain attracted to Daniel through the years he was gone?

A: Grace always had a connection to Daniel. It was something they shared as children, and he was really her first crush. I think Grace thought she had moved on, but when he shows up again, a lot of those emotions come back.

Q: You’ve said that you are working on the sequel to The Dark Divine. Is there anything you can tell us about it? Are you working on something other than the sequel?

A: Just the sequel for now. I can’t say much, but I’m enjoying exploring some of the questions that are left unanswered at the end of the first book.

Q: In your bio, you state that you took a semester off college to work with underprivileged teens. Did this experience change you as a person and a writer? If so, how?

A: This experience was really what put me on the path to becoming an author. I’d always loved writing, but I also always thought being an author was only for the extraordinary. The time I spent with those kids, writing those plays, helped me to realize that writing was what I was passionate about and that I wanted to write for the teen audience.

Q: Did you always know that you wanted to write young adult novels? More specifically, paranormal? Did you test other genres before settling on teens as your audience?

A: I always knew that I wanted to write young adult, because that is where my voice is, but I didn’t always want to be a paranormal romance author. I actually fought it as first with The Dark Divine. I knew it needed to be a paranormal story, but I didn’t want it to be. But once I embraced it, I learned to love it. After The Dark Divine series, I have a couple other paranormal book ideas that I’ve been working on that I’m excited about, but I don’t think I will always write paranormal. I have a lot of fun ideas brewing for some contemporary YA too..

Q: In your opinion, what is the best part about writing young adult fiction?

A: The best part is getting to tap into my inner teen, because I never quite grew up. But also, the YA audience is an awesome group to write for. They are just beginning to find out who they are as individuals, and are a very enthusiastic and smart crowd. My favorite quote is when Sherman Alexi said, “writing YA fiction is like writing Adult fiction without all the BS.”

Link to Madeline-Rose's Interview with Me!

Hey guys! The fabulous Madeline-Rose has posted an interview with me at her blog.

My first interview!

Squee!

Interview with Lauren Kate

Hey guys! I'm here to share an interview with Lauren Kate. This is kind of a weird interview though. When I emailed her, she said she didn't have time to do a personal interview, but she sent along answers to questions that people had been asking her that very week. Enjoy!

Q: Who is Luce based on? Which character are you most like?

A: Luce’s physical traits are based on my oldest, closest friend—the dark wavy hair, hazel eyes, tiny teeth, etc. When I first started writing her, I pulled some personality traits from this friend, but as I continued with her story, Luce veered away from my friend into an identity of her own. I share some traits with her—like her stubbornness and tendency to get swept away by romance. But if I had to which one I’m most like (though this is hard to imagine), I might be a crazy combination of Arriane and Penn.

Q: Did you struggle in coming up with any of the characters?

A: Daniel was the most challenging, mainly because the full truth of his character has to come to light very slowly over the course of the entire series in order for the books to work. The reveal at the end of the first book was probably one that most readers saw coming...it is book about fallen angels after all! But there's a much bigger, game-changing reveal about Daniel to come later in the series. It's challenging for me to know what's coming and only be able to show the reader so much at this point. Daniel's character is difficult enough as it is! But I like to think of him as a work in progress, a developing story, and someone who, above all, knows Luce better than anyone else (including herself), and has her best interest at heart.

Q: How did you come up with Cam?

A: Believe it or not, Cam is inspired (but of course not entirely based) on my husband. When I first met Jason, he was this intriguing combination of very intimidating and very approachable. The perfect model for Fallen’s bad boy.

Q: Can you give us a hint about what will happen in Torment?

A: I’m having so much fun writing Torment right now. I think I’m more proud of it than any book I’ve written so far. Really, it’s going to be GOOD. It’s hard for me not to spill everything right now so I can say, “Aren’t you excited? Won’t this be great?” But my publisher would probably have my head. So in lieu of that, I’ll reveal just three things:

1. As Luce learns more about her past, she comes into a host of powers she never knew she had—and they might involve the shadows.

2. After the second book comes out, a prequel (which will span thousands of years!) will follow before the final book in the series.

3. Even though, of course, Daniel is Luce’s one-and-only, a new character is introduced in Torment that offers him some stiff competition.

Q: What's the publishing plan for the series? When is the next book coming out?

A: Fallen is the first book in the series—though I will be writing a prequel to explain some of the things that have happened before the narrative of Fallen began. Torment picks up right where Fallen left off and will be published in September 2010 (I don’t know the exact date yet). Sounds far away, doesn't it? But it'll be here before any of us can believe it. There will be two more books after that, one in the summer of 2011(this will be the prequel), and a final book in December 2011.

Q: What countries will publish Fallen?

A: So far, Fallen has sold in these countries:
• US: RH/Delacorte
• UK: RHUK (Doubleday)
• Germany: Bertelsmann
• Spain: RH/Mondadori
• Portugal: Planeta Portugal
• Catalan language: Grup Editorial 62
• Brazil: Editora Record
• Italy: Rizzoli
• Taiwan (Chinese Complex Character): Sun Color Culture
• Russia: Eksmo
• Korea: Random House Korea
• Greece: Psichogios Publications
• Netherlands/Dutch language: Uitgeverij Van Goor
• Indonesia: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama
• Bulgaria: Intense/Locus Books
• France: Bayard
• Turkey: Epsilon
• Estonia: Pegasus
• Serbia: Evro-Giunti
• Hungary: Könyvmoly
• Poland: MAG Publishers

Q: What can you tell us about the cover art?

A: Many people have asked about my involvement in the cover art. I actually had nothing to do with it (which is a lucky thing for all of us)—and no, I am not the girl on the cover! She’s a model from Brazil, the artist’s name is Fernanda Brusi Goncalves, and the cover was designed by a very talented team of designers at Random House. I did a little grateful grovel when I finally got to meet them a few months ago. I’m sorry I don’t know who designed the dress, though I’ve been told Morgan LaFaye makes a very similar one.

When my editor first emailed me a jpeg of this art, it took me about thirty seconds to wrap my mind around someone else’s image of the world and Luce’s character, but quickly after that, I fell in love with it. I think it’s perfect for the book. I don’t know what the cover for TORMENT will look like yet, but I know they are working on it at Random House!


Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

A: I've been writing stories since I was in middle school, so I love talking to people who are interesting in writing. One question this week was about how to write description, and the clearest advice I can give about that would be to take your time. Say I'm trying to describe a sunset and can't figure out how to make it interesting or fresh. Sometimes, when it takes me a while to get warmed up, I'll imagine how someone else--my husband, my best friend, someone I recently argued with--might see the same sunset. What would they notice about it that I wouldn't, or vice versa? Write a whole paragraph about the sunset instead of just a sentence. Then go back and look at what is strongest image you came up with. Which image reflects something new about your characters? Save that image, cut the rest. Eventually, those strong images will pop out first in your mind.

To those of you who are sending out your work (or plan to in the future), stick with it! I couldn’t even begin to count how many rejection letters I’ve received over the years from agents, publishers, editors, and contest judges. What kept me writing was the support of other friends who are writers—and a dogged determination to someday get my writing published. There were times when I never thought it would happen, but now I’m so glad I kept writing. Find a writing-buddy, share your work, revise it over and over again, read it aloud, stay true to yourself and your voice, and don’t give up. An English or a Writing program are great ways to read widely and meet other writers. If you’re looking for an agent, Writers Marketplace (the book) is a great place to start. There are also tons of publishing blogs out there with suggestions for agents. It’s mostly about finding someone whose tastes and sensibilities match yours.

Road Trip Wednesday: Best Covers

This is my first Road Trip Wednesday-- woot! So I'm here to share some of my favorite book covers.

(in no particular order)



1.) Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
















2.) Fallen by Lauren Kate
















3.) If I Stay by Gayle Forman
















4.) Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
















5.) Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen
















6.) Fire by Kristin Cashore

Interview with Lisa McMann

Yes, it is Sunday, but I couldn't wait. I am thrilled to post my interview with Lisa McMann, bestselling author of Wake, Fade, and the upcoming Gone. Gone will be released February 9th. (Check Horserider's sig on AW for the exact count down ;)

Q: What inspired you to write Wake, Fade, and Gone?

A: The trilogy’s plot was inspired by a dream I had, that I was in my husband’s dream, watching what he was dreaming about. The characters were inspired by the characters that I loved as a child/teen.

Q: What was your querying process like?

A: Well, WAKE was the third manuscript I wrote. I received 69 rejections on my query for my first manuscript, and I never queried the second manuscript because it really wasn’t good. Then I queried WAKE to twelve agents, and within 48 hours I had seven requests for fulls. By the end of a week, I had an offer from the agent who was #1 on my list, Michael Bourret. I was overjoyed. I’m glad I didn’t give up after manuscript #1, but I’m very glad I gave up *on* manuscript #1 and moved on. It’s definitely important to keep writing while submitting.

*bclement's note: You can check out her query for Wake here*

Q: What authors have influenced you as a writer?

A: Roald Dahl, Louisa May Alcott, Madeleine L’Engle, Chris Crutcher, E.B. White, Barbara Kingsolver.

Q: Have any of your own dreams/nightmares contributed to Wake, Fade, and Gone?

A: Yes! Carrie’s dream in WAKE was a recurring nightmare I had when I was a kid. Always woke up crying with that one. And there are other dreams in FADE and GONE too – the second dream in GONE was from a recent nightmare I had about my daughter. Horrible!

Q: Both books deal with very edgy topics. How did you prepare yourself to write something like that? Lots of research? Personal experience?

A: Lots of research. It was especially creepy researching date rape drugs. I felt very dirty trying to find that stuff out. Not really personal experience, though the relationships people have in my books are sometimes based on personal experiences.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: All kinds of stuff! I just turned my next manuscript to my editor for next year’s paranormal, Cryer’s Cross. It’s a stand-alone, quite different from Janie & Cabe but there’s definitely a creep factor as well as a romance. I have a middle grade dystopian fantasy novel coming next fall – my first foray into that market. I’ll keep writing YA, putting those books out in the spring of each year, and the middle grade stuff will be in the fall.

Q: In your opinion, what is the best part about writing young adult fiction?

A: Young adults are the most exciting age group, hands down. So much happens during that time – emotionally, physically, intellectually – it is the opposite of boring. That’s what makes YA so fascinating. There are so many things, so many issues to explore. And it’s a challenge, because teens are critical and they can be a tough sell. They’re not afraid to tell you that you suck. But be authentic and not preachy and you have a fan for life. I like that challenge.

Stay Tuned...

Hi guys, I just wanted to give you a heads up on what's going to be happening the next week(s).




Monday I will post an interview I had from Lisa McMann, bestselling author of Wake, Fade, and the upcoming Gone.
















And later next week, if not the following week, I will have interviews with:






Bree Despain, author of The Dark Divine















Gayle Forman, New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay
















and Lee Goldberg, author of the Monk books and a writer for the Monk television series, which stars Tony Shalhoub.








It will definitely be exciting!!

Interview with Maggie Stiefvater

The fabulous Maggie Stiefvater, author of Shiver and the upcoming Linger has allowed me to share a bit about herself and her writing experiences!

Q: What inspired you to write Shiver?

A: I would like to say that I was inspired to write Shiver by some overwhelming belief in true love, but here’s my true confession. I wrote Shiver because I like to make people cry. I had just finished reading The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger for the second time, and I cried for the second time. I should tell everyone now that I am not a big crier at books. I am kind of a serial career non-crier actually. If you look up shadenfreude on Wikipedia, you’ll see a picture of me with a snide smile on my face. And so the fact that this book had made me cry not once but twice, and not just cry but storm around the house doing the seven stages of grief, it really kind of inspired in me this desire to do the same thing to other people. And so with Shiver, I wanted to write a book that would make someone sneak a peek of it in their cubicle, and then mascara would run down their face, and they could shake their fist at the sky and curse me to the heavens.

Q: Have you always had a fascination with wolves?

A: I haven’t always had a fascination with wolves, but I’ve always been kind of animal crazy. When I was a child, I spent hours and hours watching those animal programs on National Geographic. And if my parents ever wanted to get me out of the house, they just sent me outside and told me that there were animals walking around in the woods for me to look at. So it was nice to write a book that had so much of a connection with nature.

Q: You are the mother of two young children. Has being a mom changed you as an artist?

A: Being a mom really hasn’t changed me as an artist. It doesn’t change my subject matter, but I will say it has definitely added to the time crunch. I used to just doodle and do art all the time, and now it’s very much squeezing it in between. But one of the most rewarding things about being a mom is that I’ve been able to teach my kids from the ground up art and music and writing. My daughter’s already starting to read, which is very fun, and she’s already incredible with a pencil, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing the way she turns out.

Q: What writers have inspired you?

A: I have been inspired by so many writers over the years. I always had my nose stuck in a book as a kid and even now I always have a book in my hand. But I have to say, if I was going to pick a few out of a hat, I would go with Diana Wynne Jones because I love that she writes fantasy that is funny. It’s serious, the plot is serious, but her characters realize how ludicrous the situations are that they’re in, and they comment on it. I love Susan Cooper because she’s great at setting mood. I love M.T. Anderson’s use of voice, he’s just fantastic and humbling. And then Jane Yolen is like a classic for all fantasy writers, she does a great job of putting folk tales into her stories. I do have a bunch of adult books that I enjoy as well. I obviously love The Time Traveler’s Wife, and I recently read Crow Lake, Year of Wonders, and The Secret Life of Bees and I’ve enjoyed them all immensely.

Q: You are an artist, a musician, and an author. Which came first—writing, music, or art?

A: I first started working as an artist about two years after I got out of college. When I graduated from college, I went straight to work for a federal contractor, a desk job, and they were great to me, they loved me, I was like their mascot, but I just couldn’t stand working in an office. I just hated it. And so one day I went in and said, “I’m sorry, this is my two-weeks notice, I’m quitting to become an artist.” And of course, I hadn’t been an artist before then and I don’t think I was very good then either, but I just decided that was the way to go. And so my boss looked at me and he said, “Well, Maggie, when you want your job back, when you can’t make a living, it’s always here for you.” And you know what, I made my living in that first year and never looked back, and I will never ever have a job with a cubicle.

Q: Does your work in one affect the others?

A: When I was a teen, I thought I would have to choose between my writing or my music or my art, but it turns out it’s a difficult juggling game but I can do all of them. Like right now, when I wrote Shiver, I got to do some fan art as well of my own, I sketch wolves a lot and I got to write a piece of music for it as well. So I like to think that it’s like “The Blind Men and the Elephant”. Does anyone know that poem anymore? The one where it’s the bunch of blind men who all have a different part of an elephant that they’re feeling and they’re guessing what the animal is. And eventually they come to the conclusion that it is actually an elephant. I feel like my writing and my music and my art are the same way, where they’re all describing different sides of the same animal.

Q: Since art is so important to you, what are the sights and sounds that surround you while you write? Do you listen to music?
What did you listen to while writing Shiver?

A: While I’m writing, I absolutely have to have music playing in the background. I just cannot focus without music to keep me grounded. Otherwise all I think about while I’m sitting there at the computer is how I need to do my laundry or walk the dogs or I really need to eat some of that cookie dough I just made. So, to keep my butt in the chair, I play music. And it can’t be just any music, it has to be a soundtrack that I’ve picked out beforehand during the plotting process that kind of underlines the mood that I’m trying to make with the book. And so with Shiver, when I was plotting, the song that first really inspired me with the mood was The Bravery’s “The Ocean.” It’s this incredibly, incredibly sad song that has bittersweet lyrics about losing your lover. I also listened to mix tapes that had Snow Patrol and Joshua Radin and a bunch of other acoustic singer-songwriters on them.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: Right now, I’m working on the sequel to Shiver, Linger, and I can’t tell you anything about it because anything I say would give away the ending of Shiver. And then I’m also working on a little side project, which is kind of like Shiver, it’s a love story with touches of the paranormal and I think that people who like Shiver will like it as well.

Q: What do you like best about writing young adult fiction?

A: One of the things that I really like about young adult fiction is that you can explore the relationships between teens and their parents. I definitely think that teens are a product of their parents. You either end up just like them or you consciously make the decision to be unlike them. And so with Sam, I wanted to show how it was that he turned out to be so sensitive and creative. So I showed Sam’s adoptive parents, Beck and the Pack, and they’re all very creative and supportive, so he grows up in that loving relationship which turns him into who he is. Grace, on the other hand, is very independent, and it’s not enough to just say that she’s independent, you have to show why she is and so when you look at her parents, they’re very absent, so basically Grace has been raising herself.