10 Questions

Maggie Stiefvater

2009-10-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

Shiver
by Maggie Stiefvater
Available Now

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

The day I nearly talked to Grace was the hottest day of my life. Even in the bookstore, which was air-conditioned, the heat crept in around the door and came in through the big picture windows in waves. Behind the counter, I slouched on my stool in the sun and sucked in the summer as if I could hold every drop of it inside of me. As the hours crept by, the afternoon sunlight bleached all the books on the shelves to pale, gilded versions of themselves and warmed the paper and ink inside the covers so that the smell of unread words hung in the air.
This was what i loved, when I was human."- Shiver

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

MS: I was always very much in love with Howl from Howl's Moving Castle, and also Chrestomanci,the egomaniacal and melodramatic wizard from many of Diana Wynne Jones' books. I'm not sure they would make very good real people, however. There's a lot of angst and green glop and sulking in the books, and that sort of stuff looks great on paper but makes for couples therapy in real life. And so I would say James Herriott, who was the World's Most Wonderful Vet in my young estimation, but he was a real person already, so that doesn't count. And then I'm afraid that all of the other characters that I really am fond of tend to be villains, as an evil laugh and plans for world domination generally tend to be traits that I look for in friends. But that wouldn't do a very good job of making the world a better place.

So I'm going to go with Charlie Bartlett. From the movie of the same name. He was hilarious and talented and would probably make great cocktail party conversation. And doesn't have immediate plans to take over the world.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

MS: I spent a lot of time wearing black turtlenecks and telling people that I wore black as I was mourning the death of modern civilization. And a lot of time holed up in my room tapping away at novels that are so bad, they could be classified as weapons of mass destruction. And a lot of time composing drastic tunes in minor key named after melodramatic events in history. Sense a pattern here? I was a very drastic teen and I didn't relate well to other teens my age -- I was far better with adults. And even then, I expect I was pretty insufferable as I was very opinionated. My parents were great then, though, because they never tried to make me normal. I was indulged in most of my weird hobbies -- like bagpiping, song-writing, a fascination with 1970s Northern Irish history -- and they never tried to medicate me or make me get therapy or otherwise change my sulky, grandiose plans. It's sort of weird, actually, to think of how different I could've been with different parents, and that's why I try to always explore my teen characters' backstories. They really do make us who we are.

IBT: As a werewolf fanatic myself, I'm curious to see where you take the werewolf mythology. How did they come to be in your next novel Shiver?

MS: Ha! I was never hugely fond of werewolves. There was all that slobber and shedding and slavering under the full moon. It just never really struck a chord with me. But I had just finished the first draft of LAMENT for my editor, and I was thinking of entering some short story contests to get my name out there. Well, the only one I could find in my genre was one on "lycanthropy." Where "lycanthropy" = fiction about slobber and shedding and slavering. I thought, "I can write about werewolves for 2,000 words, right?" Wrong. After brainstorming for an entire day, I didn't have a single idea in my head. But that night -- and I should mention I'm a big fan of the subconscious and using dreams to work out problems -- I had this very involved dream about a girl and the wolves who lived behind her house. When one of them got shot, she saved him, and turns out they were werewolves. Well, the mood of that dream stuck with me, and I wrote the short story (which was terrible). But it sort of begged for more. And I wailed, "But I don't do werewolves" while at the same time writing a synopsis for the book. And the rest is slavering history.

IBT: How have the books/movies you've read inspired the books you've written? What are you currently reading?

MS: It's funny, I love to read and try to manage a book a week, but I really think of my writing as more inspired by movies, to tell you the truth. I mean, I will pick apart a book with beautiful language or wonderfully done character interactions (like CROW LAKE, which has both), but when I'm sitting at the computer imagining my scenes, it's very cinematic. And when I'm stuck, I will often play the novel up to that point out in my head like a movie and imagine what the next scene would be if it was a movie.

There's generally two ways that books and movies inspire me. The first is "wow, I love the mentor concept. Too bad they made a dog's breakfast of it. I'd like to try my hand at that" and the other is "wow, that movie/ book was just incredible. Why was it incredible? I am willing to spend the rest of my life picking it apart and finding out how." Chocolat was that way. They did mood and theme so well in that movie that I really wanted to find a way to work that cohesiveness into one of my books.

IBT: How do you decide what ideas make it on the page? What were some of the ideas that didn't make it?

MS: I used to have a ton of ideas that never made it to fruition. I have literally dozens of novels that are between 10 and 100 pages that will never be finished -- but they're all from my pre-LAMENT days. Somewhere around the time of LAMENT, I decided I was sick of starting novels and not finishing them. I wanted to be sure that when I started something, I actually finished it, even if it wasn't brilliant. Or even good. So long as it was done. And so I started making sure I knew the final scene before I even started writing, so I knew where I was going. I just wouldn't let myself write that tantalizing first scene until I had the end in place. And somewhere along the way of always finishing what I started, I figured out that there really aren't any bad ideas. There's just a lack of revision. So even if my rough
drafts stink and the ideas aren't fully fleshed, I never give up on them – I just keep polishing that stone until it looks like something pretty.

But those old novels, the pre-LAMENT ones? They range from IRA thrillers to time travel young adult novels to urban fantasies involving prophecy spouting gnomes to . . . yeah. Now when I have a far-out idea, I'll write a short story to see if I like playing in the world. It has been enormously useful.

IBT: What's the strangest thing you've ever gotten inspiration from?

MS: Heh. I'm working on a novel now that was inspired by an e-mail. It was some sort of e-mail that had been routed through my Blogger blog, and somehow, the return e-mail was from Maggie Stiefvater. To Maggie Stiefvater. And I just grabbed that and ran. I have another that was inspired by a guy who came into my art show booth. He had tattoos up and down his arms and about eight-million mostly closed holes in his ears and eyebrows. His hair was slicked over and done up nicely, though, and he was dressed in a polo shirt. My brain went crazy imagining what would've made this tattooed rocker guy suddenly go straight-laced.

IBT: What is your favorite type of hero?

MS: Batman.

No, I'm kidding. Well, mostly. I love deeply conflicted heroes with angsty pasts, because I like someone who does good despite of who they are, rather than because of who they are. I like hard choices and character redemption and suddenly realizing that that asshole you despised for most of the book is really the one you have to trust if you want to make it through this twisted plot alive.

IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a necessary evil?

MS: I'd like to point to example A: Maggie Stiefvater. I can only remember my parents taking a book out of my hands once. I was in third grade and I asked them what "divorce" was. They explained it to me very nicely and then took the book from me (they let me read it the next year). I can't remember a single other time that my reading was censored. Likewise, with movies, they'd make me close my eyes for kissy scenes that went beyond heavy panting until I was in my teens (long after I'd figured out what the panting bits were for myself). I was reading Michael Crichton at age 10 and F. Scott Fitzgerald by 12 and everything else in between. I am a Catholic, I've never killed anyone, I don't swear like a sailor, I have only dated one boy (who I went on to marry and live happily ever after with), I didn't get pregnant as a teen, I didn't do drugs, I've never watched a Steven Siegal movie from beginning to end . . . etc. etc. The list goes on and on of the things I read about but didn't do myself. Why? Because though I lived in books as a kid, I was raised by my parents. I lived by their example, not the example of the (admittedly SUPER COOL) people in books. And if I was censored -- whether it was that one book taken out of my hands or being told to close my eyes for the kissy scene -- it was by my parents, not by a school or someone else's parents or the government. Moreover, it was pretty clever, the way my parents censored me. Sure, I couldn't watch the kissy scenes -- but my dad would let me have his Dean Koontz and Jack Higgins' books when he was done with them, and they had kissing and sex in them. I was allowed to learn about it through books while still getting the subtle message from my parents that it was something to be approached with caution/ care/ stun guns. So I got to be a wary teen without being a naive one, if that makes sense.

So that's how I'll be raising my kids. The last thing in the world I want, however, is someone else telling me how to disseminate information to my kids. That's my job, not theirs. So I'm completely against censorship.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

MS: Heh. This feels like a loaded question, as my novels to date involve swearing, mild eviscerations, sex, bad parental choices, homicidal faeries, and kissing in sedans. When I was still living under my parents' roof, I was very aware of them as future readers, and I would say that I definitely responded to that. But once I moved out, I sort of shrugged and wrote what I wanted to write, and it hasn't been too painful. It has been hilarious, however, to have conversations with my grandmother about my books. Also, I will never forget my mom's reaction after she read SHIVER. "Maggie," she said, "Why did you make them swear?" "Maggie," she said then, "Why did you make them have sex?" and then, after a pause, "Maggie. It was amazing. It's going to be a movie."

I think that pretty much can be a metaphor for how my family comes to my writing. It helps that I'm very rarely autobiographical, or if I am, it's buried so deep even I have troubles recognizing it.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back and wish you had changed something about them?

MS: Usually not with major characters. But with minor characters, yes, sometimes, especially as the series goes on, I will wish that I tweaked something in the first book. More recently, I've had problems with not killing a character. There's a secondary character that I was supposed to kill in SHIVER that I couldn't bring myself to. (for the first time ever -- I'm normally quite heartless). I told myself I would kill them in LINGER, and still, they're alive. Now I am sure that I must kill them in FOREVER, but who knows, I might chicken out. I seem powerless to pull the trigger where this character is involved. (*50 points to anyone who guesses which character this is after reading SHIVER and LINGER).

*I know who I think it is!

IBT: Is Shiver a stand alone novel or will it be a part of a series?

MS: It'll be a *trilogy -- LINGER is coming out next year, in 2010, and then FOREVER will follow the year after that. I'd thought of it as a standalone as I was writing, but I ended up with a ton of spare parts at the end: definitely enough to build into another novel. And as I was planning that one, it became painfully obvious to me that really the novel I'd been planning was the third and last one, and I needed one in between.

IBT: Ok, that's all I've got. Thanks again!

Jessica Verday

2009-10-15T00:19:00.000-07:00

The Hollow
by Jessica Verday
Available Now

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.

Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her -- one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

JV: I would choose Anton from SUMMER OF MY GERMAN SOLDIER. That was the first book I read that completely shocked me with its ending. I remember reading it in 6th grade and sobbing for hours! I wanted to re-write and completely change what happened.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

JV: I was always sort of on the fringe area - I wasn't really a geek, Goth, athlete, or terribly popular - so I never fit into one group. I was a cheerleader, acted in the school play, won the Science fair, was on the yearbook committee... I tried a little bit of everything. Although during middle school, I kind of existed in this world where once I got home I'd change into my "cool" clothes (I went to a private school with a very strict dress code) and it completely changed my attitude. Just being able to take that one small element of choice and make my own decision gave me confidence that was invaluable. I also read a LOT. (Which was probably why I wasn't terribly popular.)

IBT: Growing up I loved the story of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and then growing up I read the short story by Washington Irving. Tim Burton's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow just put this story as my favorite work of classic American fiction ever. How did this story inspire The Hollow for you?

JV: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow inspired me because of how real it was. I could go visit the town that inspired the story. Walk through the same cemetery that Washington Irving played in when he was a child. Visit his grave, and the graves that inspired the characters he would write about... To place a modern day story in a setting that was filled with such living history was too good to resist. Plus, I've always had a thing for ghost stories, Hallowe'en, and cemeteries!

IBT: How have the books/movies you've read inspired the books you've written?

JV: What are you currently reading?Of course The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving was such a huge inspiration for THE HOLLOW, and the Tim Burton movie was wonderfully dark and gothic - I couldn't help but be inspired by that beautiful scenery! The Legend has always been one of my favorite stories and when I first heard Abbey's voice in my head it all just completely fell into place. I knew that my book had to be set in Sleepy Hollow. As far as what I'm currently reading, I try to stay away from anything YA while I'm writing. It messes with the voices in my head too much. So I usually stick to Tess Gerritsen. Although I just picked up a ton of Stephen King books and am in the middle of Pet Sematary. (So good!)

IBT: How do you decide what ideas make it on the page? What were some of the ideas that didn't make it?

JV: I started off with a notebook filled with possibilities. Pieces of the original Legend of Sleepy Hollow that I could weave into the story, different aspects of what it would be like to grow up living in such a historic town, how a girl could learn to deal with tragedy and what that would be like. As I started writing, most of these plot threads translated very easily to the page. But there was one thread in particular that revolved around the town council that just did not fit in any way shape or form. I still love the idea though so I'm actually saving it to see if I can work it into another story.

IBT: What's the strangest thing you've ever gotten inspiration from?

JV: Although it's not that strange, the best answer I have for this is a picture that I keep near me. (It usually travels between my office desk and my bedroom desk) But it's this absolutely breathtaking print that captures the prom night scene from THE HOLLOW perfectly. I stumbled upon it right before I wrote the scene and it was literally like seeing the image in my head captured on film for me. I bought it immediately and still get a chill every time I look at it.

IBT: What is your favorite type of hero?

JV: My favorite type of hero is someone who is unabashedly romantic, has a heart of gold, and is determined to win the girl no matter what. Sometimes he's stubborn, ruthless, and aggravating...but sometimes he's scaling mountains and sailing across the ocean. If he'll do whatever it takes to make his heroine happy, I'm completely sold.

IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a necessary evil?

JV: This is a very tough question for me to answer because I kind of understand both sides of the issue here. One one hand, I don't think that anyone has the right to govern what someone else can read/think/do/say. So in that sense, any type of censorship=BAD. But I do think that we have to recognize that we live in a world full of children and adults. Ratings are put on movies, television, games, even toys, for a reason. When someone tries to censor a book, or ban a book, I think that all too often emotions and tempers can get so volatile that we lose sight of the fact that the person who initially raised a concern generally is doing it with the best of intentions. We just have to take the time to find out what those intentions are and then decide from there whether or not it's a valid concern. (Which I don't think is an easy thing to do either, but that's a whole different topic).

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

JV: I have a dark chick lit that I started before I wrote THE HOLLOW and I'm about halfway through it, but since it's for adult readers it does has adult themes and sex scenes. Whenever I take a break from my YA stuff and go re-read it again, I'll be honest, my first thought is always "Do I really want my family to read this?" But then on the flip side, I have some future YA books planned that will delve into abuse, freedom of choice being taken away, runaways... Either way I go I'm sure there will be moments of uncomfortableness. I just make it my goal to try and stay true to the story.

IBT: What favorite book of yours would you like to see be turned into a movie?

JV: I'd love to see BOTH SIDES OF TIME by Caroline B. Cooney turned into a movie. What a romantic book that was! Annie and Strat...sigh... I'd love to see them come to life.

IBT: Are you doing anything special for your book release date?

JV: I'm not sure yet - still planning!

IBT: Good luck with The Hollow! And I'll make sure to keep my eyes out for Book Two coming fall 2010 and Book Three coming fall 2011!

katie alender

2009-09-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

Bad Girls Don't Die
by Katie Alender
Available Now

To the world, fifteen-year-old Alexis Warren is just a pink-haired troublemaker. She doesn’t have any real friends, and her parents are way too wrapped up in their own problems to bother with hers. Pretty much the only things Alexis can count on are the photographs she creates in her darkroom and her little sister Kasey.

One night, to help take Kasey’s mind off a vicious family argument, Alexis makes up a story — the first thing that comes to mind, really, just a harmless fairytale about a little girl with no friends. But Kasey seems to take the whole thing a little too seriously. Before long, she’s actually bringing parts of the story to life — and people are getting hurt.
Alexis knows she has to find a way to stop her sister before something terrible happens. But with no friends and no help from her parents, she’s basically on her own — until help turns up in the unlikeliest form — Alexis’ archnemesis Megan Wiley, who happens to be the captain of the cheerleading squad.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

KA: Well, if I weren’t married, I would say Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice, but considering my husband’s existence, I’d probably say either Lizzie Bennet (from P&P) or John Galt from Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Oh, wait, can I have Lassie? I want Lassie!

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

KA: I got very lucky, because I went to an arts school (for writing). I was basically free to say, wear, and do whatever I wanted (mostly within reason, occasionally not), and the people around me were supportive and accepting. This is very lucky for me because I was on a downward spiral in middle school. I was learning to be myself and learning that “being myself” wasn’t necessarily going to put me at the top of the popularity charts. I sometimes think that if I’d gone to the local public high school, I might have been a lot like Alexis, the main character in Bad Girls Don’t Die.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

KA: I’ve written things privately that I know my family and friends will never read! But things I write for the public tend to be family-proof, I hope. I mean, I assume every writer has to say, “Now when XYZ happens to this person, that doesn’t mean I wanted it to happen to you, Aunt Sally.” But it’s all fiction. And I’m pretty much at peace with everybody around me, so I’m not skewering people under cover of my book or anything like that. Although come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

KA: I think it’s fine to do both—separately or at the same time. I live vicariously through Jane Austen characters, but I also live vicariously through Harry Potter. And there’s nothing wrong with fluffier fiction, as long as you don’t come away from those books obsessed with designer labels. First and foremost, I want teens to read! I read a lot of “pop fiction” and fluffy series when I was a kid, and I grew up eager to branch out into other things (but still going back to the old favorites, too). I’m a big believer in instilling a love of reading before trying to force an appreciation for the classics.

As for the biggest issues, I think personal responsibility is a big one. Developing enough of a sense of self to have pride and ownership of your own body, mind, and soul, and then applying that to be a strong and contributing member of your community. Easy, right?

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

KA: As a teen, I loved Paula Danziger, because her first-person narrators were funny, real, and occasionally made doofuses out of themselves. I’m inspired by a lot of the teen fiction over the past few years, because a lot of authors have broken out of the “box” and tackled subjects people didn’t write about when I was younger. When I was a teen, there was no big YA movement like there is now. And I’m also inspired by books that, in my opinion, fall short—characters who behave unrealistically or frustrate me. From those books, I learned to think about what kind of people I wanted to read about, and that became the kind of people I write about.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

KA: I’ve been through some really tough situations, and I always find that if I stand back and create a little distance, I find something useful to take from them and use in my writing. Sometimes this makes me oddly cheery about my tough times, which might seem strange if you knew what was going on under the surface. A minor example is when someone hurts my feelings or is rude to me—instead of dwelling in that moment, I’ll think, “So THIS is how it really would feel to John if Molly said that to him.”

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

KA: One character in Bad Girls Don’t Die comes out looking pretty bad in the end. I’m inclined to think this person could use a chance at redemption. But overall, no. I was lucky enough to have an editor who asked me to take a hard look at some of my characters and make sure their words and actions reflected who they really were. Were it not for that process, my answer to this question could be very different! And who knows—if there’s a sequel, maybe we’ll see a different side of that person.

IBT: What is the one thing, such as sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

KA: It’s funny, because as I get older, I’m getting braver. I went whitewater rafting last year. I’ve climbed the rock wall on a cruise ship. I snorkled with (nurse) sharks and stingrays and went ziplining in Belize. I’ve never gone skydiving but I know I could do it, if I were up in a plane and suited up. I want to do a ropes course where you walk a tightrope or jump off a platform.

I would like to become a better skier, because I’ve only been twice and both times I ended up crying (I just get so mad at myself, and I cry when I’m mad).

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

KA: I’m the worst with writer’s block. It’s not that I’m blocked when I sit down to write, it’s that I can’t force myself to write if I don’t feel like it. Or I should say I have a really hard time with it. If I’m faced with a dilemma as far as what should happen or what a character should do, I go into “active daydream” mode. I make a playlist that reflects the tone of what I’m writing and listen to it nonstop. I find that my thoughts flow really well when I’m driving on the freeway or exercising.

As much as I can, I think, “What would my character do or say right now?” You know, sitting at a restaurant with terrible service, or waiting for a doctor’s appointment. I put myself in the mindset of my character.

IBT: Is Bad Girls Don’t Die a part of a series or stand alone novel? What are you working on next?

KA: I have an idea for a sequel to Bad Girls. It’s up next on my plate, right after I finish the book I’m working on now. The new book is about someone’s life being turned completely upside down and how she deals with it. I don’t want to give away any details, though, because it hasn’t sold yet!

catherine jinks

2009-09-26T02:23:00.000-07:00

The Reformed Vampire Support Group
by Catherine Jinks
Available Jinks

Nina Harrisson became a vampire in 1973, when she was fifteen, and she hasn't aged a day since then. But she hasn't had any fun either; she still lives with her mom, and the highlight of her sickly, couchbound life is probobly her Tuesday-night group meeting, which she spends with a miserable bunch of fellow sufferers, being lectured at. But then one of the group is mysteriously turned to ashes... and suddenly they're all under threat. That's when Nina decides to prove that every vampire on earth isn't a weak, pathetic loser. Along with her, she hunts down the culprit- and soon finds herself up against some gun-toting werewolf trackers who'll stop at nothing.

Can a bunch of feeble couch potatoes win a fight like this? Is there more to your average vampire than meets the eye?

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

CJ: Sherlock Holmes. Definitely.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

CJ: Good question. It's a real matter of survival, isn't it? I guess I did it the way I've always done it - by escaping into imaginary worlds.

IBT: I was completely fascinated by the new mythology of vampire you've created in RVSG. Why did you decide to reform them?

CJ: Oh, I've always had a problem with 'special powers'. It's so alienating for those of us who aren't strong or beautiful or magical to be reading about people who are - at least, I've always found it so. I also like to overturn stereotypes, if only because it can often be a very funny thing to do; a reviewer once described me as 'a great debunker'. So when I suddenly pictured a bunch of grungy vampires sitting around in a church hall, complaining about their miserable lives, I couldn't resist the image. I had to elaborate.

IBT: Would you be willing to write a spinoff for the werewolf community? There is an extremely fascinating backstory already brewing in RVSG.

CJ: Wow, Perla! You read my mind! I am currently writing the (only) sequel to RVSG - to be called The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group.

IBT: What are you currently reading?

CJ: An Elmore Leonard book - Riding the Rap..

IBT: How do you decide what ideas make it on the page? What were some of the ideas that didn't make it?

CJ: I do a lot of careful plotting before I write my books (the way a screenwriter does) so most of my discarded ideas are tossed aside while I'm still writing my synopsis. These abandoned ideas tend to be related to plot developments, though sometimes characters change slightly once I start my chapters, simply because I have to follow the right emotional path for them. I have to admit, however, that I decided to rewrite the first six chapters of RVSG right after I'd finished them, because I realised that they were moving at a pace that was much too leisurely. I'd started chapter one with a lot of the back story that I subsequently spread throughout the first three or four chapters; when I reviewed the result, I realised that I had to kick off with more of a bang.

IBT: What is your favourite type of hero?

CJ: A very, very intelligent one. Muscles mean nothing to me; brains are what I admire above all else.

IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a necessary evil?

CJ: Well - I've been censored myself, inasmuch as bookstores have refused to stock my books unless certain things within them are changed. And I'm always self-censoring, because I write for a young audience. (In real life, four-letter words tend to be more prevalent than they are in my books!) But I can sympathise with people who are sensitive to what their kids are exposed to, because I have a 12-year-old daughter myself, and I wouldn't want HER to be watching R-rated films, or reading 'American Psycho'. So I think there has to be some kind of filter when it comes to children. Adults are different, however. The only kind of censorship I would condone with regards to adults is censorship of material that causes, or has caused, real harm to other people: certain kinds of pornography, for instance, or highly defamatory material.

IBT: I read on your forum that you intend to write a follow-up to RVSG. Is this still in the works?

CJ: As I mentioned earlier, it's going to be called The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group.

lili st. crow

2009-09-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

Strange Angels
by Lili St. Crow
Available Now

Dru Anderson has been “strange” for as long as she can remember. She travels from town to town with her father, hunting the things that go bump in the night and eat the unwary. It’s a weird life, but a good one–until it all explodes and a zombie busts into her new house.
Alone, terrified, and trapped in an icy town, Dru’s going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. Can she trust the boy who is just a little too adult–and just happens to get bit by a werwulf? Or the strange blue-eyed boy who tells her she’s heir to a long-forgotten power? Can she even trust her own instincts?

Because Dru is not the first in her family to be killed by the darkness of the Real World. The monsters have decided to hunt back–and now Dru has to figure out who to trust, who to fight, and when to run. And not incidentally, she has to figure out how she’s going to get out of this alive.

And she has to do it in the next 24 hours, or it’s all over…

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

LSC: That's a hard decision. Probably Jane Eyre, because I just love that book so much. Mr. Rochester would be an annoyance in real life--I'd rather talk to Jane! Or the garuda from China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, or maybe the Countess from Christopher Fry's The Dark Is Light Enough. It's so hard to pick just one fictional character.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

LSC: Stubbornness. Reading--the escape books provided was invaluable. Books did not laugh at me, judge me, or hurt me out of cruelty. They were friends I could always count on no matter what else was happening.

I guess I was lucky because I figured out there would eventually come a time when I wouldn't be dealing with all that anymore, where I would be free. Getting out and being on my own was an escape I looked forward to, even when things were very bad. Some stubborn part of me never doubted that I would eventually escape.

There were other methods--simple endurance and behaving badly--but I suppose I shouldn't talk about those so much. (It might set a bad example.) I really do credit literature with the lion's share of saving my life and getting me through my teenage years in a reasonably-intact piece.

IBT: "Strange Angels" your first YA novel, did you find that while you were writing the book that you had to hold back because it's YA, or was it freeing in some way to write for this age group? was there any difference at all?

LSC: I was very uncertain at first. I didn't want to do it wrong, and I didn't want to BS my readers, of any age. But then, as usual, I just plunged ahead and decided to write a book I would have wanted to read fifteen years ago. The basic commitment of a writer is to tell the truth, no matter the age group you're writing for. So it wasn't so much holding back as it was remembering the constraints I lived under while I was a teenager so I could honestly talk about them from the viewpoint of a character.

And it was strangely freeing to go back and take a look at that time in my life, to face down some demons. I had to remember a lot of unpleasant things about my young life, just as a side effect of trying to recall what it was like to be that age. I used to think a huge metal curtain came down when people turned 18, and they no longer remembered how brutal the school years could be. Now, of course, I have way more perspective just because I've lived longer. And I think I can look at those things that happened and remember what they felt like, while having compassion for the very young person I was who had to live through them.

IBT: How have the books/movies you've read inspired the books you've written? What are you currently reading?

LSC: Everything I see and hear becomes material in some way. That's one of the drawbacks to being a writer--it becomes difficult to just experience things without taking notes for the next book. I tell my friends "You're all material" and they think I'm joking.

Right now I'm reading Harold McGee's On Food And Cooking, because to know how food behaves makes one a better cook. I'm also read Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's Epistemology of the Closet, which was mentioned in Beyond Heaving Bosoms, a book about romance novels written by two of my friends, Candy Tan and Sarah Wendell. I am also on a huge Georgette Heyer kick right now, reading everything by her I can get my hands on.

IBT: How do you decide what ideas make it on the page? What were some of the ideas that didn't make it?

LSC: Really, the characters do all the deciding. I have a rough idea of what is most likely to happen, but I'm such a seat-of-the-pants writer that I'm often just as surprised as the reader is when the book takes a left turn.

I do have a "slush pile" of scribbles and chapters that got cut or went nowhere, for one reason or another. There were actually five alternate endings to the final book in the Dante Valentine series, each of them more gruesome than the last. I had a lot of work to do before I uncovered the right ending! Sometimes it's like that--the book tries to trick you.

IBT: What's the strangest thing you've ever gotten inspiration from?

LSC: Brushing my teeth, actually. I get attacked by ideas when I'm doing, erm, "personal care" things in the bathroom. A lot. I think it's because I'm not really moving from one task to the next, I'm just in a funny in-between trance doing these things, and the inspiration can get a word in edgewise.

IBT: What is your favorite type of hero?

LSC: I like conflicted, dark, nasty heroes who end up being redeemed almost despite themselves. For me, a hero is all about how he makes the choice to redeem himself, to lose himself in something bigger than he is. This is different than a heroine's struggle, which is to make the choice to become bigger than she thinks she can be. I have different requirements for heroes and heroines.

I think it's because I'm a woman author. For me, the heroine starts out being defined by other people--girls in our society are from the moment they're born, it's all about other people's needs and desires. It's very subversive for a heroine to start realizing she's bigger than the things other people would foist on her. So, my heroes are all about redemption and my heroines are all about choice.

IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a necessary evil?

LSC: With a great big raspberry and possibly an obscene gesture. I have a hard time taking anyone who says that seriously.

In my house, we have an "if you can reach it, you can read it--and if you can't reach it, get a stepstool!" policy. I also don't censor the movies my children watch--I watch them with my kids. (Though we don't watch television very much; it's all DVDs.) I think a lot of parents get the knee-jerk "censorship!" reaction because it's easier than being involved and patiently answering questions. Sure it's uncomfortable when your kids ask the hard questions about violence, sex, and a whole host of other issues. But nobody said parenting was going to be easy. If you wanted "easy" you shouldn't have had kids.

Besides, I was raised in a very dysfunctional family that relied (and still relies) on secrets and lies. Struggling free of that, learning to tell the truth and become a better person, made me very exquisitely wary of any form of censorship.

In a larger sense, censorship is just another means of control. State and society already have enough means to control people, between the jackboot, the truncheon, and the natural cooperative urge of humanity. Censorship is unnecessary. It is a completely unnecessary evil.

As an author, too, I'm constantly struggling against the urge to please people and soften the truth, to pull my punches. The temptation is always there, but it's just that--just a temptation to be avoided. Lies and abuse depend on secrecy and fear. To speak honestly and openly is to cut down on both, and I think that's a sacred trust for an author. Readers hate being lied to--it says that you don't think they're strong enough or smart enough. The shock of recognition from a good piece of art is because that art contains a truth. It is like sunshine--the best disinfectant.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

LSC: Yes. All the time. That feeling of discomfort is usually a sign that I'm on the right track. That space of being uncomfortable is where a lot of really great, wrenchingly powerful and incredibly moving art comes from.

IBT: What favorite book of yours would you like to see be turned into a movie?

LSC: That's a hard question, each book is so different, and I love them all for different reasons. But if I had a choice, it would probably be the second Jill Kismet book, Hunter's Prayer. A lot of my other stuff probably wouldn't translate out well to the silver screen, despite the fact that I'm a very visual writer. (I see the books in my head.) But Hunter's Prayer was so raw and powerful for me, and it has so much imagery that I didn't realize I'd put in it until afterward...If I really, really had to choose, it would probably be that one.

IBT: Thanks Lillith!

LSC: I hope you like Strange Angels. I'm really excited about it.

marlene perez

2009-09-20T02:22:00.000-07:00

Dead is So Last Year
by Marlene Perez
Available Now

Something very strange starts happening in Nightshade the summer that the eldest Giordano sister, Rose, gets a job working at Dr. Franken's research laboratory. People are starting to see double. Doppelgängers of Nightshade residents are popping up all over town. Daisy, Rose and Poppy think it's a coincidence, until the rumors start that their father, who disappeared several years ago, has been spotted in town. Meanwhile, Daisy's beau, Ryan is spending all of his time training for football, and like the other guys on the team, he's grown enormous almost overnight. Samantha Devereux's boyfriend's neck has doubled in size since school ended. Could the football players be resorting to extreme measures to win? Between summer jobs, sugar rushes, and beach parties, the Giordano girls get to the bottom of these mysteries and more.

There will be new books in the DEAD IS series! DEAD IS JUST A RUMOR will be out in the fall of 2010 and DEAD IS NOT AN OPTION will be out in the spring of 2011.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

MP: Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

MP: With the knowledge that high school is only four years of my life and the company of a great best friend.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

MP: I don't think so. I think it's important to try to shut out those outside voices when you're writing. The most important thing is the story. Of course, I would never put anything in one of my novels that I knew would hurt someone I loved.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

MP: I think teens look for quality in the books they read, however, I don't think that adults necessarily always pay enough attention to what teens are looking for. We try, but... And I think that teens want to live vicariously through quality books, too. Because they, like all readers, are looking for truths about their own lives reflected in the pages of fiction.

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all? Can you name some that stand out?

MP: The books I've read have inspired me for sure. Some of the books that have inspired me include A WRINKLE IN TIME, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, THE OUTSIDERS, oh, gosh, too many to list. FOREVER by Judy Blume inspired me to try to be truthful. THE VAMPIRE LESTAT books inspired my love of the paranormal.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

MP: I get inspiration from so many places, but I once eavesdropped on two guys who were talking about their girlfriends. That conversation inspired an idea for a novel I haven't finished yet.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

MP: This is a hard question because I usually really like my main characters. I end up wanting to protect my characters, but I can't, or else I'd end up with a really boring book.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

MP: Oh, I'm a complete chicken, so no sky diving for me. But I'd love to learn to do something crafty, like knitting or whatever. But I'm left-handed so that's a challenge to anybody trying to teach me.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

MP: I've never experienced REAL writer's block, but I've heard it can be frustrating. I have experienced extended procrastination. What helps me get over it is telling myself to get something, anything down on paper, that it doesn't have to be perfect.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?

MP: I'd like to visit Sicily, where my grandfather was from.

ryan mecum

2009-09-06T02:23:00.003-07:00

Zombie Haiku
by Ryan Mecum
Available Now

What you are looking at is a document from the early days of the zombie plague. Little is known about the author before his infection--only that he was a poet. This facsimile of his actual journal recounts the events of humanity's darkest hours through the intimate poetry of haiku. Inside you'll find increasingly disjointed and terrifying three-line poems (all in the classic 5-7-5 syllable structure), and follow the undead poet on a journey through deserted streets and barricaded doors. Experience every eye-popping, gut-wrenching, flesh-eating moment of the eventual downfall of the human race from the point of view of a zombie, and gain insight to help you survive--if you can.

Brains are less squishy
and a tad bit more squeaky
than someone might guess.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

RM: Not Freddy Kruger. Maybe Donnie Darko. I'd ask him, "Hey Donnie, WHAT was going down in that movie?! I liked it, but please don't ask me to explain it." Maybe the Kevin Bacon character from Tremors... just in case something like that happens, he'd be able to help us out. Tough question. Piggy from Lord Of The Flies, maybe? He seemed like he would have been a good friend, and he deserved more. Not Superfudge, that kid would screw everything up. I'd take Freddy over Fudge.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

RM: I didn't. Does anybody, really?

IBT: Have you ever written (published or unpublished) something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

RM: It's called Zombie Haiku, found on a humor section bookstore book shelf near you. "Hey mom, check out this book I got published! It's about a boy who turns into a zombie and eats his mom! Tell your friends!"

IBT: Do you think teens face the same issues and obstacles they did when you were a teen?

RM: There's nothing new under sun. That being said... no. Want proof? I graduated in 1993. If we wanted to sext a picture, we had to draw it and drive to the post office. Plus, teens are WAY overbooked now. Even in the summer they are overbooked. Other than that, its all the same. Want proof, rent Stand By Me, written in the 80's about the 50's, and it all still rings true today. One might argue that this is not proof, but they are wrong.

IBT: Zombies are a bit like haiku, they are deceptively simple. How did the marriage of the two come together for you?

RM: It was a mixing of two of my loves, poetry and dead people trying to eat people. After writing a few, it really did seem like a natural fit, with haiku being so abrupt and subtle.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?

RM: I have never had a problem with writer's block. I simply write when I feel like I have something I need to put on a page. If nothing's cooking up in the brain, I don't write. I have found that if I ever open a blank word document with hopes of writing something that has yet to bounce around my my head, what ends up on the document is nothing too interesting.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

RM: A friend's blood clot that made a vein in his stomach look like he has a snake living in his ribs brings nothing but inspiration. Look for its cameo appearance in Zombie Haiku!

IBT: Vampire Haiku is coming out in August, can you tell us a little about this book?

RM: Short version - It's about a vampire that writes haiku.

Long version - It's about a guy on the Mayflower who turns into a vampire on the boat, and writes haiku about his life as he survives through all (and causing some) of American history.

IBT: What’s your favorite type of hero?

RM: The everyman! Batman beats Superman. Die Hard beats Rambo. Paul Blart beats Dwane Johnson. I fully plan to one day write the best action film ever about a kindergarten teacher dealing with an evil kidnapping ring.

IBT: What is your Zombie invasion escape plan?

RM: It used to be "get to an island" until I saw Zombie II, with that underwater zombie fighting a shark. If they can walk underwater, they could get to my island. Now, despite what Dawn Of The Dead or The Mist might have taught me, I still think the best bet for me and my family would be to get to a Super Wal-Mart. Hammer the doors shut, make cricket bats for the family, and live like blue collar royalty until the food runs out. The Walking Dead "living inside a prison" option also seems like a smart move, which might be the best option if the Super Wal-Mart ever gets compromised. Oddly, this is also my escape plan in case of Cthulhu Invasion or Second Coming Of Christ Invasion.

Dan Waters

2009-09-06T02:14:00.001-07:00

Kiss of Life
by Daniel Waters
Available Now

The phenomenon that's been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they're calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.

Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her Homecoming date Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, whowould you choose?


DW: My top-of-mind response was Buddy Glass because I think he might be the
fictional character I would most like to hang out with, but there are
probably better choices if one is considering overall benefit to humanity.  I
guess an obvious choice would be Superman (although I'd pick Power Girl,
because she has all of his powers plus the powers of being A. female and B.
gorgeous), but then I thought it might be actually doing humanity a
disservice to bring to life someone whose sole purpose was to solve all our
problems for us.  So then I thought maybe a common enemy like Galactus or
Sauron would be a good thing, something that unites the world in purpose, but
then I worried that the broad social policies of say a Sauron would be too
attractive for a large segment of the world's population to pass up, thus
defeating my initial reasons for giving him life.

Maybe I should stick with Buddy Glass.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

DW: With a few scars and bruises, like most other people.  I enjoyed my teen
years, although it isn't a time of my life I'd care to revisit, except for
maybe 19.  19 was pretty cool.  Actually 17 was really good, too.

The key to surviving any attack on the psyche is to have a rich interior
life.  Most teens are inward-looking and introspective already, which is half
the battle.  The other half is to be able to understand other people and
society; reading widely and playing sports can help with this.    Pickup
basketball and frequent trips to the library made for a much healthier teen
Danny.

IBT: As a zombie fanatic myself, I though your Zombie mythology was refreshing
and fascinating. How did you get from brain eating zombies to the Differently
Biotic?

DW: Thank you.

The decision to eschew brain-eaters in favor of my kinder, gentler zombies
was almost purely instinctual, but it was one of those almost reflexive
actions that made more and more sense once the initial blush and frenzy of
writing cooled and I started to figure out what it really was I was trying to
do with the story I wanted to tell.

There were a number of things about the modern American myth of the zombie
(basically ignoring voodoo traditions and thinking Night of the Living Dead
forward) that struck me as being rich material to work with.  In most Romero
inspired treatments, individual zombies aren't really much of a threat
(unless they are/were a close relative!  Then you'd better watch out!).  All
you need is a ten foot head start or a baseball bat to avoid a lone zombie.
But collectively, zombies have power.  This is where zombies differ from say
vampires, which are basically undead superheroes, able to fly, beguile,
perform acts of incredible strength, etc.  I liked the idea that the
"monster" of the story, in societies' terms, was pretty much powerless.

Another concept that often got lost in "traditional" zombie fare was the
degraded humanity of zombies.  Many of the post-NOTLD films seemed to be
about maximizing kill count rather than exploring the idea that zombies are
basically us, but dead.  But then, maybe maximizing the kill count was the
point, the idea that one can cathartically experience what it is like to
waste dozens of people that were just like us not so long ago?  This to me is
one of the most frightening aspects of the American zombie myth.

I also realized that many of my favorite science fiction/horror tales were
also zombie stories, in a way-1984, The Stepford Wives, The Body Snatchers.
Much like the brain eating zombie stories, these stories were all about the
fear of assimilation, the loss of individuality to a homogeneous horde, the
destruction of one's personality and identity.   I'm not sure that people
today have that fear-the fear that society will assimilate them-that they did
years ago.  People are more free to carve themselves out as individuals, to
reinvent themselves continually, to add 62 pieces of flair to their Facebook
page-but the fear of today is that a person can be as individual as they can
be and society just might not care.  I'm thinking of this great story in the
parody newspaper The Onion  where Marilyn Manson does his level best to shock
and get a rise out of a middle American neighborhood-at one point going
door-to-door wearing "a suit of human noses"-and the reaction is this very
blasé, world-weary "whatever".  Or those cable or satellite commercials,
whatever they were, where a suburban mom is serving lemonade to Freddy
Krueger/Jason Voorhees-esque movie monsters or gang members and explaining
how she used the cable or satellite services' "parental controls" function to
block them out so her kids won't be exposed to their particular
worldview-much to the remorse of the tearful monsters/thugs.  I love those
commercials! They completely flip the dynamic of the Stepford wife and make
the soccer mom the most powerful being in the universe!

But the point of all this is the modern concern that being allowed to exist
or being a fully realized individual in a society doesn't necessarily mean
that your voice will be heard by that society.  The zombies in the world of
Generation Dead aren't looking to assimilate other people (via 'turning'
others through the consumption of their brains) or replace them-they are
actually looking to rejoin society, a society that they believe will be made
better and stronger by their participation.

And then there's the multiple levels of zombie-as-consumer, etc. that are so
fun to work with.  I could go on ad nauseum.  Basically I either riffed
heavily on or inverted as many traditional zombie tropes as I could think of.

IBT: How have the books/movies you've read inspired the books you've written?
What are you currently reading?

DW: Everything you read, watch or experience goes into the big Hadron collider in
your head, and when you write, all of those images, thoughts and ideas
hopefully come back out in interesting ways.  Sometimes the influences are
obvious and overt, others are subliminal to the point where even I might not
recognize them until I reread/re-watch whatever it was that influenced me in
the first place.

I'm currently reading stacks of non-fiction, books you would generally find
in the "Cultural Studies" of your local bookstore, for a project I'm working
on.  I also made a list of the "Twenty Works of Fiction that Most Influenced
Me as a Writer" and have been reading those as well.  I'm realizing as I
reread some of these formative books that their impact on me as a writer and
a person is considerable.

IBT: How do you decide what ideas make it on the page? What were some of the
ideas that didn't make it?

DW: I think all of my ideas make it onto the page-some page!-eventually. Scenes,
characters, whatever else can and do end up on the cutting room floor.
Early drafts of Generation Dead were far different from the final result. One of the main characters-a point of view character-disappeared entirely, gone. He got in the way, he was dull, he added nothing to the story and subtracted much. I still felt oddly guilty and criminal when I removed all traces of him from the book, even though it was the right thing to do.I cut one especially horrific scene from the book because it didn't work with the rest of the book. I can't tell you about it though because it may show up in a later work!

IBT: What is your favorite type of hero?

DW: Sandwich, definitely.

I don't know that I have a favorite type of literary hero-I like flawed heroes, perfect heroes, inept heroes, antiheros-whatever is right for the story. The unity of a story is more important to me than following a particular "type".

IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a
necessary evil?

DW: I always try to start from the position of "seek first to understand". Quite
often you find that people have different definitions for the words involved; unless we start from a position with a commonality of meaning we're kind of stuck.
Let's say the "necessary evil" folks believe that "censorship" = "expunge the
work/genre in question from our libraries, schools, and bookstores, and then
salt the cultural soil from which it sprang so that nothing may ever grow
there again", than we are likely to have a serious difference of opinion that
I--as a writer or really just a member of society--have a moral obligation to

oppose strenuously.

If however, the necessary evil contingent has a more tightly focused belief,
such as "censorship" = "make it more difficult for children to gain access to
certain works without clearing certain societal/parental channels first",
then we may have some common ground.

I'm opposed to censorship, but I think there's a tricky line to walk as
someone who writes for teens or children. I believe that cultural artifacts
have the right to exist-even if they are "offensive" to a segment of society.
Art's "purpose" quite often, is to offend segments of society, to overturn
the status quo.

That being said, I also believe in the family's right to limit their own
exposure to cultural artifacts, especially where children are concerned.
There's a lot of garbage in the world, even-believe it or not!-on bookstore
shelves!

The toughest question that I ever have to field-even tougher than these
questions!-is "my son/daughter is X years old. Is your book appropriate for
him/her?" The answer is-I don't know. I don't know your child! I don't
know you! I can tell you what my publisher recommend, or I can point you to
various sources that many educators consider reputable for a recommendation,
but even the best intentioned of these organizations might ascribe to a moral
world view that differs from yours. That being said, I think my book is both
entertaining and "worth" reading, that it would be wrong for a parent to
prevent indefinitely a child who wanted to read it from reading it. I also
think that most teens can "handle" serious subject matter, and that such
subject matter improves and enriches their lives and therefore the lives of
everyone around them. But who cares about my opinions?

Maybe I should say something like "My personal belief is that this book is
appropriate for just about anyone, but it is up to you, preferably in
conjunction with your child, to determine at what age it is appropriate for
them."

Yeah, that line is guaranteed to boost sales!

My answer hearkens back to those commercials I mentioned previously. I
absolutely believe in the right for Freddy Krueger and the fictional The
Wire-esque thugs to exist, but I don't intend to let my young kids access
them until I feel that they can understand them for what they are.
Sorry for the multiple digressions, but certain issues are too complex to
answer definitively. I don't pretend to have done so here.

On a side note, I'm surprised and hurt that no one has banned Generation Dead
that I'm aware of yet.

IBT: What's next for you after Kiss of Life?

DW: I'm working on a few different things, all young adult projects. I recently
turned in a third Generation Dead novel called Passing Strange to my editor.

IBT: If you woke up tomorrow to a traditional zombie invasion, what would your
escape plan be?

DW: My plan would be to make myself less tasty.

claudia grey

2009-08-15T02:25:00.000-07:00

Stargazer
by Claudia Gray
Available Now

The vampire in me was closer to the surface . . .

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning. . . .

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

CG: This is a tough one! So many of them come to mind: Wouldn't it be fun to get Lizzie Bennett's take on all your problems? Or hear the snide things Rhett Butler would say about people you disliked? If I chose Seeley Booth from the TV show "Bones," could I get him to go out with me? Or would I prefer to hear the poems Randolph Henry Ash (from POSSESSION) would write today? I could pick dozens. Right this second, while I'm waiting in an airport, I think I'd pick Sydney Bristow from "Alias," because she has her own plane and could give me a lift. Plus, if I were ever in trouble, she could break in to rescue me. And maybe I could borrow the awesome clothes from her spy closet.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

CG: Hiding in books, hoping for a better tomorrow. That and luck.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

CG: Sometimes the more passionate scenes in the EVERNIGHT series make me squirm when I think my parents might read it. But that's when I know the scene is
finally hot enough!

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

CG: I don't think I can stand up and say all teenagers need to be thinking about X or Y. I mean, we're all individuals, and we all have different concerns -- maybe somebody needs to think about being independent and thinking for himself, and somebody else needs to think about dealing with mental illness in the family, and everybody else has their own top concerns. (And the really universal issues -- like taking care of our environment,
or ending violence against women -- those aren't things teens need to be thinking about; they're things we ALL need to be thinking about.) I suspect that no teenagers want to be preached to or told how to think, but that they are open to a wide range of stories -- from the escapist to the realistic, and all the books that fall in between or manage to blend both.

IBT: How have the books you've read inspired the books you've written, if at all?

CG: There's no one answer to this question, but I would say that every single time I write a book, I try to look for what the author is doing well. Even
the worst books I've read have *something* about them that the author gets right, and I've learned a lot by looking for the virtues of books that I don't like. Maybe that sounds funny, but it's true!

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from? Where did the inspiration for this series and these characters come from?

CG: I once got a very good story idea while waiting in a drive-thru line at Wendy's. I thought, if only my car could fly, I could just get out of this
stupid line. I can't explain how the flying-car moment led to the inspiration, but it really did!

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

CG: Yes, sometimes. But that's natural. When you are a fan of a book or TV series, you can come up with thousands of potential stories for those
characters and believe in them all equally; when you're the author, you have to pick one storyline and commit to it. So I think about other routes I might have taken, and sometimes really wonder if I made the right choice.
But I don't really have regrets, because making those choices is part of being a writer.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

CG: If I really want to do something, I do it! Actually, I hope to try skydiving for the first time next summer.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer s block? What helps you get over it?

CG: Luckily, writer's block is not a huge problem for me. I always outline my stories, so whenever I sit down to work, I know what I need to accomplish.
As long as I have a few periods of inspiration a year, I can build the outlines I need to keep me busy the rest of the time. Not everybody can
work with an outline, but I always urge would-be writers to give it a try. It's worth a shot.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?"

CG: Russia. I can't wait to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow.

IBT: Most vampire fiction depicts the male play that role and I loved that you switched the usual roles. Would you ever write from Lucas's
perspective?

CG: I'm so glad you enjoyed the switch! The whole EVERNIGHT series is from Bianca's perspective, but I would definitely consider writing a short story
or book from Lucas' POV if the right opportunity came along.

Thank you Claudia!

perry moore

2009-08-12T02:25:00.000-07:00

Hero
by Perry Moore
Available Now

"....I filled my head with thoughts of the future, of infinite possibilities. There's someone out there for who will one day find me and fall in love with me and prove that all this waiting actually meant something...."-Hero.

Thom Creed is used to being on his own. Even as a high school basketball star, he has to keep his distance because of his father. Hal Creed had once been one of the greatest and most beloved superheroes of The League-until the Wilson Towers incident. After that Thom's mother disappeared and his proud father became an outcast.

The last thing in the world Thom would ever want is to disappoint his father. So Thom keeps two secrets from him: First is that he's gay. The second is that he has the power to heal people. Initially, Thom had trouble controlling his powers. But with trail and error he improves, until he gets so good that he catches the attention of the League and is asked to join. Even though he knows it would kill his dad, Thom can't resist. When he joins the League, he meets a motley crew of other heroes, including tough-talking Scarlett, who has the power of fire from growing up near a nuclear power plant; Typhoid Larry, who makes everyone sick by touching them, but is actually a really sweet guy; and wise Ruth, who has the power to see the future. Together these unlikely heroes become friends and begin to uncover a plot to kill the superheroes. Along the way, Thom falls in love, and discovers the difficult truth about his parents' past.

"...I looked over to him, a little boy just wanting his dad to look back at him with approval... I wanted him to muss my hair and take me home... I wanted him to tell me everything would be okay..."-Hero.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

PM: Just one?!?! How unfair! Let me think of a couple off the top of my head…

Colossus from Ultimate X-Men—especially the Ultimate version who is gay.

Heathcliff—from Wuthering Heights, I'm such a sucker for the dark, brooding Byronic Hero...

Hercules—love the Greg Pak comic book series, and he’d (good ol' Herc) love me, I stand to wager… Would love to see him and Colossus duke it out for my affection.

Javier Bardem – the personas that actors present, with a few wonderful exceptions I know, are about as real as any character in literature. They’ve created their own fictions that they live by. Would be so interesting to see what they’re really like underneath the facade.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

PM: Don’t quote me on any of these, but this is what comes to mind…

Comic books

Faith

Libraries

Great books

Mythology (I’ve been obsessed with all kinds since second grade.)

Some exceptional teachers (my English teacher Pat Hume at Norfolk Academy, in particulary!)

Volunteer work (a medical mission with Operation Smile to the Philippines when I was sixteen, and then the work I did for them for the rest of my teen years... so formative, so important.)

Supportive friends for life (I based Scarlett’s voice on my best friend ever—Bretta!)

Dreaming of becoming free, that all this suffering would be worth something

Academics (I was an ace student)

The fun part of sports where you actually got to play, and none of that other ray-rah nonsense.

The beach (thank God I lived right by one!)

Being a camp counselor and mentor

And more comic books

And a little beer, here and there, safely imbibed, no driving involved, never hurt me.

My fraternity brothers (Jimmy, Chad, and Greyson) who dragged me kicking and screaming out of the closet when my teen years turned into twenty.

And getting out of the house and out of school as much as was humanly possible, which I did on a very regular basis. As long as I made straight A’s, my parents never bugged me about going to or missing class. (I was ready for college after ninth grade.)

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

PM: You ask tough questions. The answer is yes. HERO was tough. A lot of the things Thom faced were things I went through verbatim. The story about how his father sat him down and told him what it meant to be gay, as a result of a newspaper article on Martina Navratilova, is word for word how I was told. I pulled a lot of punches though. I mean a lot. When I found out HERO was to be published, I gave it to my mother, and my sisters (my little sister Jane is my biggest fan—she eats up young adult literature and can really tell the good from the glorious, so what she thought means a ton to me), and then we were all talking about when the heck and how I was going to give it to Dad.

I mean, he’s in it. The book is ABOUT him and his relationship with his son. Nothing could hit closer to home. So I sent it to him, and halfway through he called me and said, “Perry, I wasn’t that much of a monster, was I?” I just said, keep reading, Dad, keep reading. And he did. And he’s very, very proud of it. As he is of me. Dad’s my hero, no two ways about it.

IBT: I used Hero as one of our Book Club titles last year and a funny thing struck me by the reaction of a few of the teens, they were so surprised at the struggle Thom faced coming out. I know that San Diego is not the most conservative of places, but my brother struggled to come out twenty years ago. I remember the anguish he went through, he had no idea how our family would react, it’s something I can never forget. Have you noticed a significant difference for kids today?

PM: First of all, thank you, I’m very honored that you used HERO in your book club. I wish the book were taught widespread in high school English classes. I remember we always read books that opened our eyes to growing up black, growing up Hispanic, growing up mentally ill, growing up over-yet-underprivileged. Yet there’s very little about growing up gay that straight kids would want to read to. Call me biased, but I think HERO is that book. And if you want understanding, start young.

I’m from the South, so I’ll say this: old bigots don’t bother me. They die. It’s young people that concern me the most. And there’s something in HERO for everyone. Yes, I have noticed from the heaps of e-mails I get that there are so many more young people coming out or considering coming out everyday.

This is a great thing. But we’re not there yet. I get a few letters from parents, thanking me for the book, giving them a tool to talk about it. I do interact with the people who write me, and it’s one of the most rewarding parts of the gig. To have someone write you and say you’ve saved their life, you’ve given them hope, you’ve inspired them to come out… I wasn’t prepared for any of this, but it makes me feel the power of HERO is just beginning.

As more and more teens come out, a demand for more and more material like HERO will follow. I advised a few young people, who found it difficult to say the words, “I’m gay” to their parents or friends, to give them the book as an icebreaker so they could sit down and discuss it.

It was harrowing for me to give the book to my father, in particular, before it was published, and I’d already come out years ago, but it took me right back. He was not a big fan of the publicity HERO drew, citing me as an “openly gay writer.”

That’s a funny term to see in print. Imagine describing Stephen King (whom I love) or John Grisham as an “openly straight writer.” Kinda makes me laugh.

But back to your question, yes, there is a difference today. But it’s still hard to come out. Especially if you’re on a sports team. Name one male role model who’s actively playing football, basketball, baseball, hell, even tennis, my favorite sport. YOU CAN’T NAME ONE! There are a few who come out after the fact, but I don’t think that part has changed; it’s just as difficult an environment to be a gay athlete as it was when I was in school.

Even my mother is a great example. She is the most loving Christian woman I know. And she really did her homework when I came out. She’s educated, and that’s her way. She called me once to inform me she’d read that they’d discovered a “gay gene.” “God doesn’t make mistakes,” she said. “God made you like this for a reason, and I feel sorry for all the ignorant people who don’t understand.” That part’s wonderful. But then she had a great “mom” moment when she was trying to be understanding, and said, no, it’s not a choice, it’s something you’re born with, like a birth defect.”

“Uh, mom,” I said. “Being born liking men is not really like a birth defect.”

She was quick to say she was sorry, but I know she’s well aware of Matthew Shepard’s fate and other hate crimes. They still exist. That’s undeniable. And I’ve faced discrimination for being gay. I can’t tell you about it, because it would land me in hot water, but maybe in a few years…

And I still wasn’t satisfied with media stereotypes of gay people. HERO defies almost all of them. One review even made a checklist of all the clichés and how HERO avoided all of them. That was a proud moment for me. I thought I was really sending a message without being preachy. After all, HERO is first and foremost an entertaining story. Hopefully, at best, an inspiring one.

For all the steps we’ve made taken in the right direction, we must still push forward!

IBT: How have the books you’ve read or movies you've seen inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

PM: Oh, I think I’m inspired by all my favorites. Margaret Atwood, certainly there’s no better. I like how she’s adamant about how what she writes (e.g. Handmaid’s Tale) is SPECULATIVE fiction, and not science fiction, because it could happen. Same goes for another favorite of mine, Octavia Butler. Even though, may she rest in peace, she won the Hugo and the Nebula Awards, she called her genre not sci-fi, but “literature of the imagination.” And all of the comic books that inspired me, like Alan Moore’s Watchmen, and everything else he wrote. Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” that’s a major inspiration. Since my father wouldn’t’ talk much about Vietnam, he gave me that book and said, “if you want to know what it was like for me to be over there, read this.” So I did. I was interning for the White House at the time (during the Clinton’s first year), and I remember writing letters back and forth to Dad about the book and how visceral experience was, how it put me in the shoes of an American soldier.

So when it came time for me to write a book, I wanted Dad and everyone else to know what it was like to grow up in the shoes of a gay teenager. And I chose to marry that concept with the world of superheroes, and that’s what provoked HERO. Now matter how supernatural the powers are, the reality comes first, characters first, real humans, real human emotion. That part was really important to me. I learned that from working as a producer on the Narnia movies, it was something the director Andrew Adamson said over and over in creating that world: the best fantasy must be grounded in reality.

I think I took that notion and ran with it in telling my own story. Just with some superpowers, to boot.

Movies used to be my primary inspiration, but no longer. Once you work in that business for so long…. Well, I want to put positive things out there. That’s why I’ve never worked on one of those “let’s-disembowel-the-teenagers-and-get-rich-quick” movies. Not for me. It’s a business driven by spread sheets. I was so shocked that Disney considered Narnia to be a “surprise” hit. I never had any doubts about the power of that story, nor did I have any doubts about the widespread fan-base. I guess that’s one of the advantages of having grown up Christian in the South. My entire perspective has never been limited to Hollywood. I’m really proud to be part of the amazing team that put together the screen version of “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,” and I’m always shocked by people in the industry who didn’t see its success coming. So, no, some movies still inspire me, but not many new ones. Most of the best new work from interesting perspectives is being done in literature (books and comic books) and cable television. That is one distinct way the business has changed!

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

PM: A PICTURE OF A DEAD MAN WITH HIS BRAINS SPLATTERED ON THE DIRT ROAD HE WAS LYING ON. I found this picture in my dad’s secret collection in the attic. I have no idea if it was an American soldier or a Viet Cong. I was fifteen, and I was shocked. Even more shocked because Dad caught me looking at it. He didn’t freak out. He sat down with me, and we went through this whole box of pictures he’d taken when he was in the Army fighting in the Vietnam War. His camp was overrun one night by the enemy. Dad earned a Bronze Star for Valor, but there were so many holes to the story. Parts of the story were vivid. He said he’d found the mama-san who’d been their barber strung along the barbed-wire; apparently she’d been working with the other side, and he’d remembered how many times her razor was shaving his neck. How easy it would have been to kill him. But she’d waited with the rest for this one night. He remembered this native American soldier he’d been buddies with, who died in the tower that night. Lots of details. But I was to rapt with attention to ask all the questions I wanted to ask. As far as I know, he’s never talked about that night since. That was the one time he opened up about it. You’d get a piece here or there over the years, but not much. That was the way of the Vietnam Veteran. No parades for their homecoming. Just scars. Lots of scars.

And in many ways, discovering those pictures inspired specific scenes in HERO. Hal and Thom polishing his Dad’s old uniform, his father opening up, but then the walls came right back up. The secret history of pictures Thom finds of his mother, her secret life as a hero.

I suppose on a creative level, you search for answers and explore questions you’ve been holding inside for such a long time. I chose to explore them in HERO in these ways…you can find many other examples in the tragic character of Hal Creed, Thom’s complicated father.

IBT: Where did the inspiration for Goran come from, he is a special favorite of mine and want to hear more about him.

PM: You will learn so much more about Goran and his past in the SEQUEL TO HERO! Look for it! Imagine what he had to do to get here in this country with his little brother safely. I’ll leave it at this, it was anything but easy. And there are consequences that will come back to haunt him. I hope he and Thom survive these new challenges. It will take every ounce of heroism in them, and it will test the depth of their relationship to its very limits!

My inspirations for him were specific and many. Colossus. I grew up totally in love with that big galoot from the X-Men. Here was this huge, young guy, always trying to do right, in a strange land. And he had the heart of an artist, but rarely the words to express his true feelings. I tutored at a high school here in lower Manhattan where most of the students were from another country, so it was easy to come up with how he and Thom initially met.

I named him Goran as a fuck-you and an homage. The fuck-you was to tennis player Goran Ivanisevic, who on his umpteenth try finally won the Championships at Wimbledon…. In the post-game interview, he called a linesman who made a call not in his favor, “a faggot.” Just after winning Wimbledon. And no one reprimanded him, at all! Could you imagine if he’d used the N word? Yet, it was totally acceptable for him to call this linesman a faggot. So take that, Goran Ivanesivic! THE hottest gay superhero is named after you. Live with it! And I also named him after the actor Goran Visnjic on ER, because have you seen that guy? He is all kinds of dark and brooding and handsome. The ideal older version of who Goran is now, physically at least. It’s also a common first name in Goran’s homeland, so it made sense.

I’m also a big fan of Wuthering Height, always have been. That’s where most of the Dark Hero stuff came from. Tough love, following Thom, a real harsh hero, but with a true heart capable of bearing the greatest love. And he’s saved it all for Thom, all these years he’s waited. And he finally met Thom, who moved him so greatly.

Thom and Goran are a couple for the ages. I pray they can fend off everything I throw their way. There are some major challenges coming, and these two simply BELONG TOGETHER.

I wanted an iconic, strong, complementary couple of heroes, who just happen to be young men having to grow up in such a short time, faced with such incredible challenges. I think it helps when you face hard things together, with the one you love. Goran is there for Thom at the end, a gentle abiding love, for such a kick-ass character.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

PM: SPOILER ALERT: Wow, you really kill me with these questions. You’re good!

Yes, it is hard. It is devastating.

When I had to let go of Ruth, losing her was as earth-shattering for me as it was for Thom. I loved writing Ruth. Pure joy. Nothing but pure joy. I remember when I was just getting started with the book, when I’d just spent a month putting every scattered idea I had down on the page and then trying to coalesce some form of an outline, I couldn’t help myself. I know you’re supposed to start from the beginning. Always best to go in chronological order, but RUTH! She burned a hole, like the rest of the story, right out of me. I remember it vividly: a core Narnia team of us were in London, workshopping with young actors to play the kids during the day, and meeting with established actors at night. We had dinner with my favorite, Tilda Swinton, whom I’d been pushing for to play the White Witch, lined up for that night, and I had an hour and a half to get ready. In that time, I wrote the scene where Thom follows Ruth after the first probationary scene and he asks her to read his future, and she says, “You have secrets, kid. I HATE secrets.” Finished that scene, felt really good about it, then ran off to dinner with our future White Witch.

Letting go of her made me cry, and it often has that effect on the reader. At least some of them tell me that.

Same with Hal. God, he’s so tragic. You know, originally I had him at the end alive and well and proud of Thom, watching the trains go by. That’s a hobby of my own father’s. It was so bittersweet writing that scene with Goran and Thom, instead of Thom and his dad.

But when you create characters in the context of a story, they’re alive. You have to make sure you don’t get in the way of listening to them, of telling their truth. That may sound strange for fiction, but it’s very true. I remember, Hal was the first character who took over, which is very Hal if you ask me. One of the opening scenes, where the criminals bust in his house to rob it and Thom is recuperating on the couch. I hadn’t planned any of what happened next. Hal just appeared and went to it, dispensing each criminal. I couldn’t believe it when the scene was over, because I felt I hadn’t really done any of it. Hal had written his own actions, made his own decisions in that section. Ruthless, brutal, protective of his son and his home, and missing his wife, who’d left him so long ago. That was his truth, and he acted accordingly.

So when it came time to write the climax, I always wrote that section to a specific Sibelius symphony, I just knew Hal had to go. That would be his decision, given that terrible choice, he would say, “This is what he do son,” as he put his old gloves and mask back on, fatally wounded, dragging Justice with him so he couldn’t hurt anyone else. “We save people.” That part still brings tears to my eyes too, Thom watching helplessly, but knowing that his father loves him for who he is, sexuality and all, the proudest father on earth, his last moments defined him as no other situation could. “Promise me you’ll love as much as you can,” Hal demands of his son before he blasts off with Justice to make sure the threat is gone for good. “Promise me!” And all Thom can say, wracked with tears, as he’s about to lose the one person who truly loves him unconditionally, is, “I will.” It’s so bittersweet, heartbreaking really. These two souls who long to find their place in the world, finally understand each other. They get that chance at peace, at communicating a love true and never-ending, even in death.

I will say this: expect MAJOR SURPRISES in the sequel. You may see more of RUTH and HAL revealed in ways you never thought possible. What do you supposed that stack of letters was that Ruth had Thom mail, the ones she stayed up all night writing, knowing that it was to be her last day on earth?

HERO’s sequel has major plans, and major surprises, in the most unexpected places. I can’t wait to write it! I started mapping it out before HERO was published. A third book, too! And what do you suppose Lila had been up to in her absence? Makes you wonder. I know for a fact Thom will wonder, and where will this lead him?

And, no, as hard as it was to let go of those characters, I can’t imagine writing it any differently. Not once have I thought about that, because like I said, I was just relaying what they were telling me to do. It’s happening with my next book, too, but these kids are cryptic—they’ve been part of a secret pact to hide each other from so long that it’s hard to listen, because they don’t want you to hear!

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

PM: Well, I already do it with surfing. Some days when the waves are way over head high, you get those butterflies in your stomach. Sometimes taking off on that wave is an incredibly steep drop, and your shaking and just holding on for dear life! If there’s one life lesson I’ve learned from surfing it’s that there are things in this world, natural elements, in this case the ocean, that are so powerful, it can be incredibly humbling.

I do have a fear of heights. Not sure I’ll ever sky-dive. Some of the crazy helicopter rides we took when making the first Narnia, through the mountains on the South Island, well, let’s just say I’m happy to be on the ground now.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

PM: Research, research, and more research.

Also, I usually just turn to another project. I have so many other stories to tell. HERO, the new book that rewrites the werewolf mythology, some other stories I’m dying to tell. My problem is rarely getting stuck; it’s more a problem of which story I want to sit down and write that day.

IBT: I was super fortunate to be there at Comic Con last year where you and Stan Lee announced (without officially announcing) that Hero would be a movie. What if anything can you reveal about the project so far?

PM: We’re in the final stages of writing the pilot script. Please tell everyone you know to write Showtime to tell them you want this series. It’s groundbreaking, but not just because of the premise. It’s the way we tell it. All Thom’s struggles, internal and external, all the mysteries he uncovers, it’s a labyrinth, more along the lines of LOST. But Thom is the catalyst for all of it. His journey ignites the story, fuels it. And there are so many twists and turns along the way. I think most people, especially those unfamiliar with the book, will be pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth of the story.

I can’t wait to keep telling his story! There’s so much more for him and the other characters to tackle…

IBT: What’s your favorite type of hero?

PM: My favorite hero didn’t exist. So I sat back and dreamt of my favorite hero, what I wanted to read the most.

And that became HERO. Thom, Goran, Hal, Ruth, the whole probationary gang. They’re it!

IBT: Hero had to be one of the best and most exciting books I read last year, will we be hearing more from Thom, Goran, and company?

PM: You can bet your mask on it – there will be sequels! As long as these characters keep telling me their stories, I’ll keep writing them. Thanks for the compliment and the interview!

Please let everyone know they can contact me directly with questions at my website: www.perrymoorestories.com

And writing positive reviews online (especially on Amazon.com), joining or starting a fan club for the book, or just telling people about HERO and the upcoming series – it all helps get the book in the hands of those who need it.

And now more than ever, the world is ready for its first gay teen superhero, front and center, out and open, not a victim, not silly comic relief…but a HERO. That very thing which makes you uniquely you doesn’t have to make you feel alienated. Gay or straight, black or white, big or small, old or young, there is a hero in all of us. Believe!

tom sniegoski

2009-08-06T02:21:00.000-07:00

The Brimstone Network
by Tom Sniegoski
Available Now

Thirteen-year-old Abraham (Bram) Stone has never lived an ordinary life. Home is a monastery in the Himalayan mountains, where the monks train him in otherworldly fighting skills. Bram's father, Elijah Stone, leads a group called The Brimstone Network - an order of warriors and sorcerers who provide the last line of defense against all paranormal dangers.

Bram always knew one day he'd take his father's place. But that day comes far too soon when a bizarre man named "Mr. Stitch" arrives at the monastery and breaks the news to Bram -- every member of the Brimstone Network, including Elijah, has been assassinated. Suddenly it's up to Bram to form a new Brimstone Network out of the rubble of the old, and hope that he can rise to the challenge in time to stop a terrifying threat to humanity.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who
would you choose?

TS: I'm going to cheat here and give you a bunch of fictional characters that I would bring to life. If I could, I'd bring the Wild Things from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are to life. It was my favorite book growing up, and it's still one of my favorites. The monsters are just incredible, and I think I'd look pretty cute in that white wolf costume. "Let the wild rumpus begin!"

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

TS: I survived with good friends, and my love of "stuff". When I say stuff I mean all the things that have sort of defined me as who I am today . . . movies, comic books, toys, books. Without these things I think I would have lost it. They provided me with the perfect escape when I needed it.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

TS: I was raised Roman Catholic, so some of the religious stuff that I used in my first series The Fallen rubbed some folks (my parents) the wrong way. What I had to explain to them was that this isn't necessarily the way that I think, it how the characters that I created think. I had to really stress this to them. I had similar stuff come up with my adult novel, A Kiss Before the Apocalypse.

IBT: What were some of the bigger issues you faced as a teen (that you can share)and how have they affected the stories you've written? Do you think these issues still affect teens today?

TS: Bigger issues . . . Hmmmmm, y'know, I really didn't have many issues as a teen. I just sort of did my own thing. Sure, there were problems that came up because of the weird stuff that I was into, but they were pretty minor when you stop and think about them. Sure, I was called freaky and bizarre every once in a while, but most of the people that I knew just sort of accepted me for how I was. Other then that, there really wasn't anything else that was an issue.

I think you see a bit of this showing up in quite a few of the books of written . . . the outcast amongst normal folk. I think I use this device quite a bit because it's so universal. We all feel like outsiders for one reason or another.

And I think this issue will always exist, not everybody is the same . . . with the same likes and dislikes . . . so somebody who feels like an outcast will always exist.

IBT: My favorite character from the Brimstone Network is Mr. Stitch, his inspiration is obvious but can you tell us how have the books you've read inspired the books you've written, if at all? What about movies? The last line in Brimstone Network reminded me a lot of the last line in Monster Squad and it made me squirm with delight.

TS: I LOVE the Monster Squad :) The Brimstone Network was me writing the kind of book that would have made me tremble with delight when I was a kid. I was always a huge fan of the adventure stories and characters that came out of the 1930's and 1940's (The Shadow, Doc Savage, The Spider) I used to read paperback reprints of these old time stories and just fell in love with them. These, plus my love of monster movies and superhero comics were all that I needed to come up with the Brimstone Network.

The Brimstone Network was written for me . . . Tom Sniegoski . . . if I was twelve or thirteen today.

Did I mention that I LOVE the Monster Squad?

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

TS: Inspiration is strange with me because it comes out of nowhere. I could be walking my dog, Mulder, and suddenly an idea springs into my head . . . or taking a shower, or going to the bathroom for Pete's sake! It like a spark going off inside my brain . . . usually there is no rhyme or reason. I never know when it's going to happen. Sure, I can feel suddenly creative when I see a good movie, or hear a particularly awesome song, but this is nothing compared to the weird lightning bolts that sometime go off in my head.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

TS: Not really. I have desires to come back to the character sometimes, and to write more stories with them. My characters in The Fallen are prime examples of this . . . I'd love to look them up now, see what they've been up to. The characters in my Sleeper books as well.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

TS: It's not that I'm afraid to, it's just out of my comfort zone. I wish I liked to travel more . . . I hate it. If I could go to sleep and wake up in my destination, that would be perfect. I can't stand the whole drawn out process of traveling. It's a nightmare to me. And as far as sky diving and stuff, yeah, right. I'm crazy, not stupid.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?

TS: I usually work on writer's block one of two ways. The first thing I do is to step away, and to do something else (go to a movie, read some comics, listen to music). Getting away from a project for a bit sometimes helps the juices to ferment a bit, and things become a whole lot clearer when you go back to it. The other thing I sometimes do is just to struggle on, forge ahead . . . beat the story into submission. Bend it to my will, so to speak. . . break down the block with mental sledge hammers. This one doesn't work all the time, but every once in a while it's the right thing to do.

IBT: You've written so many books, out of all of them, which is your favorite
character or series you've created?

TS: I think my favorite character is Remy Chandler from my adult, dark fantasy series. The first book is A Kiss Before the Apocalypse, and I think it's the best thing I've ever written. As far as my YA stuff, I think The Fallen series is my favorite out of that stuff. A whole cast of really awesome characters that I really grew to love.

IBT: Are you working on anything now and can you share anything about it with us?

TS: The project I'm currently working on is sort of top secret, so I can't talk about that, but I can tell you about a book that I just finished that will be out in October of 2009. It's called LEGACY and I think people are really going to dig it. The premise of the book is, what if you were an eighteen year old, high school drop-out, and the father you never knew growing up suddenly came back into your life . . . and he's a real life superhero . . . and to make matters worse, he's dying and wants you to carry on the family tradition. What do you do?

How does that sound?

IBT: Do you have an escape plan in mind if zombies were to invade?

TS: No escape plan necessary. I'm going to find out a way to control the Zombie hordes--becoming the Zombie Whisperer--and rule the world with my faithful dog Mulder by my side.

What a glorious world that would be.

Lucy Silag

2009-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Americans
by Lucy Silag

What happens in Paris. . .

SECRETS
PJ’s deep blue eyes and angelic long blond hair conceal a truth that’s anything but. Will her dark past stay where it belongs in the backwoods of Vermont, or haunt her in the city of light?

PASSION
Always the good girl, Olivia plans to twirl her way to the top of the Parisian ballet scene. But that’s not supposed to include dancing on a table all night. . . or stumbling into the arms of the wrong boy.

LIES
With his emo-trendy bedhead, hilarious comebacks and Southern drawl, Zack could win over anyone. Too bad he’s after the only one who’s forbidden. . .

SCANDAL
All Alex wants from Paris is to nab that berry-red Dior coat and seduce the perfect penny-loafer-wearing boy—and Alex always gets what she wants. But will her scheming pay off? Or is she risking more than she knows. . .?

Alex, Olivia, Zack and PJ are spending a year at the prestigious Lycée de Monceau in the sparkling city of Paris. This is their chance to sip café au lait in Le Marais, throw secret parties in their host families’ Versailles-size apartments, and have the time of their lives. But when the secrets they thought they left behind come out, everything could be ruined. . .

IB Teen talks with the super chic Lucy Silag

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

LS: Bridget Jones, absolutely, so we could compare notes on being ridiculous when we're trying so hard not to be.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

LS: It's all about laughing at yourself. I surrounded myself with people who had a good sense of humor and I tried not to let too many things get to me. I was lucky to have a great group of friends and very patient, understanding parents who helped me find my way as I became an adult. I also wrote constantly in my journal, which is mortifying to read now, but was a great outlet for all the trials and tribulations of middle school and high school.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

LS: It wasn't until my book, BEAUTIFUL AMERICANS, was in galley form that I realized my dad was going to read the steamier scenes. I hadn't thought to be embarrassed until it was too late!

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

LS: Heavy question! I'm not sure about teens in general, but some of the issues I try to address in my writing for teens have a lot to do with self-acceptance and acceptance of others. Certainly, I knew that some people would not be comfortable reading about a gay character, but I think it is important for GLBT teens to have a lot visibility in YA novels. Even if a young reader is just looking for a bit of escapism, books and other forms of media should try to accurately reflect different points of view in teen culture. When I was a teen, I read different types of books depending on the mood I was in--which is of course still true today. Some days I look for deep meaning, and sometimes I just want to have a vicarious adventure!

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

LS: I think that for a long time I was intimidated to write fiction because I assumed that it would have to be very brainy and literary. When I started working as a bookseller and then as a book publicist, I was exposed to so many different types of books, including a lot of really smart commercial fiction. I realized that to be a good writer you don't have to take yourself so seriously, and that some of the books I've gotten the most out of were actually very light in tone.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

LS: I'm not sure if it is strange or not, but I always get the most inspired on trains, planes, the subway, or car rides. I'm usually too lazy to carry around my laptop, so I've learned to always have a notebook with me because it is usually when it is most inconvenient to write that I decide I have a great idea.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

LS: That is why it is so great to be writing a trilogy! I don't have to say goodbye to my characters for several more months since I'm still working on the second and third books in the BEAUTIFUL AMERICANS series.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

LS: I was a terribly fearless teenager, so I got some stuff out of the way back then: skydiving in Australia (where you don't have to be 18), various body piercings, singing a solo in a school musical before I realized that I am totally tone deaf. Now I am so cautious that my friends and family laugh at me. The one thing I'd still love to do is get a tattoo, but whenever I've actually gone into the tattoo parlor, the needles make me queasy and I leave without making an appointment.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it? LS: Exercise, even just going for a long walk, always helps. The one thing that doesn't help is wallowing in it! If I am really stuck, I might write in my journal or draft a blog post about what I've been up to in order to get the juices flowing again.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?

LS: So many! I spend a lot of time daydreaming about taking a train from Moscow to Beijing, and I've also always wanted to go to South Africa. But really, there's not a travel destination I hear about that I don't want to go to. Unless it involves taking a boat, and then I would have to decline because I get very seasick.

IBT: Are you working on anything now and can you share anything about it with us?

LS: At this very moment, I am working on the sequel to BEAUTIFUL AMERICANS, which is tentatively titled WANDERLUST. It's scheduled to be released in September 2009. I hope you will check it out!

Jessica Day George

2009-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Princess of the Midnight Ball
by Jessica Day George

Returning home from the war, young Galen finds work with his mother’s family in the royal gardens. There he learns that the king’s twelve daughters have a secret: every night they dance their shoes to tatters, but no one knows how or why. When prince after prince tries and fails to find the answer, and the family is haunted by accusations of witchcraft, Galen decides to help. Armed with a pair of silver knitting needles and an invisibility cloak given to him by a strange old woman, he follows the princesses and unlocks the secret of their curse.

This book includes knitting patterns for a shawl and a chain of black wool that are key to the plot. I will also be posting more knitting patterns here that correspond with with the story.

IB Teen talks to Jessica Day George

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

JDG: Crowley from Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

IBT:How did you survive being a teen?

JDG: It wasn't easy! I read lots and lots of books, and got into acting at the local college's summer theater, and well, left town to go to college once I graduated!

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

JDG: Yes. I wrote a novel about Queen Guinevere, set in the future when Arthur is prophesied to return, which had a lot of mentions of drug use. It hasn't been published yet, but I'm really scared to find out what my dad will say if it ever does hit shelves and he reads it!

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

JDG: I really think teens need to work harder than ever to get a place at a good university and get the best education they can. We have so many difficulties facing the world: the environmental issues, wars, poverty, epidemics, that we need educated people to help alleviate these problems. It's not fair, but that's the world teens are facing right now, which is why I think most teens are reading to live vicariously through the characters. But there's no reason you can't look for the best written books to escape into!

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

JDG: Oh, in so many ways! Readin Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer makes me want to write my own historical romances, reading about funny quirky dragons in Patricia Wrede's books made me want to do something like Dragon Slippers. . . .My whole reading history is laid out in my own books!

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from? What inspired you to write School for Dangerous Girls?

JDG: I wrote my hard core version of Arthur and Guinevere, living in the future (and Guinevere is a drug addict), after listening to the musical Camelot too many times. Also, I'm afraid I didn't write School for Dangerous Girls!

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

JDG: In my head, one of the dragons from Dragon Slippers was red. She's a very warlike, tough female. But for some reason I typed "green", and green it stayed. Then as I've written the sequels, I've had the worst time remembering that she's green. I still want her to be read, and I begged my editor to change future printings of the books, so that she could be the "right" color.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

JDG: I'd love to sky dive, but I'm well aware that I am too chicken.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

JDG: Dancing around and eating licorice. Works every time.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?

JDG: Iceland.

IBT: Is Princess a stand alone novel or will it be part of a series? I love that you've added a knitting pattern that get's the reader involved in the story, if there is a series will they all have some interaction like this?

JDG: There will be at least one sequel. It's already complete, and in it, Princess Poppy will stand in for Cinderella. It also has knitting patterns.

IBT: Thanks Jessica!

Alex McAuley

2009-04-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

Shelter Me
by Alex McAulay

Maggie Leigh just wants to be a normal teenager, but when German bombs tear apart London during World War II, her ultra-religious mother sees the destruction as divine punishment. She sends Maggie to a remote boarding school in coastal Wales, supposedly to keep her safe, but also to keep her in line. The school is creepy, the headmistress is a lunatic, and the students range from spoiled rich girls to speechless trauma victims. But when a tragic accident happens on the beach, Maggie and three friends are forced to flee the school, plunging into the nightmarish world of Europe during wartime. Now every decision Maggie makes is fraught with danger, and living to see another day depends on how quickly she can think and act...and how far she's willing to go.

IB Teen talks to Alex McAuley

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

AM: From my books, or books in general? From my books, it would have to be Maggie Leigh from "Shelter Me" because it would be interesting to see what a teenager from WWII-era Europe would make of today's society. From other's people's books, it would probably be Elizabeth from "Pride & Prejudice", or Nicholas from "The Magus" (a very strange book by John Fowles that was the unofficial basis for David Fincher's 1997 film "The Game").

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

AM: I'm not sure. I spent most of my teen years being an emo/punk/nerd/outcast/film geek who played in a punk rock band but also spent a lot of time studying (I had really strict parents). I grew up in Dayton, Ohio and there wasn't much to do there. The only cool part was that Kim Deal from the rock bands The Pixies and The Breeders lived a few streets down from me and used to let us kids hang out at her house. Once I got out of Dayton at 17, I went wild.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

AM: Yes, absolutely. But that book hasn't been released yet. It's my next project. It's pretty dark, and will probably make a lot of people I know unhappy. Writing it is really hard. But I'm hoping it will also turn out to be psychologically rewarding (and won't just drive me insane or something awful).

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

AM: It's a mix. I don't think core psychological traits change that much from one generation to another. Everyone wants to have friends, to be loved, to have enough money to live on (at the least), and to do something cool with their lives. I don't know what issues teens think about--they're probably similar to what I think about. (I remain hopeful we'll soon see an end to the pointless, colonialist war in Iraq, for example). And I think it's a mix in terms of reading for quality vs. reading for superficial characters--sometimes one is fun, sometimes the other. I love trashy horror novels/graphic novels as much as I love really complex "literary" postmodern novels.

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

AM: My favorite books (especially the works of Stephen King, J.G. Ballard, William Golding, Truman Capote, Paul Theroux, and Alex Garland) inspired me to become a writer in the first place. A great book (or movie!) is a constant source of inspiration and creative energy for me.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

AM: Bizarre and shocking events from my past.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

AM: Sometimes. I'm happy with the characters in my first novel "Bad Girls" and in my most recent novel "Shelter Me." Sometimes characters take a weird turn when I'm writing. Some of my favorite characters are based on people I know.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?
AM: Challenging Axl Rose to a charity boxing match.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?
AM: Writer's block can be cured by copious amounts of alcohol (warning: this is probably not a good long-term strategy). But seriously, I write almost every day. It's like running--the discipline keeps away the problems.

IBT: WWII is one of my favorite times in history to read about, what inspired you to set the story during this time?
AM: My parents were alive (as babies) during WWII and living in London. My dad's house was bombed and he barely survived. My mom was sent away to Wales to a safe area. Their stories and the stories of my grandparents inspired my novel. It sounds like a brutal time. I remain fascinated by the fact that Britain and America managed to stop the lunatic tide of Nazism that had conquered most of Europe. I wish Britain and America would return to their onetime roles of doing good in the world, instead of invading foreign countries for profit.

IBT: Are you working on anything now and can you share anything about it with us?
AM: I'm writing a memoir about my youth. It's not specifically aimed at teens, due to the extremely disturbing content, but I think a lot of teens might enjoy reading it. I'm also working on my fifth young adult novel, which is set in Utah.

lesley livingston

2009-03-06T02:26:00.000-08:00

Wondrous Strange
by Lesley Livingston
Available Now

Kelley Winslow is living her dream. Seventeen years old, she has moved to New York City and started work with a theatre company. Sure, she's an understudy for the Avalon Players, a third-tier repertory company so far off-Broadway it might as well be in Hoboken, but things are looking up—the lead has broken her ankle and Kelley's about to step into the role of Titania the Fairy Queen in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Faeries are far more real than Kelley thinks, though, and a chance encounter in Central Park with a handsome young man will plunge her into an adventure she could never have imagined.

For Sonny Flannery, one of the Janus Guards charged by Auberon, the King of Winter, with watching over the gate into the lands of Faerie that lies within Central Park, the pretty young actress presents an enigma. Strong and willful, she sparks against his senses like a firecracker and he can't get her out of his mind. As Hallowe'en approaches and the Samhain Gate opens, Sonny and Kelley find themselves drawn to each other—and into a terrible plot that could spell disaster for both New York and Faerie alike.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

LL: King Arthur. (Although I have my doubts that he was, in fact, entirely fictional!)

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

LL: A sense of humor. Because, at that stage of my life I certainly didn’t have a sense of proportion! I found that an ability to find the funny in any given situation became my way of dealing with all of the crap one has to go through trying to navigate the vast mine-field that is teenager-dom.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

LL: I don’t think so... In truth, the first person I’m really writing for is ME so I tend not to write things that would make me uncomfortable in any case. That said, I’m tearing the pages out of the first book I write that has a really steamy sex scene in it before I give it to my mom!

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

LL: There are so many tough issues facing teens today. I don’t envy them. But – based on a lot of the teens I’ve met – I do have a lot of faith in them. I think there is a need for thoughtfulness in this generation – the generations that have come before have thrust that necessity upon them. They are being forced to think about a great number of things outside of themselves and outside of their control – things like war and the environment. But also internal stuff - like priority-setting in a consumer-drive ipod generation and self-worth in the days of Paris Hilton and her ilk. So... thoughtfulness. It may sound like a generality but I believe it’s an important concept for kids growing up today; actions and consequences.

As for what teens are looking for today in books? Well, everything! Teens are people. I think adults – some adults – seem to forget that sometimes and just like anyone else, the likes and tastes of teens span the spectrum. That being said, I’ve never seen so much quality, thought-provoking, exciting and innovative reading crammed into small spaces as I do today on the YA shelves of bookstores. Not to mention stuff that is just plain fun! Teens are extremely fortunate right now in that there is some really awesome literature – fluffy stuff, deep stuff, and anywhere in-between stuff, that is being written SPECIFICALLY just for them! And, as a consequence, I think teen readers are developing very sophisticated literary palates.

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

LL: As a writer I think it’s almost impossible to not be inspired by the stuff you read. When I was a teenager I read widely and eclectically. I still do, I suppose. But, then as now, it was usually the stories with elements of the historical or fantastical, lots of action and heightened emotion – and beautiful language – that really hooked me. I guess that explains my Arthurian fixation. But when I read Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave books or Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar Tapestry or – my all-time favorite Arthurian re-telling – Parke Godwin’s Firelord (Man! Godwin can use language!) it was always the small, poignant moments between characters – in those epic stories – that stayed with me long after I’d closed the covers. If I’ve done anything in writing WONDROUS STRANGE, I would hope that in some way, my readers wind up feeling the same.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from? Where did the inspiration for Wondrous Strange come from?

LL: I don’t know if you can exactly classify this under “inspiration” but it was definitely strange. I wrote a short story – the first thing I ever wound up having published, actually – that was really sort of a character study and yellow roses played an important part in the imagery of the story. I finished writing it one winter evening and went to meet some friends. The weather was mucky – wet, dirty snow everywhere – and when I stepped out of the subway, the story still incredibly fresh in my mind, there on the ground lay a bunch of yellow silk roses. They didn’t belong to anyone – I waited to see if anyone would stop and pick them up and no one did - and they were pristine. Not a boot-print on them. Everyone else just walked around them as if they didn’t even see them. They are sitting on a shelf in my office now.

That short story, in part, held the germ of an idea that became WONDROUS STRANGE and a character that became Kelley Winslow. Neat, huh?

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

LL: I don’t think so. Just like people, the characters are who they are and they come with their own set of flaws and foibles. I will say this, though – I once killed off a particular character and it nearly did me in. The screen was a blur as I typed. And then my best friend who was reading the story as I wrote it called me up weeping and ranting, saying, “I can’t believe you did that! I’m never speaking to you again! Call me!”

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

LL: I think maybe scuba diving. I love being underwater but I think if I ever went too far down, I would panic. And I hear that the bends is really not a lot of fun. Plus, I’ve seen Jaws way too many times.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

LL: Write. That’s really the only thing that helps. Wait – I don’t actually mean that to sound flippant. It just really is the only cure for me. Having a deadline helps immeasurably, too.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?

LL: Camelot. No seriously. I have theories as to it’s historic location. Also – I’m pretty sure I know where Avalon is. I’d like to go there, too. (And New York again even though I’ve already been there several times!)

IBT: Are you working on anything now and can you share anything about it with us? Will we see Kelley and Sonny again?

LL: I actually just handed in my first-round revisions on Book Two in the WONDROUS trilogy! Now it’s on to Book Three! So – you will definitely being seeing more of Sonny and Kelley. And company.

IBT: Thanks, Lesley! That was fun!!

Tina Ferraro

2009-02-20T23:25:00.001-08:00

The ABC's of Kissing Boys

by Tina Ferraro
Read an excerpt!

author website

author myspace

Parker Stanhope's friends got promoted to Varsity soccer without her. Desperate to make things right, she has concocted a crazy-but-just-might-work plan that includes kissing the socks off the prom king at the Sports Fair Kissing Booth. Between now and then, she needs to learn everything she can about kissing - somehow. She finds a "coach" in the most unlikely of guys - but suddenly keeping that relationship a secret becomes as dire as her need to win back her soccer status and her friends.

About Tina:
Tina Ferraro believes in the adage that it is never too late to have a happy childhood. She was an avid bookworm, she started writing at the age of seven and sold her first short story following college.-from tinaferraro.com

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

TF: Superman! The uncle in my work-in-progress book is crazy for all things Man of Steel, so Superman has lived large in my mind lately.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

TF: By laughing? I don’t know...I had some good friends, and we laughed a lot. I also did a fair amount of reading and story writing, giving me “breaks” from real life.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

TF: Yes, back in the old days, I wrote some adult romances, but my heart wasn’t in them, and they never sold. One of the reasons I changed to targeting the young adult market was so my first book would be something that people of all ages could read.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

TF: My guess is that the biggest issues vary from person to person, but because I was very insecure as a teenager, what comes to my mind is a strong sense of self. I think it’s important to be comfortable in one’s own skin, and not allow oneself to get pigeon-holed by other’s opinions of you. For instance, I was a less-than-stellar student, and teachers and guidance counselors didn’t figure I’d make much of myself. For a time, I allowed that perception to hold me back, to keep me from trying things and believing myself. And now today, I sort of pride myself on being the advocate of the less-than-stellar student, showing people that hey, you didn’t have to be book smart to succeed--even in the book business!

As far as what teens today are looking for in books, I think it’s escapism inside a well-crafted story. In fact, that’s what I look for as a reader and a writer.

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

TF: I read a lot as a teen, and the books that were my favorites tended to feature the kinds of issues I was going through--friend, family and boy troubles--and so consequently, that’s where I’ve gone with my books. And so far, it hasn’t failed me.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from? What inspired you to write The ABC’s of Kissing Boys?

TF: The strangest thing was probably the idea for my first published book, Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress. I saw a nonfiction book called something like 101 Uses for a Bridesmaid Dress, and my brain started reeling: “But what if it was a prom dress? An unworn prom dress? What if her date dumped her right before the prom...” And I went running!

The inspiration for The ABC’s of Kissing Boys was not as clear, was more the blending together of ideas that interested me. I liked the concept of a 26 chapter ABC’s book, of a girl who gets left behind when all her friends get promoted to the next level team, and I saw possible humor in a dad being in a stupid feud with a neighbor. From there, it came together (well, after a lot of work).

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

TF: I’m not sure I wish I’d changed something, but when I’m writing the last chapter, I usually feel sad, like I’m taking someone I love to the airport. But ultimately, there is no goodbye, because I can revisit the character any time I want, either by re-reading or simply writing another scene.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

TF: Ski jumping! And it’s more than just fear, but the fact I haven’t been on skis since high school, too. When I watch the men’s ski jumping in the Olympics, my imagination runs wild. I am so there in every jump, taking off, soaring, and oh, those perfect landings. And as a side note, I hear there’s talk of finally adding a women’s competition in 2010!

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

TF: Well, that depends on the block. If I’m simply not feeling creative, then diversion like going shopping or for a walk sometimes helps. Just as often, it’s because the story’s not working. So I have to keep putting my butt in the seat and keep working it until it flows.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?

TF: London was that city for me, and I’m pleased to say I made it. But I’d really like to return to Great Britain and set foot on Irish and Scottish soil.

IBT: Are you working on anything now and can you share anything about it with us?

TF: Yes, I am about to hand in the first draft of When Bad Flings Happen to Good Girls. Here’s a blurb:

It took 17 years for Brandy Womack to get her life just the way she wanted it--and about 17 seconds for it to fall apart. Her best friends tell her it’s time to stop working so hard and “get a life.” By this, they mean a boyfriend, and they give her the summer to find one, or they’re going to go hunting the halls themselves. Not realizing that adding a boyfriend to her hectic AP and robotics team schedule, she’d have zero for them.

Away at her uncle’s cabin, Brandy sets out to find a guy who will “break her heart,” so she can return from summer in need of her friend’s TLC, rather than matchmaking skills, and then can resume her well-planned life.

She quickly finds the perfect candidate. But hooking up with the user/loser lifeguard proves harder than she can imagine. Even with the help from his nice-guy friend who seems to have his own reasons for getting them together--and to keep them apart...

IBT: Check out other titles by Tina Ferraro from the library, or on amazon!!

Beth Fantaskey

2008-12-20T23:26:00.000-08:00

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
by Beth Fantaskey
Available Now!

"Just remember, girls: The young male vampire is a predator by nature. Some boys may look at you not only as a romantic interest, but as prey..."

Chapter 1, "On the Verge of Adult Vampiredom,"
in Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions
-Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he's her long-lost fiancé. Armed with new found confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction.

When these two meet they couldn't be more different than night and day. Sharing a heartbreakingly similar beginning their paths diverging when an angry mob interferes (as they tend to do when scared and foaming-at-the-mouth angry at things they do not understand). She's raised in a peaceful Gandhi-like vegan environment completely ignorant to who she really is, whereas He is raised with an iron fist to become a Vampire Warrior King. He's arrogant, officious (basically his cup runneth over with confidence), willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill his duty to his family. While she is both rooted in a black-and-white reality, completely rejecting all things fanciful and mystical, she is also conflicted and more than a little insecure.
Clashing, miscommunication, fear, and frustration crush both their efforts; Jessica to have a normal life, and Lucius to convince her join him in ruling a vampire kingdom at his side forever.

"New lovers are nervous and tender, yet smash everything,
for the heart is an organ of fire."

I've loved this quote from the English Patient for so long, and when I read this book it felt as if it could have been written with these two characters in mind. This story takes Jessica and Lucius through many changes allowing the reader to fully believe the twists and turns that carry them so very far from where they started. This book is a MUST read, I guarantee you will love it.

"I'll be looking at the moon,
but I'll be seeing you"
- The English Patient

11 Questions with Beth Fantaskey:

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who
would you choose?

BF: Without hesitation, I would choose Edmond Dantes, "the Count of Monte Cristo."

I didn't read the book until a few years ago, and as soon as I started it, I thought, "Why did I wait so long to meet this guy?" To me, Edmond is the ultimate hero - intelligent, funny, daring, passionate, handsome... and more than a little dark and dangerous. I'd love to spend a day with him.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

BF: I was really shy when I was younger, so my teenage years were definitely a challenge. I survived by surrounding myself with a few very, very close friends. We shared the same sense of humor, the same sort of viewpoint on life. I always knew that I could count on them and confide in them.

In my novel, I tried to recreate that dynamic with Jessica and her best friend, Mindy. Although their friendship is strained over the course of the book, ultimately - when it's do or die - they are there for one another. They aren't the most popular kids in school, but they take care of one another.

That's the kind of safety net I had as a teenager. To this day, I keep in touch with my three closest high-school friends, even though we're scattered far and wide. When things go wrong, they're still the first people I call.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing,
knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

IBT: Because Jessica's Guide is ultimately about the passionate relationship between Jess and Lucius, I worried a little about what my family would think of the more intimate scenes. However, I was actually most concerned about the profanity in the book. I included it, though, because I felt like characters who are facing the situations that Jess and Lucius face wouldn't say, "Oh, shoot." If a guy like Lucius was poised to potentially destroy the love of his life, he'd curse. My mother did mention being a little taken aback, though!

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking
about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books
they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

BF: I think, more than ever, teens are engaged in the world to the same level as people in their 20s, 30s, etc. This past election, for example, was all about youth speaking out. In other words, teens are already thinking about the most important issues we face - from environmental protection to global human rights. I sometimes teach freshman-level college courses, and I'm consistently amazed by how involved 18- and 19-year olds are, socially and politically.

As for how this is reflected in what they choose to read, I think teens in general look for quality in books. Fiction does provide a degree of escape from the everyday world, but if you look at what's popular these days, a lot of it deals with moral choices and the repercussions of those choices. That, to me, is at the heart of quality fiction.

IBT: How have the books you've read inspired the books you've written, if at all?

BF: I would say that Dumas's books - The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers - gave me a love of heroes and drama. I'm also a big fan of Jane Austen, whose works definitely inspired my ideals for romance. In Austen's world, love is something that builds slowly in intensity, is life-long, and doesn't have to be the purview of the girl who just happens to be the prettiest, in a conventional sense. Other virtues can be admired and rewarded, too. On a more modern note, I love the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling definitely has the knack for making readers want to turn the next page. I really wanted Jessica's Guide to draw readers in that way.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from? What
inspired you to write Jessica's guide to Dating?

BF: That first one's a tough question. It's hard to even know when inspiration really strikes. For me, at least, it's more of a building process that starts when I take something in my life and ask, "What if...?"

Jessica's Guide is a good example. Like Jessica, my children are adopted, and their birth parents are a complete mystery. So that was the germ of a question: "What if we discovered something shocking about their biological parents?"

That question, of course, became the premise of Jessica's Guide. "What if a very rational, 'average' girl learned that her birth parents were vampires - something completely inconceivable, even repulsive, to her? And what if they had promised her in marriage to someone whose existence she couldn't even comprehend? And what if she was, through that unwanted betrothal, destined for greatness in a world she didn't even believe was real?"

I think inspiration is a matter of looking at the things that surround you every day and asking that crucial question, "What if?" Then asking it again and again.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back
on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

BF: Parting with characters really is incredibly hard. You spend so much time with them, and they become so real to you, that it's like mourning when you're done writing. I've had that experience as a reader, too.

As for changing a character - I don't think I would alter Jess, Lucius, Mindy or even Faith. In particular, I like the way Jess and Lucius grow and change over the course of the story. I guess they're so real to me that I can't imagine them being different!

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that
you would love to do but you are too afraid?

BF: I'd love to go scuba diving, but I have a weird fear of really big fish. I have no idea where it comes from, but I even get edgy in big aquariums, when the sharks are swimming by the glass! I think it would be amazing to experience that completely different world, though, so maybe someday. I do sort of like conquering fears. I used to hate public speaking - so I started teaching, just to face it down.
Then again - there are no sharks in the classroom.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?

BF: Facing a blank page is always scary, so I've developed a ritual to help overcome it. Each day, when I sit down to write, I start by revising something from the previous day. I go back just a few paragraphs into the previous chapter, and that usually gets my creativity back on track. It's like dipping my toe into a cold pool before I jump in.

Of course, that doesn't help with completely new projects. With those, I just have to start typing, even if I'm not sure what I'm going to say. Putting words on paper is the only cure for me.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a
place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?

BF: One summer my husband worked in China, and we would spend weekends traveling around the country. At some point, we heard about this area called "Shennongjia," which sounded beautiful - almost mystical. There were legends about strange creatures - white animals, and something akin to a bigfoot - attached to the place. So we started asking people how we could get there, and our friends would always say, "No, it's too dangerous!" Or even just, "No, it's impossible to go there!"

Our desire to visit there really seemed to alarm everybody we talked to, so we eventually skipped the trip... But I always like to think of Shennongjia as this magical place that exists out there, waiting to be discovered.

IBT: Will Jessica and Lucius's story continue as a series? Would you ever write from Lucius's perspective?

BF: There are no definite plans for a sequel, although it's been discussed. My next book is called "Jekel Loves Hyde," and although it's a YA romance with paranormal elements, the cast of characters is completely new. I think anyone who likes Jessica's Guide will enjoy this book, though. I'll post an excerpt on my website, www.bethfantaskey.com, soon, so people can check out the new heroes, Jill and Tristen.

That said, I would love to write more from Lucius's perspective. That's definitely something I've considered, when I've thought about plotting a sequel. It's kind of up to readers now... editors and publishers will definitely listen to what they want!

IBT: Let's get them to make a sequal! Thanks again Beth.

Carrie Jones- She blew me away!

2008-11-20T23:27:00.000-08:00

Need
by Carrie Jones
Author Website
Author Myspace

Zara lives with her grandmother in Maine so that she stays "safe." Zara doesn't think she's in danger, but it turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, is a pixie--and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He's the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs--and he's trailing Zara.

Every once in a while a person will come across a book that they can't wait to read. "Need" was one of these books for me.

Carrie lives with her family, a large, skinny white dog, and a fat cat in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber-comedian Sarah Silverman. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. Winner of the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award. Check out her first book, TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND and her second novel, LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE) (my favorite book title EVER)they are awesome.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

I would really like to bring Grover from Sesame Street alive despite how taunting he was in the classic "THERE'S A MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK." Hugging Grover would be my Heaven basically. He's so blue and furry and he has that honking big red nose. Whenever I'm stressed about writing I imagine Grover cheering me on.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

CJ: Honestly. I'm not sure I did survive. I mean I wouldn't be shocked if you pointed at me and said, "Carrie, you are a member of the undead because you died from pure horror after the painful experience of dropping tampons out of your locker in front of Mr. Duffy your honors English teacher. You are merely a corpse."So, going on the presumption that I did survive, do I have any tips?
1. It is okay to think your life stinks sometimes.
2. It is actually okay to think your life stinks a lot.
3. Remember this does not mean that your life will stink forever.
4. Strudel is very helpful when you're thinking there is no way you can deal with another Civics class.
You can:a. Imagine your teacher is covered in strudel.
b. Sneak in some strudel to eat. The act of weird rebellion will make you much happier.
c. Just keep repeating the word over and over in your head, "Strudel, strudel, strudel." It works.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

CJ: Everything I write I feel uncomfortable writing because my family assumes that everything I write is somehow about me. This is pretty uncomfortable when I'm writing from the point-of-view of a male stalker.

Tips On Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend was especially difficult. My dad had me really late in life. He's 75 now and trying to tell him the title was horrible. He kept cracking up and saying, "Wait till I tell your Aunt Athele about this... Ho boy... Ho boy!"

That's the title though. I had no control over that. I do have some control over the writing and it's important for me not to shy away from the hard subjects. Girl, Hero was by far the hardest book I've written. I got pretty torn up during that one. I had to have emergency strudel and everything.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

CJ: Wow. That's tough.
I would hate to impose my reality of issues on teens today. I think that there's so many different teens and different experiences and different needs out there that I couldn't possibly come up with "the biggest issue" for all teens. I mean, a teen in my town (Ellsworth, Maine) which is super rural and ridiculously white is going to have different issues than someone in Austin or LA or Kansas or Alabama or NYC.

I think teens today are looking for quality and the ability to live vicariously through the characters. It doesn't have to be an either/or thing. Alfred Tatum wrote an article, "Adolescents and Texts" in the November edition of ENGLISH JOURNAL where he says that teens are thirsting for texts that engage them, that meaningful and significant resonances in their lives; texts that have to do with identities and engaging them in 'questions that matter.' I agree with him.

Teens deserve to be able to get away from their lives, to live through characters, to be engaged and to have quality.

As writers that's what we have to strive for. Our readers deserve that.

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

CJ: Most of the books I've read inspire me in one of two ways:

1. DARN! I WISH I DID THAT! BOOKS
These are the books and poems that are so beautiful and/or fun that I drool and I wish I could have been that clever. I try to dissect how they work and pretty much always fail.

2. OH, NO YOU DIDN'T BOOKS
These are the books that make me cringe and I will do anything not to emulate. I have been known to want to flush some of these books down the toilet. Seriously. I'm pretty passionate about it.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from? Where did the idea for "Need" come from?

CJ: There are so many strange things. The inspiration for LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE)came when I was switching tv channels while I was on the treadmill. The volume wasn't on and I came on this image of a girl by the toilet and her mom looking sad. I was all, "Is she pregnant? Does she have the flu? What's going on?" Then it switched to a bunch of guys in a field playing guitar, which is when I realized I was watching a country video.

The idea for NEED?
I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.

Right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy – blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth. I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out.

Then when we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.

I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.

It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.

It also creeped me out.So, I started writing.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

CJ: No. I don't. I miss them a lot sometimes, but I don't want to change them. I'm usually just hanging on for the ride and my characters are in the drivers' seats when I write. I don't consciously direct heir personalities and actions..

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

CJ: I'm pretty fearless actually. My one big phobia? It's skiing. I know! I know! It's the most ridiculous phobia ever.

But even though I'm phobic about it I've tried it a couple times. The last time, my ski instructor laughed at me the entire lesson and told me, "Carrie. You are the goofiest person I have ever tried to teach ski."

It was pretty embarrassing. Fear brings out the goof ball in me.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

CJ: Usually I have multiple projects. So, if I'm blocked on one I skip to the next project and go back later that day. If that still doesn't work I go running or kayaking. If that still doesn't work I stare at the computer and just type. I tell myself, "It is okay for this to be the worst possible piece of writing in the universe, just do it. You can revise later."

Usually that works.
Or sometimes I imagine Grover cheering me on.Or sometimes I imagine John Wayne (the dead movie star) yelling at me. He's my internal editor/task master.

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?

CJ: You have to go to Paris! We have to get you there. That is just not right. I would really like to go to Peru and Tibet. Both those places are like giant beacons. So, if anyone is planning a visit and they need a random, goofy writer to come with them... give me a call! I will bring strudel.

IBT: Are you working on anything now and can you share anything about it with us?

CJ: I'm working on a bunch of things.
I'm working on a middle grade science fiction story that reads more like a fantasy I guess. Not high fantasy. Just kind of mellow and set in the contemporary world.

I'm also working on a young adult mystery/suspense, which is a lot of fun because I get to call up police officers and ask them questions like, "Would you cuff a person if they just..." or "How long would it take you to figure out someone was poisoned by pizza?" I am now on a 'watch list' in our town, I think.

Finally, I'm working on a young adult novel that follows the hero's journey a little bit. It's written from a male point-of-view, so that's kind of fun and daunting.

Thank you so much for interviewing me. I hope my answers made sense.
-Carrie

Barry Lyga- King of Awesome

2008-09-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Gothgirl
by Barry Lyga

"I can't afford to let myself feel good, to let my guard down, to think for a single moment that I belong.
Because I don't."
What happens when a 15-year-old comic book geek meets the girl of his nightmares?
The brainy outcast known as Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own special hell. The bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboy’s new little brother or sister.
But Fanboy has a secret: a graphic novel he’s been working on without telling anyone about it, a graphic novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and — most important of all — a way out of the crappy little town he lives in and the bullies that make it all hell for him.
Just when he thinks he’s doomed to be alone, Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, an outrageous, cynical girl who shares Fanboy’s love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. Fanboy can’t resist someone who actually seems to understand him, and soon he finds himself willing to heed her advice — to ignore or crush anyone who stands in his way.

But Kyra has secrets, too. And they could lead Fanboy to his dreams…or down a path into his own darkness.

Boy Toy

Josh Mendel has a secret. Unfortunately, everyone knows what it is.
For the past five years, Joshua Mendel has struggled with the aftermath of being sexually abused by his seventh-grade history teacher. Now a high school senior, he still experiences 'flickers,' his name for vivid, mini-flashbacks of his times with Eve. He still refuses to associate with Rachel, his seventh-grade romantic interest whose insistence on a game of spin the bottle at a party led to the exposure of his abuse, a trial, and Eve's imprisonment. Rachel is eager to resume their long-abandoned tentative romance, Eve has been released from prison, and Josh wants nothing more than to win a baseball scholarship to a college far from his small town where he feels certain everyone knows about his past. Despite years of counseling, Josh is unable to move on until he reveals the complete details of his experiences with Eve to Rachel and to his friend, Zik, and finally learns to accept the truth about it.

Hero Type

Maybe it's courage, the kind Kevin Ross (Kross to his friends) showed when he saved Leah Muldoon's life.
Maybe it's living with your own guilt so someone else doesn't have to...
Maybe it's the way Kross was in the right place at the right time...
Or the way he wouldn't back down when everything that mattered to him was called into question.
Maybe it's keeping your friends close--like the Council of Fools, a motley collection of goofballs and whacked-out teenage jesters--even when they don't really understand you.
Or maybe it's striving to do the right thing...
Or figure out what the right thing is in the first place.
Maybe it's trying to figure out how to live with a father who barely speaks, a father who guards a dark secret from his past.
Maybe it's all of this.
Or none of this. Kross saved someone's life. Maybe that's enough to make him a hero, regardless of his own terrible secret.
Then again... Maybe not.

10 Questions with Barry Lyga

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

BL: Wow. That’s a great question! I have never been asked that before. Can I cheat? Look, let’s be real — if I could make any ONE fictional character real, it would HAVE to be Superman. I mean, could you imagine someone like that...only in the REAL world? He could fix EVERYTHING because there wouldn’t be any aliens or sorcerers or supervillains (or kryptonite!) to stop him. Anyone would have to be an idiot to say anyone else.But that feels like cheating. I would have to say...Katie, the main character from The Girl with the Silver Eyes. That’s a book by Willo Davis Roberts that I read when I was a kid. I guess some people thought it was a little strange for a boy to read a book with a girl as the main character, but that never bothered me. I just knew that she and I were roughly the same age, both friendless, both trying to deal with divorce, both feeling like complete outsiders. (The fact that she also discovered that she had psychic powers was just a bonus…) I guess I’d like to see her in real life and find out how well she grew up.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

BL: There’s some debate as to whether I actually did or not! I sort of kept my head down, tried to stay out of trouble, and worked on my writing. If you’ve read my first book, that’s a pretty decent depiction of how I did it, though it took me more than a week to grow up. (I also had no Goth Girl to keep me in line, which may be why it took me longer…)

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

BL: God, yes! My first two books! ;) In the case of Fanboy, I was petrified of friends and family saying, “I can’t believe you wrote THAT about ME!” I was ESPECIALLY worried about my mother, but she loved the book. In Boy Toy, I was worried about people looking at me and thinking, “Oh, my God — he THINKS about stuff like that!”But you know, in both cases, I just had to remind myself that I tell stories. That’s what I do. And people have to accept it. Plus, if writing something makes ME uncomfortable, then I can assume that it will probably make a reader uncomfortable, too...and that means I got into that person’s head, which is a good thing.Although, I have to admit: I haven’t allowed my mother to read Boy Toy.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

BL: I think the biggest issues tend to be the same as they’ve always been — how to survive your teen years with your soul intact, without letting the world beat your dreams and desires out of you...and trying to figure out what your dreams and desires REALLY are, as opposed to what you THINK they are.What makes it more difficult than ever is the sheer unrelenting pace of life, and the vast, unquantifiable amount of data available, all of it hurtling at you at the speed of the ‘net, 24/7. When I was a teen, I was able to tune out and be alone with my thoughts a lot — no cell, no internet, and MAYBE half a dozen TV channels worth watching. Now, though, it’s harder to filter out what matters from the incredible volume of STUFF out there. So a new issue is: How do I maintain my sense of self and my sanity while being bombarded with ten million different — and mixed — messages a day?I think the second part of the question is a little unfair, to a degree. I hope that teens are looking for BOTH when they read — quality AND escapism. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I just hope that the characters aren’t ONLY superficial. But losing yourself in a great character in a great book is one of life’s most sublime pleasures.

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

BL: It’s tough to point to a specific book and say, “Here’s exactly how this particular book led to this particular moment in my writing.” It’s more organic than that. You absorb the books you read; you incorporate their rhythms and structures and vocabularies and then someday you spit it all out, only it’s been mixed up and churned and reorganized.It’s like tossing a bunch of food into a blender: You know what it all is when you toss it in. You recognize it. And after you blend it, you know for a fact what’s in there, but you can’t point to a particular part of the puree and say, “Oh, that’s the carrot, right THERE. There’s the tomato. And the onion. And the sweet bell peppers. And the thyme. And the rosemary. I can see them all.” You CAN’T see them. But there’re in there. Sometimes a piece won’t get totally blended and you’ll recognize something, but not often.Now I’m hungry.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

BL: Well, my adorable and VERY brilliant goddaughter once had her nose buried in a dinosaur book at school (she is OBSESSED with dinosaurs) and a boy came up to her and said, “You can’t be a girl — girls don’t like dinosaurs!” And she looked at him like he was nuts and said, “Of course I’m a girl — look, I’m wearing a pink hair ribbon!”Believe it or not, that somehow inspired me to write a really brutal tale of high school obsession and revenge, a short story that will be out some time next year in an anthology called GEEKTASTIC.(My goddaughter’s mom said, “Oh, she inspired a story! She’ll be so happy to read it!” and I had to say, “Um, no, she better not… It’s pretty rough…” There’s nothing QUITE like telling a parent, “Your child inspired me to write a story too mature for her to read!”)

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

BL: No, I never want to change a character. Sometimes I’ll want to change something about events SURROUNDING a character, but the characters themselves are always pretty much exactly as I intended them to be. The stories that spin around them could always be better. Always. (I usually think of the improvements about five minutes AFTER it’s too late.)Joe Haldeman once said that you can sometimes write a perfect sentence, maybe even a perfect paragraph or a perfect page. But you’ll never write a perfect story...but you keep on trying.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

BL: There’s no ONE thing. There are a LOT of things!I’m a complete coward — I don’t do ANYTHING. I don’t even ride roller coasters because I figure with my luck, that’s the day the roller coaster would break down and that’s just a stupid way to die, you know? I mean, could you imagine dying on a roller coaster? And going to Heaven and people saying, “So, how did you die?” And then you have to tell them. And they all say, “So, wait a minute — you died because you did something extremely dangerous...and you didn’t HAVE to do this dangerous thing? You got nothing out of it? In fact, you had to PAY to do it? And THAT’S how you died? What kind of an idiot are you?”Yeah, I spend my days thinking about stuff like this...

IBT: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in becoming an author and how did you overcome it?

BL: There are two major obstacles to becoming a writer. One is internal and one is external.The external one is just a function of luck — you have to have the right people read your work. I spent YEARS trying to get books published and having no luck at all. Then one day I met my agent and everything fell into place from there. I wasn’t really doing anything different internally — it’s just that things lined up for me externally.Internally, you have to have faith in yourself. Because believe me, when the rejection letters are coming fast and furious, you have nothing BUT faith to keep you going. I guess it also helps to be obstinate — I quit writing many, many times, but I always came back to it. I’m glad I did. :)

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

BL: I actually wrote an entire blog entry about this on MySpace last year. I think writer’s block is just a fancy name given to a condition nearly everyone in the world suffers from at some point — to wit, the condition identified by the thought, “Work seems really HARD today.” Since writers are neurotic (a polite word for “completely insane”), one bad day at the keyboard easily turns into more, and then it becomes a vicious cycle.The blog entry describes some ways around writer’s block, but also check out my blog entry on my method, which describes the basics of my writing routine. I’ve found that a good routine helps you avoid writer’s block in the first place.

IBT: Thanks Barry, you are amazing!

Kelley Armstrong (she's my hero!)

2008-08-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Summoning
The Darkest Powers BK 1
by Kelley Armstrong
My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day I saw my first ghost- and the ghost saw me.

Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, which side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House... before it's skeletons come back to haunt me.

Click here and you'll open up a PDF file containing an excerpt from the book. I'm off to read the book, it just got dropped off on my front doorstep by the UPS angel. Contest ends July 31 so comment on this post to win the signed copy!! Below are my 10 Questions Interview with the author herself, Kelley Armstrong. Don't forget, if you live in San Diego like I do, you can meet Kelley at Comic Con!

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

KA: My teen years were okay, but not "best years of my life" stuff. The biggest struggle I faced was that conflict between wanting to fit in, yet wanting to be different. I survived by just moving forward and doing what was expected of me (yeah, I was a pretty boring kid), then venting frustrations through my writing. As a teen, I wrote mainly poetry and horror, and between the two, I could work out any angst and anger!

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

KA: On a personal scale--i.e. which character would I like to have next door--there are plenty. But I'll take this question on a more global scale--which character would I like to see in the world? And the answer would have to be "a superhero." As for which one, that would make a long answer and reveal my inner geek. In general, though, a real-life crime-fighter with superpowers would just be, well, cool. It would bring some magic to the world. Everyone needs heroes and magic.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

KA: Er, well...I also write an adult series of paranormal suspense that is very...adult. When I wrote the first book, I didn't worry about the sex scenes because I presumed it would never get published and even if it did,was anyone in my family going to want to read a book about werewolves? No.Then it got published...and my dad had to read it...and my grandmother... I warned them and they were fine with it, but it did make writing sex scenes in the next few books a little less comfortable, knowing they might read them.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?

KA: I think the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about are the issues that interest or concern them. If a teen is interested in the environment or human rights, that's fantastic. But I would never say that every teen should be seriously thinking about those issues, because for some the day-to-day problems of life can be enough to worry about. The issues that I think are most important for teens are the mundane ones--growing up,finding their place in the world, and being healthy and happy. Anything else is icing on the cake. Quality versus escapism? I think it depends on the teen and it's a continuum, not "one or the other." Most want entertainment yet also want to read a good, well-written story that has some lasting impact. My adult series get some older teen readers. I get emails from kids who say that my characters inspired them or made them think. And I get emails from kids who say "my parents were going through a crappy divorce and your books let me getaway from that for a while." I think either is an equally worthy goal for a novel.

IBT: How have the books you've read inspired the books you've written,if at all?

KA: Every book I read inspires my writing. The good ones show me how it's done and make me strive to improve. And the bad ones give me a chance to analyze what I don't like and how I would have changed it.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

KA: Oh, there are lots. I'll take a very recent one. I was planning to add a zombie rat scene to a novel (yes, zombie rats--did I mention my stuff is a little weird?) But I've done rats before...not undead ones, but rats nonetheless. I was trying to think of an alternative, given the scene setting, when a bird flew into the window, making me jump, and I thought"That's it! Zombie bats!"

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

KA: I avoid this by never "finishing" with a character! So far, unless a character has died, I've always left the door open for a future appearance. And considering I write about a world that includes ghosts, even dead characters aren't necessary out of the picture. As for wishing I'd changed something? Only minor stuff with minor characters--for example, saying that a character only has a brother in one book, then in another, having a character that would make a great sister to the previous character, but it's too late to rewrite his back story.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

KA: Mountain climbing. I love adventure and I love the outdoors. I think scaling a mountain would be amazing. But I'm afraid of heights. Worse, I get vertigo, meaning when I look down, I feel dizzy and really could lose my balance. So it's not a good idea for me!

IBT: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in becoming an author and how did you overcome it?

KA: Well, getting published is the biggest obstacle! But that's a long story, so I'll use another one. The first time I wrote a novel (a "practice" one, never published), I had a professional critique it. The main feedback I got was that my characters were two-dimensional. While part of me wanted to hide my weakness by strengthening other aspects of my writing, I decided to buckle down and learn how to make better characters. I read everything I could on character work and tried many methods until I found the one that worked for me. Today the aspect of my writing that gets the most kudos is characterization. I'm very proud of that--taking my biggest weakness and turning it into my greatest strength.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?

KA: Honestly, I don't know if I get writer's block. What I do get is "blocked" because either I've got too much else on my mind or I don't know what happens next in my story. My solutions? If I'm preoccupied and can't seem to turn on my writing brain, I sit down and force myself to write something--maybe just filling in a description (BICHOK--butt in chair, hands on keyboard)This forces me to switch gears and make the transition into writing mode,then I launch into the real writing. I've solved the "not knowing what comes next" problem by outlining. If my outline for the next bit is vague, I take one of the dogs for a walk and work through the next scene.

IBT: Thanks Kelley, I can't wait to meet you at Comic Con and shake your hand sister!

Maryrose Wood (I just love her!)

2008-07-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out
by Maryrose Wood

WHY I LET MY HAIR GROW OUT tells the story of Morgan, a heartbroken Connecticut girl who chops off all her hair in a fit of angst after her boyfriend dumps her on the last day of school. Her frantic parents spring into rescue mode and send her on a "let's- help-Morgan-get- over-it" vacation.
Before you can say ow, my butt hurts, Morgan is biking her way across Ireland, where a most unusual accident sends her tumbling back through time to a magic, long-ago word full of faeries and enchantments. She even meets a hunky warrior-dude named Fergus who really knows how to treat a girl who's part goddess — guess who that turns out to be? Read an exerpt from this book!

How I Found the Perfect Prom Dress
by Maryrose Wood

Check out what this sequel to WHY I LET MY HAIR GROW OUT is all about: Soon-to-be-seventeen-year-old Morgan Rawlinson, snarky Connecticut teen and half-goddess from the long-ago days of Irish lore, takes another wacky romp through the faery realm.
This time it's Colin, her own freckle-faced Irish hottie, who's under a strangely yawn-inducing spell. To save him, Morgan has to find a leprechaun. In Connecticut. And that's only the beginning!
This book has magical prom dress shopping, a rather unusual game of mini-golf, and a special guest appearance by Gene Simmons. Seriously. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did making it all up.

"I literally could not stop reading this book. It had me in its clutches from the moment I opened it and started reading the first page! I was thrilled to see the return of one of my favorite heroines...hilariously entertaining...a seriously fantastic book...." — Jocelyn Pearce, Teen Book Review

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?
MW: Friends and theater. I had a group of very close friends that I spent every spare minute with, and after school and on weekends I was always in rehearsal for some play or other. Being a teen was hard for me because my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer while I was in high school (don’t smoke, people!). He died right after I finished my first year of college, when I was 18. My family didn’t cope with it very well and the whole thing was totally out of my control, so I just tried to keep busy. Doing theater and being with friends gave me a lot of structure and support and kept me functioning in a productive way.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?
MW: The Cat in the Hat, no question! I would want him to come over with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and clean my house. After totally trashing it, of course.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you felt uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?
MW: Not when it comes to fiction. I usually only care if they find the funny parts funny! The only time I’ve ever thought “what would so-and-so think?” was when I was asked to write a personal essay for an anthology, and I wrote about a romance I’d had in real life (which had since ended). I felt like I should tell the guy involved that I’d done it, in case it got published and he stumbled across it in a bookstore somewhere. So I told him, he didn’t care, it hasn’t gotten published, and there you have it. No one but him would know it was about him anyway!

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?
MW: Of course teens are looking for quality. A poorly written character in a dumb or boring story is not someone you’re going to want to live vicariously through, right? To me, quality means a great story and great writing. Quality is a book you don’t want to put down. Isn’t that what everybody is looking for? As for issues — you know, I think teens are amazing. It’s a full-time job just getting through school and dealing with your friends and your crushes and your parents and figuring out who you are and what kind of future you envision for yourself. And still, so many teens find time to volunteer, fund-raise, and get involved in causes they feel passionate about. They already know that they can make a difference if they just take action, and that’s something lots of adults don’t know (or have forgotten). One thing I hope teens realize is that they’re going to live their adult lives in a world that’s different than the world today, and the change is already happening — we’re all going to have to consume a lot less energy, waste less, use our bikes to get around, stop using toxic chemicals to grow our food, and just take better care of mother earth than we’ve been doing. It’s a change that’s long overdue.

IBT: How have the books you've read inspired the books you've written, if at all?
MW: Reading great books is what inspires me to want to write in the first place. So anytime I read something I like, it recharges my batteries and makes me want to create something just as good. Sometimes inspiration is more direct. I’ve recently completed the first draft of a new book called A BEAUTIFUL NOTHING, which was inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” “Much Ado” has always been one of my favorite plays. I took the basic form of the plot and set the whole story in the Bronx’s Little Italy. It’s like Shakespeare with mozzarella. And baseball! The Yankees figure into the plot in a rather significant way.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?
MW: Excellent question! A bath mat. I once wrote a ten-minute musical that was inspired by a mat on a bathroom floor. The composer was David Rodwin, whom I’d just met at the time and is now a great friend of mine. We were guest artists at a musical theater writer’s conference, and we were given the assignment to write a piece together about some random object that we found on the grounds. After we got the assignment I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth thinking, “what the heck are we going to write about?” Then I looked down at my feet, saw the mat and we were off. It ended up being this hilarious mini-opera in which a woman takes a bath mat back to the store to return it, and has a life-changing encounter with the girl behind the returns counter. The actors who performed it barely had time to learn it before they got thrown on stage. Watching them discover where it was going at the same time the audience did was one the funniest and most memorable presentations of my work I’ve ever had.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?
MW: Well, I hope that I am always improving as a writer, and part of that is looking back at earlier work and saying, “oy, why didn’t I cut that part? Or use a fresher word choice? Or dig a little deeper there?” But that’s a good sign, I think. It means my standards are getting higher! I’ve just started writing a third book about Morgan (the heroine of WHY I LET MY HAIR GROW OUT and HOW I FOUND THE PERFECT DRESS), with the goal of putting a big definitive ending on it in case it’s the last one. That I’m finding hard to deal with! Knowing me, I’ll find a way to leave a little door open somewhere…

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?
MW: Sea kayaking. I took up kayaking last year and I really love it, but I’m not ready yet to get out there in the wild surf! Calmer waters are my speed for now. I also love to ride my bike, but I live in New York City and I’m kind of nervous about riding in heavy traffic, so I stick to parks, trails and bike paths. Part of me would love to be one of those fearless bike commuters who bikes everywhere and dodges taxis and stuff.

IBT: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in becoming an author and how did you overcome it?
MW: In a way, becoming an author is not that hard. Not the way playing the piano is hard. If you want to play the piano, you have to have access to a piano, and pianos are huge and expensive. Then you need lessons and music and all that, and then you have to spend hours a day practicing. To be a writer you just have to know how to read and write and have a brain and a pencil. Becoming good enough to be published is a different story. Publishing books that are successful enough so that you actually make a living at it is yet another rung of achievement. For me, publishing my first novel was the culmination of probably fifteen years of writing every different kind of thing you can imagine – plays, screenplays, musicals, magazine articles…. I’d say the biggest obstacle for me was just time, all the time it took to pull my skills together and be ready when the right opportunity came along. And the only way to overcome time is to be too stubborn to quit! Luckily, stubborn is my best quality.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?
MW: Coffee, naps, and exercise. Coffee to pump up my energy. Naps to reboot my tired, logical brain and let my fresh, imaginative brain take over. Exercise does the same thing, really. It gets you out of your cranium and into your body, and lets unexpected ideas pop up freely. I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I used to do comedy improv years ago, and I know from experience: you can ALWAYS make up something out of the material at hand. It might not be very good, but that’s okay, you can just fake it until you get back in the groove. That’s far better than feeling neurotic about being blocked, or thinking that writing comes from some magic place outside of your control and the well has suddenly gone dry. Sometimes I need to work slowly for a few days, and instead of writing pages of new stuff I’ll just revise what I already have or make vague notes about what might happen later in the book. “She spills a Coke. She gets the hiccups.” It can be anything. Inevitably a new chunk of material will burst through after a few days of this kind of noodling. I consider it a kind of gestating time, while you’re subconsciously figuring out the next bit. The trick is not to worry or force it. Take naps, do exercise, spend lots of time outdoors. Keep yourself happy and interested in the world outside yourself and new ideas will flow.

Okay, that's all I've got. Thank you for your time!

You’re welcome! Please visit me online at http://www.maryrosewood.com/!

Brian James

2008-06-04T01:19:00.000-07:00

Zombie Blondes
by Brian James

From the moment Hannah Sanders arrived in town, she felt there was something wrong.
A lot of houses were for sale, and the town seemed infected by an unearthly quiet. And then, on Hannah’s first day of classes, she ran into a group of cheerleaders—the most popular girls in school.
The odd thing was that they were nearly identical in appearance: blonde, beautiful, and deathly pale.
But Hannah wants desperately to fit in—regardless of what her friend Lukas is telling her: if she doesn’t watch her back, she’s going to be blonde and popular and dead—just like all the other zombies in this town . . . .

Thief

by Brian James (sequel to Tomorrow, Maybe...)

She can't be caught. But she can be trapped.

Elizabeth is a pickpocket and a thief living on the edge in New York City. She and her foster sister, Alexi, are living with Sandra- a cruel woman who takes in foster children and then forces them to steal things for her.

Even though she's sick of it, Elizabeth doesn't really question her life... until Sandra takes in a third foster child, this time a boy. Dune is a completely lost soul, and Elizabeth doesn't want him to share her fate. Sandra is not going to let either of them go- but Elizabeth knows she only has to find a way out.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

BJ: Totoro, from My Neighbor Totoro, without a doubt! I admit that even though I know better, I still half-expect to run across Totoro on every walk I take through the woods.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

BJ: Barely. I was very confused, angry and scared most of the time and the way I handled that was do a lot of stupid things. I often look back and realize that it's a near miracle I survived.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

BJ: Yes, all the time. I guess working on my book Dirty Liar was the hardest. In that book, I wrote about some things in my life that I'd never told anyone. I was very nervous about how my family would react to it but felt like I needed to write anyway.

BJ: I don't think there's one or two blanket issue that applies to everyone, of any age. I think as teenagers, the most important thing is to find out who you are and who you want to be in your life. There are certainly major problems facing our world that are of importance to everyone, but I do believe each individual has to take responsibility for their own life before they can hope to change the world.As for books, I think they are first and foremost a form of entertainment. Personally, I read in order to live through characters, but that doesn't mean you have give up quality. It all depends on which characters you choose to spend time with.

IBT: How have the books you’ve read inspired the books you’ve written, if at all?

BJ: There are so many ways which the books you read influence the way you write. As a writer, when you encounter a great story that is told in an interesting way, you can't help but feel inspired. I guess the most obvious way, for me, would simply be in the way I tell a story. My favorite books have always been ones where I've felt like I was right there with the character and that the character was telling the story only to me. Because of that, I've always tried to capture that feeling with my writing.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?

BJ: This may seem like a cheap answer, but I honestly don't believe any source of inspiration is strange. Being a writer (or any artist), you see the world in a certain way and everything that crosses your path somehow eventually works it's way into a story. It's almost like writing a book is making a collage of all these random things you've seen and heard.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?

BJ: No, there's nothing about the characters themselves I wish I'd done differently. There are parts in every book that when I look back, I would change, but not the characters. The main character is usually the first thing that I come up with when I start a book. I really think about them as person for weeks or months before I write anything. That way, the character becomes like a friend, someone I know. It's almost like I couldn't change them if I wanted to, they just are who they are...they become almost real, at least to me.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?

BJ: Learning to ride a motorcycle...they terrify me, but the look like so much fun.

IBT: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in becoming an author and how did you overcome it?

BJ: My biggest obstacle was just being able to let anyone read what I wrote. I was always afraid people would think I was a freak for the things I wrote about, so I never showed them to anyone except a few close friends. It wasn't until I got a little older that I got the confidence to share my writing...which is a pretty important step if you ever want to get published. But even now, I try to never think about the fact that people actually read what I write. It's still a little overwhelming for me at times.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer’s block? What helps you get over it?

BJ: I try to avoid it all costs. There are a lot tricks that you can do to avoid ever facing writer's block. One of them is to keep notebooks on you at all times and jot down any interesting thought or observation that you have during the day. Then at times when you're stuck, you can flip through it and usually find an idea to jump start you.

Heather Brewer

2008-05-04T00:25:00.000-07:00

Ninth Grade Slays
Chronicles of Vladamir Tod BK 2
by Heather Brewer

High school totally bites when you're half human, half vampire. Freshman year sucks for Vlad Tod. Bullies still harass him. The photographer from the school newspaper is tailing him. And failing his studies could be deadly. A trip to Siberia gives "study abroad" a whole new meaning as Vlad connects with other vampires and advances his mind-control abilities, but will he return home with the skills to recognize a vampire slayer when he sees one? In this thrilling sequel to Eighth Grade Bites, Vlad must confront the secrets of the past and battle forces that once again threaten his life.

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?
HB: This question is an absolute stumper for me, because I just love the bad guys so much, but can't imagine having any of them walking around in real life without all sorts of awful things happening. That being said, I wouldn't mind hanging out with the brat prince Lestat for a while (until he bored of me and drained me dry, that is…).

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?
HB: I kept my head down and waited for the break of dawn. No, really. I was terribly bullied growing up, so I tried to keep to myself as much as possible. Not that I necessarily recommend that to everyone, but it worked for me. Just know that it will eventually come to an end. It has to.

Also, I wrote a lot and listened to entirely too much (as if there is such a thing) Depeche Mode.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?
HB: Oh yes. But then I remind myself that if it's on the page, it's there for a reason.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?
HB: I think today's teens are dealing with more issues than teens ever have. So much is shoved down their throats: sex, drugs, violence, bullying, etc. It's enormously tough to be a teen today. But if you can steer clear of peer pressure and focus on being yourself and not just one of the crowd, you'll be better off. Be true to yourself.

As for the second question, I think it depends on the teen. It seems most teens are looking for characters to really connect with, and stories that they can believe in. But there will always be the other teens—readers who are looking to live the glamorous life of a young, wealthy socialite without much substance.

IBT: How have the books you've read inspired the books you've written, if at all?
HB: I try not to read when I'm writing, so that nothing leaks through. It's definitely challenging, but a necessary evil.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?
HB: My best and weirdest inspiration comes from my dreams. I've been known to dream entire chapters before and hurry to scribble them down in the morning (or, at times, the middle of the night) before I forget. It's almost like my muse whispers ideas into my dreams.

He also gives me ideas while I'm in the shower, also known as "the place with no pens or paper". Stupid muse.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?
HB: I never look back. It makes it too difficult to move forward.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?
HB: I would love to go spelunking. Like serious cave exploration, with the ropes and tools and everything. But I am way too chicken to even try it.

IBT: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in becoming an author and how did you overcome it?
HB: Public speaking has been the absolute hardest thing for me. I'm still working on overcoming my fear, actually. But you probably couldn't tell I'm shaking in my boots—I fake it very well. My theory is that if I act confident in public speaking, eventually I'll trick myself into believing that I am.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?
HB: I don't believe in writer's block, actually. I think it's just an excuse that people use when they don't feel like sitting down and working through their issues. What helps me get through my issues is to think logically, and be as objective as I can. When all else fails, ask a friend for fresh eyes. Someone else taking a look can be all you need to uncover the problems that are halting your work.

Thanks Heather!

Richelle Mead

2008-04-04T00:09:00.000-07:00

Frostbite
Vampire Academy BK 2
by Richelle Mead

Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian. (So not cool).
Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians--including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.
But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose--and her heart--are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring to life, who would you choose?
RM: Ooh...hypotheticals are so hard for me! I might bring Beatrice from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. She's so feisty and funny that I'd bet she'd be super fun to hang out with.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?
RM: Great question. My friends really helped. Each school I moved up in (elementary to middle to high school) brought larger and larger student bodies. And when there are more students, you're more likely to find people like you. That happened in high school, and it was great. I was never overly popular or unpopular--just somewhere in the middle--but none of the matters if you have people you connect with. College was even better!

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?
RM: Anything involving sex is always kind of hard. Now that I see at as part of my job, writing it doesn't bother me so much, but it's always a little weird knowing my family will read it. A lot of them aren't really into paranormal stuff either, so that's a little strange too. Even so, they all support me no matter what I write and are happy for me.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?
RM: I think teens need to recognize the importance of finding their identities and accepting who *they* are. The media--especially TV and magazines--show a lot of images that trick you into thinking *that's* how you're supposed to be. It's not true. We all have our own unique selves. We need to accept that and embrace that and remember that we'll eventually find people who accept us and love us for that uniqueness too.

As for the books, I think teens read for both reasons--I certainly do! We all want to be entertained, but if we really connect with great characters and learn something about ourselves, that makes it all the better.

IBT: How have the books you've read inspired the books you've written, if at all?
RM: I think the books I read as a teen unconsciously influenced my writing style today. Now that I'm older, the books I read tend to inspire me to write better and better! I'll read something really wonderful and think, "Wow, OK. Time to step up my game!"

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?
RM: Once I was at a Starbucks inside a Barnes and Noble. They were short-staffed and had asked one of the book workers to help with the coffee. She'd never done it before, and the results were so comical, though she had a great attitude about it and no one minded! I ended up writing that into one of my adult books. Very memorable and fun.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?
RM: No, but then, I haven't had to part with any main characters yet. And the beauty of writing really strong characters is that you can make them grow and develop as a series progresses. So, that gives me the chance to change little things as I continue writing them.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?
RM: I would love to travel to some far off country that requires a long plane ride. I HATE flying. For years I refused to do it. I do it now, but it still scares me. So far, the most I can do is a cross-country trip in the US, but I'm hoping to be able to do longer and longer ones.

IBT: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in becoming an author and how did you overcome it?
RM: The hardest part is just getting published. Writing a book, unfortunately, isn't enough. You have to get a literary agent to sell fiction, and they are flooded with manuscripts every day. So they're pick and turn down a lot of people. Rejections can be daunting, and many writers give up. The most important thing is to keep trying and trying.

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?
RM: Just waiting it out usually works. It's important not to panic. Give it time, and the inspiration will come. The hard part with this strategy is that if you have a deadline tomorrow, you don't have the luxury of waiting!

Thanks Richelle!

Kevin Gerard

2008-04-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

Conor and The Crossworlds
by Kevin Gerard

A Boy, a Mystical Creature, and the Journey of a Lifetime. Conor: an innocent ten year-old boy, not unlike other boys anywhere. Purugama: immense, powerful, magical, a towering champion of the crossworlds. A young boy subconsciously calls forth the power of the crossworlds creators. They send the mystical beast, Purugama, to accompany him on a fantastic journey. After revealing a number of possible futures to his young companion, Purugama prepares to return him to his home. His plans are interrupted when Drazian, Purugama's mortal enemy, faces the immense cougar in a ferocious battle. The prize? Conor's life, or death, depending on the ultimate outcome. Breaking the Barrier introduces Conor Jameson in the first of five epic fantasy adventures in the Conor and the Crossworlds series. As the journey continues, Conor's battles against the Circle of Evil's warriors become increasingly dangerous. Follow his amazing exploits as he becomes one of the champions of the crossworlds, finally fulfilling the oracle's prediction of reincarnation as first warrior and consort to the Lady of the Light.

Kevin Gerard is an awesome guy. He also happens to be a local author who has created this completely fantastic world in his Crossworlds series. So I decided he was going to be our guinea pig for the 10 Questions. And since he's such an awesome guy he answered them! I got these questions from the fantastic Blogfest from Pulse, my teens liked the questions so much we wanted to keep them going:

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?
KG: Bugs Bunny. I watched all of his cartoons when I was little. He seemed like such a cool and funny character. I can imagine hanging out with him for a couple of days, maybe at Petco Park.
IBT: How did you survive being a teen?
KG: How does anyone survive being a teen? I’ll never forget being forced to switch high schools midstream. One weekend I was with everyone I knew and the next Monday I didn’t know a soul. It almost killed me, but certain things kept me going; my neighbor’s dog, my family, and certain friends that I could talk to about things.
IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?
KG: Yes, but that’s one of the magical things about writing. You can always come back and edit it out, or change it so it’s easier for them to take. That’s the number one issue with writing, to be completely free when penning a first draft. Remarkable things happen when you let yourself run wild. Just remember, you can always come back later and change things around – if you want.
IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?
KG: I think the biggest thing teens need to pay attention to is what I call human connectivity. There is so much technology available now, and it’s all wonderful, but teens especially are getting caught up in the novelty of it without paying attention to the dangers of relying on these toys too much. Human beings need real live, face to face, eye to eye contact to have a healthy existence. That’s what I think teens should focus on in their lives.
For your second question, I think teens are seeking both escape and quality. I read to escape the pressures of my life, so living vicariously through superficial characters is fine, as long as the books are written well. Pullman’s polar bears really put the hook in me because they had such remarkable human qualities. The relationship between Eragon and Brom was very special as well. We all need a mentor we can respect and enjoy. There’s nothing wrong with running away with the characters in a great story.
IBT: How have the books you've read inspired the books you've written, if at all?
KG: I think there’s a great deal of influence from other characters and other stories in my series, Conor and the Crossworlds. I truly believe the Lady of the Light, a central character in Conor’s story, is a distant relative of the Lady Maigrey Morianna, an astounding character in Margaret Weis’ series, The Star of the Guardians. Lady Morianna affected me deeply, so it is only natural that I would carry some of her essence over into Conor’s story.
The name and spelling of my main character, Conor, came from the great book, Trinity, by Leon Uris. His protagonist, Conor Larkin, was so strong and such a magnetic character that I swore if had ever had a son I would name him Conor. In effect I have, through my series, gained a son, and I did name him Conor.
IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?
KG: That’s kind of hard, but I guess I’d have to say my cats. That’s not a really strange thing, but the fact that the Champions of the Crossworlds, the magical fighting force of wild cats who serve the Creators, have so many qualities of my own cats, well, that’s kind of interesting. In Book One, Conor travels with a three thousand pound flying cougar that talks and casts magical spells. At one point when they’re settling in for a night’s sleep, Conor decides to scratch the cougar in all the places his own cats enjoy. To his surprise, the cougar starts purring just as his cats would, although the purr from a giant cat vibrates the ground Conor’s sitting on.
I think the most devastating thing I ever got inspiration from was the death of my neighbor’s cat, Maya. Maya was my first friend in San Diego, and he was a very, very special cat. When he was killed in his own front yard by a pack of dogs, I told the woman who owned him I was going to make him immortal. Maya became the Lord of the Crossworlds Champions, the leader of all the giant wild cats. I thought that was kind of cool, and the story within the story of his death will always intrigue readers.
IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?
KG: No, I’ve never looked back and longed for any change. I have become quite sad after finishing a book and knowing that I won’t be able to spend time with a certain character again. The big cats, the Champions in the Conor and the Crossworlds series were such wonderful friends. Writing their story was a true joy, especially when I wrote about Eha, the big, happy, hilarious cheetah. He always played tricks on everyone, always laughed his head off over anything. He was very much like one of my own cats, Sunny. Sunny loved to talk and laugh and act the fool.
IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?
KG: I’d love to go to the bottom of the ocean and see what’s down there. I’m not very daring, though, so I’ll just have to trust what I see on the Discovery Channel.
IBT: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in becoming an author and how did you overcome it?
KG: If you mean becoming a writer, then the biggest obstacle is allowing myself to “write freely.” What I mean by that is writing without restriction, writing anything that comes to my mind. That’s a trick that all writers struggle with their entire lives. It takes discipline to bring myself back to the moment and allow the story to continue, but it can be done.

If you mean becoming a published author, then the biggest obstacle is breaking the doors down to the path of traditional publishing. That means offering your work to agents and publishers and hoping they accept it. That’s next to impossible, so the way I overcame that is by using a subsidy publisher. Lots of people talk negatively about using those companies, and in some cases they’re right. My work is exquisite, however, and my hope is to make enough noise with self published books so that the traditional publishing houses will have to take notice. Then the fun starts.
IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?
KG: Always remember that writing consists of two activities; writing and editing. When you realize that you can always come back at a later date and edit your work, it allows you to write like a madman, or a madwoman. The best piece of advice I ever read about writing is this – allow yourself to write poorly – there are going to be days when it just isn’t there, accept that and write anyway. Maybe tomorrow will be your Shakespeare day.
-Kevin Gerard
Make sure you check out his website or myspace to find out about a nationwide treasure hunt that will coincide with the release of the third book.
Website - http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com/
MySpace - https://webmail.sdcounty.ca.gov/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://profile.myspace.com/conorandthecrossworlds
YouTube - https://webmail.sdcounty.ca.gov/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN_1JAdHdRs