BEA 2010 Highlight

As BEA winds down today, and we all head home to savor our mountains of books and ice our bruised shoulders, I thought I'd share my highlight of the whole event.

Today, Thursday being the second day the exhibit hall was open, I focused in more on the signings and less so on the booths. The morning was busy, with signings scheduled every half hour.

Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood, was my second signing of the morning, and after her I immediately jumped into the Firelight (Sophie Jordan) line. The line was already pretty hefty, though it was early, and I took my free time to people watch. While doing so I see a thin, pretty girl with curly brown hair. A second later I realized it was Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I was in complete shock -- her 2:30 signing was in large, bold print on my schedule; a do-not-miss-this signing.

As I was typing "Oh. My. Gosh..." into Twitter she suddenly appeared again and got into line behind me. Of course, the fan girl in me couldn't resist. "Are you Jennifer Lynn Barnes?" I asked, practically squealing. Now, I'm normally not one to go fan girl on authors, but this was Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

Her book Golden, being the first book I ever reviewed, was the reason I started my blog. And, if that isn't enough, she published it when she was nineteen AND she goes to Yale. I've also discovered after talking with her on her blog, that she loves Gilmore Girls, Everwood, and tons of other shows that I love. In short, this girl is my hero.

I not only got to say hi, I also got to hang out with her in line, as well as Diana Peterfreund (Rampant). This was by far the coolest thing ever. Even better? Jennifer and Diana both said they'd read and enjoyed my blog.

Best day ever? I think so.

Teen Author Carnival

On the evening of Monday, May 24th, teen book bloggers Devyn Burton, Mitali Dave, and Korianne Wey hosted the Teen Author Carnival (TAC). The event consisted of three panels -- Teen Love, Real Teen Life, and Mystery and Fantasy -- with over thirty YA authors in attendance.

To start, the library in which the event was held was simply gorgeous. Monday was my first real day in NYC, and I had a blast exploring the city. One of my favorite things about it is its melding of the old with the new. You'll be walking past skyscraper after skyscraper and, tucked right between two towering buildings, is an old church dating back to the 1700s. Then a few blocks up there's a courthouse with the most beautiful architecture.

The Jefferson Market Branch Library was one of these hidden gems. The walk from The Strand (which is freakin' amazing!) to the library is all normal buildings and crowded sidewalks, when you suddenly turn a corner and there's this Gothic looking building, complete with a turret. Now, as a lover of history, this literally made my jaw drop. It was a simply gorgeous building, hands down one of the coolest libraries ever.

Okay, back to the actual event. Each panel was a half hour long, spread out onto the different floors of the library. First, I attended the Real Teen Life panel. The authors on the panel were great. From Sarah Mylnowski's experienced insight, to the great observations and fresh perspective of Ned Vizzini and Lauren Oliver, the panel was fabulous. All of the authors had great views and wonderful spirits, as well as a deep love of their craft. These qualities all shone through in their discussions of young adult literature and how it affects them personally. Overall, this was my favorite panel. Not only were the questions and the discussions great, so were the authors.

After the first panel we headed up in a semi-questionable elevator (I hate them!) to the third floor for Teen Love. This panel was far less craft-centered, focusing more on the writers themselves, and their experiences growing up. All of the authors were great characters, especially Kody Keplinger, Simone Elkeles and Holly Cupala. The lovely Heidi R Kling, author of the AMAZING Sea, was also on the panel. Her publicists, who are also great, sent over 10 finished copies of Sea for the carnival, and I was lucky enough to get one, along with Erica of The Book Cellar. Yay!

The third panel was, unfortunately, too full for me to attend, but I was able to meet the authors later at the signing session. There I got all of my books signed and was able to chat with the authors, all of whom were fabulous. TAC was a blast, and a great way to kick off BEA week. It really helped to break the ice with bloggers and authors, and get everyone in the book-loving spirit.

Stay tuned for a picture diary of my trip, coming next week!

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew—just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road—diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards—this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Amy and Roger’s detour truly was epic. Each stop along their wild cross-country journey is like a story in and of itself, with a unique tone and feel. From a camping trip at Yosemite to a wild college party, you get to see a whole spectrum of settings, each filled with their own cast of characters that touch Amy and Roger in a different way. The towns they stop in and the people they meet along the way reveal new layers to their characters and mysterious pasts, as well as the overarching story of their road trip.

The writing in this novel is wonderful, getting inside the mind of Amy and capturing her voice wonderfully. Even though you don’t get the full story of what happened to Amy in the beginning, you can tell through her thoughts and actions just how much it rocked her, and how heavy the secrets she’s keeping are. It’s wonderful to see her coming out of her shell and grappling with the secrets that haunt her. Likewise, seeing Roger’s character develops is equally interesting. The best part of this novel, however, is seeing how he and Amy aid each other in overcoming their troubled pasts.

Receipts, song lists, postcards, pictures, and journal entries are interspersed throughout the pages of the novel, adding to the feel of the story. These scraps of memories from their road trip help to bring it to life, as well as tell a few stories of their own. Though the journal entries are short and concise, they offer a snapshot of what happened at each stop, and tell some of stories that weren’t written. Overall, these mementos were a fun way to tie the book together and add a bit of zest to their travels.

I have no major complaints for this book, other than a few nuances that were never fully explained or resolved. These were small and inconsequential, though, and didn’t greatly hinder my enjoyment of the novel.

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour was an enjoyable tale of finding oneself somewhere on the vast highways of America, and how the people we meet and the things we see can impact and shape our lives. And, of course, there is a splash of romance thrown in amongst all those the long games of Twenty Questions and dinners at quaint roadside diners. This is a wonderful read for a rainy day or lounging by the pool.

4 stars!

For more information on Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, visit the official book page here.

Source: Big Honcho Media

Shade by Jeri Smith Ready

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.


Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.


Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.


It doesn't help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.


As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Shortly after beginning Shade, I found myself quite intrigued. Jeri Smith Ready had not only created an interesting basic idea – the Shift – she’d also fabricated a great mystery for Aura to unravel – a mystery that seemed to hold great potential. I was immediately excited to uncover the secrets surrounding Aura, and how they related to Zach.

Even with this wonderful plot, I was not as blown away by Shade as I had initially thought I would be. It had a lot of great potential and two promising storylines. The only problem was that both storylines held different tones. One was full of excitement and surprise, while the other was more somber and methodical. I really wanted to know more about the former one, but Ready instead spent a great portion of the novel exploring the latter.

While I understand the need for Logan’s presence in the book and found the dynamic of his and Aura’s relationship interesting, overall I found him to be a bother. Yes, he had his own air of danger and mystery and his presence added another layer to Aura’s character (not to mention many complications). However, his storyline did not mix with that of Aura and Zach’s, and the switching between the two was rather exhausting.

The mystery of Aura and Zach’s tangled pasts was by far my favorite aspect of the story. I wanted to know more. I wanted to unlock the secrets. However, just as their story would be moving forward, Logan would reappear on the scene and the storyline would veer off, heading back towards Logan’s ghostly existence and the impending trial. Don’t get me wrong, his storyline was interesting. It would’ve been perfectly acceptable had it been the only one present. The issue was that it was overshadowed by the mystery, secrets, and deception that Zach’s possessed, making it appear lackluster by comparison.

I could very well see the two storylines established in Shade coming together in a future novel, which I’m sure would culminate in a great story. But, as there currently is not a sequel out, I can only look at what was presented in this book. That said, overall Shade was an enjoyable read, although a bit disappointing at times, and I look forward to seeing how Ready unites the divided storylines in Shift, due out May 2011.

3.5 stars!

Guest Post: Keri Mikulski

Keri Mikulski is the author of Screwball and Change Up. Her next novel, Head Games, will be out next year from Penguin/Razorbill. Keri is also the author of the upcoming books 4-6 in the Pretty Tough series, the inspiration for this guest post. To find out more about Keri and her series, visit her at her website.

For now, enjoy this hilarious prom-themed guest post from Keri, complete with pictures and an exclusive contest for Chick Lit Teens readers!

---------------------------------------

The prom season is upon us. How about a dance do over?

What’s the deal with dances, anyway? Do they freak you out like they used to bug me? The pressure of finding the perfect one of a kind dress and a million decisions like who you’re going with, who’s going to sit at your table, what you’re going to eat, whether or not you’re getting your hair done or doing it yourself, the list is endless.

Don’t get me wrong, the prom or dance itself is fun, but it’s like a mini wedding. The prep sucks, but the actual day is worth every minute.

But, wouldn’t it be nice to travel back in time to change some things? 

My Top Three Dance Do Overs:

8th grade Holly Ball - I would have never agreed to ditch my date and spend the whole night dancing and talking with another guy that I liked, but blew me off after the dance to make out with another girl. Sorry, I’m a jerk. And it’s been like twenty years (gulp), so I forget your name, but thanks for the really sweet silver corsage that matched my braces and fake silver jewelry.

8th grade Graduation Dance – Bad decision to wear the strapless flowered poofy dress. I was not ready to give in and face the fact that my body was not made for strapless dresses even with a triple padded strapless Wonder Bra. Consequently, I spent the entire evening pulling the above dress up and worrying about exposing myself. 

6th grade Graduation Dance (we graduated a bunch of times at Maple Shade J) – When a certain boy asked me to dance, who I happened to like, I never should have ran into the bathroom and hid until Journey’s Open Arms was over. I should have said yes and extended my straight arms barely touching his shoulders. Then, he could have reached out and barely touched my waist with his fingertips like everyone else. Instead, while hanging out in a stall, I declared Open Arms our song, and liked him even more.

So tell me, would you re-do a dance? What would you change? Or if you can’t think of a dance do over, tell me about your favorite prom, dance, or formal of all time.

A randomly selected lucky commenter will win one Razorbill ARC or book of their choice from this pile I snagged from my visit to the office (http://www.kerimikulski.com). Here are the deets: Ten days after this post, I will toss each comment into an old Easter Basket and my daughter or dog will pick one winner. The winner will be immediately emailed and announced on my site. Good luck!! J

Thanks for having me, Chick Lit Teens! I’m such a huge fan girl of your gorgeous site. Also, a special thanks goes out to Kristi over at The Story Siren. Since I’m in the midst of planning and penning Pretty Tough Series Book 4 and my main character suffers a serious dance disaster, I had to chat about Dance Do Overs and I cannot wait to read all about yours… And maybe one will make it into my next book (with permission, of course). J Thanks for reading. Hugs.

---------------------------------------

Thank you, Keri! Now go comment with your own dance do overs, and don't forget to leave your email!

The Cinderella Society Blog Tour Giveaway

As a part of the The Cinderella Society blog tour, Kay Cassidy selected a few participating blogs to host contests inspired by the book. That said, I give you The Official Cinderella Society Blog Tour Giveaway!

One (1) lucky winner will receive The Cinderella Society glass slipper bookmark, like the one below.

All you have to do to enter is fill out this form. The contest will end at 12:00 PDT on Friday, May 21st. US mailing addresses only, please.

Good luck!

Linger Trailer

As many of you may know, I absolutely loved Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. It not only made me cry, it also was my #1 pick for my Best Books of 2009 post back in December. Needless to say, I am more than a little excited for Linger, the second book in the trilogy, to be released.

Last weekend, Maggie unveiled the trailer for Linger. Before Shiver was release last year, she made an amazing trailer for it and continued the trend with the Linger trailer, which is equally wonderful.

Now, why is this so cool? Well, Maggie made the entire trailer by hand, literally. From the basic idea to the music, she did it all. It's a stop-motion trailer, meaning that she cut out thousands of little figures to make the trailer, and then positioned them all. Yes, she is awesome.

And now I give you the final trailer:

What do you think?

10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge Chat with Kieran Scott!

Happy May to all the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge participants!

It's time once again for our monthly 10 in '10 chat! Tonight, May 11th, we will be chatting with Kieran Scott, whose newest novel She's So Dead To Us will be hitting shelves this month. The chat will be at 8:00 pm EST in the official 10 in '10 chat room, which can be found here.


I am already a fan of Kieran Scott because of her Private  series, written under the pen name Kate Brian. I also recently read another of her books, Tourist Trap, written under the pen name Emma Harrison, which was quite enjoyable. Needless to say, I am looking forward to reading She's So Dead To Us.


Now, for those of you who haven't heard of She's So Dead To Us, here's a bit about it:

When having money is all that matters, what happens when you lose it all?

Perfect, picturesque Orchard Hill. It was the last thing Ally Ryan saw in the rear-view mirror as her mother drove them out of town and away from the shame of the scandal her father caused when his hedge fund went south and practically bankrupted all their friends -- friends that liked having trust funds and new cars, and that didn't like constant reminders that they had been swindled. So it was adios, Orchard Hill. Thanks for nothing.

Now, two years later, Ally's mother has landed a job back at the site of their downfall. So instead of Ally's new low-key, happy life, it'll be back into the snake pit with the likes of Shannen Moore and Hammond Ross.

But then there's Jake Graydon. Handsome, wealthy, bored Jake Graydon. He moved to town after Ally left and knows nothing of her scandal, but does know that he likes her. And she likes him. So off into the sunset they can go, right? Too bad Jake's friends have a problem with his new crush since it would make Ally happy. And if anyone deserves to be unhappy, it's Ally Ryan.

Ally was hoping to have left all the drama in the past, but some things just can't be forgotten. Isn't there more to life than money?

Sound like something you'd like? If so, you'll definitely want to stop by the chat. See you tonight!

Guest Post: Suzi Katz

Today I have a guest post from Suzi Katz, author of A Life Revealed. Before you read the guest post, here's a bit about the novel:

Tragedy can strike in a split second. But what if that tragedy brings with it both heartache and mystery? After her parents are killed, seventeen-year-old Chloe Jacobs discovers that she's been part of the Witness Security Program her entire life. While enduring twenty-four hour protection from U.S. Marshals, Chloe secretly searches through her tangled family history...and realizes that in order to find the truth, she'll have to fight for her safety, dreams, love...and ultimately her life.

For more information on Suzi and her books, please visit her website (it has an incredibly cool design).

------------------------

People often ask me why I enjoy writing in the young adult genre. It’s not something I have to think hard about. Young adults like Chloe, the main character in my book A Life Revealed, are at a major turning point in their lives. They’re under a lot of pressure as they make important decisions about relationships, sex, drugs and alcohol, personal safety and their families, while simultaneously thinking about college and their careers. These are not easy decisions. In fact, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I’ve worked with college student-athletes as a life skills coordinator for many years. I developed programs to help them become well-rounded individuals and successful members of society teaching about all of these major issues.

I think it’s crucial that teens get support and information so they can make educated decisions. There are so many things in society today, like gender violence, diversity issues and more that teens need to learn about. Unfortunately, not all teens have that kind of guidance or role models. When writing A Life Revealed, I decided to portray a young heroine who is imperfect and makes mistakes to show teens that it’s okay to be human. I didn’t want to make Chloe perfect because I just don’t think that is realistic today. Everyone makes mistakes. Chloe is a role model because she’s determined to achieve the goals she has set for herself. She makes mistakes on the way, some she learns from, others she doesn’t.

I read a lot of books. When I say a lot, I mean maybe three books or more per week. I’m pretty much an insomniac, so I spend many nights up with my books flying through the pages waiting to see what will happen next. While I tend to read in many different genres, one thing I noticed across the board is that the teenage characters portrayed, seemed to really have it together. While today many do, there are often serious underlying issues that need to be dealt with.

Knowing someone who is so together in one aspect of their life doesn’t mean that are that way in all of them. I recently read a book where one of the main characters was dealing with an eating disorder. The other leading characters knew there was a problem, but they all looked the other way. Somehow this illness went away by itself. However, it really bothered me that the issue wasn’t addressed more seriously. This character was smart, knew where she would go to school, had been working her entire life toward this goal and even she had an underlying problem in her life. I thought it was a great teaching moment, but it was lost in the shuffle of everything else going on in the book. Some of which was not relevant to the story as a whole. It is incredibly difficult to address our peers when they’re faced with any problem. You don’t have to be an expert on any given issue, but letting a person know you’re there for them and where they can go for help is a huge and positive step in helping someone.

Sometimes, a person doesn’t realize they are in a compromising or dangerous situation. This happens a lot with gender violence, harassment or assault. It is something an individual might see in their home and think is okay, so when it happens to them, they don’t know it’s wrong. I encourage teens to pay attention to their friends who might be put in compromising situations, and to help them get the same assistance.

------------------------

Thank you for guest posting, Suzi!

Shade Giveaway

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Five (5) lucky readers will win a finished copy of Shade by Jerri Smith-Ready. All you have to do to enter is fill out the form below. The contest will end May 18th at 12:00 pm PDT. US resident only, please.


Good luck!

BEA!

I am completely ecstatic to announce that I will be attending Book Expo America (BEA) this year!

This will be my first time at the convention, as well as in NYC. Needless to say, I am more than a little excited (not to mention nervous).

I already know of many authors and bloggers who will be attending BEA, but I know there are far more. Because of that I've decided to put together a form for authors and bloggers who are attending to fill out. The Story Siren did this on her blog earlier this week, in addition to many other bloggers, and it seemed like a great idea.

So, if you are a reader/follower of my blog who will be attending BEA this year and are interested in meeting up at BEA/TAC or just saying hi, please fill out this form.

See you all there!

APpology

The sun is shining. Spring is in the air. Summer is nearly upon us. The days-left-of-school count is hitting the 'teens. That's right it's...AP exam time?

Yes, the wonderful time of year that is AP examination season is upon us. I have reached the point in my high school career when I am finally able to partake in this most stressful occasion. Which brings me to the point of this post. 

MY AP EUROPEAN HISTORY TEST IS IN A WEEK!

In case you didn't already know this, I am a nerd. I am not only a book nerd, but a school nerd. Which means I'm completely freaking out about my impending AP test. I have been in partial study mode all week, hence the blog's lack of activity, and will be ramping up the intensity this weekend and throughout the coming week. Because of this, my blog will not be as active as it usually is. My hope is to schedule a few blog posts this weekend, that will be posted later next week, but I can't make any promises. What can I say, my AP Barron's book is simply too convincing.

Please bear with me over the next week. I promise I will be bubbly and active after my test is over, especially with BEA being only weeks away! (Yes, I will  be at BEA, more details to come this weekend.) 

Thank you for your support and I'll see you in a week!