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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

GCC Tours TORCHED by April Henry

So, this week I'm touring April Henry, one of my girlfriends from the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit, who is such a sweetheart. It wasn't until I read her bio that I got a little nervous. This is the first line of her bio: April Henry knows how to kill you in two dozen different ways. Yikes!! Kinda scary and kinda cool at the same time, right? It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? Like when I met Tess Gerritsen at a recent event, she was this tiny, sweet little woman with an abundant source of positive energy and she was so excited to tell us all about how to remove a brain from a body prior to mummification. (If you want to know, read her books or email me--it's pretty gross.) In any case, I digress. I'm super-excited to host April on my blog this week and I'm hoping that she can fill me in on a few of ways to kill people--don't worry, it's for writing purposes ONLY!

Here is the info for TORCHED, which is available now in hardcover, so go out and buy one TODAY!!

About the book

When Ellie’s parents are busted for growing marijuana, the FBI gives her a choice: infiltrate the Mother Earth Defenders (MED), a radical environmental group, or her parents will go to jail. At first Ellie is more than willing to entrap the MEDics, but the more time she spends undercover—particularly with Coyote, the green-eyed MEDic that she can’t stop thinking about—the more she starts to believe in their cause. When talk turns to murder, Coyote backs out, but Ellie is willing to risk everything to save her family—even if it means losing Coyote and putting her own life on the line.



Do you (or did you ever) have a writing group? Who are the first people to read your book once it’s completed?
I was once part of a group that spun off from a class. We paid our teacher to moderate it and met in people’s homes. That imploded badly when one member decided he hated the rest of us, and let each of us know exactly how much he hated us. I remember listening to him go straight down the line of us, knowing it was my turn next. Everyone was so shocked that no one protested.

I have some go-to people for reading a book – my agent; Gregg Main, a mystery writer and screenwriter who lives in LA; and lately Debby Garfinkle, who writes funny middle grade and young adult books.

What writers do you consider your “sisters”? Are there any published writers that you hang out or tour with a lot? Call? Email? IM?
The late great Barbara Seranella used to be my go-to girl. She knew everyone in the mystery business and was incredibly generous. She had a backstory you almost couldn’t believe – a teenage runaway who joined a biker gang and became a heroin addict, then cleaned up to become a car mechanic, and then became a bestselling author. But Hepatitis C caught up with her and she died in early 2007. I still miss her.

Lisa Madigan, who will have her first YA out in 2009, lives only a couple of miles from me. I always knew she would be published, and I was so glad to be able to say, “I told you so,” when she got offered a two-book deal.

I also have many, many writer friends on Live Journal. (MKH NOTE: You'll have to tutor me on LJ, because I get so frustrated with that blogging site. I have vented on my LJ page about how much I hate it. Maybe if I learned how to use it, my hatred for the site would go away.)


Who do you find yourself being compared to or are often put together with in reading lists or book clubs?
Gail Giles, Caroline Cooney, Alane Ferguson, Adrienne Maria Vrettos.

What writers do you wish would be in your “clique”? (It doesn’t have to be in your genre….doesn’t even have to be living! For example, I’d pick Alice Hoffman, Jodi Picoult, Sarah Dessen, Oscar Wilde, Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, Stephen King and Joan Didion).

Ooh – can I get Stephen King, too? (MKH Note: Sure, I'll share.) I’d also like Susan Beth Pfeffer, Suzanne Collins, and Scott Turow.


If someone was going to join your book club, what would be a “must read” in order to join?
I’m not too picky or too highbrow. I just want them to read fiction, but no Danielle Steele.

What was your “initiation” to writing?
Taking a writing class where we had to write a chapter a week. It was the most fun ever. It felt like magic, like anything was possible.


When did you first feel that you’d officially joined the “published writers’ club”?
I still sometimes feel like a fraud. Probably the thing I can’t believe is getting emails from people who describe themselves as “fans” – and they are not related to me by blood or friendship.


What was your best/worst memory of high school?
Best: Walking with a guy who took my hand – and became my first boyfriend. We had nothing in common. The only book he had ever read was Thunderball. But he was a boy, and at the time, that was enough. (MKH note: That's okay. My husband has only read my book, a handful of mysteries, but mostly sports and financial books. I read enough for both of us.)

Worst: Being on a three-hour bus trip when my period started unexpectedly. I still turn red – kind of like my pale blue knit pants – thinking about it.

In SISTERS OF MISERY, the last place new members want to go to is Misery Island. But if you had the choice, what island would you go to and what would you take with you?
Kaui (MKH Note: LOVE, love, love Kaui. I'm coming with.). 50 SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, a few good books, and snorkeling equipment.


Finally, what can you tell me about your book? Give me a quick run-down about why I’d want to pick it for my own book club.
When Ellie’s hippie parents are arrested for smoking pot, the FBI sees it as way to infiltrate a group of radical environmentalists. They give Ellie a choice – join Mother Earth Defenders and report back to them, or her parents will go to jail. But Ellie finds her loyalties increasingly tested – especially after she falls in love with Coyote, a green-eyed MEDic.


Thanks for answering all my questions, April. Here's some more info about April and what people are saying about her books:


About the author

April Henry knows how to kill you in two-dozen different ways. She makes up for a peaceful childhood in an intact home by killing off fictional characters. April had one detour on her path to destruction: when she was 12 she sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to noted children's author Roald Dahl. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.


By the time she was in her 30s, April had come to terms with her childhood and started writing about hit men, drug dealers, and serial killers. She has published six mysteries and thrillers, with five more under contract. Her books have gotten starred

reviews, been on Booksense (twice!), translated into four languages, short-listed for the Oregon Book Award, and chosen as a Quick Pick by the American Library Association.

April writes for both teens and adults. This month Face of Betrayal will be published. It’s the first in a new series for adult mystery series co-written with FOX legal anaylst Lis Wiehl.


What others are saying

Kirkus: "Romance and big explosions … the thrills and action will keep readers interested as she navigates her way between terrorists and self-centered Feds."


Booklist: "The contemporary mix of politics and thrilling action will grab teens, not just environmentalists, as Ellie must decide how to save her parents and save the earth. Romance adds to the conflict as she falls in love with gorgeous MED member Coyote, who is both an activist and an ardent pacifist. Both the MEDs and the FBI have good guys and bad guys, and this suspenseful story will spark discussion about what it means to fight for right “by any means necessary."


Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Henry keeps a number of slick tricks up her sleeve, and when the plot takes off with a MED tree sit to stop clear cut logging, a cascade of treachery and betrayal is unleashed that should keep the pages flying. This is a far cry from the more whimsical take on environmentalism of Hiaasen's Hoot, but readers who cut their teeth on that amiable escapade may want to explore the ethical implications of wielding vandalism and violence to achieve a worthy end.”


School Library Journal

“Educators and environmentalists will appreciate the similarities between Ellie’s adventures and the exploits of Julia Butterfly Hill, as it will allow them to engage in a discussion about endangered species, corporate responsibility, and logging.”


Teens Read Too

5 stars

“Torched is an edge-of-your-seat thriller. The book starts with a prologue that puts readers in the thick of the action, and things don't slow down from there.”


Links:

April’s Website: aprilhenrymysteries.com

April’s blog: aprilhenry.livejournal.com

Youtube video for Torched: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWGCnBHv1s4

Friday, March 27, 2009

Seriously? Vampires in Boston High School?

Okay, I get that everyone loves the Twilight series. I love it, too. ** yes, even though I have my little running competition with Stephenie Meyer on Amazon ranking numbers, I must admit that I do love the Twilight series. So there, I said it **

Anyway, I was sent this article recently about a high school in Boston, where the kids ACTUALLY believe that there are vampires in the school with them.


Ummm..... Seriously? Isn't this taking fan-dom a little too far?

What you do all think?

Monday, March 23, 2009

I hope these girls weren't inspired by Sisters of Misery

I was shocked and appalled when I read in the New York Times about the secret society of mean girls at the elite Miss Porter's prep school. What is going on? Has Kate Endicott jumped off the pages of my book and entered the real world ? This is super scary that things like this go on in real life--and that reality is scarier than fiction. The girls involved in this "secret society" allegedly call themselves Oprichniki after a 16th century Russian torture squad!@??!!

Here's a quote from the New York Time's piece:

"Then, somewhere along the line, everything unraveled. By her own admission, she skipped classes and cheated on an art history test. And while the school cited those transgressions when it expelled Miss Bass in November, her side of the story is much darker: in a lawsuit against Miss Porter’s, Miss Bass says she was driven to a nervous breakdown by constant harassment from a secret society of girls who call themselves the Oprichniki, taking their nickname from a 16th-century Russian torture squad."

Horrible, horrible, horrible!! This story has already been picked up by Jezebel, Gothamist, Mediabistro and FishBowlNY. Girls, what is going on? This is so uncool and the girls involved in this "clique" should be the ones expelled. What are your thoughts?

Monday, March 16, 2009

GCC Tours Jennifer Echols, GOING TOO FAR


This week I'm touring the incredible Jennifer Echols. Jennifer has written The Ex-Games, Major Crush and The Boy Next Door. Her latest book, GOING TOO FAR, has already received rave reviews from authors and reviewers alike. Here's a little more information about Jennifer, as well as my Q&A with her.

GOING TOO FAR

When love crosses the line…where do you stop?

From popular author Jennifer Echols comes a touching and romantic story about a troubled teenager and a rookie cop who just might be able to save each other—if they can save themselves first...


HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?


All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far… and almost doesn’t make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won’t soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won’t be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge—and over…

Taking readers on an unforgettable journey through the lingering effects of loss and the redemptive power of love, Going Too Far will appeal to fans of powerful and poignant teen novels by Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen.

Jennifer Echols has written two romantic comedies entitled Major Crush and The Boys Next Door. She currently lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

“Naughty in all the best ways, Echols’s Going Too Far is the perfect blend of romance, wit, and rebelliousness. I loved it!” - Niki Burnham, author of Royally Jacked and Sticky Fingers

“Jennifer Echols has crafted a brave and powerful story, searingly romantic and daring, yet also full of hilarious moments. Meg’s voice will stay in your head long after the intense conclusion.” - R. A. Nelson, author of Teach Me and Breathe My Name

“Echols is a tremendously talented writer with a real gift for developing relationships between her characters.” - Romantic Times Magazine

“Jennifer Echols deals with the limits of life and shocking everyone in Going Too Far, a novel readers won’t want to put down.” - Teens Read Too

GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols

March 17, 2009

MTV Books/Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster

ISBN-10: 1416571736;
ISBN-13: 978-1416571735

MY Q & A with Jennifer!!!

Do you (or did you ever) have a writing group? Who are the first people to read your book once it’s completed?

I don’t have a group, but I do have two awesome critique partners.

What writers do you consider your “sisters”? Are there any published writers that you hang out or tour with a lot? Call? Email? IM?
Victoria Dahl is one of my critique partners. We probably call, email, or IM each other at least 10 times a day.

Who do you find yourself being compared to or are often put together with in reading lists or book clubs?

My first two books get compared to the Simon Pulse and the Harper Teen romantic comedies. GOING TOO FAR is darker, and I’m seeing it grouped with SOMETHING, MAYBE by Elizabeth Scott and PERFECT CHEMISTRY by Simone Elkeles.

What writers do you wish would be in your “clique”?

Jane Austen, E. M. Forster, Jennifer Crusie, William Faulkner, Meg Cabot, and David Levithan.
If someone was going to join your book club, what would be a “must read” in order to join?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

What was your “initiation” to writing?

Writing many, many books before I finally got one published. I have been through the wringer, believe me.

When did you first feel that you’d officially joined the “published writers’ club”?
I attended a huge national writers’ conference two weeks after I sold my first book. My name tag had “FIRST SALE” printed on it, and so many writers stopped me to congratulate me.

What was your best/worst memory of high school?

Best: I was the drum major of my high school marching band. Band was a trip.

Worst: I sprained my ankle and got a cast. I was deathly afraid I couldn’t be drum major anymore, but I managed to hobble through it.

In SISTERS OF MISERY, the last place new members want to go to is Misery Island. But if you had the choice, what island would you go to and what would you take with you?

I got married on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, and I would love to go back. I don’t need to take anything but my husband.

Finally, what can you tell me about your book? Give me a quick run-down about why I’d want to pick it for my own book club.

In GOING TOO FAR, to avoid prosecution for a high school stunt, a 17-year-old spends her spring break on night patrol with the 19-year-old rookie cop who arrested her and finds herself falling for him. If you love teen romance, give it a try!

Monday, March 9, 2009

GCC Tours Amanda Ashby


I'm super excited to tour one of the GCC writers, Amanda Ashby. I believe she's the only member of our group who "comes from the land down under, where women glow and men plunder." For those younger readers, that's actually some lyrics from a song by Men at Work. An eighties song. Wow, I'm dating myself. (What does plunder mean anyway? Is that an Australian term?) Amanda actually lives in New Zealand, which isn't really Australia, but it's close enough. Okay, focus.

So, anyway, Amanda is stopping by to tell us about her new book. But what I really want to know is why Australian guys are all so cute? Simon Baker, Orlando Bloom, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, (the late) Heath Ledger, Keith Urban. What's the story? Is it something in the water? Anyway, I'm going off track. Sorry! Here is some information about Amanda and her awesome new book, ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH, as well as my Q&A with Amanda. Enjoy! (And seriously, Amanda, tell me what the deal is with the Australian guys!)

Love spells gone wrong, boyfriend-stealing cheerleaders, and Zombies who want to eat you for dinner. In ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH by Amanda Ashby, love has never tasted— or rather felt— so good. (Speak; Paperback original; 978-0-14-241256-5; $7.99; 224 pages; Ages 12 up; March 2009)

Tomorrow is prom, and all Mia wants to do is cast a love spell on her date Rob Ziggerman to keep him away from cheerleading goddess Samantha and save him all to herself. But somehow she ends up inflicting a zombie virus onto her whole class instead. At first Mia loves all the attention her classmates are giving her; treating her like a queen, compliments galore, and all the chocolate a girl could want. But then zombie hunter hottie Chase explains they are actually fattening her up. Why? Because in twenty-four hours, Mia will be the first course in their new diet. That’s what being the ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH means. She’s sure she and Chase can figure something out, especially when the alternative means that her classmates and teachers will be feasting on her bones. But in the meantime, she’s suggests that no one wear white to tomorrow night’s prom, because she has a feeling that things could get very messy.



About Amanda Ashby

Amanda Ashby was born in Australia and has spent the last ten years dividing her time between England and New Zealand. When she’s not moving countries, she likes to write books (okay, she also likes to watch television, eat chocolate and sit around doing not much, but let's just keep that between ourselves, shall we?). She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two young children. Her debut adult book You Had Me at Halo has been nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award. This is her first book for young adults. Visit her on the web at www.amandaashby.com.

Reviews

"Zombie Queen of Newbury High is a delightfully fun, fresh, and funny read! Amanda Ashby creates a highly likeable heroine in Mia Everett, who, despite her best intentions, turns her classmates into zombies. And with prom quickly approaching, she must find a way to undo it before, well before she gets eaten! Never again will you look at prom, your classmates, or even zombies in quite the same way! ~Alyson Noel, New York Times Bestselling author of Evermore

"Zombie Queen of Newbury High is a delicious treat! Who knew zombies could be both fun and funny? It's Zombilicious!" -- Michelle Rowen, author of Bitten & Smitten

"Zombie Queen of Newbury High is where popularity can turn you undead (with an unsettling appetite) and Prom will be a little dangerous this year. Amanda Ashby moves into the YA world with snapping prose and an entertaining high school mix of teen crushes, popularity drama, and a zombie squad. Zombies beware--you'll love to follow the twists and turns of this fresh and fun novel!" -- Kelly Parra, author of Invisible Touch

“Amanda Ashby's book, Zombie Queen of Newbury High, is filled with twists, turns and humor, sure to totally draw you in. I loved the fact that this read was more than your typical high school teen love story. If you're like me and can't get enough of books filled with mystery, suspense, with a dash of relatable relationship and friendship probs on the side, I def recommend picking up your own copy—you won't regret it!” -Jami Katz GirlsLife.com Book Club


“Amanda Ashby writes a very entertaining and quick read about a teenage protagonist who has to fix the catastrophic problem she created - or else she'll never be able to enjoy the ball with Prince Charming. Many readers will be able to relate to Mia and her quirky ways, and others will simply fall in love with her witty humor. And if that doesn't work, there are always hunks Rob and Chase. ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH deserves the five stars. This is a very original story that isn't too far-fetched that teenage readers can't relate at all - it's the perfect mix of reality and imagination.” 5 stars teensreadtoo

"...full of humor, romance and suspense, and her characters are well-developed and a joy to get to know. Five Stars." - Bitten By Books

"Feel-good, fun and utterly lovely - if you're a Buffy/Angel fan, or a zombie, or both, or neither, don't miss this one! Highly recommended." - Chicklish


MY INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA:
Do you (or did you ever) have a writing group? Who are the first people to read your book once it’s completed?
I do have a writing group and we call ourselves the witches – not because we cackle (though we probably do) but because we talk about everything ‘warts and all’. Anyway, there are four witches including myself and they are always the first people to read my work – mainly because I need them to save me from my terrible grammar and spelling. Long live the witches!

What writers do you consider your “sisters”? Are there any published writers that you hang out or tour with a lot? Call? Email? IM?
Well there are the witches – Sara Hantz (who writes young adult books), Pat Posner (who writes children’s books) and Christina Phillips (who writes what she calls smut!). I’ve also got a lot of online friends in the US and from when I lived in the UK I became friends with quite a few of the Harlequin Mills and Boon authors as well (and trust me, no one parties like romance writers party!!!!)

Who do you find yourself being compared to or are often put together with in reading lists or book clubs?
When my debut novel YOU HAD ME AT HALO came out Publishers Weekly said it was a cross between The Lovely Bones and Bridget Jones and I honestly don’t think anyone could say anything to top that. I continue to be ridiculously thrilled by it – though if I had the combined sales figures I’d probably be even happier!!!!!


What writers do you wish would be in your “clique”? (It doesn’t have to be in your genre….doesn’t even have to be living! For example, I’d pick Alice Hoffman, Jodi Picoult, Sarah Dessen, Oscar Wilde, Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, Stephen King and Joan Didion).

Do you know I’m such a sneaky sly stalky sort of person that I’ve managed to become online friends with a lot of the authors who I really admire and while I wouldn’t go as far as to say we’re in a clique (mainly because they might read it and deny all knowledge of it!!!!) it’s cool to even sort of know them! In fact, I just had a zombie blog party to celebrate the release of my new book and it was wonderful to ask authors like Alyson Noel, Michelle Rowen, Megan Crane and Nalini Singh to come and join me and have them all say yes – I had about twenty all together and let me tell you that I felt like the coolest girl in school!!!!!

If someone was going to join your book club, what would be a “must read” in order to join?

Oh – that is such a good question. In fact when I was twenty-one and first my cousin in England she handed me a book and said ‘if you don’t like this then we can’t be friends’!!! Talk about fighting words! Anyway, the book was Riders by Jilly Cooper and I loved it and my cousin and I have been friends ever since. But as for me, I’m going to say Arabella by Georgette Heyer. If they don’t like Georgette Heyer then it’s just not going to work between us!

What was your “initiation” to writing?

Honestly, I’m such a slow learner! I grew up being an avid reader and my creative writing in high school was very strong but it didn’t for a minute occur to me that I could be a writer. Instead I studied journalism at University and hated every minute of it. Then when I graduated I went traveling to London (like all good Australians do!!!) (MKH NOTE: I was in London too! Maybe we passed each other on the tube!) and then when I was 27 I quite literally woke up one morning and decided I wanted to be a writer. It was such a random thought but the minute it was there it never went away. I started trying to write romance novels before realizing that what I considered a romance novel wasn’t quite the same as what other people thought. Then I found paranormal and chick lit books and suddenly started to get somewhere!

When did you first feel that you’d officially joined the “published writers’ club”?

Because I live in New Zealand and my books are published in NZ I never really feel like a published writer, but when I went to San Francisco last year for the RWA conference I walked into a Borders almost a year after my first book had come out and there it was sitting on the shelf. I seriously couldn’t believe they would still have it in stock and even though it was only spine out, it was just beyond exciting to see first hand proof that I really hadn’t made the whole thing up!!!!
What was your best/worst memory of high school?
My therapist has recommended that I never try and revisit my high school memories unless I’m accompanied by an adult!! Hahaha, I joke, I joke! Actually nothing too traumatic ever happened to me at school and I was just conscious of wanting to get out of there and onto something more exciting – which is exactly what happened when I went to University. So much more fun than school!

In SISTERS OF MISERY, the last place new members want to go to is Misery Island. But if you had the choice, what island would you go to and what would you take with you?

My husband and I actually lived on a place called Russell Island for a year, which is in Moreton Bay, just near Brisbane, Australia. Anyway there was no bridge so you could only get there by water taxi or car ferry and the two things that we never left the mainland without were beer and fly spray, so I guess I’d just keep with tradition and take them!!!!

Finally, what can you tell me about your book? Give me a quick run-down about why I’d want to pick it for my own book club.

Zombie Queen of Newbury High is what happens when seventeen year old Mia Everett does a love spell to stop herself being dumped before prom, but instead she accidentally turns her entire senior year into zombies. Seriously, it could happen to anyone. She is then forced to work with zombie hunter hottie, Chase Miller to find a cure before Mia ends up as first course in the zombies’ brand new, flesh only diet.

As for why you might want to pick it, well I think this book is a good cautionary tale against doing love spells! It’s also quite light hearted and has a lot of Buffy references in it, not to mention that it has a very pretty dress on the cover and really, if you’re going to read a book, it should be one with a pretty dress on the front!!!!! (MKH: I AGREE!!)


Zombie Queen of Newbury High (March 2009) 5 stars teensreadtoo
You Had Me at Halo (out now) 4 1/2 star Romantic Times TOP PICK

For more information on Amanda and her books, visit http://www.amandaashby.com. I believe she is also running a contest for a cute zombie survival kit plus a copy of either Zombie Queen of Newbury High or her first book You Had Me at Halo and all people have to do is leave a comment on any (or all) of her GCC tour stops and then email Amanda the link to go into the draw. Everytime someone comments, they can re-enter the competition! Good luck, everyone!