Megan Kelley Hall

LOVESTRUCK SUMMER (HarperTeen; May 5, 2009; $5.99) is the story of Quinn, an indie rock girl who came out to Austin, Texas for a music internship. She also plans to spend long, lazy days in the sun at outdoor concerts--and to meet a hot musician or two. Instead, she’s stuck rooming with her sorority brainwashed cousin, who now willingly goes by the name “Party Penny.” Their personalities clash, big time.

But Sebastian, a gorgeous DJ, definitely makes up for it. Sebastian has it all: looks, charm, and great taste in music. So why can’t Quinn keep her mind off Penny’s friend cute, All-American Russ and his Texas twang?

Sebastian is the kind of guy Quinn wants, but is Russ the guy Quinn needs? One thing’s certain: Quinn’s in for a summer she’ll never forget!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A former editor at ELLEgirl and Seventeen magazines, Melissa Walker knows her indie rock. She hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. She loves talking about books, fashion, magazines and all kinds of pop culture. Visit her at melissacwalker.com or on iheartdaily.com.

LOVESTRUCK SUMMER

ISBN: 9780061715860

Ages 14 up

$5.99

On sale May 2009

In my debut novel, SISTERS OF MISERY, the main group of mean girls call themselves the Sisters of Misery since they take part in orientation rituals on Misery Island. Here are some questions for you about your own cliques (hopefully they aren’t as mean as the ones in my story!) .

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

I haven't ever had one! For Lovestruck Summer, my boyfriend read it first, along with my agent. They both made me feel good about it, which I appreciated. I was way scared about writing something that was not a Violet book (my earlier series).

What writers do you consider your “sisters”? Are there any published writers that you hang out or tour with a lot? Call? Email? IM?

I've met a lot of writers, and when I need good advice I know I can always turn to Elizabeth Scott, Carolyn Mackler, Kristen Kemp, Michael Northrop, Sarah Grace McCandless, Jolene Siana, the ladies at teenfictioncafe.blogspot.com, the divas at readergirlz.com... wow, I think I could keep going on and on! Writers are so COOL. Seriously, 99% of people who write YA books totally rule.

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

With Lovestruck Summer, I'm expecting to share space with Catherine Clark and Rachel Hawthorne who've written a ton of amazing Beach Reads for HarperTeen. So much fun.

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.

Let's see: Indie Rock Girl meets Texas Cowboy. Is not impressed. Falls hard for hipster DJ. But when Texas Cowboy makes her a mix, she can't stop humming his tunes. Get ready for a hot summer in Austin.

PS-For a chance to win Lovestruck Summer, plus 3 other great beach reads, your readers can go to iheartdaily.com/Harper2009.html