GCC TOURS JENNIFER ECHOLS

GCC TOURS JENNIFER ECHOLS

Coming May 25: ENDLESS SUMMER by Jennifer Echols

The Boys Next Door and the sequel, Endless Summer, in one volume!

Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.

Lori can't wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she's turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that's not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.

Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori's romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

Published by Simon Pulse, a division of Simon & Schuster. ISBN-10: 1442406593; ISBN-13: 978-1442406599.

About the Author:

Jennifer Echols grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama--a setting that has inspired many of her books. Always interested in creative writing, she finished her first (and still unpublished) novel soon after graduating with a degree in English from Auburn University at age 20. She worked as an editor for newspapers, a writer for business publications, and a writing instructor for three major universities, completed a master's degree in English, and finished the coursework for a PhD in genre studies before selling a book. Since then, she has written many young adult novels for Simon & Schuster, including Major Crush, which won the National Reader's Choice Award, and Going Too Far, which is a finalist in the 2010 RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Book Buyer's Best. Her next novel, Forget You, will be released on July 20. Currently she works as a copyeditor and lives in Birmingham with her husband and son. Please visit her online at jennifer-echols.com.

My second novel, THE LOST SISTER, deals with revenge and the repercussions of what happens when a hazing incident goes too far.
1. First topic: Revenge. What is your experience with it? Have you ever sought revenge? As the old adage goes, do you think that living well is the best revenge?

I do think this. I am a non-confrontational, peace-loving person, and when people treat me badly, I tell them so and then seek better people. But I love to live vicariously through a great revenge story—who doesn’t?

2. Cliques and mean girls are everywhere. At book signings I've had everyone from 12 year old girls to 45 year old women tell me they still encounter them. Do you? How has it changed since you were a teen?

I have said it before and I will say it again: my experience with mean girls when I was 12 was so incredibly mean that I don’t think I will ever be able to write a story like that. I don’t think anything has changed with time, either. But I do think that it’s easier and easier to deal with those people as you get older—so if you’re a reader in this boat, just hang on!

3. I have a "Writing Music" playlist on my iPod. What would be on yours? What one song or artist captures the essence of your book?

I do this too—I make a new playlist for each book I write. The playlist for Endless Summer contains “Lights Out” by Santogold and “Light Up the Sky” by Yellowcard (this book includes a lot of fireworks and other explosions). The playlist concludes with a beautiful and dreamy love song, “Endlessly” by Green River Ordinance. Think this song in your head when you’re reading the end!

4. What do you tell people is your favorite book/author? Now what is your "real" favorite book/author. (i.e. I tell people Pale Fire by Nabokov is my fave, but right now I'm really into Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.)

Are you kidding??? I LOVE Pale Fire and I’ve never run into anyone else who’s read it. (MKH NOTE: I KNEW I LIKED YOU FOR A REASON!!!) A lot of other classics are on my favorites list, like The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, but my go-to fave is Jane Austen.

5. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

I’d want to walk in President Obama’s shoes for a day. I wouldn’t want the responsibility, but I’m fascinated by the goings-on in the Oval Office. Robert Schlesinger wrote a great (and loooooong) book called White House Ghosts, an in-depth look at the huge influence of Presidential speech writers through the years, and how their words have changed the course of the country. I would love a crack at that job.

6. Who would be in your dream cast if your book was made into a movie or television series? (And multimillion dollar salaries were no issue--they'd all do it for free!)

I have said that Jonas Black from the movie version of Friday Night Lights should play Adam, and Ashley Tisdale should play Lori. But a reader tells me they’ve gotten too old! So now I’m not sure.

7. As a publicist, I know that it's important for every novel to have a journalistic hook. For The Lost Sister, it's mean girls, bullies and hazing. What's yours?

A love triangle, a beautiful disaster of a boy who is his own worst enemy, and a long hot summer on the lake.

8. Just because it hasn't been asked yet, favorite 1980's movie?

The Empire Strikes Back. In general I’m not a sci-fi fan, but the chemistry between Han and Leia in this movie—wow.

9. Why should I choose your book for my book club?

It is a feel-good book. It will cheer you up, I promise! I start laughing just thinking about it.

10. I'm a huge and fabulously powerful movie producer and you have 30 seconds (an elevator pitch) to sell me on why your book is great and should be made into a movie. Go!

Adam is adorable. He is a mess. He is love with Lori and he can’t express his emotions except by setting things on fire. You have got to make this book into a movie so we can watch Adam crash his wakeboard. Did I mention Adam?

Megan, thank you so much for hosting me on your blog!

Thank YOU, Jennifer for swinging by to chat. Now everyone, go out and buy her book ASAP!!

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GCC Presents SHADE by Jeri Smith-Ready

Super excited for my fellow Girlfriend Cyber Circuit author, Jeri Smith-Ready whose latest book SHADE received a starred review in Publisher's Weekly, with this awesome quote, "Smith-Ready changes the world completely by simply changing our ability to see."

Way to go, Jeri!!

About the Book:

Love ties them together.

Death can't tear them apart.

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.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Jeri Smith-Ready lives in Maryland with her husband, two cats, and the world’s goofiest greyhound.

Jeri's plans to save the earth were ruined when she realized she was more of a “problem maker” than a problem solver. To stay out of trouble, she keeps her Drama Drive strictly fictional. Her friends and family appreciate that.

When not writing, Jeri she can usually be found—well, thinking about writing, or on Twitter. Like her characters, she loves music, movies, and staying up very, very late.

Jeri loves to hear from readers, so please visit her at www.jerismithready.com, or even better, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jerismithready) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/jsmithready), where she spends way too much time.

Praise for SHADE:

“Shade is a hauntingly good story and an intriguing beginning to a new series. Jeri Smith-Ready proves again why she is one of my very favorite reads! — PC Cast, New York Times-bestselling author of the House of Night series

“The perfect combination of mystery, ghosts and romance, Shade left me breathless.” — Lisa Schroeder, author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me and Chasing Brooklyn

SHADE Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0MjKzZTbBE&feature=player_embedded

Simon Pulse Release Date: May 4, 2010

Jeri Smith-Ready, www.jerismithready.com, http://twitter.com/jsmithready,www.facebook.com/jerismithready

My second novel, THE LOST SISTER, deals with revenge and the repercussions of what happens when a hazing incident goes too far.

1. First topic: Revenge. What is your experience with it? Have you ever sought revenge? As the old adage goes, do you think that living well is the best revenge?

I’m a pretty forgetful—I mean, forgiving—person, so I don’t think I’ve ever sought revenge. Then again, it’s possible I did and forgot about that, too.

Living well is definitely the best revenge. But it’s important not to get too smug when things are going great, because the wheel of fortune is always turning, y’know?

2. Cliques and mean girls are everywhere. At book signings I've had everyone from 12 year old girls to 45 year old women tell me they still encounter them. Do you? How has it changed since you were a teen?

I guess I am pretty lucky, because I haven’t had much recent personal experience with mean girls (in middle and high school, definitely). There are probably tons of them out there on the internet talking stuff about me, but I don’t use Google alerts, so I’m blissfully ignorant. I hope I would choose to ignore it if it happened, or just throw darts at a printout of their faces, rather than lashing out directly.

But I see a lot of mean girls on TV, whether it’s on the campaign trail or in reality shows or even on the news. It almost seems lately like the bigger jerk you are, the more attention you get and the more people throw money at you to see how much bigger of a jerk you can be tomorrow. No one is rewarded for acting like a grownup anymore.

3. I have a "Writing Music" playlist on my iPod. What would be on yours? What one song or artist captures the essence of your book?

Each novel I write has one band that helps shape the story and mood, a band I consider the musical “patron saint” of that book. For SHADE, it was Snow Patrol. One day when SHADE was just an idea percolating in the back of my head, I heard “Chasing Cars” over the PA system at a local store. I’d heard it dozens of times before, but its notes of longing literally stopped me in my tracks. I knew at that moment that the song would sum up Aura and Logan’s relationship, especially after his death.

So as I finished writing the book, I played Snow Patrol’s last three CDs on infinite repeat. Their music really helped me channel those feelings of hope and love in the face of unimaginable loss, and I think let me tap into emotions that I wouldn't let myself feel before. Plus, their lyrics are so simple yet eloquent, and it made me strive to find words that I hoped would touch readers’ hearts in the same way.

For SHADE’s sequel SHIFT, which I’m writing now, I’m leaning more toward Death Cab for Cutie, which is the favorite band of the “other boy” in the series, Zachary Moore.

4. What do you tell people is your favorite book/author? Now what is your "real" favorite book/author. (i.e. I tell people Pale Fire by Nabokov is my fave, but right now I'm really into Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.)

Wow, it never occurred to me to tell people a fake book. I guess sometimes I say ALICE’SADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND if I want to reach for a classic or if I’m asked about childhood books. My all-time favorite, though, is GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

5. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

I just saw on Twitter where author Melissa Mayhue is going to be a judge for a Truffle Contest in Denver this weekend. I want to be her, on that day. Unless it’s for mushroom truffles, not chocolate truffles, in which case I think I’d like to drive a Zamboni for a day.

6. Who would be in your dream cast if your book was made into a movie or television series? (And multimillion dollar salaries were no issue--they'd all do it for free!)

I’d go with Selena Gomez for Aura and Zac Efron for Logan. And thank them profusely for their charity!

7. As a publicist, I know that it's important for every novel to have journalistic hook. For The Lost Sister, it's mean girls, bullies and hazing. What's yours?

Girl chooses between first love (who’s a ghost) and new boy in town (who’s very much alive).

8. Just because it hasn't been asked yet, favorite 1980's movie?

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF. Hands down. Ferris was my idol in high school and college. I probably would’ve gotten better grades if he weren’t, but I think I would’ve missed out on a lot of fun. It’s kind of funny, because now I’m a total workaholic. I rarely go out and have a life. But writing and hanging out with readers and other authors online is a lot of fun, too. I mean, what could be a better job than this?

9. Why should I choose your book for my book club?

Because you will definitely want someone to discuss the ending with! What it means, what happened, why it happened and when. All the clues are there, you just have to find them.

10. I'm a huge and fabulously powerful movie producer and you have 30 seconds (an elevator pitch) to sell me on why your book is great and should be made into a movie. Go!

OK, there’s this girl Aura, right? She and everyone born after her can see ghosts. Which is really annoying and sometimes even dangerous, so she’s trying to find a way to make them disappear forever. Until her boyfriend dies and becomes a ghost. How can she learn to live without him when he’s with her every single night—and she loves it? And what about that cute Scottish guy in her history class, the one who has his own secrets? And hello, did I mention he was Scottish? Wait, where are you going? It’ll be a huge hit! It has music and passion and international intrigue!

Thanks for interviewing me, Megan!
>>>

Take care,
Jeri

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Jessica Brody and The Karma Club

GCC Tours Jessica Brody and The Karma Club!!

The Karma Club released on April 27th from Farrar, Straus, Giroux Books for Young Readers, so if you haven't gotten your copy yet, go out and buy one today!

Here's a little bit about the book:

When you mess with Karma, Karma messes back...

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve. But when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind and get back at the people who have wronged them. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.

Praise for THE KARMA CLUB:

"Written with wit and panache. Readers will have fun with this one, and it might make them think a little, too."
--Booklist

“Fresh, funny and engaging. This is one YA debut you won’t want to miss.”

-Alyson Noël, NYT bestselling author of The Immortals series

"A well-paced comedy, with a nice balance of cinematic physical humor and genuine teen emotions."
--Publisher's Weekly

My Interview with Jessica Brody:

My second novel, THE LOST SISTER, deals with revenge and the repercussions of what happens when a hazing incident goes too far.

1. First topic: Revenge. What is your experience with it? Have you ever sought revenge? As the old adage goes, do you think that living well is the best revenge?

Well, since The Karma Club is about revenge, I think this is a very fitting question! I don’t think I’ve ever actually sought revenge on someone but I’ve definitely had my fair share of vengeful thoughts. But instead of acting upon them, I guess I just wrote them into a book! LOL. I don’t think that living well is the best revenge, I think that living well is the best way to move on…for you. The problem with revenge is that it’s external. It’s about someone else. Your life should only be about you. Don’t give people who hurt you any power by making your life about them.

2. Cliques and mean girls are everywhere. At book signings I've had everyone from 12 year old girls to 45 year old women tell me they still encounter them. Do you? How has it changed since you were a teen?

I definitely had my fair share of this when I was younger. I moved to a new city when I was 11 and did NOT fit in at all. The cliques were mean and ruthless and completely unwelcome to me. It definitely shaped who I am today. But I think in a good way. Because now I can recognize mean girls and cliques from a mile away and steer clear of them. Who needs that drama?! Cliques still exist in adulthood, but I’d like to think I’m now confident enough with who I am to be immune to them.

3. I have a "Writing Music" playlist on my iPod. What would be on yours? What one song or artist captures the essence of your book?

Actually, there is one song. It’s called Remember When and it captures the essence of my book so well that it’s become The Karma Club Theme Song! My friend Nikki Boyer sings it and my business partner and I have released it through our new record label, Plastic Guitar Records. It’s actually the first song off the Karma Club Original Book Soundtrack (due out this summer). You can listen to the theme song on my website: www.JessicaBrody.com

4. What do you tell people is your favorite book/author? Now what is your "real" favorite book/author. (i.e. I tell people Pale Fire by Nabokov is my fave, but right now I'm really into Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.)

My favorite book of all time is Bridget Jones’s Diary…and I’ll tell anyone who asks! J It’s actually the reason I started writing. When I read that book back in college, my life changed. It was the first book I’d read for “pleasure” (rather than for a school assignment) in a long time and I’d forgotten how entertaining and fun books could be. I knew right then and there that I wanted to write to entertain people in the same way. After that I started writing my first novel.

5. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

Ooh…fun question! I’d love to be a boy for a day. Any boy really. As writers we have to write both female and male characters. But let’s be honest here, we’re really just guessing at what it feels like to be the opposite sex. We could never really know for sure. And I’ll admit, some are better guessers than others! But I’d love to walk around in a guy’s shoes for just a day and see what it’s really like!

6. As a publicist, I know that it's important for every novel to have journalistic hook. For The Lost Sister, it's mean girls, bullies and hazing. What's yours?

It’s definitely the bigger picture of Karma. In The Karma Club, the characters learn the hard way that spreading “Good Karma” instead of the bad kind, is the key to leading a happy life. So to further that message, I started a non-profit website, www.TheKarmaClub.org that’s dedicated to helping teens find ways to spread Good Karma (and give back) in their communities and around the world. Plus, I’m hosting a huge red carpet fundraiser on May 1 to celebrate the release of the novel. It’s at the Barnes and Noble in Santa Clarita, CA and a portion of the proceeds from the event go to support the local schools. It’s all about spreading the good! You can learn more about the event at: www.JessicaBrody.com.

7. Just because it hasn't been asked yet, favorite 1980's movie?

Ack! WAY too many good ones to choose from! Okay, let’s do top three: Can’t Buy me Love, Sixteen Candles and The Princess Bride. Ahhh…Classics!

8. Why should I choose your book for my book club?

Because it rocks! Haha…just kidding. I think it’s a great book club pick because although it’s extremely commercial and fun, there’s also a deeper meaning there. The concept of Karma can strike up a lot of good conversations. The review from Booklist summed it up perfectly: “Readers will have fun with this one and it might make them think a little, too.” I like to keep my books light and fun, but I always make sure there’s something to think about in there as well!

9. I'm a huge and fabulously powerful movie producer and you have 30 seconds (an elevator pitch) to sell me on why your book is great and should be made into a movie. Go!

Ah! Pressure! Okay, here it goes. The Karma Club is about three teen girls who decide they’re tired of waiting for Karma to do its job so they decide to take Karma into their own hands and get revenge on those who have wronged them. But they soon discover, the universe often has plans of its own. And when you mess with Karma…Karma messes back... Ding!

ABOUT JESSICA BRODY

Jessica Brody is the author of two books for adults. The Karma Club is her first book for teens. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California where she is working on her next novel. Despite what some people from her high school might claim, she has never sought revenge on an ex-boyfriend. Visit her online at: http://www.jessicabrody.com

Free Flip Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of The Karma Club on April 27, Jessica is giving away FOUR Flip Video Cameras (as well as TONS of other cool prizes!) on her site. Visit her website, http://www.jessicabrody.com for all the details and to enter to win!

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