Stop the Madness!When you get a chance, check out the Facebook pages/groups I created to put a stop to bullying. I have a lot of news, as well as what you can do to end the cycle of bullying, but this is a great place to start. Much more to come!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Stop the bullying!
Stop the Madness!When you get a chance, check out the Facebook pages/groups I created to put a stop to bullying. I have a lot of news, as well as what you can do to end the cycle of bullying, but this is a great place to start. Much more to come!
Friday, October 15, 2010
GCC Tours Linda Gerber and TRANCE
I'm very excited to tour Linda Gerber and her exciting new novel, TRANCE. I cannot wait to read this one! Linda is the author of the very popular "DEATH BY" series. She was nice enough to stop by here and give us a little peek at her new book.
Almost everyone has wished that they could take a glimpse into the future—but what if such visions came unbidden, and they only foretold danger? Linda Gerber weaves this idea into a chilling and satisfying young adult novel with TRANCE (Speak; 9780142414156; October 14, 2010; Ages 12 up; $7.99). Perfect for fans of Wake, Gerber’s latest paranormal thriller is a dark but addictive tale of one girl’s curse to unwillingly foresee future tragedies, and the debilitating toll that it takes on her present life—until she realizes that her unwanted power may be more of a gift than a curse.
Ashlyn Greenfield has always known when bad things are going to happen. Each time that familiar tingling at the back of her neck begins, she knows what’s to come—a trance. She’s pulled in, blindsided, an unwilling witness to a horrible upcoming event. But she’s never been able to stop the event from actually occurring—not even when the vision was of her mother’s fatal car accident. When soulful Jake enters Ashlyn’s life, she begins having trances about another car accident. And as her trances escalate, one thing becomes clear: it’s up to her to save Jake from a near-certain death.
Combining romance and suspense, Linda Gerber delivers a paranormal thriller that is unique in its ability to appeal to sci-fi and chick lit fans alike.
About the Author
Linda Gerber (www.lindagerber.com) is the author of the popular Death by Bikini, Death by Latte, and Death by Denim as well as two books in the S.A.S.S. series. She lives with her family in
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?
I haven’t tried to get revenge on anyone that I remember. I'm sure I thought about it before, but it isn’t worth the negative energy.
As the old adage goes, do you think that living well is the best revenge?
Probably. As long as you don’t mar the living well with worrying about whether the hated party is noticing or not.
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 haven’t encountered it myself, but my daughter has had some experience with girls who act superior and pick on others they think will be easy prey.
When I was a teen, we didn’t have the electronic media to make this kind of ostracism public they way they do now. If one of these mean girls humiliated you, it might be in front of a group of friends, but the moment would pass and people would forget about it. Now these girls post pictures and write nasty things on their victims’ walls. The online stuff is there forever. I think the whole mean girl/revenge thing is more vicious now than it was when I was in high school.
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 can't write with music. What ends up happening is I sing along and get lost in the lyrics and stop writing. So I don't have a writing playlist. Yes, I'm boring.
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.)
Ha. No. I tell them I couldn’t possibly choose a favorite (especially since so many of my friends are authors). I will tell them about the best books I’ve read recently, but my favorites are legion and always changing, so I avoid that one altogether.
5. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
I dunno. Someone rich and pampered who wouldn't make me thing too much.
Seriously, I would start naming some of the authors I admire because it would be fascinating to get inside their heads for a day, but if we’re swapping, that would mean they’d get inside my head, too, and… it’s a mess in there.
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 probably want to go with relative unknowns because I’d want them to be relatable, “regular” teens.
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?
Trust in the face of hardship, prescription drug abuse, and the grieving process.
8. Just because it hasn't been asked yet, favorite 1980's movie?
That’s hard. There were some really good movies in that decade. But if I have to choose, I’ll go with the one my kids and I quote from the most: The Princess Bride.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
GCC Tours new member Lauren Strasnick and Her and Me and You.
Welcome back, GCC-ers. It's that time again! Let's welcome Lauren Strasnick, author of Her and Me and You
About the Book:
Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster, October 2010
First love, broken friendships, and heartache all play a part in this evocative, voice-driven novel about Alex, a girl whose world is ripped apart when her father’s affair splits her family in two.
Alex moves with her mess of a mother to a new town, where she is befriended by hot, enigmatic Fred–and alternately flirted with and cold-shouldered by Fred’s twin sister, Adina. Others warn Alex to steer clear of the twins, whose sibling relationship is considered abnormal at best, but there’s just something about Fred–and something about Adina–that draws Alex to them and makes her want to be part of their crazy world, no matter the consequences.
“Strasnick’s slim second offering packs a lot into its short chapters: divorce, broken friendships, crushes, the lines between love and sex and more. Characterization, scenes, dialogue and setting are seamlessly distilled into so few sharp, image-rich phrases that the novel reads almost as if it were written in verse. Less is definitely more here, and readers are plunged into Alex’s physical and emotional world within three to four words. Although the plot moves swiftly, the author’s ability to capture Alex’s inner world in so few words give the novel depth and balance. Complex and thought-provoking.” –Kirkus
Now, I'm going to take time away from my TOP SECRET project (which is almost ready to announce - phew!) and post my GCC interview with Lauren:
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?
Oh, gosh! I don’t think I’m really all that vengeful. Not that I don’t ever get pissy or mad – but my head never really goes to that place of wanting to enact revenge… And if I’ve ever been on the receiving end of some vengeful scheme (!) – I’m oblivious.
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 don’t know if I’ve ever been victim to any serious mean girl activity. There was a girl a girl at my high school who would occasionally threaten to beat me up (yikes!), but otherwise, I’ve been really fortunate -- I know a ton of spectacular women.
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 am a huge music person and make playlists for all my projects, but for some reason this book went without! I’m not sure why! It was a hard book to write – so perhaps that has something to with it?! Poor, neglected book.
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.)
Some favorites: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon, The Basic Eight by Daniel Handler, The Secret History by Donna Tartt (MKH Note: The Secret History is my all-time FAVORITE book too!!)– these really are my true favorites. I could play this game better with TV: I adore Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock – but I’m also a massive Real Housewives fan and will watch any incarnation of the series.
5. 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!)
Such a tough question, because I’m not totally up on young Hollywood – but I like Kat Dennings a lot, and there’s this actress from the Brit series SKINS that I think is adorable – Hannah Murray.
6. 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?
Um. Twincest? No, no. ah… co-dependant, claustrophobic relationships? I think I’m bad with journalistic hooks.
7. Just because it hasn't been asked yet, favorite 1980's movie?
Too many! Just a few: St. Elmo’s Fire, Sixteen Candles, Heathers.
8. Why should I choose your book for my book club?
Creepy twins! Who doesn’t like a good ol’ fashioned story about rich, unsupervised, teen twins who may or may not be in love with each other?! Kidding! Kind of.
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!
H&M&Y has infidelity! Divorce! Anorexia! Binge-drinking! A crazy, possessive twin! Girl-on-girl kissing! Boy-on-girl kissing! Ta-da! Make my book a movie, please. J
For more about Lauren, visit her website & blog: www.laurenstrasnick.com
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