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 Dublin, Ohio.

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.