GCC Tours (my friend!) Laurie Stolarz

This week I get to tour one of my closest writer friends, Laurie Stolarz. Laurie and I live super close to each other and when we first met through the GCC, we discovered this fun fact. So we've done a bunch of signings and school visits together and we always have a blast. We are kind of the yin and yang of the writing community, or for those of you who are familiar with the old Highlights comic strip, Goofus and Gallant. I am most definitely Goofus and Laurie is Gallant. We typically discuss our different methods of writing and working during our store and school visits. Laurie explains her writing process, her detailed outlining, strict word/page count deadlines each week and how she organizes and streamlines the entire process. Then I go on to say how I procrastinate, am totally disorganized, never outline, and go on binge writing sessions after struggling with major writer's block. This may be why Laurie has a thousand books out (or on their way out) and I have two (almost three).

Go figure.

Anyway, I love Laurie to death and I think she's an awesome writer and she's so completely dedicated to her readers and fans. I'm so blown away by how far people come to meet her, and if they have been to more than one of her signings, she almost always remembers them.

Here we are at one of our super fun and spooky signings (I think it was on a Friday the 13th).

So without further ado, here's my interview with Laurie and the information on her latest book in her Touch series, Deadly Little Games.

DEADLY LITTLE GAMES

ISBN-13: 9781423131601

Disney/Hyperion Books for Children

Synopsis: High school juniors Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: they both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to see the future through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control. Camelia’s gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn’t yet comprehend. Before either one has a chance to fully grasp their abilities, a new danger surfaces, but this time, Camelia is not the target. Adam, a familiar face from Ben’s past, is drawn into a puzzle he can’t solve. . . and his life is on the line. As the clues pile up, Camelia must decide whether to help him and risk losing Ben or do nothing and suffer the consequences. But in these games,who can be trusted?

From DEADLY LITTLE GAMES:

With only a few minutes of class remaining, I close my eyes again, still picturing Adam’s mouth. I try to imagine what he would say if he knew what I was doing. Would he suspect that I was interested in him? Would he think it was weird that I remember so much detail about the moment that night inside his car? Would he tell Ben what I was up to? I take a deep breath and try my best to focus on the answers. But the only words that flash across my mind, the ones I can’t seem to shake, don’t even address the questions at all. “You deserve to die,” I whisper, suddenly realizing that I’ve said the words aloud.

Check out the book trailers:

DEADLY LITTLE SECRET: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fzMpVMy2fQ

DEADLY LITTLE LIES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Qk0VG2Nz0

TOUCH SERIES CONTEST

From the author: “In celebration of the release of DEADLY LITTLE GAMES, I’ve launched a very exciting contest. You will need to read a copy of DEADLY LITTLE GAMES to enter. Prizes include having a minor character in DEADLY LITTLE VOICES, the fourth book in the TOUCH series, named after him or her, or a phone call from me. OFFICIAL RULES for this contest are on my website, under NEWS. ALL ENTRANTS MUST SIGN A RELEASE FORM, DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.LAURIESTOLARZ.COM/NEWS.html. Sign up for my e-Newsletter for updates on contest, book, and appearance info: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/newsletter.html.”

Praise for the TOUCH series:

DEADLY LITTLE SECRET
Texas Tayshas List, 2010

Reluctant Reader Quick Pick Nominee, 2010, American Library Association

Teens@Random, Favorite Book of 2009

"...lively first-person narrative.... CW-worthy dialogue, quirky secondary characters, romance and suspense: a winning combination" - Kirkus Reviews

"An engaging, eerie tale about the darker side of relationships - when it becomes a matter of life and death to know who your friends are." - KLIATT

“The book was full of shocking surprises and revelations, earning the book five stars. This is a must-read for fans of romance, suspense, and mystery because it won't disappoint.” – Teens Read Too

DEADLY LITTLE LIES
Reluctant Reader Quick Pick Nominee, 2011, American Library Association

Gold Star Award, TeensReadToo.com, 2009

Children’s Book Council’s 2010 Teen Choice Book of the Year Nominee

"Laurie Faria Stolarz is a master creator of suspense and romance. Her words cause the heart to pound, the palms to sweat, the spine to shiver, and the stomach to flutter. The trepidation born from the anonymous threats will make the pages fly, and the palpable tension between Camelia and Ben as they attempt to ignore their hearts causes the fire to burn hotter. Stolarz brings back the colorful characters who provided the mood-lightening bits of humor in DEADLY LITTLE SECRET...She also emphasizes the importance of solid friendships to help teens deal with the gut-wrenching experience of witnessing parents fight and tear their lives apart." - TeenReads.com

"...the perfect book for readers who enjoy series, who like a mystery with a splash of romance, and who live for books that send a shiver down their spines. Stolarz does an excellent job of creating likeable and multifaceted characters: Camelia has a girl-next-door quality and her friends are vibrant. The elements of psychometry will most likely drive readers to investigate more on this unusual ability." - ALAN's Picks

Author Bio: Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, Project 17, and Bleed, as well as the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series, which has sold nearly 750,000 copies worldwide. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, please visit her Web site at www.lauriestolarz.com.

Laurie’s Guilty Pleasures

Favorite snack: Popcorn with soy butter, salt, and garlic powder.
Touristy Trip: Paris (lived there), the south of France (been there), Stockholm (almost went there and want to go), Maui (really want to go).
Fashion addiction (at the moment): Gap Long & Lean jeans, Ugg crochet boots (not Cardy, just the regular knit), Michael Stars tops.

Dessert: Dark chocolate in almost any form - the darker the better.
Fast food: French fries at least once every couple of months (even better when dipped in vegan tartar sauce).
Beauty Binge: Aveda haircare products, which includes indulging in high-and/or-low-lights every eight weeks. Also, Caudalie skincare, Ineke perfume (Field Notes from Paris), Revitalash mascara, and Buxom Lips from Bare Escentuals.
Late-Night TV: The Hills (so sad it's over), The City, Real Housewives of (wherever), and The Real World.
Chick Flick: Never Been Kissed, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Juno, Green Card, Once, The Devil Wears Prada, Bridget Jones Diary, Thelma & Louise, Mean Girls, Moonstruck, Clueless, Under the Tuscan Sun, and anything with John Cusack.
Nightlife: Pilates in front of the TV (a regular occurrence), answering e-mail (also regular), and dinner and/or a movie out with friends (happens far too rarely).
Cheap Thrill: Window-shopping, tabloid magazines, buying a new lip gloss, a tall cup of coffee from Peet's or Starbucks.
Ultimate Splurge: Giuliano’s Day Spa for a massage and soft-pack wrap treatment, oxygen facials, and spray-tanning (in summer only).

Other Random Info

Favorite Quote: Perseverance is key.
Favorite cuisine: Indian food – onion chutney, curried vegetables, and kashmir bread. I also love cheeseless pizza from Bertucci's.
Interests: Vegetarian cooking, holistic nutrition, aromatherapy.
Favorite Music: Fergie, James Blunt, Gavin Rossdale, Tori Amos, Sting, Sarah MacLachlin, Gwen Stefani, Black-eyed Peas.
Hobbies: Walking, napping, cooking, shopping, interior decorating.

My interview with Ms. Laurie Stolarz:

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 don’t believe in seeking revenge. I believe in karma. If you throw negative energy out there, it’ll come back to you.

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’m not sure it has changed. Mean girls are still out there and thriving. They prey on people’s insecurities, including their own, and, yes, I agree they come in all ages.

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 actually had a contest going last year that involved this very question. You can see the winning playlists here:

DEADLY LITTLE SECRET and DEADLY LITTLE LIES: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/novels/the_touch_series.html

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.) I tell people it’s The Awakening by Kate Chopin, but I just finished Still Missing by Chevy Stevens and loved it.

5. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why? Someone who just spent an obscene amount of money on a fully loaded spa day at Canyon Ranch.

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? Forbidden love, supernatural powers, and the fine line between sanity and insanity.

7. Just because it hasn't been asked yet, favorite 1980's movie? Pretty in Pink. Seriously, that last scene where Ducky shows up at the prom…it still gets me every time.

8. Why should I choose your book for my book club? Because it’s got it all: suspense, drama, forbidden love, character growth, and humor.

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!

Camelia and Ben both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. For Ben, the gift is a liability. When he senses a threat, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't comprehend. Before either teen has a chance to grasp these abilities, Camelia’s drawn into a puzzle that she can’t solve. And in games like these, who can be trusted?

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GCC Tours Eileen Cook

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!! Happy, Happy!!

Now that I'm back from an EXHAUSTING holiday season, I'm kicking off the new year with a GCC Tour of Eileen Cook's new book,

The Education of Hailey Kendrick

Here's some info about the book:

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

Reviews:

"Hailey may be an A student headed to the Ivy League, but when it comes to taking a chance on life, she’s clueless. She’s also enormously appealing and great company throughout this breezy read. Yes, it’s chick lit, but of the highest quality—like a gourmet truffle. Cook has whipped up a real treat.” --Kirkus starred review

"Cook effectively builds both Hailey's (justified) feelings of rebellion and the social dynamics of her ostracism, especially in her growing friendship with a challenging townie, Drew, who supervises her punishment working with the janitorial staff....Cook coaxes considerable empathy for the otherwise privileged Hailey as she abandons the achievement treadmill to explore her independence." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author:

Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Now, for my interview with Eileen. Here goes:

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’ve certainly spent time plotting all sorts of evil revenge plans, but I’ve never put them into action. I do believe the adage the best revenge is living well and not letting your energy get focused on someone else.

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 think that unfortunately mean girls will always exist. There are people who measure their value by comparing themselves to everyone else. I think where it has become worse since I was a teen is with the focus on social media. It is much easier to say something cruel on the internet than it is to say it to someone’s face. Not to mention it has a life of it’s own and can be spread everywhere with a click of a button.

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?

Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked.

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.)

How do you ever pick a favorite? John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany has been a long term favorite, but recently I loved the quirky mystery- Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

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

I wouldn’t mind being my dogs. They have a pretty good life. They sleep in, they have dinner delivered, they run around in the backyard, lay in the sun, take a nap and have their bellies rubbed. They seem very low stress.

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’m terrible about picking a cast. This is why I’ll never be a director. I have such a clear vision in my mind of the characters that they never tend to match with the real world. If I had to pick I would find a way to give Nathan Fillion a role just so I could meet him.

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?

How much will you risk to get what you really want?

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

I love 80’s movies. Breakfast Club, 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink and the ever famous Red Dawn.

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

I suppose saying because I asked nicely isn’t a good answer. I think readers will have fun debating what they think Hailey should do in order to get her life back on track- and if it was ever on track to start with.

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!

This is where I would stare vacantly at you in the elevator and try not to swallow my own tongue. It is perhaps a good thing that I don’t bump into powerful movie producers very often (or at all.) If I managed to spit anything out I would tell you it has humor, a love triangle (complete with a bad boy), popularity, pranks and the ultimate question of how do you define yourself.

Thanks for stopping by, Eileen. Now everyone, make a New Year's Resolution to go out and buy and read some books from the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit writers this year. Thanks!! And Happy 2011!!

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