GCC Tours Carrie Jones!

First of all, I have to give a HUGE congrats to my fellow GCC-er, Carrie Jones, because her books NEED and CAPTIVATE both debuted in the top ten on the NYT Children's Bestsellers List. Way to go, Carrie! You totally deserve it. I also saw a ton of people drooling over her latest books at the recent ALA Mid-Winter show in Boston (I was so excited for her, that I took a quick, crappy, cell phone pic and sent it to her right then and there).

In any case, Carrie stopped by during her whirlwind tour of her NYT bestselling books to answer some questions for me and let me know a little bit about her new book CAPTIVATE. She also discusses mutilating ninja toys and her fascination with Zachary Quinto's eyebrows (he's from Heroes, right?), and the smack-down fight she had to endure in the third grade (watch your back, Lynelle -- you have the GCC-ers to contend with now!)

So, 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 am such a wimp. I’m totally afraid of conflict, so no….I’ve never sought out revenge. Except once, but it was a group thing. And it involved mutilating a ninja action figure and leaving it on someone’s door step. Does that count? We bought the action figure. It wasn’t his.

Wow. I am so dull.

* hides head *

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’ve always been pretty immune to mean girls ever since Lynelle Quick beat me up on the school bus in third grade and then became my best friend the next day and told me all about sex, but they are really still out there. It’s horrifying really. There’s a clique of them in my town. They are wealthier than everyone else and they have a tendency to berate other people. It’s sad that they are so insecure. I find them amusing in a weird way. I don’t find their hurtfulness amusing, but just how childish they are? That is amusing in a sad, sad way.

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?

Right now I think it’s Cheryl Wheeler because there’s just so much pain and loss.

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 intoAre You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.)

Dude! I totally tell people it’s PALE FIRE, too! But right now my favorite book is actually THE BELOIT POETRY JOURNAL’s retrospective, which actually is just as hoity-toity sounding. I’m also into OUTLANDER. I totally have the hots for Jaime. (MKH Note: PALE FIRE is the BEST! Second best for me, The Secret History).

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

I’d like to be Zachary Quinto and see what life is like with eyebrows. My eyebrows are pitiful.

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 don’t know! I am so bad at this! I am terrible TERRIBLE terrible at this.

* sobs *

* hides under chair *

(MKH Note: Is there a role for Johnny Depp? If so, can I come to the set and stalk--oops, er, I mean watch?)

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?

For CAPTIVATE, it’s mean pixies, love, and choices.

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

Red Dawn

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

Because I would love you forever if you did?

Because it talks a lot about choices and empowerment but in a subtle way?

Because you are nice like that?

(MKH note: Awwww! You are so sweet! Of course, I'd pick your book!)

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!

Um…..um…..because people keep emailing me that it should…..um…..ah…..cough, cough….. gee I like your shirt.

(MKH note: haha!)

About CAPTIVATE:

In this NYT-Bestselling sequel to NEED, Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

What People are Saying About NEED and CAPTIVATE:

“If you asked Stephen King and Stephanie Myers to co-author a book, they would come up with NEED.” – Justine Magazine.

"An exciting venture filled with nasty evil creatures,
nail-biting action and heart-pounding romance." 
—teenreads.com

“Romance, suspense, and a very clever heroine 
make this a must-read!” —Toledo Blade

"Genre fans will enjoy the sizzle between Nick and Zara 
as well as the paranormal cast." —PW

“This book is for fans of Holly Black and Melissa Marr… fairy lovers crowd in! It’s got some really good reviews coming in already. We’re talking a love story people, with fairies - please, who would not buy this? So look out!”— Annette’s Book Blog

"Jones masterfully blends paranormal fantasy, suspense, and romance to craft a new supernatural tale that is certain to appeal 
to fans of dark urban fantasy like Marr's Wicked Lovely and paranormal romances like Meyer's Twilight books. A likeable cast 
of engaging and interesting characters combine with a plot that grabs readers and refuses to let go." —VOYA

"A fast-paced novel worthy of the fantasy greats, 
Need will take you for a ride." —VOYA, teen reviewer

About Carrie Jones:

1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.

2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.

3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.

4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.

5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….

6. Carrie is not above begging.

7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.

8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!

9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.

Forget that. She’d still probably come.

Links:

http://www.carriejonesbooks.com

http://www.needpixies.com (This is where sneak peaks and contests are. You can win a computer. Seriously!)

http://www.facebook.com/carriejonesbooks?ref=profile

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Need-by-Carrie-Jones/53387039515?ref=ts

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Apple tablet in MARCH???

I really don't want to wait that long. Seriously, I've never been a big techy person, but I WANT THIS APPLE TABLET (iSlate, iTablet, whatever).

I was patiently waiting until the end of January. And now I hear it's not coming out until March????!!!????

I'm not the only one who's anxiously awaiting the release of this new gadget. Bloggers, editors, news outlets are all going wild with speculation on what this new Apple "gadget to end all gadgets" will be. Reports are surfacing of what the exact specifications will be.

According to Phone Arena, the iSlate will have a seven-inch screen and run a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache and 1066MHz system bus. It will be sold with 2GB of RAM, but will support up to 8GB. The iSlate will feature a 120GB SATA hard drive that spins at 4200rpm....Other specs include a built-in iSight camera and projector; multitouch display with oleophobic coating; two USB ports and an SD slot; stereo speakers with mic and optical digital output; and gigabit ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.

Plus it will run with a "Mac OS X Clouded Leopard v10.7." Whatever that is.

Who cares??? I want to know what will it look like? What will it do? How much will it cost? And...most importantly...WHEN can I get my hands on it?

Is this going to be like the Cabbage Patch kid crunch of the eighties, when they sold out faster than they could stock them? Or, more recently, the ZhuZhu pet frenzy of this past Holiday season, where they sold for 8 dollars in Target but over 40 dollars online and on eBay?

Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths. I need to go to my zen-happy place and remind myself that material things are not important.

Screw it! I want the Apple iSlate/Tablet, i-whateveryoucallit NOW!

Note to Steve Jobs: Hurry up!

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GCC Tours Eileen Cook!

First of all, how awesome is this cover? This is what my readers would like to see happen to my character, Kate Endicott in SISTERS OF MISERY. :)

Anyway, I want to thank Eileen for stopping by to promote her book which comes out tomorrow, so I hope everyone goes and braves the post-holiday sales to pick up a copy.

And I also wanted to thank Eileen especially for stopping by on my birthday! Today I'm celebrating the 15th anniversary of my 21st birthday! You guys can do the math. I stopped counting at 30! :)

Without further ado, here's a little more info on Eileen's latest book, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood, as well as a Q&A on the fun topic of *REVENGE*!! What a great way to kick off a new year, hee hee!

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

Simon Pulse Release Date: January 5, 2010

Eileen Cook www.eileencook.com

Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

About the Author:

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.

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

Praise for Eileen’s Writing:

“Sassy and sly and sweet all at the same time, this book made me laugh out loud.” --Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Airhead

“Not since Judy Blume's Margaret introduced herself to God has there been such a funny, genuine, conflicted, wanna-be-sorta-good-maybe-later girl as Emma. Cook's tone as she takes on the big ones—life, love, faith, and friendship—is pitch perfect.”--Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Midnight Twins and The Deep End of the Ocean

"Smart and fun and full of heart." --Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Broomsticks and How to Be Bad

Q & A with Eileen Cook

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?

We are revenge twins! My book is all about the quest for getting the perfect revenge. I had a tremendous amount of fun with coming up with evil plans. In real life I’ve thought about revenge (apparently enough that I wrote a whole book on it), but I’ve never done it. I do think living well is the best way to go. Way less stressful and not likely to result in any criminal charges.

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 think the “mean girls” phenomenon has changed since I was a teen- just the ways they have to go about being mean (i.e. Now they can reach out and use Facebook to make your life hell). The sad truth is that there are people who only feel good about themselves by trying to make other people feel bad about themselves. The good news is that this is a lousy way to live your life and eventually karma catches up with 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?

When I’m writing I love to have music on, but I find if it has a lot of words I tend to sing along instead of paying attention to my story. I have a whole playlist of movie soundtrack music.

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 always have a hard time with this question. My typical answer is A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving because I really do love the book and have read it a zillion times, but the true answer is usually whatever I am reading at the moment. I love being caught up in a story for the first time. You know it’s fiction, but you still care so much about what happens. I love that.

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

Oooh hard question. I can’t think of any particular actress I would like to be, although I think it would be fun to do that job. It would be interesting to be a really good female athlete because I’m basically terminally clumsy so it would be nice not to trip over things all the time. Changing places with someone in London (my all time favorite city (MKH Note: Mine, too! Minus all the rain and cloudy days, of course!) would be good because I can always think of something fun to do if I’m there. I’m also open to spending the day in New York, Paris or a place near here called Tofino that is right on the ocean.

I think the problem is that while in high school I wanted to pretty much anyone other than myself, right now I like my life. I might just stay put.

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’ve been asked this sort of question before and I stink at it. I come up with one name and then change my mind and then sit there and spend hours on IMDB trying to figure out a better plan B. Personally, I would like to cast Colin Firth so I could meet him, even though there is no real Colin Firth type character in the book. Thus, I will leave the casting to Hollywood as long as they promise to invite me to the fancy parties.

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?

For Getting Revenge it would be about how friendships change, the quest for revenge and what is the best way to get revenge.

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

Breakfast Club. Or Pretty in Pink. Maybe 16 Candles. As you can see I had a strong Molly Ringwald fetish. (MKH note: Me too! When I try to remember stuff about my high school days, I have to try hard to differentiate between what really happened, and what happened in a Molly Ringwald/John Hughes movie!)

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

Other than the fact that I would really appreciate it, I would guess there would be some great discussion between the book club on if they have ever wanted revenge, if it is ever okay to get revenge, and what is the best revenge you can get.

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!

Let’s be honest, in real life I would start blathering and maybe doing that thing where you spit when you talk. You would assume I was off my medications. If I had it together I would say something like: Doesn’t everyone dream of getting revenge on someone who has done them wrong? This is one girl’s story of getting the revenge she’s always dreamed of- now she has to figure out if that is what she really wants.

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To Kindle or Not To Kindle

??????????????????????

So here's my dilemma. I received a Kindle for Christmas from my husband, totally unprompted. The reason I didn't ask for one? Not sure if I've warmed up to the whole e-reader, kindle, non-book thing.

I love books.

I've tried reading on my iPod Touch and the feeling just isn't the same. I don't get as invested in a book, I forget what I've read, I lose my place. I don't get "lost" in a story in the same way as when I have a book in hand.

Hmmm....

I was thinking that I would return the Kindle for a netbook. If I could have something that could fit easily into my totebag to use as a laptop, then I could turn waiting around time into writing time. I have a laptop already, but it's so big and cumbersome.

But I don't want to miss out on the whole world of downloadable books either. Isn't there something that combines both? This was my question.

Then I got an answer. Sort of.

The iSlate or Apple's new tablet computer. There are just rumors of it kicking around on the internet right now. I've heard rumblings that the announcement is going to be made at the end of January. But no one knows what it's going to be like, how much it's going to cost, if it's going to be a cross between a netbook and an e-reader. It's been confirmed that Steve Jobs is "happy" with the new product and that they've rented out a place on January 26th to make some big announcement.

Will it be way expensive? Will it run on MacOSX? Will it have a hard drive? Will it make good on it's promises to be the next *big* thing to hit the marketplace, the way that the iPod changed the face of MP3 players?

Here's a link that I came across that shows the new way that Sports Illustrated is going to be read, and the general consensus is that it is being displayed on Apple's new iSlate. If this is what's coming, then I'm totally on board. I'll be returning my Kindle and putting the money towards the iSlate or iTablet or whatever it's going to be called. Or not. If it's close to $1000 (insiders are saying it could be 600 or 800 or 1000 dollars), then I might not be able to jump on the Apple bandwagon right away. Remember the whole iPhone price drop from 600 to 300 within months?

Anyway, here's the link. I'd love to hear everyone's opinion. Keep the Kindle? Or wait and invest in Apple's new gadget to end all gadgets. I'm in no way a techy person, so I have no idea.

Thoughts?

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Gifts for Writers

This year, I asked for what I always ask for in terms of Holiday Gifts (and in one week- birthday gifts).

Writer-related stuff.

Now, when I first married my husband, he bought me a box of No.2 pencils and a pack of Bic pens. This is what he thought I meant when I asked for "writer-ey" stuff. Over the years, he's learned and has been guided by me and my very bookish family on what constitutes great writer gifts.

This year, I was pleasantly surprised by the following gifts.

1. A typewriter key bookmark.

These can be found in many Etsy shops. I also received a typewriter key necklace and in the past have been given a typewriter key watch. All are very cool.

2. A shirt for my daughter that says, My Mommy is a Writer.

Love it so much. She's already worn it twice. I think my mom got it at cafepress.com

3. Boxes of Crane note cards.

There's something about the quality and the feel of Crane card stock that makes writing Thank You notes so appealing. Really, any nice paper from Papyrus, Crane, The Paper Store can be a great gift.

4. Anything from the Levenger Store. (I wish I could move into the store and make it my office.)

They have a catalog and website that I highly recommend. It's called Levenger -TOOLS FOR SERIOUS READERS).

5. A coffee mug that says "writer. definition: Someone who gets paid to sit around all day drinking coffee and making stuff up. I love my job."

6. Several notebooks that have funny writer quotes on them. (My sister got one that had the top ten annoying grammatical errors. I got one that said Careful, you may end up in my novel.) As well as leather, moleskin or any other nice designer journals.

7. The Writer's Desk Calendar by Jill Krementz. I didn't get one this year, because I think they do them every other year. I love them when I get them. It shows the desks of famous writers along with little quotes about writing from these authors. I pour over these pictures because I'm obsessed with other writer's writing environments. (Probably because mine is so chaotic and haphazard.)

8. Kate Spade day planners or desktop calendars (LOVE!)

9. This year I got the Barnes & Noble 2010 Desk Diary. I'm kind of loving it because it is leather bound and has illustrations and caricatures of authors by the artist David Levine (who illustrated literary luminaries for the New York Review of Books. There are some nice quotes and book and author trivia sprinkled throughout.

10. Cross and Swarovski Pens

(fun fact: my seven year old daughter asked for and received from my parents a Swarovski Crystal Membership. She's seven.)

I have a pen addiction. Not like my sister who falls in love with any and every pen she comes across (hotel pens, promotional pens, bank pens--you name it, she has it). My pen collection is much smaller than my sister's. (She keeps hers hidden in a huge box under

her bed.) But it consists of very nice, elegant pens. A few Cross pens, a Mont Blanc (which I received as a high school graduation gift and still use), a Paul Smith Fountain Pen and a Waterman There is something so amazing about writing with a beautiful pen. While most of my real writing is tapped out on a computer, whenever I get stuck or am starting a new project or am suffering some kind of writer's block, having a beautiful pen and paper at the ready always helps me along.

I went into the Mont Blanc store at the Copley Mall in Boston recently and had a "shock and awe" moment when looking at their pens. They were so elegant and distinctive. Even the names of the pens (the Meisterstuck Collection, the Starwalker collection, La Boheme, Etoile de MontBlanc) transported me to another world.

I don't know who can afford pens like La Boheme Royal Black & White, an 18k white gold fountain pen set with 659 white diamonds and 692 black diamonds and a cap inlaid with 19 diamonds. Plus a platinum-plated 18k gold nib for writing. It's something like 15 carats of diamonds in one pen. I have no idea how much it costs, but I'm pretty sure that most writers cannot afford it. Unless, of course, they are J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer or Dan Brown.

Other pens at the Mont Blanc store included the Special Edition Greta Garbo and many Meisterstuck pens all named in honor of great artists (Chopin, Mozart, and the Leonardo Sketch pen). After drooling in the store for a little while, I managed to take home one of their catalogs (which didn't give any prices of the pens--probably to keep people from having heart attacks.) This is how I know the names and descriptions of all of these pens. The catalog is pretty cool. Maybe I'll frame it. :)

11. Designer Tote Bag/Purse - This year I received a gorgeous Kate Spade tote that is the perfect size to fit a laptop, notebook, magazines, dayplanner...whatever!

12. Kindle - no explanation needed here.

So, these were some of the things that I received that might be useful for future gifting to the writers in your life. They range from the inexpensive to the outrageously expensive and extravagant. What I received was mostly on the inexpensive end of the spectrum, but I loved them all just the same. (Although a Mont Blanc pen would have been amazing. Oh well, there's always my birthday!) :)

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GCC Interview with Debbie Rigaud

Now for my long, overdue GCC interview with Debbie Rigaud (sorry for the delay...I had a date with Mickey Mouse that I couldn't get out of!) Thanks so much for your patience Debbie and welcome to the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit. It's great to have you with us!!

First, here's some info about Debbie's book, PERFECT SHOT:

PERFECT SHOT/Simon Pulse

By Debbie Rigaud

Release date: December 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-4269-7835-0

281 Pages

ABOUT THE BOOK:

What’s the wackiest thing you’ve ever done after a crush attack?

High school athlete London Abrams is more likely to spike a volleyball than wear spike heels. Yet in one crush-tastic moment, she signs up for a modeling contest as an excuse to meet the photo intern Brent St. John. But instead of getting a call back from Brent, London gets a call back from contest judges! Now she’s in a fierce modeling competition feeling out way of her league, and Brent’s camera is zoomed in to document everything. Suddenly, London’s not feeling so ready for her close up.

London Abram’s first love is volleyball, so why does she enter an online modeling competition? Answer: superhottie Brent St. John. London spots Brent signing in contestants at a store, and she gets in line simply to say hi. But she never dreams she’ll make it into the competition!

London’s now up against fourteen hungry fashionistas willing to do whatever it takes to win. All she wants to win is Brent’s heart…but the money prize couldn’t hurt. If London plays this right, she can win the contest, the boy, and the cash. GAME ON!

Hooray for PERFECT SHOT!

• · First book in the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies series to feature an African-American protagonist
• · First book in the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies series to be written by an African-American
• · Features a multicultural cast of characters in a contemporary setting

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Debbie Rigaud began her writing career covering news and entertainment for magazines. She’s interviewed celebs, politicians, social figures and “real” girls. Her wide-ranging articles have appeared in YSB, Entertainment Weekly, Seventeen, The Source, Trace, Twist, Essence, J-14, Heart & Soul, Inside TV, CosmoGIRL!, and Vibe Vixen. Her first work of YA fiction, a novella titled “Double Act,” was featured in the anthology HALLWAY DIARIES/Kimani Tru. PERFECT SHOT/Simon & Schuster, her first standalone book, was released December 1, 2009.

Debbie’s extensive experience with young readers has led her to staff editor positions at Seventeen and Twist and to freelance editing/writing work for seventeen.com, CosmoGIRL!, American Eagle Outfitters and publishing company Just Us Books. She’s written advice columns, inspiring real-life stories, entertainment reports and countless personality quizzes for this audience. Beyond YA, Debbie recently became a finalist in Bermuda Dramatist Society’s annual playwright contest. “All in the Same Boat,” her short play, was selected by professional New York playwrights and produced on stage in Bermuda.

Thanks for swinging by my blog to answer some questions, Debbie!!

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 strong believer in karma, so I usually step aside and let it do its thing. But that's not to say I don't relish being on the scene to witness what happens when karma finally comes knocking.

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?

Yes. I have encountered mean girls in every stage of my life so far. Not much has changed about them in my opinion. Whether a person is 13 or 30, underneath all that mean-spirited conduct is one brand of fear or another. But it is strange when you encounter them as adults. My own mom dealt with a mean-girl co-worker when she was in her 50s! The situation really disturbed her, and by extension, upset my sisters and me. And recently, my younger sister and all her co-workers had to attend a workshop about "workplace bullies." I'm glad that more schools and workplaces are taking this phenomenon very seriously.

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 imagine that London has an eclectic taste in music. In one scene, we learn that she's set her ringtone to a Santigold tune. London would probably jam to Santigold's "You'll Find a Way" remix. And of course, this high-energy song would make an awesome soundtrack to one of her volleyball games. Like London, Santigold is an artist who can't be labeled in the traditional sense. As a writer and a music lover, I think that's what attracted me to both of them.

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.)

LOL! Well, I usually list Toni Morrison's BELOVED as my favorite. In all honesty, it is one of my faves. But lately, I've really been into Kristin Cashore. I devoured GRACELING and now I'm reading FIRE. I also get into new age books like Eckhart Tolle's A NEW EARTH.

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

I'd swap lives with someone born into a much different circumstance than mine; particularly, someone born in a poverty-stricken "third-world" society. Removing the promise of a long, healthy life full of opportunities would be traumatic, yet experiencing deeper connections among people (minus our societal distractions) would be mind--and spirit--opening. Living under those conditions for just one day would make me a more appreciative and productive person, to say the least.

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 for the entertainers who are recognizable, but aren't as well known. Tristan Wilds of "90210" would be great as Brent, London's love interest. And in my mind, singer Teyana Taylor is London all the way.

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?

This is always challenging for me to think up. You've heard of Word Girl? Well, I'm Wordy Girl. Here's my attempt at being concise: "from the volleyball court to the fashion runway."

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

"The Last Dragon" Best. Movie. Ever.

(MKH Note: Ummm...really? If it wasn't a John Hughes movie, I didn't see it. Maybe I should check it out. Or a movie starring Johnny Depp. Those were my two requirements. :)

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

Readers may connect with that fish-out-of-water feeling London experiences when she goes from spiking volleyballs to wearing spike heels. And everyone can relate to doing something wacky or out-of-character just to get the attention of a crush.

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!

PERFECT SHOT is about a sporty girl who is an ambitious go-getter. There are charged volleyball scenes, eye-popping fashions, and edge-of-your-seat moments that will have viewers laughing and gasping. And amidst it all is a heartthrob to swoon over.

Sounds great! You've sold me! I'm definitely picking up a copy. For more info on Debbie, visit her website or blog.

debbie@debbierigaud.com

www.debbierigaud.com

www.debbierigaud.com/blog

Thanks again, Debbie!!

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GCC Presents Laurie Faria Stolarz!!

I've been doing book signings and events with my brand new GCC-BFF Laurie Stolarz. She is such a great writer, so much fun to hang out with and has the MOST amazing reader/fans. We've done a number of signings together (even a spooky one on Friday the 13th!) and I have to say that I am more and more impressed by her writing, by her graciousness and by her total devotion to her fans. So without further ado, here are some of my new and improved GCC questions. Thanks, Laurie!!

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 out revenge. I think if you throw negative energy out there, it’ll come back to you. There’s no need for revenge.

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 play 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 have a contest going on that involves this very question. In celebration of the release of DEADLY LITTLE LIES, the second book in the TOUCH SERIES, I’m launching a very exciting contest, the winner of which will have a minor character in DEADLY LITTLE GAME, the third book in the TOUCH SERIES, named after him or her. Please see the official rules here: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/news.html. I had a similar contest for the release ofBLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS. See the winning entry here:http://www.lauriestolarz.com/novels/black_is_for_beginnings.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 love The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I also just read Burned by Ellen Hopkins…amazing.

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

Your sister Jocelyn when she’s doing her book spotlight on Oprah.

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

Definitely premonitions and supernatural powers.

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. (MKH Note: I love that scene too!! It pisses me off that she ends up with Andrew McCarthy. That ending was totally wrong.)

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

Because they've 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!

For Deadly Little Lies: Last fall, Camelia, 16, fell for Ben, a mysterious bad boy with a special gift – psychometry: the ability to sense things through touch. Brokenhearted, she moves on and starts dating someone else. Meanwhile, she begins to experience premonitions of her own. A chilling sequence of events reveals secrets from the past. Someone is lying, and it’s up to Camelia to figure out who before it’s too late.

For Black is for Beginnings: Prophetic dreams. Near-brushes with death. Killers pursuing her and her friends. Stacey knows that being a hereditary witch isn't all it's cracked up to be, and now her nightmares are back. All she wants to do is go to Colorado and work things out with Jacob. But before Stacey and Jacob can have a future, they must face their pasts—and the secrets they've kept from each other.

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PW posts great review for THE LOST SISTER

Great Publishers Weekly Review for THE LOST SISTER!

The Lost Sister
Megan Kelley Hall. Kensington, $9.95 paper (288p) ISBN 978-0-7582-2680-8
Picking up where Sisters of Misery left off, Hall’s sequel finds half-sisters Maddie and Cordelia coming into their psychic powers. With the night of torturous hazing by the Sisters of Misery behind her, Cordelia runs away to Maine with the intention of murdering their philandering father, though her plans change when she discovers his young son (“She couldn’t take away this little boy’s father. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t stick around long enough to make Malcolm Crane wish he was dead”). Meanwhile, Cordelia’s mother has been committed to Ravenswood Asylum following a suicide attempt, and Maddie’s mother is diagnosed with cancer. When a mysterious fire is ignited in the asylum and one of the Sisters of Misery is murdered, Cordelia returns, working with Maddie to find the killer and rescue their loved ones. This suspenseful saga sits between fairy tale and thriller, though readers need not be a diehard fan of either genre in order to appreciate Hall’s intricate story of family history, witchcraft, teenage romance and sisterhood. Ages 12–up. (Aug.)

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6702910.html?industryid=47139

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THE LOST SYMBOL and THE LOST SISTER - It must be fate!

Yes, you read it right. Both Dan Brown and I have our highly anticipated novels coming out at the same time. His is called THE LOST SYMBOL. My book is THE LOST SISTER. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Quite the coincidence, is it not? Some may even call it FATE.

But the similarities do not stop there. Dan Brown and I both live in Massachusetts. Another coincidence, he's from Andover, and so is my father in law. One more freaky fact? His last name is Brown. My mother in law's maiden name is Brown. Can it BE more of a coincidence? I think not.

Let's dig deeper, shall we?

Dan Brown writes about secret religious societies that are murderous and evil. I write about secret cliques of girls that are murderous and evil. Dan Brown's movie starred Tom Hanks. I met Tom Hanks when he was on his honeymoon with Rita Wilson. It's almost freaky how much the stars are aligned on this one.

THE LOST SISTER and THE LOST SYMBOL -- they even sound the same. Say it quickly, three times fast. Can't even tell the difference can you? Come on, SAY IT!

Both of our titles have the same exact number of letters. It's really uncanny, if you think about it.

There's a slight, little, teeny, tiny difference. Dan Brown's THE LOST SYMBOL is currently #1 on Amazon.com. THE LOST SISTER is trailing only slightly behind at the current position of #494,878. Not TOO much of a difference in sales. I mean, if you think about it, the amount printed versus sold is probably the same--if you use that whole geomet--algebraic theorum--er solutions. (So sue me, I was an English major, not a math major. Whatever.) What I'm trying to say is that Dan had 5 million books printed. I probably had closer to 5000 printed. So the ratio of books printed to sold is probably in my favor. Take that, Dan Brown!

But, no, I don't want to start any ill will between me and Dan. We're both writers from Massachusetts. We have that Bay State bond. And I'm pretty sure that he would want people to buy THE LOST SISTER (when they are buying THE LOST SYMBOL, of course) for their teenagers. (It's a YA suspense novel, Dan. Don't worry. I'm not tapping into your market share.) I'll even wager that he and I both saved our WIP (**that's work-in-progress, you know, bestselling writing lingo*** not that I'm a best selling writer, but you get the picture) as TLS. That's what me, my editor and agent called the manuscript as it was sent back and forth over the past year. Good old TLS, right Danny? Yup, pretty cool.

Even our covers are the practically, almost, kind of, a little the same. It's spooky! Like some kind of psychic connection. We have that same color palette of orangey black (you were going for that Halloween connection too, weren't you, Dan?) I mean, yes, Dan Brown's name is very visible at the top of his book. But my name has that sort of blendy feel to it. Like, you don't even need to know the name of the author, you're just drawn in by the cover of the book. It's practically the same cover. I mean, if I weren't such good friends with Dan, I'd think he was trying to copy me and ride my coattails on this book.

No, my friend. I think you have to go this one alone. I have a feeling you're gonna do just fine.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that Dan Brown is still teaching at Andover and if I'm not mistaken, I think that he put SISTERS OF MISERY and THE LOST SISTER on his required summer reading list! I mean, that's what they all tell me, so it must be true. So, um....if you're in his class I think you were supposed to go out and buy my books and read them or else you get an automatic F for the year. That's just what I've heard. I have no facts or anything to back that up, but I'm just--I'm just here to help, that's all. I'm a helper.

So, Dan, if you'd like to reach out to me...maybe do some local signings in Boston, give me a ring-a-ding. I know that you want to draw a bigger crowd. Or--oh wow, this would be embarrassing-- just in case people show up at your signings thinking that it's for THE LOST SISTER and not THE LOST SYMBOL. How embarrassing for you! I would hate for that to happen. You know what? Just for you, I'll make myself available for any and all signings just in case that happens---no worries! I'm just thinking about what's in your best interest. I'm a giver. That's what I do. I give, I help, I care.

Anyhoo, Dan have your people call my people (or you know, me, I'm not really a big people person....I don't have lots of "people" per se, but you know what I mean) and we can look into this whole freaky fate, coincidence thing. I mean, I'm looking at your book description and I feel like I'm reading about my own book. Just look at what has been said about both of our books "nail-biting suspense," "thrilling mystery," a "page-turner," plus we both feature secret societies, ancient rituals and a brutal kidnapping. We were on the same wave-length or what?

And for those of you doing your little *Google* searches for THE LOST SYMBOL. Once you get to THE LOST S---- stop---take a minute--- turn that Y into an I and take a peek at THE LOST SISTER. You might just be pleasantly surprised. And, don't worry about taking sales away from Dan. What are a few hundred sales to him? Not even a blip on his radar. (Okay, maybe not hundreds of sales, but tens of sales would be nice...hello? anyone? Anyone still out there?)

So Dan, call me. We'll do lunch. :)

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