Character Bucket List: L.B. Schulman and Zoe from LEAGUE OF STRAYS

I’m Zoe. In high school, most people ran the other way when they saw me coming. It wasn’t that I was so awesomely scary, bwah ha ha and all that, it’s just that I didn’t care what people thought of me. I was epically sick of high school politics. Then I joined the LEAGUE OF STRAYS. Why? Because I was invited. That’s it. Because someone wanted me, Zoe Carpenter, on his team.

No one had ever invited me to join anything before, and I was curious. Problem was, the group leader, Kade Harlin, manipulated each of us in order to achieve his own mega-sick goal. Somehow, he just knew what we each needed, and he played us. For Nora, it was permission to be herself and stop the goody two shoes act. For me, he could tell that I needed a break from babysitting my drunk mom. For Charlotte, it was a hot fling with a guy who found her attractive. Except no one knows if he ever really did like Charlotte, or if he was just trying to keep the League’s “weakest link” close by. In the end, after that horrible thing happened, Kade finally got arrested, but because of stupid legal laws and the clog up in the justice system, he was released early. It made me so angry! Didn’t anyone know he’d be right back to manipulating people in his own psychopathic way?

One thing I’ve shared with a few of the League members is that I want to join the police force as soon as I’m old enough. I’ve always been drawn to the military, to the pursuit of justice. Justice was not served with Kade. He’s a charismatic, confident jerk (read: arrogant) who can talk a snake into walking upright. One day soon, when I’m a police officer, I’m going to run into Mr. Harlin. He’ll think it’s coincidence, and he’ll try to talk me out of taking him in, but it won’t work. I’m going to bide my time until I see him do something that will stick for good, and then I’ll bring the club of justice right down on that creep. What do I want to do before I die? I intend to do everything in my power to make sure that the last person Kade Harlin hurts is himself.

Enough about that psycho creeper, I’ve got other bucket list dreams, too. It’s kinda embarrassing, so you better not laugh, or I’ll have to take you in, too. Okay, so I’m going to get real singing lessons, not just Youtube karaoke. The thing is, I love jazz, and I know I can warble with the best of them. When I’m a cop, I’m going to have loads of money, and then I’m going to sing Billie Holiday for the rest of my life.

I also want to be a foster mother. I know what you’re thinking: me, a mom? But really, I’d make an awesome one. I don’t want kids myself. I mean, for one thing, this planet doesn’t need any more people weighing it down. What about the kids that already exist with lousy moms and dads and no one to care for them? They didn’t ask for a crappy life. I don’t want to adopt anyone, just help out those kiddies until they can find themselves real parents, with real love to give. That’s what we all deserve.

After all that, I’m hoping God will forgive me for the stupid stuff I did this year, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll give me reserved seating in Heaven.

GIVEAWAY

Want to know more about Zoe? Pick up LEAGUE OF STRAYS by L.B. Schulman or fill out the form below and leave a comment on this post by 6:00 PM 11/14/12 for a chance to win a signed copy of the book. Be sure to include a way to contact you either via email or through your blogger profile. We'll notify winners on 11/15.

This suspenseful debut follows a group of teenage misfits in their delicious quest for revenge on those who have wronged them at their high school. When a mysterious note appears in Charlotte’s mailbox inviting her to join the League of Strays, she’s hopeful it will lead to making friends. What she discovers is a motley crew of loners and an alluring, manipulative ringleader named Kade. Kade convinces the group that they need one another both for friendship and to get back at the classmates and teachers who have betrayed them. But Kade has a bigger agenda. In addition to vandalizing their school and causing fights between other students, Kade’s real intention is a dangerous plot that will threaten lives and force Charlotte to choose between her loyalty to the League and her own conscience.

Praise for League of Strays

"A group of misfits is drawn together by a charismatic, sinister boy for friendship and revenge."

—Kirkus Reviews
 Buy LEAGUE OF STRAYS Now on Amazon

About the Author:

L.B. Schulman writes middle-grade and young adult books. LEAGUE OF STRAYS is her debut YA novel, published by Abrams/Amulet. She lives in California with her husband, two daughters, and a pair of magnificent mutts.


Her website: lbschulman.com
Facebook/LBSchulman
Twitter: @lbschulman

WOW Wednesday: Sheri Larsen on Getting Out of the Box

Today's WOW guest, Sheri Larsen, is one of the first people I remember meeting when Marissa and I started blogging. She's a tireless cheerleader for everyone in the online writing community, and a positive role model in the art of being positive. I'm so pleased to be able to share the story of her journey with you!

In addition to being a writer, Sheri is a dancer, ice hockey fanatic, and lover of the misunderstood teen/tween. Her debut YA paranormal fantasy, MARKED BEAUTY, about a girl possessing heightened sensitivity to auras and emotions, has received multiple offers which are currently being considered as well as still being subbed. She lives in the land of lobsters, snowy winters, and LL Bean with her husband of twenty years, their four children, and a playful bich-poo named Gracie. She is represented by Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary. Find her on her blog, Writer's Alley, her Website, Facebook, and Twitter @SA_Larsen.

Heart Out of the Box

By Sheri Larsen

Picture a box, linear with boundaries set to a uniformed scale. The design has purpose and function meant to simplify yet promote as much productivity as possible. The publishing world is set up in a similar fashion. Structure is a big part of the spark, passion, and drive of delivering marketable literature and becoming a respected author.

Let’s call this publishing etiquette.

When I decided, a short three years ago, to devote myself to the creation of young adult and children’s stories, I was awkwardly naïve; ignorance permeated off me like steam whistling from a tea kettle. But anyone who knew me knew that would never deter my goal. I’m a fighter by nature, one who challenges the norm, a heart out of the box.

But this writing world is big and intimidating, so researching the art of writing, fiction, and the publishing industry was where my initiation began. And I found a box, as I’m sure most of you have—golden rules, helpful formulas, shivering taboos, and major No Nos. The two year old with a spongy brain within me flared to life, soaking up information, wanting to be a part of this amazing arena. Query and synopsis outlines kept me up at night. Stalking the internet for agents and literary agencies had me practically graphing their individual guidelines like a mathematician gone mad. My world gained even more geometric perimeters when blogging lured me into its lair.

More etiquette. There was a way to go about writing posts, commenting, and connecting with other writers. Forums and logins and accounts blossomed all around me. Understanding and respecting the workings of the publishing business was a must for me, as should be for any writer. But something didn’t feel right, kept nagging me, like part of myself forged forward, while the rest of me lingered behind. I ignored it and continued to climb the ladder.

I listened to industry wisdom, which led me to writing contests, blog giveaways, and agents offering up critiques; I even won a few of those and made wonderful contacts and connections. Expanding my social media outlets and networking became a passion. Wrote some freelance. All of this came while my fingers tapped the keys of my laptop, creating my manuscripts.

Those graphs I’d created of agent submission guidelines were ready for use. I followed each to the T, not veering off course, even querying only a small number of agents to start with as the industry advised. Though that first subbing experience was positive, I was also introduced to the ugly face of form rejections or no response at all. Despite understanding how chaotic the industry must be, it stung, and that stirring inside me gained strength.

My eyes were now opened to the long, hard, and discouraging avenue the submission process can take. I took the Revise & Resubmits a few agents had offered, all while remaining inside that box. Positive praises were for the most part the responses I received. But for reasons more due to the market at the time and not me, I still gained no takers. Stumped was where I was at.

After great council from critique partners and writing friends, the wet noddle my rebellious side had been lashing me with finally gained the attention it deserved. I had always been true to myself, even if it wasn’t popular, and I wasn’t being.

The time had come to tear out of that box and set my creative heart free. I began submitting to smaller publishers and presses. It was a risk, but sometimes a risk will bring about a spark. In my case, it did. Over the course of those first two weeks, I received requests for the full manuscript, which eventually lead to multiple offers of publication from some wonderful publishers. From there, I shared the news of offers with a few agents in the hope that one would find my passion vibrant enough to work with.

Within two hours of emailing Paula, I received a response asking if we could chat. Our phone conversation happened two days later, resulting in an offer of representation and many tears from me. Happy tears.

I’d broken out of the mold, not just the norm to publication, but the walls I had allowed to fence in my creative side. Don’t mistake my personal journey as a spat on the publishing world. It’s a wonderful establishment and the setup has worked for many. But there’s nothing wrong with forward thinking and peeling back layers to see where and how you fit in.

Here are a few suggestions on how to give your creative juices a break during your search for an agent or publisher:

1. Be true to yourself.
2. Don’t become so stringent about the way it should be done, you miss the way that suits you best.
3. Though wisdom is a precious commodity to share, realize it comes from another’s personal experience and may apply differently to you. What works for one might not work for another.
4. Forge ahead boldly, believing in who you are. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you?
5. Embrace the norm, but know that it can be tweaked to fit you more personally.
6. Fear not that others will lose interest in your ideas. If you’ve found value in that work, someone else will too.

During your journey to agenthood and publication, keep in sight what inspired you to start. The spark of an idea, passion to develop it, and drive to share your words came from your heart. Don’t let it be boxed in.

Characters We Love to Write (And Read!)

We don't fall in love with plots. We don't even fall in love with concepts. Our brains are hardwired to relate to people, so for most readers, it's really all about the characters. After all, we're asking them to live with those characters for a minimum five or six hours, possibly a lot more. Ideally, we'd all love to write characters that will stay with readers forever, wouldn't we? (I know, I know. Ambitious much? Or  maybe deluded is a better word. Still, a girl can dream. :D)

A couple of weeks ago, I posted the latest character worksheet I use before I start to write. I'll repost it here, too, in case anyone is interested.

http://www.martinaboone.com/resources/character_brainstorming_worksheet.pdf

I do one of these for every major character, and then refer to them as part of my "story bible" so I can keep track of things like eye color and backstory. I've learned by trial and error that if I skimp on any of the characters, I will usually end up with a sloooooow start to the book, and then lapse into mid-novel slump where I have a hard time getting myself (and my characters) energized. Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as writer's inertia.

Beyond just knowing the character, I want to make sure I'm putting the right character on the page. Can that main character carry a whole novel. Is she someone readers want to read about?

Is She Active Instead of Passive, Positive Instead of Negative?

In other words, does she make things happen because she wants something instead of reacting to things because she wants to avoid something? That sounds like a small distinction, but when we read a character like that, we know instantly we're in for a ride. Think of your favorite characters. Didn't they go after what they wanted? Good, bad, or indifferent, they had goals, plans, passion. Something they wanted desperately. And that turned into action.

Is She Gutsy Enough to Fight Against Adversity Without Whining?

Okay, she can whine--a little. Better if she snarks though. Bitches, makes jokes, laughs in the face of danger even though she's scared spitless? That's a character I want to read about. Too brave, not scared at all, in other words, is boring. So is an incessant whiner. But a character who kicks a$$ and takes names even though she is scared? Sign me up. I'm already lining up to read that book.

Does She Refuse to Quit?

I love Bruce Willis in Die Hard. Okay, I love Bruce Willis in almost anything. But let's take Die Hard, for example. Bruce refuses to give up. He's barefoot, running through glass, explosions, and an ocean of over-muscled crooks who escaped from the covers of bad German romance novels. He loves his ex-wife though, and he'd not going to quit and let her die. Not an option. At all. He'll make jokes. He'll laugh at himself. He'll wince at the pain. But he jumps at every opportunity that presents itself. He's that Timex watch in the commercial--takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin', right up until that moment when everything looks like there is no way he can win--no chance in heck--so he thinks about giving up for a half-second, realizes quitting won't work for him, and goes right back to the agony of not letting the bad guy defeat him.

Is She Identifiable? Memorable? And Slightly Over-the-Top?

If I wanted to read about my next-door neighbor, I'm sure I could find her in a thousand unpublished manuscripts. She's boring because she is real. She's ordinary. Seriously, we all know her. The person we want to read about though is the person we don't know. The one we haven't read about yet--and then we want to understand what that person is all about. We need to find a way to relate to her,  to understand her and put her in context. She is who she is because XXX -- insert situation we can sympathize with here. As readers, we're all pretty generous. We can even come to like a serial killer or a rapist, kind of, if we understand what made him that way, especially if whatever we don't like about him is the thing that's holding him back. As writers, on the other hand, we try so hard to make our characters "real" that often we forget to make them unique and memorable.

Is She Flawed?

As people, we want to be loved. We want to be perfect, so we hide our flaws. Or we try to, anyway. As writers, we do the same with our characters. It's human nature. We love them, so we try to protect them by making them strong and beautiful and kind and smart and nauseating. Really, we need to let them be selfish, or vain, or stubborn, or forgetful. Whatever. We need to let them suck at something. As long as whatever they suck at most is the very thing that they learn to fix by the end of the book. We've all heard this called the "fatal flaw" and we assume that's because it's the thing that endangers the protagonist's life. Yes, that's probably true. You could also look at it another way. Without a deep flaw, a deep wound, the character is doomed in the reader's mind.

Are you sitting down to write? Great. Quick. Think about your favorite characters. What made you love them? Now go forth and write THAT! :D

Happy character building,

Martina

More Information:

Larger-than-Life-Characters by agent Sarah Davies
Donald Maass Character Checklist by Kathy Temean
Strong Heroes, Even Stronger Motivations by Jeannie Campbell
Creating Memorable Characters by Lee Masterson
Are you in Pain? Question for your character? by Darcy Pattison
Mentors and the Hero's Journey by Stephen Turner
Seven Common Character Types by Terri W. Erwin, II
Creating Villains People Love to Hate by Lee Masterson
The Other in Fiction: Creating Wonderfully Wicked Villains by Carolyn Kaufman, PsyD

Secrets of a Wonderful Novel Opening

It's All About the Opening

To keep our feedburner readers from having to slog through the twenty-odd First Five Pages Workshop posts every month (unless they want to), we're moving the First Five Pages Workshop to its own blog. We'll still post announcements here, but I would like to do that in conjunction with something fun.

First things first, though. The First Five Pages Workshop is now here:

http://firstfivepagesworkshop.blogspot.com

I've reposted some of the top posts we've done here over the years on the subject of openings as pages over on that blog. Take a peek. I had a blast revisiting them!

First Five Pages November Workshop

The mentor this month is A.C. Gaughen, the author of the wonderful Robin Hood retelling, SCARLET. Please stop by, read the entries, comment if you'd like to comment, but as always, feel free to lurk, enjoy, and learn. I always love the opportunity to see what authors have to say about opening pages, since they've gone through the wringer with agents, editors, reviewers--the whole nine yards. Many of our mentors are also editors in their own rights, or--as is the case with A.C.--have been through masters programs that provide an additional layer of insight.

The workshops aren't just for writers though. We'd really love to get more readers involved, because ultimately, the reading experience isn't about craft as much as it is about alchemy. As readers, we don't care as much about why the magic works. We just want to know that it does. It's a balance. The craft makes the magic, most of the time. But then there's that little bit of something indefinable. Do you know what I mean?

Anyway. Eh, hem. Moving on.

Fun.

Openings are fun.

We've had a wonderful response from authors to our WOW Wednesday invitations and to the Character Bucket List.  As a side effect though, we're booked up so far in advance that I'd like to open up another avenue for authors here on the blog, another way for readers to find great new releases and for authors to share the secrets of their success with writers and readers alike. What I'm thinking is that I'd like to get authors to share their favorite openings lines with us, as well as their favorite tips for creating a wonderful opening scene and the inspiration that led to the opening of one of their most recent novels.

What do you think? Hopefully, this will not only get us the secrets behind some proven success stories, but also give us some inspiration and craft tips to incorporate into our writing.

Meanwhile, what makes a good opening for you? What makes you sit up and take notice? Chances are, THAT'S what you should be writing.

Have a great week!

Martina

November 1st 5 Pages Workshop with Guest Mentor Author A.C. Gaughen

The Workshop is Full!

Our November 1st Five Pages Workshop will open for entries today! We will accept the first five middle grade or young adult manuscripts received by email starting at noon. Lisa Gail Green and/or I will work alongside our guest mentor to tell you what we see in those first five pages with respect to your voice, plot, characters, setting, pacing and writing in general. Depending on the mentor's schedule, she may comment only on your initial entry, on the initial entry and one revision, or on both revisions. You'll also get feedback and comments from your peers throughout the month, and have the opportunity to post revisions each week so you'll end up the strongest possible start.

About A.C. Gaughen

A.C. has been madly in love with writing since she was in kindergarten. She shared her first original story in first grade, which dealt with a gorilla finding someone naked in the shower, and was, sadly, the culmination of her humor writing skills because it got her kicked out of class.

She wrote all through middle school and starting submitting novels to publishers when she was thirteen.  All through high school she wrote in a notebook instead of taking class notes, finishing several more novels. Fast forward through college, a graduate writing program, and three novels written during her graduate program. SCARLET, her fabulous retelling of the Robin Hood legend, came out this year.  You can catch her on her website or on twitter as @acgaughen.

So there you have it, overnight success in a lifetime, and she's here to pass on what she has learned to help five workshop participants develop their manuscripts and start off right.

Workshop Rules

The rules are simple. We ask that you follow all of them, every week for the duration of the workshop. Properly formatting your entry may sound like a pain, but it's good practice because agents and editors will expect you to follow submission guidelines too. It's part of showing your professionalism, and writing is a business as well as a creative endeavor. Entries that do not meet all of the criteria below WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. Read all the rules and be prepared to follow them each week, otherwise it isn't fair to take up space in the workshop. We always have more entries than we can accept in any given month.

1. Manuscripts must be middle grade or young adult.

2. Manuscripts do not need to be completed, but must be your own, original work.

3. Send us the first five pages, with each page approximately 250 words, max 1250 words.

4. Do NOT send any synopsis or summary information.

5. Make sure your entry is properly formatted, in RTF format, and sent IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL, single spaced, with a blank line between all paragraphs expect the header information. No attachments.

Before sending it to us, we suggest that you email your entry to yourself so you can see how it will come out.

Your entry MUST look like this:

Name: Your name
Genre: Young Adult XXX or Middle Grade XXX
Title: Your title

The body of the text, max 1250 words, must be SINGLE SPACED. There MUST be an EMPTY LINE BETWEEEN paragraphs. (Hit the 'Enter' button twice.)

If your manuscript is formatted in standard manuscript format, double-spaced with indents at the beginning of each paragraph and no extra space before or after paragraphs, then this will not come through correctly for reading on the web. The easiest way to get the formatting the way that we need it is to copy your snippet, put it into a clean MS Word document, select all the text, change the paragraph spacing to single space, then do a search and replace for ^p and replace it with ^p^p. This will take each paragraph break and turn it into two paragraph breaks. Or, of course, you can go through and hit the enter button again a second time after each individual paragraph.

Create a new email through an email provider other than GMAIL and click on the format text tab at the top of the message. Gmail seems to insert AN EXTRA line for every blank line. It may even insert a blank line between the header information, which should have NO blank lines between paragraphs. To get around the gmail problem, the easiest thing to do is use another email provider if you already have one, or to create a free hotmail account.

In your blank email message, set the message format to “Rich Text,” then paste in the text of your entry.

7. Be prepared to receive honest, constructive feedback EVERY week and to participate through the entire workshop. Not all feedback will be positive. The purpose of the workshop is to help you improve your manuscript, not to tell you that it is wonderful.

8. Provide honest, constructive, and thoughtful feedback to EACH of your fellow workshop participants in a kind and courteous manner by Thursday night EVERY week.

9. Send the revised version of the manuscript back to us--following all the above rules--by 6:00 PM on Sunday nights, properly formatted, every week until the end of the workshop.

That's it. Again, remember that you will need to understand email formatting to submit to agents anyway, so this isn't all a wasted effort.

Send your entries starting at noon (Eastern Time) today to kidlit at writeedge dot com. 

Accepted entries will be posted at noon on Monday, at which time the workshop will officially begin.

Happy reading and writing,

Martina and Lisa

New YA Books in Stores 11/3-11/9 PLUS Three Book Giveaways

Notes: 

First and foremost, I'm thinking and hoping for everyone still mired in the aftermath of Sandy! My heart and prayers go out to you.

Second, our November First Five Pages Workshop with guest mentor A.C. Gaughen will open for entries at noon tomorrow. Please see here for details!

Have a safe and happy weekend,

Martina

THIS WEEK'S GIVEAWAY

Complete the form at the bottom of the page to enter. Good luck!

No Man's Land
by S.T. Underdahl

Signed Paperback Original

Brian came home from Afghanistan.But he brought the war back with him.

If life were a movie, my role would be Emo Kid/Family Loser. My brother Brian would star as Master of the Universe. You might think it would be easy to resent him, but my brother is impossible to hate. Just like everyone else, I’m thrilled to have Brian back home from Afghanistan in one piece.

But he’s different now.

Everyone refuses to see my brother’s dark secret. What will it take for them to wake up and face the ugly truth?

Praise for The Other Sister:
“Gently touching and ultimately hopeful, Underdahl lets the reader know that while the past can’t be erased, a new and loving present can be created—a vivid and moving story.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This vivid, realistic portrait of a family in transition will hold readers’ interest to the very last page.”—School Library Journal
 Praise for Remember This:

“This demure novel’s veritas provides compelling reading.”—VOYA

“Heart-felt and touching. The mix of serious issues and lighter  fare will appeal to a wide audience.”—KLIATT


Author Question: What is your favorite thing about No Man's Land?

My favorite thing about No Man's Land? Besides that it's finally hitting shelves, haha? I suppose it would be that I think it's opportunity to make people more aware of the challenges faced by veterans and their families as they return from foreign service. I also really enjoyed learning more about the hardcore music scene and hopefully challenging some misconceptions that people have when they see kids who embrace the emo style...it doesn't necessarily mean that they're depressed, or that they harm or cut themselves. They're just trying to express themselves in a unique and different way, something that makes some people uncomfortable, apparently.

Order No Man's Land on Amazon

View No Man's Land on Goodreads

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Flash Point
by Nancy Kress

Signed Hardcover

Reality TV meets a chillingly realistic version of America--and the fame game is on!

Amy had dreams of going to college, until the Collapse destroyed the economy and her future. Now she is desperate for any job that will help support her terminally ill grandmother and rebellious younger sister. When she finds herself in the running for a slot on a new reality TV show, she signs on the dotted line, despite her misgivings. And she's right to have them. TLN's Who Knows People, Baby--You? has an irresistible premise: correctly predict what the teenage cast will do in a crisis and win millions. But the network has pulled strings to make it work, using everything from 24/7 hidden cameras to life-threatening technology to flat-out rigging. Worse, every time the ratings slip, TLN ups the ante. Soon Amy is fighting for her life--on and off camera.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Flash Point?

My favorite thing about my book, as with nearly everything I write, are my characters. Sisters, Amy and Kayla could not be more different. Amy is responsible, hard-working, law-abiding, and sometimes she hates being like that. Kayla is bold, larcenous, and irresponsible, and sometimes she wishes she were more like Amy. I enjoyed writing that yearning all of us occasionally have for whatever traits we don't possess, as well as how we reach for those traits in times of crisis. Even with sometimes disastrous results.

Order Flash Point on Amazon

View Flash Point on Goodreads

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Passion Blue
by Victoria Strauss

Signed Hardcover

When seventeen-year-old Giulia, the orphaned, illegitimate daughter of a Milanese nobleman, learns she’s to be packed off to a life behind convent walls, she begs an astrologer-sorcerer for a talisman that will secure what she’s certain is her heart’s desire: true love and a place where she belongs. But does she really know the compass of her heart? The convent of Santa Marta is full of surprises, including a workshop of nuns who are creating paintings of astonishing beauty using a luminous blue mixed from a secret formula: Passion Blue. As Giulia’s own artistic self is awakened she’s torn: should she follow the young man who promises to help her escape? Or stay and satisfy her growing desire to paint?
This richly imagined novel of a girl’s daring journey towards self-discovery transports readers into the fascinating world of Renaissance Italy where love and faith and art inspire passion – of many different hues.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Passion Blue?

Getting to step into a Renaissance painter's workshop, through Giulia's eyes. I've always adored Italian Renaissance paintings, but just as much, I'm fascinated by the technical details of creating them. For the most part, Renaissance painters didn't buy ready-made materials--they crafted nearly everything themselves, from the surfaces they painted on, to the paints and lacquers they used, even to the frames. Paint recipes were valuable secrets, as closely-guarded as industrial secrets are today. I loved researching all of this. Writing Passion Blue let me become a painter myself for a little while--if only in my imagination. (And by the way, I can't draw to save my life!)

Order Passion Blue on Amazon

View Passion Blue on Goodreads

LAST WEEK'S GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Touching the Surface
by Kimberly Sabatini

Signed Hardcover w/ Swag

WINNER: Kayley F.

Experience the afterlife in this lyrical, paranormal debut novel that will send your heart soaring.
When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.   

Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Touching the Surface?

My favorite thing about my book is that my MC, Elliot, is not an instantaneously likable character. I think she wears some of her faults on her sleeve and camouflages quite a few of soft spots--for protection. I adore characters that sweep me off of my feet from the very first sentence. I want to be best friends with them, but a character like Elliot, is more like me--not always perfect. She gives me a lot of hope that I'll some day be able to get my own act together. And of course there is that thing where MY BOOK IS A BOOK! That is also pretty awesome. :o)

Order Touching the Surface on Amazon

View Touching the Surface on Goodreads

* * * *

Dead Girl Moon
by Charlie Price
Signed Hardcover

WINNER: Sarah O.

As their hardscrabble lives intertwine in a small, corrupt Montana town, Grace, a scheming runaway, JJ, her drifty fostercare sister, and Mick, the son of a petty thief, discover the body of a young woman. Afraid to come forward, the teens try to hide their knowledge of the crime, because they believe the murderer is one of the corrupt officials and businessmen who rule their town. But after a series of false moves and dumb mistakes, the teens are soon suspects themselves in a murder investigation threatening their freedom—and maybe their lives.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Dead Girl Moon?

In Dead Girl Moon I get to follow three teens with significantly different life challenges. They represent composites of kids I met in psych hospitals and schools who were trying to rise above their difficult and sometimes damaging home lives to forge their own dreams with their own resources. In this novel they encounter a situation that forces them to collaborate to cope with an increasingly dangerous, possibly lethal threat. I knew, from my work experience, that they could be successful together, but I had no idea how they would develop solutions to their dilemma. I loved watching them make choices and deal with the consequences. I always tried to "observe" them rather than "steer" them. For me, the unfolding process itself was my greatest pleasure.

Order Dead Girl Moon on Amazon

View Dead Girl Moon on Goodreads

* * *

CHARACTER BUCKET LIST GIVEAWAY

THE HALLOWED ONES

By Laura Bickle

WINNER: KIMMIE

If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in?

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

"This is a book to make you fear the shadows--a horrifying and gruesome tale of faith, and things that blink red eyes in the night. I began reading in the daylight, and read on into the late hours, leaning close, biting my lip. I could not look away; I was obsessed. Katie is an unbreakable soul."
--Lauren DeStefano, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of the Chemical Garden Trilogy

“What an eerily believable, unique story! I can’t stop thinking about it—or shivering.

—Melissa Marr, New York Times best-selling author of the Wicked Lovely series

“Readers will find it hard to put down this suspenseful, scary, compulsively readable adventure…”
-Kirkus Reviews

THE HALLOWED ONES is available from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Powell’s, and Books A Million.

A free excerpt of THE HALLOWED ONES is available here: http://laurabickle.com/the-hallowed-ones/?action=excerpt

For more info about Laura and her books, please visit her website at www.laurabickle.com. She’s also on Facebook and Twitter, usually exclaiming over cute cat pictures and nerdy things.

IN STORES NEXT WEEK WITH AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

Eternally Yours (Immortal Beloved)
by Cate Tiernan
Hardcover

After 450 years of living, Nastasya Crowe should have more of a handle on this whole immortal thing....

After a deadly confrontation at the end of Darkness Falls, the second Immortal Beloved novel, Nastasya Crowe is, as she would put it, so over the drama. She fights back against the dark immortals with her own brand of kick-butt magick...but can she fight against true love? In the satisfying finale to the Immortal Beloved trilogy, ex-party-girl immortal Nastasya ends a 450-year-old feud and learns what "eternally yours" really means.

Laced with historical flashbacks and laugh-out-loud dialogue, the Immortal Beloved trilogy is a fascinating and unique take on what it would mean to live forever.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Eternally Yours (Immortal Beloved)?

Gee--my favorite thing about the book? That's really hard! I love the very ending part, when you get a glimpse of what Nasty's life is like now. But I also love the flashbacks, and I love seeing how her character changes and grows. We see the most growth in the last volume, and that's exciting and rewarding to me.

Order Eternally Yours (Immortal Beloved) on Amazon

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Perry's Killer Playlist
by Joe Schreiber
Hardcover

When Perry ends up in Venice on a European tour with his band Inchworm, he can’t resist a visit to Harry’s Bar, where Gobi told him she’d meet him someday. The last time he saw Gobi, five people were assassinated one crazy night in New York City. Well . . . Gobi shows up, and once again Perry is roped into a wild, nonstop thrill ride with a body count. Double crossings, kidnappings, CIA agents, arms dealers, boat chases in Venetian canals, and a shootout in the middle of a Santa Claus convention ensue.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Perry's Killer Playlist?

I think my favorite thing about PERRY was that it gave me an excuse to take my family on a research trip through Europe. Most of the locations in the book -- clubs, hotels and the helipad in Zermatt -- are places that we actually visited.

Also, making the actual playlist was a lot of fun.

Order Perry's Killer Playlist on Amazon

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Days of Blood & Starlight
by Laini Taylor
Hardcover

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.


Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Days of Blood & Starlight?

My single favorite thing? That’s impossible!!! Well, okay. If I have to pick one, I’m going to go with the idea that was my A-ha! moment during the early plotting and planning. I had an overall sense of the series arc and what I wanted to happen in book 2, but this idea, when it arose out of brainstorming, became the event toward which I was reaching during the entire year plus that I was writing the book. At first, I thought it would happen in the first half but it didn’t. Like a carrot suspended before a mule, it kept moving ahead as I moved ahead, and finally ended up in the climax. I don’t want to say what chapter it is, because I don’t want anyone to flip to it before they get there. But I’ll say that it has to do with a deception.

I just happened to come across the blog post where I mentioned finally having written that scene! It’s here.

Order Days of Blood & Starlight on Amazon

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Bitter Blood (Morganville Vampires)
by Rachel Caine
Hardcover

For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville, Texas, have managed to co-exist in peace. But now that the threat to the vampires has been defeated, the human residents are learning that the gravest danger they face is the enemy within…

Thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. But college student Claire Danvers isn’t about to take sides, considering she has ties to both the humans and the vampires.

To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville looking for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news…or worse.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Bitter Blood (Morganville Vampires)?

I think the most fun thing about it to write was the mayoral election pieces. Don't get me wrong ... there are some dire things that go on in this book, and some serious consequences, but it was really super fun to inject some mayhem into the proceedings, too. And throwing in the ghost hunting team to add to the chaos was great fun as well. No matter how dark the books get -- and I freely admit that occasionally they wander down a dark alley or two! -- I try to always balance it out with a sense that it isn't ALL horror 24/7 living in Morganville, and you can still have a good time ... if you're careful.

Order Bitter Blood (Morganville Vampires) on Amazon

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MORE RELEASES IN STORES NEXT WEEK

Sirens
by Janet Fox
Paperback Original

Two girls. One gangster. A deadly secret.
When Josephine's father ships her off to live with her rich cousins on the glittering island of Manhattan, he says it's to find a husband. But Jo knows better--there's trouble brewing, and in 1925, all that glitters is not gold. Caught up in a swirl of her cousin's bobbed-hair set--and the men that court them--Jo soon realizes that this world of jazz and gangsters and their molls hides a nest of lies. But when she befriends the girlfriend of one of the most powerful and dangerous gangesters in town, Jo begins to uncover secrets--secrets that threaten an empire and could destroy everyone she loves. Jo is faced with a choice: hang on to her soul, or lose herself in the decade of decadence.

Fans of The Great Gatsby, Libba Bray's The Diviners, and Bright Young Things will be captivated by Janet Fox's Roaring Twenties tale.


Order Sirens on Amazon

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Colin Fischer
by Ashley Edward Miler and Zack Stentz
Hardcover

Encyclopedia Brown from the screenwriting duo behind X-Men: First Class and Thor!

Colin Fischer cannot stand to be touched. He does not like the color blue. He needs index cards to recognize facial expressions. But Colin is Wayne Connelly's best--and only--hope of proving his innocence after Wayne is accused of blowing up a birthday cake in the school cafeteria. Colin and Wayne quickly set off on a journey to prove Wayne's innocence, but neither realizes just how far their investigation will take them or that it will force Colin to consider the greatest mystery of all: what other people are thinking and feeling.

Colin Fischer is a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. He's a boy with Asperger's syndrome who sees clues in the unlikeliest of places, and whom readers will root for right up until the case is solved . . . and beyond.

Order Colin Fischer on Amazon

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Character Bucket Lists: Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson by Nick James

Today's Character Bucket List is by Nick James, the author of the fabulous Skyship Academy series!

When he was kid, Nick’s collection of battle-scarred action figures became the characters in epic storylines with cliffhangers, double crosses and an unending supply of imaginary explosions. Not much has changed. The toys are gone (most of them), but the love of fast-paced storytelling remains. Working in schools from Washington State to England, Nick has met thousands of diverse students since graduating from Western Washington University and braving the most dangerous job in the world: substitute teaching. Luckily, being dubbed the “rock star teacher” has granted him some immunity. He currently lives and teaches in Bellingham, Washington. You can find him on his website, http://nickjamesbooks.com, or on twitter at @nickajames.

Character Bucket Lists: Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson

by Nick James

For my character bucket-lists, I've got two from opposing characters. Jesse Fisher trains to collect Pearls (the world's last energy source) in a flying school as part of the Skyship Community. Meanwhile, Cassius Stevenson trains to become what's known as a Pearlhound on the surface of Earth.

Jesse Fisher

Get off of Skyship Academy

Jesse's not a fan of his training aboard the Academy. He doesn't feel strong enough to succeed at the military operations he's being prepared for and finds it kind of lonely living on a Skyship. If he could, he'd like to escape with his crush, Avery Wicksen.

Prove to his peers that he's not a worthless klutz

He doesn't know exactly how he'd do it, but he's pretty sick of being the weak one aboard the Academy.

Explore the Skyships (especially the fun ones)

With so many fun, entertainment-based Skyships in the community, he'd really like some downtime to explore the kinds of things he doesn't usually get to experience. Skyship Polaris, dubbed the "Vegas of the skies," is practically neighbors with the Academy, yet all he can do is imagine what there is to do onboard  

Cassius Stevenson

Become a full-fledged Pearlhound

Cassius is training to collect Pearls for the Unified Party, and that training is going very well for him. He longs to grow into an adult and be taken more seriously by his government.

Travel the country, including the Skyship Community

Even though it's illegal for Surface dwellers like himself to travel up to the Skyships, he's always had a curiosity about what it's like to live above the clouds.

Win Madame's approval

Madame, his superior and surrogate mother, is a tough nut to crack when it comes to showing affection and appreciation. Her approval is ultimately what drives most of Cassius's actions.

Crimson Rising (Skyship Academy) by Nick James

Our best-selling sci-fi series continues

Following their dramatic showdown in Seattle, Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson find their world's been turned inside out. The faculty at Skyship Academy is keeping Jesse a prisoner in his own home, fearful of his influence over Pearls. And Cassius, once a loyal Pearlhound for the Unified Party, has been pushed into hiding, fearful of his government's retaliation.

When Jesse smuggles a mysterious red Pearl onboard the Academy, he sets loose a destructive chain of events, which lead him to a reunion with Cassius and a confrontation with Theo -- a bloodthirsty Pearlhound with a dangerous secret.

But a larger threat looms in the stars. An enemy is gathering, with plans to exterminate the entire human race. And Jesse and Cassius might just be the lynch pins that trigger mankind's destruction.

Order Crimson Rising (Skyship Academy)


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