Seanchai

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 16:18:00 +0000

Alas, Blogger, you've been wonderful, but I've launched a brand new website with an integrated blog, and I'm afraid I won't be posting here anymore. From now on, all of my updates will be here:

www.GretchenMcNeil.com

*blows a kiss*

YA Scavenger Hunt! Spring 2015 Edition!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 18:50:00 +0000

Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt!

This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize - one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are SIX contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the TEAM TEAL - but there are also teams red, blue, pink, gold, purple, orange, and green. Follow them all for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

The hunt is now over! For those of you who participated, I hope you had fun! Look for the next hunt this fall!

1st Annual Halloween Book Trail!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the second stop of The Cemetery Trail!

This is the first ever Halloween Book Trail, featuring your favorite YA & MG authors! This trail is based on the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes presented by the Apocalypsies. In THIS trail, you’ll find all kinds of posts, and discover new authors and their work.

How do you play? Every post contains information that will lead to killer prizes! Books, swag, skype sessions, severed heads! At the end of each blog you’ll find a link that will take you to the next stop in the trail. By the end, you’ll find a quiz. Now you’ll be happy you read all the posts! Submit your entry to the quiz for a chance to win a grand prize! Accuracy matters here, so take your time, or go back and refresh your memory! One quiz entry per trail.

ABOUT ME:
You know, in case you've already forgotten who I am, this is what I look like:

And this is what I do:

Gretchen McNeil is an opera singer, writer and clown. Her YA horror POSSESS about a teen exorcist debuted with Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins in 2011. Her follow up TEN – YA horror/suspense about ten teens trapped on a remote island with a serial killer – was a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, a Romantic Times Top Pick, a Booklist Top Ten Horror Fiction for Youth, a finalist for the 2015 Evergreen Young Adult Book Award, and was nominated for "Best Young Adult Contemporary Novel of 2012" by Romantic Times. Gretchen's 2013 release is 3:59, a sci-fi doppelganger horror about two girls who are the same girl in parallel dimensions who decide to switch places. Gretchen's novels have been optioned by Hollywood production companies, and have sold internationally in Chinese, Spanish, and Turkish.

In 2014, Gretchen debuts her first series, Don't Get Mad (pitched as "John Hughes with a body count") about four very different girls who form a secret society where they get revenge on bullies and mean girls at their elite prep school. The Don't Get Mad series begins September 16, 2014 with GET EVEN, followed by the sequel GET DIRTY in the summer of 2015, also with Balzer + Bray. In addition, Gretchen has contributed an essay to the Dear Teen Me anthology from Zest Books.

Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4's Code Monkeys and she sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. Gretchen blogs with The Enchanted Inkpot and was a founding member of the vlog group the YARebels. She is repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

And here's my latest book, which I'm promoting today!

Got it? Good! And now for the post! A little Halloween Q&A with yours truly!

QUESTION #1: If your MC went trick or treating, what would they dress up as and why?

Kitty would go as a cave woman, a faux animal skin one shoulder dress - at a tasteful length for her 6ft-tall frame, complete with a bone in her hair and a club in her hand. Olivia would be wearing one of those slutty Little Red Riding Hood costumes from Leg Avenue, because she really loves a hooded capelet but no one's done it well since Oscar de la Renta and that was so 2013. Bree and her best friend John would go as half-eaten victims of the zombie apocalypse, with missing limbs and bloodied flesh. And Margot does not dress up for Halloween - it takes away from her study time.

QUESTION #2: What is your favorite sentence/paragraph from your novel?

Bree eyed the lunch table on the other side of the grassy quad, where Rex and his band of ’Maine Men fucktards pointed in her direction.

“In the pandemic of douchebaggery,” she said thoughtfully, “Rex Cavanaugh is Patient Zero.”

John slowly glanced up from his comic book. “Did you think up that line yourself?”

“As a matter of fact, I did. Like it?”

“A little forced,” John said. “But you get points for originality.”

QUESTION #3: What magical/supernatural creature do you secretly want to be?

I've always been obsessed with shapeshifters, whether from mythology like the Irish selkies or Japanese kitsune, Rowling's Animagi, Mystique from the X-Men, or even the freaking Wonder Twins. Personally, I'd like the ability to be able to transform into any animal, real or imagined. I mean, how cool would that be?

QUESTION #4: What is your dream subject to write about?

I desperately want to write a haunted house story, but with a new twist. I'd tell you what the twist is, but then I'd have to kill you.

QUESTION #5: Please share a photo of your favorite Halloween costume you’ve worn.

This is my husband and I as Little Zombie Annie and Daddy Zombucks. It really disturbed people when we started making out later in the evening.

AND THAT'S A WRAP! Thank you for participating! Don't forget to follow on to the next stop on the trail: Tracy Bilen.

Do I Look Like a Killer?

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 05:13:00 +0000

I mean, seriously. So what if Hillary Monahan and I happened to both be at the Vegas Valley Book Festival this weekend? Yeah, us and like a bazillion other YA authors.

And so what if we were both spotted at The Nug (aka the Golden Nugget) having drinks poolside in the wee hours of the morning, the shark pool just inches from our table? Do you think I pay attention to every author that crosses my path?

Did I buy her a tequila shot? Abso-friggin-lutely. Her and like fifteen other authors. Am I responsible for every partially eaten body found floating in the shark tank at 6am?

Clearly this is a case of wrong place, wrong time. Am I right?

I mean, would this face lie to you? :D

Exactly.

Do you want to know who the real killer is? You should ask Rin Chupeco. Check out her blog. NOW.

YA Scavenger Hunt Fall 2014!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 16:27:00 +0000

The Fall 2014 Scavenger hunt is over! Join us in the spring for the next one!

YASH 2014 is coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 15:43:00 +0000

Hello Everyone!

It's that time again. We have less than two weeks until the YA Scavenger Hunt begins. I hope you reserved plenty of time for this one because there isn't just one team or two or even three. This time we have 6, that's right, I said 6 YASH teams which means more prizes, news, and fun for all you readers out there! So let's get started!

TEAM RED INCLUDES:

TEAM GOLD INCLUDES:

TEAM GREEN INCLUDES:

TEAM ORANGE INCLUDES:

TEAM INDIE INCLUDES:

TEAM BLUE INCLUDES:

There are so many books here I don't even know where I would begin. I hope you all are as excited as I am! The YA Scavenger Hunt begins at noon pacific time on Thursday, October 2nd and runs through Sunday, October 5th. That means to get through the entire hunt you'll need to go through 1.5 teams per day!

Leave a comment below to tell me which team you are the most interested in checking out!

GET EVEN sneak peek!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 03:51:00 +0000

In which I read a section of GET EVEN aloud in vlog form, and try not to stumble over my own words.

And don't forget, you can get a free copy of the GET EVEN bonus material booklet, including two preview chapters from the sequel GET DIRTY! Go here for details.

Enjoy.

GET EVEN Pre-Order Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 14:41:00 +0000

mood: excited

pandora/ipod: "word crimes" by weird al yankovic

Let me start by saying, this is by far the most exciting giveaway I've ever done.

As you may know, GET EVEN - which hits shelves on September 16, 2014 - is the first in the Don't Get Mad series, and the sequel, GET DIRTY, is scheduled to come out just nine months later, in June 2015.

Here's what people are saying about GET EVEN:

"The suspense that McNeil (Ten) builds should keep readers curious to discover what happens next." (Publishers Weekly)

"A compelling contemporary thriller." (Kirkus)

"McNeil concocts every private school's worst nightmare...the mystery McNeil creates will engage readers." (Romantic Times)

"GET EVEN expertly mixes suspense and snark, proving once again that Gretchen McNeil is a master of the teen thriller." (Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, founders of Go Fug Yourself)

"Don’t get mad, get reading this wild ride filled with twists and turns, revenge and romance, suspense and Shakespeare. I can’t wait to see what Gretchen McNeil comes up with next." (Elizabeth Eulberg, author of Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality)

"A revenge story with murder, mayhem, and Gretchen McNeil’s signature snark? Yes please! Gretchen proves once and for all that revenge is a dish best served deadly. Readers will be immediately sucked into the dangerously intriguing world of DGM and by the end they’ll be dying for the sequel." (Jessica Brody, bestselling author of The Unremembered Trilogy and The Karma Club)

"GET EVEN is an edge-of-your-seat, sink-your-teeth-into-it mystery -- filled with vivid, intriguing characters, set against the ruthless landscape of a modern high school. I’m dying for the next book!"(Katie Alender, author of the Bad Girls Don't Die series)

Exciting, right? And, if you'll notice, the theme "dying for the sequel" popped up quite a few times. So...

In order to get the word out about my first-ever series, and as a thank you to you, the amazing fans who have been so supportive over the years, I've gotten special permission from my publisher to release the first two chapters of GET DIRTY on September 16th.

Why two chapters? Because a huge, massive, game-changing plot twist is dropped in the very last line of Chapter 2.

The chapters will be printed up in a signed, special edition booklet, along some GET EVEN bonus material and a signed Don't Get Mad bookplate.

"Gretchen, how can I get my hands on all this awesomeness?"

Easy! Pre-order GET EVEN.

DETAILS:

(1) Pre-order GET EVEN in paperback, ebook, or audio format from your favorite chain, independent, or online retailer, such as:

(2) Submit proof of purchase (email, scan, photo, etc. of your receipt) at gretchenmcneil.giveaways@gmail.com, along with a valid mailing address. Alternately, you can pre-order from one of the participating bookstores listed below and pick up your booklet from them on release day! Note: if you have already submitting proof of purchase for a previous giveaway, you must do so again.

(3) On September 16, 2014, you will be mailed/pick up a signed, special edition booklet containing the first two (2) chapters of GET DIRTY, which does not go on sale until June 2015, along with bonus content for GET EVEN and a signed Don't Get Mad bookplate.

(4) Submissions for the giveaway close September 15, 2014 at 11:59pm PST.

LEGALEZE:

- You Must be 13+ to enter.
- One Entry Per Pre-Order Proof of Purchase.
- Open to U.S. and Canada residents only, but participating bookstores will ship internationally!

And again, thank you guys. I can write books because of you!

PARTICIPATING BOOKSTORES

The list of participating bookstores is growing. Check back for additions!

Please remember to ask the bookseller for your bonus booklet when you pick up your pre-order.

CALIFORNIA

Face In A Book
4359 Town Center Boulecard
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
916.941.9401

Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Suite #302
San Diego, CA 92111
858.268.4747
858.268.4775 (fax)
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

Towne Center Books
555 Main Street
Pleasanton, CA 94566
925.846.8826
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

COLORADO

Tattered Cover
Colfax Avenue, Historic LoDo, or Highlands Ranch
303-322-7727
Please order in-store, by phone, or by email!

MICHIGAN

Schuler Books and Music
1982 Grand River Avenue
Okemos, MI 48864
517.349.8840

MINNESOTA

Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
651.224.8320
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

NEW YORK

Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
212.989.3270
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

Oblong Books
26 Main Street
Millerton, NY 12546
518.789.3797
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

Oblong Books
6422 Montgomery Suite 6
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
845.876.0500
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

NORTH CAROLINA

Malaprop's Bookstore
55 Haywood Street
Asheville, NC 28801
828.254.6734
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

OREGON

Jan's Paperbacks
18095 SW Tualatin Valley Highway
Beaverton, OR 97006
503.649.3444

PENNSYLVANIA

Children's Book World
17 Haverford Station Road
Haverford, PA 19041
610.642.6274

TEXAS

Blue Willow Bookshop
14532 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77079
281.497.8675

UTAH

The King's English Bookshop
1511 S 1500 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84105
801.484.9100

VIRGINIA

Hooray for Books
1555 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.548.4092

WASHINGTON

University Book Store
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
206.634.3400

University Book Store
990 102nd Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
425.462.4500

University Book Store
Mill Creek Town Center
15311 Main Street
Mill Creek, WA 98012
425.385.3530

Want to see your favorite bookstore on this list? Pitch this giveaway to them in person, then send me some contact info!

Summer Reads Scavenger Hunt!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 15:58:00 +0000

I'm excited to be a part of the Summer Reads Scavenger Hunt! There will be swag giveaways, book and gift card giveaways - all kinds of neat stuff.

For my stop on the tour, I'm going to give you my Top Five Summer Movie Adaptations, plus I'm giving away swag from Laney McMann. At the bottom, I'll give you the link to the next post in the chain, and don't forget to find the secret number (in red) hidden somewhere in this post!

Ready? First off, let's start with the...

OFFICIAL INFORMATION!

The Summer Reads Scavenger Hunt will run from TODAY until midnight on SUNDAY (19^th July). To enter to win THIRTY-EIGHT signed paperbacks by a wide range of authors PLUS $30 worth of Amazon Gift Cards, simply hop around ALL participating stops, collect all of the highlighted numbers, add them together, and then go enter the requested details along with your calculated answer in the ENTRY FORM. You can find more information on how the stop works HERE. All stops will direct you to the next place to hop across to. And don’t worry if you get lost, because the entire list of participating authors can be found HERE.

Now that that's out of the way, here are my Top Five Summer Movie Adaptations!

5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - The original with Gene Wilder always makes me think of rainy June days (I grew up in San Francisco, remember...) in front of the T.V.

4. Field of Dreams - What says "summer" more than baseball? I'm a huge fan (go Giants!) and this movie perfectly captures my love of the game. I bet you didn't even know this was based on a book? Yeppers. Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella. Also, Ray Liotta's eyes make me swoony.

3. The Princess Bride - Who didn't fall in love with Wesley after seeing this movie? Who doesn't quote lines like "Inconceivable!", "Have fun storming the castle!", "Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today", or "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."? The perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure = the perfect summer flick.

2. Pride and Prejudice - Look, no one can top Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy (please see below) but I really love the Joe Wright version with Keira Knightly and Matthew McFadden. Especially that moment when Darcy walks over the field, framed by the rising sun, and his shirt is unbuttoned, and...

1. Bridget Jones' Diary - I loved the book, and I loved the movie even more because they cast freaking Colin Firth as the modern Mr. Darcy. Also, Hugh Grant. It's one of my favorite movie adaptations of all time, and perfect for a breezy summer day!

I feel like I could add number 6, but top five lists are so much easier to process. ;) So I'll leave it there.

Now, to give away some swag. Laney McMann will be giving away a signed paperback copy of TIED and five TIED bookmarks!

Here's how to enter to win:

Post your favorite book-to-movie adaptation in the comments below, include your email address or a reasonable facsimile, and you'll receive an entry.

I'll choose one (1) grand prize winner for the signed paperback, and five (5) bookmark winners at random!

Sound good?

Now, to continue the hunt, go to Laura Pauling's site for the next hidden number and swag giveaway!

GIVEAWAY: Limited Edition DGM buttons!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 22 May 2014 14:00:00 +0000

mood: sickly

pandora/ipod: "hooked on a feeling" by blue suede (blame the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer)

Last year, in an effort to promote 3:59, I did a pretty awesome T-shirt giveaway, if I do say some myself. I had fans and supporters wear my shirt to BEA, ALA, ComiCon, RT, and so many others I can't even list them all. They posted photos, and tweeted about all the questions people asked about what the shirts meant. All in all, it was pretty freaking amazing to have 40 3:59 T-shirts walking around the US.

Still, though, that was only 40, and I had to turn a lot of people down after I ran out of shirts. So this year I'm looking to do something...bigger. 250 buttons bigger, to be exact.

Behold - the Don't Get Mad blood-splatter button!!!

Designed, as always, by the lovely Amber Sweeney from Me, My Shelf, and I, these buttons are 1.75" x 2.75", and are the perfect representation of the Don't Get Mad series which, if you remember, I pitched as "John Hughes with a body count."

In GET EVEN (Don't Get Mad, book 1 which hit shelves on September 16th) four girls form a secret revenge society where they get back at bullies, mean girls, and teachers who have victimized their classmates. At the scene of each prank against their targets, they leave a white card with the DGM printed on them in an old-fashioned typewriter font.

Which all goes well until a blood-splattered card is found on the body of a murder victim, a classmate and soon-to-be DGM target who was bludgeoned to death in his bed.

Like I said, this is perfect.

So how can I win one of these bloody marvelous buttons? EASY!!!

(1) in the comments, tell me where you'll wear your button - convention, library, school, day job
(2) how you'll promote said wearage of the button - Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, carrier pigeon
(3) give me an email address where I can contact you

Yeah, it's that easy! I'm giving them away to folks who will wear them and wear them well.

Oh, and anyone going to BEA? I'm going to have a supply on hand, both before and after my signing on Thursday, May 29th at 2:30pm, Table 14. I'll give away until I run out, including people in line for the signing. First come, first served!

Okay, that's it. Comment away! I can't wait to start mailing these babies out!!!

The First GET EVEN Giveaway!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 05:00:00 +0000

April 24th, 9:07Am PST

THIS JUST IN!

A signed DGM bookplate has been added to the giveaway, for anyone who preorders GET EVEN!

Rules below still apply.

Now back to your regularly scheduled giveaway.

It's time!!!! With just under five months left before GET EVEN hits shelves, I'm running the first giveaway. But I'm not giving away ARC's. Not yet. This time you can win...

Your name in the Acknowledgements!

That's right, five (5) lucky winners will get their names in the Acknowledgements of GET EVEN, releasing on September 16th. Ten (10) runners up with win signed Gretchen McNeil promo postcards, and ten (10) more semi-finalists will win signed GET EVEN bookmarks.*

What do you have to do to enter?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Proof of purchase may be emailed to this address.

*TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Proof of purchase must not be older than 4/21/2014. Purchases made prior to this date are not valid for entry.

Each entry will be checked for photo-shopping or other altering. Those found providing a doctored image will be disqualified and sent to live in the Bog of Eternal Stench.

All purchases will count toward any future giveaway Gretchen McNeil holds during the pre-order campaign of GET EVEN leading up to it's release.

Must be 13 + To Enter | Open Internationally

Upcoming Appearances!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 16:20:00 +0000

mood: bouncy

pandora/ipod: "the promise" by when in rome

I've been freaking horrible about keeping my appearances page updated, so I'm going to apologize for that upfront. I still can't figure out how to maintain writing, promoting, and blogging without losing my ever loving mind. I think I need an intern. Or a clone. Or both.

Anyway, here's a quick update on where I'll be in the next few months, including RT and BEA!

WONDERCON - Sunday, April 20th, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA
11:30AM Panel: Surviving Well - Saving the world, etc. is always important, but so is the quality of life for the survivors. Guest Marjorie Liu (Labyrinth of Stars), Cecil Castellucci (The Tin Star), Genese Davis (The Holder’s Domain) , John Mulhall (Geddy’s Moon) and Gretchen McNeil (3:59) discuss when “just” saving the world is not enough. With moderator LeAnna Herrera of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 208

3:00PM Signing - Mysterious Galaxy Booth #709

PASADENA TEEN BOOK FESTIVAL - Saturday, April 26th, Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena, CA
1:40PM Panel: Thrills and Chills - I'll be moderating this panel, featuring Catherine Linka (A Girl Called Fearless), Lissa Price (Enders), Sarah Skilton (High & Dry) and Carol Tanzman (Circle of Silence) in the Auditorium.

2:30PM Signing

RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION - Thursday, May 15th-Sunday, May 18th, New Orleans, LA
I'll be signing paperbacks of TEN at the Avon party Friday, as well as participating in the Giant Book Fair, and Teen Day speed rating events and the big Teen Day Party (where I hear there will be ARCs of GET EVEN in the gift bags...)

BEA - Thursday, May 29th, Javits Center, New York, NY
2:30PM Signing - I'll be signing ARCs of GET EVEN! Remember, these tend to go really fast, so you might want to get there early!

The Writing Process Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:45:00 +0000

mood: groggy

pandora/ipod: "oxford comma" by vampire weekend

I was tagged by my Apocalypsies co-founder Lynne Kelly, a sign language interpreter and a writer of novels for children and young adults. Lynne is represented by Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary and Media Representation, and her first novel, CHAINED, is out now from Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. You can follow Lynne on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

I'm so excited to be continuing this tour! I think there's something intrinsically needy about writers when it comes to talking about their process, probably because the creative process is such a vague, intangible thing to begin with, we like to talk about it because in doing so, it becomes less elusive and more concrete.

Or I just like to talk about myself. :D

Regardless, here's a little insight into my ever-capricious "Writing Process!"

What am I working on?

At the moment I am chin deep in edits for GET DIRTY, the sequel to GET EVEN which is the first book in my new Don't Get Mad series for Balzer + Bray, on shelves September 16, 2014. GET DIRTY was bumped up a season, from Fall 2015 to Summer 2015, so I had to write the entire book in 60 days, and now I have three weeks to turn around the first edits.

Fun, right?

If anything, a schedule like this brings your "process" into laser focus!

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I pitched the Don't Get Mad series as "John Hughes with a body count" which I kind of think says it all. Basically, I'm doing funny teen emo angst with romance and dead bodies. So comedy-suspense? Is that a thing? No idea.

Why do I write what I do?

I try to write what I would have wanted to read when I was a teen. While I loved gothic romances, my first love was always scary stories (I dig the creepiness of Thornfield Hall over the Jane-Rodchester romance any day...) I loved reading books that scared the crap out of me, books that I desperately wanted to put away, but literally couldn't stop reading. So I've tried to tap into some classic horror tropes - demonic possession, trapped on an island with a serial killer, evil twins - that strike that chord.

How does your writing process work?

I don't know? HAHAHAHHAHA.

Okay, seriously. The initial book idea can come from anywhere. At the moment, the SHINY NEW IDEA I'm thinking about was inspired by an episode of A&E's Biography that my husband wrote, directed and produced 15 years ago. After the idea nugget takes hold, I usually do some research, starting online while I amass a reading list. Since this would be an historical novel, it will require more research than a book like TEN, and I'll start sneaking that in over the next few months, taking notes in mid-sized spiral notebooks.

Research influences plot in my world, so while I'm reading, the plot bunnies are working hard, bringing it all together. At that point, notes turn into an outline.

My outlines are a mixed bag. Usually, I have a pretty firm outline for Act One, and a good idea of the climax of Act Three, and maybe some tent poles for the rest of the book. But I do give it room to develop because things will change as I write. Characters morph, plot points become more or less important as relationships change, and I need the space to let that happen.

When I'm writing a draft, I treat it like a job. If you haven't already seen it, check out my spreadsheet writing schedule for the first draft of GET DIRTY. I basically write every book like this, though on a slightly less masochistic timeline. I just need to get out of my way and get the words on the page, and I absolutely refuse to go back and edit as I write. If something big changes, I make a note and keep moving forward. I find 15 minute writing sprints are my gold standard - I set a timer and don't do ANYTHING else online for those 15 minutes. I can usually knock out 350-500 words per sprint, which makes my daily word count goal seem more tangible.

After I type "the end" I usually print out the entire manuscript, then out comes my trusty red pen. I try to read the whole book through in like two days, so it's all fresh in my mind, and I slash the hell out of it. Red pen is awesome - I can say things like "Fix! This is stupid!" without actually telling myself how to fix it. That's for later.

When the red pen notes get incorporated into the manuscript, that's where the magic happens. Meaning, I can't quite articulate it. Something just comes together in my brain, and I start fixing all the crap that's wrong with it.

And that's it. So not glamorous, right? Especially when I'm usually doing all that in my jammies.

I've tagged two of my favorite people in the world to continue this blog tour!

Carrie Harris and I both write scary/funny books and we share a love of Agatha Christie. BAD TASTE IN BOYS, BAD HAIR DAY and SALLY SLICK AND THE STEEL SYNDICATE are all on sale now, and DEMON DERBY (blurbed by yours truly) will hit shelves this July!

Stages on Pages founder Stasia Ward Kehoe is, like me, a former performing artist. A ballerina for years, Stasia now writes gorgeous prose novels about the performing arts, including AUDITION and THE SOUND OF LETTING GO.

YA Scavenger Hunt!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 18:55:00 +0000

The YA Scavenger Hunt for Spring 2014 is now over. Please check back in the fall for the next one, and thanks for your participation!

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents: Jeri Smith-Ready

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 14:28:00 +0000

Jeri Smith-Ready is one of my favorite people in publishing, and I'm so glad I get to help promote her knew release THIS SIDE OF SALVATION!

THIS SIDE OF SALVATION

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined…

What Others Are Saying:

“THIS SIDE OF SALVATION is impossible to pigeonhole. It’s a mystery, a
love story, a tale of friendship, of prejudice, and of a family
overcoming tragedy…Jeri Smith-Ready has her finger on the pulse of
American youth.” — Printz Honor winner and NYT Bestseller Elizabeth Wein

“This is a frighteningly realistic story that delicately handles the issues of religion and family—an emotional mystery sure to be popular and perfect for discussion.” — VOYA, **Highlighted (Starred) Review**

“[A] smart, well-rounded, and unpredictable tale...bringing to light
issues of belief versus free will, spirit versus body, and family versus
self—while never being heavy-handed.” Booklist, **Starred Review**

“This book has some of the best written, strongest, and most satisfying
character dynamics that I have read in a long time...There are no
extreme moral rights and wrongs in this book. These people just are, and
they work, and they make this story beautiful.” — Bibliopunkk

Giveaways Galore!

Jeri has two ongoing giveaways to celebrate the release of This Side of Salvation.

Join the Rush swag fest: free EXCLUSIVE swag for everyone who orders TSOS on or before Monday, April 7.

Superfan contest (March 31 – April 9): share the TSOS characters’ “trading cards” on your social networks to earn points. Biggest Superfan wins the grand prize, but there’s a chance to win a book and a gift card every day you play!

Here's the first day's card, featuring the main character, David Cooper:

Cat blogging meets book birthday!

Meet Misha and Twinkle, the real-life inspiration for the cats of This Side of Salvation, on PulseIt, the official site of Jeri's publisher, Simon Pulse.

Order the hardcover:

Order the ebook:

Find Jeri

Visit Jeri's website, or follow her on one of these sites:

Zero to 85k in 60 Days

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 15:45:00 +0000

mood: boggled

pandora/ipod: "far gone and out" by jamc

Let me start by saying this not an April Fool's prank. I kinda wish it was, but it ain't.

Last night at 10:12pm PST, I hit send on the first draft of GET DIRTY, the second book in the upcoming Don't Get Mad series, debuting this fall from Balzer + Bray with GET EVEN (September 16, 2014). GET DIRTY had, without a doubt, the most insane writing schedule I've ever attempted, and up until about ten days ago, I wasn't entirely sure I was going to hit this deadline.

But before I explain, let me give you some backstory.

Back in mid-January, my agent and editor presented a plan to bump the publication of GET DIRTY up a season from Fall 2015 to Summer 2015, publishing the first book and the sequel roughly nine months apart. Which is great! Trust me, no complaints here. With all the bumping back of titles in this industry, this is now the second time I've had a book bumped up, (POSSESS went from Winter 2012 to Fall 2011) and I consider myself incredibly lucky that both my editor and my publisher have such faith in me.

The caveat in all this was that I needed to turn a draft of the book in no later than April 1st, which makes it like the cruelest April Fool's joke ever. At the time, I mere ten weeks ago, I had no plot, no words, no clue.

Of course, I've sort of done this before. I had ten weeks to write TEN back in 2011 so, you know, in my head I'm like, "Yeah, I can totally do this!" But TEN was a significantly shorter book (under 70k) and a stand alone. GET DIRTY is a sequel (my first time writing one...) and I knew from the first book in the series that it would clock in close to 85k.

I spent two weeks working with my editor on a detailed synopsis, the only way I thought I could pull this off. When you have to write a novel in 60 days, you don't really have time to pants around with the plot. Then on February 1st, I began. Here's what happened next:

I wrote the 79k words of the first draft in 52 days. Originally, I'd mapped this spreadsheet out for 75k in 50 days, but it went longer than I expected. You might notice that there are only three days here with "0" word totals:

Saturday February 22 (we saw our current new home that morning then drove to San Diego for a family event)
Tuesday, March 4 (we went to the LA County family court house to witness my best friend's adoption finalization, and then I got stuck at my day job until late)
Sunday, March 16 (we moved into our new place - yep, I had to pack up and move in the midst of all this!)

Some days were small (Was it really worth it to write only 65 words on March 13th, Gretch?) and some of them were huge (March 5-7 was a writing retreat) but they were basically all writing days.

79k in 52 days left me exactly 8 days to edit this monstrosity into shape before turning it in. I spent 4 of those days working on hard copy edits with my trusty red pen, 3 of those days implementing said edits, and 1 day writing the very last scenes which I'd skipped.

84,774 words in 60 days. I went from nothing to what I feel is a halfway decent manuscript in two months. And while I know other writers seem to do this ALL THE FREAKING TIME (how? are you guys insane or just masochists?) this was a first for me.

Today I'm kinda shell-shocked, kinda tired, and slightly lost. But tomorrow I need to start finishing a proposal for a new book, so I can get that off my plate before I get my first edit letter on GET DIRTY next Thursday.

Cuz there ain't no rest for the wicked.

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents Denise Jaden

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 15:36:00 +0000

Rather than doing a traditional interview-filled blog tour, Denise Jaden is celebrating the release of her new nonfiction writing book, FAST FICTION, by dropping tips about writing quickly at every stop of her blog tour, and offering some awesome prizes for commenting on any of these posts (including this one!)

The more you drop by and comment, the more chances you have to win these great prizes:

Denise's Fast Fiction Tip: Know your favorites and least favorites to better prepare yourself.

My favorite part of the writing process is typing “The End” when I finish a first draft. So exhilarating! My least favorite part is the research involved in making all the little details authentic. Because I know this is my least favorite part, I usually go into a first draft with very little research under my belt. If I spend too much early time on research, it tends to kill my excited buzz for drafting. Instead, I stay excited about getting the draft down, reaching "The End," and then I highlight areas throughout that will need additional research. Then I make it a social project, asking friends, family, fans and anyone else I can think of for more knowledgeable input. It’s why you can sometimes find me on Twitter asking silly questions like “What’s a winter hat called in the U.S.?” or “What’s that football warm-up called where they run in the spot with their feet apart?” Sometimes, these days, my least favorite part of the process actually becomes one of my favorite parts!

The Prizes:

Compliments of New World Library: They will be giving away A BOX of copies of FAST FICTION by Denise Jaden and GET IT DONE by Sam Bennett (US and Canada only):

Compliments of Denise Jaden, TWO BOXES of great fiction (US Only). Details on Denise's blog.

Audiobook copies of NEVER ENOUGH by Denise Jaden!

A critique of your first five pages, compliments of Denise's agent, Michelle Humphrey from The Martha Kaplan Agency!

All you have to do is enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win (at the bottom of this post, I've included links to all of the other blogs where you can comment for more chances to win).

About Fast Fiction:

Writers flock to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) each November because it provides a procrastination-busting deadline. But only a fraction of the participants meet their goal. Denise Jaden was part of that fraction, writing first drafts of her two published young adult novels during NaNoWriMo. In Fast Fiction, she shows other writers how to do what she did, step-by-step, writer to writer. Her process starts with a prep period for thinking through plot, theme, characters, and setting. Then Jaden provides day-by-day coaching for the thirty-day drafting period. Finally, her revision tips help writers turn merely workable drafts into compelling and publishable novels.

A portion of publisher proceeds will be donated to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Praise for Fast Fiction:

“Fast Fiction is filled with stellar advice, solid-gold tips, and doable, practical exercises for all writers who want to draft a complete novel.”

— Melissa Walker, author of Violet on the Runway

“Being a ‘pantser’ I have always resisted outlining, but I have to say that Fast Fiction changed my mind! Denise Jaden takes what I find to be a scary process (outlining) and makes it into an easy and, dare I say, enjoyable one. Fast Fiction is a hands-on book that asks the right questions to get your mind and your story flowing. I know I’ll be using Fast Fiction over and over again. Highly recommended for fiction writers!

— Janet Gurtler, author of RITA Award finalist I’m Not Her

“Fast Fiction is full of strategies and insights that will inspire and motivate writers of every experience level — and best of all, it provides them with a solid plan to quickly complete the first draft of their next novel.”

— Mindi Scott, author of Freefall

“Fast Fiction provides writers with the perfect mix of practical guidance and the kick in the pants they need to finish that draft. This book is a must-have for writers of all levels.”

— Eileen Cook, author of The Almost Truth

“Practical and down-to-earth, Denise Jaden’s Fast Fiction makes a one-month draft seem doable, even for beginners, any month of the year.”

— Jennifer Echols, author of Endless Summer and Playing Dirty

“One of the greatest challenges any writer faces is getting a great idea out of one’s brain and onto the page. Fast Fiction breaks that process down into concrete, manageable steps, each accompanied by Denise Jaden’s sage advice and enthusiastic encouragement. And anything that helps streamline the drafting process is a-okay by me! Fast Fiction is a great addition to any writer’s toolbox — I’ve got it in mine!”

— Catherine Knutsson, author of Shadows Cast by Stars

“Forget the fact that this resource is directed at those wanting to complete a fast draft — if you’re out to get your novel done, period, Jaden’s Fast Fiction will be the kick in the butt that gets you there, from story plan to ‘The End’. . . and beyond.”

— Judith Graves, author of the Skinned series for young adults

Where you can find Fast Fiction:

New World Library | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | GoodReads

Help an author out:

Can't get a copy of FAST FICTION right now? I wonder if you'd consider helping out in other ways. I'd really appreciate any way that you can help!

Ask your library or bookstore to bring in FAST FICTION
Leave a review on Amazon (the more books are reviewed on Amazon, the more they will show up as suggestions for readers).
Mention FAST FICTION on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or pin a link to Amazon on Pinterest

Blog Tour Stops:

Comment on any of the following blog posts celebrating Fast Fiction's release to be entered to win prizes galore!

(All Fast Fiction blog posts should be live by March 9th, or sooner. Contest will be open until March 15th. If any links don't work, stop by http://denisejaden.blogspot.com for updated links.)

GCC Blogs:

http://amandaashby.com/news/

http://www.jessicabrody.com/blog

http://www.eileencook.com/

http://luciennediver.wordpress.com/

http://lindagerber.blogspot.com/

http://www.sarahantz.com/blog/

http://denisejaden.blogspot.com

http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com

http://jessikirby.blogspot.com/

http://stephaniekuehnert.blogspot.com

http://myramcentire.com/

http://gretchenmcneil.blogspot.com/

http://www.jennyoconnell.com/blog.html

http://www.kellyparra.com/blog/

http://debbierigaud.com/debbie-rigaud-blog/

http://www.mybignose.blogspot.com/

http://we-have-words.com/

http://jerismithready.tumblr.com/

http://www.kristinaspringer.com

http://www.livejournal.com/users/lstolarz/

http://www.melissacwalker.com/blog/

http://dianarwallach.tumblr.com

Additional Participating Blogs:

http://ellestraussbooks.blogspot.com
http://www.judithgraves.com
http://lstaylor.blogspot.com
http://sharigreen.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/fast-fiction-denise-jaden/
http://www.shana-silver.com
http://www.tonettedelaluna.com
http://careann.wordpress.com
http://www.yascribe.blogspot.com

Remember, all you have to do is leave comments to get lots of extra entries to win some great prizes.

Don't know what to comment about? Tell us the name of your favorite writing book!

Share this widget here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/Y2QyYmEwOTMzNTUyNGRiYWY0NWE1YWE4YjBjN2I2OjQ=/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Or, if the Rafflecopter Giveaway doesn't seem to be coming up on this blog, access it here: http://www.denisejaden.com/FastFictionContest.html

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents: Jessica Brody

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 15:43:00 +0000

UNFORGOTTEN, the second book in the Unremembered Trilogy by Jessica Brody, is now in stores!

Some memories are better left forgotten...

After a daring escape from the scientists at Diotech who created her, Seraphina believes she is finally safe from the horrors of her past. But new threats await Sera and her boyfriend, Zen, at every turn as Zen falls prey to a mysterious illness and Sera’s extraordinary abilities make it more and more difficult to stay hidden.

Meanwhile, Diotech has developed a dangerous new weapon designed to apprehend her. A weapon that even Sera will be powerless to stop. Her only hope of saving Zen’s life and defeating the company that made her is a secret buried deep within her mind. A secret that Diotech will kill to protect. And it won’t stay forgotten for long.

Packed with mystery, suspense, and romance, this riveting second installment of Jessica Brody’s Unremembered trilogy delivers more heart-pounding action as loyalties are tested, love becomes a weapon, and no one’s memories are safe.

Get a Special FREE Purchase Gift!

Download the first 5 Chapters FREE!

See Jessica on Tour!

Play the Unforgettable Fan Challenge
(with guaranteed prizes for all Unforgettable Fans!)

Haven't read Unremembered, the first book in the trilogy? The eBook is only $2.99 for a limited time! Download it today!

Or click here to learn more and read the first 5 chapters free!

Also be sure to check out, UNDISCOVERED, the eBook novella told from Zen's point of view!

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents: Kristina Springer

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 14:00:00 +0000

Before the spotlight and interview, I want to announce that Kristina is hosting a huge giveaway until January 15th! You could win an autographed copy of the book, a $20 giftcard for coffee or books (your choice!), a Fake Boyfriend Emergency Kit, or a swag pack. Check out Kristina's blog for details!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Now available everywhere in paperback, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS which Meg Cabot says is “Irresistible as a fluffy kitten. I laughed out loud and so will you!" was a Scholastic Book Club Bestseller and a YALSA Quick Pick.

Seventh grade was supposed to be fun, but Tori is having major drama with her BFF, Sienna. Sienna changed a lot over the summer—on the first day of school she’s tan, confident, and full of stories about her new dreamy boyfriend. Tori knows that she’s totally making this guy up. So Tori invents her own fake boyfriend, who is better than Sienna’s in every way. Things are going great—unless you count the whole lying-to-your-best-friend thing—until everyone insists Tori and Sienna bring their boyfriends to the back-to-school dance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristina Springer is the best-selling author of THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS, THE PAPARAZZI PROJECT and BOY SWAP. She has a Masters in Writing from DePaul University and she resides in a suburb of Chicago with her husband and children. Read more about her at http://www.kristinaspringer.com and follow her on twitter @TinaSpringer.

PRAISE FOR MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS

"Irresistible as a fluffy kitten. I laughed out loud and so will you!" —Meg Cabot, author of the Airhead and Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series

"Tori is an appealing, engaging protagonist whose peppy first-person narrative includes some introspective moments and incorporates issues that readers will appreciate, especially the importance of honesty, trust, and self-appreciation. An enjoyable, entertaining read." —Booklist

"Friendship versus one-upmanship in seventh grade is the subject of Springer’s very funny and strongly realistic novel." —Publishers Weekly

"The sheer exhaustion of a fake-boyfriend arms race, with the need to create fake email accounts and to come up with competing romantic gestures on the fly, is cleverly depicted." —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"The themes will resonate with any girl who’s ever gone through the hardships of middle school: friendship, boys, popularity, and, most importantly, choosing to do the right, but often more difficult, thing. A fun read." —School Library Journal

"The dialogue is realistic, and Springer brings refreshing personalities to standard character types; Tori’s parents are divorced, but both parents are active in her life, for instance, and the popular girls aren’t mean." —Kirkus Reviews

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GM: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing "process"?
KS: I love writing the first draft and the thing I like the least is revision.

GM: What was the main inspiration for this book?
KS: I had my own fake boyfriend in 7th grade and I was thinking about that time and the idea for this book came to me.

GM: Who would you cast if your book was made into a movie?
KS: Sabrina Carpenter from Disney’s Girl Meets World would make a great Tori. And Sienna would be played by Emily Skinner from Austin & Alley

GM: If you could ask one person, living or dead, a single question that they'd HAVE to answer, who and what would be it?
KS: Wow, that’s a hard question! Ummm, okay, I’d ask Meg Cabot if she could please give me all of her book marketing techniques.

FAST FIVE:
Pie or Cake? Cake
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Mac or PC? PC
Guilty Pleasure? Any of the Real Housewives shows
Can't live without? iPhone

Blog Tour: CLAN by Realm Lovejoy

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:00:00 +0000

It is with great pleasure and pride, that I'm able to participate in the blog tour for Realm Lovejoy's novel CLAN.

About CLAN:

Clans are Unity.

No variation. No deviation.

On Clades, to be a Clan is to be an exact copy.

A perfect society cloning themselves to survive,

even as the zombielike Frags threaten to overrun them

on an unforgiving planet.

Clan 1672 (privately known as Twain)

was never supposed to survive the Incubation Tank.

But he did. Illegally.

He is different from the other Clans.

A secret that could destroy him.

CLAN ebook and paperback can be purchased on Amazon. Until 12/26, the ebook (not illustrated) is 99 cents and the paperback (illustrated) is under $8.99. Also, don't miss the giveaway at the end!

Realm: "Today I am revealing another illustration of one of the Fives Values of Clan: Cleanliness. The Clans must be free of unnecessary emotions, personal preferences, and special relationships. They must also be physically clean. Their buildings must be spotless inside. However, if you read the book, you'll find characters with a few dirty secrets."

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing "process"?

My favorite part is when I start a first draft and can't stop writing. I love the initial enthusiastic rush of energy as I discover my new story for the first time.

My least favorite part is the final line edit (although it's a really important step). At this stage I've read my manuscript a countless number of times and I have to read again, ever more carefully, and go over every single little detail. It's hard work.

Where do you derive your inspiration for projects?

From elements of surprises. I don't enjoy how cookie-cutter a lot of entertainment is... but I'll occasionally happen on something that surprises me and I'll remember that feeling. Or sometimes something will bother me when I watch or read something--and that feeling drives my inspiration. When I write, I try to surprise myself and make myself scared--that means I'm taking risks and trying something new.

How long did this book take, from idea to execution to publication?

I wrote the first draft in four months. I revised for several months after that before I went searching for an agent. I found an agent within a month of looking. Since this was my first book (and a pretty risky book), it took six years of going on submission, revising, shelving it, revising it again, shelving it again, and so forth, while I wrote some other books. Finally, with my agent's blessing, I made the decision to publish CLAN myself.

Do you picture your characters in your head as you create them? And do you have a "dream cast" in mind for the movie adaptation?

Yes! I am a very visual person. My characters don't fully form in my head until I draw them. Once I draw them, I learn new things about the characters that I didn't know before.

A dream cast? Hmmm... I don't have a specific actor in mind. The cool thing is that you can just use one actor for the clones! (Except for the older and younger clones.) I think for Twain, Buster, and Chad, the actor would need to be a teen male with very expressive eyes to represent the different personalities.

If you could be on a ComiCon panel with four other authors, who would they be?

You, Gretchen! I want to be on a panel with you because you're really fun. Also Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Suzanne Collins. If I could bring the dead back to life, it would be pretty awesome to be on a panel with Tezuka Osamu who is the most amazing graphic novelist of all time.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Gretchen!

That concludes the Intro Blog Tour! On 12/4, Realm Lovejoy will be revealing the final Five Values of Clan image! On 12/9, the YA Bound CLAN tour begins!

---

About the Author:

Realm Lovejoy is an American writer and an artist. She grew up in both Washington State and the Japanese Alps of Nagano, Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle and works as an artist in the video game industry. CLAN is her first book.

You can find out more about her and her book at www.realmlovejoy.com

Enter the giveaway! (Shipping is for US only.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLAN Book Trailer:

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents Sara Hantz!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 16:46:00 +0000

ABOUT IN THE BLOOD

For seventeen years, Jed Franklin’s life was normal. Then his father was charged with the abuse and murder of four young boys and normal became a nightmare.
His mom’s practically a walking zombie, he’s lost most of his friends, and the press camps out on his lawn. The only things that keep him sane are his little sis; his best friend and dream girl, Summer; and the alcohol he stashes in his room. But after Jed wakes up from a total blackout to discover a local kid has gone missing—a kid he was last seen talking to—he’s forced to face his greatest fear: that he could somehow be responsible.

In a life that’s spiraled out of control, Jed must decide if he chooses his own destiny with Summer by his side or if the violent urges that plagued his father are truly in the blood…

PRAISE FOR IN THE BLOOD

“Sara Hantz doesn't pull any punches shaping this story of one of the toughest, most complicated family situations that a teen could face. Jed's emotions are raw and real. I ached and raged with him and frantically turned pages to see where he would end up.” Stephanie Kuehnert, author of Ballads of Suburbia and I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

“In The Blood is a gut-wrenching look inside the mind of a young man living with a nightmare. Jared has to learn to face life after his father is accused of an unspeakable crime. A ripped-from-the-headlines story that illustrates the power of unconditional love.” B. A. Binns author of PULL, and Being God

"A dark and deliciously tense story that will make you wonder how alike our parents we can be." Kelley York author of Hushed

ABOUT SARA HANTZ

Sara Hantz originally comes from the UK and is one of four children, having three younger brothers. Although she was an avid reader from a very early age, she didn't get the writing bug until much later in life, though English was always one of her stronger subjects. She's an avid sun chaser and now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Australia (via 10 years in New Zealand). Sara lectured for many years before deciding to devote more time to her writing and working in the family hospitality business. She has two grown-up children and when not writing, working, or online with her friends, she spends more time than most people she knows watching TV - in fact if TV watching was an Olympic sport she'd win gold. Sara’s books: In The Blood, The Second Virginity of Suzy Green and Will The Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up (due out May 2014).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GM: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing "process"?
SR:Favorite part when I think of a new idea for a book. Least favorite part, proof reading.

GM: What was the main inspiration for this book?
SR: If ever I read or watched about some horrific crime committed I would always wonder how it affected the perpetrator’s family and what happened to them. The idea for my book just grew from that.

GM: Who would you cast if your book was made into a movie?
SR: Jed: Paul Wesley (although he’s maybe a bit too old), Summer: Ellen Page

GM: If you could ask one person, living or dead, a single question that they'd HAVE to answer, who and what would be it?
SR: I’d ask Elvis Presley if he could live his life over again would he do anything different?

FAST FIVE:
Pie or Cake? Cake
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Mac or PC? PC
Guilty Pleasure? Whitakers Dark Chocolate Peanut Slab
Can't live without? TV

Be sure to check out IN THE BLOOD from Entangled Teen, on shelves November 5, 2013. And follow Sara on Twitter and Facebook!

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents: Amanda Ashby

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 15:42:00 +0000

The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA authors which I've recently had the great honor to join. Check these posts for the latest releases!

PRAISE FOR DEMONOSITY

“With interesting characters and a fresh plot, this absorbing read addresses everything from peer pressure to intelligent guy pals to self-reliance, with just enough paranormal activity to maintain an edge. The message never overwhelms the fun in this frothy paranormal romp.” Kirkus Reviews

“Ashby’s frothy romp percolates with lighthearted humor and droll dialogue, while an involving plot and themes exploring friendship and self-reliance add satisfying substance.” School Library Journal

ABOUT DEMONOSITY

The Black Rose–a powerful ancient force–has been let loose and has taken up residence in Celeste Gibson, popular girl at Cassidy Carter-Lewis’ high school. Thomas Delacroix is the spirit of a fourteenth-century knight who is devoted to protecting the Black Rose, but he needs a contemporary living being to take on the challenge. That’s where Cassidy comes in.

She’s a quirky high school junior who just wants to dress in her vintage clothes, hang out with her best friend, and take care of her father, who is recovering from surgery. She’s the last person who would ever volunteer for such a task, but no one actually asked her. Now, like it or not, she finds herself training before dawn and battling demons at parties, the mall, and even at school. But hey, no one ever said high school was going to be easy.

ABOUT AMANDA ASHBY

Amanda Ashby was born in Australia and after spending the last sixteen years dividing her time between England and New Zealand, she’s finally returned home for some sunshine. When she’s not moving country, she likes to write books (okay, she also likes to eat chocolate, watch television and sit around doing not much, but let’s just keep that amongst ourselves, shall we?)

She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. Her debut book, You Had Me at Halo was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award. Zombie Queen of Newbury High was listed by the New York Public Library’s Stuff for the Teen Age 2010. Fairy Bad Day was selected by Voya as one of their Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2012 and was a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award finalist for the Australia/NZ region.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GM: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing "process"?
AA: I love coming up with titles and story hooks and pretty much everything else is blood, sweat and tears!

GM: What was the main inspiration for this book?
AA: I accidently stumbled across an article about Rosicrucians—a secret society that was interested in philosophy and alchemy and I was intrigued. I’m also notoriously bad at doing lots of research so I took what I wanted from the society and then started making my own up!

GM: Who would you cast if your book was made into a movie?
AA: I would cast Emily Browning as Cassidy, Tom Sturridge as Nash and Joseph Beattie as Thomas (I know he’s probably too old to play a teenager but he’s so very pretty!!!)

GM: If you could ask one person, living or dead, a single question that they'd HAVE to answer, who and what would be it?
AA: I would ask Jane Austen if she had secretly written more books and where could I find them.

FAST FIVE:
Pie or Cake? Cake
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Mac or PC? PC
Guilty Pleasure? I’m a guilt free zone (but I do watch a lot of television!)
Can't live without? My television (see above!)

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents: Diana Rodriguez Wallach

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:53:00 +0000

The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA authors which I've recently had the great honor to join. Check these posts for the latest releases!

PRAISE FOR REFLECTING EMMY

"A fun, fresh and thoroughly entertaining modern twist on the Narcissus myth. Readers will love Emmy and her (mis)adventures. Wallach packs a lot of story into a small packing--romance, friendship and the power of one person to make a difference. The only thing missing... is more!" ~ Tera Lynn Childs, award-winning author of Oh. My. Gods., Forgive My Fins, and Sweet Venom.

"Diana Rodriguez Wallach’s Mythology High is too much fun. Emmy collects narcissistic souls for the family business but after making one tiny little mistake she finds her life turned upside down. These three stories are a must for anyone who loves Greek mythology, feisty heroines and second chances. My only complaint is that I didn’t want them to finish." –Amanda Ashby, author of Fairy Bad Day and Demosity

ABOUT REFLECTING EMMY AND THE MIRROR, MIRROR TRILOGY

Eighteen-year-old Emmy is in the family business-trapping vapid narcissistic souls into her silver compact mirror for all eternity. It’s what the Rhamnusia family has been doing for thousands of years, all under the direction of Great Grandmother. Only Emmy’s latest assignment, Nara, is about to prove more challenging than she ever expected.

Gorgeous and self-absorbed, Nara is unflinchingly cruel to her classmates. Even her boyfriend, Luke, can no longer tolerate her actions–much to Emmy’s relief since she finds Luke a little more than intriguing. But when Emmy tricks Nara into gazing into her mystical mirror, what she finds there is not what she’s expecting.

Diana Rodriguez Wallach, author of the award-winning YA series Amor and Summer Secrets, has created a modern take on the myths of Narcissus and Nemesis in a contemporary teen setting.

Her Mirror, Mirror trilogy debuts September 3rd with “Reflecting Emmy,” followed by “Nara Gazing” in October, and “Shattering GiGi” in November. Each title will be a $0.99 short story sold in digital ebook format for Kindle, nook, and kobo. The titles will be combined to create the complete Mirror, Mirror trilogy, along with bonus materials and a prequel short story, in December 2013.

In early 2014, Diana’s Mirror, Mirror trilogy will be combined with the works of YA authors Jammie Kern and Magda Knight to create the Mythology High anthology, available in ebook and paperback through Buzz Books.

ABOUT DIANA

Diana Rodriguez Wallach is the author of Mirror, Mirror, a short-story collection based on the Narcissus myth, that includes Reflecting Emmy, Nara Gazing, and Shattering GiGi (Buzz Books 2013). She is also the author of three award-winning YA novels: Amor and Summer Secrets, Amigas and School Scandals, and Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Books).

In 2011, she published a highly regarded essay in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperCollins), and in 2013, she will be featured in the anthology Latina Authors and Their Muses (Twilight Times Books). In 2010 Diana was named one of the Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch by LatinoStories.com, and she placed second in the International Latino Book Awards. She hold a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, and currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Tumblr ~ Pinterest

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GM: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing "process"?
DRW: I love finishing the first draft, that moment when you type “the end.” I literally type that phrase at the end of every manuscript, by the way. And I love editing the rough draft. The first past through is always the most fun for me. My least favorite part of writing is the submission process and waiting to hear what an editor might say.

GM: What was the main inspiration for this book?
DRW: Reflecting Emmy is the first short story in my Mirror, Mirror trilogy, which is based on the myth of Narcissus. I wanted to reimagine a myth that most people, and teens, would know very well. And honestly, within seconds of my brain contemplating Narcissus, I came up with the idea of a paranormal organization that traps Narcissistic souls by judging their reflections in mirrors. I wish I could pinpoint what part of my brain came up with this idea and how it happened so quickly, because there are times when I’m slugging through a revision and would love to manually click that switch.

GM: Who would you cast if your book was made into a movie?
DRW: For Emmy, the paranormal secret agent who traps teen Narcissistic souls for a living, I’d cast Vanessa Hudgens. Emmy’s Greek, a decedent of the goddess Nemesis, and I think Vanessa has that Mediterranean look.
For Nara, the shallow, narcissistic girl whom Emmy is targeting, I’d cast Molly Quinn (the daughter from Castle). Nara is a strawberry blond beauty just like the actress.

GM: If you could ask one person, living or dead, a single question that they'd HAVE to answer, who and what would be it?
DRW: JFK, who shot you? A little cliché? Fine. I’d ask my former best friends from the sixth grade whether they even remember bullying me. Incidentally, you can read all about that experience in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories.

FAST FIVE:
Pie or Cake? Cake. This is my toddler’s favorite food group. She climbs into her high chair and randomly sings Happy Birthday, thinking cake will just materialize.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee, the only tea I drink is iced.
Mac or PC? Mac. I made the switch two years ago and I’m never going back.
Guilty Pleasure? General Hospital. Yeah, I said it. My name’s Diana, and I’m a soap fan.
Can't live without? My family. Sappy answer, I know, but it’s true.

The Traveling Story - Season 1 - Episode 4

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:00:00 +0000

OMG IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!!!!!!

What is The Traveling Story?

5 Authors. 5 Days. 1 Story.

Each season of The Traveling Story will feature 5 well-known authors collaborating on one original, kick-ass story, with each author writing one of five episodes.

The full story will be revealed over the course of a week, with each episode appearing on the blog of the author who wrote it.

How Does It Work?

There are three rules for The Traveling Story:

1) No brainstorming, outlining, or discussion of plot ahead of time. The first author writes the first episode of ANY kind of story they want and the next author picks up where that episode leaves off, taking it WHEREVER they want to go! The last author ends the story however they see fit!

2) An author cannot make changes to any previous episode. Each author has total creative control over their OWN episode only, but it has to continue where the last episode leaves off.

3) HAVE FUN! As you’ll see from the awesome story that came out of this, we don’t take ourselves too seriously! The Traveling Story is meant to be fun for the writers but especially for the readers!

Season 1 Authors

Jessica Brody

Jessica Khoury

Emmy Laybourne

Lish McBride

Gretchen McNeil

*Don’t forget to LIKE The Traveling Story on Facebook where we’ll be posting links to EVERY episode, so you never miss out on a piece of the story!

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Episode 4

by Gretchen McNeil

It had taken me all of thirty seconds to figure out what was going on. Dreamy British boy, ludicrous code names, sonic booms with no sign of an explosion, and now Rasul and Cindy, so conveniently on the scene with story exposition? There was only one explanation.

I had stumbled into one of those designer role playing games.

Colossal misinterpretation of information, it turns out. But could you blame me? It was the only logical solution at the time.

I mean, come on. Was I really supposed to believe that dimension-shifting lizard people were planning an invasion of Manhattan? Did I just get off the bus? What were you going to lay on me next: faked moon landing? FEMA death camps? Mind control radio waves transmitted through cell phone towers?

Okay, that last one might be true. But whatever. Moving on.

Lizard aliens attempting to breed with Belieber-age human girls is just a wee bit fantastical. Besides, Rasul and Cindy – and especially Mr. Dreamypants – were all too perfectly cast, too ready and willing to spill their stories of alien abduction and government conspiracies to a seventeen year old they'd just met over a greasy pie and a round of ice water. The hot British spy, the Arab, the salty Asian girl – all perfectly coiffed and perfectly cast and perfectly coached on their lines. Rasul even looked vaguely familiar. I bet I'd seen him on T.V., playing a stereotypical terrorist on the millionth episode of Law and Order.

So this is where out of work actors came to die.

A moment of guilt washed over me. Back at Java the Hut, some stuffy middle-aged woman was probably sitting at a corner table, bewildered, wondering whether or not the bespectacled brunette who'd claimed to be Hilda Otterbum was actually part of the game. Her stockbroker husband had most likely given her this custom sci fi RPG as an anniversary present – something to spice up the monotony of her life. And I'd just ruined it all by throwing myself at Dreamypants.

Right. My future ex-boyfriend. A struggling actor in New York, which made perfect sense with those chiseled good looks and Royal Shakespearian accent. He was bound to show up in the story line again. I just needed to play along until he did.

"Well?" Cindy asked impatiently. She was bouncing up and down in the booth again, like some six year old hopped up on pixy sticks. "We're waiting."

A look of confusion must have passed over my face, because Rasul stepped in to prompt me. "You said you had a plan?"

"Right." The game must go on. We were probably on a timeline. "A plan."

Cindy and Rasul stared at me; the former with a look of challenge and skepticism, the latter with something akin to hope, as if I was supposed to be their savior. My brain raced. Clearly there was some sort of script I was supposed to be following, but these people were actors, trained at improv. Time for a little challenge.

"Where's the exchange supposed to take place?" I asked Cindy.

"The Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park," she said. "Nine o'clock."

Sheesh, how cliché is that?

"Perfect," I said, mustering as much confidence as my voice and demeanor could reflect. I held up the simple silver box. "We'll pull a bait and switch. This is pretty generic. I have a jewelry box at home that's a dead ringer. We send Cindy with the decoy."

"The Gorn will never buy it," Rasul said.

I snorted. "Gorn? Like from Star Trek?" Was I really supposed to believe that?

"It's just what we call them," Cindy explained.

"Right," I nodded. Oh man, this was priceless.

"The Gorn will want to test it before any kind of trade," Rasul continued.

"No problem!" I said. "We just make them bring Lani into the open before they can get their hands on the box."

Cindy arched a thin eyebrow. "Really? That's your plan?"

"You don't know what you're dealing with," Rasul said slowly. There was fear in his eyes. Dude was an amazing actor. "They'll never let Cindy or the girl out alive."

"Leave that to me," I said, not knowing exactly what that meant. I threw a handful of bills on the table to cover the mostly uneaten pizza and pushed my way out of the booth. "See you guys at eight thirty."

I clutched my purse close as a I hurried down the path from Fifth Avenue toward the Alice in Wonderland statue. Two silver boxes were shoved beneath my makeup bag, the one Dreamypants had given me and an eighth grade graduation keepsake jewelry box from my Great Aunt Harriet that, with the notable exception of my name engraved in a fancy scroll across the lid, was a dead ringer for the supposed portal device. And laying gingerly on top of both, a Smith and Wesson Mark 22 "Hush Puppy" that my grandfather had used in Vietnam. Unloaded, of course. But I thought it would make an awesome prop for the fake confrontation that was about to unfold.

My heart pounded in my chest, most likely visible through the thin material of the ridiculously low cut t-shirt I was wearing. If this was the climax of the game, Dreamypants would have to be there. And I wanted to make sure I looked…memorable.

Cindy sat on the ledge of a low stone wall that surrounded the east side of the statue. She shot to her feet as soon as she saw me.

"You're late," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Barely."

"Did you bring it?" she snapped.

Instead of answering I reached into my purse and brought out the two silver boxes, handing the faux item to Cindy. "You can barely tell the difference," I said cheerfully.

"Yeah, except for your name scrolled across the lid." She glared at me. "They're never going to buy this."

"Oh please. What are the odds they even know what the original looks like?"

"Fair to middling," Rasul said, stepping out from behind a tree. "But we'll have to risk it."

"Do you always make dramatic appearances?" I asked.

"Only when necessary."

"Look," Cindy said, cutting us off. "They'll be here soon, so let's nix the flirting, okay?"

"I was not flirting with that girl," Rasul said, recoiling.

Seriously? Am I that repulsive?

"Hey!" I said. "You'd be lucky to be flirting with me."

"I think not," he said.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Cut it out." Cindy held the two boxes up before her. "What exactly am I supposed to do?"

I grabbed the real silver box from her hand and tucked it under my arm. "Show it to them," I said slowly, as if speaking to a toddler. "But don't let them touch it 'til you see your sister. Got it?"

Cindy narrowed her eyes. "And what if they say 'no'?"

"In that case," I said with a smile. "Let me deal with them." I slipped my grandfather's handgun out of my bag.

Rasul clapped his hand down on top of the gun, his eyes darting back and forth to make sure no one watching us. "Where did you get that?"

I jerked away. "You've got your secrets. I've got mine." I was getting way too into this role. I glanced at my watch. "It's almost nine."

"Shit," Cindy said under her breath.

"Rasul and I will be close. Just do what I said and you'll be fine."

We hopped over the wall and flattened ourselves to the ground. I couldn't wait to see these lizard aliens Cindy and Rasul talked about. Considering how impressive the rest of this live action play had been, I guessed that the production value on the lizard costumes would be top notch as well.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Rasul asked. His stare was hard, distrustful.

"No," I said, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose. "But that's never stopped—"

A deafening crash ripped through the silence of the park, followed by a rush of air so fierce it sucked the breath out of me. The air buzzed, tangy with the scent of burning rubber. Must be the fallout from the pyrotechnics they used for the fake explosion. See? Totally top notch.

As the ringing in my ears died down I heard voices on the other side of the wall.

"Here it is." Cindy's voice quavered. "N-now I want to see my sister."

"Ssssssissssster," a voice hissed. It was craggly and rough, like a lifetime smoker with a lisp.

"Y-y-yes," Cindy stammered. "Or else—"

"Or elssssssssse."

That sounded like my cue. I gripped the gun in both hands and leapt to my feet. "Or else you get a taste of steel, asshole," I snarled, feeling very much like I'd just popped into a Quentin Tarentino movie.

I'd been prepared for the Gorn to look like the 1960's television lizard that wrestled Captain Kirk to the almost death – like a human in a high tech rubber mask. I wasn't quite prepared for the iridescent skin, enormous red eyes and dinosaur-like tails that swept across the gravel walkway like a writhing mass of boa constrictors.

There were four of them, all around my height, and they pranced back and forth on their toes as if they were standing on hot coals. Their bodies moved with a sharp fluidity that could only be described as reptilian, and I made a mental note to high five the actors if I got to see them when this was all over.

The Gorn stared at me for a moment, then turned their attention back to Cindy, ignoring me completely.

"No ssssssissssster," the creature closest to her hissed.

Cindy's hand gripped the box so tightly her fingers were white, and I could see her entire body tremble. "What do you mean?"

"We come," it said. "For you."

That was Cindy's cue, apparently. She doubled over, gripping her stomach with both hands. The fake silver box clattered onto the gravel pathway. She cried out in pain, a shriek that sounded so real I momentarily dropped character. "Cindy?" I said, stepping over the wall. "Are you okay?"

Her head snapped up and I reeled. Instead of Cindy's dark, almond shaped eyes, a pair of huge red orbs stared back at me.

That was either the best special effects switcheroo I'd ever seen or something was wrong.

She staggered toward me, reaching her hand out in supplication. "Help!" she cried, her voice barely more than a croak. "Lusssssssssssseeeeee." Her hand clamped onto my wrist with such ferocity I thought the bones might break. She doubled over again and let out a scream that sounded more animal than human, then she dropped to all fours in front of me.

It's not real. It's just a game.

Suddenly, Cindy's back ripped open, as if her skin had just burst a seam. Blood splattered from the gaping wound, splashing me in the face. Then the back of her head did the same, the flesh and bone that had been Cindy exploded as a new being clawed its way from her innards. Shimmering green scales caught the light as Cindy's blood cascaded off the creature's body. It ripped through the remnants of Cindy, tearing her skin away like an old pair of pajamas, and then it stood before me. A new Gorn, larger and stronger than its companions.

Holy shit. This was real.

I watched in horror as Rasul slid over the rock wall and approached the new Gorn. I had to make a mental effort to keep my eyes from trailing to the ground where the gory remnants of Cindy lay strewn about the gravel pathway.

He sunk to one knee before the new alien, presented the silver box with both hands and bowed his head. "I believe this is yours, My Queen."

Rasul was one of them.

And now they had the box.

The newly hatched queen reached out a scaly claw and gently stroked Rasul's keffiyeh, then turned toward me. I felt all the blood drain out of my body as her huge red eyes bored into mine. I wanted to run, but my legs had somehow disconnected themselves from my body. The queen tilted her head to the side, clearly confused by my continued presence, then slowly opened her mouth.

But no words ever came out. Not even a hiss. A flash blinded me, silent but so intense it seared through my eyeballs to the back of my skull. I shielded my eyes with my arms as horrifying shrieks erupted around me. The Gorn. The flash of light had done something to them.

Now was my time to escape, but when I opened my eyes, all I could see was a bright spot where the light had branded my retina. I stumbled forward, arms flailing around for the low wall. I could use it as a guide to get the hell out of there.

Then there was an arm around my waist. I started to jerk away, but then I heard a familiar voice whispering in my ear.

"Hilda Otterbum," said that addictive mix of James Bond and Dr. Who. "I think you should come with me."

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Yeah, you know you want to follow the rest of the story. Here's the schedule!

Episode 1 - July 15 - Jessica Brody

Episode 2 – July 16 - Jessica Khoury

Episode 3 – July 17 - Lish McBride

Episode 4 - July 18 – Gretchen McNeil

Episode 5 – July 19 – Emmy Laybourne

But wait, there's more!

Want to win copies of all of our books? Yeah, I know you do. Enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And also, I'd love to know what you thought of the story and my episode. So leave me a comment, yo!

Bookanistas Review: THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittscher

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

mood: celebratory

pandora/ipod: "love is a battlefield" by pat benetar

I'm going to admit this up front: HARRIET THE SPY was my favorite book when I was 8 years old.

So it makes perfect sense that I'd gobble up a middle grade novel about two seventh graders who are trying to solve a crime that may or may not have been committed.

But first, the details...

THE WIG IN THE WINDOW

From Goodreads:

Best friends and seventh graders Sophie Young and Grace Yang have made a game out of spying on their neighbors. On one of their midnight stakeouts, they witness a terrifying, bloody scene at the home of their bizarre middle-school counselor, Dr. Charlotte Agford (aka Dr. Awkward).

At least, they think they do. The truth is that Dr. Agford was only making her famous pickled beets! But when Dr. Agford begins acting even weirder than usual, Sophie and Grace become convinced that she’s hiding something—and they’re determined to find out what it is.

Soon the girls are breaking secret codes, being followed by a strange blue car, and tailing strangers with unibrows and Texas accents. But as their investigation heats up, Sophie and Grace start to crack under the pressure. They might solve their case, but will their friendship survive?

Perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Wig in the Window is a smart, funny middle-grade mystery with a REAR WINDOW twist.

ABOUT KRISTEN KITTSCHER

Kristen Kittscher grew up in over 13 cities, including San Francisco, Dallas, and London but she feels most at home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband, Kai, and their hopelessly spoiled cat and dog.

A graduate of Brown University and former English teacher, she now writes funny mysteries for the precocious middle-schoolers she once enjoyed teaching so much. Her debut novel, THE WIG IN THE WINDOW, comes out in June 2013 with Harper Children’s.

Oh yes, and I should probably mention that's Kristen is a friend. But then again, so are most of the authors I talk about on my blog, so, whatevs.

Back to the book. THE WIG IN THE WINDOW focuses on best friends Sophie and Grace. Told from Sophie's point of view, it's quickly apparent that she's the more practical, more level-headed member of the team, while the effervescent Grace is clearly the instigator of all things trouble. Not that Sophie is a passive partner - as an aspiring FBI agent, she's inquisitive by nature, and methodical in her investigations. Meanwhile, Grace doesn't know the meaning of the word "caution" and her bull-headed approach to the investigation of the weird goings on at their middle school guidance counselor's house leads to trouble.

Undaunted by adults who don't believe a word of their story, Sophie and Grace are determined to find out what is going on at Dr. Agford's house, curfew or no curfew. Fast-paced and full of exciting action, heart-pounding tension and a bevy of clues and red herrings, THE WIG IN THE WINDOW reminds me of the mysteries I loved as a tween. As an adult, I loved Kristen's sense of humor in her writing - seriously, this book is funny as hell - while also capturing the voice of the precocious twelve-year-old I once was. Boys and girl alike will enjoy this book, and can I just add it's so lovely to see a main character of color in middle grade? Freaking awesome.

Oh yes, and a sequel is due out next year. I can't wait for more Sophie and Grace!

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Check out the other Bookanistas reviews this week!

Lenore Appelhans is bewitched by CHARM AND STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn

Shelli Johannes-Wells gives cover love to FAKING NORMAL

Stasia Ward Kehoe delves into DANCER, DAUGHTER, TRAITOR, SPY by Elizabeth Kiem

Elana Johnson and Nikki Katz adore THIS IS W.A.R. by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Katy Upperman praises WORST CASE OF PASKETTI-ITIS by Kris Asselin