6 Signings This Weekend in Illinois! Come see me!

This weekend, June 10th-June 12th is the first ever B-Fest at Barnes & Nobles across the country! So cool! I'll be chatting and signing (and participating in a panel) at 6 different times/locations. If you're nearby one, please come see me!

#FREE #YA Box Set! 9/23 -9/24

For the first time, my young adult contemporary box set (Just Your Average Princess, Just Your Average Geek, and Just Your Average Celebrity) is FREE! 9/23 and 9/24.

And it's already hit #1 in Top Free Teen and Young Adult Humorous Books (and before two of James Patterson's books?!!!)

The Espressologist on BN.com

So cool! Barnes & Nobles featured The Espressologist in a post today about snack pairings. Check it out!

GCC Presents, REMEMBER, by Eileen Cook

Eileen Cook is thrilled to announce that her book REMEMBER hits shelves February 24, 2015.

About the Book: A thrilling tale about what a girl will do to get back a memory she lost…or remove what she wants to forget. Harper is used to her family being hounded by protestors. Her father runs the company that trademarked the “Memtex” procedure to wipe away sad memories, and plenty of people think it shouldn’t be legal. Then a new demonstrator crosses her path, Neil, who’s as persistent as he is hot. Not that Harper’s noticing, since she already has a boyfriend. When Harper suffers a loss, she’s shocked her father won’t allow her to get the treatment, so she finds a way to get it without his approval. Soon afterward, she’s plagued with strange symptoms, including hallucinations of a woman who is somehow both a stranger, yet incredibly familiar. Harper begins to wonder if she is delusional, or if these are somehow memories. Together with Neil, who insists he has his own reasons for needing answers about the real dangers of Memtex, Harper begins her search for the truth. What she finds could uproot all she’s ever believed about her life…

“Compelling combination of twisty mystery and realistic romance." (Cat Patrick, author of FORGOTTEN and JUST LIKE FATE)

Interview with Eileen:

Where did the idea for Remember come from? 

I’d read an article about some scientific experiments being done with memory. The scientists were looking for a way to reduce the difficulty war veterans have with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It occurred to me if people could get rid of very traumatic memories, there would also be a market for people who wanted to get rid of all sorts of memories. I began to wonder what types of things might go wrong once you begin messing around with someone’s memory. It can be relatively easy to confuse what is a real memory from what someone might tell you happened. What if something you were sure was true, suddenly seemed to be uncertain, possibly a lie? Once all these questions were swirling around in my head I knew I had a book- all I had to do is write it!

If the Memtex procedure existed is there any memory you would like to forget?

I think everyone has some memories they would like to forget, but even the difficult ones have shaped who I am so I’d have to hang on to them.

Tell us a behind the scenes story about writing the book. 

I decided that I wanted the main character to ride horses competitively- a subject I know nothing about. I was lucky enough to have two close friends who grew up riding and were able to share all sorts of details and were willing to read early drafts to make sure I had things correct. Now I know more about saddles than I ever expected.

What are you working on now?

It’s a thriller that involves Italy, a possible murder and two best friends who may be enemies. There’s nothing better than writing a book that includes a research trip to Rome, Venice and Tuscany. I ate my weight in pasta, took thousands of pictures and wrote pages and pages of notes.

Thanks for stopping by my blog Eileen! Check out Eileen's contest for Remember here. And pick up a copy of this intriguing read here.

#BoySwap #FREE #Kindle

Boys, Band Nerds, and Backstabbers. BOY SWAP is FREE today on Amazon.

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Starring: Jeri Smith-Ready's THIS SIDE OF SALVATION

Jeri Smith-Ready (author of the Shade trilogy) makes her contemporary debut in what Kirkus calls "a captivating story of family heartbreak."

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:

• Indie Bound
• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble

Order the ebook:

• Kindle
• Nook
• Kobo

Find Jeri

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

• Twitter
• Tumblr
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Goodreads

Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Starring Eileen Cook's YEAR OF MISTAKEN DISCOVERIES

Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook is now available!

About the book: Friendship is a bond stronger than secrets in this novel from the author of The Almost Truth and Unraveling Isobel. As first graders, Avery and Nora bonded over a special trait they shared—they were both adopted. Years later, Avery is smart, popular, and on the cheerleading squad, while Nora spends her time on the fringes of school society, wearing black, reading esoteric poetry, and listening to obscure music. They never interact...until the night Nora approaches Avery at a party, saying it’s urgent. She tells Avery that she thought she found her birth mom—but it turned out to be a cruel lie. Avery feels for Nora, but returns to her friends at the party. Then Avery learns that Nora overdosed on pills. Left to cope with Nora’s loss and questioning her own actions, Avery decides to honor her friend by launching a search for her own birth mother. Aided by Brody, a friend of Nora’s who is also looking for a way to respect Nora’s legacy, Avery embarks on an emotional quest. But what she’s really seeking might go far deeper than just genetics…
You can buy the book here: Indie Bound Amazon Barnes and Noble Chapters/Indigo

What Others Are Saying:
“Cook combines friendship drama, boy troubles, romance, family conflict, and college application stress with a protagonist trying to understand who she really is in the wake of tragedy.” Publisher’s Weekly

“Cook delves into some interesting questions about what is really important in life as well as the challenges associated with self-discovery and determining how far you’ll go to get what you want.” Booklist

“An insightful, entertaining exploration of the impact of a suicide” Kirkus

“Eileen Cook returns with Year of Mistaken Discoveries, a romantic tragi-comedy from the perspective of the most popular–often most hated–girl in high school: the cheerleader… Year of Mistaken Discoveries is provoking, fast-paced entertainment, and Cook successfully tackles some tough issues with a very light touch.” Readerly- The National Reading Campaign.

“Given the choice between contemporary and paranormal YA, I will almost always pick contemporary and Eileen Cook is the perfect example of why.” Nerdy Book Club- Kelly’s Top 15 Books for 2014

"This book is amazing! Everyone should buy at least five copies." Eileen's mom

Girlfriends Cyber Circuit Starring: REFLECTING EMMY, by Diana Wallach

Author Diana Rodriguez Wallach is stopping by to talk about her latest work, Reflecting Emmy: A Mirror, Mirror Mythology, recently released on September 3rd. Find it on Amazon for only 99 cents.

Background About REFLECTING EMMY and the MIRROR, MIRROR Trilogy

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.

REFLECTING EMMY Back Cover Copy

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.

What People Are Saying:

"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

Our Interview

Kristina: How did you get the idea for (title of book)?

Diana: 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.
 
Kristina: If your book was made into a movie, who would star as your main characters?

Diana: 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.

Kristina: How do you come up with the names of your characters?

Diana: To be honest, my characters’ names are little on the nose. The main character, Emmy, is a reimagining of the Goddess Nemesis, the goddess of retribution. And I thought “Emmy” was a nice play on that.

The character of Nara is a reimaging of Narcissus, the beautiful hunter who died staring at his own reflection. Her name is an obvious play on that.

Echo, who you meet in the second short story in the series Nara Gazing (which comes out in October 2013), is hopelessly in love with Nara. He’s a singer-songwriter with magical powers. This is literally stolen from the female nymph Echo, who trails lovelorn after Narcissus in the Greek myth.

And the one who bestowed Emmy with her magical silver compact in which to trap Narcissistic souls is her great grandmother GiGi, who you meet in the third story, Shattering GiGi (which debuts in November 2013). The name GiGi is actually a nod to my husband’s 91 year-old grandmother, who is now blessed with nine great grandchildren, and who we all call GG.

Kristina: Would you ever try writing in another genre?

Diana: Sort of. It’s not exactly another genre, but a subgenre within a genre. Right now, I’m writing my first YA mystery. Or I guess I should say I’m rewriting it. I started it five years ago, and I’ve been working on it ever since. It’s my first crack at a mystery, and even though it’s still YA, there’s a lot more that goes into it. It’s been a long, slow process to learn how to properly craft a good mystery/thriller; and thankfully, I have a very generous editor/beta reader who is currently offering support as I muddle through. Hopefully, one day I will finish this book and see it in print.
 
Kristina: Who is (or who are) the Young Adult author that turns you into a fangirl?

Diana: Christopher Pike! I was obsessed with him when I was a teen. I read everything from Chain Letter, to Remember Me, to Fall Into Darkness. I would completely geek out if I ever met him in person. He’s one of the reasons I write for YA now.

About the Author 

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.

Links

Website: www.dianarodriguezwallach.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/dianarwallach

Facebook: www.facebook.com/diana.rodriguezwallach

Tumblr: http://dianarwallach.tumblr.com 

Pinterist: http://pinterest.com/dianarwallach/boards/

Book News! New YA Release Coming this Fall!

COMING THIS FALL...

Boy Swap: The secret to sisterly love and scholarly bliss.

Research shows that seven out of ten girl fights are over a guy. The Boy Swap Club fixes all that. In an effort to spread around male cuteness and minimize fights and backstabbing, they just share boyfriends. And Brooke Thomas, consummate band member, has been asked to join the super secret club because the president of the club has the hots for her guy.

Brooke doesn’t want to share her boyfriend. I mean, who does? But how can she say no? She, a second chair flutist in the school band, finds herself sitting between the Varsity Cheerleader Captain and the Homecoming Queen at the first meeting. Her friends will never believe this in a million years.  Too bad she can’t tell them. But she knows. This one event can change her entire life. What if she becomes actual friends with one of these girls? It might be worth sharing her boyfriend. 

Besides, he'll always love her best, right?

---

"So freaking funny! You will cry because you're laughing so hard. Seriously. Rivers of tears."

-Megg Jensen, bestselling author of Shucked

GCC Spotlight on: THE ALMOST TRUTH by Eileen Cook

I just love Eileen Cook’s books and she has a new one coming out December 4th! Check it out:

Book Summary:

From the author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, a smart, romantic novel about a teenage con artist who might be in over her head.

Sadie can’t wait to get away from her backwards small town, her delusional mom, her jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised…even though leaving those things behind also means leaving Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time.

But when Sadie’s mother wipes out Sadie’s savings, her escape plan is suddenly gone. She needs to come up with a lot of cash—and fast—or she’ll be stuck in this town forever.

With Brendan’s help, she devises a plan—the ultimate con—to get the money. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax…and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn't prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, suddenly it seems like she has a lot more than just money to lose....

Our Interview:

KRISTINA:  How did you get the idea for THE ALMOST TRUTH?

EILEEN: Most often book ideas come to me as a collection of unrelated things. A bit of an idea here, another piece there, until it sticks together as one idea.  This process can take months or years. This is one of the few books where I can remember the exact second I had the idea.  I was on the ferry and saw a missing child poster.  At the bottom there was an age-enhanced photo so you could see what the person might look like now. I had the thought "How weird would it be if I looked like the age enhanced photo?"  In that instant the idea of the book dropped into my head. I ran back to my seat and wrote it down as fast as I could.  I spent another week thinking over some different details, but I started writing almost right away.

KRISTINA: If your book was made into a movie, who would star as your main character?

EILEEN: I’m terrible at this! I always want to cast actors who died years ago or else I can’t remember their names. I think I would have them cast all unknown actors- that way I won’t have any preconceived ideas.  However, I’m open for them putting Colin Firth in the movie just so I can meet him.

KRISTINA:  How do you come up with the names of your characters?

EILEEN: I search baby books that list names along with what the names mean. Sometimes a name pops out right away and just feels right. Other times it takes a long search. I have a hard time starting the book until I know the main character’s name.

KRISTINA:   Are you on twitter? Where can we follow you?

EILEEN: Yes, please! My twitter name is  Eileenwriter

KRISTINA: What are you working on now?

EILEEN: I am working on a new YA which is currently being called LOST TO BE FOUND, but stay tuned the title may change. It’s about a girl named Avery who decides to search for her birth mom as part of her senior project, but ends up finding out more about herself than she expected.

Praise for Eileen Cook’s books:

".. enormously appealing and great company throughout this breezy read.....the highest quality—like a gourmet truffle. Cook has whipped up a real treat." - Kirkus Starred Review

"Thrilling and creepy, super sexy, and so very hilarious." - Lisa McMann, bestselling author of the Wake trilogy

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

About Eileen Cook:

Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in eight different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.  Her latest release, Unraveling Isobel came out in Jan 2012. You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com.  Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Find THE ALMOST TRUTH on Indiebound, B&N, or Amazon.

Just Your Average Princess is a Perfect Fall Read

This is my absolute favorite time of the year! From the Pumpkin Spice Lattes to pumpkin scented candles and baking pumpkin bread, I just love it all.

It's also the perfect time to read Just Your Average Princess if you haven't already.

Here's a summary:

Jamie Edwards has loved growing up on her family's pumpkin patch in Average, IL, and she's always dreamed of one day being the town's Pumpkin Princess at the annual Pumpkin Festival. But when her rich and famous cousin, Milan Woods, comes to town and changes everything, Jamie knows she has to expose Milan for who she really is and teach her that life's not all pumpkins and apple butter at the patch.

Enjoy it with a latte at your favorite coffee shop! :-)