Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit: STARRING MELISSA WALKER!!

I am beyond excited to read Melissa’s new book, SMALL TOWN SINNERS! And so glad she stopped by to chat.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Small Town Sinners is the story of Lacey Anne, daughter of the pastor and perennial good girl, who is eligible for a lead role in the season’s Hell House production—a role she’s been coveting for years. But when Ty moves to town as casting begins, a new perspective is added to Lacey Anne’s world and she starts to see her tight-knit, Evangelical community in a different light. With the help of her two best friends Starla Joy and Dean, and her potential first love Ty, Lacey Anne begins exploring her own thoughts and feelings about her religion, her community, and her place within both. While this novel deals with provocative issues like religion, teen pregnancy and underage drinking, it is not an “issue” book; the topics are masterfully interwoven into this story of friendship and family.

Early readers agree:

“Small Town Sinners shines a light on the fascinating world of the teenage Hell House. Sit back and let Melissa Walker be your guide. She writes without a shred of judgment and plenty of heart.” —Dana Reinhardt, author of A Brief Chapter of My Impossible Life

“Walker is sympathetic and respectful of her characters’ faith, while putting on display the shocking extremist scare tactics that make Hell Houses, well, hellish.” —Donna Freitas, author of This Gorgeous Game and The Possibilities of Sainthood.

“A non-judgmental, nuanced, fascinating look at the teenage religious right… Walker writes an outstanding contemporary novel with a cast of characters who, far from being portrayed as hateful zealots, are relatable for readers of all faiths. The extremism of Hell House is tempered by the perfectly understandable attitudes and intentions of Lacey Anne, who struggles with what it means to grow up, to question and to think for herself.” –Romantic Times

“Both tender and provocative… Walker creates an astutely balanced portrait of a conservative congregation’s in-your-face response to perennial issues of domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, and suicide, as well as of those who struggle to fit the prescribed Christian mold.” –Publishers Weekly

“This secular story about religious people could easily devolve into camp mockery, but because Walker takes her character’s crisis of faith seriously and sensitively, readers will, too.” –Kirkus Reviews

OUR INTERVIEW:

KRISTINA: In my book, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, Jane, a coffee barista, matchmakes people based on their favorite coffee drinks. What’s your favorite coffee drink? (If you don’t like coffee, tell me what your favorite drink in general is. But I am sorry, you’ll never find love. Kidding!)

MELISSA: Iced coffee, even in winter. Light and sweet, please! I like it to taste like coffee ice cream.

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

MELISSA: Sometimes they just come to me, but if they don't, I like to walk through cemeteries and look at names. Quirky, I know, but it's really fun!

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

MELISSA: I am! I'm twitter.com/melissacwalker. Warning: I tweet a lot during March Madness (Go Heels!) and I tend to obsessively tweet about TV I love (the latest being "Friday Night Lights"--so sad it's over!).

KRISTINA: What are you working on now?

MELISSA: My next book, Unbreak My Heart, will be out in 2012 from Bloomsbury. It's a story about lost friendships, betrayal and summer love (I'm vague, I know! I haven't talked about it much in detail yet!).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MELISSA WALKER: Melissa has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. She is the author of the Violet on the Runway series as well as Lovestruck Summer. Melissa manages I Heart Daily, an e-newsletter and blogs for ReaderGirlz, an online community for teens. www.melissacwalker.com

Thanks Melissa! Good luck with your new book!

Ta Ta Netflix!

Netflix announced this week that they will be raising their prices 60% starting in September. Surely this means there will be all kinds of great features added to make this spike worth it right? Nope. If you get Netflix already, you'll know it's a DVD in your mailbox (one at a time)/streaming service. The only problem is the DVDs come in any order Netflix feels like sending them, they come broken or scratched half the time so you don't get to actually watch the entire movie, you don't get the newest movies, and the streaming service only has really old, odd, no one rents them anyway, movies available. Ok, so why am I paying an extra 60% for this? The president of Netfilx thinks it's no biggie-- just the price of a couple of lattes a month he says. JUST A COUPLE OF LATTES? Have you met me? You want to take an additional 24 lattes away from me a year for your crappy service? Um, no.

CANCEL

I'm going to switch to some alternatives. For one, there's always Redbox. You can actually get newly released movies from them for only $1. Considering we only watch 3-4 DVDs a month, this isn't much. The library (at least mine) can get any newly released movie in as well. If they don't have it they'll get it from another library. I just go online, place the movies I'm looking for on hold, the library calls me when it's available, and I pick it up in the drive thru. Nice!

I wonder how many other Netflix customers will also be fed up and say, TA TA NETFLIX?

Happy 4th!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

Why yes, that is Princess Aurora enjoying the fireworks, courtesy of my 6 yr old. :-)

Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit: STARRING SUZANNE YOUNG!

Suzanne Young is visiting to talk about her new book, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL.

About the Book:

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte’s destiny is to be Forgotten…

Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?

Our Interview:

KRISTINA: In my book, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, Jane, a coffee barista, matchmakes people based on their favorite coffee drinks. What’s your favorite coffee drink? (If you don’t like coffee, tell me what your favorite drink in general is. But I am sorry, you’ll never find love. Kidding!)

SUZANNE: I always get a skinny vanilla latte. What does that mean for me??

KRISTINA: You’re sweet, trustworthy, kind, and a good friend. Also sorta health conscious, but like an occasional splurge. J

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

SUZANNE: I spend a lot of time on baby naming sites. But I’m fond of old fashioned names. Sometimes I switch character’s names in revisions, which happened with A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL.

KRISTINA: What are you reading right now?

SUZANNE: I’m reading THE GATHERING by Kelley Armstrong.

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

SUZANNE: Sure am! @suzanne_young

KRISTINA: What are you working on now?

SUZANNE: The sequel A WANT SO WICKED is due next summer. And I have a new series THE PROGRAM coming Spring 2013 from Simon Pulse.

About the Author:

Suzanne Young currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she uses the rainy weather as an excuse to stay inside and write obsessively. After earning her degree in creative writing, Suzanne spent several years teaching middle school language arts. Now she can be found at home chasing after her two children and poorly behaved dog and writing novels for teens. You can visit her online at www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter @suzanne_young.

Check out the trailer for the book:

Canning and Writing

Lately I've been doing this really fun thing with some other writer friends (Rhonda Stapleton, Michelle Zink, Jennifer Brown, and Danielle Joseph) where we meet online at a set time, someone says go, and we all write as fast as we can on our different projects. We do it for a half an hour at a time and then report back in with our word count. It's kind of like having a diet buddy, someone to cheer you on to write more words instead of lose lbs. It's awesome! I'm getting so much stuff done this way!

Except for last night. I had to miss out so I could go to a canning party. What's that you ask? Well, it's where a bunch of women get together to learn how to can. Good stuff I tell you. I have to admit, I've never canned before in my life and I probably never will again (takes a long time!) but it was fun to try and I felt very Ma Ingalls while doing it. Here's what we made:

The one on the right is strawberry jelly but we weren't sure it turned out as thick as it should so we wanted to leave it open-ended in case it was runny. Then we could call it ice cream topping.

I'm not sure when we'll open these to try. It took so much to get it canned I just sorta want to leave it like this.

They're pretty right?

One last writing thing before I go. I finished my story for the October 2011 Debs Anthology! Yay! I'm really excited about it! 25 super cool authors have contributed to it and the cover is BEAUTIFUL. Check it out:

For more info, click here!

Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit: STARRING ELANA JOHNSON!

Welcome Girlfriend Elana Johnson with her debut dystopian, POSESSSION!

About POSSESSION:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Our Interview:

KRISTINA: In my book, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, Jane, a coffee barista, matchmakes people based on their favorite coffee drinks. What’s your favorite coffee drink? (If you don’t like coffee, tell me what your favorite drink in general is. But I am sorry, you’ll never find love. Kidding!)

ELANA: Yeah, not a coffee drinker. But I love me some grape-flavored Squirt. Like, love it!

KRISTINA: I am always curious about when and where writers write. Can you tell me about your schedule and your favorite place to work?

ELANA: I have a “cockpit” which is really just a tiny card table pushed into the corner of my kitchen. I do most of my writing from 9 – 11 PM, and whenever else I can.

KRISTINA: What are you reading right now?

ELANA: I have so many books in the to-be-read pile! Right now I’m reading BLOOD MAGIC by Tessa Gratton and CHIME by Franny Billingsley.

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

ELANA: I am on twitter! You can find me @ElanaJ.

KRISTINA: What are you working on now?

ELANA: I’m working on the companion novel to POSSESSION. It’s slated for a June 2012 release, and I’m about to dive into edits.

What People Are Saying About Possession:
"Possession held me completely captivated from beginning to end. And what an end! I fell in love with the characters and had countless moments of 'Wow.'"
--James Dashner, bestselling author of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials

"Who Should Read This: Anyone who wants a challenge: This plot is so twisty, I had to read the last chapter twice before I could believe what happened. There's also a very nice balance between badass action and romantic tension for readers who like a good mix of the two."
--MTV.com

“Most [readers] will be drawn in by the love triangle, revelations about Vi and her family, and a dark twist ending that maintains the faintest glimmer of hope.”
--Publisher's Weekly

"This debut dystopian succeeds at suspense and tension.... Revelations come hard and fast." --Kirkus

“Emotion pumps through every scene of this thriller. Given all the urgency and action, the novel’s ending may surprise readers as the heroic adventure turns into a tragic love story.” –School Library Journal

“An intriguing dystopia…A good choice for fans of Pam Bachorz and Ally Condie.” --Booklist

To read the first two chapters, go to the official POSSESSION website.

Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit: STARRING AMANDA ASHBY!

Amanda Ashby is visiting with her newest book, FAIRY BAD DAY.

About the Book:

It’s going to be a fairy bad day...

First, my rightful designation of dragon slayer is STOLEN right out from under me by Curtis Green. Sure, he’s really cute, but that doesn’t give him an excuse.

On top of that, I am assigned to slay fairies. I know what you’re thinking—how hard could it be, right? Wrong! These menacing beasts with their tiny hipster clothes and mocking sarcasm love taunting me. And they won’t STOP!

But the thing that tops my list of stuff to ruin my day? That would be the GIANT KILLER FAIRY that I have to hunt down and slay because I am the only one who can see it. There is someone who can help me. Unfortunately…it’s Curtis.

Our Interview:

KRISTINA: In my book, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, Jane, a coffee barista, matchmakes people based on their favorite coffee drinks. What’s your favorite coffee drink? (If you don’t like coffee, tell me what your favorite drink in general is. But I am sorry, you’ll never find love. Kidding!)

AMANDA: Hahaha—I like people who call it the way it is!!!! I don’t actually know what my coffee is called—I guess it’s just a long black and have a splash of milk and sugar (because sugar and coffee are SO meant to be together!) We have our own espresso machine, which I love more than life itself. It is just about to die though so I think we’re going to need to get a new one (or throw ourselves off a cliff!)

KRISTINA: When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

AMANDA: Not until I was about 27. The signs were all there from early on but I just never took to the time to piece them all together. I was always an avid reader, English was my best subject and I even went to College and did a Journalism and English degree. In fact, some people could say that I’m a very slow learner! However, I finally did decide it would be cool to write a book and from that moment I never looked back!

KRISTINA: Why do you write MG/YA as opposed to other types of fiction?

AMANDA: I write YA because it just feels right. I’ve done adult fiction as well but it just didn’t resonate as much. Though I must say that I’ve just written my first MG series and that was a LOT tougher than writing YA. I guess it’s that old saying—don’t work with kids! But seriously, by the time I went back to writing YA I was so happy to have a heroine who could sneak out of the house, drive a car and own a cell phone!!!!!

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

AMANDA: I LOVE naming characters! I just flick through name books and watch lots of TV! I tend to use quite English sounding names for my heroines and geeky names for me heroes. Not sure why!

KRISTINA: Have you ever based one of your characters on someone you know? If so, did that person find out? How did they react?

AMANDA: Well, I didn’t consciously do that but after my first book, You Had Me at Halo came out I suddenly realized that the stepmother in the book was VERY similar to my own stepmother and I swear on something pink and glittery that I had no inkling of what I was doing until it was way too late. I was mortified though thankfully I’m pretty sure she never read the book, though she does have a copy.

KRISTINA: What is the title of the first book you ever wrote?

AMANDA: Love Story! I know, I really pushed the boat out on that one! Mind you, the bad title just reflected how bad the rest of the book was. Thankfully I have purged it from my mind and from under my bed so Love Story by Amanda Ashby will NEVER be coming to a Kindle near you!

KRISTINA: What are you reading right now?

AMANDA: Fly Me to the Moon by Jill Mansell, who is one of my favorite authors and life always becomes a bit better when I’m reading her books!!!

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

AMANDA: Yes, I love twitter and obviously only ever use it to say wise and profound things with no mention of how many Skittles and muffins that I’ve consumed in any single day!

http://twitter.com/amandaashby

KRISTINA: What are you working on now?

AMANDA: I’ve just finished revisions on the first of my afore mentioned MG books. The series is called SOPHIE’S MIXED-UP MAGIC and book one is Wishful Thinking. It’s about a girl who gets turned into a djinn the day before she starts sixth grade and as you can imagine, chaos ensues!!!!

KRISTINA: Thanks for stopping by Amanda and good luck with the book! Visit Amanda at her Web site.