New Year, New Projects, Epic Awesome

As we get closer to the holidays (and further from the pie-pocalypse that was Thanksgiving), things may appear to be slowing down in the blogosphere. But that's not entirely true. Even if I miss a Monday every now and then (hey, I was in a wedding last week!) know that I am busy behind the scenes working with fellow 5-er Miranda on a sekrit project.

Okay, it's not so sekrit. It's called Dear Teen Me and, holy crap, it's going to be awesome.

Dear Teen Me launches Dec. 1st with some of your favorite authors participating. Head on over to the site for more details, but for now, I'll tell you this: it's an entire blog dedicated to authors writing letters to their teen selves. Could it possibly get more awesome?

I'm not sure. I mean, every time I get an email from an author saying "hey can I write a letter for Dear Teen Me, too?" it definitely gets more awesome. And all of the YA-5 bloggers are on board, so, you know, you can count on some hilarity.

I hope you'll go check out our website. There's not a ton there now, but there will be very, very soon. I promise, this is going to be epic!

Oh yes. I kicked it with the Smart Chicks.

Last weekend I hauled myself up to my local indie to see the Smart Chicks. So many people turned up, and the Chicks were on FIRE.

Well, I mean, not, like, literally en fuego, just, you know, totally awesome. Smart Chicks organizers Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, and Alyson Noel sat on a panel with buds Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Rachel Caine, taking questions from the crowd. I wrote down some of the stuff they had to say about writing, 'cause I wanted to share my Smart Chicks experience with y'all.

ON WRITER'S BLOCK.

Cassandra Clare uses "the House method." I.e., writer's block vs. a symptom of something greater. If you can figure out where the block is, you can flush it out and get your story back to health.

Melissa Marr, in all seriousness, stated that when she's battling writer's block, she snorkels in her bathtub until she figures it out. She willingly admitted that she's probably the only writer who does this, and that it's a little bit of a weird solution, but that it's what works for her.

Alyson Noel said that writer's block is from not knowing "enough about your story, your characters, or your world." If you can find out more about these things, you can probably get over the writer's block.

ON ADVICE FOR YOUNG WRITERS:

Melissa Marr said, "Whatever you want to do, follow your passion." According to Ms. Marr, the books that stand out are the ones written with passion.

Holly Black advised young writers to "get a critique partner, who will keep you honest and motivated." She said that there are plenty of people out there who will read your work and tell you its great (like mom or your best friend), but you need to find someone who will read with a critical eye.

Rachel Caine said, "Be Patient," because you're not instantly good at any art form.

ON HOW LONG IT TOOK TO PUBLISH THEIR FIRST NOVELS:

Cassandra Clare: 4 years.
Alyson Noel: 15 years.
Melissa Marr: 2 years.
Rachel Caine: 8 years.

Every book's journey is different, and you can see here that if any author gave up easily their books would never hit the shelves!

All of the Smart Chicks admitted to making playlists, though Kelley Armstrong said she only does one song per character.

Of course it was a fabulous night, and it was so fun getting to say hi to all the fabulous Smart Chicks. I love the message they are sending to the young women of our country, because we all need to hear it sometimes: You can do it!

Here's the video the Smart Chicks made at the Austin tour stop. Enjoy! (I'm in there somewhere, but it's such a blur, I can't even see me!)

Congrats to our very own K.A. Holt!

Hey YA-5 Readers! Today is normally K.A. "Kari" Holt's day to post, but seeing as she's out of town and super busy being a supermom and saving the world and stuff, I thought I'd post a little somethin' somethin' on her behalf. You see, Kari has a fabbity fab book coming out NEXT WEEK called BRAINS FOR LUNCH from Roaring Brook/Neal Porter Books, featuring illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Gahan Wilson. And it is (imagine Zoolander voice here) ridiculously good.

Yeah, I know. You all are screaming NEPOTISM in your heads, right? Because, duh, of course YA-5ers love K.A. Holt books. Or maybe you're not as cynical as I imagine. And you all are like GIVE ME MORE, GIVE ME MORE! Well, in either case, I'm not the only one who loves BRAINS FOR LUNCH. In fact, I am so proud of and excited for Kari, who just got a STARRED REVIEW in Publisher's Weekly! In case you're unfamilliar with PW, basically it's a magazine that industry professionals, booksellers, librarians, etc. read to find out what's going on in the book world. And a starred review is KIND OF A BIG DEAL. It says, HEY, LIBRARIANS! BOOKSELLERS! EVERYONE! YOU NEED THIS BOOK! And, no lie. Everyone does need BRAINS FOR LUNCH.

In case you STILL don't believe me, I'm giving away my very own ARC (advanced reader's copy) of BRAINS FOR LUNCH. What you have to do is Tweet a kick-butt zombie haiku, and then follow AND @reply me (@emilytastic) AND the YA-5 (@YA5updates) to let us know you have completed your mission. By this time next week, the very best zombie haiku gets BRAINS FOR LUNCH.

In case you missed it when Holteriffic posted the trailer last week, here it is, in all it's ridiculously awesome glory:

PS, here is a unicorn, because K.A. Holt loves unicorns. Woooo!

UPDATE:
Here are some rules, as per some questions! One submission per person, and the haiku are 5-7-5 haiku like in BRAINS FOR LUNCH. Also, feel free to use the #braisnforlunch hashtag if you have room! Any other quessies, leave a comment or @emilytastic on Twitter!

Interview and Scavenger Hunt with Nancy Holder

We're celebrating the relaunch of The YA-5 with Halloween in July week! Together with YALITCHAT we've gathered four spooktakular authors who write about things that go "bump" in the night! Yesterday was Michelle Zink's turn and if you missed the interview and scavenger hunt to win a signed copy of either PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS or GUARDIAN OF THE GATE, click here! We hope you enjoy the interviews and insights with these fabulous writers as well as the scavenger hunt (see details at end of each interview) throughout the week. On Wednesday, Heather Brewer, Claudia Gray and Nancy Holder will be chatting at Midnight Eastern over on twitter during YALITCHAT's Spooktakular celebration! For now, boo! Up next, Nancy Holder!



Nancy Holder is the author of the YA horror series, POSSESSIONS. Her newest book, Evil Within, is the second in the series. The third is named The Screaming Season.

1. You could write about anything in the world but you choose to write about things that go bump in the night, why?

ANSWER: I honestly do not know. Whenever I write something scary, I watch tons of horror movies and write to horror movie soundtracks.
I'm in a constant state of fear for months on end. I have to sleep with the lights on. When I was little, I was terrified to get into my bed. I was sure there was a monster under it, waiting to grab me. I would have to make a running leap into bed. thought there was a skeleton inside my mattress, ready to stab me through the shoulderblades. I had to go down a long hall to use the bathroom, and one night I was so tired of being scared that I whirled around and whispered, "I'm the queen of it!" So maybe somehow I decided that if I write about it, I'll use up some of all that fear. But I really have no idea.

2. A short synopsis of one of your new books scared me! I'm a big softie. What do you say to people who think YA books can't be scary and romantic?

ANSWER: I think they're wrong. Look at Buffy and Angel, and Bella and her guys. The Phantom of the Opera. What is more romantic than a demon lover? What is scarier?

3. Vampires or werewolves?

ANSWER: BOTH!!!! Love 'em both.

4. What are you working on now?

ANSWER: I recently turned in the 3rd Possessions novel, titled THE SCREAMING SEASON. Debbie Viguie and I are hard at work on a new ya dark fantasy series called CRUSADE. It comes out on September 7th and we'll be going on tour for it.

5. What are you afraid of?

ANSWER: Permanent consequences. Loss. Premature burial. The usual.

6. What are you dressing up as this Halloween?

ANSWER: Malificent. I have the most awesome costume that my daughter bought me at Disneyland.

7. Would you rather read a book that was suspenseful or scary?

ANSWER: Both, but I would go for scary. I just finished reading LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and it was both. Very intense book.

8. Ok, admit it, you watched Blair Witch with one eye open, right?

ANSWER: RIGHT! And one hand gripping the forearm of a handsome guy.

9. Have you seen Paranormal Activity? Were you scared to death or did you not even bat an eyelash?

ANSWER: I'm too afraid to see it. Have you seen it?

Emily: Haven't seen it yet. But I LOOOOVE seeing scary movies. When I lived in NYC I would watch them alone in the dark without a second thought. But I tried to watch one by myself recently and all I could think was, "why isn't my boyfriend here to save me from the bad guys?" I clearly am getting more terrifyable with age.
Kari Anne: I haven't see it. The only time I have to watch movies is by myself in the middle of the night. I'm waaay too wimpy to manage PARANORMAL ACTIVITY alone in the dark. One day, though, in a lighted area full of people...I'm in.
Georgia: I did. I was kinda of OK while watching it. I found it a little predictable, maybe even hokey. But then I couldn't sleep and begged my husband to let me sleep with the lights on. How's that for effective film-making?
Justina: No. I prefer to NOT pee my pants. I'm funny like that.

10. Tell us about your next book.

CRUSADE will out next. I'm so happy to be working with Debbie Viguie, my WICKED coauthor. Our story is about the war we lost--the war with the vampires. Our vampire hunters are the Resistance. Jenn Leitner and Antonio de la Cruz are our main characters, but it's really an ensemble story, like WICKED. We have witches, werewolves, and vampires...and possibly the spirit of St. John of the Cross as their guiding force. We love working together. We'll be on tour together in September. We haven't seen each other in a year.

Thanks for stopping by, Nancy!

---END OF INTERVIEW---

And now for the first few clues in the Nancy Holder portion of the scavenger hunt.

1. What is the name of Nancy's CRUSADE co-author? (hint: answer is in this interview)
2. What symbol is on the cover of the CRUSADE novel?
3. Where was Nancy born?

Visit Nancy's website for the answers!

Prize: A signed copy of POSSESSIONS or THE EVIL WITHIN (2 winners, one book each).

Purchase a copy of Possessions or The Evil Within

Visit Michelle Zink's interview and scavenger hunt page!

SCAVENGER HUNT RULES

The scavenger hunt lasts all week! You must answer all the questions CORRECTLY to win the prize from THAT author! You may enter more than once to better your chances of winning at least ONE prize. But you may only win ONE prize for the week. Each day a new author interview will be posted along with new questions. You must visit the author's website to learn the answers to the questions posted here then post your answers in the comments section on The YA-5's site in order to win a prize. Contest ends July 23 at midnight Eastern time. Winners will be announced the week of August 2, 2010.

Interview and Scavenger Hunt with Michelle Zink

We're celebrating the relaunch of The YA-5 with Halloween in July week! Together with YALITCHAT we've gathered four spooktakular authors who write about things that go "bump" in the night! We hope you enjoy the interviews and insights with these fabulous writers as well as the scavenger hunt (see details at end of each interview) throughout the week. On Wednesday, Heather Brewer, Claudia Gray and Nancy Holder will be chatting at Midnight Eastern over on twitter during YALITCHAT's Spooktakular celebration! For now, boo! Up first, Michelle Zink!

Michelle Zink (michellezink.com) is the author of the popular book, Prophecy of the Sisters (prophecyofthesisters.com (book website) The sequel, Guardian of the Gate will be released August 1st 2010.

1. You could write about anything in the world but you choose to write about things that go bump in the night, why?

It's two-fold, I think. My father was a horror aficionado and an avid reader. His library was full of titles by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Peter Straub. As a teenager, I could never be without a book to read, so when I blew through the books in my school library, I turned to his. I'm pretty sure I was the only 11-year-old in my town reading The Shining! Those books really shaped me as a reader and a writer. I still love being scared, and writing those kinds of stories gives me the same feeling as reading them. At the same time, I do battle with my own darkness. I feel like I'm always struggling with my darker nature. Sometimes, I feel all alone in it. Like the rest of the world is so GOOD and happy all the time (which, of course, isn't true) and I'm the only one fighting that battle. I guess writing about it is one way to feel like I have power over it.

2. What do you say to people who think YA books can't be scary and romantic?

Oh, my gosh! So not true. Look at books like Wuthering Heights and Rebecca! Such amazing, Gothic, dark, and romantic work. Besides, it's more of a challenge to write in an under-served area. I love having to stretch to accomplish something new and different, and I like challenging readers to read something different, too.

3. Vampires or werewolves?

Werewolves. Unless we're talking Anne Rice's vampires. :D

7. Would you rather read a book that was suspenseful or scary?

Scary! I so love being scared. But suspenseful is a close second. It's difficult for me to truly enjoy anything that doesn't have at least one of those elements.


4. What are you working on now?

I have two potential series lined up. One of them is a contemporary fantasy. Very dark and action-packed. I think of it as The Dark Knight meets Twilight without the vampires. The other is a sort of Gothic Steampunk set in London in the late 1800s. I love them both, but we have to see what the agent says. ;)


5. What are you afraid of?

Losing the people closest to me. Without a doubt.

6. What are you dressing up as this Halloween?

I never get to dress up because I'm always too busy helping my kids with crazy costumes! We have a "no buy" rule when it comes to costumes, which means we can't purchase one. We can purchase pieces, but that's it, and we challenge ourselves to do it as cheaply as possible. My youngest daughter has dressed up as a mad scientist (by borrowing a lab coat, using some old glasses with the lenses popped out, and ratting her hair to high heaven) and Sarah Palin ( with a blazer and a bun, she looked frighteningly like the politician!). My oldest daughter went as a Steampunk Alice in Wonderland last year by modifying an $8 prom dress we found at the thrift store and adding her own boots and accessories.

8. Ok, admit it, you watched Blair Witch with one eye open, right?

Yes, but I cover my eyes when it comes to gore! Ick!


9. Have you seen Paranormal Activity? Were you scared to death or did you not even bat an eyelash?

Oh, God... that movie REALLY got under my skin. While I was watching it, I thought, "Okay, this isn't so bad." But then when I went home to sleep, I was really freaked out. I kept hearing that weird sound you'd hear when, well... YOU KNOW. I think it took about three nights to be able to sleep without my heart beating fast and loud in the dark!

10. Tell us about your next book--Guardian of the Gate.

When I started writing Prophecy, I really wanted to create an epic fantasy series. I didn't want to write a series t hat was a series because it COULD be, but because it HAD to be. I miss those epic, otherworldly stories of old like Lord of the Rings and The Mists of Avalon. Guardian of the Gate is the continuation of Lia's journey to find the missing page of the prophecy and the remaining keys. The story literally cannot be complete without the next two books. In Guardian of the Gate, Lia embarks on a dangerous quest, becomes acquainted with a mysterious new guy, and faces a betrayal of unimaginable proportions. Dun-dun-DUN! :D It's a story you can get totally lost in, and I hope you all enjoy the journey.

Thanks for stopping by, Michelle and good luck with GUARDIAN OF THE GATE!

Click to purchase a copy of Prophecy of the Sisters or Guardian of the Gate.

---END of INTERVIEW---


And now for the first few clues in the Michelle Zink portion of the scavenger hunt.

1. What song is Michelle into (video is posted on her website) this week?
2. What movie is Michelle looking forward to seeing more than any this year so far?
3. What city will Michelle be visiting on September 10, 2010?
4. What is the name of Michelle's new book?

Visit Michelle's website for the answers!

Prize: A signed copy of PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS or GUARDIAN OF THE GATE (2 winners, one book each).

SCAVENGER HUNT RULES

The scavenger hunt lasts all week! You must answer all the questions CORRECTLY to win the prize from THAT author! You may enter more than once to better your chances of winning at least ONE prize. But you may only win ONE prize for the week. Each day a new author interview will be posted along with new questions. You must visit the author's website to learn the answers to the questions posted here then post your answers in the comments section on The YA-5's site in order to win a prize. Contest ends July 23 at midnight Eastern time. Winners will be announced the week of August 2, 2010. Winners must be followers/friends of the The YA-5 site!

It's Almost Here...

Next Monday (July 19) is our spectacular-spooktacular awesome-strvaganze relaunch week! We're teaming up with YA-5 team member Georgia McBride's YALITCHAT site and weekly Twitter chat event to help bring you Halloween in July (all the spooky fun, none of the creepy house that hands out boxes of raisins).

We'll have author interviews (Michelle Zink! Heather Brewer! Claudia Gray! Nancy Holder!), a guest blogger (real life Goth princess Amber Skye), and a whole lot of fun (maybe even some contests and fab prizes).  So stop in, drop in, or ride your broom, and we'll see you on Monday!

Ask A Teen

Q: Which authors are you most interested in meeting and why?

Amy, 7th grader: “Sarah Dessen and Jodi Piccoult. Because Sarah Dessen’s books are really interesting and realistic. Joki Picoult because she can make me cry and not many books can do that.”

Caitlin, 7th grader: “I just finished a book by Sarah Dessen and I’m reading one now. And I think she’d be a great author to talk to.”

Becky, 9th grader: “I really enjoyed My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult and I have questions about it. Like, why did the one sister have to die at the end?”

Monica, 12th grader: “JODI PICOULT!!!” “Her books bring together conflict and different psychological aspects and perspectives, plus incredible characterization. I just finished House Rules today and I’m in a LITERARY COMA!”

Jack, 9th grader: “Neil Gaiman. I’ve never read any other author who can do so many varieties of stories.”

Katie Rose, 9th grader: “Tamora Pierce. One- she is so hilarious and has the best anecdotes ever. Two! I absolutely adore her books and writing style. She overlaps her books and it’s really cool.”

Lawson, 7th grader: “I forgot the author’s name, but the guy who wrote Guns, Germs, and Steel and Collapse.” “Oh yeah, Jared Diamond. I want to know how he comes up with his theories. His books are amazing.”

Patrick, 7th grader: “Jim Butcher, the author of The Dresden Files series. He’s the bestest author ever! He compacts a lot of action into one book and still has a lot of character development.”

Rachna, 7th grader: “I’d want to meet Rachel Cohn. Her books are kind of different—her characters are unique.”

--END--

Do these answers surprise you? They were provided by REAL students in Palatine, IL!

Which authors are YOU most interested in meeting and why? Want to know what's really going on, instead of what "they" want you to think? Just Ask A Teen!

xoxo-
Georgia

Epic TLA post

Last week I had the opportunity to spend three days at TLA - the huge Texas Library Association conference. It was the first conference I've been to. It was freaking amazing, you guys. I posted the following pictorial on my blog and I thought I'd cross-post it here. It was a kick ass experience, not just as an author, but as a book lover. And on the Friday I was there, the place was swarming with teens who had been sponsored by librarians and received badges to the exhibit hall. They were everywhere, ravenously gobbling up ARCs and swag. You could feel their excitement, it was truly palpable.

Anyway, here's my post about the whole shebang (and I apologize that the youtube videos are not embedded. Blogger and I are having a fight. You can either click the URLs to see the videos, or click here and see them embedded in the post on my personal blog):

I should really start this post off with a picture of my bruises and blisters. Showing off your war wounds is a good way to measure the success of an event. And, you guys, my feet are going to FALL OFF. Also, I have mysterious bruises all over my legs. My right shoulder is a good three inches lower than my left shoulder now, and I have to drag one leg behind me when I walk. Basically, TLA has turned me into Quasimodo.

(Very tired, blistered, wet feet)

But this is OK.

Over this past Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I've had the chance to talk with librarians and booksellers not just about my books, but about books in general. About the industry, about censorship, about budgeting and school visits. We talked about what ARCs we're excited about, what the trends seem to be, which books teens and kids like... and these were just random conversations with strangers on the exhibit hall floor.

Seriously. Book nerd valhalla.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU4QDErMXBA

(Please note the made-up Klingon in this video. Thanks to Jenny Zieglar for coming up with that. Hilarious. t'LAH, nerds! And also thanks to E. Kristin Anderson for shouting the Klingon and braving my driving on an early, rainy Saturday morning.)

AND, I had the opportunity to meet some amazing authors. Ellen Hopkins, Mary Pearson, Lisa Schroeder, Helaine Becker, Kathleen Duey, Matt de la Pena, Rick Riordan (though I stalked him from a distance at a cocktail party). Plus so many more that my addled brain will think of later. The Austin contingent of authors was there in full force, too, with kick ass panels and plenty of signings.

(In this picture: Shana Burg, Varian Johnson, April Lurie, Margo Rabb, Jennifer Zieglar)

We were our own little (friendly) mafia, running into each other, comparing ARCs and stories, introducing each other to out of town authors, collapsing from exhaustion and blister attacks... it was a great time.

(Jenny Zieglar and Bethany Hegedus getting a little punchy)

Plus - and this really blew my mind - it was so stunning to be walking the exhibit hall floor, peeking into publisher's booths, and to have people point at me (random people!) and say, "Mike Stellar! The blue book!" Or, before I could even introduce myself, "Brains for Lunch! Roaring Brook!" And I would just stand there like an idiot with my mouth fish-gaping until I could stammer out, "Yes, yes, that's me!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZH-ZBc2U6A

(we did not stage that. nope.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbS_FlPW8Uk

(Mike Stellar!)

As an author who spends much of her time in a corner on the couch, hammering away at a laptop and never leaving the house, these kinds of encounters really put everything into perspective. I had an incredible discussion with a young man, who had seen me at a school visit earlier in the year, about the Mike Stellar cover art and some discrepencies with the text that he wanted to point out. For me to get out in the world and meet people who've read my books, or want to read my books, or who have heard of my books, it really makes me want to work harder and be better, and get out more to keep meeting people. Brian Floca and I were talking about this when we were signing at the Texas Authors Table (or selling puppets at the Texas Authors Table - it depends on who you talk to about this) and he was saying how it's such a shot in the arm. I can't think of a better analogy.

(Taking a break from the puppets)

And so, I think by now you have all figured out this was my first conference. I was truly blown away. Exhausted, bruised, rained on, but also uplifted and amazed. For a few days the rest of the world disappeared and everything was about books. Is there anything better than that?

Here are a few more videos from the conference... you can see how I conducted myself as a professional AT ALL TIMES.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR9NpxR6LbE

(Driving in with PJ Hoover and Jo Whittemore. Who's excited?!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoS_OdEEA0Y

(Author Chris Barton signs Shark vs. Train and acts WAY more professional than me and PJ Hoover as we heckle him)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuA9Cxvqt88

(The Texas Sweethearts prove that librarians love books. And brownies.)

(Super dork!)

(Super dork, part II)

Whew!

So. Who's sponsoring my trip to ALA? Anyone? Ah, that's OK. I have books to write!