Jinx!

Jinx is the nickname of Jean, a girl who totally has had bad luck follow her most of her life. And now because of a stalker, she’s moving to NYC with her aunt, and family.

The only problem is, her cousin Tory is not thrilled to have Jean around. Not when the guy she likes starts hanging with Jean, and Jean is so painfully innocent in Tory’s eyes.

The fun starts when both girls have secrets of their own stemming from a family myth. But which secret is real and which is false?

You’ll have to read the book to find out…

Jinx is fun and entertaining, with a refreshingly sweet romance!

If you’re a Meg Cabot fan, you’re in luck! I’m giving away a hardback copy of Jinx to one lucky visitor over the weekend. Leave a comment and check back on Monday for the winner.

Good luck and Happy Reading! :)

The Bye-Bye Mr. Wrong Diet

As many of you know, the backstory to Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress is that 16 year-old Nicolette got “dumped” shortly before the prom and is therefore unable to wear her perfectly magical prom dress. The book starts that fall when her mother jokingly proposes the idea for the Top Ten list.

In my single years, my friends and I went through our own romantic disappointments, and while talking and laughing together about them was indeed therapeutic, at one point, I developed the harder-edged "Bye-Bye Mr. Wrong Diet" to put us back on the right path.

Here it is for all who need it (or are simply curious):

--Replace junk food with all healthy choices.


--Step up your exercise plan.


That’s it! And here’s why it works:

--It gives you something to think about. (Besides him.)

--It feels empowering because your health is something you can totally control. (As opposed to him.)

--After a few days, your clothes fit a bit better, your complexion is a little clearer. (Blowing raspberries at him.)

--Finally, the toning up and the loss of a few pounds makes you feel better and therefore, come off confident and attractive. (TOO confident and attractive for him.)

And now you’re walking with a new bounce in your step and setting your sights on someone else. Who needed him, anyway?

As simple as it sounds, it's a good game that can work.

Has anyone else tried a form of this, or have other ideas on how to “move on” from Mr. Wrong?

What's Fresh with Bev Katz Rosenbaum's Beyond Cool

Apparently being frozen for ten years hasn't made me any cooler...

The next in the hot series about a girl whose life is really on the rocks.

Floe Ryan was frozen at sixteen because of a rare disease. Now she's been thawed back to her normal self-but everything else has changed: her little sister's older than her, her teachers are holograms, and she's learning to drive a hovercar. Plus, with her boyfriend acting distant and having to deal with all the cliques, high school is becoming an even colder place. She's also learned that those who were frozen are susceptible to illnesses, and the one doctor who can cure them has gone AWOL. Floe must find him. But she's learning that someone might be hunting for her too-and she could be iced for good this time.

Hello, Bev, great to have you here again! Please tell us about your latest novel Beyond Cool.

Bev: Beyond Cool is a Berkley Jam book that came out on August 7th--woohoo! It's the sequel to I Was a Teenage Popsicle, but can also be read as a standalone. It's as fun and action-packed as Popsicle! This time around, cryonically preserved and recently 'thawed' teen heroine Floe Ryan is in a race with the anti-cryonicists to find the one AWOL doctor who can cure the frozen zombies' immune system deficiencies--all while trying to hang onto her hot boyfriend and learn how to drive a hovercar!

Could you share a bit about the main character of your book and what makes her unique?

Bev: Well, she died, was frozen, and then brought back to life ten years later, which makes her pretty unique! But seriously, Floe's the ultimate outcast. She's come back to a whole new world. Talk about feeling out of it! (So while she's unique, she's also just like every other teen in the world... Who among us didn't feel like a freak as a teen?)

Yeah, I had plenty of those moments. haha! How did the idea for this novel come about?

Bev: A few years back, my hubby was following the Ted Williams cryonics brouhaha, and he casually mentioned that a cryonically preserved teen would be a great YA protagonist. I agreed!

What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?

Bev: I hope they realize that every teen girl feels like a freak at one time or another--frozen or not!

LOL! Thanks for sharing, Bev. Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?

Bev: Wow, that's a tough one. There are so many great ones. I love Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, and any of Meg Cabot's books. And, of course, Kelly Parra's Graffiti Girl--no lie...it was great!

Thanks, Bev! You're so sweet! Best of luck with Beyond Cool!

Bev Katz Rosenbaum is a former fiction editor who turned to YA writing when she fell in love with the books her kids were reading. She lives in Toronto with her family. Bev also runs a popular manuscript critique service. Check out her website at www.bevkatzrosenbaum.com.

Friday Fresh!

We are continuing our occasional Friday series of random questions of things we really want to know about you. Here’s today’s question: Which “vintage” TV show would you like to see brought back (and why)?

My answer is going to reach back 13 years, so apologies to those of you who weren’t watching much TV then. But there was a show called “Christy” which starred Kellie Martin that I found warm and fuzzy (in a good way).


I first tuned into it because it was based one of my favorite novels from my teen years (Christy by Catherine Marshall) but soon found that the individual episodes had lives of their own, driven home by some strong acting performances.

The action centered around 19 year-old Christy who had come to this Appalachian town (that took two hours of walking in the woods to reach) in the early 20th century to teach school, and how she ends up learning as much from the “simple folks” as the kids do from her.

Although the show only lasted one season, certain episodes were sold as tie-in novels with Kellie Martin’s picture on the front. I admit that I bought and read every one of them.


You can also buy the whole series on DVD now.

So, yeah, if I could bring back and old show with new episodes, it would be the family, feel-good “Christy”.

Who else wants to play?

You've Never Known Vampyres Like These

In Marked: A House of Night novel by P.C. & Kristin Cast, sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been marked as a vampyre.

Her already unhappy life becomes worst…or so it seems...when she must leave the home of her mother and annoying stepfather, her best friend from school, and her almost ex-boyfriend in order to go through the “change” from human to vampyre--if she survives it--in the mysterious House of Night.

Talk about stress!

The only problem is, Zoey doesn’t fit in there, either. As a new “fledgling” vampyre she already has powers beyond her dreams, as well as an uncomfortable and embarrassing bloodlust. She feels so alone and unsure who to trust.

The reader is taken into the House of Night with Zoey and is introduced to an array of fun characters and the inner workings of a distinguished school, while Zoey goes through a journey of self-discovery and learns to make new friends.

Marked is a unique tale of vampyres in training and the goddesses they honor. The Cast team know how to spin one cool vampyre story with a fresh voice!

(Check out the interview with P.C & Kristin Cast here!)

What's Fresh with Sara Hantz's The Second Virginity of Suzy Green

Suzy Green used to be one of the coolest nonconformist "almost—Goth" party girls in Australia. That was before her older sister Rosie died and her family moved to a new town. Not even her best friend would recognize her now. Gone are the Doc Martens and the attitude. All she wants is to be like Rosie—perfect. The new Suzy Green makes straight As, hangs with the in—crowd at her new school, and dates the hottest guy around. And since all her new friends belong to a virginity club, she joins, too. So what if she's not technically qualified? Nobody in town knows . . . until Ryan, Suzy's ex, turns up.

As the past and present collide, Suzy struggles to find her own place in a world without her sister.

Hello, Sara, good to have you here to chat! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?

Sara: I spent many years in academia, so before writing fiction I wrote text books, academic papers and reports. About four years ago I decided to try writing fiction, and I realized this was what I wanted to do full time. I wish I’d done it sooner!

I started off writing chick-lit and hen-lit, then in November 2005 I decided to try a teen-lit. After writing 3 chapters I did what you’re not meant to do and started to send it to agents, to test the water. Ooops!!! That’ll teach me. The story seemed to hit the right nerve because straight away five agents asked for the full manuscript and six for partials. I sent the partials and said to those requesting the full that it still needed some tweaking (aka writing) and I’d send when ready. In only a few days one of the agents had read the partial and asked for the full.

I managed to finish the full by January and send to all those who requested it….. most of them asked for it by email which was an added bonus….. 10 days later the agent I mentioned above phoned and offered representation. I said yes pretty much straight away. By February I’d done some revisions for my agent and she sent it out to lots of publishers. Andrew, the editor from Flux, phoned asking if I’d be prepared to do some revisions. I said yes (obviously!!!) and he sent me a very detailed letter. I did them. He was happy and then asked me to do some more, saying if they were ok he’d take it to the Acquisitions Committee. He took it to the Committee and they offered me a contract. The title changed to The Second Virginity of Suzy Green.

Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.

Sara: I follow the ‘little and often’ principle. I always have my current manuscript open on the PC and dip in and out of it all day long. I have a very short attention span and find myself getting distracted by other things, yet some how I manage to produce the work – I suspect there are fairies at the bottom of the garden who come out at night and do some for me.

Now why does that short attention trait sound familar to me?? *wink* Please tell us about your novel, The Second Virginity of Suzy Green, and what we can expect from your characters.

Sara: The Second Virginity of Suzy Green, released by Flux on September 1st 2007, is about a troubled teen who moves to a different town to make a fresh start. She even joins the virginity club, despite not technically qualifying. But that’s ok, because nobody in town knows the truth… until her ex shows up.

Can't wait to read it, Sara! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.

Sara: My agent is currently selling my book about a kick boxing champion who acts as a stunt girl for a rebellious teen movie star.

Thank you again, Sara, for sharing with us. I wish you the best with your debut. Would you like to close with a writing tip?

Sara: Writers get rejected all the time, so when you receive one hang on in there. Very often rejections don’t mean you have no talent, just that your manuscript isn’t right for them at that particular time. I believe there’s an element of luck involved in all sales. Take The Second Virginity of Suzy Green as an example. It landed on the editor’s desk just as he was thinking about broadening their offering to include books set overseas. Right place, right time!

Sara Hantz started writing when she ran out of degrees to study and decided it was much more fun to make things up than to comment on dry academics. Born in England, she moved to New Zealand a few years ago. The Second Virginity of Suzy Green is Sara's first novel. Visit her website, www.SaraHantz.com

Postcard from Arizona

Sometimes good things happen...and you just have to go with them, celebrate them, and tell yourself you deserve them.

On that note, allow me to post the postcard that New York Times Bestseller (giant and genius, author of Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse) Stephenie Meyer handed out at her mega-book signing on September 18th at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona.


(You might be able to enlarge it by clicking on it; otherwise, zero in on the pink book cover in the center.) And yes--your eyes do not deceive you. Among the books that Stephenie Meyer recommends for her readers is mine, Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress.

OMIGOD, huh???

I do not know Stephenie, and until about three weeks ago, had no idea she'd even heard of my book. But the Children's Bookseller of the store, Faith Hochhalter, contacted me to say she was a fan of my book (in fact, has been hand selling it to customers, and listing it as one of their store's favorite summer teen reads) and had passed it along to Stephenie. Together, they made up the recommendation postcard.

Faith was also kind enough to invite me to lunch with her and debut author, Robin Brande (Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature, out now from Knopf) while I was in Arizona last weekend. I felt instant chemistry with them both, and there were lots of laughs.

And you can imagine my out-of-body experience as the two of them discussed my book's attributes? I wasn't just Author Tina, but all the Tina's of my lifetime, who had dreamed the dreams, set the goals, and persevered through the rejections, and finally sold the little book she hoped some people might like...

Back in the bookstore, I checked out a perfectly pink top shelf Faith had arranged. I am also an interviewed First Author in the 2008 Childrens Writers & Illustrators Market, which appears just slightly to the right of that shelf. Any wonder I had to be a geek and take a picture?


And now I'm home and reading--and loving--Robin's Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature, so next lunch between the three of us (which I hope is soon), it's going to be Faith and me expounding on the captivating and memorable aspects of Robin's book. Oh, and safe to say there'll be a compliment or two about Stephenie Meyer, and her books, as well!

Blog Party!

Hey YA Fresh Readers, there's a blog party going on that you don't want to miss!

Check out our friend, Sara Hantz's blog, where she's celebrating a round of guest blogs from other YA authors--including Tina Ferraro and my myself!-- with some cool giveaways for the release of Sara's novel, The Second Virginity of Suzie Green.

The party is going on from August 30th - September 7th @ www.SaraHantz.com.

Check out the party and share in the fun!

What's Fresh with Caridad Ferrer's It's Not About The Accent

Hello Caridad, good to have you back to chat. Please tell us about your latest novel, It's Not About The Accent.

Caridad: IT’S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT, from MTV Books and was just released on August 21, 2007.

Blurb:

Sporting a new name and an exotic new Latina flair, she's ready for her college debut. But is the luscious Carolina really better than plain-Jane Caroline?

Sick and tired of her life in small town Ohio—completely boring with a side of dull—college-bound Caroline Darcy is determined to start fresh . . . as a new person. And that means following in the footsteps of her late Nana Ellie—her witty and vibrant Cuban great-grandmother with the glamorous, well-traveled past. Donning a seriously caliente new wardrobe and a vivacious personality to match, she becomes Carolina, a half-Cuban aspiring actress, ready for adventure.

Once at school, everything goes according to plan. Putting her primo acting skills to use, she flirts up Erik, a smooth-talking frat guy with gorgeous baby blues who can't get enough of her "exotic" charm. The only guy who doesn't seem impressed by her Latina façade is Peter, a quiet, sweet Cuban guy from Miami. But when "Carolina" gets in over her head and finds herself in a dangerous situation, it's Peter who comes to her rescue—and leads her on a real adventure to discover the truth about Nana Ellie and her family. It turns out that being boring old Caroline is way more exciting than she ever could have imagined….

Sounds awesome! Could you share a bit about the main character of your book and what makes her unique?

Caridad: Well, the main character is Caroline Darcy and part of what makes her so unique, at least the way I see it, is what she perceives as her ordinariness. She feels that she has to completely transform herself in order to stand out and for her, the best way to do that is to take on the persona of the one person in her world she saw as unique and different. A good deal of her journey lies in discovering her own gifts and uniqueness.

How did the idea for this novel come about?

Caridad: I needed to come up with a concept for a second novel and I’ve always been fascinated by how in this country, so many young women (with ethnic backgrounds in particular) go to such great lengths to change their appearance— changing their hair color, their eye color. I thought it might be fun to take that premise and turn it on its ear a bit, with a very white-bread character trying to make herself more “exotic.”

What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?

Caridad: Without sounding too preachy, I hope that readers will gain a greater understanding on how surface impressions are but a fraction of what makes us individual.

Thanks for sharing, Caridad. Best of luck with It's Not About The Accent. Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?

Caridad: Wow--so many great books to choose from--lately, I’ve been revisiting one of my longtime favorites, HEARTBREAK HOTEL by Anne Rivers Siddons. It captures such a unique moment in time--both for the character and for the time period during which the story is set, but at the same time, it’s an incredibly timeless story. I first discovered it my sophomore year of high school and I can’t tell you how many copies I’ve worn through since then. Completely fabulous story!

Caridad Ferrer is a first generation, bilingual Cuban-American, born in Manhattan and raised in Miami. Her debut novel, Adiós to My Old Life (MTV Books), was named Latinidad’s Top Teen Read for 2006 as well as winning the Romance Writers of America's 2007 RITA® for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance. Writing as Barbara Ferrer she has also contributed to the anthology, Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and Other Quinceañera Stories (Harper Collins/Rayo). Find her on the web at CaridadFerrer.com and BarbaraFerrer.com.

31 Authors!

Swiped from Little Willow’s blog:

In October, 31 Flavorite Authors will be rocking the internet and reaching out to readers. YALSA and readergirlz have teamed up to present an amazing month-long experience. Every day in October, a different author will be appearing at the readergirlz forum to chat with fans.

Talk about fun with some awesome YA authors. Check out the list:

Week One
1. Meg Cabot
2. Tiffany Trent
3. Brent Hartinger
4. Lorie Ann Grover
5. K.L. Going
6. Nikki Grimes

Week Two
7. Ellen Hopkins
8. Justina Chen Headley
9. Chris Crutcher
10. Ann Brashares
11. Sarah Mlynowski
12. Cecil Castellucci
13. Kirby Larson

Week Three
14. Tanya Lee Stone
15. John Green
16. Sara Zarr
17. Deb Caletti
18. Rachel Cohn
19. Kirsten Miller
20. Mitali Perkins

Week Four
21. Sonya Sones
22. Lisa Yee
23. Carolyn Mackler
24. E. Lockhart
25. Janet Lee Carey
26. Gaby Triana
27. Lauren Myracle

Week Five
28. Holly Black
29. Cynthia Leitich Smith
30. Dia Calhoun
31. Stephenie Meyer
I know where I'll be hanging out in October. Visit ReaderGirlz for more info!