The Signed Copy of the ABC's of Kissing Boys goes to...

Elizabeth Encarnacion!

Who not only correctly pointed out my source of the cute website, but was the random number on the handy-dandy random number generator that my husband made for me! (Please don't ask me how it works...I just know you plop in the total number and it picks the winner for you.)

Elizabeth, please e-mail me at admin@tinaferraro.com with your address and I'll get the book in the mail to you!

And keep coming back, all. We continue to have lots of fun contests. And later this week, pictures from my booksigning, plus the name of the celebrity who happened by, looked in the window, and...well, more on that...

Wanna Win a Copy of My Book?

To close our YA Fresh week-long celebration of the launch of The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, we're giving away a signed copy to one commenter.

I was tempted to offer up another animal "Caption It!" contest, but came upon the following website that was sooooo darned cute that I just had to share with our YA FRESH readers: Cute Things Falling Asleep.

Take a peek, then come back and tell us what you thought. Even a word will do, but sorry, "cute" has been taken!

You'll automatically be entered. The contest starts NOW and will end at 6 pm PST on Sunday. Check back for the winner, and good luck!

In the meantime, here is a camera phone picture sent to me yesterday--a first New York City sighting of my book! Yay!

YA FRESH Blog Debut: My Book Trailer!

Last month, I entered the Jo Leigh Charity Auction, and bid on a One Minute Book Trailer from Dee Tenorio of Stonecreek Media. I was thrilled to win, and soon Dee and I were fast at work, brainstorming a book trailer for The ABC’s of Kissing Boys.

She did a great and speedy job, and my web designer put it up on my website--in fact, all you have to do is click on the link to view the trailer. And if you’re so inclined, a few more clicks and you can read the first chapter of the book, as well.

I’m thrilled with the trailer, and have gotten lots of compliments (including from my Random House editor, Krista Marino). Yay!

The girl portraying Parker and the boy posing as Tristan are real good fits! The only real catch is that Tristan plays water polo and has to keep his hair short, but this story DOES start on right as school is resuming, so let’ s just imagine he let his hair grow out the summer, okay?



Please--check it and tell us what you think!

Kisses and Goodies!

And let's kick off today with the lucky winner of Tina's ABC's of Kissing Boys Lipstick goodie bag....

Book Spot, Lucile,  you are the winner!!!
Please contact Tina with your mailing address @ admin@tinaferraro.com for your prize. Thanks for playing, Everyone, and don't forget there's another giveaway this week. :)

So I'm so super excited about Tina's latest release, as I am for every one of Tina's books, but this one...this one shares so many varieties of kissing that I just loved reading how this story unfolded. *smooches* It was a serious education! Parker Stanhope was one character I did not want to leave, but luckily I get to read ABC's again and again anytime I'd like.

You see, I only knew of one type of kiss as a young girl that was both scary and thrilling. The first kiss. I remember it in a sort of fond and laughable moment when I was supposed to kiss a boy for a full 5 seconds. An eternity, really. :) I was ready, though. I stood in front of the boy named Brandon, with his shaggy brown hair and safety-pinned pant legs, determined to get through these sure to be life-altering 5 seconds...

And what happened? The boy kissed me 5 quick pecks on the lips. For five seconds...one kiss per second. haha! I chuckle everytime I think about it. I think I shall name that kiss the 5 Peck Kiss!

Come on, there isn't anything so thrilling, so memorable, as your first kiss. Have a first kiss moment to share? 

oxox
~kelly

The ABC’s of Kissing Boys: The Lipstick Giveaway!
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys is hitting shelves tomorrow! I’m so excited! And stunned, for these past two years since I dreamed up the idea have gone by in a blur...


Part of the early fun was learning about kissing. Whoever knew there were so many different kinds of kisses? Steam Kiss? Caterpillar Kiss? See You Later Kiss? (Oh, wait, scratch that last one...my hero, Tristan, made that one up...)

And part of the recent fun was trying--per some readers’ requests--to find the lipstick on the book's cover. My daughter and I set off to the mall, and were assisted by three very knowledge (and enthusiastic) cosmetic staffers who helped us decide on the closest fit.

We purchased several tubes of the lipstick, plus an array of pretty lip glosses and a bag of Hershey’s kisses to create prize bags for my launch party. And hey, this is a launch party, too, so I earmarked one of the bags for a YA Fresh friend.

The contest starts NOW and runs until 6 pm PST on Tuesday, January 13th.

Here’s what you do to enter: tell a friend that you’re entering Tina Ferraro’s contest to win the tube of the lipstick from the cover of The ABC’s of Kissing Boys. Any friend. (Family and pets are okay, too--haha.) Then write the first name who you told in the comments. Like: “I told Lindsey.” Then you’re entered!

Kelly will announce the winner in her Wednesday blog here. And keep checking back all week because on Thursday there will be a "blog debut" (intrigued???) and on Friday, we're giving away a signed copy of...what else...The ABC's of Kissing Boys!

We Have a Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest to win an autographed copy of My Fair Godmother!

And the winner is...

Green Bean Teen Queen!

GBTQ, please contact me through my e-mail, admin@tinaferraro.com with your mailing address and we'll get that copying winging to you!

Congrats!

And a mention to all of you that we'll be having TWO giveaways this upcoming week, in honor of the release of The ABC's of Kissing Boys, so please come back and enter!

CONTEST: Win a copy of My Fair Godmother!

Janette Rallison’s newest book, My Fair Godmother, releases this week. I had the pleasure of reading an Advanced Reader Copy over the holidays, and can tell you that its tag line, “Finding your one true love can be a Grimm experience!” does more than describes the fairy tale aspect of the book, it sets the right tone: clever.

Here’s the blurb:

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

I have to start by saying that I am a Janette Rallison fan. I love her fresh and funny views of life. And while I enjoyed those same elements in this book, the addition of the fairy tale element allowed her to take her talent to new heights.

Some of my favorite scenes include Savannah's attempts to learn the names of the Seven Dwarfs (which had me laughing out loud) and her funny interactions with Chrissy, a decidedly only "fair" godmother.
My teenaged daughter, who couldn't put the book down, told me she was particularly impressed with the hero, who she felt was good-looking, strong-willed, and "mature."

So in my opinion, My Fair Godmother has it all: love, laughter, adventure, friendship, ogres, fairies, leprechauns, dragons--and a plot that surprises and keeps the pages turning.

And now it's your turn: leave a comment about My Fair Godmother or any of Janette's books and be entered to win a signed copy! The contest starts NOW and concludes on Sunday, January 11th at 6:00 pm PST. GOOD LUCK!

What's Fresh with Eileen Cook's What Would Emma Do?

While juggling friendship issues (her best friend isn't speaking to her), a love triangle-turned-square (okay, maybe she shouldn't have kissed her best friend's boyfriend...but it was totally an accident!...sort of), and escalating mayhem in her small religious town (uh-oh...what would Jesus do?), Emma realizes she has to stop trying to please everyone around her and figure out what she wants for herself. It's time to start asking, "What would Emma do?"

Hi Eileen, its great to have you here! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?

Eileen: I was always a huge reader and as soon as I knew someone got to make up those stories I knew I wanted to do that same thing. My parents saved a homework assignment I did in second grade. We were supposed to write down some simple sentences, but I strung them together to make a story. My teacher wrote on the paper “I’m sure some day you’ll be a writer.”

When I was in college I decided that I better pick a field where I could get a “real job.” I continued to write, but never sent anything thing. Finally, I had the realization that I had nothing to lose to sending things in. Turns out rejection wasn’t nearly as bad as not trying at all. I saw an interview with my now agent, Rachel Vater, in a writer’s magazine. When I finished the book that would become Unpredictable (Berkley) I sent it off to her. She worked her agent mojo and we sold a few months later.

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.

Eileen: People have a routine? I really should get one of those.

I love the idea of having a set routine or process, but I find my life keeps getting in the way. Sometimes I write at home and other times I like to be in a coffee shop or at the library. I write in the morning, afternoon or evening- depending on when I have the time. The only consistent would be that when I am in the middle of the story I find I need to write at least a small bit every day or I lose track of the story. What I would tell new writers is to try all different types of approaches until they find one they like. There isn’t one routine that works- it is a case of what works for you.

Please tell us about your latest novel What Would Emma Do and what we can expect from your characters.

Eileen: What Would Emma Do (Simon Pulse December 30 2008) came about when I recently re-read the Crucible. In the play a group of people begin blaming others of being witches and the situation burns out of control. It got me thinking about what would be the worst thing you could accuse someone of today and how easy it is for the mob mentality to take over. Those thoughts were the beginning of the story.

I wanted the characters to grapple with the question Can you still have strong relationships with people when you don’t want the same things anymore? I am fascinated by how we change and how those around us deal with that change.

Great! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.

Eileen: I’m working on another YA, which is currently called Black and White. (Stay tuned the title may change.) It is a story of revenge, classic movies, friendship, and love. I’m having a lot of fun coming up with all sorts of nefarious plots for the revenge part. Turns out I have a very evil side.

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Eileen! Best of luck with Emma! :) Would you like to close with a writing tip?

Eileen: Read- read a lot. You can learn so much about writing this way. Read books you like and books you hate. Break them down to see what works and what doesn’t. Underline or highlight passages/dialog you really like (assuming that this isn’t a library book). It isn’t about trying to write like someone else, it is about discovering the process of what makes a story work.

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.

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. Visit her webstie, www.EileenCook.com.

What's Fresh with Carrie Jones's NEED

Hello Carrie, its great to chat with you again! Please tell us about your latest novel.

Carrie: It's called NEED and it's published by Bloomsbury. It was released on Dec. 23 right before Christmas, which makes it a little scary because a lot of people aren't paying a lot of attention right before Christmas.

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

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

Carrie: Zara is pretty much made of awesome. She's a runner, and she's from Charleston. She is really devoted to social justice issues and Amnesty International. Her step-dad (who raised her) died and this gets her in a funk. She starts collecting phobias, which is cool. There are a ton of cool phobias out there. She's also awesome because she wants so badly to make the world better.

How did the idea for this novel come about?

Carrie: I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.

Right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy – blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth. I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out.

Then when we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.

I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.

It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.

It also creeped me out.

So, I started writing.

Wow, that's a very cool backstory! hah! What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?

Carrie: That it's okay to NOT be the damsel in distress. That it's okay to try to change the world. And that can be the BIG world or your own world. And that it is very okay to fall in love with hot boys named Nick.

I personally would like to fall in love with a hot guy named Nick.

Thanks for sharing, Carrie. Best of luck with NEED! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?

Carrie: I am no good at the recommendations. I'm so sorry. Tastes are so ecclectic and then I start feeling like I'm playing favorites and I HATE playing favorites. Plus, what if I recommended HAMSTERS IN LOVE, which is an erotic hamster novel (not really I made it up) and then someone was afraid of hamsters and panicked while reading it and hurt their head in their mad dash to get away from the book because they slipped on the kitchen floor and banged into the refrigerator.

I just don't want to be responsible for that, so I'm wussing out.

Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives with her cute family in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber- comedian Sarah Silverman.

The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.

Carrie has a large, skinny white dog and a fat cat. Both like fudgicles. Only the cat likes potatoes. This may be a reason for the kitty’s weight problem (Shh… don’t tell). Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award and the Independent Book Publishers Association First Place Award for her debut novel, Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend. Visit her website, www.carriejonesbooks.com.

:)