What's Fresh with Alyson Noel's Evermore!

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

Hello Alyson, it's great to have you back with us! Please tell us about your latest novel Evermore.

Alyson: My latest book EVERMORE, is the first in a new five book series and I’m really excited about it! It’s published by St. Martin’s Press and in stores on 02.03.09. The second book in the series, BLUE MOON, releases on 08.04.09, with three more
titles to follow in 2010.

EVERMORE is about a sixteen-year old girl who undergoes a near death experience only to awaken with psychic powers she doesn’t want. And just when she’s beginning to adjust, the gorgeous, exotic, and wealthy Damen Auguste comes to town and turns her entire world upside down . . .

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

Alyson: Ever Bloom can hear thoughts, see auras, and get a person’s entire life story by touch. She’s also visited daily by the ghost of her dead little sister Riley. Basically, she’s a sixteen-year old girl who longs to be normal again. Sure that her new psychic gifts are nothing but payback for her role in the accident that caused her entire family’s demise.

How did the idea for this novel come about?

Alyson: Well, a few years ago I lost three people I loved in five horrible months, and just when the dust began to settle my husband was diagnosed with leukemia and it felt like my entire world was crashing down. A year later, when he was in full remission, I wrote SAVING ZOE and CRUEL SUMMER, both of which explore the subject of grief and unavoidable change. But when it came time to write my next book, I realized I wasn’t finished exploring those themes though I wanted to do so in a much different way, by giving the story a paranormal twist and pushing the boundaries between life and death, and EVERMORE just came pouring out of me.

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

Alyson: At it’s core, EVERMORE is a story about love, destiny, and forgiveness—with an emphasis on forgiving ones self. I hope readers come away from it thoroughly entertained and maybe even with a different perspective of their own unique place in the world.

Thanks for sharing, Alyson. I wish you the best with this intriguing series! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?

Alyson: There are so many novels I’d recommend for so many reasons, but one that comes to mind is Courtney Summers’s debut, CRACKED UP TO BE. I was lucky enough to get an early read on this one, and thought it was completely amazing! The writing was clean and beautiful, the main character complex—I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Alyson Noël is the best selling, award-winning, author of FAKING 19, ART GEEKS AND PROM QUEENS, LAGUNA COVE, FLY ME TO THE MOON, KISS & BLOG, SAVING ZOE, CRUEL SUMMER, FIRST KISS (THEN TELL)- an anthology, and the upcoming IMMORTALS series including: EVERMORE (Feb 09), BLUE MOON (Aug 09), and three more titles for 2010. Her awards and honors include: the National Reader’s Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Books for the Teenage, TeensReadToo 5 Star Gold Award, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, Reviewer’s Choice 2007 Top Ten, nominated for a CYBIL award, nominated for a Quill Award, nominated for YALSA’s Teen’s Top Ten, chosen for the CBS Early Show’s “Give the Gift of Reading” segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine’s “Hot List” and Beach Book Club Pick. Her titles have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Hungarian, and Romanian. She lives in Laguna Beach, CA. Visit her website, www.AlysonNoel.com.

We Have a Winner!

Thanks to all of you who entered. I loved your captions! But

BEN ESCH

took top honors with his caption:

Cat: This is the last time I use Craigslist!

So Ben, please contact me at admin@tinaferraro.com with your address and I'll get a copy of The ABC's of Kissing Boys in the mail to you!

And everyone, please remember that we have another contest this Friday. Hope to see you there!

Tina

Seeing Double!
We’re doing two giveaways this week--a copy of The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, which starts today, and a copy of Jessica Burkhart’s Take The Reins, starting on Friday.

YA Fresh is just the place to be this week, huh?

Here’s the 411 on today’s contest. I got a call from the owner of the store where I did my big booksigning to say most of the signed books I’d left had sold, and to come sign more. (Insert me yelling, “Yay!”)

In doing so, I came across a copy that had sat in the window display, whose cover had faded from the sunlight. Not wanting a customer to pay full price for a book that was anything less than perfect, I made a swap for one of my author copies.

So the winner of today’s Caption It! contest gets a, well, one-of-a-kind (slightly sunburned) signed copy of The ABC’s of Kissing Boys!

Now, here is an adorable animal photo that’s just calling out for a caption.


I’ll start: “Get it straight: cats rule, dogs drool.”

Your turn!

The contest starts NOW and will end on Tuesday at 7:00 pm PST.

Many thanks to those of you who have entered the latest giveaway on YA Fresh!

And good news--more giveaways are coming this week! ;)

The Winner of Stefan Petrucha's Rule of Won is....

Anum!
Congrats, Anum!! Please email me through my website with your mailing address and I will forward your info to Stefan to mail your copy of Rule of Won!

Thanks!

~kelly

What's Fresh with Stefan Petrucha's Rule of Won & a Giveaway!

The secret of The Rule of Won is simple, yet its power has been suppressed for generations. The universe is one of infinite abundance—ask, and you shall receive.

Umm, yeah right. Meet Caleb Dunne, slacker extraordinaire. Caleb prefers to glide through life with the minimal amount of effort, so he isn’t too jazzed when his overachieving girlfriend, Vicky, convinces him to join a new school club based on a controversial book, The Rule of Won. Slackers don’t join school clubs, do they? As The Rule gains popularity, though, the club members start to gain power within the school. From dark posts on the club’s online message board to all-out threats in the hallways, it becomes apparent that the group is getting out of control. For slacker Caleb, though, the only thing worse than doing something is not doing something.

Darkly funny and exceptionally thought-provoking, The Rule of Won, inspired by the ideas behind books like the runaway hit The Secret, shines a light on the dangers of group thinking and the inner desires that can sometimes get the best of us all.

Hi Stefan, thanks so much for sharing with us! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?

Stefan: Sure! I’d been writing comic books professionally for years, but also trying to sell novels and screenplays. I actually self-published my first novel, Making God in 1997 and received a number of nice reviews.

My big break in book publishing came at the North Eastern Writer’s Conference, where I met the fabulous Liesa Abrams, at the time an editor for Razorbill/Penguin. I heard she was looking for YA authors, and she’d heard some people recommend me based on my comic writing (I was pretty well known for writing The X-Files comic book, based on the TV show). I wound up
pitching a few ideas, she picked one, and I did a few sample chapters, which became the four-book Timetripper series.

A funny fact about my career that surprises many of my fellow writers is that I’ve never actually sold a completed novel – I’ve always gone to contract based on sample chapters, then finished the book on a deadline basis. I’ve found establishing the dialogue with the editor sooner not only gets them more invested, it makes it more likely to result in something everyone’s happy with.

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.

Stefan: Okay, but it’ll sound boring! On schooldays I’ll rise at 6:15 AM, make breakfast for the kids, see them off to the bus and wonderful wife Sarah off to work by 8:30. Sometimes I tinker on the piano a bit, then haul myself up to my office and spend about an hour answering email and cruising the web. I’ll write until 11-ish, then exercise for about an hour, while watching my latest Netflix.

Afternoons I like to pack up the laptop and head to a local coffee shop and work there for a few hours. I sometimes find it easier to focus when I’m away from home. In my office there’s too much else to do. At a coffee shop, I feel silly sitting there doing nothing, so I wind up working. The kids are home by 3:00. I make them a snack, then usually work until dinner
time.

I admit it doesn’t sound very exciting, but throughout my mind is a seething cauldron of unbridled creativity that threatens to call down the stars from their distant, uncaring void and unleash a fiery cataclysm upon our most primal understanding of ourselves and the world. Then Sarah and I read with the kids, watch the Colbert Report and go to bed by 11.

Please tell us about your latest novel Rule of Won and what we can expect from your characters.

Stefan: The Rule of Won was released in September from Walker Books for Young Readers. My second hardcover with them, it’s a very wry look at a certain variety of self-help books like The Secret, which preach that all you have to do to achieve your heart’s desire is imagine that you already have it.

Caleb Dunne is the main character, a devoted slacker who’s trying to keep his over-achieving girlfriend from breaking up with him after a nasty incident in which he’s accused of trying to destroy the school gym. She steers him toward an after-school group devoted to the principles of The Rule of Won. When some of the group’s desires seem to come true “miraculously” the group begins to take over the school, even the teachers, and Caleb, when he stops believing, winds up standing alone against them.

Aside from Caleb, and the leader, Ethan, the group itself becomes an important character through a series of chapters that follow their messages board postings. I thought it was a nice way to get the feel of the school across, and explore how easy it is to get caught up in group-think.

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

Stefan: I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my third book for Walker, Split, which is a little tough to describe. In a way, it’s actually two novels, each about the same person, Wade, if he’d made different choices with his life.

In one, Wade’s a wild child – he quit school and plays guitar at a coffee dive. In the other he’s incredibly responsible and working a project he believes will save the world. When he’s awake in one life, he’s asleep and dreaming in the other – but one world begins to intrude on the other and the two Wades find they have to switch to help each other out. There’s lots of
little threads to the stories that have to intersect, so it’s been a tough project, but I’m very excited about it – it may be my best yet!

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Stefan! I wish you the best with your writing. Would you like to close with a writing tip?

Stefan: Oh, there are so many. A lot of people say you should write what you love, but to be a professional writer (and that’s not always the same as being a good writer), you have to write what other people love (and no, they’re not always the same thing.)

My favorite bit of advice has always been to read tons of stuff, develop great taste and then write what you love.

Born in the Bronx, Stefan Petrucha spent his formative years moving between the big city and the suburbs, both of which made him prefer escapism. A fan of comic books, science fiction and horror since learning to read, in high school and college he added a love for all sorts of literary work, eventually learning that the very best fiction always brings you back to reality, so, really, there's no way out.

An obsessive compulsion to create his own stories began at age ten and has since taken many forms, including novels, comics and video productions. At times, the need to pay the bills made him a tech writer, an educational writer, a public relations writer and an editor for trade journals, but fiction, in all its forms, has always been his passion. Every year he's made a living at that, he counts a lucky one. Fortunately, there've been many. He currently lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife and fellow writer Sarah Kinney and their two daughters, Maia and Margo, where, frankly, it rocks. Visit his website, www.petrucha.com/

Comment from now until Sunday and enter to win a copy of Rule Of Won! Winner to be announced Monday, Feb. 2nd!

What's Fresh with Diana Rodriguez Wallach's Adios To All The Drama

What happens in Puerto Rico doesn't always stay there.

Mariana Ruiz thought she left her summer fling in Puerto Rico, that is until she finds Alex sitting across from her at the breakfast table. Living two doors down from her visiting old flame isn't easy, especially given the unresolved sparks still lingering for her locker buddy Bobby-and they don't exactly go unnoticed.

Her best friends are little help as Madison deals with her IM-only "boyfriend" and Emily sinks into secret mode after her parents' recent breakup. The only relationship that seems to be working is her estranged aunt Teresa who's tying the knot on New Years with Mariana and her cousin Lilly as bridesmaids. But the last wedding detail left unplanned is who will Mariana kiss at midnight?

Strained friendships, stolen kisses, and secret loves create plenty of surprises to unfold before the New Year's bells start ringing.

Hello Diana, it's great to chat with you again! Please tell us about your latest novel Adios To All The Drama.

Diana: Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Publishing, January 2009) is the third and final book in my Amor and Summer Secrets series. In it, Mariana Ruiz discovers that the summer fling she thought she left in Puerto Rico, Alex, will soon be coming for a visit. And as her old flame settles into the guestroom two doors down from her, Mariana finds herself conflicted between him and her lingering feelings for her Locker Buddy Bobby.

Additionally, her best friends are of little help as Madison deals with her IM-only “boyfriend” and Emily sinks into secret mode after her parents’ recent breakup. The only relationship that seems to be working is her estranged aunt Teresa who’s tying the knot on New Years Eve with Mariana and her cousin Lilly as bridesmaids. But as the wedding details unfold, one question remains. Who will Mariana kiss at midnight?

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

Diana: As you learn in the series debut, Amor and Summer Secrets, Mariana feels very disconnected from her cultural heritage. She doesn’t feel anymore Puerto Rican than she does Polish. So traveling to Puerto Rico for the first time is a huge culture shock for her. She doesn’t speak Spanish. She spoiled, she’s very close-minded, and she has no interest embracing her relatives.

But ultimately she learns to open up. And that newfound sense of self comes back with her from the island. So you see a very different Mariana in Amigas and School Scandals and Adios to All The Drama. She’s more worldly, more accepting, and eventually more assertive.

How did the idea for this novel come about?

Diana: Well, Adios to All the Drama is the third book in the series. So it was inspired by the two books that came before. However, the first book in the series, Amor and Summer Secrets, was initially inspired by a conversation with my agent, Jenoyne Adams. She had mentioned seeing a recent increase in interest from editors seeking multi-cultural novels, and she asked the infamous question, “Got any ideas?” I didn’t. But by the end of our conversation, I had pitched the story for what became Amor and Summer Secrets.

Part of the inspiration was derived from my first trip to Puerto Rico after I graduated from college. I met my relatives there for the first time, and I got to see where my dad grew up. I wanted to share some of those experiences with my character while showcasing that the stereotypes about Latinas are just that—stereotypes.

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

Diana: My goal for Amor and Summer Secrets series was to offer a modern-day look at the reality facing many American teenagers who are torn between two ethnic groups. It doesn’t matter whether you’re half Polish and half Puerto Rican, or half Filipino and half Russian, people can relate to what Mariana’s feeling about her ethnic identity.

Additionally, I’m hoping to dissuade some of the beliefs that all Latinas look, talk or act a certain way. Unfortunately, we’re all not Selma Hayak (though I’m sure many of us wouldn’t mind her figure). We don’t all speak Spanish. We don’t all listen to salsa music. Latinas are a very diverse group, and I hope my novels help break some of those stereotypes.

Thanks for sharing with us, Diana! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?

Diana: I read a lot of YA. I just finished reading Skinned by Robin Wasserman, whom I participated with on a panel at the Baltimore Book Festival. Though I’m not usually a sci-fi fan, I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the sequel. I’ve also been reading a bunch of best selling authors whose works I hadn’t picked up before, like Emily Giffin, Jodi Picoult, and Dean Koontz.

Diana Rodriguez Wallach’s debut novel, Amor and Summer Secrets, is the first in a young adult series published by Kensington Publishing in September 2008. The sequels to the series, Amigas and School Scandals and Adios to all the Drama, were released in November 2008 and January 2009, respectively.

Born to a Puerto Rican father and a Polish mother, Diana has experienced the cultures her characters inhabit, and many of the multi-cultural themes expressed in her novels are based on her personal background.
Diana holds a journalism degree from Boston University, and has worked as a reporter and as an advocate for inner city public schools. Her first novel, Amor and Summer Secrets, sold to Kensington Publishing on Fat Tuesday 2007 while she was at Mardi Gras wearing beads and a feathered mask. She currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband Jordan and her cat Lupi, who was rescued from a shelter in Harlem. Diana enjoys traveling, watching bad TV, reading great novels, practicing yoga and cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles. Visit her website, http://www.dianarodriguezwallach.com.

Best Booksigning Ever!

Some people favor their birthdays. Some holidays. Me? It’s my now-annual Once Upon a Time Book Launch Parties that makes my year!

Especially the one held last weekend, with record attendance and sales for The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, and the following quote from my teenage son, “Mom, that was your Best Booksigning Ever!”

I agree!

Many of you know about the game we played because we did the same giveaway here. My daughter and her best friend mingled around with a poster-sized version of my book cover (like the one behind my head here)



and pink slips of paper, asking for name, phone number and a guess as to the name of the lipstick.


Here are some of my favorite answers: Peachy-Keen, Blushing Pig, Kiss Me Coral, Caramel Kisses, Green (haha), Rose Petals in Springtime.

The true answer: Nude. (Dull. I know, right?) But it didn’t matter because we did random drawings, and soon had three winners of “the lipstick, some glosses and candy”: a walk-in customer, the mom of one of my favorite readers, and a teenage guy who said he was going to give it away on Valentine’s Day (aaaawww...).

Meanwhile, people moved in and out, in and out. Here’s some of the action:



















Including a special “guest appearance” by favorite teen author, Paula Yoo.


Here I was, in the back of the store,


but I later heard from several sources that Billy Ray Cyrus from “Hannah Montana” (otherwise known as Miley Cyrus’ dad) strolled on by the store and glanced in at the action.

If I had known, I would have had someone yell, “Catch, Billy Ray!” and tossed him copies of all three of my books. For Miley, in case she’s looking for new projects. But alas, he was The Man Who Got Away.

Still, the fun was far from over, as more people came and went, and the store staff and I decided to have a little fun with the camera and the kissing theme.

What's Fresh with Jessica Burkhart's Take The Reins

Hello Jessica! Its awesome to have you here. I remember when first made the sale and its so cool to have you with us to chat. :) Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?

Jessica: I started freelancing for magazines in 2001 when I was fourteen. It took dozens of queries (you know, those awful “dear sir or madam” ones!) before I paused, read a few books on how to write queries and started again. Soon, I had my first acceptance from Teen Ink—a magazine that publishes work by students. I spent months writing for free to build my clip file and then I started targeting bigger magazines. I was so proud when I got my first freelancing check for $5. Party time! :)

I kept working my way up until I had acceptances from national magazines such as Girls’ Life and The Writer.

In November 2006, I signed up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and wrote Take the Reins as part of their “write a novel in 30 days” contest. I had a (bad!) finished draft on December first. I blogged that I’d finished my horse-themed novel and was looking for an agent.

On January 4, 2007, I got an e-mail from an agent who said she’d read my blog and would like to request my manuscript. Really?! I researched her, checked out the agency and e-mailed one of my published friends for advice before sending out the manuscript.

Later that month, I signed with Agent A. She gave me feedback on the manuscript and I revised from February to May before she submitted it to publishers. A few days after it went on submission, we had an offer from Simon & Schuster for a four-book deal. Getting The Call is a moment I’ll never forget!

You never forget your first call! 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.

Jessica: Since I’m writing a series, there’s always something going on with multiple books. I might be working on copyedits for book #3, forming an idea for book #5 and writing the first draft of book #4 all at the same time.

My daily writing schedule is often something like this:

* Laptop on and ready for work! But…
* Must read top friends’ updates on Facebook
* Scan LiveJournal friends’ pages
* Comment on a few LJ blogs
* Read 47 new e-mails
* Respond to at least 5 of those 47 e-mails
* Check Facebook one more time
* Read Blogger friends’ entries
* Convince myself that nothing major happened on Facebook in the last 5 minutes
* Open Word instead of Google-stalking myself
* Write
* Write
* Write
* Keep writing while Incredimail e-mail notifier checks for new messages every three minutes. It barks, meows, sings or claps when I have new mail. That never gets old.
* Break for food.
* Check to see if anyone died on General Hospital
* Back to writing

I usually wrap it up by late evening. Then, I spend a couple of hours reading, working on publicity or proofreading printed pages.

Please tell us about your latest novel Take the Reins and what we can expect from your characters.

Jessica: Take the Reins releases on January 27, 2009 from Simon & Schuster’s Aladdin MIX and it’s the first book in the Canterwood Crest series.

Here’s a bit about the book…

Who says teammates have to be friends?

When Sasha Silver and her horse, Charm, arrive on the campus of the elite Canterwood Crest Academy, Sasha knows that she's in trouble. She's not exactly welcomed with open arms. One group of girls in particular is used to being the best, the brightest, and the prettiest on the team, and when Sasha shows her skills in the arena, the girls' claws come out.

Sasha is determined to prove that she belongs at Canterwood. Will she rise to the occasion and make the advanced riding team by the end of her first semester? Or will the pressure send Sasha packing?

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

Jessica: The next few months are going to be Canterwood crazy! :) Chasing Blue (Canterwood Crest #2) comes out in March 2009 and I can’t wait! The third CC book, Behind the Bit, releases in May 2009. Right now, I’m writing Triple Fault, the fourth book, and it comes out in August 2009.

So, yeah, I’ve got a few things coming up. :)

Congrats and best of luck, Jessica! Would you like to close with a writing tip?

Jessica: Start a blog! After Agent A found me through my blog, I always encourage others to start one. Update it as often as you can and try to find that balance between personal and professional. Blogging is a great way to network with others in the publishing industry and it’s a challenge to keep coming up with fresh blog content.

My favorite reason for blogging is that mine documents my journey in publishing. Occasionally, I’ll read my old blog entries from 2006 and it reminds me of where I started. It’s fun to have something to look back on. :)

Jessica Burkhart is a twenty-one year old author. Before writing books, Jess published over 100 articles in magazines such as Girls’ Life and The Writer. Take the Reins, her debut middle-grade novel, releases on January 27, 2009 from Simon & Schuster’s Aladdin MIX. Find bonus Canterwood Crest content, a book trailer and more at www.canterwoodcrest.com and view Jess’ Diary of a Debut Author vlogs at www.jessicaburkhart.com.

What's Fresh with Teri Brown's Read My Lips

Serena just wants to fly under the radar at her new school. But Serena is deaf, and she can read lips really well-even across the busy cafeteria. So when the popular girls discover her talent, there's no turning back.

From skater chick to cookie-cutter prep, Serena's identity has done a 180...almost. She still wants to date Miller, the school rebel, and she's not ready to trade her hoodies for pink tees just yet. But she is rising through the ranks in the school's most exclusive clique.

With each new secret she uncovers, Serena feels pressure to find out more. Reading lips has always been her greatest talent, but now Serena just feels like a gigantic snoop...

Hi Teri, it's great of you to chat with us! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?

Teri: Read My Lips is my first sale. I’ve always loved books and I have always written, but it wasn’t until I got online that I found the support I needed to really go for it and try to write professionally. I started in nonfiction and wrote articles and essays for magazines and websites, but I kept writing fiction because that is where my heart is. I wrote a horrible nano chicklit book and tried to get it published. Soon after that I was invited to join a critique group. That was the real beginning of my education, both writing-wise and industry-wise. I made the switch to young adult during that time realizing that my voice was best suited for that genre. Because I have teens and really enjoy that age, that is probably where I’ll stay. Soon after, I signed with Jenny Bent from Trident and she subbed my first YA which didn’t end up selling. Then she subbed Read my Lips. It took eight months before selling to Caroline Abby at Simon Pulse. (Caroline moved and is currently with Bloomsbury),

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.

Teri: Do I have one? No, sorry! LOL. My life is so busy right now that I am wondering where my writing fits. I write when I can. Let’s put it that way!

I know what you mean! Please tell us about your latest novel Read My Lips and what we can expect from your characters.

Teri: The one liner pitch for Read My Lips is: A deaf skater chick uses her ability to read lips to infiltrate the popular crowd, take down a secret sorority and tame the school rebel. Read My Lips came out last summer from Simon Pulse. And my characters are fairly typical teenagers. What I wanted to show was that a teen with a disability worries about the same things as teens who don’t have the same challenges.

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

Teri: I do have another project in the works. I have several proposals started but at the moment, I’m working on a book that’s very different and very special. I don’t think I’m going to say anything about it right now except that it is really stretching me as a writer. Which is a good thing…sometimes.

We are in the same boat, Teri! Good luck with your latest project. Would you like to close with a writing tip?

Teri: Get to know your characters. Sometimes what I think should happen doesn’t end up fitting with the people I’m playing with. They always let me know!

Teri Brown turned to writing in a desperate attempt to keep from having to get a paying job at her local McDonalds. Fortunately, she's been successful, and her debut young adult novel, Read My Lips (Simon Pulse), came out June, 2008. She is also a contributing editor for iParenting Media, and her magazine credits include Writer’s Digest, Women’s Health and Fitness, Dog Fancy, and Oregon Coast Magazine, among others. Teri lives with her husband and children in a dilapidated 1969 ranch style house in Portland, Oregon. Visit her website, www.teribrownwrites.com/.

CHAT!

Doing anything Tuesday evening, 6pm PST (9 pm EST)? Come chat with Tina (and friends) at Enchanting Reviews.

http://enchantingreviews.com/ya_Chat

Hope to see you there!