Mondays: Yay or Yecch?

For the longest time, I’ve loved Mondays. My family--who of course, I adore, but sometimes enough is enough--goes back to work and school and I get to spend quality, uninterrupted time with my characters and my on-line friends.

I’ve always figured I was alone in this (insert The Bangles singing “Manic Monday” and The Mamas and the Papas harmonizing about how you “can’t trust that day”) until I started talking to an author friend or two.

So that spurred on to an Author Round-up with some of our favorite YA FRESH guests. And let’s see what they had to say.

So...Mondays: Yay or Yecch?

Simon Pulse author Wendy Toliver calls it a YAY because, she says, “I can get back into some semblance of a routine."


"My two oldest boys go to school," Wendy says, "and my youngest and I go to the gym. I like exercising and the other women have become good friends. I usually get to write (or do other authorly things) after lunch time and when my youngest naps. I love making nice dinners for my family, and my husband seems particularly thankful after a hard day at work (Mondays are almost always that).”

Debut author Deborah Pape Kerbel concurs. “I have a six year old son and a three year old daughter, both of whom I love more than life itself. But being 'high energy' children, they keep my husband and me so busy on the weekends, there's no chance to do anything for ourselves."


"When Monday morning rolls around," Deborah continues, "I breathe a sigh of relief, send them back to school with hugs and kisses, and then reclaim the silence of my home and the freedom to write.”

Two time RITA finalist Rosemary Clement-Moore is in the YAY camp, too.


“Since writing is my day job," Rosemary tells us, "when a book is really calling to me (or, ahem, on deadline), I work just as hard on the weekends as the weekdays. And on those times, as much as I love my family, I'm sort of glad when the house clears out and I have it to myself!”

The always funny Ben Esch offers us a different take.


“One of the cool parts about being a writer," says Ben, "is that the days of the week kind lose their significance pretty quick. So, Monday is pretty much the same as any other day of the week in that I get to sleep in until noon and eat cereal in my underwear until I feel like getting to work. I understand this arrangement might change should I ever get married and/or have kids. Anyway, I'm going to say Monday is a yecch mainly because there's nothing that good on TV that day, which really bums me out.

"But do you know what day gets a double big yay? Wednesday. That day is either South Park or Top Chef and for a few magical weeks, both South Park and Top Chef. God I miss Top Chef.”

Never having seen either show, I'll just have to take Ben's word on that!

The creator of the Aspen Brooks series, Stephanie Hale, remembers when she lived in the real world of 8-5, how she used to give Garfield a run for his money on hating Mondays.


“But now that I stay home,” Stephanie says, “it doesn't really matter. My hubby has weird days off that rotate every week, so usually his days off feel like the weekend anyway. Luckily I have a calendar in the kitchen so I can figure out what day it is. It is kind of a bummer to send my son back to school on Monday mornings though so I guess I'm still with the other yecch Mondayers. Yeah, I just made that word up. I can do that stuff cuz I'm a riter.”

PAY IT FORWARD author, Catherine Ryan Hyde is on the fence.


"The thing I love most about being a writer is the freedom to make my own schedule," Catherine tells us. " So if I want to work all day Sunday and kayak all day Monday, it just means less traffic on the water. The only slight downer about Monday is that the email (I "just say no" to the phone) starts up again. Over the weekend it's either delete-able junk or from friends. On weekdays I get slammed again, usually with requests from total strangers. Then again, I can answer it any day I want, so why fault Monday?”

All great answers. Thanks to our six fantastic visitors today. And now it's your turn-- jump in and now tell us your opinion! Monday: Yay or Yecch?

The Ultimate Mary Hogan Booklist Giveaway!

Yes, YA Freshers, generous author, Mary Hogan is offering up 2 full sets of Mary's booklist to 2 LUCKY YA Fresh visitors! Which makes Mary uber Fresh in my book. *grin*

Here's the list:

Pretty Face
Perfect Girl
The Serious Kiss
Susanna Sees Stars
Susanna Hits Hollywood (2008 winner of NAPPA Gold Award)
Susanna Covers the Catwalk (British edition)

The contest will run Friday to Friday (April 17th - April 24th, 2009) so you have plenty of time to enter by commenting on this post, but you must return next Friday for the winners. So let's get The Ultimate Mary Hogan Booklist Giveaway started.

Comment to enter...only 2 Fresh Friends will win!

Best of luck!! :)

Visit to CSUMB

About two months ago, I was contacted by a Professor of Liberal Studies in the Liberal Studies Department at CSU Monterey Bay about 25 miles from my neck of the woods. He taught a Latina Reading group! Yes, a group he put together himself to encourage and support some CSUMB Latino students as undergrads who want to become teachers. As part of this process they were reading a series of picture books and YA novels. One of their proposed novels was Graffiti Girl. He had recently had a visit by another local author, Ann Jaramillo, author of La Linea.

Of course, I was flattered! And truthfully, I was a little nervous and not sure what to expect. These wouldn't be middle grade students, but adults reading my book, and I'm just a newbie author, who never attended a university...what could I bring to these students?

Well, I could bring chocolate! *grin* But this time I knew I wouldn't be throwing around candy to get the group to open up. But there was no need, once I arrived Professor Miguel was so welcoming. He joked that Miguel in Graffiti Girl was him! And the group was so friendly, it really was like they were a family of cousins with mostly woman and two men.

The only part that made me nervous was the video camera. *grin* But the professor assured me it was for studying purposes so they might revisit the meeting. We went around the table and introduced ourselves, and the students each told me of parts of the story that they related to, what scenes touched a personal cord with them, and the themes that they felt were important.

I had never been to a group where the readers had each taken time to read my book and them discussed it with me. I tried to share my feelings about each scene and character and what made me write them. It was a very honest, and enlightening, and humbling experience. I was incredibly honored.

Near the end, they each described what their "tag" name would be and how it would look painted. That was very fun and creative! I followed up by signing a few books and taking pics. One of the students baked cupcakes and I took some home. *grin*







Professor Miguel has since sent me photos, a writing prompt from one of his students about what it means to be Latino, and mentioned they have now changed their name to the Latina Reading Crew! I wish the best to this wonderful group of Latinos. And like I mentioned, it was an awesome experience I won't forget. :)

Donate My Dress!

Those of you who have read my first book, Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress know I’m all about recycling prom dresses.

So I was really excited to come upon a new website called Donate The Dress. Established by Hearst Magazines, it’s a national network that connects charitable dress organizations to girls in need of special-occasion wear. Some organizations are strictly prom, some are year-round. They list them by state (and some in Canada, as well), with direct links.

The site also has fun contests, fashion ideas, prom safety tips, and other ideas for energetic teens to get involved in their communities.

And here’s a special offer just for our readers. If you DO donate a prom dress to ANY charity between now and June 30, 2009, get a receipt bearing the charity’s name and send it to me at:

Tina Ferraro
P.O. Box 299
Verdugo City, CA 91046

And as a personal thank you, I’ll send you a signed copy of Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress. And if you already have a copy--more the better! Then you’ll have one to donate to your local library!

In any case, check out Donate The Dress, and if you know a girl with a kindly used dress, or one who needs one, please, pass the link on...

The Great Scavenger Hunt!

Are you ready for a scavenger hunt of the YA/MG variety??

If the answer is yes, then you are so in luck! Author Kay Cassidy has brainstormed the The Great Scavenger Hunt -- a new outreach program for teen and youth librarians in the U.S. and Canada -- with over 120 YA/MG authors participating, including me and Tina!! :) :)

Here are the deets from Kay's website:

If you’ve been looking for a way to get kids reading a variety of books, look no further. You’ll find nearly every kind of book you can imagine: fantasies, historicals, mysteries, romantic comedies, sweeping literary novels… you name it. The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest authors include many New York Times bestselling authors and winners or finalists of the Newbery Medal, Printz Award, National Book Award and Edgar Award. There truly is something for every reader.

To participate, readers (called hunters) simply read a scavenger hunt book, complete the scavenger hunt, and turn it in to you. If they get 8 out of 10 answers correct, you get to enter them in the monthly contest. Easy, right?

Every month, I’ll (Kay) choose one lucky hunter as the winner. The winning hunter will receive a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card (good in stores or online) to use for whatever their heart desires. Even better, when they win, YOU win too… a library prize tote filled with more terrific scavenger hunt books for your library collection.

Hey Librarians, get your library involved by following the steps here!

Big hugs and kudos to Kay for creating such an awesome reading (and hunting) contest and for all the authors for joining in!!

:)

Leggo My Lego!

About ten years ago, a mom told me what it was like to have a “hottie” 8th grade son. She said he was like two people, Joe Cool in front of his friends, and then the boy she’d always known at home. She added that on weekends, his girlfriend often came over, and she’d see them snuggling on the sofa. Then the girl would leave--and he’d go to his room and play with his Legos.

What perfect coming-of-age imagery, huh?

That boy’s an adult now--confident, with an engineering degree and a lovely fiancée. And no surprise to me. Because back when he was torn between his boyhood stages, he found the time and expression for both his sides, which allowed him to mature as he needed.

What’s more, he was ahead of his time. For if he were in middle school today, he could playing Legos out in the open. Many middle schools now have Lego Robotics Clubs which teach engineering, physics, computer and math skills to students while having fun making robots.

In fact, regional Lego Robotics Competitions are springing up all over the country. Here’s a couple pictures from a recent New York City competition where schools got together to showcase and compete their robots:



More information can be found about Lego Robotics programs at US FIRST.

And if we needed further “proof” that Legos are chic, check this out: Lego jewelry!


I’m seeing necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings...the sky’s the limit. You can find them through internet searches, or check out your local Target.

Legos...who says they’re just for kids?

Three Times a Charm!

The only thing I like better than a great book is a great series. Because like with all luscious things, you just want more and more...

On that note, the lovely and talented Stephanie Hale celebrated the release of her third book in her Aspen Brooks’ series this month, Spring Breakup.

Steph is a friend, and has been a guest here at YA Fresh in the past, but personal and professional ties aside, I am one of her biggest fans.

Allow me to gush. Her three books,
Revenge of the Homecoming Queen, Twisted Sisters and Spring Breakup are quirky and original young adult novels, featuring a heroine, Aspen Brooks, who is initially described as being “born to be Homecoming Queen.” The blurb goes on to say, “Naturally she's dating the most popular guy in school, and she's blessed with stunning good looks, excellent style, and mega brains. She's got the crown in the bag.”

In Stephanie Hale’s capable hands, Aspen quickly goes from “the girl you love to hate” to “the girl you love to read.” Because when things start to go wrong in her life (and boy, do they!), Aspen uses her sashay and her resources to not only save the day, but to better her own life and the lives of those around her.

Plus, I always feel just a little bit cooler after I’ve hung out with Aspen.

All three books have the added perk of being mysteries, with some characters who disappear and others who are not what they seem. Each time I was surprised by and impressed with the resolution.

I’m sorry that this terrific series has to come to an end (for the time being, at least), but look forward to reading what Stephanie Hale has for us next, The Alpha Bet from Flux Books, April 2010, featuring a 16 year-old college freshman and the 26 alphabetical tasks she must perform in order to become a full-fledged sorority sister (while keeping a secret and her helicopter mother off campus). Undoubtedly another great read from Steph Hale!

What's Fresh with Liz Funk's Supergirls Speak Out!

Some girls seem to have it all...
The top grades
The best clothes
A great body
A cute boyfriend
But they may also have...
Exhaustion
Anxiety
Eating disorders
Crippling insecurity

From grammar school girls to working women, the pressure to be perfect is spreading like a disease. These Supergirls feel the unrelenting need to succeed -- sometimes at the cost of their own happiness and sanity. A recovering Supergirl herself, Liz Funk exposes the dangerous consequences that can come from striving for perfection. By closely following five girls and interviewing nearly one hundred more, she takes us inside the Supergirl psyche, explaining the causes of this phenomenon and showing how Supergirls can let their (sleek and shiny) hair down and find some time to relax and enjoy life!
With practical advice, biting humor, and the sensitivity of someone who's been through it all, Funk's Supergirls Speak Out is the absolutely necessary companion for any girl who thinks 100 percent just isn't enough.

Hi Liz, it's great to have you here. Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made the sale of your book?

Liz: Sure! And thanks so much for having me here to talk about “Supergirls Speak Out!” I was always writing novels and screenplays for fun in high school, but I turned writing into a career when I was seventeen and started writing freelance professionally. I began at publications for teens like Next Step magazine and smallish literary magazines, and I also wrote a blog for Albany’s daily newspaper the Times Union on Generation Y issues. I eventually moved up to writing opinion articles and features about Generation Y trends and young women’s issues for places like USA Today, the Christian Science Monitor, CosmoGIRL!, Girls’ Life, and Newsday.

When I was eighteen, I moved to New York City for college and met a lot of cool, young writers in NYC who were writing book proposals and working on books, and a friend introduced me to my now-agent, who was really intrigued by the proposal I had written about the “Supergirls” (best $15 I ever spent: Getting Your Book Published for Dummies. It’s how I learned to write a book proposal!). My agent got a lot of interest in the book from the editors she knew, and I was lucky enough to get a great offer from my favorite editor I had met, at Touchstone/ Fireside (an imprint of Simon and Schuster).

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.

Liz: I usually wake up around 9am and chill out on my couch for an hour. I like to start my day by reading; I think it’s a really pleasant way to start the day, but also, I think it gets my brain into creativity mode. Then I like to check my e-mail and take care of any thing super-urgent for 20 minutes or whatever, and then I spend the rest of the morning writing—whether it’s an op-ed, an article pitch, or the novel I’m working on. I like to use music to get me in the mood to write (and honestly, sometimes I dance to get in the zone!), but I almost always write in silence. I take a break for lunch in the early afternoon and then I spend the rest of the afternoon responding to e-mails, pitching articles and corresponding with my editors, and working on school work (it’s my last semester of college and I’m taking online classes to accommodate my book tour!). Sometimes I like to write in the evening or late at night, but I’ve really been working to pursue a work/life balance lately; I haven’t been a night owl writer as much in recent months. It’s easy to become a workaholic when you’re a writer!

Please tell us about your release Supergirls Speak Out and what we can expect from your book.

Liz: “Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls” was published by Simon and Schuster’s Touchstone imprint on March 3rd. The book follows the lives of five young women during the summer and fall of 2007: a high school student at journalism camp at Syracuse University, a high school student on Long Island, a college freshman at the University of Albany, a college junior at the George Washington University, and an investment banker in her late twenties in New York City. Each chapter starts out with investigative reporting on these young women’s lives and the second half of each chapter includes interviews with girls from all around the country, psychologists, writers and media experts, parents, and teachers. The chapters in the book cover topics like the pressure on girls to get into a good college, the confusion girls feel over their sexuality and whether perfect girls should be virginal or very sexually available, how the media depicts girls and girls’ bodies, and the eight million different roles that young women have to play today. Despite that the book can be a little gloom-and-doom (it candidly discusses eating disorders, depression, plastic surgery, prescription drug popping, etc. etc.), I think girls will find it to be a relatable and hopefully inspiring book!

Sounds like you touch on all the important topics some girls are afraid to speak openly about! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.

Liz:: I do! My main thing right now is that I’m working a novel. I probably won’t finish it for another two years, but I’m totally in the thick of writing it right now. Last year, I started reading novels of social criticism—novels that make an argument about society or politics through the story—and I designed an independent study course in school last fall where I studied novels of social criticism by writers like Jonathan Franzen, Curtis Sittenfeld, Tom Wolfe, and so on. And because I read a lot of YA and a lot of fiction for young women, I’m fusing these two very different genres and am writing a novel of social criticism specifically for young women. My novel criticizes the very limiting roles for young women in today’s society and is semi-autobiographical. I think it’s important for writers who want to cross over from fiction to non-fiction (or vice versa) to have books of different genres that compliment one another and perhaps are similar in scope.

Thanks so much for joining us, Liz! Best of luck with this awesome book! Would you like to close with a writing tip?

Liz: I think one of the most important things to do before starting a new writing project is conceptualizing it. I like to get a big pad of paper (like the ones that people put on their desks) and cover it with my ideas for the project (and maybe even make a big chapter outline). Not only have I gotten my ideas out of my brain onto my paper in a creative, high-energy way, but I also have this piece of paper to use as a reference! I think it’s also really good to make a playlist of music specifically to get you in the mood to write. Personally, I find Dave Matthews and the Spring Awakening soundtrack to be particularly inspiring. Finally, read! Read as much as you can, all the time! There is no better writing teacher than other authors when they’re at their best: in their books!

Liz Funk is the twenty year old author of “Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls,” a new non-fiction book for young women about the pressure to be perfect (Touchstone, March 2009). She is a journalist who covers Generation Y and is particularly interested in gender, education, and class issues: her writing has appeared in USA Today, Newsday, the Christian Science Monitor, the Huffington Post, CosmoGIRL!, Girls’ Life, New York magazine, and the Times Union (Albany, NY). She blogs at her web-site, www.lizfunk.com.

Exciting News!!!

The announcement for RWA's RITA and Golden Heart nominations have hit the cyber world today and the nominees for the RITA for Best Young Adult Romance are...

Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Random House Group, Delacorte Press (ISBN: 978-0385734141)
Krista Marino, editor

How to Hook a Hottie by Tina Ferraro
Random House Group, Delacorte Press (ISBN: 978-0-385-73438-7)
Krista Marino, editor

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Penguin Group USA, Dutton (ISBN: 978-0525479420)
Sarah Shumway, editor

YES!!! YA Fresh's Tina Ferraro is a 2009 RITA finalist!!!

Help me wish Tina a big CONGRATS!!!!!

Tina and Kelly Talk Kindle!

Many of you know that Amazon has released their own electronic book reader called a Kindle.

In recent months, we have both bought Kindles. Tina ordered hers last fall, and Kelly got hers up after the new year in what turned out to be the newer version, or Kindle 2.

We’ve been meaning to talk to about Kindles, their differences and similarities, and decided YA Fresh was *the place* for that convo (since YA Fresh is *the place* for everything YA book-related, huh?)

Tina: Hey, Kel!
Kelly: Hi Tina!

Tina: I’ve been aware of electronic books and electronic reading devices for years, have had several friends who have loved them, but never thought they’d be for me. Until I learned our books were being released on Kindle. And then it felt like a must-have.
Kelly: I had heard about e-book readers as well, but became really interested when my lit agent got her Kindle and was thrilled with it. I really wanted to check out e-book readers. So from there I went on my own e-reader search. The Kindle was high-priced, not to mention out of stock by the time I gathered the funds. I also checked out the Sony reader but it wasn’t compatible with my Mac! Ugh. The Kindle had that cool convenience of whispernet, straight to my Kindle whenever I wanted, instead of having to hook up to my Mac for download. But alas, I had to wait…

Tina: I ordered mine in early November. From what I heard, Amazon was inundated with orders, and had I waited another week, I wouldn’t have been able to get one for Christmas. I felt pretty lucky. And it was fun to open it on Christmas eve and go to the website and download my books.
Kelly: Yes, that’s so fun! I got mine the week they released the Kindle 2 in February. I’ve discovered the downside of owning a Kindle, you can pretty much only read Amazon-sold books on it, but I really like that I can also read docs and pdfs once I get them converted, which lets me read my author friends’ files!

Tina: Another thing I like about the Kindle is that I can change the font size--and I do, depending on how tired my eyes are. It helps keep the pages turning for me.

Kelly: I do like that feature, plus there is also experimental features on the Kindle2 such as internet access and an MP3 player!

Tina: My only complaint has been that the page turn bars run so long on each side on my Kindle that I sometimes accidentally turn pages.

I actually addressed this with their Customer Service, and was told it would be corrected in Kindle 2. I’ve looked at the picture on the website and see you’ve got more free hand space. So your wait was worth it!


Kelly: I think that would have irritated me too. I’m happy with the Kindle 2. I wonder what the “K3” will be like… :)

Tina: Who knows , I might end up buying one?

So, turning the discussion to our readers now. Do any of you have Kindles or want them or have thoughts or questions to share?

And for those of you interested in checking out our books in Kindle format, here are the links:

Graffiti Girl

Invisible Touch

Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress

How to Hook a Hottie

The ABC’s of Kissing Boys