The Mephisto Covenant Giveaway!

Some months ago, I got an Advanced Reader Copy of The Mephisto Convenant, which my daughter promptly grabbed, read and adored. I blogged about it here, in which I mentioned the author, Trinity Faegan, visiting us once the book was widely available. The book's now out, and getting fabulous reviews, and here's Trinity to chat with us about it.

Hi, Trinity. Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?

I started writing when I was in high school, but didn’t attempt to become published until the mid-90s. My first sale was to Silhouette Bombshell in 2005 and they bought three more after that. Unfortunately, the fourth was never published because they folded the Bombshell line. But I got to keep the money, so it wasn’t all bad. Fast forward four years and I (finally) sold again – a YA paranormal romance. The process is very different than category romance, so I feel like a complete rube, but it’s been a journey like no other.

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.

I wish I had a schedule and stuck to it. In truth, I write in huge spurts of adrenaline and caffeine. The book I just turned in was written in three parts. The first part, I tweaked and rewrote until it was just how I wanted. The second part was written in tiny fits and starts during the summer while my daughters were home, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t concentrate long enough to get it finished. Which is why the last part was written in three weeks, working almost around the clock. I do keep trying to manage an 8-5 schedule, however. Someday…

Please tell us about your novel and what we can expect from your characters.

Here’s a wee blurb I have handy:

A descendant of the daughter of Eve, born before Original Sin, falls in love with a son of the dark angel, Mephistopheles, then discovers she alone can save him from Hell, but only if she gives up mortality and her birthright of certain Heaven to join him and his brothers in a brutal war to save mankind’s free will.

There’s also a lot of kissing. And sex. On the page. This has gotten me some righteous dings in reviews, but even those who are shocked or offended admit it’s not gratuitous, and goes to the plot. This is romance, pure and simple, and I hope romance fans will enjoy it. Those who look for more literary, deep-thinking young adult fare may be disappointed. The Mephisto Covenant is commercial fiction all the way.

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

I turned in book 2 in this series a few weeks ago and am now awaiting edits. It will be released in Fall 2012, and centers around another Mephisto brother and his very rocky road to true love.

Would you like to close with a writing tip?

Write what you love to read, not what you see as ‘the market.’ You have to stay true to your own voice, because that’s all that separates us and makes us unique. Every book I’ve written that I had to force hasn’t sold. Stay the course and wish for luck, because as much as no one will admit it, luck plays a big part in selling your work. Just be sure you have a good project when luck comes calling.

Thank you to Tina, Kelly and YA Fresh for having me here!

Thanks to you, Trinity!

Now, for our readers--in order to be entered to win a copy of this book, simply leave us a comment telling us you'd like to read The Mephisto Covenant, and maybe why? The winner will be drawn randomly and announced on Monday, November 14!

Our SLAYERS Winner...

The winner of a signed copy of SLAYERS by C. J. Hill is...


MRS. DIX!


So Mrs. Dix, if you will kindly e-mail me at admin@tinaferraro.com, we'll get the book in the mail to you!

Thanks to all who entered. And check in again next weekend as we feature another cool giveaway!

Slayers: The Giveaway!

We are so pleased to welcome Janette Rallison back to YA Fresh, to talk about her latest release, SLAYERS (writing as C. J. Hill).

Please, tell us about your book in ten words or less.

Dragons are coming back. Slayers have superpowers to fight them.

Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

I'm going to have to go with Bess because she doesn't take anything too seriously--not even the fact that she's been conscripted into fighting dragons. Plus she has a good sense of humor. I love people like that.

Tell us something fun about SLAYERS. It can be a character detail, something that inspired the story, or a behind the scenes story from the writing process.

One of the inspiring incidents of this novel happened when I was fifth grade and had just moved to Silver Springs, Maryland. All the adults there were quite excited because this was the year that the cicadas would emerge from the ground after remaining dormant and hidden for 17 years. The next door neighbor happily explained to me that this was the cicadas’ way of avoiding predators. Since they only emerged every 17 years, predators couldn’t depend on them as a food source.

A brilliant adaptation, I might add, for an insect that isn’t smart enough to avoid accidentally flying into your hair.

I remember finding a lot of hollow cicada skins that summer, because cicada’s also shed their skin. Ahh, there’s nothing nicer to find hanging from your bedroom windowsill than a creepy, hollow bug skin.

But anyway, the point to all of this was that as a child I immediately picked up on what the adults seemed to have missed in the cicadas’ amazing return from the underworld. If bugs could (sort of) hibernate for nearly two decades in order to give themselves a natural advantage, why couldn’t other species do it too? Maybe there were animals with such long life cycles we just hadn’t caught them emerging yet.

I grew up on Godzilla movies and so had a strong and deep rooted fear that dinosaurs might one day show up and start smacking buildings around and eating screaming Japanese people—or worse yet: eat me.

No one knew what had caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and I was surprised that no one had come up with my theory. They weren’t really gone. They were just hibernating. Waiting until there were lots of yummy fifth grade girls around to chomp on. And there were probably some eggs buried under my house!!

The nice thing about childhood fears is that you can use them later in your novels. Nothing is ever wasted when you’re a writer. In Slayers, dragon eggs can hibernate for over a hundred years, and now they're coming back.

Great story, and love how you were able to bring it forward to your writing! What is a favorite comment you've ever received from a fan?

Sometimes kids tell me they they were reading my book in school--when they were supposed to be doing something else--and they got caught because they laughed out loud. You've got to love a kid who risks punishment to read.

Great! What are you working on now?

I have some revisions to do on a paranormal romance, and then I'll start writing the second book of Slayers.

Thanks so much, Janette!

Now, for our readers, in order to be entered to win a signed copy of Slayers, and playing off Janette's chat about cicadas flying into her hair and shedding their skins on her window sill, mention a bug that is less than thrilling to you in our comments. (I'll start: since I have a bee allergy, for me it's, well, bees!)

Best of luck, and be sure to check in on Monday to see the name of the randomly drawn winner!

Reality TV--Yes!

So...in case you didn't know, I love me some good reality TV. Every now and then I may skip a season but I'm pretty faithful. Big Brother---Yes! Real World---Yep! The Voice---Uh-huh! Dancing With the Stars---Totally! And I just finished Halloween Wars on The Food Network, that was fun.

Right now, I am totally hooked on Dancing with the Stars! It has drama, humor, and entertaining dances! Anybody else watching?

So the dancers in the lead are JR Martinez and Ricki Lake (Totally watched her show everyday after high school). Of course, I love them.

I have to say, the celebs I look forward to watching are Rob Kardashian and David Arquette. They've been improving each week and you never know what to expect from them.

Do I have some reality TV friends out there?

Our Halloween Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to all who shared their favorite candies with us this weekend in our Halloween Easy-Peasy Giveaway!

Our randomly chosen winner, with the answer of "anything chocolate" is:

ELAINE!

So Elaine, if you would contact me at admin@tinaferraro.com, I will make sure that $10 gift card to Amazon.com will get soaring to you on spooky bat wings to add a little something special to your Halloween holiday.

Our Halloween Easy-Peasy Giveaway

It’s been a few years since I’ve escorted trick-or-treaters through the darkened streets for goodies, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a fun time every October 31st. I’ve come to realize that being on the inside of the door is a great time, too, getting to see the costumes, hear the chatter and giggles...and of course, the collective: “Trick or Treat!”

Generally, I let the trick-or-treaters reach their hands into my candy bowl and pick a couple of their favorites, since I’m never really sure what kids like. Back in my day, we were all about the chocolate candy bars like Snickers and Almond Joys and Baby Ruths, but my kids were of the age, they loved the brightly colored candies like Sour Patch Kids and Skittles and Mike and Ike.


In anticipation of Halloween, I thought I’d give a $10 Amazon.gift card to be used toward a costume, candy, or if you’re like me, a good book to keep you company in between doorbell rings. All you have to do to be entered is leave us a comment telling us a favorite candy. Like I said, easy-peasy! And check back on Monday to learn the winner’s name, which will be drawn at random.

Our Winner!

I used my random number generator again to pick the winner of this weekend's contest for a copy of MY SOUL TO STEAL by Rachel Vincent. And that winner is:

LIEDER MADCHEN!

Congrats to Lieder Madchen, and thanks to all for the wonderful choices on which books you would love to be able to read again for the first time!

Lieder Madchen, please contact me at admin@tinaferraro.com to get the book in the mail to you.

Giveaway: To Re-Read For the First Time...

Every now and then as I am passing by my bookshelf, a title will leap out at me. Often it’s a favorite (which is why I kept it!) and often I find myself remembering what I’d loved so much about it...and wishing I could read it again for the first time. That I was back edge of my seat, spellbound, wondering What. Would. Happen. Next.

Like when I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Split by Swati Avashthi, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, and so many others.

How about you? Tell us in the comments the name of a favorite book you wish you could experience (again) for the first time, and be entered to win a copy of Rachel Vincent’s My Soul to Steal!


The winner will be drawn randomly and announced on Monday!

What's Fresh Kristina Springer's Just Your Average Princess

 Jamie Edwards has loved everything about growing up on a pumpkin patch, but ever since her cousin Milan Woods arrived, things have really stunk. Jamie can’t imagine it was easy for Milan to leave her life back in Los Angeles and move to Average, Illinois, population one thousand. But it’s kind of hard to feel sorry for her since (a) Milan’s drop-dead gorgeous; (b) she’s the daughter of two of Hollywood’s hottest film stars; (c) she’s captured the attention of everyone in town, including Danny, Jamie’s crush since forever; and (d) she’s about to steal the title of Pumpkin Princess right out from underneath Jamie!

Hello Kristina! It is great to have you back again on YA Fresh. Please tell us about your latest novel, Just Your Average Princess, and what we can expect from your characters.

Kristina: Just Your Average Princess (FSG, 10/11/11) is about a girl who has spent her life on her parent’s pumpkin patch, always dreaming of one day being the Pumpkin Princess at the town’s Fall festival. Her cousin from Hollywood, and daughter of two A-list movie stars, gets dropped off to spend pumpkin season with them and pretty much turns the main character’s world upside down.

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

Kristina: Right now my newest YA book, THE PAPARAZZI PROJECT, is on submission. This was a super fun book to write and I think any tabloid loving teen will love it.

Good luck with that! Thanks again for sharing, Kristina, have another Writing tip for our readers?

Kristina: Don’t give up.

Kristina Springer is the author of THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, and the forthcoming JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS (fall 2011). She has a Masters in Writing from DePaul University and she resides in a suburb of Chicago with her husband and children. Visit her website www.kristinaspringer.com.

Code Name Verity!

I recently came upon this blurb for a February 2012 Egmont young adult release, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein:

Only in wartime could a stalwart lass from Manchester rub shoulders with a Scottish aristocrat, one an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot, the other a wireless operator with the WAAF. Yet whenever their paths cross, they complement each other perfectly and before long become devoted friends.

But then a vital mission goes wrong, and one of the friends has to bail out of a faulty plane over France. Almost immediately she is arrested by the Gestapo, and it seems her mission may be over before it's even begun. The story begins in "Verity's" own words, as she writes her account for her captors...

I love a good action/adventure story, and admit to a real bias for British dramas about the 20th century, some of my favorite programming of late being The King’s Speech and the BBC series, Downton Abbey.

I believe some ARCs (advanced reader copies) are out and about. Has anyone read this or heard good things about it?

Or are there are any upcoming releases you are eagerly anticipating?