Vote for Your Winners

Well folks, according to my blogger stats it is officially May (Bitterblue and City of Lost Souls here I come!) That also brings to a close my haiku contest. Here are my three entries vying to win! As you can see I have a poll up, and just vote for which one you like the most!




1. Mountain Lake By Chloe

Waves lapping the shore
Sunlight glistening on the lake
Up in the mountains

2. By Peter

Dark, hirsute, unique
Symmetrical curlicues
Seneca Crane's Beard

3. By Rea

Pages draw you in
So caught up in the story
But there's no ending!

Author Interview: Laura Schaefer

Laura Schaefer is the author of Notes to Self, which she wrote under her nom de plume, Avery Sawyer. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me today.

1.    What was your inspiration for Notes to Self?

I began Notes to Self after the “25 Things About Me” Facebook meme went viral. Over 5 million people wrote these lists and I thought they formed the perfect framework for a YA novel. Some of the things people included in their lists were so evocative or poignant that I thought the whole concept would work well in a longer format. In fact, the first title for Notes to Self was 25 Things About Me. But as time went on and the meme faded from people’s memories, I decided to abandon that title and the strict number of “things.” Notes to Self ended up being weightier in tone than I had originally anticipated, so I’m glad the title is a bit more solemn.

2.    How is Notes to Self different from other books you have written?

It’s extremely different. My other books, The Teashop Girls and The Secret Ingredient, are for a younger audience and could be described as wholesome and cozy. Both have emotional depth, but they aren’t as angsty or as gritty as Notes to Self. I felt I was really stretching myself as a writer by taking on this project. Notes to Self reflects a darker sensibility and asks questions about what to do when life is anything but cozy and reassuring.

I believe both kinds of books have value. Sometimes you want to curl up with a sweet story and drink tea, and sometimes you want to dive into something darker.

3.    Are you working on any new projects right now?

Yes. I’m devoting a lot of time to my non-fiction series called Planet Explorers, which are e-book travel guides for tweens.

I’m also doing research on my next novel, which will be another dark YA story called The Conjurer. I’m really excited about it—I want to tell everyone everything about it, but I think I should probably write it first before I get too ahead of myself.

4.    When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I didn’t know until I graduated from college. I had dabbled in writing book reviews for many years by that point, but didn’t get serious about writing until I had to make a living. I began as a curriculum writer and magazine article writer and gradually got more and more ambitious as the years went on. I started writing The Teashop Girls in 2005 and that was the moment when I knew that books were what I really wanted to be doing. Articles and standardized test questions paid the bills, but novels are so satisfying to create.

5.    Which authors have influenced you the most?

I read a lot, and I’m constantly inspired by other authors. I love Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Lois Lowry, E.L. Konigsburg, Madeleine L’Engle, Betty Smith, Dodie Smith, Neil Gaiman, and Meg Cabot. I read more middle grade and YA novels than anything else, but that’s because I think of it as part of my job (in a good way…I love reading and calling it work).

6.    What is your favorite part about being a writer?

Getting to sleep in and pursuing my interests. I can spend days, weeks, or even years digging into a subject I have a natural curiosity about. It’s wonderful. I also really enjoy getting good book reviews. J

7.    What is your least favorite part?

Worrying about money, not having health insurance, waiting for people to read my stuff, uncertainty about the future. Being a writer isn’t always easy, but on balance I’ve been very fortunate and I can’t really imagine being anything else.

8.    What advice would you give to budding authors?

Read all the time, and when you’re not reading, write. Embrace the fact that your first draft won’t be awesome and plan to revise a lot. Engage with other writers either in your town or online so you don’t feel alone.

If you want to make a living as a writer, you’ll either have to get incredibly lucky early on, or you’ll have to write a great volume of material. Embrace that. Being prolific is a great way to get better.

Pay attention to trends in the market, but don’t let them rule you. Some trends might fit with your writing sensibility and some won’t. 

Follow Friday

 Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then "broke up" with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

A. At the beginning of the Hunger Games Trilogy I was on "Team Gale", and I was on that team pretty much until the end of Mockingjay when I was like... really? I have been very pro-Peeta ever since. I'm not going to spoil anything for those of you that haven't read it yet, but for those of you who have, I think you understand the parts I am referring to.

p.s. To submit to my Haiku contest, all you have to do is leave your haiku and email in the comments! for more info, go HERE

Book Launch: A Good Man

Loved Dexter and American Psycho? Then you'll love A Good Man.

Louis Caron is a good man - vegetarian, he feeds the homeless, takes care of animals and is even concerned with the ecological future of the planet. But his altruism has a sinister edge - he's a vampire and local detective Taglioni is becoming increasingly suspicious. Louis' attempt to escape the police takes him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to confront his worst fears, but also to destroy the lives of those he cares about most.

Follow this link for a chance to win A Good Man.


Buy A Good Man on Amazon

Review: Notes to Self

Title: Notes to Self
Author: Avery Sawyer
My Rating: 4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.

Description:
Two climbed up. Two fell down.

One woke up.

Robin Saunders is a high school sophomore with an awesome best friend, a hard-working single mom, and a complicated relationship with a sweet guy named Reno. She's coasting along, trying to get through yet another tedious year of high school, when Em suggests something daring. They live in Florida-- tourist central--and Emily wants to sneak into a theme park after midnight and see what they're made of.

When things get out of control, Robin wakes up in a hospital bed and Emily doesn't wake up at all. Just getting dressed becomes an ordeal as Robin tries to heal and piece together the details of that terrible night. Racing to remember everything in the hopes of saving Emily, Robin writes a series of notes to herself to discover the truth.

Review:

Notes to Self is a wonderful moving YA read. I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis, but when I read it, there was so much more to the book than just a girl recovering from a head injury. I loved how Avery Sawyer was able to weave in so much into the book, from family issues to the confusing feelings of young love. It was very believable and not sugar-coated, which I really appreciate. I loved learning about Robin through both her day-to-day struggle adjusting to her new life and recovering her memories from the fall, and through a series of flashbacks throughout the book.

There are many intense themes in the book, some references to teens using alcohol and smoking, and adult language, but I didn’t think anything was too bad for anyone above 7th or 8th grade, depending on what bothers them.

Notes to Self is a well-written novel and I definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy books like If I Stay. It is a very real and touching story that keeps the reader immersed until the very end.

Buy Notes to Self on Amazon

Follow Friday

Q: Fight! Fight! If you could have two fictional characters battle it out (preferably from books), who would they be and who do you think would win?

A. Wow, hmm... There are so many different ones I want to chose! One pairing that i would like to see is Magnus Bane from Cassie Clare's books against Bartimaues from the Bartimaues Trilogy. I can't decide if I would rather see them duke it out with magic, or a battle of wits!


p.s. To enter my Haiku contest, all you have to do is leave your haiku and email in the comments below to submit!

Some News

Hi everyone! I just have a couple of cool things to post about and have decided to mix them together.

Cool thing #1

A couple of months ago I was contacted by someone who was developing a weight loss app/website and was asking for feedback. I thought the contact was a little bit random since I am a book blogger, and haven't even reviewed a book with any sort of dieting or weight loss theme in it, but I gave my two cents anyway. I just contacted again this week that the site is up and thought I'd just share the link since their idea is really interesting and not something I have come across before, it is called SlimKicker.

Cool Thing #2

The author of a book on my to-review queue is raising money for a 2nd edition of his book. While I haven't read the book myself yet I have heard great things about it and am really looking forward to getting to it. If you are interested in giving to the fundraiser, there are also a lot of cool rewards you can get from giving. The link is HERE.

Cool Thing #3

I am still looking for submissions for my haiku contest! All you have to do to submit is leave a haiku with your email in the comments. If you would like to see some examples, just scroll to the bottom of THIS PAGE and you can see the other submissions.

Cool Thing #4

Okay, I just had to add this last one...
I'm sure many of you have seen this already, but the book trailer for City of Lost Souls came out and the link to the trailer is HERE.

I hope you're all having a lovely day!