BY MINDI SCOTT

Diana Rodriguez Wallach is the author of Mirror, Mirror (Buzz Books 2013). She is also the author of three award-winning YA novels: Amor and Summer Secrets, Amigas and School Scandals, and Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Books). 

In 2011, she published a highly regarded essay in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperCollins), and in 2013, she will be featured in the anthology Latina Authors and Their Muses (Twilight Times Books). In 2010 Diana was named one of the Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch by LatinoStories.com, and she placed second in the International Latino Book Awards. She hold a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, and currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter.

Links

Website: www.dianarodriguezwallach.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/dianarwallach

Facebook: www.facebook.com/diana.rodriguezwallach

Tumblr: http://dianarwallach.tumblr.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dianarwallach/boards/

Diana answered some questions for us, so here we go! 🙂

At age eight, what did you want to be when you grew up? And at age eighteen? And while you’re at it, what about at age twenty-eight?

Diana Rodriguez Wallach: When I was little, I wanted to be an interior designer, which I think led to my love of HGTV. When I was in college, I was a broadcast journalism major, and I worked as a magazine reporter in NYC. And now, I just want to be the next Stephenie Meyer with a megahit young adult series and five blockbuster movies. No biggie, right?

Which Breakfast-Club-style label would have best fit your teenage self? 

DRW: I was a mix between the princess and the brain. I was in the National Honors Society, so my grades were good; but I was also raised Catholic, so I was very innocent with a good-girl image. I wasn’t nerdy, but I wasn’t overly popular either. I always say I was the girl who sat next to you in English. People knew me, but I mostly flew under the radar.

Without giving away too much from your newest book, which character or scene from it are you the most pleased to have created, and why?

DRW: Reflecting Emmy is the first short story in my Mirror, Mirror trilogy. It’s different from your typical book release, because it’s essentially a short-story collection consisting of Reflecting Emmy, Nara Gazing, and Shattering GiGi. The scene I’m most proud of is in Shattering GiGi, the third story, which releases in November 2013. It’s one of the final scenes in the trilogy, when Nara, the narcissistic teen at the center of the series, has to confront one of the classmates she’s hurt. I didn’t want the scene to be cheesy, and I didn’t want it to be just one long conversation; so I had to work hard to make the confrontation “active.” Ultimately, I came up with a paranormal way to give the reader an inside look as to what exactly went down between these two girls; and it’s now my favorite scene, because you really feel for both of the characters.

Which are your favorite movies to watch again and again?
DRW: John Hughes films. He is to filmmaking what Judy Blume is to YA novels, the godfather of the teen genre. I just love how he captures the mind and emotions of high school students, and I think his films are still relevant today. I own a boxset.

And, now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. 😉

DRW: I can’t believe I’m going to admit this publicly, but I’m not a huge fan of either. I don’t think I have any Beatles or Elvis on my iPod (just some covers), that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate them. They are the godfathers of rock & roll to which all other rockers owe their roots. But if I had to choose one, I’d say the Beatles, primarily because I love the song “Let it be.” Though I also love Ingrid Michaelson’s version of “Can’t help falling in love with you.” See, I like covers.

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About the first story in the trilogy:

Eighteen-year-old Emmy is in the family business-trapping vapid narcissistic souls into her silver compact mirror for all eternity. It’s what the Rhamnusia family has been doing for thousands of years, all under the direction of Great Grandmother. Only Emmy’s latest assignment, Nara, is about to prove more challenging than she ever expected.

Gorgeous and self-absorbed, Nara is unflinchingly cruel to her classmates. Even her boyfriend, Luke, can no longer tolerate her actions–much to Emmy’s relief since she finds Luke a little more than intriguing. But when Emmy tricks Nara into gazing into her mystical mirror, what she finds there is not what she’s expecting.

BY MINDI SCOTT

Amanda Ashby has a new book out this week–DEMONOSITY–which sounds so fun and cute!

Check out the summary:

The Black Rose–a powerful ancient force–has been let loose and has taken up residence in Celeste Gibson, popular girl at Cassidy Carter-Lewis’ high school. Thomas Delacroix is the spirit of a fourteenth-century knight who is devoted to protecting the Black Rose, but he needs a contemporary living being to take on the challenge. That’s where Cassidy comes in.

She’s a quirky high school junior who just wants to dress in her vintage clothes, hang out with her best friend, and take care of her father, who is recovering from surgery. She’s the last person who would ever volunteer for such a task, but no one actually asked her. Now, like it or not, she finds herself training before dawn and battling demons at parties, the mall, and even at school. But hey, no one ever said high school was going to be easy.

I’m loving that Buffy vibe in the description!

Amanda Ashby took some time to answer a few questions for me below. To learn even more about her and her books you can, check out her website, or follow her on Twitter or Facebook! 

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At age eight, what did you want to be when you grew up? And at age eighteen? And while you’re at it, what about at age twenty-eight?

Amanda Ashby: At eight my sole ambition was to marry Will Robinson from Lost in Space and I remember quite clearly trying to break his leg so that I could then race in and care for him. At eighteen I had decided it might be quite good to be a journalist but three weeks after starting my college degree in the subject I realized that telling the truth all the time was not for me. At twenty-eight I had finally put the pieces of puzzle together and realized that anyone could think of breaking a leg as a plot device to get two characters together (and who seemed to hate telling the truth) was probably destined to be a writer.

Which Breakfast-Club-style label would have best fit your teenage self?  

AA: Fringe girl! I was always a bit left of centre at school, though I’m not sure I even knew it. However, when I look back at the secondhand shopping I used to do and all the strange outfits I used to wear, I realize I wasn’t quite like other girls (which is of course why I loved John Hughes movies so much and why I still haven’t forgiven my husband for throwing out my Pretty in Pink album during one of our moves).

Without giving away too much from your newest book, which character or scene from it are you the most pleased to have created, and why?

AA: Toward the end of the book Cassidy has had a fight with Thomas—who is medieval demon knight. Unfortunately he can’t travel forward in time so he is just an apparition and the only way for him to see what’s happening in her time is through the eyes of an owl. Anyway, after this big fight she goes out for a run and the owl/Thomas is flying beside her, trying to get her to stop. She is so mad at him and so upset that even when I think about it, I can feel her fury rising up through my chest. It was a really wonderful scene to write. Plus, you know, it had an owl, which is always cool!

Which are your favorite movies to watch again and again?

AA: Thank you for making that a plural. For a moment there I thought I could only list one! Anyway some of my favorites are: Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Princess Bride, Clueless, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Love Actually, Pitch Perfect, Sense and Sensibility (Emma and Kate version), Galaxy Quest, Serenity, The Avengers, Shaun of the Dead.

And, now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. 😉

AA: Easy! It’s the Beatles because my husband is a Scouser (which means he was born and bred in Liverpool) and I lived there for six years – some of that time just down the road from Ringo’s house. And also because Blackbird is one of my favorite songs in the world.

BY MINDI SCOTT

Author Jessica Brody stopped by the blog today to answer some questions for me about herself and her new title, Unremembered. She’s also sharing the link to the first five chapters of the book, which you can check out directly after the questions. Here we go!

At age eight, what did you want to be when you grew up? And at age eighteen? And while you’re at it, what about at age twenty-eight?

Jessica Brody: At age 8, I wanted to be a writer. By age 18, I’d convinced myself that writers didn’t make any money (and didn’t get dental insurance) so I decided I wanted to be in finance. By age 28, I’d quit my high-paying job in finance and was back to pursuing my dream of becoming a writer. Some things are more important than money and dental insurance, it just took me a little while to figure that out.

Which Breakfast-Club-style label would have best fit your teenage self?

JB: The clutz! I swear it’s bad. Clumsyville, population me over here. I bump into walls, knock things over, and even fall down the occasional stairs when I’m having a particularly good day!

Without giving away too much from your newest book, which Character or scene from it are you the most pleased to have created, and why?

JB: My favorite scene takes place on page 73. It’s actually one of the scenes I read at my readings. It’s when Seraphina first discovers one of her many superhuman abilities. She has an entire conversation with a stranger in a bus station and it isn’t until minutes later that she realizes the whole conversation took place in Portuguese. That’s when Sera first gets clued in that she can speak multiple languages.

Which are your favorite movies to watch again and again?

JB: Well, since you mentioned it, The Breakfast Club is high on my list! Also, Sliding Doors, 13 Going on 30, Love Actually, and The Matrix.

And, now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. 😉

JB: Beatles! It all comes down to lyrics. You just can’t compete with Beatles lyrics.

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CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXCERPT OF UNREMEMBERED!

About the book:  

The only thing worse than forgetting her past…is remembering it.

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find a single survivor; which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating amid the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe. She has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories…period.

As she struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is, every clue raises more questions. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

Set in a world where science knows no boundaries and memories are manipulated UNREMEMBERED by Jessica Brody is the first novel in a compelling, romantic, and suspenseful new sci-fi trilogy for teens.

About the author: 

JESSICA BRODY knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self “publishing” her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape. She is the author of 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, My Life Undecided, The Karma Club, and now, Unremembered. Her books have been translated and published in over 15 countries. She currently splits her time between California and Colorado. www.jessicabrody.com

BY MINDI SCOTT

Lucienne Diver’s Vamped series has received some rave reviews over the years, and I want to share with you a quick sample of those:

For Fangtabulous: “Another amusing romp in the series, this installment also sees its hardy heroine beginning to mature, adding further dimension to her character. Reminiscent of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, Gina never fails to deliver the goods.” —Kirkus Reviews

For the Vamped series: “Readers who appreciate Diver’s light, dry humor will welcome back feisty Gina and her hunky boyfriend, Bobby… a welcome lighthearted departure from gloomy vampire romance.” —Booklist

“Diver successfully creates a vampire teen who is active and assertive and has no time for angst. Gina has a biting, sarcastic voice that makes the Vamped books quick and entertaining reads.”—VOYA

I haven’t yet had the chance to check out this series, but the promise of dry humor and a sarcastic narrator definitely make these sound like something I’d enjoy! Happily for me, Lucienne Diver recently answered some questions about herself and her latest title, Fangatublous. There’s more information about the book and the author after the questions. 🙂

At age eight, what did you want to be when you grew up? And at age eighteen? And while you’re at it, what about at age twenty-eight?

Lucienne Diver: At eight I wanted to be a cryptozoologist and discover definitive proof of the Loch Ness Monster and other cryptids. At eighteen I wanted to be a writer and an anthropologist. I have degrees in both. At twenty-eight—you mean just yesterday?—I still want to be a writer, but I want to be better and more successful at it than I was at twenty-seven.

Which Breakfast-Club-style label would have best fit your teenage self? 

LD: I’d have fit every geeky classification you could come up with: brain, geek, dweeb…. I was in honors and AP classes; I played Dungeons & Dragons; I was never any good at sports. I sang in the chorus but developed a psychosomatic illness every time I had to sing solo in front of people, so while I did theatre I quickly gave up on going out for the musicals. Hmm, maybe that makes me a bit of the basket case as well. Oh, yeah, this question is good for my rep. 😉

Without giving away too much from your newest book, which character or scene from it are you the most pleased to have created, and why?

LD: I won’t say who or why because I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but there are some scenes where one of the characters goes a little crazy. Those scenes were a lot of fun to write, and I’m pretty pleased with how they turned out. Why those scenes in particular? I think because I doubted my ability to do them justice, so I feel that I stretched myself as a writer and it’s one less thing to fear in the future.

Which are your favorite movies to watch again and again?

LD: I’m lucky I have time to watch things once. Very rarely do I get to watch anything again and again, but lately if I do it’s not a movie, but select episodes of Sherlock, the BBC’s wonderful Holmes & Watson series.

And, now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. 😉

LD: The Beatles! For one, I like their music better. For another, I read a People Magazine article years ago when I was stuck under the dryer at a hair salon about Elvis and his courtship and marriage with Priscilla Presley. It was enough to turn me off of him for life. (Although I have to admit that his song “In the Ghetto” makes me cry every time I hear it.)

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About the book:

Gina Covello and her band of federal fugitives are on the run after taking down a secret (and sinister) government facility. Strapped without cash or credit cards—a fate worse than death for Gina—the rebels must find a place to lay low. They roll into Salem, Massachusetts, the most haunted town in America and the only place they have friends flying under the radar. But within a day, Gina and her gang are embroiled in a murder mystery of the supernatural kind.

Someone—or something—is strangling young women, and it’s rumored to be the ghost of Sheriff Corwin, late of the Salem Witch trials. Is it the ghostly Sheriff or is someone on this side of the veil using the famous story as a cover up? Gina is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, and she needs to do it before a paranormal reporter on the scene exposes them for what they are…fanged federal fugitives.

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About the author:

Lucienne Diver writes the humorous, suspenseful Vamped series of young adult vampire novels for Flux Books, including Vamped, Revamped, Fangtastic and the most recent, Fangtabulous. Her short stories have been included in the Strip-Mauled and Fangs for the Mammaries anthologies edited by Esther Friesner (Baen Books), and her essay on abuse is included in the anthology Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen). She also writes the Latter-Day Olympians urban fantasy series for Samhain (Bad Blood, Crazy in the Blood and the forthcoming Rise of the Blood).

Publisher: www.fluxnow.com
Author: www.luciennediver.com
Author’s blog: http://luciennediver.wordpress.com

BY MINDI SCOTT

Author Laurie Faria Stolarz stopped by today to answer a few questions for me and to share some details about her latest novel, Deadly Little Lessons —including a chapter excerpt!

First, the questions:

LFS: Probably Molly Ringwald, but less popular.  Wasn’t she described as super-popular in that movie?  I wasn’t a loner like Ally Sheedy. I had a solid group of friends, and could blend in with different groups.
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Without giving away too much from your newest book, which character or scene from it are you the most pleased to have created, and why?

Which are your favorite movies to watch again and again?

LFS: Never Been Kissed, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Juno, Green Card, Once, The Devil Wears Prada, Bridget Jones Diary, Thelma & Louise, Mean Girls, Moonstruck, Clueless, Under the Tuscan Sun, and anything with John Cusack.

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And, now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. 😉

 LFS: The Beatles. Growing up, my older brother would play their albums over and over, and so I’ve sort of been brainwashed.

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About Deadly Little Lessons:

Camelia Hammond’s trying junior year of high school is finally over…but her troubles aren’t. After she discovers a painful truth about her family, she escapes to a summer arts program in Rhode Island.

Determined to put family – and boyfriend – drama behind her, she throws herself into her artwork. At the arts school, she gets caught up in the case of Sasha Beckerman, a local girl who is missing. Even though all signs suggest that the teen ran away, Camelia senses otherwise. Eager to help the girl, she launches her own investigation. Meanwhile, Camelia realizes how much she misses Ben, despite being committed to Adam.

But time is running out for Sasha, and Camelia will have to trust her powers if she’s to save her. Will the lessons Camelia has learned in the past give her the strength to do so?

Want a sneak peek? Go here: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/dllessons.pdf

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About the Author: 

Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, Project 17, and Bleed, as well as the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston.

For more information, please visit her web site at www.lauriestolarz.com

Here’s a dark picture of Catherine Knutsson, me, Denise Jaden, Joelle Anthony, and EILEEN COOK! Can you see us?

BY MINDI SCOTT

I’ve met author Eileen Cook a couple of times now, and was recently involved in a writing workshop that she organized in British Columbia. Our books are published by the same imprint AND we have the same editor, which means that we are practically related, right? I’m so pleased to have Eileen on the blog today! 🙂

I’ll tell you a bit about her newest book (The Almost Truth) below, but first, Eileen answered some questions for me.

At age eight, what did you want to be when you grew up? And at age eighteen? And while you’re at it, what about at age twenty-eight? 

Eileen Cook: Writer, writer, writer. I was very focused.  I didn’t think it would necessarily happen, it seemed like wishing to be a princess or a wizard when you grow up, a nice idea, but not practical.  I worked as a counselor for years as my day job. It’s great work for a writer because you spend your days trying to figure out why people do what they do.

EC: Weird gawky drama girl who dressed like Molly Ringwald.

Without giving away too much from your newest book, which character or scene from it are you the most pleased to have created, and why?

EC: I adore Brendan. This is a common problem for me, falling in love with cute boys that I write. Brendan is from the wrong side of the tracks and has a questionable sense of morality, but he’s fiercely loyal to his friends. I admire his tenacity and sense of humor. I always fall for the funny guys.
Which are your favorite movies to watch again and again?

EC: Love Actually, Gone with the Wind, Dial M for Murder, and Shawshank Redemption.

And, now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. 😉   

EC: Oooooh hard question.  I listen to more of the Beatles music, but I’ve had a chance to visit Graceland. You haven’t really lived until you’ve seen the beauty that is Graceland. It’s a shrine to tacky over the top-ness.

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About the author:

Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in eight different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

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.

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About the book:  

The Almost Truth / ISBN: 978-1442440197
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Summary:  From the author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, a smart, romantic novel about a teenage con artist who might be in over her head.

Sadie can’t wait to get away from her backwards small town, her delusional mom, her jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised…even though leaving those things behind also means leaving Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time.

But when Sadie’s mother wipes out Sadie’s savings, her escape plan is suddenly
gone. She needs to come up with a lot of cash—and fast—or she’ll be stuck in this town forever.

With Brendan’s help, she devises a plan—the ultimate con—to get the money. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax…and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn’t prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, suddenly it seems like she has a lot more than just money to lose….