Don’t you love it when great things happen to great people? Well, I suspect that something very great is about to happen to my lovely friend Jessica Brody. For those of you who don’t know Jessica, she is a force of nature with exceptional taste in music (yes, we might have bonded over the Spice Girls. Don’t judge) and her latest YA book, Unremembered looks ready to explode!!!!

It’s already been chosen as one of Amazon’s books of the month and has already gone into a second print run before it’s even been released, which makes me so happy and proud because I know how hard she’s worked for this!!!

So what’s the book about?

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.

REVIEWS:

“Unremembered is a story brimming with mystery and suspense, star-crossed love and mad scientists. I felt like a detective putting together the pieces of Seraphina’s forgotten past right along with her, and the masterful way the puzzle was finally revealed left me speechless.”—Marissa Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of Cinder

A few years ago, I read a newspaper article about a teen girl who was the sole survivor of a plane crash. I was instantly fascinated by the story. Namely because they had no idea why she survived when no else did. I started brainstorming reasons as to why she was so lucky. One particular reason (a rather intricate, science-fiction inspired one) stuck in my mind and refused to leave. It continued to grow and blossom until I had an idea for an entire trilogy. A trilogy that starts with a mysterious plane crash and a single survivor.

2)     What’s been your favorite author moment so far in your career?

Oh gosh, there are so many. Every day I’m so grateful to do what I love for a living. I think every time I open my mailbox and find a letter from a reader in there is my favorite author moment. Anyone who takes the time to write a letter by hand (like on actual paper), put it in an envelope, seal the envelope, buy a stamp, affix the stamp to the envelope, address the envelope, and drop it in a mailbox is pretty much my superhero. Especially in this day and age. I know every time I have to use a stamp for something, I’m like, “Seriously? A stamp? Where does this even go?” So getting those letters is just about the best feeling in the world.

3)     It’s Oscar speech time! Who are the three people that you would most like to thank for helping you write this book?

1. Coffee.
2. Coffee.
3. More coffee.

Okay, sorry. I’ll be serious now. Ahem.

1. My dad (who reads all my early, VERY unreadable drafts and is a brainstorming machine!)

2. My author friend Jennifer Bosworth, who got SEVERAL frantic late-night phone calls when I suddenly decided to change a major plot element like 2 days before it was due.
3. Coffee. (Sorry, you gotta give credit where credit is due!)

4)     Describe a typical writing day.

Well, I’m not sure there is such a thing. It feels like every day is different depending on where I am in the story. For the first 100 pages, I feel like a Disney Princess, floating out of bed and prancing to my writing desk while the birds chirp merrily outside and little furry raccoons make my coffee. For the second 100 pages, I feel like I’m trapped in the “pit of despair” (we need to insert a Mel Smith voice here) from the Princess Bride movie, strapped to a torture machine that’s been set to maximum pain, while I haven’t seen the light of day for weeks. Then for the last 100 pages, I’m suddenly Snow White again.

5)     Tell me one strange random fact about this book.

I’m not sure if I did this consciously or not but either way, it’s kind of weird. So I’m a HUGE Jennifer Garner fan (Hello, Alias, best show EVER!) And it wasn’t until my first draft was finished that I noticed my main character’s name is Seraphina, which is Jennifer’s first daughter’s name. But when the character first arrives at the hospital she doesn’t remember her name so, because of her purple eyes, the hospital staff all call her “Violet,” which is Jennifer’s second daughter’s name. So yeah, I’m feeling pretty stalkerish right now. Very cool. I’m kind of obsessed with Jennifer myself. She was perfection in Juno and now every time I see a photo of her it makes me smile and cry all at the same time!

Today I’m touring the lovely Melissa Walker – who I like very much despite the fact that she appears to be a super woman!!!!! But seriously, if you haven’t read any of Melissa’s books then march forth and do so. Today we’re looking at Small Town Sinners, which has just been released in paperback, and has the prettiest cover in the whole entire world (it’s actually part of the original cover but they’ve just zoomed up on the apple)

Also, because Melissa is an angel, she has given us one little tidbit that no one else knows about the book:

Small Town Sinners
“Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver’s license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church’s annual haunted house of sin, Lacey’s junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn’t know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion.”

Read an excerpt.

A few reviews:
“Walker has written a credible and tender evocation of the moment when a young person’s beliefs begin to emerge and potentially diverge from the teachings of a family’s religion… Near the end, Lacey contemplates a verse from the prophet Isaiah: ‘Come now and let us reason together.’ It’s a good summation of what Walker asks of her characters and, by extension, of her readers.” –The New York Times Book Review

“A non-judgmental, nuanced, fascinating look at the teenage religious right… Walker writes an outstanding contemporary novel with a cast of characters who, far from being portrayed as hateful zealots, are relatable for readers of all faiths. The extremism of Hell House is tempered by the perfectly understandable attitudes and intentions of Lacey Anne, who struggles with what it means to grow up, to question and to think for herself.” –Romantic Times

“Both tender and provocative… Walker creates an astutely balanced portrait of a conservative congregation’s in-your-face response to perennial issues of domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, and suicide, as well as of those who struggle to fit the prescribed Christian mold.” –Publishers Weekly

“This secular story about religious people could easily devolve into camp mockery, but because Walker takes her character’s crisis of faith seriously and sensitively, readers will, too.” –Kirkus Reviews

Well, it’s the new year and that can only mean one thing. Yup, it’s time for a new Lucienne Diver book! And, as normal, Lucienne continues to have the cutest titles and covers ever!!! Fangtabulous is book four in the Vamped series about Gina, the smart talking, always fabulous vampire!

And I’m not the only one who thinks it looks great. Check out the amazing Kirkus review:

“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.”

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.

1 How did you come up with the idea for this book?

I didn’t really have an idea at first, just a place: Salem, Massachusetts.  One of the things I love about writing the Vamped series is that I get to take my characters to different places and throw them into unusual situations each time.  In Fangtabulous, the fourth book in the series, my fanged gang are on the run from the Feds, their former employers, who they discovered were experimenting on their fellow hemo-sapiens for fun and profit.  Where else would the fanged and freaky go to hide out than the most haunted city in America?  So, I had to research.  Luckily, I have a friend in Salem, Don “Vlad” Deich who I met at the same place I met my husband, working at the Haunted Mansion in Wappingers Falls, New York (where the second novel in the Vamped series is set).  He’s an actor, a magician and part of the vampire culture.  So, he was the perfect person to show me around town, including the behind-the-scenes bits.  Once there, ideas started to come at me fast and furiously.  Of course there’d be unsettled ghosts in a town that hosted the most infamous witch trials in our country…and not all would be as innocent as the victims of those trials.  Some might even have a bone to pick.

2 What’s been your favorite author moment so far in your career?

That would have to be at Dragon*Con a couple years ago when I received a call after one of my panels to hurry back to our booth because a fan had been waiting forty-five minutes to meet me.  It was the best compliment I could possibly think of.  Of course, I rushed!

3 It’s Oscar speech time! Who are the three people that you would most like to thank for helping you write this book?

My husband and son for all their patience when I would disappear for hours at a time and for providing inspiration and love.  My agent for the Vamped series, Kristin Nelson, for believing in the books and for doing such a phenomenal job with them.  And Andrew Karre, my very first editor, for seeing the potential in Vamped even before it hit its eventual form.  Okay, that’s four people, but the book couldn’t have happened without all of them.

4 Describe a typical writing day

I get up, get caffeinated, drive my son to school, take the dogs out for their walk and then come home to my notebook and ballpoint pen and write for an hour before I have to start my work day.  I only have an hour a day to write.  I have to really make it count.  Luckily, I have a little more time on the weekends.  Days off are just a dream.

 5 Tell me one strange random fact about this book.

My aforementioned vampire friend inspired a character in Fangtabulous who does a gothic magic show just like him.

Well, it’s almost Christmas and Laurie Faria Stolarz has new book out just in time. Deady Little Lessons in the next installment of the Touch series and it looks amazing!

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?

“…lively first-person narrative…. CW-worthy dialogue, quirky secondary characters, romance and suspense: a winning combination” – Kirkus Reviews

“An engaging, eerie tale about the darker side of relationships – when it becomes a matter of life and death to know who your friends are.” – KLIATT

And don’t forget to head over to Laurie’s website, where she is hosting a brilliant competition:

Karma Chameleon Contest

In celebration of the release of DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS, I’m so excited to announce the launch of a brand new contest.  I’m calling it Karma Chameleon – yes, after the Boy George song from the ’80′s (in case any of you have heard of it; if not, you can YouTube it for fun).  I’m naming it that, not because of Boy George or his song, but because the contest is all about karma – good karma that is, and the spreading of it, and because, five books later, I thought it’d be the perfect time to celebrate Camelia from the Touch series (recall that Camelia’s real name is Chameleon).

The contest is all about giving and getting – hence the karma part.  As many of you know, the law of karma, in its simplest definition, is that whatever you put out to the world – energy or otherwise, good or bad – comes back to you.  And so, in the spirit of good karma, let’s spread some goodness.   I want to encourage readers to do a good deed, i.e. organize a fundraiser or food drive, volunteer to tutor or teach something, visit the elderly or a children’s hospital.  All good-karma submissions will be entered into a drawing to win autographed copies of some of my Touch series books. I’ll be sharing the most inspiring stories on my website and Facebook, and I’ll Tweet about them as well (with your permission, of course).  For more information, see the official guidelines and rules on my web site: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/news.html

I have long thought that Eileen Cook is the funniest person in the whole entire universe and after reading her latest GCC interview, my view has just been confirmed. She is funny with a capital funny. She is also a fabulous writer and this week is the release of her new book,The Almost Truth, which looks amazing!

The Almost Truth

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….

Praise for Eileen Cook’s books

“.. enormously appealing and great company throughout this breezy read…..the highest quality—like a gourmet truffle. Cook has whipped up a real treat.” – Kirkus Starred Review

“Thrilling and creepy, super sexy, and so very hilarious.” – Lisa McMann, bestselling author of the Wake trilogy

“Sassy and sly and sweet all at the same time, this book made me laugh out loud.” – Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Airhead

1 How did you come up with the idea for this book?

Most often book ideas come to me as a collection of unrelated things. A bit of an idea here, another piece there, until it sticks together as one idea.  This process can take months or years. This is one of the few books where I can remember the exact second I had the idea.  I was on the ferry and saw a missing child poster.  At the bottom there was an age-enhanced photo so you could see what the person might look like now. I had the thought “How weird would it be if you looked like that photo?”  In that instant the idea of the book dropped into my head. I ran back to my seat and wrote it down as fast as I could.  I spent another week thinking over some different details, but I started writing almost right away.

2 What’s been your favorite author moment so far in your career?

Anytime anyone emails, writes or tells me in person that they like my books is a pretty big favorite.  One funny story, after my first book came out I was on a ferry and all the way across the room I saw someone reading my book. I was GIDDY. I’ve waited my whole life for something like that to happen. I went across the room and introduced myself as the author.  The woman became really excited and asked me to sign it. I whipped out my Sharpie (I’d bought an entire package just in case I was rushed by fans).  When she handed me the book I realized that while it looked like my book from across the room- it wasn’t actually my book.  I was mortified. I signed the other authors name and ran away. Nooooooo. I had to stop reading this because my stomach hurt from laughing (and dying on Eileen’s behalf!)

3 It’s Oscar speech time! Who are the three people that you would most like to thank for helping you write this book?

(First off picture me in a great dress- I love an excuse for a new outfit) I’d have to thank my parents off the top because they taught me to love reading. My agent, Rachel Coyne for putting up with me (some days this is harder than you might imagine). My editor, Anica Rissi, for pushing me to make this the best book. All my writer friends for cheering me on, and also telling me to pull up my big girl panties when needed. My husband for always believing in me, and my two dogs for keeping me company.

   4 Describe a typical writing day

Post shower, I consume about a gallon of hot tea and sit down to work. By work, I mean cruise random websites with cute pictures of dogs and kittens and occasional celebrity news. At some point I can’t believe the amount of time I’ve wasted and I get serious about doing some actual writing.  I tend to do my best writing in the afternoon, but if I’m in the groove I can go late into the night.

  5 Tell me one strange random fact about this book.

Researching con artists for this book means that if this writing thing doesn’t work out I could consider a life of crime. I’ve learned so many interesting tricks.

Thanks to everyone who entered the DSDU blog hop. The main winner has been announced over at the website and the winner here is:

Mel Teshco

Now that wasn’t too scary, was it?

Welcome to the Dark Side DownUnder 2nd Anniversary Halloween Blog Hop!

Yes, it’s been two years since the DSDU blog first went live and to celebrate we’re holding a fabulous Halloween Blog Hop with heaps of giveaways on offer. Each author in the linky-link below is offering a prize on their own blog PLUS if you leave a comment on each blog in the hop, you’re entered for the
Grand Prize of a $30 Amazon Voucher!

So, since this is such a cool blog hop, I feel that I must share a little secret with you all. You see, when it comes to scary things I’m the world’s biggest wimp. Yes, truly I am. It started at a young age when my father thought it would be a good idea to introduce me to Doctor Who. It wasn’t and I spent most of my childhood convinced I would be attacked by Daleks or turned into some kind of alien grasshopper!

As I got older, things got worse. First, I made the mistake of reading The Shinning, by Stephen King and then I followed it up by trying to watch the movie, The Exorcist. Of course, none of this would be a problem if I didn’t foolishly write a book called, Zombie Queen of Newbury High, which has led to people assuming that I LIKE zombies or other scary creatures!!

But I did write the book and each year I always get asked my thoughts on Halloween! So now you know – though I must say that while I don’t like scary things, I am enormously fond of candy!

Anyway, in order to celebrate Halloween and DSDU’s second year I’m going to give away a copy of Zombie Queen of Newbury High and to win, all you need to do is tell me what is the scariest book, movie or TV show that you have ever seen or read.
Don’t forget to leave your email addy with your comment so you can be contacted if you’re a winner.

Add these rules to the blog

To be eligible to win a prize on the blogs, the reader must do as what’s instructed on each blog by 11.59pm 4th November Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
To be eligible to win the Amazon voucher, the participants must comment on each participating blog. Only one comment needed. Multiple comments will be ignored for the purposes of the contest.
Have fun!

I was tagged by the too-cool-for-school Luisa Plaja for a fun Q&A about next novels and works in progress. This is a Wednesday thing, I’ve discovered, so watch out for posts from other authors today and every coming Wednesday!

What is the working title of your next book?
My next book is called Demonosity and is about a normal high school girl who is entrusted with guarding a dangerous alchemist treasure and stop it from falling into the wrong hands. Problem is that she has trouble choosing what her favorite chocolate bar is, so trying to decide who to trust is almost impossible…

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I had been doing a lot of reading about alchemy and I really liked the idea of somehow weaving it into a book. It then sat in my mind for ages and I couldn’t quite find a way to marry it into a plot until I started also thinking of a demonic order, a bit like the Templar Knights, who protected an alchemist treasure. From there the story exploded!

What genre does your book fall under?
Light-hearted YA paranormals (which probably isn’t a genre but since I can make up demon knights, I can make up book genres!!!)

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I don’t normally cast my books but for Demonosity I could totally imagine Australian actor, Emily Browning playing my heroine Cassidy Carter-Lewis.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Amanda Ashby’s DEMONOSITY, in which a sixteen year old girl’s life is turned upside down when she has to protect an ancient alchemist’s relic from two demon knight brothers, one of whom is good and one of them bad: the problem is she has no idea which is which

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It will be published by Puffin/Speak in the US next August.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I sold this book on synopsis and then had to write it in three months, which, considering it ended up being over 90k really took some work. Though I must say it was probably the neatest first draft I’ve ever done – it’s amazing how much easier I found it with the fear of a deadline looming over me!!!!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Perhaps books like Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins and Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Actually, my husband did. I often call him my renaissance man because he loves history and is forever watching documentaries on television and reading really intense books and I really liked the idea of going into a different world for my mythology.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
This is my first love triangle and at the start of the book I was sure I knew who Cassidy would end up, but by the end I was really torn (so was she!). There is also lots of cool sword fighting and probably my favourite side-kick so far – an asexual genius called Nash!!!

Tag other authors…
I’d like to tag my lovely friend Sara Hantz!!!