Waiting on Wednesday: Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block

PRETTY DEAD by: FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK

Reading level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 208 Pages

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date - September 22nd 2009

About the Book - The object of envy and desire, Charlotte Emerson seems to have the perfect life...but she’s been dead for almost a century. When a new romance converges with the return of her first love, Charlotte becomes the subject of a dark bargain that might give her the only thing she’s ever coveted—the chance to be human again. Critically acclaimed writer Francesca Lia Block gives the undead a second chance at life in Pretty Dead.

This provocative, riveting, and wonderfully accessible new novel will reach a new generation of readers who have yet to discover Francesca Lia Block.

I found an interview the author did at Deer Women blog, and this is what she said about Pretty Dead-

"Pretty Dead is about Charlotte, a ninety-nine year old vampire in the body of a seventeen year old girl.

Charlotte becomes close to her best friend Emily’s boyfriend, a beautiful “black sheep” named Jared. As their relationship grows, Charlotte must confront her terrifying past, embodied in the person of her maker William Stone Eliot who has come looking for her."

This sounds really intriguing to me! I love a good romantic entanglement, especially when there are vampires involved!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event to spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. It's hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Cover for Tempted Revealed!

I read on PC Cast's blog that the guy with Zoey is definitely Stark and the one in the background is of course Heath. What do you think? Tempted Releases October 27th 2009.

About the Book-

So…you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul? Find out in the next spectacular installment in the House of Night series, TEMPTED.

( UK Cover)

Selected line from Tempted --

“You and I are bound. We will be each other’s salvation, or each other’s doom” He took a step closer to me and I mirrored his movement by taking a step backwards.
“Which shall it be? Salvation or doom?”

Win a Signed Copy of Blue Moon by Alyson Noel!

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED

Alyson has been kind enough to offer one lucky winner a chance to win a
SIGNED COPY of BLUE MOON!

Rules: 1 Winner!
1. Comment on Author Interview here: +1
2. Link to blog: +1
3. Follow me on Twitter +1
4. Follower : +2
Total = 5 entries

Contest ends August 18th at midnight eastern standard time. US Residents ONLY for this contest! Please be sure to leave me your email address so I can get in touch if you win.

Thanks everyone and GOOD LUCK!

Interview with Alyson Noel, Author of The Immortals Series

Today, in celebration of Tantalizing Tuesday, I'd like to welcome Alyson Noel, bestelling author of numerous books for teens and adults. She is the bestelling author of Evermore, the first book in the Immortals Series and it's follow up, Blue Moon, which has garnered numerous praise and debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List.

In Blue Moon, the second installment in The Immortals Series, we get to journey to Summerland and also learn more about Ever and Damen’s past lives. How did you come up with the beautifully crafted world of Summerland? And was this book harder to write than Evermore?

I did a lot of research to create the series, took seminars on psychic development, went under hypnosis, and read a ton of metaphysical books, some of which describe The Summerland, a dimension that is very real in many spiritual beliefs. So basically I created my own version of an existing idea, imagining it to include shimmering mist, pulsating trees, rainbow colored streams, flowers that shiver, Great Halls of Learning, and all the other things that Ever finds there.

And yes, BLUE MOON was definitely harder to write than EVERMORE, but mostly because it was my first sequel and it didn’t really occur to me while writing EVERMORE to keep detailed notes on all the little minutiae and continuity details that crop up along the way. So I had to go back and reread it, starting a sort of story Bible that I now add to with each successive book.

You’ve said the inspiration for both Saving Zoe and The Immortals Series was born out of your own painful experiences with grief and loss. Did exploring those themes in your writing help you get through those tough times?

Absolutely. I often say that SAVING ZOE helped me get through the grief and EVERMORE helped me make sense of it. I poured a lot of my own feelings into those books, and they provided great catharsis because of it.

You’ve traveled all over the world both on your own and during the time you worked as a flight attendant for a major airline. Among all your travels, was there one place in particular that you really loved, and that you hope to one day visit again?

I’ve loved most every place I’ve visited for one reason or another. But one of my favorite, most magical, experiences was a trip to Marrakesh. It took us over 24 hours to get there from Orange County, CA—involving a series of trains, planes, and automobiles—and when we finally arrived, we found ourselves in the medina at twilight, filled with snake charmers, veiled women, and the pungent scent of spices. A guy arrived with a wheel barrow which he tossed our luggage into, then led us on a chase through a winding maze of nameless, narrow, dirt, alleyways until arriving at a small non descript door that opened to the most beautiful oasis I’d ever seen. What started like a scene straight out of Indiana Jones soon turned into the most romantic evening ever. Our bed was showered with rose petals, we were served a seven course dinner in our own private, candle lit, courtyard—it was completely and totally dreamy and I really hope to repeat that someday!

If you could dive into any novel and become one of the characters for the day, what novel would you choose?

I’d choose WUTHERING HEIGHTS so I could be Catherine and skip the whole “social advancement” stage, tell Heathcliff I love him, and alleviate a whole lot of suffering! But then it wouldn’t be WUTHERING HEIGHTS anymore would it? So maybe not.

You have written numerous books for adults and teens. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned since becoming a successful author?

To ignore your Amazon rankings as well as your Amazon reviews. In fact, avoid all rankings and reviews and just focus your energy on writing your next book. It’s the best way to promote yourself and that’s all your readers (and your publisher!) really want from you anyway!

The rights to Evermore have been sold for a possible television series. Is there any updated news on the show? Also—do you think the actors roles would best be portrayed by unknowns or are there certain actors you think of when you envision the main characters?

Well, it’s funny because on the one hand I’m such a visual writer—I can see my characters so clearly I often feel like I’m merely transcribing the movie in my head! And yet, on the other hand, because I know them so well, it’s hard for me to cast them with real, live, actors in mind! Though a few readers have mentioned Ben Barnes for Damen, and I must say, after Googling him I’ve found him to be suitably dreamy!

You are creating a new series based on the character of Riley (Ever’s ghostly sister). Can you tell us more about that book, as well as other upcoming projects we can look forward to?

When I was approached to write the series for Riley I was thrilled! She was such a fun character—and a bit of a scene-stealer too—ending up with a much bigger role in EVERMORE than I originally anticipated. And while I haven’t started writing her story yet (I’m currently working on UNTITLED IMMORTALS BOOK 4- yup, that’s what I’m calling it!), it’s going to be about her life in the afterlife, and I can’t wait to get started!

The IMMORTALS series will encompass six books, and I’m working on another series idea for the future—but at the moment, that’s all I can say.

Can you give us a little hint as to what’s in store for Ever and Damen in the third installment of the Immortals series- Shadowland?

If you haven’t read BLUE MOON yet please scroll away now!!

Seriously, major spoilers lie ahead.

Consider yourself warned!

Okay, now that that’s done, BLUE MOON ended with Roman tricking Ever into feeding Damen an elixir that rendered their touch lethal. And while I know a few people found that to be really sad, the funny thing is, I actually thought it ended on a hopeful note since Damen is well gain, and the two soul-mates are back together after a very agonizing time apart—I mean, hopeful, right??!!

So, SHADOWLAND finds them searching for an antidote to reverse the curse, but they run into a few glitches along the way . . .

Or, as it says on the new website at: http://www.immortalsseries.com

“At the start of this breathtaking novel, Damen and Ever travel to Summerland in search of an antidote to reverse a powerful poison. But instead of the cure they seek, they find something far more sinister: the truth about their existence and the fate lying in wait of an immortal’s soul.

Now, with Damen fighting to save them from the Shadowland, Ever turns to magick, hoping to break Damen’s curse. Along the way Ever encounters the mysterious Jude, finding herself drawn to him in a way that will test her love for Damen like never before . . .”

Oh, and even though the back pages of BLUE MOON show it being released in February, it has now been moved up a month to January 5, 2010!

THANKS FOR SUCH A GREAT INTERVIEW!!!

Thank you Alyson for stopping by!

Alyson Noël is an Orange County native who has lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan, but now finds herself settled with her husband back in California, where she writes full time. Alyson is also the author of numerous books, including The Immortals Series, Saving Zoë, Cruel Summer, Kiss & Blog, Faking 19, Art Geeks and and the adult novel Fly Me to the Moon. Her books have won many awards and nominations, including the National Reader's Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award and Flamingnet Net Top Choice Award.

For more information, please visit her Official Website, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and her Blog!

In my Mailbox: Week of July 20th-24th

Another Faust by Dina & Daniel Nayeri -

Candlewick -Publication Date : August 25th 2009
Synopsis - One night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish - only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city’s most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor’s extraordinary “gifts.”

But as the students claw their way up - reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty - the side-effects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins.

At once chilling and wickedly satirical, this contemporary reimagining of the Faustian bargain is a compelling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.

Side note- I actually was the WINNER of Daniel & Dina's pre-order contest!! I got a galley of the book, signed by both authors AND (here's the best part) a deleted scene handwritten inside by Dina herself!! How's that for lucky?! There's still another chance to win as they are doing another contest, so if you have already pre-ordered the book, head on over NOW!

VIOLET WINGS by Victoria Hanley (For Review)

EgmontUSA -Publication Date : August 25th 2009
Synopsis - Orphaned fairy Zaria Tourmaline has always been told that her parents were killed by humans after taking an ordinary portal to Earth. Three years after their disappearance, Zaria finally turns twelve, and her inborn magic rises into being. But no sooner does she catch her first glimpse of the human world through a fey scope than she is Earth-struck! She wants nothing more than to go to Earth herself, despite the dangers. Zaria and her friend Leona sneak through a portal, and right away things begin to go wrong. First, they allow themselves to be seen by humans, which is a crime. They are caught and punished, but this doesn’t stop them from visiting Earth again. Leona’s wand is stolen by a human, and in helping to get it back, Zaria forms an acquaintance with a boy whose father is missing. Back in Feyland, she discovers she is one of the most powerful fairies alive—and others want her magic. She even begins to suspect that the mentor assigned to her—the beautiful and manipulative Lily Morganite—is behind her family’s disappearance. Lily uses enchantments to turn Zaria’s friends against her, and Zaria must seek help from a double-crossing genie, only to find herself bound by unbreakable troll magic. Betrayed and alone, how can Zaria free herself, save her friends, and find out what really happened to her lost family?

SCONES & SENSIBILITY by Lindsay Eland (For Review)

EgmontUSA -Publication Date: December 22nd 2009
Synopsis- Polly Madassa is convinced she was born for a more romantic time. A time when Elizabeth Bennet and Anne of Green Gables walked along the moors and beaches of the beautiful land, a time where a distinguished gentleman called upon a lady of quality and true love was born in the locked eyes of two young lovers.

But alas, she was not.

This, however, does not stop our young heroine from finding romance wherever she can conjure it up. So while Polly is burdened with a summer job of delivering baked goods from her parents bakery (how quaint!) to the people in her small beach town, she finds a way to force…um…encourage romance to blossom. She is determined to bring lovers, young and old, together…whether they want to be or not.

HUSH, HUSH by BECCA FITZPATRICK (For Review)

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Publication Date: October 13th 2009

Synopsis - Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life

LITTLE BLACK LIES by TISH COHEN
Egmont USA - Publication Date: September 13th 2009

Sara and her father are moving to Boston from small-town Lundun, Massachusetts. She is going to attend the very elite Anton High School-- crowned "North America's Most Elite and Most Bizarre" by Time magazine, harder to get into than Harvard. As the new girl, Sara doesn't know anyone--better yet, no one knows her. And that means she can escape her family's checkered past and her father can be a surgeon instead of "Crazy Charlie" the school janitor.

What's the harm of a few little black lies? Especially if it transforms Sara into Anton's newest popular girl. But then one of the It girls at school starts looking into Sara's past, and her father's obsessive compulsive disorder takes a turn for the worse. Soon, the whole charade just might come crashing down...

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren, where we talk about what books we got over the past week (store purchases/mailbox deliveries/library, etc)

Note--thanks to the wonderful people at Egmont for all the great books. Can't wait to read/review them. :)

Friday Finds: Friday July 24th 2009

Friday Finds was formed over at Should Be Reading -

"The idea is to share, every Friday, about books that you’ve recently discovered (never heard of before) that sound really good!"

THE STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL TALE OF MISS PERCY PARKER by Leanna Renee Hieber
Publication Date- August 25th 2009

Synopsis- What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Considering how few of Queen Victoria’s Londoners knew of it, the great Romanesque fortress was dreadfully imposing, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met the powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadow, the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She knew simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow-white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gifts. But this arched stone doorway offered a portal to a new life, an education far from the convent—and an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death….

I found out about this from a review Jess did at Book Reviews by Jess! Go check it out!

THE ETERNAL KISS: 13 VAMPIRE TALES OF BLOOD AND DESIRE by by Rachel Caine, et al.
Publication Date - July 27th 2009

Synopsis - There’s an allure to vampire tales that have seduced readers for generations. From Bram Stoker to Stephanie Meyer and beyond, vampire stories are here to stay. For those fresh-blooded fans of paranormal romance or for those whose hunt and hunger never dies, these stories have what readers want! This collection of original tales comes from some of the hottest, most popular, and best-selling YA writers, including: Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Tithe),Libba Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty), Melissa De La Cruz (Blue Blood, Cassandra Clare (City of Bones), Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires),Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie (Wicked), Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof, Queen of Cool),Kelley Armstrong (Women of Otherworld), Maria V. Snyder, Sarah Rees Brennan, Lili St. Crow, Karen Mahoney and Dina James. They will make everyone a sucker for eternal kisses.

FORGET-HER-NOTS by Amy Brecount White
Publication Date- March 2nd 2010

Synopsis - When someone leaves three mystery flowers outside her dorm door, Laurel thinks that maybe the Avondale School isn’t so awful after all — until her own body starts to freak out. In the middle of her English presentation on the Victorian Language of Flowers, strange words pop into her head, and her body seems to tingle and hum. Impulsively, Laurel gives the love bouquet she made to demonstrate the language to her spinster English teacher. When that teacher unexpectedly and immediately finds romance, Laurel suspects that something — something magical — is up. With her new friend, Kate, she sets out to discover the origins and breadth of her powers by experimenting on herself and others. But she can’t seem to find any living experts in the field of flower powers to guide her. And her bouquets don’t always do her bidding, especially when it comes to her own crush, Justin. Rumors about Laurel and her flowers fly across campus, and she’s soon besieged by requests from girls — both friends and enemies — who want their lives magically transformed — just in time for prom.


Captivate by Carrie Jones
Puplication Date- January 2010

If you were a big fan of Need by Carrie Jones like myself, then you will be happy to know there is a sequel, Captivate, coming out in January 2010! In an interview back in May '09 Carrie told blogger Kelly Fineman these fun facts about Captivate--

1. What happens in it surprises me a lot.
2. Zara becomes even more of a butt kicker.
3. Bad stuff happens.
4. Someone dies.
5. She deals with some interesting pixies.

( I wonder who dies? Better not be Betty! She's my favorite character!)

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
Publication Date - Spring 2010

Beth Fantaskey, author of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side has a new book coming out in the Spring of 2010, called Jekel Loves Hyde. In an interview with Wondrous Reads back in April, she described the book as -

"It’s a different kind of twist on the paranormal. Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde are two high school students who gradually discover that they share a mysterious, possibly dangerous, connection to the old novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As they race against the clock to figure out the puzzle, they start to fall for each other – which is probably the worst thing that could happen to them."

(Sounds intriguing right?)

ANGELS LIE by Melissa de la Cruz
Publication Date - October 27th 2009

ANGEL'S LIE by Melissa de la Cruz is a peek into a world where people will trade anything for wealth and power.

Winner: One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon

Congratulations to Trista for winning One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon! Thanks to all who entered the contest and check back soon for more to enter! Trista I have emailed you, so get back to me within 48 hours and I will mail your book to you!

Thanks Everyone!

Waiting on Wednesday:The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger

This weeks pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" is:

The Seven Rays
By: Jessica Bendinger
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (November 24, 2009)

About the Book -

"YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE"

When seventeen year-old honors student Beth Michaels starts receiving gold envelopes with messages like, YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE, she thinks that a crazy person might be stalking her. When she begins seeing people's thoughts, feelings, and personal histories on their electromagnetic fields, she thinks that she might BE a crazy person. When the hottest boy in town, Richie Mac, kisses and becomes obsessed with her, she KNOWS that she is a crazy person. But she can deal with all of that until her mom gets freaked out by her erratic behavior (what seventeen year old doesn't break through a glass window at a bookstore every once in a while?) and has her institutionalized. It is here, at the psychiatric institute, where Beth finds out that she was adopted under mysterious circumstances and that maybe all this craziness is real. Now all she has to do is break out of the psychiatric institute - with Richie's help - and go on a road trip to New York to discuver who she really is and why all this is happening to her ... except who are these people chasing her and what do they want? Is it possible that Beth might be more than she thinks she is?

DEEPAK CHOPRA on THE SEVEN RAYS:

"Jessica Bendinger's The Seven Rays takes you on a journey of mystery, magic, adventure and the intricacies of relationship and love. But there is a deeper significance to this story. It is about dormant potentials that lie deep within the domains of human consciousness and the field of infinite possibilities that we all have access to. Read this book, enjoy the adventure, be inspired, but also find that part of your being, where the paranormal becomes normal."

Download the first chapter HERE.

Waiting on Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Book Review: Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

CRAZY BEAUTIFUL by LAUREN BARATZ-LOGSTED

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (September 7th 2009)
Language: English
Buy at Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc
Lauren's Official Website


Crazy Beautiful is a contemporary re-visioning of Beauty & the Beast, told in he-said/she-said fashion, about a boy with hooks for hands and a gorgeous girl who meet on their first day at a new school.

The tale of Beauty and the Beast has been retold numerous times, but never as exquisitely presented as it is in Crazy Beautiful.

Lucius, a boy who blew off his hands after an experiment gone awry, meets the beautiful and smart Aurora on the school bus. Both are immediately drawn to one another. All the other kids are intimidated by Lucius' hooks and the rumors circulating about the explosion he caused. For the most part, they treat him like the plague; avoiding him or calling him “Crip” or “Hooks” if they converse with him at all. Except for Aurora. She’s not intimidated by the hooks—in fact, they seem to draw her to him even more. But Lucius is certain that someone as beautiful and popular as Aurora would never be interested in someone like him. When she does speak to him, he shies away from her, assuming she must be only pitying him. Will Lucius and Aurora ever be able to get beyond all the cliques and cruelty of high school to see what’s really important, and realize they were meant for one another?

I devoured this book in one sitting. The story was narrated through the alternating viewpoints of both Aurora and Lucius in short, evocative chapters. This was a smart choice on the part of Baratz-Logsted. Being able to discern how differently Aurora and Lucius perceived the same situation added greater insight into their characters and a deeper meaning to the book for me. The suspense of not knowing what Lucius’ true motivations were when he concocted that deadly chemical mixture really drove me crazy though, and I found myself anxious to understand his motivations. I couldn’t help but like Lucius, he was so witty and so strong minded. Though he was relegated to using hooks in place of hands, he exhibited such an amazing amount of dexterity in mastering the technique, that I really admired his spunk and wanted so badly for him to find friendship and love. I also loved how there was more to Aurora than just being beautiful. She had a maturity and sensitive nature that was I really admired in her character. I loved how she was able to look beyond the surface and see there was so much more to him than a disfigurement.

Bottom Line- Crazy Beautiful is a love story, but it’s so much more than that too. It deals with profound issues of loss, friendship, healing and second chances. The raw emotions of both the main characters are often painful—Lucius wasn’t the only person coping with trauma in his life. At the beginning of the novel, Aurora was just getting over the loss of a parent; the pain of which was all too raw. But Baratz-Logsted punctuated their story with moments of sharp humor, making sure Crazy Beautiful never detoured into a sappy love story. I’ve read a lot of reviews that said Crazy Beautiful “will keep you coming back for more” and after reading this novel, I understand why so many people felt that way. Crazy Beautiful is a smart, compelling novel that stays with you long after you have finished it, and I am certain that I will also be going back to it again and again.

Lauren Baratz- Logsted began writing for adults, but has also written for teens and for tweens. Greg Logsted, husband of Lauren, has written one novel.

Jackie Logsted, daughter of Lauren and Greg, is making her literary debut. She is eight years old.

The Baratz-Logsted/Logsted family lives in Danbury, Connecticut.

Interview with Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Author of Crazy Beautiful

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to the multi-talented Lauren Baratz- Logsted, author of numerous books for teens, adults and children. Her upcoming novel Crazy Beautiful is a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast and releases September 7th 2009. In addition to discussing this much anticipated novel, we will talk about the responsibility that comes with writing for teens, as well as a few of her most memorable experiences within industry.

Your upcoming young adult novel Crazy Beautiful “is a contemporary re-visioning of Beauty & the Beast, told in he-said/she-said fashion, about a boy with hooks for hands and a gorgeous girl who meet on their first day at a new school.” What prompted you to want to do a modern day retelling of the classic fairytale? Was there something in particular that inspired you to give the Lucius (the beast) hooks in place of hands?

I've always loved "Beauty & the Beast." Of all the Disneyfied fairy tales it's been the most successfully translated to stage and screen, I think in large part because it's the only one where the male is as compelling, if not more so, than the female; in most other fairy tales the male exists as a goal for the female, functioning simply to make her look better. As for the hooks, I just found the idea of them compelling - so visual! But if people think I'm equating physical disabilities with beastliness, that would be a mistake. In "Beauty & the Beast," the Beast's outer condition is tragically a result of his own past behavior. The same is true for Lucius. Students at Lucius' new school treat him like a beast, because of a combination of his physical appearance and the rumors of how he got that way, but what Lucius really needs to do is come to terms with how he was the agent of his own condition and then he needs to take steps to transcend it.

Some early reviewers for Crazy Beautiful have mentioned a desire to read more of Lucius and Aurora’s back story. Any chance we’d ever see a prequel to Crazy Beautiful?

I had not thought about writing one. One thing I do think will happen is that I'll do more re-visionings of classic fairy tales and stories. I get enormous enjoyment of taking books I've loved and giving them a contemporary spin.

Many writers are encouraged by publishing professionals to find a genre that works best for them and stick with it. You’ve followed your own unique path and written novels for a wide array of ages, from the popular children's Sisters 8 Series to the psychologically suspenseful adult novel .Vertigo. Out of all the genres you’ve written in, is there one in particular that is your favorite?

I hope you won't take this as a cop-out, but I love them all! That said, I'm partial to The Sisters 8 series in many ways - how could I not be, since I get to work on it with my daughter??? But I do love YA. It's just such an exciting place for a writer to be. These days you can write YA with plots and themes as sophisticated as anything on the adult side of the bookstore, yet the audience still finds the world and ideas to be fresh, and I think that makes the writing fresher too.

As a writer, what has been your most memorable experience in the industry (good and bad)?

Most memorable? There have been a lot! Getting a starred Kirkus for my first book, the adult novel The Thin Pink Line, when no books from that publisher had ever received a starred Kirkus before - that was a good day. Having an editor tell me she gave The Thin Pink Line to Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York - tough to beat the idea of royalty maybe reading one's book. But probably the best recent memory comes from right after my family finished our first book signing for The Sisters 8 at a New England trade book show. We were standing in front of the publisher's booth and my nine-year-old daughter and coauthor, Jackie, happened to be holding a copy when two booksellers came up. "Did you read that book?" one of the booksellers asked sweetly. Jackie raised an eyebrow before replying, "I wrote that book!" After the booksellers recovered from fainting, they asked for her autograph.

Bad memories? I'm a working writer, and that means that both good and bad things happen every day. But I choose not to focus on the bad. I think I'm just lucky to have the career I have.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you have any writing quirks (favorite cup of coffee, music to listen to, cozy nook to tuck yourself away in)?

During the school year, I start work as soon as Jackie gets on the bus at seven and work almost straight through until she returns at four. I also work nights and weekends as necessary. In the summer, it's a little more catch-as-catch-can. No writing quirks here: don't drink coffee, almost never listen to music while writing, my "cozy nook" is a messy basement cave with no windows. If I have one writing quirk it's that I try to arrange the workday so that rather than working on a novel, I can just answer email correspondence etc instead when three p.m. hits so I can turn on General Hospital. I love that show and they had better not kill off Jason. Of course just because I don't have any writing quirks doesn't mean I don't have personality quirks. I'm an intensely quirky human being.

From teen pregnancy in Angel’s Choice to the loss of a parent in Secrets of My Suburban Life, your young adult novels have handled a wide variety of weighty topics. How is writing for teens different than writing for other genres? What sort of feedback do you get from teens that have read your novels and contacted you?

Teens have more demands on their time and electronic distractions than any previous generation so it becomes imperative to grab the reader early. There's not the luxury of leisurely storytelling that you sometimes see in adult fiction. I also feel a greater responsibility when writing for teens or younger. It's important to make sure you're not sending messages you don't want to be sending. As the title character says at the end of Angel's Choice, "My story should come with a warning, and that warning should say, in big letters, 'HEY, KIDS, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!'" I wanted to be sure readers understood that I wasn't trying to write a prescription for everyone's behavior but rather, simply a description of one girl's choices. As for feedback, I love the letters I get from teens and younger. One teen wrote after reading Angel's Choice that the book made her resolve never to let others make up her mind for her. Writers can be egomaniacs and I'm no exception, but I'm also levelheaded enough to know my limitations. I know the Nobel, the Pulitzer, really all the big awards are outside my grasp, unless they start giving out awards for Best Multi-genre Writer Who Is Short and Can Kick Your Butt at Pool. But I do have that letter. That is quite a thing, and I am very lucky.

If you could go back to when you were a teenager, what advice would you give yourself?

That's easy. "Don't hurry Time. Don't be in such a rush to be older so you can do The Next Big Thing. You'll grow up before you know it and you'll be an adult for a very long time, so enjoy where you are now. Come to think of it, enjoy where you are at every stage of your life, younger or older."

Is there one question you wish an interviewer would ask you, but have yet to ever hear?

(insert starry-eyed look) "Lauren, why are you so wonderful?" Kidding. Kidding! Really, you're doing a great job - I don't want to louse it up!

Can you share with us a teaser or sneak peek look into Crazy Beautiful?

If I'd known then what I know now...

I'd have touched everything in sight, everything I could get my hands on. I'd have grabbed the nearest girl I could find and, not caring how crazy she thought me, touched my hands to her face just to know what that feels like.

Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?

I, never having loved before, have no real answer to the question.

What upcoming projects are you currently working on?

After Crazy Beautiful, which comes out on Sept 7, I have two more YAs scheduled: The Education of Bet, due out next spring and set in the Victorian era, about a 16-year-old girl who impersonates a boy to receive a proper education; and The Twin's Daughter, due out fall 2010, dark suspense about a Victorian teen whose world is turned inside out when she discovers her society mother has an identical twin who grew up in the poorhouse. In 2010 the next two volumes of The Sisters 8 series for young readers will also be published: Book 5: Marcia's Madness in April and Book 6: Petal's Problems in September.

A very special thanks to Lauren for taking the time out to speak with me!

You can visit Lauren at her Official Website, her RedRoom blog, Myspace, Amazon and twice a month at Teen Fiction Cafe! Crazy Beautiful releases September 7th 2009 and is available for pre-order now!

The Family That Writes Together- A Guest Post by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Today I want to extend a warm welcome to author Lauren Baratz-Logsted who has graciously agreed to Guest Post with us! Lauren is the author of numerous novels for both teens, children and adults. The much anticipated Crazy Beautiful will be released September 7th 2009.

THE FAMILY THAT WRITES TOGETHER
by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

The idea for The Sisters 8 series was born when our family was snowbound in Crested Butte, Colorado, in December of 2006. We wound up there for 10 days. The friends we were staying with had no children, nor were there any in the neighborhood, and no TV. My daughter Jackie was six at the time and she did fine for the first several days. But toward the end there, desperate for something new to do, I asked her, if I were to write a book for her, what she'd like the book to be about; you see, I'd had several books published at that point and Jackie had always been proud of my career, but she could never read the books because of the adult content.

Being an only child, Jackie wanted a book about sisters.

Me: How many sisters?

Her: Eight.

Me: What ages?

Her: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.

Me: That's good. But what if we make it that rarest of things, octuplets...?

Before we knew it, we were off and running, brainstorming a nine-book series about the Huit sisters, whose parents go missing one New Year's Eve when Mom goes out to the kitchen for eggnog, Dad goes to the shed for firewood...and don't return. This leaves the Eights, as they are known, to solve the mystery of their parents' disappearance while keeping the greater world from realizing that eight seven-year-olds are living home alone. Each sister must discover her personal power and gift before the mystery can be solved. While Jackie came up with the sisters' names and I provided their eight cats' names, my husband Greg Logsted, also a novelist (Something Happened; Alibi Junior High) jumped in with plot twists and unique inventions, like talking refrigerators, flying watering cans, and bouncy boots.

When we finally got home to Danbury, CT, I began to write the first book, with Greg and Jackie providing input all the while. I'd write a chapter, they'd tell me what worked and what didn't, we'd discuss what needed to go into the next chapter, and on I'd go. We say that I'm "the pen" of the series, and along with that responsibility comes final veto power, but there would be no Sisters 8 without Greg and Jackie.

Once I finished the first volume, Annie's Adventures, I sent it off to one of my favorite people in publishing, the editorial director of children's books at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. She ended up buying the first four books in the series for starters, all of which have been released, and has since bough volumes 5 and 6, slated to be released in 2010. We'll worry about the final three books after that.

The Sisters 8 has been favorably reviewed by Kirkus, with various reviewers comparing the series to the works of Roald Dahl, Edward Gorey and Lemony Snicket. Greg and Jackie, now nine, participate in the publishing process every step of the way and at book signings Jackie can schmooze with the best of them. You should see her signing pen: light blue glass with a sequined flower and a feather shooting out of the top. Oh, and she's pretty good at answering fan mail too.

After HMH's acquisition of the series was initially announced, I began hearing from all sorts of writing acquaintances saying how cool they thought it was and how they intended to start joint writing projects with their own small children or teens. But the most gratifying letter of all came from an unpublished writer who has a daughter with cerebral palsy. She said that for years her relationship with her daughter had been strained but that when she mentioned our family project to her daughter's therapist she was told it might be a good thing for her daughter to get involved with something like that. Her daughter has since become excited about writing and their mother/daughter relationship has greatly improved as a result. It's wonderful to think that something that began on a whim for us, just a way to keep ourselves entertained, has turned into something so positive for someone else.

It does get a little crazy having three writers under one roof. I work in what I call my basement cave; my next three books outside of The Sisters 8 series are all YA: Crazy Beautiful in September, The Education of Bet, next spring, and The Twin's Daughter in fall 2000. Greg works two storeys up in our bedroom. He's currently promoting Alibi Junior High which came out in June, has a YA on submission and a fourth book that he's working on. As for Jackie, she doesn't have her own computer yet, so she hits us up for time on ours. So far she's written skits, a play for 17 characters called The BFFs and she's working on book 2 of a series called The Cat Chronicles.

Really, the Baratz-Logsted/Logsted clan is just like any other family. We go to movies and watch TV, we have friends over, we eat pink frosting straight from the can. There's just this other thing we do also, sometimes separately, sometimes together. It's a good life.

You can visit Lauren Baratz-Logsted at http://www.blogger.com/www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com, Greg Logsted at http://www.blogger.com/www.greglogsted.com, and The Sisters 8 at http://www.blogger.com/www.sisterseight.com.

Thank you Lauren! We appreciate you stopping by! Lauren was also kind enough to do an interview with me, which I will be posting tomorrow as part of my new "Tantalizing Tuesday" series, so be sure to come back and check it out!

Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).

Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.

Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent bookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.

In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.

Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.

In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.

Lauren’s favorite color is green.

Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.

Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.

In my Mailbox: Week of July 12th - 18th

For Review- Candor by Pam Bachorz

Publication Date: September 22nd 2009 (Egmont USA)
Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them
all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they're transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.
For Review - Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Publication Date - September 29th 2009
Crazy Beautiful is a contemporary re-visioning of Beauty & the Beast, told in he-said/she-said fashion, about a boy with hooks for hands and a gorgeous girl who meet on their first day at a new school.
From the Library - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school; it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's, the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigos, the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires make Lissa one of them forever.

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
Twelve-year-old Julie has grown up hearing about the dangerous world of fairy tales, “The Wild,” from which her mother, Rapunzel, escaped.

Now The Wild wants its characters back. Julie comes home from school to find her mother gone and a deep, dark forest swallowing her hometown. Julie must fight wicked witches, avoid glass slippers and fairy godmothers, fly griffins, and outwit ogres in order to rescue her mom and save her Massachusetts town from becoming a fairy-tale kingdom.

Sarah Beth Durst weaves a postmodern fairy tale that's fresh, funny, and sweetly poignant.

This book looks so sweet. AND it's got a cat walking upright with boots on! How could I go wrong with that?! There's a sequel called "Out of the Wild" which I'm looking forward to reading as well!

What was in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren, where we talk about what books we got over the past week (store purchases/mailbox deliveries/library, etc)