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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Ten Tantalizing Questions for Laurie Faria Stolarz and Deadly Little Lies Giveaway!

Have you ever wanted to learn more about your favorite authors? Ten Tantalizing Questions is designed not only to showcase exciting new books on the horizon, but to also provide a glimpse into the personalities of the authors behind them.


"There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes." ~William Makepeace Thackeray

 
Today I'd like to extend a warm welcome to Laurie Faria Stolarz.  Laurie  is the acclaimed author of such young adult books as Bleed, Project 17, the Blue is For Nightmare Series and the Touch Series. Laurie stopped by today to discuss Deadly Little Games, the third installment in the Touch Series, due out December 28th of this month. She brought along two signed copies of Deadly Little Lies (Book 2) to raffle off as well!  Details below.


Laurie Faria Stolarz is the bestselling author of the Blue is for Nightmares series, with over 500,000 copies in print. The series comprises Blue is for Nightmares, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, Red is for Remembrance, and the forthcoming Black is for Beginnings. Stolarz's titles have been part of the Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers list, the Top Ten Teen Pick list, and YALSA's Popular Paperback list, all through the American Library Association.  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.


1.    DEADLY LITTLE GAMES, the third installment in the Touch series, continues the story of Camelia and Ben. Can you tell us a little more about the book, and perhaps share with us a favorite line, scene or passage from the book?

Back Jacket Cover:

Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: They both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense things through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is far more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend.

Deadly Little Games: A Touch NovelBefore either teen has a chance to fully grasp these abilities, Camelia’s drawn into a dangerous puzzle that she can’t quite solve.  And in games like these, who can be trusted?

More:
In this third installment, Adam is the one whose life we believe to be in danger.  There’s a dark and twisted game being played – one in which the reader is an active participant.  The suspect-in-question is sending Adam crossword puzzles.  With Camelia’s help, Adam works to solve these puzzles (right along with the reader).  And, when put all together, the puzzles spell out some very important clues.  But helping Adam – Ben’s ex-best friend – may cause more problems for Camelia than she’s actually willing to handle.

From DEADLY LITTLE GAMES:

With only a few minutes of class remaining, I close my eyes again, still picturing Adam’s mouth. I try to imagine what he would say if he knew what I was doing. Would he suspect that I was interested in him? Would he think it was weird that I remember so much detail about the moment that night inside his car? Would he tell Ben what I was up to?  I take a deep breath and try my best to focus on the answers. But the only words that flash across my mind, the ones I can’t seem to shake, don’t even address the questions at all. “You deserve to die,” I whisper, suddenly realizing that I’ve said the words aloud.



Deadly Little Lies (Touch, Book 2)2. What three words do you think best describe your novel?

Dark, romantic, and suspenseful.

3.    If you had to attach a musical score to your novel, what songs do you imagine playing during prominent scenes?


Funny you should ask.  I offered two contests – for the release of DEADLY LITTLE SECRET and DEADLY LITTLE LIES – in which readers had to come up with playlists for the books.  Check out the winning entries here:  http://lauriestolarz.com/novels/the_touch_series.html

And while you’re at it, check out the book trailers for DEADLY LITTLE SECRET and DEADLY LITTLE LIES:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fzMpVMy2fQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Qk0VG2Nz0


Deadly Little Secret (A Touch Novel)4. If the Touch series was to be made into a movie, do you have certain actors you envision in the lead roles of Camelia and Ben or do you think unknowns would be best suited to play them?

I’d love for unknowns to be cast as the roles of Ben and Camelia.  How exciting would it be to have a couple of new and brilliant actors begin their careers by playing the parts of these characters I’ve created?!  I also love to hear the opinions of my readers, who sometimes tell me who they’d cast in the roles. 

5. What do you love most about the main characters of the Touch Series?

BleedI like that even though they have the power of psychometry – the ability to sense things through touch – they’re normal people with normal problems with their friends, families, relationships, and studies.  So, even though they’re extraordinary in some sense, they’re also relatable.

6. In DEADLY LITTLE GAMES, Ben possesses a unique and mysterious psychometry ability. If you were able to pick one type of ability or gift to try out for one day, which one would you want to have?

I would have select memory.  I find that sometimes I’m unable to shut my mind off from things, even though I try to just live in the moment.  It would be sooooooo relaxing to be able to forget pieces – i.e. things that are stressful, nerve wracking, or cause for anxiety – for, like, a day or so.  

7. If you could inhabit the life of one literary character and dive into their world for just one day, who would you choose and why? 


Blue is for Nightmares
Not a work of fiction, but I would choose to be Ann Vanderhoof in her memoir The Spice Necklace.  The book documents her month-long journey to the heart of a new culture through food.  She and her husband set sail to the Caribbean in search of spices.  They end up finding a real spice for life among new friends and acquaintances who teach the couple how to live at a sweet, slower island pace.  Yummy, right?

8. What were you like as a teen? Were there certain books that were your favorites and what do you think your teenage self would think about your book?

Project 17I was quiet until I got to know people, and then I definitely liked to chat.  I loved creating stories, being active, and all things creative.  I loved spending time with my friends, and I definitely worked hard.  I’ve been working since I was 9.  As for reading, I was definitely a reluctant reader.  A book had to really keep me turning pages or else I’d put it down.  When I wrote my first novel, Blue is for Nightmares, I had my teen self in mind.  I wanted to write a book packed with suspense, romance, drama, humor, and mystery – because that is what I liked as a teen.


9. What types of feedback do you receive from readers about your novels? Is there one comment in particular that has really affected you?

I’m so lucky to receive between 75 – 100 fan e-mails per week.  A lot of them are to ask if I’ll be doing another book in the “Blue is for Nightmares” series, or when the newest book in the Touch series will be out.  Some plead with me for a sequel to BLEED or PROJECT 17.  I’m most affected by the e-mails from readers who tell me they’ve fell in love with reading as a result of my work, or who tell me I’ve inspired them to pursue their passions.


Red Is for Remembrance (Stolarz Series)
I am currently working on the fourth book in the TOUCH series, DEADLY LITTLE VOICES.  So far there are five books planned for this series.  I’m also working on a draft of the third book in The Amanda Project, due out next fall.  And, for the launch of DEADLY LITTLE GAMES, I’m running a contest, the winner of which could have a minor character in DEADLY LITTLE VOICES named after him or her, or a phone call from me.  Check out the details here: www.lauriestolarz.com/news.html





GIVEAWAY  
 TWO SIGNED COPIES
  of DEADLY LITTLE LIES (BY LAURIE FARIA STOLARZ!


Deadly Little Lies (Touch, #2)
DEADLY LITTLE LIES (Touch Series Book 2)
BY LAURIE FARIA STOLARZ


Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift--pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred?

Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then when an unexpected kiss leads to a frightening argument, Camelia makes the painful decision to let Ben go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at work, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. Adam is easygoing, and seems to really care about her.

But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events upturns secrets from Ben's past--and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it’s up to Camelia to figure out who—before it’s too late.
Official Rules:
1.You must be 13 year or older to enter.
2. Open to entrants with a valid U.S. mailing address only. 
3. Entries must be received by Midnight EST on December 26th 2010. 
4. Once contacted, winners have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
5. To enter to win, simply fill out the form below. Good luck!  

20 comments:

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

I haven't read any of your books, Lauri, but I like mysterious, romantic, and suspensful so am going to take a look. Congratulations on your latest and on all the others. I entered your contest.

Tales of Whimsy said...

Ooo great interview. I've always been curious about this book.

Minas said...

I can't wait to read Deadly Little Games! I loved the first two!

Maidenveil said...

great interview! i've got to check out her playlists!

donnas said...

Great interview. Been wanting to start this series, it sounds great. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

This series sounds great. I'm definitely entering this contest. Congratulations on your success, Laurie!

Brynne said...

Thank you for the great giveaway and the interview! I read the first book and it was sooo good!

Julie S said...

This book sounds really good. I like hearing about different authors I haven't heard of before.

vvb32 reads said...

great to learn these tidbits about Laurie. so exciting to hear of the release of book 3 too! looking forward to reading book one soon!

Christina / Book Addict said...

Great interview! I have been meaning to read this one. I have the first book in my classroom and my students love this series, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Thanks for the giveaway!

Carol M said...

I love suspense! This sounds really good and I can't wait to read it!

Chantal Jenee said...

Laurie, you are an amazing author and I love your work. I own and have read all of your books and I cannot wait for the rest of them to be released. Keep up the great work.
Love from Gainesville, FL.

Chantal

CoffeeShopBloggers said...

I can't wait to read!

Pragmatic Mom of CoffeeShopBloggers

Carol said...

I adore her, I love the way she writes *-* I didn't know there would be 5 book in the Touch series, good news!!

I'm always hoping for more Blue is for Nightmares, but the end of Black was so clean...

Great news about Amanda Project too *-*

Aik said...

Hi Laurie, I loved reading Deadly Little Secret so much! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your books!

Linda Henderson said...

I enjoyed the interview very much and the excerpt. I can't wait to read your book.

seriousreader at live dot com

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for the awesome giveaway! I have never read any of your books but reading this interview definitely made me want to!

Shooting Stars Mag said...

I loved Deadly Little Secret and can't wait to read the next two. Laurie is great!!


-Lauren

Khyla said...

I cant wait to read this book
This is an awesome giveaway makes me want to read the first book also

khyla_808ATyahooDOTcom

calgirl said...

This book sounds great and I need to find a new author. I read entire collections.