Better Late Than Never

I was part of Starry Night's 'Introducing . . .' segments at the beginning of the month. Yeah, I know. It's the 23rd. Sue me. But if you'd like to learn a little more about me, just check out my own personal appearance on Nadine's blog!

And Now a Word from Sophie

Remember the interview I did over at Mrs. Magoo's site? Well it was an interview for a interview so here is the Q&A I did with Miss Sophie, aka Mrs. Magoo! Enjoy!

Why the name Mrs. Magoo?

It comes from the cartoon character Mr. Magoo, who has horrible eyesight.

What made you want to start a book blog?

I was hearing more and more about the blogosphere in general, and I thought it would be cool to start a blog. I decided to write about something I love: books. Little did I know such a community existed and would continue to grow! I was absolutely thrilled when I found out about it, of course, and I am so glad I started a book blog.

You're a pretty big name in the YA book blog community. What advice would you give to novice book bloggers like myself?

Hey, thanks! That just made my day! =) As for the question, be friendly and interact with other bloggers. This is something I myself need to do more. Relationships with other book bloggers are extremely important, especially if you want to become a well-known blogger quickly.

Everyone makes mistakes. What mistakes (or trials and errors) have you made with your site?

As I said, when I started blogging, I didn't know that this wonderful community existed. As a result, I wasted six precious months doing absolutely nothing to promote my blog, and in that time I had, what? Two readers? Once I started talking to other bloggers and doing link exchanges, traffic went up astronomically. My other mistake is something I still do to this day: I don't comment on other blogs enough. Every blogger wants comments, and if you comment on somebody else's blog they will most likely reciprocate. Unfortunately I rarely comment and that is something I definitely need to work on. So if anybody out there has a great system that works for them, please let me know!

Who do you look up to in the book blogging world?

Kristi from The Story Siren, Steph from Reviewer X, and Chelsea from The Page Flipper.

What don't you like to see in book bloggers?

Humongous egos. True, you're blogging to put out your opinion, but I don't want to hear what authors can or cannot write about, or what others can or cannot think. State your opinion, but say it in a tolerant way. I also can't stand it when I receive poorly spelled, one sentence emails basically saying "hi i just started a blog at XXXXX please link to it". Asking for a link exchange is 100% okay with me, but at least write a professional email!

What's your favorite book that you've reviewed?

Well, I can't just pick one! I loved Twilight, Uglies, Madapple, Willow, and many more...

Who's your favorite author that you've either met or interviewed?

Uh-oh... I think I'm going to have to back out of this one... Wouldn't want hurt feelings ;D

What do you like most about book blogging?

The fact that people read, care about, and value my opinion! I love it when I get a comment from somebody saying that they're going to check out a book, just because I recommended it!!

What do you like the least?

There's been a bit of negativity going around, what with ARC requesting and such, and I really don't like it. I'd rather just keep this blogging positive and encouraging for EVERYBODY!

Any other pearls of wisdom?

Be nice, be patient, and be intelligent, and you're all set!

Author Bites - Interview with Beth Fantaskey

I did this interview on my writing blog back in January, before I had this blog and before I even read Jessica's Guide. I don't know what it was about this book that drew me in immediately but I had to know more about the author. Since I hadn't read the book yet, the questions are a little more general and since it was for my writing blog, a little more writing-centric. So this'll probably be something a little different than your standard author interview on other book blogs in that respect. Enjoy!

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What got you to start writing? Was it something you’ve always done or did you just wake up one day and say ‘I want to write a novel’?

Actually, I’ve been writing professionally for my entire adult life. I’ve done everything from political speechwriting to newspaper reporting, so writing a novel just seemed like the next step in my career. I used to go into book stores and think, “I would love to do that . . .” So I tried!

Is “Jessica” your first novel or do you have manuscripts in your trunk? If you do, how many did you have to write before snagging an agent?

Like everybody, I wrote a few manuscripts that were mainly experiences. I think “Jessica’s Guide” was my third complete manuscript.

Donna’s Note–I’m telling you, three’s the magic number here.

How do you balance writing in your life? Is it something you make time for or when you have a spare second?

Writing really is my job. And as a freelancer, I depend on it for my income . . .the more I write, the more I get to eat! It’s definitely a top priority in my life.

Are you a pen and paper or a fingers and keyboard type of writer?

Oh, gosh - keyboard. I don’t know how authors like Dickens did it, writing 400-page manuscripts by hand. He must have had the world’s worst writer’s cramp, 24/7. And I can’t imagine not being able to just mark, say, an entire hour’s worth of text and hit “delete,” when necessary!

Donna’s Note–LOL! That’s how I’ve written my entire writing life and this past November, for NaNo, was the one and only time my wrist started to cramp.

Any websites or books you want to recommend that helped you as a writer?

My favorite resource is a dog-eared, 1961 Rodale Synonym Finder. It has these wonderful, sort of archaic expressions that somehow inspire me to think differently about how to express things.

What’s the single best piece of advice about writing that you’ve ever received?

Don’t mess around cleaning your house or trying to make everything around you “perfect” before you write. Those types of things are just distractions. Just sit down and DO IT.

How do you push through the “OMG this sucks! EPIC FAIL!” moments of self-mutilation we all have in writing?

I have a pretty standard ritual for that. I go to the gym, get on the treadmill and listen to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” or Social Distortion’s “Live Before You Die,” run really fast, and get all fired up about doing my best . . . which is all we can really do, right?? Then I just try to work again, before the endorphins wear off.

Did you know you were always a YA writer or was it something that you just realized one day?

Actually, the characters of Jessica and Lucius dictated my path into YA. I wanted to write their story, and that made me a YA writer, sort of by default. I’m glad to be here, though! I love the way YA readers are so eager to interact with authors.

If you could dip one author in gold and worship him or her, who would it be and why?

Although I’m a HUGE fan of Alexandre Dumas, I would have to say the aforementioned Charles Dickens. His work is so emotional, and timeless, and although I’ve read “The Pickwick Papers” Christmas scene every Christmas for about 10 years, I still cry. That’s amazing talent, in my opinion.

What did you stress over more: the novel or the query?

The novel, definitely. I was so doubtful that the query would work that I just sort of dashed it off, if I remember right.

Care to share your hook that you used in your query?

I don’t remember exactly, but it was something on the bad-vampire-humor-side, like, “Sometimes love sucks - and that can be a good thing.” Looking back, I think it was a little risky! I probably wouldn’t recommend being so off-the-cuff.

What was your initial reaction when you got “the call” #1 from your current agent and #2 from your agent about the sale of “Jessica”?

I had a complete, embarrassing freak out when my agent called to say that she wanted to represent me. It was such a thrill. The, when she sold the book, I think my heart stopped. I was so overwhelmed that I kept it a secret for the longest time. I just kept thinking, “This can’t really be happening . . .”

No doubt “Jessica” will be compared to the “Twilight” series, as Publisher’s Weekly has already done in passing. How do you feel about that?

“Twilight is a cultural phenomenon - a force of nature - so I’m flattered by any comparisons, but especially happy about contrasts. I love it when somebody e-mails to say, “I liked that your book had the intense romance of “Twilight,” but had humor in it, too,” or something like that.

Are there any particular scenes in “Jessica” that you didn’t want to cut but knew they had to go?

Hmm . . . Actually, I remember adding, more than cutting, scenes, and I loved the additions, like Jess’s breakup with Jake, which wasn’t in my original manuscript.

Do you find that your characters have a tendency of getting away from you and hijacking the story, leading down a foreign road that you never even thought of taking?

Sure, that definitely happens . . . It’s weird how people you invent can surprise you. I guess that’s just testament to how real they become.

Which character had the loudest voice that just wouldn’t shut up?

Lucius is definitely a forceful presence . . . but I liked to hear him talk! I was always happy to write his letters.

You can only choose one: which one of your characters is your favorite?

I love Jess, and even Faith, but I’d have to say Lucius. I created him, and he still fascinates me!

Aside from writing, what’s another passion of yours?

Music. I’m totally un-musical, but I can spend hours just listening to my iPod and daydreaming.

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?

Smooth . . . I think I’m too lazy to actually chew peanut butter.

How about a guilty pleasure. Care to spill one of those?

Every Friday night, I get a big stack of women’s magazines - the kind you buy next to grocery store aisles - and some kind of really bad fast food like a huge Big Mac, and I sit for about two hours stuffing my face and reading about make up and clothes and hairstyles. It’s my favorite time of the week . . .

What’s your favorite movie?

Right now it’s “The Princess Bride.” I just discovered it, years after its release, and I think it’s such a great blend of comedy, romance, and adventure. I love it!

Interview with Melissa Marr

The Children's Bookshelf over at Publisher's Weekly has an interview with Melissa Marr where she talks about her upcoming release, Fragile Eternity, working on the fourth book, currently called Skin Starved, and pokes at the potential for more in the future. After you're finished reading the interview (and if you're like me and haven't read the book yet), head on over to the HarperTeen website and read Wicked Lovely for free for a limited time. Can't get any better than that, right?

Here's a snippet from the interview--

Speaking of book four, what’s next for the series?

Right now I’m in revisions for the fourth book, which I’ve been calling Skin Starved. It will either come out in summer or fall of 2010 and, like Ink Exchange, it will feature a different set of protagonists. Book five will come out in 2011 and will go back to the original protagonists. In Skin Starved, the primary protagonists are Devlin, who readers meet in Fragile Eternity, Ani from Ink Exhange, and a third character we haven’t met yet. Seth is in Skin Starved, too—we see him, but it’s not his story.

I do not have a title for the fifth book yet, and I’m not sure what I am doing for the sixth—If I’ll do a stand-alone or a fringe companion book to this world. But in the immediate future, I’m gearing up to go out on tour for Fragile Eternity, from mid-April until around June 6.

Interview with Lisa Yee

Publisher's Weekly has an interview with Lisa Yee, author of Absolutely Maybe.

How is writing for teens different from writing for middle-schoolers?

I got so immersed in writing the book that I didn’t even think of the audience. It was kind of liberating being a teen for a while, though. I went through a period of swearing a lot. My husband finally asked what was going on, and I told him, “I’m a teenage runaway right now.” As it turned out, I cut out a lot of the swearing. It wasn’t true to Maybelline’s character.

Where did you get the idea of Maybelline being a runaway?

At first the book was mostly going to be about beauty pageants, but when I started researching them, I didn’t find much that I liked. I didn’t think I could give a fair picture of pageants in the book, so I decided I had to get Maybelline out of that scene and out of Florida.

To read the rest of the interview, go here. Lisa is such an interesting person and I can't wait to read her book!