Interview/Video + Giveaway: Dream Things True - Marie Marquardt

For my stop on Marquardt's Dream Things True tour, I'll be doing an interview, video, and giveaway! Be sure check out everything below as I update the post with an interview and a video clip from the author! :) Thanks so much for St. Martin's Press for reaching out to me and I'm glad to be on this tour!

Interview: 

1.) What was the inspiration behind the book?

Because I’ve written non-fiction books about undocumented immigration, I often get asked to talk with groups of non-immigrants about these issues. I know a lot of facts and figures, and these help people think about immigration in new ways, but I find that what really matters is relationship – knowing and loving a person who faces these issues is what makes a person care. Not everyone gets the chance to know and love an undocumented immigrant, but fiction can give us all the opportunity to step into others’ lives – in this case, the lives of undocumented immigrants and the people who love them.  This is powerful, and I believe it is so important – it helps us to overcome all of the politicized rhetoric, and simply see each other as human beings deserving of love and respect. So I decided to take all those years of research and write a love story with them. 

2.) Which character best resembles you and why?

Like Alma, I was a very driven student, and I dreamed of becoming (of all things!) a cultural anthropologist. Like Evan, I sort-of lived in a world of Southern comfort, but I never felt at home there. Probably, as an adult, I can relate most closely to Alma’s middle school counselor and mentor, Mrs. King. I have worked with many undocumented teens and, like Alma’s counselor, I have experienced the pain and frustration of trying to help them overcome barriers, knowing that those barriers are almost insurmountable. 

3.) In 140 words or less (Twitter style!), describe Dream Things True!

(Yikes. This is hard.)

Alma is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Evan is a privileged Southern boy. They fall in love, in a world that wants to keep them apart.

4.) Do you have a music playlist inspired by the book? If so, give a couple of the songs!

There’s a story in this answer! I sort of have the reverse – a book inspired by a music playlist. A few years ago, I reconnected with one of my best friends from high school who would always give me fabulous mixtapes. After we finished lunch he gave me a mix that had “18 Songs from JRB” (his initials) written on it.

I listened to the mix as I was driving across Florida, and when the eighteen songs were over, I pulled over and texted him: listening to this music felt like coming home. I had never heard of any of the songs on the mix. I didn’t even know the bands. It’s a totally random assortment of songs – from  “Boy with a Coin” by Iron & Wine to “Lazy Eye” by Silversun Pickups to “Be Mine!” by Robyn.

I listened obsessively to the mix and built Evan and Alma’s story around it. The music gave me the emotional arc for the story. It took me a very long time to write Dream Things True, because I kept having to set it aside. But whenever I listened to “18 Songs from JRB”, I was immersed right back into the story. So: Thanks JRB (and send me another mix ASAP)!

5.) One Wish. A Fav Quote. A Fav TV/Movie.

On days like today, it would be really great to slow down time. So I guess I’ll go with that wish, even though I suppose it’s a bit more selfish than, say, world peace. 

6.) What book are you currently reading? 

Like No Other by Una LaMarche. I’m loving it.

Giveaway:

One winner, US/Int will win a brand new copy of Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt!

Enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter entries below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by!

Author Interview: Maureen Goo Author of Since You Asked

I am so happy to share with you and interview with Maureen Goo, author of her debut novel, Since You Asked, which recently came out!

1.) The Bookshelves: What was the inspiration for Since You Asked?

Maureen Goo: A few years ago I was filling out one of those Facebook surveys—you know the kind that ask like "25 Things You Didn't Know About Me!" and I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if someone made a really obnoxious version of this?" So I did, in the voice of a slightly antagonistic teenager who I channeled from my own teenage years. And that voice ended up being Holly. The first draft of this novel included that survey, rather than a column, as the trigger for her getting her own newspaper column. 

2.) TB: What character resembles you the post and why? Was there any \"you\" in any of the characters?

MG: Holly definitely resembles me the most—but she is more cynical and braver than I ever was in high school! But her family life, her love of reading and writing, her loyalty to her friends—all that stems very much from my own high school experiences but also my adult life at times.

3.) TB: Tell us about that cover! How was the process to getting the cover art like? Did you love the cover?

MG: I love the cover. The designer was Natalie Sousa (http://www.krop.com/nataliecsousa/#/) and she created the perfect cover for Since You Asked. She captured Holly's essence so well with finding that snarl! The process was fairly straightforward—my editor presented me with the cover and I liked it right away. It was so different from what I had imagined but yet so right. I asked for a few superficial tweaks (yes I am THAT annoying author) but mostly just loved what they did. I love the hot pink sunglasses, too–it's become a great visual icon for Holly and the book. Funny story: The model/photographer on the cover and I found out we have a mutual acquaintance! The world is so small.

4.) TB:  Fav Brand. One Celebrity Crush. One Wish. 

MG: Brand: I spend way too much money at Madewell.

Male crush: Michael Fassbender Female Crush: Anna Kendrick

One wish: Wow. Well I am a wisher of many wishes, but one consistent one is that everyone I love have happy lives. So obvious, right? But if that one basic requirement is met, so much good stems from it. I just truly want everyone I care about to be happy.

5.) TB: Tweet Review! In 140 Words or less, tell us about Since You Asked!

MG: My tweet review:

A book for anyone who wants to say what they truly think about high school—Holly Kim is you and everyone you know in SInce You Asked! (TB Note: I actually got it mixed up with Kasie West!)

6.) TB: How was the writing process like? Any tips for aspiring writers?
MG: The writing process was hugely different in each of its stages for me. When I started this book, it was for a sample for grad school.  I kept writing it for fun, so it was all very relaxing and creative. It wasn't until I had an agent interested that I really buckled down and worked on it for a few months and got it done. I had so much fun writing this it almost felt wrong! No part of it was torture.

My tips for aspiring writers is write about something you care about because you will be spending so much time on this! And then once you figure that out, just write. Force yourself to sit and do it, even when you don't feel like it. Because more important than anything is finishing a book—that is the very first step in getting anyone interested in your writing.

7.) TB: What can you tell us about the next book? Any hints you can give us?

MG: No hints allowed yet! But—whatever comes out next will be contemporary and funny :)

8.) TB: What is your current YA read? How are you liking it?

MG: I just finished Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. It was incredible—not only were the fantasy and romance elements so lush and well-done, but the dialogue and friendships were so sharp and realistic! I find that rare in a lot of fantasy I read. Really enjoyed it. Can't wait to read the sequel. (TB Note: I LOVED It Too! Great book!!) 

Big THANKS for Maureen Goo for this interview and review copy (my review will be up next week!) :) Hope you enjoy the interview :))

Blog Tour: The Shadow Girl - Jennifer Archer (Review) + Interview!

First off, I'm so happy I was part of this tour hosted by Shane @ Itching for Books! It was a great book and I'll be sharing my interview with Jennifer Archer before sharing my interview :) Enjoy :D

The Bookshelves: 1.) What was the inspiration for The Shadow Girl?

Jennifer Archer: Several things, actually. My love of psychological thrillers and mysteries, for one. Also, an incident that took place when I was in elementary school. When I was in 6^th grade, I went into the girl’s restroom one day while class was in progress. I was the only person in the small restroom, and while standing at the sink washing my hands, I glanced up, my gaze connected with my own image in the mirror, and I instantly thought: Who are you? That feeling of disconnection from my reflection lasted only a second, but I never forgot it. That memory – that long-ago experience – inspired Lily’s story all these years later. I started wondering what it would be like for a girl if she sensed a presence with her all of the time. Another girl whose whispers tickled her ear and wove through her mind. An essence that felt like a part of her, but a separate part, if that makes sense! And then I started asking myself not only what that presence might be, but who it might be. I began wondering about the “shadow girl’s” story – how she came to be and how she might be connected to my main character, Lily.

TB: 2.) What character resembles you the most and why? Was there any "you" in any of the characters?

JA: There’s usually a little bit of me in all of my characters, even if it’s only a very small sliver. When I consider The Shadow Girl’s cast of characters, I think I most closely resemble Lily. Like her, I’ve been somewhat of a loner all of my life. At times, I’ve felt like I don’t fit in with the people around me. I love the mountains and the forest, as Lily does, and share her love of hiking. But aside from those things, I’m not as outdoorsy as Lily. I can’t ice skate or play hockey or any other sport. I don’t have an athletic bone in my body! Although I’ve become more adventurous as an adult, when I was Lily’s age I was somewhat wary of adventure. I preferred to experience it in the pages of a book or at the movies.

TB: 3.) Tell us about that cover! How was the process to getting the cover art like? Did you love the cover?

I wish I could take credit for the cover, but it was a complete surprise. When my editor emailed the earliest version, the artwork literally took my breath away. I think it is a perfect fit for the story – it’s beautiful, eerie, and a bit unsettling. While writing the book, I imagined Lily looking almost exactly like the girl pictured. Her long red hair – everything. I feel very fortunate that the artist “got” my story and captured the essence of it in every way.

4.  TB: 4.) A guilty pleasure. One Wish. Favorite Movie

JA: Guilty pleasure: Braum’s chocolate vanilla swirl frozen yogurt in a waffle cone. (Large, please!)

One wish: Three more wishes.

Favorite movie: Only one? I have several that I love equally. Chocolat, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are two of them.

TB: 5.) Tweet Review! In 140 Words or less, tell us about The Shadow Girl!

JA: Secrets. A whispering presence urging Lily to solve them. A boy who knows more than he'll say. The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer #yamystery

TB: 6.) If a person was living under a rock and just woke up looking for a great read, what would you suggest and why?

JA: The book that first came to mind was To Kill A Mockingbird because the reader would learn about both the best and the worst in human nature.

TB: 7.) What was the writing process like? Any tips for aspiring writers?

JA: My writing process is typically a slow one. I call it the ‘three steps forward, one step back’ method. I write new material – a scene, a chapter – then the next day I read what I wrote the previous day and revise it before moving on to write more new material. The next day I re-read yesterday’s new material and revise it before writing more new. And so on …until I reach the end of the book. The result is that I end up with a more polished first draft than I would if I wrote through to the end without doing any light revising along the way. However, once I do reach the end, I still go back to the beginning and revise a few more times. The number of times depends on the book.

My advice for writers is to find the process that works best for you and make it your own. There is no right or wrong way to write a book. What works for one writer may not work well for another. Also, write as much as you can and read as much as you can. That’s the best way to learn and hone your craft.

TB: 8.) What can you tell us about any other books you’re writing?        

JA: I’ve just started working on a new book that I’m really excited about. The working title is Before I Wake. It’s

another psychological mystery, and it involves graffiti or “street art,” and dreams – what’s real and what’s not. That’s all I’m going to say about it for now!

TB: 9.) What is your current YA read? How are you liking it?

JA: I’m reading Chime by Franny Billingsley. It was a National Book Award finalist last year. I’m not far enough into the story yet to decide if I like it or not, but the writing is wonderful, and Billingsley’s  2001 novel The Folk Keeper was one of my favorite reads all those years ago. I remember it being dark and creepy, unique and poetic – the kind of story and writing that draws me in and holds me there until I’ve turned the last page.

The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer
Date Released:April 9, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 336 Pages
Format: ARC
Source: Blog Tour @ Itching for Books
Rating: Liked
Series: Standalone

Goodreads Synopsis:  Sometimes I forget for an hour or two that she's with me. Sometimes I convince myself that she was only a dream. Or that I'm crazy.

For as long as Lily Winston can remember, she has never been alone. Iris, a shadowy figure who mimics Lily's movements and whispers in her ear, is with her always—but invisible to the rest of the world. Iris is Lily's secret.

But when Lily's father is killed in a tragic accident, his cryptic final words suggest that he and Lily's mother have been keeping secrets of their own. Suddenly, Iris begins pushing Lily more than ever, possessing her thoughts and urging her to put together the pieces of a strange puzzle her father left behind. As she searches for answers, Lily finds herself drawn to Ty Collier, a mysterious new boy in town. Together, Lily and Ty must untangle a web of deception to discover the truth about her family, Iris . . . and Lily's own identity.

From Goodreads

The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer is one of those book you have pretty high expectation because the the ARC's synopsis was blurbed as "for fans of Gayle Forman and Lauren Oliver"  and since are those as popular authors, I was so excited for this. I ended up liking it but not loving it, but when the pieces in this mysterious and quirky story began falling in place, it was addicting and I loved it. I definitely love to see more of Jennifer Archer's books too and hopefully this isn't her last! 

The Shadow Girl is one of those twisted, realistic, YA books that has that sudden plot twist you never saw coming and it has you racing for more. The main character  Lily was someone relatable and real. I could see where she was coming from and maybe a little more development could have been done but I loved her and when she started seeing everything make sense it was interesting seeing how she plays it all out, especially as a standalone. The other characters like Ty, Wyatt, and Iris were great. Jennifer also manages to weave both Lily and Iris's perspective was fluid and finding out what happens is crazy! 

The Shadow Girl is one of those books that depends on the characters to discover the plot and secrets. One thing that could have made the book even better was more development in the characters since it's a character driven book. Iris could have been more in the story, but we do discover so much about her, Lily, and their whole family, it had me gasping for the pages! And to my surprise, it's a standalone that leaves such an ending! Great job!



Overall, if you love a good YA contemporary with a little more pick up The Shadow Girl! It has suspense, action, and an ending that will leave you breathless! 

Find The Shadow Girl On:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Author Interview: The Look - Sophie Bennet!

I'm so excited to interview Sophia Bennett, author of The Look, coming out March 1, 2013! I can't wait for the book and to share this interview! Plus, the cover is eye-catching!

The Bookshelves: 1.) What inspired you to write The Look?
Sophia: To quote from my website, here's how it started: In June 2010 a girl called Elizabeth wrote to me, telling me she was thinking about becoming an English teacher one day: ‘the kind who wear pencil skirts and crimson lipstick’. That sounded great to me! But she’d been told she could maybe be a model instead – what did I think?

Well, I wasn’t sure what to think. At least, I knew what I thought (which was ‘No! Don’t do it! Be that English teacher instead!’), but I realised I didn’t know why. What’s it like to be a model? Who would enjoy it? Who wouldn’t? Is it really as glamorous as it sounds, or as seedy as some people say?

I was talking to some of the girls from Bliss magazine at the time and they said that whenever they run a modelling competition, they’re overwhelmed by entries. According to surveys, about 30% of girls consider it at some stage. Secretly. Nobody will admit to it. But they do.

And so I set off on my research. Meanwhile, a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer and she had a whole set of new and different challenges to face. And I saw a stunning girl on the street with an arrestingly short haircut, and I instantly realised she was my main character, Ted. Gradually it all came together. Not the story I first had in mind, but a different one – a bit darker and much harder to tell, about two sisters, and how they cope with a cancer diagnosis and finding themselves in two very different, unfamiliar worlds. This story became The Look.

TB: 2.) What character resembles you the post and why? Was there any "you" in any of the characters?

This was a tricky book for me to write, because the main character, Ted, isn't much like me at all. For a start, she's very tall! I'm five foot five, and I was never going to be a model. Also, Ted starts off not really knowing what she wants to do with her life, whereas I knew from very early on that I wanted to be a writer. I found it easier to write Ted as the book progressed and she started discovering herself. 

I'm not really Ava, the glamorous sister, either, although I like her very much. She and Ted are based on some close sisters that I know, and they also have characteristics I've grabbed from different places. The character most based on me is actually the scatty dad, based at home, writing and trying his best to look after his family. There's quite a lot of me in him. 

But the most fun character to develop, by far, was Tina di Gaggia, the outrageous fashion trend-spotter. She's based on a few reality TV fashion people I love (naming no names). She's very eccentric, slightly evil, and a joy to write.

TB: 3.) Tell us about that cover! How was the process to getting the cover art like? Did you love the cover?

Do you like the cover? I'm dying to know what people think of it. I don't know the detail of how it came about, because Scholastic like to protect me from their art department, or the other way around, which is possibly theagood thing. But I do know that they wanted it to be edgier than the (gorgeous, but very different) UK cover. It's an edgy story, so I'm fine with that. The inspiration for the two faces came from the poster for The Ides of March - where the faces belong to Ryan Gosling and George Clooney. The girls on my cover are actually two different people, too. I really like the bravery of using a shorn head in one of the pictures. The head shaving scene is the central one in the book, and most readers' favourite, so it's good to see it represented on the cover.

TB: 4.) A Favorite Store. One Wish. Fav movie in 2012

Hard. Possibly Liberty, off Regent Street in London. Or Anthropologie. I'd wish for an end to all torture. Also saggy facial skin on women over 40 (sigh). But torture first. Hunger Games. Jennifer Lawrence is Awe. Some. I can't wait to see her in the Silver Linings Playbook.

TB: 5.) Tweet Review! In 140 Words or less, tell us about The Look!

Words, or characters? 

Two sisters. Once cancer diagnosis. One chance to be a model. How far would you go to help the sister you love?

TB: 6.) How was the writing process like? Any tips for inspiring writers?

For this book - very tough. It took a long, long time for the characters to be fleshed out, and to work out which bits of my research into the modelling world I wanted to use. I always find beginnings - the first ten thousand words - the hardest by far. But I really wanted to tell this story. It was inspired by people very close to me. 

As for tips for aspiring writers, to quote Neil Gaiman - do it. Just write. Finish what you started. That is what writers do. Sounds easy - but it's hard. Don't worry: it's hard for all of us. We do it because we don't want to do anything else.

TB: 7.) What can you tell us about the next book? Any hints you can give us?

I'm just finishing the main edit for the next book now. It's going to be called 'You Don't Know Me', and it's about a group of girls who love to sing and find themselves in an online talent show. They're asked to drop one of the girls if they want to make it, and without really thinking about it, they do. Then there's a huge online backlash. How do you deal with life when 300,000 people officially hate you? What makes you strong? 

It comes out in the UK in May, and I'm so glad the story is working out the way I wanted it to. That one was hard to write, too!

TB: 8.) What is your current YA read? How are you liking it?

I'm currently reading Torn, by another UK YA writer called Cat Clarke. It's about a popular mean girl who mysteriously died on a camping trip, and the surviving girls, who know what happened but aren't talking. Like all Cat's books, it's intriguingly written, with a great voice, so I'm loving it.

~ sophia xxx

Who's Excited for The Look?

Blog Tour: Gates of Paradise by Melissa De La Cruz Interview

I'm super excited to be on the blog tour for Melissa De La Cruz's Gates of Paradise, the final book in the Blue Bloods series! I just finished it and oh man it was amazing! One of the best, really, it was, and I can't wait to share with you an interview with Mel!

The Interview:

1.) The Bookshelves: What was the inspiration for Gates of Paradise? How was it like writing the finale?

Mel: It was hard at first, definitely starting it was difficult, it was very emotional to let go of the Blue Bloods series -- writing it has been part of my life for almost a decade. The inspiration came from Paradise Lost, and also the finales of all the series I've loved: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings mainly. Also I was feeling London hard that year, so I set it there. Seemed appropriate. 

2.) TB: What character resembles you the post and why? Was there any "you" in any of the characters?

Mel: I'm in all of them -- mostly in Sky, Mimi, Oliver I think. The three of them have parts of my life, my voice, my sense of humor. Mimi's definitely my bitchy side, Sky is my gentler nature, and Ollie has my sense of humor and sense of the absurd.

3.) TB: Tell us about that cover! How was the process to getting the cover art like? Did you love the cover?

Mel: I love it!! I have been trying to get a guy on the cover forever, so it was great to see a little of Jack's face in it finally! I love the Blue Bloods covers, they're so beautiful and romantic, Hyperion does an awesome job. Oh I think in Lost in Time you also see the male model's back, and we were sad we couldn't show his torso because he had great abs! ;) 

4.) TB: A Fav 2012 YA Read. One Wish. A addicting TV show.

Mel: 2012 was all about Code Name Verity for me. One Wish is for lessening gun violence. An addictive TV show--I don't watch a lot of TV at all, basically only Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey and Girls. But I'm huge fans of the shows I do watch. I await each episode impatiently. I used to love reality TV but I really don't watch any of it anymore, I think the fakery has gotten to me. 

5.) TB: Tweet Review! In 140 Words or less, tell us about Gates of Paradise!

Mel: Heartbreaking finale to the epic Blue Bloods series. Love, loss, sacrifice and secrets revealed!

6.) TB: How was the writing process like? Any tips for inspiring writers?

Mel: It was a blur - pain and then fury and then a race to the end. I outline a lot, and I figure out a lot of backstory beforehand. My tip to aspiring writers: work as hard as you can rewrite it as much as you can. when you hit a wall keep going. You'll never get better if you don't bleed on the page. Each book demands a huge chunk of your life and your soul. 

7.) TB: What can you tell us about any future books? Are you excited to write them?

Mel: Yes! I'm terribly excited. My new series HEART OF DREAD, the first book FROZEN comes out Sept 17th and it is co-authored with my husband. Mike and I worked on the Blue Bloods, Wolf Pact and Witches of East End series together, and he finally gets the credit he deserves in this one. It's about a 16 year old blackjack dealer who has a deadly secret, and is trying to escape the post-apocalyptic world of an ice-covered New Vegas in search of another land, called 'the Blue". She hires a runner, a mercenary team to get her there. But can she trust him? And will be fail her? Magic, mystery, adventure, romance. It's all there in Frozen! We call it "Lord of the Rings in reverse" in that it's not the story of magic leaving the world, it's the story of magic coming back to the world, and the word of science and technology is dying. 

Also I have plans for a new cycle of Blue Bloods books. It is an adult spinoff in that it will be published by my adult publisher - who publishes Witches of East End. And Oliver Hazard-Perry will be the main focus of the second cycle. The Vampires of Manhattan: new rules, new coven, new blood. :) 

My other new series is tentatively titled The Court of the Last Princess, and it's a rich, fun, Blue Bloods-style soap opera. I can't talk too much about it yet. It comes out sometime in 2014.

8.) TB: What is your current YA read? How are you liking it?

Mel: I don't read a lot of YA actually. I tend to not read in my genre. I read mostly adult literary fiction or memoirs.  I think my last YA read was Looking for Alaska by John Green. It was fantastic. I'm sorry I didn't read his books earlier, but now I'm reading them all.

Thanks so much Mel for the interview! I loved reading the whole series and stop by later on the blog for a review of Gates of Paradise! :D