Friday, April 30, 2010

Not Quite 100 Questions Answered by A.S. King

Hey Readers! 
Interviews, interviews, interviews! They just keep coming! Sorry I haven’t been great about posting book reviews lately. I’m going crazy studying for finals and it’s much easier to put together an interview than it is to write a book review while trying to memorize the relationship between frequency, amplitude, and period. (A word of advice to any future speech scientists out there: pay attention in high school physics class. It will pay off.) 
Anyway, I’m pretty sure that this interview with A.S. King will make up for the recent lack of reviews!
C: I’ve heard that you didn’t originally write “The Dust of 100 Dogs” as a young adult book … were you surprised when your agent realized it as such? I know that you just recently sold a second book – did you set out writing this book with teens in mind?
ASK: By the time The Dust of 100 Dogs sold, I'd written seven novels which I thought were for adults. Looking back, about five of those seven were technically young adult books. I just didn't know that. It happens. :) I wasn't surprised as much as I was relieved to finally figure out where I fit in a bookstore. It had been a while, so I wanted to find my place and get on with it! I actually just sold a third book. But yes, both PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ, which comes from Knopf/Random House this fall, and EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, which will come in 2011 from Little, Brown were written with teens in the forefront of my mind. However, I can't say it changed much about how I write or the types of things I write about. I was always a YA writer. I was just too out-of-touch to know this. 
C: I haven’t finished “The Dust of 100 Dogs” yet, but I love that a good part of it takes place in Ireland. I know that you lived in Ireland for several years – is this what inspired you to set “Dust” in this locale?
ASK: Yes, I lived in Ireland for about twelve years and I wrote The Dust of 100 Dogs about ten years ago while I was still living in Tipperary. It was inspired by my discovery that Oliver Cromwell's army used the road I lived on road during their 1650 invasion. Every time I walked down the road (usually with my dogs) after learning this, I thought of what it must have been like to live during that time. 
C: Did you always know that you wanted to be an author? What has your journey to published author been like? What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
ASK: I think I always knew I wanted to do something creative. I remember saying I wanted to be an author in the 8th grade. But when I told an adult in my life, they insisted that meant I had to work for the newspaper. Which was not what I had in mind at all. So that was that. I went to college and earned a degree in photography and then when I moved to Ireland when I was 24, I had an opportunity to start over and do what I really wanted to do...and I ended up writing novels. My journey was long, but worth it. By the time D100D landed on a bookstore shelf, I was writing for 15 years and had written eight novels, a few collections of poetry, and a ton of stories. I wouldn't trade a minute of it. I work with a lot of aspiring authors. I think the best advice to give is to keep writing, and do it for the love of writing. 
C: What was your favorite book as a teenager?
ASK: Anything by Paul Zindel. Also, "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding.
C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?
ASK: This is an impossible question to answer because I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone! But okay. I'll try to answer. I'm stoked to get to see my friends Robin Brande and Lisa McMann again and I'm most looking forward to meeting Ellen Hopkins in person. I really love her work and I am a total fangirl. (Ooo! And Barry Lyga. And Laurie Halse Anderson. And....) 
Thanks for the great answers, Amy! I can’t believe that there are only two weeks left until we get to meet you in person at TBF 2010!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Chatting with Kay Cassidy!




Hello Readers, 
It’s a week of interviews! They’re flowing into my email inbox like crazy and I’m having a blast reading them all and sharing them with you. On today’s agenda? Kay Cassidy!
C: You’re one of our first-time authors this year! What does it feel like to be a published author? Did you always know that you wanted to write? Did you always know that you wanted to write for teens?
KC: Being published is pretty amazing. Seeing your book on the shelf—a story that used to live solely in your head—is such an unusual experience! I used to write when I was 7 or 8, but then stopped and never really started again until I was in my 30s. I'm living proof that it's never too late to start that career you've always dreamed of. :-) Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what you want to be when you grow up!
C: Your novel “The Cinderella Society” has a unique concept – I’ve been describing it as “The Princess Diaries” meets “I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You.” How did you come up with the idea for “The Cinderella Society?”
KC: I LOVE that comparison! Meg and Ally are two of the authors who inspired me to write YA. :-) “The Cinderella Society” actually came from a magazine article about high school sororities. I'd never heard of that before and, once I started thinking about the kind of society I would create if I could, I realized I would want it to be an organization devoted to fighting the everyday battle of good vs. evil. The idea snowballed from there and The Cinderella Society was born.
C: Are any of the characters in “The Cinderella Society” based on you as a teenager? Or anyone that you knew as a teenager?
KC: I don't base characters on people I know because the characters are usually pretty vivid in my mind when they introduce themselves for the story. I will say that Jess and I have a lot in common. We have similar teen insecurities, were both cheerleaders who never felt like part of the In crowd, and were pretty independent (and, okay, stubborn). :-)
C: What was your favorite book as a teenager?
KC: I didn't read a ton as a teen, oddly enough. But my favorite book growing up was “The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin. It's still one of my all-time favorites and, in my humble opinion, one of the best children's mysteries ever written. In fact, I bought a new copy a few years back because I'm not sure what ever happened to mine in all of my various moves over the years. And it's a definite book for my permanent keeper shelf.
C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?
KC: There are so many fabulous authors – I can't wait to meet them all! One thing that's kind of neat: Alyson Noel and I are both part of the Living Your FiveTM inspirational web project devoted to making a difference in the world. But TBF will be the first time we've ever met in person! So that'll be fun. :-)
Thanks for the great answers, Kay! In 15 days we’ll get to meet you in person and we can’t wait!
Readers, I hadn’t heard of Living Your FiveTM until this interview with Kay and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing! Check out more information about Living Your FiveTM here.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

You Are Reading an Interview with Jennifer E. Smith



Hello Readers, 
My crazed reading endeavor continues! I’m making my way through the rest of list and loving every minute of it. Studying for finals has thrown a wrench in my plans, but I’ve still found the time to post this great interview with Jennifer E. Smith!
C: One of the things that I like best about “The Comeback Season” is that it is written is the present tense … was it a conscious decision to write “The Comeback Season” in this tense? If so, why did you choose to do so?
JS: I thought there was something about that story in particular – the intensity of it – that really lent itself to present tense. I like the immediacy it brings to the characters, almost like a close up on film. My second book, You Are Here, was written in past tense, but I’m back to present with the one I’m working on now, so I suppose it’s really less a decision than a gut reaction as to what might best serve the story itself.
C: Colgate, your alma mater, is a school that I toured when I was looking at colleges. Did you base the town that Emma and Peter live in, in “You Are Here,” on Hamilton, NY (the town where Colgate is located)? Are other places or characters in your novels based on your real life?
JS: Real life always has a tendency to creep into fiction, whether you mean for it to happen or not. When I first started writing You Are Here, I knew that Emma’s parents were going to be professors, and so I figured I’d set it at Colgate, though I never actually say so in the book. I don’t think any of my characters have ever been based on someone I know in any kind of major way (though I do borrow lines from time to time!), but with settings, if you already know a place well, it gives you a nice foundation. The area in North Carolina where Emma and Peter end up in You Are Here is more or less where my parents live now, and Ryan’s town in The Comeback Season is loosely based on the suburb of Chicago where I grew up. 
C: What do you think you’ve gained, as an author, by working in the publishing industry? Did you enter the publishing industry knowing that you wanted to be an author? Is being an author something that you always knew you wanted to do?
JS: I’ve wanted to be an author since I was in fourth grade, but growing up, I never thought of it as a real job for some reason. It was somehow too far-fetched, like being an astronaut or a cowboy. It was a dream job, and how many people get to do their dream job?  Publishing, on the other hand, seemed like a pretty good deal. Like most writers, I’ve always been a huge reader, and the idea that you could help make books happen – that you could start with a pile of pages and end up with this hard rectangular object – was enough to make me want to work in the industry.  I always say that being an editor has made me a better writer, and being a writer has made me a better editor. And it’s true. Other than occasionally wishing there were more hours in the day, I think I’ve really benefited from doing both. I read a huge volume of submissions as an editor, and it’s interesting to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. And at the same time, I’m fortunate enough to edit so many wonderful authors whose work I admire greatly, and who set a standard that constantly makes me want to challenge myself in my own writing.
C: What five books are on your list of books that you couldn’t live without?
JS: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls, "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, and Harry Potter (any and all!) by JK Rowling.
C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?
JS: There’s such a great line-up, and I’m a big fan of so many of these authors. I’m looking forward to seeing Martin Wilson again – another YA author who works on the adult side of publishing – and I’ve never met Lisa Schroeder, though we’ve been in touch over the past couple of years, so it will be great to finally meet her. It looks like a wonderful group, and I’m thrilled to be included!
Thanks so much for the great answers, Jen! Only 16 more days until we get to meet you live and in person at TBF 2010! We’re counting down …

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Five Question Interview with Sarah Ockler

OMG Readers!
TBF 2010 is so close I can taste it. I’m freaking out the slightest bit because I still have some books to finish before the Festival arrives. Left on my list? Coe Booth, Lindsay Cibos and Jared Hodges, Marissa Doyle, James Kennedy, A.S. King, Daniel Kirk, and Alisa Libby. How will I do it? That, readers, is a wonderful question. The best answer I have so far is that I will probably not sleep for at least four days leading up to the Festival … 
Anyway, have no fear because (a) I WILL complete my reading list and (b) today I have an interview with Sarah Ockler to share with you!
C:“Twenty Boy Summer” is your first published novel. Is it the first novel that you ever wrote?
SO: Well, I wrote a knock-off of the movie E.T. when I was six, but that one didn't go beyond the first grade class, where I was invited to read it to everyone at the school library. :-) So yes, Twenty Boy Summer is the first actual novel I wrote. I don't have any secret novels collecting dust under my bed, but I do have a lot of atrocious early drafts of TBS that will never ever see the light of day!
C: Did you always know that you wanted to be an author? When did you know that you wanted to write for teens (and teens at heart!)?
SO: I started writing stories and poems back when I was still losing teeth and wearing tank tops without a bra. As for wanting to be an author, sure, that was always the dream – but it was just that. A dream like becoming a princess without royal ties or an astronaut without NASA training. Still, I couldn't help but write, and several years after college, I finally did something about it – I signed up for a personal essay class with Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver. The instructor thought one of my pieces -- a story about some "trouble" my BFF and I got into when we were 15 -- had a strong young adult voice and asked if I'd ever thought about writing YA. At that point, I hadn't, but it sounded fun so I signed up for the YA class the following semester.  There, I was introduced to the works of Sarah Dessen, Laurie Halse Anderon, Deb Caletti, and other contemporary YA authors, and from that very first class, it was like the sunlight beamed down on me (yeah, with the chorus of angels and everything), like, heyyyyyy! This is it! This is what you're supposed to be doing with your life!  I didn’t think it was possible to become a "real" author until I was in the midst of completing TWENTY BOY SUMMER, and my husband helped me see the truth: that I am a writer, and that becoming an author is my dream, and the only one who can stop me from achieving it is me. Once I got to that point, I dropped the MBA I was working on, focused on finishing the book, and then the universe kind of lined up for me. It was such a whirlwind.... sometimes I still wonder if I'm dreaming!    :-)
C: I’m always interested in the relationships between characters and their parallels to authors’ “real lives.” Is Anna’s relationship with Frankie and Matt based on a relationship that you have or have had with friends?
SO: Not specifically, but if I had ten bucks for every friend who insists the story is about her or her brother or him or someone else we know, I could retire. Seriously. :-) But... while the relationships in Twenty Boy Summer don't parallel any in my own life, when I'm writing, I do draw on certain *elements* of relationships from my life. For me, that's what makes writing authentic. When authors truly remember what it was like with our own teen best friends, first loves, those ups and downs, that summer vacation second chance, those fights and makeups, all that emotion... that shines through the characters and makes them real. I guess I should take it as a good sign that so many people from my past think it's about them! :-)
C: What five books are on your list of “Favorite Books Ever?”
SO: "Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger, "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac, "Jellicoe Road" by Melina Marchetta, "The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams, and "The Diary of Anais Nin" by Anais Nin.
C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?
SO: This question is pretty close to impossible to answer because there are so many wonderful authors attending, and I can't wait to meet all of them! But if I have to pick just one... Laurie Halse Anderson. SPEAK was one of the first YA books I read when I started exploring the idea of writing for teens in that YA class at Lighthouse, and it always stayed with me. I hope to thank her in person.
Thanks so much for the great answers, Sarah! Only 17 more days until we all get to meet you in person!

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Best Interview Ever With Alyson Noel!




Hey Readers!
TBF 2010 is growing closer and closer each day! Over the next three days I have some awesome author interviews for you guys … first up is Alyson Noel!
C: Are there challenges that go along with writing in two different genres (fantasy and realistic fiction), as you do? 
AN: At the moment, I’m mainly just concentrating on writing fantasy with both with The Immortals series, and it’s spin-off series, beginning with Radiance (in stores 08.31.10). And, since I’m so mired in that world, it seems that all of my new ideas are fantasy based as well, so, yeah, I guess it is hard to write in the two as I seem to be only concentrating on the one! 
C: Do you prefer reading one genre over the other? Do you prefer writing one genre over the other?
AN: As for reading, I don’t really gravitate toward any one genre in particular—I love ‘em all—as long as the story is intriguing and the characters interesting, I’m in.  As for writing, well, my first seven books were all realistic fiction, so Evermore was definitely a departure for me, but since then, I’ve really come to enjoy writing fantasy—the world building alone is a total blast!
C: “Saving Zoe” and “Evermore” both prominently feature the relationships between sisters. Do you have a sister? If so, are the relationships between Zoe and Echo and Ever and Riley based on your relationship with your sister?
AN: I have two older sisters, and I can definitely say that the way Echo and Riley sort of idolize their older sister, is in direct relation to how I felt about mine. There’s a bit of an age gap between us, one is ten years older, and one is five years older, and they just seemed so incredibly glamorous and sophisticated that I did my best to emulate them.
C: What was the last book that you read for pleasure?
AN: Oh, how I hate to admit this, but I’ve been reading so much non-fiction for research for The Immortals that I haven’t read a book strictly for pleasure in a really, really long time. Though that’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed the non-fiction I’ve been reading, because I have, but it’s a totally different experience from immersing yourself in a fictional world. But as soon as things slow down, I plan to hit my TBR stack, hard!
C: What author are you most looking forward to meeting and/or seeing at the Fifth Annual TBF?
AN: All of them—it’s such an amazing line up, I’m sure to have more than a few major fan girl moments!
Thanks so much, Alyson, for taking the time to allow me to interview you. We can’t wait to meet you at TBF in only 18 days!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Our last This or That! With Terry Trueman!

Hey Readers!
This is our last “This or That” survey! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about what our awesome TBF authors like! I present to you … Terry Trueman!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Both
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic
3. City mouse or country mouse? Dog
4. Pop music or classical? Both
5. Dogs or cats? See #3, but def dogs
6. Pen or pencil? Computer
7. Cursive or printing? See #6
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? I prefer live dog or car ads, anything but smiling chicklet toothed young jocks squeezing out a tear for future $
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? Def DVDs at home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Paperback 'cause more people can afford them
The “This or That” surveys are all done, but I have some other fun things up my sleeves. Keep checking back, you won’t regret it!

This or That With Jennifer E. Smith!

Hello Bookworms!
The Teen Book Festival is getting closer and closer each day! I’m SO excited! I’m hurrying to finish up my last little bit of reading, getting together all the books I want autographed, and counting down the days until I get to meet some awesome YA authors. 
So, readers, keep yourself busy while you wait for TBF 2010 by reading Jennifer E. Smith’s “This or That” survey!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic fiction
3. City mouse or country mouse? Country mouse (moonlighting as a city mouse at the moment!)
4. Pop music or classical? Pop
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs
6. Pen or pencil? Pen
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Summer Olympics
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? Movie theater
10. Hardcover or paperback? Paperback
Only 22 more days until the Teen Book Festival!

This or That With Simone Elkeles!

Hi Readers!
Another “This or That” survey! Today? Simone Elkeles!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic fiction
3. City mouse or country mouse? Country mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Pop
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs
 6. Pen or pencil? Pen
7. Cursive or printing? Cursive
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Winter 
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? DVDs at home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover
Leave me some comments, readers!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

This or That With Sarah Ockler!



Hey there, Readers!
“This or That” with Sarah Ockler!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate.
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Fantasy. 
3. City mouse or country mouse? Mountain mouse. :-)
4. Pop music or classical? Classical.
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs.
6. Pen or pencil? Pen.
7. Cursive or printing? Printing.
8. Summer Olypmics or winter Olympics? Winter Olympics.
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? DVDs at home.
10. Hardcover or paperback? Paperback for travel, hardcover for collecting.
Keep reading, bookworms! TBF 2010 is closer than you may realize!

This or That With Laurie Halse Anderson!



Hey TBF Fans!
Today I have one of our TBF alum’s “This or That” survey. Read on to find out more about Laurie Halse Anderson!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Fantasy
3. City mouse or country mouse? Country mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Classical
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs
6. Pen or pencil? Pen
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Winter
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? At home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover
So, readers, have you been enjoying the “This or That” surveys? There are still a few more yet to come!

This or That With Marissa Doyle!



Hello Readers,
Today I have Marissa Doyle’s “This or That” survey!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate!!
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Fantasy
3. City mouse or country mouse? Definitely country mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Classical. Bach.
5. Dogs or cats? Cats rule! But bunnies are even better.
6. Pen or pencil? Pen
7. Cursive or printing? Cursive
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Winter Olympics
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? DVD at home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover
Only 27 more days until TBF 2010!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

This or That With Lisa Schroeder!



Hey Readers!
There are not very many “This or That” surveys left, but the last ones are just as good as the first ones! (And the middle ones!) Up today, Lisa Schroeder!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic fiction
3. City mouse or country mouse? Country mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Pop music
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs
6. Pen or pencil? Pen
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Summer
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? DVDs at home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover
There are a few more surveys coming up!

This or That With Lisa McMann!

Hi Bookworms!
The “This and That” surveys just keep coming! Today … Lisa McMann!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic fiction
3. City mouse or country mouse? City!
4. Pop music or classical? Pop
5. Dogs or cats? Both!
6. Pen or pencil? Sharpie!
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Summer
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? Home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover
We’re not done with surveys yet! Keep checking back …
Leave comments!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Rules of Attraction Book Trailer




Wow, Readers!
Simone Elkeles posted the book trailer for her newest book "Rules of Attraction" (due out tomorrow!) on my facebook wall and all I can say is "Wow!" This book trailer takes the term book trailer to a whole new level! You'll just have to see for yourself ... watch and enjoy!

Let me know what you think and be sure to check out "Rules of Attraction" as soon as you can get your hands on it - it looks great!

Friday, April 9, 2010

This or That With Lindsay Cibos!

What’s up, Readers?
I’ll tell you what’s up here! I got my nook! It is awesome … I’m completely in love with it. It’s way cooler looking than the Kindle, but otherwise they’re pretty much the same. I can take it EVERYWHERE with me and it weighs less than a pound. (I know, I sound like Barnes & Noble is paying me to say this. But they’re not, I swear.)
Anyway, let’s get to the even more fun stuff! “This or That” with Lindsay Cibos …
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Fantasy
3. City mouse of country mouse? Country mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Pop music
5. Dogs or cats? Cats
6. Pen or pencil? Pencil
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Winter Olympics
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? DVDs at home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Paperback 
There are more surveys to come!

This or That With Kay Cassidy!

Hey Readers!
More survey results to make up for missed days … “This or That” with Kay Cassidy!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic
3. City mouse or country mouse? Country mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Pop music
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs
6. Pen or pencil? Pen
7. Cursive or printing? Cursive
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Summer Olympics
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? DVDs
10. Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover
Also, readers, big exciting news about Kay Cassidy! Her book "The Cinderella Society" comes out on Tuesday! Congrats, Kay! I was lucky enough to get an ARC, but I can't wait until the rest of world gets to read "The Cinderella Society" as well! 
There are more surveys to come. Check back soon!

This or That With Jared Hodges!



Hi Bookworms!
Entry #3 to make up for the days I missed! “This or That” with Jared Hodges!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic fiction
3. City mouse or country mouse? City mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Classical
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs 
6. Pen or pencil? Pencil
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Summer Olympics
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? DVDs at home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Paperback
There’s more to come!

This or That With Daniel Kirk!



Hi Bookworms!
Entry #2 to make up for all the days I missed! “This or That” with Daniel Kirk!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate 
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Fantasy
3. City mouse or country mouse? City mouse 
4. Pop music or classical? Pop music and classical
5. Dogs or cats? Rabbits
6. Pen or pencil? Pencil
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Meh
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? Movies in the theater 
10. Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover

This or That With Amy Kathleen Ryan!



Hi Bookworms!
Sorry I haven’t posted in a week! I really don’t have an excuse and it’s currently 8am so I’m not exactly awake enough to make up a good one …
Anyway, hopefully Amy Kathleen Ryan’s “This or That” survey will make up for it!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate! 
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic, usually
3. City mouse or country mouse? Country mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Depends on my mood. Usually pop.
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs!
6. Pen or Pencil? Pen
7. Cursive or printing? Cursive
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Summer
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? Movies in the theatre
10. Hardcover or paperback? Hardcovers from the library
I’m going to make up for the posts that I missed by posting a few surveys today! I’ll post them separately, though. 

Sunday, April 4, 2010

This or That With Alyson Noel!




Hey Readers!
Another quick entry because now I’m back to school and faced with mountains of studying. So … let’s get to it! “This or That” with Alyson Noel!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? It’s all good!
3. City mouse or country mouse? City Mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Pop
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs
6. Pen or pencil? Pencil
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Winter
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? Theater
10. Hardcover or paperback? Yes, please! :)
Check back tomorrow!

Friday, April 2, 2010

This or That With A.S. King!




Hey Readers!
Sorry this is such a quick post but I’m exhausted and on my way to bed. The most important thing is … I have another survey for you! Here’s what A.S. King likes!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla  
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic
3. City mouse or country mouse? Country mouse
4. Pop music or classical? Rock n' Roll, thanks
5. Dogs or cats? Both. (Can't we all just get along?) Okay--dogs
6. Pen or pencil? Pencil
7. Cursive or printing? A mix of cursive and print that no one else but me can really read
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Summer Olympics
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? DVDs at home
10. Hardcover or paperback? Both! 

Thursday, April 1, 2010

This or That With Barry Lyga!




Hi Bookworms!
Firstly, tonight I fell in love. With the Barnes & Noble nook! I know, I know, I too have always been completely against e-book readers. I always tell people I don’t just love reading – I’m a book lover, too! However, books are getting EXPENSIVE these days (especially adult books!). I’m a person who loves to get new books ASAP and I love the idea of getting adult hardcover bestsellers for $9.99 the day they come out. Obviously, I would still buy printed copies of the TBF books! How else would our awesome authors autograph them? Anyway Readers, what are your thoughts on the nook, Kindle, etc.?
Now onto the fun stuff! Barry Lyga’s “This or That” survey!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? Realistic
3. City mouse or country mouse? City
4. Pop music or classical? Pop
5. Dogs or cats? Dogs
6. Pen or pencil? Pen
7. Cursive or printing? Printing
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? Don't care
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? Theater
10. Hardcover or paperback? Paperback
Thanks for your great answers, Barry.
Readers! I haven’t had any comments lately – let me know that you’re out there!

This or That With Vivian Vande Velde!



Hey Readers!
Here’s Vivian Vande Velde’s answers to my “This or That” survey! Thanks, Vivian!
1. Chocolate or vanilla? I can't even believe you asked. Chocolate or non-chocolate? Really!
2. Realistic fiction or fantasy? I prefer fantasy--both for reading and for writing.
3. City mouse or country mouse? Suburban mouse: I'm not good with crowds, or with farming.
4. Pop music or classical? Classical.
5. Dogs or cats? I like both. But currently we have a cat.
6. Pen or pencil? Pencil. I change my mind too often to go for permanent.
7. Cursive or printing? I'm pretty illegible either way.
8. Summer Olympics or winter Olympics? In either case, I prefer to be a spectator. As far as my own level of physical fitness, I'm trying to get the Olympic committee to recognize moseying around the mall as a legitimate event.
9. DVDs at home or movies in the theater? More often at home (hey, it's convenient! and nobody kicks the back of my chair) – but some things ("Avatar!") need to be experienced in a theater.
10. Hardcover or paperback? As a reader, I prefer paperback – I'm cheap, and paperbacks are more portable. As an author, I get a bigger royalty on hardcover, so I'd like to point out that hardcovers are better.