The Next Big Thing: GIRLS LIKE ME

I haven’t blogged as much lately, so I was happy when my friend Sera Rivers tagged me to be a part of The Next Big Thing Blog Tour. You can check out her post about her work-in-progress — the amazingly titled POE IS ME – by clicking here.

And here are the deets about my Work-In-Progress.

What is your working title of your book?  GIRLS LIKE ME

Where did the idea come from for the book?  The idea started with a meeting I had in LA two years ago where a producer suggested that I brainstorm ideas for a modern adaptation of LITTLE WOMEN. I never managed to do this successfully, but ended up with about a dozen other ideas, one of which was GIRLS LIKE ME.

What genre does your book fall under?  Contemporary YA.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Chloe Moretz as Zoe

Bella Thorne as Nora

Dakota Fanning as Brooke

China Anne McLain as Claudia

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? When a life-changing emergency plane landing compels Zoe Marshall’s pilot father to come clean about the three illegitimate children he fathered back in his days as a ladies’ man, Zoe’s feels like her whole life’s been a lie. But things go from bad to worse when Zoe’s dad invites his long-lost daughters to spend the summer with them in New York.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?  My agent is shopping it now (fingers crossed).

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  I’m trying to sell it as a partial.  I currently have 108 pages and a 30-page, chapter-by-chapter synopsis.  I think it took me about three months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  Hmmm, I can’t think of any actual books like it, but tonally, it’s Sarah Dessen meets Jay Asher.

Next up on the The Next Big Thing Blog Tour:

Tom Ryan, author of WAY TO GO (Orca Book Publishers)  www.tomwrotethat.com

Susanne Winnacker, author of The Other Life, its sequel The Life Beyond (coming March 1, 2013 from Usborne), and Impostor (coming July 11, 2013 from Razorbill/Penguin)  www.susannewinnacker.com

Julie True Kingsley, soon-to-be-published author & blogger extraordinaire. http://julietruekingsley.com

Wendy Thomas, 2012 NaNoWriMo winner, chicken goddess, and author of of the ebook:  Waste Not, Want Not – How Weighing Discarded Edible Waste for One Month Taught My Family the Value of Food http://simplethrift.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/lesson-678-the-next-big-thing/

3 author visits in one day! A new personal record…

As some of you already know, I could talk about the writing process all day long.  And yesterday, I got to do just that!  HUGE THANKS to the students & teachers of Fenway High School in Boston, the Boston Public Library, and the Merrimack, NH Public Library.  And best of luck to all of the fabulous NH writers I met last night who’ve started NaNoWriMo. Now stop reading this and get typing!

Oh, and I told the Fenway High School kids we’d vote on whose picture was cuter–the left side of the room, or the right side of the room.  But clearly, it’s a tie.

Guess which show I’m in…

Hint #1:  Despite my years of begging, I am not the opening act for Boys 2 Men.    Hint #2:  True stories told live without notes.

If you’ve never listened to The Moth, you’re missing out.

Calling all Los Angeles Reader Girls! (and boys)

On October 25^th at 7:00pm, I’ll be doing a reading/book signing at the Glendale Americana Barnes & Noble along with the fabulous Carmen Rodrigues (34 PIECES OF YOU) and Suzanne Lazear (INNOCENT DARKNESS).   We’ll also be talking about the process of of seeing a Young Adult novel into the world.  So, if you’re a YA fan and/or an aspiring writer, please join us for a night of books, fun, and giveaways!

Writing Young Adult

Date:  October 25^th

Time:    7:00pm

Admission:  Free

Location:  Glendale Americana Barnes & Noble

The Americana at Brand 210 Americana Way

Glendale, CA

(818) 545-9146

Event website:  http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/4005813

A Good and Bad Writing Day, and Other Questions for Author Rachele McAlpine

This week, I’m featuring an interview I did with Rachele Alpine, author of the YA novel CANARY (Medallion Press) due out next August.  

Rachele is also a member of the Lucky 13′s,a group of YA & MG authors debuting in 2013.  Here’s a synopsis.

CANARY

If she stays quiet, it will destroy her. If she speaks out, it will destroy everyone.

Kate Franklin’s life changes for the better when her dad lands a job at Beacon Prep, an elite private school with one of the best basketball teams in the state. She begins to date a player on the team and quickly gets caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, learning that there are perks to being an athlete.

But those perks also come with a price. Another player takes his power too far and Kate is assaulted at a party. She knows she should speak out, but her dad tries to silence her in order to protect the team. The world that Kate was once welcomed into is now her worst enemy, and she must decide whether to stay silent or expose the corruption, destroying her father’s career and bringing down a town’s heroes.

 1. What’s your biggest piece of advice for new writers.

Write, write, write and read, read, read.  Seriously. Find the time every single day to do both.  They go hand in hand.

2. What was your favorite scene to write in CANARY and why?

This is a great question (and one I never thought of before!).  I think some of my favorite parts were the non-narrative parts that my main character, Kate, creates.  She chronicles her time at her new school with blog posts told in poems, lyrics, quotes, and free-writes that don’t follow the traditional writing structure.  She writes these as letters to her former self, giving words of advice.  Each of these entries starts with a rule that she wish she would have known and then she reacts to the event in an artistic way.  I really liked the idea of stepping outside the traditional way of writing a novel and playing around with how I present information to the reader.  As we get closer to the book book’s publication date, we’re going to publish Kate’s post on a blog, as if she were released them in real time.  I’m pretty excited about that.

3. Describe a bad writing day.  Now, describe a great one!

A bad writing day to me would be a day when I can’t sit down and write as much as I want to.  I’m a high school English teacher and MFA fiction candidate, so my life is pretty busy.  I try to fit some time in for writing each day, but in the perfect world, I’d have endless amounts of time for everything in my life.

A perfect writing day would include my weekend/summer vacation routine.  I wake up, make a big pot of coffee and write in my pajamas for a few hours.  My dog sleeps by my feet, I play my favorite music, and if I’m lucky, the stories flow.  When the words don’t come as easily, I’ll take a break and go on a walk with my dog.  It’s just so easy and relaxed, and I love the possibilities that a whole new day of writing brings.

4. What surprised you most about the publishing process?

I love how I have been able to connect to so many readers and writers.  It’s amazing to talk with people who are already excited about your book, to connect to people who love YA literature as much as I do, and experience the amazing support YA writers give to each other.  The YA community is incredible, and I love being a part of it.

5. What are the best books you’ve read in the past year?

That’s a hard one…I’ve read so many great ones!

Right now I’m head over heels in love with Carol Rifka Brunt’s TELL THE WOLVES I’M HOME.  I want to devour every word, but I’m reading it slowly to make it last.  In the last few months, I’ve also raved about WONDER (R. J. Palacio), WHAT HAPPENS NEXT (Colleen Clayton), and IF I LIE (Corrine Jackson).

If  you’d like to enter to win an ARC of CANARY, go here:

http://www.iceybooks.com/2012/09/exclusive-cover-reveal-canary-by.html

For more info. about Rachele or CANARY, here are some other links.

 

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

 

Author Bio:

Rachele Alpine is a lover of sushi, fake mustaches, and Michael Jackson. One of her first jobs was at a library, but it didn’t last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she’s a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit. By day she’s a high school English teacher, and by night she writes with the companionship of the world’s cutest dog, Radley, a big cup of coffee, and a full bag of gummy peaches. Rachele lives with her husband in Cleveland, Ohio, but dreams of moving back to Boston, the city she fell in love with while attending graduate school there.

One half-caf, soy mlik cappuccino, extra mustache, please.

Blogger’s Note:  Rachele also crafted the wonderful REUNITED Teacher’s Guide (available for Book groups as well!) which can be downloaded FOR FREE, right here.

No Room For Envy

I met fellow NH writer Laura F. B. at my “Meet & Greet” at the Manchester Barnes & Noble last weekend.  A few days later, she pointed out this great blog post to me, so I’m re-blogging it here.  No Room For Envy (from the blog Live to Write, Write to Live).

Despite what Morrissey says, being happy for other people’s successes really does feel a lot better. Still, it’s a great song.

Last Stop: Blue Bunny

I’m still riding the high from last night’s excellent reading/book-signing at Blue Bunny Books & Toys.  Or maybe it was all those cupcakes I ate.

Store Owner/Cupcake Maker, Janet Reynolds

So happy I got the chance to meet some local tweens & teens as well as some lovely and enthusiastic booksellers.

Books & vanilla frosting. Two of life’s greatest pleasures.

 

And how often do you get a photo op with Babar and a life-size stuffed sheep?

Of course, no Road Trip Book Tour stop would be complete without the obligatory Pea Pod photos.

Kids: don’t read & drive.

Booksellers extraordinaire: Cheryl, Margie & Janet

Overall, I’d say Kristen-Paige and I had a very successful (albeit slightly exhausting) week.  Thanks to all the booksellers, friends, and readers who came out to join us!

 

 

 

 

Sandwich, a personal history.

1. A long time ago, I was in an all-girl band called Sandwich.  We only played one song, also called Sandwich.

Sandwich, at a Halloween party, circra 1998. We’re sitting because we can’t play standing up.

2. Once, I invented a sandwich. The ingredients were: Fluff, Nutella, and sliced bananas on white bread. I called it the “HW Yummy” (patent pending).

3.  Last night, I had the honor of doing a reading/book-signing at the lovely Sandwich Public Library with my fellow road-trip author, Kirsten-Paige Madonia (FINGERPRINTS OF YOU).  The event was sponsored by Titcomb’s Bookshop.

We started off our night with an interview for a local cable access show, hosted by Kathy & her #1 YA reader, Emma, a high school senior.

We’ll be back, after this message from our sponsor.

Then we moved downstairs for the reading & book discussion.  Boy, were we surprised to see how much work Kathy put into our event.  The room was decorate with maps and travel guides, and she even had a bevy of tasty road-trip themed snacks!

Mmmmm, sugar.

Afterwards, we chatted with fellow YA author Scott Blagden, author of Dear Life, You Suck (Harcourt, March ’13) and signed some books.  Of course, we ended the night with some pictures in the Pea Pod photo-booth.

Kids, do not try this at home.

Vicky & Kathy hit the road!

HUGE thanks to Kathy Johnson of the Sandwich Library and Vicky Uminowicz for making our night so special.  It really means a lot to know there are such devoted booksellers & librarians out there willing to go the extra mile to help out a couple of debut authors.  And kudos to the amazing Emma for being so darn literate & cool.

If you’re in the Dedham, MA area tonight, it’s you last chance to catch our Road Trip Books Hit the Road Tour at the Blue Bunny Bookstore at 6:30pm.  Hope to see you there!

 

 

Road Trip Stop #2 (where we meet the future authors of America)

The Road Trip Book Tour continues!  Yesterday, Kristen-Paige & I had a WONDERFUL meet & greet at the Manchester, NH Barnes & Noble.  And we were THRILLED to see so many of our new Pinkerton Academy & Londonderry Middle School friends/Future Authors of America.  How much do I love meeting teen readers & writers?

 

 

Meeting these girls totally made my day.

Next stop:  The Coop in Harvard Square!  (Monday September 10th, 7:00pm)

On the Road Again

Hopefully, our road-trip will have a happier ending than theirs did.

Tomorrow morning, Kristen-Paige Madonia & I kick off our Road Trip Books Hit the Road tour with two school visits (Pinkerton Academy & Londonderry Middle School) followed by a reading at the Toadstool Bookshop in Milford, NH at 7:00pm. Whew. I’m tired just thinking about it.

Our plan is to rendezvous at the school, but until then, Kristen-Paige and I will be traveling in separate cars.  I live in the middle of nowhere, so I tend to spend a fair share of my time alone in my car.  So, I thought I’d share some of my personal must-haves for those long solo drives.

1. An apple.  I never drive long distances without an apple in my car.  For one thing, it’s the perfect food.  Plus, when you’re done, you get to chuck the core out the window, which is an added bonus (location permitting).  Then there’s  my recent car apple discovery:  even if you leave your apple in the car for a few hours and it gets really hot, it still tastes good! Like a crisp, single-serving, healthy apple pie. Yum.

2. Podcasts.  The Moth, This American Life, the JV Club, Radiolab, Fresh Air. Take your pick.  Oh, and did I mention that I’ll be performing live on the Moth Mainstage in October? Eek! (Details TBA).

3. Hand lotion.  For some reason, I never notice that my hands are dry until I see them on my steering wheel.  And since I’m a pathological multi-tasker, what better place to revitalize my weary skin than while cruising down the highway at 80 MPH. Just kidding.  I only moisturize on back roads.

Hope to see you on one of our tour stops.  And if you haven’t read Kristen-Paige’s book, FINGERPRINTS OF YOU, it’s poignant and beautifully written, with a complex protagonist you’ll come to care about deeply.  One of my favorite reads of the year!