Review: Undead Much? by Stacey Jay

Title: Undead Much?
Author: Stacey Jay
Publisher: Razorbill
Pub. Date: 1/21/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Zombies, Supernatural, Love, Family, Action
Pages: 320
Plot (from Jay's website):
"Even Zombie Settlers with Super Hot Boyfriends get the Blues...

A few months ago I was a normal girl with a normal life. But that was before my power to Settle the Undead returned and someone tried to kill me with zombies.
Now I work magic and practice kicking butt while trying to find time for pom squad and my boyfriend, Ethan, and trying NOT to think about how freaky my life has become. It can be tough. Still…things could be worse…
Oh yeah, right:

•  Feral new super-strong zombies. Check.
•  Undead psychic hottie predicting a zombie apocolypse. Check.
•  Earth-shattering secrets that could land me in Settler prison for life. Check.
•  Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening the end of the half time as we know it. Check.

I’m going to need therapy (and a cookie) if I live through the week. Unfortunately I’m learning that’s not something Zombie Queens can take for granted."

I'm not sure that there are any zombie books out there that are quite like Stacey Jay's. I never really thought that zombies could be both fun and horrifying at the same time, but Jay somehow pulls it off! I also never thought I'd join the zombie craze, but I did - and it is definitely because of YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME and UNDEAD MUCH?!

UNDEAD MUCH is the sequel to the above mentioned novel, and you really do need to read the first installment to fully appreciated the second book, in my opinion. I think that, for the most part, readers will still be able to figure out what is going on, but they won't really connect with the characters as well or fully understand their motivations, thoughts, etc. I wouldn't have been nearly as torn about the "undead psychic hottie" and Megan if I hadn't read the first book, which developed Megan and Ethan's relationship.

As with YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME, this novel is full of zombies, action, and a hint of mystery. Jay balances Megan's normal everyday teenage life with that of supernatural zombie settler like it's a piece of cake, which makes her novels more appealing to those reluctant zombie novel readers, like me.

The romance in these books is really well written. I like that Jay leaves some tension between the characters. In the first novel it was almost unbearable - I wanted Ethan and Megan to be together so badly; they were just so fun to read. I was afraid, however, that the second novel wouldn't be quite as fun, but I was wrong. Jay mixed it up and she doesn't rush the characters into anything, which I really appreciate. Plus, it is kind of hard to have a relationship when you are fighting off undead that are out to kill you. Or so I imagine.

Ratings (out of 10):

Plot: 9

Characters: 10

Writing: 10

Romance: 10 (!)

Originality: 10

Total: 49/50 (A)

UNDEAD MUCH? was an amazing second novel to Megan's story and left me wanting MORE! Jay wrapped up the story, but left so many loose ends and I need to know what happens next. She succeeded in wrapping up the story while simultaneously leaving the reader with questions about just about every aspect of Megan's life. I highly recommend both of Jay's novels, but be warned: once you start, you won't want to stop. Then you can come sit with me and wait the unbearably long months to read what happens next! :)

Review: The Mark by Jen Nadol

Title: The Mark
Author: Jen Nadol
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pub. Date: 1/19/2010
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Death, Supernatural, Love, Family, Loss
Pages: 228
Plot (from book jacket):
"Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark - a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it to someone else, the mark was dismissed as a trick of the light. Cassie starts to consider its rare occurances insignificant - until the day she watches a man die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person's imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.
Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her "gift," seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she's careful to hide her secret - even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend - with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who can see it? And finally, the most important of all:

If you know today is someone's last, should you tell them?"

THE MARK is an interesting look at death and loss and raises some interesting questions about destiny versus choice, but it was not at all what I had expected when I picked up the novel. I had been expecting another supernatural YA with a romantic plot line that would leave me yearning for love, but that is not at all what I got from THE MARK. Though I truly did enjoy the novel, once I gave up on the vision of the book that I thought it was, I think it was marketed as something that it was not. 

That said, there were some aspects of the novel that I loved and some that simply didn't hold my interest. I really enjoyed the philosophical debate that THE MARK fostered. If you had this terrible power, what would be the right way to use it. Should you warn people and try to save them? Or is it simply their time and you should let nature run its course? I felt like this aspect of the book was the strongest.

I didn't really like the romantic plot line. The boy that Cassie is with throughout most of the novel I found to be boring and pretentious. I did not see any chemistry between the two characters and I really wanted him out of the picture. Plus, I felt like Cassie couldn't really be herself around him, which made their relationship uncomfortable for me. There is another boy, who is only mentioned briefly, that I would have loved to see more of. I think the novel maybe was supposed to come across this way in the romance department, but it really didn't click for me.

Most of the novel really didn't seem very "supernatural" to me, so that was a bit of a letdown at first. However, near the end the novel, there is some mythology interwoven and the mystery of Cassie parents deepens as more details are uncovered - this is when I really started to get into the plot. I just wish some of this action would have happened earlier in the novel.

Ratings (Out of 10):

Plot: 8

Characters: 8

Writing: 10

Romance: 6

Originality: 10

Total: 42/50 (B)

I'm not sure if THE MARK is going to be series or trilogy, but I would check out more novels about Cassie.The novel really did start to get interesting towards the end, so I was left with some questions. Plus, the boy I liked was finally back - so I am extremely interested to see what happens with him and Cassie! THE MARK was a great debut novel and I have high hopes for Nadol's next novels!

Review: Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

Title: Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Material
Author: Rosalind Wiseman
Publisher: Penguin Putnam
Pub. Date: 1/12/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: High school, Love, Friendship, Popularity, Hazing
Pages: 288
Plot (from back of arc):

Charlie Healey just wants a drama-free year, but it doesn’t seem like she’s going to get it. Middle school was rough. There were mean girls all around her, and she was even in danger of becoming one herself. High school is supposed to be her chance to leave all that behind, except that it isn’t.


On her very first day, who does she run into but her former best friend, Will, who’d moved away years ago. Now he’s back, he’s HOT, and he’s popular. Befriending him again takes Charlie back into the danger zone. And when a hazing prank turns near-deadly, Charlie and their new no-drama friends realize Will has gotten in way over his head trying to prove his loyalty to upperclassmen.


Torn between doing what’s right and secret feeling for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.

Rosalind Wiseman’s Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials is a hilarious and truthful look into the life of American high school students. It’d be difficult to find someone who can’t relate to at least one character in Wiseman’s novel. While I don’t remember my high school experience being quite as funny, I could definitely draw parallels between Charlie’s experiences and my own.

This novel had some laugh-out-loud funny passages that kept me entertained throughout the book. Charlie was an engaging and amusing narrator. Right from the beginning of the novel when Charlie tells about her first day at school, I felt like I knew her. In fact, I felt like I once was her. Maybe we didn’t experience all the same things, but the feelings and emotions Charlie feels throughout the novel are identical to those that I felt in high school. It is refreshing that Wiseman includes situations that real high school students experience or observe, like bullying, cliques, and crushes.

The romantic plot line within Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials was well-written and believable. I’m a fan of best friend turned love relationships and Wiseman wrote Charlie and Will’s relationship perfectly. The doubts and insecurities that I experienced when I began dating are present in Charlie’s and makes her experience that much more interesting and fun to read.

I enjoyed seeing how Charlie grew as the story progressed. Her relationships with other characters, like Will, Nidhi, and Sydney, grew and transformed along with her, much like relationships in real life. I was proud of and happy for the girl Charlie is by the end of the novel.

I love the fact that Rosalind Wiseman took situations that teens experience everyday and turned them into an entertaining story that I couldn’t help but like. The characters in BOYS, GIRLS AND OTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS are real and Wiseman touches on deeper topics, while keeping the novel light and fun.

Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 9
Writing: 10
Romance: 9
Originality: 10
Total: 48/50 (A)

I definitely recommend this novel to teens and YA fans!

Contest: Captivate by Carrie Jones!

Carrie Jones has kindly offered a pretty new hardcover copy of CAPTIVATE to one lucky reader of The Hiding Spot! But wait! If you don't win the new hardcover copy, I've also got an arc copy of CAPTIVATE to give away as well ! So this contest will have TWO winners!

As always, to gain a few extra entries you check out and comment on my review of CAPTIVATE and my interview with Carrie! You can gain up to 8 extra entries, but make sure that your comments are more than just "great interview/review," I'll be checking. Comments that show you actually read the posts are appreciated.

Extra entries are also up for grabs for those of you who follow The Hiding Spot and spread the word about the this contest.

AND you can get extra entries by telling me about your favorite phobia. Or a phobia with a super awesome name. Or a phobia you have. Or something. Leave a comment on this post for the 4 extra entries.

To enter this contest, you must fill out this handy FORM.

This contest is open to US and Canada mailing addresses.

Entries will be accepted until January 24, 2010!

Interview: Carrie Jones (Author of NEED and CAPTIVATE!)

Carrie Jones, author of NEED and its much anticipated sequel, CAPTIVATE, was kind enough to answer some questions for The Hiding Spot! Read on and see why you should read CAPTIVATE, the one thing you need to be a writer, and a little sneak peek at Carrie's next book that isn't about pixies, werewolves, and the girl that is caught in between.

A Brief Biography:
Carrie Jones occasionally wears mismatched socks, always loves Great Pyrenees dogs, and never drinks coffee. She also loves Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes, and is the award-winning author of Girl, Hero; Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape); Tips on Having a Gay (Ex)-Boyfriend; and Need. Carrie grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with uber-comedian Sarah Silverman; she now lives in Ellsworth, Maine.


The Interview:
Give a short description of or a statement about CAPTIVATE that will lure in readers.
Sexy werewolf. Sexy pixie king. Girl who makes tough choices and has the guts to do anything to save her man.
I stink at those. Sorry!

In CAPTIVATE, Zara seems to be a less fixated on phobias than she was in NEED. Was this detail planned or just coincidence?
It was absolutely planned. There is a scene near the end of NEED where Zara partially gives up her reliance on phobias. It comes out again in CAPTIVATE but only in dire stress. It’s part of her character growth.

How do the animal shapes of the weres in your novels reflect who they are when they are in human shape? I feel that some parallels are easier to see than others (Nick vs. Mrs. Nix).
The animal shapes do parallel the human shape in a certain extent. Nick is a little hairy, strong, fast like a wolf. Mrs. Nix is squat and solid like a bear. When she hugs it is an absolute bear hug. Betty is lithe and feline and strong. It’s more than just their shape, however, their personalities are also heavily influenced by their animals.

How many books do you plan to write about Zara, her friends, and pixies?
It will probably be four or five.

I often laugh aloud when reading your novels, especially scenes involving Issie and, in CAPTIVATE, when reading the Pixie Tips. Is it difficult for you to incorporate that humor when writing or does it come naturally?
I don’t even think of it as laugh-out-loud funny so I am so glad you do. I grew up in Bedford, NH with comic Sarah Silverman. The Myers brothers who are on SNL and Mad TV grew up there. Adam Sandler went to high school the next town over, so humor and weirdness was pretty much everywhere. In my family people constantly tease each other and find humor in pretty much everything. When I grew up and went to a college boyfriend’s house in NYC I was stunned that nobody laughed or made jokes. I didn’t even realize families could be like that.
That is an incredibly long way of me saying that I don’t try to be funny. It just happens. Right here my brother would say, “Yeah funny looking.”

Did you do any research while writing CAPTIVATE? If yes, please explain.
Yes. I researched Norse mythology and pixie mythology online and via text.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing CAPTIVATE?
The structure of it was hard for me and cutting a lot of the love scenes. Plus, some of the things that happened to Zara just ripped me apart. It was a hard book for me to write.

Did you always want to be a novelist?
No. I wanted to be a human-rights attorney.

What jobs did you have on your way to being a writer? Did they help you in any way as a writer?
Salad bar girl at Wendy’s – I got fired after one day
Pretzel girl – I sold one to Bob Dylan
Ear piercer
Dispatcher for Security Department
Research assistant
Church Secretary
Victim-Witness Advocate
Newspaper Reporter/Editor
Gymnastics Instructor
Writing Instructor
Photographer
Magazine columnist
Police dispatcher
Gymnastics Instructor
Some of those bad boys overlapped. I was a newspaper person the longest. They ALL helped. I really believe every single life experience you have makes you a better writer. It teaches you about interactions between people, about emotion, about cause and effect.

When and where do you usually write?
I usually write in the morning at a rickety table smooshed between the refrigerator and the piano. Sometimes I write in the car waiting to pick my daughter up from swimming or something.

Is there something that is a must have for you to be able to write?
Fingers.

What author or book most influenced you as a writer or in general?
Sherman Alexie’s poetry. In person, Kathi Appelt, Time Wynne Jones, Rita Williams Garcia, Sharon Darrow , Cynthia Leitich Smith and Lisa Jahn Clough made me believe in myself enough to do this. They are brilliant cheerleaders/writers/therapists/teachers/humans.

Can you tell us anything about your next YA novel(s)?
I just finished the first draft of the next book in the NEED series, but I’m not allowed to talk about that. Sorry. I know it’s frustrating.
I also just co-wrote a horror story with adult author Steve Wedel. It’s scary. It’s upper YA. It takes place in Maine and my agent will be sending it out soon, I think.

The Hiding Spot is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Is there a place, activity, or person that is your hiding spot?
I am so pathetically needy that I have a lot.
My body guard is so big and funny and kind. He is my number one hiding spot.
My stuffed Grover is the personification of my internal cheerleader (all writers must have one to balance out our internal editors).
Kayaking.

Anything else you would like to share with us?
Oh gosh no. Thank you so much for taking the time to write all these questions and then for reading the answers. It’s really kind of you.

Review: Captivate by Carrie Jones

Title: Captivate
Author: Carrie Jones
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pub. Date: 1/5/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Pixies, Shapeshifters, Love, Friendship, Family, Phobias
Pages: 336
Plot (from back of arc):
"Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his pixies gets weaker. So when a new, younger pixie king shows up, war is imminent. The new king, Astley, claims he's not evil, that his pixies can coexist peacefully with humans and weres. Zara's boyfriend, Nick, isn't buying it; no pixie could possibly be a good guy. But Zara is half pixie herself, ans he is just starting to think Astley could be right when he lets her in on a another secret: he believes Zara's relationship with Nick is about to come to an end - and that she is fated to be his queen..."

CAPTIVATE was a strong second novel and had me laughing aloud at parts. Fans of NEED are sure to fall hard for CAPTIVATE as well.

One of my favorite characteristics of Jones' books is the dialogue and humor. There is something so real and comforting about the characters' interaction, whether they are concerned about another or joking around. The language used in the book reminds me of playing around with my siblings and the types of things we would say to one another.

I really enjoyed Jones' use of pixie tips as chapter names. They were fun and a nice change from the phobias in the last novel. In ways, it also set the theme of the novel. In the first book, Zara was mostly just afraid and trying to figure out what was happening. In the second book, she knows what she's dealing with and now the focus is learning about pixies and pixie lore.

However, I'm still not a huge fan of Zara. I love all her friends and family (especially Issie!), but I just don't love Zara. I think it may be her tendency to try to be a hero, which usually fails and just causes a lot of trouble that really gets to me. I don't like that. I would prefer that, at least most of the time, she think her actions through a bit more. That said, Zara has many, many fans, which leads me to believe that my dislike of her character is purely just a preference.

Overall, I liked CAPTIVATE. It isn't really the supernatural elements that pull me Carrie Jones' books though, it is the characters and the humor. While I like this particular series, I'm really excited to see what Jones will write next as well.

Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 9
Characters: 8
Writing: 10
Romance: 9
Originality: 10
Total: 46/50 (A-)

If you loved NEED, you must read CAPTIVATE. Carrie Jones has written a funny and action packed sequel that is definitely worth checking out!

Interview: Jennifer Hubbard (Author of The Secret Year)

Please welcome Jennifer Hubbard, debut author of the stunning novel THE SECRET YEAR! I adored TSY and was so excited to be able to find out some background information about this amazing novel!

A Brief Biography (from Amazon):
Jennifer R. Hubbard grew up in New England and now lives in the Philadelphia area. She is a hiker, a chocolate lover, and a night person who believes that mornings were meant to be slept through.

She's been writing since the age of six, when she used to write and illustrate her own picture books. In high school, she considered it fun to come home from school and write novels in discount spiral-bound notebooks.
She had her first short story published when she was seventeen. Her short fiction has appeared in literary magazines. Her first book, the contemporary young-adult novel THE SECRET YEAR, will be published by Viking.

The Interview:
What inspired the premise of THE SECRET YEAR?
I’m not sure where the idea came from. I had an idea about a secret relationship that ended in death, with a notebook about the relationship left behind. I wasn’t sure what was in the notebook or why the relationship had to be secret, so I wrote the story to find out.

Colt is a bit younger than Julia; does this detail serve a particular purpose in the novel?
I think it enhances the inequality in their relationship, the sense Colt often has that he is one step below Julia. On the surface, the characters use that inequality for dramatic effect, while deceiving themselves about the real impact it has on them. But I would love to hear readers’ thoughts on that.

I felt that the order in which passages of Julia’s diary were revealed were integral to understanding Julia and Colt’s relationship; did you outline/plan this from the beginning or was revision and rewriting a major influence?
As I wrote, I found that many of the journal passages from Julia’s past related to whatever was going on in Colt’s life when he read them. When I noticed that, I immediately thought it was a good idea to continue, and so it went from being an unconscious strategy to a conscious one.

Did you do any research while writing TSY? If yes, please explain.
Much of what appears in TSY is based on “incidental research”—things I’ve experienced myself that I used in the book. I’ve lived most of my life near rivers and creeks; I’ve shot a target rifle; I’ve seen bittersweet in the late fall. But for the details of Julia’s fatal accident, I did do some research on auto crashes, and statistics on survival related to the use of safety belts and airbags.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing TSY?
Getting the ending right. I probably rewrote that more than any other part of the book. Originally, the book went on too long, and started introducing new plots rather than just wrapping up the storyline of this one. I also had critiquers arguing about whether Colt should end up with Kirby, or Syd, or nobody.

Did you always want to be a novelist?
I always wanted to write. For years, I wrote and sold short stories, and though I tried novels, I wasn’t sure I would be able to write a publishable book-length manuscript. It took practice.

What jobs did you have on your way to being a writer? Did they help you in any way as a writer?
Every job and every experience helps in some way, I think. You have to have something to write about. Most of my day jobs have involved science, but I’ve also worked in a restaurant and done baby-sitting.

When and where do you usually write?
Evenings, weekends, and days off. I usually write on the computer in a spare bedroom of our house; it has become my writing office. But if we’re traveling, I write longhand in notebooks. The last time I was on a writing retreat, I wrote on a borrowed laptop.

Is there something that is a must have for you to be able to write?
Ideas! I prefer to write here in my office, on my computer, with my music on. But I can write elsewhere if I have to; all I need is something to say and a way to write it down.

What author or book most influenced you as a writer or in general?
In terms of influence, probably Jack Kerouac. There’s something about the spontaneity of his voice that excited me as a writer. But I love to read, and I read widely; there are very few genres that I never read. On my shelves right now, I have chapter books, middle-grade novels, YA books, adult classics, adult bestsellers, poetry, short stories, literary magazines, essays, and plays. I have books about history, travel, business, science; I have humor and biographies.

Can you tell us anything about your next YA novel(s)?
Only that I continue to work with contemporary, realistic stories.

The Hiding Spot is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Is there a place, activity, or person that is your hiding spot?
I love the woods, where I hike regularly.

Anything else you would like to share with us?
Thanks for having me, and asking such great questions!

Review: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Title: Some Girls Are
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub. Date: 1/5/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Popularity, Bullying, Lies, Love, Friendship
Pages: 246
Plot (from back cover):
"Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut.
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard - falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students of Hallowell High... that is, until vicious ruors about her and her best friend's boyfriend started going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it woiuld be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past she herself used to bully, friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.
Tensions grow and abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up to Be."

Some Girls Are is just one of those books. One of those books that everyone should read. Not only because Courtney Summers is a phenomenal writer, but because Regina's story is one that anyone can relate to. Readers may not look at Regina and the bigger events in the novel and see their lives reflected, but if you look at the details, the feelings and fears of Regina and all her classmates, I'm certain you'll see a little bit of yourself. It might not be the prettiest bit, it might not even be a part of yourself you let others see, but that won't make it any less true.

I loved Regina as a main character. She was so absolutely horrible. So real. So broken. If I knew her in real life, I probably would hate her. That is, when I didn't agree with her. That fact is one of the reasons I loved SGA. Most everyone has that horrible in them, even if it isn't to the extent to which Regina does. She is one of those characters that makes you think. How do my actions and words affect people? Do the people I associate with affect how others see me? Do they affect how I see me? Affect what I think is right or wrong? Affect whether I should be blamed for my actions, my choices, if done under the influence of peer pressure? Simply put: This book is intense.

SGA is one of those books that is painful to read, but I couldn't put it down. I knew that Regina's situation was just going to keep getting worse, especially if she kept fighting back against the Fearsome Foursome, but I wanted her to fight.

Regina and Michael's relationship was one of my favorite aspects of the novel. The fact that, from the beginning, you know that their relationship is going to be difficult, perhaps impossible. Which, of course, made me want it to work out even more. In many ways, their relationship was a type of redemption for Regina: if Michael can find a way to forgive her, can find a way to love her, perhaps there is hope for her after all.

Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50 (A!)

Pick up a copy of SOME GIRLS ARE today - you NEED to read this book! And Courtney, when is your next book coming out? I can't wait!

Interview: Dia Reeves (Author of Bleeding Violet!)

Please welcome Dia Reeves, one of the amazing Tenners and author of BLEEDING VIOLET! Enjoy the interview below, in which Dia discusses her debut novel, Stephen King, and her next novel (which I'm fairly certain I need RIGHT now!).

A Brief Biography (From AuthorsNow):
 Dia Reeves is a librarian and lives in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Her family, however, grew up in East Texas and has inspired her with many tales from the area.

Give a short description of or a statement about BLEEDING VIOLET that will lure in readers.
Here’s the official summary: A mentally ill sixteen-year-old girl reunites with her estranged mother in an East Texas town that is haunted with doorways to other worlds and protected by demon hunters called Mortmaine. But I always tell people BV is basically Mommie Dearest in the Twilight Zone.

Do you share any traits with Hanna, personality-wise or otherwise?
Man, I hope not. She’s impulsive and sexy and manipulative and aggressive, and I’m the opposite of all that. I’d never write a character who was just like me—I’d bore myself and everyone else to death.

Hanna was a character that I was simultaneously drawn to and afraid of, was she difficult to write, to keep that balance? Or am I just crazy and her character wasn’t necessarily supposed to read that way?
I think you read her right. She can be very charming when she wants to be, but her manic depression makes her unpredictable, even dangerous at times. Hanna wasn’t difficult to write. I let her do whatever oddball thing she wanted to do, but I made sure that the readers at least understood WHY she did strange things, even if they didn’t approve of her behavior. And the WHY, of course, is that she wants to be loved, no matter what. If you understand that, then you understand Hanna.

The monsters in BV are like none I’ve ever encountered before in a novel; had you been brainstorming them for years or did you create them easily?
I brainstormed them a bit; not for years, though. :) I just think of real animals—like leeches and scorpions-- and then punch em up a bit with, like, tentacles and the ability to turn people into glass. Easy peasy.

BV does not shy away from the topic of teen sex, or sex in general. Was it natural for you to include sex in the novel or did you debate about its inclusion?
I didn’t debate it at all. Hypersexuality is one of the symptoms of manic depression, which is why Hanna is such a sexual person. People have a problem with it of course, since she’s a teenager (at least, I’m assuming that’s why), but ignoring her sexuality would mean ignoring a huge part of who Hanna is. And just for the record, the actual sex in BV is very slight, fade-to-black kind of stuff, but the way people talk about it, you’d think there was an orgy on every page.

Did you do any research while writing BV? If yes, please explain.
I did a lot of research on manic depression. At the beginning, all I knew was that I wanted Hanna to have a mental illness that made her hallucinate. So through research, I was able to narrow it down to schizophrenia and manic depression. I choose manic depression because I saw Hanna as outgoing and vivacious, and schizophrenes find it very difficult to interact with people in a normal way. Basically, I didn’t want her to be so crazy that no one would be able to understand her. So manic depression for the win!

What was the most difficult aspect of writing BV?
The hardest part was revising it. It took me two and half years and thirty different drafts to figure out the story I wanted to tell. Earlier drafts had twice as many characters, a different villain, a different ending, an extra love interest. At one point, Hanna and some of her friends cooked an octopus; I mean page after page of these kids standing around cooking an octopus. It was just all over the place. But now that I’ve learned to outline, I don’t have that problem of writing useless crap that just ends up getting deleted.

Did you always want to be a novelist?
I have since I was twelve. I read It by Stephen King and decided I wanted to make people feel the way that book made me feel.

What jobs did you have on your way to being a writer? Did they help you in any way as a writer?
I’ve only ever been a librarian. Reading and research help me do my job as both a librarian and a writer.

When and where do you usually write?
On my couch, usually at night. I’m more creative in the dark.

Is there something that is a must have for you to be able to write?
Music. My space heater so my feet don’t get cold. Water and a snack also help—that way I don’t have to get up and go to the kitchen when I get peckish.

What author or book most influenced you as a writer or in general?
Stephen King is easily the biggest influence and the reason I write creepy stuff instead of happy novels about girls getting afterschool jobs to pay for prom and whose biggest worry is that their football hero crushes won’t like them or that their parents are heading down the road to…DIVORCE. *gasp* I’ll take blood and guts over that stuff any day.

Can you tell us anything about your next YA novel(s)?
I’ve turned in a novel to my editor called Strange Fruit, which is about the two daughters of a convicted serial killer who, like their father, are also killers, but unlike their father, only kill bad guys.

The Hiding Spot is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Is there a place, activity, or person that is your hiding spot?
MUSIC!!! It’s how I block out the world and disappear into my own head where all the cool ideas are. Books, as you know, are also an excellent hiding spot—one I turn to often.

Check out my review of BLEEDING VIOLET here!

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine!

I have two WoW books this week:



The Mark by Jen Nadol (January 19th from Bloomsbury)
"Sixteen-year old Cassie Renfield has seen the mark since forever: a glow around certain people as if a candle were held behind their back.

The one time she pointed it out taught her she shouldn't do it again, so Cassie has kept quiet, considering its rare appearances odd, but insignificant. Until she watches a man die. Mining her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person's imminent death. Now how or where, only when: today.

Cassie searches her past, her philosophy lessons, even her new boyfriend for answers, always careful to keep her secret. How does the mark work? Why her? Most importantly, if you know today is someone's last, should you tell?"

This looks so amazing! Another great looking supernatural read, but I'm especially interested in this one because of the last part of that summary: "if you know today is someone's last, should you tell?" Oooo.

And...



Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt (Disney Hyperion, March 2010)
"When a well-dressed woman steps out of a bubble and wants to know if you'd like to become a substitute princess, do you
A) run
B) faint
C) say yes?
For Desi Bascomb, who's been longing for some glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C). Desi has a rare ability: with the help of "Royal Rouge," she can temporarily transform into the exact look-alike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?
Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras.... In this winning debut, one girl's dream of glamour transforms into the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time."

I love the cover of this book! It is just too cute... Very cute plot as well, very like Princess Diaries, but with a little twist. I like the idea of substitute princesses. :)