Contest: Win a copy of Harmonic Feedback!

Tara Kelly has generously donated a copy of Harmonic Feedback and HF related swag for readers at The Hiding Spot! Be sure to check out my review of the novel and interview with Tara!

Prizes
Grand Prize: 1 signed hc of Harmonic Feedback, a signed bookmark, and a guitar pick
(2) Winners: 1 signed Harmonic Feedback cover flat and signed swag
(3) Winners: Signed Harmonic Feedback swag

How to Enter:
You MUST comment on either the review of Harmonic Feedback or the interview with Tara Kelly. (Only one comment is required.) Then you MUST fill out this FORM. If you neglect to comment on at least one of the posts or fill out the form, you are not entered to win.

Extra Entries:
Not required. Extra entries are detailed on the entry form as well.
+5 entries - Comment on my review or interview (whichever you did not comment on for your original entry)
+5 entries - Comment on this contest post w/your favorite band, musician, or genre of music.
+4 entries - Old Follower/Subscriber (Thank you!)
+2 entries - New Follower/Subscriber (Welcome! You will gain 4 entries in the next contest you enter at The Hiding Spot as an Old Follower/Subscriber!)
+2 Follow me on Twitter (@thehidingspot) Leave your @name for verification.
+2 Follow Tara Kelly on Twitter (@AuthorTaraKelly) Leave your @name for verification.
+3 Tweet this contest. (Leave a link.)
+3 Link this contest on your sidebar, in a post, or on FB. (Leave a link.)

Details:
Contest will close June 15th 2010. Open to US and Canadian mailing addresses only. Sorry International readers! I'll be hosting another International contest soon and I have two open now, HERE and HERE.

Good luck!

Interview: Tara Kelly (Author of Harmonic Feedback)

Tara Kelly's debut novel is a realistic portrayal of a girl navigating her way through the confusing maze of adolescence... who just happens to have Asperger's. Today at The Hiding Spot, Tara shares her thoughts on raising awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorders through literature, music's role in her writing process, and writing the romantic element of her novel!

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A Brief Bio

Tara Kelly is a Jill of all trades--a YA author, one-girl band, web/graphic designer, video editor and photographer. She lives in Broomfield, Colorado with her ten guitars, supercool bf, and a fluffy cat named Maestro.
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The Interview

Give a short statement describing HARMONIC FEEDBACK.
Eek-I’m terrible at summaries! Harmonic Feedback isn’t a book about Asperger’s Syndrome. It’s about a girl who is trying to figure out what normal really means—and if normal is something she really wants to be.


The number of people I know that have autism or a similar syndrome is remarkably high and it seems like more and more people are being diagnosed, so I was intrigued by the fact that Drea has a “touch of Asperger’s.” Why did you decide to write a main character with Asperger’s and do you think it is important to raise awareness about this syndrome?
For one, my little brother was diagnosed with mild autism/Asperger’s (they switched his diagnosis back and forth). This was in the 90s when autism wasn’t quite the household name it is now. And I myself had social problems growing up. So I’ve always wanted to write about a character who sees the world differently than most. I also think—despite all the media attention autism has received recently—the majority of people have a skewed view of what autism is and what autistic people are like. Many don’t realize how very different two people on the spectrum can be. Nobody fits a box of symptoms perfectly. So, yes, I do think it’s important to raise awareness with variety. A variety of stories featuring characters all over the spectrum who each have their own distinct personality—the latest crop of YA and MG fiction featuring autistic characters is a GREAT example of this. And I’m so glad to be part of it!


Music is a huge part of your life; does it play any part in your writing process?

Definitely! I can’t write without music and I can’t make music without a story to tell. I design playlists for each character so I can get into their head (sometimes this means listening to music I hate). When I write songs, I often write about the characters in my stories—they are far more fascinating than I am.


I love Justin’s character! He opens Drea’s eyes to a whole new world and a whole new sense of self. Was their romance easy to write or was it stubborn, like Drea?
Romance is my favorite thing to write, hands down. And the romance between Drea and Justin actually flowed really well for me—despite Drea’s protests. I had a blast writing their scenes together, especially the awkward moments. Although, I admit…there were times where I kept thinking…just kiss her already! I had to be patient and wait for the right time, though.


Can you tell us anything about your next YA novel?
My next book, C-Side Tales, comes out next year, and I'm very excited about it. Harmonic Feedback deals with music, obviously, but C-Side focuses solely on what it's like to be a band in today's music world--which has changed significantly in the last ten years. To steal my agent's summary--the story revolves around a 17-year-old girl who has to battle wicked stage fright (and a crush on the superhot bass player) to convince the members of her new band that she can hack it as their lead guitarist.


I read on your website that you hate balloons and it stuck in my head. Why the aversion to balloons?
Ha—this stems from a childhood fear. When I was a tot, I had a huge aversion to the sound of popping balloons. Whenever someone was around with balloons, I’d cover my ears and squeeze my eyes shut, anticipating the loud ‘bang’. And honestly? I still cringe whenever I hear the squeaky rubber…I might still cover my ears.


My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality?
Books, for sure! Especially YA. No matter how old I get, I love getting lost in a book about first time experiences and adventures. But, also, my acoustic guitar. There’s nothing more calming to me than sitting outside and strumming my guitar, making up a song.

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Thanks for stopping by, Tara!

Be sure to check out my review of HARMONIC FEEDBACK as well!

Review: Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Title: Harmonic Feedback
Author: Tara Kelly
Publisher: Henry Holt BFYR
Pub. Date: 5/25/10
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Asperger's Syndrome, Music, Friendship, Romance
Pages: 278
Description (from GoodReads):
Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn’t have friends. She has, as she’s often reminded, issues. Drea’s mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on a touch of Asperger’s.”

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea’s preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.
It’s obvious that Drea can’t hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she’s found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?

By simply reading the description of Harmonic Feedback, you'll discover that the main character has Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's is characterized by social awkwardness and repetitve behaviors, which, understandably, sets Drea apart from other main characters in the genre. Unfortunately, some people may see Kelly's debut novel on the shelf, and, like Drea's peers, be unable to see past the Asperger's. This aspect of the novel is well written and allows it to stand out on crowded YA shelves, but that isn't the only thing that makes it shine.

As indicated by the title, Drea is heavily influenced by music. Whether the reader is familiar with the bands or types of music in the novel is irrelevant; it's Drea's passion that resonates. Often, a main character will dabble in hobbies and activities, but readers rarely see the protagonist so completely dedicated to something, other than a boy. Drea's ability to both lose and find herself in music reminded me of how I feel about reading. I think many readers will feel this connection to Drea, no matter what their individual passion. It's the fact that the reader can identify with Drea that makes her unforgettable.

It's impossible for me to discuss Harmonic Feedback without mentioning Justin, the boy who unexpectedly walks into Drea's life and turns it completely upsidedown. Not only does Justin challenge Drea's ideas about her music, he challenges her ideas about herself. In ways, Justin is Drea's knight in shining armor. He awakens her to a whole new world that I fear she never would sought out on her own. Kelly wrote Justin as both a supportive friend and a boy falling head over heels for a girl, which is exactly what Drea needs.

I can't say enough good things about Harmonic Feedback and, even then, I don't know if I could do it justice. Tara Kelly has written a powerful novel that both inspires and entertains and I urge you to read it!

Grade: A

Cover Comments:
I love the cover, especially because the cover model could be me, you, or you.

CHECK OUT MY INTERVIEW WITH TARA KELLY AND WIN A COPY OF HARMONIC FEEDBACK HERE.

Friday Finds (4)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading!
I found quite a few new books that I'm excited about this week!


Shadow of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne (HarperTeen, 3/23/10)
"Dark Guardian is a sexy werewolf series sure to appeal to the many teen readers of paranormal romances. In this fourth book, the werewolves debate whether to emerge from hiding on their own terms. But one of their own, Daniel, is struggling with something much more immediate—his search for the girl who will be his lifelong mate. He hasn’t connected with her yet and he’s starting to lose hope. If he can’t find her before her first transformation, she will die."
I still need to read the second book and third books in this series and the fourth is already out soon! I really liked the first one though, so I'm looking forward to the continuation!


Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn (Knopf, 12/12/10)
"Very LeFreak has a problem: she’s a crazed technology addict. Very can’t get enough of her iPhone, laptop, IMs, text messages, whatever. If there’s any chance the incoming message, call, text, or photo might be from her supersecret online crush, she’s going to answer, no matter what. Nothing is too important: sleep, friends in mid-conversation, class, a meeting with the dean about academic probation. Soon enough, though, this obsession costs Very everything and everyone. Can she learn to block out the noise so she can finally hear her heart?"
The title and cover art are so interesting for this one! I've never read anything by Rachel Cohn before, so I think I'm going to check out some of her older novels before this one comes out!


Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly (Henry Holt BYR, 2010)
"Doctors have pinned 16-year-old Drea Horvath with everything from ADHD to Asperger’s Syndrome. She has an obsession with sound design, a tendency to blurt out whatever she’s thinking, and a problem making friends, but likes to think of this as following her own rhythm in a confusing world.
Drea is hesitant to befriend purple-haired Naomi Quinn, her teenage neighbor with a kamikaze personality. But Naomi is the first person to treat her like she isn’t a world class dork. Then there’s Justin Rocca, the sexy and persistent boy in her film class. If she’s learned anything from her mom, it’s that boys are trouble."
Justin Rocca, the sexy and persistent boy in her film class - I like the sound of that! Is it bad that sometimes my interest is sparked by the romantic lead?? :) I'm also interested though by the fact that the main character as Asperger's. I've never read a book where the main character has Asperger's, but my cousin has Autism so I have a personal interest.


Under My Skin by Judith Graves
"All her parents wanted was for Eryn to live a normal life...
Redgrave had its share of monsters before Eryn moved to town. Mauled pets, missing children.
The Delacroix family is taking the blame, but Eryn knows the truth. Something stalks the night. Wade, the police chief's son and Redgrave High's resident hottie, warns her the Delacroix are dangerous. But then so is Eryn - in fact, she's lethal.
But she can't help falling for one of the Delacroix boys, dark, brooding - human Alec. And then it all goes bad.
A normal life? Now that's the real fairytale."
I'm really looking forward to this one... I heard about it this week from a WoW post and I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for it! Here is the link to the
The Book Butterfly's WoW post!