You Recommend Wednesday

Happy Wednesday lovely readers!

What's everyone reading this week?

Eyecatcher: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

The Ghost and the Goth

by Stacey Kade

Hyperion

http://www.staceykade.com

ISBN: 9781423121978

Release Date: June 29, 2010

from the author's site: 

After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.

Can they get over their mutual distrust—and this weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?

why it caught my eye: 

The Ghost and the Goth is a book I heard about forever ago while talking with Stacey Kade on Twitter (we'd suddenly realized we'd met each other before). I'd completely forgotten about it until I saw it on the new release carts at work this weekend. Then I got excited because I remembered wanting to read it. With so many paranormal titles out these days it can be hard to decide which one to read. Precious few are ghost stories however, which makes The Ghost and the Goth all the more intriguing. Once again I find myself waiting for payday so I can pick up a fun new read.  

Review: Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev

Perchance to Dream

Theatre Illuminata Book 2

by Lisa Mantchev

Feiwel & Friends

http://www.lisamantchev.com

ISBN: 9780312380977

Release Date: May 2010

from the publisher's site: 

Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world. 

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY

But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

 Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril. 

 Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

my thoughts: 

With her previous release, Eyes Like Stars, Lisa Mantchev quickly became one of my favorite new authors. Perchance to Dream did not disappoint. One thing that really stands out to me is Lisa's ability for visual descriptions. I never have any problem feeling like I'm right there with Bertie and her friends

Perchance to Dream picks up right where Eyes Like Stars leaves off, so if you haven't read Eyes Like Stars yet (What's wrong with you?) I highly recommend reading that one first. Sure you can probably understand the story anyway, but why wouldn't you want to read every fabulous word of Bertie's story?

This book has it all, action, adventure, romance; there are emotional highs and lows. Perchance to Dream is the kind of book you want to fly through because you have to know what happens, and yet you want to savor it because you don't want the story end just yet. I'm completely hooked on Lisa Mantchev and I can't wait for book 3. 

 

You Recommend Wednesday

It's Wednesday and it's time for another round of your recommendations. Tonight will be the second meeting of my new Young Adult book club at the store. We'll be discussing Lisa Mantchev's fabulous Eyes Like Stars and voting for August's book club selection (July has been taken over by corporate's required events). 

So here's what I want from you. I have August's nominees and some other possible suggestions for future months, but I'm wondering what you are reading and what you recommend. I know I've asked for some book club recs already and you've given me some wonderful ideas. But hey it's been a few weeks, new stuff has come out, you've probably read some old stuff that you hadn't gotten to yet... Come on, what've you got for me? :)

Eyecatcher: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive My Fins

by Tera Lynn Childs

Katherine Tegen (HarperCollins)

http://www.teralynnchilds.com

ISBN: 9780061914652

Release Date: June 1, 2010

from the author's site: 

 

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

why it caught my eye: 

It's about mermaids! Need I say more? I was in first or second grade when Disney released The Little Mermaid and I've been fascinated ever since. Tera has been tweeting about this book for a while now and ever since I first heard about it I've been looking forward to the release of Forgive My Fins and the subsequent books. I can't wait to pick up my copy, payday just needs to get here. :) 

Author Interview: Janet Fox

It's another Monday morning and I have another great interview for you. Today at Want My YA we are visited by Janet Fox, author of Faithful. 

And here we go....

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

   
   
   I'm a mom - my son just graduated from high school! I'm also a former English teacher, and I still keep in touch with my students. I've been writing for children for the past 8 or 9 years, and FAITHFUL is my debut novel, with a sequel to follow next year (FORGIVEN). I'm just finishing my MFA degree in Writing for Children at Vermont College of Fine Arts, so I'm a student, too.

2. What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?

   
   
   My son got me started. He has dyslexia, and at first I tried writing things for young kids, and specifically for kids who struggle with reading. But I had a hard time finding the right voice in younger fiction. It wasn't until I tried my hand at middle grade and young adult that I found myself as a writer. I think I'm mentally frozen at about 14 or 15, so I write for the teen reader that I was then.

3. Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?

   
   
   FAITHFUL is historical fiction set in 1904. Maggie arrives in Yellowstone National Park thinking that she and her father are there to find her mother...but there are secrets and lies and heartbreak in store. And romance. And adventure. And a happy ending, because I believe in happy endings.

4. Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?

   
   
   I just start with a vague idea and a character. Then I begin writing. About halfway through I usually have to stop and create a vague plot plan. But I know that my best writing comes out when I don't plan too carefully. When I let it flow, my writing comes from my heart, and that's when it works. 

5. Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?

   
   
   I hear their voice. But generally they don't "tell" me what they want to do...I'll try something and if it doesn't feel right I'll try something else. Once I put the character in a scene, it's pretty clear how they will act. When they act "true to character" I know it's right.

6. Who is your favorite character (of your own)?

   
   
   Each time I write something new, my favorite character is the character I'm living with. I tend to live deep inside my character's heads. So at the moment my favorite character is the protagonist of FORGIVEN. I have to like my characters in order to write them - they may not do likable things, but they need to be likable at heart.

7. What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?

   
   
   I love to garden. I also love to hike - we have a little cabin in the mountains of Montana and I do a lot of hiking. When I'm out in nature I get my best writing done!

8. If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?

   
   
   I actually have a masters degree in geology - I wanted to be an oceanographer. I went to sea a bunch of times...but I needed to do something more creative and internal. And being out on a ship can be exhausting, and it's awfully hard to have a family. I'm happy with the choices I've made.

9. Where can readers find you online?

   
   
   My blog: http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com
   My website: www.janetsfox.com
   Twitter: @janetsfox
   Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/janetsfox 

10. Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?

    
    
    What do you want to see in a historical YA novel? Is a happy ending important to you?
     
    Thanks so much for your answers Janet! It was great to hear from you. Beyond a fair amount of accuracy, I'm not sure what else I'd look for in a historical YA. I honestly can't say that I've read much of the genre though. Most historicals that I've read have been Romance novels. As for the happy ending, oh yes, I much prefer a story that ends happily. I've read and even enjoyed a few that didn't have very happy endings, but those were definitely the exception for me. 

Eyecatcher: Sea by Heidi R. Kling

Sea
by Heidi R. Kling


Penguin Putnam
http://www.heidirkling.com
ISBN: 9780399251634
Release Date: June 10, 2010

From the publisher's site:

Still haunted by nightmares of her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Sienna Jones reluctantly travels to Indonesia with her father’s relief team to help tsunami orphans with their post traumatic stress disorder—something Sienna knows a lot about. Since her mother’s plane went missing over the Indian Ocean three years before, Sienna doesn’t do anything if it involves the ocean or planes, so this trip is a big step forward.

But the last thing she expects is to fall for Deni, a brooding Indonesian boy who lives at the orphanage, and just so happens to be HOT. When Deni hears a rumor that his father may be alive, Sienna doesn’t think twice about running away with him to the epicenter of the disaster. Unfortunately, what they find there could break both their hearts.

why it caught my eye:

Heidi R. Kling is another author who I've been following on Twitter. The gorgeous cover had me intrigued initially, but then I stopped by her site and the publisher's site for more information. Now the story has my attention too. It's kinda funny because I just read a Romance novel all about tsunami's that I'm sure was inspired by the events in Indonesia also. Sea is most definitely on my wishlist and I recommend you take a look at it too.

Author Interview: Tom Leveen

Happy Monday lovely readers! Sorry I was absent last week I accidentally left my laptop behind at work and that threw me off for a whole week. But nevermind all that....We have an author visiting us today. Let me introduce Tom Leveen!

1.Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m an Arizona native, desert-rat born and raised. I’m back in school after a long hiatus -- there’s my Finish School pitch. It’s never too late to go back, and if you’re in it, stay there! I’ve been married for almost four years, and came up with the idea for my first published novel PARTY while on our honeymoon. (Nine months after we were married.) :)

2.What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?

I’m a storyteller by nature, and started writing in second grade. I just never really stopped! I write primarily YA because, looking back, I had the best time of my life in high school, where I met the guys who would become my best friends. We’re still best friends all these years later. There are so many stories to tell, and young adults generally have more exciting tales to tell than any other age.

3.Tell us about you

r most recent/ upcoming release?

PARTY is set in Santa Barbara on the night of a raging end-of-year party. It’s told from 11 different perspectives, with 11 teenagers getting one chapter to tell their version of what happened that night. The topics range from racism and violence to faith (or lack thereof) as well as, of course, getting the guts to talk to your biggest crush…

4.Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?

Generally I just start writing; lately I’ve started plotting out a little bit more than I used to. But I would never sacrifice story for an outline. Sometimes the characters have a different tale to tell, and I follow their hearts rather than mine. If that makes sense.

5.Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?

…I should have read all the questions first, I see. :) Yes, they do talk to me. Not all of them, not all the time, but I’ve noticed if I try to force them into a plot, or even a theme, they will rebel, and I get nowhere. It’s a very strange phenomenon.

6.Who is your favorite character (of your own)?

Don’t make me pick! Oh, all right…Beckett. There’s a part of me in all the characters, of course (for better or worse), but Beckett’s voice was one of the strongest in my head. I think she’d been in there for a long time - years, I think - and it was great to finally meet her. So to speak.

7.What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?

Up until recently, I’ve been running a nonprofit mixed-use arts venue and directing plays there. Theatre has been my other great love along with writing. But now I’m looking forward to hanging out with my friends more often, playing with my dogs, pretending to play guitar, and spending more time with my wife and her family.

8.If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?

Probably something in library science. I still might, actually.

9.Where can readers find you online?

www.tomleveen.com. There’s links there to my Facebook and Twitter, too. And of course I’m on www.classof2k10.com with all the awesome debut authors of this year!

10.Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?

How old are you? Seriously. Because I’m starting to wonder how many YAs read YA anymore! :)

Thanks so much for your responses Tom. I've been looking at Party at work, now I see this is definitely another title to add to my wishlist. I really like the idea of a story from so many different perspectives.

And to be the first to answer your question, I'm 26. I didn't start reading YA until I hit my 20's. I read a bit of it in High School, but back then I was reading more Romance than anything else (and I still read a lot of Romance). :)