Cover Stories: A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Suzanne Young's new book, A Need So Beautiful, scored a star from Booklist, which deemed it "a clever and well-written fantasy." It's also got an absolutely glowing cover.

She stopped by on her Girlfriends Cyber Circuit Tour to tell us about it:

"I had an idea for the cover, but ultimately it would have been too dark. The idea for this one was there from the start, and I think it really captures the warmth and essence of the book.

"When I first saw the image, I was stunned. I loved it. But it didn’t truly hit me how beautiful it was until I saw the entire jacket and back copy.

"Mostly just the colors changed a bit. I didn’t have anything that I wanted to change, so luckily I was pretty happy. It was very different from my first cover experience. [Read about Suzanne's Naughty List covers.]

Read the rest of Suzanne's Cover Story, and see a behind-the-scenes shot of the model, at melissacwalker.com.

Oh, and here's the lovely trailer.

Story Secrets: SO MANY BOYS by Suzanne Young

Welcome back to my dear friend Suzanne Young, whose hot series about cheering spy girls is showing no signs of stopping! SO MANY BOYS (sequel to THE NAUGHTY LIST) is out for the summer and promises to be snuggled up on a ton of beach towels this month.

Here's a pic of Suzanne and me at the 2nd annual Kidlit Blogger Con (which I highly recommend, by the way, because bloggers are very cool people).

Without further ado, say hello to Suzanne!

*****

SO MANY BOYS picks up three months after THE NAUGHTY LIST. Tessa has stopped cheering and spying. But there’s a copykitten on the loose and she’s far more naughty than nice. Plus there’s a new guy in Tessa’s life…

Holly Cupala: So, Suzanne, tell us your secrets: how did you come up with an idea to follow THE NAUGHTY LIST? (And I admit, I just like saying NAUGHTY. Naughty, naughty, naughty.)

Suzanne [probably rolling eyes]: Oddly enough it was the title COPYKITTEN (the original title for the sequel) sparked the idea. I just thought, What if someone took over the spy society and used it for evil??? And I loved hanging out with the squad again...

Find out more of Suzanne's secrets here...

~Holly Cupala

Rgz Shoutout: Suzanne Young!

Just a quick hello from Suzanne, whom I met last night at the Jefferson Market Public Library's Teen Author Reading Night! (She's awesome.) And it's so timely too -- check out Diva Holly's Story Secrets with Suzanne for a chance to win a copy of The Naughty List!

Story Secrets: THE NAUGHTY LIST by Suzanne Young + a giveaway!

Speaking of secrets, do I have the perfect guest - Suzanne Young, whose debut novel, THE NAUGHTY LIST, hits the shelves today! (If you missed previous Story Secrets, you can check them out here.) Scroll down for a chance to win a copy!!

*****

It was when I was in the middle of revising my first novel that the idea for THE NAUGHTY LIST came to me. Well… not exactly. I was joking with a friend about how there weren’t enough female ninjas in the world. In fact, shouldn’t there be more cheerleading ninjas? I imagined a hilarious fight scene involving high-kicks and pom-poms.

After several scenes (and more stalling on the book I was supposed to be working on) I put the idea aside. Six months later, the main character Tessa Crimson cartwheeled back into my life. She was a flipping spy! And better than that, she investigated cheating boyfriends!

Read the rest of the story for a chance to win a copy of Suzanne's THE NAUGHTY LIST!

Cover Stories: The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Suzanne Young is one of the most fun authors around. Proof: She does a dance when she gets a new book contract... publicly!

Her latest title is The Naughty List, and here's what it's about (summary from indiebound):

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn't enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson's the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad-turned-spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn't be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa's own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa's sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

And now, here's Suzanne with a little bit about the cover:

"I had a cover idea! I wanted a cheerleader peering over a fence. Or a cheer squad holding spy equipment behind their back. Instead, I got a sneak peek inside a window. It looks great for the entire series.

"Okay, truthfully, I laughed when I first saw the cover..."

Read the rest of Suzanne's Cover Story, and see the cover for So Many Boys, #2 in The Naughty List series (out in June).

rgz TV: two new videos!

rgz TV is back with two new productions, both from Kidlit Blogger Con 2008!

The first is an interview with Suzanne Young, author of the forthcoming SMITTEN KITTENS (who just sold two more books! Woot, Suzanne!):


The next is with BABYMOUSE illustrator, Matthew Holm, who shared some secrets about BABYMOUSE #11: Dragonslayer:


Enjoy!

Holly Cupala, rgz diva & author