April: Round Up of Discussions

Just in case you missed any of the great discussion with Deb, check out these links and drop your comment!

rgz Newsflash
Welcome, Deb!
Things to Know About Deb
Playlist
Party
Thank you!

Discussion questions

What makes a choice good?
Chemistry in Love
Have you been "in" love?
Is love hard work?
Bad Boy Allure
The Guy Warning Signs List
Do you give away moments?
Do you listen to second thoughts?
Repairing someone else's wrong
Waiting for 100%

Thank you, Deb Caletti!

Here's a big MERCI to the awesome and inspiring Deb Caletti for for joining us at readergirlz this month!

We loved hearing stories from Deb and learning more about the experiences that inspired our featured book The Secret Life of Prince Charming.

Some things we loved this month:

Deb is not a baker. "I like those cookie packages where you add butter and you're done," she said, during our live chat.

Her song-for-each-character playlist blew our minds!

Up next: STAY. In Deb's words, "It's about a girl and her father who run to a remote beach house to escape an obsessive boyfriend. Much faster paced than my usual." COOL!

We've adored having you here this month. Thank you, Deb!

April: Will You Wait for 100% in Love?

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Quinn's grandmother advises: 'Wait. Wait for 100 percent.' Do you agree?"

April: Repairing Someone Else's Wrong

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Quinn and her sisters return the objects in part to undo their father's wrong. Have you ever wanted to repair another person's wrong? Were the sisters successful? What else did they achieve?"

April: Do You Listen to Your Second Thoughts?

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Aunt Annie talks about second thoughts, how 'second thoughts should be promoted.' Have you ever had second thoughts you didn't listen to?"

April: Do You Give Away Moments?

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Elizabeth Bennett says, 'We should not give away a moment to anyone who does not deserve it.' Do you agree? Have you ever given away moments?"

rgz LIVE! chat with Deb Caletti!

Welcome to our rgz LIVE! chat with Deb Caletti! We're super excited to have her visit, and the chat will start at the top of the hour--make sure you're here and ready to talk about truth, rgz!

rgz LIVE! chat tonight with Deb Caletti!

Stop by tonight for a chat with Deb Caletti, author of THE SECRET LIFE OF PRINCE CHARMING! Live chat at 6pm PST/9pm EST - see you here!

Diva Delight: Bob's Big Boy

I'm so psyched for tomorrow's chat, I had to share my vacation pic of Bob's Big Boy. What a charmer he is!

Anyone else heart Bob like Deb and I do?

April: The Guy Warning Signs List

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Quinn's mother keeps a list of warning signs on her refrigerator (click here to see it). What would you add to the list? What would you take off of it?"

April: What's the Bad Boy Allure?

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Frances Lee's mother, Joelle, describes her allure to a moody bad boy. All of the main characters later discuss this with Brie at dinner. Do you think there is a 'Bad Boy' allure? If so, why do you think it exists?"

Party It Up: The Secret Life of Prince Charming!

Planning your own book group/get-together for The Secret Life of Prince Charming? Here are some party ideas from author Deb Caletti!

Invite: Hand-written, coffee-stained "list," like the one on Quinn's fridge

Food: Ice cream, the ultimate heartbreak cure

Décor: Not complete without a giant Bob from Bob's Big Boy.

Movies: 500 Days of Summer, Love Actually, The Runaway Bride

April: Is Love Hard Work?

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Quinn's mom discusses the idea of 'love as work.' She says a good relationship is easy. How do you feel about this concept?"

April: Have You Ever Been "in" Love?

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Frances Lee describes buying a box of chocolates for a boy she was 'in love' with. Her mother describes to her the varying other kinds of 'in': 'In over her head,' 'In need,' 'in danger,' 'incomplete.' Have you ever experienced an 'in love' that was actually an 'in'?"

April Playlist: The Secret Life of Prince Charming Soundtrack!

Check out the awesome music Deb Caletti has chosen for the soundtrack to The Secret Life of Prince Charming. Have a listen in the right-hand sidebar or just open up this month's issue of readergirlz and the music will start!

Deb selected a mix of different styles and time periods, for each of the main female characters...

1. "Daughters" by John Mayer Trio – Live (Quote from the opening page of the book)

2. "Baby I Can't Please You" by Sam Phillips (For Mom – Mary Louise Hoffman)

3. "Love You Madly" by Cake (For Aunt Annie)

4. "Shop Around" by Smokey Robinson (For Grandma – Dorothy Hoffman)

5. "I Was Never Young" by Of Montreal (For Sprout)

6. "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver (For Frances Lee)

7. "Changed the Locks" by Lucinda Williams (For Joelle Giofranco)

8. "Oh My Love" by John Lennon (For Elizabeth Bennett)

9. "A Lucky Guy" by Rickie Lee Jones (For Olivia Thorton)

10. "Not The Doctor" by Alanis Morissette (For Brie Jenkins)

11. "Love Is A Stranger" by Eurythmics (For Abigail Renfrew)

12. "Secret Heart" by Ron Sexsmith (For Quinn)

SWOON.

April: How Important is Chemistry in Love?

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Dorothy Hoffman, Quinn's grandmother, writes about chemistry and love. How important is chemistry in a relationship?"

Things to Know About Featured Author Deb Caletti

On the nightstand: A Leaning Tower of Books.

Favorite bookstores: The ones in my neighborhood: Third Place Books, University Bookstore, Half Price Books, and all the fabulous independents around the country who've had me to visit.

Favorite library: The Bellevue branch of the King County Library System. Love that KCLS!

Pet: Jupiter, my beloved Beagle, who I just lost but who is still very much with me.

Place to write: I have a lovely, glassed-in sun room for an office, but still like to write sitting on my bed.

Cure for writer's block: A walk around the room, a cookie.

Favorite outfit: One of my white robes.

Laptop or longhand? Laptop.

Next up: Stay, to be released April 2011.

Other YA Novels: The Queen of Everything; Honey, Baby, Sweetheart; Wild Roses; The Nature of Jade; The Fortunes of Indigo Skye; The Six Rules of Maybe

Additional Interviews: Powell's Books, Seattle PI with John Marshall, TeensReadToo, Bildungsroman with Little Willow, Dominique McCafferty, Q&A

Website: www.debcaletti.com

Read more about our featured author in this month's issue of readergirlz!

April: What Makes a Choice "Good"?

Featured author Deb Caletti says, "Quinn says that too often 'good choices' meant other people's choices to her. What makes a choice a good one?"

Welcome, Deb Caletti!

We are thrilled to welcome Deb Caletti to readergirlz. Her new-in-paperback novel The Secret Life of Prince Charming is our April pick! Check out the our interview with Deb, book party ideas themed around her book, and our Reach Out project idea--as well as the awesome soundtrack Deb has chosen for the book--on readergirlz.com.

Here's a little about The Secret Life of Prince Charming:

Quinn is surrounded by women who have had their hearts broken. She tries to be an optimist, but then she too is abruptly and unceremoniously dumped. She's also gingerly handling a renewed relationship with her charming father. Quinn's happy to have him around again until she realizes how horribly he's treated the many women in his life, how he's stolen more than just their hearts.

Determined to, for once, take action in her life, Quinn joins forces with the half sister she's never met and the little sister she'll do anything to protect. Together, they set out to right her father's wrongs...and in doing so, begin to uncover what they're really looking for: the truth.

And the buzz...

"How would you deal with finding out your father isn't who he says he is, and love isn't quite what you thought? Readergirlz will cheer for Quinn as she teams up with a half-sister she's never met and a younger sister who may be the wisest of the bunch to find out the truth, and in the process discover truths about themselves. We are honored to welcome Deb Caletti this month to explore truth, Prince Charming, and maybe even a little romance." - Holly Cupala, readergirlz diva

"Caletti's gifts...are at their sharpest." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

The honors and awards Deb has received for her novels include:

National Book Award Finalist

PNBA Best Book Award

PEN USA Literary Award Finalist

School Library Journal Best Book Award

We are excited to have the lovely Deb with us this month! Join us all month right here on the blog for discussions and mark your calendars a LIVE chat on Wednesday, April 21st at 6pm PST/9pm EST.

Happy April, readergirlz!

Rgz Street Team: Vanessa Reviews The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti

The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.

Today, Vanessa reviews The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti:

Quinn knows a lot about love. She lives with her mom, aunt, and grandma -- all tried and true love gurus who have withstood many storms caused by love gone wrong. Magnetically stuck to their fridge is the comprehensive master list of things to watch out for -- signals that identify a guy who will only bring hurt.

Formally educated and ready to stay away from love for good, Quinn decides to rectify some bad love tales on her own. Beginning a quest to right her father's womanly wrongs against more women than just her mother, Quinn and her sisters set out to find the truth behind the man they all call Dad. What made the supreme bad boy get the girl every time? Each woman has a different story containing more hints for Quinn to watch out for as she learns the worst about her dad while still trying to weed out the best.

A story about not just family, but love, too, The Secret Life of Prince Charming shows that even a girl so down on love can still find a Prince Charming of her own.