August: Have You Ever Felt Like an Outcast?

Holly says, "After her secret is revealed, Miranda feels like an outcast. Have you ever felt like an outcast?"

rgz Shout Out: Jet City Bombers, Roller Derby

Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

Thanks to Herald Net for this write up on roller derby! That's our own Auburn Public Librarian, Rachel McDonald, in blue on the left. Let's just say, she's not your mother's librarian! Go, Rachel!

Her team, The Jet City Bombers, is going to regionals in October in Sacramento.

Any other roller derby rgz out there?

“This is an amazing time to be playing roller derby,” said Kate Mossman of Everett, aka missu sunshine, a 37-year-old librarian at the Everett Public Library. “It's really taking off.”

Story Secrets: LOVESTRUCK SUMMER by Melissa Walker!

It wouldn't be summer without chatting with readergirlz diva and author Melissa Walker, author of LOVESTRUCK SUMMER - exactly the book you want to pick up for a lazy August day (especially if that day happens to involve beaches or indie music or charming Austin types or all of the above).

This book is a delight - I even overheard my husband thumbing through a few pages and laughing at Melissa's hilarious depiction of Quinn's romance tribulations. So I'm very pleased to invite Melissa to chat all things Lovestruck and Summery with us today!

*****

Lovestruck Summer is the story of Quinn, an indie rock girl who came out to Austin, Texas for a music internship. She also plans to spend long, lazy days in the sun at outdoor concerts -- and to meet a hot musician or two. Instead, she's stuck rooming with her sorority brainwashed cousin, who now willingly goes by the name 'Party Penny.' Their personalities clash, big time. But Sebastian, a gorgeous DJ, definitely makes up for it. Sebastian has it all: looks, charm, and great taste in music. So why can't Quinn keep her mind off Penny's friend -- cute, All-American Russ with the Texas twang? Two guys + one girl in the live music capital of the world...


Holly Cupala: Melissa, tell us about your inspiration for LOVESTRUCK SUMMER.

Melissa Walker: I went to a wedding in Austin one summer and I loved EVERYTHING about the town! I took notes on all the places we visited, and I knew I had to set a book there one day...

Find out more of Melissa's summery secrets here...

~Holly Cupala

What the Hashtag?! Twitter recap

If you missed the chat with Holly tonight, check out What the Hashtag?! There's a complete archive available. Thanks to Bookaliciouspam for the heads up. Very cool!

Circle of Stars Release: Beth Kephart

This note just in from our former A.I.R., Beth Kephart. Celebrate her new release! Woot!



Yesterday afternoon, the first copies of Dangerous Neighbors (Laura Geringer Books: Egmont USA), my twelfth book, made their way to my home. A story about twin sisters set against Centennial Philadelphia, this book was inspired both by my work on Flow: The Life and Times of Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River and by my ongoing love affair with what I’ve always called “my” city.

Dangerous Neighbors takes readers into the world of 1876 Philadelphia—onto the Centennial grounds, onto the ice of the Schuylkill River, up the slopes of Laurel Hill, beneath the chandelier of the Academy of Music, through Rittenhouse Square, and down Walnut Street. It takes readers to Cape May at the height of clamming season and into worlds—Shantytown, Operti’s opera house, and the Colosseum—that no longer exist.

Momentum has been building, and early reviewers have been kind. Kirkus offered these words: “... A tender, quiet work of historical fiction...exquisitely crafted...as lovely in its imagery as it is tragic.” Ed Goldberg, meanwhile, in his five-star review for YA Books Central, wrote: “... Dangerous Neighbors is about more than feeling the loss of a sister. It is about sisters, especially twin sisters, and how they are a part of each other. It is about the inevitable maturing and ultimate growing apart of siblings. It is about the world in 1876 and one parent’s fight for equality. It is about having someone to care for and how that spark of caring can change everything.”

A brief excerpt from the book can be found here, at my newly revamped and expanded blog: http://beth-kephart.blogspot.com/2010/07/dangerous-neighbors-reading.html

I look forward to sharing this book with you.

All my best,
Beth

Tell Me a Secret Twitter chat tonight + Free TMAS Podcast Launch!

Tonight we'll be chatting with featured author Holly Cupala all about TELL ME A SECRET...sisters, secrets, superhot sci-fi guy and more! It's all happening at the #rgz twitter party at 6pm PST/9pm EST - see you there!


Plus Holly just made a big announcement: beginning today, she is offering the TELL ME A SECRET audiobook as a free serialized podcast. Check out the first two chapters at http://tellmeasecretnovel.com/!


The entire novel is read by award-winning actress Jenna Lamia (The Adoration of Jenna Fox, The Chosen One, The Secret Life of Bees), and they will be releasing 2-3 chapters per week to roughly follow the timeline of the novel. The chapters will be available for a limited time, plus there will be a special edition full version. Check it out here!

We hope you enjoy the free podcast, and see you tonight to chat about all of the secrets!

Holly Cupala Shares Her Secrets!

August: Do You Have Online Friends?

Holly says, "Eventually, Miranda makes friends with a group online. Have you made online friends, and do you think those friendships are as strong as the people you know in person?"

Cover Stories: Getting Revenge of Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

The lovely Eileen Cook is here to share the story of her novel, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood.

"There is a scene in the book where the main character dresses up a Barbie doll in a cheerleader outfit and then chucks it into a wood chipper. I thought it would be fun to show someone holding a Barbie doll by it's hair and sticking a pin into it- voodoo style.

"I shared my idea, but the art department warned me that Barbie is trademarked so they frown on people sticking pins in her on book covers. The designer did like the concept so she ordered a custom made doll from China and created the cover we ended up with ...

Read the rest of Eileen's Cover Story, and see some funny doll play, at melissacwalker.com.

August: Where Do You Turn in Times of Trouble?

Holly says, "Miranda's parents have locked themselves behind symbolic doors and left Miranda to figure things out on her own. Do you have someone you can turn to in times of trouble?"

Cover Stories: Zen and Xander Undone by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Amy Kathleen Ryan's Zen and Xander Undone got a starred review in Kirkus (that's tough!). They said "...touching, urgent and involving. Zen's frank narration--full of longing and hard-won insight--draws readers in and won't let go." --Kirkus Reviews, starred. Cool!

The book also has a dramatic Cover Story that involves a big bookstore. Here's Amy to tell it:

"When I was writing Zen and Xander Undone (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2010), I had a very clear image in my mind of what I wanted the cover to look like. The book has two protagonists, and the contrast between their personalities is the driving force of the story. Xander, despite her extraordinary intellect, is descending into a self-destructive spiral with drugs, parties, and bad men. Zen is much more reserved, but she has a black belt in Shotokan and violent tendencies that get her into fights that sometimes she can't finish. This book has lots of action and danger in it, which I hoped the cover would get across. So I imagined two girls on the cover, both of them looking defiant. My image of Xander had heavy black eyeliner, tattoos, facial piercings, and she was wearing skanky clothes. Zen I imagined in her Karate uniform, standing in a battle-ready pose.

"What my publisher sent me was very different. The first version of the cover looked like this..."

Read the rest of Amy's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Rgz Salon: Bullet Point by Peter Abrahams, reviewed by Rene' Kirkpatrick

René Kirkpatrick has been a bookseller and book buyer, specializing in children's and teen literature, for many years. She has a degree in elementary education and reads widely across all genres. She is currently a buyer at Third Place Books.

We're honored to have her here as part of the rgz SALON, a feature where four of the top kidlit experts clue us in to the best YA novels they've read recently. Here's René, reviewing Bullet Point by Peter Abrahams. Ages 12 and up. (HarperCollins. Hardcover, 2010).

"Peter Abrahams writes GREAT mysteries for adults and REALLY GREAT mysteries for young adults. His newest book, Bullet Point, is about Wyatt, a boy whose father is in prison. Wyatt’s never met his father, parents separated before Wyatt was born. His family, his stepdad and the rest, live in a dumpy little house and he goes to a dumpy school. And then Wyatt meets Greer, a girl whose father is also in prison with his dad.

"When Greer arranges a meeting, Wyatt realizes that his father may be innocent. That means that Wyatt has to try to help him escape. Much excitement, much adventure, a lot of danger, Bullet Point is a thriller sure to encourage you to continue with the other books by him. Mr. Abrahams has written one other standalone young adult novel, Reality Check, and a series called The Echo Falls Mysteries, all of which are immediately gripping. For you adults looking for books you won’t want to stop reading, give his adult mysteries a try. I’ve read a few of them, Nerve Damage and Oblivion are two (and they are all stand alones- thank you!) and every one I’ve read has been good."

Ages 12 and up. (HarperCollins. Hardcover, $16.99. Available now.)

Little Willow's Book Bag

This Week's Picks
Cassandra's Sister: Growing Up Jane Austen by Veronica Bennett

For Your Younger Siblings
Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Yee, illustrated by Dan Santat

This Month's Spotlighted Title
Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala

August: What's Your Creative Outlet?

Holly says, "Miranda is an artist who draws labyrinths to make sense of her past and present. What's your creative outlet?"

Chatting at Eve's Fan Garden!

Last night Lorie Ann and I (Holly) chatted live with amazing authors Jennifer Hubbard, Beth Fantaskey, Lauren Oliver, Ivy Devlin, Sydney Salter, Bree Despain, Jeri Smith-Ready, Aprilynne Pike, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Kelly Armstrong at Eve's Fan Garden for A Midsummer Night's Chat!

Here we are, chatting!

You can check out the transcript at the EFG chat forum - plus there will be another chat with this list of authors tonight at 5:30 Pacific!

Plus Lorie Ann and I guest blogged about strong female characters, which you can read here.

Thanks again to the lovely ladies of Eve's Fan Garden for inviting us to participate!

Story Secrets: CHANGE OF HEART by Shari Maurer + giveaway!

I am very pleased to welcome Shari Maurer today, who I met at the Class of 2K10 event in New York City during BEA! Even though I'm not part of the class, they enveloped me into their group easily and we went out to dinner to chat books, writing, and New York delicacies. Then Shari kindly drove me home and we had a chance to chat about her beautiful debut novel, CHANGE OF HEART.

Shari has even included a giveaway with this lovely interview, so don't forget to read and comment. Welcome, Shari!

__________

CHANGE OF HEART is about Emmi, an elite 16 year old soccer player who winds up needing a heart transplant and learns about love, loss and true friendship in the process.

Shari Maurer: My husband is a cardiologist who cares for patients waiting for heart transplants. One night he was featured on a Discovery Health program on heart transplants. Also on the show was a young girl waiting for a transplant. I watched as she was wheeled into the operating room, unsure if she would live or die, and was haunted by the look on her face. I couldn't stop thinking about her and thus, Emmi was born...



Find out more of Shari's secrets and enter to win a signed copy of CHANGE OF HEART here!

~Holly Cupala

Guest Blog: Jennifer R. Hubbard

One of our postergirlz recommended reads for August is The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard. After reading Holly Cupala's statement about World Vision and connectivity, Jennifer had this to say:

About her book (featured on readergirlz this month) and its outreach connection to World Vision’s Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls, Holly Cupala says, "Even though TELL ME A SECRET is not about sexual exploitation, it is about women and secrets and dealing with shame, so I felt there was a connection there.”

The connection between sex and secrecy and shame is especially powerful for girls, but it is everywhere in our society. Sex is about vulnerability and about emotional and physical risk. We build cultural and religious rules and expectations around it. We approach it with contradictions that could make anyone’s head spin: we set up taboos at the same time we use it to sell everything from soap to liquor. We sell cosmetics for “kissable lips” and then warn about where kissing might lead. We bury sex in a mound of whispers and jokes, slang and euphemisms.

I think most writers who include sexually active characters in their YA books want to lift that veil of secrecy and shame a little, to confront some basic truths of human nature and cut through the myths and mysteries. I know that was one of my goals in THE SECRET YEAR, which, like Holly Cupala’s book, has a plot that revolves around secrecy. In my own schooldays, adults did a fair job of giving me biological information and telling me about my right to say no, of warning me about pregnancy and STDs. But the gaping void in my education revolved around the emotional consequences of physical intimacy. What do we gain, and what do we give, when we enter into such a relationship? What are the emotional risks? What does sex do to our own concept of self-worth, and to our interactions with others?

In THE SECRET YEAR, the characters Colt and Julia believe at first that they can have a physical relationship with no strings attached. At one point, however, Colt concludes: “I should’ve known there are always strings. They’d slipped around my wrists and knotted up before I’d even noticed.” In fact, for these characters, secrecy itself is as potent a force as sex; they find any and every excuse to maintain the walls of secrecy that surround them. The biggest threat to their relationship is always openness, a full and honest commitment. And can any relationship survive behind walls?

Eventually, Colt and Julia run out of ways to hide; they have to face the limits of their secret world. Neither of them is immune to the laws of cause and effect. Their relationship changes them in ways they never expected or intended.

- Jennifer R. Hubbard

Guest Blog: Erica S. Perl Shares a Secret (+ Win a Copy of Vintage Veronica!)

The author of Vintage Veronica is here telling secrets (her character's and her own) in honor of our featured author Holly Cupala!

Here's Erica:

"A secret, huh?

"Well, let me tell you a story about my new YA novel, Vintage Veronica. It’s sort of about a secret of mine, and sort of about a secret of Veronica’s. When I first started taking notes and jotting down ideas for the book, it was 2002. Yes, that’s right – eight years before the book was published. At the time, I hadn’t published any books, although I had sold a manuscript for my first picture book, Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early. I was very excited about becoming a children’s book author. But my not-so-secret wish was to write novels, too. I really wanted to set my first YA at my favorite vintage clothing story – or rather, at a fictional store that looked a lot like it. So I worked and worked on the book. I took photos. I made sketches. I wrote chapter after chapter of the manuscript. I even set myself a deadline and met it – woo hoo! Yet the book still didn’t feel complete. Veronica’s voice was always strong, right in my ear. But I felt like she still wanted something. I just wasn’t sure what it was.

"I met with a couple of editors who were interested in the manuscript (none of these people ended up being my editor). They shared my feeling that the book needed… something. But their ideas on what it should be differed. One suggested the book should be a mystery. But I’m not really a mystery reader, much less a mystery writer, so I knew that was out. Another said there should be elements of the supernatural. But it felt forced to inject that into this story. Yet another said: romance. But there was already some romance involving side characters. Did there need to be more? Really?

"I got my answer the way I figure out a lot of things about my books: on a run. I was jogging down a street in my neighborhood when I saw a boyfriend and girlfriend on the corner, locked in a deep, epic kiss, ignoring the foot traffic around them. And in that instant, I realized: of course. Veronica. Here I was, writing a world for her to live in and not realizing that she was keeping something from me. Because by listening intently to her voice and what she was saying, I somehow ignored what she was keeping secret: what she was thinking and feeling about Len, who she calls The Nail. Which is how I realized I had to do some surgery on the book and devote some time to letting the two of them be alone together. And seeing what developed between them, and where it took them… good, bad or otherwise.

"So that’s Veronica’s secret (not to be confused with Victoria’s Secret). What’s mine? Hmmmm…. Probably that when I go clothes shopping, I always eavesdrop in the dressing rooms. I get some of my best dialog that way. I’m working on a new book right now. So if you run into me at your favorite store, be advised!"

What secrets have you got? Share them below by August 31st and you're entered to win!*

Watch the book's awesome trailer here:

*Random House is generously giving away three (!) copies of Vintage Veronica. To be eligible for this drawing, submit a comment to this post with your name and email. Mailing address must be in the continental United States to be eligible.

Things to Know About Featured Author Holly Cupala

Favorite drink while you write: Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. Or lemonade.

Inspiration: Dreams, friends, books, life

Dream book tour: Book tour world cruise, of course

Writer buddies: The readergirlz, and many more!

Cure for writer's block: Candy, tea, procrastination, and a timer

Favorite outfit: My grey lacy dress - it's cute and comfy and goes with everything

Laptop or longhand? Notes in long-hand, novel in laptop

Author idol: Italo Calvino

Next up: Street Creed (tentative title) in Fall 2011, about a suburban girl who runs away from dark secrets and finds a homeless band of friends...and a gritty romance with a boy named Creed.

Additional Interviews:
HarperTeen
Hunger Mountain
Seattle Book Examiner
Little Willow, Bildungsroman
Teens Read Too
YA Fresh

Website: hollycupala.com

Find out more about Holly in this month's issue of readergirlz!

rgz Newsflash: People of Color in Children's Lit

Hey rgz!

I just posted about multicultural representation in board books and thought to share this chart from the Cooperative Children's Book Center. It's a wrap up of all books for children, including YA. Interesting?

Children's Books By and About People of Color Published in the U.S.

Year	Total Number of Books Published (Est.)	Number of Books Received at CCBC	African / African Americans		American Indians		Asian Pacifics/ Asian Pacific Americans		Latinos
			By	About	By	About	By	About	By	About
2009	5,000	3,000	83	157	12	33	67	80	60	61
2008	5,000	3,000	83	172	9	40	77	98	48	79
2007	5,000	3,000	77	150	6	44	56	68	42	59
2006	5,000	3,000	87	153	14	41	72	74	42	63
2005	5,000	2,800	75	149	4	34	60	64	50	76
2004	5,000	2,800	99	143	7	33	61	65	37	61
2003	5,000	3,200	79	171	11	95	43	78	41	63
2002	5,000	3,150	69	166	6	64	46	91	48	94

Calling all rgz! Share your stories of your experiences. Publishers, we want to read them!