Today I’m hanging out with the illustrious Fabio Bueno for YAmondAY, and we’re having some scary fun with YA paranormal reads.
Stop by for laughs, chills, and thrills. After all, ’tis the season… Halloween is just around the corner!
A Treat of a GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment on today’s YAmondAY blog before MIDNIGHT Friday, October 26th for a chance to win a FREE copy of one of the following books … YOUR CHOICE!
Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.
Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.
In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him. [jacket synopsis]
Why This Story Rocks!
This is a high-concept story that’s terrific fun. I picked up the book on that basis alone, and was pleasantly surprised to find that author, Jessica Brody, dug deeper with her character. This story touches on meaningful issues with regards to family, relationships, and the true meaning of happiness.
In today’s media-blitz culture that idolizes fast-cash and fame, I was impressed with this story showing us that money (no matter how many millions) does not in itself make you happy. Sadly, Lexi is convinced that getting her hands on her 25 million-dollar trust fund will be the exception to that rule.
The beauty of her father’s punishment (as Lexi sees it) is that working at real-world low-paying jobs puts her along side people who can teach her things about life she wouldn’t learn otherwise. One of the most important lessons comes from a co-worker at a fast-food taqueria. He invites Lexi home for dinner with his family and she experiences what a true family is, and sees first-hand that true happiness is not tied to money. At all.
I won’t go on and on about everything I liked about this book, because it would ruin it for you. Instead, I’m offering a chance for you to win FREE GIVEAWAY of this book and read the story yourself.
Here’s How to Win a FREE Copy:
Watch the trailer (below).
Leave a comment on this post by Monday, September 24th.
Easy-peasy!
I’ll randomly pick a winner and announce the name on Friday, September 28th.
It’s time folks!What we’ve all been waiting for … The Adventures of Alexis Davenport giveway winners! A BIG Thank You to everyone who participated!!!
The Deets: The winners were randomly selected from everyone who left a comment on Monday’s Guest Blog by Shay Fabbro. One winner receives a signed copy of Dangerous Reflections and another a signed copy of Twisted Reflections, both by the fabulous Shay Fabbro.
Dangerous Reflections (Book 1) Giveaway Winner!
Alexis Davenport wants to go home. She hates her new school, her mother for moving her away from her friends, living in her aunt’s guesthouse, and her father for walking out.
To make matters worse, Alex is haunted by the images of strange girls reflected in her mirror. It is bad enough juggling homework, a relentless bully, boys, and a deadbeat dad. Now, she must save the world from an evil presence hell-bent on changing the past–and our futures. Who knew her A+ in history was going to be this important?
And the winner is…
Tami Clayton *** Tosses confetti ***
Twisted Reflections (Book 2) Giveaway Winner!
Alexis Davenport wants to be rid of her gift of time travel, and the duty that has been thrust upon her to protect the time line from an evil lunatic trying to change the past.
When she travels back to ancient Egypt, Alex gets a most unexpected surprise; she meets a fellow Traveler like herself, someone who can possibly help her figure out how to use her powers to stop Drifter from altering the past.
But can she learn how to control her gift before Drifter finds a way to stop her from meddling in his plans?
Today I have special guest author Shay Fabbro on board to share her secrets about writing in an authentic YA voice. It might seem easy peasy when you’re reading a great YA novel, but just try it sometime. You’ll find out it’s NOT. Take notes folks. Because Shay’s more than earned her street creds:
Shay Fabbro, PhD is published with BookTrope Publishing
A Finalist in the Indie Excellence 2011 Book Awards (Fantasy category)
The author of the Portals of Destiny series and The Adventures of Alexis Davenport series
Shay’s new book, Twisted Reflections, just released and is the second in The Adventures of Alexis Davenport series.
Stop back this Friday for a chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Dangerous Reflections and Twisted Reflections!
Authentic vs. Realistic YA Dialog … What’s best?
Take it away Shay…
For me, writing dialog for adults is so much easier. I am, after all, an adult (alright
you guys, quit yer laughing!) so this sorta makes sense. But you can’t write dialog in an adult voice and connect with YA readers. You gotta speak their language, get in their heads and put on paper the way their thoughts sound in their own minds.
The problem is this: if I were to actually write dialog exactly how young people talk nowadays, it would have to be rated R and couldn’t be marketed as YA. I spent a lot of time listening to conversations carried on by teens who had no idea they were being observed as part of a scientific/writerly experiment. The results were not all that shocking to me: teens have filthy little mouths and use language that isn’t appropriate for a YA audience to read. They throw out curse words as well as derogatory comments that I can’t even write down.
They, like, also, like use the word “like”, like a lot! And it’s like so annoying and makes me, like, want to shoot myself. Even writing that was painful. As a professor of college students, it STUNS me how many young people can’t formulate a sentence without throwing in the word “like” after every other word. I think it’s the new “umm”.
So while I totally understand the need to write realistic dialog for a teen audience, I am restrained by the very rules that exist to make YA books appropriate for age 13 and up. Most moms wouldn’t want their teen reading something that has the F-word or the n-word thrown in every time one of my characters opened their mouth. I had to find a fine line between realistic and age-appropriate. My YA series, Adventures of Alexis Davenport, has some mild language (damn, hell, etc) and some mild violence but I think it’s totally fine for teens to read. No worse than Harry Potter.
Now as for the “like” every other word…*sigh*. I had to take s stand as a girl, as a nerd, as an educator to refuse to write characters that sound like idiots. I just couldn’t do it. I think it degrades those teens that are smart enough to construct a complete sentence and sound logical and mature. I would rather write dialog that makes my readers smarter, not encourage them to continue to like, talk like idiots.
So what are your thoughts? Should writers be completely genuine when it comes to teen dialog or is there some room to improve (refusing to use idiotic words)?
Leave your comment below for your chance to win one of two FREE autographed paperbacks of Dangerous Reflections or Twisted Reflections!
Buffy was a new breed of badass … the Femme Phenom. (As in, phenomenal. Come on people, keep up.) Joss Whedon created Buffy, because he was tired of the pathetic female characters in horror films who maybe screamed before letting themselves get killed.
So not Buffy. She saved the world. A lot. And always did it with a witty quip, while rocking the hottest fashion. She wasn’t just tough, she was feminine and had depth of character. Buffy continues to save the world, as Emmie Mears so aptly points out.
I mean, would there have been a Trinity (of The Matrix series) if Buffy hadn’t blazed the Femme Phenom trail? Not to mention the other terrific Femme Phenoms, in fiction and film?
Take Katniss Everdeen of the Hunger Games (the heroine of the uber-popular book series, now a movie), an awesome Femme Phenom. She’s strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. She has to be to survive the horrific Hunger Games. Check out May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor, if you haven’t read the books or seen the movie.
So… in honor of Buffy, Trinity, Katniss, and all the other hot badass chicks, I declare this National Femme Phenom Week! And to celebrate, I’ll be hosting a phenomenal giveaway! A book with a truly badass Femme. You won’t be disappointed. Promise!
Sign up to follow this blog so you don’t miss out!
Badass is the New Awesome…
At least … during National Femme Phenom Week!
So, tell us … who’s your favorite badass … in film or fiction?
And for the record, badass guys are a total hot commodity in my book.
Synopsis: With more than a million Gallagher Girls books sold, a legion of fans have fallen in love with the New York Times best-selling spy-girl series, and the fifth book delivers the most nerve-wracking, high-stakes adventure yet.
The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan—an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers that months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.
Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.
The thrill of a good spy story can be addicting. Which pretty much explains the huge box office draw for the James Bond and Bourne Identity films. Yeah, I’m right there with you. I admit it. I’m hooked. But even so, it kind of bothered me that the heroes were always guys. The women were beautiful … but not much else. That was how it rolled in high stakes espionage.
That is … until the Gallagher Girls.
…Make room for the Gallagher Girls!
The spy game totally changed when the Gallagher Girls hit the scene. Exceptional young women who attend a top-secret all-girl school … for spies.
But don’t let their ages and keen fashion sense fool you. Sure they can completely change their appearance with nothing but a pair of nail clippers and a little shoe polish. These girls can kick butt and take names in fourteen different languages, while making change for a dollar in eight currencies and factoring in the exchange rates. In short, they’re tough and have the smarts to match.
Take Cammie “The Chameleon”… At the age of seven, she helped her father design a Trojan horse to infiltrate a former Soviet nuclear missile silo that had been take over by terrorists. Now at fifteen, she’s twice the match for 007. And her Gallagher Academy classmates are equally talented, because they have to be. They’re not in a game … they’re up against pros who mean business. These girls put the estrogen in espionage, with a vengeance.
But as spooky smart as they are (you try acing molecular regeneration, conversational Swahili, and Advanced Encryption & You in the same semester!) they are still teenagers grappling with love, loss, and betrayal. Except they deal with all that on top of heart-stopping life and death stakes that reach national proportions. If you haven’t read this series yet, get started NOW! The Gallagher Girls are AWESOME!
Ally Carter (a total Gallagher Girl!) is the mastermind of this exciting and fun series. The fifth book, Out of Sight, Out of Time released last week. In honor of the release, I’m hosting a SPY-TACULAR Giveaway on Wednesday, so stop by! The lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Out of Sight, Out of Time, by Ally Carter.
If you’ve read the Gallagher Girls series, who’s your favorite character?
Of all the reviews I’ve read this week, this is the book I’d move to the top of my to-be-read pile … if it were out. A real edge-of-your-seat paranormal mystery that hits the stores March 27th. Can’t wait!
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: March 27th, 2012
An elusive stalker is targeting Marlowe kids – and something unearthly has gotten into its wealthiest student – as the Another series builds up to a fiendish finale. When his billionaire father marries French governess Nicola Vileroy, high society is all abuzz – but Thomas, the most popular student at Marlowe, is just plain high. Ever since his girlfriend Belle dumped him, he’s been spending less time with old friends and more time getting wasted at clubs. But after someone slips him a designer drug one night – and his stepmother seems to know way too much about his private life – things really start to get scary. As Thomas’s blackouts give way to a sinister voice inside his head, and as news of a vicious hate crime has students on edge, Thomas comes to the sickening realization that Madame Vileroy has involved him in a horrifying supernatural plan. How can he muster the strength and will to stop it? The pulse-quickening climax revisits Jekyll and Hyde as a current-day cautionary tale laced with a heady dose of paranormal intrigue.
Elizabeth Fais 