»
S
I
D
E
B
A
R
«

Authors

Liza Wiemer

Follow Me

Holiday #Readathon

Get the embed code:

Google Friend Connect

Pages

Forbidden Book Club

Meet YA Debut Author

Megan Miranda

FRACTURE

ENTER TO WIN: For your chance to win a signed copy of Fracture, please leave a comment below-click on comments, it’s that easy!

(US/Canada) An International winner will receive an unsigned copy through the Book Depository. Tweet and/or post on Facebook for an extra entry each – let me know. Giveaway ends on MARCH 19. 8:00 PM CST (WINNERS RANDOMLY CHOSEN – thanks to all who entered!)

A huge thank you to Megan for talking with me about Fracture after her

Megan Miranda

book signing at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, IL on January 23, 2012. I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Fracture at the BEA and was thrilled to have this opportunity to meet the wonderful (and SMART!) Megan in person.

Here’s a portion of my five star review of Fracture: With a plot woven in death and life, characters that are strong and memorable, and a setting that is easy to imagine, there is nothing broken about the story Megan Miranda wove together to create her hard-to-put-down debut YA novel, Fracture. The book begins with Delaney waking up after six days in a coma, which was caused by her falling through ice and being submerged in frigid water for eleven minutes. She has brain damage, but somehow her brain rewired itself. And even though she shouldn’t be able to talk or walk or remember, she appears to be in great shape – normal. Everything is functioning the way it should. But one thing is different . . . (To see the rest of the review click here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/243297421 )

You’re from North Carolina, so why did you choose Maine for the setting of Fracture?

My dad grew up in Maine, so we would go up every summer and stay at a house on a bay. Even in June the water was freezing. We would dare each other to go in, even though it was way too cold to swim. So I think when I was looking for a winter setting subconsciously I thought about the small quaint town in Maine but took out all the tourists. The setting is a place that I know in my head, but instead of the summer, it’s winter and instead of a bay, I have a lake.

In Fracture the MC drowns in a frozen lake. She’s under water for eleven minutes, but then is brought back to life. She should have suffered from a severe brain injury, but comes out “unaffected” or so it seems. That’s as much as I am going to reveal. Death is a major theme in Fracture. Why did you choose to write a novel that focuses on death?

These were the books that I liked to read and sought out when I was a teen. My mother gave me Edgar Allen Po because she knew I was drawn to stories like this—I always have been. It’s a natural question to want to know what happens after life and what happens in that “gray” area between life and death. I’m not alone in wondering about these things, so when I started writing I was drawn to it.

Have you experienced anything supernatural?

I personally haven’t, other than seeing a cat hissing at an empty space and wondering if it senses something that’s there, but not there. But even though I haven’t experienced anything like that I’m drawn to those stories. I’m also drawn to stories where a person’s had a brain tumor removed and then experienced personality changes. So which person was he? It’s this dichotomy that set up the idea for Fracture—is the person the same or a little different? Do others mourn the person who used to be or do they embrace the person who remains? Who are we? I’m interested in knowing how much of our brain is determined by our DNA. Or how much is influenced by other factors?

Delaney and Decker are best friends. Decker is interested in more. Was this relationship based on any personal experience?

I grew up next to a boy and we were best friends until he moved away in second grade. And now my daughter’s best friend is a boy who lives next door. I have wondered about at what point do these boy-girl friendships become hard. I think this is why we write about best friends trying to figure out how to navigate through those years. It’s interesting.

This question/answer contains a spoiler**

Fractured relationships play a role in Fracture. What can YA learn from them?

Part of the process of growing up is figuring out what type of person is right for you. Sometimes you try the wrong person and then it forces you to decide what’s love, what’s not love. I think that the reason why Delaney was drawn to Troy was because she felt abandoned by others. What pushes you to someone else or what makes a relationship last were questions that I wanted to explore. I also think that you can figure out who is right for you by being with someone who is wrong for you.

Communication and the lack of communication between characters deeply influence this novel. What do you feel is important for YA to learn about communicating with others?

Communication is something that people can struggle with at any age. And that’s a big part of Delaney’s journey—learning to put herself out there, to say what’s on her mind and if it doesn’t work out, oh well. But that’s the whole point of asking the question, “If you had one day left to live, what would you do?”

Fracture, in my opinion, is a brilliant novel that brings up lots of questions. I love that the reader is given the opportunity to think about issues instead of having every idea wrapped up neatly with answers. What were your reasons for this?

The inspiration for the book was questions I had, not answers. The process of writing the book was my way of trying to explore the questions, not necessarily what I had to say. These questions were the things I was thinking about, wondering about and I wanted to explore them in the story.

This question/answer contains a spoiler**

One of the issues addressed in Fracture is the concept of mercy killing versus murder. What motivated you to take on such a controversial topic?

I wasn’t coming at it from a right or wrong perspective. It was how I developed the plot. I set up Delaney and Troy as opposites. What if the same thing happened to both these people but because of their past experiences, what they do with it is completely opposite – one is trying to speed up death and one is trying to slow it down? Everything came into play around that. I didn’t come at it from my own moral perspective. But it made me think about it.

This question/answer contains a spoiler**

The mother in Fracture is a troubled character and is not based on your own mother. During your book talk you said your mother identified more with the father in the novel. Where there any influences for Delaney’s mother?

Not for the character, specifically. For me, one of the hallmarks of becoming an adult was understanding my mother as a real person and not just as my mother—the person who will not let me go out with friends—but as someone with her own interests, experiences, history. And with Delaney coming of age she starts to see her mother as her own person and not just as her mother. Polar opposites. On the topic of the mother’s story line, I tried to pull on the theme of opposites again. That the absence of something can be a horrifying thing. Not doing something can have an impact if not a stronger impact on others than if the person had done something. I pulled together a theme that the absence of something can be a horrifying thing. Not doing something can have an impact if not a stronger impact on others than if the person had done something.

What would you want the reader to walk away with after reading your novel?

I think when you put a book out there it belongs to somebody else. Based on your own experiences you’re going to take what you can. But if I had to pick something, it would be seize the day, do what you want to be doing.

Where do you see your characters five years from now?

I like the idea that anything can happen and that’s why I’m not writing a sequel. That’s life, but I also like the idea that they’re happy wherever they end up.

What was the hardest/easiest and part of the process?

The easiest part of the process was sitting down and developing the characters and the relationships. The hardest part was finding an external plot. It took me three drafts and six months of rewrites to get it. And then there were some really hard scenes to write as well. They were emotional scenes and I was like ‘I’m sorry Delaney. I sorry I had to do this to you.’

I trashed my first draft and only saved a few lines. What really surprised me are who my characters are because if I were to sit down and say I’m going to create a character, I don’t think it would be the person I developed in the story. But once I started writing the story, the story built the characters. They become their own people. You have an idea that something is going to happen and then you get to a point where you say my character wouldn’t do that, my character wouldn’t make that choice. Maybe it’s a choice I would make, but not my character.

Now that Fracture is out in the world, is there anything you wish you could change?

This book went through several major overhauls before becoming this story, but at this point, there’s nothing I’d change. This is its story, and I’m really happy with it.

26 Comments »

Book Club Questions for John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars

Feb 9th, 2012 by Liza Wiemer

Book Club Questions for John Green’s

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is the first novel that our Wisconsin YA Bloggers/Authors/Educators/Librarians group chose to read for our book club. (We definitely need an official name!) We’ll be meeting this coming Sunday and I can’t wait to discuss it with these incredible women. I’ll wait to post my review, though I will say that I finished the novel in one night, so that gives readers a clue on just how amazing I found TFiOS. I started thinking about different aspects of the novel, which made me curious about what our book club members thought about a particular character, concept, scene. So, I decided to put a SHORT list of questions together and share them on WhoRuBlog. (I am sure there are other study guides. If I run across them, I will link them at the bottom.)

1. John Green has numerous characters with various relationships/reactions to cancer. What did you like/dislike about these characters? How would you describe their personalities? How do you identify with them? Do they remind you of people you know? • Hazel -

• Hazel’s mother -

• Hazel’s father –

• Hazel’s friend Kaitlyn -

• Augustus -

•Augustus’s mother –

• Augustus’s father –

• Augustus’s half-sisters (spouses, children) -

• Support Group Patrick -

• Isaac -

• Isaac’s girlfriend Monica -

• Peter Van Houten -

• Lidewj -

• Dr. Maria –

2. If you could only choose one scene/moment/dialogue that had the most impact on you, which one would it be and why? And don’t say the entire novel – we know!

3. How (if at all) has TFiOS changed your perspective of cancer or those who are living with it?

4. It was important to Augustus that his actions/existence would leave a mark on this world. How does he do that? How do you do that?

5. Hazel uses the word “hamartia” or “tragic flaw” to describe Augustus when he stuck a cigarette between his lips and it also describes Peter Van Houten and his drinking. The differences between these two are night and day – and a brilliant metaphor. What was your perspective/reaction?

Feel free to add your own questions or comments by clicking the “comments” button below. Also, if you find a link for other study guides, feel free to add it. Thanks.

ADDED February 19:

A huge perk of getting the CD version of TFiOS is the incredible seven bonus videos on DVD narrated by John Green. He explains the name choices, the history of how the book came to be, the background of The Hectic Glow etc. We watched them in our book club and I think we all really enjoyed them. It also impacted our discussion, so that was definitely a positive!

Have questions about TFiOS? Check out: OnlyifyoufinishedTFiOS.tumblr.com (The password is the last word in the acknowledgments) – Please don’t go to this website unless you have finished the novel!

Also for book club, I brought a chicken salad that was inspired by the novel. Though chicken salad isn’t specifically mentioned, food from Holland is included, and this definitely is similar to chicken salads I found on the net for recipes from Holland. This recipe was given to me by my friend, Sarah Kealy. Enjoy.

Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked and diced boneless skinless chicken

1 cup celery

1 cup chopped parsley

1 cup toasted pecans

3 apples peeled and diced

Dressing:

2 Tbs OJ

4 teas Dijon Mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1 teas honey

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup canola oil

No Comments »

John Green Week

Jan 10th, 2012 by Liza Wiemer

When my friend, the big-hearted, make-people-smile Heidi at http://www.yabibliophile.com/ decided to put together a John Green Week, I decided to join. I had already read Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which John Green co-wrote with David Levithan is one of the most unforgettable YA novels I’ve ever read. There were so many lol moments that I memorized page numbers-something I’ve never done before. I also read Looking for Alaska and found the characters to be intriguing, heartbreaking, and memorable.

I haven’t quite finished my John Green Week challenge novel, Paper Towns, so I’ll update this post when I do. But for now, I’m definitely intrigued to see how the main character could find himself in a situation may very well jeopardize everything he’s worked to accomplish in high school and keep him from attending Duke University.

If you need a laugh, take a look at Heidi’s selection of John Green’s vlogs. http://www.yabibliophile.com/2012/01/john-green-week-vlogs.html

Updated: January 18, 2011 My review of Paper Towns as posted on Goodreads:

I read Paper Towns in honor of John Green Week (Jan 3-10) put together by Heidi of YABibliophilehttp://www.yabibliophile.com/2011/11/joh…
The book is narrated by Quentin, a senior who has had a crush on his neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman, Margo has pretty much ignored Quentin for years until one night when she knocks on his window and convinces him to take his mother’s car and help her with eleven various activities, including sneaking into SeaWorld. Against his better judgment, Quentin goes along with Margo’s plan. The evening ends up being quite eventful and life-changing for Quentin and some of the people the visit.
The next day, Margo runs away from home and since she had done it before, everyone is certain she’ll be back. But as days go by, Quentin begins to lose hope for her return and is determined to find out what happened to her.
I love how the mystery of her disappearance unfolds as Quentin tries to figure out what happened to Margo. He hopes he’ll find her alive, but is prepared for the possibility she killed herself. Quentin’s journey is guided by some clues Margo left behind, which he is certain she left for him, including the poem “Song of Myself” by Whitman.
Paper Towns is a fabulous novel with some lol moments. Page 248-250 OMG!
Another John Green winner.

No Comments »

Let’s Eat: A Novel Cuisine – Wisconsin YA Book Bloggers/Librarians Dinner!

Dec 20th, 2011 by Liza Wiemer

Enjoy cooking? Try some yummy food inspired by ten YA novels written by eight awesome authors.

On December 19th, seven Wisconsin YA book bloggers/librarians/book addicts met for our first book club meeting. And what a night we had!!! Heidi from http://www.yabibliophile.com , Rani from Next Chapter Bookstore http://twitter.com/#!/couldberuthless, Jillian from http://heisereads.blogspot.com, Erica from http://www.thebookcellarx.com Sasha http://twitter.com/#!/FzngWizbee, Maggie http://twitter.com/#!/MaggieMelchior and me. We had a blast talking about YA novels we loved from 2011, novels we can’t believe we waited so long to read, novels that surprised us or disappointed us. We talked about the authors who have hilarious tweets and are so wonderful in person. (There are a lot of them!!!!) We talked about how we review books for our blogs and Goodreads. Time flew by! It was one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time with just the best gals to hang out with and talk books. And I can’t WAIT for our next book club meeting, which is scheduled for February. For more info check out the awesome Heidi’s post! http://www.yabibliophile.com/2011/12/my-book-club-rocks.html

Besides reading and writing YA, cooking is another one of my passions. (I used to volunteer my time and cater events for a non-profit organization. That’s how much I love to cook. ) Whenever food is mentioned in a novel, I pay attention. And so I decided to create a menu and cook a dinner as a surprise for our first book club meeting. All the recipes were inspired by YA novels. Some mentioned a specific food, like mariquitas in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Noah and Mara

Mariquitas and Garlicky Sauce inspired from THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin (Click photo to enlarge)

are eating in a Cuban restaurant in Miami, page 222) while others mentioned atype of food, for example Korean in Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (Lola runs into Mr. Lim and asks him about his Korean restaurant, referenced on page 9. Lindsey Lim is Lola’s best friend.)

Here’s the menu and the YA novels that inspired the food:

A NOVEL CUISINE (All recipes are vegetarian except the chicken tikki masala, but feel free to substitute tofu)

Pita Chips (How to Ruin a Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles)

Chummus (How to Ruin a Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles)

Guacamole (Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles)

Mariquitas w/ Garlicky Sauce (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin)

Hot-Sour Soup (Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, If I Stay by Gayle Forman)

Chicken Tikki Masala (We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han)

Brown Rice (We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han)

Bok Choy and Cucumber Kimichi inspired by LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins (Click photo to enlarge)

Bok Choy and Cucumber Kimichi (Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins)

Moelleux au Chocolat (Molten Lava Cakes) with Strawberry Sauce

(Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins)

Sprecher* Cherry Cola (Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, The Duff by Koby Keplinger)

Hot Mint Tea (Timepiece by Myra McEntire)

Water with Sliced Lime (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin)

*Note – Sprecher is a Wisconsin favorite local brewery. Try and find their soda if you can. Once you taste their cherry soda, will will never want to drink Cherry Coke or Cherry Pepsi again!

Click here for ALL THE RECIPES: http://www.whorublog.com/?page_id=1015

4 Comments »

Take Five with Holly Schindler, YA Author of A BLUE SO DARK & PLAYING HURT

Dec 11th, 2011 by Liza Wiemer

Holly Schindler

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR YA AUTHOR

HOLLY SCHINDLER

ENTER TO WIN YOUR CHOICE OF ONE OF HOLLY’S NOVELS by listing which novel you would want in the comments’ section. Tweet and/or post on Facebook for an extra entry each – let me know. Giveaway ends on December 21, 8:00 PM EST

1. From some of the things I read about you, it seems like you sacrificed quite a bit to become a published author, and if it hadn’t been for your family your dreams would not have come true. What’s the journey been like and what do you most want other aspiring authors to take from your experience?

My path to publication was long and winding—took seven and a half years to get the first acceptance! And it also took full-time tunnel vision to really learn the ins and outs of writing a novel (even though I already had a master’s in English). Without the incredible support—financial and emotional—I got from my family, I never would have gotten started. I never would have seen that first acceptance without having all that time to write. (I taught piano and guitar lessons part-time to pay my bills, but because of my family’s support, I didn’t have to seek full-time employment. My full-time job has always been writing.) I won’t lie—four, five, six years into my pursuit, I had my down moments, and I shed a few tears…but I never felt like I should be doing anything else. And in that respect, I don’t feel like I sacrificed at all. Actually, I feel as though the REAL sacrifice would have been to get the full-time job and not pursue writing! (The idea of that’s just so incredibly sad—I know I wouldn’t have been truly happy doing anything but writing.) The thing is, there’s a point in the pursuit of ANY dream when it feels like the dream is kicking your butt a little—it doesn’t matter what the dream is…maybe it’s to own your own business, or to become a surgeon, or breed ostriches. You’ll have days when you look at yourself and wonder what you’re doing. But I learned firsthand that’s the point at which it’s the most important to keep pushing.

2. Both of your novels are realistic fiction. What is the appeal for you to this particular genre and are there any other genres you see yourself writing in the future? What other genres do you enjoy reading?

I’m a fan of all genres—there’s nothing I won’t read: classics, contemporary, poetry, literary, romance. I even took a sci fi course in college, because that was the one section of the library I’d never spent much time in and I thought if I immersed myself in it for a while, I’d want to read more books in that genre. Now, no section of my public library goes unvisited! While my first books are realistic fiction, they do still differ slightly: A BLUE SO DARK is literary, and PLAYING HURT is a romance. And my writing interests are every bit as varied as my reading interests, so stay tuned!

3. As you know, I haven’t read A Blue So Dark, yet. It’s a YA novel that brings to light the difficulties of a teen dealing with her mother’s schizophrenia. From what I understand it’s very different from Playing Hurt, your second novel, which I loved. Playing Hurt is an older YA contemporary/romance novel. The main characters are out of high school and address issues such as death, physical and emotional injuries, identity crisis, choices, love, and sex. What, if any, are some of the similarities between your two novels, and what is it that you hope readers will take away from A Blue So Dark and Playing Hurt.

You’re right—on the surface, those two books are absolutely night and day different. But I think the quality I’m most proud of in both of those books is their honesty. I think both are pretty bare—BLUE maybe even more so than PLAYING HURT. I also love that the characters in both books are slightly flawed—they kind of bumble through their struggles—but they ultimately triumph. I think that’s the beautiful thing about YA, though—as a whole, I think what you’ve got are characters who are dealing with adult situations for the first time. Teen characters are in no way seasoned pros when it comes to dealing with the hardships of life. So they’re bound to make a bunch of mistakes. But they do succeed. Revisiting all those “firsts” in life is one of the reasons why writing YA is so much fun.

4. A huge congrats to you for your debut middle grade novel, The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, which is coming out in 2012 and is being published by Dial. Please share with us what you can about this new novel.

Thanks for the congrats! THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY is still about a year away from publication. It’s about a young artist, and will feature original cover art—the first of any of my books to have original art! I’m really excited about that…

5. What has been one of the biggest life lessons you personally have learned and how has it helped you to grow as a person?

The absolute biggest lesson I’ve learned is the benefit of persistence. You don’t get anywhere in life if you don’t just dig those heels in and really learn the art of being a bit stubborn. That’s not to say that you should be bullheaded and believe that what you write is always perfect and that you should never revise anything when rejections inevitably come in. What I mean is that you can’t let the rejections make you think it’ll never happen. One rejection of one project is just that—one rejection. And an opportunity to learn and improve. Get to work; revise and submit again. I really believe that the only authors who never get to see their books on the shelves are those who give up.

A BLUE SO DARK: Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talent artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura’s dad left them. Convinced that “creative” equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears. One of Booklist’s Top 10 Novels for Youth (2010) Silver Medal, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year (Young Adult Fiction) Gold Medal, IPPY Awards (Juvenile / Young Adult Fiction)

PLAYING HURT: Star basketball player Chelsea “Nitro” Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone’s admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family. As a graduation present, Chelsea’s dad springs for a three-week summer “boot camp” program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she’s immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who’s haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain—or finally heal their heartbreak?

For more information about Holly go to hollyschindler.com Holly’s blog: hollyschindler.blogspot.com, Twitter: @holly_schindler, and Facebook: facebook.com/HollySchindlerAuthor

9 Comments »

Coping with Finals – Papers & Exams

Dec 5th, 2011 by Liza Wiemer

Are you slammed with writing papers and studying for exams? Freaking out and feeling paralyzed on how to get through this intense time? Most likely, there aren’t enough hours in the day for you to get all the work done. Perhaps you procrastinated and now it feels like you’re living in HELL. Been there. Done that. Hopefully, these tips will be helpful.

1. Start with the basics. If you haven’t done so already, write out the date and time for the exams and when the papers are due.

2. Get organized. Know what you need in order to study or write. Need to go to the library and check out books? Research on the net? Borrow notes from a classmate? Actually read the material? (If you haven’t done this, obviously you know you’re in a rough spot and most likely can’t make up a quarter or semesters’ worth of reading. Do your best. Read the first three paragraphs of each chapter section and skim until you reach the last three paragraphs. Read those. In no way am I advocating this as a method of learning – but if you’re in crisis mode, it’s a decent solution.)

3. Block out time to work on the papers and study for the exams, then stick with the schedule. Isolate yourself if you need to and whatever you do, make a promise to yourself that you’ll avoid all social networking during that time. Social networking has a way of being a total time sucker! Don’t fall into the trap.

4. Know your teacher/TA/professors’ office hours. Take advantage of any study sessions they may have. If you have questions or know that you don’t understand something, don’t wait to get help. If you’re writing a paper and you’re not sure you’re on target, BRING IT TO YOUR PROF and ask her to look at it and give you direction. This shows you care and are concerned, so don’t worry about looking stupid or that you’ll feel foolish. If necessary, explain to your prof what’s going on and see if you can get an extension. If you don’t ask, you won’t get it. And if you don’t get it, at least you asked.

5. Load up on protein. Protein prevents sugar highs and lows so it’ll help sustain you. Keep a few of your favorite munchies and caffeinated drinks and water with you.

6. Do your own work.

7. Avoid taking someone else’s prescription drug to enhance your ability to concentrate or focus. You might believe that you can do it once or justify it in order to get through this difficult time, but everyone’s body reacts differently to meds, and like any drug there can be serious ramifications. Or maybe not. But is it worth the risk? Once tempted who’s to say you won’t be tempted again? Be respectful of yourself and your body. Look at the big picture. Ask yourself: A year from now, five years from now how important was this?

8. Destroy your unrealistic expectations. Just flush the idea of perfection right down the toilet. Who the heck is ever perfect? Do your best in the moment based on the circumstances you’re facing. Teachers/professors can and do overburden their students. They don’t have a clue what others have assigned. Live with doing your best in the here and now. Don’t ask more of yourself. It’s totally unreasonable. Don’t berate yourself for any reason. Even if you procrastinated, move on. Take hold of the here and now and do what it takes so that you can be satisfied that you took charge in the moment. Negative self-talk is a huge waste of time and destructive. Stop. STOP!

9. Don’t take a “screw-it” attitude. If you’re thinking that you’ve already screwed it up, so why try, you’ll only hurt yourself. Self-destruction isn’t pretty. Seriously, just do something positive with the assignment. Even if you know that you could have done better, accept what you ARE doing as the best in the moment. And if you’re in crisis, even if it’s of your own making, talk to your teacher/TA/professor. Not everyone has a heart of gold and will cut you slack. But go in with a clear plan. Show that you have given it some serious thought and be reasonable. I’m hopeful that these educators will want to see you succeed.

10. Many need to pull all-nighters. If you can, snatch a twenty to thirty minute snooze during the day. SET YOUR ALARM. Good luck. And when it’s all over, do something nice for yourself. ☺

1 Comment »

Second Annual Holiday #Readathon, December 2-4, 2011

Oct 28th, 2011 by Liza Wiemer

Second Annual Holiday #Readathon

December 2-4, 2011

Bonus: EVERYONE who signs

up for this Readathon will be entered into a random drawing to win a SIGNED first edition copy of Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Prince. Novel will be sent from Books of Wonder after December 6, 2011

Thanks for being a part of this! Winner was Kayla from Caught Between the Pages

It is with great excitement that I’m hosting the Holiday #Readathon once again, thanks to the incredible encouragement and enthusiasm from those who participated last year. Together, we’ll make it even BETTER this year.

Join us ANY TIME during the #Readathon!

Sign up is below – Fill in the simple Mr. Linky form! You can use a Twitter or Facebook URL if you don’t have a website.

My mini-challenge is below (You do not have to sign up for my mini-challenge to participate in this readathon! All are welcome!)

I will be updating the list of CONFIRMED bloggers/authors who are participating in giveaways as they come in as well as their mini-challenges/giveaways. Here is are the bloggers/authors we have so far:

1. Kai from Fiction State of Mind: Mini-challenge is so simple – just visit her blog and enter to win a novel of your choice (up to $10 from the Book Depository) http://fictionstateofmind.blogspot.com

2. Deb from Just Deb Reading and Writing for Children and Teens: Mini-challenge is to read (or donate) a Middle Grade Novel, let me know what it is, what you did and I will enter you to in a giveaway for a book of your choice, up to 20.00 value. Making this international so you can make your pick from the Book Depository. http://www.debamarshall.com/

3. Author Laurie Viera Rigler: Mini-challenge – We all like to escape into a good novel and enter the lives of our favorite characters, especially during the holiday season. But did you ever wonder what your favorite characters read when they feel like entering another world? Let your imagination soar, and visit Laurie Viera Rigler’s blog (http://blog.janeaustenaddict.com/2011/11/holiday-readathon-double-giveaway.html) to enter this fun and easy challenge. You could win two books: THE JOURNEYS OF JOHN AND JULIA: GENESIS by Aurelia and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler.

4. Heidi from YA Bibliophile: Mini-challenge is what was the best gift you ever received or gave? One person will win a signed paperback copy of Anna & the French Kiss, chapter sampler of John Green’s newest The Fault in Our Stars (chapters 1&2) and Magnetic poetry set from Maureen Johnson. http://yabibliophile.blogspot.com/

5. April from Good Books and Good Wine: Mini-challenge - Create a 5 song playlist pertaining to a book you are reading for the readathon. You can do this in a post just leave me a link in the comments, or just leave me your playlist in the comments. One entrant will be randomly selected to win a prize pack of three 2012 ARCs! Black Boy, White School by Brian F. Walker, Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani, Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M. James http://goo.gl/fb/LNyvk

6. Melissa from YA Bookshelf: Mini-challenge is to name your favorite boy narrator & what makes him so great. One lucky person will win iBoy, The 13th Plague, & The Underdogs. http://www.yabookshelf.com/

7. Courtney from Stiletto Storytime: Mini-challenge is to share a favorite holiday read & why that book, be it classic or modern, means so much to you. My giveaway is a prize pack from author Heather Vogel Frederick w/a copy of Home for the Holidays, a Betsy Tacy Treasury & tote bag! http://www.stilettostorytime.wordpress.com

8. Author Wendy Delsol: Mini-challenge- 1. Make a good faith pledge to donate this holiday season. 2. Make a character-name suggestion (see notes below) for me via Twitter (@wendydelsol), a facebook comment, or comment on my blog post – http://www.wendydelsol.com/holiday-readathon

So about the character name I’m looking for: My work in progress is a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. In the Jane Austen classic, Elizabeth Bennet’s mother is simply Mrs. Bennet. I’m looking, therefore, for a first name that fits this matriarch’s personality. As in the original, Mrs. Bennet is a shallow woman. The adjectives that best describe my version of the character are temperamental, vapid, and shrill. (Austen showed the character no sympathy. I probably won’t, either.) So … let’s hear some suggestions. You could win your choice of Stork, Frost, or The McCloud Home for Wayward Boys http://www.wendydelsol.com/holiday-readathon

9. Author Audrey Hart: Mini-challenge is if you could ask the Greek god Zeus any question, what would it be? Win the YA novel Zoe and Zeus (ebook edition). Post your answer on Twitter with the #ZoeandZeus or http://www.ZoeandZeus.com or http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13014354-the-dig

10. Rani from Perks of Being a Bookseller: Mini-challenge is what fictional character would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? Prize is a copy of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. http://perksofbeingabookseller.blogspot.com

11. Jen and Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts: Their mini-challenge – Share your favorite meme, find a meme you are going to join, or share a meme you would join if you had a blog and you will be entered to win one of three MG/YA ARCs. Three winners! http://www.teachmentortexts.com/

12. Cassay from Vamps, Weres, and Cassay OH My!: Mini-challenge is which reindeer is your favorite and why? One random lucky winner will receive a $15 shopping spree at the Book Depository! http://vampsweresandcassay.blogspot.com/

13. Courtney Rae from Courtney Reads: Mini-challenge is to share your favorite holiday dish or dessert and you’ll be entered to win a custom-made ornament by Courtney! http://courtney-reads.blogspot.com/

14. Stacy, Shannon, Nancy from Girls in the Stacks: Here’s their mini-challenge or as Girls In the Stacks call it “The Good Deed Mini-Challenge”

Are you up for our challenge? Or should we say our mini-challenge? We hope so, because it’s super easy and totally all good cheer. We challenge you to do something nice for someone, whether it be a genuine compliment on work well done, buying someone’s Starbucks, gifting a book to your local library, profusely declaring your love of a book on twitter, holding your tongue when you want to bite back with cutting sarcasm, working a toy drive or simply holding the door for a stream of people on the subway. Or whatever, it’s your choice.

What you can win: One good deed-er will win a signed paperback of The Maze Runner by James Dashner, a signed ARC of Perfect by Ellen Hopkins, a signed hardcover of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater treat. http://girlsinthestacks.com

15. Author Elizabeth Rosner: Mini-challenge - “Begin Again” is a repeating line in my novel, BLUE NUDE, a motto for perseverance in my own life too. What’s your motto? Enter your answer on Twitter – click here: http://www.twitter.com by putting in @elizabethrosner & #Readathon to your tweet or on my Facebook page – click here: http://www.facebook.com/elizabethrosnerbooks & post #HolidayReadathon or put your answer in comments below but add: Elizabeth my motto is _____ and your answer and you will be randomly chosen for a signed copy of your choice of one of my novels, National Bestseller THE SPEED OF LIGHT or BLUE NUDE. http://redroom.com/member/elizabeth-rosner/blog

Mini-challenges/giveaways end on Sunday, December 4th at midnight PST. Please note that all the bloggers/authors have their own rules for their challenges.

I will be on Twitter using the hashtag #Readathon. Please feel free to let us know what you’re reading and how you are doing!

Also, we will have a Twitter Party on Sunday, December 4th night at 9PM EST, which can be accessed by entering #Readathon. We’ll talk about the books we are reading and holiday memories and anything else you’d like to share. I will be hosting several giveaways during that time. Here’s just a preview of what you could win – beautiful handmade book thongs by Briana McNair (@TheBookPixie on Twitter) http://tinyurl.com/66nlnc4

You can participate in this #READATHON without doing my challenge below.

All Participants for my Holiday #Readathon Challenge are automatically entered for a $20.00 gift certificate for Amazon.com or BN.com – your choice! Just list your participation in COMMENTS! Give and you have a chance to receive! YES!

My Holiday #Readathon Challenge: Winner was Gaby from Oh My Books

1. Pledge a penny or two or three (or any amount you want!) per page that you read. Put a minimum number that you will pledge. For example: 100 pages – $1.00. And then donate the amount to your favorite charity.

OR

2. ANY type of donation for the holiday season – a can(s) of food, book to a library, Toy for Tots, gently used books or clothes donated to a shelter, school – qualifies. Just list it. (Feel free to come up with your own ideas!)

3. Click on comments below and write down your pledge/donation. THIS IS ON THE HONOR SYSTEM!

Remember, this is a set-your-own-pace/start-whenever-you-want #readathon. Don’t wear yourself out, I will be cheering you all on and checking up on your progress. I hope you all have a lot of fun!

This event ended 5 months, 13 days, 9 hours, 43 minutes, 24 seconds ago.

1.	Justin report	2.	Lynn Wiese report	3.	Joli @ Actin' Up with Books report
4.	Betsy Kaplan report	5.	Jenn B-H report	6.	Sarah Kealy report
7.	Wendy Delsol report	8.	Kai Charles report	9.	Laurie Viera Rigler report
10.	HD report	11.	Melina report	12.	Joe Roper report
13.	Liza report	14.	Heidi At YABibliophile report	15.	Courtney (Stiletto Storytime) report
16.	Girls in the STACKS report	17.	Briana (The Book Pixie) report	18.	Melissa (YA Bookshelf) report
19.	Rani report	20.	Melissa @Must Read Faster report	21.	Mary (Sparkling Reviews) report
22.	cessie report	23.	Jen report	24.	Kellee @ Teach Mentor Texts report
25.	Audrey Hart report	26.	Jeffrey West report	27.	April (Good Books and Good Wine) report
28.	Stella (Ex Libris) report	29.	Gaby @ Oh My Books! report	30.	Julie @ Manga Maniac Cafe report
31.	Moirae book reviews report	32.	Amanda @ The Hopeless Bibliophile report	33.	Grace @ Books Like Breathing report
34.	Evika report	35.	Cassay report	36.	Jessica @ Firefly Book Loft report
37.	Kayla report	38.	Alex Baugh report	39.	Monica Millard report
40.	Courtney Rae (Courtney Reads) report	41.	Denise report	42.	Benji @ The Non Reluctant Reader report
43.	Author Mimi Barbour - Believe! report	44.	Sheila (Bookjourney) report	45.	Orchid @ The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia report
46.	Kate (Verb Vixen) report	47.	Erica report	48.	April @Book Away report
49.	Kellye report	50.	Kate @ Literary Explorations report	51.	Melody @ Melody with words report
52.	Shaunesay @ The Space Between report	53.	Defying the Spectrum report	54.	Erica @ The Book Cellar report
55.	Christine report	56.	Nina @ Lost in the Pages report	57.	Kate @ Kate's Book Nook report
58.	Elizabeth Rosner report	59.	Ashley report	60.	Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair report
61.	Gabbi @ BookBreather report	62.	Deb @ Just Deb report	63.	Katelyn's Blog report
64.	Bitsy (Ex Libris Bitsy) report	65.	Ems @ In Which Ems Reviews Books report	66.	Dawn Ruminski report
67.	Faye @ Ramblings of a Teenageg Bookworm report	68.	Ellen report	69.	Psique @ Book Travels report
70.	Maria @ To Read, Perchance to Dream report	71.	Mindy @ my hidden bookshelf report	72.	Sam @ Books For All Seasons report
73.	Steph @stephlovescsd (the caffeinated reader) report	74.	Melissa @ YA Book Shelf report	75.	Kira Dineen report
76.	commutinggirl report	77.	Amy report	78.	Laurie Viera Rigler report
79.	You're next!

To report an inappropriate link, please begin by clicking here.

47 Comments »

An Open Letter to YA Author Lauren Myracle Regarding the NBA Fiasco

Oct 17th, 2011 by Liza Wiemer

An Open Letter to Lauren Myracle:

Shine, By Lauren Myracle

I have never met you, but I am a member of what I would call a family of YA lit bloggers, enthusiasts, and writers. What happened to you regarding the National Book Award fiasco must have been personally frustrating, painful, perhaps even devastating. I can only imagine the roller coaster of emotions you must have gone through once told that Shine had been nominated in the Young People’s Literature category, and then having it recanted, announced to the world that it was a mistake, a slip-up of the letter, “C” for “S” and an “n” for an “m” that it was Chime by Franny Billingsley, which was the novel that was actually nominated for this award.

And then you were asked to do something really tough – withdraw your book from the nomination. Once again, I can only imagine how this request squeezed your heart, left you reeling.

But somehow you did it. You found the inner strength to set aside what I envision to be tremendous disappointment and you withdrew Shine from the NBA. You did it with incredible dignity. (Readers, if you haven’t read the statement, here is a link to the Publisher’s Weekly article: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/49143-shine-withdrawn-as-nba-young-people–s-literature-nominee.html) More information can be obtained through the Huffington Post Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/lauren-myracle-withdraws-national-book-awards_n_1015649.html

I want to thank you, Lauren. Because your behavior, your response to this unimaginable experience was totally first class. Despite the turmoil, you didn’t sling mud or have a public fit. You show others what it means to handle tremendous disappointment and personal pain with respect and grace. In turn, you also have bolstered the message of Shine. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable.

I understand people are outraged for you. I too am outraged. But setting that aside I want you to know how much I deeply admire you and respect you for being a role model. We get more than enough of the opposite every day – so much so that some have lost all sense of boundaries and will say anything and everything to others and justify being rude and disrespectful and abusive because whatever happened justifies their reaction. Personally, it’s cool to be classy. It’s cool to have dignity. It’s cool to write a book that is so powerful and important that it can change the way people act and react toward others. It’s uncool to bully. It’s uncool to call others names.

You have shown through your actions how to take a major disappointment and use it to make a difference in other peoples’ lives. In your time of distress you thought about the young adults who could benefit, asking NBA to make a donation to the Matthew Shepard Foundation (http://www.matthewshepard.org/), which works tirelessly to “replace the hate in this world with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.”

I wish you tremendous success, Lauren. And encourage everyone to go out and support you by purchasing and/or reading your novels.

To learn more about Lauren Myracle her is a link to her website: http://www.laurenmyracle.com/ Readers can find a list of all her books on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/157676.Lauren_Myracle?origin For a synopsis of Shine here is the direct link to the Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8928054-shine

5 Comments »

» Substance: WordPress » Style: Ahren Ahimsa