Interview with Jason Ancona & contest!

Today, we have the super awesome Jason Ancona on the blog, author of the book Covert Youth Agency. CYA is about a group of "nerds" (you say nerds, I say nerdfighters!) who are secretly a C.I.A for the teens of their school, righting wrongs that have been going on in their student body! My review for it should be going up soon but for now, here's Jason!

~~~

What inspired you to write Covert Youth Agency?

In high school, I always wanted to be someone else. Someone better than who I was. Someone much cooler. I wanted to be admired. And liked. And part of something bigger.

Also, I was always fascinated with the C.I.A. and F.B.I., and enjoyed reading true stories about those organizations. I would have loved to have been a part of something like the Covert Youth Agency in high school.

If you could live with three Fictional YA Characters, who would they be?

Katniss Everdeen – I LOVE her. She’s so strong, and yet vulnerable.
Sherlock Holmes - Best sleuth of all time.
Hermione Granger - Think she's the smartest wizard. Sorry, Harry.

Describe your novel in 3 words.
Nerds rule school.

Greatest fear?
No one shows up at my funeral.

Biggest pet peeve?
When people mistreat other human beings. Especially when someone belittles a person in the service industry. Recently I was in a lost baggage claim line, and a guy right behind me was loudly complaining the entire time. He was berating the two workers at the counter from his place in line. And he never shut up. This goon was beyond rude. I cringed, wishing he would just stop. I wanted to say something, but he was bigger than me, and I don’t like being confrontational.

Finally the guy got his bag and went away, while I was waiting for mine from the other worker. When the worker returned with my bag, I said, “What was that guy’s problem? What a jerk.” The worker gave me a big smile and responded, “I know, what was his deal?” I felt better after that, like I connected with the worker. But I was mad at myself for not saying anything. Hopefully I’ll have the courage to speak up next time.

~~~

Win a copy of Covert Youth Agency in a Ebook Format! Fill out this form! Deadline is October 31th

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Reading!
-Harmony B.

Interview with Rebecca Maizel, author of Infinite Days

Today, we have Rebecca Maizel on the blog talking about her debut novel Infinite Days. The review for it will go up tomorrow but if you see me on my twitter, you know I LOVED this book. I think Rebecca Maizel is one of the most talented 2010 Debuts along with Heidi and I absolutely loved loved her book.

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

~~~

1) Vampires are a very used-up subject, but you brought an amazing twist into a large market. What gave you the idea for this story?

Lenah - I wanted to write about a character who went from someone irrevocably evil trying to find their way back into the light. I was obsessed with that change . What kind of person would she be?

2) If you could live with 3 fictional YA character, who would they be?

1. Harry Potter
2. Arnold in Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
3. Aragorn from Lord of the Rings in the hope he might want to make out.

3) Describe your book in 3 words.

Break your heart.

4) The love between Rhode and Lenah is unbreakable, mortal or not, but the bond is what brought them together. How exactly does that bond work?


In my vampire lore, when a vampire falls in love with another vampire, magic is formed, bonding those two vampires for their entire existence. It's a curse that can't be broken...that is until the ritual is performed. What's beautiful about Lenah and Rhode's relationship is that she remains in love with him after the ritual is completed and that magic bond between them is broken. She loves him even when that bond is broken. Yes, she falls in love with Justin Enos but it's a different kind of love - not marred by black magic. It's pure, human.

5) Lenah was a pretty evil but successful vampire, do you think if you were a vampire, you'd be the same?

Hell yes. She is bad ass! Oh, woops. Should I say bad a**?

6) You should! How insane was your publishing process and finding an agent?

Pretty insane - I mean, I was rejected 58573759257382493820 times with other projects and ideas. You have to believe in your work, even if it never sees the light of day. The process has to be enough.

Thanks! This was fun!

~~~

Thanks Rebecca, I had fun too! Hope you guys liked it!

Happy Reading!
-Harmony B.

The day in which I kick off Emma Michael's Friday the Thirteenth Chime Blog Tour!

Hey guys! It's Monday, and I'm here to introduce the wonderful Emma Micheal's to the blog! She's a sweetheart and has an awesome book coming out called: The Thirteenth Chime.

I emailed her and asked if she wanted me to make a blog tour for her and she's been super sweet and nice ever since we met! This blog tour will be going on all the way until the release date, which is AUGUST, FRIDAY THE 13TH. Yeah, I know that's really cool!

If you guys wanna follow this blog tour, just click the button on the upper right corner and it'll take you to where we'll be posting the days! She'll appear on various blogs every 2 DAYS and you'll see seeing a lot of her on some of your favorite blogs!

The Thirteenth Chime:

No one knew of its existence until it was
removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house
that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force
Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but
into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the
only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago.

Hatred never dies

Sounds crazy good, right? I'm excited to read it :)

INTERVIEW:

1) Hey, Emma! Welcome to Harmony's Radiant Reads! So you’re a book blogger turned author, how does it feel making that huge transition?

It feels wonderful! It's like when you are climbing a really big hill, you keep looking around and wondering if you will ever get to the top... it seems like such a hard climb. But it is so wonderful to finally make it to your destination! Now I just intend to hit the New York Times Bestsellers list so time to keep climbing!

2) Summarize your novel in 4 words!

True bonds never die.

3) So how'd you go about finding your agent? Any query stories to share?

Actually, I don't have an agent yet. I queried agents for over six months and I received nothing back but standard form rejections. No one even asked to see my manuscript! Then a dear friend pointed out that there was no way agents were basing themselves off of my writing as they hadn't read any of my work, so I took the plunge and submitted directly to publishers who would accept unsolicited work. I can't tell you how wonderful the responses have been! The difference is like night and day and I have been really grateful for the optimism and encouragement I have received.

4) Which one of your characters do you feel like you can relate to the most?

Probably Stephanie. I relate to her heart and spirit very much. I think others will agree with me, although there is no denying the deep bond between David and Destiny.

5) If you could live with 3 fictional YA characters, who would they be?

Willow from the new YA release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (come on, it's Willow!), Hermione from Harry Potter so that I would always have someone to answer my research questions, and David, my YA lead guy (read "The Thirteenth Chime" to understand why).

6) Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be?

Yes, I have always wanted to be a writer, although for a time I also wanted to be a surgeon! Sadly, my body is not capable of keeping up with the long hours of surgery, but at least I managed to succeed in one of my lifelong dreams and I must say I would rather get stay at home and create new worlds and novels from my comfy chair with my laptop than have to feel the weight of a human life on my shoulders in an ER. I feel really blessed and grateful for the way my life has turned out.

7) Finally, what's your most recent YA read?

Currently, I am reading Beautiful Dead by Eden Magquire.

Thank you for having me here at Harmony's Radiant Reads. Your wonderful support means so much. Thank you to everyone reading this and I truly hope you will enjoy The Thirteenth Chime!

~~~

Hope you guys enjoyed this because I really loved working with Emma and organizing this whole tour! Check out Emma's site or click the Blog Tour Button at the top for the next tour stops!

Happy Reading!
-Harmony B.

The day: 2010 Debut Author Week: KIERSTEN WHITE!

AHHHHHHHH! Ok, I had to just get that out. I've raved about Paranormalcy a lot on Twitter and even a half-frantic post on here, because I.Want.This.Book.So.Bad :) Kiersten took some time off her craziness to answer my interview question! Paranormalcy comes out now in AUGUST (the 31st) instead of September! AH!

AND: You got questions? Ask them in the comments! She'll answer any questions or comments you'll have. AHH, ok some more excitedness xD

Summary: Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.
-from her site (Don't lie to me and say this doesn't sound amazing)

INTERVIEW:

If you had to live in a house with 3 fictional YA character, who would they be?

Dobby the House Elf, because I'm a rather unfortunate slob and I hate cooking (but I'd be very, very nice to him and pay him and stuff),
Continuing on a Harry Potter theme, Dean or Seamus or one of the other minor characters to whom nothing bad ever really happened, not because I especially love them but because I'd like someone who could side-along-apparate me and they seem like a safer bet than Harry, Ron, or Hermione, who always seem to nearly die
And finally, Evie from Paranormalcy, which I know is cheating, but she'd feel bad if I didn't list her. Plus, I think she'd be fun to hang out with.

What do you want to accomplish 10 years from now?

Ten years from now I want to still be writing and publishing books that people want to read, have happy, healthy kids (who will be teenagers--good heavens, let's stop thinking about that right now!), and have a positive impact on the world around me. Also, I want to grow eight inches. But somehow I doubt that's going to happen.

If you could say something to your younger writing self, what would you say?

"You're not good enough yet." But it's a good thing I didn't know it at the time, because if I'd had any idea how much work and rejection was in front of me, I probably never would have kept at it! So, perhaps ignorance is bliss? It's a good thing to start out writing starry-eyed and sure that because you wrote it someone will publish it. And then it's a good thing to learn and get rejected and learn some more until you really ARE there! So I suppose I wouldn't say anything at all, I'd just pat my younger writing self on the head and give her a cookie.

~~~

Hope you guys enjoyed it! Kiersten is so nice and it was such a pleasure to interview her!

Ok, guys! Ask questions and comment away! Happy Reading!
-Harmony B.

The day: 2010 Debut Author Week: Anastasia Hopcus!

Day four on 2010 DEBUT AUTHOR WEEK and we're still pumping! Today, I have Anastasia Hopcus, author of the amazing up-coming Shadow Hills, to asnwer our interview questions! Yay! Shadow Hills comes out July 13th.

Summary: After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandones her bubbly LAA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned i her lasy diary entry before she died.

Over there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her nw down. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of it's citizens in the 1700s, but its modren townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately lined to those who reside in Shadow Hills
- from website. (Ok, that sounds SOOOOOO amazing)

INTERVIEW:

If you had to live in a house with 3 fictional YA character, who would they be?

Lena from Beautiful Creatures because she's strong and interesting; Simon from the Mortal Instruments because he's a great friend; Jamie from The Demon's Lexicon because he always has something witty to say.

What do you want to accomplish 10 years from now?

In ten years, I'd like to still be writing books that people enjoy reading. I'd also love to own some land in the area of Massachusetts where Shadow Hills is set.

If you could say something to your younger writing self, what would you say?

I'd tell myself to be patient and persistent. Nothing happens as fast as you want it to, but you can get published.

~~~

Thanks Anastasia for taking some time from your busy schedule (Shadow Hills realeases in like 2 weeks!) I hope you all enjoyed it!

ATTENTION:

I bet you guys think this is the last one, don't you? I haven't mentioned anything about Friday, and if I have I haven't mentioned who. Tomorrow is a secret, a secret that only four people (including herself and myself) know so GET EXCITED! Especially, since she'll answer ANY of your questions that you leave in the comments!

Comment! Discuss! Happy Reading!
-Harmony B.

The day: 2010 Debut Author Week: Andrea Cremer!

Part THREE of the awesomely awesome week-long event: 2010 DEBUT AUTHOR WEEK! Today, I have the wonderful Andrea Cremer (great hair), author of the super hyped-about book Nightshade (which i'm crazy to read!) See it on October 19th!


Summary: While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.
- from the site.

INTERVIEW:

If you had to live in a house with 3 fictional YA character, who would they be?

I can't help it; I'm going with my favorite YA guys - Jace from Mortal Instruments, Nick from Demon's Lexicon, and Dimitri from Vampire Academy. Bonus if I can get them to fight over me ;)

What do you want to accomplish 10 years from now?

Let's see - well, Nightshade thus far will take me through 2012. I have ideas for a few more books that expand NIghtshade's universe, including a graphic novel. As a comic book geek it would be amazing to see my story illustrated. Beyond that world, I'd love to publish my steampunk series within 10 years too! To sum up: lots more books!!!

If you could say something to your younger writing self, what would you say?

Take risks. Believe. It will happen. The best things in life require hard work and facing your fears.

~.~

*drool* Oops sorry, Just Jace and Dimitri's name makes me happy :) If your not new to the blog, you know my mixed feelings towards the hot dhampir ;) Hope you guys enjoyed Andrea's interview, she was a joy to interview! (And that hair!)

Comment! Discuss! Happy Reading!

-Harmony B.

The day: 2010 Debut Author Week: Wendy Delsol :)

Part two of the awesomely awesome 2010 Debut Author Week! Today I have the lovely Wendy Delsol, author of the up-coming book Stork which you'll see in stores in October! Summary:

Oh baby! A hip heroine discovers that she has the ability to decide who gets pregnant in this witty YA blend of romance and the supernatural.

Sixteen-year-old Katla has just moved from Los Angeles to the sticks of Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, she learns to her horror that she’s a member of an ancient order of women who decide to whom certain babies will be born. Add to that Wade, the arrogant football star whom Katla regrettably fooled around with, and Jack, a gorgeous farm boy who initially seems to hate her. Soon Katla is having freaky dreams about a crying infant and learns that, as children, she and Jack shared a near-fatal, possibly mystical experience. Can Katla survive this major life makeover and find a dress for the homecoming dance? Drawing from Norse mythology and inspired by The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, debut author Wendy Delsol conceives an irreverent, highly entertaining novel about embracing change and the (baby) bumps along the way.

-from amazon (SOUNDS AMAZING!)

INTERVIEW:

If you had to live in a house with 3 fictional YA characters, who would they be?

Hmmm. In the spirit of YA, I’m going to transport my sixteen-year-old self from across the chasm of time for this exercise. The young, time-traveling Wendy would love it, I’m sure; travel has always been an interest. And as I’m the fourth character in this scenario, here’s a little back story. At sixteen, I was the quintessential good girl: an all-A student, a rule follower (you’ll see ;), a joiner, funny, but kind of quiet (until you knew me). Yep, what this equation needs are some big personalities—some real characters. So, who better to invite than:
Alejandro (Alex) from PERFECT CHEMISTRY by Simone Elkeles. As if it needs explaining, he’s a heart-of-gold bad boy who would definitely shake things up. OK, it doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous, either. No smoking in the house, though, Alex. Let’s call that rule #1.
Aislinn from WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr. I could learn a thing or two from Aislinn’s grit and tough-as-nails determination. No faeries in the house, though, Aislinn. Rule #2.
Emma from WHAT WOULD EMMA DO by Eileen Cook. Because she’s hysterical and her list writing will come in handy for groceries. No bringing home (and kissing) other people’s boyfriends, though, Emma. Rule #3.

What do you want to accomplish 10 years from now?

Having just traveled back in time, it’s a little dizzying to go forward. Nonetheless, ten years from now I hope to have a small pile of books that represent my work. I hope those books have found an audience and have taken readers on a few adventures. Speaking of adventures, ten years from now I hope to have seen more of this fascinating world of ours. Australia is up there on my wish list. I am, by nature, a wanderer. So here’s hoping for good maps, good company, and a good pair of walking shoes.

If you could say something to your younger writing self, what would you say?

Back in time again? Am I getting AAdvantage Miles? (It’ll take a few to get to Australia.) My advice to all young people is give yourself time and trust yourself to learn in your own individual way. As a young girl, I wasn’t the prototypic bookworm. In elementary school I was fidgety and distractible. My parents, to their credit, never made me feel less than my eager-reader older sister. And when in fifth and sixth grade I won creative writing awards, they praised and celebrated these small successes. I came to reading and writing on my own terms, thus it was a fun discovery. I feel incredibly lucky to have found a passion. I do hope STORK and its characters, Kat and Jack, tempt a few reluctant readers. That would make me very happy. But rule #4—no unborn souls in the house, Kat. The place is crazy enough.

Hope you guys enjoyed Wendy's interview because I loved it! Totally agree with her choices, expect Aislinn can bring Keenan into the house whenever she likes ;)

Comment! Discuss! Happy Reading!
-Harmony B.

The day in which I have a " 2010 Debut Author" week

Hi guys! I've been planning this for a while now, talking to some really nice authors to put this up! I call it:

2010 Debut Author Week!

Sounds exciting, right? Well pretty much, i'm going to have a chain of authors whose books debut in 2010 come over to the blog and talk a little bit about themselves and such. All authors get asked the same three questions and it was wildly entertaining to listen to their different answers! And at the end of the week (Friday) I'll have a special author interview where she'll actually answer your questions and comments on the comments! Ah, just thinking it gets me excited!

Ok, first up is Denise Jaden, debut author of Losing Faith (I WoW-ed this last last week if I remember correctly). It has a beautiful cover and summary: When Brie's sister, Faith, dies in a fall from a cliff, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood, Brie must also contend with increasingly distant parents, her boyfriend's betrayal, and her sudden outcast status at school. And once she's over the initial shock of Faith's death, Brie is encountering more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. She soon uncovers Faith's role in a dark and twisted religious cult...a cult that now wants Brie as a member.
Coming in September 2010 http://www.denisejaden.com/

Welcome, Denise! If you could live with any three YA characters, who would they be?

Kate Malone from Laurie Halse Anderson’s CATALYST – she’s clean and organized and would motivate me to stay in shape; Macy Queen from Sarah Dessen’s THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER – she would keep the house clean, I’m sure of it (are you noticing a trend here – I’m seriously looking for someone to help keep my house clean and organized!); and for a third, I’d choose one of my own characters, Tessa Lockbaum. She’s interesting and resourceful and a great person to have on my side.

Where do you want to be ten years from now?

Ten years from now, I hope my son will be graduating (I homeschool him, so that will be a big accomplishment for me too!) and I would love to have five more books on the shelves. I hope to have more than an hour a day for writing by then as well.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your old writing self?

Well, actually I wasn’t a writer when I was younger. However, if I had been, I probably would tell myself the same things I tell myself now: enjoy the process and take a mental break from the business-side of writing every once in a while. Write what you love. Explore what you’re passionate about.

Thanks so much, Denise! Hope you guys enjoyed it, I enjoyed interviewing her!

Comment! Discuss! Happy Reading!

-Harmony B.

The day in which I have an amazing guest

Welcome to Shannon Delany's Start Your Day with Serial Tour! Shannon's debut novel (and first in her YA paranormal series) 13 to Life started as a winning cell phone novel written in serial segments. During the tour you can read bits of the book in order. Miss a day? Go on to Shannon's blog and check the link to the blog tour calendar in her sidebar.


She's so nice and sweet and her book just sounds amazing! Look at this summary!

Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…

Hey Shannon, and love having you here on Harmony's Radiant Reads! Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be?

I always wanted to do something where I could express myself. Writing was one of my top choices but it (and art) didn't seem like steady enough employment , so they encouraged me into teaching. I loved teaching, but not all the headaches that go with the profession (once you've had to sit in a parent-teacher conference with a deputy present for your safety you kind of start wondering about your career choice--and that's only the tip of that iceberg). Eventually my husband and I moved north again and realized I was pregnant. I fell back into art and did a little writing on the side. My hubby went back into teaching. We moved farther north, got a farm and I did serious freelancing then--poof!--book deal!
h
Sounds amazing! If you had to live with three fictional YA characters, who would they be?

I'll absolutely cheat and use my own characters because I know what makes them tick (and what could potentially tick them off). I'd gladly be stuck with Pietr, Max and Amy. Jess and I are just similar enough in attitude we'd annoy the heck out of each other. But with Pietr I could have generally intelligent conversations. Max would just be fun to hang out with and Amy would keep me in line.
h
I'll allow that cheating, just this once! Besides your own character, who's your favorite? And why?

I adore Heather Brewer's Vladimir Tod (Eighth Grade Bites, etc.). I didn't think I would like him at first. He seriously irked me at first but then quickly grew on me. He's sensitive, has some major issues he's dealing with (that prophecy's no walk in the park!) and connections to Russian culture. Heather's stuff is an auto-buy for me now. If you haven't checked out that series, I definitely suggest you give it a look.
h
I certainly will! Ok, cell phone contest? How did that work and how did you feel winning something crazy like that?

It was crazy! I submitted two short chapters each day to Textnovel.com, had no clue where the story was headed (and letting the Rusakovas take the lead equals trouble) and was shocked when I won. I walked around in a bit of a daze when I was told. Everything happened really fast with interest from movie producers and publishers. I was seriously in a whirlwind for about two months.
h
That sounds crazy and so hectic! How's your writing schedule? Hectic?

I have a small farm and a small child, more than my writing schedule's hectic--life's hectic! ;-) But everyone can pretty much say the same thing. I write whenever I can. Notes are jotted down everywhere (which perturbs my hubby). When I'm on a deadline I buckle down and get serious. The moment my son's on the bus headed to kindergarten I throw it into high gear.
h
As a teen, did you go through a lot of what Jess goes though? (Besides the whole werewolf thing of course....of course right?)

LOL! I have weird stories from my teen years, but not werewolf-weird (not quite). Jess and I do share some similarities. I was an editor for my school paper and I did write the editorial Jess references in Chapter One (and nope, my fellow editors never ratted me out even when we were all grilled in the principal's office). I was a high level competitor in marksmanship starting at an early age. I got decent grades and was probably too self-absorbed (ah, my teen years ;-). I loved horses and rode when I could but am (unfortunately) allergic to them. The big, life-altering event Jess goes through (man, this is tough without spoilers...) was similar in many ways to something I went through just a couple years ago. And the nightmares Jess has--the reliving the fact you can't do anything to stop it or fix it? Been there. Done that. Just not exactly the same way Jess does it. But there are Jess and I are different (and many ways she's built off the teen experiences of others and just random stuff floating around my head).
h
Finally, what's your most recent YA read?

I'm finishing up fellow Class of 2k10 classmate Kitty Keswick's novel Freaksville. It's a cute book with a clever heroine, werewolf issues and a hot English boy who seems quite happy to spend time kissing. Oh, and there's some ghost action and peer issues and... Anyhow. I'm *nearly* done. :-)

Ah, thanks so much, Shannon! Now you can visit her blog at http://www.shannondelany.com/ and you can also pre-order her book which comes out JUNE 22!

Shannon's hosting several contests during the Start Your Day with Serial Tour. The big contest will award one lucky winner with a royal amber pendant, pietersite jeweled bookmark, stuffed wolf, 13 to Life mousepad, pen, tote, signed poster, personalized copy of 13 to Life and both of the 13 to Life pins. All you need to do is comment at 13 of the blogs hosting Shannon during her 30 day tour. Everyone who does so will be entered into a random drawing. Winner may be international.
___________________________________________________________________


For information on the previous section, visit Pirate Penguin’s Reads! (http://piratepenguinreads.blogspot.com/)

13 to Life: Chapter 3, part L (used with the author’s permission)

My hand shook, holding the fork. I could tell without looking that Amy's fingers had gone white in her effort to restrain me. It was the most Pietr had spoken to me, and every word sliced like a knife.

Because he was right. Derek definitely wanted something

Happy Reading!

-Harmony B.

The day in which I have a guest!

Kersten Hamilton is the writer of many children and MG books and how she's tried --and succeeded-- with YA as well! Tyger Tyger (her debut YA novel), which I reviewed here (link at the bottom) is coming out in October and it is absolutely fantastic! Like seriously, pre-order it and mark it on your calender! Do something! This is a book to watch out for!
<----- There it is!

h

Interview:

h

1. Welcome to Harmony's Radiant Reads, Kersten! Now, I heard that before you wrote Tyger Tyger, you had written many children and MG books. What made you decide to write some YA?

h

There was a story – the story of Teagan and Finn – that I really, really wanted to tell. And since Teagan was sixteen, and there was a sizzling romance in the midst of the action, it just had to be YA!

h

2. Your childhood was a crazy and exciting one! Caribou, typhoons, and rattlesnakes! How'd that help you grow as a writer?

h

If you want to be a writer, highly recommend having a crazy childhood. It gives you so much grist for the writerly mill. The way the sound of a rattlesnake makes your skin tense in anticipation, the sight of the northern lights undulating over a frozen lake, the carnivorous cow-bone monster in your closet, it’s all research. All of it. The best books aren’t really made out of stacks of words. They are made out of wonderful whirlwinds of life.

h

3. I dont' think I ever wanna hear a rattlesnake! Tyger Tyger combines a lot of Irish myths and Celtic lore. Did you always have an interest in it and how much did you research for it?
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My own roots are Celtic. I have always been so drawn to the folklore, spirituality and music of the Celts that I wonder if there isn’t some truth to the theory of racial memory. I did spend a lot of time researching both before and while I was writing Tyger Tyger.
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4.Tyger Tyger is so full of wonderful world-building! Did you create the world already in your head or did you make it as you went along?

I made it up as I went along. For me, world-building involves characters interacting with their environment. We experience our environment through friends, technology, history, science, art, music — all of these helps us connect to and make sense of the world around us. I try to let my readers experience the worlds of my books in the same way.

5. And of course, I have to ask about Finn. He was a breath of fresh air. I loved him so much. He was gorgeous but gallant and protected Aiden and Teagen at all costs. Do any of your characters remind you of real people in your life? Family members, friends?

I can’t conjure characters from thin air. I use stolen slivers of real people to animate my characters. Finn is very like my husband Mark. He’s my hero. J But I could never write someone who was exactly like Mark, because Mark is real, and real people are infinitely complex. The more you know about them, the more there is to know. Finn has bits and pieces of other people in him as well. In fact, I use bits and pieces of different people in every character I create.

A tiny bit of me creeps into most characters as well. Two of the characters in Tyger Tyger (I won’t tell you which ones. I’ll let you guess!) are very, very like me.

6. Finally, I heard about your love of rhyme. How about one before you go?

Oh, my! People should never, ever ask me to rhyme!

The Polar Bear

By Kersten Hamilton

A polar bear’s

a solar bear.

He soaks up sunlight

with his hair*.

It warms his hide

From tail to snout —

and keeps the arctic

shivers out!
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* Polar bears have specially adapted hollow hair. It absorbs energy from the sun, and transfers it to the bears skin to help him keep warm.
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Thanks for interviewing me, Harmony!

link to review: http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2010/05/day-in-which-i-sing-tyger-tyger.html
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Well I hope everyone enjoyed that because I loved interviewing Kersten!
Comment! Discuss! Happy Reading!
-Harmony B.