Holly Cupala, YA Author

DON'T BREATHE A WORD Trailer Launch Party!

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome, everyone, to the DON'T BREATHE A WORD Trailer Launch Party!!!

And huge thanks to hundreds of bloggers across the 'sphere for hosting and spreading the trailer-y love! We’re inviting you to celebrate with us…and win some fun
DON'T BREATHE A WORD prizes!

First…the trailer…

I hope you enjoyed the music by our friends at Splashdown, illustrations by our friend Realm Lovejoy, and the trailer, produced by my sweet husband Shiraz!

And now for the party! Here’s what we're giving away:

FIVE GRAND PRIZE PACKS:
Don't Breathe a Word (signed)
Tell Me a Secret (signed)
Special Edition TMAS audiobook
Bookmarks, stickers, and other swag*

TEN RUNNER-UP PRIZES:
Don't Breathe a Word flyers
Bookmarks, stickers, and a TMAS button*

PLUS THE FIRST FORTY PEOPLE
to buy Don't Breathe a Word at this link
between now and Valentine's Day get
DBAW bookmarks, stickers, and undying book love from me!*

*Must include mailing address with entry (US + up to 20% international winners).
Contest runs until Feb 29, 2012.

HOW TO WIN?
Spread the Trailer Love!

1. Click here to go to the trailer on YouTube, then click the Share button
to send to your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, blog, etc! 5 pts each
2. Buy the book at this link for more chances to win! Extra 5 pts
3. Click here to enter with your links and/or purchase!

I can’t wait to hear what you think! Please comment and share!

And many, many thanks to all of you for your amazing support of Don't Breathe a Word. I would give you all a real hug if I could to show you how much it has meant to me.

Time to Party!

Join the DON'T BREATHE A WORD Trailer Launch Party!

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

We are unveiling the super-secret DBAW trailer next Tuesday, Feb 7th, along with a huge party finale swag giveaway at blogs everywhere! Want to join? I'd love to invite you!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

We have uploaded the video to a private link, which I will un-privatize early on Tuesday, Feb 7^th. You can prepost the video with the embed code below and include the party/giveaway details. (I hope you love the trailer—we worked so hard on it!!)

DBAW TRAILER CODE:

Get the embed code at this link: http://youtu.be/uP61zlerel8

PRIZES:

Five Grand Prizes:
Signed copies of Don’t Breathe a Word, Tell Me a Secret, the TMAS special edition audiobook, bookmarks, stickers, and other swag*

Ten Runner-Up Prizes:
Don’t Breathe a Word flyers, bookmarks, stickers, and a TMAS button*

Plus the first forty people who buy the book at this link between now and Valentine’s Day get DBAW bookmarks, stickers, and undying book love from me!*
*Must include mailing address with entry. (US + up to 20% international winners)

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Click here to go to the DBAW trailer link, then click the Share button to send to your Facebook, Twitter, Google+, MySpace, blog, or other social network. 5 pts each

2. Buy the book at this link for more chances to win!

3. Click here to tell us where you posted/your buy link and to enter!

Many thanks to all of you for your amazing support of Don’t Breathe a Word! I really appreciate your help celebrating the trailer launch and spreading the word!

Warmly,

Holly

Words Have Power...Author Edition!

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

For the last day of the DON'T BREATHE A WORD tour, I put together a surprise...a bunch of YA author friends stopped by to share a few of their powerful words!

Special thanks to Beth Kephart, Denise Jaden, Melissa Walker, Justina Chen, Lish McBride, Lisa Schroeder, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, CJ Omololu, Stephanie Kuehnert, Tara Kelly, Joëlle Anthony, Stasia Ward Kehoe, Janet Fox, Tina Ferraro, and Janet Lee Carey!

And now you're probably wondering who won prizes from the DON'T BREATHE A WORD launch day? I think you should get some! Here are the winners:

Joli at Actin' Up with Books, Lisa at ShatterBooks, Aine at AinesRealmBooks,

Vivien at Dead Tossed Waves, Cristina, Crystal, and SJune!

Thank you to everyone for coming along for the ride, and check out the full DBAW tour for...well, everything you probably ever wanted to know about the book. :)

I hope you love DON'T BREATHE A WORD!

DBAW Tour Wk 2: win books & prizes!

2012-01-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

Don't Breathe a Word is on the shelves and the tour is going strong! Here's a recap of the second week highlights, plus there are still lots of chances to win signed books, swag, and other cool stuff!

Monday, January 2
Review: Heidi Z at YA Bibliophile
Character Feature with May and Santos: Andye at Reading Teen
Short excerpt + “behind the scenes”: Jenny at Mimosa Stimulus

Tuesday, January 3
Review: Bailey at IB Book Blogging
Scavenger Hunt #1—9 am EST: Sara H at Eve’s Fan Garden
Scavenger Hunt #2—12:30 am EST: Kate at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read
Scavenger Hunt #3—4 pm EST: Angela at Reading Angel

Wednesday, January 4
Review: Tara M at The Bodacious Pen
Review: Sara at Eve's Fan Garden
TMAS Cross Over – Locations: Heather at Proud Book Nerd
Creed’s Music Feature: Deborah at Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Thursday, January 5
Review: Jenny at Mimosa Stimulus
Character Tens List: Kayla at Caught Between the Pages
Playlist: Crystal at My Reading Room

Friday, January 6
Review: LiLi at Chica Reader
Creed This or That List: Izzy at My Words Ate Me
Joy Character Book Picks: Heidi at YA Bibliophile

This week there are character secrets, deleted scenes, a quiz, and last chance to enter the cover contest and Words Have Power video contest!

Here's looking at this week:

Monday, January 9
Review: Tara G at Hobbitsies
Asher Character This or That List: Corrine at Lost for Words
Short excerpt + “behind the scenes”: Amber L at Just Your Typical Book Blog

Tuesday, January 10
Review: Val at Truth Be Told
TMAS Cross Over 3 - Delaney’s Secrets: Katie B at Katie’s Book Blog
Street Life Features
Hosting Heidi Ayarbe: Julia at Rex Robot Reviews
Hosting Holly: Danielle at There’s a Book
Hosting Suzanne Young: Crystal at My Reading Room
Hosting Steve Brezenoff: Patricia at Patricia’s Peculiarity

Wednesday, January 11
Review: Andye at Reading Teen
Story from the Past: Rummanah at Books In The Spotlight
Creed Character Interview: Cynthia A at A Blog About Nothing

Thursday, January 12
Review: Corrine at Lost for Words
Deleted Scene: Julia C at That Hapa Chick
Writing Tens List: Hannah at Paperback Treasures

Friday, January 14
Review: Jessica E at Confessions of a Bookaholic
Quiz- Which Character Are You: Tara G at Hobbitsies
The Real New Horizons: Jennifer H at Late Bloomer Online

Monday, January 16
Review: Page at One Book at a Time
Final Wrap Up Video + Contest Winners: Tara M at The Bodacious Pen

Hope to see you!

DON'T BREATHE A WORD Book Birthday Party!!!

2012-01-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the virtual book birthday party for DON'T BREATHE A WORD!

We have party music, snacks and drinks, secrets, and swag! (Comment, tweet, and post for chances to win! Details below.) Click on the blinky graphic at right for a two chapter sneak preview!

First we've got to create the mood...

Now come to Seattle and find out more about the world of Don't Breathe a Word...

Joy's street-savvy friends May, Santos, and Creed introduce her to surprising delicacies from Café Flora, Starbucks, and Molly Moon's Ice Cream:

It wouldn't be a DON'T BREATHE A WORD party without spilling a few secrets...

Stop by the {Teen} Book Scene DON'T BREATHE A WORD tour for tons of exclusive character interviews, secret connections to TELL ME A SECRET, behind-the-scenes peeks, and chances to win signed books and swag.

Plus you can enter the Cover Recreation contest and the Words Have Power video contest!

****And here's an exclusive donwload JUST FOR TODAY****

To celebrate the DBAW Book Birthday, we're posting the graphic novel rendition of the first two chapters, text adapted by Molly Blaisdell and illustrated by amazing artist Realm Lovejoy!! Click on the graphic to download and tell us what you think!

How about party swag?

We're giving away lots of signed books and swag today, including signed copies of DON'T BREATHE A WORD, the special edition TELL ME A SECRET audiobook, prints of DBAW artwork signed by Realm Lovejoy and me, DBAW magnets handmade by me, and more!

How to enter:

Leave a comment! What leaves you breathless? Why are you excited about Don't Breathe a Word? +2
Tweet, Post, or Blog about the party and include #dontbreatheaword and @hollycupala! +2
Be my friend on Facebook, Twitter, or Blogger. +2
Make the DON'T BREATHE A WORD cover your profile pic for any of the above, or post a pic of yourself holding the book! +2
Contact me here to tell me your links, points, and mailing address. (*US only today, but check out the tour for international prizes!)

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you love DON'T BREATHE A WORD!

DBAW Tour Wk 1: highlights and prizes!

2011-12-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! The first week of the DON'T BREATHE A WORD tour has flown by (which means 3 more days until release day...eek! I'm nervous...).

There are still plenty of chances to win signed books, TMAS audiobooks, signed DBAW art, and other cool swag (lots of it handmade by me!)

Here are the stops and contests so far - leave comments for chances to win, and enter the cover contest and video contest! Yay!

Monday, December 26 Review: Angela at Reading Angel
Sneak Preview: Cindy at Books Complete Me
Cover Post + Recreation contest: Jessica E at Confessions of a Bookaholic

Tuesday, December 27
Review: Heather at Proud Book Nerd
Places Inspired Vlog: LiLi at Chica Reader
Joy This or That List: Erika S at Moonlight Book Reviews

Wednesday, December 28
Review: Danielle at There’s a Book
Video Contest Announcement on Holly’s Blog

Thursday, December 29
Review: Kate at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!
TMAS Cross Over 1 – Cameos: Kari at A Good Addiction
Interview w/ Lyric Answers: Page at One Book at a Time

Friday, December 30
Review: Cynthia A at A Blog About Nothing
Creed Character Bucket List: Lindsay J at Just Another Book Addict
Joy Character Interview: Bailey at IB Book Blogging

Stay tuned next week for a Scavenger Hunt, lots of book secrets, and a totally embarrassing video...

Oh and of course, BOOK LAUNCH DAY!!!!! (January 3rd.) Stop by for the PARTY!

The Words Have Power Video Contest!!!

2011-12-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

The idea behind DON’T BREATHE A WORD is that Words Have Power.

Joy is suffocating—not only from asthma and her overprotective family, but also in a secretly abusive relationship. She escapes to live on the streets of Seattle and meets up with a band of homeless teens who teach her about life and love. When one of her new friends is in danger, she has to make a choice: will she save his life and go home to face her demons, or will she stay silent and safe?

When I first started writing, I didn’t realize I would write about abuse…but then this character, Asher, showed up. He was seductive, and powerful, and cruel. Suddenly I realized, this was about Joy realizing that words have power—his do, but so do her own.

Where did Asher come from? I didn’t have to look very far—he came from my own life. I wrote about that relationship in DEAR BULLY: 70 AUTHORS TELL THEIR STORIES (my story is “Midsummer Nightmare”). It’s the real life backstory to DON’T BREATHE A WORD. Through both my own story and the novel, my hope is that readers will realize that their words have power, too.

So we are having a contest (rules below)! Create a video with the theme WORDS HAVE POWER, and you could win fabulous prizes that SHOUT OUT LOUD! how powerful you are.

First prize:
Signed copies of Don’t Breathe a Word and the Tell Me a Secret audiobook,
a signed collage TMAS print (my art!), a signed DBAW graphic print, and other swag!

3 Runner-Ups:
Signed copies of Don’t Breathe a Word and the Tell Me a Secret audiobook,
a handmade DBAW magnet set, and other swag!

Plus, for every video entry, I will donate $10 (up to $500) to Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls, a wonderful charity helping girls around the globe find their own freedom and power.

Words Have Power! I can’t wait to hear yours.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES:

1. All entries must be posted on YouTube and url sent to Holly by 5pm EST on Friday, January 14, 2012. Holly will favorite all appropriate entries on her channel as they arrive! Contest winners will be announced the following week.

2. Please note in your video or video description that this is for the Don’t Breathe a Word WORDS HAVE POWER Contest and include a link to the contest rules!

3. Videos must be appropriate for all audiences and contain original or Creative Commons content (see Creative Commons Search for more info on what is legal to use).

4. The contest is open to entrants over 14 years old. (International prizes subject to import/export restrictions.)

Have fun, and best wishes on your Words of Power!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Don't Breathe a Word

by Holly Cupala

Giveaway ends January 03, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

DON'T BREATHE A WORD is coming January 3rd! Spread the word!

DON'T BREATHE A WORD blog tour!

2011-12-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

The countdown says 10 days...but the blog tour is here! Eek!

There will be sneak previews, embarrassing videos, character cameos...and lots of lots of chances to win signed copies of DON'T BREATHE A WORD, signed DBAW art, TMAS audiobooks, handmade DBAW swag, and lots of lots of prizes!

Here is the full schedule:

Monday, December 26 Review: Angela at Reading Angel
Sneak Preview: Cindy at Books Complete Me
Cover Post + Recreation contest: Jessica E at Confessions of a Bookaholic

Tuesday, December 27
Review: Heather at Proud Book Nerd
Places Inspired Vlog: LiLi at Chica Reader
Joy This or That List: Erika S at Moonlight Book Reviews

Wednesday, December 28
Review: Danielle at There’s a Book
Dear Bully Day
Video Contest Announcement on Holly’s Blog
Hosting Jennifer Brown: Bonnie at A Backwards Story
Hosting Catherine Ryan Hyde: Nancy at {a}Musing Reviews

Thursday, December 29
Review: Kate at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!
TMAS Cross Over 1 – Cameos: Kari at A Good Addiction
Interview w/ Lyric Answers: Page at One Book at a Time

Friday, December 30
Review: Cynthia A at A Blog About Nothing
Creed Character Bucket List: Lindsay J at Just Another Book Addict
Joy Character Interview: Bailey at IB Book Blogging

Monday, January 2
Review: Heidi Z at YA Bibliophile
Character Feature with May and Santos: Andye at Reading Teen
Short excerpt + “behind the scenes”: Jenny at Mimosa Stimulus

Tuesday, January 3
Review: Bailey at IB Book Blogging
Scavenger Hunt #1—9 am EST: Sara H at Eve’s Fan Garden
Scavenger Hunt #2—12:30 am EST: Kate at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read
Scavenger Hunt #3—4 pm EST: Angela at Reading Angel

Wednesday, January 4
Review: Tara M at The Bodacious Pen
Review: Sara at Eve's Fan Garden
TMAS Cross Over – Locations: Heather at Proud Book Nerd
Creed’s Music Feature: Deborah at Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Thursday, January 5
Review: Jenny at Mimosa Stimulus
Character Tens List: Kayla at Caught Between the Pages
Playlist: Crystal at My Reading Room

Friday, January 6
Review: LiLi at Chica Reader
Creed This or That List: Izzy at My Words Ate Me
Joy Character Book Picks: Heidi at YA Bibliophile

Monday, January 9
Review: Tara G at Hobbitsies
Asher Character This or That List: Corrine at Lost for Words
Short excerpt + “behind the scenes”: Amber L at Just Your Typical Book Blog

Tuesday, January 10
Review: Kayla at Caught Between the Pages
TMAS Cross Over 3 - Delaney’s Secrets: Katie B at Katie’s Book Blog
Street Life Features
Hosting Heidi Ayarbe: Julia at Rex Robot Reviews
Hosting Holly: Danielle at There’s a Book
Hosting Suzanne Young: Crystal at My Reading Room
Hosting Steve Brezenoff: Patricia at Patricia’s Peculiarity

Wednesday, January 11
Review: Andye at Reading Teen
Story from the Past: Rummanah at Books In The Spotlight
Creed Character Interview: Cynthia A at A Blog About Nothing

Thursday, January 12
Review: Corrine at Lost for Words
Deleted Scene: Julia C at That Hapa Chick
Writing Tens List: Hannah at Paperback Treasures

Friday, January 14
Review: Jessica E at Confessions of a Bookaholic
Quiz- Which Character Are You: Tara G at Hobbitsies
The Real New Horizons: Jennifer H at Late Bloomer Online

Monday, January 16
Review: Page at One Book at a Time
Final Wrap Up Video + Contest Winners: Tara M at The Bodacious Pen
Hope to see you!

Join the DON'T BREATHE A WORD Street Team!

2011-12-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

Did you love Don't Breathe a Word? Dying for extra chances to win a signed copy, exclusive extras, fun swag, and to share the news about DBAW?

Then join the Street Team!

Kari (@flamingo1325) of A Good Addiction and The {Teen} Book Scene is coordinating the team, and we are just about ready to launch CONTEST #1 to spread the word before the DBAW release on January 3rd!

To sign up, just follow this link and fill out the form completely: DBAW Street Team Form

There are a limited number of slots, so don't wait! Thank you so much, and I can't wait to welcome you to the team!

xoxHolly

DON'T BREATHE A WORD giveaway on Goodreads

2011-12-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

The DBAW countdown has begun...and we're starting with 2 signed ARC giveaways on Goodreads!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Don't Breathe a Word

by Holly Cupala

Giveaway ends January 03, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

DON'T BREATHE A WORD is coming January 3rd! Spread the word!

TELL ME A SECRET now on Audible!

2011-12-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Very exciting news: Audible.com bought the rights to distribute TELL ME A SECRET, read by amazing award-winning actress Jenna Lamia, and it's now available!

Download it here.

PLUS for a limited time during the holidays, the Special Edition MP3 CD (with cool shiny packaging and exclusive info!) is 40% off in our Amazon store!

Preview the first three chapters here.

Here's what people are saying about the TELL ME A SECRET audiobook:
"I already knew I loved TELL ME A SECRET. But the audiobook, which I listened to this past weekend, is a pleasure in itself. When a book is read aloud, the phrases get a chance to permeate in a completely new way. And Jenna Lamia, who narrates, is especially good with dialogue; the dialogue is acted, rather than simply read." ~ Holly Schindler, author of PLAYING HURT and A BLUE SO DARK

"I highly recommend this audiobook! Listen to it, read it, whatever, just devour and love it like I did!" ~ Abigaile at Reading Teen

"Jenna Lamia’s voice was perfect for the part of Rand. Plus, she gets the bitchy of Delaney so WELL. Then you can feel the condescension in her voice as she plays Rand’s mother. It’s wonderful and youthful and easy to fall into. Just, trust me that it’s awesome." ~ April at Good Books & Good Wine

"I love this book! I just wished for the Tell Me a Secret Special Edition Audiobook on my Amazon Wishlist." ~ Jolie at Actin' Up With Books

Let me know what you think!

The DON'T BREATHE A WORD sneak preview has arrived!

2011-12-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who asked about a sneak preview (and lit a fire under us to get it out in the world)! It can be linked to/downloaded/shared/plastered anywhere you like here:

DON'T BREATHE A WORD 2 Chapter Preview

I can't wait to hear what you think!

DON'T BREATHE A WORD...preview coming soon!

2011-11-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

Lots of you have been asking about a sneak preview of Don't Breathe a Word...and I just wanted to tell you, it's coming soon! In fact it will be in nifty downloadable pdf format that I designed myself. :)

In the meantime, here are some other goodies:

The official Don't Breathe a Word site (we'll be adding more and more special content!)
My site at HarperCollins, with lots of exclusive tidbits
Add me on Facebook
Follow the madness on Twitter!
Add Don't Breathe a Word on Goodreads!
Preorder on Amazon

Visit the {Teen} Book Scene DON'T BREATHE A WORD tour!

And finally...the Don't Breathe a Word countdown!

#justcontemporary interview at Chick Loves Lit

2011-11-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

Huge thanks to Shanyn of Chick Loves Lit and Ashley of Basically Amazing Books for inviting me to participate in their Just Contemporary event - you can check out the interview here!

Stretches for people who write too much

2011-11-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

I'm hard at work on Novel #3 (Four voices...four terrible secrets...one explosive murder that will connect them all...), so I thought I would repost one of my most popular blogs ever when NANOWRIMO season rolls around, especially when Children's Book Insider featured it on their Best Blogs of the Day, yay!

Stretches for People Who Write Too Much

Five thousand words per day: good for the soul, baaaad for the body. Back, neck, and shoulders...ouch!

So my awesome massage therapist gave me a sheet of stretches to do while making a mad dash toward the work-in-progress finish line:

Keep stretching and writing, folks! I'll be back Monday for another 5K. Come one, come all! Let's cross the finish line together.

Cricket...Cricket...

2011-11-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! Perhaps you have noticed that it's been a bit quiet around here lately...

That's because lots of things are in the works - some DON'T BREATHE A WORD things, some crazy life things, some TELL ME A SECRET audiobook things, some working-on-the-next-book things...

Here's a quick rundown:

DON'T BREATHE A WORD is coming JANUARY 3, 2012!!!!!!

{Teen Book Scene} is hard at work on a seriously epic blog tour for DBAW - three weeks, three stops a day, LOTS and LOTS of prizes and secrets along the way.

Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus loved DBAW!!! Publisher's Weekly called it "a tense, riveting story...tangibly and impressively rendered," and Kirkus said, "the author's considerable narrative gifts keep readers engaged throughout." Thank you, PW and Kirkus!

You can add DON'T BREATHE A WORD to your Goodreads list, and you can preorder it here!

Contact me if you'd like to interview me on your blog or want to help get the word out about DBAW! (There may be swag and secrets involved...)

And...

The TELL ME A SECRET special edition audiobook is now available!

It's gorgeous and shiny, and we worked really hard on it. It's an MP3 disk that you can load on your computer and some cars stereos, plus it has really nifty packaging that we designed and included a booklet with info about the product.

You can order it here.

And people are saying very nice things about it!

Audible has bought the rights to distribute the TMAS audio recording on iTunes, so stay tuned for that! The first couple of chapters are still available free via our TMAS site.

Third Novel Update

Last but not least, I've been working on a third novel...top secret, but there will be a few tidbits about it on the DBAW tour. Hint: there may be a few familiar faces cropping up in unexpected places. Plus, as you've come to expect from me, it's full of secrets, twists, suspense, and a whopping emotional rollercoaster.

I'm shamelessly using NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month in November) for writing momentum so I might be a bit quiet for the rest of this month... Hope you accomplish your goals this month, too!

Envy of Birds Author Panel on Sunday

2011-10-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

Join me and fellow Seattle author David Patneaude (EPITAPH ROAD) to chat about "The Writing Life" at a teen novelist anthology party, hosted by Katherine Grace Bond (SUMMER OF NO REGRETS - coming in May 2012!).

Where: Parkplace Books, 348 Parkplace Center, Kirkland, WA
When: 2-5pm October 9th (today!)

There will be food, readings, an author Q&A with David and myself, and books! Hope to see you there!

Just in time for Banned Books Week...

2011-09-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

Extraordinary news: I just found out yesterday that my YA novel, TELL ME A SECRET, was challenged in an Oregon public library, but the library fought to keep it in their collection (this news comes via @MultCoLib and @NovelNovice: full story here).

Thank you, Oregon Public Library, for standing up for TELL ME A SECRET!

In honor of Banned Books Week, I am giving away one signed copy of TELL ME A SECRET.

HOW TO ENTER? Post or tweet about the challenge (my original tweet is here for easy re-tweeting), and contact me to enter.

Thank you for supporting my book and Banned Books Week!

Northwest Bookfest this weekend!

2011-09-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hanging out in Seattle this weekend? What could possibly be better than a giant event dedicated to books?

At noon on Saturday, I'll be on a panel with SHIFT author Jennifer Bradbury and FORGOTTEN author Cat Patrick (who also did the lovely graphic above). Come for YA secrets and cookies! Plus we'll sign books after.

12:00 - 1:00 PM Saturday

New Kids on the Block: YA AuthorsKirkland, WA

348 Kirkland Avenue

I'll also be hanging out at the SCBWI booth on Sunday 3:00 - 4:00 PM to sign Tell Me a Secret, Dear Bully, and the special edition Tell Me a Secret audiobook featuring actress Jenna Lamia...plus a giveaway!

Northwest Bookfest 2011

Hope to see you there!

KidLitCon Kapow

2011-09-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

This year's KidLitCon, set in beautiful downtown Seattle's Hotel Monaco (which, for the record, blew me away with its gorgeousness and hospitality), quite literally knocked me into the middle of this week with things to ponder, friend connections, and new ideas. Wow. The whole thing was organized by the tremendous team of Jackie Parker and Colleen Mondor with about as much sass and class as you could possibly desire in an event dedicated to the art of blogging children's books. To find out more, check out the KidLitCon roundup and #kidlitcon on Twitter.

One of the big buzzwords for the weekend was "relationships," and it was wonderful to see those relationships forming among bloggers, authors, gatekeepers, readers, and booklovers alike. I feel like I came away with a ton of new friends like Sara of Novel Novice and Michelle and Allison of Authors are ROCKSTARS! and finally met Liz Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy(!), plus I got to hang out with old friends Suzanne Young, Lee Wind, Sarah Stevenson, Pam Coughlan, Deb Lund, Stasia Ward Kehoe, Martha Brockenbrough, Jaime Temairik, Justina Chen, Amy Baskin, Mindi Scott, Denise Jaden, Farida Dowler, Sheila Ruth, Sara Ryan...and so many more.

Scott Westerfeld kindly talked to me when he realized I was too scared to talk to him. Like Colleen said in her kidlitcon post, he really is every bit as nice as you hope he'd be.

Husband Shiraz (a.k.a. Man of Mystery, Secret Weapon, and Genius behind most of the crazy stuff we did to launch TMAS) and I were lucky enough to be asked to speak about "Tears, Sweat, and True Blood: DIY Marketing in a Post-Twilight World," where we chatted with the audience about our own DIY efforts for TELL ME A SECRET, the whys and hows of what worked and didn't work, and how we're reshaping our plans for DON'T BREATHE A WORD, coming January 3, 2012!

Shiraz is (hopefully) going to write a guest post on this soon, but if you were at the conference and didn't get our handout, 72 (more) DIY Things You Can Do to Market Your Book, contact me and I'll email it to you. We were also excited to have an "Oprah moment" for our TELL ME A SECRET audiobook venture...stay tuned for more info about that, including a giveaway to celebrate the special edition and our deal with Audible! Woo!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with something special for DON'T BREATHE A WORD, including a hint of what's to come (note the incredible art by Realm Lovejoy):

Kapow!

Dear Bully!

2011-09-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to join my fellow contributors in celebrating the release of DEAR BULLY: 70 AUTHORS TELL THEIR STORIES tomorrow! My story is entitled "Midsummer's Nightmare."

We hope this book will become a friend to those who have been victimized by bullying. My story relates directly to much of the plot of DON'T BREATHE A WORD, and my wish is that it will offer hope to girls who are suffering relationship abuse.

Check out the fantastic USA TODAY article featuring DEAR BULLY, and if you haven't seen it already, grab the countdown widget here:

DON'T BREATHE A WORD Winner!

2011-08-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

At long last, we have a winner for the signed ARC of DBAW...

Congrats to Julie (@JulieHeartBooks)!

And thank you to everyone else who entered! Stay tuned for more giveaways as we get closer to the release date.

Btw, in case you hadn't heard, DON'T BREATHE A WORD is coming January 3, 2012. Get the countdown widget!

Win a signed ARC of Don't Breathe a Word!

2011-08-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Lots of readers have been saying very nice things about DON'T BREATHE A WORD...so here is a chance to win a rare early signed ARC from me (In fact, I don't even think I've signed any ARCs yet, so it's pretty much one of a kind!).

ENTER TO WIN HERE, and next Friday I will randomly choose a winner. USA mailing addresses only (sorry!).

Happy reading!

TMAS in Babble's Top 100 Children's Books!

2011-08-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

I just found out Tell Me a Secret has been listed among Babble's Top 100 Best Children's Books(!!)

Author Melissa Taylor says about TMAS:

Although it’s about Rand, a pregnant 17-year-old, this book is not like any other pregnant-teen story I’ve read. The characters and the backstory are so well developed that you can’t help but be drawn into the emotional turbulence of Rand’s life.

To say that I am pleased would be a huge understatement. I am honored that Babble would consider my book among such favorites as Wintergirls, The House of the Scorpion, The Outsiders, and The Book Thief.

Thank you, Melissa and Babble!

Books of Wonder love for Don't Breathe a Word

2011-07-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this incredible note from a bookseller at Books of Wonder in NYC. She was the first person to read the novel and write to me, which absolutely blew me away. Here, I reprint her letter (with persmission):

Hi Holly!

I just finished reading DON'T BREATHE A WORD and I wanted to let you know just how much I adored it! WOW! Definitely my favorite realistic fiction novel that I've read thus far this year. I work at a children's bookstore and we received a box of fall galleys from HarperTeen a week or so ago. It was like Christmas. Your novel was one of the first I made time to read.

Can we talk about Creed...? I think he is definitely my new literary crush. There are so many beautiful sentences in your novel, but I really loved the following: "His voice came out deep and soft, like I imagined his kiss would be. He sang a song I didn't know, one about living like waves on top of water and feeling the turbulence underneath, being a new current against the depths that had been there for all time. There was a loneliness there, and uncertainty, and freedom. All the things I'd been feeling, captured in a breath." *sigh* Beautiful.

I greatly enjoyed Joy's story. Ha! Cheesy pun totally intended. I came to really care about Joy, Creed, May, and Santos. I literally could not put the book down until I knew that they were alright. Until I knew there was hope that things were going to get better for them... There is always hope.

I won't ramble on any longer, I just wanted to THANK YOU for writing such a moving novel. Today I went out and purchased TELL ME A SECRET and I can't wait to start reading it.

That pretty much made my month, and maybe even my summer! Thank you, Wonderful BOW girl!

You can support your local indie bookstore by ordering my books here:

Don't Breathe a Word: release update!

2011-07-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

This just in: DON'T BREATHE A WORD has a new birthday...

The bad news is we'll have to wait two and a half more months for DBAW to hit the shelves on January 3, 2012. The good news is that the people behind-the-scenes at HarperCollins are in love with the book, so they are expanding their promotion in a big way (hooray!).

Sorry for the delay, everyone, but I hope you will all love the book that much more! (Plus it gives me more time to work on this third novel...)

If you don't already have the countdown widget, get it here:

Xanda would be proud.

2011-06-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Michelle sent me this:

"Check out this pic of Kristen Stewart...what is she wearing? I think she read your book and was inspired..."

Xanda would definitely approve of the safety-pin dress (or maybe be crazy jealous, who knows?). Thanks, Michelle!

Celebrating A Need so Beautiful with Random Acts of Kindness

2011-06-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to join a whole bunch of bloggers and friends to celebrate Suzanne Young's A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL release today!

Speaking of beautiful, I can't think of anyone who embodies that more than Suzanne, who is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. My job today is to tell you about a random act of kindness that was very meaningful to me, so of course I will tell you a story about Suzanne herself.

I met Suzanne at a kidlit blogger conference a few years ago in Portland, OR, where she lives (in fact that's where we took the above pic. She came up to Seattle for an SCBWI writing/illustrating conference a couple of years later and we got to hang out again! And here's where her act of kindness came in:

I have a secret enemy...basically, an immune illness that knocks me out when I try to do too much (ugh). I love to go to conferences, but I tend to be running on empty by the second day.

Sweet Suzanne, who had a room in the conference hotel, sent me up to her room to take a nap. It seems like a simple thing, but believe me, it made a huge difference. Not only that, but Suzanne made sure it was dark, I had nice pillows, and nobody disturbed me. She basically saved me, and we had a fantastic time.

Because that's what kind of person Suzanne is - not to mention an amazing writer. So check out A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, and stop by Suzanne's blog to congratulate her!

Oh, and there are PRIZES, of course. Here's how to enter:

Earn one extra entry for each of the following:
Take a picture of an author's book in the wild and tweet it to us and the author
Post a positive Amazon review for a book you loved
Donate a book to a library or classroom
Tweet a good deed you plan to do this week, using the #ANeedSoBeautiful hashtag

Earn 10 extra entries for each of the following:
Take a picture of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL in the wild and tweet it to us and Suzanne Young
Post an Amazon review for A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL
Donate a copy of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL to a library or classroom

You can go here to fill out the prize form with your total entries, and check out the full list of prizes at Suzanne's blog, including a signed copy of TELL ME A SECRET along with a signed art print from yours truly! Here are other stops, along with prizes featured:

First 3 chapter critique (Jessica at Confessions of a Bookaholic: http://www.totalbookaholic.com/)
YA Lit Swag Bag (Sara at Novel Novice: www.novelnovice.com)
Hourglass Order from TBD – Int (Corrine at Lost for Words: http://lostforwords-corrine.blogspot.com)
Random Books (Jessi at The Elliott Review: http://elliottreview.blogspot.com)
2 Header/Button Packs (Jessica at Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile: http://www.hopelessbibliophile.com/)
First 3 chapters Critique (Cindy at Books Complete Me: http://www.bookscompleteme.com/)
First 15 pages Critique (Kari at A Good Addiction: http://agoodaddiction.blogspot.com/)
Signed ARC of Hereafter (Kari at A Good Addiction: http://agoodaddiction.blogspot.com/)
Query Letter Critique (Shannon Messenger: http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/)
Signed copy of Invincible Summer – US/Can (Hannah Moskowitz: hannahmosk.blogspot.com)
First Chapter Critique and a Skype Chat (Keri Mikulski: http://kerimikulski.com/books/pay-it-forward-the-author-edition/)
Signed copy of Tell Me a Secret with signed TMAS art print - US (Holly Cupala: http://www.hollycupala.com/search/label/blog)
Signed copy of Chasing Brooklyn – US (Lisa Schroeder: www.lisaschroederbooks.com)
The Pledge Swag Pack including ARC (Kimberly Derting: http://kimberlyderting.blogspot.com/)
Daisy Whitney's Blog: http://daisywhitney.com/blog/

Congratulations, Suzanne!

Don't Breathe a Word...site and cover!

2011-05-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

DBAW now has a dedicated site here: http://dontbreatheaword.com/...lots more coming soon!

And, if you haven't seen the full final cover, here it is! So yellow and alluring, thanks to designer Ray Shappell - thank you, Ray!

Joy Delamere is suffocating.

From asthma, from her parents,
and from her boyfriend, delectably dangerous Asher,

who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words

—tender words, cruel words—

until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind

to find the one who has offered his help,

a homeless boy called Creed.

She will become someone else.

She will learn to survive.

She will breathe...

if only she can get to Creed

before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop

of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters

with secrets of their own,

Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel

explores the subtleties of abuse,

the meaning of love, and

how far a girl will go

to discover her own strength.

Prepare to
disappear

18 October 2011

Pre-order now from Amazon

Look what I got in the mail!

2011-05-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Review copies are just now starting to go out...I hope you like it!

Countdown to DON'T BREATHE A WORD...

2011-05-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Whirlwind talent (and future rockstar author) Kari over at A Good Addiction made a countdown widget for DON'T BREATHE A WORD:

Thank you, Kari!!!

Bid on a 50-page YA critique!

2011-05-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hey, YA Authors-to-Be out there: would you like to win a 50-page + synopsis critique from yours truly and to benefit the fine institution of Vermont College of Fine Arts?

You have one week to bid here

It is very rare for me to be able to offer a novel critique and I am pleased to support VCFA, so I hope you will consider bidding!

Some details (see full details here):

Holly Cupala is offering a critique of 50 pages of a young adult manuscript (and one-page synopsis) by email. Manuscript Guidelines: double-spaced in 12-pt font, sent via surface mail. Manuscript must arrive by July 1, 2011 and the critique will be scheduled to take place by August 15, 2011. Contact information will be provided to the winning bidder within one week of confirmed payment.

Holly Cupala is a YA novelist. Her first novel, Tell Me a Secret, won an SCBWI work in progress grant. Her second book, Don't Breathe a Word, is forthcoming from HarperCollins in October 2011. Ten percent of the author's book proceeds go toward World Vision's Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls. She lives in Seattle with her husband and daughter.

By purchasing this item, you are supporting the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Hunger Mountain and independent publishing.

About VCFA

Vermont College of Fine Arts is a national center for education in the arts, fostering the excellence of emerging and established artists and advancing the arts to create a more humane world. VCFA is the only graduate school in the country devoted exclusively to fine arts education, and the first independent college to form in Vermont since 1983. Offering nationally successful Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in Visual Art, Writing, Writing for Children & Young Adults, Music Composition and Graphic Design, VCFA’s alumni are among the most celebrated authors and artists working today.

About Hunger Mountain

Hunger Mountain: the VCFA Journal of the Arts, is a non-profit literary journal published in Montpelier, Vermont. Hunger Mountain is both a print publication and an online destination for readers, writers, artists and art lovers. Our mission is to cultivate engagement with and conversation about the arts by publishing high-quality, innovative literary and visual art by both established and emerging artists, and by offering opportunities for interactivity and discourse. To learn more about Hunger Mountain, including contest and submission guidelines, visit www.hungermtn.org.

Oh my, here it is: DON'T BREATHE A WORD final cover!

2011-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

All day yesterday, lovely book bloggers slowly and tantalizingly revealed bits of the DON'T BREATHE A WORD cover...

So you want to see all of it, you say? Then visit these blogs:

A Good Addiction

Total Bookaholic

Steph Su Reads

Oh, and you can win a signed copy of TELL ME A SECRET by leaving comments on any of the blogs revealing pieces of the cover yesterday as well as those revealing the full cover today! One point for each comment, tabulate all of your points at one of the above blogs. Yay!

(And I'm dying to know...what do you think of it?!)

Special thanks to Kari from A Good Addiction and all of the bloggers who helped with this crazy project - and to Ray, Designer Extraordinaire at HarperCollins, who designed the beautiful DON'T BREATHE A WORD cover!

Preorder it on Amazon!

The DON'T BREATHE A WORD cover...revealed!

2011-04-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Starting right now at The Story Siren, the long-awaited DBAW cover will be appearing...in tantalizing puzzle pieces, until all is revealed tomorrow!

Check out the cover clips cropping up all day today:

The Story Siren: 6am PST/9am EST

Reading Angel: 8am PST/11am EST

Addicted 2 Novels: 9am PST/12pm EST

Eve's Fan Garden: 10am PST/1pm EST

Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf: 11am PST/2pm EST

There's a Book: 12pm PST/3pm EST

Sarah's Random Musings: 1pm PST/4pm EST

Reading Teen: 3pm PST/6pm EST

The full cover will be 100% revealed tomorrow at secret, to-be-disclosed blogs...stay tuned! (And huge thanks to Kari at A Good Addiction for organizing this!)

PLUS you can win a signed copy of TELL ME A SECRET by commenting on the cover reveal posts - one point/blog, then tally your points at one of tomorrow's three full-cover posts!

About DON'T BREATHE A WORD:

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe…if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Preorder it on Amazon!

(I can't wait to hear what you think!!!)

About to #rockthedrop...

2011-04-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

Support Teen Literature with readergirlz today by dropping a book into the wild! Details here.

Here I am, about to Rock the Drop at Children's Hospital:

Also, check out the adorable Rock the Drop video, made by author Crissa Jean Chappell:

Rock the Drop with readergirlz this Thurs!

2011-04-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Are you going to Support Teen Literature Day on 4.14.11 with readergirlz? Rock the Drop! Details here.

Also, check out the adorable video made by YA star Crissa Jean Chappell:

Thanks, Jackson High!

2011-04-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

Huge thanks to super-librarian Barbara of Jackson High School and University Bookstore for bringing my friend and fellow YA author Conrad Wesselhoeft (ADIOS, NIRVANA) and me out for a visit!

Imagine a gorgeous, light-filled library, a roomful of students asking savvy and smart questions, and a librarian with her own espresso maker? That's right, School Visit Heaven.

The kids put together amazing decorations:

And it was really fun to chat with them about writing, books, and life.

Thank you again, Barbara, staff, and students!

Seattle YA event tonight!

2011-03-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Join me and YA authors Lisa Cach, Heather Davis, and Liz Gallagher tonight at Mockingbird Books in Seattle at 7 pm for a fun eve of books, treats, and even a treasure hunt. Here are the details:

7pm at Mockingbird Books
7220 Woodlawn Ave NE, Seattle 98115 (map & directions)

See you soon!

YA event March 31st!

2011-03-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Are you hanging out in Seattle next Thursday eve? Then drop by Mockingbird Books (over by Greenlake) to chat with me and YA authors Lisa Cach, Heather Davis, and Liz Gallagher:

7pm at Mockingbird Books
7220 Woodlawn Ave NE, Seattle 98115 (map & directions)

Hope to see you!

Thank you, Juanita!

2011-03-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to librarian Nancy and teacher Heather for inviting me to hang out with the students at Juanita High for Read Across America (organized locally by Parkplace Books). I had a blast!

They put us in this huge beautiful library, the students asked great questions and were very fun to talk with, and I even met a writer whose work we'll probably see on the shelf one day.

Awesome students!

Nancy and Heather, Librarian and Teacher Extraordinaires:

Thanks so much for having me, Juanita!

Last DON'T BREATHE A WORD edit...

2011-03-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

...has flown the nest!

Wish it luck! And I really, really hope you enjoy it. (October 18th!)

Here's the official description:

Joy Delamere is suffocating.
From asthma, from her parents, and from her darkly sexy boyfriend, Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out. She can take his cruel words, his tender words…until the night they go too far.

To escape, Joy sacrifices her suburban life to find the one who offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. He introduces her to a world of fierce loyalty, secrets, and love—a world she won’t easily let go.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, survival, and redemption. But above all, it is an unflinching story about the extraordinary lengths one girl will go to discover her own strength.

FTLOR pics!!

2011-03-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Rachel, amazing senior who put on For the Love of Reading - an author panel with Kimberly Derting, Mandy Hubbard, Lisa Schroeder, and me! Here are a few pics:

Rachel and Judy

Kim, Lisa, Rachel, me, and Mandy

I got to meet Alexa Martin, author of GIRL WONDER (May 2011 - I blurbed her book!)

Me and Rachel

Rachel's mom took this!

Thanks to Rachel Patrick and her mentor, Judy Nelson, for including me - and thank to everyone who came out!

A hot day in the teen litosphere

2011-03-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

Two of my good friends and 2011 debut YA authors unveiled their covers today:

AUDITION by Stasia Ward Kehoe (coming October 2011)

Seventeen-year-old Sara's dream of becoming a star ballerina is challenged when she falls for Remington, an older choreographer. Instead of success onstage, she becomes Rem's muse, which is a future she never considered--and one that threatens to break her heart.
Check out Stasia's blog

FLYAWAY by Helen Landalf (coming December 2011)

Fifteen-year-old Stevie Calhoun is used to taking care of herself. But one night, her mom, who works as an exotic dancer in a downtown Seattle nightclub, never comes home. That’s the night Stevie’s life turns upside down.

It’s the night that kicks off an extraordinary summer: the summer Stevie has to stay with her annoyingly perfect Aunt Mindy; the summer she learns to care for injured and abandoned birds; the summer she gets to know Alan, the meanest guy in high school. But most of all, it’s the summer she finds out the truth about Mom.
Check out Helen's blog

Congratulations, ladies! I can't wait to see them on the shelf!

Speaking of books coming to shelves soon, I just spent today reading half of DON'T BREATHE A WORD aloud as I make my last changes to the final manuscript(!) I can't wait to reveal that cover, coming soon...

Remembering L.K. Madigan

2011-02-27T12:04:00.000-08:00

The YA world's heart is breaking this week as we learned of the loss of Lisa Madigan, Morris Award-winning author of FLASH BURNOUT and THE MERMAID'S MIRROR. She touched so many lives through her kindness, bravery, and truthful words.

I didn't know her well, but my one meeting with her will always be significant to me. We were both at ALA this last summer and met through our mutual friends (Lisa is on the far left).

Then we went out to lunch with a group, and somehow Lisa and I ended up connecting - not on a superficial level, but on a heart level. Even in a moment, I could tell that's the kind of person Lisa was. We talked about loss and writing and the things that matter. She told me about her early battle with cancer, and her beautiful husband and son. I told her the story behind Tell Me a Secret. We both cried a little.

I won't ever forget that.

I just saw one of Lisa's best friends at an author event yesterday, reminding me of how connected we are and how much one loss affects us all. Lisa's husband has posted on her blog about the outpouring of support and will continue to keep her blog open. Also, we can show our tangible support by contributing to her son's college trust fund (details at the above link).

And we can continue to buy and read her books to remember her. Check out FLASH BURNOUT and THE MERMAID'S MIRROR to celebrate her life.

Lisa, we miss you.

A real book...

2011-02-22T10:09:00.000-08:00

DON'T BREATHE A WORD galley pages have arrived!

This is my last chance to make changes/corrections, so wish me keen eyes and pointy ears for the next several days!

Real book coming soon!

UPDATE: here is the official flap copy:

Joy Delamere is suffocating.

From asthma, from her parents, and from her darkly sexy boyfriend, Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out. She can take his cruel words, his tender words…until the night they go too far.

To escape, Joy sacrifices her suburban life to find the one who offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. He introduces her to a world of fierce loyalty, secrets, and love—a world she won’t easily let go.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, survival, and redemption. But above all, it is an unflinching story about the extraordinary lengths one girl will go to discover her own strength.

Writing...

2011-02-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone! Still a bit scarce these days while working on a third novel, but I'm popping in with a few updates:

DON'T BREATHE A WORD now has an official street date! It will be on sale October 18, 2011. (And pretty soon, I'll be able to show you the gorgeous cover HarperTeen has been designing - I hope you love it!)

Don't miss the fantastic For the Love of Reading event high school senior Rachel Patrick has put together for her senior project with Dia Calhoun, Kimberly Derting, Mandy Hubbard, Lisa Schroeder, and me! Don't forget to bring a can of food!
Saturday, February 26th 2-4pm at the Sumner library in Sumner, WA.

Also, if you're a fan of the King County Library (and who isn't?), join me, Nancy Pearl, Newbery author Karen Cushman, and lots of other amazing Northwest authors at the Literary Lions Gala on March 5th. All of the info is here.

Back to writing! Readers, are you working on a story right now? How is the process going for you?

For the Love of Reading

2011-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

How incredible is student Rachel Patrick, who for her senior project put together a YA panel of authors including Dia Calhoun, Kimberly Derting, Mandy Hubbard, Lisa Schroeder, and me?

We'll chat with students, sign books, and eat tasty refreshments. Plus Rachel has included a food drive for the Sumner Community Food Bank, so bring a can or two or ten!

Event details are here and below:

Saturday, February 26 · 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Sumner Branch of the Pierce County Library
1116 Fryar Ave
Sumner, WA

Thanks to Rachel for inviting me to partipate, and I hope to see you!

Author Q&A: what to write & secret discoveries

2011-02-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks for sticking with me through the writing days, everyone! I've started a third novel...it's so new that I don't even really know the main character yet, but I do know something about the story. Here's what I wrote about it to a friend:

Four voices. Four terrible secrets. One explosive murder that will change their lives forever...

Eek, it feels like such a committment, even writing that. I appreciate the encouragement!

In the meantime, I'll continue with another installment of reader questions...

Angelina C. Hansen would like to know, "How do you decide which story idea to pursue?"

I happen to know this question is coming from a very talented writer who overflows with good ideas!

For me, it's a question of passion. Which story has the most juice? Which character do I want to spend the next year of my life on? Which plot is coming alive in my thoughts? Sometimes this isn't an easy choice, so at that point it's not a bad idea to seek the advice of friends who know you, who know your work, and who want to see you succeed. That doesn't mean time spent on a story is wasted, though, if you ultimately choose a different path. I think we learn as we go, and sometimes the circuitous route is the most fruitful one in the long term. Just getting writing on the page is a step in the right direction.

I wrote an article all about Creative Paralysis (a.k.a. being stuck with too many ideas). I hope it's helpful!

Dani asks, "What did you learn about writing between your first book and your second book?"

I was very hard on myself while writing Tell Me a Secret—perhaps because it was a very intense novel to write. The hounds of doubt were always biting at my heels. For Don't Breathe a Word (intense in different ways), I discovered the timer, set in 15 minute increments, is a wonderful device for outrunning the internal critic. Really, though, I had to stop giving power to those doubts.

If you struggle with the same thing in your writing, don't believe the lies! My friends Randy Powell and Kirby Larson say, "Write through the bad stuff," and that's one of the best pieces of writing advice I know.

Story Secrets Winners!

2011-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you patient readers out there - today we have lots of Story Secrets winners to announce!

BALLADS OF SUBURBIA by Stephanie Kuehnert

Ashley (Basically Amazing Books)!!!

THE LATTE REBELLION by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

jpetroroy (Stacked)!!!

STORK by Wendy Delsol

Erin (Bookish in a Box)!!!

WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE by Caridad Ferrer

Kasey (Kasey's Book Blog)!!!

Winners, please contact me here with the necessary particulars to get your prizes out to you. Thanks again to everyone for supporting Story Secrets!

Story Secrets: A GIRL NAMED MISTER by Nikki Grimes + giveaway!

2011-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have so much admiration for Nikki Grimes, poet and author, for our final Story Secrets guest. (In fact, one of the characters in Tell Me a Secret was a little bit inspired by my experience of her when I went to a writing conference several years ago - can you guess which one?).

So I am very pleased to chat with her today to find out some of the secrets behind A GIRL NAMED MISTER, her latest verse novel. And her publisher is generously giving away two copies! You can win one by posting a comment here and on the readergirlz blog.

Welcome, Nikki!

*****

A GIRL NAMED MISTER is a book about a girl wrestling with her faith, her sexuality, and the point at which both intersect. It is also a story about choices and the consequences they may lead to.

Mister was not an entirely planned book, nor was it entirely organic. I’ll explain. I’d considered, at some point, tackling the subject of teen pregnancy. However, I had no specific idea of when or how I might approach it. Then, one summer, while at a conference, Ann Martin (A Corner of the Universe) and I started tossing around the idea of collaborating on a book. It was an intriguing notion for me, not being in the habit of working with another author in that way. Later, in my hotel room, I jotted down some possible ideas that I thought might work for both of us. I love doing multiple voices, and especially like creating parallel stories that wed the biblical with the contemporary. The next morning, I suggested that we create a book called Mary, Mary, written from the P.O.V. of Mary, mother of Jesus, and a contemporary teen named Mary. I thought Ann might take on the contemporary teen, while I tackled the biblical character. Ann found the idea interesting, but ultimately felt it wasn’t right for her, so I set it aside, and worked up a second possible theme.

As it happens, I never quite got around to developing that second idea, because I was unable to shake the first one. Mister introduced herself to me and, once she started talking, she would simply not shut up. I eventually committed to telling her story because she wouldn’t let me go until I did!

The final shape of the book was a surprise to me. I originally structured it as a straight parallel story, similar to the format I used in Dark Sons. However, the early drafts of MISTER were not working in that format, so I was forced to rethink how best to balance Mary’s story with Mister’s. Donna Bray, my editor at that time, suggested that I find a way to fold Mary’s story into Mister’s, and the solution I came up with was to have Mary’s story be a book which Mister read during the course of her own journey.

This was an extremely challenging book to write. I constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed the manuscript more times than I can count. To make matters worse, I underwent two changes of editor, and one change of publisher from the time I began this work until the time it was finally published. I would finish the manuscript for one editor, only to have the next one come in and require additional changes, rewrites, etc., then have a third come in and do likewise. I honestly began to wonder if this story would ever see the light of day.

I had useful critique from Montage, my arts group with whom I share all of my works-in-progress. I also benefited from the help of a wonderful reader, Amy Malskeit, throughout. She gave me thoughtful feedback on each major draft, as did my agent, Elizabeth Harding. My work with Amy was very symbiotic because, as she was helping me with my book, I was helping her with her own. She also kept me encouraged on those days when I was close to tossing every single draft of the manuscript into the trash bin! I also got a major boost from a young reader who was, at the time, the same age as Mister. She felt the story empowered her to make good choices for her own life! The book took roughly two and half years from start to finish.

I brought quite a bit of personal experience to bear on this project. I had a child when I was young, though not as young as Mister. (I was nineteen.) I struggled with some of the same questions she and Mary had to wrestle with. I certainly remember the awkwardness and discomfort of being pregnant, the fear of the delivery room, and all that went with it. I remember the emotional isolation of being cut off from the baby’s father—the fear of that, of being all alone with the crushing responsibility of having a child. It was not a stretch for me to climb into the skins of Mister and Mary to explore their emotional journey. As for the spiritual component of the story, I interviewed a few young women raised in the church who experienced teen pregnancy, then struggled with the same guilt, doubts, and questions Mister faced regarding her faith, and her place in God’s heart after breaking his law.

I hope readers will come away from the book understanding what a huge decision it is become sexually active; how life altering it is to have a baby; how important it is to think through your choices. I hope the reader will begin to calculate the potential cost of giving in to pressure to have sex before you are ready, before you are prepared—not just physically, but emotionally.

Next up is a middle grade novel from Bloomsbury called Planet Middle School. After MISTER, I was ready for something a little lighter, something with humor at its base. Planet Middle School comes out next fall.

*****

Thank you, Nikki! Readers, take a look at this moving trailer:

THE GIVEAWAY: TWO COPIES OF A GIRL NAMED MISTER

You have until midnight on Monday to leave a meaningful comment about the book, Nikki's interview, or your own personal struggles with difficult circumstances or faith. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Author Q&A: readers, reading, and DBAW secrets!

2011-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Cass from Words on Paper asks:

What do you hope readers will gain from reading Tell Me A Secret?

Many ideas went into this book — so many questions I ponder about relationships and time and the universe, and how different people can experience the same events and come away with completely different memories. If I had to boil it down to one or two things I hope readers will take away, I’d say you can’t find yourself in other people, and the past does not have to define the future.

What has been your favourite aspect of being an author so far?

Getting to connect with readers, definitely! It has been a privilege.

How did you come up with the idea for Don't Breathe A Word?

Years ago, I had an idea for a girl who fakes being homeless (she was going to be maybe a cheerleader by day, and she spends time on the streets after school). I'd sort of forgotten about that when a couple of years ago my friend who was a youth pastor was looking for donations - socks, toiletries, etc., to take to the homeless teens in Seattle.

Quite suddenly, I had this picture of a girl who runs away for real. She meets up with a group of homeless kids and has to make a terrible decision. When I actually started writing, her boyfriend...Asher...suddenly appeared. He was dark and sexy and menacing, and it turns out he's intimately tied to her reasons for running away. Much of the writing process was figuring out her secret reasons - at first, they were secret even from me...

Anyway, I can't wait to see what you think about it.

Thank you, Cass, for your questions!

Thanks to the UW Information School!

2011-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Liz Gallagher and I got to chat about readergirlz and YA this weekend with a roomful of librarians and future librarians at the UW Information School's iYouth Conference - a fantastic event! If they sound familiar, perhaps it's because you've seen this?

The brilliant spoof came out of the very same library school, and we even got to meet some of the stars and their friends! These are definitely some cheeky librarians and information specialists, and we were honored to be there.

Bonus: we got to hear keynoter Nancy Pearl tell her meaningful stories about the importance of children's and teen librarians and meet many educators dedicated to the future of learning.

Thank you so much for inviting us!

Author Q&A: Plotter or Pantser?

2011-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Kailia Sage asked, "Are you a plotter or a pantser? If you're a plotter, how do you go about plotting your book (Detailed outlines, bullet points, etc.)?"

A little bit of both, I’d say. When the idea for TELL ME A SECRET came, I was at a writing conference with friends. Suddenly the whole thing flashed through my mind like a movie trailer—a story about this girl whose bad-girl older sister had died mysteriously, with all kinds of secrets and a romance and a pregnancy to blow everything apart. So I wrote it down as fast as I could. The details bloomed along the way—as did many of the secrets.

For DON'T BREATHE A WORD, I'd had this idea about a runaway (actually, I thought she was going to fake homelessness), and one day I was sitting in church and heard the youth were collecting toiletries and backpacks for the street teens who hung out one block over. All of a sudden, the entire story hit me—sort of like TMAS did. When I got home, I wrote out a fifteen page outline. I started researching and writing notes, and the story grew. (In fact, one character's appearance really surprised me and became central to Joy's secrets...)

Writers out there, are you a plotter or a pantser? What's your process?

And thank you for the question, Kalia Sage!

Story Secrets: WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE by Caridad Ferrer + giveaway!

2011-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've known of Barbara Caridad Ferrer (well-published author of teen and adult lit, known as Barb to her friends) in teenlit circles for a while now, so I was very excited when I found out she was moving Seattle - even better to meet her in person and find out she really is as saucy and generous and funny as you would expect her to be!

I'm very pleased to welcome her today to Story Secrets to spill some secrets about her latest YA novel, WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE. Plus she has promised a signed book to one US winner (see details below).

Welcome, Caridad!

*****

WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE a contemporary reimagining of Bizet's CARMEN, where a career army officer falls in love with a sultry gypsy and gives up everything for her, only to be overthrown for the flamboyant bullfighter. My version is set against the world of drum and bugle corps, where my army officer becomes a disciplined musician, my gyspy is a talented dancer and my bullfighter is a cocky soccer player from Spain. (Read an excerpt here.)

Holly Cupala: music, dancing, bullfighting...STARS has everything! How did the idea strike you?

Caridad Ferrer: One the original story has everything that makes for a great story-- drama, passion, intrigue, a love triangle, betrayals-- plus I'd always wanted to set a story against the world of competitive drum and bugle corps, since it was an activity I was extremely involved in, as an adolescent.

Holly: I've been hearing a lot about this book's unusual trip to the shelves. Will you tell us about it?

Caridad: This book had a pretty twisting journey. It was originally acquired by a different publishing house, but after a lot of work with my editor on the project, the publisher decided it wasn't right for them. After that, I made a huge overhaul in my professional life—revised the manuscript yet again, and my new agent sold it to St. Martin's which has been just the perfect home for it.

Holly: It takes a lot of courage to keep going with a book even after disappointments. Did you feel like you grew as a writer in the process?

Caridad: It really forced me to examine what was important to me about writing. In the process of revising the book for the original publisher, I made some choices that I didn't think were in the best interest of the story because I was trying so hard to be the Good Author. What would have happened, if the publisher hadn't decided the story wasn't right for them? Would I have been anywhere near as proud of the finished product as I am now? It was quite the eye-opener. I resolved to really think hard about how best to serve the story in the future.

Holly: What inspires you most?

Caridad: Without a doubt, music. It's both a constant, yet always evolving. It's one of my favorite parts of writing—listening to music for inspiration.

Holly: I can see your love of the arts - music is a huge theme in Adios to My Old Life, and drama in It's Not About the Accent. What do you most hope your readers will take away from STARS?

Caridad: I hope they'll fall as in love with my characters as I did. That they'll understand why each of them did what they did throughout the course of the story-- there are no black and white good guys or bad guys. Everyone has their weaknesses that might prompt them to behave in less-than-stellar ways. It's how we react and learn from those moments that's important.

Holly: Any secrets you might be willing to share?

Caridad: That I'm always surprised that people read me as confident because I'm always, ALWAYS terrified when my books go out into the real world and I know people are reading them.

Also, I'm deathly afraid of ants.

Holly: What’s up next?

Caridad: I'm working on a couple of new stories, one a YA and one an adult, and they're both very different from anything I've tried before, so fingers crossed they work!

*****

Thanks so much, Barb~Caridad!

AND NOW THE GIVEAWAY
You have until midnight on Monday to leave a comment on one of the following: a) why you'd love to read WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE; b) why you love reading about the arts in YA lit; c) if you've persevered on a project (whether it succeeded or failed) and what you learned from the process.

BONUS if you can tell me where the novel's title comes from!

Comment away!

Incredible Conference Alert

2011-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

As if coming to Seattle and basking in the year-round cloud cover and drizzle (and occasional sunbreaks that truly make it all worthwhile) were not enough...

...get ready for the SCBWI Western Washington Annual Conference!

Yes, these organizers are my friends and colleagues whom I love to death, but I can honestly say they put on a SMASHING event - they are absolute pros at bringing tip-top talent.
Holly Black, anyone? E. Lockhart? S&S VP Justin Chanda, Editorial Director Lionel Bender?

And...DANCE PARTY. Dance Party? Wow.

If you are an artist or writer hoping to break into the business (or even if you're already published and are looking for cutting edge marketing and publicity tips), this is a can't-miss conference. I owe so much of what I've learned to the wonderful people at SCBWI and am happy to pass it on.

Here are the full details:

See you there?

Story Secrets: STORK by Wendy Delsol + giveaway!

2011-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm excited to have debut author Wendy Delsol on the blog to chat about her contemporary myth-come-to-life, STORK - plus she has generously included a giveaway (see below for details).

I met Wendy through the awesome new YA blog, YA Outside the Lines, and am very pleased to welcome her!

*****

Borrowing from Norse mythology, STORK is the story of Katla (Kat) LeBlanc, a sixteen year old who—following her parents’ divorce—moves from L.A. to her mother’s small Minnesota hometown of Icelandic heritage. With the school year already off to a bad start, Kat’s world is further upended when she is mysteriously summoned to a meeting of the local Stork Society: women with the responsibility of matching the undecided of hovering souls with the right mother. Kat is their newest—and youngest ever—member. As if this discovery wasn’t burden enough, Kat soon meets Jack, an aloof classmate to whom she senses an inexplicable connection. Additionally, when Kat finds herself in more than one life-threatening situation, she suspects that someone or something wants her out of town.

Holly Cupala: I love to hear the stories behind the story –what is the story behind STORK?

Wendy Delsol: A long time ago, while watching the TV show Unsolved Mysteries, there was a segment about a young boy who claimed to have a pre-birth memory of flying above the earth and choosing his mother. The story stuck with me. Years later, when spinning what-ifs for a YA paranormal, I paired that story with the symbolic image of childbirth: a bundle-bearing stork. The next step was to create an ancient society of human Storks who have the ability to guide undecided souls.

Holly: What led you to YA as a genre?

Wendy: I tend to have aha moments while walking or driving. This one came while driving to a writers’ conference in September of '08. Prior to STORK, I had written three novels in the women’s fiction genre. I had already made the decision to give YA a try and knew that paranormal stories were popular within the genre. This was peak Twilight mania, so I knew that vampires and werewolves were hot. I was also aware that angels and fairies were doing well. Nonetheless, I intentionally conceptualized something different, in the hopes of standing out.

Holly: Did the process take you anywhere unexpected, either in writing or in life?

Wendy: I didn’t start writing novels until I was—gasp—post forty. Following months of debilitating migraines and forty-five minutes in a tumor-hunting MRI machine, I vowed to chase a long-secret dream: writing books. Eight years later, with a novel on bookshelves and two more coming out in 2011, it has, without a doubt, been the ride of my life.

Holly: How long did it take you to write STORK, and did you have to go through a lot of drafts? Did the story evolve as you revised?

Wendy: I have described my state of mind while writing Stork as fueled. The story consumed me day and night. Despite a sports injury to my right arm that left me hunting and pecking with my left, I had a first draft in five months. I obtained my agent, Jamie Brenner of Artists and Artisans, with that first draft. Based on her editorial suggestions, I did one rewrite before she shopped it around.

Holly: Has any of Kat's story come from your own life?

Wendy: It’s no coincidence that my protagonist was the new girl in town. My husband’s job had recently moved our family from L.A. to Iowa, a move that was financially sound, but difficult nonetheless. Kat’s loneliness and homesickness were all emotions that I—even as an adult—was struggling with.

Holly: What do you most hope your readers will take away?

Wendy: I hope that readers will admire Kat’s spunk, confidence, and resilience. It would be gratifying, too, if readers find some of the wisdom of the older Stork women, Hulda in particular, as thought provoking.

Holly: The names in STORK are so interesting. How did you come to them?

Wendy: I love character names and often select them based on their meaning or etymology. Katla, for instance, is the name of a volcano in Iceland. Her last name LeBlanc (“the white” in French) symbolizes a white bird as well as the term white witch for a benevolent practitioner of magic.

Holly: What’s up next?

Wendy: STORK’s sequel, FROST, is written and scheduled for release (again with Candlewick) in September of 2011. An adult novel, The McCloud Home for Wayward Girls, will be published (by Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin) on August 2, 2011. I also need to get cracking on book three (as yet untitled) in the Stork trilogy. Guess what I’ll be doing this winter?

*****

I'm looking forward to it, Wendy, and thank you for stopping by!

STORK GIVEAWAY
Readers, what did you think of Wendy and the story behind STORK? Tell us what you think! Just leave a meaningful comment below before midnight on Monday, and one lucky US resident will win!

Author Q&A: rejections and publishing

2011-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Gabrielle Carolina asks:

How many rejection letters you received before your acceptance?

TMAS received a pre-empt offer from one of several interested editors...so I never really got a rejection for that book. However...I do have a lovely collection of rejection letters from various stories and picture book manuscripts from before I started writing YA. So if you are subbing manuscripts and getting rejection letters, don't let that stop you from working harder on your stories and trying again!

When did it 'click' for you that TMAS would be published?

I was about to board a plane for an SCBWI writing conference when my agent called with the news that my publisher wanted two books. I don't think I needed a plane - I floated all by myself to the conference! Then my incredibly sweet and always supportive husband sent a gigantic bouquet of roses. (!)

Where did you see your first shelved copy?

On the day my book released, my niece and I headed to Third Place Books (one of our wonderful local indie stores!) to see it on the shelf and to sign all of the copies they had. It was an amazing day, after working hard for many years!

Thank you for your questions, Gabrielle Carolina!

Story Secrets: THE LATTE REBELLION by Sarah Jamila Stevenson + giveaway!

2011-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the cafés cropping up on every street corner these days, everyone I know seems to be two steps ahead of a caffeine headache - but Sarah Jamila Stevenson, debut author, has an answer: THE LATTE REBELLION. It just hit the shelves this week and promises to be a funny, thoughtful look at a mixed-race girl who must choose her convictions in an increasingly mixed-up world.

readergirlz co-founder Justina Chen (NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL) says, "Get ready to start your own rebellion after gulping down Sarah Stevenson's deftly written, multi-layered story about growing a voice, growing apart, and most of all, growing up girl."

I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah at a kidlit blogger conference a few years ago and am so proud to see her book on the shelf!

Welcome, Sarah!

*****

Asha Jamison, the narrator, and her best friends, Carey and Miranda, decide to make their senior year a little more interesting by creating a fictitious social movement for students of mixed ethnicity: the Latte Rebellion. The proceeds from the t-shirts they sell will go straight into a vacation fund for after they graduate. But their movement gains a life of its own, and various aspects of Asha's life spin out of control as a result—in some good ways as well as not-so-good ways.

Holly Cupala: Welcome to the blog, Sarah! I heard you've had some pretty fascinating stops on the road to publishing this book. Will you tell us about it?

Sarah Jamila Stevenson: It allowed to me to realize one of my geeky lifelong aspirations—to be on NPR! When I was working on the first draft of The Latte Rebellion, it was National Novel Writing Month. A local NPR program, Insight (Capital Public Radio), was doing a segment on NaNoWriMo and posted a call for volunteers to appear on the show along with NaNoWriMo founder Chris Baty. I was one of those selected, and I got to read a passage from my work-in-progress on the air. It's the third and final segment on this show.

Of course, my real dream is to be some kind of expert whose sound advice and/or witty commentary is regularly sought on NPR, but I suspect that'll probably stay a pipe dream.

Holly: I would tune in to hear you on NPR, definitely. When you are in-progress on a novel, do you talk about your ideas, or do you keep them top secret?

Sarah: If I get stuck, or, conversely, if I'm particularly excited about something, I often talk it through with my husband. He always has a unique take on things, and he's got an uncanny ability to guess where a story might be heading, so he often has plot-related suggestions that keep me from making the story too predictable.

Sometimes I'll bring the ideas to my writing group, but usually I wait until I've got things solidly underway (i.e., until I've got a clear idea of where the story's heading and have several chapters written) before I open myself up to feedback. It can be difficult to stay on track if I'm struggling with a "too much input" situation.

As far as everyone else—I'm pretty secretive! Mainly this is because I prefer to have a clearer sense of what the project is about before I start talking about it. The only exception is when I'm specifically looking for an outside perspective on the story—then I might go into more detail.

Holly: Asha's story runs deep into difficult cultural territory. Did her story come out of your life experiences?

Sarah: The fact that, like my main character Asha, I'm also of mixed ethnicity--that certainly influenced my decision to even write Asha's story in the first place. Some of her experiences are definitely inspired by my own high school years—being an overachiever, being very focused on getting into a good college, but also trying to stay balanced in other areas of my life.

Unlike Asha, however, I was not a social activist by any means! I was far more introverted and cautious in many respects. However, one of the volunteer activities I do off and on is interview local high school students for the UC Berkeley Alumni Leadership Scholarship—and the level of activity of top-flight high school students is insanely impressive compared to when I was in high school! I think that also influenced the way I conceived of Asha as a character...the idea that nowadays, in order to really stand out in your high school class, it seems like you need to practically start a non-profit organization or found an orphanage in order to stand out from the herd. :)

So when I started thinking about the phrase "latte rebellion" and what that might mean, my thoughts drifted towards this idea of a phony underground movement that Asha and Carey could then use as an activity on their college applications. This is not something I would advocate people actually do, by the way, but it sure was fun to write about.

One more thing. Like Asha, I did encounter a few kids in school who would insist I was, specifically, Mexican—even though Latino is one of the ethnicities I can't lay claim to. I've had people guess I was all kinds of things. There are quite a few random details like that scattered throughout the story that are drawn from my personal experience. And there have been many friends and family members of mixed ethnicity throughout my life, whose experiences have been inspiring to me and have informed the story in numerous ways. I'm thankful for that, and this story wouldn't be the same without them.

Holly: What do you most hope your readers will take away?

Sarah: I'd love for readers of mixed race or mixed ethnicity to come out of it feeling like it's okay to be a mixed-up blend of identities. Sometimes it's easy to feel like you're somehow fractured, or incomplete, or not quite one or the other. I've certainly felt that way a lot, and I don't know if it ever goes away completely. But there are ways to make that a part of you, to make that a strength, too. I also wanted to convey the idea that being of mixed race isn't always an "issue." Often it's simply a part of who you are, not something that you have to constantly struggle with. I think that's why it was important to me to inject a sense of humor into the book, and to maintain a focus on the madcap out-of-control aspect of it all, rather than making it simply a problem novel about ethnicity.

*****

Thank you, Sarah!

Readers, check out THE LATTE REBELLION's website here. Sarah has generously offered to give a book to one lucky US resident - just leave a meaningful comment below by midnight on Monday for a chance to win!

Author Q&A: How long does it take to write?

2011-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Finally, the Q&A I promised!

iFearlessQuotes inquired, "I was wondering, how long did it take you to write Tell Me a Secret?"

The short answer is, about four years from idea to sale. I wasn't working on it that whole period, though!

The idea came to me in August of 2004, and I wrote notes until November, when I started writing. I had about 50 pages when I applied for the SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grant...then our baby came, so I didn't work on it for about a year. When baby was 10 months old, I hired a sitter for one day a week. It takes a long time to write a novel only one day a week, so I added a second day after I won a grant(!)

The winter after the grant, I almost had a full first draft and went to a NY writing conference, where I met lots of amazing agents and editors interested in seeing the finished product. That was very motivating! My very nice neighbor offered to watch little one for two more afternoons a week, so by fall I was sending email queries to agents. I met my agent at another NY conference, I worked on a revision for a couple of months, and he sold it in just a few weeks.

In the meantime, I had already started a second YA novel, which you will see on the shelf this fall...I joke that the first book took four years and the second took four months (the first draft, anyways), so I'm hoping the third will only take four weeks...

Thank you for your question, iFearlessQuotes!

Holly has disappeared...

2011-01-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone! You might have noticed I've been a little bit scarce around here, but that's because there are projects brewing...some secret and some not-so-secret.

The TELL ME A SECRET full version audiobook is almost here! Watch for that announcement and links to the store in the next few weeks.

DON'T BREATHE A WORD is coming Fall 2011, which seems right around the corner to me. We're putting together some new things for that, coming soon...

And I'm hard at work on a third novel, a contemporary YA that will be connected to Tell Me a Secret and Don't Breathe a Word in a few surprising ways. (There's a rumor floating around that you will learn more about Delaney's secrets in Don't Breathe a Word: True or False? True!)

On the blog, I'm putting together an author Q&A series. Is there anything you would like to know?

Story Secrets: BALLADS OF SUBURBIA by Stephanie Kuehnert + giveaway!

2011-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

How have I not already featured this book, you ask? I was wondering that myself. Stephanie Kuehnert's BALLADS OF SUBURBIA was one of my favorite reads of 2010, so I'm thrilled to get to chat with her about it today.

I was so lucky to meet Stephanie in New York at BEA and the Teen Author Carnival (yup, yet another amazing person I met at that fabulous, blogger-created event), and she even very kindly blurbed my upcoming book, Don't Breathe a Word! What an honor that is.

Welcome, Stephanie!

*****

There are so many ballads. Achy breaky country songs. Mournful pop songs. Then there’s the rare punk ballad, the ballad of suburbia: louder, faster, angrier . . . till it drowns out the silence.

Kara hasn’t been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park. . . .

Amidst the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

Put simply, the book is about a group of teenagers who are hurting in the ways teenagers do hurt in real life, but adults like to pretend they don't have to deal with such things. And these teenagers take care of themselves and each other in the only ways they know how. Some of those ways are destructive, but ultimately it's a story of learning how to survive and find your inner strength.

Holly Cupala: Tell us about the story behind the story.

Stephanie Kuehnert: I lived a lot of what is in this book. It's not an autobiography, but it is set in the town where I grew up, Oak Park, Illinois. The main character, Kara, deals with a lot of things that I dealt with, depression, the feeling of not fitting in, self-injury, distant parents who are divorcing, boyfriends that are no good for you, and her friends deal with a lot things that my friends dealt with like heroin addiction and teen pregnancy.

When I was a teenager dealing with this stuff and watching my friends go through it, I kept thinking why are there no books that deal with these topics, no stories for teens about these kinds of things. At that time in the early to mid nineties, there wasn't as much gritty, honest and real YA lit out there. I had Francesca Lia Block and that was about it. I had My So-Called Life, which the cancelled after one season even though at the time I thought it was the most real portrayal of teen life I'd ever seen. (And that is why I quote from it at the beginning of Ballads: "If you made a book of what really happened, it would be a really upsetting book," which the main character Angela Chase said when asked why she was quitting yearbook.) I was the kind of kid who had always been a big reader so I looked to books for answers and it was upsetting when I couldn't find what I needed as a teen. Since I also loved to write, I promised myself that one day I would write the book I'd been searching for.

That's why this book means so much to me, even more than my first book. BALLADS OF SUBURBIA is the book I became a writer to write.

Holly: I definitely felt that as I was reading it, and I love the Angela Chase quote - so true. Tell us about the ballad structure. Did you plan that, or was it a surprise?

Stephanie: I kind of screwed around for awhile after high school, but eventually when to college for creative writing when I was twenty one and in my first year there, I wrote an early version of BALLADS that I called THE MORNING AFTER... but it was basically an autobiography then and it was really bitter and just poorly written. So I set it aside, knowing that when I wrote my "dark truth about suburbia" it had to be really really good to live up to what teen me needed. I was working on what would become my first novel, I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE, when I took a class with the amazing teacher and author Joe Meno. One day he brought a boombox into class and played a bunch of Johnny Cash and June Carter songs talking about ballads as an original form of storytelling. I listened to those honest, confessional tales that Johnny told and thought about punk songs I loved like "Story of My Life" by Social Distortion and "The Young Crazed Peeling" by the Distillers where the singer just tells the story of their life (or a fictional character's life, I don't want to assume!), how they messed up, how they survived and I thought this is it! This is what I need to do in my suburbia book. All of the characters need to write their ballad or the story of the moment that profoundly changed them in some way. I'll center the book around the notebook and call it BALLADS OF SUBURBIA! It was my big eureka moment and that's how BALLADS because BALLADS. Though I still finished my first book first because I knew I would learn a lot about writing from doing that and I did and that also helped BALLADS be a stronger book.

Holly: The book goes into some dark places, which must have been challenging to write.

Stephanie: It took me to dark places for sure. The last round of revisions on this book were one of the hardest things I've ever done. My editor told me that I needed to really express Kara's pain and bring it to life for the reader. Especially since Kara cuts herself which is not something everyone does (thank goodness since it's a very unhealthy way to cope) and I needed to show why. I'd stopped cutting myself about six years before that, but I had to go back there (as in access those emotions and motivations, not *actually* cut) to get inside Kara's head. And since she and her friends deal with a lot that I dealt with, I was revisiting a lot of ugly memories and dark emotions. The ulcer that I'd gotten at the end of high school actually flared up again at the end of my revisions process even though it hadn't bothered me in years! But, I think I finally put all of that ugly stuff from my past to rest and I hope that I wrote a very honest book that will help people who are dealing with what the characters are dealing with or help people who haven't lived that kind of life understand and have empathy for those who have.

Holly: Beyond the spark that brought BALLADS to life, what is your biggest inspiration?

Stephanie: Real life. Real people. My own experiences and also what I see others going through and surviving. I'm a huge people watcher and observer and that feeds my writing big time. Also music. Music is so huge for me.

Holly: What do you most hope your readers will take away?

Stephanie: If my characters aren't the type of people they are familiar with, I hope they will find understanding and empathy. If they are dealing with some of the situations that my characters are, I hope they will know they aren't alone and that they will find a way to "sing their own ballad," meaning talk to someone or release those difficult emotions through art or writing like I did. You are strong, you are a survivor and you can heal.

Holly: Any secrets you might be willing to share?

Stephanie: I don't have too many secrets. I'm very open about things because I saw the way secrets can hurt growing up, so all my secrets are laid bare through my books and my blog-- the serious secrets that is. As for the silly stuff, I have a couple guilty pleasures that you may not expect from a punk rock chick like me. As Holly knows, my musical guilty pleasure is Matchbox 20. Normally I'm all punk and indie bands, but I just can't help it! And the other big guilty pleasure is that I'm addicted to the soap opera, One Life to Live. I have been since the summer before my freshman year of high school. I watch it every day!

Holly: What’s up next?

Stephanie: Right now I'm trying to get a draft of the bartender book into shape for my agent to submit to publishers. That will probably be sold as an adult fiction book, but I also have ideas for another contemporary realistic YA, a post-apocalyptic YA, and an urban fantasy YA and I haven't decided which will be the next project!

Find Stephanie:

http://www.stephaniekuehnert.com/
http://stephaniekuehnert.blogspot.com/
http://www.twitter.com/writerstephanie
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Kuehnert/8148781156

And check out the BALLADS OF SUBURBIA trailer:

*****

Thank you, Stephanie!

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY:
Stephanie has kindly offered a copy of BALLADS OF SUBURBIA to one lucky commenter with a US address - all you have to do to enter is leave a meaningful comment below before midnight on Monday! I hope you enjoyed!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2010 was a pretty incredible year for me, after many moons of writing and hoping to see my book on the shelf.

Thank you to all of you who read the book, loved it, even put it on your Best of 2010 Lists! I am honored, grateful, ecstatic, and humbled.

I wonder what 2011 will bring...?

For you, I wish for increased joy, deeper understanding, a wealth of friends, and perfect hope.

Welcome, 2011!

It's a Bloggy Holiday

2010-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is just to say Happy Holidays, everyone!

I'm taking a little bloggy holiday for the rest of the year, but I'll be back soon, and you can still win my art over at YA Outside the Lines. May your days be merry and bright!

Story Secrets: FALL FOR ANYTHING by Courtney Summers

2010-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

First things first, the winner of FIXING DELILAH:

Hannah S!!!! (Contact here.)

And now...

Have you ever noticed a book popping up over and over in the book blogs you read? Not necessarily the splashy one, but the one everybody keeps saying is So Good.

That's what I kept seeing about Courtney Summers' book, SOME GIRLS ARE. I read it. And it was so good. She has a way of capturing power dynamics and making them an intense, heart-wrenching experience - not to mention a page-turner.

So I'm really looking forward to her latest, FALL FOR ANYTHING, which comes out December 21st! (You can preorder it on IndieBound or Amazon.) And even more, I'm thrilled to welcome Courtney Summers to the blog today to chat about her story secrets...

Welcome, Courtney!

*****

FALL FOR ANYTHING is about a girl who is consumed by the question of why her (ex) famous photographer killed himself. She meets Culler Evans, a former photography student of her father's, and an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler just might hold the key to the mystery surrounding her father's death... but are some questions better left unanswered?

Holly Cupala: We'd love to hear the story behind FALL FOR ANYTHING. How did you come up with the idea?

Courtney: I've always been fascinated with grief and loss, particularly now that I've lost people who I've been extremely close to in my life, so that's pretty much where the idea stemmed from. I wanted to explore the space that kind of loss leaves behind and the lengths we'll go to so we can feel whole again.

Holly: Did writing this book take you anywhere unexpected?

Courtney: It sort took me to expected places, actually. When I was writing my second book, Some Girls Are, my maternal grandfather passed away and I was very close to him. I think I always knew my third book would be about death and grieving, as a response to that.

Holly: What was your writing process like for this book? How long, and how many drafts?

Courtney: The first draft of FALL FOR ANYTHING took a few months to write and then it underwent a major revision. The story evolved A LOT as I revised. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but Eddie and Milo's relationship underwent a big makeover and in the very, very original draft, Eddie' father wasn't a photographer. Both of these elements play a HUGE part in the novel as it is now. So needless to say, some substantial rewriting occurred!

Holly: Has anything in your life inspired your book?

Courtney: When I was 17--the same age as Eddie is in FALL FOR ANYTHING--my paternal grandfather died of an aggressive form of cancer. It took him quickly, but his quality of life from the time of his diagnosis on was severely diminished. The amount of suffering he endured as he was dying really shook us. When I was 22, my maternal grandfather became very seriously ill and passed away. His death was quite unexpected, so it didn't really hit until later that he was gone, and when it did, it hit hard. The heart of Eddie's story is about her unwillingness to accept what has happened and her determination to find out why it has happened. My personal experiences definitely informed the way I approached writing that.

Holly: Will you tell us a secret?

Courtney: When I was little, I'd take my Grandma's blush and put it all over my cheeks because apparently I thought BRIGHT red cheeks were very grown-up and becoming. When she saw me and asked how my cheeks got so red, I told her I had pressed my face up against the heating vent because... I guess having her think her granddaughter was a bit of a weirdo was preferable to having her discover her granddaughter was playing with her make-up without her permission!

Holly: I love that! So what are you working on now?

Courtney: My fourth book, like my first three, will be published by St. Martin's Press. It's in such early stages of plotting and writing that I don't want to say too much about it. So basically, it's in the works. :)

*****

Thank you, Courtney!

Readers, check out this gorgeous trailer for FALL FOR ANYTHING:

Story Secrets: FIXING DELILAH by Sarah Ockler + giveaway!

2010-12-16T05:00:00.001-08:00

Listen up, Story Secrets readers:

Today's guest Sarah Ockler is generously giving away one copy of FIXING DELILAH
with this interview, but you have TODAY ONLY to enter to win.
I'm announcing the winner tomorrow at the
very special final Story Secrets interview with Courtney Summers!!!

And now, without further ado, I introduce you to the lovely, talented Sarah Ockler, author of TWENTY BOY SUMMER and her latest, FIXING DELILAH, and who I was lucky enough to meet at the 2010 Teen Author Carnival...

Welcome, Sarah!

*****

At its core, FIXING DELILAH is about the complex, tumultuous relationships between mothers and daughters, and what happens when long-buried family secrets are forced into the light. Add in the death of an estranged grandmother, an unexpected romance with the adorable boy next door, a tarot-card reading aunt, new friendships, a whole summer of estate sale duty, and an economy-sized mayonnaise jar full of cremated St. Bernard, and you get an idea where this story's going. :-)

Holly Cupala: Tell us how the idea for FIXING DELILAH came about!

Sarah Ockler: When I first began writing for young adults, I thought a lot about myself as a teen, reflecting on all of the ups and downs Mom and I endured and trying to decide how much of that to incorporate into my novels. Around the time I was exploring some of the mother-daughter themes on paper, I lost my aunts Marcy and Sharon to cancer. We were all so close, but as we looked through old photos for their memorial services, I saw glimpses of people I never actually knew -- my aunts as teenagers and even as little girls. I realized then that as close as I thought my family was, as much as I thought we all knew about one another, there was so much unsaid and unasked, so many stories untold.

I'd never get the chance to talk to my aunt Marcy about that trip she took to Colorado as a teen. I'd never know what made my aunt Sharon laugh so much in that birthday picture. They were gone, and we all take our secrets and memories with us when we die. It was so hard to accept, so I did the next best thing -- I started writing about it.

When I officially began work on Fixing Delilah some time later, I had a bunch of disconnected threads in my head: bits and pieces of inspiration from the women in my family, young and old. A troubled, sixteen-year-old Delilah, feeling extremely distanced from her mother.
Secrets. An old yellow house on the lake. Sisters and aunts who'd kept things hidden out of love, shame, and fear. A mother who loved her daughter but was too focused on her work to see her slipping away.

They were all so rich and alive in my mind, but I just couldn't seem to get them together on the page. One night, totally overwhelmed with doubt that I'd ever get this story right, certain my publisher would rip up my contract and call me a fraud, I flipped on the radio in search of a distraction. A song I’d never heard poured from the speakers: Brandi Carlile’s "The Story." I didn’t know if she was singing about a romantic relationship, about family, or about something else entirely, but it touched me. Inspired me. That night, I heard Delilah and her family in those lyrics, and their story finally made sense. I knew what I had to say.

Even though I was inspired to write Delilah's story in part by the women in my family, I didn't expect the story would bring me back to my own childhood so often and so intensely. I don't fictionalize my life in my YA novels, so the story of FIXING DELILAH is not based on real events. But by the time I finished the manuscript, there was so much of my family on the page. Not in the same way that Delilah's family appears, but bits of stories and memories cobbled together with imagined characters and places and relationships stirred into this big, thick soup. It really made me think about my own family relationships, all the love, all the pain, all the history.

Holly: What is your biggest inspiration?

Sarah: I'm one of those people who finds inspiration everywhere I look -- the woods, the mountains, babies laughing, reading other wonderful YA books -- so this is a tough question! But the hands down number one inspiring force in my life is my husband, Alex. Not only is he super patient with all of my writerly neuroses (of which there are many, trust me), but he knows exactly when to challenge me on my self-indulgent bull and exactly when I just need a silent hug. Every time I want to quit, or I doubt myself, or I just start freaking out for no reason, he reminds me of everything I love about writing, and that no matter what, I can't give up, even if I really wanted to (which of course I never do). If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be a published author because I wouldn't have ever believed that I could do it.

The coolest thing about it is that I always find away to include Alex in my work, so it's like a project from both of our hearts. For FIXING DELILAH, there's a song called "Sigh" that Patrick sings to Delilah in the coffee shop. Alex wrote the music and lyrics for the song. Now I just have to convince him to record it so I can put it online for everyone! :-)

Holly: How long did it take you to write, and did you have to go through a lot of drafts? How did the story evolve as you revised?

Sarah: I wrote FIXING DELILAH in just under two years (including revision). Although I got feedback from my agent and editor on certain chapters and the overall concept, I probably only went through one complete start-to-finish rewrite after I got the complete editorial notes from my editor. This sounds kind of crazy, I know, but I have a hard time with first drafts. By hard time, I mean, I agonize over every word and sentence like it's childbirth or something (with just as much crying and sleep deprivation). I'm still trying to get comfortable with the whole "let yourself write garbage" thing -- I edit on the sentence level, as the words go on the page. It means that by the time the draft is complete, it's pretty polished, but it's not a very efficient way to work. And I usually end up cutting about 15,000-20,000 words in revision.

In terms of the evolution of the story itself, FIXING DELILAH initially focused more about a troubled teen in need of fixing, but the more I explored Delilah's family all of the secrets and layers of family history, and the more I thought about my own family, the more I realized this story was about an entire family of women struggling under the weight of generations of secrets and love and turmoil, not just about one girl going down the wrong path. The family was always part of the story, but they moved more to the forefront as the story grew -- especially after I had that mid-nervous-breakdown-epiphany during the Brandi Carlile song!

Holly: I’m all about digging deeper to find truth – how have your life experiences helped you get to the heart of your story?

Sarah: All about digging deeper, huh? Then you'll love Delilah. She's so focused on digging things up, she forgets that some things might be better left buried! But on to your question... though Delilah's story doesn't parallel my personal history exactly, it does draw from some of the feelings and emotional ups and downs I experienced with my mom.

To get to the truth of Delilah's story, I had to take myself back to some difficult places from my own teen years. Like a lot of girls, I had such a challenging relationship with my mom back then. One minute I truly admired her, the next I was packing my bags, certain I'd rather take my chances on the street than live with her another day. I always loved her, but just as Delilah feels about her own mom, I didn't always like her. It wasn't until I was much older and out of the house that I started to view her as a real person rather than *just* my mother. She had a whole life before me, filled with secrets and hopes and disappointments, human just like me, but I didn't see that back then. It was hard for me to go back and explore that territory, to really remember and examine the mistakes and hurt on both sides. There were times during the writing that I wanted to side totally with Delilah, because siding against her -- exposing her flaws as a character -- that would mean I'd have to accept my own flaws as a daughter, then and now. But I wanted the story to resonate authentically with readers -- both teen girls and their mothers -- and to do that, I had to dig for the tough, honest, raw stuff. It wasn't easy, but it was extremely rewarding.

Holly: What do you most hope your readers will take away?

Sarah: I hope that readers -- moms and daughters alike -- close the last page of Fixing Delilah with an understanding that no matter how close we are to someone, no matter how much we love each other, we don't always *know* each other. Inside each of us is an entire world -- our past experiences, our dreams and hopes, heartache, fears, secrets, goals, love. What we see in another person is often just the surface. Like Delilah says as she begins to uncover some of the painful truths about her family, "I wonder how much we don't see. How much of our lives we witness and accept as truth when the rest of the iceberg -- the heaviest, bulkiest part -- is buried and invisible." I hope that readers appreciate and remember that, especially when it comes to difficult family relationships in their own lives.

Holly: Any secrets you might be willing to share?

Sarah: Ah, thanks to the advent of Twitter and blogs, I doubt I have any secrets left! But I did put a lot of personal family history into the story of the Hannafords -- particularly the weird stuff that you just can't make up. That part where Delilah's grandmother requests that she be cremated together with her St. Bernard? That was totally my grandma. She loved that dog so much, she couldn't bare to be parted from him even in death. The two got sick at the same time -- I guess they just had that special connection. So when she died, we actually had to have to dog put to sleep as well. We were able to follow part of her wishes -- she wanted them to be cremated together, but apparently there's a health code preventing that. So just like in the story of Fixing Delilah, our funeral director secretly agreed to mix the ashes. Now, my grandmother's headstone contains a secret note about the dog that only family and friends can decipher. :-) Oh, grandma also totally had that sweater made out of dog hair. A few other family treasures that made it into the story: the box of tears, the Stephen King novels, the china dolls, and the expensive blue delft cow that none of us is ever allowed to touch. Moooo!

Holly: What’s up next for you?

Sarah: I'm currently working on a new young adult contemporary called ICING. I'm not ready to share too much just yet (see, you saw that coming after my "under the hood" comments, right? ;-)), but I will say that it's set in the dead of winter for a change, and it features such yummy things as cupcakes, ice skates, and very cute hockey boys. And thanks to the cupcakes, I'm really looking forward to promoting this one. That's right, I'm not afraid to gain 20 pounds for the sake of my work! It's all research, right? ;-)

*****

Thank you for sharing your secrets, Sarah! Read an excerpt of FIXING DELILAH here.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY:

Readers, you have until midnight tonight to leave a meaningful comment about Sarah, FIXING DELILAH, family, or secrets. Winner announced tomorrow!

A few last secrets...

2010-12-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Wonderful blogger Solvang Sherrie has very kindly invited me to divulge secrets of the free Tell Me a Secret audio podcast (which you can listen to right here!).

And the lovely bloggers Precious and Kai of Fragments of Life and Amaterasu Reads have invited me to participate in their spectacular event, Christmas Countdown tomorrow, December 16th!

Both interviews are giving away copies of Tell Me a Secret...so if you're looking for a last-minute gift for a reading kind of young adult in your life, check them out. And enjoy the free podcast while it lasts!

Speaking of podcasts, the awesome Teen Advisory Group at Seattle Public Library Northeast branch put together a podcast interview of yours truly. I was very honored to participate and loved getting to know the TAG teens!

Thanks to all of you, and Happy Holidays!

Winners, Winners, Winners!

2010-12-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hooray, we have a bunch of winners today! If you see your name, please contact me here with your info. (I'll hold prizes and swag for 2 weeks.)

First we have the WHAT YA BLOGGERS WANT Grand Prize...

Four books of the winner's choice from my stash of prizes (see vid below)
plus a bracelet handmade by Hannah S

plus a signed copy of Tell Me a Secret

and various TMAS-related gifties

goes to...

KALIA SAGE!!!!!

Here is the video of prizes to choose from (Note: Before I Fall, Heist Society, Skin Deep, I Am Number Four, and Lips Touch are no longer available):

And here are more Story Secrets winners (sorry I got so behind on these!):

Deborah Reber's LANGUAGE OF LOVE:

Jecca (Jessica B)

Courtney Sheinmel's POSITIVELY:

Harmony

Sarah Beth Durst's ENCHANTED IVY:

Jessi E. (The Elliot Review)

Daisy Whitney's THE MOCKINGBIRDS:

Bwyatt

Conrad Wesselhoeft's ADIOS, NIRVANA:

CuppaJolie

Ok, winners, don't forget to contact me here to give me your info, and let me know your internet name and what you won so I can get you the right prize!

Hope you enjoy!

How to win stuff

2010-12-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for the perfect gift for someone? Already read TMAS and want to win something I made to go with it? Here's a roundup of all of the giveaways!

Win a copy of TELL ME A SECRET at:

Late Bloomer Online (ends 12/14)
A Good Addiction (signed, ends 12/15)
Books Complete Me (ends 12/15)
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (ends 12/16)

Win an autographed print of my original TMAS collage at:

Confessions of a Bookaholic (ends 12/15)
There's a Book (ends 12/15)
Pirate Penguin's Reads (ends 12/16)
YA Outside the Lines (ends 1/6/11)

Win my nifty handmade TMAS magnet set at:

DeRaps Reads (ends 12/13)
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read (ends 12/15)
Blkosiner's Book Blog (ends 12/17)

Win other cool books:

Deborah Reber's LANGUAGE OF LOVE (ends Monday)
Stephanie Kuehnert's BALLADS OF SUBURBIA at YAOTL

And I'm hoping to catch up on Story Secrets and What YA Bloggers Want winners next week!

Story Secrets: LANGUAGE OF LOVE by Deborah Reber + giveaway!

2010-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm very pleased to welcome author friend Deborah Reber to the blog today to chat about her first YA novel, LANGUAGE OF LOVE!

But Debbie is no stranger to writing for teens: she's written a bunch of fabulous books to empower teen girls and help them connect to their purpose and passions,
like IN HER SHOES, CHILL, and she compiled and edited the amazing teen-authored memoir series Louder Than Words (you might be familiar with titles ALEXIS, RAE, and HANNAH).

Welcome, Deborah!

*****

LANGUAGE OF LOVE is about a shy girl named Janna whose “bad influence best friend” convinces her to impersonate a Hungarian exchange student in order to keep the interest of Julian, a cute boy from another school. At first she thought her prank was harmless - Janna didn’t expect to like her outgoing alter ego so much, and she certainly didn’t realize that Julian was “the one” for her until she’s in way too deep. That’s when things really get complicated…

I’m soooo excited about LANGUAGE OF LOVE because it’s my first stab at writing YA fiction. The book is part of Simon Pulse’s Romantic Comedies series, which they’ve just rebranded by packaging two novels in one book. So Language of Love is actually paired with Caroline Goode’s Cupidity in a new book called Love, Love, Love.

Holly Cupala: Great title, too! So where did the idea come from?

Deborah Reber: How many of us wish we could be someone else every now and then – try on a more interesting persona and see what happens? I wanted to play with that idea, and thought back to an episode of the original Beverly Hills 90210 where Brenda is spending the summer in France with Donna and fools an American boy into thinking she’s French. And the story just evolved from there.

Holly: Hmm...I was just watching a 90210 rerun...one of those collective unconscious things! How did you go from writing nonfiction to YA fiction?

Deborah: I’d written two nonfiction books for Simon Pulse – IN THEIR SHOES and CHILL – and I loved the group of editors there. Over lunch with my Chill editor, Anica Rissi, we were talking about what might be next for me. She asked if I’d ever considered writing fiction (which I had) and suggested I pitch an idea to her for the Ro Com line. It probably took me 9 months or so before I did so (the idea of writing fiction was very intimidating to me), but I finally sent in my idea and we went from there.

Holly: You are very passionate about helping girls find there way in life. What has inspired that?

Deborah: I have many inspirations, but one of my biggest is my own teen years, which were hard, embarrassing, confusing, misguided…(you get the point). I like to write books that can play some role in improving the life of teen girls today, whether it’s giving them practical strategies like in my nonfiction books or silly escapism (laughter’s good for the soul!).

Holly: Do you share your ideas or keep them under wraps?

Deborah: I let two key people in on my writing process – my sister and my husband. My sister is a fantastic storyteller and a great sounding board, so when I get stuck on something, she helps me think about how to move forward in a way that makes sense for the project. And because it helps me to read my writing aloud, my husband is my audience of one when I’m writing. For this book, every night I’d catch him up with the writing I’d done during the day. For him it was kind of like listening to a radio soap opera, and he’d have keep tuning in to find out what happened next.

Holly: I love radio dramas! Great idea. How have your life experiences helped you get to the heart of your story?

Deborah: When I was in high school, I always felt like I was the goofy, slightly strange “sidekick” to my close girlfriends. I was the one no one took seriously, which was often okay with me since I loved getting a good laugh. But deep down I always thought there was so much more to me that no one knew about or cared to uncover. At her core, Janna is very much like me in that she expects to be overlooked and not seen for who she is, and she acts like she’s okay with it, even though deep down it leaves her feeling bummed out and insecure.

Holly: Any secrets you might be willing to share?

Deborah: Here’s a few: I pilfer candy from my son’s Halloween / birthday party stash, taking care that I only grab things he has more than one of so he won’t miss it; while I believe running is a very individual sport, I’m actually very competitive and love to blow past runners with my kick in the last half-mile of a race; I am jealous of women who can wear knee high boots over their jeans, since my big calves make this an impossibility for me.

Holly: What’s up next?

Deborah: I’m the editorial director for a new girl-focused website launching next year aimed at teens with an interest in entrepreneurism and social activism, and I’m juggling three different book projects at the moment (2 nonfiction and 1 middle grade novel). Oh yeah, and I’m getting my certification to be a life coach for teens and young women, which I will start doing next summer!

*****

Thanks so much for stopping by, Debbie!

Ok, so NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY:

You know the drill. Until Monday at midnight, you can comment here and answer one of the following for a chance to win a copy of Deborah's LANGUAGE OF LOVE. Mais oui, bien sûr!

Have you ever fantasized about posing as a girl from another land?
Do you think, if you had the chance, you would act on it?
Why are you dying to read LANGUAGE OF LOVE?

Tell us in the comments!

This is random.

2010-12-08T10:52:00.001-08:00

Would you like to know how to pronounce my name? I will tell you myself, via TeachingBooks! (You'll have to listen yourself to find out why I borrowed this nice green impala picture below):

Secret stops and gifties!

2010-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my day to blog over at YA Outside the Lines, and to celebrate finishing the Don't Breathe a Word copyedit, I'm giving away a signed print of the Tell Me a Secret art collage I made! Stop by to enter.

>
I'm also featured at the "Best I've Read 2010" event today (wow, what an honor!), where we're chatting about funny fan stories, holiday traditions, and other random secrets - oh, and I do believe they have several copies of TMAS to give away. Enjoy!

More fun giveaways

2010-12-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm resposting the schedule to the Tell Me a Secret event Kari at Teen Book Scene and a bunch of other amazing book bloggers have put together (thanks to all of you!) including character interviews, secret scenes, crazy videos, and cool handmade prizes and books.

We have a set of TMAS magnets (made by me!):

And I'm giving away two autographed prints of the TMAS trailer-inpsired collage I made:

Visit the tour stops and enter to win! Here is the full event listing:

Monday, November 29:
Hattie at DeRaps Reads (Character Interview: Nik + magnet giveaway)

Tuesday, November 30:
Katryna at Books Are Dreams (Book Post: Holly's Favorites)

Wednesday, December 1:
Jessica at Total Bookaholic (Character Interview: Miranda + art giveaway)

Thursday, December 2:
Eleni at La Femme Readers (Audio Book Excerpt/Feature)

Friday, December 3:
Brandi at Blkosiner's Book Blog (Character Interview: Rand's Mom + magnet giveaway)

Saturday, December 4:
Courtney at Stiletto Story Time (Review)

Sunday, December 5:
Kari at A Good Addiction (Book Post: Rand's Favorites + signed book giveaway)

Monday, December 6:
Kate at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read (Character Interview: Kamran)

Tuesday, December 7:
Enna at Squeaky Books (Book Trailer Guest Post)

Wednesday, December 8:
Danielle at There's A Book (Behind the scenes: a story secret!)

Thursday, December 9:

Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (Book Post: Xanda's Favorites)

Friday, December 10:
Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings (Character Interview: Delaney)

Saturday, December 11:
Corrine at Lost for Words (Review)

Sunday, December 12:
Angela at Reading Angel (Secret Scene)

Thanks so much to all of you! Readers, I hope you'll check it out and enter to win some cool TMAS prizes, some of them handmade by me!

Tell Me a Secret Party Saturday night!

2010-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Are you in the Seattle area Saturday eve? Then we hope you'll join us for a party!

When: Saturday, December 04 from 06:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Kirkland Parkplace Books, 348 Parkplace Center Kirkland, WA 98033

Parkplace Books has kindly offered to host us for an evening of music that inspired the book, story secrets, tasty morsels from "Cafe Shiraz" (the restaurant in the book, of course!), and more yummy treats.

We've been working on a very special project since summer with the help of award-winning actress Jenna Lamia (known for reading The Chosen One, The Secret Life of Bees, The Help and others), and will have the special edition audiobook recording available to pre-order at the party!

Ten percent of the evening's proceeds will go to World Vision's Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls.
This is a public event, so please bring friends! Students! Teens! Please let us know if you're coming so Cafe Shiraz can keep up.

We are very excited to celebrate with you, our dear friends and family!

Story Secrets: POSITIVELY by Courtney Sheinmel + giveaway!

2010-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of World AIDS Day (December 1), I am very pleased to welcome friend Courtney Sheinmel today to tell us her story secrets about her beautiful YA book, POSITIVELY.

I met Courtney in New York City when I went for BEA last summer, and she is honestly one of the nicest YA authors around. I wish I had a pic of us together! After the Teen Author Carnival (yes, another awesome author I met there!), we all went out for yummy Mexican food with a bunch of others and ended up talking the whole time.

I'm very excited to get to feature her today, and also to chat about her upcoming book, SINCERELY. Oh, and check out that amazing Be the Link photo (by Andy Tsagaris) below.

Welcome, Courtney!

*****

POSITIVELY is about a thirteen-year-old girl named Emerson (“Emmy” for short) who was born with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. After her mom dies, Emmy has to move in with her dad and his new wife – who is pregnant and preoccupied with things like baking cookies and getting the house ready for the baby. Emmy feels isolated and filled with grief. Her dad ends up sending her to a camp for girls with HIV, where she finds hope and the will to live, even in a world without her mother.

Holly Cupala: I've been fascinated with this story even before I met you. Where did the idea come from?

Courtney Sheinmel: Okay, to tell you that I have to go back to something that happened nearly two decades ago. It was February of 1991, and I was in eighth grade. I read an article about a woman named Elizabeth Glaser. She was infected with HIV and had unknowingly passed the virus onto her two children. Her daughter died of AIDS in 1988, during a time when there weren’t many medications around to treat people with the disease. A couple months later, Elizabeth founded the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, in hopes of raising money to fund research that would save her son. It was one of the most remarkable stories I had ever heard, and I decided I wanted to get involved.

Since then, I’ve met a lot of men, women, and children who are living with HIV – just regular people who never imagined how their lives would be changed by illness. Over the years I wondered how I would handle being thrust into that situation, particularly as a young kid. So that was the impetus for Positively. In the book, Emmy has a personality that is pretty similar to my own; but unlike me, she’s HIV-positive.

Holly: It had to be an incredible process to write about such an emotional and loaded topic. Did anything unexpected come out of it?

Courtney: I knew it would be a difficult, emotional book to write, but I honestly thought I’d be able to make it through the first draft just by using information I knew from being involved with the Foundation for so many years. Instead I was overwhelmed. I ended up calling my friend Carol. She used to run a camp for teenagers with HIV and I asked her if there were any kids she could put me in touch with, so I could talk to them about their experiences. There was one girl in particular Carol thought I should talk to – a high schooler from the tri-state area who had been positive since birth. Her parents had died of AIDS and she’d been raised by her older siblings. But, Carol told me, this girl had kept her status secret for her entire life, so she might not agree to talk to me. It wasn’t until then that I really came to terms with the stigma that still surrounds the disease – that in 2007 (when I was writing Positively), there were still American families who felt they had to keep HIV secret, for fear of being shunned. That raised the stakes for me, and it was motivational too: I thought if I wrote the story well enough, maybe I’d be able to show kids that HIV can touch anyone, and it isn’t so scary to be around.

Meanwhile, the girl Carol wanted to put me in touch with did agree to speak to me, and now she’s a close friend – another unexpected and wonderful consequence.

Holly: Have your own life experiences played into this story?

Courtney: Readers have noted that my characters tend to have non-traditional families – divorced parents, single moms, stepparents. I’m certain that’s because my parents divorced when I was nine years old. For years I lived with my mom and my sister in New York, and my dad lived across the country in California. I am extremely close with both of my parents, but it was tough when I was little. Like once I remember when I was fighting with my mom and missing my dad, I threw a bouquet of flowers I had bought for my mom. When they landed on the floor, the stems snapped. I was so devastated by what I had done – I had ruined something beautiful. And I brought those feelings to a scene in Positively, when Emmy destroys something that belonged to her stepmother.

Holly: Any secrets you might be willing to share?

Courtney: This is a tough question for me. First of all, I was just talking about kids who can’t share their HIV status with even their closest friends, and my secrets can’t compare to that. (My friend Regan Hofmann wrote a beautiful memoir about her experience with this, called I Have Something to Tell You.)

And second of all, while I’m good at keeping secrets for other people, I’m not really good at keeping my own. So I honestly can’t think of any. I asked my friend Amy and she mentioned my height – I always say I’m five feet tall, but really I’m a quarter inch shy of that. My sister said my worst kept secret is that I don’t like dogs – and she also says that my worst quality.

I guess I have secret fears – of being alone, of not writing well enough. They’re not really secrets, just things I tend not to talk about, because I don’t want them to become too real.

Holly: So I know you have a lot of irons in the fire. What's up next?

Courtney: My latest book SINCERELY is available now. It’s about Sophie Turner and Katie Franklin, cross-country pen pals who confide in each other when their home lives seem overwhelming. Next up will be ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE, which comes out on June 14, 2011, about seventh grader Carly Wheeler, whose life is turned upside-down the day FBI agents come to her house to arrest her mother for a white-collar crime. I went to law school and practiced law for several years before becoming a full-time writer, and this book marks the first time I’ve worked any of my legal knowledge a piece of fiction.

I also have a young readers series that will debut in the Fall of 2011 (I think). It follows a seven-year-old girl named Stella who lives in the Bay Area (like I did at that age), has a younger sister (like I do), and whose parents own a candy store (unfortunately, that part is completely made up). So far I’ve written the first two books. The titles haven’t been finalized or I’d tell you.

And I am working on something else... It’s not exactly a secret but I’m afraid to write it here because I might jinx it. But my friends know and you can ask them. Or if you see me on the street, stop me and I’d be happy to tell you.

****

Thank you, Courtney!

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY:
For a chance to win a copy of POSITIVELY from Courtney, comment below on one of the following: a) why you'd really love to read this book, b) how you might react if a close friend told you they'd been living with HIV, or c) what you think teens, readers, adults, society can do to help destigmatize people living with HIV or other chronic illness.

Here's a video of Courtney talking about POSITIVELY:

Plus here's a fantastic fan-made trailer:

Don't forget to follow Courtney on Twitter, and check out her blog!

Miranda's interview + video craziness + my handmade collage art prize

2010-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Stop by Total Bookaholic today, where Jessica has asked Miranda, the main character in Tell Me a Secret, some tough questions (I tried to keep the spoilers out, but be forewarned).

BUT...

What you might really want to know is two things: one, I made a brand new video with some rarely seen footage of my own secrets.

AND...

Jessica is running a virtually one-of-a-kind giveaway of a TMAS-inspired collage art print, handmade by yours truly! Here's a shot of it:

So head on over for this very limited giveaway (I'm only making two for this blog tour!). I'd love to know what you think!

A Novel Gift! Readergirlz and First Book to donate 125,000 books!

2010-11-30T12:51:00.001-08:00

BREAKING NEWS! First Book is giving away more than 125,000 brand-new books to low-income teen readers.

They’re great books, too, donated by generous publishers. Among the three dozen choices are P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast’s HOUSE OF NIGHT series and Alyson Noël’s SHADOWLAND.

We need your help getting the word out about the A Novel Gift campaign. Right now! Right now! As in, now!

Let's get organizations serving these teens registered with First Book so they can be matched with inventory during the holidays.

Here’s what we need you to do:

Post to Facebook and tweet your beak off about these books using the hashtag #novelgift.

Here’s a tinyurl link to their registration page: http://tinyurl.com/2a5mwpj.

Or you can link to this blog post: http://readergirlz.blogspot.com/2010/11/novel-gift-over-125000-free-books-to.html

Then, get in touch with every group you can think of that works with young adults–schools, after-school programs, church youth groups, community centers, etc.—and let them know that these books are available now.

The five-minute online registration these groups can use is here:
http://booksforkids.firstbook.org/register/.

First Book is also eager to answer questions, either by email to help@firstbook.org, or by phone at 866-READ-NOW or 866-732-3669.

If you participate, drop us a note at readergirlz@gmail.com to be included in our blog roll of thanks to run December 31.

Be a part of A Novel Gift! OK, go! And thanks, sincerely, from First Book and the readergirlz teams.

YA Bloggers Want...A True Love Story: The Mod Podge Bookshelf

2010-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's kind of amazing, but we're at the final posting for What YA Bloggers Want...thanks to everyone who contributed and followed along on this lovely YA journey!

Our final post today comes from Gabrielle Carolina from The Mod Podge Bookshelf. Her wishes are simple: a true love story.

Welcome, Gabrielle Carolina!

*****

What Do YA Bloggers Want? A true love story.

I know that this is a subject most readers have a vested opinion in. Some believe true love can’t happen when the characters are only in high school. Some argue that the paranormal genre is the only place to find high enough stakes to make passion believable. Some don’t believe in love at all.

No matter how you feel about love, a book should fulfill all the desires of the heart. That is why I want to read a True Love story. When I read a majority of YA books I have this thought, “If the author continued on about 100 pages or so, we would witness the couples break-up.”

I believe in true-love and in soulmates and I believe you have to fight for it, no matter the genre.
These are the books I love, that feature couples who love each other like no other could:

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
The Clearing by Heather Davis
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

*****

In the immortal (and slightly paraphrased) words of the Dread Pirate Roberts: "Do you think true love happens every day?" Ok, that's completely out of context, but what do you think, readers? Do you long for YA books with true love? What makes it ring true?

Today's post is the last chance to win the grand prize--comment until Friday, and I'll announce the winner next week! Here's the prize video (note that some titles are no longer available):

Tell Me a Secret event at Teen Book Scene!

2010-11-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Kari at Teen Book Scene emailed me out of the blue about organizing a Tell Me a Secret event, and wow, was she not kidding!

She and other amazing book bloggers have put together an incredible tour, including character interviews, secret scenes, crazy videos, and cool handmade prizes and books. (Thank you, Kari!)

Today, Mrs. DeRaps is interviewing a character, and giving away a set of handmade Tell Me a Secret magnets (made by me!). Here's a shot of them:

Wait until you see some of the other giveaways. (Hint: I have paint and glue and paper scraps all over me now...)

Here is the full event listing:

Monday, November 29:
Hattie at DeRaps Read (Character Interview: Nik)

Tuesday, November 30:
Katryna at Books Are Dreams (Book Post: Holly's Favorites)

Wednesday, December 1:
Jessica at Total Bookaholic (Character Interview: Miranda)

Thursday, December 2:
Eleni at La Femme Readers (Audio Book Excerpt/Feature)

Friday, December 3:
Brandi at Blkosiner's Book Blog (Character Interview: Rand's Mom)

Saturday, December 4:
Courtney at Stiletto Story Time (Review)

Sunday, December 5:
Kari at A Good Addiction (Book Post: Rand's Favorites)

Monday, December 6:
Kate at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read (Character Interview: Kamran)

Tuesday, December 7:
Enna at Squeaky Books (Book Trailer Guest Post)

Wednesday, December 8:
Danielle at There's A Book (Character Interview: Rand's Dad)

Thursday, December 9:

Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (Book Post: Xanda's Favorites)

Friday, December 10:
Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings (Character Interview: Delaney)

Saturday, December 11:
Corrine at Lost for Words (Review)

Sunday, December 12:
Angela at Reading Angel (Secret Scene)

Thanks so much to all of you! Readers, I hope you'll check it out and enter to win some cool TMAS prizes, some of them handmade by me!

Ya Bloggers Want...Books that Connect Readers: Miss Erin

2010-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

***Quick Update: the Tell Me a Secret event at Teen Book Scene starts today! Character interviews, cool handmade prizes, and more!***

Today's guest, Miss Erin, is a subject all her own: a dancer, an artist, a singer, an actor, a writer, a poet, a reader, a dreamer. I admire her for every one of these things and fully expect to one day see her face in a film (in fact, I will!), her book on a shelf (I would read her every word), her dreams come alive.

Welcome, Miss Erin, to What YA Bloggers Want!

*****

I once read something an author (I'm forgetting who, specifically) said, that books are never fully realized until they land in the hands of a reader. And I think it's true: a writer can pen beautiful words and fascinating stories, but it's not until the mind of a reader enters the equation that they come alive, that the real magic happens, that it becomes something new and all its own. And no one reader ever has the same experience with the same book, which is even more magical! One book can let a kid living in a small town know they're not alone, or open someone's mind to a point of view they might have never even considered. Books can create empathy, plant ideas in minds, open eyes, heal, change, inspire. Books, or simply words, for that matter--and the ability to connect--are some of the most amazing gifts we humans have. And the unfathomable impact words can have will never cease to astound me.

A (very) few of my favorite YA books:
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Looking for Alaska by John Green

*****

Thank you, Miss Erin! I'm happy to be in a world connected to you.

Readers, do you look for connections in YA books? In the characters? In the YA lit community? What do you think is special about YA books that brings people together?

It's not too late to comment on What YA Bloggers Want series to enter the grand prize drawing this week! (US only, sorry!) We have one more post tomorrow, and then books, books, books!

Q&A: What would you like to know?

2010-11-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking of doing a little Q&A series on the blog, about writing, Tell Me a Secret, publishing, the next book (Don't Breathe a Word), etc. What would you like to know?

Put your questions in the comments and I will try to blog about them in December! Thanks!

Story Secrets: ENCHANTED IVY by Sarah Beth Durst + Giveaway!

2010-11-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I'm very happy to be hosting Sarah Beth Durst to hail the arrival of her fourth amazing YA fantasy novel, ENCHANTED IVY (and you may remember that she was my very first Story Secrets post last January for ICE).

Sarah Beth and I go way back...all the way back to the SCBWI Conference in New York the year before I signed with my agent and sold Tell Me a Secret. She had just come out with her first book, Into the Wild, and I was almost finished writing the first draft of mine. It didn't take long to become fast friends!

Sarah Beth, welcome back to Story Secrets!

*****

Enchanted Ivy is about getting into college. You know, taking the campus tour, talking to the gargoyles, flirting with the were-tigers, riding the dragons... Essentially, it's about magic at Princeton. (read a first chapter excerpt here)

Holly Cupala: Hi, Sarah Beth! Tell us about Enchanted Ivy.

Sarah Beth Durst: Junior and senior year of high school, I was absolutely obsessed with the whole college application process. I saw college as this huge Life Turning Point (with all capital letters) that would determine the shape of the Rest of My Life, and I was desperate to do everything "right," i.e. choose the right school, write the right essay, etc.

Of course, after all of my neurotic obsessing, I choose my college because I liked the trees and wrote my essay about the trials and tribulations of having curly hair... Regardless, this novel grew out of that overwhelming pre-college experience.

Holly: You've written four gorgeous fantasies now. Any surprise discoveries for this one?

Sarah Beth: Midway through the first draft, I discovered that the novel is, at its heart, a mystery. It's all about unlocking the secrets of Lily's family, the Princeton campus, and the nature of the world.

I love those in-progress kinds of discoveries. You know, the theme that springs out of your subconscious, the minor character that develops into a fascinating fictional friend...

Holly: Now for the fun question...did you travel for research?

Sarah Beth: I went back to my alma mater.

When I started this novel, I didn't think I'd need to research Princeton since I'd lived there for four years, but it turns out that you see a place very differently when you look through a character's eyes. I visited the campus twice while writing the novel and walked every step my character did. In doing so, I discovered all these fabulous, bizarre gargoyles that I never knew existed, like an ape in graduation ropes and a dragon chained an archway -- and they ended up becoming characters in the book!

Holly: What authors would you recommend for new fantasy readers?

Sarah Beth: I'm inspired by the books that I love, such as those by Tamora Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones, Guy Gavriel Kay, Charles de Lint, etc.

Holly: Would you tell us about your writing process?

Sarah Beth: Enchanted Ivy took about a year and 15 drafts. I have been known to write as many as 36 drafts, but this novel really stayed true to my original concept throughout (with the exception of one character who refused to obey my outline -- so I had to put him in a coma).

My process is to address just a few issues with each draft. For instance, in one pass, I might focus on the character's emotions. In another, I might fix the pacing. In another, I'll look at the descriptions. I find that with each pass, I learn more about the story and am able to deepen and layer it on a global level while I fiddle with details at a local level.

Holly: Have your life experiences helped you get to the heart of your story?

Sarah Beth: I often joke that this novel is 100% autobiographical, except for the were-tigers and the dragons and the talking gargoyles... Really, though, Lily isn't me, and her family life is very different from mine. But at its heart, I believe that Enchanted Ivy is emotionally true. I tried very hard to tap into that pre-college experience and all the emotions -- the anxiety and the exhilaration -- that I felt at that time.

Holly: Any secrets you're willing to share?

Sarah Beth: I can share what I believe is the secret to being a writer: sheer pig-headed stubbornness. Seriously, I believe that the most important trait for a writer to possess isn't talent or intelligence or a sense of humor or any of that. It's persistence. Don't give up on your story, and don't give up on yourself.

Holly: What's up next?

Sarah Beth: My next book is about a vampire girl who develops a conscience after she is stabbed through the heart by a unicorn's horn. It's called Drink, Slay, Love, and it will be out fall 2011 from Simon & Schuster. It was incredibly fun to write, and I'm so, so, so excited about it!

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

*****

That's hilarious. Thank you for stopping by, Sarah Beth!

Ok, readers, so now it's time for...THE GIVEAWAY.

Leave a comment below on one of the following: a) why you're dying to read ENCHANTED IVY; b) the kind of story you might write about a magical college campus, or c) if you were to write a fantasy whose title parodied a well-known book, what would you call it? (big points for creativity!) You have until midnight on Monday to post.

Lastly, check out the ENCHANTED IVY trailer:

What YA Bloggers Want...Five Things: Sarah's Random Musings

2010-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm very pleased to welcome Sarah of Sarah's Random Musings today to tell us what she wants to see in YA. Sarah is not only a prolific blogger and reader, but she is also an aspiring writer. Stop by her blog and give her a cheer!

Sarah lives just over the Puget Sound from me, so I've gotten to see her on many lovely occasions (including the TMAS party!). If you ever wonder if she is as bright and creative and lovely as her blog, I can guarantee you she is.

Welcome, Sarah!

*****

I had dinner with a few YA authors and we got talking about what we would love to see in YA and that really got me thinking, here are a few things that I would love to see:

1. More Older YA. I am nineteen and applying to college. There are only a handful of books that I can think of that have MCs that seriously want to college or are about after high school. Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Hate List by Jennifer Brown, and Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala are some of the books that I can think of.

2. Mysteries. I love a good Mystery, like All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab and The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma is more middle grade, but a great example. Make something that is Veronica Mars-ish. Also Spies are kick ass too.

3. Time Travel. I can't really think of any YA books that have time travel, but as a Doctor Who fan, I want to see something like this. Spaceships wouldn't be bad either.

4. Sick books! Okay, they are sad and depressing, but they are amazing! Before I Die by Jenny Downham and Forever Changes by Brendan Haplin.

5. Unicorns... and Zombies. I love Unicorns and I will admit that I enjoy zombies sometimes. I would love to see some originality like Diana Peterfreud and Carrie Ryan's book. And there is no such thing as too many unicorn books. My friend Khy, also did a post about this.
So what do you want to see in books?

*****

Thanks, Sarah!

Readers, what are your five things? What do you think of Sarah's? And...the all-important question...Zombies or Unicorns?

Comment for a chance to win book prizes! Big book drop finale next week! (US residences only...sorry!)

(And by the way, this What YA Bloggers Want series is in honor of YALSA's Teen Read Week and National Book Month!).

YA Bloggers Want...Everything that makes YA unique: Lesley Says

2010-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Lesley of Lesley Says today for What YA Bloggers Want. Lesley has been a faithful reader here, and I really appreciate her dedication to books and readers.

I think what Leslie wants most is for adult readers to discover the wonders of YA. We do, don't we? I hope more adults discover these books, written from the heart and soul.

Give it up for Lesley!

*****

Perhaps the #1 misconception about Young Adults books is that they are meant for young adults. I know. I was guilty of it. When I was younger, I was happy to head for the YA section in my library but when I got older and was still doing that, I wondered if something was wrong with me.

I began experimenting with more "grown up" books but something was missing - the gorgeous world building, the fragile coming of age characters, the stimulating ideas that could only come from trying to make sense out of a larger, broader world. And like the prodigal daughter, I found myself gravitating towards YA again. I'm glad I did or I would have missed out on Hunger Games, Shiver and Before I Fall. I've now staked my corner in the YA section and made myself comfortable because I plan to be there for a long time.

*****

Thank you, Lesley!

Readers, have you been like the prodigal daughter, straying to another genre of books and back again to YA? What do you think YA has that other genres don't?

Comment for a chance to win this week's book prizes, plus a chance to win the big prize next week! (US only)

Oooh, an update.

2010-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've been doing some housekeeping around the blog and website...here's what's updated:

My FAQ (with actual Tell Me a Secret Frequently Asked Questions!)
My HarperTeen Site (with new events, pics, and links!)
New! TMAS Discussion Questions, just in case you want to...you know, discuss.

Plus I just added a bunch of goodies to my calendar, at right. Including a TMAS party in Kirkland, WA on December 4th!!!

Fresh info is coming soon about the Tell Me a Secret audiobook: we're already at Chapter 28 on the FREE(!) serialized podcast. Haven't downloaded it yet? Check it out now! (Full version available soon...)

***Sooooooo....I have a question for all of you readers. What would you like to know? About the writing process, about Tell Me a Secret, about publishing, about the next book (Don't Breathe a Word, coming Fall 2011!)? About anything?

Post your questions in the comments below, and I will try to blog about them throughout December! Thank you!

Story Secrets: THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney + giveaway!

2010-11-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this is without a doubt one of the hottest reads this fall - welcome to fellow 2010 debut author Daisy Whitney, who is here to chat about THE MOCKINGBIRDS!

I haven't met Daisy in person, but she was part of the TELL ME A SECRET blog tour. We did this crazy fun blog interview together:

Welcome, Daisy!

*****

THE MOCKINGBIRDS is about an underground, student-run secret society at a prestigious boarding school and a case they try involving date rape.

Holly Cupala: your book weaves intriguing threads while tackling a very serious topic. How did your ideas come together?

Daisy Whitney: I’ve always been intrigued by boarding school and also by the potential teens have to take a stand for what’s important. THE MOCKINGBIRDS - an underground student-run justice system - was born from those twin thoughts as a way to look at what it takes to stand up for yourself and for others.

I remember two distinct moments when the story clicked into place. First, I read Courtney Summers' Cracked Up To Be in August 2008 and was blown away. Her novel remains one of my favorites ever and opened my eyes to all that YA could be. Then a few weeks after reading it, I had an "aha" moment about what I wanted to write in the genre. I called my writer friend Suzanne Young of The Naughty List and brainstormed with her for an hour, put a pot of green tea on the stove and at 10 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2008, I started writing the first chapter of the book that would become THE MOCKINGBIRDS.

Holly: I love Suzanne! Courtney's writing is amazing. (In fact we did Story Secrets interviews with Suzanne here and here, and have an upcoming one with Courtney...) So Daisy, do you talk with anyone about your ideas as you are writing, or do you keep them top secret?

Daisy: Besides my agent and my editor, I talk regularly with Courtney Summers, Amanda Morgan, Suzanne Young, C.J. Omololu and my husband.

Holly: We love to hear the story behind stories. So what is the real story behind the novel? Any secrets you might be willing to share?

Daisy: I chose to write date rape because I know the topic well. I was date raped my freshman year of college. It’s twenty years later and I am very much healed, but the experience is still a profound one. I successfully pressed charges in my university’s disciplinary system and that experience of standing up and speaking out contributed greatly to my own ability to move forward.

But speaking out is very challenging and that’s why I wanted to show that speaking up for yourself can occur in many different ways. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), 1 in 6 women will be a victim of sexual assault during her lifetime and girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. Also, half of the reported date rapes occur among teenagers, according to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. BUT, while adults want to believe a teen would come to them for help, teens are more likely to turn to a peer. According to a study conducted by The Northern Westchester Shelter, with Pace Women’s Justice Center, about 83% of 10th graders said they would sooner turn to a friend for help with dating abuse than a teacher, counselor, parent or other caring adult.

*****

Thank you, Daisy, for writing on such a difficult topic and giving girls who have experienced date rape a voice. The subject has personally touched my life, and I'm sure it has for many others.

AND NOW THE GIVEAWAY:
You want to win an advance copy of THE MOCKINGBIRDS! I want to give one away! So all you have to do to be entered (US addresses only) is to comment on one of the following: a) why you're dying to read this book, b) if you think students have the power to effect change in meaningful ways, or c) what kind of advice you might give to a friend who has been date raped.

I personally believe there is much power in friendship, and wish all of you close friends in which you can trust.

Here's a fun video of Daisy talking to Chicago-area teens about THE MOCKINGBIRDS:

YA Bloggers Want...Real Issues, Fun Factor: The Undercover Book Lover

2010-11-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm very happy to put the spotlight on Reggie of The Undercover Book Lover today, a passionate blogger who has some definite ideas of what she wants to see on her YA shelf.

I met Reggie through the blogosphere and the blog tour. Not only did she have really nice things to say about TMAS, she auctioned off a signed copy to help raise $800(!) for The Pakistan Flood Relief Fund. What a selfless and impressive girl.

Welcome to the blog, Reggie!

*****

YA fiction is about more than just vampires.

With all the buzz about Twilight, vampires, and paranormal in general, many have put YA in the generic box of shallow nothingness...well, that's what I've been hearing. Every time I mention that I read and blog about YA fiction, I've seen more degrading stares than I care to admit. Lots of people that I've met have told me "You should read more meaningful books" or "Don't waste your time on useless crap" or "You should read about the real world". And no matter how hard I try, they just seem dead set on diminishing the possibility that YA just might be a great genre; full of real issues as well as having a fun-factor to it.

The reason why I love YA fiction in general, is because YA novels are written in such a way that you can't help but relate to them. Some paranormal books, like Paranormalcy, Firelight, or Nightshade aren't just books about the paranormal, they touch on real-life issues today such as making decisions, familial values, etc. And books like Tell Me A Secret, Crank, and Burned touch on controversial topics like teen-pregnancy and drugs. Some people look down and think of YA as shallow and useless, but I think that YA isn't generic and that it shouldn't be branded so easily. Don't knock it until you try it.

*****

Thank you, Reggie!

Readers, do you ever catch any flack about reading YA? Do you think YA isn't taken as seriously as other genres, or do you think it's gaining momentum and respect? What about contemporary versus paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi/genre fiction? Do you think one is respected any more than the other? Comment for a chance to win this week's book prizes, plus a chance to win the big prize! (US addresses only, sorry!)

Circle of Secrets: tweet chat tonight at 5PST/8EST!

2010-11-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Join us tonight for a completely epic, secret event: the official Circle of Secrets tweet chat!!!

(What on earth is that, you're wondering?)

When Jenn Hubbard (THE SECRET YEAR), C.J. Omololu (DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS) and I realized we all had secret books debuting in 2010, we formed this underground authors group with secret meetings and secret activities and secret conversations...and now we're having our very first public event, tonight on Twitter!

Our hash tag...

#YAsecrets

Yes!

Come chat with us about writing secrets, book secrets, our secrets, your secrets...all kinds of secrets. And maybe even some secret surprises along the way.

Oh, and you can follow the Circle of Secrets here.

Hope to see you!