Out Today: Remember by Eileen Cook!

Eileen is thrilled to announce that her book REMEMBER hits shelves February 24, 2015.


About the Book: A thrilling tale about what a girl will do to get back a memory she lost…or remove what she wants to forget. Harper is used to her family being hounded by protestors. Her father runs the company that trademarked the “Memtex” procedure to wipe away sad memories, and plenty of people think it shouldn’t be legal. Then a new demonstrator crosses her path, Neil, who’s as persistent as he is hot. Not that Harper’s noticing, since she already has a boyfriend. When Harper suffers a loss, she’s shocked her father won’t allow her to get the treatment, so she finds a way to get it without his approval. Soon afterward, she’s plagued with strange symptoms, including hallucinations of a woman who is somehow both a stranger, yet incredibly familiar. Harper begins to wonder if she is delusional, or if these are somehow memories. Together with Neil, who insists he has his own reasons for needing answers about the real dangers of Memtex, Harper begins her search for the truth. What she finds could uproot all she’s ever believed about her life…

 “Compelling combination of twisty mystery and realistic romance." (Cat Patrick, author of FORGOTTEN and JUST LIKE FATE)

Interview with Eileen:
Where did the idea for Remember come from?
 I’d read an article about some scientific experiments being done with memory. The scientists were looking for a way to reduce the difficulty war veterans have with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It occurred to me if people could get rid of very traumatic memories, there would also be a market for people who wanted to get rid of all sorts of memories. I began to wonder what types of things might go wrong once you begin messing around with someone’s memory. It can be relatively easy to confuse what is a real memory from what someone might tell you happened. What if something you were sure was true, suddenly seemed to be uncertain, possibly a lie? Once all these questions were swirling around in my head I knew I had a book- all I had to do is write it!

If the Memtex procedure existed is there any memory you would like to forget?
I think everyone has some memories they would like to forget, but even the difficult ones have shaped who I am so I’d have to hang on to them.

Tell us a behind the scenes story about writing the book.
I decided that I wanted the main character to ride horses competitively- a subject I know nothing about. I was lucky enough to have two close friends who grew up riding and were able to share all sorts of details and were willing to read early drafts to make sure I had things correct. Now I know more about saddles than I ever expected.

What are you working on now?
It’s a thriller that involves Italy, a possible murder and two best friends who may be enemies. There’s nothing better than writing a book that includes a research trip to Rome, Venice and Tuscany. I ate my weight in pasta, took thousands of pictures and wrote pages and pages of notes.

Link to contest info: http://www.eileencook.com/blog/?p=4590 

GCC Presents VOILA - A Short Story by Debbie Rigaud!

Today with the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, I'm featuring another short story, this one recently released by Debbie Rigaud. Here's a little more about the story and the collection where you can find it...

OPEN MIC: RIFFS ON LIFE BETWEEN CULTURES IN TEN VOICES (Candlewick Press)  Edited by Mitali Perkins

• Featuring the short story “Voila” by Debbie Rigaud

About OPEN MIC

Listen in as ten YA authors use their own brand of humor to share their stories about growing up between cultures. Edited by acclaimed author and speaker Mitali Perkins, this collection of fiction and nonfiction embraces a mix of styles as diverse as their authors, from laugh-out-loud funny to wry, ironic, or poignant, in prose, poetry and comic form.

About “Voila”
Thanks to overprotective parenting, Simone’s elderly great aunt Ma Tante has more of a social life than she does. But one afternoon, Ma Tante’s social scene awkwardly intersects with Simone’s in the unlikeliest of places.

Rave Reviews for OPEN MIC:
“[Open Mic] will leave readers thinking about the ways that humor can be a survival tool in a world that tends to put people in boxes.” –Publishers Weekly

“Naomi Shihab Nye offers an eloquent poem about her Arab American dad, whose friendliness made him ‘Facebook before it existed.’ David Yoo, Debbie Rigaud, Varian Johnson and Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich also contribute stories to this noteworthy anthology, which robustly proves Perkins’ assertion that ‘funny is powerful.’”
 –Horn Book Magazine

“Teachers will find some powerful material here about how the young can become discomfited and find solace in their multifaceted cultural communities.
 –School Library Journal

Debbie stopped by for a short interview about her writing:

1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Humorous short stories about life between cultures.

2 Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your story?

Simone's elderly relative Ma Tante. She's loving and sweet, yet quick-witted and sharp-tongued. I love to explore relationship dynamics between the young and elderly. As a teen, elders were an important part of  my life and I'm sure other teens can think of an elder who has touched their lives in some way as well.

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Develop your own voice. It’s a chief storytelling tool that makes the experience of reading your work unique and enjoyable. I believe that a well-defied voice speaks to readers about as much as your actual writing does.

4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I did all of the above (including the avoiding writing part--at least when it came to school-assigned writing).Writing was an outlet for not only my creativity, but my general self-expression. I don't think I could've made it through the ups and downs of high school and college without it.

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?

I'm late to the party on this one, but I recently picked up a few Lois Lowry books and enjoyed them. It was interesting to read what seems to be one of the literary predecessors of today's dystopian YA.

For more about OPEN MIC, like our page www.facebook.com/openmicanthology

Debbie Rigaud (www.debbierigaud.com)
Debbie Rigaud began her writing career covering news and entertainment for popular magazines. Her YA fiction debut, HALLWAY DIARIES/Kimani Tru was followed by the fish-out-of-water romantic comedy PERFECT SHOT/Simon Pulse. Since then, Debbie’s non-fiction essays have been published in anthologies IT’S ALL LOVE/Broadway Books and DEAR BULLY/HarperTeen. Her short story “Voila!” is featured in OPEN MIC/Candlewick Press, and TURFQUAKE, her first YA e-book will be released late 2013.

Girlfriends Cyber Circuit Presents DEMONOSITY by Amanda Ashby

I'm excited to welcome another GCC author today, Amanda Ashby, with her latest release:

The Black Rose–a powerful ancient force–has been let loose and has taken up residence in Celeste Gibson, popular girl at Cassidy Carter-Lewis’ high school. Thomas Delacroix is the spirit of a fourteenth-century knight who is devoted to protecting the Black Rose, but he needs a contemporary living being to take on the challenge. That’s where Cassidy comes in.

She’s a quirky high school junior who just wants to dress in her vintage clothes, hang out with her best friend, and take care of her father, who is recovering from surgery. She’s the last person who would ever volunteer for such a task, but no one actually asked her.  Now, like it or not, she finds herself training before dawn and battling demons at parties, the mall, and even at school. But hey, no one ever said high school was going to be easy.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“With interesting characters and a fresh plot, this absorbing read addresses everything from peer pressure to intelligent guy pals to self-reliance, with just enough paranormal activity to maintain an edge. The message never overwhelms the fun in this frothy paranormal romp.” Kirkus Reviews

“Ashby’s frothy romp percolates with lighthearted humor and droll dialogue, while an involving plot and themes exploring friendship and self-reliance add satisfying substance.” School Library Journal

THE INTERVIEW

Amanda stopped by for a short interview to talk about her new book:

Welcome, Amanda! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Fun bundle of action, romance and adventure.

Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why? 

I love Nash. He’s my heroine’s best friend and not only is he an asexual genius with striking good looks (that are of course wasted on anyone else) but he also walks around in big highwaymen coats and an attitude. I also might have listened to a lot of Adam Ant while I was writing him!

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Do as I say not as I do – hahahaha! Actually, I’m not even joking because I’m a terrible writer. I lack discipline and I break the rules all the time (usually without even knowing they were a rule in the first place!) But in all seriousness, despite my flaws I was always determined to get published, so I guess my only advice is that if this is what you want then you have to find a way to fight for it.

What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I avoided writing altogether. I was always really good at English and read anything I could get my hands on but it never occurred to me to write in my spare time. I was probably too busy planning my wedding to Shaun Cassidy!

What's the last book you read that you really loved?

I’ve just finished The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling and I really adored it. I also really loved The Casual Vacancy as well, which was dark, depressing and kind of fantastic! The thing that’s always appealed to me about her writing is that she reminds me of all the English authors that my dad used to read like Jerome K Jerome and PG Wodehouse so it’s a cozy, comforting reminder of my childhood all at the same time!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Ashby was born in Australia and after spending the last sixteen years dividing her time between England and New Zealand, she’s finally returned home for some sunshine. When she’s not moving country, she likes to write books (okay, she also likes to eat chocolate, watch television and sit around doing not much, but let’s just keep that amongst ourselves, shall we?)

She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. Her debut book, You Had Me at Halo was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award. Zombie Queen of Newbury High was listed by the New York Public Library’s Stuff for the Teen Age 2010. Fairy Bad Day was selected by Voya as one of their Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2012 and was a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award finalist for the Australia/NZ region.

FIND HER

http://www.amandaashby.com

https://twitter.com/amandaashby

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Ashby

Interview and Links!

I recently did a phone interview with a teen that was writing for YouThink Magazine - A Canadian magazine for teens.

The interview just went up, and I wanted to share it with you. I guess I really polish my words when I'm answering interviews on my computer, because this one truly shows my - ahem - casual nature. (I can't believe how much I say "like"!)

Also, I've been keeping my eye out for where WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART is available. It's now up on Amazon in paperback and ebook. The paperback is also available at Create Space. The ebook has just shown up on Kobo and also on Diesel this week.

Monday is the official release day, so I'll be back with the full description, praise from other authors, and the full list of links where it's available.

The offer still stands...if you'd like to promote it to other writers for me, I'd be happy to give you a free copy of the e-book.

A Book and a Chat with Denise Jaden (That's me!)

I'll be appearing on a LIVE radio/blog show tomorrow morning! Yes, I'm very nervous. Here's the deets...

Saturday, Oct 2nd – 11:00am EST (8 am on the West Coast - hope I can get my brain in gear that early!)

And this is an interactive thing, so feel free to call in anytime after 11. The number you need to call is: 347-237-5398 (or there is also a chat area where my awesome host, Barry Eva, will pick up questions from).

Location: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond (Link to listen live or else via the chat room there).

I hope you'll stop by and say hello!