GCC Presents Melissa Walker and SMALL TOWN SINNERS!

ON SALE JULY 19TH, 2011

 “A devilishly good read.” —Lauren Myracle, NY Times bestselling author of Shine

SMALL TOWN SINNERS
A NOVEL OF FAITH, FRIENDSHIP AND FAMILY

Small Town Sinners is the story of Lacey Anne, daughter of the pastor and perennial good girl, who is eligible for a lead role in the season’s Hell House production—a role she’s been coveting for years. But when Ty moves to town as casting begins, a new perspective is added to Lacey Anne’s world and she starts to see her tight-knit, Evangelical community in a different light. With the help of her two best friends Starla Joy and Dean, and her potential first love Ty, Lacey Anne begins exploring her own thoughts and feelings about her religion, her community, and her place within both. While this novel deals with provocative issues like religion, teen pregnancy and underage drinking, it is not an “issue” book; the topics are masterfully interwoven into this story of friendship and family.

Early readers agree:
“Small Town Sinners shines a light on the fascinating world of the teenage Hell House. Sit back and let Melissa Walker be your guide. She writes without a shred of judgment and plenty of heart.” —Dana Reinhardt, author of A Brief Chapter of My Impossible Life

“Walker is sympathetic and respectful of her characters’ faith, while putting on display the shocking extremist scare tactics that make Hell Houses, well, hellish.” —Donna Freitas, author of This Gorgeous Game and The Possibilities of Sainthood.

“A non-judgmental, nuanced, fascinating look at the teenage religious right… Walker writes an outstanding contemporary novel with a cast of characters who, far from being portrayed as hateful zealots, are relatable for readers of all faiths. The extremism of Hell House is tempered by the perfectly understandable attitudes and intentions of Lacey Anne, who struggles with what it means to grow up, to question and to think for herself.” –Romantic Times

“Both tender and provocative… Walker creates an astutely balanced portrait of a conservative congregation’s in-your-face response to perennial issues of domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, and suicide, as well as of those who struggle to fit the prescribed Christian mold.” –Publishers Weekly
“This secular story about religious people could easily devolve into camp mockery, but because Walker takes her character’s crisis of faith seriously and sensitively, readers will, too.” –Kirkus Reviews


MELISSA WALKER: Melissa has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. She is the author of the Violet on the Runway series as well as Lovestruck Summer. Melissa manages I Heart Daily, an e-newsletter and blogs for ReaderGirlz, an online community for teens. www.melissacwalker.com

 AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA:

1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.
Religious small town girl meets curious boy.

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
I really like Tessa, the older sister of my main character's best friend. She radiates positivity and confidence, and whenever I wrote about her I could picture her inner glow.

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Read everything, good and bad! The good will give you something to aspire to; the bad will make you think, "Hey, maybe I can do this too!" (At least it did for me.)

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 wrote articles for my yearbook and school newspaper, but I also kept a journal that was FILLED with angst and emotion. I still love to reread it (even when it makes me cringe).

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?
I adored Tara Altebrando's DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB. I got so lost in the characters' world that I would be disoriented when I looked up from the book (I love it when that happens).

Melissa also holds regular contests on her blog. Check out July's contest here. Congratulations to Melissa and SMALL TOWN SINNERS!

Friday Four

1. For those of you haven't heard me shouting from the rooftops (aka: Twitter/Facebook) my new novel finally has a title, and I'm absolutely in love with it. It will be called:

NEVER ENOUGH

and it is tentatively slated to release July 10th, 2012. YAY!!! More to come soon in the way of summary and cover art...

2. I'll be signing books and hanging out to talk with people at the KlaHaYa Days Festival in Snohomish Washington. The festival takes place July 22-23rd, and Uppercase Books will have a booth showcasing different authors during the event. I'll be there (along with the fabulous Mindi Scott) from 3-4 PM on Sunday, July 23rd. If you're around the area, I hope you'll stop by and say hi.

3. I think I need to take a tutorial on iTunes. I love my iPhone, I really do. And I love audiobooks. But often putting the two together is just one big recipe for crazy-making. What if each CD of an audiobook is simply labeled Track 1 - Track 10? All the track 1's from each CD get mish-mashed together. I know there must be a smart way to get around this. But obviously that would take a smarter person than I.

4. I'm getting ready to head down to Sacramento for a few days to visit friends and help out with their bodybuilding competition (my husband and I used to run bodybuilding competitions). I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends, but also? I'm very-much looking forward to seeing the sun. Summer in B.C., so far hasn't been terribly dry or warm.

Happy weekend to all of you! Hope where ever you are that there is sunshine to brighten your day!

Tuesday Recommendation: INCONVENIENT by Margie Gelbwasser

I don't have an author interview for this Tuesday, so instead I've been thinking about a book I can highlight. Tara Kelly recently started a Realistic Revolution on her blog, where she asked her readers for suggestions of contemporary realistic fiction, with a focus on books that have been overlooked, or may not have gotten the attention they deserve.

I've recently read lots of books I've really loved, but one in particular that I think falls into this category. I'm not a book reviewer, but just want to throw this out as suggestions, if you're looking for something contemporary to read.

Inconvenient by Margie Gelbwasser. Here's the summary from GoodReads:

In fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bondar's Russian-Jewish culture, having a few drinks is as traditional as blinchiki and piroshki. So when her mom's midday cocktails turn into an all-day happy hour, it seems like Alyssa's the only one who notices—or cares. Her dad is steeped in the nightly news—and denial—and her best friend Lana is too busy trashing their shared Russian heritage so she can be popular.

Alyssa would rather focus on cross-country meets and her first kiss with her running partner, Keith, but someone has to clean up her mom's mess. But who will be there to catch Alyssa when her mom's next fall off the wagon threatens to drag her down, too?

I finished reading this book in a few short days. The characters drew me in and the writing was wonderful. I know people usually want to rush out and read The Next Popular Book, but I encourage you to take time to look for some lesser-known gems as well.

Do you have any lesser-known gems you want to recommend?

A Couple of Friday Things...

First, Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends!!!

Secondly, because I have strong doubts about being back on the blog before Monday, Happy 4th of July to all my American friends!!!

Thirdly, I'm super-busy trying to get these revisions done, but I hope to have some exciting things to share about this new book by next week!

And lastly, I wanted to share a special book with you that came out this week. If you are a fan of contemporary fiction (as I am), if there's one book you should buy this year, it should be this one:

And I'll tell you why...

First of all, if you haven't read a verse novel by Lisa Schroeder, you're missing out. But besides that, Lisa has done an incredible job this year of giving contemporary YA fiction a solid place in the book market through spearheading The Contemps.

I want more great contemporary fiction to get published and I want to thank Lisa for everything she's done to bring contemporary fiction into the spotlight. What better way to thank an author than by buying their latest book? So I'll be picking up a copy of this as soon as can get my hands on it. And I hope you will too! Thanks Lisa!!

Happy holiday weekend to you all!!

GCC Presents Suzanne Young and A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL!

I'm excited to share a book from another author-friend, fellow-Tenner, Suzanne Young. Her latest novel, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, is on sale 6/21 from Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins

Book Summary:
We all want to be remembered. Charlotte’s destiny is to be Forgotten…
Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?


Praise for A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL:
"A clever and well-written fantasy. Whether Charlotte is an angel or a being less freighted by religious tradition is left up to the reader, but the dilemma of how we can make a lasting impression is a very human concern. Young offers an elegant solution that is well worth consideration."
— Booklist, starred review

“A gripping supernatural romance… An imaginative twist on the timeless battle between dark and light.”
— Kirkus Review


“A beautiful, poignant, and gripping tale of love and sacrifice.”
-Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH


“A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL is equal parts haunting mystery, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, and epic love story. Charlotte’s story captured me—and still hasn’t let me go!”
-Kimberly Derting, author of THE BODY FINDER

A Short Interview with Suzanne:

Tell me about your book in seven words or less.

A story about love and sacrifice.

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

I really love Onika. It was fun to explore such a sinister side of my writing. 

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

Keep writing. I thought about giving up several times in this journey. But I kept writing, and it’s what got me through the lower points.

What did you write when you were a teen?

I used to write murder mysteries starring all of my friends.

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

I adored Lisa Schroeder’s THE DAY BEFORE.

About Suzanne:


Suzanne Young currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she uses the rainy weather as an excuse to stay inside and write obsessively. After earning her degree in creative writing, Suzanne spent several years teaching middle school language arts. Now she can be found at home chasing after her two children and poorly behaved dog and writing novels for teens. You can visit her online at www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter @suzanne_young.

Watch the book trailer:



Huge congratulations to you, Suzanne! I can't wait to read it!!

Friday Four

1. I am consumed in line edits. That's enough to be all four points of Friday Four today, but I have more...

2. The Contemps are accepting applications for new members. If you have a YA Contemporary book coming out between 9/2011 and 8/2012, check out this blog post to find out how you can join us! It's been a great project to get connected with teachers, librarians, and contemporary fans.

3.Things are coming together for my summer 2012 novel! I should have a title by next week, and a cover to show you very soon. Terribly excited about this!

4. I just found out I'll be teaching a Pro Series workshop for the Western Washington division of SCBWI. It's not scheduled until March, but I'm thrilled that my proposal was accepted. Many of you know about the terrible losses I've suffered recently. Well, want to hear something ironic? I submitted my proposal before most of the tragedy hit, and the topic I proposed? Grief in Fiction. Um, yeah. So I think I'll have a lot to share by March.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

GCC Presents Elana Johnson and POSSESSION!

I'm super-excited to tour this next guest on the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit! You may know her as the organizer of WriteOnCon, an amazing online writer's convention. She's also the author of FROM THE QUERY TO THE CALL, a great resource for writers, and the founding author of the QueryTrackerBlog. Besides all of that, we share the same fabulous editor at Simon Pulse! If you don't know Elana yet, here is your chance! Her debut YA novel POSSESSION just released and we're celebrating it this week on GCC!

About the book:
 Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

What People Are Saying:

"Possession held me completely captivated from beginning to end. And what an end! I fell in love with the characters and had countless moments of 'Wow.'"
--James Dashner, bestselling author of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials

"Who Should Read This: Anyone who wants a challenge: This plot is so twisty, I had to read the last chapter twice before I could believe what happened. There's also a very nice balance between badass action and romantic tension for readers who like a good mix of the two."
--MTV.com


“Most [readers] will be drawn in by the love triangle, revelations about Vi and her family, and a dark twist ending that maintains the faintest glimmer of hope.”
--Publisher's Weekly


"This debut dystopian succeeds at suspense and tension.... Revelations come hard and fast." --Kirkus

“Emotion pumps through every scene of this thriller. Given all the urgency and action, the novel’s ending may surprise readers as the heroic adventure turns into a tragic love story.” –School Library Journal


“An intriguing dystopia…A good choice for fans of Pam Bachorz and Ally Condie.” --Booklist


The Interview with Elana:

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

Angry girl + brainwashing messages + cute boys = Possession

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

I really like Pace Barque. He’s the brother of my male MC, and there’s something “quiet” about him that I love.

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

Allow yourself to write badly, so you can figure out how you write best.

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?

Oh, I hated writing as a teen. I was a math girl. I even have a math minor! Writing didn’t come until much later in my life.

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

VARIANT by Robison Wells. It’s coming from HarperTeen in October.

All the very best to Elana and POSSESSION! To read the first two chapters or find out more, go to the official POSSESSION website.