Funday Friday! Featuring.... Elizabeth Scott!

Hey guys! It's actually like 11pm on Thursday night, but I'm not going to have time to post this tomorrow. This week's Funday Friday is featuring one of my absolute favorite authors! She's on my list :) She was super nice and don't forget about her upcoming book The Unwritten Rule, available March 16th! Here's the interview:

1.Where did you get the ideas for your books?

"You can actually read about where I got the ideas for all my books on my website: http://www.elizabethwrites.com Just click on the books link and any book you look at will have "the story behind the story" for it down toward the bottom of the page."


2.Have you always been good at writing/ wanted to be a writer?

"Writing really snuck up on me! I didn't start writing until I was 27 (!) but once I started, I just had so much fun I didn't want to stop."


3. If you could work with any other author, who would it be?

"I don't know! I think I work best alone, but you know, I never say never about anything happening..."


4. Are there any parts of your books that are based on events in your own life?

"Nope. For me, the best part of being a writer is making up stories! And besides, my life is boring--why would I want to write about myself?"


5. How long did it take to find an agent/publish your first book after finishing the manuscript?

"Once I started actually looking for an agent (that took a while, because I didn't want to do it, and if it hadn't been for my friends asking me to, I never would have), it didn't take too long. And the first book my first agent sold for me sold in June 2005--and came out in July 2008. The third book my first agent sold for me, in October 2005, was actually my first novel, Bloom, and that came out as my first book, in April 2007."


6. What advice would you give to people who "run out of creativity" when writing?

"Try writing the scene from the end to the beginning. Try writing it from the point of view of another character. Try writing having everyone getting hit by a bus (sometimes this just makes you feel better, especially if your characters are driving you crazy!) Try sitting down and letting go of what you think should happen and just let your characters do whatever they want, rather than what you want them to do."


7. What's your favorite part of a book?

"If it's a good book, ALL of it!!"


(Now for a couple fun questions)
8. Favorite song?

"I don't have a favorite song. Sorry!"


9. If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which book, movie, food, and person(s) would you take?

"I could never pick just one book--or movie--I'd want to take everything!) But I would take fritos, water, my husband and dog with me for sure!"


10. Five of your favorite things?

"My husband, my dog, my family, books, and writing."


There you have it everyone! Elizabeth Scott :) Her website is Elizabethwrites.com It's very useful so head on over! Don't you guys just love authors? They're so awesome! Alright, hope you guys liked this one and found it useful! It definitely gives me more confidence in my writing knowing that Elizabeth didn't start writing till she was 27. Next week I'll have a contest up with a couple pretty cool prizes. Happy Reading everyone!

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

Sorry I didn't post this earlier guys! I had a busy day today. I haven't been able to get to the library yet, so I re-read this book and thought I'd post it! It's When It Happens by Susane Colasanti. The description of this book is:

Sara and Tobey couldn't be more different. She is focused on getting into her first-choice college; he wants to win Battle of the Bands. Sara's other goal is to find true love, so when Dave, a popular jock, asks her out, she's thrilled. But then there's Tobey. His amazing blue eyes and quirky wit always creep into her thoughts. It just so happens that one of Tobey's goals is also to make Sara fall in love with him. Told in alternating points of view, Sara and Tobey's real connection will have everyone rooting for them from the minute they meet!

I always love Susane's books! I absolutely love this one because it's so relatable. I mean, all of Susane's books are, but this one especially. When I find that perfect guy, I want him to be like Tobey. He's so sweet and adorable! The characters in these books are so multi-layered and lovable. I also love the alternate voice thing. It's always cool to read books with two different sides so you can see what each character was thinking. This book was Susane's first novel and it's definitely a great one! If you're looking for a real book with a cute romance, this one's for you! It was a pretty quick read for me. When I read it, time flew by! Happy reading, hope you enjoy :)

Funday Friday! Featuring.... Gayle Forman!

Yepp, today is another Funday Friday :) This week's author is Gayle Forman! She was way nice and let me interview her. Here it is:

1. Where did you get the idea for If I stay? Sisters in Sanity?

"If I Stay: Years ago, friends of mine--a family--were killed in a car crash like the one that kills Mia's family and one of those friends held out a little longer and I always wondered if he knew what had happened to the rest of his family. And if he did, did he choose to go with them. I guess I obsessed about that for a while when maybe seven years later, out of the blue, this character Mia, who was total fiction, popped into my head, prepared to take us both on a journey to answer that question.

Sisters in Sanity: This one also percolated for a while, and is also based on a true story, though not my story, but rather an article on behavior modification bootcamps I wrote for Seventeen magazine a dozen years ago. Those places horrified me, and stuck with me long after I'd finished the piece. One day, years later, I had a new baby and was trying to figure out how to make a living now that I couldn't travel around and report stories like I'd done before. I got this idea to do a young-adult novel and then I thought of those girls in those schools again and then I imagined this girl Brit, and that's how Sisters was born."


2. Have you always been good at writing/ wanted to be a writer?

"I've always written, but I didn't even think about becoming a writer until I was in my twenties. I was never one of those kids who aspired to be a novelist or reporter. I didn't write for my high school newspaper or yearbook. But I did always write—stories and plays and poetry—ever since I was a little kid. It wasn't until I was in my twenties and in college (I took a few years off before starting at university) when I realized that pre-med was not for me and started taking random classes that I happened upon a journalism course and a lightbulb went on."


3. If you could work with any other author, who would it be?

"There are so many authors I love and admire but I think I'm too bullheaded to collaborate. I love the collaborating with my editor, Julie, because she brings out the best in me, or reigns in the worst in me. One of the reasons I like writing is that I am my own boss and answer to only me."


4. Are there any parts of your books that are based on events in your own life?

"See above."


5. How long did it take to find an agent/publish your first book after finishing the manuscript?

"My first book is actually a travel book called You Can't Get There From Here: A Year On The Fringes Of A Shrinking World. It was nonfiction so it works a little differently. I wrote a proposal and sent it out to various agents and I think the whole process from proposal to agent to publishing contract was about three of four months. With If I Stay, I had to get an agent all over again--my first one had shut down her agency--and even though I'd published two books, the entire process took just as long, maybe longer. I described both ordeals at length in a blog post that you can read here: http://www.gayleforman.com/blog/2010/01/19/answers-part-2-query-letters/ "


6. What advice would you give to people who "run out of creativity" when writing?

"I don't think you run ever out of creativity. You might run out of energy. For me, there are days when it's just not right to write so I don't force it. But I'm also a big believer that momentum breeds momentum, inertia breeds inertia. So if you don't feel like the thing you're working on or creating is working, put it aside and work on something else, something fun and perhaps with no end goal (i.e. nothing you want to publish or show anyone). For myself, I often find that something grows out of this. But if I just sit there waiting for some magic lighting bolt of creativity to strike, it doesn't. The muse most often visits while you're already working."


7. What's your favorite part of a book?

"The part that makes my chest feel like it's about to break open a bit."


(Now for a couple fun questions)
8.Favorite song?

"Lately, Chicago by Sufjan Stevens, but this is not immutable."


9. If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which book, movie, food, and person(s) would you take?

"Book: A large blank composition book (plus a pen). To take advantage of the fact that I'm stuck on a deserted island.
A movie: Clueless. To take my mind off the fact that I'm stuck on a deserted island.
Food: Smoothies.
People: Husband and kids (and a babysitter for occasional dates on the other side of the island)"


10. Five of your favorite things?

"Generosity
Friends
Tropical Beaches
My family
Books—and the people who read them"


So there you have it everyone. The lovely Gayle Forman :) Thank you again Gayle for letting me do the interview! I hope you guys enjoyed the interview and found it useful! Happy reading everyone :)

Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler

Today's book is Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler. The description of this book is:

Calliope (or Cal as she calls herself) wants nothing more than to stay put; to stop traveling cross-country with her mother, sleeping in a tent, and abandoning all belongings whenever they pull up stakes. Meanwhile, Eliot misses the happy times he left behind when his father decided to open a camp for kids looking to lose weight and find Jesus. when Cal and Eliot meet by chance, they feel an immediate connection. together they must face their isolation, the threat of yet another move, and the deepening of Eliot's father's obsession. In their case, love just might be everything it's cracked up to be.

So, I'm kind of torn on this one. Part of me liked this book and part of me didn't. Basically, all the way until around page 120, I really didn't like it. There were some parts of that section that were good, but most of it just came off weird to me for some reason. I liked the rest of the book though. It's still an interesting story. It's definitely different. I do love Eliot though. He's so sweet and such a good guy. It's also written in alternating voices. One part of it that I kind of didn't like too much is that when it alternated between the two characters, it left out big chunks of the story. I mean, not anything that's probably too important, but it was just kind of too big of a chunk for my taste. Overall, I thought this book was okay. If you're looking for something different with a love story attached, this ones for you. I would recommend it to any age really, but if you're not an avid reader, I warn you. If it sounds interesting to you to try, go ahead! Happy Reading :)

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Okay everybody, today I've got a special book for all of you. This is Elizabeth Scott's newest book and it doesn't come out until March 16th! I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an ARC before it's release date. The description of this book is:

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like you best friend's boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.
Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.
Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

I really loved this book. I always love Elizabeth Scott's books! Her books always make you get that pang in your chest as you read, feeling what the character is feeling. I love it! Anyway, I thought this book was GREAT. It was so relatable! It really seemed like something that would happen to me. I felt so bad for Sarah the whole time. This book is only about 200 pages so it's a quick read. At least it was for me. I couldn't put it down! I wanted to know the ending so badly! I think most girls will love this book. Who hasn't had boy drama?? So if this book sounds good to you, go pre-order it now! It's worth it! You can pre-order it from the following: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Millon, Books Inc., and Borders. Happy Reading! :)

Funday Friday! Featuring.... Susane Colasanti!

Hey everybody! I got another author interview for you guys! This time, it is the wonderful Susane Colasanti! Here it is:


1. Where did you get the idea for Take Me There? Something Like Fate?

"The main story line of Take Me There actually came to me in a dream. In fact, a lot of major plot ideas reveal themselves to me in dreams. I had this dream about a boy and a girl who had been best friends for a while. Then one night, everything changes. When I woke up, I knew what should happen between Rhiannon and James. Since I was still a teacher while I was writing Take Me There, some of the school scenes were inspired by funny things I had seen or overheard at school. Most importantly, I wanted to write a novel that took place in New York City so I could try to capture how amazing it is here and share the energy with my readers.

I’ve always been interested in the concept of fate. I believe that we’re the architects of our own destiny, but I also believe that the Universe works in powerful ways. In Something Like Fate, I explore some of the questions I’ve been asking for years. How much does fate control our lives? If we follow one path instead of another, will we still arrive at the same endpoint? How can we explain things like major coincidences, deja vu, and that incredible sense of connection we immediately feel with some people? I also wanted to explore the conflict of falling in love with someone you know you shouldn’t be with. In Something Like Fate, a girl falls in love with her best friend’s boyfriend. She really believes that this boy is her destiny. Forbidden love is hot."

2. Have you always been good at writing/ wanted to be a writer?

"When I was 12 years old, I knew I wanted to be a science teacher. I remember being around 16 and thinking of writing a children’s book. But I’d already decided to be a teacher, so I didn’t consider writing as a career choice. However, I’ve always loved writing. Reading and writing have always been seriously important to me.

In high school, I wished for teen novels that would tell the story from both the girl’s and boy’s perspectives. I promised myself that if I ever wrote a book, I would tell both sides of the story. This inspired me to think about writing When It Happens. When I was in grad school, I started writing the first draft. Life is a wild thing – you never know where it’s going to take you. I wasn’t planning to resign from teaching and become a full-time author, but I’m so grateful for this amazing opportunity."

3. If you could work with any other author, who would it be?

"It would be cool to write a dual-perspective book with another author. I think collaborating is an excellent way to assure that each voice sounds unique. If Louise Fitzhugh were still with us, I’d be so incredibly honored to work with her. I totally worshipped Harriet the Spy back in elementary school. I even carried a spy notebook around for years."

4. Are there any parts of your books that are based on events in your own life?

"When It Happens was inspired by experiences I had during senior year of high school. I think that every first book is autobiographical to some extent. It’s the first opportunity for an author to pour out all of the experiences and emotions that she’s been carrying around her whole life. Naturally, some of those things are used to shape a first book. Every one of my books contains details from real life, though. That’s what hopefully makes the stories feel real."

5. How long did it take to find an agent/publish your book after finishing the manuscript?

"Like all manuscripts, the first draft of When It Happens was rejected by several publishers before finding its home at Penguin. I submitted that manuscript in 2001 and the hardcover edition was published in 2006. The book went through about nine revisions before I wrote the final version in 2005.

I didn’t have an agent until I was about to submit Take Me There. My agent is actually a friend of my publisher, so thankfully I didn’t have to do much searching for one. She agreed to sign me not long after my publisher put us in contact with each other."

6. What advice would you give to people who "run out of creativity" when writing?

"If someone is feeling like they don’t know where to go with their writing, they’re probably not feeling passionate about their story. When you have passion for what you’re writing, the story unfolds. This is not to say that we don’t all have our good writing days and bad writing days. Just that if you love what you’re writing, it’s impossible to run out of creativity."

7. What's your favorite part of a book?

"When the first sentence pulls me in and I’m like, “Dude, I totally have to read this.” If a book grabs me right away, I know it’s going to be an awesome read."

8. Favorite song?

“Clarity” by John Mayer

9. If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which book, movie, food, and person(s) would you take?

"Book – The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Movie – Garden State (but I would smuggle in Office Space and Election)
Food – cupcakes with pink icing and vintage sprinkles
Person(s)* – all of my friends, my bf, David Letterman (to tell jokes), Jodi Picoult (to tell stories), the entire Mummenschanz performance troupe (for entertainment), and Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks’s character in Cast Away)

*Assuming I would only be stuck there for a little while. I wouldn’t want to drag everyone else down with me."

10. Five of your favorite things?

"Sparkly city lights, The Office, nostalgia, old-school board games, positive energy"


There you have it! Miss Susane Colasanti. Her newest book, Something Like Fate, will becoming out in May and it sounds amazing! If you like Susane's books or have questions or anything at all, you can reach her at these following sites:

Website: http://www.susanecolasanti.com
Blog: http://windowlight.livejournal.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susanecolasanti
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/susanecolasanti
Twitter: http://twitter.com/susanecolasanti

Hope you guys enjoy!

How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles

Hey guys, I finished this book saturday but I forgot to post it, haha. Sorry! Anyway, today's book is How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles. The description of this book is:

EVERYTHING in sixteen-year-old Amy Nelson Barak’s life is going wrong! Her mom got married and moved to the suburbs, and now they are going to have a baby. Amy moves in with her dad in Chicago and signs him up for an online dating service. His first four dates are that night . . .
What else? Her dog Mutt impregnated her grumpy neighbor’s prized poodle, so Amy will actually have to get a part-time job to pay for half the veterinary bill. And there’s this totally annoying boy, Nathan Rubin, who just moved into her apartment building. Luckily, Amy has a cute boyfriend named Avi. Only he’s more like a non-boyfriend considering Avi is in the Israeli army for the next three years.

Apparently this book is the sequel to the book called How to Ruin My Summer Vacation. It was a good sequel though because I could still follow the story without being lost. I thought this book was really good! This is another book filled with internal sarcasm and I love it :) Avi is sooo sweet and adorable! I wasn't sure if I would like this book because I hadn't heard of it before or heard anything about it, but it was very good. I'll definitely have to pick up the first and third book. If you want to read this one, pick up the first book as well so you get all the details! I want to know more about Amy's trip to Isreal. It's really cool that the author had the Isreali and Hebrew element in this book. It's really different and interesting. Hope you guys think it sounds interesting and pick it up! Happy reading :)

Funday Friday!

Okay, yes, the title is pretty cheesy. I know this. But, it is pretty explanatory. Friday's from now on are going to be fun :) Here is the first Funday Friday surprise. Hope you like it!

For today's Funday Friday, we have an author interview! Yes, that's right. Eileen Cook was generous enough to let me interview her for this blog :) So here's the interview!

> Where did you get the idea for What Would Emma Do?

"I re-read the play The Crucible while on vacation. It's about the Salem Witch trials and how people can turn on each other. I started thinking of what it would have been like to be around during the time of the trials and then I started thinking how the story might play out in a modern high school. Later that night I started making notes on the story that would become What Would Emma Do."


> If you could work with any other author, who would it be?

"I can only pick one?! I grew up reading Judy Blume's books. (Secretly I blame her for my boobs. I did that "I must, I must, I must increase my bust" exercise from Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, and now look what happened.) I would love a chance to work with her. I would also clean her house if she would just let me hang around."


> Are there any parts of your books that are based on events in your own life?

"I think every author finds that bits and pieces of their life sneaks into their books. I am happy to say however, that I have never kissed my best friend's boyfriend, even by accident. If a writer is worried about having too much of their personal life in their book I would tell them write the whole thing and then figure out if there is something that needs to come out."


> How long did it take to find an agent/publish your first book after finishing the manuscript?

"Once I finished my first book it took about 3-4 months to find my agent and she sold the book after about six months. It felt like forever, but looking back it went fairly quickly."


> What advice would you give to people who "run out of creativity" when writing?

"I have two pieces of advice. When I am stuck it is due to one of two reasons, either I've gone down the wrong path and the story isn't working or I need to recharge my batteries. If I've gone down the wrong path I take the time to reread what I have and see if I can find where I went off track. If you try and force a story it doesn't work. Characters, even though they are made up people, still have to make choices that make sense for them. Other times the issue is that I'm burnt out. If I need to recharge then I take time to read, go to the movies, take my dogs to the beach or hang out with friends. You never know where a source of creativity is going to come from so get out there and soak everything up."


> Have you always been good at writing/ wanted to be a writer?

"I've always loved books wanted to be a writer. My parents had this homework assignment I did in second grade. We were supposed to practice writing sentences, I strung mine together so they made a story. The teacher wrote on the paper "Eileen some day I'm sure you'll be an author!" When my first book came out my dad hunted down this teacher. She was in her 80's. We went to visit her in the old age home and she spent the whole time talking about her bunions.

As for your question if I was always good.... that would be a no. You wouldn't expect someone to sit down at the piano for the first time and play Mozart. They would have to practice and writing is no different. Luckily, I like writing so the practice didn't feel like work."


> What's your favorite part of a book?

"Getting to write THE END! Writing a book is a marathon. It's a lot of fun in the beginning when you come up with the idea, but about half way through it gets difficult. Things don't work as well, characters start to wander off and I wonder if I will ever find my way to the end. Of course writing the end, isn't really the end... then come revisions."

> (Now for a couple fun questions)
> Favorite song?

"Oooh hard question, music depends so much on what kind of mood I'm in. If I can pick only one it would be Best Friend by Queen. It's an oldie, but it's a goodie."


> If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which book, movie, food, and person(s) would you take?

"I would take the book A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, the movie Love Actually (I think Colin Firth is dreamy), homemade chocolate chip cookies and my husband Bob. I would also sneak my dogs on the island. They're small and they could chase coconuts instead of balls."


> Five of your favorite things?

"I love:
A stack of books that I can't wait to read

Sitting on the beach with my dogs

Hot tea and warm cookies (especially on a rainy day)

Having good friends over for dinner and long conversations

Renting a stack of movies and spending all day on the sofa watching them in a giant movie marathon"


So there you have it guys! The wonderful Eileen Cook :) Hope her interview helped you guys with writing questions you may of had, or just made you laugh a little. I personally think that hearing this stuff from authors is AWESOME, even if it is only what their favorite color is. Thank you again to Eileen for letting me interview her.

Let me know if you guys like the new Funday Friday. From now on, on Friday's I should have fun stuff up like more author interviews, or even contests. So stay tuned :)

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Hey guys. I just finished the next book and this time it was My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison. The description of this book is:

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight.

So, at first, I was a little nervous about reading this book cause I'm not a big Sci-fi person, but this book was so cute! This book was definitely well thought out. There are so many elements to it. I give Janette Rallison two high-fives! Tristan is so sweet :) I love his character. Janette never ceases to make me laugh with her books. The sarcasm and fun dialogue always get me smiling. Anyway, this book is definitely a trip down fairytale lane, but it's still worth the read (you guys know I'm a sucker for any kind of cute romance story). The book is about 300 pages so its a pretty average length read. If you're looking for something fun, cute, and fairytale-ish, this one's for you! Plus, look at that cover! Sooo gorgeous! Hope you guys enjoy :)

Surprise!

That's right! There's going to be a surprise for all you guys posted soon. ;) It will probably be up Friday. I'm going to try and make Friday's on here more fun from now on and I've got some great stuff coming up that you guys are gonna love! I should have another review up soon too. Definitely up before friday. Thanks for visiting and happy reading :)

PS: If you could ask an author anything, what would you ask? ;)