Guest Post on Strong Heroines by Anne Osterlund, Author of Aurelia

EXILE (AURELIA #2) BY ANNE OSTERLUND (April 28, 2011)

Crown Princess Aurelia stands in the face of exile. Behind her are the sister who tried to kill her and the father who ignored it. In front of her are the entire kingdom and Robert—the friend she can't help but fall in love with. Aurelia may finally be living her dream . . . but danger is not far behind. When Aurelia and Robert are betrayed by the very guards assigned to protect them, their expedition becomes a fight for survival that carries them from frontier to desert sands. Even with a hunter on their tail, the risks—to their lives, the throne, their hearts—only fuels Aurelia's determination to see her kingdom. And when their perilous journey is finally complete, she will discover just how much her people need her, and just how much of a risk loving Robert can be.

Strong Heroines

By Anne Osterlund

Aurelia, the heroine of my first novel (named after her) and my upcoming third novel, entitled Exile, does not care for the term bossy. “Heroes,” she says, “are never referred to as bossy, only heroines.”

She mentioned this to me the other day, and I asked her if she would care to write a guest blog for Kim, who runs the Book Butterfly site.

“Kim,” I said, “does not care for shy, fumbling female leads who have no idea they are special until they meets the token supernatural guy whom they instantly fall in love with, and then revolve their whole lives around, forsaking their own hopes and dreams for only his.”

“I like Kim,” says Aurelia.

“The sad thing,” I tell Aurelia, “is that Kim thinks she can’t find enough strong heroines in YA books.”

“That is sad,” said Aurelia. “We should help her.”

I agreed.

So Kim, here is our combined list of favorite strong heroines (mine and Aurelia’s) in YA/Mid-Grade novels. Complete with some of our favorite attributes.

Alanna from Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness Quartet. Alanna has purple eyes, red hair, and a wicked arm with a sword. She disguises herself as a boy to become a knight, and when the disguise comes off—watch out!

Blossom Culp from The Ghost Belonged to Me, Ghosts I Have Been, The Deadly Future of Blossom Culp, and Blossom Culp and the Sleep of Death by Richard Peck. Blossom sees ghosts. And travels through time to relieve their suffering. And drags poor, rich Alexander Armsworth through her very own special brand of torture in order to “help” him come to grips with his own gift. 

  Mara from Mara: Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. Mara is a slave girl with nothing. And nothing to lose. Bought by one of the servants of the queen, and threatened by one of the followers of the king, Mara willingly takes on the role of double-spy and plays the game entirely for herself.

Charlotte Doyle from The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. Charlotte is a young lady. The only young lady on board a ship rife with murder, mystery, and mutiny. When given the chance to choose her own future, Charlotte chooses . . . NOT to be a young lady.  

Kelpie from Witch of the Glens by Sally Watson. Kelpie wants to be a witch. Abused by the gypsy couple who raised her and ordered to steal and spy on their behalf, Kelpie sets out to determine her own future. In the middle of a Scottish War, no less.

Kit (aka Katherine Tyler) from The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. Kit doesn’t fit in in Puritan New England. She likes dresses. And silk. And speaking her own mind. When the Puritan leaders disapprove of her, she makes her own friends. And sets out to change the heart of the town, one child at a time.

 Susan from Ann Rinaldi’s The Last Silk Dress. Susan isn’t your typical southern belle. Her mother is abusive. Her brother is a mystery. And Susan has her own beliefs about what should happen in Richmond during the Civil War. Beliefs she has no intention of compromising. For anyone.

Margaret from Margaret by Jane Claypool Miner. Margaret sets out to become a teacher in a frontier schoolhouse in Nebraska. Her ideas, to say the least, are a bit of a shock to the people of Clarksville. She believes in equal pay for equal work, in studying for her profession, and in making sure every one of her students can learn—even if it means riding along with them in a wagon during a blizzard.
 

Anne Shirley from the Anne Books by L.M. Montgomery. Anne has an imagination, the brains to defeat everyone in the school in Avonlea, and a truly incredible ability to hold a grudge.

Katniss. From The Hunger Games. Enough said.

“Nice,” says Aurelia. “But you forgot me.”

“I didn’t forget you,” I tell her. “You got to create the list.”

“I should be on it,” she says.

“You’re the author,” I point out.

“If I’m the author, I ought to be able to put myself of the list.”

“Because you aren’t a shy, fumbling female lead?” I ask.

“Precisely.”

“And because you keep having to put up with people calling you bossy?”

Her face darkens, and the lines sharpen along her jaw.

“You know you’re at the top of my list,” I say. “I’ve spend six years listening to you. And I still am.”

“Good,” she says.

Come visit! Aurelia, Robert (who wisely stayed out of this discussion), and I hope you all enjoy their expedition in Exile beginning April 28th!

Anne Osterlund

Books by Anne Osterlund

 

Anne Osterlund grew up in the sunshine of Eastern Oregon and graduated from Whitworth College. She lives in a cute little yellow house with her best feline friend, Dance, and her own library of young adult books. She also teaches sixth grade and enjoys immersing her students in language, literature, and imagination. Anne has written two novels, Aurelia and Academy 7, both published by Penguin Books, and is ambitiously embarking on two more.

You may feel free to disagree, or agree, with either Aurelia or I on our website: www.anneosterlund.com or our blog: www.anneosterlund.blogspot.com

Five Fab Questions for Veronica Roth, Author of DIVERGENT!

Today I'd like to welcome Veronica Roth who stopped by today to answer a few questions about her dystopian novel, Divergent. Let's get started!

 DIVERGENT BY VERONICA ROTH
May 3rd 2011

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

INTERVIEW

1. What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome in developing the five factions of dystopian Chicago?

I had a clear sense of two of the factions (Abnegation and Dauntless). I knew what kind of houses they lived in, what kind of environment they lived in, what they wore, what they did in their free time, how they talked—everything. But developing the other three factions was—and continues to be—a real challenge. I don’t know why the other virtues are harder for me to extrapolate from than bravery and selflessness, but they are! All the same, it’s fun to learn more about the other three factions as I continue to write.

2. Does music play a role to get the creative juices flowing?

Definitely. I wrote the rough draft of book one to the CD Memento Mori by Flyleaf. I must have listened to each song a hundred times, if not more. For me it’s mostly about the mood of the music—it has to match the mood of the book, and if it does, it doesn’t really matter what kind of music it is or how dead-on the lyrics are. I just put it on in the background to get myself in the right mindset to write.

3. What are some of your all-time favorite books? Do you think they influenced the writing of Divergent?

Some of my favorite books influenced Divergent, and some didn’t. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor, for example, probably didn’t. But 1984 by George Orwell, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, The Giver by Lois Lowry? Definitely. They helped me figure out what I liked and what I didn’t like in sci-fi, and made me realize how far I could push the story—Ender’s Game, for example, never shies away from the dark side of human nature, and I tried to emulate that.

4. Can you tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know?

I drive a black Honda Civic, and sometimes can’t find it in parking lots because it looks like 50% of the cars that exist.

5. What is the best advice you’ve been given as an author?

Turn off the internal editor! I think that tidbit came originally from Anne Lamott, but it was reiterated by my favorite writing professor in college, and by half a dozen people since then. You can’t try to make every little thing perfect before you move on or you will never finish the story—and it’s only when you finish that you can really revise well, anyway, so what’s the point of obsessing about all the mistakes until then? I have a lot of trouble following this advice, but it’s nonetheless essential to my writing process.

Check out the Teen Book Scene for more of Veronica's tour stops on the Divergent Tour! 

Veronica Roth is only 22, so her bio will be short. She’s from a Chicago suburb. She studied creative writing at Northwestern University, and wrote DIVERGENT, her YA dystopian thriller (Katherine Tegen Books, May 2011!), while she was supposed to be doing homework. This was a decidedly good choice that will unfortunately make it difficult for her to someday lecture her future children on how important it is to get your homework done.


Visit http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/ to learn more!

Giveaway: The Carrie Diaries & Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell!

I've got a fantastic giveaway for all you Carrie Bradshaw fans out there. Up for grabs today is your chance to win a paperback copy of THE CARRIE DIARIES by Candace Bushnell AND a finished copy of SUMMER AND THE CITY: A CARRIE DIARIES NOVEL by Candace Bushnell.

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell (May 1st 2010)

The Carrie Diaries is the coming-of-age story of one of the most iconic characters of our generation.

Before Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw was a small-town girl who knew she wanted more. She's ready for real life to start, but first she must navigate her senior year of high school. Up until now, Carrie and her friends have been inseparable. Then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture, and a friend's betrayal makes her question everything.

With an unforgettable cast of characters, The Carrie Diaries is the story of how a regular girl learns to think for herself and evolves into a sharp, insightful writer. Readers will learn about her family background, how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. Through adventures both audacious and poignant, we'll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where her new life begins.

 Summer and the City: A Carrie Diaries Novel by Candace Bushnell (April 26th 2011)

Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream.

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined.

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw.

How to Enter: 

Simply fill out the FORM

Official Rules: 
Open U.S. entrants with a valid U.S. mailing address only.
You must be 13 years or older to enter.
You must be a blog follower
Contest Ends May 10 2011 at midnight eastern standard time.

Catching Up with Hannah Moskowitz : Win Invincible Summer

1. What are some of your favorite books read in 2011?

My favorite books I’ve read this year so far have been STOLEN by Lucy Christopher and ON THE JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta, and WEETZIE BAT by Francesca Lia Block.

2. What books would  you have recommended to readers at age 11, 16 and 21?

Such a fun question.
 

AGE 11: 

The Casson Family series by Hilary McKay (SAFFY’S ANGEL, INDIGO’S STAR, PERMANENT ROSE, CADDY EVER AFTER, FOREVER ROSE--especially the first 3). Also THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton and CENTER LINE by Joyce Sweeney; I think 11 is a great age for really fantastic angsty stuff. 

AGE 16:

Keep reading YA: THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE-LANDAU BANKS is perfect for 16. Also read adult books. Chuck Palahniuk, Hemingway, John Irving, F. Scott Fitzgerald, anything.  This is a great age for beginning to see the conversations happening between books and across genres. 

 AGE 21: 

Ask me in two years!

BOOKS BY HANNAH MOSKOWITZ

CONTEST

*One finished copy of Invicible Summer courtesy of Simon & Schuster

 

INVINCIBLE SUMMER  

BY HANNAH MOSKOWITZ

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; Original edition (April 19, 2011)

Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....

TO ENTER:
Simply leave a comment along with your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. Extra entry for followers.
OFFICIAL RULES:
You must be 13 years or older to enter the contest.
Contest is limited to entrants with a valid U.S. mailing address (no P.O. boxes please)
Contest ends  May 6th 2011 at midnight eastern standard time

Hannah Moskowitz writes books, blogs, and stalks publishing news and trends. Her first YA novel, BREAK, about a boy on a mission to break all his bones, came out with Simon Pulse in August '09. Her next book, INVINCIBLE SUMMER, is about growing up at the beach and having sex and learning sign language, April '11, Simon Pulse, and her 3rd YA is GONE, GONE, GONE, spring 2012. She also writes middle grade, and ZOMBIE TAG, about a boy who has to save the world from zombies after he wakes them up to see his dead brother again, is coming in Fall '11 from Roaring Brook Press. Publishing makes her frustrated and confused and indignant and she loves every minute of it. At least most of the time. Official Website