Top Ten Reasons Your Neighbor Might Be a Siren by Lisa Papdemtriou!

Welcome to today's tour stop on Lisa Papademetriou's blog tour for Siren's Storm! Lisa stopped by to share with us this adorable guest post.  For more tour information, be sure and check out The Teen Book Scene.

Top Ten Reasons Your Neighbor Might Be A Siren

by Lisa Papademetriou

10.   Beautiful singing voice causes neighbors to go insane

9. Uses a wheelchair (due to fin)

8. You swear you’ve seen her face on the bow of a ship

7. Keeps trying to order kelp salad at local diner

6. Grizzled old sailors give her the eye

5. Wears a bikini top made of seashells

4. Gee-Her-Hair-Smells-Like-Seaweed

3. Backyard pool features live fish, sharks

2. Combs hair with a fork, best friend is a seagull

1. Yard riddled with bones of dead sailors

Siren's Storm by Lisa Papademetriou

July 12th 2011

Nothing has been the same for Will ever since what happened last summer. One day, on an ordinary sailing trip with his brother, there is a strange accident. When Will wakes up, he learns his brother has disappeared, presumed drowned. Worst of all, Will can't remember what happened—his family finds him unconscious, with no memory of the accident.

Now Will and his best friend and neighbor, Gretchen, are starting a new summer. Gretchen seems troubled—her sleepwalking habit is getting worse, and she keeps waking up closer and closer to the water. Will is drawn to Asia, the exotic new girl in town. Nobody knows where she's from—all Will knows is that her beauty and her mesmerizing voice have a powerful effect on people.

Then there is another mysterious drowning, and Will and Gretchen begin to wonder: Is Asia just another beautiful, wealthy summer resident? Or is she something entirely more sinister . . . and inhuman?

Lisa Papademetriou has worked in an editorial capacity at Scholastic, HarperCollins, and Disney Press. She has written or adapted over thirty books for young readers, including Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me; The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey; How to Be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days, and the New York Times bestselling Disney Fairies novel, Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon.

 

Lisa lives in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog, playing guitar, dancing around the house to 80's music, and eating at the vegetarian cafe (even though she isn't vegetarian).

Official Website

Guest Post with Shawn Thomas Odyssey, Author of The Wizard of Dark Street!

The Wizard of Dark Street is available to the public for the first time today, July 26^th, 2011!  I can’t tell you how VERY, VERY, VERY…VERY EXCITED I am to finally be able to share the mysterious world of Dark Street and Oona Crate’s extraordinary story with the world.  What better way to celebrate the book launch than to share some of the character’s favorite books?  Have you read any of them?  Have a look.  There’s some really good ones here.  Might be a little hard to find, to be sure.

The Wizard of Dark Street character’s favorite books:

Deacon: The Encyclopedia Arcanna.  (A set of more than one hundred reference books regarding all things magical)

Oona: The Dark Street Who’s Who: 36BC to Present. (This book contains information on nearly every person who has ever lived on Dark Street past and present)

The Wizard: The Gentleman’s guide to Social Gathering and Party Planning. 1877 edition.  (The name of this book pretty much speaks for itself)

Samuligan (the faerie servant):  The Last Faerie Road: an incomplete history of Dark Street, by Arthur Blackstone.

Adler Iree: Any book on magical law. (The older and more ancient the book the better)

Isadora Iree: The Handbook for the Academy of Fine Young Ladies.  (Everything a young lady needs to know about appropriateness, suitability, and social correctness in the year 1877.  Not that Isadora always follows these rules, but they are good to know so that, when the opportunity presents itself, she can make others feel stupid when they show their ignorance.) 

Lamont John-Michael Arlington Fitch III: Prefers to read The New York Times cover to cover.

Inspector White: He’s been meaning to read the official Dark Street Police Department’s Procedure Handbook for quite some time…but hasn’t quite gotten around to it yet.

Constable Trout: Cheep yellow-back romance novels and penny dreadfuls.  (Trout can’t get enough of them.  Reads them constantly…indeed, it has been noted that the man has a serious problem)

Shawn Thomas Odyssey is the author of THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET, a Middle Grade novel of detection and magic. Coming July 26, 2011, from Egmont USA.

The Wizard of Dark Street
by Shawn Thomas Odyssey
(July 26, 2011)

Oona Crate was born to be the Wizard's apprentice, but she has another destiny in mind.

Despite possessing the rare gift of Natural Magic, Oona wants to be a detective. Eager for a case, she is determined to prove that logic can be just as powerful as wizardry. But when someone attacks her uncle--the Wizard of Dark Street--Oona is forced to delve even deeper into the world of magic.

Full of odd characters, evil henchmen, and a street where nothing is normal, The Wizard of Dark Street will have you guessing until the very end.

The Wizard of Dark Street is available in bookstores nationwide and online in both hardback and eBook formats.

Please visit: http://www.thewizardofdarkstreet.com

Be sure and check out The Teen Book Scene for more tour stops!

Welcome to today's stop on The Teen Book Scene's blog tour for Jennifer Jabaley. Jennifer is the author of Lipstick Apology and Crush Control, which recently released on June 9th.  She stopped by to share this fun post on her favorite books at different ages. Take it away Jennifer!

Born in New York and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Jennifer Jabaley is a graduate of James Madison University and Southern College of Optometry. She began writing in 2006 and tries to manage optometry, writing and motherhood. She lives in Blue Ridge, Georgia with her husband and two children.
Official Website.

 

What books would you have recommended at Ages 5, 11, 16 and 20?

At age five I loved HARRY AND THE DIRTY DOG by Gene Zion and the FROG AND TOAD books by Arnold Lobel.

At age 11 I adored Beverly Cleary books (particularly the Ramona books) and of course Judy Blume. ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT'S ME MARGARET was practically required reading in my circle of friends.

At age 16 I discovered Mary Higgins Clark. One summer I devoured just about every book she wrote. I loved that most of her books took place in New Jersey, my homestate, and often in locations very similar to where I grew up. I loved that she had strong, independent female protagonists that relied on their brains to solve mysteries and murders.

Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley

June 9, 2011

Willow has spent most of her life as her mother's sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she's in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind - and more importantly, the heart - is something you can really control

Guest Post with Paula Bradley, Author of Chosen & Giveaway!

When I was encouraged to become a writer, I thought, What am I going to write about? And then things just started exploding in my head. While I experimented, I read nearly thirty books on how to write. I realized something odd: I was doing nearly all the things the experts said to do, and not doing what they said not to. In my youth, I never gave writing a thought as a profession because it always came naturally to me and I never believed anything easy was worthy.

I'm glad I had to quit my corporate job, because I can now do something I've always loved to do: tell stories. I can remember trying to get out of punishments for some (minor) infractions when I was a child, so I would tell a whopping tale, making it up as I went along. I always wondered why my father’s lips; I never realized he was trying to keep from laughing. Then he would say, “Is that the truth?” I learned quickly that if I ’fessed up and admitted it was just a story, I usually got off pretty lightly. I realized then that if you're entertaining, people are liable to forgive a lot of misdemeanors.

I see the world as one great, big plot line. I naturally pay attention to my surroundings; to what's happening, and what people are doing (or not doing). People intrigue me as I try to imagine what they're thinking, what just happened before I saw them, and where they're going.

Of course, I have to throw in paranormal activity in these musings. Most lives are mundane, but they become downright exciting when you toss in a cosmic oddity or an antagonist with special powers.

If I am so lucky, I can envision writing the rest of my life and never run out of material. Articles in financial magazines have hidden treasures bubbling just below the surface; a cookbook can become a subplot to a fascinating mystery; a pharmacy holds frightening poisons that just needs a genius sociopath to bring about mayhem.

So if you're looking to write a story, listen to sounds of life around you, to cars flying by on the highway, to malls with endless stores, and people who exhale the very life of a great novel.

 

CHOSEN BY PAULA BRADLEY

July 5, 2011

Have you ever wished you had superhuman abilities - a six sense? An ability to fly? Superior strength? The shy and introverted Mariah  Adele Carpenter sure doesn't! The talent of clairvoyance that plagued her since childhood has been carefully concealed by her mother to prevent marking her a paranormal freak.

In Paula Bradley's heart-pounding debut novel CHOSEN, Mariah's faith, perceptions, and sanity are put to the test. After a suicide attempt, her powers can no longer be concealed. Mariah thought the woes of her powers would be extinguished by taking her life, but somehow a mysterious being saves her and sets her on a journey.

The supernatural rescue enhances Mariah's extrasensory power so much that she becomes a person of interest to the FBI, another government agency, and the media. She can't escape the intensifying outer turmoil and she quickly finds herself tormented by nightmares and an obsession of trying to find the ambiguous character that haunts her dreams. This page-turning thriller is a trip for the reader as well as the gripping danger and unexplained happenings challenge their own beliefs on the nature of faith and the value of discovery.

Is Mariah's gift a blessing or a curse? You decide!

Want to win a finished copy? 

It's easy. Just leave a comment for Paula along with your email address. 

Official Rules: Must be 13 years or older to enter. Contest is open to entrants with a valid U.S. Mailing address only. Ends 8/1

Blog Tour Stop: Win an ARC of Siren's Storm by Lisa Papademtriou!

Welcome to today's tour stop on The Teen Book Scene blog tour for Siren's Storm by Lisa Papademtriou! Today I am giving away an ARC of the book. To enter to win, leave a comment below with your email address. Contest ends 7/30 at midnight eastern standard time. Good luck!

Siren's Storm by Lisa Papademetriou

July 12th 2011

Nothing has been the same for Will ever since what happened last summer. One day, on an ordinary sailing trip with his brother, there is a strange accident. When Will wakes up, he learns his brother has disappeared, presumed drowned. Worst of all, Will can't remember what happened—his family finds him unconscious, with no memory of the accident.

Now Will and his best friend and neighbor, Gretchen, are starting a new summer. Gretchen seems troubled—her sleepwalking habit is getting worse, and she keeps waking up closer and closer to the water. Will is drawn to Asia, the exotic new girl in town. Nobody knows where she's from—all Will knows is that her beauty and her mesmerizing voice have a powerful effect on people.

Then there is another mysterious drowning, and Will and Gretchen begin to wonder: Is Asia just another beautiful, wealthy summer resident? Or is she something entirely more sinister . . . and inhuman?

Lisa Papademetriou has worked in an editorial capacity at Scholastic, HarperCollins, and Disney Press. She has written or adapted over thirty books for young readers, including Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me; The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey; How to Be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days, and the New York Times bestselling Disney Fairies novel, Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon.

 

Lisa lives in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog, playing guitar, dancing around the house to 80's music, and eating at the vegetarian cafe (even though she isn't vegetarian).

Official Website

Guest Post with Jennifer Ziegler, Author of Sass & Serendipity!

 Today I'd like to welcome Jennifer Ziegler. Jennifer stopped by to share with us her thoughts on writing her latest book Sass & Serendipity (which releases today!).  See details below on how you can win a copy of the book. 

 

What are your favorite scenes to write?

My favorite scenes always involve my most beloved characters.  With Sass & Serendipity, I adored my two sisters, Daphne and Gabby, and I knew I’d enjoy spending time with them during the writing process.  However, there was another character I really fell for while drafting the book: sweet, loyal Mule.  I found myself really looking forward to his scenes.  In fact, if I can say this without sounding a little warped, I probably developed a slight crush on him.

This always happens to me while crafting a novel.  I find myself really drawn toward one of my side characters.  I suppose it makes sense in a way.  As an author, you don’t feel quite as responsible for them.  The minor characters don’t frustrate you as much as your flawed protagonists or antagonists.  They are there to help your main characters see the errors of their ways – either directly or indirectly.  They offer insight, encouragement, and/or comic relief. 

Here’s a scene where he ends up comforting Daphne, the younger sister, when she is reeling from a huge emotional setback.

“Hi,” Mule said.  “Is Gabby here?”

Daphne shook her head.  “She’s …” But she couldn’t remember where her sister was.  Work?  The store?  The bank?  Someplace important.  What time was it, anyway?

Mule cocked his head and studied her.  She could almost see him taking note of her blank expression, her gravity-defying hair, and her rumpled pajamas with the cartoon monkeys all over them.  No doubt by now he’d caught a whiff of the sharp scent, like overly ripe fruit, that her body was giving off after three straight days of no bathing.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

His voice was so full of worry that her eyes automatically misted up and her throat got that just-choked feeling.  She wanted to say, “Yes,” but that would be such an obvious lie.  On the other hand, saying “No” would just invite more questions.  And saying anything right now would squeeze the tears out of her.  So she just stood there, feeling helpless and pitiful.  And stinky.

“Hey, uh …” Mule shifted his weight and raked his fingers through his curls.  “How about I hang around until Gabby gets back.  Would that be okay?”

Daphne nodded.  She left the door hanging open and flopped down on one end of the couch, propping her bare feet on the coffee table. 

Mule walked inside and set down his backpack, keeping his eyes on Daphne the whole way.  “Sure is nice out today,” he said, slipping off his jacket and draping it on the nearby chair.  His movements and voice were extra steady, as if he were an expert negotiator and Daphne were some crazy person with explosives strapped to her chest.

Slowly and gently – as if trying not to spook her – he settled himself on the opposite end of the sofa.  Out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching her as she focused on the muted television screen.  They were now interviewing one of the drivers of the pile-up.  The guy appeared dazed, but not too freaked to ramble to a reporter.  The camera then panned to a dead deer lying on the shoulder of the road.  Its mouth was open and bloody, and its glassy eyes seemed to be staring right into Daphne.  Once again she could feel that downward tugging sensation inside her.  It felt as if she were teetering on a ribbon-thin brink, in danger of plummeting into a dark, cold abyss.

Then Mule loudly cleared his throat.

“So I’ll just say it.  I … heard about what happened,” he said, turning his torso enough to face her.  “I’m really sorry…”

There isn’t a whole lot of spoken dialog in this scene, but what is said is revealing and what isn’t said is even more revealing.  Daphne has just been through a difficult ordeal, and as the author, it was tough for me to put her in that situation.  That’s why this later scene was so refreshing and uplifting to write.  Sweet, devoted Mule happens to stop by and instead of avoiding Daphne, he reaches out to her – in his own adorably awkward way.

Where my job as storyteller was to turn the protagonists’ world upside-down, Mule was the character who most often stepped in to offer guidance and reassurance.  I loved him for that.  I suppose, in a way, he was the most serendipitous part of writing this book.

Sass & Serendipity 

by Jennifer Ziegler (July 12, 2011)

Daphne Rivera and her sister Gabby could not be more different.

For fifteen-year-old Daphne, the glass is always half full, a dab of lip-gloss can ward off a bad day, and the boy of her dreams—the one she's read about in all of her beloved romance novels—is waiting for her just around the corner.

But Daphne’s older sister Gabby wishes Daphne would get real. In Gabby’s world, everyone’s out for themselves, wearing makeup is a waste of time, and boys only distract you from studying before they break your heart. The only boy Gabby trusts is her best friend, Mule, who has always been there for her.

Both Gabby and Daphne are still reeling from their parents’ divorce, though in very different ways. While Gabby will never forgive her unreliable father for failing her mother, Daphne idolizes her daddy and is sure that everything would work out fine if her cranky mom would just let him back into their lives.

When a crisis leaves the girls and their mom homeless, help comes from an unexpected source, and both girls are courted by surprise suitors who shake up their views of the world. Suddenly the glass isn’t so clearly half empty or half full . . . and love seems a lot more complicated than they ever could have imagined.

To learn more about Jennifer, visit her official website and  blog. 

 A Sassy Giveaway! Three lucky winners will each receive one copy of Jennifer Ziegler's SASS & SERENDIPITY along with Jane Austen's classic, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. To enter, send an e-mail to SassandSerendipity@gmail.com. In the body of the e-mail, include your name, mailing address, and e-mail address (if you're under 13, submit a parent's name and e-mail address). One entry per person; prizes will only be shipped to US or Canadian addresses. Entries must be received by midnight (PDT) on 8/5/11. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on 8/6/11 and notified via email.