Hey everyone! I’m so excited to have Vivi Barnes, author of Olivia Twisted (November 5, 2013) here for an interview today! Here’s the official Goodreads excerpt for the book:

Olivia

He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.

At least at this moment, I don’t care.

Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…

Z

I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta.

It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.

Except that she’s not.

Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.

Hope you guys enjoy the interview!

Question: Describe your book in ten words or less. Go!
Answer: Olivia must decide if she’ll join gang of hackers.

Question: Why Oliver Twist? What drew you to that classic in particular?
Answer:I fell in love with Oliver Twist when I saw the movie Oliver! during a particularly difficult time in middle school. It became my favorite classic. I thought the story was amazing and really depicted life in those times—when orphaned children were considered nothing more than the dregs of society. I thought it’d be interesting and challenging to do a contemporary retelling of the story from a teenage girl’s point of view, taking into account the innocence of the original Oliver and the deceitful intent of the Artful Dodger.

Question: What scene do you most regret having to cut?
Answer: Hmmm… I don’t have regrets on scenes that I’ve cut. I have a document that I call “Pieces and parts” in which all my cuts are pasted into in case I ever need them, but I never have. I cut them for a good reason, I guess, and move on to create new favorites.

Question: On the flip side, what was your favorite scene that got added during edits?
Answer: Easy – the second part of the first chapter, which is from Z’s point of view. Before I started edits, his POV was missing from some of the chapters. Adding in that first scene really set the tone and let the reader into his world of hacking and his relationships with Nancy and his ultimate boss, Bill.

Question: Which character was the hardest to write? Easiest to write?
Answer: The hardest character to write was Nancy, the “mother” of the Monroe Street gang. I did not include a Fagin in my story as the character didn’t quite fit, and though I loved him in the musical version, I didn’t so much in the original story. Nancy has many of Fagin’s responsibilities and qualities, painstakingly recreated for the contemporary story. I always thought Nancy deserved better than the fate she received in Dickens’ tale, so I wanted to do my best to honor her.

My easiest character was Sam, Z’s fun-loving sidekick who befriends Olivia. Her scenes were the most fun to write, as she doesn’t take much seriously (except when it comes to not pissing off Bill). Writing humor in an otherwise serious story is a welcome relief.

Question: What books would you recommend to a reader who loved yours and wants to read something similar?
Answer: If the reader is looking for a contemporary retelling, there are so many wonderful ones—SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard, TROY HIGH by Shana Norris, JANE by April Lindler are a few of the ones I’ve really enjoyed! Another great book and one with similar tone to OLIVIA TWISTED is DON’T TURN AROUND by Michelle Gagnon.

Question: What are three must-have items when you sit down to write?
Answer: My Macbook Pro (which I love to an almost unhealthy level), music (I have a playlist for each story I write), and a super comfy chair. I guess proper ergonomics is not my thing.

Question: Biggest writing quirk?
Answer: Listening to a strange variety of music when I’m writing, including hardcore stuff like Korn and Nine-Inch Nails. I know a lot of writers can’t write to music with lyrics, but I love it!

Question: Which book was your favorite read of 2013 (so far)? Are you looking forward to any new releases in particular between now and 2014?
Answer: This is a tough one—I have loved so many. One that stands out is DARKEST MINDS by Alexandra Bracken. And at this point, I’m really looking forward to ALLEGIANT by Veronica Roth and IGNITE ME by Tahereh Mafi. Obviously, I love dystopian novels, too!

Question: Are you working on anything new? Can we expect retellings of other popular classics?
Answer: I’m currently working on getting my kids to bed (easier said than done). Oh, wait, writing, right? ;) I am writing new stories, though there is never enough time in the day to do all the writing I want. I would love to do a retelling of something that hasn’t been done before (or infrequently done), like BLEAK HOUSE by Charles Dickens. Perhaps in the future…

And now for the awesome giveaway, courtesy of Vivi! We have ONE finished, signed copy of Olivia Twisted up for grabs!

-Giveaway is US only

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! First of all, I want to thank my awesome, awesome followers for being, well, awesome. I can remember, just a few months ago, doing a giveaway for hitting 200 Twitter followers! So this is just an insane milestone, one I didn’t think I’d hit for a long time! So thank you all! <33333

I’m going to keep this simple. I’m giving away an ARC of Teardrop by Lauren Kate.

It’s gonna be quick and dirty, because I’d love to get it out to the winner before it releases on October 22. Here are the rules:

-Giveaway is US/CAN/INT (I’m spreading the love this time!)

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. Once it’s in the mail, I have no control and, sadly, cannot re-ship anything.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone, and welcome to my stop on the 2013 Debut Author Bash! I’m so excited to be hosting Kelly A. Barson, author of 45 Pounds (More of Less), which was an absolutely amazing book!

K.A. Barson graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. She and her husband live in Jackson, Michigan, surrounded by kids, grandkids, unruly dogs, and too many pairs of shoes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today, I have an interview with Kelly and an awesome giveaway that you guys can enter. First, here’s some information on the book:

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!

And now, the interview:

Question: Hi, Kelly. Thank you for joining me today! First, I’d like to congratulate you on your amazing debut, 45 Pounds (More or Less).
Answer: Thank you for having me!

Question: This book was realistic and inspiring. For me, this book hit close to home. I found myself nodding along to the majority of Ann’s thoughts, and grimacing when something she dealt with reminded me of a situation I was in. Tell us more about what inspired you to write it.
Answer: I wanted to write a book about a real girl who struggled with weight, but most of all struggled with her perceptions of herself and those around her.

Question: Ann is a very likeable, relatable character. How much of your own experience went into writing Ann?
Answer: More than I care to admit! I have always struggled with my weight, too. I’ve been on so many diets I know them inside and out. It’s not just a matter of eating a certain way or doing certain things. It really does come down to self-worth and what’s going on in your head, first and foremost. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering that, so I could really relate with Ann and her internal struggles.

Question: Were any of the characters (Courtney, Raynee, etc) based on people you knew in real life?
Answer: Gram is kind of a mash-up of my grandma, my mom as a grandma, and me as a grandma. Ann is a mixture of me and a ton of other girls that age. Other than that, no one in particular.

Question: What about Ann’s mother? What went into developing her character?
Answer: The hard part with her was to balance how Ann saw her and the reality of her. The book is in Ann’s point of view, so I had to stay there, but I wanted readers to see her as a real person battling her own issues. She loves her daughter and has good intentions. They just don’t always come across the way she means.

Question: The most heartbreaking part of this book, in my opinion, was the storyline involving Libby. Can you tell us more about her character, and how you came up with her storyline?
Answer:I love Libby! My own experience (as a kid and with my own kids) is that they’re smarter than people think. They pay more attention to what people do than how they’re told to think. Because they parrot words and behavior, what better way to show Ann how she’s been behaving than a little sister that wants to be like her—and her mom?

Question: What’s the one thing you really want readers to take away from 45 Pounds (More or Less)?
Answer: For readers who struggle with weight, I hope they realize that they’re not alone and hope they can see how beautiful and valuable they are. For those who have never had a weight or body image problem, I hope they can look at those around them through a different lens, to realize that we all have issues and that everyone is worth getting to know.

Question: On a lighter note, if you could go into a candy store and buy 45 pounds worth of candy, what would you get?
Answer: Peanut M&Ms, definitely!

Question: What was the writing process, in general, like for you?
Answer: Long. I took almost nine years to write this book. I had to re-vision and re-start the story several times until I found its true focus. I was pretty new when I started, so every time I learned something new about character motivation and plot, I’d start over to incorporate that new lesson.

Question: And the road to finding an agent and getting published?
Answer: Again, that was long. But once I took two years off from submitting to learn and focus on writing, things moved along pretty quickly after that. I graduated with my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults in January 2011. By June of that year, I’d signed with my agent. (I’d simply queried her. She requested my manuscript and offered representation a couple weeks later.) By fall, she’s sold my novel to Sharyn November at Viking. But it was long road from 2005 to 2011.

Question: What are you working on next?
Answer: My next book is a YA contemporary about a high school cosmetology student who thinks she has her whole life planned out and under control—until everything falls apart.

Question: Can we expect another book set in Ann’s world, or one similar to it?
Answer: The next book is in the same city—a fictional version of my own city, Jackson, Michigan. It’s not a spin-off or a sequel, but some of the characters from 45 POUNDS might be making cameos.

And now for the giveaway! Kelly has generously donated a signed hardcover, which one of you lucky people will win! In order to enter to win, please follow the Rafflecopter prompt below. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and ends Thursday, October 10th.

-Giveaway is US/Canada only

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey, everyone! I’ve been talking about this giveaway for awhile now, but it’s finally here! I have ONE ARC of Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz up for grabs!

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she’s heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

So here’s the deal:

-ONE US winner will receive an ARC of Frozen

-ONE international winner will receive a pre-order of Frozen from The Book Depository, so long as they ship to your location for free. If they do not, you will receive a $10 credit towards a book of your choice.

-You must be 13 or older to enter my giveaways OR have your parents’ permission.

-No cheating! If you do, I will know and you will lose. I WILL check the Rafflecopters to see if you actually did what you entered for.

-I will contact the winner after the giveaway is over. If said winner does not reply to me within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. Sorry, but I can’t re-send things.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway; I’m a fun person, not all giveaways will be the same.

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway