Larkin's Book Bloggers

Looking for a different spin on your typical YA angel story?  Then definitely pick up a copy of Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, a new novel by author Amy Lignor.  Why is it different?  This is the story of two angels, soul mates, who have a mission on earth – but once they are earth bound, they forget who they are and no longer know they are soul mates – they don’t even remember knowing each other at all.

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the ‘life’ they’ve been assigned. What they don’t realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz’s establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel’s path and a warrior’s plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that’s ripping them apart.

Caitlin says…The book switches between Emily (her angel self), Liz (the body Emily is taking over on earth), Matt (his angel self), Daniel (the body Matt is taking over on earth), Faith (Liz’s best friend), Jason (Liz’s soul mate on earth), Charles, and…WHEW!  All of these different characters got a bit confusing in the beginning – especially trying to remember that Daniel was really Matt and Liz was really Emily.  But, on the flip side of that, I also really liked the changes of perspective – it added a lot of insight on events that were happening.  I also really at the end how the author told us what happened to Jason, Charles, Faith, and other characters who were with Liz/Emily and Daniel/Matt.  And I loved the cliffhanger ending and can’t wait to read the second book!

Audrey says…the switch between Heaven and Earth got a little confusing.  Also I felt like the sub-plot of Emily and Matt totally disappeared at times and I missed that part of the story.  I really liked the characters and the setting of Heaven – it was imaginative and funny.  I also liked the mystery – such as, why is Liz bruising?  Who is Emily, really?  How is this going to end?  And speaking of the ending – it was really good!  It settled everything while still leaving a tease for the sequel!

Overall – we loved Until Next Time and cannot wait for the sequel!

Caitlin W. and Audrey L, EMS Bloggers

For more info, check out the book page at…http://www.the-angel-chronicles.com

Or check out author Amy Lignor’s blog at…http://hellowriters.wordpress.com/

If you read a lot of fantasy/science fiction, like I do, you’ve probably thought a lot about the best place to be if disaster strikes.  It’s a n0-brainer for me, it would be my local Super Wal-Mart!  Seriously – I first thought of the mall or Barnes and Noble, but Super Wal-Mart tops them all.  Why?  Food, books, electronics, generators – I’d be set up for a while.  And in Emmy Laybourne’s new novel, Monument 14 – a bunch of kids find themselves in a situation similar to the one I’ve just described – how do things work out for them?

While on the way to school one morning, a major hail storm hits – and this isn’t your normal hail storm, think major dents and tears in the roof and smashing windshields.  To escape the storm, two bus drivers pull into the local superstore (think Costco) – oh, and I mean literally pull INTO, and end up saving the lives of numerous kids.  The bus driver leaves to get help and the kids – ages ranging from high school students to kindergartners, have to survive alone in the store.  They have everything they need, and it won’t be long until help arrives, so what could go wrong?  As the truth of their situation becomes clear, and further disasters strike, the kids realize they may be there a lot longer than they hoped.  Tensions rise, and some of the older kids get themselves into trouble. But brothers Dean and Alex as well as classmate Niko try to keep things running smoothly.  Will help ever come?  Will the kids ever be able to leave?

I have mixed feelings about this book.  The first half I loved – it was suspenseful and dramatic.  From the very beginning with the hail storm and the bus crashing through the store – I just had to keep reading to find out what the heck was going on.  I also loved the little kids – their behaviors were hysterical and Max’s stories alone had me laughing out loud.  The bus driver totally rocked – she crashed right into that store and then some!  And then she sacrifices herself to get help for the kids – very cool lady.  I also loved the tension when some unexpected visitors arrived at the store looking for help.  But there were also quite a few things that bothered me – it was like all of  sudden the author threw a switch and the book became inappropriate for middle school students – kids using drugs, sexual content – things I just didn’t expect after reading the first third of the book.  And without revealing the ending…Astrid’s revelation and explanation to Dean about why she doesn’t want to leave – again, unexpected.  Overall, Monument 14 was good.  Just good.  I wouldn’t buy it for my middle school library due to the crude jokes, drug use, and sexual content.  Oh – and maybe I wasn’t reading carefully – but I’m still wondering why the book is called Monument 14.  Please – someone who read this, help me out here!

Mrs. L., EMS Blogger

If you haven’t heard of author KB Hoyle, definitely check out her new novel The Six – which we reviewed last week!  This is KB’s debut novel and debut series – Book One of The Gateway Chronicles.  We were lucky enough to have a visit from KB and Caitlin and Audrey had a chance to ask her some questions…

1. Where did the idea for this story come from?

The idea for The Gateway Chronicles came from my camp experiences as a kid and teenager. My friends and I used to imagine other worlds at our summer camp because it was such a naturally magical place, and an escape from our usual lives. I also always loved fantasy literature, and as I got older and the camp chapter of my life came to an end, I began to think about using my interest in writing and my love of fantasy literature to pay homage to that very precious aspect of my childhood. From there, it was just a matter of figuring out what sort of fantasy story it was going to be.

2. Did you base Darcy on yourself?

Absolutely! Darcy as a thirteen year old is very, very similar to myself at thirteen. People say to write what you know, and I certainly didn’t know anybody at thirteen as well as myself. The funny thing is, when my family members read The Six, they kept expressing that they were surprised about what they were learning about me. My sister, in particular, said that she’d never known how deep my social anxiety ran growing up (which is something that I have Darcy exhibit in book 1). I was able to write Darcy so realistically, I think, because I was simply writing what I remembered feeling and experiencing.

3. How did you dream up such creative character names?

I don’t believe in randomness in stories. I think that you can tell when a fantasy name has simply been made up, and I also think readers are very smart and are distracted by poor characterization, which also has a lot to do with what names you choose for your characters. I studied a lot about J. R. R. Tolkien in college, and I learned that he based most of his names off actual languages. I also love Harry Potter and how Rowling crafted names purposely to tell the reader something about her characters. I used Rowling and Tolkien, in particular, as my inspiration for crafting meaningful names. Before I started writing The Six, I bought two international baby name books and found myself a good online English-Greek lexicon. I proceeded to take notes of names and their meanings, and to look up words in the lexicon that would have special symbolic meaning in my stories. So I have pages and pages of options for character names in one of my journals dating back to this time, and when I write a new character, I go back to those notes to choose something that fits. Just as Tolkien relied heavily on Norse languages (and Finnish in particular, I think), and Rowling relied heavily on Latin, I chose Greek, but I also have sprinklings of lots of other different languages in there, as well. If someone were devoted enough to look up the names I chose, one would unfold a lot of meaning and sometimes be able to predict what will happen with a character.

4. Why did you decide on the number 6?

There is a primary reason why I chose the number 6, but this is something that I will not reveal, sorry! There is a lot of number and color symbolism throughout the story, but if I reveal what everything means, the reader wouldn’t get the fun of figuring it out for him or herself. The symbolism behind the number 6, too, is wrapped up with the end of the series, so I simply can’t reveal it.

5. Did you believe in magic as a kid?

Did I believe in magic? Well . . . as much as any kid ever does, I suppose. I knew that magic didn’t really exist; my parents kept me well-grounded in what was fantasy and what was reality, so magic existed only in my imagination. I guess I hoped that magic existed, which is, again, what I think most kids experience. Being a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia, I went into the back of my closet many times and pushed on the wall, hoping to find an opening to Narnia, and I think that many kids today play at being Harry Potter. But this sort of imaginative hope is not the same thing as actual belief.

6. How did you get into writing or what made you want to be an author?

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an author. Going all the way back to age five, I remember loving stories and desiring to create stories of my own. Stories moved me, and that is what I wanted to do as a child when I began to write-I wanted to move people. I remember telling my mom that I “just wanted to change the world!” Authors, I recognized, had a unique ability to entertain and teach good lessons, and they got to pretend to be all of the characters they wrote! For a child captivated by everything outside of my immediate scope, the lure of writing and publishing stories was tantalizing. It helped that we never had cable TV in my house, and my parents encouraged us to read, read, read. By age eleven, I knew it was something I wanted to seriously pursue, and I began writing my first fantasy novel.

7. What is your writing routine?

It’s difficult to have a daily routine when you have a full-time job teaching and small children at home, but I try to stay as consistent as I can be. I tend to set writing goals and schedules for myself, and I plan out my novels meticulously before I begin writing. On an average day when I sit down to write, I will always go back and read what I wrote the day before, doing just a little revision as things jump out at me, and then proceed to write perhaps five to ten pages more in a sitting. Sometimes it’s more, and sometimes it’s less, and my routine has been sorely tested as I’ve been writing book 4 this spring rather than over the summer like I usually do (because I’m a school teacher and have the summers off). I absolutely have to self-discipline, however, because I’m a natural procrastinator, and if I don’t set those goals for myself, my books would not get written in a timely manner.

8. Do you have someone – other than your editor – who reads all of your drafts and gives you feedback?

When I self-published, I had a volunteer student reader who would read the manuscript and give me feedback from the viewpoint of my target audience. And of course I had my editors. Now that I’m with a publishing house, only my official editors will revise/edit the manuscripts ahead of time.

9. Who are your favorite YA authors? And what’s your current, favorite book?

I’ll start with my favorites, because I’m something of a traditionalist, and they really don’t change! My favorite books are The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter. Not very exciting, I know, because they are beloved by so many people, but if you’re going to be inspired by other authors, choose authors who have really done it right! My favorite recent YA read, however, has been The Hunger Games. I commented to my husband when I finished all three books last summer that I hadn’t enjoyed anything so much since I’d read Harry Potter, although I don’t like them as much as HP. I tend to be rather critical of what I read, so it’s difficult for a book to wheedle it’s way into my heart. I have a list a mile long, though, of new YA books I want to read (as the genre has really exploded in recent years!), and I hope to find a few more favorites among the mix.

10. Most importantly, will there be a sequel to The Six and when does it come out?

Yes! Book 2, The Oracle, is written and in edits and should be released by TWCS-if nothing changes between now and then-in June of this year. I love book 2, and I’m super excited to release it to the world!

A huge thank you to KB and The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House for setting up this interview.  We cannot wait to read Book 2 of the series!

Caitlin W., Audrey L., EMS Bloggers

 

If you’ve ever had that uneasy feeling when you’re on a plane…you know the one…you hit some turbulance, hear a strange noise from the engine area, and your stomach starts to do cartwheels.  Your little voice begins hammering away – there’s something wrong with the plane!  What do I do?  Where are the exits?  Where is my flotation device?  AHHHHH!  So I started reading The Raft – and just from reading this book I started to get that feeling…

Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

So here’s the thing with this book – Robie, the main character, didn’t like her so much in the beginning.  She was bratty and whiny and sneaky.  I’m not sure I would have been so sneaky at her age – the whole aunt going to LA on short notice and Robie weaseling her way into staying alone in the condo…nope, definitely wouldn’t have tried it.  So I didn’t actually start to identify with and root for her until after she gets on the cargo plane to go home and disaster strikes.  The plane crash scene is super suspenseful – I loved the character of Max here – very blunt and matter of fact, he was awesome!  And from here on out, it’s a survival story with Max and Robie.  Have you ever thought what you would do in a situation like this?  Thanks to Robie’s upbringing, I think she survives better than most – I know I wouldn’t have thought of some of the things she does.  And then, there’s the twist with Max – which I did not see coming.  Obviously now when I think back there were some clues – but it still shocked and surprised me and really made me feel for Robie.

Overall – a good read.  If you like realistic fiction, especially survival stories – read it!  And if the author’s name sounds familar – it should!  She wrote The Compound and The Gardener – two really popular books with students!  Check out the author’s blog – http://www.rockforadoll.com/ and find out more about her and her books.

Mrs. L., EMS Blogger

Courtesy of The Writer’s Coffee Shop…

Looking for a new fantasy novel to dig into?  Check out the just-released novel by KB Hoyle, The Six.  This is KB’s debut novel, and is the first in a series called The Gateway Chronicles.  You will definitely want to check it out!

Darcy Pennington hates her life. She is an average teenager with no real friends, crushing social anxiety, and an indescribable sense of not fitting in anywhere. A change in her dad’s job forces her to attend Cedar Cove Family Camp the summer before her eighth-grade year, and Darcy once again finds herself on the outside of a social circle of teenagers, with her only advocate being a girl from her school named Samantha Palm. The only problem is, Darcy has no desire to be friends with her, but as things begin to change around her, she decides being friends with Sam may be the only way to salvage her summer.

When Darcy begins to experience strange magical occurrences, she comes to believe she’s losing her mind!  After unwittingly stumbling through a magical gateway to a new world called Alitheia, she convinces Sam and the other four teenagers to travel there with her, and despite their earlier hostilities toward her, they eventually concede leadership of their small group to Darcy. Once there, they learn the “arrival of the Six” was prophesied hundreds of years before, and that they must expel an ancient evil from the land. In the end their lives, and the fate of Alitheia, will hinge upon Darcy. Will she have what it takes to fulfill her mysterious purpose? Or will she fall prey to a deadly foe?

Caitlin says…I really loved the great detail and descriptions. The whole beginning at the camp – Darcy being forced to go to “family camp” – was great! And I really liked the character of Sam – she played a great part and was so realistic. She had such a happy, cheerful, and helpful attitude – it was clear she was going to be a big part of Darcy’s life!

Audrey says…The main character Darcy was great – her feelings and reactions were so accurate and realistic! I loved that Darcy had flaws too. She was very human. Lots of characters in novels I’ve read are perfect, never making mistakes, always the star. The fact that she was…well, no spoilers here…let’s just say there are lots of things that make Darcy real and vulnerable. Finally…the lack of romance – it’s amazing! The action was much better because of it! Lots of teen novels focus on romance – can you think of one that doesn’t? Not this one – and it was fantastic! The desciptions in the book were great too, everything was so vivid and easy to imagine. My only complaints? The ending seemed rushed…the return to camp, parent reaction, Colin? Give us more please! And Colin – what’s his deal? I want more development and some explanation as to how he knows about The Six.

Mrs. Larkin says…Oh yeah…this book was totally up my alley.  Summer camp?  I lived at summer camps – without my parents, of course.  But I totally started having flashbacks to musty cabins, shared bathrooms, the lake, the woods.  Now if only my camp had a magical portal to another world!  I completely agree with Caitlin and Audrey – everything was so real!  KB Hoyle did an amazing job with the characters – their dialogue and reactions were so authentic.  I also loved the dynamic between Sam and Darcy – we all know people like that and we’ve all seen people treat each other like that.  And what can I say about the scene at the rock with the gnomes?  Awesome – and a great introduction into the magical world of Alitheia.

Overall? An excellent new addition to the fantasy genre! We loved the characters, the story, the magic, and how real everthing seemed. We can’t wait to read the next installment of the Gateway Chronicles! Thanks to The Writer’s Coffee Shop for allowing us to be a part of this blog tour!

To check out more about author KB Hoyle, visit her blog – http://nightnark.blogspot.com.au/

To buy the book, visit The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House at – http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/books/detail/52

 

Caitlin W. and Audrey L., EMS Bloggers

 

What if your parents could divide you – or unwind you – by cutting you into pieces and donating your parts for money? Or maybe they would do it because you got a bad grade, or broke the rules?  What if the law allowed it?  What kid would be safe?  The answer….no kid would ever be safe.

In Unwind by Neal Shusterman, the government has laws that it’s illegal to terminate babies but its okay to almost kill kids by cutting them up so every piece of them could be used for surgical transplants! Connor, Risa, and Lev all have a similar fate but for very different reasons. Connor is the average boy with bad grades and selfish parents. Risa is a ward of the state with not enough talent to survive. Lev is the tenth son of his family and a tithe – the tenth is conceived and raised with the intent of being sacrificed or “unwound”.  Lev soon is confused because his most trusted friend told him to run while on his way to the Unwind Camp.  He runs into Risa and Connor and they form an unlikely trio.  Unwind takes the reader through their hardships, introduces you to some very odd characters, and we see the formation of a relationship between Connor and Risa.

I loved this futuristic action novel. Although WARNING… do not read this book at lunch or any meal time.  I loved how Lev developed from this little boy to this brave, clever, heroic young man. I was constantly yelling at the book because Risa was so stubborn and hot-headed. This book was a bit boring in the middle and in a few spots I got a little confused, but I couldn’t stop reading and finished it in a day.   I loved the ending. It was a bit creepy, but romantic and sweet too. I loved how the author changed perspectives and at some points I just wanted to give Connor the biggest hug ever!  A bit gory for my taste but overall it made its way to my all-time favorites list!

Madison W., EMS Blogger

The winner of our signed copy of Cicada by Belle Whittington is…Vivian!  Enjoy the book and keep visiting our blog!  Thanks to everyone who entered – we appreciate your visits here as well.

As part of Teen Book Scene’s Author and Book Tour, we are pleased to host Belle Whittington today!  Belle is the author of the new novel, Cicada.  Don’t forget, we’re running a contest to win a signed copy of Cicada – enter below!  Belle will be answering some Author This or Thats – one of my favorites.  Welcome, Belle!

1. TV Junkie or Music Junkie? I’m not either, really. I guess I’d be more of a book junkie! LOL! But if I had to choose from these two, I would be closer to a music junkie.

2. Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

3. Coke or Pepsi? Coke

4. Tropical beach vacation or cabin in the woods vacation? Tropical Beach Vacation

5. Addicted to your smart phone or what’s a smart phone? What the devil is a smart phone?

6. Email or snail mail? Email

7. Cats or dogs? Doggies!

8. Rock or pop or country? Rock (especially alternative rock)

9. Red Sox or Yankees (I know, you’re from Texas – but this is an important question up here in New England)? I’m speechless and I hear crickets chirping in the background. I’m a nerd. I don’t have an answer to this question… I don’t even follow sports in Texas! LOL!

You can find Belle at her website – http://bellewhittington.com/

Thank you Belle!

Courtesy of Teen Book Scene…

You know how it seems like lately that all YA Fantasy novels revolve around the same topics…wolves, vampires, ghosts?  Recently I’ve read two new novels that break away from this trend – Cobbogoth and now Cicada, a debut novel from author Belle Whittington.  Belle breaks from traditional fantasy/science fiction by giving us a novel about aliens, and it’s freaky.

Summertime for Blair Reynolds and her friends had always been carefree and fun…until the summer they happened upon something that was not human. As they band together in a fight for their lives, Blair’s true love becomes something more than human. Something unnatural. And their survival depends entirely upon their ability to keep a secret.

That’s a pretty bare-bones summary for a book that has so much more.  This story is basically a mystery involving a brother and sister, Blair and Andrew.  We discover that they have recently lost their brother and father, and details about how they die are teased out until almost the very end.  What started out as tragic deaths later has weird ties to the other mystery going on in this story – what the kids discover in the woods.  At a graduation party for Andrew, the kids go out on quads where they have an encounter with a spaceship and then much more.  How does this all tie in to the mysterious store-front with eerie lights across from the drive-in?  How are Blair, Andrew, and their grandfather all connected to what’s going on in the woods?  How will Everett, Andrew’s friend and Blair’s secret crush, be effected by all that happens?  Belle Whittington has certainly given us a story full of mystery and suspense – and the story will continue in her next installment titled, Firefly.

So what did I like?  I really did love the level of suspense in this story – from the discovery in the woods, to what the pod or cocoon later becomes, and then the scene with the kids breaking into the fake doctor’s office to save Everett – majorly freaky!  I also liked how the mystery of Andrew and Blair’s father and brother dying ends up tying into the mystery of the cicada and what’s going on in the woods – it appears it’s not a secret to everyone.  There were a few things that I didn’t like though…I didn’t really feel connected to the characters.  Blair especially and that’s who is telling us this story.  She just seemed stiff and didn’t act like a teenager would, especially when it came to Everett.  Here are two kids who seem like friends who suddenly become inseparable and in love – we’re talking engagement here!  I also didn’t like the overuse of the word “it” in the beginning when they were talking about the cicada…”it” got really annoying.  The dialogue also seemed formal and not realistic for a bunch of Texas teenagers – I found myself stopping and having to remind myself that these were kids.  If you can get past those minor things, and I did, – it’s a good story and the way it ends, you’ll definitely be looking forward to the sequel.  And the cover is just gorgeous!

Would you love to win an autographed copy of Cicada?  I have one waiting for you, along with an autographed bookmark!  A huge thanks to author Belle Whittington for sending one over to us.  To enter, just post a comment here and tell me why you want to win!  The deadline is March 28th.  A winner will be announced on March 29th.  Good luck!  Next week Belle will be visiting us for a session of Author This or That – be sure to check it out!

Mrs. L., EMS Blogger

Courtesy of Teen Book Scene…

Last week I posted a review of the novel Awkward, a new novel by author Marni Bates.  This week I have the pleasure of hosting Marni in an interview.  If you haven’t read this book yet, go get it! 

 

1. For people out there who haven’t heard of Awkward, can you give us an idea of what it’s about? Did you write it from your own experiences in high school or middle school?

Awkward is about a high school geek (Mackenzie Wellesley) whose embarrassing moment hits YouTube and four million hits later she becomes known to the world as “America’s Most Awkward Girl.” Mackenzie now has to navigate tutoring sessions with the captain of the hockey team with the whole world watching and waiting for her to screw up again.

At my high school, there was definitely an area where only the cool kids congregated and whenever I walked anywhere near there I could feel my geek levels rising to dangerous levels. So it wasn’t exactly a stretch to imagine what could have happened if one of my interactions with them hit YouTube.

Sadly, the majority of it is pure fiction. Logan Beckett didn’t attend my high school. That would have made everything so much better!

2. Your next book, Fauxmance – is that a follow up to Awkward? Or is it a whole new story with new characters?

It’s actually called Decked with Holly (sneak peek provided at the end of Awkward) and it’s a spin-off novel that focuses on Dominic Wyatt (aka the drummer from ReadySet) who has to pretend to be in a relationship with a girl to salvage his reputation. A bunch of characters from Awkward make guest appearances but you should really read it because Nick and Holly will steal your heart. They have definitely stolen mine. I haven’t looked at it for almost a year and I’m still crushing over Nick because he’s just so . . . swoon.

The next two books in the series (Invisible and Notable) have a stronger Smith High School connection because Jane and Chelsea will be the ones filling you in! For those of you who hate Chelsea (I did, initially) trust me, there’s a lot more to her than you might think.

3. On your website I read that you love watching television (me too!) – tell us some of your favorite shows!

Where to begin? Okay let’s break it into genres:

Political: The West Wing. Why? Um, because Aaron Sorkin is a genius who made Middle School Marni fall hopelessly in love with Josh Lyman.

Comedy (off-air): Arrested Development. I am a complete sucker for good puns and the Bluth family always delivers. I’m always tempted to quote it at inappropriate times so . . . hours of fun. Coupling is a British comedy that was pure comedic gold for about two seasons.

Comedy (currently on air): Parks and Recreation, The Office, New Girl, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother . . . I can’t just pick one!

Crime: Castle. It’s a cop show that focuses on a pun-loving, mystery writer. Sold!

Drama: Revenge! The Vampire Diaries also has me hooked and I enjoy catching up on Nikita every now and then.

Shows About Criminals: White Collar and Leverage are fantastic! Burn Notice and I have an on again/off again thing going, but I do enjoy it. I recently found a documentary type show called The Real Hustle, which shows how con artists can reel you in. So I plan to watch that soon. And take notes!

 

4. Love your blog – and I really liked your post on your visit to your old high school and running into Ms. T. So many of us have stories about a teacher like that. Other than writing, how did you deal with that in school? And when she confronted you about your book – did you have a reply to her “lies” comment?

When I was being bullied by my teacher freshman year of high school, I got through it by leaving her class and entering therapy. I think the reason I was so devastated when she said that I was immature, that I had no friends, and that nobody liked me, was because I actually believed most of that already. She confirmed my darkest fears that day. I did report her to the school administration but they didn’t do anything about it. In hindsight, part of me wishes I had been more persistent and had contacted the school board as well. But it would have been her word against mine and I knew that meant the chances of anyone taking me seriously were pretty slim. Plus, I felt so powerless and small I just wanted to curl up into a little ball and pretend it had never happened.

So I took different classes and avoided her for the next three years. It took me a full year until I was capable of writing about her and that was just a small story for an English class autobiography (I called mine The True Confessions of a Bumbling Individual. As you can see, not much has changed). But when I began working on my first full-length manuscript, suddenly everything she did to me paid off! I had my villain! Best of all, I had my super cool protagonist who could out-wit and out-prank this modified version of Ms. T. That’s when I was finally able to laugh about what happened.

So when Ms. T came up to me and said that she hadn’t read it, but that she had heard that my autobiography was full of lies, I tried very hard not to laugh in her face. It was just . . . ridiculous. It was one of those moments where I couldn’t help mentally cataloguing it for future use in a novel. She couldn’t get under my skin this time. She didn’t scare me in the slightest. So for those of you who are being bullied in high school (by teachers and by students) it might help to keep reminding yourself that someday they will have absolutely no power over you.

5. Ellen – that’s all I need to write! But seriously, how is your campaign to get on her show going? Hopefully running into her on your studio tour helped it along! And what can your readers do to help?

Hah! Oh . . . that was so much fun! My college friends thought I had gone temporarily insane when I spent hours in the computer lab photoshopping myself (and Awkward) into pictures with her. There was also a slap bet running between two of my fellow English Majors as to when Ellen would file a restraining order against me.

Sigh. Not everyone gets onboard with some of my admittedly out there ideas.

But I did meet her! And Ellen was every bit as wonderful in person as she is on television. She was incredibly sweet and took the time to speak with me instead of calling security to escort me off the Warner Bros. lot. I’m sure she has tons of fans like me who are, um, rather enthusiastic, but she couldn’t have been more gracious. Ellen did let me know that unless Awkward sells really well, it’s unlikely that she can have me on as a guest. So if you want to support the Get Marni on Ellen Campaign I hope you will tell your friends about my book and share the music video I made (Santa Ellen. Oh man, that’s never going to come back to haunt me).

6. What’s it like to see your book in stores and to hear from people about how much they love it?

It’s unreal. The most wonderful part of having my autobiography, Marni, open to the public was hearing the response from my readers. I received so many amazing messages from people who pulled out their hair, people whose parents were divorced, people who were struggling in high school, people who for whatever reason, connected with my life-story. They humbled me. And they made me feel like I had done something good in the world.

I will forever be changed by that experience.

And when people tell me that they enjoyed reading Awkward? I feel like my heart spontaneously combusts in happiness. I know authors are supposed to be good at finding the right words to describe emotions, but it honestly leaves me speechless. A “keep up the good work” tweet will leave me floating for hours.

It also inspires me to get back to work on my latest project. It makes me even more excited to share my next batch of characters with everyone.

My readers allow me to live my dream. I will always be incredibly grateful for that.

To find out more about Marni, her books, or just to read her blog, check her out at http://marnibates.com/

A huge thank you to Marni Bates and Teen Book Scene for making this interview possible.  It was great to have Marni visit Larkin’s Book Bloggers and I look forward to her next novel!

Mrs. L., EMS Blogger