INSANITY!!! Day 5- Grab bag edition

It's the final day of INSANITY!!! and what a week it's been (ridiculous amounts of overtime on my end- for a teacher anyhow). But before we get into today's prize pack, let me announce the winners for Day 3 and Day 4. Also thanks guys, for your thoughtful comments on yesterday's post.

Day 3 winner is....

Iffath! (so not attempting to figure how to write the heart at the beginning of your name. lol)

And the Day 4 winner is...

Asiamorela!

Shoot me a mail at muchlanguage(at)gmail(dot)come with your real names and addresses.
......

It's 13 hours past midnight JST, but it's like I always say, It's never too late for INSANITY!!!

Since it's the final day (and I doubt I'll have time for another INSANITY!!! before next year, we're going out with a bang.

6 BOOKS UP FOR GRABS

Yes, you read that right. 6 books: the most I've ever given  to a single person at once. (shudders to think of the next INSANITY!!!)

The books I have pictured are some of my faves for the year.

Chasing a semi-friend across the country, Lillian and Josh explore their almost-relationship. This book struck a chord for me because it lived on the line between friendships and "more".

The only reason I picked up this book was because I follow Beth's blog. I'm not a sci-fi fan, and I was convinced I wouldn't like it. I'm glad to say I was wrong. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE sent me on a mission  to find more character-driven sci-fi. 

I found FAIRY TALE FAIL purely by accident.The name pulled me in, and I'm glad it did, because I got a great book, and an awesome tweep (twitter friend) out of the deal. FTF is an adult book for people like me, who still love a fairy tale, and would rather live in that world than the real one.

I don't know what to say about WASTED, except that the concept still haunts me. A boy decides to flip a coin and abide by whatever it decides.  Deep stuff.

I can not even put into words how much I love this book. I've spoken about my uncomfortable relationship with sex before. What I love about this book is the way it deals with sex. Often, we see YA with beautiful relationships involving sex, and almost as often it is the root of some evil. But it's rare in YA that sex just is. And sometimes, that's the way it is.

Now if you've been counting, you'll notice that's only 5 books. No, my brain isn't that fried from school festival preparations. The 6th book is WINNER'S CHOICE. $20 US limit and available on Amazon (for the US and Pakistan) or Book Depository (for everybody else).

To win:
I've been saying it all week. Today you win by sending me your list of 10 books for the 100 books every writer should read.

Rules:
Open internationally
To everyone, follower or no.
Open until SATURDAY 11.59 pm EST
The winner will be announced on Monday if I wake up after my crazy weekend.  lol.

Good luck!

INSANITY!!! Day 4- The October Edition

The winner of INSANITY!!! Day 2 is...

#6...

Sana!! (Also very interesting and detailed comment.)

I really enjoyed all the comments to this post, and as a YA writer, I think it's a treasure trove of things to write about. :)

So I'm supposed to write a "Scaredy-Cat" post every Thursday. I missed last week due to the cold, and my 4 presentations. But I'm back. Today's fear:

GOING HOME

This probably sounds crazy, but I'm afraid of going home. There are lots of reasons, and I'd like to share them (brutally) honestly with you today.

BEING A MOTHER

All my Super-Mummy readers are probably puzzled by this. If I go home it means being a mother to my 7 year old son. It's weird to admit publicly that I'm scared of that, because Mummy's are supposed to be invincible creatures that will overturn 10-ten trucks to free their babies. That's not me.

Somehow, for the majority (if not all) of my son's life, my parents have been his main care-takers.  For the first 3 years, I was in university. Then I was working 2 jobs and had no car- which involved a crap ton of ungodly hours, including getting home at 1 am two mornings a week. Then I moved to Japan. I considered bringing him, but from a practical standpoint, there are 2 things in the way. The fact that my house is sub-zero (celcius) for half the year. And the fact that he doesn't speak Japanese.

Additionally, I kind of don't feel very motherly. My nature is such that I'd rather do fun things than practical things. If money weren't an obstacle, we'd be gallivanting all over the world. It's probably not the best idea for a child to spend every year in a different country because his mother felt like. This sort of attitde extends in less disruptive ways to everything in my life. I don't feel very adult. I don't act very adult. I don't know what that will do to a child.

Finally (for this point at least), I struggle with being a single mother. For a million reasons, I believe in the institution of marriage. And from a practical standpoint - namely that I suck at being practical- and an emotional standpoint- I still feel guilty about a child out of wedlock- it's a hard thing for me to handle.

FAMILY

I've gotten very used to living on my own. I make my own hours. I leave crap where I feel like. I I've gotten used to my mother nagging me for an hour max and then hanging up the Skype and going to sleep.

All of that will change when I go home. Thanks to the way I live, I'm in no position to be on my own. Especially when you factor in not having (and not really wanting) a car, and single parenthood. And I really don't want to deal with the "joys" of living at home again.

NOT MEASURING UP

The unfortunate side effect of going to the top school on the island is that most of my friends have masters and PhDs, are doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, and make a boatload of money. I, on the other hand, am a broke teacher (for now) with a BA. I love my friends, and I know they love me back, but sometimes, it hurts to think about who they are, and how far they've gotten in life.

Out here (or in any other corner) of the world, I don't have to think about it.

AWESOMESAUCE
Don't get me wrong, I know I'm amazing. (And modest.) I know lots of people think that me speaking 5 languages is cool. And wish they could have seen 6 continents as well. And that living in Japan is a dream lots of people will never acheive. And I know that even though I'm not very far along on my writing journey, I've published a few shorts and that's something.

But I'm not at all traditional. Being here allows for that. Being home doesn't really. It just reminds me how short I fall by tradtional standards...

Today's giveaway is the October Edition- a collection of YA novels released this month.

Carmen, a teen violinista, aims to win violin's most prestigious prize, while trying not to fall in love with the competition.

 Mary usually has her feet firmly on the ground, but after everything in her life starts going wrong, she decides to try things she never would have. She decides to fly!

A re-telling of Tristan of Isolde: Izzie a young witch means to set up her girlfriend, but accidentally uses a love potion on herself and falls for Tristan.

To win:

JUST COMMENT.

Rules:

Today's giveaway is open until 11.59 pm EST on Thursday.
Open internationally.
Followers only.

Don't forget, the only chance at tomorrow's crazy grab bag, is to send a list of 10 book for the 100 books every writer should read.

INSANITY!!! Day 3- The Other Edition

The INSANITY!!! Day 1 winner, according to random.org, is...

Entrant # 4...

Sidrah!

Congrats, Sidrah.

In literature, there's a certain type of character that appears more often as the protagonist. In YA, that's a white, female, who's at least fairly fit and heterosexual. Any MC (and to some extent it also applies to secondary characters) who doesn't fit that norm is Other.

There's a lot of talk, especially in YA circles, about our responsibility to write the Other. I think writing stereotypical Other characters or ones you're not passionate about is worse than no Others at all. Before you write an Other, think about what that will really mean.

How does being Black/ Asia/ LGBTQ/ fat/ short/ developmentally-challenged/ academically-challenged (etc) affect your character? Go deep, don't just think about the surface ways. What does being fat mean for going to parties? What does being Black mean for college choices? What does being gay mean for which countries a character dreams of visiting?

Today, for INSANITY!!! Day 3, it's the Other Edition. Up for grabs, some of the books I've read this year featuring an Other MC.

 One of the best things about this book is that Hanna's (the MC) struggles with who she is aren't the main focus. Because not every Other character spend s all day thinking about their Other-ness. She's half Finnish and half-Black, but the strange, paranormal goings-on in her town in the American South are the bigger issue.

 This book is as multicultural as they come. About a Muslim girl, torn between not letting her school friends know that she's Muslim in the midst of all their post-911 issues and really enjoyng many of the facets of her Muslim heritage. Also, it's set in Australia.

Marcelo is somewhere on the autism spectrum. This is the story about a boy who sees the world in a different way, but is being forced to interact with it.

To enter, tell me in the comments:

WHAT TYPE OF OTHER CHARACTERS WOULD YOU LOVE TO SEE MORE APPEARANCES FROM IN (YA) FICTION?

Rules:
Open until Wednesday, 11.59 pm.
Open to everyone - international and non-followers as well.

Don't forget the only way to win on Friday is to send me your 10 books every writer should read.

INSANITY!!! Day 2- Issues in YA edition

When I was in secondary school, a group called MADD released a calypso called Saturday Night. MADD is known for it's comedic tunes. but this one was a lot heavier than usual. It was about a 15 year old boy and his 13 year old girlfriend. They go to a fete (party) and someone steps on his toe (or was it him stepping on someone's toe). They almost fight but a friend holds him back. The guy waits for him outside the club, and it turns into a bloodbath.

A section of the public got up in arms over the song. They ragged on the relationship between the boy and girl. And the "glorification of violence".  And some of them said that it should never be on the radio because things like that don't happen.

I wondered where those people lived. Yes, Barbados is a tropical paradise, but we have crime too. And we definitely have teens engaging in sexual relationships. I was a teen at the time. I'd seen it with my own eyes.

Here in Japan, I do a huge detailed medical every year. It's mandatory for every government employee. They test things I don't even understand in English. But they don't test for AIDS. My neighbour last year says it's because Japan likes to pretend there isn't any here. Same deal with homosexuals. Ask the average Japanese citizen, there are no Japanese gays. I know way too many gay foreigners with Japanese boyfriends to believe that.

What do these 3 things have in common? For me, they are reminders: Just because you pretend something doesn't happen, doesn't make it any less true.

Every once in a while, someone- a parent, a school board, a committee- will try to ban a YA book on the grounds of some horrible circumstance in the book. I don't like the circumstances any more than they do, but the fact is that these things happen. And people need to know that. And the people they're happening to, need support.

Today, I'll be giving away two books.

Jay Asher's Th1rteen R3asons Why- I feel like this book affected me more than any other book. Ever. It deals with the aftermath of a suicide, and highlighted one thing above all else in my mind: you never know how bad someone else is hurting.

But i Love Him by Amanda Grace (Mandy Hubbard)- What I loved about this book was the reverse chronology, aimed at stopping the reader from judging the protagonist who is abused by her boyfriend.

To win simply comment and tell me:

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE TEENS FACE TODAY?

Rules:
Open until 11.59 pm EST Tuesday
Open internationally to followers and non followers alike.

Don't forget to send your list of 10 books every writer should read to enter the Friday Grab Bag.

INSANITY!!! Day 1- The Elana Johnson packet

Today's my anniversary, folks! 2 years for POINTS OF CLAIRE-IFICATION. I'm so happy you guys have supported me. And to thank you, we'll be having INSANITY!!! this week. All week long, you can stop by for daily giveaways! Be sure to check the rules at the bottom. Each day's drawing closes at 11.59 pm EST. 

Also,  the only way to enter for Friday's grand grab bag is by sending your list of 10 books for 100 Books Every Writer Should Read. So, get to thinking about your lists. And good luck.

Today, amazing Elana Johnson is joining us. 

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Hi Elana! Welcome to POINTS OF CLAIRE-IFICATION. I loved POSSESSION. (My readers may be sick of me saying this by now.)  Can you tell us what sparked that novel?

I’d been writing for about four months when the idea for POSSESSION hit. I’d just finished reading my first dystopian novel (UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld), and I didn’t even know what “dystopian” was, but I knew I wanted to write a novel in the genre.

So I got busy figuring out what dystopian was, and then I started drafting POSSESSION. I wanted someone who didn’t want to be bossed around, and who was searching for what they believed in. Vi and my brainwashing society evolved from that pretty authentically.

POSSESSION is literally “Goodies” vs “Baddies”. For me the names brought  back memories of playing with my brother as a kid. Lol. They turned out to be one of my favourite things about the novel, though. Using these names made the book not only about control vs freedom, but the overarching theme of what is good and what is bad, and whether anything is completely good or bad. What made you go with the simplicity of goodies and baddies?

For exactly that reason! I wanted my MC to really think about what is good and what is bad, and why. Are things good because someone else tells you they are? I wanted Vi to be able to critically look at what she’d been told and then decide for herself, without labels. And “good” and “bad” are the most simplistic labels, and often we have justifications for what we believe is good and bad, but in POSSESSION, Vi didn’t. So I wanted her to examine the things in her life from the most basic perspective.

 I have to admit that I’m wearing a little thin for YA love triangles. So I was refreshed by the Vi-Zenn-Jag relationship. Vi is sure of who she wants, but she’s not sure that is where she should be. How did you go about building this intellectual (as opposed to the usual emotional and angsty) love triangle?

I’m with you. I think sometimes the love triangle detracts from the real plot. I was hoping to make the relationships between Vi and Zenn, Zenn and Jag, and Jag and Vi more plot-based instead of a romantic sub-plot, which is sometimes what we see. So maybe that’s how? (Ha! I wish I knew for sure!)

 Normally, I’m not a fan of endings (writing or reading them), and they’re especially hard to do in dystopian where you have to balance out the implications of the bad in the good. But the way POSSESSION wrapped up  was bone-chillingly perfect. How did you go about crafting that culmination? Did you always know where the story would end?  How did you drag my soul out and leave me literally unable to enjoy another book for days?

I’m so glad to hear you say that. The end of POSSESSION came to me as I was writing it. I don’t outline or even really know where the story is going until I get there.

So as I was writing the climax, I realized where this had to go to be complete. To be authentic. To make sense for the rest of the book. And that’s the ending that I wrote—almost feverishly.

From there, I had to go back through the first 46 chapters and make sure that everything in them was leading toward this (in my mind) perfect ending I had just written. That’s where the real work was.

I’m thrilled you couldn’t enjoy another book for days! That’s a huge compliment for an author, and while I sometimes wish POSSESSION ended differently, I know it ends the exact right way.

  

Tell us a little about your publication journey. How did you connect with Michelle Andelman? Was POSSESSION your first attempt at novel-writing?

Ah, my publication journey is a long and winding road. POSSESSION was my third written novel, and the second one I queried. So I have one shelved novel and about 10 more that aren’t even worth opening to work on.

I connected with Michelle through a cold query and invitation to read my book. She requested it, read it quickly, and wanted to know what else I had on my hard drive.

After a few months of back and forth, revisions, and phone conversations, we signed together. She sold my book very soon after that, and I love working with her.

You’re a part of the awesome-ness  of WRITEONCON – which might just be the most amazing thing to happen ot YA writers online in EVER – can you tell us a little about that?

WriteOnCon is this amazing beast that has sort of taken on a life of it’s own. It started way back in 2010, when I was doing a series of “pay it forward” events on my blog to celebrate my book deal. I’d asked my blog readers what I should do for July, and the fabulous Casey McCormick commented, saying she had an idea she wasn’t sure about.

I jumped on that, and basically forced her to tell me her idea—which was an online children’s conference. From there, we assembled a team, contacted agents and editors, and held our first conference in August 2010.

This past year, we basically did the same thing, bringing on The Reading Room, a graphic designer, a web person, and a team of forum experts. It’s amazing the stories we hear from people who’ve made a connection from WriteOnCon. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of. (Big shout out to Casey McCormick, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Shannon Messenger, Jamie Harrington, Dustin Hansen, Nikki Katz, and Carolin Seidenkranz!)

  

Finally, most of my readers are writers. Any advice for those of us still in the pre-query, pre-deal, pre-pub stages?

Never give up! Never surrender! (That’s from Galaxy Quest, BTW, a fabulous movie.)

No, but seriously, don’t. Work harder. Write another novel. Polish it; make it the best you can. Send it out. Write more. The only way you’re sure to fail is if you quit. But success? Success could be just around the corner. 

Thanks so much Elana for joining us, and being fantastic in general!

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So today, up for grabs we've got Elana's debut novel POSSESSION, as well as 2 books Elana recommends:

 

To win, tell me in the comments: 

WOULD YOU RATHER CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED? 

Rules: 

Open until 11.59 pm EST on Monday

Open internationally

Open to followers and non-followers alike

 

Winner Day 5!

Just a quick announcy-thingermerbobbsie!

Congratulations to the Winner of INSANITY!!! Day 5:

JUDIT!!!

Shoot me a maily at muchlanguage(at)gmail(dot)com with an address.

I'm going to repost the entire winner's list on Monday (and maybe Tuesday). And the blog should be back to normal next week.

Thank you guys for participating and Happy Labour Day to the Americans.

I'm off to linner. (Between lunch and dinner- and yes, I made that up.)

No people like author people!

Congrats to the winner of Day 4: Shari Green!!!

Shoot me an email at muchlanguage(at)gmail(dot)com, with a mailing address.

Now back to regularly sheduled programming-

If you're a music-aholic like me, you know the original line is

"There's no people like show people."

However, if you're a writer-blogger (or even a reader-blogger) you'll also know that authors are the most amazing people in the world. I'm not just saying that because I want to be one, either.

I don't know if there's another community like writers, from aspiring to published and everything in between. I've been on the blogospehere for less than a year, and I've learned so much. And I've made some amazing writer friends. Some are really fun. Others are fountains of knowledge. But everyone's so supportive.

And I've discovered that authors are some of the most reachable celebrities in the world. Even NYT bestselling authors, are willing to take a little time out for a small fry like me.

So, without further ado, I'd like to thank the authors who've provided recommendations and interviews, this week and before.

Kiersten White, PARANORMALCY
Sophie Jordan, FIRELIGHT
Denise Jaden, LOSING FAITH
Lisa Desrochers, PERSONAL DEMONS
Dianne K. Salerni, WE HEAR THE DEAD
Linda Villarosa, PASSING FOR BLACK

Thank you for taking the time out to be a part of the giveaways. And thank you for being amazing people in general.

(If you're releasing a book or you know an author who is, shoot me an email. I love giving stuff away- in case you somehow missed that in the last 20 or so books.

And thanks to you guys, the readers. Welcome aboard to those who've just joined me at PoC and many thanks to those who've been around listening to the insanity that is me. Especially to all who participated (and will participate) in the actual INSANITY! You guys totally rock!!!

There is just Day 5 to be drawn, and then the second edition of INSANITY rolls to a close. But don't despair if you didn't win this time around, my blog anniversary is October 17th. And I'm sure you know by now, such a momentous occasion couldn't pass unmarked.

Because life is always better with a little INSANITY!

INSANITY!!! Day 3

It's September 1st. That means it's the first day of "Go Hard or Go Home!" That's my new project to get my butt back in gear with my Japanese study, writing and fitness. Wish me luck!

It also means that it's tiem to announce the winner of INSANITY!!! Day 1:

That would be -

Ta-ta-ta-tum-

#2- LOLA SHARP!!!

Lola, mail me at muchlanguage(at)gmail(dot)com, with your address. Congrats.

If you didn't win, Paranormalcy is now available. I'm about halfway through and it's fab!

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Today we welcome New York Times Bestselling author,Sophie Jordan, to Points of Clarification. Thank you for joining us, Sophie!

Your new YA paranormal, Firelight- which has an amazing cover, seriously guys, you need to go see that cover- will be released on September, 7th. Tell us a little bit about the book.

Well, the summary is the best way to do that:

A HIDDEN TRUTH
MORTAL ENEMIES
DOOMED LOVE

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet of her kind, she nearly pays with her life, only to be spared by a beautiful stranger sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki--a descendant of dragons whose ability to shift into human form is her best defense.
Forced to flee into the mortal world, Jacinda struggles to adapt. The one bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irrestibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away - if it dies she will be left a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and irresistible passion ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide ...

Beyond this, I’ll let you know that Firelight is book one of a trilogy and all the books are centered around Jacinda and the world of the draki.

YA paranormal is the hot stuff right now, but the same monsters are being recycled. So, dragons? Fierce, beautiful and not overdone: where did the idea come from?

It might sound silly, but once I decided to write a YA, I really did wait for the idea/muse to come to me. I wanted to write a young adult novel with a strong romance (of course!), but the paranormal element was elusive. I wanted the paranormal aspect to be unique and fresh – both for the current market and me, too. I needed to be excited about it. I had lots of ideas flit through my mind that I quickly dismissed, but when I landed on dragons I knew I hit something that wasn’t being done in YA, and I got very excited. When I started thinking about how dragons might have evolved I knew I had the making of a great new paranormal world.

You’re not going to find a dragon-themed YA like mine. I really do believe that I’m breaking new ground. My dragons aren’t your ordinary dragons. They’re not what you typically find in fantasy fiction. My dragons are called draki and they’ve evolved over the millennia from the dragon of common lore. Once I established that, the plot and love story fell easily into place.

This is your first YA novel, even though you’ve seen success in Historical Romance and Paranormal. Has it been a tough switch over to this new genre? Any advice for aspiring writers with ideas in more than one genre?

Writing in three genres keeps things fun and fresh for me. I think it’s challenged me and made a better writer, too.
As for whether an aspiring writer should try her hand at more than one genre, I say go for it! Writing two books a year is very doable. Most importantly, just follow the story you’re passionate about … wherever that may lead you.


You made the NYT Bestsellers list with IN SCANDAL THEY WED. What was the first thing you did when you heard the news?

I think I told my editor to “shut-up” several times in the manner of Mia from Princess Diaries. I was stunned! That night was take-out, but a group of my closest friends celebrated by going out with me and hubby later that week.

So “Sophie,” what made you decide to use a pen name and why do you only use it on some of your books?

Well, I got my start writing historical romances, and “pretty, romancey” names tend to be the thing. My editor and I came up with the name. I use a different name for my paranormal romances to distinguish the genres.

Can you give us a quick run-through of how you came to be published. What’s the one thing you’d like to tell aspiring writers?
Get an agent! A good agent. And write, write, write. Revise, revise, revise. Oh, and read, read, read – especially within your target genre. That’s pretty much what I did.

Finally, plotter or pantser?

A little of both, but I especially plot(ted) for Firelight. Since it’s a three book series, planning was necessary.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us, and best of luck with Firelight!

Thanks, Claire! Thanks for having me here!
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You can win a pre-order of FIRELIGHT today.



Along with Sophie's Reccomended read, The Body Finder by Kimberly Derling


For today's contest, you must be a follower, and you have until 11.59 EST Wednesday night to enter.

Today's random question:

If you were to discover that you were a paranormal creature, whatcreature would you most like to be, or what powers would you most like to have?

Good luck to all.

Oh and by the way, since I've lived in the US only 2 years of my 28, everything I do on this blog is open internationally, unless otherwise stated.

INSANITY!!! Day 2

Somehow, it seems some of you out there in bloggyland haven't read The Hunger Games. I think that's an injustgice of the greatest magnitude. And so, never one to tolerate injustice, I'll be giving you a chance to win the Hunger Games Trilogy.



Today's contest is open to blog followers only. Contest ends at 11.59 pm EST on Tuesday.

To win, you just need to tell me Team Peeta or Team Gale? Don't worry if you don't know enough to make that call. Just tell me which of the following rings more true in romance: "opposites attract" or "birds of a feather flock together?"

Good luck!

INSANITY DAY 1!!!

Hey guys!

It's midnight, and I just got in from my town festival. Pics to come.

In the meanwhile, today is the first day of Insanity!

If you've been lurking around here for a while you probably know what author debut I'm totally anticpating.

So without further ado, let me repost an interview I did in April with Kiersten White, author of Paranormalcy.

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Congratulations on your new novel. So you’ve got your first copy of PARANORMALCY in hand. Does it feel real yet?

Every stage feels a little more real than the last! Although I do sometimes forget, and seeing that cover with my name on it is always a happy surprise. It's actually happening! How odd.

Tell us a little about your publishing journey.

I started writing about five years ago, after my first child was born. Initially it was just a hobby, something to pass the time. I didn't get serious about pursuing publication until I started writing YA novels. I wrote the first one of those in June of 2008 and signed with Michelle Wolfson, my agent, that November. I wrote another novel that December, and PARANORMALCY that January. When the first novel didn't sell, I decided Para was the one to pursue and spent several months editing it. Michelle went out with it the end of July, and by mid-August we had a three-book deal with HarperTeen, and my brain exploded with joy.

I don't think my brain has quite recovered yet, in all honesty.

Right now I've turned in the first sequel, am editing a previous project, and drafting an entirely new book that will hopefully turn into something wonderful. I like to keep busy.

From your ravings (and Tawna’s) I deduce that Michelle Wolfson is either a superhero from another planet or an angel. Is it possible to be both? What’s your relationship like?

Michelle is fabulous to work with. She's warm and funny and approachable, but also very aggressive. I never doubt her drive or business savvy, and I know she got me the best possible home for my books. She responds quickly to any and all questions, is always professional, but also delightfully (and occasionally wickedly) funny. I adore her.

You’re a fulltime Mommy and wife. How difficult is it to squeeze in writing? What’s a typical day like in the Kiersten White household?

My days involve feeding kids, dressing kids, feeding kids, re-dressing kids, running errands, feeding kids, and putting kids to bed. And feeding them. So yes, the days are very, very full and it can be hard to get in any writing time. Typically I try to write in the evenings after they go to bed, but anyone who has kids can tell you how frequently bedtime is either challenged or messed up. So, like anyone else, finding the time is always the challenge.

So PARANORMALCY? Interesting name. Tell us about the book.

PARANORMALCY follows Evie, a sixteen-year-old girl working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. In a world surrounded by the paranormal, Evie desperately wants a little normal. But when someone--or something--starts murdering immortal paranormals, she's got to decide which is more important--figuring out how to be normal, or accepting who she is and, you know, saving the paranormal world and stuff.

Evie sounds awesome. Is she a lot like you? What would be Evie’s ideal Saturday night? Does she like mayonnaise on her French Fries? (I mean inquiring minds are dying to know!)

Evie has a similar sense of humor, but that's about it. Evie's ideal Saturday night would be to go on a date with a cute boy and have as normal a teenage experience as possible. So, if she thought putting mayonnaise on french fries was normal no doubt she'd at least try it. But I'm pretty sure that's the strangest thing I've ever heard...

Finally, any advice for those aspiring to get to where you are?

Work. Writing is wonderful and fun and engaging, but if you are determined to get published, you really, truly have to work at it. Hard. A lot. It's gonna take some sacrifices, and a whole lot of drive on your part. So decide whether or not it's what you really, truly want. If it is, full speed ahead!

Thank you Kiersten, for your time. Good luck with the novel.
PARANORMALCY will be out September 21st. Get thee to the store nearest you and pre-order it now!
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Actually, the release date has been moved up to August 31st, so here's your chance.

Remember :

1. You have to be a follower for today's prize.
2. This contest is open til 11.59 pm EST Monday night.


The prize:
Kiersten White's PARANORMALCY


Kiersten recommends THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS


All you have to do to win these two books is tell me: Which paranormal creature would you like to meet if you had the chance?