GCC presents Linda Gerber

Yay - today I've got my fellow Teen Fiction Cafe buddy and all round fabulous person, Linda Gerber here to tour her new book, Death by Denim which comes out on the 14th of May.

Now for those of you who don't know, this is the third book of a series about Aphra Connolly and this time she is heading off to Paris (lucky, lucky girl since Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world. Apart from when my husband I went searching for the Bastille before finally remembering it had been destroyed. Viva the revolution and viva my ridiculous stupidity!!!). Anyway, as normal, I digress, the point is that Linda Gerber rocks big socks of goodness and not only is she a great writer, but she's a great blogger as well and she will be having a massive blog party on the 14th, 15th and 16th of May to celebrate the release - and we all know what blog parties mean - great posts and great prizes so make sure you mark your diaries.

But for now we're here to talk about Death by Denim so here is the blurb:

Aphra Connolly is being chased by some very dangerous people. She knows her survival depends upon staying far away from love interest Seth, and listening to her mom’s lectures on the finer points of anonymity and survival. But how is a girl supposed to live under the radar and not think about her boyfriend when she’s in Paris—the most romantic city in the world? When her mom’s contact in Paris is found floating in the Seine with a deadly message stuffed in his mouth, Aphra realizes that she will never be able to stop running unless she confronts the situation head-on. Sneaking away from her mom, Aphra tracks down the criminal mastermind in Italy, only to unwittingly reveal Seth’s location. And her mistake has just put them both in mortal danger

Hooked? Yeah, I thought so, but wait, there's more!

1 How did you first get the idea for your current book?

Since this book is the third in a series, the idea evolved from the first two books. Also, my publisher was the one who suggested the title DEATH BY DENIM. They were looking for something that would work with the other two titles, DEATH BY BIKINI and DEATH BY LATTE, and that would lend itself to the cute, iconic covers designed for the series. DEATH BY DENIM was perfect for the cover fit. I mean, seriously, how cute is that skirt with the skull pockets? But it meant I had to figure out how to use denim to kill my next victim. I mean, I knew where Aphra and her mom would be, I knew who was going to have to die, but I had to rely on the title to tell me how to do it. And that was a challenge, because I didn't want it to be too obvious (like using the denim for strangulation) or too ridiculous (like having a rack of denim fall on top of the victim). Then, as I researched European denim, a new twist was born. Aaand that's all I'm going to tell you about that.

2 I often say that everything I know about writing has come from Buffy. Is there any movie/tv show/book/author that you think has helped your writing career?

I don't know about one specific book. I'll just say that I read a lot. When people ask me what advice I would give to future authors, that figures high on the list. Read! It's a great way to learn from other authors. Also, you can learn a lot about scenes and structure by critically watching TV shows and movies. (Just don't comment out loud about all the clever things you recognize during the show because it can make your friends and family a little testy...)

3 What's a normal writing day for you?

What is this 'normal' you speak of? In a perfect scenario, I would send my kids off to school, straighten up, walk the dog, etc., then check emails and putz around online for an hour or so and then, when I'm 'in the zone', write uninterrupted for a few hours before the little darlings return from school. Note: most days do not fit the perfect scenario. Oh yes, how I know that feeling! In fact these days I tend to do most of my writing at night in front of the TV. Whoops!

4 The best blooper I've ever done as a writer was when I had my heroine hand the hero something. Problem was they were sharing the same body at the time! So to help lessen my embarrassment, I'd love to know what your best writing blooper is and did someone catch it before your book went into print?

Ha! I'm the blooper queen. Here's a couple of examples, one caught and one not. In NOW AND ZEN, I had Atsushi and Nori enjoying the sights in Shibuya, and then in the same scene I said they were in Shinjuku - two completely different cities. That one made it into print... and when I did school visits in Japan, the kids there were delighted to point it out to me.

In DEATH BY BIKINI, I had a chase scene going up the side of the mountain, and a return chase scene coming back down... and I forgot to reverse the order of the landmarks/obstacles along the way! Fortunately I caught that one before it was too late.

5 And now for the big question. Zombies - love them, hate them, couldn't eat a whole one? Enquiring minds want to know!

Love 'em! Especially if they hail from Newbury High! In fact, I just learned how to make a zombie hand. You know, in case I ever need one for special effects at Halloween or something. Check it out. hahaha - that zombie hand is so funny (and practical since one never knows when they might need a spare zombie hand!!!!!) Retweet this button on every post blogger

Why you must read The ABC's of Kissing Boys

I mentioned yesterday that I was reading Tina's latest book and how much I was enjoying it, well I finished it last night and it just got better and better. There are so many things that I love about Tina's stories. Her heroines are always so smart and sassy (and determined, boy are they determined) and as a double bonus, in The ABC's of Kissing Boys, there is also soccer (or as I call it, football).

Now, for those of you who don't know, apart from my blink-and-you'll-miss-it David Boreanaz obsession, the other love of my life is football and let's just say that my week lives and falls depending on how Liverpool Football Club does.

Anyway, one of Liverpool's most successful managers, Bill Shankley once famously said:

"Some people believe that football is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much more important than that."

And I cannot begin to tell you how appropriate this quote is for Parker Stanhope who does some pretty outrageous stuff to ensure she gets back on the varsity football team after being cruelly left behind after all her team mates were promoted. Oh and as if I didn't love Tina enough she goes and mentions Princess Bride in the book as well. Seriously, it's perfection and everyone really must read it!!!!!

Also, don't forget to stay tuned because I have a blog tour coming up with the wonderful Linda Gerber and I still need to talk some more about how much I loved Evermore by Alyson Noel. Oh, and I also need to try and not burn the dinner, but judging by the smell coming from the kitchen, I think I might be too late for that! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Whoops

I tried to change my blog color again and somehow pressed the wrong button and now I can't change it at all. Well, I probably can but that would require a quick-fire brain and I most certainly don't have one of them fellas today. Besides, the sun is shining which means that me and the laptop are about to go out into the garden to write. Btw, I'm currently reading Tina Ferraro's The ABC's of Kissing Boys and it is insanely awesome. If you haven't read any of Tina's books yet, then you truly must! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Another quickie

Okay so it appears that you guys know me far too well (especially Lucy who has seen through my cunning plan a little bit too easily!!!!!!). Anyway, I'm off to work in a moment so this is another quick blog post!

I've just watched Liverpool beat Hull - though it was a messy game and we didn't exactly make it look pretty, but I don't care, I just want the points!!! In other news I just finished reading Brisingr last night and loved it (all 740 pages of it!!!) and to celebrate I sat down and watched Eargon which was actually a lot better than I thought it would be (plus it had Robert Carlyle in which was totally cool - he's so good at being evil!!!)

Also, I accidentally found this on the Chapters website (when I googled my name and book title, since that's what pathetic authors do!) and it's a list of zombie books and I made the number two spot. Happy me!

And now I must go and convince my year old washing machine to work since it has been stopping about ten times during a cycle. See, authors aren't just pathetic we're boring and domestic as well!!!!

Oh and in case you didn't notice I changed the color of my blog. I'm still not sure so any suggestions would be welcome!!! Retweet this button on every post blogger

A quickie

I'm blogging over at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs today and ten points for anyone who guesses what I'm talking about (I'll even give you a clue. He's a man and he has no clothes on!!!!!!) Retweet this button on every post blogger

Would you believe it's still school holidays over here in New Zealand? I swear my kids have been off for at least ten weeks and there is still no end in sight! Still, on the plus side, we went to see Monsters versus Aliens the other day, and I'm happy to report that it rocked and I'm even going to go out on a limb and say that I enjoyed it as much as Monsters Inc and Nemo!!!

Anyway, it's been a while since I've been inclined to buy them a DVD since we normally just borrow them from the DVD store but we'll be first in line to get this one when it finally comes out. Awesome!!

I've also been managing to get a bit of writing done in between things, not to mention watching Liverpool play two 4-4 thrillers in one week and while I'm happy we scored lots of goals, I'm not so happy that we leaked so many as well.

In other news I'm over at weloveya talking about my favorite chocolate bar (and how it was cruelly ripped away from me just when I needed it most!). Also, my lovely friend and fellow NZ writer Maree Anderson has her very first arc up for grabs. It's called Even Demons Get the Blues (though it's not a ya, it is a hot steamy one, so only head over if you're over 18 and like them raunchy!!!!)

And now my kids have yet another playdate which means I need to tidy the house (aka throw all the mess into the closet) and get out of my tracksuit pants and into something that makes me look less like a slobby writer and more like a regular person!!!!

What's everyone else been up to? Retweet this button on every post blogger

Belated

Once again I've proved to be a bad, bad blogger girl!! And what's even worse is that I hate when other people don't update their blog and yet I constantly forget to do mine!

Thankfully I do have a good excuse since not only did I work all weekend at the library (still best job ever!!) but it was also my birthday on Saturday which meant my husband cooked dinner! Not only is he a great cook when he moves himself to be, but I hate cooking with a passion so even if he'd served up beans on toast I would've been happy (though as it turns out he went all fancy and did something very yummy and then followed it up with chocolate cake and cream. Nice!!!!)

Anyway, it was a lovely day though my six year old son was disappointed to discover that he didn't get any presents on my birthday! Still, he's already planning his own party which is only another six months away! What is it with Scorpio kids?

In other news, Kate over at Read This Book gave zombie a lovely review which always makes me happy!!!! Also, I'd just like to say how much I appreciate it when people write to let me know that they've seen my book in the store. This honestly means so much to me and it's even more exciting when they tell me my book was in the store but it's all been sold out. Yay to being sold out!!!!!!

Also, if there any House of Night fans out there, don't forget to go and check out Jessica Brody's fabulous Free Book Friday for Teens where there are five copies of Hunted up for grabs. It's only open to US and Canadian residents (boo since I want a signed copy as much as the next fangirl!!!) but if you're eligible then don't forget to enter.

In other news, I've just finished reading Alyson Noel's Evermore and it was of course totally, awesomely amazing and now I'm hanging out until Blue Moon is out after the little teaser at the back of the book!!!! I'm currently working my way through Brisingr but have a lot of critting and article writing to do not to mention working on two new ideas that I'm very excited about!

Oh, I also have a very happy husband since his team Everton just put Manchester United out of the FA cup semi final which means they're off to Wembley to play Chelsea.

So that's me, what's everyone else been up to? Retweet this button on every post blogger

Hillsborough 1989

Twenty years ago 96 Liverpool Football Club supporters were killed at Hillsborough stadium. Gone but not fogotten.

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GCC presents Jenny O'Connell

Woot! Today I'm touring the fabulous Jenny O'Connell so we can celebrate the paperback release of her book Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume and talk about great timing since I'm just about to read this myself!

I used to love Judy Blume when I was younger and last year I started reading some of her books again and she is just as relevant today as she ever was (not to mention popular and her books still go out all the time at the local library where I work!).

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, Jenny is the author of ten novels (both young adult and women's fiction) and it was her love of Judy Blume books that inspired her to put together and edit this collection of 24 essays written by some of the coolest authors around including people like Meg Cabot, Megan Crane, Shanna Swendson, Julie Kenner (or in other words, all of my favorite writers, hence why I need to read it!!!!!)

Still don't believe me? Well here is a bit more about the book and what some of the reviewers are saying!


Whether laughing to tears reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great or clamoring for more unmistakable “me too!” moments in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, girls all over the world have been touched by Judy Blume’s poignant coming-of-age stories. Now, in this anthology of essays, twenty-four notable female authors write straight from the heart about the unforgettable novels that left an indelible mark on their childhoods and still influence them today. Drawing on their own experiences of feeling like a Fourth Grade Nothing before growing up to become Smart Women themselves, these writers pay tribute, through their reflections and most cherished memories, to one of the most beloved authors of all time.

“Fun tributes to a beloved role model.” —People

“Wry pieces… make this more than a nostalgia trip.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Each writer is fearlessly honest… it’s emotional reading.” —Chicago Sun-Times

And now it's time for the questions. Oh, yeah!

1 How did you first get the idea for your current book?

I was about to write my first teen book and I thought, “Everything I needed to know about being a girl I learned from Judy Blume.” And the idea for the collection was born.

2 I often say that everything I know about writing has come from Buffy. Is there any movie/tv show/book/author that you think has helped your writing career?

Norma Klein was my favorite writer growing up. I spent the day with Judy Blume when this book came out and I mentioned how much I loved Norma’s books. It turned out Judy was very good friends with Norma, which was just the coolest thing ever. I still read Norma’s books to get me excited to write my teen books. They’re like jumper cables to my inner 17 year old.


3 What's a normal writing day for you?

There isn’t one. I have a full time job. So I write on weekends, at night, I dictate to my computer while driving. Whatever time I can get.


4 The best blooper I've ever done as a writer was when I had my heroine hand the hero something. Problem was they were sharing the same body at the time! So to help lessen my embarrassment, I'd love to know what your best writing blooper is and did someone catch it before your book went into print?

There isn’t a writing blooper but there is a huge, monstrous glaring typo on the last page of my book THE BOOK OF LUKE. It bugs me beyond belief and I can’t believe it made it into the final version of the book. And yes, readers have noticed and emailed me. Which bugs me even more. Well, if it's any consolation I read this book and didn't even notice it!!!!!

5 And now for the big question. Zombies - love them, hate them, couldn't eat a whole one? Enquiring minds want to know

I’d have to say I’m not a fan of Zombies. I prefer my people alive, at least I know what I’m dealing with. Retweet this button on every post blogger

USA Today baby!!!!!

So this morning I woke up to a zillion emails all saying congratulations, which I thought was lovely even though I had absolutely no idea what they were congratulating me about it. Anyway, I finally discovered that the USA Today has run an article on how zombies are becoming the new vampires and yup, me and my book got a mention! Words fail me. Okay, not really, there are plenty of words and all of them are happy ones!

Even better, in the actual article (not the online version) they showed SG Browne's gorgeous cover of Breathers, as well as giving a shout out to Carrie Ryan and Stacey Jay's books. Team zombie is definitely thriving!!!!!!

Anyway, you check it out here.

For those of you who don't know, I was lucky enough to get interviewed in the New York Times when my first book came out and that was pretty amazing - though the article was on blog touring not my book in particular, but somehow this seems even cooler! So here is to being famous. Even if it is just for a nano-second!!!!!!!! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Come and join me on a journey through space and time

Okay, so I just totally stole my heading from The Mighty Boosh (which is a totally fabulous, if somewhat surreal UK comedy show that I heartily recommend that everyone watch!!!)

Anyway, I'm out and about on the net today but before I head off first let me announce the winner of Luisa's competition. She used her random generator and the winner is:

Blodeuedd!!!

I probably do have your address but if you could send it to me again that would be wonderful! My email is amanda (at) amandaashby (dot) com (see how spam savvy I am now?!!!)

Anyway, today I'm over at Teen Fiction Cafe talking about what books I read when I was in High School

I'm also over at the launch of a new YA blogspot called We Love YA which is run by some of my fellow Australian and Kiwi ya authors and I think it's going to be lots of fun! Anyway, in order to celebrate there is yet another copy of Zombie up for grabs (man do I love giving books away!!!!)




And finally, in very exciting news, Kay Cassidy, who you will all remember from my blog party (she was giving away the adorable glass slipper!) has just launched her uber amazing Scavenger Hunt website where she has gathered together over 120 ya and midgrade authors and asked them each to come up with ten questions relating to their books (including Zombie Queen of Newbury High).

This is a library based program and once your local library has signed up, you can fill in your entries and hand them into the library. As long as you get over 8/10 they will send them to Kay and you will go into her monthly draw to win a $50 book voucher, and if you win, your library will win as well. Cool or what!! Retweet this button on every post blogger

The bits and bobs post

I'm hanging out with the one and only Tera Lynn Childs, talking about my worst jobs ever - trust me, there were so many to choose from!!!!!

Yesterday was a bit of a wipe out. I was meant to be working on my new book but instead stepped on a sharp thing from one of my son's (many) toys and I ended up hurting my foot. Of course because I'm a silver lining sort of girl, it did mean I could take to my bed and finish reading the new Raymond E Feist book, Rides a Dread Legion. As ever, it was amazing though very sad at the end. Though it sucks because now I have to wait another year to find out what happens next. Next up is Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. Then I'll be hitting some ya books. What's everyone else reading right now?

Also, I think I forgot to mention but if anyone ever reads the Romantic Times magazine, there was a big article on the rise of zombie books I got a few mentions. Yay! Retweet this button on every post blogger

What I'm listening to

Sorry to be missing in action. The weekends are always a bit crazy for me because I work in the library, but I'll be back properly tomorrow and in the meantime I thought I'd leave you with one of my current fav songs. So what's everyone else got on repeat lately?

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Win a copy of Luisa Plaja's Extreme Kissing

Hooray. I'm so excited because my lovely friend Luisa Plaja has come out to play! Most of you will remember Luisa from my blog party and the truth is that she had so much fun that day that she just couldn't keep away (between you and me I think she was missing all my fabulous zombie puns. Well, someone has to!!) . Anyway, today is the release of Luisa's new book Extreme Kissing which is out in the UK (but available through most online retailers. Just saying...) But enough from me and over to Luisa!!

Extreme Kissing is the story of "two best friends, one extreme adventure and too many secrets". Carlota, one of the main characters, drags her BFF Bethany on a wild day out that involves setting challenges from her favourite teen magazine. On the way, the girls complete various magazine quizzes, with some interesting consequences.

So I thought it might be fun to invent a quick 'n' silly magazine-style quiz for you all. Here goes!

What Type of Teen Fiction Are You?

1. Your ideal partner...
A) Has been dead for several decades but is nevertheless totally hot
B) Is strong and capable and gives you good advice when you get into sticky situations, such as when you turn the entire senior class into zombies
C) Is willing to go with you to the ends of the earth, or at least risk getting into trouble with parents to have fun travelling around with you

2. Which of these colours do you like best?
A) Topaz
B) Black
C) White

3. True Love...
A) Is powerful, overwhelming and possibly pre-destined
B) Can grow when you're busy doing other things, like ensuring people's survival
C) Sneaks up on you when you least expect it

4. Your friends are most likely to say that you are...
A) Intense
B) Hilarious (in a good way)
C) Secretive

5. And you're most likely to say the following words:
A) "When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it’s not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end."
B) "We all want to eat her because she smells like the most amazing barbecue chicken that you could ever imagine."
C) "I'm stressing myself out by stressing. I have stress stress."

Now add up your results!
Mostly A) You are paranormal romance. Full of passion and intrigue, absolutely millions of people love you and you're really hot right now, and probably will be forever. An example of you is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

Mostly B) You are paranormal comedy romance. You're fun to be with and are really good at cheering people up. You also keep people interested by telling great stories. An example of you is Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby.

Mostly C) You are realistic comedy romance. Your feet are more or less on the ground even though you're open to doing some crazy things now and then. Plus you like to talk about love. An example of you is Extreme Kissing by Luisa Plaja.

Mixed results: You are thoroughly cross-genre and appeal to all different types of people. Yay for you!
Disclaimer: There is absolutely no scientific basis to any of this and I really have no idea which book you actually are. But...

Win! Win!

To win a copy of Extreme Kissing, leave a comment below. If you like, you can tell us which book you think you are, or would most like to be, in any genre - it doesn't have to be any of the examples above! (Contest open worldwide.)

P.S. Thank you for letting me scribble all over your blog, Amanda! :)

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'nother competition

I was going to do hot guys today wasn't I - whoops. Will definitely do that tomorrow but in the meantime race over to Books By Their Cover where Carol and Yan gave me the funniest interview questions. Ever.

Honestly, I was laughing the whole time I answered them and there is also a copy of Zombie or Halo up for grabs so make sure you check it out (btw, have you noticed that I like giving things away? I'm so nice like that!!!!). And don't forget there is still time to enter the comp over at Teen Fiction Cafe as well. Retweet this button on every post blogger

Contests, links and the claytons of all blog posts

In Australia we used to have this drink called Claytons - which was a non-alcoholic drink and the adverting slogan was that it was the 'drink you had when you weren't having a drink'. Anyway, because us Australians are a funny lot, it soon became part of the lingo that if you weren't really doing something properly then you were doing a claytons.

My point is you ask? Well, that this is a Claytons blog. The blog you do when you're not really blogging!!!!

So first up on my Claytons blog is that if you want to head over Teen Fiction Cafe, I'm doing a promo post and I'm putting the very last Zombie Survival Kit up for grabs. I might end up doing some more in future but for now this the last one and I've also thrown in a copy of Zombie for good measure, so race over and leave a comment. Oh, but don't forget to come back because I've got more fun things to tell you!

Boy, that was quick. You guys really are speedy!!!

Anyway, next up is that it's the release day of Michelle Rowen's new book Stakes and Stilettos. Now Michelle is one of my fav authors ever and to say that I'm excited about this new book is a major understatement. And it turns out Michelle is excited as well which is why she's having a big ole party over at her blog with prizes and everything so go show Michelle some love and then go and read her books because she is funny (and I know funny because I'm a clown fish. Obscure Nemo reference anyone?)

And there is more competition goodness over at Getting to Know Willow which is the blog that the lovely Lauren from Shooting Stars magazine set up to help promote Julia Hoban's new book Willow. Lauren has a whole bucketload of prizes up for grabs and a heap of guest bloggers - including my own sweet self where I talk about what reading means to me.

Finally, my good buddy Lusia Plaja is getting ready for her new young adult book, Extreme Kissing to drop and she's over at City of Books talking about all sorts of good things. Plus Luisa will joining me over here on a very Non-Clayton blog post (though I think non-clayton might be an oxymoron. Hmmmm. Will have to think about that one!).

Right, so that's my Claytons blog post all wrapped up but don't forget to swing by tomorrow because I thought I might talk about a few of my favorite guys. Betcha can't guess who is top of the list! Retweet this button on every post blogger