GYDO: Amy Christine Parker

Amy Christine Parker, Author of Gated

Before writing GATED I didn’t naturally gravitate towards writing contemporaries. In my head they had strict boundaries. I’d very wrongly pigeon-holed the genre and found it rather limiting compared with other(more preferred) genres of mine. But then along came this idea that wouldn’t let go of me once it grabbed hold and I knew that I had to jump into the contemporary world—even if I did it kicking and screaming. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I didn’t need to leave behind the genres I loved most in order to write within it. The contemporary genre was really only limited by my own imagination and my perception of the world around me.

GATED is first and foremost, a contemporary novel. It takes place in the real world.

 Right here.

Right now.

But you won’t have to read very closely (hopefully) to see that this book has clear nods to the paranormal and dystopian genres in particular within it. It’s not a mash up so much as a pointed observation that our present existence as a society definitely includes elements of the fantastic and communities that border on (and in my opinion, clearly are) dystopian—you just have to look at it under those lenses.  When I was brainstorming how to go about writing GATED, one of the things that became obvious is that cults check all the boxes that dystopian societies do.

--There’s a leader(s) who has absolute power over a group of people.

--The society is built upon 1) The idea that the world/society—as is—isn’t working/is doomed and 2) the  quest to change their people’s direction for the better (at least on the surface).

--The majority of the people inside these societies won’t question those in charge or don’t dare to speak out if they do, for fear of being punished—sometimes for generations.

-- The person who does gather the courage to stand up and speak out, will face fierce, often times life threatening opposition.  

--Maybe most importantly, in the face of disturbing circumstances, the other, non-questioning members of the group will cling to their devotion if only so that they don’t have to face just how misguided it has been.

For me, realizing that what I feared most about the future was happening right under my nose was chilling. My hope was that it would be for readers too. Writing contemporaries began to be more and more addicting and now I am an ardent fan. All it took was questioning what I thought I knew about them and deciding to add my own spin.

Gated Blurb
Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?
In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:
Pioneer is her leader.
Will is her Intended.
The end of the world is near.
Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.
Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Author Bio

AMY CHRISTINE PARKER tried out many different jobs, including collectible doll maker, fondue waitress, and inner-city schoolteacher. It wasn't until she became a mom and began making up bedtime stories for her children that she finally realized what she was meant to do. Now Amy writes full-time from her home near Tampa, Florida, where she lives with her husband, their two daughters, and one ridiculously fat cat.

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GYDO: Rachel Alpine

Rachel Alpine, Author of Canary

In CANARY, the main character Kate has a blog called All My Truths (www.allmytruths.com).  She titles each post “Today’s Truth” and shares her secrets.  I thought it would be fun to posts my own truths and share some secrets about the book!

Today’s Truths about CANARY:

·         When I first started to query CANARY it was called UNTIL SOMEONE HEARS YOU.  I also suggested called it ALL MY TRUTHS.  My publishers loved CANARY and wanted me to keep that title.

·         The title came from something that miners used to do to test to see if it was safe to go into the mine.  They’d lower a canary in a cage down first and then pull it back up.  If it was alive, it was safe to go down.  If it died, they knew there was carbon monoxide in the mine.  They also often brought the birds down with them and knew that as long as the bird was singing, it was safe.  Canaries could detect carbon monoxide before humans can.  This relates to the main character, Kate, in my book and what she has to breath in and endure in her new school

·         One of the poems that is in CANARY is a poem I wrote in a college class.  It’s the poem that sparked the whole idea for the book, and I’m so excited I got to keep it in the book.

·         Kate swims at night with the pool lights off.  I used to go to my grandparents’ house in Florida every year and swimming at night was one of my favorite things to do.

·         Kate’s brother Brett enlists in the Army.  Originally, I had him going overseas, but changed it when I revised because he’s important to the story.  I wanted to keep him around (he’s one of my favorite characters!).

·         A lot of the characters in my book are named after my good friends.  They either have a character with their first or last name.  However, none of the characters were inspired or based off of my friends.

·         I was so nervous about what the cover would look like that I didn’t open the e-mail from my publisher for a couple of hours!  The good thing is that when I finally did, I loved it!

So there you have it…my truths about CANARY!                

In the book, Kate starts posting on her blog Sunday, August 11.  Be sure to visit her blog (www.allmyturths) as the posts in the book will be put on this blog in real time!

Canary Blurb
Kate Franklin’s life changes for the better when her dad lands a job at Beacon Prep, an elite private school with one of the best basketball teams in the state. She begins to date a player on the team and quickly gets caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, learning that there are perks to being an athlete. 
But those perks also come with a price. Another player takes his power too far and Kate is assaulted at a party. Although she knows she should speak out, her dad’s vehemently against it and so, like a canary sent into a mine to test toxicity levels and protect miners, Kate alone breathes the poisonous secrets to protect her dad and the team. The world that Kate was once welcomed into is now her worst enemy, and she must decide whether to stay silent or expose the corruption, destroying her father’s career and bringing down a town’s heroes.
Canary is told in a mix of prose and verse.

Author Bio

Rachele Alpine is a lover of sushi, fake mustaches, and Michael Jackson. One of her first jobs was at a library, but it didn’t last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she’s a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit. By day she’s a high school English teacher, and by night she writes with the companionship of the world’s cutest dog, Radley, a big cup of coffee, and a full bag of gummy peaches. Rachele lives with her husband in Cleveland, Ohio, but dreams of moving back to Boston, the city she fell in love with while attending graduate school there.

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GYDO: April Genevieve Tucholke

April Tucholke, Author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Happy Never After or Happy Ever After

A bittersweet mixture of both. 

Hardback, paperback, or eBook?

Hardback and paperback. I don't own an ereader. 

Bad boy or boy next door?

Both.

Chocolate or candy?

Dark chocolate.

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee. No question.

Truth or Dare?

Truth.

Reading in the sun or reading next to a fireplace?

Both, with a slight leaning towards the fireplace.

Sweet or Sour?

Sour is my least favorite taste. And I like my desserts bittersweet, like my endings.

Would you rather be super cold or baking in the sun?

Super cold. Hands down.

A million dollars or a life time supply of books?

I already seem to own more books than I could read in a lifetime. I'd take the million dollars and donate half to cash-starved libraries. I would use the rest to build a fleet of bookmobiles that would travel the land, giving away my favorite books.

Favorite YA book? (Besides your own of course!)

That's tough. Sabriel and Lirael by Garth Nix. Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer. To Kill a Mockingbird. The Golden Compass. A Wrinkle in Time. The Folk Keeper. I could go on and on...

Favorite 2013 debut?

THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER by Megan Shepherd. TAKEN by Erin Bowman. IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS by Cat Winters. SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard. And there are still several I haven't had a chance to read yet...

Favorite place?

Northern Italy. Lourmarin, France. The Scottish Borders. Salzburg, Austria. Bruges, Belgium. 

Favorite food?

Affogato. Manakeesh with olives, feta, and crisp cucumbers. Summer Corn Chowder made with coconut milk and fresh corn right off the cob. The Khai Soi at Pok Pok in Portland. The Sticky Chicken at the Real Food Street Bistro food cart.

Favorite website?

I'm on my local library's website almost every day. I really like deviantART.com...and audible.com. I listen to a lot of audiobooks. 

Favorite social media?

None. I wish we could go all go back to writing letters.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Blurb

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…
Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.
Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

Author Bio

April Genevieve Tucholke is a writer who digs classic movies, red-headed villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband Nate Pedersen live in Oregon at the edge of the forest.

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GYDO: Liz Coley

Liz Coley, Author of Pretty Girl-13

Way back in seventh grade, the social divisions were fairly well established even in a tiny private school. There were the cute boys who played basketball and then the rest of the guys, ill-assorted and usually awkward. For some reason, these traits went together, although looking back on yearbook photos, I realize in retrospect that although there were dorky athletes and cute nerds, those category cutting exceptions weren’t noticeable at the time.

In some private schools, there’s one additional category of student—the kid who is there because he’s been kicked out of the public school system. Oddly enough one of these kids became one of my best guy friends in seventh grade.

His name was generic enough that I’ve no hope of finding him again—Jeff Smith—though I would love to know what ever became of him. He arrived at our school in seventh grade as a bird of a completely different feather. He was worldly, he was a bad boy, he was kind of cute, with shoulder length wavy brown hair and a ready smile. He smoked cigarettes and pot, he shoplifted, and he broke into houses. For reasons I can’t even begin to guess, he decided to hang out with “the good girls” at lunch. Maybe because we were so nice, we just accepted him, with all his baggage. Maybe because our eyes sparkled at his tales of mischief and misdemeanor. Maybe because we were as much a curiosity to him as he was to us. He nicknamed me Albert, after Einstein, and I answered to that name as if it were my own, all year. I considered it a badge of affection and something completely mysterious and indefinable.

I think he managed to flunk seventh grade. He knew he was leaving in early June, and on our last day, he presented the three of us girls in his odd posse with necklaces, personal to each of us. Mine was an owl, the others a dove and a choker that said “oh shit” on it. He proudly announced that while he had stolen the money, he had actually paid for the jewelry in a store. Shades of moral gray. It seemed like a step in the right direction to us—that’s how charmed we were. I’ve still got this token of the charismatic delinquent who brushed my life for just a few hundred days, and it’s still an unaccountably precious memory.

Pretty Girl-13 Blurb
Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home…only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen-or at least that's what everyone tells her.
What happened to the past three years of her life?
Angie doesn't know.
But there are people who do — people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?
Liz Coley's alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing - and ultimately empowering page-turner about accepting our whole selves, and the healing power of courage, hope, and love.

Author Bio

Liz Coley's short fiction has appeared in Cosmos magazine and speculative fiction anthologies. Her passions beyond reading and writing include singing, photography, and baking. She plays competitive tennis locally in Ohio to keep herself fit and humble.

With a background in science, Liz follows her interest in understanding "the way we work" down many interesting roads. Pretty Girl-13's journey into the perilous world of dissociative identity disorder is one of them.

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GYDO: Sarah Skilton

Sarah Skilton, Author of Bruised

Thanks so much for having me at your blog to talk about subplots, Nikki!

When I was writing BRUISED, I didn’t put too much conscious thought into how many obstacles my main character, Imogen, would face, but apparently I couldn’t stop tormenting her. By the time I finished writing, the book was filled with a host of subplots beyond the main theme of martial arts and personal identity. Family drama, friendship drama, romance, and school make strong cameos in the story, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think our main relationships with siblings and parents affect and inform all the other parts of our lives.

Imogen dislikes the way her brother behaves when he dates people, so she vows to do the opposite in her own life. This in turn has direct consequences on the way she behaves toward Ricky. She’s disappointed and worried about her father, who has diabetes, and these emotions propel her to make specific choices about her own life, some healthy and some not.

For BRUISED, balancing the different subplots of the story was a matter of looking at Imogen’s character -- simply put, she’s mature when it comes to martial arts, but immature when it comes to love -- and proceeding from there. Her Tae Kwon Do black belt makes her stand out, but she’s also a regular girl in many ways. I wondered: how would someone like Imogen approach the other areas of her life, the ares most contemporary teens deal with (such as siblings, school, and friends)? Which aspects will come easily to her, and which aspects will prove difficult? By answering those questions, I was able to find conflict that wouldn’t exist for other characters, as well as strengths and weaknesses that Imogen brings to table.

Before you throw every subplot you can think of into the mix, make a list of your lead’s character traits and brainstorm how those traits would manifest in a variety of situations. Then pick the situations that would torment him or her the most, and go from there! ;) 

Bruised Blurb
Imogen has always believed that her black belt in Tae Kwon Do made her stronger than everyone else--more responsible, more capable. But when she witnesses a holdup in a diner, she freezes. The gunman is shot and killed by the police. And it's all her fault.
Now she's got to rebuild her life without the talent that made her special and the beliefs that made her strong. If only she could prove herself in a fight--a real fight--she might be able to let go of the guilt and shock. She's drawn to Ricky, another witness to the holdup, both romantically and because she believes he might be able to give her the fight she’s been waiting for.
But when it comes down to it, a fight won’t answer Imogen's big questions: What does it really mean to be stronger than other people? Is there such a thing as a fair fight? And can someone who's beaten and bruised fall in love?

Author Bio

Sarah Skilton lives in California with her magician husband and their son. By day she works in the film and TV business. She is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, which came in handy when writing BRUISED. Visit her online at sarahskilton.com.

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GYDO: Kasie West

Kasie West, Author of Pivot Point

It’s no secret, I love reading about people falling in love. So I thought it would be fun to explore some of the ways used in a few of my favorite young adult novels to build up to that all important ‘L word.’

Best friends. I love it when long-time best friends discover they have feelings for each other. Whether they tell each other right away and deal with the fall out, or the main character is just discovering her feelings and thinks she is alone in them, it’s fun to struggle along with them. The familiarity of the relationship and the two knowing each other so well, makes a fun story, sure to have my heart aching for them to finally figure things out because they belong together.

One of my favorite leading men in this type of story is: Jay (from The Body Finder)

“It was the same thing every day. There was nothing different from yesterday and the day before that. Nothing different from every single day since they’d met.

           

Except that now her stomach climbed into her throat as he grinned his stupid sideways grin at her and slid into the car.” –Kimberly Derting The Body Finder

The intriguing stranger. On the opposite end of the best friends discovering love is falling for the complete stranger…eventually. There’s something fun about discovering the details of a boy right along with the main character. The not knowing what his looks mean. The not knowing what his past holds. The mystery of it all is compelling.

My favorite intriguing stranger is: Wes (from The Truth About Forever)

“Now that he was right in front of me, I could see that he was tall and had brown hair that was a little bit too long. He was also strikingly handsome, with the sort of sculpted cheekbones and angular features that you couldn’t help but notice, even if you did have a boyfriend.” –Sarah Dessen The Truth About Forever

The cocky bad boy. Why oh why am I still drawn to the bad boy who is hot and knows it? I think it’s because I love seeing that confidence start to crack as the main character breaks down those walls. There is something about the vulnerability that lies behind all that bravado that gets me every time.

My favorite cocky bad boy? Jace (from City of Bones)

“He cocked an eyebrow. ‘Can I help you with something?’

Clary turned instant traitor against her gender. ‘Those girls on the other side of the car are staring at you.’

Jace assumed an air of mellow gratification. ‘Of course they are,’ he said. ‘I’m stunningly attractive.’” –Cassandra Clare City of Bones

The childhood crush reappearing. Ah, years of pent up feelings that come rushing back when a childhood crush suddenly reappears in the life of the MC. I love this. I especially love this when things ended badly or in a misunderstanding like with Cricket in Lola and the Boy Next Door. I love this book. I love Cricket.

“We take each other in. My mind spins as it tries to connect the Cricket of the present with the Cricket of the past. He’s grown up and grown into his body, but it’s still him. The same boy I fell in love with in the ninth grade. My feelings had been building since our childhood, but that year, the year he turned sixteen, was the year everything changed.” –Stephanie Perkins Lola and the Boy Next Door

The protector. Lastly, one of my favorite types of love stories is the girl falling for her protector. I love a strong love interest whose instinct is to protect, even if it’s begrudgingly at first. 

My favorite protector as of late is: Perry (from Under The Never Sky)

“The Outsider picked up his bow and quiver, looping them over his shoulder. ‘No talking once we cross that ridge. Not a word, understand?’

‘Why? What’s out there?’

His eyes, always bright, looked like green lights in the pale dawn. ‘Your stories are, Mole. All of them.’” –Veronica Rossi Under The Never Sky

Isn’t it great how many ways there are to fall in love? And I fell in love with all these characters again while I was putting this post together. I can’t wait to discover more favorites as I continue to read.

Pivot Point Blurb
(Check out her other 2013 release Distance Between Us) 
Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.
In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Author Bio

A stay-at-home mom of four children, three of them girls, ranging in age from 12to four, Kasie West hears lots of melodramatic versions of large-than-life events. She graduated with a BA in liberal studies, with a strong focus on linguistics and psychology, from Fresno State University. She lives in Fresno, CA.

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GYDO: Jennifer Rush

Jennifer Rush, Author of Altered

Here’s a secret (but not really a secret because this is probably not a surprise to any of you): I started writing way back in my early teens because I was boy crazy. When I was twelve or thirteen, I was obsessed with teen magazines, like Bop and Tiger Beat, and I’d pull out all of the posters and celebrity pictures and plaster them all over my bedroom wall until no wall remained.
I had a major crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Andrew Keegan, and Devon Sawa (anyone remember him in Little Giants?). I couldn’t watch their movies/TV shows enough, and I realized that I could stay with them as long as I’d like if I just wrote my own story, with my own cute boys.
I started writing vampire fiction (I devoured vampire books at this age). Then I read Sarah Dessens’s The Truth About Forever, and decided I needed to write my own Wes.
Growing up, I was never popular, or pretty. I certainly didn’t have a ton of male suitors. Reading, and later writing, was a way for me to live vicariously through my characters. I got to fall in love with multiple boys without any of the mess (you’re welcome, mom and dad). I was able to kiss a cute vampire. Feel the butterflies from a crush on a brooding artist. Fall for a bad boy (a demon, actually, but he was a super-hot-with-a-sensitive-side demon). 
But something changed, the more I wrote, and the more I thought about the girls telling my stories. I realized, not only could I feel a sliver of the crush on a cute boy, I could feel the empowerment of a strong female, or the rush of an athletic girl, or the passion of an artist.
I started focusing more on my female narrators. I wrote a runner—something I’ve always wanted to do, but have never been successful at. I wrote an artist, because I’d loved art growing up, but never felt I was good enough. I wrote a strong, peculiar girl with tattoos all over, and a best friend she’d die for.
I guess it comes as no surprise then, that Altered is told from the point of view of a girl who can kick major ass. A girl who is passionate, and creative, and kind and caring, but also courageous and strong and determined.
As my writing grows, I want to continue writing strong female characters, but also characters that are real, and complex, and interesting, maybe even weak at times. Because we are all weak at times. 
I hope in the future, that when people talk about my books, they say things like, She writes great female characters, and complex plots, and super hot boys. After all, I couldn’t possibly turn my back on my humble beginnings. :-)

Altered Blurb
When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?
Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 
Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.
Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Author Bio

Jennifer Rush lives in a little town on the shoreline of Lake Michigan with her husband and two children. She grew up wanting to be an Egyptologist, but realized she hated the desert and declared herself a writer instead. She won her first writing award in the fourth grade (a Mickey Mouse pencil was the prize) and has been crafting stories ever since. In her free time, she likes to read, Photoshop, and consume large amounts of caffeine.

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