Today,Liz Coley,author of Pretty Girl 13,stops by at Daydreaming Bookworm along with a guest post and is giving away a U.K Edition copy of her book to one lucky INTERNATIONAL reader!Check them out below.
About Pretty Girl 13:
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.
About the Author:
Liz Coley writes fiction for teens and for the teen in you.
Her first published work was science fiction short stories, published in Cosmos magazine and several anthologies.
Self-published YA novel Out of Xibalba features a contemporary teenager thrown back to ancient Mayan times. The story starts when the world ends.
Pretty Girl-13 from HarperCollins will be released in at least ten languages on five continents, in print, ebook, and audiobook. There are secrets you can't even tell yourself.
Liz
lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, her teenaged daughter, a
snoring dog, and a limping old cat. When she's not involved in
writing-related activities, she can be found sewing, baking, shooting
photos, playing tennis, and singing.
**Guest Post : Write What You Want To Know**
There’s a maxim for beginning writers: “Write what you know.” But it is equally valid to write about what you want to know. Lack of pre-existing knowledge doesn’t have to hold you back, not in these wonderful days of internet and free long-distance calling.
When I decided to write Pretty Girl-13 in 2009, I had two starting points for my subject matter research: understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder and learning about the new research field of optogenetics. Having a degree in science helped in both areas.
Of the many autobiographies on Multiple Personality/Dissociative Identity Disorder, I studied The Flock (Joan Frances Casey and Lynn Wilson), and When Rabbit Howls (The Troops for Truddi Chase), both of which featured terrible instances of child abuse. They were a rough read. I supplemented these personal stories by reading extensively on the internet--DID help sites, the Sidram Institute, the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, medical websites, and original scientific papers. I verified and amplified what I had learned by interviewing a DID survivor “J” who is almost completely reintegrated. Long after the manuscript was in, I read two more autobiographies: A Fractured Mind (Dr. Robert B. Oxnam) and Breaking Free (Hershel Walker), and it felt like I was hearing the same tale again and again. The principles of the condition seem to be very consistent from case to case--from origins to discovery to therapeutic process, from internal metaphoric imagery to the complex interrelationships among alters.
Part of my drive to write this story began with a popular science article I read on the new area of neuroscience research: optogenetics. In optogenetics, a light sensitive gene from an archaebacteria is introduced as a control sequence into a gene that produces neurotransmitters. Yes, the science geek in me found this fascinating: Essentially light can be used to turn on and off the flow of messages between nerve cells. I read several scientific papers on the process and on the results and interviewed my brother, a university neurobiologist, on whether Angie’s “experimental technique” was theoretically possible in the future. The answer was yes, and potentially in the not-so-distant future. Optogenetics has been called “the technique of the decade” and is now a major area of grant-funded research. Given that I wrote the story in 2009, I’ve been reminded yet again how hard it is to write near-future science without it coming true before publication.
All the other research was on the fly—location details via Google maps, forensic advice from the LA coroner’s office, and even a restroom signage consultation with a high school. Did you know that high schools in California have GIRLS’ rooms and not WOMEN’s? I didn’t. Now I do.
My review of Pretty Girl 13 will be posted on the blog sometime soon so be sure to check back or you can always subscribe to the blog for it to show up on your feed.
Giveaway!!
As promised,Liz is giving away a U.K Edition copy of her book to one lucky INTERNATIONAL winner.Please see Terms And Conditions on the widget for details.Good Luck! :)
This
is a feature where I ask authors to do a guest post discussing about
the background of their books and share their experiences in creating
the world in which the characters are portrayed.For more info on this
feature,click HERE.
Today,Cat Winters stops by to share her insights on her upcoming debut,In The Shadow Of Blackbirds.Thanks for stopping by,Cat! :)
Featuring
haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense,
romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cat Winters was born and raised in Southern California, near Disneyland, which may explain her love of haunted mansions, bygone eras, and fantasylands. She received degrees in drama and English from the University of California, Irvine, and formerly worked in publishing.
Her debut novel, IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS—a YA ghost tale set during the World War I era—is coming April 2, 2013, from Amulet Books/ABRAMS. She currently lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two kids.
IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS isn’t a typical historical ghost story. It doesn’t take place in a decrepit old manor house rising out of the gloom of an English moor. The setting is a very specific moment in time: October and November 1918, during the last weeks of World War I and the height of the deadly Spanish influenza pandemic that killed millions of people around the globe.
My main character, Mary Shelley Black (named after the author of FRANKENSTEIN), travels from Portland, Oregon, to live with her aunt in San Diego, California, after watching her father get arrested for treason. There’s an atmosphere of fear and paranoia gripping America. Anyone who speaks out against the war is at risk of arrest. Anyone who catches the flu might die within hours. Encountering the ghost of her first love is only one of the many reasons Mary Shelley is trying to keep hold of her courage and sanity.
After researching 1918 America in depth, I realized I was dealing with a real-life version of a dystopian/apocalyptic setting. I decided to draw out the science-fiction elements of the time period. One of the first scenes that came to me was the opening chapter, in which Mary Shelley boards a train. I envisioned a crowded railroad car populated by passengers wearing flu masks, with only their eyes visible. Onions were a popular folk remedy used to fight off the flu germs, so I smelled the potent fumes of onions in the air and imagined Mary Shelley making her way past all the watchful eyes in her quest to find a seat. When a woman sneezes, Mary Shelley holds back on saying “gesundheit,” for the word is German, and Americans were fighting Germany. She’s worried she might go to jail for seeming un-American, like her father.
To add richer layers to my otherworldly atmosphere, I continuously drew upon reports of the 1918 flu and all the homemade flu remedies. Some people sprinkled sulfur over hot coals to try to chase away the germs, creating a smelly, eerie blue smoke—which seemed perfect for a paranormal funeral scene in the novel. I read accounts of coffins piling up in front of undertakers’ homes and children climbing on the caskets as if they were playing in a fortress—chilling details that also went into the book.
In the research archives of the San Diego History Center (http://www.sandiegohistory.org), I learned about a Red Cross House that was opened for recovering war veterans in November 1918. Two scenes that are important to the story’s central mystery take place in that convalescent home. I merged the archives’ descriptions of the building with my own interpretation of what the men recuperating there would have looked like and how the place would have smelled and sounded. Those chapters became some of my favorite parts of IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS, and even though those sections of the book were more grounded in the real, living world, they contain their own touch of the novel’s surreal atmosphere.
There are also scenes involving the ghost—a troubled, terribly haunted eighteen-year-old soldier named Stephen Embers. Those moments usually occur at night, and most of the tension and fear my main character endures were drawn from my own experiences of lying in bed after reading a scary book or watching a frightening movie, my heart thumping so loudly until it sounded like a second heart beating inside my mattress. The aunt with whom Mary Shelley lives can’t afford electricity, so most of the ghostly encounters occur by the light of an oil lamp, or in pitch darkness…as all frightening ghost scenes should.
Atmosphere and world building are an essential part of submerging one’s readers into a story. I hope you enjoy your journey into Mary Shelley Black’s dark and dangerous historical world and feel I’ve fully transported you to this strange, sad, and fascinating period in time—even if it makes you want to leave your own lights on at night.
GIVEAWAY: Cat is giving awaya signed swag pack containing a bookmark, postcard, and bookplate, as well as a clock-gear necklace inspired by the jewelry that technology-loving Mary Shelley Black wears in the novel (All pictured below) to one lucky INTERNATIONAL winner.Giveaway is international.Enter via the rafflecopter below and please check the TERMS AND CONDITIONS on the widget.Good Luck! :)
Featuring haunting archival
early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story
set in a past that is eerily like our own time.
My Review:
**I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from Abrams And Chronicle Books U.K in exchange for an honest review.**
Words CANNOT explain how I felt while reading In The Shadow Of Blackbirds.It is quite a unique novel of the YA historical fiction genre,I'll hand you that.But the entire story is like a bumpy roller-coaster ride,with its sharp turns and frequent highs and lows.After finally being able to put down the book,my mind was all jumbled up with my mixed thoughts.There were parts where the story did not proceed the way I wanted it to,but were good nonetheless.But my possessiveness got the better of me and during those parts I felt like taking control of the plot and guide it the way I wanted it to go.
But even then I felt that the author did a wonderful job in writing the book,despite the fact that some things did not turn out the way I wanted them to be.With black and white photos from around the same era the story was set in at the beginning of each chapter,this author really knows how to bring a story to life.
So overall,after considering both the pros and cons of my mixed feelings,I've decided to rate this book 3.75 out of 5 stars.Mixed feelings equals a mixed rating! :)
But one thing's for sure.This book will definitely win the hearts of fans of YA historical novels like The Diviners or The Masque Of The Red Death. I just hope that there's a sequel to this book with an ending which will satisfy my disappointment of the ending in this one.
Giveaway:
Abrams U.K has generously offered
a copy of In The Shadow Of Blackbirds for me to give away to one INTERNATIONAL winner.Enter
via the form below and please check the TERMS AND CONDITIONS on the form.Giveway starts at 15:58 EST time (New York)
This
is a feature where I ask authors to do a guest post discussing about
the background of their books and share their experiences in creating
the world in which the characters are portrayed.For more info on this
feature,click HERE.
For today's post,Jennifer Archer stops by at my blog today to share her insights of her upcoming novel,The Shadow Girl.
THE SHADOW GIRL by JENNIFER ARCHER
"Sometimes I forget for
an hour or two that she's with me. Sometimes I convince myself that she
was only a dream. Or that I'm crazy."
For as long as Lily Winston
can remember, she has never been alone. Iris, a shadowy figure who
mimics Lily's movements and whispers in her ear, is with her always—but
invisible to the rest of the world. Iris is Lily's secret.
But
when Lily's father is killed in a tragic accident, his cryptic final
words suggest that he and Lily's mother have been keeping secrets of
their own. Suddenly, Iris begins pushing Lily more than ever, possessing
her thoughts and urging her to put together the pieces of a strange
puzzle her father left behind. As she searches for answers, Lily finds
herself drawn to Ty Collier, a mysterious new boy in town. Together,
Lily and Ty must untangle a web of deception to discover the truth about
her family, Iris . . . and Lily's own identity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
At the age of ten, Jennifer
Archer made up her mind to become a writer. Then she grew up, became
“sensible,” and earned a business degree with a minor in accounting
instead. After years of trying to find her way through a confusing maze
of debits and credits she realized that, for her, accounting was no more
sensible than becoming a World Federation wrestler. So in 1993, she
enrolled in a creative writing class, and five years later, sold her
first novel. Since then, Jennifer has published several novels for
adults, as well as numerous non-fiction works.
Jennifer has been
a finalist twice for RWA’s Golden Heart award and in 2006 was a
finalist for the prestigious Rita Award and a nominee for a Romantic
Times Bookclub Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award. Her debut Young Adult
novel, THROUGH HER EYES, was an April, 2011 release from Harper Teen.
She has taught creative writing and has presented numerous talks and
workshops for educators, students, writers' organizations and
bookstores.
The mother of two grown sons, Jennifer lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs, Marge and Harry.
Here is Jennifer's guest post in which she shares the story behind The Shadow Girl's creation.
Typically many different elements come together to form the ideas for my stories and it’s often difficult for me to pinpoint exactly one thing that inspired a book, a character, or a fictional world. That’s definitely true of The Shadow Girl. When I think back to the time when the story and characters were percolating in my mind, I remember pondering the following things:
When I was in 6th grade, one day I slipped out of the room while class was in progress to go to the restroom. The school building was old, with dark echoing hallways, and the restroom across from my classroom was small and empty except for me. I remember standing at the sink, washing my hands. I could hear the distant sounds of teachers lecturing, books slamming shut, students talking quietly. I turned off the faucet and looked up as I reached toward the paper towel dispenser on the wall, and when my eyes connected with my own image in the mirror, my breath caught and for a moment I froze as I stared at myself. Who are you? That was the thought that flashed through my eleven-year-old mind. It lasted only a second , that odd and disconcerting feeling of disconnection from the girl in the mirror . . . myself. But I have never forgotten it. I think that moment was a natural part of growing up and trying to figure out who I was – not literally, but in the scope of my place in the world and what I believed about myself. And I think that the memory of that experience is at the core of my idea for The Shadow Girl. What if a girl named Lily senses a presence that stays with her all the time? Another girl whose whispers Lily hears in her head? A girl named Iris who feels to Lily like a separate part of her?
My love of ghost stories is apparent when I look back at the books I’ve written. In my novels for adults, two books – Sandwiched and Off Her Rocker – have subtle ghostly elements. However, my young adult novel Through Her Eyes is a full-blown ghost story in that the ghost is very much a crucial main character. In The Shadow Girl, I wanted to write a ghost story with a twist. Another true ghost story, but one that’s more than that. And because I don’t want to ruin the twist for anyone who hasn’t yet read the book, I’ll leave it at that!
In building Lily’s world, I realized she needed to live in a somewhat isolated location with a fairly lonely existence so that Iris is one of the few “friends” she has. For this reason and others, I decided that her parents would home-school Lily. And I realized that setting her home in a fictional location in the mountains of southern Colorado would be perfect, because it is a very remote place. My husband and I have a cabin in the Spanish Peaks there, so I know and love the area. The two peaks – the east and the west – stand side-by-side and seem to me a perfect analogy for Lily and Iris. Lily explains this better than I can! Here are her thoughts about the peaks outside her bedroom window in her own words:
My parents and I live in a cabin my dad built in the Rocky Mountains of
southern Colorado. My bedroom is in the upstairs loft. As I roll to face the
window beside my bed, two peaks in the distance are the first things I see.
They’re as vigilant as always, their frosty heads twinkling beneath a hazy wash
of moonlight.My parents and I call them the twin peaks, and they’re so close
together that I used to imagine they held hands.Though the west peak
changes colors with each season, the east peak remains black and gray,
somber and dark. It’s slightly taller than the west one and stands a step
behind, as if to watch over its smaller friend.
Also,the Spanish Peaks are rich with Indian legends,and I discovered that a few of them worked with my storyline. For instance, one legend states that anyone who sleeps in the shadow of the peaks never dies.How cool is that?
I love stories that feature characters facing challenges that force them to change and grow and learn something about themselves. Characters who ask “who am I?” Characters who ultimately learn that there is more to themselves than they ever imagined. That is the character I attempted to create in Lily.
Thank you so much for the guest post,Jennifer! :)
This guest post also comes with a giveaway!Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and PLEASE CHECK the rafflecopter widget for the rules.Here's what you can win:
