What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk, and you can find the link here! 

WHAT I’M READING

I’m midway through THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY by Lili Peloquin, one of my Breathless Reads sisters! It’s the sequel to THE INNOCENTS and it’s sort of GOSSIP GIRL meets REVENGE with a haunting Gothic feel. Sisters Alice and Charlie move into their super-rich stepdad’s house in an exclusive beach community and start to uncover a lot of skeletons in the family closet. Alice in particular is haunted by their stepsister Camilla’s death last summer and starts to suspect it may not have been a suicide. In Book 2, the mystery continues and both girls become embroiled in love quadrangles. It’s good soapy fun! 

WHAT I’M WRITING

Nothing, at the moment! But after turning Cahill Book 3 in to my editor and then taking 2 weeks off, I’m starting to get a little itchy-brained. Fortunately:

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

I’ve got a writing retreat coming up! On Friday, six of my favorite writer friends and I are heading down to the Shenandoah Valley in VA on our third annual Memorial Day weekend retreat. This is my amazing stable of critique partners, and they’ve been there for me since before BORN WICKED came out and so supportive through all the ups and downs since. They are all incredible writers and smart, awesome women, and we have so much fun together! I’m looking forward to reading a bunch and getting back to work on my potential next-book. I haven’t even opened the document in the six months I was drafting CB3, and I haven’t really written on it in earnest since last Memorial Day, when my CPs demanded more pages! I’m excited to get back into it. Also excited for lots of writing talk and wine and cheese!

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

Both my sisters are home from grad school right now, so The Playwright and I went up to PA to visit my family the last two days. It coincided nicely with a crazy hot spell; the last few days have felt more like July than late May. Fortunately, my parents opened their pool last week, so while the water was still a little on the chilly side, it was an awesome place to spend the afternoons! 

*happy sigh* I love living in the city, but there’s something quintessentially summery about spending lazy afternoons reading and paddling around the pool in the sunshine. Our June is going to be crazy between STAR CURSED’s release and several book events, and July will be equally busy between CapFringe and a trip to Canada. But I’m already looking forward to a long weekend back in PA in early August!

Hi! Wow, isn’t May so full of bookish deliciousness?

Today we’re celebrating the release of Natalie Whipple’s TRANSPARENT, which comes out TODAY! I’ve been a longtime reader and lurker at Natalie’s awesome blog, so I’m excited to help her celebrate!

They say:  

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.

I say:

I haven’t read it yet, but the hook of an invisible girl is pretty incredible. And how striking is the cover? This one’s been on my must-buy list since the deal was announced!

Now for our interview with Natalie:​

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Fiona is an invisible, distrustful, vulnerable ex-thief.

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

TRANSPARENT is a quirky, fast-paced, superhuman story.

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I am a Kdrama-loving, anime-drawing, introverted foodie. 

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

New Zealand, Japan, and Korea

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

​Cooking, gardening, and art

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Chef, artist, horticulturist (sensing a theme here?)

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

​Ranunculus, snapdragons, lilacs

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Sushi, curry (all kinds), bulgogi

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

THE GIVER, FLASH BURNOUT, INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER

You can find out more about Natalie at her website or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Thank you for joining us, Natalie! Hope you have an amazing week!

Eeep! It’s now less than one month ’til STAR CURSED comes out! June 18! I can’t wait for you all to read it!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hi! Today we’re celebrating the release of Ashley Elston’s THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, which came out on Tuesday!

They say:  

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky… But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

I say:

I love the hook of a girl in the Witness Protection Program! It reminds me of a childhood favorite, Lois Duncan’s DON’T LOOK BEHIND YOU. Meg is a tremendously sympathetic main character. Her dad is keeping secrets about why they’ve got to endure this, her spunky little sister is going silent and childlike, and her mom’s drinking is getting out of control. After being abruptly yanked out of her original life and several placements, leaving friends and identities behind in each place, it’s totally understandable that she’s decided not to even try in Louisiana. Of course, that’s before she meets Ethan, who really is adorable. Her attempts to push him away are, again, understandable, but I appreciate that instead of being endlessly patient, he gets frustrated with her and demands the truth. I love the charming small-town setting and the rich family dynamics – but what really kept me flipping pages is the mystery of what got Meg’s family into this situation and the very real sense of danger following her. The neat ending struck me as a tad implausible, but it’s possible that the sequel will make it all make sense. I’ll definitely be reading it! Recommend!

Now for our interview with Ashley:​

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Meg is a smart, scared, determined sister. (JS: I loved the sisterly relationship here!)

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING is a mysterious, romantic, thrilling novel.

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I’m a happy, independent, kind adventurer.

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

Australia, Ireland, Argentina

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

​Pottery, cake decorating, French (JS: ooh, cake decorating would be so fun!)

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Photography, horticulturist, archeologist

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

​Gardenia, hydrangea, Louisiana Iris

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Crawfish, German chocolate cake, sushi

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE by Laini Taylor (JS: awesome choices! I love all of these!)

You can find out more about Ashley at her website and add the book to your Goodreads shelf here.

Ashley is offering up a swag pack to one lucky winner in the US (necklace, bookmark, and stickers). To enter, leave me a comment telling me what fake name you’d choose if you had to go into hiding. I’m going to go with Lia! ETA: contest open until next Thursday, May 23, at noon.

Thank you for stopping by, Ashley! I hope you’re having a fabulous debut week!

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk, and you can find the link here!

WHAT I’M READING

I just started THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, a debut by Ashley Elston which came out yesterday. It’s about a girl in the Witness Protection program who’s been relocated so many times she wants to give up on making new friends – and she meets a boy who starts asking too many questions – and also tries to hold her increasingly messed-up family together while trying to find out why they’re on the run. It reminds me a little bit of Lois Duncan’s classic DON’T LOOK BEHIND YOU. Check back in tomorrow for an interview & giveaway with Ashley!

WHAT I’M WRITING

I sent my draft of Cahill book 3 to Editor Ari last weekend so I’m taking a break. Sort of. I’ve got a lot of promo to do for STAR CURSED, which comes out in 33 days! I’m also starting to think more about what my next project might be…

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

My students. I’ve been leading writing workshops this semester for the first time through Writopia. I just came from my last class with my eight year olds this semester. They are crazy and bright and funny and so talented. What I love most about working with them is how fearlessly creative they are. They aren’t scared to get it wrong yet. They don’t have that internal editor that stops them as they type, wondering if it’s wrong, what readers or editors or anyone will think. They’re proud and excited about their stories. I envy that a little – but it inspires me to try and find that fearless joy within myself.

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

I am working on a sekrit project that involves the DC writing community that I’m really excited about, and getting ready for a retreat over Memorial Day weekend with my writing besties, and catching up with friends after the deadline. Yesterday I met a friend for lunch outside – the Chupacabra food truck has opened a takeout restaurant really close to my house, which is either the best or worst thing ever – and then had dinner with my best friend. I was feeling super-stressed about something and we sat on the patio next to the fire pit and drank pinot grigio and I was very grateful that Code Name: Rosalind is such a good listener. Tonight I’ve got a phone date with my far-off bestie in California, too. Yay for friends who make you feel like the best, most lovable version of yourself.

Hi! Today we’re celebrating the release of Allison Rushby’s THE HEIRESSES, which came out last Tuesday!

They say:  

In Allison Rushby’s HEIRESSES, three triplets—estranged since birth—are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone—least of all each other.

When three teenage girls, Thalia, Erato and Clio, are summoned to the excitement of fast-paced London—a frivolous, heady city full of bright young things—by Hestia, an aunt they never knew they had, they are shocked to learn they are triplets and the rightful heiresses to their deceased mother’s fortune. All they need to do is find a way to claim the fortune from their greedy half-brother, Charles. But with the odds stacked against them, coming together as sisters may be harder than they think.

I say: I just finished reading THE HEIRESSES! It combines several of my favorite elements – squabbling sisters (in this case triplets!) and a mysterious inheritance and a fabulous historical setting. Rushby paints a fascinating portrait of high-society London during the Roaring Twenties, as the girls come of age in a new world of lipstick and bobbed hair and motorcars…and costume parties, drug addiction, and sex. It’s an immensely fun, frothy read; I was desperate to find out the mysteries behind the girls’ birth, and even though I pieced together part of it, there were still twists and turns that surprised me. I loved how wildly different the three sisters are – clever schoolgirl Ro, cruel flapper Thalia, and sheltered misfit Clio – and how they’re alternately deeply loyal and at each others’ throats. And their aunt, Lady Hestia, is a wonderful, fierce character in her own right. Recommend – especially if you like DOWNTON ABBEY or GATSBY!

Now for our interview with Allison:​

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Thalia, Erato, and Clio are self-centered, intelligent, and nurturing siblings (just not all at the same time).

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

THE HEIRESSES is a fast-paced, dramatic, fun-filled read. (JS: true!)

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I’m an optimistic, always-writing, hybrid author.

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

Finland, Sweden, and England

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

​Perfumery, speed-reading, and German (JS: perfumery is such a cool choice!)

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Nutritionist, Etsy shop owner, and book cover designer

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

​Yellow roses, tulips, and garish neon gerberas (JS: I love those gerberas too!)

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Anything I didn’t cook, corn chips, and sushi

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

RIGHT HO, JEEVES (P.G. Wodehouse), LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE (Nancy Mitford), and COLD COMFORT FARM (Stella Gibbons)

You can find out more about Allison at her website or by following her on Twitter or Facebook.

Allison & St. Martin’s are being awesome enough to give away a copy of THE HEIRESSES to one lucky reader in the US or Canada. Contest is open through noon EST on Sunday, May 20. To enter, just leave a comment below answering the following question: who are your favorite fictional twins (or triplets)?  (Mine would have to be Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield of SWEET VALLEY HIGH.)

Thank you for stopping by, Allison! I enjoyed your interview – and your book! – so much!

I feel like I’ve been posting a lot of interviews + giveaways lately, and while hopefully you all enjoy those, I discovered the What’s Up Wednesday feature from friends Caroline Richmond and Dahlia Adler today and thought it would be fun to participate in something less promotional. It’s a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk, and you can find the link here!

 WHAT I’M READING

Yesterday I finished THE LUCY VARIATIONS by Sara Zarr, which was amazing. It’s about a 16 year old pianist, Lucy, who gave up her brilliant career and hasn’t played since walking offstage in the midst of a competition 8 months ago – and what happens when her brother’s new piano teacher, Will, sparks her realization that she misses music. Lucy’s story is fascinating, and her relationship with Will is…complex. The book really explores the nature of creative gifts, the notion of what we owe ourselves and others, the business vs love aspects of it. Sara Zarr is one of my writing heroes; I love the way she talks about craft, and I am amazed by her exact-perfect wordsmithing, the way her characters feel so deeply true. I’m super-excited to meet her tomorrow at her signing in Bethesda! I’m often asked in interviews if there are any authors I fangirl over, and the answer is YES and she is one of them.

WHAT I’M WRITING

Tomorrow & Friday, I’m planning to read through Cahill book 3 one more time before sending this draft to my editor. I got some truly fabulous line notes and suggestions from my CPs so I want to tweak a few things. Then – eep! – it’s time pry it away and push “send” and let Editor Amazing do her job.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

THE LUCY VARIATIONS. After the intensity of her competition days and the pressure from her family, Lucy’s become kind of a zombie. Will suggests that she make a list of the things she loves, and through that exercise and his mentorship, she realizes how much she loves. I too tend to get awfully caught up in the hustle and bustle of deadlines and promo and forget to really pay attention, you know? This book combined with my recent vacation make me want to wake up.

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

I just got back from three days in the Poconos with The Playwright. It was super-fun! Like summer camp for grownups. We played bocce and shuffleboard and mini golf and Scrabble and went swimming. And he taught me archery! I really needed a few days off, away from my laptop and work, with my very favorite person.

Hi! Today we’re celebrating the release of Chelsea Pitcher’s THE S-WORD​, which came out yesterday!

They say:  

Lizzie wasn’t the first student at Verity High School to kill herself this year. But the difference is, she didn’t go quietly.

First it was SLUT scribbled all over the school’s lockers. But one week after Lizzie Hart takes her own life, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it — in Lizzie’s own looping scrawl. Photocopies of her diary show up in the hands of her classmates. And her best friend, Angie, is enraged.

Angie had stopped talking to Lizzie on prom night, when she caught Lizzie in bed with her boyfriend. Too heartbroken to let Lizzie explain the hookup or to intervene when Lizzie gets branded Queen of the Sluts and is cruelly bullied by her classmates, Angie left her best friend to the mercy of the school, with tragic results.

But with this new slur, Angie’s guilt transforms into anger that someone is still targeting Lizzie even after her death. Using clues from Lizzie’s diary and aided by the magnetic, mysterious Jesse, Angie begins relentlessly investigating who, exactly, made Lizzie feel life was no longer worth living. And while she might claim she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, her anguish over abandoning and then losing her best friend drives Angie deeper into the dark, twisted side of Verity High — and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for — even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.

I say: This sounds amazing & I’ve been really, really looking forward to reading it! I’d hoped to read it last weekend on vacation but I had some issues with my Nook. It’s next on my TBR list, though!

Now for our interview with Chelsea:​​

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Angie is a fierce, heartbroken, clever detective. 

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

THE S-WORD is a dark, chilling, hopeful mystery. 

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I am a caring, crafty, charmed creature. 

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

Greece, Ireland, & Brazil (JS: Greece & Ireland are on my list, too!)

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

​Salsa, painting, & surfing

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Broadway performer (you’d be laughing if you’d seen me try to act), singer/songwriter, or professional traveler (wait – what do you mean, that’s not a thing?!)

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

​Irises, Daphne, and Hyacinth (the three best-smelling flowers!)​

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Pizza, Thai yellow curry with tofu, mac and cheese

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

Holly Black’s TITHE, Francesca Lia Block’s DANGEROUS ANGELS, & Marion Zimmer Bradley’s THE MISTS OF AVALON

You can find out more about Chelsea at her website or by following her on Twitter or Facebook, and you can add THE S-WORD to your Goodreads shelf here.

Chelsea is being generous enough to give away 1 copy of THE S-WORD to one lucky reader in the US or Canada. Contest is open through noon on Sunday, May 12. To enter, leave a comment below answering the following question: Have YOU ever kept a diary?

Thanks so much for stopping by, ​Chelsea​! I hope you’re having an awesome week!

Hi! So last night on twitter I was talking with Dahlia Adler and Maggie Hall about my love of list-making. A few years ago, I made a list of 30 things to accomplish by my 30th birthday and did a little over 2/3 of the stuff on it. And since today is my birthday, I decided to come up with a new list of challenges for the next year. Some of them are writing (or reading)-related, some are about trying new things (not my forte), some are about doing things I’ve been meaning to do for ages that I think would be good for me/fun. All of them relate back to my touchstone word for the year, BALANCE.

1. Finish writing / editing Cahill Witch Chronicles.
2. Sell another series
3. Write a whole new book!
4. Be a speaker at a writing conference
5. Organize <sekrit thing>
6. Teach summer writing camp.
7. Attend one big writing conference (RT 2014 in New Orleans?)
8. Paint / redecorate our bedroom.
9. Host a BBQ on our new back patio.
10. Host a girls’ night.
11. Host another write-in.
12. Do a northern VA winery tour.
13. Go to a Nats game.
14. Learn ASL.
15. Take a cooking class.
16. Lose 30 more lbs
17. Go to the beach (visit sister in FL this winter?)
18. Go on embassy house tour
19. Read at least 5 nonfiction books
20. Read at least 5 MG books
21. Try 10 new DC restaurant
22. Try shooting a bow & arrow. (bonus: CoT research!)
23. Get at least monthly massages to help shoulder
24. Go to yoga 2x/week for at least one month
25. Make bread from scratch
26. Create a Happiness Jar (gratitude idea from Liz Gilbert.)
27. Institute weekly date night with The Playwright. And be faithful to weekly date night with BFF. (Deadlines /= excuses.)
28. Create a monthly budget & stick to it for 3 consecutive months.
29. Make tomato – mozzarella – basil sandwich from tomatoes & basil we grow in back yard!
30. Make valentines for VDay 2014.
31. Write a list of 50 new awesome words and use them more often.
32. Throw a literary-themed Halloween party.
33. Learn to make Mom’s best-ever raspberry pie.
34. Write 1 fangirl email to an author whose book I loved every month.

What about you? Have you ever made a list like this? What would be on it?

Hi! I am FULL of STAR CURSED news today!

1. Penguin Teen is giving away copies of STAR CURSED on Facebook. (You have to “like” their page to enter.)

2. Kirkus gave STAR CURSED a very positive review! Waiting for the first trade review to come can be a little nervous-making, especially so when it’s from Kirkus, which has a reputation of being a trifle harsh. I am very grateful for their review, which says things like “genuinely surprising twist” “page-turning” and “a strong sequel!” Yay!

3. The German cover for STAR CURSED (aka STERNENFLUCH) is up! It continues the German (and US) hardcover look with another photograph by Alexandra Sophie. What do you think? I think it’s gorgeous and sexy and I love it! It comes out mid-August.

4. STAR CURSED is available for review on NetGalley. You can request it here. Note: I have no idea what Penguin’s criteria for approving people is, and I let that totally up to them, so I cannot intervene on your behalf if you haven’t been approved. Sorry!

5. I got over 500 responses for my bookish social media survey! Thank you to everyone who responded. I have been so busy drafting book 3 that I haven’t compiled the responses yet, but I WILL. I’m planning some blog posts on that next week but first:

6. I’m taking a mini-vaca with The Playwright! We’re going to the Poconos and we’re going to play mini golf and go hiking and I’m going to get a massage while he goes to the casino and also we are going to read lots and play board games. We aren’t even taking our computers! I am more excited about that part than I should be. I can’t remember the last time I took a few days in a row totally off, without writing or doing promo or writing-related emails – and didn’t feel guilty about it. Maybe back at Christmas?

7. Now that I’ve finished my draft, I’m hoping to take a break to refill the well and read all the books! On my immediate TBR pile: THE LUCY VARIATIONS, THE 5TH WAVE, THE S-WORD, THE HEIRESSES, DARE YOU TO, GOING VINTAGE, NANTUCKET BLUE, and ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA. What’s on yours?