a chick with sticks (and a computer)

GCC-o-Rama

Yet another cyber circuit girlfriend has come to call, and for a change, the word "drama" doesn't appear in her new book's title. Instead, Lauren Barnholdt's new novel is the very juicily entitled, THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY. Intrigue!

Let's see what Lauren, whom you might know from her first (and fabulous) book, "Reality Chick," has to say!

Elizabeth: You walk into a bookstore and make a beeline to. . .
a) chick lit
b) YA lit
c) lit-lit
d) biographies
e) a big stack of gossip mags and a cappuccino
f) the ________ (please fill in) section
. . . and why?

Lauren: e.  I got into the habit of checking US Weekly when Nick and Jessica broke up, and the habit just kind of stuck.  Plus I love that a lot of the gossip mags are weekly, so I never run out of stuff to read.

Elizabeth: When you were a teenager, what young adult novel a) saved b) changed c) okay, made a big wallop on your life?  

Lauren: The Catcher in the Rye definitely made a big impact on me.  I loved that Holden was such a relatable character, and that the book was funny while being smart and serious at the same time.

Elizabeth: Where did you grow up and what kind of role does that setting play in the books you write?   

Lauren: I grew up in Syracuse, New York, and now I live in Connecticut. My first book was set in Syracuse, and this one is set in Connecticut. I’m going to be moving to Boston soon, so maybe my next book will be set there!

Elizabeth: What do you love about Devon, the star of "The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney?"

Lauren: I really love that Devon is the cause of all her own problems.  Even though she’s really brought all this on herself, you can’t help but feel for her.  I also love how she tries to cover up one lie with another, even though lying is what got her in trouble in the first place.

Elizabeth: Finally, which Chick with Sticks are you? If you haven't read my book, please refer to this handy quiz.

Lauren: I’m Scottie!

Thanks, Lauren! Can't wait to read it.

xoxo

Elizabeth

Paula Chase

Cyber Circuit Girlfriend Paula Chase wins my award for prettiest website around. But more importantly, she has a very cool-looking new book out. Her first! And it's YA! You go, Paula!

Paula kindly e-stopped by to answer some questions:

Elizabeth: Tell me about your childhood, part 1: When you were a teenager, what young adult novel a) saved b) changed c) okay, made a big wallop on your life?

Paula: Forever, by Judy Blume had a big wallop on my life…at least on my literary life.  I think I was about thirteen when I read it and of course, I was anxious to get to all the giggle-worthy portions of the book.  But what Forever did, was introduce me to the world of relationships.  Until then, most of the books I’d read were either devoid of any girl-boy mixing or they were adult books (because I started reading up early) where I didn’t pay much attention to the relationships within.  After Forever, I started paying attention to the male-female dynamic.

Elizabeth:Tell me about your childhood, part 2: If there was no such novel, what kind of book do you WISH you'd had to change/save/wallop your life?

Paula: The exact type of books that I’m writing now.  I would have loved to read a book, in a contemporary setting that was more soap opera than history lesson with black characters.  It would have been nice to see black characters in less depressing scenarios than what was offered in the 80’s.

Elizabeth: Tell me about your childhood, part 3: Where did you grow up and what kind of role does that setting play in the books you write?

Paula: I grew up in a little waterfront town/city.  It’s a town/city because it’s small compared to say a Baltimore or DC, but not true small-town like you might run across in more rural areas.  It was a hybrid and because of that, Annapolis had (still has) some weird dynamics. 

Elizabeth: What do you love about Mina, the star of your novel, "So Not The Drama?"

Paula: That she’s a bright-eyed optimist.  She’s always quick to look at the positive side of things or “bright siding it” as she calls it. Young people live in a very different world, Post-911. I think they’re forced to be more alert, aware, savvy etc… So a character like Mina, who so badly wants to embrace the good in people and believe in happy endings is a childhood ideal.  Too many teens are unable to look at life like that because they see too much destruction or oppression in their daily lives.

Thanks, Paula!

xoxo

Elizabeth

 

Prom angst

I’m feeling a little left out. You see, last night was the Young Adult Author Prom and . . . I didn’t have a date. I didn’t even get an invitation! PROBABLY because I don’t happen to live in New York, where the prom was held, but who knows? Maybe it’s because I’m not one of the cool kids. Maybe I’m a burnout or a geek, and I don’t even know it!

Or maybe it’s just as well. Having to get a babysitter to go the prom would be a little . . . weird. Not as weird as showing up vastly pregnant, a la Molly Ringwald in For Keeps but close.

And besides, I’ve been to a couple proms in my day (which is to say, long, long ago in the ‘80s) and they were, as Andrew McCarthy pointed out in another classic M. Ringwald classic, “kinda lame,” so I'm not (too) bitter. I think I’ll even donate to the prom’s cause, Advocates for Youth, in absentia, because given the recent ruling by the Supreme Court, it’s a very good cause indeed, don't ya think? Check it out.

And if any of YOU have proms or spring dances this weekend, have fun (sniff) without me.

xoxo

Elizabeth

Dramarama!

My house is filled with lots of drama, right now. Until recently, I was all in a wad about my new book idea. It just. Wasn't. Coming. (Uttered through gritted teeth.) I bitched and moaned about it and thought, "All is lost. I had the Chicks, and now the Chicks are gone and I'm all alooooone with no characters to love." Because that was part of the problem, see. I HAD come up with new characters, but I didn't love them. In fact, the more I mulled and mused about them, the less I even LIKED them. Lemme tell ya, you really don't want to spend hours and hours of every day with people you don't love. And if these people are fictions of your own invention, you REALLY shouldn't have to, right?

So a-re-inventing I went. And on the third go-round, I (think I) finally got it. My agent has the proposal now, so now, I'm on tenterhooks, waiting to hear what she thinks--and drama queening about that.

Husband is feeling dramatic, too. The newspaper where he works is doing a massive reorganization because, erm, people don't really seem to be READING the newspaper these days. Damn internets. Yes, I know you're reading this on the internet right now, but I just want it on the record that I'd prefer it if you read things off of paper. Things like, oh, I don't know, MY BOOKS or Husband's newspaper. It would help us make the mortgage, y'know?

Or here's another thing you could read . . . the culmination of this blog's theme, the just-hatched "Dramarama" by the lovely E. Lockhart, who kindly sent me a copy a couple weeks ago. Loved it! It's all about Sarah-turned-Sadye who goes to musical theater camp to become a STAH and is stunned to find that few people appreciate her inner bigness as much as she does. All the fabulous Annieing and Bye Bye Birdieing and Guys and Dollsing in this book hit me right where I live because I am, in fact, a recovered musical theater geek. I spent high school warbling my way through many a musical AND the show choir. I was even in a production of "Bye Bye Birdie" in college. Now I look back at that jazz handsy, reedy, second soprano self, hamming it up for an audience and can barely connect her with my current self.

Except, I guess, when I drama queen about writing my books. I guess old habits die hard. Oh, well. See ya TOMORROW! TOMORROW! I LOVE YA! TOMORROW. YOU'RE ONLY A DAYYYYYYY! AAAAAAAAA! WAYYYYYYY. (See?;-)

xoxo

Elizabeth

Sara Rosett

Talk about fantasy! Ellie, the main character in GCC-author Sara Rosett's Mom Zone Mysteries is a) an air force wife who can pack up her family and move at the drop of a military-issue hat b) mom of a toddler c) owner of an ORGANIZING company and, oh yeah, d) a murder mystery sleuth. Reading Ellie's adventures will a) give you an inferiority complex b) be incredible fun or c) probably both of the above. At least if you're one of those trying-to-do-it-all (well, sort of) moms like me.

Sara virtually dropped by to e-chat about her second Mom Zoner, "Staying Home is a Killer," and I pummeled her with yet MORE a's, b's, and c's. Sorry about all those. I swear I'm not trying to give you SAT flashbacks. Or, worse, flash-forwards! Enjoy. . .

Elizabeth:Tell me about your childhood, part 1: When you were a teenager, what young adult novel a) saved b) changed c) okay, made a big wallop on your life?

Sara: I don’t think this one would be a young adult novel, but "The Moonspinners" fascinated me. I loved being transported to another world and the language in the book! Stewart knew how to pick her words and get the most impact. I couldn’t put it down. It made me want to write something that compelling.

Elizabeth: Tell me about your childhood, part 2: Where did you grow up and what kind of role does that setting play in the books you write?

Sara: I grew up in Amarillo, Texas, and strangely, I haven’t written about Texas, yet. My books are about a military spouse, who moves from place to place and I’m really enjoying capturing the different places we’ve lived. I think that since I grew up in Texas, I take it all for granted. It’s just what is. When I go to a new place, I see all the little nuances that make it unique and I want to write about those things now. Someday, I want to write about Texas.

Elizabeth: What do you love about Ellie, the star of "Staying Home is a Killer?"

Sara: Ellie’s got drive and confidence in her ideas. She’s persistent and stubborn to a fault, but I love that she’s also got a vulnerable side, which usually comes out as she worries about being a mom. She’s got mommy angst, something that I think all moms have and can identify with.

Elizabeth: Finally, which Chick with Sticks are you? If you haven't read my book, please refer to this handy quiz.

Sara: I’m Amanda! What a surprise! While I’m not rich, I do see myself in the part about holding back from people. I like to check everything out and go slow in most parts of my life.

Thanks, Sara!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Mushy

It's my second wedding anniversary today and I'm feeling all swoony and mad in love. I'll spare you the details because that's JUST the sort of thing one shouldn't write about in one's blog, as it's a) gross b) smug and c) private.

Suffice to say, I'm very glad it's our second anniversary and not our first. Last year I was GREAT with child and feeling pret-ty crappy. I also had gestational diabetes. So our anniversary dinner was wineless (fetal alcohol syndrome), cheeseless (listeria), fishless (mercury), as well as almost completely sugar- and carb-free (insulin out of wack). I'm not saying it wasn't a happy day, but let's just say, it's nice when your anniversary dinner consists of more than, say, broccoli and AIR.

Hence, Husband and I have planned a bacchanal tonight. Literally. We're eating at a famously decadent restaurant called Bacchanalia. And I get to eat and drink whatever the heck I want. And then I get to come home to slumbering LaLa, who is so much more charming as an almost year-old baby than she was as a fetus.

Feeling very grateful. And swoony. So I'll say no more.

xoxo

Elizabeth

Let my peeple go

Okay! LaLa just went down for a nap and in an hour, my mother comes over so we can cook up a storm for the 40th birthday party we're throwing for my sister-in-law this weekend. Which means . . . I have a few precious minutes to actually WORK. And by work, I mean, break into the kosher-for-Passover chocolates, surf a few blogs, and THEN, y'know, write something.

So I will leave you with only this, a hilarious illustration of one of the many, cheery tales we recounted in not one, but TWO Passover seders earlier this week. (Hey, have you ever noticed that at different seders, with different texts, the ten plagues are WILDLY different? Hail of fire??? I thought it was plain old hail? Flies??? I thought it was just locusts. And wait a minute, where's the blight? Is diseased livestock the same thing as blight? Hmmm. Something tells me this is not what the fore-Jews imagined when they decreed that the Passover seder be filled with scholarly discussion. . .)

Okay, enjoy the poor peeps and I'll be back after the we've finished prettifying all the crudites.

xoxo

Elizabeth

My website

Hey Chickadees. Check out my oh-so-purty, just-updated website! Note the lovely new image on the homepage. And the excerpt from "Chicks with Sticks (Knit two together)." AND the new MySpace link!

Ooooh, aaaaah! Thanks to my lovely designer, Tamara, for the new look.

Now chew on that for about a minute and soon, I will post a sneak peek at Chicks with Sticks #3 -- I promise, Vada and Gigi!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Fringe Girl

I have a feeling I'm going to love "Fringe Girl in Love" (the sequel, of course, to "Fringe Girl: The revolution starts now"). A main character named Adora Benet? A Brooklyn setting? An evil/gorgeous lit teacher? What's NOT to love? Fringe Girl creator and Girlfriend Cyber Circuit author Valerie Frankel stopped by to e-dish with me about her latest:

Elizabeth: You walk into a bookstore and make a beeline to. . . 
a) chick lit 
b) YA lit 
c) lit-lit 
d) biographies 
e) a big stack of gossip mags and a cappuccino 
f) the ________ (please fill in) section 
. . . and why?

Valerie: I look at the new releases tables. All of them. Fiction, non-fiction, autobiography (aka, memoir), hardcover, paperback. I do a whole loop around the front of the store, and then zero in on a few titles. Then, I buy all of them!

Elizabeth: Tell me about your childhood, part 1: When you were a teenager, what young adult novel a) saved b) changed c) okay, made a big wallop on your life?

Valerie: The most memorable were "Go Ask Alice," about a teenage junkie (my sister and I dog-eared the sex scenes), and "Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen" by Alix Kates Schulman, about the travails of being the pretty girl. They were both so honest and raw, and opened my eyes wide to the power of books.

Elizabeth: Tell me about your childhood, part 2: If there was no such novel, what kind of book do you WISH you'd had to change/save/wallop your life? 
 
Valerie: I wished there were books about difficult mothers. Or is that too much info???

Elizabeth: Tell me about your childhood, part 3: Where did you grow up and what kind of role does that setting play in the books you write?

Valerie: I grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey, the epitome of affluent suburbia. I rejected that life as an adult, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. My teen novels are set right here, on my own block. City life is just so far superior, in my opinion, to the pettiness and meanness in suburbia, I chose Brooklyn for fiction as well.
 
Elizabeth: You write both YA and Chick lit. What do you do to shift gears when you move from one genre to the other?

Valerie: My chick lit is third person narration, meaning "she." My YA books are first person, meaning "I." That simple shift is seismic, and makes the transition a lot easier than you might think.
 
Elizabeth: What do you adore about Adora Benet?

Valerie: I love how flawed she is, of course. But she's ponderous, reckless, observant but selectively blind, sarcastic but sincere. She describes herself as "cynically optimistic." That says it all.
 
Elizabeth: Finally, which Chick with Sticks are you? If you haven't read my book, please refer to this handy quiz.
 
Valerie: I am a Tay. Sounds pretty close, actually. But, I have to confess, I've never knit (knitted?). My sister is the craft queen. I can barely sew on a button.

Thanks, Valerie. I can't wait to read BOTH your Fringe Girl books.

xoxo

Elizabeth