a chick with sticks (and a computer)

I'm baaa-aaaack!

Oh man, I know, I know, I know. It's been so long since I've blogged that I'm absolutely mortified. In fact, The Big Comeback Blog has been part of the reason for the delay. I mean, talk about pressure! I better have been immersed in the great American novel or have made some edgy, soon-to-take-Sundance-by-storm independent film or something grand like that, right? (Not that that's any excuse either. I mean, Diablo Cody blogged her way through "Juno," an Academy Award, and a divorce for pete's sake!) 

But sadly, I've done none of those things. The truth is, I just have limited work time and limited concentration, so when I am alone with my computer, I feel I need to devote every minute to the work with a deadline. I've been doing this work-for-hire project--a series for wee kiddies written under a pseudonym because it's so vastly different from my YA, Chicks with Sticks type thing--for waaaaay too long. But the deadline is looming and I must get it DONE already and that's why you haven't heard from me. 

And by the way, I'm not even talking about the publisher's deadline. I have one that's much more pressing . . . 

Yes, I am knocked up again. QUITE knocked up, as you can see. I'm almost 30 weeks along (which means I'm actually three weeks HUGER than I was when this photo was taken at 27 weeks). For those of you who paid attention in health class, that means I have ten weeks to go, give or take, before the arrival of our dear and very wriggly fetus, whom we've named Plum. (LaLa, as you may recall, was called Fig whilst she was in utero so we've kept up the fruit theme. And once again, we don't know the baby's gender.) 

For me, 30 weeks of pregnancy means that I have only tiny amount of time left with LaLa alone, so I'm trying to spend every spare moment romping around town with her, cuddling with her, and having all the heart to heart chats we'll have less time for after she's kicked off her pedestal, er, joined by her baby sib. 

Thirty weeks also means that it's been FOURTEEN weeks since I've started a strict diet to try to stave off gestational diabetes. Which totally didn't work. I SO have it. Which means my diet is even stricter now, and I have to test my blood sugar four times a day and carefully time my meager meals and snacks. All while lifting my newly potty-trained kid on and off the toilet dozens of times a day because she can't climb on herself because she BROKE HER WRIST last weekend in a playground incident and is now wearing a pathetically adorable little cast on her right hand and . . . 

Well, I could go on. But if you're still reading, hopefully you believe my mea culpa and that I truly have been in the weeds. 

And hormone-crazed. 

And really, really hot, given that it's August in Atlanta--not exactly the best time to pack on an extra fifteen pounds, y'know? 

Which probably explains the increasing crankiness. 

But I'm also grateful for this coming babe, and my writing (even though it's a struggle these days what with the hormones feasting away on my intelligence and getting MORE SATED WITH EACH PASSING DAY) and Husband, who is masterfully putting up with me, and LaLa, who is the biggest comfort I can find and . . . 

. . . you guys, if you're still checking in after this long absence. I'll see if I can win you back with some amusing anecdotes from the third trimester, followed by cute newborn pics, followed by (I hope, I hope, I hope) authorial musings as I write my next YA novel! 

But for now, I'll just focus on the weekend. Have a great one. Missed you! 

xoxo

Elizabeth

Because I'm feeling random. . .

. . . this post will be filled with random snippets like. . .

Husband and I watched the DVD of "Across the Universe" (the Beatles musical) last week and we are now both obsessed with it. We can't stop humming Beatles songs or talking about this or that brilliant number. I'm even going to watch it again with the director's commentary, which is the kind of  fannish, wonkish thing that I NEVER do. Julie Taymor is right up there with Amy Sherman-Palladino for me now. Which is to say, she's my idol. (And by the way, Amy, I've totally forgiven you for Jezebel James. You'll get 'em next time, girlfriend! And we'll always have the Gilmores).

Speaking of movies, I'm going to see "Sex and the City" with three girlfriends, hopefully next week. Four women! How perfect is that? I can't wait!!!! I only wish we could sneak cosmos into the theater.

On the homefront, I'm reading "Potty Training for Dummies." 'Nuff said.

And out in the lit world, we have the newest Cyber Circuit girlfriend, Sara Hantz, who's just published her first novel, "The Second Virginity of Suzy Green". Yay, Sara!

I love the looks of this book, from the keeps-you-guessing title, to the subject matter. Check it out. . .

Suzy Green used to be one of the coolest nonconformist “almost-Goth” party girls in Australia. That was before her older sister Rosie died and her family moved to a new town. Not even her best friend would recognize her now. Gone are the Doc Martens and the attitude. All she wants is to be like Rosie—perfect. The new Suzy Green makes straight As, hangs with the in-crowd at her new school, and dates the hottest guy around. And since all her new friends belong to a virginity club, she joins, too. So what if she’s not technically qualified? Nobody in town knows . . . until Ryan, Suzy’s ex, turns up.
As the past and present collide, Suzy struggles to find her own place in a world without her sister.

Virginity club! (shudder) I'm way intrigued. Also intriguing, Sara herself! Witness. . .

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?

Sara: Chick lit!

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: Judy Blume - Forever

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? 

Sara: I grew up in a large town in the UK. It doesn’t play any role.

Elizabeth: What do you love about Suzy Green? 

Sara: I love Suzy because whatever situation she finds herself in she doesn’t lose her sense of humor.

Elizabeth: Finally, which Chick with Sticks are you? If you haven't ready my books, please take this handy
quiz.

Sara: Amanda.

Thanks, Sara!

More randomness soon!

xoxo

Elizabeth
 
 
 

Milestone and Megan!

Okay, here's my latest excuse for being a bad blogger: my daughter is now TWO. And not at all terrible. In fact, she's cuter than ever, if I do say so. . .

Of course, we had a party for her, with decorate-your-own cupcakes. . .

. . . and then, because I guess I didn't think the children were chocolate-smeared and sugar coma'd ENOUGH, we had another cake (this one was actually for the grown-ups who, you'll not be surprised to learn, found the kid-decorated cupcakes to be a bit repulsive). . .

LaLa was surrounded by friends and all four of her grandparents and of course, her sentimental parents who cannot believe what an amazing kid she's turning out to be. Well, I can believe it, actually, because she's been pretty amazing from the get-go. But now she's an amazing kid who sleeps through the night, and eats with utensils without (usually) ending up with more oatmeal in her hair than in her mouth. Over dinner last night, she and I discussed literature (lately we talk a lot about Carmen Deedy's Martina, the beautiful, Cuban cockroach who spills coffee on her suitors' shoes to see if they'll be understanding husbands), babies (apparently her doll came out of her tummy in a labor so easy, we never heard a peep!), cuisine (in the battle of yogurt vs. pizza, yogurt somehow won), the news of the day (the news from Sesame Street, anyway) and the tooth fairy. I mean, she's interesting.

To me, anyway. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have this girl in my life, but of course, that's how every parent feels, so I won't linger on that too long.

Also because I'm long overdue to tell you about GCCer Megan Crane's latest novel, "Names my Sisters Call Me".

I loved Megan's "Everyone Else's Girl" and have an ongoing three-sisters fascination so I know I'm going to eat up this Chick litty morsel. . .

Courtney, Norah, and Raine Cassel are about as different as three sisters can get. Norah, the oldest, is a typical Type A obsessive who believes there is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Six years later she has not forgiven Raine, the middle sister, for ruining her wedding day. Raine is Norah's opposite - a wild, follow-your-bliss hippie chick who flees to California after the wedding fiasco. The only thing the two sisters have in common is their ability to drive Courtney, their youngest sister, crazy.

When Courtney's longtime boyfriend proposes, she decides it's finally time to call a family truce and bring the three sisters together. After all, they're all grown-ups now, right? But it turns out that family ghosts aren't easily vanquished, and neither are first loves. Reconnecting the sisters also means reexamining every choice Courtney has made in the past six years, right down to the man she's about to marry.

Whether you have suffered the angst of sibling rivalry or been one of the lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) few who just watched from afar, NAMES MY SISTERS CALL ME is a book that anyone with a sister, a sibling, or even a friend can appreciate.

Can't you just see it as a fabulous flick? I love books like this. Megan's charming e-interview with me makes it all the better. . .

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 _romance_______ (please fill in) section
. . . and why?

Megan: I make a beeline for the new release area because I like to know what's out there. Then I head straight to the romance section because I am a fanatical reader of romance novels, and there are always new ones I need to pick up. Then I collect the chick lit, say hello my own books, wander through YA, or wherever else I'm wanting to go that day. I love bookstores. I wish I was in one right now!

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?

Megan: "Dragonsong," by Anne McCaffrey. It was seventh grade and I was misery walking, and then I found that book and imagined myself worlds away, with dragons and a voice of my own. I think it really did save me.

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?

Megan: I wish there had been the kind of YA boom back then that there is now. The YA books available these days just astound me-- they're SO good and I wish I could have read them then, when I needed them so badly!

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?

Megan: I grew up just outside New York City in a New Jersey suburb. Though I have since happily relocated across the country to California, the East Coast is definitely in my blood, and I've so far either set my books there or had my characters come from there.

Elizabeth: What do you love about Courtney, the star of "Names My Sisters Call Me?"

Megan: Courtney can play the cello, which makes me incredibly jealous. I wish I could create music. That's one of my great regrets in life: that I never learned how to play a musical instrument. I love that Courtney can, and that it's so much a part of her that she doesn't even realize how amazing she is.

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

Megan: According to your quiz, I am SCOTTIE, but since I've never knit a stitch in my life, I just winged those questions and I think the quiz may not be quite so accurate as a result. I had this problem last time, too. Obviously, the solution is to take up knitting!

But of course! Thanks, Megan. I also have a cello fascination (even took lessons once) so I really have to read this book!

You guys do the same!

More GCCers next week. Meanwhile, I'm off to spend a weekend on Lake Michigan with my real Chicks with Sticks, the buddies from my former life in Chicago. There will be two babies along for the ride, so I think we'll be short on debauchery, unless you consider endless snacking and poring over gossip mags to be debauchery. I can't wait!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Chicks #2 the, er, second!

Today is the day that Chicks with Sticks #2, Chicks with Sticks (Knit two together) comes out in paperback! Goodie! I love it when my books become more portable, more affordable, and less likely to break your toe if you drop them on your foot! Here's the lowdown:

Scottie, Tay, Amanda, and Bella—an angsty artist’s daughter, an indie tomboy, a trust fund princess, and a new age yoga goddess. Their friendship defies the odds, yet last year, fate (and a whole lot of yarn) bound them together. As the Chicks with Sticks, they survived it all, with the help of some yarn therapy, and knit past even the closing of their beloved local yarn store and the loss of their knitting guru, Alice. After all that trauma, they’re as solid as a fisherman’s sweater. Or are they? As the Chicks begin their second year together, their tight circle faces the biggest challenge yet: boys. And one hot guy in particular threatens to unravel the girls’ tight bond. Can the four friends knit through this drama, or will their friendship fall apart?

And here's where you can buy yourself a nice, soft copy.

But that's not the only book news of the day, oh no! The estimable E. Lockhart, whose books I have long loved, has a new novel out: "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. E. kindly sent me an ARC of her novel many months ago and I devoured it. I truly think this is her best book yet. It's part mysterious adventure, part feminist manifesto, part coming-of-age tale, part romance (but no bodice-ripper this).

But really, none of those labels do the story justice. Because Frankie Landau-Banks, whom the jacket flap describes thusly. . .

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:
Debate Club.
Her father's "bunny rabbit."
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
A knockout figure.
A sharp tongue.
A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Laundau-Banks.
No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer.
Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society.
Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places.
Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them.
When she knows Matthew's lying to her.
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:
Possibly a criminal mastermind.

This is the story of how she got that way.

. . . is one of those characters you will remember with an admiring flutter in your heart (for both the character and her author) for a long time. She's fascinating. And fabulously clever. Pick up the book with the oh-so-intriguing bassett hound on the cover and set aside a full day for delving. I'm sure you'll love it, too.

But first! Check out my e-interview with the lovely E. herself:

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? 



E: YA lit, of course. It is my job! I want to see what they are stocking, who has endcaps, what's face-out. Then I go to the cookbook section. Love me my cookbooks.

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? 



E: Probably everyone says Forever, by Judy Blume -- and me, too. That book has a healthy attitude toward sexuality. They behave responsibly. They enjoy themselves. They think about it beforehand and make their choices. It was a great role model.

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? 



E: I wish I'd had Weetzie Bat, by Francesca Lia Block. That is a wonderful, open, wild book that sparks the imagination, exhibits mad style, and has a transcendent central character.

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? 



E: I spent my teenage years in Seattle, the setting for The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, and two more books in that series I haven't finished yet. But my dad always lived in Manhattan, the setting for Fly on the Wall, and worked in the theater, the setting for Dramarama. The setting for The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is based on Vassar, where I went to college, although in the book it's an elite boarding school. I am always mining bits of my history for ideas, then exaggerating and fictionalizing them.

Elizabeth: What do you love about Frankie, the star of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks?

E: Frankie is possibly a criminal mastermind. She is way smarter and more enterprising than I. And she never takes "no" for an answer.

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

E: Oh, Elizabeth! Like I know what a groat muffin is, much less a beaded stitch marker! As if I could knit even an easy-on-the-brain scarf! From a crafty perspective, my skills lie more in the making of papier maché dragons and cakes that at least vaguely resemble the taj mahal. (Yes! I have made both of these in recent years!).

But I HAVE read your book, and gave it to my knitting friend, and when I took the quiz, it said I am Tay. And it's true, I do have tattoos!

Thanks, E! And congrats on your OTHER new book, a road-trippy collaboration with also-fabulous scribes Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski, How to Be Bad.

xoxo

Elizabeth

Ms. Jones!

Man, it's almost April. April is not only the month that brings spring flowers (because down South, we do that sort of thing early. In fact, the trees are already blooming and it's making me HAPPY.) It is the month that Chicks with Sticks (Knit two together) comes out in paperback!!!!

Just wanted to give you fair warning.

But first, other books are coming out! Specifically, a new novel by GCCer Carrie Jones, whose blog is incredibly charming and whose books are incredibly brilliant.

Especially, this latest, Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) , the sequel to Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend. (Love them titles, Carrie. Excellent use of parentheses.)

The interior looks even better, of course:

LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE) tells the story of 18-year-old Belle Philbrick, who watches love blossom in the lives of all around her while she and her boyfriend seem to be treading water. As she barrels toward the end of her senior year, Belle watches as everything around her changes…and not all for the best. And in the midst of dealing with the changes comes the revelation that her best friend might be pregnant. Through Belle, Jones examines issues of labeling, making choices, and the anxiety of “what next?” as Belle looks ahead to life beyond high school.

This looks like just just the meaty, affecting read I could use right now that I'm spending my work-hours writing for seven-year-olds on a work-for-hire gig. Maturity! Love it.

Carrie kindly e-chatted with me recently. . . .

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?

Carrie: B) Young Adult Literature because it's right by the sports magazines where the beautiful guys hang out.

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?

Carrie: I was really into Judy Blume's FOREVER, which probably is not something I should admit, although Judy Blume is a goddess. And it was all because of the sex scenes. I was really REALLY into the sex scenes. I would memorize them basically and hope that someday it would happen to me. That's just sad, isn't it?
Kissing Chris Paquette on his mom's couch just didn't match up to the Judy scenes.

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?

Carrie: Um. Possibly HOW TO MAKE CHRIS PAQUETTE NOT KISS LIKE A ST. BERNARD by HIS LAST GIRLFRIEND

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?

Carrie: I grew up in Bedford, N.H. Sarah Silverman, the actress/comedian, was in my grade and used to come over to my house, and we were in a song and dance troupe together. This is another embarrassing tidbit. But, anyway, Bedford was really wealthy, only my family wasn't really wealthy. We were pretty poor. And it was really safe. There were a lot of rolling hills, and subdivisions and big trees, but the best thing about it was the school system. Seriously. Our teachers tried very hard to make us all creative, free-thinkers and as a result there were a lot of quirky people with weird senses of humor. Not just Sarah, who is sort of in one of my later novels, but also the Meyers brothers, who are on Saturday Night Live and Mad TV. I think that quirkiness and class division comes through in some of my books.

Elizabeth: What do you love about Belle, the star of Love (and other uses for Duct Tape)?

Carrie: I love that she cares so much about people and that she tries so hard to be a good person, and an honest person. She's really huggable.

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

Carrie: I am Bella, and I am totally cool with that! YAY!

Thanks, Bella Carrie. (I couldn't post Carrie's picture, so you can't see how bella she actually is, but trust me.) Can't wait for your next book, Girl, Hero, coming out in August. Two novels in one year? You're my hero.

xoxo

Elizabeth

Bring it on

Hi there! Once again, I've been absent. My excuse is the same as everyone else's--we've been sick in our house, in a state of yucky, drippy, hacky misery that you really don't want me to describe, though, I suppose I just did.

Anyway, I'm much cheered by Jennifer Lynn Barnes' new series, "The Squad," which is launching with not one, but TWO yummy books.

Two words (okay, phrases): High school cheerleaders, secret agents.

Or as Jennifer puts it, "Part Charlie’s Angels, part Bring It On." I mean, really! Do you need to hear anything else? I want these books on my nightstand NOW. However, if for some reason you want more dets, here's the jacketflap razmatazz:

From the author of GOLDEN and TATTOO comes a new series about high school cheerleaders who are more than what they seem, and an outsider who must become one of them- to save the world. Part Charlie’s Angels, part Bring It On, THE SQUAD focuses on a group of government operatives who double as high school cheerleaders. Already optioned for television by The N, The Squad takes you behind the perfect smiles and too-short skirts to prove that there’s nothing more dangerous than underestimating a cheerleader… especially if she’s on The Squad.

THE SQUAD: PERFECT COVER

Bayport High operates like any other high school - jocks at the top, outsiders at the bottom, and everyone else in between. Enter Toby Klein, a sophomore computer hacker who doesn't play well with others. She has zero school spirit, a black belt in karate, and what her guidance counselor calls an "attitude problem." She's the last person you’d expect to be invited to join the varsity cheerleading squad.

But things are different at Bayport.

Bayport's varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. Athletically, they're unmatchable, though they make it all look easy on the field. Mentally, they're exceptional - but with one flash of their gorgeous smiles, you'll completely forget that. Socially, they're gifted, so they can command and manipulate any situation. And above all, they have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkies and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader.

Toby Klein might not seem like the most likely recruit, but she’s never been one to turn down a challenge. If she can hand the makeover, Bayport High may just have found its newest cheerleader.

Pretty, popular, armed, and extremely dangerous - meet THE SQUAD.

THE SQUAD: KILLER SPIRIT

Saying Toby Klein is an unlikely cheerleader is like saying Paris Hilton might be into guys - understatement of the year. But the varsity squad at Bayport High gives new meaning to the phrase All-American, and Toby's double life as a varsity cheerleader and a government operative means balancing protocol, pep rallies, computer hacking, and handsprings.

Now something’s about to go down in Bayport, and the Big Guys Upstairs need to know what. The Squad is on the case, but it looks like this mission could put the "L" in lethal. And if the spy business doesn't kill Toby, it’s starting to look like Brooke, the team's captain, might. The nominations are in for homecoming court, and rumor has it that Toby is the unlikely frontrunner for queen.

Terrorist threat? Bloody mission gone wrong? Demented squad captain?

Bring it on.

Love it! And Jen, too, who stopped by for an e-interview:

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?

Jennifer: I always make a beeline for the YA section. It's funny, because I didn't really start reading YA until right AFTER I graduated from high school, but now, I'm completely addicted, and there are ways in which reading YA has pseudo-ruined me for reading some adult books that I might have otherwise enjoyed, because YA books have really complex plots and characters, but shorter word counts than adult books, which means that- to me at least- they often feel like tighter reads.

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?

Jennifer: It's hard for me to pinpoint a single book. As a teen, I read absolutely everything I could get my hands on, but there was never just "one" book for me- and like I said before, I didn't really read YA much until my late teens- before then, I had skipped straight from middle grade to adult novels.

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?

Jennifer: I'm still looking for a really good novel about being an overachiever- there are tons out there with "overachieving" main characters, but I've never really read one where both the character and the environment rang true to me, and most books just don't seem to "get" the enormity of the pressures in high school life. The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins is an excellent nonfiction book that really does seem to hit the nail on the head (probably because it's nonfiction), but I'd love to find a novel that does it just as well.

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?

Jennifer: I grew up in Oklahoma, went to college in Connecticut, and recently spent a year living in England. Bits and pieces of all these places make their way into my books. My first novel, Golden, was set in Oklahoma, and even though I haven't specified a state for any of my other books, home always works its way in there somehow.

Elizabeth: What do you love about Toby, the star of The Squad?

Jennifer: I love that Toby's tough, and that even though she likes to think she doesn't need anyone else, once the books start, she can't help making connections with other people. She's fiercely protective of the people she cares about, and I love the fact that sometimes, this takes her by surprise.

Elizabeth: Finally, which Chick with Sticks are you? Feel free to take this handyquiz.

Jennifer: The Quiz says I'm Scottie!

Thanks, Jen! Can't wait to read 'em.

xoxo

Elizabeth

Paula Chase!

Ooh, the Del Rio Bay cliquesters are finding romance! I'm referring, of course, to Paula Chase's latest, "Don't Get it Twisted", the sequel to "So No the Drama."

The plot is so, well, twisty that I'll let the jacket flap explain. . .

Don’t Get It Twisted [Kensington Books/Dafina for Young Readers] finds Mina scheming to go on a date with her crush, Craig, to The Frenzy, a coveted party thrown by the school’s football team. As she draws her friends into the plans, a newcomer throws an unexpected monkey wrench into her blossoming relationship with Craig.

The same newcomer has JZ sweating his spot on the Varsity basketball team and soon, both Mina and JZ are on the ‘by any means necessary’ road to trouble.

Don’t Get It Twisted is about the consequences and repercussions of the choices we make when we set out to get the things we really want.

Sounds juicy, eh? Just like my e-interview with Paula herself. . .

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?

Paula: I'm always curious to see what new books are out in the field that I write and if any of my books or books by authors I know are on the shelf.

Elizabeth: Tell me about your childhood. What kind of book do you wish you'd had to change, save, or, okay, make a big wallop your life?

Paula: I wish I'd had a Jason & Kyra when I was a teenager.

I grew up reading a lot. And at the time, it didn't bother me or even dawn on me that most of the books I read were devoid of African American characters. I was used to only seeing Black characters in historical fiction and inner city street stories.

Jason & Kyra wouldn't have saved my life, but possibly, it would have opened my eyes to the possibility of being a writer, earlier. As it stood, as much as I enjoyed Mildred Taylor's books, I never had much desire to write about that particular period. But since those were the bulk of books with African American characters, it never occurred to me that I could write a Sweet Valley High or Forever with a Black protag.

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?

Paula: I grew up in Annapolis, MD and Del Rio Bay is very much Annapolis’ twin, though by no means is Del Rio Bay an exact replica of the city. I’ve taken quite a few creative liberties because I wanted the DRB to be a more walkable environment. Which is the point, I created a city that was conducive to teen life. I’ve noticed that lots of books/TV shows these days take place at private boarding schools. It’s because you want an environment where your characters can be somewhat self-sufficient, not so reliant upon parental transportation etc… I’ve made all the right things within walking distance of my characters – the school, the place they hang out, the beach. Annapolis isn’t really like that but it should be. It’s a small town with big city infrastructure issues. I made Del Rio Bay the way I wish Annapolis was.

Elizabeth: What do you love about Mina, the star of "Don’t Get It Twisted?"

Paula: She’s very open, emotionally. If she’s angry, sad, happy, excited or whatever you know it. She wears her emotions on her sleeve and isn’t ashamed of that. Some people could say that’s a weakness. But I find Mina vulnerable in a sweet way. Because even though she can be an emotional tornado, she’s also very independent and headstrong. It’s something endearing about a character that can roll with the punches without putting up constant fronts about how they’re feeling.

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

Paula: Big surprise, I was Amanda. That cracks me up because I felt my answers were quite diverse. But you just can't hide from your inner diva.

Thanks, Paula!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Rite of Passage

LaLa had her first daycare experience today! With Granny Nanny (and my dad) frolicking in South America for three weeks, other arrangements had to be made so I could write--so she went to "Mommy's Morning Out" at our beloved neighborhood playroom. Since LaLa plays at the playroom all the time, it was no big shakes to her. She was just playing with someone else's mom.

Which must have been pretty glamorous because she had more fun than that time that I let her loose on a double-scoop of chocolate ice cream. She was the life of the party. A friend called me from the playroom to tell me how fabulously she was behaving and how much fun she was having and how not one tear was shed during the entire four hours she was there. She even ate all her lunch!

And thus begins that phenomenon of your child being so much better at school than she is at home.

Not that LaLa isn't a delight at home. But "perfect," as my friend put it? Not so much.

I guess we're doing a good thing by signing her up for pre-school tomorrow morning. Tomorrow at SIX in the morning. Yes, it's one of those schools that everyone is clamoring to get into, thus forcing parents to camp out in the wee hours to get one of the coveted slots. . .

Okay, I now realize why I don't blog very often. Everything you just read? That was written on FRIDAY. Now it's Monday (afternoon) and I'm just re-opening this screen and realizing I never got a chance to finish my blog. I guess that also means my web browser was open all weekend on this one screen. That's probably not good, is it?

Anyway, I'm still recovering from this weekend, which was all about LaLa cheerfully flogging us to exhaustion. First there was the the ridiculous preschool registration camp-out, mentioned above (yes, on Friday). The only fun thing about it was bonding with all the other parents in line about how ridiculous it was that we were all camping out for preschool registration. Yet, there we all were, camping out. And not budging. One. Inch. LaLa got her precious slot in the "sparrows" class, by the way. I think just about everybody in line got in, which sort of rendered the camping out thing moot. But oh well, it's a parental sacrifice story we can use to make LaLa feel guilty some day--and that's gold, is it not?

Oh, I'm KIDDING.

On Sunday, we went to one of those birthday parties. Yes, one THOSE birthday parties. It was at a very strange sort of Sino-Mexican Chuck E. Cheese knock-off, called Pandy's Magical World. There were giant bouncy structures to jump in (I actually liked these quite a lot, especially the steep, undulating SLIDE) and a tiny train and skee-ball and animatronic blue pandas playing harmonicas and bad pizza and a giant, very shmutzy plush panda that sang happy birthday and a pinata and goody bags and . . . suffice to say, LaLa was so happy after this extravaganza (did I mention that the cake was bright pink?) that she basically spent the rest of the day twirling and squealing, squealing and twirling. This morning she woke up at 5:30 to tell us more about The Party.

And then we went to pick up her favorite person on earth--her cousin Adam--for a sleepover. I expect more twirling and squealing any moment now.

All of which, of course, makes me unspeakably happy. Sure, LaLa is starting to really wear me out (to quote Olivia's mom. But what that's a sign of is the end of babyhood and the beginning of childhood and that's a weird, bittersweet, but mostly GOOD thing.

Speaking of good things (to quote Martha), Paula Chase has a new book out and my next blog (within the next few days, I promise) will be all about it--and her!

See you then!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Domesticity and Karen Neches

Yes, yes, yes -- I know it's been a long time since I've posted. I'm not sure why. It's not like I haven't had the time (though I have been very busy). I just wasn't feeling bloggy, you know? Or rather, whenever I was feeling bloggy, I was in the midst of the thing I wanted to blog about. Once the moment was gone, the blog seemed to evaporate from my mind as well. Maybe I should take more pictures. . .

(See? One of the things I could have blogged about, but didn't, was knitting three matching hats for my cousin, her daughter, and LaLa. Cute, huh?)

In fact, now that I think about it, most of what I've been doing--besides writing fiction, of course--has been pretty domestic. We've completed our housey projects--a new kitchen backsplash (remarkably drama-free), a refinished bathtub (had to be redone three times. Your basic nightmare), and a new counter for our trashed bathroom vanity (the stone-guy we hired--and gave a rather large deposit to--disappeared for weeks with no word. Occasionally, he'd answer the phone, say casually, "Oh, of course, I'll be over to install it this afternoon!" and then disappear again. Finally, though, he actually came and, because I clung to his ankles so he couldn't leave the house, actually finished the job.) Needless to say, we are DONE renovating. Perhaps FOREVER.

I've also been cooking up a storm for the fam, for parties, for friends over for a impromptu dinners. In fact, I just took a banana bread out of the oven, which I whipped up to use three overripe bananas laying around the fruit bowl. I know! I mean, we all say, "Oh, those bananas are too ripe to eat. I should make a banana bread out of them." But does anybody actually do it? This is the first time in my life that I have. LaLa helped, which is why there is flour and banana gunk all over the kitchen right now. But it was twice as fun to bake it with her.

But it doesn't exactly make for scintillating blog material, see? But here's something that does! Karen Neches! Karen, otherwise known as Karin Gillespie, is not just an amazing novelist. She's the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit's official founder and Girlfriend wrangler. Without Karen/Karin, I wouldn't be a Girlfriend, and YOU would not have spent the past year or so reading interviews with all the amazing writers who've visited my blog. So (everyone), "Yay Karen!"

Especially because her new book, "Earthly Pleasures" sounds dreamy and delicious.

Here's the scoop:

Welcome to Heaven. Use your Wishberry to hustle up whatever you want. Have an online chat with God. Visit the attractions such as Retail Rapture, Wrath of God miniature golf and Nocturnal Theater, where nightly dreams are translated to film.

Your greeter might just be Skye Sebring who will advises her newly dead clients on what to expect now that they’re expired. “Heaven is like a Corona Beer commercial” she assures her charges. “It’s all about contentment.”

So different than Earth where chaos reigns. Unfortunately for Skye, she’s been chosen to live her first life. She’s required to attend Earth 101 classes, which teach all of the world’s greatest philosophies through five Beatle songs.

Skye has no interest in Earthly pursuits, until lawyer Ryan Blaine briefly becomes her client after a motorcycle accident. Just as they are getting to know each other, he is revived and sent back to Earth.

She follows his life via the TV channel “Earthly Pleasures” but discovers he has a wife as well as a big secret. Why then does he call a show for the lovelorn to talk about the lost love of his life?

In Earthly Pleasures (Simon and Schuster, February 2008, $14) great love can transcend the dimensions, narrowing the vast difference between Heaven and Earth.

Don't you love it? So clever and fun. No wonder most of the book's blurbs call it a treat! Speaking of, here is Karen herself, e-chatting with moi:

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

Karen: f) The new release table. I like to see what’s coming out.

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?

Karen: Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume. I think it was the first book to talk candidly about periods and my friends and I were obsessed with getting ours. Back then, YA books were so bland and unrealistic.

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?

Karen: I grew up in Minnesota and oddly enough I’ve never set a book there, maybe because it’s so homogenous. The South is my setting of choice.

Elizabeth: You've written both fiction and non. What do you do to shift gears when you move from one genre to the other?

Karen: I used to write a column for the newspaper. Every line had to count so it often took me all day. I much prefer fiction.

Elizabeth: What do you love about Skye, the star of "Earthly Pleasures?"

Karen: She’s a greeter in Heaven who is a little bit saucy. For instance when one of the newly dead gets freaked out, instead of talking them down, she sprays them with TIC (Tranquility in a Can.) She ends up falling in love with a mortal named Ryan who has a near death experience in her office and instead of giving up on this long-distance relationship, she goes for it.

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

Karen: I’m TAY.

Thanks, Karen!

And thanks to you readers for tuning in. I hope I'm out of my blog funk now and will be checking in more often!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Let's "Twist" again

My latest Cyber Circuit Girlfriend is Melissa Senate. Her yummy "Theodora Twist" is out in paperback!

The concept? Bad girl teen starlet Theodora Twist needs an image makeover. So her handlers return her to her hometown and she moves into the life of everygirl Emily Fine. Hilarity and--but of course!--a reality show ensue!

TT sounds like a guilty pleasure without the guilt. I can't wait to read it--and now that it's in oh-so-carryable paperback, I'm sure I will!

But first, Melissa and I had an e-chat. . .

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?

Melissa: Chick lit/women’s fiction first. Then young adult, then essay collections. I am a collector of essay collections!

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?

Melissa: The Cat Ate My Gymsuit made me so happy I read it ten times in one year. It was the first book I read that made me realize I could write in my own voice, spill my actual (and not so nice all the time) thoughts right onto the page.

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?

Melissa: I grew up as a kid in boroughs of New York City (the Bronx and Queens) and as a teenager in northern New Jersey (ie. a mall). My kid life and a my teenaged life were so drastically different that they both intermingle to inform my writing.

Elizabeth: You write both YA and Chick lit. What do you do to shift gears when you move from one genre to the other?

Melissa: To shift from chick lit to YA, I rent one of my favorite teen movies: How To Deal, which is based on two of Sarah Dessen’s novels (she is my favorite young adult author). I also buy some teen magazines and do some informal research interviews of local teens. Lots of eavesdropping too.

Elizabeth: I heart Sarah Dessen as well! What do you love about Theodora Twist, the character?

Melissa: She’s a diva, but has a good heart. We all know divas without a good heart. ;-)

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

Melissa: I'm Amanda!

Thanks, Melissa!

xoxo

Elizabeth