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Twitterview: Tiffany Schmidt & Send Me A Sign Giveaway

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This month, we have debut author Tiffany Schmidt as our Twitterview victim. Send Me A Sign, reviewed here, came out in October. She’s answering questions about the “c” word, about how she handles writing with two two-year-old boys, and much more. I’ve also got a signed copy of Send Me A Sign to giveaway to one winner. 

Without further ado, Tiffany: 




Pitch Send Me a Sign in 140 characters.
A superstitious 17 yr old girl is diagnosed with cancer & decides not to tell anyone. OR: Love, Life, Luck, Leukemia, Lies… & Alliteration

What inspired Send Me a Sign?

I started w/ a character who could lose herself in superstitions & then pushed her to her limits. PLUS, this song: http://tinysong.com/mWAe 




So, a cancer book? 
It’s NOT. The book contains cancer, but I’d never define it as A Cancer Book–anymore than Mia would define herself as A Cancer Patient.


How do you feel about the cancer genre and having your book categorized within it? 
I completely understand & simultaneously feel sad that some of the people who might relate the MOST are those who avoid the whole category

Superstitions and signs play a large part in Mia’s story. Do you personally believe in any more so than others? 
I swear I wasn’t superstitious BEFORE working on this book, but I’m becoming more like Mia every day.  

Does Mia?
Mia is very good at finding signs and superstitious signals that reinforce what she WANTS to believe.

Choices — and the consequences thereof — play a huge role in your book. What do you think Mia’s biggest choice is? Her toughest?
Mia’s biggest AND toughest choice is to choose to steer her own life–regardless of where that takes her & who she might disappoint

Mia has a choice between two guys who are both good AND bad for her on some level. Do you think she makes the right one in the end? 
YES

If you had to give your book a “____ meets _____” pitch, what two (or three! or four!) books/films/shows would Send Me A Sign be a meeting of?
I fail so hardcore at this. Um, if you tilt your head & squint, it’s almost: BRING IT ON meets MY SISTER’S KEEPER (except, not really).

Send Me a Sign is your debut novel. Want to talk a bit about your publication journey? 
Pretty typical: Write. Revise. Query. Revise. Submissions to editors. Revise. Fret. Snuggle finished book:
Before writing, you were a teacher. How did that influence your writing?
My former students are always in my head as potential readers. I constantly ask: what would ring real to them? What stories do they need to hear? 

Who or what do you write for?
Myself! I absolutely can’t outline–I write because I want to know how the story ends & what happens to the characters in my head.


What was your most influential read as a teenager?
I loved Kate Chopin’s THE AWAKENING so much that I rewrote the ending as my college application essay.


Who are your top three writing influences?
Stephanie Perkins, Sarah Dessen, & Courtney Summers


Who do you believe is breaking ground in YA right now?
Libba Bray reinvents herself with every book. I’m in awe of her talent and versatility… and just generally in awe of HER!


What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
Don’t feel guilty about Being Human – meaning, yes, this IS a dream come true, but it’s still okay to feel stressed & not enjoy every second


What’s your best writing advice to give?
Don’t you dare ever, ever, ever give up. Take risks. Challenge yourself. Read a lot. Also: There’s no such thing as too many kissing scenes.

What is your writing routine?
This is a picture of how my books get written:  
Or maybe it’s during The Schmidtlets’ naps. One of those is true


What gets you jazzed to write?
Reading something spectacular… or reading something AWFUL. Also, songs with great lyrics.


Do you have a writing soundtrack? Care to share a bit?
Each book has its own soundtrack. (SMaS has several — they’re built into the book) The main one can be found here: 



What’s next for you?
Bright Before Sunrise (Winter 2014). After that??? I guess you’ll have to wait and see!

Tell us a little bit about your 2014 book, Bright Before Sunrise.
One night. Two perspectives. Brighton’s a people-pleaser who NEEDS to be liked… and Jonah hates her. 

Favorite ice cream?
ALL of them. Or maybe peanut butter with kiwi, I’ve heard that’s delicious. Right, Kelly? 

Twitterview: AS King

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After Kimberly and I read AS King’s just-released Ask the Passengers and both loved it, we knew we had to seek her out for this month’s Twitterview.


Along with telling us about the inspirations for Ask the Passengers, about the genre of books she writes, and her favorite writing advice, we’ve got a finished copy of her book to give away to one lucky reader.


Without further ado, AS King:

Pitch Ask the Passengers in 140 characters.

Astrid Jones sends her love to the passengers in the airplanes that fly overhead because she doesn’t know what else to do with it.

What inspired Ask the Passengers?

The constant labeling of human beings inspired ASK THE PASSENGERS. And my senior Humanities class. And Plato. And a bar I used to go to.

Setting plays a huge part in Ask the Passengers. Talk a bit about that.

Setting ATP in a gossip hotbed was unintentional, but then I realized that gossip is a setting most people can relate to. We all live in it.

Ask the Passengers is a story about sexuality without being a story ABOUT sexuality. Who or what is Astrid because of this? Does it matter?

It doesn’t matter. Astrid is a human being. People who try to label sexuality weird me out. It’s not about sex. It’s about love.

Tell us your message to the passengers above.

When I look at planes, I send love. It’s a habit I started decades ago. So, I guess the message is: I love you.

What, if anything, should readers walk away with from Ask the Passengers?

Love? And understanding of the process of questioning? A newfound interest in Zeno or Socrates? A craving for crab Rangoon?

If you had to give your book a “____ meets _____” pitch, what two (or three! or four!) books/films/shows would Ask the Passengers be a meeting of?

I am at a loss here because I don’t watch TV or many modern movies. I know it’s a cop out, but I just don’t know. Can you do it? Please?

Your books bend genre. If you had to classify them, how would you label ’em?

They’re A.S. King books. I think. They don’t like to be classified…just like Astrid. And me. And probably hawks or bumble bees.

Do you find yourself relating to or holding a character from any of your books a little more closely than others?

Yes. I relate to Vera Dietz, Lucky Linderman and Astrid. I hold Ken Dietz very close. And Granddad Harry. And Socrates.

Who or what do you write for?

I write for me and the water heater in my office. And the boiler and washing machine. They are my biggest fans.

What was your most influential read as a teenager?

Lord of the Flies and The Republic. Counting early teen years: Paul Zindel’s work.

Who are your top three writing influences?

Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins and Salman Rushdie. Those are the writers who made me want to write.

Who do you believe is breaking ground in YA right now?

Andrew Smith writes ground-breaking, mind-blowing books. I’m especially excited for GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE, coming fall 2013.

What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

Writing advice: Get your ass in the chair. Publishing advice: Enjoy every second.

What’s your best writing advice to give?

Check out my Writer’s Middle Finger series. Part Six will come soon.

What is your writing routine?

Write as often as I can as much as I can. Made easier this year by my youngest kid going to school all day.

What gets you jazzed to write?

Music. Ideas. History. But mostly, writing. Writing gets me jazzed to write. I wake up, I run to the office, and I write.

Do you have a writing soundtrack? Care to share a bit?

Every book has a different soundtrack. But the one song that weaves though all my work is Bob Marley’s “Burnin’ and Lootin’.”

What’s next for you?

ASK THE PASSENGERS came in late October. REALITY BOY will come in Oct. 2013. It’s about Gerald Faust. He’s angry. With good reason.

Favorite ice cream?

My classic favorite was mint chocolate chip. But the giant ice cream cone down the road sells this black raspberry soft serve that I love.

Want to win a copy of AS King’s latest, Ask the Passengers? Fill out the form below, and we’ll pick a winner at the end of the month. 

Twitterview: Emily Hainsworth

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I am so excited to have Emily Hainsworth, author of the debut Through to You, here as this month’s Twitterview victim. She’s here to talk about the inspirations behind her story, to explain what the green light signifies, and, of course, to talk about her deepest darkest secrets and share her favorite ice cream flavor. Oh, and she tells us who one of her greatest influences is (he happens to share initials with her own main character).

In addition to a Twitterview, I’ve got a finished copy of Through to You to give away to one lucky winner. 

Without further ado, Emily:

Pitch Through to You in 140 characters.
Heartbroken guy finds door to a parallel world where his dead girlfriend’s still alive, only she’s not quite the same person he remembers…
What inspired Through to You?
I wondered what it would be like to see how one choice could cause someone’s life to play out in two completely different ways.

How would you classify Through to You genre-wise?
My publisher likes to call it “light sci-fi,” but I’ve been told it reads a lot like a contemp…with a parallel universe.
Through to You features a male main character. How did you get into the male voice?
I read a lot of Stephen King & as many boy YA novels as I could get my hands on. But I also used to want to be a boy, so maybe that helped.

Did any television/movie/book help you in developing your parallel worlds?

This music video directly inspired my idea of parallel worlds. I can’t explain exactly how a rave in a library did that, but it’s ART, okay:


Tell me about the green light. (YES, I’m leaving it this vague. Good luck!)

The green light is where all possibilities begin and end. (Yes, I will also be that vague!)

What, if anything, should readers walk away with from Through to You?  
I’m not sure I can ask readers to do more than enjoy the story. But for anyone intrigued by choices/2nd chances, I’d love to discuss!

If you had to give your book a “____ meets _____” pitch, what two (or three! or four!) books/films/shows would Through to You be a meeting of?

My agent called it IF I STAY meets 13 REASONS WHY. I might call it BEFORE I FALL meets FRINGE, except I’ve never actually seen Fringe…
Who or what do you write for?
I write for myself. I try to keep the “ideal reader,” as Stephen King calls it, in mind as I go, but I have to love my stories first.
What was your most influential read as a teenager?
As a teenager, MASTER OF MURDER by Christopher Pike. That book helped me realize I wanted to be an author. It’s also a fantastic mystery.
Who are your top three writing influences?
Christopher Pike, Stephen King, Courtney Summers
Who do you believe is breaking ground in YA right now?
Oh man, this is a tough question…I’m going to have to say ALL of the Apocalypsies. I can’t pick just one!
What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
Sit your butt in the chair and write. Every day. Until you’ve finished what you started.
What’s your best writing advice to give?
See above!
What is your writing routine?
My routine has been changing lately, but it often involves a good deal of procrastination and sugar consumption. Then typing. 😉
What gets you jazzed to write?
There’s no inspiration like reading a satisfying book. I get so excited, I can’t wait to get back to my own. 
Do you have a writing soundtrack? Care to share a bit?
For THROUGH TO YOU Trespassers William’s “Different Stars” album was essential. And I always have to include Hooverphonic on my playlists.
What’s next for you?
I have a second book coming out with Balzer+Bray in Fall ’13! It isn’t a sequel, but I hope if you enjoy THROUGH TO YOU, you’ll like it too.
Favorite ice cream?

I can NEVER pick one flavor, so give me a waffle cone with a scoop of mint chocolate chip under a scoop of Bunny Tracks. 🙂

Your deepest, darkest secret?

If I told you that, I’d have to kill you! And I like you too much to ever do that. 😉

Twitterview: EM Kokie

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This month’s Twitterview guest is EM Kokie, debut author of Personal Effects. As usual, there’s a giveaway of the book at the end of the interviews. What’s less than usual, though, is that this month’s questions contained a little bit of spoiling of the book to them — so you’ll be able to see all of the questions except those which have something spoiler-y to them. Those have all been included at the end of the interview in white font, so just highlight it to see the questions and answers. Since the book doesn’t come out for another week, I thought it best to be safe!

Without further ado:

Pitch Personal Effects in 140 characters

After his brother dies in Iraq, Matt makes a discovery that rocks his world. He risks everything to find out the truth and starts to grow up

If you had to give your book a “____ meets _____” pitch, what two (or three! or four!) books/films/shows would Personal Effects be a meeting of? (Yes, I gave her more than 140 characters to answer this one!)

Oh, wow…you know, I have no idea. The Great Santini would probably be in the mix, and maybe elements of Jellicoe Road, but there are other, missing ingredients, and neither of these are dead on…

What inspired Personal Effects?

I wrote the scene that’s now CH 2, this really angry kid post-fight. I wrote the rest of the 1st draft to find out why he was so angry.

What should readers walk away with from Personal Effects?

A satisfying reading experience. I hope they get sucked into Matt’s world and only think about it in relation to their own lives later.

How would you describe Matt?

Angry, scared, filled w/grief, and with little understanding of how truly good he is or who he could be. (Shauna wants me to add clueless)

Who or what do you write for?

The story. It’s always about the story, and the characters, for me.

What was your most influential read as a teenager?

Forever by Judy Blume. It was the first book I had to sneak, and it taught me I could read anything I wanted, it was my choice.

Who are your top three writing influences?

Writers are like grapes, always absorbing stuff. Each vintage/book has diff. notes. For PE prob Pat Conroy, Kevin Brooks, E. Lockhart

Who do you believe is breaking ground in YA right now?

Hmm… “breaking ground” to me signifies risk-taking. No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson is intriguing, a documentary novel.

What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

You can’t revise a blank page.

What’s your best writing advice to give?

Don’t judge your characters. (And you can’t revise a blank page — I believe in passing on good advice).

What is your writing routine?

I write when the story is flowing, and read/research/experiment when not. When it’s really flowing, I sink in deep & ignore the world.

What gets you jazzed to write?

A character w/something to say. I think about people, stories a lot…But I get jazzed to write when a character starts talking

Do you have a writing soundtrack? Care to share a bit?

I don’t write to music, but if I need to stay awake or shut off part of my brain, I’ll put on TV/a Movie I know so well I mostly ignore it.

What’s next for you?

Keep on writing. Keep on reading. Right now I’m working on another contemporary, realistic novel-this one with a female POV character.

Favorite ice cream?

Cherry vanilla or something w/swirls, chunks & crunchy bits. And IMO ice cream always tastes better after a day at the beach

(Highlight from here on down to see the spoiler question/answer portion)

TJ’s sexuality is at the center of the story. Why?
Surprising how readers’ experiences vary – IMO TJ’s sexuality isn’t at center. It’s Matt’s journey, provoked by the existence of a secret.
TJ’s death occurs before the repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell. Would this change him? The story?
Had TJ been out, he & Matt would’ve had a deeper, closer relationship. Matt would’ve grown from that experience, would’ve grieved differently
This is speculating, but go with me: how would TJ celebrate the repeal, if at all?
At home: w/a kiss, officially moving in w/Curtis, changing his forms, etc. If repealed while he was deployed: privately, in his heart.
Same question, but this time I’m putting it on Matt. How would he feel about the repeal?
If repealed after PE? Matt would be angry & sad all over again, this time for his brother & Curtis. But, hopefully, no one would get punched

Twitterview: Kat Rosenfield

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This month’s Twitterview is Kat Rosenfield, whose debut novel Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone blew me away. Kat was more than thrilled to not only talk to me about the book, but she offered up a peak into what else she writes and a glimpse at her skills as an artist. Oh, and a Mick Jagger reference and a reference to lint. Bonus: I’m giving away a finished copy of this fantastic book at the end, too. 

Without further ado, Kat.

Pitch Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone in 140 characters.
Two girls meet at a crossroads of sex, shameful pasts, and small-town secrets. By the time you read this, one will already be dead.

What inspired Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone?

A trip to my hometown. It’s small, insular. I thought: “What would happen if, one day, there was just a dead body on the side of the road?”

What should readers walk away with from Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone?

The urge to peek into their neighbors’ windows.

This is a story about a small town with secrets. Any personal experience with either one?

Both! Good thing the character limit keeps me from telling you about this guy who dressed up a garden gnome in lingerie and… well, anyway.

Becca’s a girl with dreams and big goals for herself after high school. What was your “big dream” for yourself post-high school?

I wanted desperately to be a lounge singer. Stop laughing. It’s not a joke!

Do you believe there are clear cut good/bad characters in your story and if so, who falls where?

Nope, no absolutes here. AMELIA is all shades of gray; good people do terrible things, a vile one dies a martyr and becomes a saint.


If you had to give your book a “____ meets _____” pitch, what two (or three! or four!) books/films/shows would Amelia Anne be a meeting of?

Oh no, I’m awful at this. It’s like… Lovely Bones meets Turtle Moon meets Gilmore Girls meets a piece of lint? Or something.

While Amelia Anne is your first novel, you’re a prolific writer. Where else can readers find your work?

My main gigs are writing news/gossip on MTV’s Hollywood Crush and an illustrated column on SparkLife.


Who or what do you write for?

Everything I write, I write in the hopes that Christopher Walken may someday read it and want to be my friend. EVERYTHING. #everything

What was your most influential read as a teenager?

I wasn’t quite a teen yet, but THE SHINING. Amazing book, and it scared me so badly that I’m still irrationally terrified of bathtubs.

Who are your top three writing influences?

Stephen King (for plot), Megan Abbot (for language), and Dorothy Parker (for sparkling wit and brass balls.)

Who do you believe is breaking ground in YA right now?

John Green. I’m convinced he has a direct line into the YA brain. Whatever’s happening, he’s always right there. Maureen Johnson, too.

What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

I was annoyed about a bad review; my husband said, “If Mick Jagger wouldn’t give a shit about it, then neither should you.” Good advice.

What’s your best writing advice to give?

Read, read, read. Oh, and also, practice safe sex. Writing is a lot harder when you have herpes.

What is your writing routine?

On good days, I do freelance work in the morning and write fiction in the afternoon. (On bad days, I write nothing, eat Cheetos, and cry.)

What gets you jazzed to write?

Everything! But particularly: a winter afternoon, an empty apartment, and a couple of really good beers.

Do you have a writing soundtrack? Care to share a bit?

I’m like a lot of writers in that I can’t work to music. I can, however, work to Law & Order reruns. DUN-DUN!


What’s next for you?

Long-term, I’m working on a new book. Short-term, I should probably put some pants on. #justkidding #orami

Favorite ice cream?
The kind that has chunks of cookie dough, chunks of brownie. Chunks of anything, really. I just love chunks.

Your deepest, darkest secret?
Every night, I put on a bear suit and do an interpretive dance to the Batman theme. …What do you mean, “That’s not a secret”?