Wednesday, July 4, 2007

A bit o' news, DAF hits stores, and GCC Tour: TANYA LEE STONE and A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL

I have sent off the book!!!! Whoo hoo! Hooray! Release the balloons (what???? that's not the reason for all those fireworks outside my window????)

Anyhoo, hopefully I'll get back on the blog-train before the next (soon!) deadline approacheth, but it won't be tomorrow. We hit the road for a pre-RWA vacation. Me, the dh, and the 2 precious munchkins in a rented minivan. We're heading up to Oklahoma to see Alice, with whom Catherine bonded in China (those of you who followed the China blog may recall the "sticks in your head even though you don't want it to" Mr. Mutt song that the girls sang). Four days visiting, then down to Dallas for RWA ... and intermittent internet connectivity. Yikes! How will I survive w/o google and my WTM message board?

I will, however, have great things to read along the journey. **I** won't be reading DEMONS ARE FOREVER (since I, you know, wrote it, I already know what happens), but YOU can because -- hooray! -- it's in stores now!




Order the book!

But since I won't be reading my own book, I might just have to pick up Tanya LEE Stone's paperback release of A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL. Check out the awesome buzz:

"brave and beautiful...honest and nonjudgmental" - Megan McCafferty, New York Times best-selling author

"Sure to be the new Forever." - Award-Winning Author Cynthia Leitich Smith

"...the kind of tell-it-like-it-is wisdom that comes from your best girlfriends."
- Libba Bray, New York Times best-selling author

“Vagina Monologues…for the teen crowd.” Donna Freitas, Beliefnet.com

"every high-school age girl in the world needs to read this book...a story of self-discovery, broken hearts, and renewed spirits...a wake-up call." - Teens Read Too!

"spot-on...evidence that feminism is alive and worth fighting for." - Avenging Sybil

"This is not a book that will sit quietly on any shelf; it will be passed from girl to girl to girl." - School Library Journal

"This amazing first novel is one of the most honest treatments of teenage sexuality to be found in YA fiction.” - Kliatt

"This should be on every girl's ninth grade reading list for life." - BookSnog



Order the book!

Tanya Lee Stone is the author of more than 80 books for young readers. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl is her first Young Adult novel. She has a degree in English from Oberlin College and a Master in Education degree from Southern CT State University. In addition to her books, publication credits include VOYA and the New York Times.

She loves chocolate-covered pretzels and Wild Berry Skittles. She hates the word tasty.

And more about the book ...

Don't let the title scare you.

A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL is a cautionary tale. Teens are dealing with sex, whether we’re ready or not. This novel is about three very different girls who date the same player guy. About how the choices they make shape who they want to be. About empowerment.

Meet Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva. Three very different girls who all meet the same bad boy with an irresistible knack for getting into their blood and under their skin.

Three girls. One guy. Who will come out on top?

In A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL, Tanya Lee Stone takes a hard look at love and sex and asks the questions: “When can a bad boy be good for a girl?”

Tanya says, “I get lots of email from teens thanking me for ‘being honest,’ saying my book helped them, or they ‘gave it to a friend who needs it.’ What’s better than that?”

Since the book came out, Tanya has been outspoken about censorship and the need for tackling tough topics in teen books. Check out her VOYA article: “From Forever to Today: The Importance of Sex in Young Adult Literature” and a recent interview with AS IF! (Authors Support Intellectual Freedom) in which she discusses sex, censorship, and Judy Blume.

The new paperback includes a bonus Reading Guide. Book Club Folks: If you have chat software and want Tanya to do a virtual book club visit, let her know.

For a free bookmark and signed bookplate, email her at tanyastone@tanyastone.com

Read an excerpt: http://www.tanyastone.com/badboy.pdf


In addition to her website (www.tanyastone.com) Tanya’s online blogging at Live Journal (http://tanyaleestone.livejournal.com/ ) and MySpace (www.myspace.com/tanyaleestoneauthor)


And here are her answers to my GCC questions!



HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL “WRITING DAY”?

I have kids, so I often wake up before the rest of the house does and sneak in some quiet time. Then the ruckus begins! Once they’re off for the day, I work until about 2 pm. Then the hat changes from writer to Mom.
DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK?
Oh yes, the inspiration was the moment the title struck me. I was sitting in a lecture and the speaker was talking about upcoming anthology themes. One was bad boys; one was good girls. I scrawled the title in my notebook and was possessed for the next nine months.

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER.
I have three main characters; all girls. I share a bit with each of them, which was fairly intentional. My goal was to have three very different girls be faced with the same awful guy and explore how any of us are vulnerable to that type at one moment or another. By putting a piece of me in each, I was more able to do that. Josie and I share a strong sense of self. Nicolette and I share a skewed sense of power—meaning, there are times when you think you are immune to being hurt because you are so strong—and you are wrong. Aviva and I share the artsy thing. What’s interesting is that girls often write to me and say the same thing as I’m saying now—there are pieces of them in each girl, even though they may relate the strongest to one in particular.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON WHICH TO WRITE?
Limitless books to read. I think the pressure of having limitless paper would be too much to handle!

BEER OR WINE? Beer.

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Chocolate.

WHAT’S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK?
I’m afraid I answer this differently each time I’m asked! There are just too many favorites. Let’s go with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Basil and Josephine Stories.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My copy of DAR is in transit. And it's apparently taking the scenic route. *sigh*

Angela/SciFiChick said...

Loved Demons are Forever!
Here's a link to my quick review: http://scifichick.com/?p=295

Julie Kenner said...

Oh, thanks!!!! Love the review!

Tori, sorry about the scenic route ... they do that sometimes :)

Kim Winter said...

I just started reading your Demon Hunting soccer mom books. They are so great! Great books!