YA Scavenger Hunt on August 1st!

A few of us Buzz Girls are participating in the YA Scavenger Hunt organized by YA author Colleen Houck.  Our own Marley, Tera, and Heather will be part of the event, which will be one day only -- August 1st.

There are thirty YA authors participating, all of whom will post bonus chapters, news on upcoming books, cover reveals, and much much more on their individual sites.  To play, you just start at one of our sites and follow the links to complete the hunt -- enjoying all this cool insider content along the way.

At many of the author sites, you can enter individual giveaways.  To enter the grand prize drawing for a multi-author book bonanza, you'll collect the clue word in red on each author's post to complete the YA Scavenger Hunt Puzzle.  Once you've got the puzzle completed, you'll email it in to enter the grand prize drawing.  Rules and a puzzle form will be on each author's blog in the hunt.

It's one day only - August 1st, 2011 -- so get ready to go on the hunt!

Hugs,

Heather

Weekend Reading!

My new proposal is finally done and handed over to my super agent, so to celebrate, I allowed myself a giant weekend of reading for pleasure.

After having it gaze longingly at me from the to-be-read pile, The Sweet Far Thing finally made it into my hands. 

For me, if I'm going to read an 800+ page book, I need solid blocks of reading time.  That's why, this book, which I purchased in hardcover when it first came out (a long while ago!) has been languishing.  Also, it's the third book of a trilogy, so it's hard for me to let the series go.  Maybe that accounts for the delay, too...

As I hoped, it was an awesome read and a great wrap up to Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series.  I highly recommend it. 

So, I'm curious --


How many of you will wait to start a bigger book like I did?  Do you save books for a big reading weekend, or do you nibble away over weeks and weeks?  What is next in your stack for a pleasure reading weekend?

Hugs,

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
Wherever You Go - Harcourt November 2011
The Clearing - HMH
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Making the List

One of my favorite things about the end of the year is all the LISTS that are put together on every subject imaginable, from the best songs of 2010 to the craziest celeb moments of 2010.

And of course, since we're all book lovers here, some of my favorite lists have to do with YA novels.

Sure, I like the straight forward "Fave Books of the Year" lists, like the YALSA Top Ten, but I also love lists that have a creative twist to them. For example, check out some of the topics for which The Mod Podge Bookshelf rates books. (And she gives a shout-out to Heather for The Clearing so she clearly has great taste!) Click HERE.

And I love how Bloggers Heart Books tapped into a large group of bloggers to get their personal favorite YA books of 2010. Check this diverse list out HERE.

Have you run across or made an interesting 2010 list? Do share!

What We're Reading

Hello! This week the Buzz Girls will be blogging about what we're reading. And lucky me, I actually had a little time to read a book this past week. Realizing I'm probably the only person in the universe who hasn't read a Holly Black novel since having snuggled up with the Spiderwick Chronicles (which she wrote with Tony DiTerlizzi) with my oldest son, I picked up Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie. It's about Val Russell, a 17 year-old lacrosse player and gamer who runs away to New York City when both her mom and her boyfriend betray her. She joins up with a group of homeless teens living in the subway tunnels and is promptly introduced to a delicious, dangerous, and unpredictable new world--one she would've thought was impossible until she began to experience it herself. The urban fantasy explores friendship, addiction, love, and standing up for what one believes in--even if your beliefs are being challenged with every step. As I voraciously turned its pages, I felt the danger, smelled the odors, and hoped our smart, witty, and lovable heroine would not only survive, but thrive.

As I'm sure you can tell, I really enjoyed Valiant. It was well written, highly imaginative, full of action and emotion, and quick-paced. The romantic in me was pleasantly surprised who Val connected with on a romantic level (I can't say because it would be a spoiler; but trust me, it's cool!) and I have to admit that I feel a bit sad that I'm finished reading it.

So! I'm really looking forward to finding out what books the Bees have been reading lately, and I hope you'll share with us what YOU've been reading!

Great Expectations

Hooray for the new paperback version of NEVER CRY WEREWOLF by our own Heather Davis!

This week we're chatting about things that are better the second time around. The types of things that pop into my mind have to do with:

1. My taste changing with time.

For example, music, art, and food. Avocados used to gross me out, but now I find myself actually craving them, whether in salads, on sandwiches, or guacamole.

2. Being in a better or different mind set the 2nd time around.

You know, when you aren't really enjoying yourself because you're not in the right mood? For instance, vacations, books and movies. Vegas was a bit of a blur my first time, but the more I go, the more I explore and enjoy it. And sometimes a book or movie is better the 2nd time I read or watch it because I look at the details instead of just the big picture.

3. Knowing better what to expect and therefore being able to relax the 2nd time around. This is close to #2, but a little more specific. It is what happened to me with my first kiss.

Since I was older (almost 18) when I finally had my first REAL kiss, I'd been playing the moment over in my head for eons. And when it happened, I was so shocked, I literally fell over! I recently told this story on Nisha Sharma's blog, so if you want to read it, click HERE. But then, as can be predicted, subsequent kisses went much smoother--with him, as well as with future guys (Notice I didn't write "boyfriends" because I admit that when I got in college I kissed my share of random guys. ha!)

Want to win 1 of 5 signed copies of NEVER CRY WEREWOLF (in its new paperback version) by Buzz Girl Heather Davis? Of course you do! So leave a comment here, as well as on the other posts made this week, for a chance to win. Here's your prompt for today: What have you enjoyed more the 2nd time around 'cause you knew better what to expect?

Publishers Weekly Review of Lifted

Hello! I hope your week is off to a wonderful start. I'm having a great week myself, because I just received a review from Publisher's Weekly for Lifted.

Here it is:

When high school sophomore Poppy's professor mother relocates them from Boulder, Colo. -- where Poppy hung out with the tattooed, anti-conformist crowd--to Pleasant Acres, Tex., where she's to attend a Baptist high school, Poppy is surprised to find herself taken under the wing of two of the most popular girls in school. Poppy's mother is happy to see her with clean-cut new friends, but polished, polite Whitney and Mary Jane have a secret: they love to shoplift. Soon Poppy is stealing from stores and juggling a couple of romantic interests, including the preacher's son. Toliver (The Romantic Comedies series) adeptly captures Poppy's conflict between wanting to do what's right and the rush she gets from lifting, which is underscored by the tension between her independent streak and her relief and appreciation over finding new friends so easily. Mary Jane's complicated history wiht another student takes the story to its climax, as Poppy has to decide who her friends are and who she is. Poppy is an appealing, relatable protagonist, though secondary characters can be one-dimensional; the ending is pat but satisfying. Ages 14-up. (June)

So! There you have it! :) Thanks for letting me share.

Winners Announced!

Congratulations to the following Books Boys Buzz commenters for winning a signed copy of my brand-spankin' new book, LIFTED:

Steph & Bookaholic
There was a bit of confusion (sorry!) so here are the specific comments that my son pulled out of the hat:
Steph: I met one of my best friends in Girl Scouts. I always thought she was weird so we never talked to each other ...
Bookaholic: A true friend holds you tight, even if you've had the worst fight.

If you wrote either of those comments, please contact me via my web-site, http://www.wendytoliver.com/, with your full name and U.S. mailing address as well as who you'd like the book signed to, and I'll get them mailed off when I'm home next week!

Thank you to everybody for stopping by this week and thanks so much for participating in the contest! I hope you had as much fun as I did! :)

P.S. If you didn't win, you might be interested in another contest I'm running the entire month of June. It's easy! Just contact me via my website with the word "Contest," your name and US mailing address and you'll be entered to win a signed copies of LIFTED, gift cards to Border's, bookmarks, and other fun prizes I've been picking up on my road trips!

Best Friends Week!

It’s Release week for Buzz Girl Wendy Toliver’s LIFTED.

Yay, Wendy! Ever since I heard the premise, I've been excited to read this book.

To celebrate the release in proper Buzz Girl style, we’re talking about best friends on the blog this week -- since the book deals with best friends -- and running a contest for two signed copies of LIFTED, too. You can comment each day to try to score a copy.

So, do you remember your first best friend? My very best friend in grade school had the exact same birthday as me – well, off by one year, but the same day.

I loved going to her house. It was quiet there since she only had one sister (compared to my big family) and there was junk food in her kitchen – always chips, always ice cream. That was so much better than the hippie fare at my house like zucchini sticks, carob chips, and fruit leather.

We’d listen to her record collection and play with her oodles of Barbies in their perfect dream house. She had every stuffed Snoopy doll there was, even Dr. Snoopy. We made hours of fake radio shows on her tape recorder. We played pool and pachinko and stayed up late.

But our friendship was based on… I’m not sure. Who knows why you bond to someone and love them for years? Maybe it was the fact that we were both semi-outsiders – she was a little dorky and had trouble reading, I was a little dorky and wore head-gear for my overbite.

We met early in school, maybe 2nd grade. Even if I don’t recall how we got to be friends, I remember spending many hours enjoying her company. Sadly, I lost touch with her when my family moved to the other side of town after seventh grade – I only remember visiting her once after that and it wasn’t the same.

Have you ever lost touch with a childhood friend like that? I have the feeling you can never go back to the way it was. The world you once created together exists in its own place and time.

CONTEST:

In comments, tell me about how you got to be best friends with your bff and you’ll be entered to win Wendy Toliver’s LIFTED. Winners will be announced this weekend.

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing -- HMH April 2010

Wherever You Go – Harcourt Fall 2011

Never Cry Werewolf – Harperteen 09/09 - Paperback 09/10

It's LIFTED's Book Birthday Week!

Dear Books Boys Buzz readers,

This week marks the release of my YA novel, LIFTED, and I am so honored and excited to celebrate it with you all. When people ask me what this book is about, I usually say it's about a teenage girl named Poppy who becomes addicted to shoplifting. But really, it's about so much more. This book took me about two years to write because I did so much research and the story itself went through so many versions. I wanted to write Poppy's story because it was so different from the books I'd already written and I welcomed the challenge. And now that it's (almost) officially into the hands of readers, I'm beyond excited.

To get a more official idea about what this book is about, as well as watch its trailer and see what some awesome authors and reviewers have said about it, click here.

And now I'm going to tell you all about The Contest that will be running this week right here at the fabulous Books, Boys, Buzz blog.

The prize is a signed copy of LIFTED!!!

Because one of the themes of LIFTED is friendship, the Buzz Girls will be blogging about friendship. For every day you leave a comment, you will earn one entry into my hat (so you can get up to 7 entries). Then my youngest son will draw 2 winners and we will announce the winners early next week.

I'll go first: A true friend loves me when I'm a mess just as much as when I'm at my very best.

Childhood Dreams or Just For Laughs?

Congratulations to Buzz Girl Tera Lynn Childs for release week of the much-anticipated Forgive My Fins! I can't wait to dive into this mermaid story!

All this week, Tera's giving away a copy a day of the book right here on Books, Boys, Buzz (so don't forget to comment each day to enter the drawing!) and there are more chances to win over at her blog where she's also making a donation to an ocean charity for each comment this week.

We're also celebrating by revealing our childhood dreams.... Hmm. I'm sure I may have told you this sometime over the last few years of blogging with the Bees, but here goes.

I wanted to be on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson... Or maybe be Johnny Carson.

For those of you who may not remember him, he's the guy that had the Tonight Show long before Jay Leno, or Conan O'Brien, or... Jay Leno.

It's true, when I was eleven, I would try to make up jokes. Usually they were about celebs that Johnny lampooned on the late night show - like Richard Simmons, Elizabeth Taylor. I made up jokes even when I wasn't sure who these people were.

After a while, my mom got me a notebook to write down all my jokes in, and for some reason, this seemed to kill the dream. Now there was pressure to prove I was funny, pressure to perform the jokes. I turned to writing plays for my friends and I to put on together- it was so much easier to get up in front of people with a group, after all.

If I were me at eleven these days, I would want to be Tina Fey. But back then, there weren't a whole lot of women comics (unless you stayed up late to watch SNL) to choose from, and I guess that's why I latched on to Johnny.

Maybe someday I'll get to go to that comedy fantasy camp and learn how to really do stand-up - but for now, it's just one of those childhood dreams that morphed into what I do today - writing stories. My first book, Never Cry Werewolf, has some pretty funny moments, if I do say so myself. So maybe the dream is alive, if even for a few pages.

CONTEST: To enter to win a copy of Forgive My Fins, answer this question:

Are you good at telling jokes? Or do you forget the punchline, mess up the timing, get lost in the details?

There is definitely an art to comedy - so I'm interested to hear what you guys post. And remember to check out Tera's personal blog after you've commented, for more ways to win.

Hugs,

Heather

http://www.heatherdavisbooks.com/

Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011

The Clearing - HMH Graphia

Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Secret Crush...

Hooray for debut week of Buzz Girl Marley Gibson's latest in the series of Ghost Huntress Books! Ghost Huntress Book 3 The Reason is another fun read and this time, a major secret is revealed that changes everything for Kendall Moorhead, teen ghost investigator.

So, secrets is the theme of our celebration week -- and posting in comments can win you a signed copy of the book! We'll announce winners this weekend.

I think there are some really big secrets when in comes to love - specifically who you love. I can remember secret crushes in high school and college -- the ones that are hopefully never revealed, right? There's something cool about liking someone and never letting it be known - the warm glow you feel when your crush is around, the hope that you'll run into him, that he'll look your way.

My best friend in high school had a crush on this guy Byron - a smart, cool, nerdy guy who was on the literary magazine and took advanced placement chemistry. Notably, she had nothing in common with Byron. I'm still not sure how she even knew him in the first place. Still, the crush was alive and growing. Every day she would post herself at our locker, hoping that she would see him pass in the hallways. A glimpse of him had her smiling all the way to lunch. And he never ever knew.

Somehow, it didn't matter to her. In fact, if she'd ever talked to him, maybe it would've ruined the magic of the crush. In the end, the crush wore off -- all without her ever speaking to Byron. I'm sure she's looked him up on FB, though, trying to see where he ended up.

CONTEST:

In comments, tell us about a secret crush you had. Don't tell us any names, just give us the dirt about who he was and how you got over him. We'll choose a winner to receive Marley's new book.

Happy Release Week, Marley!

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011

Book Trailers

I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE watching book trailers. This one is amazing, don't you think? The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. (I just barely started reading this book, by the way.) Or check this one out: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. It's like a mini-movie! And so is The Karma Club by Jessica Brody's book trailer.

Yesterday my husband and I headed to Hastings (which I have to say is always so supportive of its local authors) to film what will eventually become the book trailer for my June 8th release, Lifted. While I adore the trailers for The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren and Miss Match (thank you Air Productions Co!) I thought it would be fun to do something a little less traditional, a little crazy, and maybe even a little illegal when it came to Lifted. So, with the help of my husband and my brother (who is putting it all together for me), I'm hoping it will be awesome!

What's YOUR favorite book trailer?