MMM: Caissie St. Onge

Interview with Caissie St. Onge, author of Jane. Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever.

Describe your book in one sentence.

Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever. is about a nerdy sixteen-year-old girl living at home with her embarrassing family, and to make matters worse, they happen to be vampires, and to make matters even worse than that, Jane is allergic to blood. That’s probably a run-on sentence.

A blood intolerant vampire...now that's something we've never read about before. What's the inspiration behind your book?

I was inspired, in a way, by all of the sexy, cool teenage vampires we see in book and TV these days. I was thinking about how awkward my teen years were, and how becoming a vampire on top of all that would not have been sexy or cool, it would have been a total humiliating drag!

If you could step into someone else's shoes for a day, who would it be and why?

Just one person’s shoes for one day? Wow. That’s really tough. I would want it to be someone funny. It would have to be someone with a wide foot. Maybe I should pick someone who’s died so they would sort of get to be alive again for a day? I guess if I take all of those criteria into consideration, my pick would be comedian and singer, Totie Fields. I bet not too many people know who she is nowadays, but you should look her up. She was really talented and brave, and kind of unsung, in my opinion. Of course, in the last few years of her life she had lots of health problems and had to have her leg amputated, but you know what they say. The show must go on! And so did she. So, even though I’d only be stepping into one shoe, I would gladly do that to see what it was like to be someone like her.

What fictional character most resembles you?

I think most fictional characters are way more interesting than I am. I don’t look like Pippi Longstocking at all, but aspire to be like her. I love to make up ridiculous stories and jokes, and I try to be crafty and clever and I love my family and my friends intensely. Though, unlike Pippi, I do not have superhuman strength. Or a monkey. Yet.

Did you put parts of people you know in real life into your characters?

I come from a television writing background, where, even as I’m working on an idea or a sketch, I’m thinking about who might be good to perform in it. That’s how I’ve always read books too. I cast a little movie in my mind as I read, with some parts “played” by people I know in life, and other parts “played” by actors I know from TV and movies. When I wrote this book, I did the same thing. Every character is a composite of different things, but especially people I know and performers I admire.

Let's say you had a time machine that could only be used once. What time period/place would you want to be transported to?

Oh, that’s terrifying! What if I accidentally brought an ant into that time machine with me and that ant’s presence in the new time period or place altered the course of history?!!! Isn’t that what always happens in the movies? I mean, I would guess my presence might also somehow alter the course of history, but they always blame the insect.

Can I save the time machine until I get really old? Then I would use it to go back, maybe to when I first met my husband so that I could get a chance to relive the best part of my life.

Have a favorite word?

My favorite word is “Yes.”

What are your best and worst qualities?

I’m laughing, because I imagine what I believe are my best and worst qualities are probably so different from what someone who knows me might say. I guess my best quality is sensitivity, and my worst quality is oversensitivity.

Fun fact about you that not too many people know?

Seeing gigantic things in person, especially gigantic inflatable things like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, totally give me the heebie-jeebies!

Thanks so much for the wonderful interview, Caissie!

FIND CAISSIE ONLINE: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

MMM: Gae Polisner + Contest

While Nick Gardner’s family is falling apart, his best friend, Scooter, is dying from a freak disease. The Scoot’s final wish is that Nick and their quirky classmate, Jaycee Amato, deliver a prized first-edition copy of Of Mice and Men to the Scoot’s father. There’s just one problem: the Scoot’s father walked out years ago and hasn’t been heard from since. So, guided by Steinbeck’s life lessons, and with only the vaguest of plans, Nick and Jaycee set off to find him.Characters you’ll want to become friends with and a narrative voice that sparkles with wit make this a truly original coming-of-age story. Published on May 10, 2011.

"Growing Up With" Interview with Gae Polisner, author of The Pull of Gravity

What was your favorite class in elementary school and why?

Fourth grade with Barbara Stanley, hands down. I keep trying to find her through Facebook or other search engines, hoping she will read something like this somewhere and know how much she meant to me. Things I learned in Mrs. Stanley’s class got me through high school, college and law school, and helped me draft legal papers after and, yes, even helps me write my manuscripts. She was an unforgettable teacher. Fourth grade was a great year. Plus, I was Lucy in our class play, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. And my parents were fond of telling me that I was Lucy in real life. So it was an excellent fit. ;)

Have you ever broken a bone and is there a story behind it?

When I stop laughing . . . er. . . Why yes, I have broken many bones. Some when I was a gymnast (e.g. dismounted off the wrong side of the beam, no mat); some when I skied off a cliff into a tree (that was fun); several when I slipped on the ice in my spike-heeled Candies clogs (why no, no intelligent human being wears spike heels in the ice, thank you for noticing); and, most recently, when I fell on ice after being quite the coordinated diva in a hot bikram yoga class (that delusion, thus, being quickly dispelled). Now, I swim a lot. You can’t break anything swimming. Shhh. Don’t jinx me.

How has the world changed since you were a little kid?

Aw, come on! You just want to make me feel old. *sigh* #sowhatifIamold? Lol, that looks like “so what if I a mold.” Okay, fine, for starters, all of that stuff I just typed – the stars and hashtags and abbreviations – didn’t exist because home computers didn’t exist. All through high school and most of college, I used a good old fashioned typewriter (and lots of White-Out) to write my papers. There were no cell phones, no email, and no facebook and Skype. Oh yeah, and we still read our books FROM BOOKS! You know, the things with pages that turn. Fine. I will one day learn to love ereaders. #bigfatlie. Hmmm. Also, we lived in caves and foraged for our food. Okay, no we didn’t, but typing this answer has made me feel that way.

What was the best and/or worst job you've ever had?

One of the best jobs I ever had was my second job as a paralegal before and during my first year of law school. My boss loved me (er, maybe a bit too much, but that’s a story for another day) and I was a superstar there and was paid very well for it. It was the first job I ever had where I really thought I could be a bigwig in business or law one day (I wasn’t exactly right), and felt smart, and capable and super shiny. Um, WTF, I’m just typing things now, aren’t I? ;)

The worst job? That’s easy. For a short time, before I decided to go to law school, I worked a second job as a flower seller at the Cadillac Bar in NYC a few nights per week. My required uniform: black spandex pants, spike heels, and a tuxedo jacket. And there were lots and lots of really drunk people. Need I say more?

Most memorable party you ever hosted or went to?

Hmmm. That’s a hard one. Honestly, the most memorable parties were my parents’ annual New
Year’s Eve parties, which I know sounds kind of boring. But, there was something magical about those parties -- about how my mom prepped and cooked for days, and we made the house sparkling, and I helped her to bake, and my father would string the entire yard with tiny white holiday lights like our house was Tavern on the Green. Candles everywhere; gourmet food; usually some special addition, like the year someone brought fireworks. The grown-ups would arrive giddy and dressed up, and drink, and laugh and become generally enchanting. At midnight there would be this huge sense of excitement, of possibility, protected by a strong sense of family and love. It’s one tradition I’ve tried hard to recreate in my house with my kids. Except, I mostly cater it, because, well, just you never mind.

What was one of the highlights during your college years?

I was on the executive board of a student-run ad agency at Boston University called Adlab. We had real world clients who we did advertising work for. My friend Sean and I really thought we were ad execs, I think. Regardless, we had tons of fun. We lived in the Adlab office. We drank coffee, talked to important people, and said, wrote, and did clever things. Yes we did. I still talk to him once in a while. He went into advertising after college, but is now in law enforcement. And, me, I still practice family law, and have my first novel coming out. Amazing how paths bend and sway. . .

What made you interested in going to law school?

Truth? I wanted the credentials and clout that went with having a law degree. At that time, I wanted to go into entertainment management (and had dabbled some). I thought the law degree would make me that much more credible and valuable. I graduated in the midst of an economic downturn and ended up in family law. There’s that bend-and-sway thing again. . .

When and how did you meet your husband?

I met my husband the first few days of law school. At orientation, the dean had mentioned the age of the oldest and youngest students entering our class (the youngest was 18; the oldest was like 45). After our first class together, he and I commented that we thought the other was the youngest one (neither of us was: I was 24 at the time, he 23). After our first date together, he called me up to tell me he had found out our families knew each other and that our fathers had been minor investors in a failed business together when we were little kids. Suffice it to say, when the business tanked, there was no love lost between them. When it became clear that our relationship was serious, it became a running joke between our fathers. . . Aw, typing this answer is making me miss my father-in-law, who died in 2001. I am so lucky to still have my own dad, who just a few weeks ago read The Pull of Gravity in hardcover for the very first time. Now he won’t stop talking about Nick and Jaycee. It’s pretty adorable.

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

Please don’t make me think about this. I’m not so good with the whole time passing thing. Come back and check me out in ten years. We’ll see how it goes. I hope the bending and swaying are good to me. And to all of you, too.

Anything else you'd like to share?

Yes, if I break any bones swimming now, it’s probably your fault. ;)

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Gae! And my fingers are crossed that you'll be safe swimming. :)

CONTEST TIME! This is something a little different...

For those of you who have read/are going to read Gae's novel, enter this contest to win a 15 minute Skype chat with the author to talk about her book! OR if you are in a book club, enter for a 30 minute Skype chat. This contest will last a month, ending on June 15, to give you all time to read her book!

Click here to fill out the form!

FIND GAE ONLINE: Website | Blog | Goodreads
ORDER THIS BOOK ONLINE: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound

MMM: Alexa Martin + Contest

CONTEST CLOSED

As if transferring senior year weren't hard enough, Charlotte Locke has been bumped to lower level classes at her new school. With no friends, a terrible math SAT score, and looming college application deadlines, the future is starting to seem like an oncoming train for which she has no ticket. Then Amanda enters her orbit like a hot-pink meteor, offering Charlotte a ticket to something else: popularity. Amanda is fearless, beautiful, brilliant, and rich. As her new side kick, Charlotte is brought into the elite clique of the debate team—and closer to Neal, Amanda's equally brilliant friend and the most perfect boy Charlotte has ever seen. But just when senior year is looking up, Charlotte’s life starts to crumble. The more things heat up between Charlotte and Neal, the more Neal wants to hide their relationship. Is he ashamed? Meanwhile, Amanda is starting to act strangely competitive, and she's keeping a secret Charlotte doesn't want to know. Published on May 3, 2011.

Guest post and contest by Alexa Martin, author of Girl Wonder

It's amazing to me how many of my readers try to guess which parts of Girl Wonder are inspired by real life. Sometime I fess up, sometimes it's more fun to make my readers guess! So just for fun, let's play a game of "I Never."

Rules:

One of these statements is actually true. The first reader to guess which of the below NEVER HAPPENED to this author wins a free copy of Girl Wonder! Just leave a comment with which statement you think is false, along with your email. The second person to guess correctly will win some swag (bookmarks, postcards, stickers, etc) that I've been meaning to give away.
So TWO winners. Start guessing! One comment per person. Open to the USA only.

1) I never caught an alligator with a grab net
2) I never went to New York City
3) I never was turned away from the advanced classes at my high school
4) I never had a superstar younger brother
5) I never went on a mushroom hunting field trip
6) I never joined my high school's debate team
7) I never had a learning disability
8) I never had a manipulative fat tabby cat
9) I never had a crush on a younger boy

10) I never spent the night in a room with a snake

Thank you so much for the fun contest, Alexa!

FIND ALEXA ONLINE: Website | Goodreads
ORDER THIS BOOK ONLINE: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound

MMM: Moonglass Giveaway

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever. Published on May 3, 2011.

This book was awesome, you can read my review by clicking here. Now's the chance for you to read it, too! One winner will get a signed finished copy of her novel along with some SWAG, courtesy of Jessi. If you missed the amazing photo tour/guest post of hers yesterday, go check it out!

Rules:
Open to the USA only. Ends on May 28.
Extra entries for being a wonderful blog follower, commenting
on my review, or advertising about this giveaway.
One winner will be randomly chosen and emailed;
they will have 5 days to claim the prize.
Fill out the form to enter, but comments are appreciated!

Click here to fill out the form!

ORDER THIS BOOK ONLINE: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound