Posts Categorized: Interview

Friday, January 22, 2016

Interview with Laurie Elizabeth Flynn + Giveaway!

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FirstsBlogTourPostcard
I’m happy to have the Firsts blog tour stop by today for an author interview plus a chance to win! Let’s see what this book is all about first:

Interview with Laurie Elizabeth Flynn + Giveaway!Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on January 5th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, YA

Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.

Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy- so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.

When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.



Interview with Laurie Elizabeth Flynn


Hi Laurie! Thanks so much for visiting this little blog of mine! Let’s start with telling us a little something about your book that might surprise us:

Hi Giselle! Thank you so much for having me on your blog. That’s a great question! I think readers may be surprised to find out the reasons behind why Mercedes tries to help the boys. While she puts on a tough front and can be even cruel at times in her incisiveness, Mercedes is soft and vulnerable in a lot of ways, and things that happened in her past contribute to her need for control.

A surprising thing about the actual writing of Firsts: The first draft was completed in three weeks. This was one of those books that felt like it wrote itself. My hands could barely keep up with the thoughts cycling through my brain.

What was your favourite scene to write?

I loved writing the very first chapter, since there was this electricity happening in my mind and this absolute desire to know everything about Mercedes and write her story no matter what. I’ll never forget the night I sat down to write that chapter because of that feeling. There is a scene later in the book that also has my heart, and without giving anything away, I’ll say that it includes a reference to a certain popular type of pasta!

If you could hang out with one character in Firsts, who would it be and what would you do?

Oooh, that’s a tough one! I bet Faye and I could get into some trouble. I’d let her plan the whole day and I have a feeling I’d never be bored once. I also think it would be fun to bake cookies with Mercedes and Angela and settle down to watch a movie (not a chick flick, though… Mercedes and I both dislike them)!

If you had a do-over, would you tackle anything differently?

That’s a great question. My journey to publication didn’t happen overnight– I wrote two other novels before Firsts, both of which I shelved. But I don’t regret any of the time I spent on those projects, because I learned from each one. The only thing I would go back and tell myself not to do is compare myself to other writers. There’s a saying that comparison is the thief of joy, and I firmly believe it. I’d tell myself to enjoy every stage of the process and not be in a rush to get to the next step.

If I were to ask you for the perfect snacks to go along with your book once I sit down and read it, what would you send me?

I’d send you some chocolate chip cookies and microwave popcorn! Both are mentioned in the story, so I think they’d go well with your reading of the book. I’ll try not to burn the cookies, but I can’t promise anything… I’m not a very good baker!

Thanks again for having me on your blog, Giselle! It was great chatting with you!


About the Author




Laurie Elizabeth Flynn writes contemporary fiction for young adults. Her debut, FIRSTS, will be published by Thomas Dunne Books/St Martin’s Press in 2016.

Laurie went to school for Journalism, where the most important thing she learned was that she would rather write made-up stories than report the news. She also worked as a model, a job that took her overseas to Tokyo, Athens, and Paris.

Laurie now lives in London, Ontario with her husband Steve, who is very understanding when she would rather spend time with the people in her head. Laurie can mostly be found writing happily at her desk, with the world’s most spoiled Chihuahua on her lap. Laurie drinks way too much coffee, snorts when she laughs, and times herself when she does crossword puzzles.

Laurie is represented by the amazing Kathleen Rushall of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.




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Giveaway

Raincoast Books has generously offered up a finished copy of Firsts for giveaway!

Open to US and Canadian addresses only
Use the Rafflecopter below to enter

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Interview with Sharon Cameron + Giveaway!

Interview with Sharon Cameron + Giveaway!

Posted by on 04/20/2015 • 35 Comments

Sharon Cameron is on the blog today for a conversation on her newest release, Rook! First, let’s see what this book is all about:

Interview with Sharon Cameron

Hi Sharon! Thanks for stopping by today! I was a big fan of The Dark Unwinding and am looking forward to reading Rook!

Hello, and thanks so much for having me. So thrilled that you loved The Dark Unwinding!

Let’s start with giving us a brief description of Rook using a tweet (140 characters or less).

Okay!

In a future without technology Sophia rescues innocents from death during the second French Revolution. Outwitting her fiancé is not so easy.

What was the most interesting part of your research for this novel? Is there something surprising or fascinating that you…

Interview with Courtney Summers!

Interview with Courtney Summers!

Posted by on 04/15/2015 • 12 Comments

I’m excited to have Courtney Summers on the blog today for a quick conversation on her newest release, All the Rage! Here’s more about the book in case you missed it:

Interview with Courtney Summers

Hi Courtney! I’m excited to have you on the blog today – I’m your biggest fan ever, by the way! 😉 Aw, thank you so much, Giselle! I appreciate that and I’m a fan of yours too. Thank you for having me on your blog. 🙂

Writing about a subject such as rape has to be incredibly difficult, what was the biggest struggle while writing this book?

Just writing it was the biggest struggle for the exact reason you’ve stated—rape is an incredibly difficult and challenging subject to approach. When you write…

Interview with Jennifer Banash + Giveaway!

Interview with Jennifer Banash + Giveaway!

Posted by on 03/23/2015 • 5 Comments

After reading and loving Silent Alarm a few weeks ago (read my review here), I’m happy to have had the chance to interview its author, Jennifer Banash, for y’all today! And in case you hadn’t stumbled on it yet, here’s a bit more on the book first:

Interview with Jennifer Banash

What inspired you to write on the topic of school shootings?

I was reading about the 2012 shooting in Chardon, Ohio, and when I came to the end of the article, it mentioned the fact that the shooter had a sister only a year younger. Although the real life sister didn’t attend the same school as her brother, I began thinking, what if? I wondered what it would be like to live in the same town…

Interview with Colleen Hoover + Giveaway!

Interview with Colleen Hoover + Giveaway!

Posted by on 03/18/2015 • 12 Comments

I’ve got the wonderful Colleen Hoover, NA rockstar, on the blog today for a short interview about her newest book, Confess! First let’s take a peek at this pretty for those who hadn’t heard of it yet:

Interview with Colleen Hoover Hi Colleen! Thanks so much for dropping by my little space on the web! Hopeless was the first New Adult book I ever read and I absolutely loved it! But today let’s talk about your newest release – Confess! 🙂

Let’s start with giving us a brief description of Confess using only 2 sentences.

Boy meets girl. Crap, I’m out of sentences.

What was the whole confessions part like – the book mentions they’re actual confessions you received – did you get some that will…

Interview with Jay Clark + Giveaway!

Interview with Jay Clark + Giveaway!

Posted by on 03/10/2015 • 7 Comments

I’ve got the Finding Mr. Brightside tour stopping by the blog today. I had the opportunity to interview Jay Clark about this novel, and you can enter to win yourself a copy! First, let’s see what this book is all about:

Interview with Jay Clark

Let’s start with telling us what your book is about – but in tweet form!

She didn’t expect her silver lining To be wearing gray sweatpants. Will their parents’ sketchy history Stop her from giving him a chance?

What was the funnest part of writing Finding Mr. Brightside?

I was surprised how enjoyable it was to let the sparks fly between the two main characters without wet-blanketing them with an unnecessary punch line (or twenty), which is my tendency. I really want…

Interview with Amy K. Nichols + a Giveaway!

Interview with Amy K. Nichols + a Giveaway!

Posted by on 12/03/2014 • 24 Comments

The Now That You’re Here tour stops by the blog today for a convo with Amy K. Nichols and a giveaway! In case you haven’t seen this book around yet, here’s a bit of info on the book first:

Interview with Amy K. Nichols

Hi Amy, Thanks so much for dropping by the blog today! I’ve heard great things about your book and I’m happy to have you stop by and chat about it! 🙂

Thank you for having me!

What made you want to write about parallel universes?

I didn’t set out to write about parallel universes, though I should say that time travel and parallel universe stories have been my faves since I was a kid. Early on when I started writing, I wrote a…

Interview with Martina Boone, author of Compulsion + Giveaway!

Interview with Martina Boone, author of Compulsion + Giveaway!

Posted by on 10/22/2014 • 6 Comments

I’ve got the wonderful Martina Boone on the blog today for an interview as part of her blog tour. And you can also enter to win before you go! 😉 First, let’s see what her book is all about:

Interview with Martina Boone

Hi Martina, I actually met you at BEA where I got a signed copy of your book so I’m excited to be a part of your blog tour! 🙂

YAY! Thank you so much for being willing to host me. I’m excited to have that personal connection, because this whole process all kind of scary and exciting! : ) I’m thrilled to be here with you and your readers though, and I love the questions you sent!

Let’s start with how the idea for…