10 Questions with Queen of the Dead author STACEY KADE

About the Author

As an award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead.
From her first childhood scribbles about a magical necklace that would turn people into cats, Stacey has long been fascinated with what happens when the “ordinary” bumps up against “out of this world.” What if aliens landed on Earth? What if the afterlife is really just another dimension?
She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and their three retired racing greyhounds, Joezooka (Joe), Tall Walker (Walker) and SheWearsThePants (Pansy). When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find her parked in front of the television with her Roswell DVDs, staring rapturously at Jason Behr.

Books:

 

And now 10 Questions with Stacey Kade 

 
1. Bookmarks or dog ears?
Bookmarks. Or, I use the front flap of the dust jacket to hold my place.

2. Dust jacket on or off when reading a hard back?
On.

3. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?
I don’t know—isn’t that terrible? I don’t actually remember learning how to read. It’s just always been part of my life. 

4. What are you reading right now?
Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (loved the HBO series, so I wanted to try the book!)

5. Do you have a favorite author?
Oh, too many to count. My auto-buy list is enormous. Off the top of my head, I’m a huge fan of Meg Cabot, Jennifer Echols, Suzanne Collins, and Jane Austen.

6. Was there a book that inspired you to write?
I was always writing little stories when I was a kid, and the first one I remember finishing was directly inspired by the Trixie Belden series (sort of a younger version of Nancy Drew). And by “directly inspired,” I actually mean, “shameless imitation.”  Hey, I was nine and just learning! 

7. Do you have a favorite place to write?
I end up writing in bookstores, libraries and coffee shops a lot, but my very favorite place (other than my office) is the airport. Yeah, I know it’s weird! 

8. How does your garden grow?
Ha! Not very well, which is why I let my husband take care of all the plants. 

9. What is the last thing you Googled?
Lake Michigan sea monster (nope, not kidding)

10. What makes you cringe?
This is an odd thing that I’ve inherited from my mother—neither of us can stand to watch characters in movies or TV shows stuck in embarrassing or humiliating situations, particularly if the characters themselves are responsible for creating said humiliating situation. My mom will leave the room (and then come back in a minute to ask what happened). I prefer to fast forward, when that’s possible!  I saw Bridesmaids a couple weekends ago and while it is possibly one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, there were several moments (like the competing speeches part) where I would have bolted if my husband had not been there. If I’d left, he NEVER would have let me live that down! So, instead, I just squirmed in my seat and covered my eyes!


Thank you so much for stopping by BookHounds YA today!

You can visit Stacey
Webiste:   http://www.staceykade.com/
Blog: http://www.staceykade.com/journal/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/staceykade
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/staceykade

Don't forget to enter HERE to win a copy of both books!

GUEST POST! Setting Writing Goals by Michael Young author of The Last Archangel

Setting Writing Goals

Writing any book is a huge undertaking. Staring at an empty screen can feel as daunting as standing at the foot of the Himalayas, knowing that the only way to go is up.

I believe that this feeling of helplessness keeps many would-be writers from attempting to write altogether. Most people don't feel like they can fit it into their lives, or that once they make the effort that it will be in vain because they won't be able to get into print.

This is where setting goals comes in. In order to take the terror out of taking on a huge writing project, you need to break up your big goal into many smaller ones. You don't tackle the mountain, but the step right in front of you.

Figure out about how many words you would like your project to be. This doesn't have to be precise number, but just something to shoot at. You can always adjust later as the project progresses. Middle Grade and Young Adult are generally between 60 and 100 thousand words, but each genre has its own standards, such as fantasy, which is generally a little bit longer.

Decide when you want to complete your project. In this stage, remember that the later you want to get done, the less you will have to do each day and vice versa. Think about how much time you can actually devote to writing each day when making this decision.

Figure out how much you need to do each day by dividing the word count by the number of days until your goal. This will give you an estimate about much you need to write each day.

Find some way to keep track of your progress. Make a chart, post it on your computer monitor, whatever motivates you. Tell other people about your goals so that they can be your cheerleaders.

For example, I like to finish the first draft of a novel about every three months. I have set the goal of writing about 1,000 words every day so that if I stick to that, I will have a 90,000 word novel every three months. If you miss a day, don't despair. Life happens, and you haven't lost unless you stop writing. The best thing to do if you miss a day is just to write a little more the next day.

It's hard, but it can be done. I wrote “The Canticle Kingdom” in a year while I was going to school full time and working a full-time job on top of that. It was slow and steady that one this one, not sporadic bursts of intense writing.

In short, don't worry about the mountain. Worry about the next step every day, and if you do that long enough, you'll look up and realize that you've reached the peak.

Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time. But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.

You can ready more about “The Last Archangel” at: http://thelastarchangel.weebly.com



 
About The Author:



Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in German Teaching and a minor in Music. He puts his German to good use by working to build online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

His first book, "The Canticle Kingdom", was released in Feb 2010 through Bonneville Books. He is also the author of the inspirational pamphlet "Portrait of a Mother". He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Mindflights, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign.

You can learn more about Michael and his writing at his blog: http://www.writermike.com

You can read more about The Last Archangel at the official site: http://thelastarchangel.weebly.com or http://thelastarchangelbook.com You can purchase The Last Archangel by clicking here.

GIVEAWAY! BlogFest 2011 win Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvator

Blogfest 2001 is hosted by A JOURNEY OF BOOKS and by visiting each site on the giveaway hop, you can earn extra entries for several cool prizes in addition to what you can win at each of the participating blogs:
 http://blogfest.ajourneyofbooks.com

YOU ARE HERE:

24 BookHounds YA
25 Books R US
26 Booksnob
27 Bookvisions
28 Braintasia Books
29 Budget Savvy Diva



Here is my giveaway:  Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvator

(this is a paperback, which has been read)

(new hardback!)

WANT TO WIN THESE TWO BOOKS?

 Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address (PO BOXES OK!)
This ends 7.17.11 midnight Pacific Time and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 7.18.11.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen
This giveaway is sponsored by ME  for ONE WINNER!

Complete the form below!
Follow Me
+1 Leave a comment with an email address
+1 Be my friend on GoodReads HERE

+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE 

+1 Like BookHounds on Facebook HERE 

+1 you can social network (twitter, blog, facebook) this once, just leave me a link in the comments!

GIVEAWAY (with a twist!) Twisted by Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars #9)

Description

It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The pretty little liars have more secrets than ever—twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.
Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.
Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore . . . eventually.

About the Author

Sara Shepard is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Pretty Little Liars. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. Sara recently moved back to Philadelphia’s Main Line from Arizona, where The Lying Game is set.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (July 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062081012
• ISBN-13: 978-0062081018

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address
(International & PO Boxes OK!)

Contest ends on 7.23.11 Winner will be chosen by Random.org on 7.24.11

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is sponsored by the publisher and ME.

Here is the twist to win TWISTED:

You must be willing to write a guest post review within two weeks of receiving this book, nothing fancy, just a paragraph or two, to be posted on this blog and all of my usual places with your byline!

Complete the below form
Follow Me

Extra Entries

+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE 

+1 Like BookHounds on Facebook HERE 

+1 Be my friend on Goodreads HERE

+1 for social networking  this giveaway and leave me a link (blog, twitter, facebook, etc)
Extra Entries for Sara Shepard
+1 Fan on Goodreads HERE
+1 Like Pretty Little Liars on Facebook HERE
+1 Follow Sara on Twitter HERE

Waiting on Wednesday: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:



Description

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.
About the Author

Tera Lynn Childs (Authora neo) is a newly discovered species of author fish who always dreamed of being a mermaid, but never got closer than a career as a competitive swimmer. She loves to spend as much time as possible in and around water (right up until her fingertips turn all pruney) in the vain hope that one day her legs will magically turn into fins. When stuck on land, Authora neo can be found writing in coffee shops across the country, prowling for cool mermaid gear on Etsy, and spending way too much time online.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (September 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062001817
• ISBN-13: 978-0062001818

BOOK TRAILER TUESDAY: Reckless by Cornelia Funke @littlebrown

click the book cover for more information and to order!

REVIEW: Starstruck by Cyn Balog

Description

Gwendolyn "Dough" X doesn't think she has much going for her—she carries a few extra pounds, her family struggles with their small bakery in a town full of millionaires, and the other kids at her New Jersey high school don't seem to know that she exists. Thank the stars for her longtime boyfriend, Philip P. Wishman—or "Wish." He moved away to California three years ago, when they were 13, but then professed his love for her via e-mail, and he's been her long-distance BF ever since.
At the beginning of her junior year, though, Wish e-mails that he's moving back to Jersey. Great, right? Well, except that Dough has gained about 70 pounds since the last time Wish saw her, while Wish—according to his Facebook photos—has morphed into a blonde god. Convinced that she'll be headed for Dumpsville the minute Wish lays eyes on her, Dough delays their meeting as long as she possibly can.
But when she sees Wish at school, something amazing happens. He looks at Dough like she's just as gorgeous as he is. But Wish is acting a little weird, obsessed with the sun and freaked out by rain. And the creepy new guy working at the bakery, Christian, is convinced that there's more to Wish's good looks than just healthy eating and lots of sun. He tells Dough that a mark on Wish's neck marks him as a member of the Luminati—an ancient cult of astrologers who can manipulate the stars to improve their lives. Is Wish and Dough's love meant to be—or are they star-crossed?

About the Author

CYN BALOG has been a California girl and a Maine girl, but she's first and foremost a Jersey girl. No matter where she's lived, she's been writing.  Now, she's the Race and Event Manager for Runner's World, Running Times, and Bicycling magazines.  Which means that when she's not writing, she's probably either running or trying unsuccessfully to solve a Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle from 2003.  She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and infant daughter.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (July 12, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385738501
• ISBN-13: 978-0385738507

SOURCE:  BOOK IT FORWARD ARC TOURS

MY THOUGHTS
LOVE IT

Do looks matter?  Are they worth compromising your life in order to appear as something you are not?  These ideas are explored in Starstruck.  I read this one straight through and really enjoyed it.  I thought Gwendolyn "Dough" is very likable and sympathetic although she doesn't make you feel sorry for her.  She knows she has gained weight and doesn't look like she did when her best friend, Wish, moves to California.  Wish has his own secrets and feels as unloved as Dough does, except he has a secret about his appearance.  Having a gorgeous, thin,  younger sister, Evie, doesn't help her self esteem either.

Dough is constantly berating herself for her weight and when Christian comes to work in the bakery with her, she finds he doesn't talk down to her and treats her as a normal person.  I think Dough takes quite a bit away from her talks with Christian even though he is a minor character.  He helps Dough solve the mystery around her boyfriend.  Things get weird when Wish moves back to New Jersey from California and looks like a movie star.  He doesn't seem to notice that Dough has changed.  Dough flirts with the popular group through Wish and finds that they are as shallow as she has imagined.

The ending caught me a bit off guard and it is pretty magical. I think this is best suited for teens over 14 and there are mentions of sexual situations, underage drinking and sexual situations although nothing graphic. I received this book at no charge from Book It Forward in exchange for my honest review.