Laura Bowers

The next gal making the rounds in the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit is Shanna Swendson, (shanna_s) author of fairy tales for modern times like DAMSEL UNDER STRESS and the recently released DON'T HEX WITH TEXAS!



A Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Original
May 2008, 304 pages, $14.00
ISBN 978-0-345-49293-7

    Katie Chandler has fled fast-paced Manhattan and returned home to a simpler life, working at her family’s feed-and-seed store in Cobb, Texas.  In a painfully selfless gesture, Katie left the sexy wizard Owen Palmer to battle his demons in the magical realm—after all, she just seemed to attract evil, which only made Owen’s job a lot harder.  But now, it seems, trouble has followed her home.  Despite the fact that Merlin, Katie’s former boss at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has assured her that Cobb is free of enchantment, magically speaking, Katie begins to notice curious phenomena.

    Cobb is being plagued by a series of unexplainable petty crimes and other devilish mischief, and after her experiences in Manhattan, Katie knows “unauthorized magic” when she sees it.  As this new dark magic strikes deep in the heart of Texas, Owen reappears (literally) to investigate.  Now Katie’s friends and family must show the bad guys why it’s bad luck to hex with Texas, while Katie and Owen combine their strengths like never before to uncover a sinister plot before evil takes root in the Lone Star State.

    Swendson’s contemporary urban fantasy novels have enchanted fans of romance, chick lit and fantasy alike.  DON’T HEX WITH TEXAS—and don’t miss what Booklist calls “one of the best romantic-fantasy series being written today”!

Click here to read an excerpt!

( For all the gossip on Shanna, click here for her Shop Talk interview! )

he next gal making the rounds on the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit is Sara Hantz!  Sara is the author of THE SECOND VIRGINITY OF SUZY GREEN, a 2008 New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age pick.



Suzy Green used to be one of the coolest nonconformist “almost-Goth” party girls in Australia. That was before her older sister Rosie died and her family moved to a new town. Not even her best friend would recognize her now. Gone are the Doc Martens and the attitude. All she wants is to be like Rosie—perfect. The new Suzy Green makes straight As, hangs with the in-crowd at her new school, and dates the hottest guy around. And since all her new friends belong to a virginity club, she joins, too. So what if she’s not technically qualified? Nobody in town knows . . . until Ryan, Suzy’s ex, turns up.

As the past and present collide, Suzy struggles to find her own place in a world without her sister.

Publisher: Flux
ISBN-10: 073871139X
ISBN-13: 978-0738711393

"I loved this book. I read it in one sitting and could not put the book down. I think that Flux has a hit with this book. I think Suzy is more like the modern girl. She has flaws and is not perfect. Reading this book is like hearing your best friend tell you the story of her life. It is fun, sweet, and hilarious. Sara Hantz really knows how to get into the teenage mind and tells us that we are okay just the way we are. Another great addition in teen chick lit and I hope to see more with this author."--Young Adult Book Central (5 Stars!)

"This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and really made me remember what being a teenager is like. Trying to fit in sometimes means giving up some of the things you love - Suzy finds this out the hard way. All of the characters were so well developed, and one of my favorites was Maddie, the best friend who struggles to believe all that Suzy is going through to impress her “new” crowd of friends. I applaud the author for encouraging teens to just be themselves instead of trying to be something they aren’t."--Upon Further Review

Author Bio:
Sara Hantz started writing when she ran out of degrees to study and decided it was much more fun to make things up than to comment on dry academics. Born in England, she moved to New Zealand a few years ago. The Second Virginity of Suzy Green is Sara's first novel.

To read an excerpt, go here!

Also, check out Sara's blog for more news and updates about her books!

( And to get more gossip on Sara, click here to read her Shop Talk Interview! )

Seriously, who doesn't love Carrie Jones? She's an awesome gal, awesome writer, (I'm jealous, but don't tell her, okay?) and she's running for the Maine legislature. For the total scoop, go here!

AND Carrie Jones is so sweet that she's totally forgiven her good buddy, good pal Laura Bowers for not blogging about her during her recent Girlfriend Cyber Circuit tour. (Please, Carrie? Say I'm forgiven!) I was having a week-long brain fart getting ready for our vacation to San Antonio to visit family.

Yeah, I know. Excuses, excuses. ;)

So, without further ado, here's all the juicy gossip on Carrie and her recent release, LOVE, (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE!)




“People keep changing who they are and defining themselves by their own choices, and that’s cool most of the time, but not all the time. No, it’s not cool all the time at all."

On the heels of her stunning debut , TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND, young adult author Carrie Jones continues the story of Belle Philbrick, navigating through what remains of her senior year towards a future that may hold more surprises than she could have imagined.

Love is in the air: Belle’s mom has a new boyfriend, her best friend Em and Em’s boyfriend Shawn can’t keep their hands off each other, and Belle’s ex, Dylan, is content with his new guy, Bob. As for Belle and her new (straight) boyfriend, Tom? Nada. Zip. Zilch. To all appearances, they’re the perfect couple. But Belle knows a thing or two about appearances... Carrie Jones draws a bead with her unique lens and offers her take on the sexual pursuits of teens—it’s not just about virginity. It’s about relationships. In her quirky, heartwarming style, Jones pays homage to the power of friendship and forgiveness in a culture where forgiveness seems a forgotten virtue.

“The story is honest, earthy, and appealing. BTW, it’s difficult to explain about the duct tape of the title, except that it is a charming creative medium. Jones knows about Maine, being a native, and she knows about writing (with an MFA from Vermont College.)” — Claire Rossier, KLIATT

“Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) is on my list of Best Books of 2008 (So Far). It is just as good if not better than its predecessor. Carrie Jones allows her characters to mess up and learn from their mistakes rather than condemning them. There’s beauty in flaws, and considerant, observant Belle is just the person to see that beauty - in others, in her world, in herself.” — Best Books of February, Little Willow.

“This book, the sequel to Tips on Having a Gay (Ex)Boyfriend, made me feel like I was in high school again. It was funny and sad and wonderful. And I was reminded that the tiniest sensory details can make a book shine. The rip in the vinyl seat of a pickup truck. A crack in the sidewalk that looks like New Hampshire. I was sad when this one ended. Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) is what a young adult novel ought to be. Challenging and thought provoking, and always real and accessible ...” — author Kate Messner

Want to read an excerpt? Go here.

Carrie Jones counts among her credits and accomplishments:

1. Winner of the Maine Literary Award, Martin Dibner Fellowship.
2. Her first book was nominated to ALA’s Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers list.
3. Numerous awards for column, editorial and sports writing and photography from the Maine Press Association.
4. Ellsworth, Maine’s youngest female city councilor.
5. Graduate of Bates College plus an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College.
6. Spoken at national and regional conferences of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators.
7. A big fan of duct tape.

LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE) is Carrie’s second YA novel. Her third novel, GIRL, HERO, will arrive in stores August 2008. Congratulations, sweets! I wish you the very best. :-)

Next gal making the rounds on the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit is E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List and its sequel, The Boy Book; Fly on the Wall; Dramarama; and the upcoming How to Be Bad, co-written with Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski.

In stores March 25th is The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks:




Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:
    Debate Club.
    Her father's "bunny rabbit."
    A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
    A knockout figure.
    A sharp tongue.
    A chip on her shoulder.
    And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Laundau-Banks.
    No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer.
    Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society.
    Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places.
    Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them.
    When she knows Matthew's lying to her.
    And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:
    Possibly a criminal mastermind.
    This is the story of how she got that way.

* Starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

"Big ideas are an essential part of the fun in this sparkling tour de force.... Lockhart (Dramarama; The Boyfriend List) dexterously juggles a number of smart and tantalizing themes—class and privilege, feminism and romance, wordplay and thought, friendship and loyalty—and combines the pacing of a mystery with writing that realizes settings and characters, large and small, with an artist’s sure hand....An exuberant, mischievous story, it scores its points memorably and lastingly."-- Publishers Weekly

Click here to read an excerpt . . .

. . . or here to buy it from Powells.

In May, she will be touring cities, including places in Georgia, Florida, Illinois, southern and northern California and Connecticut for her book, How to be Bad, co-written with Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle. Click here for tour dates and location!



Congratulations, E., for both book releases, and best of luck with your tour!

The next gal making the rounds on the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit is Jennifer Lynn Barnes, someone I greatly admire and could possibly be my long, long, long lost relative since my maiden name is Barnes.  (Jennifer, any farmers in your family?  No?  Okay, moving on.) 

She's the author of GOLDEN, TATTOO and the new THE SQUAD series about high school cheerleaders who are more than what they seem, and an outsider who must become one of them- to save the world. Part Charlie’s Angels, part Bring It On, THE SQUAD focuses on a group of government operatives who double as high school cheerleaders. Already optioned for television by The N, The Squad takes you behind the perfect smiles and too-short skirts to prove that there’s nothing more dangerous than underestimating a cheerleader… especially if she’s on The Squad.



THE SQUAD: PERFECT COVER

Bayport High operates like any other high school - jocks at the top, outsiders at the bottom, and everyone else in between. Enter Toby Klein, a sophomore computer hacker who doesn't play well with others. She has zero school spirit, a black belt in karate, and what her guidance counselor calls an "attitude problem." She's the last person you’d expect to be invited to join the varsity cheerleading squad.
But things are different at Bayport.

Bayport's varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. Athletically, they're unmatchable, though they make it all look easy on the field. Mentally, they're exceptional - but with one flash of their gorgeous smiles, you'll completely forget that. Socially, they're gifted, so they can command and manipulate any situation. And above all, they have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkies and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader.

Toby Klein might not seem like the most likely recruit, but she’s never been one to turn down a challenge. If she can hand the makeover, Bayport High may just have found its newest cheerleader.

Pretty, popular, armed, and extremely dangerous - meet THE SQUAD.



THE SQUAD: KILLER SPIRIT

Saying Toby Klein is an unlikely cheerleader is like saying Paris Hilton might be into guys - understatement of the year. But the varsity squad at Bayport High gives new meaning to the phrase All-American, and Toby's double life as a varsity cheerleader and a government operative means balancing protocol, pep rallies, computer hacking, and handsprings.

Now something’s about to go down in Bayport, and the Big Guys Upstairs need to know what. The Squad is on the case, but it looks like this mission could put the "L" in lethal. And if the spy business doesn't kill Toby, it’s starting to look like Brooke, the team's captain, might. The nominations are in for homecoming court, and rumor has it that Toby is the unlikely frontrunner for queen.

Terrorist threat? Bloody mission gone wrong? Demented squad captain?

Bring it on.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SQUAD:

"Fast, fun, and full of adventure -- you'll never look at cheerleaders the same way again." - Ally Carter, New York Times Bestselling Author of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You and Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

“Thoroughly addicting.” –Publishers Weekly

“In addition to offering crafty plotting and time-honored typical teen conflicts and rivalries, Barnes maintains a sharp sense of humor in this action-adventure series…Give me a C, give me an I, give me an A, give me more of Toby’s adventures in espionage.” -The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Just screaming to be turned into a television series.” –Bookshelves of Doom

“If you cross Ally Carter's spy books with Meg Cabot's THE MEDIATOR series, you've got your smart-aleck anti-social heroine kicking butt and taking names...in a cheerleader outfit. If you haven't discovered this series yet, you're really missing out.”–Teensreadtoo.com, Gold Star Award for Excellence and a Reviewer’s Choice Top Ten Pick

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a Fulbright Scholar and a recent graduate of both Yale University and Cambridge University. A former competitive cheerleader, she was named an All-American Cheerleader by the National Cheerleaders Association in 1997. She can neither confirm nor deny any experience she may or may not have had as a secret agent, but she can tell you that in addition to the Squad series, she’s the author of three other teen novels: Golden, Tattoo, and Platinum. Jennifer wrote her first book when she was still a teenager and she is currently hard at work on her next. Visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best of luck with your new series, Jennifer! 

I've been absent from the blogoshere because of a major rewrite I'm trying to get done by Friday, so if you hear any thumping sounds this week, it's me knocking my head against the desk in frustration.

But in all of my editing madness, I forgot to blog about the latest gal making the Girlfriend  Cyber Circuit rounds, Paula Chase Hyman, author of the The Del Rio Bay Clique Series who also did a Shop Talk interview with me last May.   Check it out here!



Desperate times called for sneaky measures!

DON'T GET IT TWISTED
By Paula Chase
ISBN: 978-0758218612

“So, wait…this writing thing actually doesn’t get easier?” author Paula Chase asks. “If I’d known that I would have taken up a much easier profession like shark wrestling.” And compared to living in the minds of a clique of six teenagers, shark wrestling really may be easier.

In, DON'T GET IT TWISTED, the sequel to her debut, SO NOT THE DRAMA, Chase gives readers a peek into the Del Rio Bay clique’s foray into dating, while also dipping her toe into the issue of student athletics and cheating. Using humor and earnest insight, Chase continues the story of Mina Mooney and her mixed bag of friends.

DON'T GET IT TWISTED, [Kensington Books/Dafina for Young Readers] finds Mina scheming to go on a date with her crush, Craig, to The Frenzy, a coveted party thrown by the school’s football team. As she draws her friends into the plans, a newcomer throws an unexpected monkey wrench into her blossoming relationship with Craig.

The same newcomer has JZ sweating his spot on the Varsity basketball team and soon, both Mina and JZ are on the ‘by any means necessary’ road to trouble.

DON'T GET IT TWISTED is about the consequences and repercussions of the choices we make when we set out to get the things we really want.

The Buzz on DON'T GET IT TWISTED & The Del Rio Bay Clique Series

“Surprisingly real and deep…well worth reading.” – Teens Read Too

“Excellent for showing friendship that crosses racial and social boundaries.” – YA Books Central

“Don’t Get It Twisted, is another winner.” – Urban Reviews

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author, Paula Chase has written for Girls Life, Sweet 16 and Baltimore Magazine, among others. In addition to her background in corporate communications and public relations, she founded the Committed Black Women, a youth mentoring program for 14-17 year old girls. Her Del Rio Bay Clique series helped launch Kensington Books YA line and joins a burgeoning number of YA books targeted to multi-culti suburbanite teens. Chase calls her brand of teen literature, Hip Lit, a nod to the diversity spawned by the MTV-watching, 106 & Park-ing, pop culture hungry hip hop generation. The author lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters. Learn more about the series and author at www.paulachasehyman.com.

Congratulations, Paula!

Happy Friday!  Next up on the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit is Karen Neches, who is the author of EARTHLY PLEASURES, (Simon and Schuster,) that has  been chose to be a Booksense Notable for February.

"...Appealingly unorthodox... a heaven where angels lust, drink and follow terrestrial celebrity gossip… A tangled story of cold ambition and true love unspools. Neches’s funny and sweet novel shows that to err is human and angelic as well."--Publisher's Weekly

Welcome, Karen! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip.

When’s the last time you’ve treated yourself to a manicure?

Never, sadly. My nails look like they’ve been chewed on by termites.

What’s the most regrettable hairstyle you’ve ever had? Any mullets? Rat tails?

Remember in the 80s when they had those moussed asymmetrical hairstyles held in place with banana clips? Guilty!

Oh, yes.  The banana clip.  I had my array of rainbow colored clips as well!  Okay, ever had a major hair or salon disaster?

I played Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank and a stylist put a very dark vegetable dye in my hair he claimed would wash right out. My hair grabbed the color with washings turned a horrible metallic green. Thank God it was during the time when the punk look was popular.

Time for your “Hypothetical Questions of the Week”:

HQ #1: If you could hit the rewind button, which book published by another author do you wish you could have written? Which movie screenplay?

Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (although only she could write it.) Adaptation is such a writers’ movie.

HQ #2: You magically find a $100.00 bill in your box of cereal. In what frivolous way would you spend it?

A high end bottle of Pino Noir.

HQ #3: You’re a big-time celebrity who just had a baby. If you were competing for the most bizarre celebrity baby name, what would it be?

Accessory. Sessie for short.

HQ #4: Paparazzi are stalking you, looking for shots of odd things authors do while writing. What do they catch you doing, hmm?

I have a picture of J.k. Rowlings on my desk and three times a day I bow to it while facing England.

HQ #5: If you could go back in time and make changes to any of your published books, would you? If so, which one and why?

My first book. I’d change the cover. It was this big hand on an old fashioned cash register. No one had a clue what it was about.

And finally, what’s your favorite . . .
    Time to write?     Morning
    Movie?     Rent
    Book?     The Secret History
    Author?     Anne Tyler
    Song?     Take the A Train
    Pair of shoes?     Clogs
    Guiltiest pleasure?     Red wine
    Line from a movie?     Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start—from Sound of Music

Thanks for stopping by, Karen, and best of luck with EARTHLY PLEASURES!

Here's more gossip on her latest novel . . .
( . . . behind the cut. )

It's Girl(friend) Friday and today the spotlight is on Melissa Senate and the trade paperback edition of THEODORA TWIST, her first young adult novel!



“Senate sets up a tantalizing premise and the plot is equally entertaining.” –Publisher’s Weekly

“Theodora Twist has sugar and spice and everything nice. I loved it!”–Sarah Mlynowski, bestselling author of Spells and Sleeping Bags

“A fun read!”–Teen People magazine

You’re sixteen. A high school junior. A major teen celebrity like Blake Lively or Amanda Duff or Vanessa Hudgens moves into your house for a month and shares your bedroom, your friends, your clothes, your school. Your entire life. And it’s all caught on camera, for all of America to see. This is what happens to Emily Fine in Melissa Senate’s debut young adult novel, THEODORA TWIST (Delacorte Press). One day she’s ordinary nobody Emily Fine, practically invisible to everyone (including her own mother) and the next, she’s roommates with teen idol Theodora Twist and co-star of a TV reality show.

Theodora Twist is Hollywood’s hottest young actress—the girl everyone wants to be. Producers court her, tabloids love her, fans mob her, and US Weekly has covered every catfight with her co-stars, her ongoing feud with her mother, her yo-yo dieting, and her threesome with two Hollywood it-boys. Needless to say, Theodora doesn’t have the best reputation around.

So when Theodora’s publicity team decides to clean up her act with a reality show called Theodora Twist—Just a Regular Teen!, they send Theodora back to her hometown to live with Emily’s family for a month. Theodora has to do everything Emily does: attend high school, care about grades, friends, boys, the prom, zits (as though Theodora has ever had one). And a very unlikely friendship is formed.

You can read an excerpt at Random House Teens and be sure to check out Melissa’s website!

The scoop on Melissa:

Melissa Senate is the author of several novels for adults, including the bestseller See Jane Date, which was made into a TV movie. Before becoming a writer, Melissa was a New York City book editor and worked on many teen novels. She now lives on the southern coast of Maine, where outside her door is foot of fresh snow.

Have a great weekend!

Making the rounds on the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit is Laurie Faria Stolarz, author of PROJECT 17, Hyperion Books.



“Page-turning action, genuine scares, and a satisfying conclusion should make this a hit with teens, particularly those who enjoyed the suspense of Stolarz's "Blue Is for Nightmares" series (Flux)." – School Library Journal

"Stolarz takes a delicious cast of characters on a terrifying thrill-ride. A harrowing adventure in an abandoned mental hosptial, PROJECT 17 is sexy, funny, poignant and blood-chilling." - R.A. Nelson, author of Teach Me and Breathe My Name


Breaking in was easy. Getting out will be harder.

High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves on the premises, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients' personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even their old medical records, left behind by the state for trespassers to view.

On the eve of the hospital's demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. For Derik, it's an opportunity to win a filmmaking contest and save himself from a future of flipping burgers at his parents' diner. For the others, it's a chance to be on TV, or a night with no parents. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls, down every dark passageway, and in each deserted room, they will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits who still might.

PROJECT 17
Hyperion Books, December 2007
Hardcover $15.95
ISBN 9780786838561
Ages 12+

Check out the Book Trailer for Project 17, made by Mike Dijital.

And while you're at it, check out this Fan-created Book Trailer for Project 17, made by M2 Productions.


Also coming this December:

BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES, the re-released new edition.  Included in this edition is fan-created poetry and spells, inspired by the series.

"I Know Your Secret . . ."

It started with weird e-mails and freaky phone calls. Now someone's leaving Drea white lilies-the same death lilies that have been showing up in Stacy's dreams. Everybody thinks it's just a twisted game . . . until another girl at school is brutally murdered. There are no witnesses. Worst of all, no one has a perfect alibi. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacy turns to the one secret weapon she can trust-the folk magic taught to her by her grandmother. Will Stacy's magic be strong enough to expose the true killer, or will the killer make her darkest nightmares come true?

Llewellyn Publications
ISBN-13: 9780738703916

Check out the Fan-created Book Trailer for Blue is for Nightmares, made by M2 Productions.


Also Available By Laurie Faria Stolarz:

The Blue is for Nightmares Box set
(includes Blue is for Nightmares, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, Red is for Remembrance, and a copy of Stacey’s spell book.)
    Llewellyn Publications
    ISBN: 9780738709888
    $29.95 for the 4-book box set (or $8.95 + tax, individually)
    Ages 12+

Bleed
“Over the course of a single day the lives of ten teens will intersect in powerful and unexpected ways.”
    Hyperion Books for Children
    ISBN: 13: 9780786838547
    Hardcover: $15.99
    Ages 14+

Check out the Fan-created Book Trailer for Bleed, made by M2 Productions.

About the Author:

Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston. She is currently working on Deadly Little Secret, the first book in the Touch series, also for young adults. To learn more about Laurie, please visit her website, livejournal blog, or MySpace page!

It's another Girl(friend) Friday and Elizabeth Lenhard is joining us in the beauty shop! Elizabeth is the author of CHICKS WITH STICKS, (KnitWise,) the third book in a trilogy of novels about four cool, Chicagoan knitty grrrls. The first books in the trilogy are CHICKS WITH STICKS, (It's a purl thing), and CHICKS WITH STICKS, (Knit two together.)



Welcome, Elizabeth! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip.

First off, when’s the last time you’ve treated yourself to a manicure?

I'm more of a pedi girl myself. I can't maintain a manicure for more than a day. The last pedicure I remember getting was, oh my, a year ago! When a friend was in town for Thanksgiving. I really need to pamper myself more! Thanks for the wake-up call, girlfriend!

I need a wake up call myself!  You don't want to see my feet. ;)  Okay, what’s the most regrettable hairstyle you’ve ever had? Any mullets? Rat tails?

I did a layered thing when I was thirteen right before I left for summer camp where there was no electricity. Not even for hair dryers!!! Tragic. I looked like a lion all summer.

What hair styling product can you not live without?

Depends on the season. Straightening stuff in the winter and curly stuff in the summer. My hair is wavy so it goes either way.

Ever had a major hair or salon disaster?

I have dark, Brooke Shieldsish eyebrows and--during the 80s when we all did our damndest to make ourselves look kind of awful, it seems--I had streaky blond hair. So I decided to lighten my eyebrows to match my hair. They went scarily yellow! So then we darkened them to a medium brown, which was okay. But then my original dark eyebrow hairs started growing back in, making for a tiger-striped kind of look. Not. Attractive.

What beauty product can you not live without?

Clinique lipstick in a shade called Amber Glass.

How long have you been with your current stylist and what are your appointment conversations like—chatty and personal, or quiet and professional?

I've been with Joi since I moved to Atlanta in 2004. We're definitely chatty and personal. We dish about people we know and people we don't and about real estate and about relationships . . . wow, I didn't realize how chatty we were! Joi also did my hair for my wedding in 2005 and you know, if you like your wedding hair (which I did) you're basically indebted to your stylist for life!!!

What kind of hairstyle did you have in high school?

Well, there was that layered thing. And then I got rid of the layers by cutting it short. That was a brief disaster. Then as I grew my hair out, I got a perm! Which is usually a disaster but in this case wasn't. It was a cute, ringletty bob (if I do say so) and I kept that going until I went to college, when I could no longer afford perms or blond highlights (see above) so grew it all out and went straightish and long, which was probably for the best and pretty much what I still have today (though it's red now. )

Wait . . . a perm you liked?  That's a Shop Talk first.

( For more of my interview with Elizabeth and the full scoop on her book series, click here! )

Cool, another girlfriend tour! Today, Jennifer Echols is joining us in the beauty shop! Jenn, (jenniferechols,) is the author of The Boys Next Door, about a teen who pretends to date the boy next door to catch his older brother, her childhood crush.




Welcome, Jenn! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip.

When’s the last time you’ve treated yourself to a manicure?

I’ve had one manicure in my life. My husband treated me to a spa day when I was preggers.

Ever had a major hair or salon disaster?

In high school my hair was a much lighter blond, and one summer it turned green in the pool. Getting the green out was a major three-hour undertaking involving chlorine removal plus a reddish wash to counteract the green. I felt pretty.

What kind of hairstyle did you have in high school?

The style at the time was wings, which my hair would not do, and then spider bangs, which my hair would not do either. I’m still waiting for baby-fine flat hair to become the rage. My day is coming, I can feel it.

Time for your “Hypothetical Questions of the Week!”

HQ #1: TV execs are offering you a spot on a new reality show for writers. Do you say yes? If so, how would you be portrayed? (i.e. the boss, whiner, bore, paranoid-wreck, etc.?)

I would be the obsessive-compulsive boss who means well and everyone makes fun of, like Monica on Friends.

HQ #2: Paparazzi are stalking you, looking for shots of odd things authors do while writing. What do they catch you doing, hmm?

They catch me pacing and talking to myself, acting out the difficult parts of the story.

HQ #3: If you followed the career path you chose for yourself in high school, what would you be doing for a living now?

I would be a high school band director, and I would also compose music for marching band. Music education and composition were my double-majors in college before I switched into English. My first book, Major Crush, celebrates my love for the marching band.

The Lightening Round—no more than two words per answer!

Do you . . .
Outline or wing it? Outline.
Talk about works-in-progress, or keep your trap shut? Trap shut.
Sell by proposal or completed draft? Completed draft.
Love to edit or cringe at the thought? Love to edit.
Prefer writing a new book or marketing the old? New book.
Write better at home or in a coffee shop? Coffee shop.
Read your released book or no thanks, I’ve read it enough? No thanks.

And finally, what’s your favorite . . .
Time to write? 4:30 a.m.
Movie? French Kiss.
Book? Pride and Prejudice.
Author? Jane Austen.
Song? “That’s the Way of the World” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
Pair of shoes? Nike Air running shoes.
Guiltiest pleasure? YA romance novels!
Line from a movie? “We are the knights who say....ni!”

Thanks, Jenn, for stopping by, and best of luck with  you latest release!

Speaking of which, here's the full scoop on Jennifer and her novel . . .

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR
Lori has spent every summer on the lake, swimming and wakeboarding with the three boys next door, and working at the boys’ family marina. Lori is close to Adam, the “baby” of the family, who's her age. But secretly, she’s always had a thing for the middle brother, Sean. And this summer, Sean actually seems to be—dare she think it—flirting with her. She figures he’s only being nice because they're like family, since he’s not into younger girls. Until he steals Adam's (even younger) girlfriend.

Lori and Adam team up to get Adam’s girlfriend back, and to get Sean for Lori. But then Lori begins to notice ADAM. He’s grown taller. More mature. And Lori thinks Adam is interested in her, too. And that’s when their ploy finally works. Adam gets his girlfriend back, and Lori gets Sean. The right couples are finally in place, and everything should be smooth sailing. So what’s with all the waves?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jennifer Echols is the author of the National Readers Choice Award-winning Major Crush, about a high school pageant queen turned band geek in a small southern town. Boy in Blue, about a rebellious teen who is sentence to accompany a police officer on his night shift patrol—and falls for him, will be published by MTV Books in February 2009. Growing up on beautiful Lake Martin in Alabama, Jennifer learned to water-ski when she was five (wakeboarding wasn't invented yet). She now lives high and dry with her husband and son in Birmingham. Visit her on the web at www.jennifer-echols.com.

Have a great one!

Hey, guess what? I'm now a part of the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit, a group of thirty-some gal authors of both adult and young adult fiction. (How cool, I have lots of new girlfriends!)


My first GCC post is an interview with Amanda Ashby, the author of YOU HAD ME AT HALO, which is the story of a dead girl who gets kicked out of heaven and forced to sort out her earthly issues. Problem is that not only does she get sent back in a guy’s body; it seems that the guy is still in there…



Publisher’s Weekly described it as THE LOVELY BONES meets BRIDGET JONES, and I'm so in love with the title!  Once my summer craziness is over, I'll have new questions for the girlfriends, but until then, welcome, Amanda ! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip.

When’s the last time you’ve treated yourself to a manicure?
Er, I think I’m going to take the fifth on that.

What’s the most regrettable hairstyle you’ve ever had? Any mullets? Rat tails?
I’ve had them all!!! Plain mullets, permed mullets, short fuzz, long fuzz…okay, I think I’d better stop before it gets down right embarrassing!!

What hair styling product can you not live without?
My anti-frizz gel

Ever had a major hair or salon disaster?
Pretty much every trip is a disaster. I have thick frizzy hair which can go curly – so I always warn people of this and it never stops them from cutting my hair as if it’s long straight and slinky.

What beauty product can you not live without?
I’m 39 so I’m a big fan of spending lots of money on eye cream to stop my wrinkles!!

How long have you been with your current stylist and what are your appointment conversations like?
We’ve just moved country and the first hair cut I had was going okay until the stylist decided it was okay to start slagging off loads and loads of people in a really inappropriate manner. It wasn’t good so now I need to find yet another stylist.

What kind of hairstyle did you have in high school?
Actually, by high school I had grown out of my ABBA hair, past the Farah flick and onto the good old bob.

( Click here to read the rest of Amanda's interview . . . )