And the hits just keep on coming...

On Sale: 5/25/2010

After the zombie apocalypse, can zombies and human live together in peace and harmony? College professor-cum-zombie Jack Barnes is determined to try in this wonderfully stylish and humorous debut novel.

Contrary to popular belief, not all zombies are created alike. Some of us like to have our brains, and eat them too (not our own, of course!). My name is Jack Barnes, and yes, I am a zombie. But I am NOT one of those garden-variety vacant-eyed undead idiots. After the zombie outbreak, by some miracle, I have retained my sentience. (Sorry for the big word; in my former incarnation, I was a professor of Contemporary American Literature.) I can even write. And I have a Dream-I want to bring peace between zombies and humans.

But I need the help of our creator, Howard Stein, the man responsible for the zombie virus. I've set off on a grueling cross-country journey to plead my case. Along the way I've met more like me, rotting brain-eaters who still possess some sort of cognitive ability. We've banded into a small army who will stop at nothing-well, maybe a few quick cerebrum snacks-to reach our maker.

Let me introduce my wonderfully lively (pun intended!) crew. Meet Guts, an agile, dread-locked boy who can run like the wind. Joan, a matronly nurse adept at re-attaching appendages and securing spilled innards. Annie, a young girl with a fierce quick-draw. And Ros, who can actually speak coherent sentences. Together we are making our way through an eerie new world of roving zombie hunters, empty McMansions, and clogged highways on a quest to attain what all men, women-and yes, zombies-yearn for: equality.

Please, sit back while I tell you my story-a gore-splattered, blood-soaked, sometimes humorous, and surprisingly touching tale that will make you a believer. Are you ready?

Question: If zombies are the new vampires in terms of "what's hot", would you still be crazy about Twilight if Edward had been not just undead, and not just a blood sucker, but a brain eater too?

LINGER
The Wolves of Mercy Falls
Available Fall 2010

The sequel to Shiver follows the story of Grace and the wolves of Mercy Falls.

Maggie says: "It's about after. What happens after you discover there are werewolves in the wood, after you've fallen in love for the first time, after you've lost what you think you can't live without, after you've become someone you can't live with."

...grace...

This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.

Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. His was the disease we couldn't cure. His was the good-bye that meant the most. He had the body that was a mystery, too strange and wonderful and terrifying to comprehend.

But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies. Sam stays Sam, and Cole stays Cole, and it's only me who's not firmly in my own skin.

Congrats to Zombie Grrrl on winning the Cal Leandros Series by Rob Thurman!

Rob Thurman awesomeness- get ready to get your pants blown away!

This contest has ended.

The Cal Leandros Series: Half Human, Half Monster, All Attitude.

Now it's time for something extraordinary.
It's my birthday month, and I've decided to share with you one of my most treasured and closely guarded Series.

This is some seriously major reading ladies, the kind that will take your brain straight to Valhalla. Trust me when I say you've never read a series like this one.

You will fall in love with Cal and Niko here's a sample from Rob's LJ:

Cal's list of reasons not to brood and/or kill self:

1. find out where Robin gets all the Prozac he keeps sprinkling in my morning cereal

2. write to Dr. Phil and find out if they take moody, genetic freak monster half breeds with mommy issues on the show...and if so, does it pay anything?

3.decide once and all between boxers and briefs

4. ask Delilah to please let you wear underwear again as its beginning to chafe.

5. keep dosing Niko's soy milk with pure cane sugar and ground coffee. It seems to make him less homicidal

6. when Robin knocks at the door and says Orgy-to-Go, believe him and lock the door. Then climb out the window, down the fire escape and run for your life.

7. figure out how I can be Greek, Rom, and Auphe and still can't understand a single cab driver in this city.

8. find out if Goodfellow perms or that's natural, because if that's a perm...shit he's got a good stylist.

9. would I look more brooding with a streak of silver in my hair ? (note to self: ask Robin's stylist)

10. get some sort of pepper spray to keep the goth/emo kids from following me down the street 24/7. It's starting to freak me out.

11. Get Niko to stop calling my underwear underoos when it's his turn to do the laundry.

12. Start cleaning old food out of the refrigerator before the mold gets a chokehold on you (like last time.)

13. Never ask your brother's vampire girlfriend if she's glad to see you or that's just an overbite.

14. never leave explosive rounds on top of the stove while cooking a pizza...

15, SHIT! (For more lists from Niko and their friend Robin go to Rob's Blog.)

Nightlife
by Rob Thurman
------------------
"There are monsters among us. There always have been and there always will be. I've known that since I can remember, just like I've always known I was one...
...Well half one, anyway."

Welcome to the Big Apple. There's a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side- and that's only the beginning. Of course, most humans are oblivious to the preternatural nightlife around them, but Cal Leandros is only half human.

His father's lineage is the stuff of nightmares- and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal. Why? Cal hasn't exactly wanted to stick around long enough to find out.

He and his half brother, Niko, have managed to stay a step ahead for four years, but now Cal's dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they've always wanted him: He is the key to unleashing their hell on earth. The fate of the human world will be decided in the fight for Cal's life....

Moonshine
Book 2 Cal Leandros Series
By Rob Thurman
---------------------------
"I was born a monster. Although truthfully, I was only half monster. My mother was human; my father was something... else. Half monster or whole, in the ens it didn't matter. I had my weaknesses, and same as anyone else. And I was facing one of them now."

After saving the world from his fiendish father's side of the family, Cal Leandros and his stalwart half-brother, Niko, have settled down with a new apartment and a new gig- bodyguard and detective work. And in New York City, where preternatural beings stalk the streets just like normal folk, business is good.

Their latest case has them going undercover for the Kin, the werewolf Mafia. A low-level Kin boss thinks a rival is setting him up for all, and wants proof. The place to start is the back room of Moonshine, a gambling club for nonhumans. Cal thinks it's a simple in-and-out job. But Cal is very, very wrong.

Cal and Niko are being set up themselves- and the people behind it have bites much worse than their barks....

Madhouse
Book 3 Cal Leandros Series
by Rob Thurman
----------------------------
"My brother had spent a lifetime -mine, at least- telling me that I was normal, that I wasn't a monster. With his help, I'd finally realized that as long as I could remain who I was, I could survive what I was. It was only bad genes...."

Halfhuman Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, aren't exactly prospering with their preternatural detective agency. Who could have guessed that business would dry up in New York City, where vampires, trolls, and other creepy crawlies are all over the place.

But now there's a new arrival in the Big Apple. A malevolent evil with ancient powers, dead set on making history with an orgy of blood and murder, is picking off humans like sheep. And for Cal and Niko, this is one paycheck they're going to have to earn... if they live long enough to collect it.

Deathwish
Book 4 Cal Leandros Series
By Rob Thurman
-----------------------------
"How I felt the mental stirrings of a bloodthirsty heritage when I passed through the grey light wasn't my favorite topic.... The Auphe nature wasn't mine. I wouldn't let it be. And if I said to myself over and over and sprinkled enough friggin fairy dust, maybe it would be true."

Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother Niko are barley getting by with their preternatural detective agency when the vampire Seamus hires them. He's being followed, and he wants to know by whom. But the Leandros brothers have to do more than planned when Seamus turns up dead (or un-undead).

Worse still is the return of Cal’s nightmarish family, the Auphe. The last time Cal and Niko faced them, they were almost wiped out. Now, the Auphe want revenge. Cal knows that before the Auphe get him, they will destroy everything he holds dear. Because for the Auphe, Cal's pain is a pleasure.

And they're feeling good.

IB Teen Talks with their hero, Rob Thurman:

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

RT:Okay, your first one is an impossible one.

A) I have so many favorite characters that there's no possible way to pick just one and

B) most of my favorite characters are either anti-heroes or villains. And while I, let's say, love the original Darth Vader before Lucas turned him into a whiny mama's boy with the new movies, I'm not sure I'd actually want him around the house, choking me with the Force when I didn't pick up the wet towels off the bathroom floor.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

RT: Writing, pure and simple. I went through a very awkward and early puberty(being eleven years old with a 34 C bra size was not pleasant, not to mention the glasses and braces and Biblical plague-style acne. But I'm stunning now,so, hey, it all worked out.)

IBT: How do you decide what makes it on the page? What were some ideas that didn't make it?

RT: If I had my way, everything I write would make it to the page and does in the original draft. It's my editor that does the slicing and dicing. For an example, there is a deleted scene from Madhouse that my editor cut from the book. It's on my LJ, right hand side, scroll down to deleted scene.

IBT: How did Cal and Niko come to you? At what stage did the Auphe come into play?

RT: About thirteen or fourteen years ago. I've always loved the dynamic between brothers and was tired of books in which either the protagonist was a loner or the relationship within was always driven by romance or sexual tension. I wanted two kick ass brothers who were utterly loyal to each other (as I didn't have a brother, I *could* write that as no one was burning my Barbie dolls or giving me wedgies and mentally scarring me for life.) And the Auphe were always there as I always knew one of the brothers would be half monster, it just came down to choosing what type of monster and picking a name.

IBT: How do you decide what makes it on the page? What were some ideas that didn't make it?IBT: What's your favorite type of hero?

RT: If I had my way, everything I write would make it to the page and does in the original draft. It's my editor that does the slicing and dicing. For an example, there is a deleted scene from Madhouse that my editor cut from the book. It's on my LJ, right hand side, scroll down to deleted scene.

IBT: What's your favorite type of hero?

RT: Anti-hero all the way. Good, wholesome heroes are so boring and two-dimensional. If you were dropped into Cal and Niko's world, really, how long would you stay good? How long could you afford to stay entirely good and survive? The land of urban fantasy is a difficult road to walk for the characters.

IBT: Some authors really enjoy putting their protagonists through the wringer. Jim Butcher, for example, takes an almost sadistic joy in making sure Harry Dresden suffers as much as possible. The ever embattled Cal and Niko seem to share a similar condition. So I have to ask, is there such a thing as a happy ending in the world of the Leandros brothers?

RT: Mmmmmm. I don't know exactly how the series might end, so I couldn't say there, but in between now and some hopefully far off future ending, would you want happiness? Or would you want angst and sarcasm and the constant battle between good and evil that takes place in Cal's head? I suppose I could do bright balloons, rainbows, baskets of kittens, and unicorns...nahhhhhh.

IBT: The your latest book, "Deathwish", you kept your readers on the razor's edge right alongside your heroes, and the only thing keeping them and us from falling was the ironclad loyalty between the brothers. It was undoubtedly the most beautifully written torture! How did this book- and especially how did the ending come about for you?

RT: I wanted to show what genuinely is within Niko. Seeing him from the outside, he can seem so perfect and calm. Levelheaded. But I wanted the reader to know the lengths he would go to, what he is actually capable of when it comes to his emotional ties with his brother. I wanted the reader to see that in his way Niko is as deadly and lethal as any Auphe and maybe even more so. He might have only one button to push, but push it and Hell walks on earth.

IBT: Seemingly everything that Cal and Niko stand for hinges on the relationship between them, and the absolute faith they have in each other. Will we see a time or a situation present itself where we find the brothers on opposite sides? After reading "Deathwish", it feels as if this were to come to pass it could have catastrophic results for one or both of them.

RT: Nope, barring drugging, brainwashing, amnesia, Auphe hiccup in Cal's brain, you will never see an intentional break in the loyalty. I have one line that won't be crossed in this series, and that is it.

IBT: Have we really seen the last of the full-blooded Auphe? Is it possible that Cal isn't the only one of his kind? The Auphe seemed like creatures who wouldn't put all their eggs in one basket.

RT: I actually don't know. But I do know you don't have to be full Auphe to do some damage, and Cal is on a long road.

IBT: The dialogue in your books flow sharp and quick, it seems to come so naturally. What part of the books does not?

RT: Romance. Most romance written (except with Robin and Ishiah or Robin's many, many escapades) I have to force myself to do. Just because I'm female doesn't mean I like romance. I usually don't. I like action, adventure, mystery, comedy, sci fi, fantasy, horror...but I do not always like romance. It probably comes from being a kid and watching TV. Every single time a romantic possibility would show up, the two main characters would inevitably fight over her or because of her. It imprinted on my impressionable seven year old brain that romance leads to strife between my favorite characters. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy an occasional well done, strife free fictional romance that someone else has written, but I don't, as a rule, like to write it myself. There are some exceptions...Robin and Ish and two relationships in my new book Trick of the Light, but one of those is a potential relationship...a 'we can't be together now, but maybe someday' one, which leads to a lot of back and forth sarcastic sniping between the two. And sarcastic sniping I always enjoy.

IBT: Your characters are very three dimensional, as a fan it's exciting to anticipate your new series. The Trickster Series introduces your female protagonist Trixa Iktomi, was the transition from a male dominated cast in the Cal Leandros series to Trixa a difficult one?

I thought it would be, but actually it wasn't. Of course Trixa is a very fun character. She's somewhat like Goodfellow with her enthusiasm for life, her sarcastic nature, but lacking Robin's rather frightening sex hyper-drive. Plus there are four male characters that I also was able to write who are quite...entertaining. Zeke and Eli being my current favorites (Eli is a demon who is also a bit like Goodfellow only evil. Now who doesn't want to see a purely evil, homicidal Goodfellow?)

IBT:Do both series share the same world? Is a crossover ever a possibility?

RT: Yes. I don't know about a crossover, but Robin has two audio cameos in Trick of the Light and Ishiah may show up in book two.

IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a necessary evil?

RT: Bang head against wall. I could write pages on this, but I'll go with the most simple answer: censorship is evil...period. When someone says something is a necessary evil, the word necessary is their justification for doing evil. And there is no justification for doing evil. You can read about evil, watch it in a movie, whatever, but in the real world you don't do it. We live in a society here, come on and get with the program. Oh, and leave the gay penguin books alone already. There's war, poverty, and disease the world over. Who knows how many children overseas starved to death while I wrote the answer to this question. Try worrying about that. Priorities, people!

IBT: Hypothetically speaking, if you had a plan for world domination, one that succeeds, what would your first order of business be?

RT: Equal rights for everyone, and I would ban all reality shows (except for Kathy Griffin's...she works her ass off and she's a comic--she can carry it off.) And, yes, I know this directly contradicts what I said about censorship, but as this is a fantasy, I'll do as I please. I'm tired of shows getting by lacking all creativity because it's cheaper to have people make jackasses of themselves than hire writers. Gah! It makes me insane.

Contest Information:
Thanks to all who entered!

Check out Rob's new Trickster Series book 1: "Trick of Light" here!

Congrats to oOMarianaOo for winning Blue Moon by Amanda Marrone!

Blue Moon by Amanda Marrone- This contest has ended.

Blue Moon
The Immortals Book 2
by Alyson Noël

Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever's powers are increasing, Damen's are fading—stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen's past—the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day...

IBT talks with Alyson Noël:

IBT: If you could chose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose? AN: Mr. Darcy. But for purely selfish reasons.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?
AN: I barely survived being a teen! And as corny as it sounds, the books I read really helped me get through it. I was raised by a single mom, money was scarce, I had to pay for all my own stuff, which required me to work- a lot, and once you're concerned with making the mortgage payment, worrying about who's going to be prom queen seems a little frivolous. But as tough as those times were, I wouldn't change a thing (nor would I repeat it!), because they made the person I am. But along the way, good books were always available, serving as the ultimate, affordable, escape from my troubles, and I read them voraciously!

IBT: Have you ever written something you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?
AN: Well, I was a little nervous when my mom read my adult novel, FLY ME TO THE MOON. The thought of her reading some of the sexier scenes still makes me blush! But mostly, I try not to think about stuff. I just try to tel the story in the best way that I can.

IBT: What do you think are the biggest issues that teens need to be thinking about today? Do you think teens today are looking for quality in the books they read, or just to live vicariously through superficial characters?
AN: I thinks teens today are inundated with such serious issues (war, climate change, a global failing economy- anyone?) they cannot be blamed for wanting to escape into a superficial character or two (or three!). And honestly, I don't have a problem with that. If the purpose of art is to make us experience something outside of our box, then I really think "quality" books can do that as well as more "superficial" reads. And personally, I'm a big fan of both!

IBT: How have the books you've read inspired that books you've written, if at all?
AN: Reading ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME MARGARET made me want to be a writer too. I'd always been an avid reader, but Judy Blume's books were the first that seemed to address me directly. She wrote about real life issues, and I want to do the same. Then later, in high school, I fell in love with JD Salinger's CATCHER IN THE RYE, I could totally relate to Holden's feelings of isolation, oh, and I loved F Scott Fitzgerald's GREAT GATSBY too (another book about not fitting in, hmmm, wonder if there's a theme here?!), so yeah, I was definitely inspired by those books and I tend to write about similar themes too.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from? Where did the inspiration for that character of Ever come from?
AN: Well, I'm not sure if it's strange, but four years ago, I lost three people I loved in a five-month period, then shortly after that my husband was diagnosed with leukemia (he's in full remission now!), and it felt like the end of the world. But when the dust began to settle, I was inspired to write SAVING ZOE (about a girl struggling to overcome her sister's murder) and CRUEL SUMMER (about a girl who experiences great loss and change). So when I began writing EVERMORE, I realized I still wasn't finished exploring the subject, only this time I decided to give it a paranormal twist, having Ever undergo a near death experience only to awaken with psychic powers that allow her to communicate with the dead (among other things!).

IBT: Many writers say that parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?
AN: No. By the time I've finished a book, I'm sad to leave the characters behind but eager to move on to the next ones. I don't really like to look back!

IBT: What is one thing such as sky diving, or any other daring thing, would you love to do but are too afraid?
AN: I'm terrified of heights. Seriously. Terrified. So back when I was still dating my husband and he wanted to go zip lining through the cloud forest in Costa Rica, I pretended to be all for it. But when my husband said he wanted to stay an extra day just so we could do it, I realized how much he'd been looking forward to it, and not wanting to be a party pooper, I agreed. In the end it was exhilarating, frightening, exciting, and terrifying- and while, I'd never, ever, do it again- I'm glad I tried it! I'm all about facing my fears, but now that I've faced that particular fear- I don't think I need to do it again!

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?
AN: I don't really get writer's block since reading Robert McKee's STORY where he states that writer's block occurs when you don't know enough about your characters or their world and the cure is further research. So anytime I get stuck, I step into the world I'm building, and in no time at all, it sparks the next event and the one after that, and I'm off and writing again. Works every time!

IBT: Paris is the one city I cannot die without first visiting. Do you have a place you've yet to visit but cannot live without?
AN: I totally agree that you should definitely not die without visiting Paris- it's my favorite city! And while I've traveled a lot both when I was working as a flight attendant and on my own, there's still so many places left on my list it's hard to pick one, but Seychelles Islands would be a nice start!

IBT: I'd describe my life as a comedy of errors, how would you classify your life: Comedy, Drama, Roamnce, Sci-Fi/Fantasy?
AN: A dramedy for sure! I'm always looking for the funny in any situation- even the pathetic ones!

Winner will be announced shortly!

Devoured by Amanda Marrone- Contest has ended, thanks all for entering!

Devoured
by Amanda Marrone
9/22/09

Megan’s twin sister Remy died in an accident nine years ago, and she’s been haunting her ever since. Knowing how crazy that sounds, Megan keeps this secret to herself and tries to lead a normal life. But when she takes a summer job at Land of Enchantment to keep an eye on her new boyfriend and his lovesick best friend, Samantha, she meets fellow employee Luke who can see Remy, too. Things get even twistier because Megan’s new friend Ari is sporting a massive crush on Luke, who seems to be developing a massive crush on Megan…making for a love triangle that’s positively possessed.
Megan wants to keep her distance from Luke, but when Remy’s visions get crazy violent; she knows she needs his help. Because someone’s definitely in danger...the only question is who?

We Talk with Amanda Marrone

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life,who would you choose?

AM:Off the top of my head I’d say Leslie from Bridge to Terrabithia in hopes of avoiding her tragic end. That book has haunted me since I’ve read it over 31 years ago!

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

AM: ‘Survive’ is a good word. Unfortunately I was a little too much like my main character in Uninvited. I was extremely shy and having had undiagnosed Inattentive ADD (Unlike ADHD, there’s no hyperactive component) I self-medicated a little too much. I would wake up each morning vowing not to repeat last night’s behavior only to get sucked back into it as the day wore on. What kept me sane? Reading—I read constantly and it was a great escape.

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing,knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?
AM: Uninvited was tough because I lived a lot like Jordan did. I felt very helpless as a teen, made a lot of bad decisions, and having people read something similar to what I went through was hard. It’s also hard because some readers (mostly adults) read Uninvited and think I’m glorifying teen drinking and sex, and they don’t see that Jordan isn’t happy with they way she’s conducting their life. It bothers me that they don’t get that the story is ultimately about taking control of an out of control life.

IBT: What were some of the issues you faced as a teen (that you can share) that you've been able to weave into your books? Have they changed very muchfrom what teens are facing today?

AM: I’ve mentioned a few above, but there was a lot of drug use and drinking going on when I was a teen—and we weren’t the so called ‘druggies’ or ‘stoners’. I hung out with the theatre crowd and I think most adults looking at us would never have guessed the things we were doing. We looked like good kids—actually we were good kids, but as a group we also had a lot of issues—parents in bad marriages, getting along with step parents and their children, alcoholic parents, hiding the fact you were gay, and just the every day pressures teens have: keeping up grades, getting into colleges, navigating boyfriend/girlfriend issues. I’ve come to realize that the people I spent the most time with all had parents who weren’t asking where we where or what we were doing. I think today’s parents are paying more attention to their kids as a whole—but having recently had half of our local pom-pom squad caught drinking and kicked off the squad, and warnings about increased drug arrests in town, things haven’t changed that much. It helps that parents are being held more accountable by law now—I think a parent would think twice about supplying the keg for a party these days, but that was a common occurrence when I was growing up.

IBT: How have the books you've read or movies you've seen inspiredthe books you've written, if at all?
AM: I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy books in high school. Ray Bradbury, Anne Rice, Stephen King, Piers Anthony—I was always drawn to the fantastic and it’s what I like to write best. I think it’s the appeal of being able to escape reality for a while.

IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspirationfrom?
AM: I saw a hand blown glass witch ball in a catalogue and thought how cool it would be if the description (being able to trap spells or mesmerize bad spirits) were true. Years later I was rocking my daughter late at night and looking out her window. I got the image of a girl seeing people fly by on broomsticks and land in her back yard. At first I thought the girl would be scared of the people and it wasn’t until I realized they were her friends that the story for Revealers came to me. A witch ball is in the opening scene.

IBT: Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever lookbackon a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?
AM: I haven’t wanted to change something about a character, but I did have a hard time saying good-bye to the girls in Revealers—especially Dani and Jules. I have an idea for another adventure for them, so perhaps I’ll get to revisit them again.

IBT: What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing,that you would love to do but you are too afraid?
AM: ?" I’ve often thought about sky diving, but I am too chicken. I’d love to be comfortable swimming in the ocean again. I grew up visiting the Jersey Shore and could spend all day in the water and then came Jaws. I was nine when my father dropped me and my younger stepsisters at the theatre to see it and it totally ruined the ocean for me. I can’t go in without constantly worrying about shark-attacks. If you haven’t seen it—don’t!

IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helpsyou getover it?
AM: I’ve never really been blocked, but I’ve avoided opening the file a lot. Best advice I’ve been given is to try to write just five lines—it’s not too much pressure, but sometimes just getting back in there to write gets me going again.

IBT: Is there anything you can share about your upcoming series "The Magicrepair Shop Chronicles"? I'd love to hear where the inspiration camefrom.
AM: The first book in the series was my very first novel and finished over thirteen years ago! It was the novel that I cut my writing teeth on, and the one I’ve revised the most. I never gave up on it and kept going back to it over the years. It started as a picture book inspired by a birthday card I painted. (I’ll attach a jpeg of it) The story kept growing and I realized it wasn’t a picture book—I also realized I loved writing dialogue—and my love of writing novels was born! Anyway, the first book is about twelve year old Maggie Malloy working as an apprentice in a magic repair shop and solving a mystery with the help of her obnoxious talking rabbit, Hasenpfeffer, and brainiac neighbor, Raphael Santos.

IBT: If there was any other profession you could do besides writing, what would it be?
AM: My dream job would be a star on Broadway—I’m a total theatre geek. Unfortunately, my voice is completely unremarkable. I’m also very interested in entomology—yes, I know, weird—but I think it would have been fun to be an entomologist or wildlife biologist.

Jekel Loves Hyde Cover!!

Late- AGAIN! 4th Mortal Instruments coming March 2011

Thank God!
If you are a longtime follower of this blog, you'll know that I am a crazy fan for The Mortal Instruments Series. So I was completely surprised to find myself dissatisfied with City of Glass! The BIG reveal was dragged out to the point of not just exhaustion, but roadkill. And while Simon is very cute and funny, I tend to think of him as bland (celery-like) in comparison to Jace.

Hopefully this will be his time to shine without the unfair comparison to Jace who is described as a dangerous, sexy, dark, moody, broody, deliciously-tortured, über-forbidden, Golden God.

Here are the details:

New York, NY, August 24, 2009—Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, has acquired City of Fallen Angels, a fourth book in Cassandra Clare’s bestselling young adult fantasy series, The Mortal Instruments, which has over 1 million books in print. The story follows Simon, a character from the first three Mortal Instruments novels, City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass, as he adjusts to life as a vampire. City of Fallen Angels will publish in hardcover in March 2011, followed by a paperback edition in July 2012.

Love, blood, betrayal and revenge — the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels. Simon Lewis is having some trouble adjusting to his new life as a vampire, especially now that he hardly sees his best friend Clary, who is caught up in training to be a Shadowhunter—and spending time with her new boyfriend Jace. Not to mention that Simon doesn't quite know how to handle the pressure of not-quite-dating two girls at once. What's a daylight-loving vampire to do? Simon decides he needs a break and heads out of the city—only to discover that sinister events are following him. Realizing that the war they thought they'd won might not yet be over, Simon has to call on his Shadowhunter friends to save the day — if they can put their own splintering relationships on hold long enough to rise to the challenge.

“Simon has always been one of my favorite characters to write about, and I’m excited to get the chance to tell his story while revisiting some of the other characters that I love form The Mortal Instruments series,” said Cassandra Clare. “The enthusiasm for telling Simon’s story that I’ve received from the team at McElderry Books and Simon & Schuster has been great and I’m excited to be working with them to bring a fourth book to the series.”

And while the release date and the book title may change before this baby hits the bricks, I am so elated to know that there is a commitment to making this book come to fruition. And while I know I'm late in "breaking the news", better late than never- right?

The Hollow by Jessica Verday- Contest has ended.

The Hollow
By Jessica Verday
09/01/09

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.

Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her -- one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity.

This is one of those books I've been eagerly awaiting and suddenly is so close I can almost taste it. The Sleepy Hollow legend is one of my favorites and you could've knocked me over with a feather when I read the synopsis of this book. I mean I was this close to dressing up like The Headless Horseman for Halloween last year. I hope we all love it, and I have a feeling we will!

IB Teen Talks with Jessica Verday:

IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?

JV: I would choose Anton from SUMMER OF MY GERMAN SOLDIER. That was the first book I read that completely shocked me with its ending. I remember reading it in 6th grade and sobbing for hours! I wanted to re-write and completely change what happened.

IBT: How did you survive being a teen?

JV: I was always sort of on the fringe area - I wasn't really a geek, Goth, athlete, or terribly popular - so I never fit into one group. I was a cheerleader, acted in the school play, won the Science fair, was on the yearbook committee... I tried a little bit of everything. Although during middle school, I kind of existed in this world where once I got home I'd change into my "cool" clothes (I went to a private school with a very strict dress code) and it completely changed my attitude. Just being able to take that one small element of choice and make my own decision gave me confidence that was invaluable. I also read a LOT. (Which was probably why I wasn't terribly popular.)

IBT: Growing up I loved the story of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and then growing up I read the short story by Washington Irving. Tim Burton's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow just put this story as my favorite work of classic American fiction ever. How did this story inspire The Hollow for you?

JV: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow inspired me because of how real it was. I could go visit the town that inspired the story. Walk through the same cemetery that Washington Irving played in when he was a child. Visit his grave, and the graves that inspired the characters he would write about... To place a modern day story in a setting that was filled with such living history was too good to resist. Plus, I've always had a thing for ghost stories, Hallowe'en, and cemeteries!

IBT: How have the books/movies you've read inspired the books you've written?

JV: What are you currently reading?Of course The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving was such a huge inspiration for THE HOLLOW, and the Tim Burton movie was wonderfully dark and gothic - I couldn't help but be inspired by that beautiful scenery! The Legend has always been one of my favorite stories and when I first heard Abbey's voice in my head it all just completely fell into place. I knew that my book had to be set in Sleepy Hollow. As far as what I'm currently reading, I try to stay away from anything YA while I'm writing. It messes with the voices in my head too much. So I usually stick to Tess Gerritsen. Although I just picked up a ton of Stephen King books and am in the middle of Pet Sematary. (So good!)

IBT: How do you decide what ideas make it on the page? What were some of the ideas that didn't make it?

JV: I started off with a notebook filled with possibilities. Pieces of the original Legend of Sleepy Hollow that I could weave into the story, different aspects of what it would be like to grow up living in such a historic town, how a girl could learn to deal with tragedy and what that would be like. As I started writing, most of these plot threads translated very easily to the page. But there was one thread in particular that revolved around the town council that just did not fit in any way shape or form. I still love the idea though so I'm actually saving it to see if I can work it into another story.

IBT: What's the strangest thing you've ever gotten inspiration from?

JV: Although it's not that strange, the best answer I have for this is a picture that I keep near me. (It usually travels between my office desk and my bedroom desk) But it's this absolutely breathtaking print that captures the prom night scene from THE HOLLOW perfectly. I stumbled upon it right before I wrote the scene and it was literally like seeing the image in my head captured on film for me. I bought it immediately and still get a chill every time I look at it.

IBT: What is your favorite type of hero?

JV: My favorite type of hero is someone who is unabashedly romantic, has a heart of gold, and is determined to win the girl no matter what. Sometimes he's stubborn, ruthless, and aggravating...but sometimes he's scaling mountains and sailing across the ocean. If he'll do whatever it takes to make his heroine happy, I'm completely sold.

IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a necessary evil?

JV: This is a very tough question for me to answer because I kind of understand both sides of the issue here. One one hand, I don't think that anyone has the right to govern what someone else can read/think/do/say. So in that sense, any type of censorship=BAD. But I do think that we have to recognize that we live in a world full of children and adults. Ratings are put on movies, television, games, even toys, for a reason. When someone tries to censor a book, or ban a book, I think that all too often emotions and tempers can get so volatile that we lose sight of the fact that the person who initially raised a concern generally is doing it with the best of intentions. We just have to take the time to find out what those intentions are and then decide from there whether or not it's a valid concern. (Which I don't think is an easy thing to do either, but that's a whole different topic).

IBT: Have you ever written something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?

JV: I have a dark chick lit that I started before I wrote THE HOLLOW and I'm about halfway through it, but since it's for adult readers it does has adult themes and sex scenes. Whenever I take a break from my YA stuff and go re-read it again, I'll be honest, my first thought is always "Do I really want my family to read this?" But then on the flip side, I have some future YA books planned that will delve into abuse, freedom of choice being taken away, runaways... Either way I go I'm sure there will be moments of uncomfortableness. I just make it my goal to try and stay true to the story.

IBT: What favorite book of yours would you like to see be turned into a movie?

JV: I'd love to see BOTH SIDES OF TIME by Caroline B. Cooney turned into a movie. What a romantic book that was! Annie and Strat...sigh... I'd love to see them come to life.

IBT: Are you doing anything special for your book release date?

JV: I'm not sure yet - still planning!

IBT: Good luck with The Hollow! And I'll make sure to keep my eyes out for Book Two coming fall 2010 and Book Three coming fall 2011!