Author Interview: Na'ima B. Robert

Hopping in today is Boy vs. Girl author Na'ima B. Robert!


Describe Boy vs. Girl in three words.

Muslim teen struggles

Given the differences in how Farhana and Faraz are dealing with things, which was the hardest to write?

Actually, they both posed different challenges! I really like Faraz as a character, I have a great affinity with him, and his story is a lot more action-oriented, which I enjoy as a writer. But of course, he is a boy, and Farhana is a girl, so a lot of what she goes through is easy for me to understand.

If you could pair Farhana and Faraz with any character from any book, who would you pick for each?

Farhana needs a Muslim Mr Knightley and Faraz should settle down with Shazia!

What god/goddess would be your nemesis?

Not sure about gods but I guess Time would be a likely candidate.

What kind of dinosaur would you describe yourself as?

Wow, have never thought of myself as a dinosaur! At a push, I would be a pterodactyl: able to fly, light, fierce.


Thank you, Na'ima, for sharing those answers!

Boy vs. Girl is out now, and check out the trailer for it!

Character Tweets with Mari Mancusi

In a very twitter based community, I sometimes find myself wondering what characters in a book would do if they had twitter accounts. And some are admittedly more amusing to question than others, like the characters from Mari Mancusi's Blood Coven series. I mean, really, these vampires and such tweeting? Yeah. You're curious now too. Well luckily, Mari has been kind enough to force her characters to do some tweeting, and it's with that I bring you guys this post!


Jarethvamp: Heading out to meet @RaynieDay at Club Fang.

RaynieDay: Can't wait! Gonna get my dance on! RT @Jarethvamp: Heading to see @RaynieDay over at Club Fang.

SunnyGirl: @RaynieDay Man, you guys are dancing addicts. Don't you ever do anything else?

SunnyGirl: @RaynieDay Besides that goth music they play there is weird.

RaynieDay: @SunnyGirl You're just bitter because the last time you got turned into a vampire by mistake by @Magnus! #alsogothmusicistheawesome

Magnusvamp: @RaynieDay You can't blame me for that! You two are completely identical! And she was wearing a "Bite Me" tank top. What was I supposed to think?

Jarethvamp: @Magnusvamp You did me a favor. If you hadn't bitten Sunny, then Rayne would be your Blood Mate instead of mine. #thingsIdontliketothinkabout

RaynieDay: @Jarethvamp Awh, thanks babe. #iloveutoo

SunnyGirl: @JarethVamp @RaynieDay geez you two, get a room!

RaynieDay: @SunnyGirl You're just jealous because @Magnusvamp is too busy running the Blood Coven to take you out anymore.

JaydenVegas: @SunnyGirl I'll take you out. Want to go grab some food?

SunnyGirl: @JaydenVegas Awh, thanks. That's so nice of you!

JaydenVegas: @SunnyGirl I'll pick you up at eight.

JaydenVegas: Going out with @SunnyGirl to dinner. Maybe we'll go see the animals at the Comedy Pet Theater after. #funnightout

SunnyGirl: Grabbing dinner with @JaydenVegas. Hopefully Mexican. #yum!

Magnusvamp: @JaydenVegas. Hey!! #stayawayfrommygirlfriendyoutwerp

SunnyGirl: @Magnusvamp That's not very nice. Jayden and I are just friends!

Magnusvamp: @Sunnygirl Really? What about that time I caught you kissing him?

SunnyGirl: @Magnusvamp I told you--that was a one time mistake. #dropitalready! Don't you trust me?

Magnusvamp: @SunnyGirl I trust you! I don't trust him!

JaydenVegas: @Magnusvamp And I don't trust you! You never look out for Sunny's best interests!

RaynieDay: @Jarethvamp Oh geez. Here we go again...

RaynieDay: For more on the Jayden/Magnus/Sunny love triangle, check out Blood Ties by @marimancusi!

Jarethvamp: Right. @RaynieDay Now let's go dancing!

RaynieDay: @Jarethvamp I thought you'd never ask.


Yep, that was as awesome and hilarious as I'd expect, not only from these characters but this author. Make sure you guys check out Blood Ties and the rest of the Blood Coven books. They're fun and hilarious, and something not to be missed. Not to mention all the hot guys....

Editorial Interview with Susan Shaw

Doing things a little differently today, and bringing you guys an editing focused interview with Tunnel Vision author Susan Shaw!


How did your revision process change from critique partner notes to editor notes?

I don’t have a critique partner. When I finish a manuscript, I ask a few close friends to read it and give me general feedback. If their suggestions on what to change make sense to me, I go back into the story and revise. When my editor makes suggestions, I revise. Not a whole lot of difference. The main thing either way is that I try to put my ego aside and listen.

Fess up. How long was your first editorial letter and how did you react?


The first time I saw an editorial letter, I think it was four pages single-spaced. Pretty scary. I think I could hardly read it the first time. But that letter and those from other editors have all been so positive that their comments and suggestions haven’t been so hard to take. And now I know first letters can be that long.

What is your favorite thing about working with your editor?


Alexandra is so positive and cheery, I can always picture a big smile on the other end of the telephone when I call her. She was very supportive of what I was trying to do and always took the time to listen to my concerns.

What format do you use for the revisions--paper, or all electronic?

I work at the computer, but I do on occasion print out what I write. But when I sent my revisions to Alexandra, I sent them electronically.


Thank you, Susan, for sharing that look into your editing process, and congrats on the release!

Susan Shaw, a life-long Pennsylvanian, graduated from Radnor High School and earned her B. S. in music education from Temple University. She and her husband live in Wayne, where they raised three children.


Susan Shaw is the author of Black-eyed Suzie (Boyds Mills Press, 2002), The Boy From The Basement (Dutton Books, 2004), Safe (Dutton Books, 2007), and One Of The Survivors (Simon and Schuster, 2009). Tunnel Vision will be released from Simon and Schuster this August.


Shaw’s books have been chosen for many awards and appear on many reading lists. They include The Texas Lone Star Reading List, The Texas Tayshas Reading List, ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers, The New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, and the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers. Safe is a Carolyn W. Field Honor Book.


Contact Susan Shaw at susanshaw@susanshaw.org for information on library or school presentations.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick is Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale, coming April 2, 2012 from Simon & Schuster.

Summary: When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...


My Thoughts: I am a total sucker for books centered around family secrets, and this one hits right with that so well. I love the Huntington's aspect, and also why Trudie ends up finding out the truth about her mom. Then there's the fact that she hitches with her ex, and I am so curious to see how that element plays out. But mostly, I want to know the secrets, and how Trudie handles them. This one seems so promising to be emotional and intense but maybe have some fun in it too. I love the tagline on this one, as well as the cover, and I absolutely can't wait.

Author Video Interview: Matt Myklusch

So... I've had the chance to interview the author of the Jack Blank books, Matt Myklusch, but instead of just him sending back answers he's answered each one as a video. Check it out, because I have to say, some of these answers are awesome!


Jack Blank makes the front page! What does it say?




If you were a pen, what kind would you be?




Which Death Eater, other than Voldemort, would you want to fight?




If you could choose any character from any book to put into Jack's story, who would you pick?




You and Jack are stranded on a desert island. How do you escape?



So there you guys have it. Matt's answers to my quirky questions. Now make sure you guys check out Jack Blank and the Secret War, out today!

Mini Reviews: Wanderlove and The Name of the Star

Yay! It's mini review time again! Two very different books up for gushing today, so let's get right to it.

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard: I have been dying for this since I read Like Mandarin as an ARC last November. Everything about that book captivated me, which might have meant my standards and hopes for this one were even higher. But let me say, Kirsten did not in any way disappoint. I fell into this book just as instantly, completely entranced by the writing and the characters and the setting. I have no clue how she does it, but Kirsten always manages to infuse so much setting and description into her books without the reader realizing she's doing it, without pulling them out because it's just description... she puts emotion into even her setting and it amazes me. But the plot of this one? Loved. It's finding yourself, and coming of age, and navigating a third world country, and romance. It's a little of everything, enough of each, and woven together so magically. Bria was a phenomenal character, and I adored every aspect of her character development. Then there's Rowan, who is endearing in all the right ways, broken in the softest but most effective ones, and the right mix of cocky and sweet to be realistic and swoonworthy. I really and truly could go on and on about this book, but I'll just say, you have to read it for yourself.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson: Okay, I admit it. I've always been fascinated by serial killers and totally have a shelf full of books about them. Not just the big names like Jack the Ripper, but the lesser known but still effective ones. So when I saw this book, a modern day Jack the Ripper with a ghost kind of twist... I freaked. And I have to say, Maureen did a seriously great job with this one. There are a lot of ways it probably could have failed, but from the actual execution of the murders to the main character to the fact that Rory could see this creepy guy that her roommate right by her couldn't... it was so well put together, so well weaved, and the fear and uncertainty that surrounded the original murders was perfectly captured this time around. This one also didn't come off as just another girl in a foreign boarding school, and I really did love this Southern girl from Louisiana set amidst the Brits. Mostly, though, I just loved the plot itself of this one, with some seriously genius elements and enough predictability to lull readers into thinking they have things figured out when in fact, they do not. And maybe the ending is a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it's more of the perfect place to stop, giving readers just enough of what the next book might hold while still letting this particular plot be pretty much all wrapped up. So I absolutely recommend this one, whether you like serial killers or not.