Fall for the Fallen

Lauren Kate the author of the bestselling Fallen series is currently on a worldwide tour promoting her latest book Passion. She will be arriving in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tomorrow and will be having book signings at these dates and venues:

Tuesday, 12^th July 2011

Kinokuniya bookstore, KLCC at 3.00-4.00 p.m

Popular bookstore, Ikano Power Centre (IPC) at 6.00-7.00p.m

Wednesday, 13^th July 2011

MPH bookstore, Mid Valley at 10.30-11.30 a.m

Dear fellow Malaysians out there, this might be the one and only chance to meet and greet Lauren Kate so doesn’t let this opportunity fly away! If you are living away from the Klang Valley, beg borrow and steal a pair of fluffy angel wings and fly yourself here! You have every reason to do that!

For those of you who are still strangers to this wonderful thrilling series, here’s a review of a Fallen audio book which Lauren Kate has generously popped into my mailbox. I hope this review can give you some insights on the series.

Fallen is the first book of the series. It managed to scale the impossible heights of attaining a place in the top three spot of the New York Times bestselling list and held on to the title by maintaining it for two years!

Basically the book revolves around Lucinda “Luce” Price who is sent to Sword and Cross, a rehabilitation school for troubled teens, after a mysterious fire claims the life of her boyfriend and leaves her miraculously unhurt except for only singed hair. While her parents sent her to the foreboding place with all good intentions - to protect her from further harm and danger; unknown to them, they have just sent their daughter right into the heart of a very old battle between good and bad angels. What’s more, Luce finds herself irrevocably attracted to elusive enigmatic Daniel, a fallen angel. And yes, that’s where the trouble begins. “Get ready to fall …”

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The Fallen audio book by Bolinda Audio is available on Amazon.com for USD 26.00. The length of it is 10 hours and 58 minutes. I think it makes the perfect company to keep a person on a flight from London to New York well entertained especially if you are one of those people who gets a bad migraine while reading on a plane but still want have a nice dose of fiction. You could even probably use the few hours left for loo time and to catch some forty winks before you arrive at your destination. Just sayin…

I also find this audio book extremely convenient as it’s MP3 ready so you can just slide it into your laptop and have it sync to your iPod. It’s much better than lugging a CD player and extra batteries or the wire cord. Also by being able to transfer the audio book into my iPod, I could listen to it anytime and anywhere. To me it was great not having to bring a thick book along with me. Instead I could just tuck my iPod in the pocket of my coat and I was good to go. Plus, I find it extremely handy when it comes to reading while exercising. I used to struggle with balancing a book on the screen of the treadmill and always ended up with the book soaked with yucky sweat instead at the end of my work out.

The audio book is read by Justine Eyre who has quite impressing credits in the film industry. Her voice wasn’t one of those annoyingly shrill or squeaky ones that make you jump right up in your chair each time she was trying to emphasize on something. It’s also not that boring that immediately drifts you to dreamland after 15 minutes of listening to it.

The only Achilles heel in this audio book was the fact that it did not have the comforting additive smell of a paperback book.

For those of you who feel that angels aren’t really your cup of tea, Lauren Kate has a chillingly haunting story of a Southern belle titled The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. The latest cover of the book is absolutely stunning.

Best of all, I have an autograph copy to share with you. Though it’s not the latest edition, this cover’s is still pretty. Don’t you think?

I'll share with you how to get your hands on this autographed on in awhile's time when I figure out the requirements :p 

XOXO,

Eibhlin Lim :) 

17 Magazine blog book review !

Hey people,

I know that I didn't post anything in February and I broke my own rule of updating my book blog at least once each month, but things have been getting pretty crazy here. I am still recovering from a nasty bout of bacterial infection. To make up for that 'missing' post, I have something extra special to share with you guys this month ! 

Recently, I 'visited' SEVENTEEN mag's blog and did a guest book review. The book I reviewed for them was Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn. The book's pretty cool and bound to make you cry and laugh in a single read. So be sure to check out the review over at their site ! Here's the link !

17.com.my Ten Things I Love About You review
 

Interview with Lauren Kate !

Lauren Kate is the author of bestselling Fallen and Torment. I had the opportunity to interview her via Skype earlier this year at MPH bookstore in Mid Valley for stuff@school, The Star Newspaper. Today, I host her in my book blog for once another interview ! Let's have a look on what she has to say... 

1. Are you on team Cam, Daniel or Miles ? Why? 

I’m on Team Daniel for Luce and Team Cam for myself. Daniel and Luce are soul mates and there’s just no messing with that, but personally, I love the bad boys and so Cam (who’s based in part on my husband) holds a special place in my heart. Miles is a wonderful character too, but to me, he’s more of a friend. I really want Michael Cera to play him in the movie.
( Team Bad Boys ! They have this weird thing going on that draws a mostly good girl like me. Guess, a little danger is always tempting ! LOL! ) 

2. How was the character Arriane born? Was she based on anyone you know personally?

Arriane is the girl I would be if I could get away with it. She’s my favorite character to write because I get to funnel in so much stuff I’d never say aloud into her dialogue.

3. The girls on the cover of the books have really pretty dresses. Do you know where we can get them?

I know, they’re breathtaking, aren’t they? I don’t have exact information about the designer of the dresses yet, but I’ve been told Morgan LeFay makes something similar.

4. Do you have any shout out to your readers ?

Your support keeps me writing—thank you so much for your enthusiasm and kindness!

5. Do you have any advice for budding authors out there?

Live curiously. Make the whole world your muse. Keep it all in a journal until you’re bursting with the story. Write it down. Finish it. Make writing pals with whom you can share you work. Take their suggestions. Revise, revise, revise. Don’t ever give up.
( This is one of the most motivating things I've ever read. It really struck a chord in me !)

6. What is the factor or source of inspiration that keeps you going on even though you face the thing, every authors dread - the blank page monster ?

Right now, it’s the characters who are keeping me inspired. I’m so invested in their story and even I don’t know what’s going to happen in the end. I keep writing so that I can find out!

7. Can you share with us a hint on what to expect and what will take place in the book after Torment,  Passion?

Passion is a wild and crazy beast. It spans five thousand years of Luce and Daniel’s past together and will see Luce finally getting to the bottom of her mysterious history with Daniel. There’s tons of action, a change of setting with almost every new chapter, and as always, lot of gorgeous wings. For everyone who’s anxious for answers to so many open questions—this is the book for you!

8. Most of the scenes in the book Torment takes place in San Fransisco. Why did you choose to set the story in San Fransisco ?

I was living in northern California when I started writing Torment. Fort Bragg, the town where the fictional school, Shoreline, is located is the place where my husband proposed to me. It’s a very romantic place for me and perfectly suited for the book.

9. In the book Torment, we were introduced to a newer type of angels - The Outcasts. Can you explain to us a little more on their race and how you got the idea to write about them ? What are important parts or roles The Outcasts play in the storyline in Torment and the coming books ?

The Outcasts are a group of angels who fell with the other fallen angels after the War in Heaven. They’re sort of the angelic equivalent of social climbers. They try to weasel their way in with whoever seems like the most powerful at the time. So when things got challenging on earth for the fallen, the Outcasts tried to go back immediately to Heaven. Heaven rejected them, sensing their insincerity. That’s when they tried to go to Hell, but even Satan didn’t want them—and usually he tries to take everyone.  He cast them blind for their impudence, but they can still see the burning of certain angels’ and mortals’ souls. They’ll be back in a big way in the books to follow Torment.

10. How many books will there be in the Fallen Saga ? Can you give us a rough sketch of the publishing  plans ?

I’m planning on four books. Torment picks up right where Fallen left off and comes out on 9/28. Passion is up next, and traces Luce and Daniel’s history across time. That will come out in the summer of 2011. The final book, Rapture, will tie everything together in January of 2012. 


Here's a sneak peak of the cover of Passion :

Pretty, isn't it ? I can't wait to read it too :)

MASSIVE YEAR END GIVEAWAY !!!

THE CHANGES ARE STATED IN RED :)
Hi everybody!

It has come to the time of year when the Christmas decorations are out once again, the fairy lights twinkling on every building in the city, and the major sales going on in major retailers across the globe. While some of us, we wait for this particular time of the year for the amazing discounts (for those fanatic shopaholics; we all know there is a Becky Bloomwood in all of us!); some of us, marvel at the idea of friends and family from far and near coming together during the holiday season, sharing stories across delectable home-made dinner and of course, those beautifully wrapped presents waiting patiently under the Christmas tree. In association with the holiday spirit of giving and sharing as well as the major discounts and promotions, I decided I wanted to bring that to my blog with a Massive Year End Giveaway!

Yes! You heard right! I am hosting a Massive Year End Giveaway on my book blog! I have a huge hoard of goodies to share! So here is the list of goodies I have! I will be giving out TWO SETS to TWO LUCKY WINNERS in this giveaway! Also before this slips my ageing mind, big thanks to the generous authors who contributed the amazing stuff!

Books

·         Evernight by Claudia Gray (autographed)

·         Stargazer by Claudia Gray (autographed)

Postcards

·         Mistwood by Leah Cypress (autographed)

·         Losing Faith by Denise Jaden (autographed)

·         Forget Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

 Bookmarks

·         Forger Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White (autographed)

·         Change of Heart by Shari Maurer (autographed)

·         Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt (autographed)

·         Mistwood by Leah Cypress (autographed)

·         The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk (autographed)

·         The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell (autographed)

·         Losing Faith by Denise Jaden (autographed)

·         Tell me a Secret by Holly Cupala (autographed)

·         Sleepless and Fairytale by Cyn Balog (autographed)

Others

·         Clair De Lune by Christine Johnson bookplates (autographed)

·         Tell me a Secret by Holly Cupala stickers

·         Forget Her-Nots tattoo by Amy Brecount White

Tempting aren’t they? Such a beautiful collection for the holidays. Imagine snuggling down under a comfy blanky reading. And to top it all, the bookmarks surely will keep the pages for you as you party all night long so you don’t have to frantically search for the part you stopped at the next morning. Now, to win all of these goodies which awaits you for a brand new owner, you just have to follow the Instructions, read and agree to the Giveaway Policy and Private Policy.

Instuctions 

You need to comply with all of these instructions in order to qualify for this giveaway unless stated optional. You can also maximize the chances for winning by earning extra points (they will be stated).

1.   Follow me on my blog. (If you are already a follower, just state the user name that you used to follow on the blog in your entry).
2. You need to recommend a minimum of five ( to make life a little easier, I decided to change it to a minimum of 2 followers. The previous participants whom managed to recommend five followers shall get a bonus of three points for the other three ! ) of your family or friends to check out this blog and they must follow this blog. I repeat, they must follow in order for you to qualify! (You cannot recommend existing followers and repeat the name of followers who was recommended already (regardless by you or others). You need to send me the list of people you recommended and whom followed. The more who follows this blog under your recommendation, the better chances of winning! Each additional person who follows this blog under your recommendation earns you additional 5 points. So spread the news!)
3. .Give me some comments on my book blog and the improvements we can put into works for the coming year! I love hearing from you because you are special! (optional. However this earns you another 10 points!)
4. Post this giveaway link in two different places – Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and any other social networks. Sent me the links. (Each additional place gets you 5 points!)
5. Just follow all the instructions above and send everything in an email with the title : ‘MASSIVE YEAR END GIVEAWAY!’ to thebooksbacklot@gmail.com. Remember to add your name, age at time of participating, mailing addy (I need the real one that works in order to sent you the prize if you win!) and of course gender. To be honest, I have problem with names. I get confuse all the time. So that helps! But if you are uncomfortable with that, just write ‘human’. I’ll understand.

                                               GOOD LUCK 

Giveaway Policy and Others

1. You are allowed multiple entries for this contest but please do not repeat any of your previous entries. It doesn’t count! For posting the giveaway link requirement   ( number 4), if you are sending in more than one entry, you can repeat the social network as long as the link to this competition doesn’t appear on the same day more than once. Also, you are only entitled to ONE prize per person regardless of number of entries.
2.    You need to be at least 13 years old at the time of participation to qualify for this giveaway. However, please get your parents consent before participating if you are a minor.
3. Dateline is 10 am on 1 January 2011. ( Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia time) Late entries will not be entertained. Dateline has been extended to the 31st of January 2011, 10pm (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia time).
4. Open to everyone regardless of the country as long as it exists. Please don’t write Narnia, Andalasia, or Hogwarts. (International level)
5. The prizes for this giveaway will be sent out directly upon the confirmation of the winners and the completion of this giveaway.
6. The winners will be notified by email (the same address used for entry). I may or may not post the results on the blog. 
7.  I am not responsible for any prizes lost in the mail.
8.  I am not responsible for any consequences, effects or implications caused by this giveaway. Enter at your own risk. Once the participant sent in his/her entry, they clearly read, understood and agreed to the policy and other regulations involved in this giveaway.
9.   I hold the right to end this giveaway before its original deadline without any prior notice.
10.  I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit without any notification. All decisions on the winning entries are final and I will not entertain any disgruntled participants.
11. Private Policy: I will not personally share any personal information received in any of the entries for this giveaway. I will not use the information received except only for the smooth flow of this giveaway such as announcing the winner and sending the prize. However, under some circumstances like a hacked account (some sick people actually tries to hack this blog for some god-knows-why reason), I cannot guarantee that your information won’t be leaked.
12. I am not paid to do this giveaway and I won’t receive any monetary prize for hosting it either.

  HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY ! I’LL LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR ENTRIES !

If you have any questions on this giveaway please contact me at thebooksbacklot@gmail.com.

Review on Sleepless, Interview with Cyn Balog and autographed bookmarks (soon) !

I know I have not updated my blog for a very long time now. I have been really busy and caught up with everything that has taken place over the last probably two months. First, I had a major examination so reading anything out of the syllabus was a big no- no. Then, my book blog was hacked. I needed some time to fix it. After that, the drama got bigger – my grand fell and got himself hurt, I was stranded in Bandung Indonesia for a few days due to Mount Merapi’s eruption which caused lots of flights to be cancelled and putting together the newspaper issue which I was supposed to head. That’s lots of work for a fifteen year old. I must say, I am really tired after all of it. Imagine my utter delight, when the school holiday started two days ago.

Today, I am going to share with you my thoughts on the book Sleepless by Cyn Balog, give you insiders knowledge on behind the scenes with an interview with Cyn Balog herself, and of course, a giveaway ! I have autographed bookmarks from the lovely Cyn Balog to share with you! (The bookmarks giveaway is in the following post! So stay tuned! )

Here’s the review and the interview. Bon appetite!

Review on Sleepless

I was sleepless for two entire nights as I read page by page of this book. I must say this is one of those books that keeps a person wide awake until they finish reading it. Even then, some might want to re-read again if you are those who read books over and over again. But for a person like me who rarely read a book twice unless it is my school text-book, I am happy to be done, move on, get some sleep and then write this review!

The story kick starts with Julia saying goodbye to Griffin, her annoying boyfriend. Little does she knows it will be the last time she sees him alive. When the newspaper calls her for a quote on Griffin, she thinks it was one of his silly pranks. It is only when she attends his funeral she realizes his dead. Griffin has died in a freak car accident.

Bret is after Julia.  He is Griffin’s best friend. Now that he is dead, Bret thinks he is free to show his true feelings towards Julia. But is Julia comfortable with his overboard advancements?

Eron is a sandman. Julia is his charge. He is responsible to seduce her to sleep each night. However, Eron seems to sense something amiss with Julia. After saving Julia’s life when she was a child, he knows he should not interfere again especially when his chance of finally becoming a human is again is so close. But Julia is in danger… Maybe Eron’s feeling for Julia runs deeper than a sandman’s after all. Will he risk everything again for her?

This book is definitely a page turner with suspense in almost every chapter. The story was so intricately woven that the action of each of the character affected the others. I was at the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next…

Interview with author of Sleepless, Cyn Balog

1. Describe the live of a YA author in five words.

 The job I always wanted!

2. What was the inspiration behind Fairytale?

I was just tired of seeing girls finding out they were fairy princesses. I thought it would be much more interesting to see a macho guy learn that HE was the fairy.

3. What would be your first reaction if you ever found out that you are a fairy swapped as a baby and left in the human world ?

No wonder I'm so weird compared to everyone else!

4. Which was your favorite scene to write in Sleepless ?

Probably the scene at the end of the book, where Julia is realizing that Eron is not from the same time period that she's from. She offers him Oreos and Cheese-its and gets a blank stare.  I really loved putting Eron, a Sandman who died in 1910, up against the modern world! 

5. Which was the hardest character to build and grow in your books ?

I think it was probably Morgan from FAIRY TALE. She has a psychic power, and I was tired of all the books out there portraying people with psychic powers as outcasts. I knew that if anyone in MY high school had been a psychic, they'd be the most popular girl in school because everyone would want to find out their fortune! Because she has this power and has been hounded by the school constantly, she's jaded and really snarky and self-centered.  But deep down, she's not very confident because she realizes that without her power, she's nothing. So whenever you make anyone sarcastic you run the risk of certain people not liking them. And so I really tried to make it so that Morgan softened a lot and learned to put others before her.

6. If you could be a character in any fictitious book, who would you be and why ?

Oooh can I be Bella? I would like to have two really hot guys fighting over me.  And then eventually become a really hot vampire myself. 

7. Do you have any advice for budding authors out there ?

Everyone told me it was impossible to get published. It's far from impossible. In fact I think it is probable, as long as you don't give up.  Keep reading, keep taking the advice of those who have come before you, and don't let rejection or fear stop you.

8. If you could deem your life as a fairytale, how would you describe it ?

 I really don't care what comes before, just as long as I get to the Happily Ever After part.

9. Will you be publishing any books soon ? Are you currently working on any novels? What are the publishing plans like ?

Yes, I have two more paranormal romance novels coming up, STARSTRUCK in 2011 and LIVING BACKWARDS (tentative title) in 2012. I've already sent in a proposal for my next book after that to my editor and I'm hoping it gets picked up for 2013. I am obviously on a yearly plan with my paranormal romances.  I also have a dystopian novel I'm shaping up and a few more ideas I'm fleshing out.

10. Do you have anything to shout out to your fans and readers ?

 I love my readers and fans. They make doing this possible. So thank you!!

Thank you for reading ! I hope you enjoyed them as much as I had fun putting them together. And if you were wondering about the autographed bookmarks, fear not, I did not forget about them ! I will post the giveaway for the bookmarks together with a massive year end giveaway soon ! So keep checking my blog for updates on that one. I think you would definitely want more autographed swags from your favourite YA authors so I think it will be worth the wait. For now, let me catch some sleep...

Interview with Denise Jaden :)

Hi there dear readers !

It's been awhile since I last updated. Alas, I have been really caught up. And boy, does time flies when you are most of the time having quite a ball of a time ! This month featured author will be Denise Jaden the author of Losing Faith which not so coincidentally is released this month ! I was lucky enough to be able to contact Denise and have an interview with her ! Look below for more info about that ! Heres the interview ! Have  fun !

Denise Jaden

1. Can you tell and explain to us please, a little more detail on your book Losing Faith and what's the story about?

Losing Faith is a story about sixteen year old Brie, whose sister Faith dies in a tragic fall from a cliff. Through the bizarre and devastating mourning process, Brie discovers her sister held some pretty big secrets…some which may put her own life in danger.

2. What inspired you to write the book? When and how the idea and concept for the book came along?

I’ve always been secretly jealous of friends who have close relationships with their sisters. I’ve never had a sister myself, but have always been drawn to the idea of writing about sisters. Also, when I was sixteen, I lost a close friend in a car accident, and the whole idea of experiencing extreme loss at such a vulnerable age has always felt to me like a big area to explore.

3. Share with us the moment you found out your book was accepted and the publishers bought the rights to it. Give it the details on what your were doing, how you found out, anything ! Even the color of the shirt was wearing that day !

Well, to be honest, I was still in my pajamas when I found out! I live on the West Coast, so I’m three hours behind most of the publishing industry. When I opened my email and saw something from my agent, at first I assumed it was a rejection. But then I saw the subject line “Good News!” and let out a little yelp. I went on to read the body of the email, forwarded from the amazing lady who would become my editor: “I love it. I want it. Denise is super-talented.” Yes, I just about died right there. And screamed a lot. And did I mention that I had house-guests at the time? They were nice enough to bring champagne home later that afternoon.

4. When in preschool, your teacher would have asked you to draw the picture of yourself in twenty years from that time, did you ever picture yourself as an author? Or had you always wanted to be one ?

No, in my wildest dreams, I would not have expected to become an author. I never enjoyed writing or reading as a child or teen. It was firmly rooted in my brain as “work” until much later in life when a friend passed on an amazing book to me.

5. Are you a morning bird or an night owl? What time of the day do you prefer to write and work on your projects?

Neither. LOL. I wish I could do one or the other well, and I suspect when my son is older, things may change. But they may not either. I get up fairly early because I have to, but I’m always more than willing to stay in bed. I write in the afternoon while my son has either a quiet time or a nap. I think if I had the choice, I’d love to write first thing in the morning, as that always seems like when my creative juices are really flowing.

6. Is Losing Faith going to be a stand alone title or is there going to be more to continue in the future?

At this point, Losing Faith is a standalone title, but I do have ideas for a companion novel from one of the secondary character’s point of views that I am currently playing with. Tessa Lockbaum has been one of my favorite characters to write, and I’d love to tell more of her story.

7. What is the strangest thing that happened to you in your life?

I don’t know if this is the strangest thing, but it’s up there. When in London a couple of years ago riding a bus, my husband mentioned that a girl on the bus looked just like someone from my Polynesian dance troupe in years past. All of a sudden the girl hopped up, looked over at me, and screamed. Who knew that in a city of 60 million you could run into a friend you hadn’t seen in years!

8. Who's your favorite fictional character from a book? Why ?

I have a really hard time naming an all-time favorite. And to be honest, many of my favorites are the love interests and not the main characters. I love Wes from Sarah Dessen’s THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER and Wesley from Kody Keplinger’s THE DUFF and Dean in Sarra Manning’s GUITAR GIRL. But that’s just today. The books and characters that stand out in my mind are constantly changing.

9. Did anyone you know in real life inspired you to write Losing Faith?

Not really. Like I said, the experience of losing a friend certainly had an influence. And one of my secondary characters is vaguely inspired by a girl I knew in high school. But the book in itself was not inspired by anyone specific.

The cover of Losing Faith !

Thank you. I hope all of you enjoyed this interview and keep reading for next month's featured author !

Interview with Shari Maurer, Author of Change of Heart

Hi, how are you doing ?

It's been quite a crazy starting of the month for me. Last week, my blog crashed and I finally got a chance to fix it today. Cross my fingers hope it doesn't happen again.

I am planning to have at least an interview with an author each month on my blog. I would hope to be able to host more than one author on my blog each month but my minimum would be one for now. For this month, I have an interview with Shari Maurer. She ventures into a slightly different yet amazing storyline with lots of heart. I think it is wonderful. To learn more about Shari and the things that inspire her check out the interview below :

Shari Maurer (Author of Change of Heart)

1. Can you share with us a little more on your background ? Have you always wanted to be an author? If no, then how and what inspired you to be one ?

After graduating college, I wound up in an MFA program in Dramatic Writing at NYU. An internship there led me to 6+ years at the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), working on international versions of Sesame Street and other children's programs, taking me all over the world. I kept working there after my daughter was born, but didn't want to travel and eventually realized I wanted to be home with her full time. During this time, my friend, Gerri Freid Kramer and I put together The Parents' Guide to Children's Congenital Heart Defects. My daughter and her son had heart defects that were repaired and we wanted to create a resource for other parents. I did a little writing here and there, but when my son went to kindergarten, I decided to take a class at the Institute for Children's Literature. This gave me a wonderful push back into writing.

So I guess that was a long way of saying I've always had writing in the back of my mind and only recently pursued it full time.

2. Did the place you grew up in, or the place you're living in right now inspired you to write ?

Change of Heart is set in New City, NY which is where I grew up and where I live now. I thought it would be fun to have a book set there. In fact, I was at both Rockland Lake and Twist N Shake yesterday--two of the places Emmi goes to in the book. That's cool !

3. Do you have a 'thing' you need or 'something' you do before you start writing away like a mug of coffee, nice music, a jog, etc ?

I was never a coffee drinker until I started writing, but now I really need to have it by my side. I've also started writing on a netbook. I found when I was on the regular computer I was too distracted by all the potential things I could do on the internet (Facebook, plan a vacation, check my kids' sports schedules, etc.)

4. When you write the characters in Change of Heart, was anyone of them based on someone you know in your life ?

Not really. But I did have the opportunity to speak to several transplant recipients and I occasionally borrowed something from them. Well, and if I'm confessing "borrowing", I do have a daughter and two younger sons, who like Emmi and her brothers, Jeremy and Eli, have the same beginning initials. And I may have borrowed a detail or two from their lives, but they resemblance ends there.

5. Writing about a girl with an almost perfect charmed life and then everything in her life is suddenly tumbling down so quickly due to a heart problem, was it difficult to picture the pain and the confusion in the characters? Did you experience or faced something like that in real life?

I tried very hard to imagine what it would be like to be a teen and have your life almost come to a halt. Luckily, I have not experienced anything as life altering.

6. Do you have a favorite book? If you do, why do you like it so much ?
To Kill A Mockingbird. Partly because I was always intrigued with all things southern (possibly why I went to college there) and partly because the story and characters are so amazing. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is my close second.

7. What works of fiction, authors or books have influenced you in your own writing?

When I was younger it was Judy Blume and Paula Danziger. As an adult, I love Sarah Dessen's books. I have kept them on my desk and will refer to them if I'm trying to figure out something about structure or characterization.

8. What do you enjoy most about writing?

The ability to lose all sense of time as you create a whole other world.

9. So how did the storyline for Change of Heart came about? Did the idea and concept for the story just 'popped up' in your head one day by chance ?

I had been watching a Discovery Health program on heart transplants (my husband is a doctor who cares for people waiting for hearts) and there was a girl on the show who haunted me. She was so brave and strong and probably a little scared, too. I started thinking about all of the "what ifs" of her life and Emmi was born.

10. Why do you choose to write for teens (YA genre) ?

A combination of YA being what I love to read and wanting to write a book for my daughter. My big hope was that my first book would be published while she was still in high school and could appreciate it--and it was!

One more thing I'd like to add. As I wrote this book and started to promote it, I was overwhelmed by the lack of available organs (not just hearts) for people who so desperately need them. My husband and I started working with the New York Organ Donor Network to register as many new organ donors as possible. Please consider registering. For more information go to www.donatelife.net. Thanks!

Thank you Shari for the interview! Thanks to my dear readers for reading this interview ! I hope you enjoyed it !