There are still a number of daily contests to enter and the Grand Prize, so get your entries in! And good luck!

You can learn more about Niki at her official website.

The Latest…Goddess Games
Seneca, the daughter of an Oscar-winning actress, Drew, an athletic Army brat, and Claire, a struggling born-again Christian, are each facing challenges in their personal lives. When they’re thrown together as roommates, all they see are their differences. But fate—and a nasty boss named Marla—brought them together for a reason, and they soon discover that what they need may not be what they originally thought.

In fact, a summer working at the spa may be just what it takes for Seneca, Drew, and Claire to each discover her own inner goddess.

The Q&A

Here’s my question for Niki…

Do you prepare yourself any differently when writing for teens as opposed to adults?

And her answer…

No, I don’t change when I’m writing for teens.  No matter what I’m writing, it’s all about being inside the head of the individual characters.  Maybe a typical day for a teen is different than for an adult—attending school as opposed to going to work—but that’s window dressing.  Storytelling is about getting a character’s innermost emotions down on the page, no matter what the age of the characters.

And Niki’s question for me…

What was your favorite book when you were a teen?

And my answer…

I went through a lot of reading phases when I was a teen and consequently, a lot of different favorite books. I had my Agatha Christie kick, my Mercedes Lackey kick, my Isaac Asimov kick…I went through all the Jane Austen books in one month and went on to Stephen King the next. I was pretty random. But if I narrowed it down to the books that I read and re-read the most, it would be either Jane Eyre (which is no longer on my favorite list because a college professor ruined it for me), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams), or The Number of the Beast (Heinlein). I don’t think I can narrow it down any farther than that, I’m afraid.

The Giveaway

Want to win a copy of Goddess Games? All you’ve got to do to win a copy is visit Niki’s website and then email me at kim @ kimberlypauley.com (remove the spaces!) with the subject line “Niki is a Goddess!” and tell me…any one interesting thing you learned about her or her books. Be sure to enter by September 17th!

Tomorrow is the final day of the Sucks to Be Me Book Launch Party! And then the Grand Prize Contest kicks off! So be sure to come back (and tell your friends)!

You can learn more about Kathryn at her official website.

All About Quaking
After years of being batted around, fourteen year old Matt has learned to rely on herself at school and everywhere.  “Biology is good.   I am an expert.   We are studying morphing, but I have already morphed.  I have my own exoskeleton.  . . I have spent years developing my armor and I will not let it be pierced.”  She must call on all of her resources to handle Mr. Warhead, the Rat, and the Wall at her new school, not to mention the Beast in her head.  But somehow it is even more difficult to cope with the warm Quaker family, her “last chance,” who has taken her in.  Why does Jessica insist on acting like a mom, for God’s sake?  Why can’t their little boy with his gack covered fingers just leave her alone?  And why does Sam have to care about her–and everything–so much?  Doesn’t he realize that only gets you hurt?  And even though Matt knows that pain very well, why is she finally letting down her armor and allowing herself to care?

The Q&A

Here’s my question for Kathryn…

You’ve lived all over (and I adore Scotland, by the way, some of the nicest people anywhere)…is there any *when* you wish you could have lived?

And her answer…

The Middle Ages in Britain.  I love that period of history and the books about that era:  CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY, CRISPIN, THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE.  I’d make myself start on a farm in itchy clothes, eating moldy potatoes but then end up in a castle, maybe in the kitchen because I like to cook, or as the lady of the manor, as long as I were free to walk the halls, see the finery, and hear the gorgeous music.  That way I’d get to experience both worlds of the Middle Ages.  (But most of the time in the castle, please.)

When I was a kid in Scotland I spent as much time as I could exploring castle ruins – hiding in little niches, laughing at the primitive toilets, shivering at the thought of being locked in the dungeon, and imagining the sounds of horses or battles or bagpipes just outside the castle keep — one time a lone bagpiper actually did come out of the mist behind the castle!

I still love exploring castles and if you haven’t been to a Renaissance fair those are a lot of fun, too, but after a visit to the Middle Ages I have to say I’d like to come back to the world of aspirin, coffee and computers!

And Kathryn’s question for me…

Why do you think there’s such an interest in vampire novels among teens—and everyone?

And my answer…

The obvious answer would be because of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. But truth be told, vampire fiction has been popular off and on for years. It never really dies out (haha, very punny, I know). I think there are a lot of reasons for the ongoing popularity – there’s the whole desire for long life and the fear of death (heck, and aging), two (three) things kind of wrapped up into the myth of vampires.

And after Varney the Vampire and some of the other stories from around the same timeframe as Stoker’s Dracula, the vampire as the evil but sexy seductor who dresses well and has riches untold (and a killer accent) is a powerful pull. The modern day vampire myth has more to do with romance than it ever has before and we’re also now seeing stories where the vampires are not necessarily the bad guys. Way back when the myths started out, it wasn’t that way at all. Vampires were always evil and definitely not sexy. Goes to show you that myths can warp and change all the time.

That’s kind of a rambling kind of answer, but I’ll have to plead the flu. Or a cold. Not really sure what it is, but it sure does have my head all fogged up!

The Giveaway

Would you like to win a copy of Quaking? And assorted stickers, tattoos and other goodies?  Yes, you would. Trust me. All you have to do is visit Kathryn’s website and email me at kim @ kimberlypauley.com (remove the spaces!) with the subject line “That Writer-Lady-Dude” and tell me…after mousing over the pictures on her site, which baby/child photo of Kathryn did you like best?

Only one more day and one more awesome author and then the grand prize contest starts!!

You can learn more about Dan at his official website.

Dan’s Latest
The After Life…Nineteen-year-old Will Shepherd has never met his father, even though they live on opposite ends of Manhattan. Suddenly, within twenty-four hours, Will meets his father and his two half siblings, Kyle and Liz, and then his father dies out of the blue.

A clause in the will requires Will to drive back to New York from the funeral in Florida with self-absorbed Kyle and gorgeous, vulnerable Liz, leading to a road trip filled with tensions, escalating risks, and deep revelations.

In the tradition of Brett Easton Ellis and Hunter S. Thompson, Daniel Ehrenhaft crafts a novel of excess, a coming-of-age story with grit and edge that ultimately offers redemption to three characters in desperate need.

The Q&A

Here’s my question for Dan…

Music seems to definitely be at least your second love (and maybe even your first—not, of course, counting your wife…we’re just talking “things” here). If you could be any musician from any time period, who would you want to be?

And his answer…

Wow…tough question, and frighteningly like my daydreams. :-)  I suppose if I had my wish, I would like to have been a session musician in England during the years 1965 to 1971.  That way, I wouldn’t actually be any of my heroes—Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Pete Townsend, Lennon & McCartney, Keith Richards, I could go on for hours—but I’d be paid to hang out and play with all of them.  Plus, late ’60s London, at least judging from the Austin Powers movies, seems like a very groovy scene.

And Dan’s question for me…

As far as I can tell, you’ve read—and reviewed—more YA books than anyone on the planet.  Where do you find the time?  Do you sleep standing up?  Actually, that’s not my question.  My REAL question is:  Who is your favorite YA character ever, and why?

And my answer…

That’s a toughie too…I’ve got a lot of characters that I really, really love. Like the real Mary Poppins (The P. L. Travers version, not the Disneyfied one). And Tiffany Aching from The Wee Free Men. And Coraline from the book of the same name by Neil Gaiman. If I went back in time to when I was a kid and counted up the characters I loved from books that I read over and over and over again, I’d have to include Jo March from Little Women, Pippy Longstocking, and Jane Eyre (though I don’t know that I like Jane all that much any more…a particular college professor ruined her for me).

Though..do any of those count? Technically, those are all probably middle grade reads…hmmm. I like Odd Thomas a lot, but those are technically adult books by Dean Koontz…Um…how about Lirael from the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix? That’s pretty firmly YA. And she’s a great character, resolute when she has to be, brave even when she doesn’t want to be…and I love her name. I even used it as my character name when I played online MMORPGs (yeah, I used to play those sometimes…had to stop some years ago though, couldn’t get any writing done!).

The Giveaway

This one is going to be a surprise prize (try saying that 3 times fast)! To win, visit Dan’s website and e-mail me at kim @ kimberlypauley.com with the subject line “Tell It To Dan” and tell me…why did Dan get fired from a cheese shop? (Hint: Check out the FAQs). Please enter by Sept. 15th!

Just a few more days before the grand prize contest (though remember, every daily entry gives you an entry for the grand prize too!). Can you believe Sucks to Be Me has been out for two weeks now?? Yesterday I saw it on an endcap in a Barnes & Noble! Woot! (an endcap is the bit at the end, facing the walkway…it’s a good place to be, face out and on the end where people can see it!). They had a “Vampire Romance” display.

You can learn more about Elenora at her official website.

About A School for Sorcery…
When Tria Tesserell arrives at the Lesley Simonton School for the Magically Gifted, she is disappointed to find an old, dilapidated building, only 36 students and six faculty members in addition to the stern Headmistress. She’s convinced that the school is only a scam until she’s faced with a roommate who shapeshifts to a black panther, she gets involved in a power duel with a fire-thrower, and faces the challenge of rescuing two young men from the Dire Realm, a dread place of demons and destruction.

The Q&A

Here’s my question for Elenora…

Fantasy world-building can be a tough business – can you share with us some of your methods?

And her answer…

I make a file for the fantasy world or country—Arucadi in the case of my published trilogy—and list such things as Economy (including monetary system), Government and Politics, Religion, Educational system, Military Status. Geography, Plants and Animals, History, Mythology, Calendar and Clock, Major Regions and Cities, etc. Then I fill in under each topic as much as I can—not just things I think I’ll need to include in the novel but all the details I can come up with. I make a map of the country, showing lakes, rivers, mountains, cities, provinces. Many times the details I include give me ideas for plot development. But always I include much information that is strictly for my own use in understanding the setting and the background of the characters—the land that produced them, the culture they grew up in. All of this contributes to the characters’ beliefs and attitudes and thus their behavior.

And Elenora’s question for me…

You have many things in your novel that differ greatly from the usual treatment of vampires—their powers, their limitations, etc. How did you decide what parts of traditional vampire lore you would keep and what you could discard or change?

Some aspects I took directly from the old myths and legends, which often differ quite a bit from current-day vampire lore. For others, I went with what would make sense to me for “my” version of vampirism (a little more boring and a lot less cosmopolitan). I tried to be consistent in that I felt they should be strong and essentially immortal, but more “normal” and less otherworldly.

The Giveaway
You can win a copy of A School for Sorcery just by visiting Elenora’s website and then emailing me at kim @ kimberlypauley.com with the subject line “Tria Rocks!” and tell me…what are the names of Elenora’s dogs? Please respond by September 13th, 2008.

And don’t forget to check out all the other Sucks to Be Me Book Launch Party days with all the great guest authors! The Grand Prize contest is getting closer and closer…

• Marlene Perez’s Dead is the New Black — Lauren Rusiloski
• Lauren Myracle’s Bliss — Diana Heriford

Congrats to both! (And everyone, don’t forget you can still get extra entries into the Grand Prize contest)

You can learn more about Lara at her official website, http://www.zeisgeist.com.

ANYONE BUT YOU
“Family, it turned out, was something you really could choose for yourself.”

Seattle should know. Critter and Jesse have been close to Sea since her dad moved in with their mother. Closer still since he took off six years ago and Layla decided to raise Sea as one of her own. It’s a decision none of them regrets, especially not Critter. He’s more than a brother—he’s Seattle’s best friend.

Now it’s vacation, and Seattle and Critter are stoop sitters, at least until summer school starts in July. It beats working like Jesse, or worse, studying like Layla wants them to. It’s too hot for Seattle to be on her skateboard—too hot, even, for Critter to be scamming on girls. But Sea comes up with a plan for them to bluff their way into the ritzy swimming pool the next town over. Big mistake.

Soon Critter’s got his heart set on a Penn Acres princess, while Seattle’s trying hard not to fall for a skater boy on the rebound. For the first time in a long while, they can talk to anyone but each other. Then Seattle’s dad shows up unexpectedly, and the way of life Critter and Seattle have always known begins to change even more. . . .

The Q&A

Here’s my question for Lara…

Ok, given the recent big news, I’m going to ask a non-writing related question…so…if money and time and space were no object, what would your dream wedding be?

And her answer…

Honestly?  It wouldn’t be much different from what we’re already planning – it would just be a lot less DIY (my team and I are doing everything from tablescapes to constructing the chuppa).  My fiancé and I are having our ceremony and reception at the Arden Gild Hall in Arden, Delaware, which is a space that actually has special meaning to me and my bridesmaids (a theater group we founded the summer after we graduated from high school had our debut there!).  Our officiant will be the Rev. Annie Lawrence (http://revannielawrence.blogspot.com/), whom I’ve known for ten years, and who I know will make our ceremony warm, personal, and unique.  For photography, I’ve been fortunate enough to get Laura Novak (http://www.lauranovak.net/), who took both of my headshots and who does the most amazing work.

Truth be told, I’m actually not a huge fan of big-budget weddings.  I mean, if you’ve got the money, then great.  But on some of my wedding planning message boards I’ve heard stories about women who take out $40k in loans just to fund their “dream” weddings – and to me, that’s a nightmare!  The one thing I would splurge on if money were no object would be the honeymoon.  If the two of us had unlimited time and unlimited funds, we’d rent a cushy car and drive Route 66, taking in every tourist attraction possible.  Or we’d fly to San Francisco and drive the coast of California.  We’re big road tripping people.

And Lara’s question for me…

What scares you the most about transitioning from aspiring novelist to published author?

And my answer…

The follow up! While getting published the first time is hard enough, the second time isn’t guaranteed by any means. I definitely don’t want to be a “flash in the pan” and disappear forever after one book. I feel like I’ve got a lot of books in me! Of course, getting them out now is a little harder now that we have a baby. :-)  And it’s hard to figure out what the next best thing to work on is.

I also don’t want to be one of the authors that winds up essentially “typecast,” writing similar things over and over again (which, I suppose, could be potentially lucrative, but sounds kinda boring to me…I love too many genres). So, while I am working on a sequel to continue Mina’s story, I’ve got a lot of other (non-vampire) stories I also want to tell.

And, of course, there’s always the fear that no one will buy the book or that they’ll hate it. But so far it’s mostly been good (though I know all stories are not for all people—heck, as a reviewer I definitely know that!)!

The Giveaway

Want to win a copy of Anyone But You? All you’ve got to do to win a copy is visit Lara’s website and then email me at kim @ kimberlypauley.com with the subject line “Lara…Lola…Whatever Lola Wants!” and tell me…what songs are on Lara’s soundtrack for Anyone But You? (Hint: Click the Soundtracks link…) Be sure to enter by September 12th!

And don’t forget to check out all the other Sucks to Be Me Book Launch Party days with all great guest authors! The Grand Prize contest is getting closer and closer…

Everyone, be sure to enter to win Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez by the end of today (if you haven’t already) (and yes, I just noticed that I’d put the wrong end entry date on the original post. GAH! That was due to a last minute shuffle of which author was going on which day. So I’m giving you until the end of the day today to enter for Marlene’s book. And Lauren Myracle’s Bliss too — so get those entries in!)

And for anyone wondering how the winners are being selected…First, I basically just check to make sure you actually followed the instructions and answered the daily question correctly. Then I enter the info into a spreadsheet. Once the deadline has passed, I use a randomizer function in Excel to select a winner (I hit F9 11 times because 11 is my favorite number and take the 11th hit).

Remember, every day you enter also enters you for the Grand Prize! Good luck everyone!