Linda Gerber's Death by... Series

Linda Gerber shared the Cover Stories for her Death By... series last fall, so I wanted to ask her a little bit about how she chooses those venomous nouns--Bikini, Latte, Denim--in her titles. (Death by Denim is out next week!)"With just the title and the first draft of the book,Theresa Evangelista came up with the killer cover design. That set the precedent for the rest of the series. All the titles became Death by... titles, and the covers all have the cool, iconic images. The books themselves grew from there. "Even after the first one--Death by Bikini--was named, I was thinking of entirely new titles for the next book. But when my editor told me what they would like to see as far as titles were concerned, it felt completely right, like that's how it was supposed to be all along. "My daughter actually helped to come up with the first one. (Thanks, Jenna!) At that point, the book didn't involve a murder, just the intrigue about Seth's family being on the run. But when she suggested that title, a whole new angle for the series was born. For the next two titles, I had given my publisher the locations for the books and was brainstorming ideas, but they were the ones who actually came up with the winners. Latte was perfect for Seattle, but I was a little thrown by denim for Europe... until I did some research on designer denim in Europe - and a whole new twist was added to the story. On other names considered: "I really liked Death by Chocolate. : ) We also had a close runner up with Death by Lip Gloss. Oh, and Death by Deception. But, as I said, the ones we settled on were truly the right fit for the series. At the moment, we are working on another couple of projects, but I would love to hang out with Aphra and Seth some more in the future. We will see..." I vote for Death by Lip Gloss next. I love that one for some reason. Got ideas for Death by... titles? I'd love to hear!

The Great Cat Rescue of 2009

If you follow me on twitter, you probably got to see this update in real time, but here's the full story:So on Sunday night around 12:30am, I heard a loud crash outside my bedroom window. We're on the garden floor of a brownstone in Brooklyn, and I immediately woke up Dave and told him to look outside. What he saw was this: Okay, we put the ladder there later as a rescue attempt, but basically the cat was hanging from our cable wires, and its foot--one toe in particular--was caught in the support brackets of an air conditioning unit. It was insane! So then our landlord, who lives upstairs, came down. He's such a softie for animals that he got up on the ladder and held the cat so it could have a rest from its struggle while we called for help. Then a vet across the garden, in a building on the next street over, heard the ruckus. She came over at the same time that the police arrived. They were nervous--they didn't want to touch the cat. But the vet took over the situation and held the cat while the police figured out how to free its toe by prying open the air conditioner bracket with a hammer (Dave's idea, so he gets credit). My photo of that leaves a lot to be desired, I know. It all took about two hours, it was funny to hear the police getting so squeamish. One told a story about his last cat rescue--there was a kitten caught in a fan belt. All these tough New York City cops, and it turns out the vet is the real badass. And after 15 minutes of discussing what to do with the cat and where to take him, he leapt out of the basket we were holding him in and ran to the garden, jumping onto the backyard fence and making his way across the tops of all the fences that are connected on my block's backyard, heading home. Happy ending. Have you guys ever had to rescue an animal? It's intense. PS-If you live in Park Slope and your cat wears a red collar with bells (but no ID), and his back right leg is a little gimpy... this could be him. He's a trooper!

The No-Makeup Issue of ELLE + Body Image Challenge

No makeup and no photoshopping in the April issue of French ELLE. How cool is this?! Full story here. I just wanted to say: Yay! AND, there's lots of Body Image talk going on at My Favorite Author, and I wanted to help spread the word! To sign up for the challenge (and you should!), head to My Favorite Author and join bloggers like The Story Siren, Presenting Lenore, and In Bed With Books, plus authors Deborah Lytton, Sarah Darer Littman, Sara Zarr, Megan Frazer, Laurie Halse Anderson, Sydney Salter and Erin Dionne. And there's a big giveaway too. I also had to share a link to these amazing "Vanitas" images by Fernando Vincente, which are really like portraits of beauty from the inside out. Check out the full series here. Happy Sunday!

An Interview: Kay Cassidy, Scavenger Hunter!

You know I'm into Kay Cassidy's Great Scavenger Hunt Contest, and now I get to host Kay herself for an interview about the whole thing (read on if you're still not sure what it is. Major prizes involved! Here goes...Q: What made you decide to create The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest? A: As a YA author and proud owner of a well-worn library card, I wanted to give something back to all the librarians. With the economy in turmoil, I set out to create a totally free program that teen and youth librarians could use to keep kids excited about reading. Plus, I'm a huge fan of trivia, scavenger hunts, mysteries... so The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest was a natural fit. I would've been all over this when I was younger. Trivia fans... unite! Q: What exactly is The Hunt? A: The Hunt is a brand-new, super easy, totally FREE library outreach program for teen and youth librarians. The program is open to librarians in the U.S. and Canada, in public libraries and school libraries alike. Over 120 YA and middle grades authors have created a 10-question scavenger hunt (i.e. super fun trivia quiz) for one or more of their books. Scavenger hunts include questions like "What was the color of Moe's hideous car?" or "What is Gemma's favorite comfort food?" Every scavenger hunt also has a special note from the author to give it a personal touch. Q: How does The Hunt work? A: Once librarians register their library, their readers (called hunters) are eligible to participate. Hunters can check out the list of more than 200 titles in The Hunt, read the book of their choice, complete the scavenger hunt, and turn it in to their librarian. The librarian checks the answers against the quick answer key. If the hunter gets at least 8 out of 10 answers correct, the librarian can enter the hunter in the monthly contest. (NOTE: All scavenger hunts must be submitted to a participating librarian in order to be eligible for the contest. Participating librarians may enter hunters via the official contest entry form.) Q: And thus, the prizes! What kinds of prizes do you have and how can people win? A: Every month, I'll choose one lucky hunter as the winner. The winning hunter will receive a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card to use for whatever their heart desires. Even better? When a hunter wins, the host library wins too... a library prize tote filled with more terrific scavenger hunt books for the library's collection. It's a win-win! Q: I love win-wins! So, tell me more about your upcoming YA debut. When will hunters see a scavenger hunt for it in The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest? A: My debut novel, The Cinderella Society, is the first in a new YA series. The series takes readers behind the veil of a secret society of extraordinary girls where ultimate life makeovers are the main attraction. Lifelong outsider Jess Parker thinks life on the inside is her ultimate fantasy until she discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It's a battle of good vs. evil played out on the high school battlefield, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood... and herself. The Cinderella Society will be an April 2010 release from Egmont USA with book two in the series to follow in Spring 2011. I'm very excited about sharing a scavenger hunt of my own in The Hunt. Come on, next April! Now, let me turn the tables on you for a minute. :-) First of all, thank you so much for participating in The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest. [Here's the part where Kay interviews me! That's her on the left. Cute, no? --MW] Q: What made you take time out of your busy schedule to participate in The Hunt? Uh, I'm not that busy. I guess I could be, but I like to do things I enjoy, like creating scavenger hunts for the Violet books. So it's just a choice! Q: How did you decide which book(s) to create a scavenger hunt for? I've only made one for Violet on the Runway so far, but I plan to add the other Violet books and Lovestruck Summer very soon! Q: Do you think you would've wanted to be a hunter when you were younger? Um, I kind of want to play RIGHT NOW. Is that allowed?

Cover Stories: Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

You guys know that Elizabeth Scott is one of my favorite people. Lots of you are mentioning her books in the Win-It Wednesday contest this week, which is only natural since she is a master of teen romance! Something, Maybe does not disappoint--you will love the chemistry in this book. Here's Elizabeth with her Cover Story:

"I really didn't have an idea for the cover--the original title for the book was LIVE! NUDE! MOM. [Elizabeth explains the title change here]--and I just knew I wanted something that played on the surprise and energy of the title. What it would be, I had no idea!

"My editor and I did talk about it, and we agreed that we wanted to go for something that had a similar feel to BLOOM and PERFECT YOU since both of those are romances as well. And since both of those covers have a very specific look, we needed something like that.

"So my editor sent me a bunch of pictures--and we picked one--and luckily, it still worked when the title was changed to SOMETHING, MAYBE.

"The image was a stock photo that Lisa Fyfe, who is a fabulous designer, played around with to capture the feel of the book (and to make sure Hannah's hair was blond on the cover since it is in the story!)

"The moment I saw it in the packet of photos I was sent, I knew it was the right one. And it stayed the right one even with the title change, which means it really captured the book!

"My editor is fabulous about cover design, and she always asks for my thoughts. In the end, the big change that was made was taking the cover from white to blue, which really made it more eye-catching. And as I said, Lisa changed Hannah's hair color so it matched her hair color in the book, and played around with the bracelets on her wrist so they were more noticeable. It's strange, but subtle changes can really make a cover pop! And, of course, the cover itself went from being white to blue--which maybe doesn't seem that big, but it really made a difference!

"I love the cover! I think it captures the spirit of the book really well. And here are all the pictures I was sent back when we were first looking for covers--and you'll see this was back before the title was changed!"

How fun is it to see all of those covers!? Thanks to Elizabeth and Simon Pulse for sharing them. I think they made the right choice. How about you guys?

Photo Friday: The Drop

Yesterday was an amazingly warm and sunny day in NYC, and it was Teen Lit Day! So, for Rock the Drop, I left books around town: RED The Book (Amazing! Must read! Have I said this enough times?) got a spot in the dappled sun right in front of my apartment. It was gone in five minutes. One of my two copies of Lovestruck Summer got left in a daffodil pot at 43rd and Lexington. And Violet in Private has a lovely spot on a bench at the Bleecker Street Subway station. Violet on the Subway! If any of you guys rocked the drop and took photos, email them to readergirlz. (Sorry about the quality--I forgot my camera and used my phone!) Happy Friday!

Rock the Drop + Bonus Cover Story: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume

*I'm rocking the drop today in several places (photos tomorrow for Photo Friday). If you are too, email photos of where you dropped donated books to readergirlz to share the love!*Now, on to the Cover Story. Jennifer O'Connell is back to share the story behind her anthology about lessons from the YA master, Judy Blume: "The first time I saw the cover for EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING A GIRL I LEARNED FROM JUDY BLUME I loved it. I was relieved. That hasn't always been the case. "I've had a book where I just about cried the first time I saw my cover (it was changed, thank God), a cover that completely offended me (it was changed) and a cover that had me scratching my head and thinking, 'Are they serious--how can they not think this is completely inappropriate?' (it was also changed). Then again, I had a book whose cover I despised, they kept it, and I still hate it with every fiber of my being. "I've also had books where I loved the covers the first time around. But with this anthology I was wondering how they'd capture so many different things in a single cover: there are essays from writers for adults and writers for young adults; there are writers who chose to write about very serious topics and those who were more lighthearted; essays are about growing up and being a grown up; they're about the impact of Judy Blume's writing, but they're not as much about her impact on the contributors as writers as they are about her impact on them as people. The essays could be enjoyed by women who grew up reading Judy Blume as well as their daughters. "When I received the email with the cover I instantly thought they got it right. A girl on her bed reading. It was me. It sounded like the authors who contributed. It could be the readers of the collection. And the wallpaper in the background was perfect--I had big flowers on my wall growing up, even if I've graduated to plain, tasteful earth colored paint as a 'grown-up.' "I loved the pink on the hardcover, but when the paperback version came I wasn't really expecting the change to blue. It threw me. I emailed all of the contributors with the picture to get their feedback. They loved the bright blue. I thought they were just being nice. I wasn't convinced. "Now the blue has grown on me. I even like it. Where the first pink cover was quiet and soft and girly, the blue cover is bolder and not afraid to ask for attention. It's the same cover but different. It's a lot like the writers in the collection--we're the same girls who loved reading Judy's books growing up, but different. I hope that readers of the essays find that they see themselves in the cover, and in the essays." Ooh, I love how Jennifer got all deep on how the hardcover and paperback reflect the authors and the readership. Woo! I really like both of these covers--the colors work for me either way. And I love the detail of the girl's ring! What do you guys think? PS-If you like looking at hardcover vs. paperback covers, check out Alea's series on this very thing! It's awesome.

Win-It Wednesday: Lovestruck Summer First Copy!

Last week's winner of Tyrell by Coe Booth (and Kendra, courtesy of the author herself!) is... Laura! Send me your address, L. One book will come from me, another from Coe, both signed. This is an awesome prize duo. I'm a little jealous, to be honest, because I haven't read Kendra yet!This week, I'm ecstatic to be able to give away one of the very first copies of my May 5th release, Lovestruck Summer. I just got two early copies in the mail--they are cute and colorful and totally fun! So excited. To enter, I'll give you an easy task: Tell me the best romance book you've read in the past year. Teen romance, bodice-ripping romance, vampire romance (ahem)... whatever you loved. A random commenter will win one of my two precious early(ish) copies of Lovestruck Summer by moi, signed of course. Happy Wednesday! PS-If you're a reviewer, I can try to get some early copies of Lovestruck Summer sent out in the next week from Harper... so email me with your address and a link to your blog and I'll pass everyone on to my publicist. I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best!

The Great Scavenger Hunt by Kay Cassidy

Had to spread the news about the Great Scavenger Hunt contest from Kay Cassidy, which every library should get in on. Seriously! Basically, readers read a scavenger hunt book, complete the scavenger hunt, and turn it in to their librarian. If they get 8 out of 10 answers correct, the librarian then enters them in the monthly contest.Then every month, Kay chooses one lucky winner to receive a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card, and their library wins a library prize tote filled with more amazing scavenger hunt books for the library collection. How cool is this idea?! I made a Scavenger Hunt for Violet on the Runway (find it on this page), and I think I'm gonna make some more! I seriously love, love, love this game. Spread the word to your libraries, people! *PS-Remember to Rock the Drop on Thursday and enter to win two books from Coe Booth by tomorrow! Just leave a book around your town with a readergirlz bookplate... good deeds, man. They rule.*

Cover Stories: Super in the City by Daphne Uviller

Super in the City, Daphne Uviller's debut novel, is an urban caper about a young woman who becomes the superintendent of her parents' Greenwich Village building. I've picked it up, and I am thoroughly enjoying Daphne's witty writing and zany sense of adventure (yes, sometimes I do read non-YA novels, when said novels are exceptional). So I asked Daphne to tell me about the cover... and there was some drama involving a large bookstore chain, which Daphne took in stride. Here she is:"I don't know if I'm allowed to be dishing on the behind-the-scenes workings of book cover design, but here goes. It turns out that Big Name Booksellers (far be it from me to name names, though I will be so bold as to intimate initials...) have what amounts to the final say in book cover design. I'm told I should be outraged, but I'm not. If that makes me a sellout, so be it. I want my books to sell and the big stores are the ones selling the most of them, and they know how to sell books, so I'm happy to listen to them. "Here's what happened with Super in the City. As with my first book, an anthology I co-edited called Only Child, I dreaded the moment my editor would ask me for ideas about covers. I write, I wanted to plead again, I don't think in pictures. Maybe some writers do, but I don't. I'm about as good at coming up with ideas for cover art as I am at coming up with titles. (That's a whole other column: Title Stories. Super in the City was originally Supergirl, until the legal department at Random House gently informed me that DC Comics would be all over my derriere for copyright infringement should I keep that name.) "My editor insisted and still insists that my book not be lumped into the chick lit category (though I like to think it bears some resemblance to that beloved genre). "No stilettos, martini glasses, or lipsticks on the cover!" she decreed. I was so happy my novel was being published by such a great press, I wouldn't have cared if they'd put an ape and a diesel truck on the cover. "So they got a really talented designer to draw this adorable cover with a cute, mini-skirted, ponytailed woman sitting on the steps of what was a perfect Greenwich Village stoop, holding a tool belt. (My book is about a young woman who becomes the super of her parents' building.) [MW Note: Sorry we don't have that first cover to show--sounds cute!] There were little clues in the windows above her that referenced some of the subplots. This designer had really read the book and had thought hard. I loved it. It was better than anything I could have suggested. My editor humored me by asking my opinion on where the title should be placed, which font I preferred, and, though it tested the limits of my visualization abilities, I gave some coherent answers. "The marketing folks took this fabulous cover to a sales conference where they were told by the Big Name Booksellers that this cover was too YA, meaning they thought the cover made it look like a young adult novel. 'Please go back to the drawing board,' they told us. "I admit, at first I was surprised that they were essentially in charge. But mostly, I was glad that we were finding out sooner rather than later, say, after thousands of copies were sitting unsold on store shelves. "The current cover, created by a different designer entirely, is equally fabulous (have I mentioned that I'm pretty easygoing when it comes to cover art?). It's black and eye-catching and indicates that the story is a bit of a mystery. There is still a woman with a ponytail, only now she's in silhouette, as are the keys being dropped out the window. I think the keys might be my favorite part. Either that or the fact that the title is in raised letters. "Instead of feeling like The Man stuck its corporate hand into my aesthetics and sullied some virgin pureness, I feel grateful that my editor and marketing team were guided by real feedback from a major player. And my book is selling well at indie bookstores, too (which I link to on my website), so it's not like Big Name's influence hurt the small stores in this particular regard. "I think I'd know a bad cover if I saw it -- my co-editor and I rejected outright the grim cover suggested to us for Only Child's paperback release and instead, that book continues to be sold in the bright yellow design in which it debuted, left -- but I was lucky enough to watch my book enjoy two equally terrific designs. I'm just glad I didn't have to choose." I think the final cover is dark and cute and I really like the purple touches! The first cover does sound kind of YA, which I suppose can be misleading on chain shelves. What do you guys think?