Donut Days Contest

I know I haven't blogged in a while, but look, CONTEST! Lara has been kind enough to offer a copy of her debut novel Donut Days.

Lara Zielin Interview

I know I haven't blogged for a week, but it's been tough. And to make up for this, I have an INTERVIEW with the lovely Lara Zielin!

Lara Zielin lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with her husband, dog and cat. DONUT DAYS is her first novel, though she's hard at work on her second book, PROMGATE, slated for release in early 2011. This is the description of Donut Days: Emma has a lot going on. Her best friend’s not speaking to her, a boy she’s known all her life is suddenly smokin’ hot and in love with her, and oh yes, her evangelical minister parents may lose their church, especially if her mother keeps giving sermons saying Adam was a hermaphrodite.

But this weekend Emma’s only focused on Crispy Dream, a hot new donut franchise opening in town, where Harley bikers and Frodo wannabes camp out waiting to be the first ones served. Writing the best feature story on the camp for the local paper might just win Emma a scholarship to attend a non- Christian college. But soon enough Emma finds the donut camp isn’t quite the perfect escape from all her troubles at Living Word Redeemer.

You were an Evangelical Christian in your teens, did you ever struggle with your faith like Emma does in your book?

When I was seventeen I started attending an evangelical church in my hometown and I absolutely loved it. The pastor was fabulous, the people were really cool. It was exactly what I needed at that time in my life.

I moved away from my hometown to attend college, and then when I graduated from college I moved to Minneapolis. There, I joined a new church where I saw a completely different side of the evangelical community. Instead being focused on helping people and being kind, the church I attended was focused on money and status. Deceit and corruption were rampant. When questions were raised, the congregation was told to “have faith” and to “trust God.” All this while our donations to the church were misspent, and the pastors lied.

I stopped going to church and eventually moved away from Minneapolis to Michigan. I went to a new church for a while, but I never really became a member. I had a sour taste in my mouth that wasn’t going away.

Writing DONUT DAYS became one of the ways I tried to come to terms with what happened at that Minneapolis church. My experiences there became the inspiration for Living Word Redeemer in the novel, because I saw that corruption, deceit, and greed can infiltrate a Christian community as easily as hope and love.

I believe in God, and I believe in the church, but I wrote DONUT DAYS because I also believe that it’s okay to question absolute power, and that no pastor is infallible.

Where did you get the inspiration for Bear and his biker gang?

Some authors talk about how their characters come to them and say, “you have to put me in your book.” Almost like a vision. That almost never happens with me—I have to work hard at building my characters from scratch. But Bear was the closest thing to a vision. I could just…see him. I knew where he’d come from, what kind of life he’d had. And putting people around him—i.e. his gang members—who’d had similar paths in their lives wasn’t too hard. I loved writing about them, and they’re some of my favorite characters to date!

(The winner of Writers Revealed is Kristen!) What's your favorite donut?

I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to donuts. I love a really good powdered-sugar donut, or even a really good plain donut. Of course, if you give me a cruller or a cream-filled long john, I am SO not going to say no to it.

I'm a HUGE Killers fan and just about died when I saw a quote from one of their songs in your book. How did music affect Donut Days?

Recently, when I was in Chicago with other writers who also had their books debut in 2009, a person in the audience asked us what we listened to when we wrote. I sort of scuffled my feet back and forth and let other writers answer first. Because my playlist? Is ridiculously simple. I usually find one song that really embodies what I’m feeling about the book as a whole, and I just put it on repeat. “When You Were Young” was totally that song for DONUT DAYS. I was heartened when the other writers at the Chicago event admitted the same thing!

For my current book, I have a little bit more diversity (but not much). I’m playing “Life in Technicolor ii” by Coldplay, “Defying Gravity” from the Glee soundtrack, and “Sleepyhead” by Passion Pit.

What does your writing process look like?

I write like I eat. I’ll go for a long while without doing anything, and then I’ll binge all at once. I wish in both areas I was a little bit more steady and didn’t behave in such a roller-coaster fashion. But with a full-time job, a house, a husband and a dog, my plate feels pretty full. So if that means I wind up writing 2,000 words over the weekend and not doing much during the week, I think I might as well stop fighting it.

What inspired the idea of a donut camp?

The donut camp was definitely inspired by real-life events. Back when I was living in Minnesota, the first Krispy Kreme opened up in the state. People went bananas. They camped out in advance of the store opening; they set up grills and tents; the media swarmed the scene; the line was out the door for days. All for donuts! At the time I thought, that’s an awesome setting for a book. Sadly, that Krispy Kreme is out of business now, but I have my fingers crossed that the franchise is making a comeback. And yes, I friended them on Facebook, and I follow Dunkin’ Donuts on Twitter.

I loved the ending of Donut Days! How important do you feel the power of interpretation is in writing?

I think interpretation is everything! I mean, for my part, I really disliked TWILIGHT. But obviously there are thousands of people out there that would argue otherwise. And I personally adored EAT, PRAY, LOVE even though a ton of people thought it was garbage. To me, writing is like art—it’s very, very subjective. From chapter one all the way to the end. Some books are going to resonate with certain people, others won’t, but lucky for us we have endless options at a variety of bookstores and libraries.

Could you tell us a bit more about your new writing project?

I have been hard at work editing my second novel, PROMGATE. The book centers around the fallout when a pregnant teen is elected prom queen in a small Midwestern town. It’s loosely based on events that happened in my Wisconsin high school when I was a sophomore, and it’s due out in summer 2011.

What was your favorite YA book of '09?

Oh noes! I can’t just pick one! How about three. Can I have three? Um. Okay. Here goes.

I loved GIVE UP THE GHOST by Megan Crewe. I thought she did such a good job of portraying a lonely teen who’d rather talk to ghosts than real people. The writing was fabulous and I just couldn’t put it down.

I am a sucker for a good romance and THE SEASON by Sarah MacLean was awesome. Set in the Regency period, the plot centers around three girls who are “coming out” (i.e. being presented) to high society. To be married. At seventeen! Needless to say, not all of them are thrilled, and the spirited main character was a total firecracker.

And STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton was so freaking hilarious and cute, and I love a book that can make me laugh out loud not once but multiple times. It was a quick, fun read but when I turned the last page I definitely didn’t want it to end.

Thank you so much for the interview, Lara! It was wonderful having you.

Emma Out!

Booking Through 365 in January

I got a lot done this month!

Reviewed:

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
Everything Sucks by Hannah Friedman
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
After by Amy Efaw
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Everything Is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Emma by Jane Austen
Donut Days by Lara Zielin
Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Interviews:

Jennifer Cowan

Awards:

Your Blog is Fabulous
One Lovely Blog

Book Signings:

Scott Westerfeld and 09 Debs

That and memes makes 45 posts! I'm happy with this number.

Emma Out!

In My Mailbox January 31, '10

Hello!

This meme is hosted by The Story Siren. I only got two books from the library this week, but they both look excellent.

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Goodreads Description:

"Raised in a stern, abusive Mormon household, a teenage girl starts to question her religion and struggles to find her destiny.

Her father is abusive, her mother is submissive, and her church looks the other way. Confused and angry, Pattyn Von Stratten acts out and is sent to live with an aunt on a Nevada ranch. She finds the love and acceptance she craves, with disturbing consequences."

I have heard amazing things about Hopkins, and this looks so good. Got it on audiobook.








The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

Goodreads Description:

"Here is how things stand at the beginning of newly-licensed driver Ruby Oliver's junior year at Tate Prep:

• Kim: Not speaking. But far away in Tokyo.
• Cricket: Not speaking.
• Nora: Speaking--sort of. Chatted a couple times this summer when they bumped into each other outside of school--once shopping in the U District, and once in the Elliot Bay Bookstore. But she hadn't called Ruby, or anything.
• Noel: Didn't care what anyone thinks.
• Meghan: Didn't have any other friends.
• Dr. Z: Speaking.
• And Jackson. The big one. Not speaking.

But, by Winter Break, a new job, an unlikely but satisfying friend combo, additional entries to The Boy Book and many difficult decisions help Ruby to see that there is, indeed, life outside the Tate Universe."

The first in this series was fun and well written, and I've been looking for the sequel for AGES!

Well, that's it for now.

Emma Out!

Book 9 of '10 Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Hi,

I've heard about Heather Brewer from a friend who really liked her books, so I decided to try the series out.

Dust Jacket Description:

Junior high really sucks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: his mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: he's being hunted by a vampire killer.











Characters: Vlad is hard to not like. He's nerdy and sweet. His best friend is the perfect boy and his aunt adores him. But he's so bland. This entire book is bland. 3 flowers.

Writing: I loved some of Brewer's interpretations of vampire myths. Her writing style had a great spooky vibe that was lost on the characters and cliches. 4 flowers.

Plot: Ridiculously overdone to the point where I felt like I was asleep while reading. So many Harry Potter overtones that I wanted to throw the book in the air in frustration. I. Just. Didn't. Care. 2 and a half flowers.

Originality: Besides the clever vampire myths, it's quite lacking in every other dimension. 3 flowers.

Ending: Okay. Left a lot to be desired. 3 flowers.

Dust Jacket: Embodies the book but it should mention the action earlier on. 3 flowers.

Cover: Dark but angsty. 5 flowers.

Overall: Mediocre. I can't say anything else. 2 and a half flowers.

Emma Out!

Book 8 of '10 The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Hello!

The Espressologist looked like so much fun. I grabbed in from the library and devoured it.

Dust Jacket Description:

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie.

Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee.

Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right? With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.

Characters: I find it hilarious that I loved Emma from Jane Austen's Emma and in this remake I did not like Jane at all. She's empty headed and frivolous. But that didn't minimize my enjoyment of this novel. Em was cute and fit the best friend role. Cam was such a flat character I was bored. You cannot make an even loosely based version of Emma and then have a love interest who is the complete opposite of Mr. Knightley. It is just not allowed. I'm not even sure why Jane liked him. He's nice, sure, but there's nothing different about him. The characters were forgettable but their lack of realism gave the book a light tone that helped the coffee premise shine through. 2 and a half flowers.

Writing: Light and fluffy. Perfect for this novel. 4 flowers.

Plot: Ah, here is where this book redeems itself! I'm a big Starbucks fan, so the coffee descriptions were really fun and creative. There were some interesting roadblocks and the sweet plot was definitely my favorite part of the book. 4 and a half flowers.

Originality: I love this idea! Quite brilliant. 4 and a half flowers.

Ending: Predictable, but good. 4 flowers.

Dust Jacket Description: Fitting. 5 flowers.

Cover: I would've liked a cover with a sweeter looking girl to match the book's feel. 4 flowers.

Overall: Great for a sick day when you can't pay attention to anything. Lots of fun and a great pick me up. Three and a half flowers.

Emma Out!

Book 7 of '10 Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Hiya!

I had heard so much about Hate List that I had to get it when I saw it at the library.

Dust Jacket Description:

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.






Characters: Valerie was easy to relate to. Full of angst that she attempted to suppress, it was somewhat difficult to find her voice amidst the flashbacks, but once they were over, I liked her. Her art was an outlet for her emotionally stress that I enjoyed. Her genuine love for Nick came across as endearing instead of unhealthy. Nick was an easily antagonized but bright boy who could've probably got in an entirely different direction if people had given him a chance. Jessica was a very determined girl who was positively changed by the shooting, more so than anyone else in the entire novel. Despite Val's past with her, I really liked her stubborn attitude. Val's family were a mess. I absolutely despised her father, and wanting to throw the book out of my hands due to fury towards him multiple times. There wasn't a character in this book that was flat. 5 flowers.

Writing: Val could've appeared either a villain or a victim in this book, but she seemed to be neither. Brown did a perfect job with her character, without going to extremes. There are some great passages in this novel. I'm extremely impressed with this debut. 5 flowers.

Plot: I can't think of any plot, except for Val attempting to move on and begin her life again. 3 and a half flowers.

Originality: I think this a great idea for a YA novel with great execution. 5 flowers.

Ending: Pleasant and perfect. 5 flowers.

Dust Jacket: I can't think of anything else I would want mentioned, except for more emphasis on her parent's relationship. 4 and a half flowers.

Cover: Intriguing and beautiful. 4 and a half flowers.

Overall: 4 and a half flowers.

Emma Out!