Crossroads Blog Tour Day Two Part Two: Interview with Shannon Delany

Our second interview for the day is with author, Shannon Delany.  We would like to welcome her back to Kid Lit Frenzy. 

What is your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume? 

Oh, I’m so dull... Oh! Almost swallowed a vampire fang once... Halloween wasn’t big were I grew up. Our houses were spread too far apart for serious trick or treating unless you could convince someone to drag you into town. We had an annual Halloween parade and costume judging (and I won a bunch of times—I think it’s because I always found an excuse to carry a freakishly cute kitten...).

When authors create a world for a series there are rules they need to stick with for consistency, are there things you would change in your book world that you didn’t foresee being an issue initially?

Pffft. At this point in my series, having learned the lessons I have (and knowing there’s really nothing I can do to change things in them now) I’d totally redo the whole series. I’d add more layers and hint at things earlier.

What was the most surprising thing that you discovered about one of your characters that you didn’t see coming? 

I didn’t expect Max to grow into such a heroic personality. I thought he’d be my bad boy and stay in the shadows throughout the 13 to Life series, but he sort of burst onto the scene and kept making himself known until I understood his part better.

What was your favorite book as a child that you have chosen to read or share with your own child?

The Giving Tree. Best. Book. Ever. It summarizes true love beautifully and simply. If you can get kids to understand that book and really embrace it they’ll understand what it means to give with your whole heart and love unconditionally regardless of what someone takes from you.

Hey readers - Thanks for checking out Shannon's interview and hope you check out all of the other great posts that make up The Crossroads Blog Tour.  During the 8 days of the blog tour, there will be opportunity to win some great swag from our featured authors.  There will be a post shortly with more details for entering to win.


Newest/Upcoming Releases: 13 to Life, Secrets and Shadows, Bargains and Betrayals (2011)

Blog: http://www.shannondelany.com/ 

Twitter: @shannon_delany

Crossroads Tour Day Two Part 1: Interview With Carrie Harris


Hope you had fun with yesterday's  posts for The Crossroads Blog Tour.  Each day, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors.

Remember, your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween.

Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT.

Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD.

Follow the tour on Twitter: @TheCrossroadsBT and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crossroads-Blog-Tour/218310244897337 
BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

For today's Crossroads Post, we have interviews with two wonderful authors.  First up....Carrie Harris.

What is your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume? 

One year in college, I went to a party dressed like a slasher film cheerleader. I went all out, too. I had pigtails with ribbons and a cheerleader uniform and a slit throat dribbling blood all over the place. As I was driving to the party, which was a week or two before Halloween, a little old couple in the car next to me stared so hard that they actually drove off the road. I’m ridiculously proud of that, but only because no one got hurt. I still have the costume, too.

Who was the most difficult character for you to write and why? 

Aaron is very tough for me to deal with. On one hand, he’s totally the kind of guy who would rush to the rescue. But on the other, Kate is so fiercely independent that she would eviscerate anyone who put on metal pants and tried to save her…even if they looked fabulous in metal pants as I’m sure Aaron would. So on one hand, I feel sorry for Aaron because he could totally be useful if Kate would only TELL HIM THINGS. But on the other, I admire her for her determination to solve her own problems. That’s been a very tough dynamic to write.

What has been one of the most surprising things about being an author that you didn’t expect?

I didn’t realize how much work there is beyond the actual writing! In the past week, I blogged, tweeted, answered interviews (like this one!), talked to the local newspaper about a feature, talked to a librarian about visiting her school, made arrangements to appear at a book fair, ordered books for another book fair, put together packages of bookmarks for teachers, and ordered more bookmarks. I also researched minutiae for my copy edits (like—does a stun gun have a button or a trigger?). I get tired just reading all that.

Have you always been interested in zombies or scary stories or did the idea for your book just sort of presented itself one day?

I’ve always been a huge monsterphile. Zombie movies in particular always crack me up, because movie characters never seem to have any problem believing that their neighbors are turning into zombies. Um, hello? Only crazy people think things like that. So I started off thinking I might want to do a book about a completely rational person who discovers a zombie virus. And then I started mashing it together with other ideas that I had floating around in my head, kind of like a math project gone completely whack-a-ding-hoy. So BAD TASTE IN BOYS is really Frankensteinian weird science plus the undead football players from Beetlejuice divided by high school geekery. If math books were more like that, I might have become a mathematician.

Hey readers - Thanks for checking out Carrie's interview and hope you check out all of the other great posts that make up The Crossroads Blog Tour.  During the 8 days of the blog tour, there will be opportunity to win some great swag from our featured authors.  There will be a post shortly with more details for entering to win.

Newest/Upcoming Releases: Bad Taste In Boys (2011)

Blog: http://www.carrieharrisbooks.com/ 

Twitter: @carrharr 

Crossroads Tour Day One: Rachel Vincent


Today is the first day of The Crossroads Blog Tour.  Each day, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors.

Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween.

Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT.

Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD.

Follow the tour on Twitter: @TheCrossroadsBT and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crossroads-Blog-Tour/218310244897337 

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

And speaking of author, Rachel Vincent - she is featured today on my blog.  Thanks Rachel for taking the time to answer a few questions.

What is your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume?

When I was in jr. high, I refused to wear my glasses over my clown hobo makeup, and I fell into a ditch full of wet leaves. I believe that was the last time I went trick-or-treating. ;)

Who was the most difficult character (from one of your books) for you to write and why?

Writing “Reaper” from Tod’s POV was hard. I’d never been in his head before, and I had to make him funny and sarcastic, when he thinks of himself as neither. That was tough.

Also, the main character for Shadow Bound (Kori) is INCREDIBLY difficult. She’s been through so much and is thoroughly traumatized, and being in her head is scary.

What was your favorite book as a child that you have re-read as an adult? Did it hold the same magic for you as an adult as it did for when you were a child?

I have yet to reread a book from my childhood and still like it as much. I attribute that to the fact that I’m a writer now, so I see the technique behind the story, and that drives me nuts.

When authors create a world for a series there are rules they need to stick with for consistency, are there things you would change in your book world that you didn’t foresee being an issue initially?

Yes, to both. Whatever rules you make up for your world have to stand, unless you can come up with a really good, realistic reason for/way of breaking them. The problem with that is that each book in a series deepens and expands the world building and I often wish I hadn’t locked myself in to things so early in the series. For instant, Avari says one line in My Soul To Save that has been a thorn in my side ever since. I’ve had to work around it. Bonus points to the readers who can guess which line that was!

Hey readers - Thanks for checking out Rachel's interview and hope you check out all of the other great posts that make up The Crossroads Blog Tour.  During the 8 days of the blog tour, there will be opportunity to win some great swag from our featured authors.  There will be a post later today or tomorrow with more details for entering to win.

Newest/Upcoming Release: Shifters series, Soul Screamer series

Blog: http://rachelvincent.com/

Twitter: @rachelkvincent

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop


The Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop will run from Dec. 2nd to 6th. Thanks to Kathy from I am a reader. Not a writer for inviting me to co-host.

The winter holidays are just around the corner. Celebrate by participating in this holiday giveaway hop with prizes just for book lovers.

What is a giveaway hop?
Simple - Each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our followers & blog readers to hop easily from one giveaway to another.

For blog readers this means lots of chances to win.

For blogs hosting a giveaway it means lots of new visitors. It's a win-win!

Each participating blog will host their own giveaway. There is no requirement on the minimum or maximum value of your giveaway. It's up to you to decide. You can giveaway anything you would like. It does not have to be a book or gift card but should be something a book lover would enjoy.

All participating blogs will be linked up through a Giveaway linky. Please keep the process to enter your giveaway as simple as possible. This hop has a limit of 4 entries per person. 1 mandatory entry and up to 3 optional entries.

As you prepare your giveaway post please remember the following:

1. The Book Lover's Giveaway Hop Images needs to be part of your post.

2. Include the linky list with all the participating blogs at the end of your post OR link to this giveaway hop page or the post on I am a reader. Not a writer.

3. Keep It Simple!! Keep the way to enter your giveaway as simple as possible. 1 Mandatory entry and no more than 3 optional extra entries. All entries must be able to be done on one visit to your blog - Entries such as tweet once a day are NOT allowed (tweeting once is fine).

4. This must be a giveaway specifically for this hop and must run only the 5 days this hop is scheduled.

5. Keep your giveaway easy to find for the 5 days this hop is open. If you post often and your post does not stay near the top of your main blog page then please post a link to your giveaway at the top of your blog or sidebar. If we can't easily find your giveaway you will be deleted from the linky.

Please mark your calendars.

A reminder email will be sent out a few days before the hops starts.

Questions can be emailed to: kidlitfrenzy at gmail dot com

To Sign Up To Host A Giveaway:
Add your blog to the linky! Be sure to include your shipping info in parenthesis after your blog name.

the CYBILS 2011

In case you missed it, the nomination form is live for the 2011 Cybils Awards. Read the eligibility rules and then click here to nominate a favorite title published between October 15, 2010 and October 15, 2011. You can nominate one title per category. The categories are as follows:

Book Apps (yay, I'm a judge.)