Cafe Chit Chat: John Ford

John is the awesome author of The Morgue and Me [Click HERE for review]. John is also a law school graduee, by attending both Standford and the University of Michigan Law School.

Now onto the interview...

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Wdebo: Can you describe a typical day?

John Ford: The typical day, as it’s supposed to happen, is this: work out at the gym, work the “day job,” write for three hours, have dinner or meet up with friends, bed. This happens about 3% of the time. I’m taking a month-long break between “day jobs,” and here’s how today went. Write for two hours Put together that IKEA entertainment center that I’ve been meaning to get to for three months now Get a gift for my friends one-year old baby Try to writeGet distracted by reading a friend’s screenplayDeal with reservations for fall travelEmail friend with comments on screenplayTonight: pub trivia with friends

W: How did you come up with your idea for The Morgue and Me?

J: I wanted to write a traditional-feeling detective novel with a young main character. All of the usual occupations you might see—cop, private investigator, etc.--were out of bounds to an 18 year-old, so I just started thinking about how a kid might stumble across a serious crime. A part-time job at the morgue seemed perfect. I really built the mystery around that setting and character.

W: Are any of the characters based on someone you know?

J: Can I plead the fifth? Actually, seriously, none of the characters are based on real people. Though, I suppose, there’s a little bit of me in all of them—which is a very scary thought.

W: What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

J: I love to go running. It’s a bit like writing—a solitary activity that can sometimes feel like torture, and often takes the wind out of you. But when you’re in the groove, there’s nothing like it.

W: What's your favorite color?

J: Blue. Light blue. (Imagine me saying this like “Bond, James Bond.”)

W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

J: I suppose it’d be cheating to bring a power-boat, map, and plentiful supplies of food and gasoline?

Okay . . . running shoes, a good falafel sandwich, a fountain pen, a bathrobe from the Ritz-Carlton, and a copy of The Great Gatsby.

W: Who is your favorite superhero and why?

J: Either Aquaman, because I used to be a swimmer, or The Green Lantern, because the name is so cool. (Though, actually, the Green Lantern is a whole group of superheroes, so Aquaman it is.)

W: Who are some authors you look up to?

J: Nancy Werlin and Ned Vizinni are two YA authors I admire greatly.

W: Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

J: Yes, and no. Not to be all mysterious or anything, but it’s not quite finished enough for me to go off blabbing about it. I’ll say this: it’s a thriller-type book that, at the moment, I feel very good about.

W: I know a lot of my blog readers are writers. Do you have any tips to share to aspiring authors?

J: Read, read, and read—you soak up so much about writing that way, without even knowing it. The other thing I would say is to be careful about drawing from your own life too much. Make sure what you’re writing about is just as interesting to other people as it is to you.

W: What is your FAVORITE book in the world, the one that you think everyone should read before they die?

J: Too hard! I said that I’d take The Great Gatsby with me to the island, so I guess I’m going with that. I read Stephen King’s The Stand when I was in high school and it floored me. Back then, I would have picked that one.

W: What is one thing that not many people know about you?

J: I hardly ever return my library books on time. Sorry, Cleveland Park Library! For the record, though, I do pay all my late fees.

W: Do you enjoy watching movies if so, do you have a movie you absolutely cannot stop watching?

J: I absolutely love movies. I have a thing for movies that take you on a head trip, like Memento or Being John Malcovich, but those aren’t to everyone’s taste so don’t necessarily take that as a recommendation.

W: Finally, do you have anything else you want to say?

J: I think you know all my secrets now, so I’m good. Thanks so much for having me!

W: Thanks for letting me interview you!

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Check out John's Goodreads page HERE

Remember, if you comment on this post you recieve TWO extra entrees for the GIANT blogoversery bash contest HERE. Where one of the prizes you can win is a signed hardback copy of The Morgue and Me. Check it out!!

Wdebo :)

In My Mailbox (13)

So, it's been a while huh? Lol, so here is my IMM this week.

I "stole" this from the Story Siren. [Want to join in? Click HERE.]

So, I FINALLY got the Little, Brown Package I had been waiting for, for a month in the mail on Thursday! Yeah! And I also got a package for my "purchase" at Random Buzzers...The first two books in the Inheritance series (Yes, I feel like I'm the only person left, my age, who hasn't read Eragon yet...bahahaha)...take a look...

The Recieved:

Ash By: Malinda Lo (ARC/September 1, 2009)

[From B.O.B] "Pushed into indentured servitude for her stepmother in the City to pay off her father's debts, Ash is consumed with grief. She misses her family and her happy life at the edge of the Wood where old magic used to linger in the air like fairy breat. Her only joy comes from the brief, stolen walks in the woods with the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean. Ash's single, unspoken hope is that someday he might steal her away, as fairies are said to do.

But on the night that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, from Kaisa she learns the art of the hunt, how to ride and track. Their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, but it grows and changes, and with it, Ash reawakens her capacity for love-and her desire to live.

Entrancing and romantic, Ash is an empowering retelling of cinderella about choosing life and love over solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepes grief."

I read this already, and you can find my review HERE!

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd By: Various Authors

[From Amazon]: Acclaimed authors Holly Black (Ironside)and Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof) have united in geekdom to edit short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature: M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.

With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geektastic covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on!

Currently Reading, it's actually pretty funny and cute...I just found out, though, I might be a nerd, but I am defidently NOT geek material...all this Star Wars/Trek/etc is so confusing.

Prophecy of the Sisters By: Michelle Zink

[From Amazon]:

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.

YEAH!!! I am soo excited for this one :) The cover is shiny (but the stone angels are kinda scary).

The Hate List By: Jennifer Brown (ARC/September 1, 2009)

[From Amazon]: 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.

It looks awesome!

Fade to Blue By: Sean Beaudoin (ARC/August 1, 2009)

[From Amazon] Sophie Blue started wearing a black skirt and Midnight Noir lipstick on her last birthday. It was also the day her father disappeared. Or spontaneously combusted. Which is sort of bad timing, since a Popsicle truck with tinted windows has started circling the house.

Kenny Fade is a basketball god. His sneakers cost more than his Jeep. He's the guy all the ladies (and their mommas) want. Bad.

Sophie Blue and Kenny Fade don't have a thing in common. Aside from being reasonably sure they're losing their minds.

Acclaimed author Sean Beaudoin's wildly innovative novel combines uproarious humor with enough plot twists to fill a tube sock. Part thriller, part darkly comic philosophical discussion, and accompanied by a comic book interstitial, Fade to Blue is a whip-smart romp that keeps readers guessing until the last paragraph.

Sounds intense...haha...and it has comics in it I think!!

And then I also got an Eragon and Eldest, paperback versions. (Too lazy to put out the covers and summaries...but I'm sure most of you know what it's about)

So, what did you recieve this week?

Wdebo :)

Ash By: Malinda Lo

Title: Ash
Author: Malinda Lo
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 272
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Geared Towards: Older Teens/Fairy Tale Readers
Extra Info: This book is Malinda's debut novel.

"As the room came into light, it was as if their world had shifted: three place settings, three chairs, three plates. There had never really been a place for her, after all."

Summary (From Amazon): In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

Wdebo's Review: Ash was such an addicting read. It has this naive voice that is found in most fairy tales, but this dark lyrical writing found in the Brother's Grimm. With this combination, this book became one of my favorite debut novels of 2009. And having it be about fairy tales, didn't hurt either.

The voice was just amazing, like I said above, it had this naive-ness about it. However, that aspect of the story also annoyed me, even though Ash was like 18 she still sounded like she was 12, it just seemed like the characters never aged. But through the naive-ness there was darkness that spun the words together.

In the novel, all the references to fairies just made me feel like I was reading Tithe again, but there is just something wonderful about fairy books. I also love all of the fairy tales in the story, they were short, cautionary tales but they just leave this frightening, exciting feeling in your body like after reading a Brother's Grimm story.

I found the character, Sidhean, the fairy that Ash meets, my favorite to read about. He was dark and dangerous, and the whole, you belong to me, is creepy but still quite sexy.

The cover is just wonderfuly awesome, when I first saw it on the computer though, since the screen was so small, I thought it was a crumpled piece of paper, but when I got the actual cover I was like Holy Crap it's a girl. I don't like the grass, it's very synthetic, I think a plain back background would have looked a lot better. (A-)

All in all, an amazing, must-read book, that shows us that you are never too old to read fairy tales. And Malinda Lo is defidently an author I am dying to read more from.

Grade: A

Wdebo :)

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Other Books You May Enjoy:

Tithe [Read Review HERE]
Wonderous Strange [Read Review HERE]

Cafe Chit Chat: Julie Schumacher

Welcome to another post for my blogoversery bash!! This is an interview with Julie Schumacher, the author of Black Box [Click HERE for review].

Julie's first published story Reunion was part of The Best American Short Stories 1983, she works at the University of Minnesota as the Professor of English and Creative Writing.

Now for the interview....

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Wdebo: Can you describe a typical day?

Julie Schumacher: I try to write in the mornings, before I go to work. If I can get a couple of hours of productive writing in, that's a success. I've never written full-time, because I have two kids and I teach at the University of Minnesota. I try to reserve evenings for reading -- mainly novels and short stories.

W: How do you come up with the ideas for your stories, mainly Black Box?

J: Ideas are everywhere, all the time: we just aren't used to recognizing them as ideas. We think we're day-dreaming, when in reality we're sifting ideas through our heads all day long. The trick is to catch hold of the themes and ideas that come back to you, over and over like recurring dreams, and then give them shape and polish them so that they have meaning and are appealing to others, as well as yourself.

W: Could you give a short summary of Black Box, for those readers who might not be familiar with it?

J: Black Box is about two sisters, Elena and Dora. Dora, the older sister, suffers from depression; Elena, the younger, doesn't think that anything is terribly wrong until Dora is hospitalized. She tries to hang on to the sister and to the relationship she once knew, and she tries to help -- but Dora gets worse. Elena seems to have no one to talk to about what has happened to her family -- until she meets Jimmy Zenk, a quirky loner who offers her frightening information about the hospital where Dora is being treated.

W: Are any of your characters based on anyone you know?

J: All my characters, I think, are some version of me. As a day-dreamer, I like to imagine myself in a lot of different scenarios and situations, and to imagine how I would react. That said, I do know a number of people who have suffered from severe depression, and their experiences helped inspire me to write the book.

W: What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

J: Reading. Hands down. I am one of those wackos who hates television and cell phones and computers. I still write all of my books by hand, with a ball-point pen

W: What's your favorite color?

J: Blue. Which seems appropriate to a person who has written a book about depression.

W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

J: Well, if this were an island well equipped with food and water and a comfortable house and clothing (so I didn't have to bring those), I suppose I'd bring a combination of favorite books and family and friends. Something to read and someone to talk to -- those are the necessities in my life.

W: Who are some authors you look up to?

J: Lots and lots of authors. Too many to name -- many of them dead (Jane Austen and George Eliot for starters), and many of them alive. I keep books of quotations/favorite passages from novels that I love, and I re-read them a lot. They inspire me as a writer, and they also help me maintain a sense of who I am and who I was.

W: Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

J: I'm superstitious about revealing too much about what I'm working on -- writers tend to be nervous about these things. But I'm working on a few projects: a novel and a book of short stories, among others.

W: As an only child I am curious, what is it like being the youngest of five children?

J: I loved growing up in a big family. There was always conversation, always someone to talk to or pester, always something to do. I grew up hearing family stories at the dinner table, and playing games: solitaire, ping-pong, kick-the-can, cribbage, soccer, tennis, caroms, bridge, hide-and-seek, hearts, field hockey, lacrosse... you name it. A family is a sort of universe unto itself.

W: What is your FAVORITE book in the world, the one that you think everyone should read before they die?

J: Middlemarch, by George Eliot. It's very long: it's best to read it when you have a fair amount of time.

W: Finally, do you have anything else that you would like to say?

J: Yes. I think everyone should turn off the TV and the computer and read a good book.

W: Thanks for letting me interview you!

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Remember to check out Julie's site HERE!

And also remember that when you comment on this post you recieve TWO extra entrees for my GIANT blogoversery bash contest HERE, where you also have a chance to win a copy of Black Box.

Wdebo :)

Character Post: Rumer Xiong

Today's guest post is from Rumer Xiong, one of the main characters of Rumer & Qix. Just saying hi from the 3014.

Check it out!!

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Hi Wdebo! Hello 21st century. My name is Rumer Xiong and I’m writing to you with my animet, Qix, from Nanjing, China. It’s the 31st century here and I’ve had a lot of trouble getting back through the time barrier 1000 years to reach you in 2009. The good news is, if you’re reading this, it means we finally got our message through. Success!

It’s the year 3014 here. I’m sixteen and work as an apprentice reporter at the world’s biggest media company, the Global Quotidien. We call it the GQ for short. Qix is my unofficial assistant because animets like her are mostly toys for little kids and apprentices aren’t supposed to bring them to work. No one knows that I bring Qix in with me because she’s very small and I sneak her into the office every day in my shoulder bag.

I’m posting this message because our world is in total chaos and I think you might be able to help. There’s devastation everywhere and we are definitely in trouble. No one knows what to do. Everything’s crumbling around us and people are disappearing all over the place. According to some research I’m doing, it looks like the problem may have started about 500 years ago. That’s when the last of the plants and animals became extinct and were replaced with perfect replicas. Scientists figured out how to make fake trees, artificial animals, faux flowers, synthetic food, artificial air, water and even computer-generated weather.

For us, these synthetic versions of once real things are all we know. There have never been any problems with them and everything has been fine until a few months ago when, out of the blue, crazy things started happening here. People all over the planet began sending stories to us at the GQ about seeing things like real grass and real butterflies. No one believed them, of course. These things have been extinct for 500 years. My boss at the GQ called them lunatics and refused to include their stories in our publications. Now thousands of reports are flooding across the news grid claiming sightings of things like entire oak groves erupting through the ground destroying all the buildings on the surface in their way. I’m trying to find out more about what’s going on, but people today don’t know anything about oak trees or real grass or butterflies. No one has seen anything like this in their lifetimes. I think nature is trying to make a comeback.

I’ve heard about a woman named MoNa through postings on the indie network who says we’re suffocating the planet. They say she’s behind the destruction of all the man-made things and the disappearance of so many people. Some say MoNa is really Mother Nature, but I don’t know. Whoever she is, we don’t know where she is or how to talk to her. We don’t know anything about her creations. We have so many questions. Like what do you feed a giant tree? Is grass supposed to keep growing? Where do you get a spare part if a butterfly’s wing breaks? How do you get in touch with MoNa? If you have any ideas please post them here. The future needs you now.

Thank you so much!!

xoxo, Rumer and Qix
Apprentice Reporter
The Global Quotidian
http://www.rumerandqix.com/

P.S. Qix’s has a question about animets. That’s what we call the intelligent artificial pets we have that can talk and do lot’s of helpful things. Qix wants to know if you have any animets? What kinds of things can yours do? She is really good at flying upside down.

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Awesome! You guys ready for the challenge?

Remember to check out the site!!

And remember, when you comment on this post you recieve TWO extra entrees into the GIANT blogoversery contest HERE, where one of your prizes is a copy of Rumor & Qix. What are you waiting for? Join NOW!

Wdebo :)

Cafe Chit Chat: Micol Ostow

Today, TEBC is hosting an author interview with Micol Ostow, the author of the GoldenGirls series. [Includes GoldenGirl (Click for review HERE) and Fashionista (Came out yesterday-Click for review HERE)]

Enjoy...

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Wdebo: Can you give us a brief overview of Fashionista?

Micol Ostow: Fashionista is the second book in the Bradford Novels series, and it's told from the point of view of Madison Takahashi, a budding fashion designer and one of Bradford Prep's elite. It picks up just where GoldenGirl left off, which dedicated readers will know is right around the time that Mads may or may not have been mackin' on someone else's boyfriend. Scandal!

W: Hope everyone can read it! Can you describe a typical day?

M: A typical day is very, very boring. No one will ever make a competitive reality show about freelance novelists, that's for sure.

Obviously my schedule is more flexible than people with office jobs, but I do treat my writing as a full-time job. I'm up pretty early and take care of things like emails and errands. I usually go to the gym. The coffee tends to kick in around 11, and between 11 and 6 are when I get most of my writing done.

I do teach a writing workshop once a week, and teaching days are hectic, especially if I'm still finishing up reading the workshop submissions. And any time I have a school visit or anything like that, all bets are off. But those days can also be the most fun.

W: Oh, that would be cool if you could visit my school :) Haha. How do you come up with the ideas for your books?

M: That is a very good question! I wish I had a very good answer for you. The answer, really, is: all over. Sometimes it's a phrase that caught me, and I work backward from there. For instance, the project I'm working on now, tentatively titled Does This Dogsled Make My Butt Look Big, was something that came out of a casual email between myself and my editor. We were talking about the glut of plus-sized modeling stories that were in the media at the time, and I said it would be funny to write a book called Does This Runway Make My Butt Look Big...and things evolved from there.

Other stories, like 30 Guys In 30 Days, came from conversations friends and I actually had. I had a friend just out of college who had broken up with a long term boyfriend who had challenged herself to talk to at least one new guy a day, just to get her dating skills back up and running. I don't even know if she really went through with it, but it was a great idea for a book. Or so I thought.

So Punk Rock is very heavily based on my own experiences in Jewish day school (and my brother's experience in a band), and Gettin' Lucky was a blatant attempt to cash in on the poker craze. Popular Vote came about because my editor at Scholastic thought it would be fun to publish some chick lit to tie into election fever.

So really, all over. Like I say.

W: Wow, it's soo cool to learn more about where ideas come from. Are any of your characters based on someone you know?

M: Yes and no. It's kind of impossible to write a character who doesn't have SOME of one's own characteristics, I think. For instance, Emily from Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa grapples with meeting her Latino family for the first time, which is something I've experienced first-hand. But the fun thing about fiction is that you get to take "true" stories and make them better by making stuff up! I can say with certainty that despite certain similarities, Emily is definitely not me.

W: So true, I like adding some "true" things into the stuff that I write. What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

M: Reading. Followed closely by relaxing, spending time with my friends, and playing with my dog. I'm pretty low-key.

W: Yeah for dogs!!! I love playing with my dog too! What's your favorite color?

M: I seem to own and wear a lot of blues and purples, so do with that information what you will.

W: Bahaha I wear a lot of blue too! If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

M:
1. sunscreen
2. books
3. dvds/something to watch them on
4. my yoga mat
5. my boyfriend and dog

Okay, I know that's technically more than five things. Sorry!

W: Haha it's ok, and I would totally bring my dog too. Who are some authors you look up to?

M: So many! I've had the great opportunity to work with and meet many writers through my line of work (writing/editing/teaching). They've all been incredibly supportive and I've learned something from all of them.

Just a few off the top of my head:

AIMEE FRIEDMAN: is an amazing editor who still finds time to write breathtaking stories. Her work gets better and better.

NOVA REN SUMA: has been writing for over a decade but is new to the YA scene and one to watch. She has great insights and is fantastic with pep talks.

NATALIE STANDIFORD: can flip from commercial fluff to serious fiction on a dime. I'm so envious.

LOUISE HAWES: was my adviser during my last semester at grad school and her guidance truly altered the course of my writing career. I'm in tremendous debt to her.

People I don't know whose writing blows me away: Ellen Hopkins, MT Anderson, Gabrielle Zevin.

I'm leaving out a million zillion billion people here.

W: I really need to read some of Aimee's books. Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

M: The above-mentioned Dogsled, which is about a wallflower type who moves from Miami to Alaska with her celebrity-shrink father and retired telenovela-star mother, embarks on a GPS-driven scavenger hunt across the tundra, and in the process learns to incorporate a bit more color into her waiting-in-the-wings lifestyle.

W: Sounds exciting can't wait for it! Do you have any pets? And so, what kind do you have?

M: Miss Bridget Jones Ostow, aka the cutest French Bulldog in the whole wide world. You can read more about her on my website.

W: Aw :) What is your favorite book of the moment?

M: Currently reading Clay by David Almond, and loving it. Just finished The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han and loved that, too. I'm a big reader.

W: I really need to read Jenny's book! Do you enjoy watching movies if so, do you have a movie you absolutely cannot stop watching?

M: I love movies--probably why I'm marrying a film producer! (www.noahharlan.com). Favorites include: Heathers, Clueless, Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Shaun of the Dead. I think that probably tells you all you need to know about my personality.

W: Cool! Finally, do you have anything else that you would like to say?

M: Thanks for having me, and check out So Punk Rock, available now, and Fashionista, coming 8/25 [Wdebo's Note: This interview was given before today, so Fashionista has already come out yesterday] ! And visit me at www.micolostow.com!

W: Thanks for letting me interview you!!

~~~~~~~

Remember to comment here where you can get TWO extra entrees into the contest HERE, where you have to chance to win a copy of GoldenGirl, Fashionista, or So Punk Rock.

Wdebo :)

Cafe Chit Chat: Jess C. Scott + Character Post: Jade & Novan

Hello! Welcome to the next Blogoversery Bash post!! Today's author is Jess C Scott the author of the book, Eyeleash...Check it out!

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Wdebo: Can you describe a typical day?

Jess: I always have breakfast (cereal + milk = good meal for any time of the day). I need some level of physical activity too, or I just go nuts. I spend a lot of time reading and/or writing. I will soon be continuing my tertiary education. I foresee having to brush up on my time management skills.

W: How did you come up for the idea for EyeLeash?

J: In the second chapter, there's a scene where the two lead characters exchange a certain kind of "look". That happened to me in real life, and I suppose it set things off for the rest of EyeLeash (both the real-life experience, and whatever I mixed and matched to result in the final blog novel itself).

W: Could you give a short summary of EyeLeash?

J: No problem -- I've been using this summary since 2007!

Jade Ashton is a sassy virgin. In her private blog, she vents about "fitting in" a world where superficiality reigns supreme.

Suddenly all logic flies out the window when she meets Novan: the former geek, who's morphed into a delicious songwriter-musician.

They decide to be "friends-with-benefits". But it's Novan--with his poems and riddling passages on his own blog--that backs out.

EyeLeash captures self-discovery in the 2000s, and showcases the colorful, intricate drama in two youths' relentless search for themselves--and what's really in their hearts.

W: Are any of your characters based on anyone you know?

J: The lead guy character in EyeLeash is roughly based on someone I know -- physically they share quite a few similarities, but the real guy is slightly more...psycho. As for the characters in my second book (a short story collection) -- most of them are completely fictitious. I derive equal enjoyment from both basing characters on actual figures, and letting them come to life (of their own accord) in the story.

W: What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

J: I seriously like to have a good night's rest. I like going on long, aimless walks...zoning out to music (rock, classical, dance)...drawing (can get very tiring though)...and spending time with pets/animals. I like to bake and indulge in good food too.

W: What's your favorite color?

J: I'm not Onch, so I'm not going to say that my favorite color is "rainbow" -- however, I do have a problem picking one out of the million available colors.I might go with midnight purple (for the allure and mystery), or red (for the passion, vibrancy, and energy).

W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

J: 1. SPF 45 Sunblock & Moisturizer 2. Water bottle (SIGG bottle, preferably) 3. The maximum amount of paper and pen I'm allowed to have (for the duration of the stranded island course!) 4. Swiss Army Knife 5. A small pot/tin to boil water, and/or cook various "stuff" in...

W: Who are some authors you look up to?

J: They are mostly classic authors -- I'm a bit of an old soul in this department, which is quite ironic, because my writing tends to be contemporary. Some of the writers that I look up to include Vladimir Nabokov (utterly wicked style), Roald Dahl (also very stylish -- both his works for children and adults!), Anais Nin, D. H. Lawrence (OMG), Leo Tolstoy, Sylvia Plath, Vivian Vande Velde, and I cannot leave out my top two favorites -- Edgar Allan Poe and Oscar Wilde.

W: Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

J: There's usually something or other that I'm working on. I'm working on a less-radical-than-my-debut-blog-novel YA series -- I will give more details later ;). But here's a very short excerpt (from my first draft):

“Are you wearing cologne?” I ask. I want to know what brand of fragrance it is. I might even buy a scent that I think would complement his well.

He doesn’t hide a smile. “Kenzo Pour Homme. Do you like it?”

“Yes. It’s not too...overpowering.”

“Ah, that gets annoying sometimes,” he says, which makes me so glad I’ve never been one of those sorts. “How about you, which brands do you like?”

Oh shoot. What do I say?

“Chanel,” I reply. Because there’s a huge billboard advertisement of Chanel No. 5 by the side of the escalator we’re traveling on.

W: I heard you lived in Singapore for your first twenty years (that means you were born there right? haha sounds stupid, sorry!), how different is it from Maine (where you currently reside)?

J: Not a silly question at all -- yes, I was born there. It is quite starkly different from Maine. Singapore's an urban city (and there aren't four seasons there -- it's mainly hot, or rainy); Maine has a lot of wild countryside (with very nice summers, and very cold winters)...the differences are quite extreme. But eh, perhaps I'm someone who finds balance amidst extremities.

W: What is your FAVORITE book in the world, the one that you think everyone should read before they die?

J: Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina -- if I had to pick just ONE book, that's the one I think everyone should read before they die. The human experience is captured in such a wonderfully captivating and realistic way -- I remember feeling my life had changed, when I finished the novel. It is not a book to be casually flipped through; I spent 3 months reading it.

PS: Shout-out for Edgar Allan Poe's and Oscar Wilde's collected works too (I cannot ever leave those two out!). And Anais Nin and D. H. Lawrence if you like something more provocative. Vivian Vande Velde's Dragon's Bait, a fantastic fantasy compact-sized novel. George Orwell's 1984 for an eye-opening "the future is here" read. I know I've ended up listing more than one book, but it's only so that each person can make their individual selection from my personal recommendations...

W: Finally, do you have anything else that you would like to say?

J: Don't be afraid to be who you are. We are constantly bombarded by the mass media on what we should do/what we should be like/how to wear our hair/how to dress -- a unique self-identity is something that the outside world cannot influence (or brainwash). Knowing what you're about will give you direction and meaning in life, along with the drive and focus to live your dreams.

Thanks Jess!

To learn more about Jess check out her Wordpress HERE!

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Now, we have a real treat as Jess writes an IM between two characters, Jade and Novan from her book Eyeleash, talking about what? My blogoversery! Yeah, I feel special...Check it out!!

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Conversation started on [21 Aug 2009, 7:37PM]

¤Jade¤: hey, first time i’m hearing of this word

¤Jade¤: “blogoversary”!

[novan]: oh yea

[novan]: there’s also monthsaries, vlogversaries, twitterversaries...

[novan]: ur blogversary?

¤Jade¤: not yet. mine’s wayyy eaerlier. 2 Jan

[novan]: oh right. how cld I forget... ROFL

¤Jade¤: this blog run by Wdebo

¤Jade¤: have u seen her blog?

¤Jade¤: http://theelectricalbookcafe.blogspot.com/

[novan]: wow funky name

[novan]: icic. k tnx for the link J

¤Jade¤: omg Super Junior! tt 13-member boy band u told me abt?

[novan]: yea

[novan]: largest boy band in the world

[novan]: u shld check this guy out too

[novan]: se7en... watch this MV - www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeyMLGMN_vA

[novan]: tt’s some slick dance moves, man

¤Jade¤: ZOMG, super hot

[novan]: haha

[novan]: very talented dancer and singer too

[novan]: wow, i don’t know how many hours ive spent on youtube

¤-Jade-¤: yep

¤-Jade-¤: u watch one video

¤-Jade-¤: before u know it, 3 hours have passed!!

[novan]: yea oh btw... im looking @ the txc museum’s website

[novan]: theres some dinosaur bones exhibit thing going on

[novan]: wanna get up close w dinosaur bones 2nite?

¤-Jade-¤: hey why not

¤-Jade-¤: tho i feel like watching a movie

¤-Jade-¤: n throwing popcorn at the screen...

¤-Jade-¤: ok that was random

[novan]: well maybe we cld do both J

[novan]: wow i rem us throwing popcorn the other time

[novan]: coz the show was SO BORING

¤Jade¤: YESSS!! boredom shld be illegal

[novan]: indeed

[novan]: hey uhm, i think we gtg soon...

[novan]: the museum closes at 10pm i think

¤Jade¤: ok

¤Jade¤: just gonna send Wdebo a gift first!

¤-Jade-¤ sends: “hyde_reading.jpg”

¤Jade¤: tt’s what i’m sending her

[novan]: ooh, cool

[novan]: love the simple lines on that

[novan]: hyde rocks man!

¤Jade¤: yeah, got tired with fashion illustration

¤Jade¤: so tried smth new with this one

¤Jade¤: anything to say to her?

[novan]: Wdebo?

[novan]: hm, i dunno her very well

[novan]: what does she like

[novan]: ?

¤Jade¤: describes herself as a “Taiwanese drama addict”

[novan]: ah ok

[novan]: erm

[novan]: off the top of my head...

¤Jade¤: she likes C-pop too

[novan]: alrighty. lets see. a haiku poem?... smth short + sweet¤Jade¤: finish it in 2 mins :P

[novan]: k

¤Jade¤: writing now>?

¤Jade¤: 1 min more...

¤Jade¤: zzzrrrreeppoooooooooo

¤Jade¤: oh ur back!

[novan]: YEA

[novan]: u can send her this

[novan]: [Taiwanese dramas:] <-- that’s the title, n also 1st line

[novan]: [Taiwanese dramas:] / Addictive as C-pop is / Ever infectious.

[novan]: not my best, but decent for 2 mins

¤Jade¤: i’m sure she wldn’t mind ;)

[novan]: k, cya l8r i guess?

[novan]: wish her a happy blogoversary too

¤Jade¤: sure thing!

[novan]: J

~ Conversation ended on [21 Aug 2009, 8:02PM] ~

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EyeLeash is Jess’s debut blog/IM novel.
Her website is http://www.jesscscott.com/.

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Awesome!!! Bahaha such a great guest post...Love your haiku Novan :)

Thanks so much Jess for all you did!!

Hope everyone can check out Eyeleash.

Remember, if you comment on this post you get TWO extra entrees into the contest HERE, and don't forget to join in! Where one of the prizes is one of four Eyeleash bookmarks and an e-book copy of Eyeleash.

Wdebo :)