BOOK REVIEW: DANGEROUS ADMISSIONS by Jane O'Connor

Friday, October 05, 2007 by Bethany

Haven't found a good book for the back-to-school madness yet? Well, do I have a book for you! It's today's blog tour book, DANGEROUS ADMISSIONS: Secrets of a Closet Slueth by Jane O'Connor.

There are a few reasons why I am touting this book as a fabulous fall read--but mostly it is because the main character Miranda "Rannie" Bookman was so down to earth. And funny. And not for one iota attempting to become an crime investigator. In fact, she completely falls into this role in the book because she is a mother that is trying to protect her son. It makes for a fantastic believeable read that you really shouldn't miss.

Beyond Rannie, there are a whole cast of loveable characters. Particularly her son Nate, the girl of his dreams Olivia and then some "popular" but viscious high school friends The Lilies (Lily B. and Lily G) and Elliot (think Heathers and you'll get their sarcastic wit). Jane completely grabbed their adolescence and ran with it. In fact, I grew up in an area far from New York City but, the insecurities of that age are universal and Jane didn't miss one of them. Even with the teenagers in families that have a bit of money to throw around.

And again, Rannie. I love her. Not only is she believable in the role as of mother, well, she's a person. With a past. And it haunts her and we, as readers, believe every ounce of it. And I mean not only her divorce, but sex life. And she doesn't hide her premiscuous past. That being said, there is a steamy love interest, definitely some spicy sces, and a reunion of sorts with an ex-husband. How fun is that?

Honsetly, I loved the book. It was fun, funky, believeable and had so many plot twists and turns... well, it kept me reading for two whole days. Here's the official blurb (but please stick around, an interview with Jane O'Connor herself will follow):

Miranda "Rannie" Bookman—43, divorced mother of two, with a recent love life consisting of a long string of embarrassingly brief encounters—is beginning to feel like a dangling participle: connected to nothing. Her career as a copyeditor is down the toilet (she makes one little slip—a missing "l" from the last word in the title of the Nancy Drew classic The Secret of the Old Clock—and suddenly she's Publishing Enemy #1!), so she's been forced to take any gig she can get. And that means giving tours at the Chapel School, the ultra-exclusive, ultra-expensive, private academy that her children attend. Certainly not the most interesting of employments . . . at least until someone stumbles across the dead body of the Director of College Admissions.

Investigating a murder was never in her job description, but with her soon-to-be-college-bound boy Nate a prime suspect, Rannie has little choice. Besides, who better to dot all the "i"s and cross all the "t"s than a self-proclaimed "language cop"? Her diligence might even lead her to a brand-new love. Or to a killer. Or to another corpse—hopefully not her own.


Isn't that a hook that grabs you? Really, they had me at the missing "l" in the Nancy Drew title.

Now if that blurb doesn't grab you enough, please join me in welcoming Jane to the blog! She was wonderfully kind to answer a few questions for me--and after you read them you will agree--that will completely have you convinced you need to go out and grab yourself this book (and her next one).

Hi Jane! It is such a pleasure to have you here! I am so glad to have had a chance to read you first adult novel DANGEROUS ADMISSIONS! It's smart, fun, fast, fall read... that had you guessing until the end. My favorite part (aside from a copyeditor that had to correct grammar throughout), is that Rannie doesn't intend from the beginning to be a detective. Nope, she's just a concerned mother. That little detail definitely made her character believable and down-to-earth.

But let me not waste too much of your time, on to the interview questions!

1. First, an obvious question, with all of your success writing the FANCY NANCY children's book series, why an adult fiction novel? Why now?

The truth is I started writing Dangerous Admissions before the first Fancy Nancy book. I am an incredibly slow writer so it took me eons to finish the mystery. I sent it to agents right at the same time the first FN hit stores in December 05.>

2. Your main character, Rannie has at least one trait of yours--her eye (or ear) for grammar since you both share a background in editing. What other traits do you and Rannie share? And could you see yourself, if put in the same situation as Rannie, as a closet sleuth? Would finding the detail(s) that everyone else missed be your advantage over others?

 Yes, like Rannie, I love language and words (actually, Fancy Nancy is a vocab devotee too!) Mistakes do jump out at me and often in weird situations. Last weekend my family paid a yearly visit to the cemetery to say 'hi' to our loved ones and I noticed that there was a hyphen missing on my uncle's headstone. It said: Died in his seventy seventh year. It bothered me -- of course, everybody else thinks I'm crazy.


3. Being a writer myself, I am always fascinated by the whys and hows of the book ideas (the stories behind the stories). So would you mind sharing with us how you came up with the idea for DANGEROUS ADMISSIONS? What was the spark that started this particular story?

When our sons had to apply to college, my husband and I both went loco (there, I said it…not ‘stressed out’ or ‘anxious’ but truly ‘loco’). We acted as if we were the ones waiting for the proverbial fat envelopes. Come acceptance day in early April, I remember that the mail was all I thought about. (This was pre- the day when kids can log on and find out if they’re in.) And almost as soon as we dropped our younger son off at his freshman dorm, the title for a book – Dangerous Admissions – popped into my head. It would revolve around the nasty doings at a high-pressure Manhattan private school on the Upper West Side, not all that different from the one both our sons attended for the full K-12 ride. Although the college guidance counselor at our kids’ school was an absolutely great guy, I planned on killing off his fictional counterpart in the first chapter. I’d never written an adult novel; never written a mystery; never even read mysteries. (I now do and I just finished Michael Chabon’s “The Yiddish Detectives’ Union which is amazing – funny and utterly original.)

I stopped working as a fulltime editor at Penguin; took Wednesdays and Thursdays (non-weekend and consecutive) as my days home for writing; took three writing classes over the next two years; and then was part of a writers’ group with three women novelists – Nina Solomon (Single Wife is her first novel and wonderful) and Pamela Jackson (Becoming the Butlers, very funny but hard to find now) and Yona Zeldis McDonough (her last novel was In Dahlia’s Wake).

It took me more than three years to finish Dangerous Admissions. It was hardest, most frustrating, but ultimately most satisfying piece of writing I’ve ever done. The stories for my children’s books often come to me in a flash – that’s how it is with the Fancy Nancy books. But I had to push the plot of the mystery every step of the way. I kind of hate authors who say that they just sit at the computers and let their characters speak to them. I anguish over every sentence…I think that’s one of the drawbacks of being an editor; I edit and re-edit the same paragraph until I become snow-blind and can’t tell whether my last version is better, worse or basically the same as the first.

I am blessed – or cursed – with a bulldog nature. When I decide to do something, I sink my teeth in and don’t let go. So I eventually did finish the book and I’m still startled to see that it is a physical object sitting in bookstores. And if you are wondering whether it’s easier writing the follow-up, the answer is yes but really only infinitesimally so.

4. Rannie and her A-list of supporting characters in this book (Nate, Olivia, Tim, Elliot, The Lilies, David, Daisy, Mary, Peter, Grant, etc.) seem prime for another book--do you see this book as part of a series? If yes, what can we expect for the next book? If not, will it be hard for you to "let these characters go?" I ask, because of course, as with any attached reader, well, I am having a hard time letting go!

I’m already slaving away on the second with Rannie et al. She’s copyediting the latest tell-all by a reclusive writer of snarky, trash-and-burn celebrity bios…when Rannie comes to pick up the ms, however, she finds the writer (I’m still fiddling with her name) tied to her bed and strangled – with an Hermes scarf. A lot of the book involves a famous art collection and I am getting to do a lot of interesting research. (In my next life, I am going to be an art historian, concentrating on Flemish 15th century stuff.

5. Lastly (because I ask all my visiting authors), if you could have any super power, what would it be? For example, this week for me, it would be an extra hand/arm (or two). Seriously. With a new baby in tow, an extra hand would give me the extra reach to fix dinner for the family while holding the baby. How about you-- super power of your dreams and why?

Okay, a little preface is required: What I’d like most is to be able to spend time (say, an hour or so) with each of my boys at different stages of their babyhood and childhood – to be able to hold them again and smell that delicious baby smell, to hear what they sounded like at 3 or 7, to be walking down the street and have a small hand in mine. I think we forget so quickly what a child was really, really like so my superpower would be to teleport in time but only over the past 28 years. I don’t have to go back to Elizabethan England or meet Cleopatra. The superpower would be strictly for a mother thing.

Thanks Jane! Lovely adult novel debut! You have me hooked. Can't wait to read more of your work. Just make sure bring back the down to earth quirky characters. Please.

And did you not just love her? I mean, did you READ that super power wish? Because right now, it is making me (double) cherish the little every day things with my son and daughter (the little hand in mine thing killed me. Utterly).

Jane, if I had a way to bottle up that baby smell and send it to you--you'd have it over-nighted pronto! I have a 5-week-old full of smell for the taking.

Anyway, please take some time and visit Jane online (see below) and go buy the book. It is was fun and absolutely great for this time of year!

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12:02 PM | | 0 comments

GUEST BLOGGER: M.J. Rose, author of THE REINCARNATIONIST

Tuesday, October 02, 2007 by Bethany

Welcome M.J. Rose, author of THE REINCARNATIONIST (and 9 other novels) to the blog! M.J. entered the author scene with the release of her first novel LIP SERVICE where she broke into the spicy, erotic romance genre. She followed that book with IN FIDELITY, FLESH TONES, SHEET MUSIC, and LYING IN BED. She also authored The Butterfield Institute Series and then her latest--and biggest departure from her earlier novels, THE REINCARNATIONIST.

So, for today's guest blog entry, M.J. answers why she wrote this book and what the original idea that sparked this book to be written.

When I was three years old, I told my great grandfather things about his childhood in Russia that there was simply no way I could have known.

He became convinced I was a reincarnation of someone in his past. And over time, after more incidents, my mother – a very sane and logical woman -- also came to believe it.

Reincarnation was an idea I grew up with that my mom and I talked about and researched together. For years, I wanted to write a novel about someone like my mother – who was sane and logical – who started out skeptical but came to believe in reincarnation. But I was afraid if I did people would think I was a “woo woo weirdo”.

I tried to start the book ten years ago after my mother died but I was too close to the subject and missed her too much to be able to explore it objectively. Every once in while the idea would start to pester me again but I still stayed away from it.

Then a few years ago on the exact anniversary of my mom’s death my niece, who was a toddler at the time, said some very curious things to me about my mother and I – things she really couldn’t have known -- and the pestering became an obsession.

Josh Ryder, the main character has my mom’s initials, her spirit and her curiosity and like her, he’s a photographer. But there the similarities end.

When Josh starts having flashbacks that simply can’t be explained any other way except as possible reincarnation memories he goes to New York to study with Dr. Malachai Samuels -- a scientist and Reincarnationist who works with children helping them deal with past life memories.

In the process Josh gets caught up in the search for ancient memory tools that may or may not physically enable people to reach back and discover who they were and who they are.

Rather than me tell you anymore about it, let me pass on what a wonderful author, New York Times Bestseller Douglas Preston, says about it:

“The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose has got to be one of the most original and exciting novels I’ve read in a long time, with a premise so delicious I’m sick with envy I didn’t think of it myself. The novel’s exhilarating story sweeps the reader across the centuries, from ancient Rome to the present day, with stops in between. It will open your mind to some of the incredible mysteries of the past and the greatest secrets of existence. The Reincarnationist is more than a page-turner—it’s a page-burner. Don’t miss it.”

The book has garnered stars from both Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal and is a BookSense pick for September. I think of all my books, this is the one my mom would be the most proud of which is fitting since it’s really the one she inspired.

Please visit my website: www.mjrose.com for an excerpt, an interview with me about the book, a booktrailer and more.

And to not leave you hanging, here's direct links to all of M.J.'s fabulous resources on the web:

M.J. Rose's official website
Read an Excerpt from THE REINCARNATIONIST
Watch an Interview
Watch a booktrailer
Listen to the BookExpo Podcast interview
Read M.J. blog devoted the novel's fascinating subject matter.
Buy the Book
Reading Group Guide

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4:21 PM | | 0 comments

BOOK TOUR: THE REINCARNATIONIST by M.J. Rose

 by Bethany

"THE REINCARNATIONIST is equal parts modern-day thriller, historical fiction and love story. With one foot in present-day Rome and New York and another in Rome some 1,600 years ago, my story is about two worlds consumed by the fires of intrigue and passion." -- M. J. Rose

I couldn't say it better myself. M. J. Rose hit the nail on the head when she describes her latest (9th) book release or THE REINCARNATIONIST. It is all of what she says and more. The bare bones of it all (and I mean that, there are archaeological digs, tombs, ancient ruins), is that it is a love story. A deep, insanely beautiful love story that spans centuries and keeps you turning the pages to try to piece it all together. But let me warn you, before you realize it, you'll be sucked into the suspense and the characters will grab a hold of your heart and won't let you go.

I finished reading the book two nights ago. At 2 a.m. And with a newborn in the house, you know what that means about staying up late and giving up my precious sleep. I am still thinking about the characters (past and present). Thinking of their lives. What that had to offer the world. Their predicaments. And then wondering, what my past lives were. How I lived them. If I knew about them now, how I might try to *right* the past. Or if I could.

Traditionally, I am not sure I would have picked up this book myself. Then again the cover art is gorgeous. And captivating. So much so, when I had visitors this weekend, a friend, one that isn't a huge "reader" grabbed a hold of the book and started reading. Fingering the cover, pages... asking what it was about. Reincarnation is something that peaked her interest. And well, the book that M.J. offered me to read and review? Well, it is going to be sent across the country (well North anyway) to my close friend. I know the book, this book, might actually bring her back to reading. The way a good book should. And me, when M.J. sent the back cover copy my way to consider reading... had me hooked too.

I don't want to give anything away. Really. The book is too good to spoil. So here is the official blurb for the book:
Photojournalist Josh Ryder survives a terrorist’s bomb, only to be haunted by near hallucinatory memories of a past life in Rome as a pagan priest whose dangerous congress with Sabina, one of the Vestal Virgins, poses a transgression so serious the lovers will face a certain death if exposed. Scents of jasmine and sandalwood and images of furtive liaisons and violence descend on Josh at will, pulling him to an ancient yet strangely familiar Roman burial chamber harboring the remains of a woman clutching a wooden box.

A trail of present-day murders takes us deeper into a labyrinth at whose heart lies the enigma of a collection of ancient gems or memory stones whose origins trace back to both ancient Egypt and India. The stones’ promise to "assist the wearer in reaching his next incarnation" sets the ancient and modern worlds on a collision course.

And then, of course, my interview with M.J. Rose herself! She was so kind to drop by and answer a few questions for us.


You must have spent hours researching this book--with all the references to ancient Rome, Italy, and well, reincarnation. Did you happen to travel to Rome at all in your research? How about an archaeological dig? If not, is that something you would want to do yourself one day?

I did go to Rome several times. It's an amazing city with modern times and ancient times side by side every where you look. And I did see some archaeological digs there in process although I didn't get to go on site and really get involved. But I'd love to. I've been absolutely fascinated with archaeology since I was a kid.

Of course, the title alone will suggest this question-- who do you think you were in past lives or who do you wish you could have shared lives with and why?

I've gone to a reincarnationist and tried to find out and am afraid its very unexciting. An Egyptian slave girl, a Roman soldier, a Pilgrim wife. I never thought of who I wish I was - but its a great question. I think I would have like to have been a great philosopher who lived to 90 and died in his or her sleep of natural causes.

What is the most interesting reincarnation story you have heard since writing the book? I am guessing now that you have this book out, many people have shared their theories and stories with you... I'd love to hear the most interesting.

At a booksigning a woman came up to me and told me she'd heard me earlier that morning and knew she had been my sister in New England in the late 1600's and we'd died of a pox. What is so astonishing is as you can tell from my earlier answer, i have reason to believe that i was there then. But that's nothing compared to the fact that the woman has a tiny white mark on the side of her nose in the same exact place I have one. What is the mark? For both of us the same answer. A chicken pox scar from childhood.

And lastly, just because I ask this of everyone, if you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

I would like to be able to fly.

Oh, and M.J. is guest blogging over here later today (or tomorrow, depending on when I get the post up for reading). So, don't go too far away. She's got loads of background information on the how and why she wrote this book.

Here's some more fun links to keep you interested. If I haven't sold you on the book yet. But you should, really, go buy it. Totally worth the cash. It is such wonderful read. She'll have you up til 2 a.m. too. Trust me!

M.J. Rose's official website
Read an Excerpt
Watch an Interview
Watch a booktrailer
Listen to the BookExpo Podcast interview
Read M.J. blog devoted the novel's fascinating subject matter.
Buy the Book
Reading Group Guide

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11:56 AM | | 0 comments

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Valerie Block

Monday, October 01, 2007 by Bethany

Remember the book review for DON'T MAKE A SCENE by Valerie Block we featured late in August? If not, go back and check it out, it's definitely a good read. I mean, how can you surpass a book about a 40 year old movie buff who's had a rough time dating, keeping an apartment, and suffering a mid-life almost career crisis?

If you read the review, you will also note I had discovered Valerie and her writing long before DON'T MAKE A SCENE arrived on the scene. And it delights me to have here here today! She's been kind enough to let me interview her... take a look!

Hi Valerie!

It is absolutely wonderful to have you join my blog for a day--and, let me add, read your latest book. Was a wonderful read, much like WAS IT SOMETHING SAID? (which I also enjoyed immensely). Not only could I not put DON'T MAKE A SCENE down, but, well, it kept me up half the night with its little bits of personality and surprise twists and turns. Who couldn't love Diane? I mean--she either has luck or she doesn't. Or maybe she doesn't really know what she has does she? Anyway, that brings me to the *real* reason I'm loving to have you visit my corner of the Internet, it's interview time! :-)

Q: I'm a huge fan of the back story of novels. The who, what, when, where, and why you wrote DON'T MAKE A SCENE. Can you share a bit of that process with me? What idea sparked the entire evolvement of the story? Was it the idea of Diane as a character that came first, or the situation that she is in?

A: I am a cinema addict from way back, and at some point, I noticed that I was thinking about the movies far more than I was actually going to the movies, and this surprised me. This got me thinking about how the movies shape and haunt us. I had a story that I wanted to tell, about a woman and a man who meet and -- unlike in the movies -- don’t just “click” instantly, and burst into song on public transportation. I thought it would be interesting to juxtapose this very mundane, anti-climactic story against whatever is glamorous about the movies, and it occurred to me that one of the characters could run a revival cinema. I figured that this would be the perfect excuse to see all my favorite old movies, during office hours, in the name of research. The book would be about what happens when the eternal allure of classic cinema collides with the daily indignities of contemporary life.

I started my daily screenings, and two things struck me immediately: first, almost anything that you do everyday, even if it’s pure pleasure, can become a bit of a chore. And second, although many films did stand the test of time, other films that were major works to me when I was younger, upon re-visitation, just didn’t stand up. I found that interesting, how certain films can define stages in your life. And I thought I would “lend” that situation to Diane, the cineaste, who by that time had become one of my main characters.

Q: What part of the book can you most identify with and why?

A: Diane’s predicament really resonated with me. I’ve been married for five years now, but for a very long time -- much longer than is generally recommended -- I was single. At the time I felt under siege from all sides, and I wanted to explore the idea that as a single woman, you have to be very well-defended just to get through your day without advice, criticism, pity, matchmaking services. And although I’d written about the absurdities of dating before (WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?, SoHo Books, 1998), I discovered that I had more to say.

Q: You have a wide range of characters in this book-- from the 40 year old Diane, various high school cinema workers, Dorothy and Estelle (let's just say seniors), to men of various ages (depending on which date Diane is recapping), Vladimir, Javier... and with each of them you have nailed the age group and mannerisms to a tee. Was this something that you intentionally did while writing the book (trying to capture the ages and differences and then having age such a huge plot point in the book overall) or was it something that just came naturally while writing?

A: I try to get everything right! I want to “nail” the age, gender, race, religion, socio-economic group, political temperament, taste in film, books, clothing, etc.

But yes, you bring up a good point: age is an issue, in the book, and in life. My husband has a theory that we use age as a way of establishing an immediate hierarchy when we meet people for the first time, as in, “I am older than you, therefore, taller and more important, too.” Human beings for some reason need to know where they stand in the hierarchy, even if it’s just people standing around at a party. And people have different expectations of you depending on your age. The aging actresses in the book, Dorothy Vail and Estelle DeWinter, have the excuse that they are, or were, in the Business. But what about the rest of us? I think the current obsession with youth and youth culture, and the trend of using medical interventions to look more youthful is a kind of a First World collective mental illness.

Q: We all love movies (or I do). I am guessing with all the references you have throughout DON'T MAKE A SCENE that you are a movie buff yourself, like Diane. Is that true? Are you much like Diane and love some of the *older* movies better than current ones? Can you tell us your top 5 favorite movies?

A: I adore the movies. I wonder sometimes why I didn’t go into films instead of books, but there seemed to be so many barriers to entry when I was starting out as a writer. It also seemed like the writer was the smallest person in a film production, and I was not certain that I had what it took to direct. I thought it would be really frustrating to cede control of my work to someone else.

It was a joy to do the research for this book. I love good movies, no matter when or where they were made. My husband is always making fun of me for dragging him to Czech movies with Polish subtitles. That’s a joke, but barely.

Top five favorite movies? Five? I only get five? How about ten? Here’s a list, and it’s in no particular order. You can see that I have some favorites that are old, and some favorites that are quite current:

All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)
The Man Who Loved Women (François Truffaut, 1977)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring (Kim Ki-duk, 2003)
The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)
Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955)
Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou, 1991)
Ninotchka (Ernst Lubitsch,1939)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2000)
A Touch of Class (Melvin Frank, 1972)
West Side Story (Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, 1961)

Q: And, I ask this of all the authors that visit my site because it is just generally fun, if you could have any superpower, what would it be? Me, as I've said before, definitely MORE time. I'd love to control how much time I have (or stop it), so I could take care of the million things I need to get to each day.

A: If I could have any superpower, I think I’d want the ability to control noise, as I seem to be acutely sensitive to it, and am paralyzed with annoyance on trains, in restaurants and even libraries, where people seem to feel it’s their right to yak on their cell phones with impunity and without volume control. Also: there’s a TV on, everywhere you go. I would like to be able to press mute on the world from time to time.

Thank you Valerie for your time and generosity of stopping by! I always love a good chat with an author and this is no exception. Happy writing and can't wait to read your next book!

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9:44 AM | | 0 comments

Blog Tour: MEG CABOT's QUEEN OF BABBLE

Tuesday, June 12, 2007 by Bethany

NOTE: If you are reading this in an RSS reader (particularly Bloglines), this post isn't displaying correctly. In fact, you lose the entire opener to the Meg Cabot interview. So, to get the full post, please click over the the real blog! Thanks!

As alluded to in an earlier post, I'm very honored to have Meg Cabot here for an a little girl talk about her latest novel QUEEN OF BABBLE. (I mean, seriously, can you believe it? I am still slack-jawed and numb myself). And really, this is a first time for me, I've been an interviewer. Meg? Was as gracious as ever... see for yourself, as I'm still hopping around doing the happy dance.

Oh, and if you read to the end of this interview, I might have a little extra somethin', somethin' for y'all. Well that is if you do a little blabbin' yourself for me.


*********

Hi Meg (if I can call you by your first name basis. I mean we are both author's right? So the first-name-basis-thingie should be proper. I hope)!

I can't tell you how delighted I am to interview you for my blog. In fact, my jaw nearly hit my keyboard, since I am a mere small-time blogger with big dreams towards being a novelist--and here Meg Cabot (THE Meg Cabot with a gazillion novels under her belt like THE PRINCESS DIARIES Series, 1-800 Series, oh and SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT (Heather Wells Series), and SHE WENT ALL THE WAY) is on a blog tour and I'm helping? Yes, I'm a fan (but not in an overly obsessed stalker type way, I swear). I'm still in shock. Interview. Freebie of your latest book, QUEEN OF BABBLE. Well, I think I was catapulted into writer heaven. Or at least my version of it.

Anyway, my star-struck famous author visiting my blog babble must stop, as I know you are a busy woman--and I've got 5 questions to be answered. So, here they are:


1. First, QUEEN OF BABBLE was absolutely adorable. I mean, who wouldn't love Lizzie's diarrhea of the mouth (okay, that is my term, not yours).

Awww, thanks!

But it's true! That girl talks. And doesn't know when to stop. I mean, speaking from experience here, I think I've done myself "in" on more than one occasion due to the same sorta relationship with my conscience and mouth speaking. So, for the first question, tell me, are you a babbler like Lizzie?

Sadly, yes. The books are a LITTLE bit autobiographical. Just a little.

And (somehow I think you might be) please share, is there every a time when you let TOO much spill from your lips and what kind of trouble did it get you into?

Wow, it's kind of hard to pick out just one because there have been SO many occasions and of course they're so numerous (and embarrassing) I try to block them out as soon as possible. And of course I probably shouldn't mention anything that will upset my friends or family members or publishers (again). But I did used to work in the manager's office of a dorm at New York University where we would counsel students, and we had this confidentiality policy--we weren't supposed to talk about what the students told us to anyone outside the office. But it was all so dishy! I would tell EVERYONE! It was awful. I came so close to being fired so many times.

Then, when I finally quit, I couldn't resist stealing a bunch of the most outstandingly awesome olfd student files to use as inspiration for future books. My favorite is the one featuring Polaroids of a guy who passed out early during an illegal keg party, so his roommates put him--unconscious--in the elevator. He rode up and down all night long and never even knew it. In his Superman Underoos.

I hope my former employers never find out I have that.

Oops.

2. Along that same vein, was it that foot-in-mouth mistake that lead you to write QUEEN OF BABBLE? I'm always dying to know what inspired a book to be written. Was it the character of Lizzie? The What-if Scenario of a girl that just can't stop speaking her mind?

I hate secrets...I find them burdensome and feel this painful NEED to unload them as soon as they are revealed to me. I like to tell myself it's because I've seen what secrets can do to families, and how much simpler and better it is to just have everything out in the open and dealt with from the beginning (unless they're the hurtful kind of secrets, of course). But I don't know. I think it's just because I love calling my friends and going, "You will NEVER believe this!" Although I do feel horrible AFTER I blab something I promised not to tell. And yet, for some reason, people keep on telling their secrets to me, knowing full well I will tell everyone.

I wanted to write a book about a girl like me, because I'm tired of reading about noble heroines who keep everyone's secrets and don't blab out things without thinking, because that's so not me. I can't relate! I WISH I could be like those girls. But I never will be, I'm afraid.

3. I see there is a sequel coming (how could I *not* notice), QUEEN OF BABBLE IN THE BIG CITY, was this always in the plans when you wrote the first book? I ask because you are known for many books (over 40!) and many part of a series of books. As an author myself, I'm always curious about the intentions of books from the get go? And how series of books are born? Are the planned? Do the characters suddenly become loved by the author (and editorial team) that you JUST HAVE TO write another follow up book? Please share. Because right now, I'd dive right into the next Lizzie book in a heartbeat and I think there might be others like me!

Well, thanks! No, I definitely planned out a trilogy of books about Lizzie from the beginning, and submitted a three book proposal to my editor right off the bat--Queen of Babble (the first book, which is out in paperback now), Queen of Babble in the Big City (out in hardback on the June 26), and Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, which I'm writing right now, and will be out next year at this time.

I don't know why, but I always know from the inception of the idea for a book if it's going to be a stand alone or a series. I knew when I got the idea for Queen of Babble that it would be a series. Three books seemed about right to tell all of Lizzie's tale. Same with Princess Diaries (10 books), the Mediator series, etc.

The bad part is when I envision a book as being a stand alone--like my 2005 teen release, Avalon High, and readers want a sequel...and I can't think of one! Because if I had envisioned a sequel, usually I'd have pitched the book as a series from the beginning. Fortunately I thought of a sequel (a mini-one...it's going to be a graphic novel, Avalon High 2, Coronation, out July 3). But I usually can never think of a sequel unless I've planned them out from the start.

4. I can't help but ask a more personal question as well, what superpowers do you wish you could have? Me? I'm thinking super-speed might do me well--I've got a 4 year old and another along the way, 2 cats, a dog, a husband, a house, a day job... well you get the idea. But really, what super power would you want and why?

It isn't really a superpower, but I wish I could fall asleep like a normal person! I have had insomnia since I was 12. I so envy nappers or anyone who can fall asleep without the aid of drugs. I've tried everything...giving up caffeine, drinking warm milk, baths, herbs, special teas, ear plugs, noise machines, special pillows, humidifiers, lowering my thermostat to 68 (ideal sleep temperature), kicking my husband out and sleeping in my own room, kicking the cat out, Sominex, Benadryl, Unisom, melatonin, kava kava, Ambien, you name it, for years. I would love the superpower of being able to doze off naturally whenever I want. That would be bliss! But I don't think it will ever happen without being bitten by a radioactive spider.


5. And lastly (because I know I've babbled myself a bit and you've got many other blogs to hit), what's your most unfavorite word ever? You know... the one that you just can't stand uttered from anyone's lips (or typed on a page), like fingers scraping on a chalk board?

It's not a word, it's a phrase. I hate the phrase, "I don't mean to be rude, but...." I was always taught that if you have to preface something with that phrase, you DO mean to be rude, so you should keep it to yourself! But no one ever seems to. They just blurt it out, apparently thinking that because they said they didn't mean to be rude, that absolves them. Well, it doesn't. Argh! I hate that.
Thanks again for your time. Honestly, this has just been a blast! Wish you continued success with ALL your books, and know, I'll be here still reading!

Thank YOU! I wish I could have thought of a better blabby secret to share, but I don't want to get any more friends/relatives mad at me.

********

See? Wasn't that just FABULOUS? Honestly, best interview I've ever conducted (but I guess after a career of interviewing engineers for user guide content, there isn't even a comparison). So thanks again Meg! This was wonderful

And yes, QUEEN OF BABBLE is absolutely charming, fun, witty, and all the things you would expect. Great beach read that keeps you giggling all the way to the last page. Really. So please, go check out the book. And of course Meg. How can you not love her? Here's the linkage to get you all hooked up:

**Oh and for the extra icing on the cake? Well, it's simple. Give me your Biggest Babble Moment in the comments (or a link to a blog post about it) and I'll do a little random drawing for the winner of your very own copy of QUEEN OF BABBLE. It's a great read, and hell, I'm all about sharing the laughs. So, get writing! I want to the worst of the worst stories you can dish out (we're all friends here, so no holding back)!

Updated: DEADLINE for the Biggest Babble Moment contest, Friday, June 15, at midnight CST. Please keep the moments coming (glad I'm not the only one either)!

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8:17 PM | | 0 comments

Pssst! I've got a secret.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007 by Bethany

Someone is coming to visit this very blog. Yep... [whispers/screams] Meg Cabot. The author of everything from THE PRINCESS DIARIES Series, 1-800 Series, oh and SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT/Heather Wells Series, and SHE WENT ALL THE WAY !

Can you believe it? I'm still drooling and spitting all over myself after trying to articulate myself accordingly for the interview.

Anyway, here's what's awaiting you in the next few days (one blog post once I get all the info together):
  • A personal interview with me (well, if I didn't make a fool of myself).
  • Some ravings about her latest novel, QUEEN OF BABBLE.
  • And more than a hint into the secret lives of authors (or at least a peek into some of her inspirations and most disliked word ever).
Isn't this just The Coolest Thing Ever? Because, really it is.

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11:49 AM | | 0 comments

I'm feeling a bit famous

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 by Bethany

Must be the time of year, or maybe it is my good virtual looks, but I've scored an interview with a fellow Chicago Writer's Association writer. Here's a little snippet:

Cheryl: Who do you think will buy your books once your published, Beth?

Beth: I would like to think when I finally do publish a book that it would be women just like me. The ones who shop at Target, balance life with motherhood, and are looking to be entertained while reading a book. My books aren’t meant to be the finest literature of our time–they are purely for fun. That is why I write them. So I hope that is why they get read!


Want to read more? Go here.

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9:55 PM | | 0 comments