Author Interview: Francine Pascal, author of 'Sweet Valley Confidential'

If you are female and in your mid-twenties, you have read Francine Pascal.  I know I sure did.  Francine Pascal is the creator/author of the Sweet Valley series and most recently, 'Sweet Valley Confidential'.  Francine was nice enough to answer a few questions for this little blog!  Enjoy!


A Bit About Francine Pascal: (info/photo taken from Goodreads)

Francine Pascal is an American author best known for creating the Sweet Valley series of novels. In 1982, she created the characters and the stories for the first six books and her agent, Amy Berkower of Writers House sold them to Bantam Books. From then on, she wrote the stories for every book ever published in the series. She now divides her time between homes in New York and the south of France.


More information on the Sweet Valley series can be found on the official website.


The Q and A Session:


After 27 years, Sweet Valley is still going strong. When you first started this adventure, what were your plans? Did you expect the series to take off as well as it did and spin off into so many different series?
Francine: Of course I hoped that the series would resonate with a lot of young readers but I definitely didn’t expect it to be as successful as it became. The truth is that adolescence is eternal and transcends generations. And also pretty much the same all over the world. Sweet valley tapped into all of the major events of teenage life: love, heartbreak, tragedy, friendship, family… That's why Sweet Valley sold in twenty-five different languages- it relates to everyone, everywhere. My hope for that series was certainly fulfilled!


Did you always want to be a writer or is it something you fell into?
Francine: I never wanted to be anything else but a writer. My brother was a successful playwright and it showed me that being a writer didn’t have to be a fantasy, it could be a real career for me.


Of the Twins, which one would you rather be best friends with? Why?
Francine: I love both girls in such drastically different ways. I would say that I was more of an Elizabeth with some bad Jessica tendencies. I definitely have the same morals and work ethic that Elizabeth does, but I’m also quite social, like Jess, and I’m also a bit of a procrastinator. I won’t reveal any of our shared bad tendencies, as I’d like to keep all of my fans! So to answer the question: I’d rather be best friends with Liz and keep Jess at a distance


If a writer wants to create a grand universe of books, like you did with the Sweet Valley line, what advice would you give them?
Francine: It’s very difficult to give how-to advice to writers. The best advice is to keep a daily journal and keep writing all the time.


I read on Wikipedia that you were helping create a Sweet Valley High musical. Is that true? Is it still in development?
Francine: There was a time when a Sweet Valley High musical was in the works. I was collaborating with David Bryant from Bon Jovi with the music and it was off to a great start… unfortunately, as with most other works of theater, it doesn't always pan out. Maybe the timing was wrong.


I'm big on television (both writing and watching!). What is on your DVR right now?
Francine: Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, 60 Minutes, The Good Wife and almost everything on PBS.


Any messages for your fans?
Francine: I hope you liked Sweet Valley Confidential – Ten Years Later. It wasn’t easy to take all those fabulous characters from the Sweet Valley High series and bring them into adulthood, but I tried to capture a reality and bring in some twists and turns you weren’t expecting. Too bad about Spoilers trying to vandalize your pleasure. Hope you didn’t let them ruin the surprises.


I know it was a little difficult for some of you to leave that safe cocoon of a fantasy world, but you have to admit you aren’t the same people you were at sixteen. Nor would you want to be. It’s the same for Elizabeth and Jessica; they’re adult now and real life isn’t as easy as high school.


I'd like to thank Ann Marie and Francine for allowing this interview. Check out my review of 'Sweet Valley Confidential', and check back March 5th for information on how to win a copy for yourself!

Author Interview: Nicole Zoltack, Author of 'Seeing for the First Time'

Recently, I've been in contact with ebook author Nicole Soltack. Nicole is the author of the six part ya supernatural ebook series, 'What You See is What you Get'.  I recently reviewed part 1 in her series, 'Seeing for the First Time'. Here now, Nicole has taken time to participate in one of my favorite book blogging tasks-- the author interview!


A Bit About Author Nicole Soltack...

Nicole Zoltack loves to write fantasy/paranormal, romances, horror, historical, for adults and young adults, novels, short stories, and flash pieces. She doesn't want to get boxed in by genre -- she might be claustrophobic!

When she isn't writing about girls wanting to be knights, talking unicorns, and zombies, she spends time with her loving family. She loves to ride horses (pretending their unicorns, of course!) and going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, dressed in period garb. To learn more about Nicole and her work, visit her website at www.NicoleZoltack.com or her blog at http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com.


The Q and A session...


When did you first begin to write in hopes of publishing?
July 2008. I started to write some short stories and started to submit to magazines. The rejections quickly piled in. Then I saw a call of submission for a sweet romance short story and I thought, hey, I could do that. The first story I submitted was rejected but the second was accepted. Since then, I've never looked back!


Why did you choose self publishing over the traditional agent/publishing house route? What do you think of the experience so far?
I'm epublished because I am trying to build up writing credits as well as an audience before I try to get an agent. I have two novels that I am working on right now that I plan on submitting to agents.


Now that more and more people have ereaders, I think that ebooks are really going to explode. The market is dramatically increasing for ebooks, well over any other format right now.


Do you believe in the supernatural (ie: ghosts, fae, werewolves, etc)? Have you had any weird encounters with anything that could fall under that category?
I believe in angels and demons. One time, during high school gym class, we walked outside for class. We had to cross the street, and I wasn't paying attention. I didn't realize that everyone else had stopped walking and continued on. I felt a large hand push me back half a second before a car whizzed by, so close that the car just barely missed grazing me. I'm sure that was my guardian angel protecting me.


For you, what typical comes first? Plot or characters?
Usually the characters, although sometimes I think along the lines of what if such and such happened… and then the plot comes first.


If you could see one sort of supernatural creature, who would it be?
I would love to see a pegasus. Could you just imagine flying on the back of a winged unicorn?!


Tell us a bit about how 'Seeing for the First Time' came about...
I love paranormal stories, always have, always will, but I wanted to write something a little different. Paranormal with a kick, or in this case, an eye.


I was thinking about how we can see but can still be blind. We might walk past someone on the sidewalk and barely glance at them, maybe miss that they are hurting inside.


To turn this idea into a paranormal one, I thought about a world like ours but where the paranormal creatures are unseen except by only a few people, called seers. There's a veiled mist that separates our world from the paranormal one. And that's how I cam up with the idea of Seeing for the First Time.


What might we expect in the sequels? Are they available to the public yet?
Book 2, To See, is available for purchase. There will be a total of six short stories with one released the second week of each month.


In To See, a vampire hunter, Eric, is introduced, and the stakes are raised. Things are only going to get more dangerous for Ana, now that she can see. Poor Ana, her life would have been so much simpler if only she could see unicorns or fairies!


If you could live in a specific book genre, what would it be and why?
High fantasy. I love the middle ages, and what could be better than knights and magic? I love sword and sorcery!


I'm a huge TV nut. What is currently on your DVR?
My favorite TV show right now is The Vampire Diaries. I used to prefer Stefan but now I am team Damon all the way!


Where can readers find your book?
'Seeing for the First Time'
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-smash
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-omni
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-kindle
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-kindleUK
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-nook


And 'To See' is available:
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-smash
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-omni
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-Kindle
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-KindleUK
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-nook


I'd like to thank Nicole for taking the time to share her answers with the readers of this little blog! I appreciate it!

Contest: Win a Chance to Work with Lou Aronica, Author of 'Blue'!

As you might have noticed, many posts this week have been dedicated to Lou Aronica's new book, 'Blue'. In conjunction with his blog tour, Lou is hosting a fantastic contest that should interest anyone looking to one day get published!


Here are the details. They can also be found on Lou's Blog Tour site HERE.

"New York Times bestselling co-author, novelist, and former Publisher of Avon Books and Berkley Books, Lou Aronica has created a unique and exciting offer to anyone that is going to follow his upcoming book tour with Pump Up Your Book. 

His extensive experience in the publishing and editing fields has given him insight into an industry that continues to grow and change daily. Once again, that insight has led him to offer a contest that is truly special in so many ways. 

Lou will be accepting story pitches from followers of his blog tour. These story pitches must be for short stories pertaining to the fantasy world of his novel, “Blue.” This contest will allow 10 lucky people the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to have their story published in an upcoming companion anthology to “Blue.” Lou will hand pick the winners, edit their stories, include them in the anthology and give them a pro-rated share of the royalties. How can you pass up an opportunity like this? 

Now for the details:
The pitch should include a synopsis of the proposed story and a sample of the submitting author’s fiction writing. Specify the expected length of the story. 

The pitch needs to be submitted by April 16, 2011 

Please email your submission to Lou at laronica@fictionstudio.com 

All winners will be notified by email by May 27, 2011."

Good luck to all who enter this fantastic contest! To see more posts dedicated to 'Blue', don't forget to hit the tag!

Review: Blue by Lou Aronica

Yesterday I posted a Q&A with author Lou Aronica. Today's post is dedicated to his new book, 'Blue'. Originally, this was supposed to be a review of the title, but I didn't actually find 'Blue' to my liking and couldn't finish it completely. Usually, I don't review books that I haven't 100% finished, but I have a feeling I'm in the minority here when it comes to 'Blue'. For that reason, I've decided to keep this stop on the blog tour and switch it up into an informational post about the title.


About the Book: "Chris Astor is a man in his early forties who is going through the toughest stretch of his life. Becky is Chris’s fourteen-year-old daughter, a girl who has overcome enormous challenges to become a vibrant, vital young woman – and now faces her greatest obstacle yet. Miea is the young queen of a fantasy land that Becky and Chris created when Becky was little, a fantasy land that has developed a life of its own and now finds itself in terrible, maybe fatal trouble.

Together, Chris, Becky, and Miea need to uncover a secret. The secret to why their worlds have joined at this moment. The secret to their purpose. The secret to the future. It is a secret that, when discovered, will redefine imagination for all of them. Blue is a novel of trial and hope, invention and rediscovery. It might very well take you someplace you never knew existed."


What Bloggers Are Saying:  'Blue' has had quite a long virtual tour.  While I couldn't give it a satisfactory review, check out these reviews from blogs around the web!


Avery's Book (and Other Fun Stuff) Nook
Life With Five Monkies
Fluidity of Time
The Book Faery Reviews
As I Turn the Pages


More review and interview links can be found on Lou's main tour page!  'Blue' is available at most online retailers and in e-book form!  I'd like to thank Tracee and Lou for giving me the opportunity to be part of this blog tour!  

Blog Tour: Interview with Lou Aronica, Author of 'Blue'

A few months back, Tracee from "Pump Up Your Book" asked if I was interested in hosting author Lou Aronica.  Usually, I would have declined because the novel isn't actually aimed at kids or teens. 'Blue', however, has a premise that could interest a vast group of readers, so I decided, why not?

About the Author:
Lou Aronica is the author of several novels and works of nonfiction, including the New York Times bestseller, The Element (written with Ken Robinson) and the national bestseller, The Culture Code (written with Clotaire Rapaille). He lives in Southern Connecticut with his wife and four children.


Q&A with Lou Aronica:


Can you give us a sentence or two about who you are and where you're from?


Lou: I’ve been involved in the book world for the past three decades, first on the publishing side (I was Deputy Publisher of Bantam Books, then Publisher of Berkley, and then Publisher of Avon), and more recently as a writer. I’ve written sixteen books, including the New York Times bestseller The Element (with Ken Robinson) and the national bestseller The Culture Code (with Clotaire Rapaille). I live in Southern Connecticut with my wife and four children.


-When did you begin to write seriously and why?


Lou: I’ve been dabbling in writing since I was a teenager, and even when I got into the publishing business, I believed I was doing so to facilitate a career in writing. I didn’t write my first book until nine years ago, though. This actually happened somewhat accidentally. I’d set up my company, The Fiction Studio, with the intention of developing ideas for other writers to execute. When I sold the first of these to a publisher, though, I realized that I was too close to the project to turn it over to someone else. I decided to write the book myself, and it became my first novel, The Forever Year.


-Do you have any writing rituals (ie: listening to music, writing at night, etc)?


Lou: My only ritual seems to be getting up to walk around every couple of sentences. I’m fairly capable of staying in one place most of the time, but not when I’m writing. If I could figure out a way to type while walking, I’d probably be far more efficient.


-What inspired you to write 'Blue'? Who's your intended audience?


Lou: The original inspiration for the novel was my trepidation over my oldest child getting ready to go off to college. I was worried that I was going to lose her and that we’d never have the life we had when she was home. I realized, of course, that no one would want to read a novel about a guy wringing his hands over his daughter leaving home, so everything became a metaphor. As it turns out, Blue took me six years to write – long enough that my daughter has graduated college. In the end, I didn’t lose her at all, but at least I got a novel out of my neurosis.


I’d like to believe that Blue is equally readable by those who love fantasy and character-driven novels, as well as adults and teens. The three main characters are a man in his early forties, his teenaged daughter, and the twentysomething queen of the fantasy world they created when the daughter was little, so different people are going to identify with different protagonists.


-Pitch your book in 7 words or less!


Lou: Fantasy world turns real for life-changing reasons. Yes, I realize I cheated with the hyphenated word.


-In a movie of your life, who would play you? In the same respect, who would play title characters Chris, Becky,and Miea in a movie adaptation of 'Blue'? Why?


Lou: I think someone like Tom Hanks might play me well, though he plays everyone well. For Chris, maybe Greg Kinnear, and for Becky, let’s go with Hailee Steinfeld. I was thinking about Natalie Portman whenever I wrote from Miea’s POV, though that was before “Black Swan.” I’m glad I didn’t have that image in my head.


-What are you working on now?


Lou: I have two nonfiction books due to publishers during the first half of this year, including the follow-up to The Element. The next fiction work will be an anthology of stories set in Blue’s fantasy world of Tamarisk. I’m writing the first story and the last, and readers are going to contribute the rest. My next novel is in the very early planning stages. Hopefully, it won’t take me six years to write it.


-If you could live in a specific book genre, what would it be?


Lou: It’s not really a genre, but I would like to live in the world of character-driven stories. I think I’d be very happy in a world where people were relating to one another at a heightened level.


-If you could travel back in time, where would you go?


Lou: Not terribly far back. There’s too much about the present I would miss. However, I would have loved to have been an adult at the start of the sixties. So many things were emerging then: enormous breakthroughs in the arts and technology, profound social changes, new frontiers opening all the time.


-One of my other blogs is centered around toys, what was your favorite toy growing up?


Lou: Strat-o-Matic Baseball. I was (and still am) a huge baseball fan, and it was the first real sports simulation game. You used cards that estimated probabilities for all Major League players, so the players performed as they did in real life. There are plenty of computer simulations that do things like this now, but back then it was mind-blowing.


-If I were to look at your DVR, what television shows would I find on it?


Lou: Right now, you’d find “Modern Family,” “Top Chef,” “Nova Science Now,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” That, and a half-dozen episodes of “Babar,” because my five-year-old likes to watch them.


-One of the great things about blogging is that I get to spread the word about books I love. What's your favorite book and can you pitch it to our readers?


Lou: Many of my favorite books are classics like “The Catcher in the Rye,” “The Sound and the Fury,” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” My favorite book that readers are less likely to know is John Crowley’s “Little, Big.” It’s an elaborate contemporary fantasy reminiscent of “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” I think John Crowley is one of the great fiction stylists, and anyone who loves language and imagination should get a copy right now.


-Where can readers find your book?


Lou: It’s available at all online retailers. The e-book is cheaper; buy that one.


I'd like to thank Tracee and Lou for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour! Check back tomorrow for more info on 'Blue'!

Contest: Win A Copy of 'Tomorrows Guardian'!

As you know, this week I've been posting a lot about Richard Denning's book 'Tomorrows Guardian', an action packed time traveling romp.  Now's your chance to WIN a copy of the book!

Click the image above to go to the contest page! Entering is simple and takes a mere second!  Good luck to all who enter!!!

Author Tour: Q&A with Richard Denning

The past few months I've had the honor of chatting with the author of 'Tomorrow's Guardian', Richard Denning. He's currently in the the middle of his blog tour and todays he's visiting this little blog. I had the chance to ask him a few questions about himself and here's what he had to say!

Author Bio:

Richard Denning is a Young adult sci-fi, historical fiction and historical fantasy writer. He also writes book and board game reviews and online articles on historical and gaming related topics. He owns his own small publishing house, Mercia Books and is part of a board game design house Medusa Games.

A keen player of board games and other games he is one of the directors of UK Games Expo (the UK's largest hobby games convention). He is a board game designer and his first Board Game, 'The Great Fire on London 1666' was published by Medusa Games and Prime Games in October 2010.

Author website: http://www.richarddenning.co.uk

The Q/A Session:

-Can you give us a sentence or two about who you are and where you're from?

Richard: I was born in Ilkeston in Derbyshire (UK) and I live in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. I work as a General Practitioner (family doctor) with a North Birmingham practice. I am 43 and am married with two children (Helen and Matthew).

-When did you first decide to write in hopes of publishing and why?

Richard: I started writing about 10 years ago (although like many people I did scribble some words at school. Then I went off to university and I was a Medical student and a house officer and senior house office in hospital (what you would call an intern) and finally emerged into general practice. After I had settled into a permanent post I started to write again. I enjoy reading and through those long years of study I read avidly. I started to get ideas for plots and characters and one day began writing. It was only a couple of years ago that I made a serious effort to get published.

-Do you have any writing rituals (ie: listening to music, writing at night, etc)?

Richard: Generally I write best in a quiet room. This usually means when the children are in bed (late at night) or in the afternoons when I am able to get home for a bit. I find after the noise and chatter of day to day life at the surgery that what I need to get the mind working is solitude and peace. When I am the plotting stage of a book I am more likely though to be out and about. I tend to think through the plots whilst walking or driving about and if I can visit a castle or battlefield that also helps to spark the imagination.

-What inspired you to write 'Tomorrows Guardian'? Who's your intended audience?

Richard: I enjoy Time Travel as a concept in fiction – movies, TV and books. So I wanted to write my own Time Travel adventure. But I wanted to explore the perils and challenges involved in time travel. The book is written with 10 to 14 year olds in mind but has gone down well with adults as well. It is set in England and so it will be interesting to see what Americans make of it.

-Pitch your book in 7 words or less!

Richard: Time Travel sounds like fun until you try it! D’oh that’s 9 – can I get away with that ;-)

-In a movie of your life, who would play you? In the same respect, who would play title character Tom in a movie adaptation of 'Tomorrows Guardian'? Why?

Richard: Me? Well if I lose my temper I tend to stomp about all legs and arms rather like John Cleese (from Monty Python and Basil Fawlty) – except he would have to lose the moustache.

As for Tom? Well actually the chap who plays Edmund in the Narnia chronicles would fit my idea quite well (Skandar Keynes) although he is now a bit old for Tom. But just how he was in Prince Caspian would be about right.

-Will we see sequels to 'Tomorrow's Guardian' and what should we expect?

Richard: Yes you will. The sequel (Yesterday’s Treasures) is written and will be out later in the summer: Everyone is searching for pieces of 'The Crown of Knossos:' historical artefacts which when assembled allow control over all of history in this and in the Twisted reality. The Hourglass Institute, Redfeld's masters and even the Directorate are soon in the hunt. One by one the pieces are found but eventually Tom and the others discover who is really after The Crown and what their motivations are. It is only then that they realise the extent of the danger, for 'Yesterday's Treasures' can mean the destruction of tomorrow.

-If you could live in a specific book genre, what would it be?

Richard: Ohh that is a good question. I tell you what if I could live in Bag End (especially how it is portrayed in the Lord of the Rings Movies) I would love that. So I guess I am going to say Fantasy BUT I always rather fancied the world of Poirot: England in the 1920s or 30s. So murder mysteries in England country houses would come a close second.

-I love the idea of time travel! If you could travel back in time, where would you go?

Richard: Well I would love to visit the big moments in history and the great places. See the seven wonders of the ancient world. Be with Caesar as he crossed into Britain. Accompany Alexander the Great to the borders of India, see the first plane flight and witness the signing of the Magna Carta. I would be a Time Tourist crossing off a list of the big moments.

-Your book has been compared to Doctor Who... As a Doctor Who fan (or Whovian) I need to know-- are you a Doctor Who fan and if so, who's your favorite Doctor?

Richard: YES YES YES. OK that might be a bit over the top. Then again I am a huge DR Who Fan. I first saw the John Pertwee era DR Who live (in about 1970) and remember being terrified by the first episode with the autons coming to life in shop windows. The Third and fourth DRs occupied the classic era of DR who with some superb stories. I then went back and saw the first and second dr. I actually like them all. Matt Smith is superb at present. 

If I had to choose one Dr above all it would be Peter Davidson – number 5. Tends to get over looked but there was something about him I really liked – sort of kind, gentle but grumpy.

-If I were to look at your DVR (Digital Video Recorder), what television shows would I find on it?

Richard: Buffy and Angel (we are watching both these again with my 13 year old daughter. DR Who, Farscape, Firefly (one of the best Sci Fi series), Stargate, Star Trek (we getting a bit of a theme here), James Bond, Sharpe’s Rifles, Miss Marple, Poroit, Morse, Cadfael, Black Adder. How is that?

-One of the great things about blogging is that I get to spread the word about books I love. What's your favorite book and can you pitch it to our readers?

Richard: The Lord of the Rings had such a huge influence on me that I have to say if you have not read it you need to. Yes it can be tough going at times and is a bit dated but it has some wonderful passages in it. If I can sneak in a mention of two other authors I would pitch Terry Pratchett and Bernard Cornwall.

-Where can those of us residing in the US or Canada find your book?

Richard: On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrows-Guardian-Richard-Denning/dp/0956483569

On Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrows-Guardian-Hourglass-Institute-ebook/dp/B004H4XDVI

At Mercia Books US site (both ebook and paperback): http://www.merciabooks.co.uk/buyingUSA.html

I'd like to thank Mr. Denning for stopping by the blog!  Be sure to check out my fantasy cast and the review of his book, posted in separate posts on this blog, and check out the official website for the book for more on this blog tour! 


Want to read 'Tomorrow's Guardian'?  Enter to win a copy of 'Tomorrow's Guardian' HERE!