The Bradford Novels

It's a Party!

2009-08-13T12:36:00.003-04:00

Hey friendlies:

I'm off upstate near the Delaware River, communing with nature and being vair vair serious about my writing.
(Also? Dealing with satellite Interwebs, which is why all of my posting has been so spotty of late. Props to Liz for helping a sister out with the slack).

One thing that is NOT serious, however--in that it is ALL ABOUT funfunfun--is that the launch of Fashionista is well underway! My author copies arrived the other day and they are gorj. Gorj, I tell you. You've already seen the ultra-fab trailer that Liz posted the other day (it totally makes me SO CURIOUS to learn all of Mads' secrets, and--DUH!--I'm the one who wrote them!). But between now and 8/25 (our official launch date), you can check out Paige's blog, an uber-insider's account of her time at Zephyr.

We're also going to be running new exclusive content on the other Bradfordians' blogs, so if you aren't following those yet, keep your eyes peeled. And Mads herself will be running exclusive interviews with other fashion-type peeps, and offering up awesome giveaways in the process. This will all culminate in a MOST VERIEST Twitter party, (date TBD), wherein you can test your knowledge of all things Bradford, and win many loverly prizes.

What more can I say?
Watch. This. Space.

Mwah!

--Meeks

Fashionista Launchy Goodness!

2009-08-06T18:13:00.007-04:00

Sorry we've been so quiet recently, but we've been gearing up for an amazing FASHIONISTA launch and working on Bradford #3. But it was worth the wait, because now we've got a bunch of blogiddy goodness for you, counting down to the launch of Fashionista later this month.

First, hot off the presses (or the iMac, more likely), is the trailer for Fashionista.

Let us know what you think of it, and please feel free to repost it.

Second, fan-favorite character Paige is going to be sharing her deepest, darkest secrets from her second stint at Zephyr all this month at her blog, The Detox Diaries, in what we like to call Bradford blogisodes.

She'll be opening up the privacy settings on the posts she wrote while she was involuntarily shipped off to the island rehab retreat so you can take a peak. Her posts will bridge the gap between GoldenGirl and Fashionista and let you know EXACTLY how she feels about Regan weaseling her way into Paige's inner circle and what Spencer did to her at the end of book #1, among other things. So, if you want the inside scoop, be sure to add her blog to your RSS reader, or check her blog during the week for updates.

Finally, with help from the YA blogger who runs Alley of Books, we're planning a Fashionista Twitter Party with author Micol Ostow for later this month, which will include an online trivia hunt, giveaways, and possible guest appearances from the Bradford girls themselves. (Hmm... wonder how well they're getting along these days.)

So, enjoy all the great stuff we have for you today, and keep checking back for the latest updates!

This Book Is So Punk Rock

2009-07-01T15:04:00.011-04:00

Micol Ostow is one busy author. When she's not writing the next Bradford novel or creating amazing online content, she writes amazing stand alone books like SO PUNK ROCK (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), a hybrid prose/graphic novel published by Flux that she created with her brother, illustrator David Ostow. It goes on sale today, so if you like Micol's other books, pick it up at your local bookstore or order it online.

Micol has really gotten the hang of this multi-platform stuff—SO PUNK ROCK's characters come to life in much the same way as the Bradfordians. Check out Ari and Reena's Twitter accounts and The Tribe's My Space page.

Check out the trailer, here:

And let us know what you think about Micol and David's new book!

FASHIONISTA takes the blogosphere by storm!

2009-06-29T12:21:00.005-04:00

Or, okay--if not storm per se, there's a small drizzle happenin' up in here.
It's true, folks--the first sighting of a FASHIONISTA review online! Check it out!

Courtesy of the fine folks at BookKids, which seems like a totally fabu indie bookstore. Wish I were closer so I could stop by and thank 'em in person for the shout out! We're keeping vair good company in that article, as well. Note to self: stock up on summer sequel reading.

Now that the first draft of book 3 is complete, we're gearing up for lots of pre-launch book 2 funnage. Stay tuned!

I was thinking of you lovelies the WHOLE TIME!

2009-05-31T03:10:00.002-04:00

Reasons why this blog has been so hushity.

Also, a trailer for my non-Bradford project.

(Don't worry--you friendlies will always be my truest).

To bed so I can finish book 3 TOMORROW!

Besos,

Meeks

NYC Teen Author Carnival!

2009-05-21T16:09:00.003-04:00

Hello friendlies:

I am tappity-tapping away at an undisclosed location (okay, fine--it's Cafe Henri, try to contain your shock), but wanted to quickly post about this most very of author events taking place in NYC next Thurs:
The NYC Teen Author Carnival!

It is being run by YA bloggers Devyn Burton, Mitali Dave, and Korianne Wey, and rumor has it there may be TREATS and CONNECT FOUR involved!
I will be there, as will many, many other most awesome young adult writers. Come carnival with us!

And now, back to my regularly scheduled Bradfording....

Notes from the Underground

2009-05-05T23:28:00.003-04:00

As FlirtyLiz has intimated, I've been squirreled away working on the third installment of Bradford, which is tons of fun, especially since it's very Hollywood and pop culture-centric.
I haven't had much chance to come up for air, but I thought you might appreciate a short list of recent Google searches I've done in service of your fine book series:

1. M Night Shymalan
2. Tarte Cheek Stain
2. Lotta Stensson
3. Dolce and Gabbana (I really should know how to spell this by now)
4. Apothecary Bar, Philadelphia
5. Golden Bridge Yoga, LA
6. Ryder Jared
7. Soiree
8. microdermabrasion
9. Jimmy Choo
10. Martin Scorsese

Liz would be impressed to learn that despite all of this web-based "research," I have resisted the siren song of Internet shopping.

Back to work, people!

MWAH!

Happy Birthday!

2009-04-29T15:09:00.002-04:00

Hello, Bradford fans!

Today is a very special day—the anniversary of the birth of Bradford's talented author, Micol Ostow. So let's all wish her the most fantabulous of birthdays!

(Meanwhile, she's toiling away on the third Bradford manuscript, so cheer her on!)

I have it on good authority that several Bradfordians actually sent her e-mails to wish her well. How meta!

Micol, here's hoping you get to eat lots of Smooch sweets and drink a Saketini to celebrate you special day!

Happy Birthday!

Across the Blogoverse, Part 2

2009-04-16T16:28:00.004-04:00

Hello, Bradford Friendlies!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. Micol's hard at work in a super-sekrit location, writing BOOK #3 of Bradford. (Okay, probably not REALLY secret. I'm guessing she's either in her writing chair, or at Cafe Henri, or possibly watching Veronica Mars on a short break.)

My excuse is that we're working with Simon Pulse on some Even More Super-Sekrit stuff, that will most likely include a big Bradford contest & ALL-NEW, ONLINE-ONLY Blogisodes in June to tide you over until FASHIONISTA comes out in August.

In the meantime, check out these recent Bradfordly links:

Senfaye at A Maze of Books says "GoldenGirl lived up to my expectations, and it was awesome!"

The Feed Your Imagination book blog says "Ostow's latest is fun and fast-paced."

Ten Cent Notes says "It's fun, gossipy, not so mean that it's trashy, but definitely a wonderfully fluffy read..." and also posted an interview with Micol.

So, enjoy these links & keep checking back for more updates about our SEKRIT June online events!

Countdown to FASHIONISTA!

2009-04-08T09:00:00.004-04:00

If you didn't get enough of Bradford's resident fashionista in GoldenGirl, never fear! Madison's story (and scandals) are featured in the second Bradford novel, Fashionista, coming to bookstores on August 25, 2009.

I know, I know. That sounds like a long time before you'll be able to get your Mads fix. But just remember two things:

1) You can count the days until Fashionista hits stores with this loverly countdown widget. Share it! Embed it on your blog! Watch the seconds/minutes/hours/days click away!

2) You can always get more Mads via her blog, her Twitter feed, or her Facebook page to tide you over while you wait for all the gory deats of her scandalous life!

P.S. Don't you just love this cover? Mads really knows how to rawk a gold sequin top!

No foolin'!

2009-04-01T13:16:00.004-04:00

Hello friendliest:

I know it might seem that April 1st would be the perfect opportunity to pull some kind of cyber-prank on all of you devoted Bradford followers, but alas, I'm on major deadline (book 3, here we come!), and not feeling particularly crafty today (gotta save all of that scheming for my girlies, right?).

Instead, I wanted to give a quick shout out to Wdebo, the blogger behind The Electrical book cafe. Wdebo recently posted a review of GoldenGirl that I loved, loved, loved! NOT only because she liked the book and had lots of good things to say about it (though, I have to admit, of course that helped), but specifically for this quote:

"All in all, this was a really good book for those who enjoy books like Privilege. Also, for those, like me, who HATE these types of books, read it and I believe you will like them like I do. ( I can't wait for Fashionista!"

I just adore the fact that my little old book managed to appeal to entice someone to read outside of their typical area of interest.
Not that I don't enjoy positive feedback from ALL of my readers--srsly, flattery will get you everywhere, people--but there's an added element of satisfaction in knowing that we've managed to convert one bookworm over to the Dark Side (otherwise known as "blitchlit").

And that's no joke!

The Winners are UP!

2009-03-31T10:14:00.002-04:00

Yes, you read that correctly, WINNERS. As in, plural. Spencer is giving away TWO prizes on her blog to the winners of her birthday contest. Check it out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!

2009-03-30T12:25:00.005-04:00

Hello my most friendliest of people:

If you'll allow me a moment of self-indulgence, I just wanted to post a brief notice that TODAY IS MY BABY BROTHER'S 30 BIRTHDAY!
It's true. David K. Ostow is old as the hills, yo.
Some of you who know my work know that Dave is my collaborator and illustrator on the forthcoming hybrid graphic novel project, So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), which will be out in July. See above: us at last year's Comic Con NYC being all professional and conference-like.

In terms of his relationship to the Bradford-verse, suffice it to say that one Jeremy Brown's musical tastes have been heavily influenced by Brother Dave.

Dave blogs about book and non-book stuff over on livejournal; stop by, friend him, and wish him a happy day if you have a mo'.

Here's a shot of us from his official birthday celebration this past Saturday night--what on earth do we think I was talking about?!

Maybe we're still arguing about that acoustic Nirvana CD that went missing sometime in the mid-nineties. We'll never know.

Regardless, I hope you have a fabbidy day, David!

Spencer's contest

2009-03-24T23:07:00.001-04:00

Quick update to let you know Spencer's blog comments form was temporarily broken, BUT HAS NOW BEEN FIXED!! So please enter to win a signed copy of THE SEASON!

Sorry about that!

The kitchen sink

2009-03-23T20:08:00.007-04:00

(Also known as, this blog post.)
For serious people, I have many many things to share with you! So exciting!

For starters, in Bradford news, yesterday was the Biggest Teen Author Signing Ever at Books of Wonder in NYC. Not only did I get to sign copies of GoldenGirl, but I also got to meet Bradford friendlies Sharon Anne and Khyrinthia! I am pleased to report that both are every bit as awesome in person as online.
You may recall that Sharon Anne was our grand prize winner from the Bradford Blog Bash! Here's a pic of her humbly accepting her prize package (above).
(Please to disregard my slouching! I can hear my mother in my ear with the: "stand up straight!" And she would be correct. But oh, well.)

Other things Bradford: Spencer's birthday contest continues! Today, she announced on her blog that she'll be giving away as her present to YOU a signed copy of The Season by authoress extraordinaire Sarah MacLean. Rumor has it that Sarah will even be doing a short Q&A with Spencer on Wednesday in honor of the close of the contest. Swing by Spencer's blog between now and midnight Wednesday and post your own six word memoir, and you'll be entered for a chance to win the book.
(And believe you me, it's a good book. Worth the pain of the creative process.)

You might think that that is more than enough news from my corner of the world. But I have MORE THINGS TO TELL YOU!
Namely, that I can be found this week in two places: firstly, at author KC Dyer's Darby Speaks blog, chatting about--what else?--the Bradfordlies.
ALSO, an excerpt for the Ellen Hopkins anthology from SmartPop, Flirtin' With the Monster, (coming in May) can be found here. I was so flattered to be asked to contribute an essay, and let me tell you, it was nice to put those VCFA critical writing skills to use!

As you can see, it's been all kinds of bizzy here in Ostow-ville. But I wouldn't have it any other way!

Spencer's Spectacular Birthday Party!

2009-03-18T17:12:00.003-04:00

TODAY is Spencer Grace Kelly's birthday! And to celebrate the anniversary of everyone's fav GoldenGirl, she's hosting a special contest for all her friendlies over at her blog, All That Glitters, this week.

Craft your own six-word memoir and post it in the comments section to her post by midnight EDT on Wed, 3/25. She and her BFFs will choose their favorite and award the winner a prezzie.

Good luck!

NYC Teen Author Festival--THIS WEEK!

2009-03-16T15:51:00.001-04:00

Hey all:

Just a quick reminder that today kicks off the first-ever TEEN AUTHOR FEST here in New York City! Throughout the week, you'll be able to attend readings, signings, and panel discussions featuring tons of amazing young adult authors.

I'll be reading in Staten Island on Thursday, and signing with about 40 other authors at Books of Wonder on Sunday.
You can find a link to all of the Teen Author Fest events here!

Hope to see you!

The Head of the Class

2009-03-09T09:00:00.003-04:00

Hello, Bradford friendlies!

I've just read the RAVE review of GoldenGirl at the Vita Dei blog. She rated it an A++++ and said "It was awesome! I loved it and I say that about books very rarely." Thank you, Jessica!

There's also a really great review of Micol Ostow's previous book, Popular Vote, over at Juiciliciousss Reviews, so check that one out as well.

My bookshelf, my self...

2009-03-09T00:10:00.003-04:00

Happened to blog on my author blog (that is, the non-Brad-specific blog over at livejournal) about the ways in which we judge and are judged by what we read and what books we display. The topic was spurred by a post at Jezebel asking, when is a bookshelf a dating dealbreaker?

Would love to hear your thoughts, if you've got 'em. Come visit me here.

Happy Monday, people! We survived Daylight Savings!

Prize-alicious and Swag-tastic! Blog Bash winners REVEALED!

2009-03-06T21:57:00.006-05:00

For those of you pretties who thought this day would never come, the wait is over--lo, we have tallied the various prizewinners from our month-long Bradford Blog Bash, and giveaways will be going out STAT!

(Though we may wait a week until the gorj new Bradford bookmarks and magnets come in so we can add them to some of the prizes. That's worth the wait, right?)

But first, I did want to thank you very very muchly for all of your supportive friendliness during our mucho-exciting new series launch. I had a great time meeting new people out there in the blogosphere (and spending time with old friends!), and my Bradford girlies had a great time getting to know you all, too! If you haven't already, be sure to check them out on Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, and on their own private blogs (links can be found on the sidebar to your left) to catch updates, additional plot reveals, and even some online-only story arcs to help you get your Bradford fix between now and June, when FASHIONISTA releases.

But I believe we were speaking of swag.
I'm sure that Spencer would agree that pressies are always most very.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

*Widget download giveaways:
Katie Johnson
Meredith Foster

Mondays With Micol winners:
Allie Jones
Faith
Marjolein

Guest Blogger winners:
Lynn Weingarten ("Wherever Nina Lies"): Shalonda
Cynthia Leitich Smith ("Tantalize"): Paradox

(Quite Extremely) Grand Prize:
Reader Rabbit

and...

THE MOST, ULTRA, EXTRA, VERY Grand Prize:
Sharonanne!

Woo hoo!

If you've won a prize, and for any reason I don't have your information, I shall be contacting you shortly.

THANKS FOR PLAYING ALONG (and for partying with us)!

Besos,

Micol

The Dog Ate My Blog Post

2009-03-05T22:35:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, that's so TOTES not an excuse! I am filled to the veriness with apologies for the fact that the BLOG BASH WINNERS have still not been posted! I could babble on about how completely and unexpectedly insane these last two months have been--which would be utterly and completely true*--or I could just swear on Chanel and Zac Posen to have the names up for you tomorrow, just in time for the weekend!

And just to raise the stakes--if I'm lyin', and the info doesn't go up by 11:59pm EST tomorrow, I will give away one whole entire extra surprise prize package at random.

For realsies.

*(said craziness did indeed include not one but TWO marathon plotting sessions for new books in the Bradford series--d'you forgive me now?)

TGI (almost) F, my most prettiest friendlies!

Across the Blogoverse

2009-03-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Micol's been all over the blogoverse this week. Check out these interviews at In Bed With Books and Innovative to get to know her a bit better.

Gag Reel & Oscars Update!

2009-02-23T12:01:00.008-05:00

The Bradford Blog Bash may be over, but we're still having fun over here at the Bradford Novels Blog!

The Bradford author video we posted last week seemed so professional and effortless, didn't it? Well, today we've got a HILARIOUS gag reel from it that proves it's a lot harder being an author than it looks. (And you didn't even have to buy the DVD to get it!)

I literally LOL every time I watch it. Enjoy these outtakes, and let us know what you think in the comments section! (BTW, the disembodied male voice in the vid belongs to Micol's fiance and cameraman, Noah, who put this collection of funny clips together.)

Also, don't forget to check out Madison's Oscar fashion roundup later today at her Prêt-a-Party blog.

She also live-blogged the Oscars, so check out the play-by-play on her Twitter feed.

Guest Blogger of the Day: Gwenda Bond!

2009-02-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

I had the great fortune to get to know Gwenda Bond through our MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts; she and I were fellow Revisionistas, and learned on our first night, over several glasses of wine and chatter, that we had many friends and colleagues in the YA-verse in common.

(Here we are at graduation with the rest of our kick-a$$ class; cute, right? And ps: how SHORT am I?)

To date, she is one of my first stops when I'm looking for feedback or an opinion on industry stuff (she has also been one of the beta readers for my Deep Dark Secret Spec Project, for which I'm eternally grateful!).
Gwenda blogs about all things lit (and pop culture, and cupcakes, and pets) over at Shaken And Stirred—when she isn't hard at work on a novel that promises to take the teen book world by storm.

Blog: Shaken & Stirred  
URL: http://gwendabond.typepad.com/bondgirl   

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. They are also, more and more, a central part of the YA-writing universe. When and why did you start blogging?
  I should know, shouldn't I? The oldest post the editor shows on the old version of my site is in 2002. So, we'll say 2002. Anyway, who can say exactly when I started? Not me, apparently. But, wow, seven years-ish. That's a long time ago.  I do remember why I started though. It was because I was constantly e-mailing articles -- particularly New York Times articles -- to my friends, and I figured it would be less bothersome if I had a place to put them where they could nab them if they wanted, and ignore if they didn't. It was also a way to reduce the amount of e-mail I had to do. Several of my close friends started blogging around the same time, and so we could track each other's movements too. Clearly, that evolved over time. My posting got a lot less personal once strangers started reading the site, and once I discovered there was a whole burgeoning community of people writing about books (thanks to my friend Barb and the infamous Jennifer Howard Washington Post article in 2003 about how insular litblogs were), I recognized that was what I wanted to do. With room for miscellaneous posts about TV and dogs. I should also say that I discovered very quickly that litbloggers weren't insular at all. There's a real sense of community.  

Completely agree! What's your favorite thing about blogging?  
The sense of connection with the larger literary world I associate with it. I think I would get very lonely, writing and reading in my little corner, reaching out via e-mails to people who are also getting too many e-mails. I like talking about pretty much everything, and I like getting to know really interesting people. I like making recommendations, and drawing attention to other people saying worthwhile (or infuriating) stuff. Blogging has been a great gift to me, in terms of both discovering new books to love and in all the friends I've initially met through the site over the years. I try to give gifts back whenever I can.  

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? How confessional do you like a blog to get? What sort of blog posts most appeal to you? What are some of your favorite blogs (book or otherwise) out there right now?
  There are some great confessional blogs, but I mostly don't read them. Although I do ADORE reading other people's friends-locked livejournal entries. Those are more like diaries than traditional blogs, I think, and so it's a bit like getting a peek behind the curtain into someone else's real life, not just their online one. Plus, the secrecy is very appealing.  But, as I said above, the thing I like best about the blogosphere is the conversation of it, and I find the confessional sites frequently to be less about having a conversation. So they're just not my thing? This is one of the reasons I'm now addicted to Twitter. It's one big endless, flitting discussion.  The exception would be The Nervous Breakdown, where I'm a new poster. Many of the posts at this massive group blog of mainly writers are more personal essay in nature, but they're so funny/true/well done that I find it completely addictive.  
Blogs I love: God. There are so, so many. I think Colleen Mondor does amazing work both on her own site, Chasing Ray, and as the mastermind behind Guys Lit Wire. Carolyn Kellogg has made the LA Times Book Blog Paper Cuts a must read. I still love About Last Night, one of the first blogs I ever discovered. Sarah Rees Brennan is hilarious. Oh, and Justine Larbalestier is so fabulous as blogging --far more thoughtful about it than I'll ever be. Betsy Bird. Cynthia Leitich Smith. And I'll stop now, because I could on and on and on and on. Clearly.  

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?  
Biggest scandal... Hmm... I honestly can't think of anything that was huge! And my secrets are very well-protected. It was probably a bit of a scandal the couple of times I got detention, given that they announced your name over the loudspeaker in first period and I was the principal's daughter. Also, during my Jim Morrison phase, pre-driver's license when I still rode to school with my mom she once said, "I pledge allegiance to The Doors" during the morning address, because we'd just been fighting about how loud I wanted to play them in the car. I have about a million stories like this.  

What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend (or vice-versa)? Are you still friends with her or him?
  I'm actually a pretty good friend, I hope, and more on the dangerously loyal side. That said, I think it was probably in college. I dealt poorly with a friend's crush, once I figured out he was serious and that I didn't reciprocate. Sadly, we actually did fall out of touch after that, but neither of us handled it that well, so that's some small comfort. As far the vice versa, I refer to my high school/early college best friend as Satan. Make of that what you will.  

Sounds like she'd fit right in at Bradford! And...since Bradford is all about the rumor mill: rumor has it you've got some exciting book news on the horizon, too! Anything you want to share?
  Um, I recently had the good fortune to sign with Jennifer Laughran at the Andrea Brown Agency.

Oh, exciting! Can't wait to hear more good news! And thanks for stopping by!

Party Pics!

2009-02-20T18:23:00.003-05:00

More pics to follow soon, but here's a link to MediaBistro's sponsored slideshow from last night's Bradford launch!
(The one above is yours truly with author/editor/writing instructor extraordinaire, Jill Santopolo. And if you watch the slideshow, you'll see shots of FlirtyLiz and Noah, too!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/media-bistro/sets/72157614110394405/show/

I've been teaching young adult writing through MediaBistro for almost two years now, and have had two students sell their projects that we worked on in class. It was great to be able to celebrate my new series with students, colleagues, family, and friends. We had a fab turnout and a wonderful time toasting to all of our new Bradford friendlies!

Here's to many more ultra-extra-very Bradford releases to come!

Awesome Authors: Anita Liberty

2009-02-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Author Anita Liberty joins us today to discuss being bitter, the origin of blogs, and why she doesn't like to talk about her old books with her current publisher. She's got just the right amount of snark to fit in with the Bradford girls. Welcome!

A short author bio, in her own words: Anita Liberty is the author of The Center of the Universe (Yep, That Would Be Me), How to Heal the Hurt by Hating, and How to Stay Bitter Through the Happiest Times of Her Life. She writes television scripts, screenplays and Facebook status updates. Her website is www.anitaliberty.com, her blog can be found at anitaliberty.blogspot.com, her friendship can be had at www.facebook.com, and her merchandise can be bought at www.cafepress.com/staybitter. Is that enough for you people? Sheesh.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
That’s so interesting, 'cause blogs are a central part of the Anita Liberty universe, too. Do you think I should call my lawyers? Or were blogs part of the Bradford Novels universe first? Which came first? The Anita Liberty chicken or the Bradford Prep egg? I have a feeling I’m not gonna win this one. I did have an actual blog, for a while, on MySpace. And then I moved out of the MySpace neighborhood and into the Facebook neighborhood and I’m still unpacking my blogs. I keep another blog on blogger.com. But I haven’t quite figured out how to, or what to, write at the moment. My blog is called ANITA LIBERTY’S BITTER BLOG. And I came up with the name—funny story—'cause my name is Anita Liberty and I’m bitter and it’s my blog.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I like blogging when I hit on a topic that resonates with readers. Just blogging for the blog of it actually is sort of annoying and feels like navel-gazing. Not that I don’t enjoy gazing at my own navel, but I like to find things to write about that feel fresh and interesting and aren’t just about my own little myopic view on the minutiae of my life. Although sometimes that kind of blog topic can end up getting a lot of response. For instance, the time I wrote about being unable to blog without biting my nails. It brought a lot of nailbitters out of the woodwork and we formed a spontaneous support group. Raise your stubby little fingers high and unite!

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
Is this a trick question? The answer seems too obvious to be what you’re looking for from me. But maybe you underestimate me and my ability to answer questions in a straightforward manner. My answer to this question is that a diary is a (traditionally) private place to record your thoughts, feelings and, life events and a blog is a (traditionally) public place to record your thoughts, feelings and, life events. Although, when I used to keep a diary, I always wrote with the sense that my words might be made public one day. Like when I die and my audience has an insatiable hunger for more of my writing and Simon Pulse approaches my “estate” and begs them for the rights to publish my private journals posthumously and my “estate” says, “How much ya got?” And Simon Pulse throws opens its coffers and dumps a buttload of cash in the lap of my “estate” and I make way more money dead than I ever did alive.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
My most recent book is The Center of the Universe (Yup, That Would Be Me). That’s the book published by Simon Pulse. It’s my first Young Adult book. It’s sort of a “prequel” to my other two books, How to Heal the Hurt by Hating and How to Stay Bitter Through the Happiest Times of Your Life. Those two were published by another publisher. But I don’t like to talk about that in front of Simon Pulse, 'cause then Simon Pulse gets all insecure and starts interrogating me about my time with the other publisher and what did it have that Simon Pulse doesn’t and then it gets to a point where nothing I say is reassuring enough for Simon Pulse and Simon Pulse would rather sulk than get over it and we end up spending the rest of the evening sitting in uncomfortable silence. (But the make-up sex is always hot.)
As to what new projects I’m currently working on . . . I’m working on some ideas I have for another book, contemplating a screenplay version of the Anita Liberty story, developing a web series, writing an hour-long television pilot, and doing rewrites on a half-hour television pilot I wrote last year that may (or may not) go into production this winter.

Contests Galore!

2009-02-20T01:42:00.004-05:00

If you're interested in winning a copy of GoldenGirl, check out this contest that Shalonda's Blog is running. It's so easy to enter—you just have to visit some of the Bradford blogs & websites (which you were so totally going to do anyway, right?) and tell her what you liked about it/them. She's also got some ways to earn extra entries, so head on over there for all the deats.

(BTW, I'm loving her pretty new daisies layout!)

Also, don't forget the contest over at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf, which also ends next week.

AND, of course, keep commenting on Bradford Blog Bash posts to earn entries in our Grand Prize giveaway for a random commenter from ANY of the blog bash's posts, and our Slightly Less Grand Prize giveaway (which might actually be almost as grand as the Grand Prize, but is for this week's posts only). Comments through midnight on Sunday 2/22 count toward these giveaways. We'll announce the winners on Monday.

Awesome Authors: Kelly Parra!

2009-02-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

Kelly Parra is a YA writer who also maintains a fantastic and fun blog, "YA Fresh," with writer Tina Ferraro. Not only did Kelly agree to do a little Q&A for our blog bash, but she has ALSO offered a copy of her book, INVISIBLE TOUCH, as a giveaway to a randomly selected commenter on her post. So comment to enter for a chance to win!

Kelly is a Mexican-Filipino-Italian writer. Through her teen years, her nationality was many times a guessing game by new acquaintances and today she often writes her multicultural characters with the same experiences. She debuted into young adult fiction with the Latina novel GRAFFITI GIRL, a double RITA finalist. Her latest novel is the YA contemporary paranormal, INVISIBLE TOUCH published by MTV Books. Learn more about her and her books at kellyparra.com.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. They are also, more and more, a central part of the YA-writing universe. When and why did you start blogging?
I first started blogging a couple of years before I sold my first book. Blogs were really taking off and I wanted a connection with other writers during my struggle to publication. After selling my first YA novel, GRAFFITI GIRL, I knew many romance writers at the time but I didn't know how I would connect with other YA readers. I had always felt a blog needed to give something to readers that they would be interested in. Not just about my own YA books but about other authors, and soon YA Fresh was born. Not long after it launched, I asked my fab critique partner, Tina Ferraro, if she would like to join me and luckily she did. It's been a great couple of years!

What's your favorite thing about blogging? As someone who coordinates between a variety of different blogs, how do you stay organized?
My favorite thing about blogging is the connection with other writers and readers! It's such a blast to share your likes and dislikes, and all the book gossip with your friends. I do coordinate between group blogs and guest blogs and it can get overwhelming at times. I'm a total list person and I write down dates to try and keep me sane. :)

What are the pros and cons of running a group blog, as opposed to blogging strictly on a personal site?
One pro of running team blogs is having others to share a variety of topics with a different spin to keep readers interested. I can't really think of a con—I feel group blogs work really well if organized. Blogging on your own can be a little boring and it's hard to bring something fresh to readers.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? How confessional do you like a blog to get? What sort of blog posts most appeal to you? What are some of your favorite blogs (book or otherwise) out there right now?
Diaries are for the writer's eyes only! A blog can be read by hundreds of readers and can reach farther beyond. On YA Fresh, we try and keep it light. Blog posts that appeal to me are background news on writers and their books. Its so fun to follow a favorite writer through their writing journey. Some of my favorite blogs are: Teenfictioncafe.blogspot.com and YAWriters.blogspot.com.
GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
There was always a scandal in high school—from fights to party stories, whatever topic that could keep the gossip going. I'm not sure if any of my dark secrets were whispered behind hands...nothing I can think of at the moment!

Sure, sure...So, what’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
I started talking to an ex-boyfriend of one of my friends. They'd been broken up for a long time, and she told me it didn't bother her. But later down the road when I stopped talking to the guy my friend ended up back with him and admitted it had bothered her. I wish she would have told me, but then I should have just brushed him off. Friends stick around longer than dates! I run into her every once in a while and we still talk like years haven't gone by.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
My latest release is INVISIBLE TOUCH (MTV Books/October, 2008). The story is about a girl who sees "signs" or symbols on individuals and must piece the signs together in order to save them from unfortunate fates. TeensReadToo gave Touch the Gold Award of Excellence and bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz called it a blend of mystery, romance, and deep and dangerous secrets.

Right now, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and writing an urban fantasy that takes place in the near future. It's been an exciting and fun challenge!

Thank you for letting me join in, Micol!

Guest Blogger of the Day: The Frenetic Reader!

2009-02-19T11:00:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited to be bringing an actual TEEN blogger to our discussion on YA book blogging! Khyrinthia and I found each other in the cyberverse as I was gearing up for the GoldenGirl launch, and she has been a staunch supporter of the series ever since. Here's what she has to say:

Name: Khy/The Frenetic Reader

Blog URL: http://freneticreader.blogspot.com/

Tell us a little bit about your blog (the content, editorial identity, purpose)

On my blog, I mostly review YA books. Occasionally I will mention the fact that zombies are 3852803 times better than unicorns, and more than occasionally I will mention my undying love for David Levithan. (I obsess over him.)

I don't blame you--David rocks. My jury is still out on the zombie/unicorn thing, however. So, how/when/why did you decide to start blogging? Is your current blog your first? If not (or, if so), how did your original blog/s evolve to your current blog-incarnation?

I started my blog back in April of 2008, but it sure doesn't feel like I've had it that long. I was extremely bored one night, and my friend had recently started her own blog, so I wanted to start one. And since I read a bazillion book blogs, I figured I'd start my own. And now, here I am. -insert festive music here-

What's your favorite thing about blogging?

Am I allowed to say everything? Because I love everything. I love finding out about new books, being able to rant about books I may or may not like, and talking to all the other awesome bloggers. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't like getting a free book every once in a while.

Yeah, me, too! What's one thing that surprised you about the blogging process?

How much motivation it takes to actually sit down and write something. The internet can be very distracting. So can Twitter. And sometimes it's hard to think of stuff to say, or write down your thoughts so that they make sense. But it's all worth it. :)

In your opinion, what constitutes a "good" (ie: interesting, readable) blog post? What sort of information are you looking to offer your readers?

Honestly, I have no clue what makes an interesting blog post. I'll read anything as long as it's in complete sentences, does not use chatspeak, and is not in one huge paragraph. Even if you write about what you ate for breakfast, I will probably at least skim your post.

As far as information that I want to offer my readers (I have readers! I like being able to say that), um....information about books? More specifically, books that should be read and obsessed over and books to be read and loved.

Hmm...my Bradfordlies and I might need to reconsider our use of chatspeak. What blogs do you read regularly?

Do I have time to list all 300 in my google reader? I read a ton of book blogs, and author blogs. I'd name favorites, but I don't want to leave anyone out. We have to be fair here, so no favorites. Though I do love all the ones I read. :D

And I just wanted to say, thanks for letting me answer your questions, Micol! Can't wait to read GoldenGirl.

Thanks for coming by, and for being as passionate about teen books as we are!

Awesome Authors: Elisabeth Wolfe

2009-02-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

Today's Awesome Author is Elisabeth (Koller) Wolfe, one of the authors of Click! The Girl's Guide to Knowing What You Want and How to Make It Happen. She was the only cheerleader in Richmond, Virginia to be kicked off the squad for chronic lateness due to humidity hair havoc. Thankfully, Elisabeth refocused her energy and moved to New York City, where she became an attorney, started a production company, and won an Emmy Award. Check out her book website: www.clickthegirlsguide.com.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
That people actually read our blog.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
I would never write something unkind on a blog, but anything goes in my diary, since it’s for my eyes only. My latest diary’s cover is a yummy faux leather chocolate brown that’s so deceptively cozy looking that it’s shocking to read the bitch sessions that comprise the first 50 pages. Getting negative thoughts out of my head and onto paper is my mental maintenance. Seeing things written down helps me gain just a bit more perspective.

Last week, I brought my diary with me to the local nail salon/hang out figuring I would let it all hang out on paper during my pedicure. It wasn’t until 10 pm that evening that it hit me. I had left my diary at the nail drying station. Panic set in. That night, I had nightmares of feet soaking acquaintances reading passages out loud and laughing hysterically. What if one of the friends I had written about was among them? What if someone stole my diary?

I was waiting outside when the salon opened the next morning. Thank goodness my diary was still there. As she handed it back to me, receptionist raised one eyebrow and said “Oh…so you’re the one who left this.” Suffice it to say that my diary will never leave my house again!

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
I remember seeing Rear Window and To Catch a Thief in my college film class and enjoying them both immensely. I was most impressed by Grace Kelly’s powerful presence, her beauty, and her wardrobe.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
I consulted my bff from high school and neither of us could come up with anything scandalous that I can put here. No one got much dirt on me, thankfully.

What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
I broke up with a boyfriend over the phone. Back then, breaking up on the phone was a big no no. But these days, it’s more the norm. Never spoke to the guy again, but he recently popped up on Facebook. I wonder what he’d do if I sent him a message.

Guest Blogger of the Day: The Page Flipper!

2009-02-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

We only have three days left in the Bradford Blog Bash, and THREE amazing guest bloggers still waiting to visit with us! So for the rest of the week, we're gonna have a guest book blogger EVERY DAY! First off, The Page Flipper, AKA Chelsea, was kind enough to sit down and talk to us about why it is that she blogs about books!

Name: Chelsea
Blog url: thepageflipper.blogspot.com

Tell us a little bit about your blog (the content, editorial identity, purpose):
My blog's main purpose is to connect with readers and push my opinion on them. :) Really, I just like to help promote new YA books coming out in the market, and help readers find books they'd be interested in. I try to review a variety of different genres, to hit with everyone. I also have a YA book club, where we discuss a different book each month; it's great to be able to fully geek out about books without being laughed at. (Here's looking to you, brother!)

We would never laugh about book love—we get it! How/when/why did you decide to start blogging? Is your current blog your first?
I decided to start in late 2007 - the main reason was because my family and friends got completely sick of me rattling on about my latest read. I figured I'd start sharing my opinion with people who actually wanted to hear it! It's completely addicting. The Page Flipper is my first blog, but it's been through many transformations. It was a cocoon at first, in its little bloggish state. It grew on its own, but then I decided to put it in an incubator and created a website. That lasted for a month or so, until I missed my blogging ways, and started back up again. Now I like to think of it as a butterfly. (I do realize how corny I am, thanks.)

Not corny, poetic! So, what's your favorite thing about blogging?
I lovelovelove communicating with other readers and authors. When I first started, I didn't picture "book blogging" to be as big and as friendly of a community as it became. I love talking to other readers about books, and to authors about writing. It's been a ton of fun, and I don't plan on giving it up anytime soon.

What is one thing that surprised you about the blogging process?
Free books! I started out with just library books - I used to make weekly trips. I had no idea what ARCs were, and when I was offered a free book, I thought it was a scam. Seriously. I was also surprised by how many bloggers are out there. We could totally dominate the world.

In your opinion, what constitutes a "good" (ie: interesting, readable) blog post?
I love humor. If you add a little of that into your posts, you're golden. And casualness. If you write formally all the time, it can get boring.

What sort of information are you looking to offer your readers?
I hope to provide my (fabulous!) readers with a fun environment to learn about new books, and to be able to get to know authors in an easy, laid-back way.

What blogs do you read regularly?
Eep. So many! I love The Story Siren's blog, along with Reviewer X's. And Po(sey) Sessions! The Book Muncher. Teen Book Review. The Compulsive Reader. I could go on and on, but someone would probably bring in duct tape, and I'd like to just avoid that whole scenario.

Thanks, Micol, for interviewing me! :)

Thanks for stopping by, Chelsea!

NY Fashion Week Extra: VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY--On the Blog!

2009-02-18T12:00:00.003-05:00

Today, the Bradford Blog Bash is thrilled to welcome guest blogger MADISON TAKAHASHI!

Yes, you read that right—Bradford Prep's #1 Fashionista has landed a primo interview, and she's sharing it with YOUYOUYOU!

You lucky darlings!

MADISON SAYS: Ooh ooh ooh, my friendlies!

If you've been following me on my blog, or checked out my student page (which, I mean—OF COURSE you have, duh), then you know what a huge fan I am of the "Violet" book series by the very very veriest author, Melissa Walker. Violet=reluctant fashion model. Melissa's books=awesome.

Me=your hero, for having scored a little one-on-one with Miss Violet herself.

Behold:

Hey, Violet! I'm so excited to be talking to you today! As you probably know, I, like, LIVE for fashion design, and can't wait to have a collection shown in a real, live fashion show. Obvs I've read all of your books, but for those poor misguided souls out there who may be unfamiliar, can you pretty please tell us about your rise to supermodel stardom?

Sure. Um, well, I got scouted at my dorky movie theater job in North Carolina. My agent, Angela Blythe, flew me up to New York, and I made a good impression on some fashion week bookers, so that started it all. Later that year—which was my senior year of high school—I moved to NYC to model full time...

Blogs are a enormo-huge part of the Bradford world. All of my friends and I keep our own blogs and we update constantly. I know you've blogged, too. When and why did you start blogging?

Blogging has been a big release for me. There's a lot of crazy pressure in the fashion world, so sometimes I just wanted to reach out into the universe and talk to my friends—and fans (I feel so douchy saying "fans"—I mean, people I don't know who are interested in me...)—about what I was experiencing. Sometimes I overshare, though. Haha.

CLEARLY the Bradfordverse is teeming with scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?

I was never really a part of high school scandals. To be honest, I wanted to be, but no one really saw me back then. Since I've been modeling, though, I've had more than my share of scandals. I feel like I don't have many of my own secrets, but it was quite a shock to find the guy I was dating in Brazil in bed with another girl—another model even. That pretty much sucked.

Ouch. WTH, Brazil dude? Okay, moving on to happier topics...my friendlies and I are all super-extra careful about setting the privacy locks on different blog posts, depending on content. But even we slip up sometimes, with explosive results. I'm pretty sure, as per "Violet By Design," that you are familiar with Blogger's Regret Syndrome. Would you like to relive that painful experience here with us today?

Okay, but just for you, Madison. I guess the biggest thing was when I blogged about trying to lose weight, and then I talked to the press about how I hate the body standards for models. I still believe it's not healthy, and I won't stop talking about it, even though my agent got sooooo mad when I spoke up, and I didn't book many shows that season.

Ew. But yay for you for speaking out. So, what's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?

I think blowing off my best friends Julie and Roger wasn't cool. I did that when I first moved to NYC, and I've always regretted it. It's just that the fashion world took up a lot of my time, and the rules were so different—I didn't think they'd understand what I was going through. But I should have known they'll always be by my side. We're still the best of friends. And Roger and I, well, we're working out our feelings for each other.

Well, that sounds promising—and romantical! Tell us what blogs, if any, do you read regularly?

I subscribe to iheartdaily.com, of course—love it. And also whowhatwear.com. But mostly I just stick to reading my friends' facebook updates and keeping in touch with the people I know in the
real world—that's extra important to me now.

I HEART iheartdaily! And of course, since you're in fashion I have to ask: how would you describe your personal style? Who are some of your favorite designers?

This is so funny because I really do wear t-shirts and jeans or leggings all the time when I'm not working. But my favorite t-shirts are the really soft kinds, so sometimes I do buy designer versions because they seem to get the soft slouchiness just right. My favorite brands for that style are T Alexander Wang (anything from there) and from Elizabeth and James (love their A-line and v-neck styles). And London Sole ballet flats also rule my world.

Thanks for the tips, V! And thanks for partying with us!

Awesome Authors: Terra Elan McVoy

2009-02-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today's Awesome Author is Terra Elan McVoy, who wrote the upcoming debut novel Pure and is also the manager of Little Shop of Stories, an independent bookstore in Decatur, GA. She was born in Tallahassee, FL and is currently in pursuit of the perfect cupcake recipe.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
Well a diary is usually very private. Often it has a lock and you hide it under your bed. Maybe you have some kind of trap rigged up so you can tell if someone else has read it. But a blog? That is for everyone! Even your grandma could look you up and read it!

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What's your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
Rear Window is my favorite because she's so lovely and calm and suave in it. Plus—duh—the outfits.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
A really big scandal that happened at my high school centered around my biology teacher. We were doing our standard section on the birds and the bees, and he gave us an assignment that required us to catalog all the available contraceptives at a drugstore. Some parents complained. Our teacher was asked to apologize for giving the offending assignment but he wouldn't, and as a consequence he left the school and went to teach elsewhere. We were all very upset by this and had t-shirts made and contacted the news and staged a walk-out and were in the local paper and everything. This had nothing to do with any of my deep, dark secrets though, which fortunately I kept to myself!

What's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
I think probably the worst thing I ever did was to not ever forgive one friend of mine for something bad she did to me. I am still not speaking to her.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
My first novel, Pure, is due out in April of this year. I am working on putting together a second novel as we speak!

Spotlight on Micol at Shalonda's Blog

2009-02-18T00:53:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to point out that Shalonda's Blog is hosting Bradford author Micol Ostow today. Micol shares her super exciting daily schedule, which Bradford character is the most fun to write, plus what she does during her free time (other than creating delicious scandals for the Bradfordians). Check it out! http://shalondasblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/spotlight-on-micol-ostow.html

Breaking News: New NYC Events!

2009-02-17T20:23:00.005-05:00

Well my friendlies, you heard it HERE first: I have just confirmed dates for two brand spankin' NEW GoldenGirl events that will take place as part of the first-ever NYC Teen Author Festival.
The Festival itself will run from 3/16-3/22, and you lucky, lucky readers will have lots of opportunities to hear from many kick-a$$ young adult authors (rumor has it that Scott Westerfeld and David Levithan will be reading from some of the writing they did when they were wee young adults, themselves. I predict laughter and hijinks).
Check out the Festival Facebook group page for more general info.

Yours truly will be reading from GoldenGirl as part of the Five-Borough Read. I'll be in Staten Island (and am feeling quite proud of myself for traveling off of mainland Manhattan, thank you very much).

Come see me at:
St. George Library Center, 5 Central Avenue
4-5pm

And check it: I'll be reading with:
Kate Brian, Judy Goldschmidt, Michael Northrop, and Lynn Weingarten! Excellent authors, one and all!
(And some of my besties, in point of fact.)

BUT WAIT—there's more!
I will *also* be participating in what has been titled "The Biggest Teen Author Signing EVER" (those caps aren't even mine)!
Come get yourself an autographed copy of GoldenGirl at Books of Wonder (a totally fabu indie bookstore, btw).

From the press release:

The Biggest Teen Author Signing EVER
Sunday, 3/22, Books of Wonder, 4pm

Join over 40 authors for a signing extravaganza as they take over Books of Wonder, sign books, and converse with fans new and old. An incredible event that is sure to go down in book-signing history.

OVER FORTY amazing authors? Yowza. I have seen the lineup, and let me tell you, there are some heavy hitters on it, including: Robin Wasserman, Megan McCafferty, Coe Booth, Judy Blundell, Maureen Johnson, E. Lockhart, Cecily Von Ziegesar, and MOREMOREMORE!

Now, to go prepare my reading selection. A girl can never plan too far ahead, wouldn't you agree?

Awesome Authors: Billy Merrell

2009-02-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

Today's another Double Feature, as we have Awesome Author Billy Merrell stopping by for a chat. He is the author of Talking in the Dark, a poetry memoir (Scholastic, 2003), and a co-editor for The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing About LGBTQ and Other Identities (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2006), which received a 2006 Lambda Literary Award. He received his M.F.A. in Poetry from Columbia University and is currently Web Development Coordinator for Poets.org, the award winning website of the Academy of American Poets. Visit him online at www.billymerrell.com.

Why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog? I started blogging in 2006 as a way to publicly participate in NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month). Both an informal offshoot of National Poetry Month and a blatant ripoff of National Novel Writing Month, NaPoWriMo challenges poets to compose and post a poem a day during April. I was studying poetry at Columbia at the time and writing poems most days anyway, so why not? A blog was born. Since then, I've posted many poems and the occasional link to something that inspires me. As my poems became longer, posting single excerpts made less sense, and it's been a while since I've posted actively. Now that I think about it, maybe I'll start blogging again. Since I'm out of that long poem phase.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? It's a great way to quietly put yourself out there. To "publish"—to literally make your work public, without claiming anything about the quality. The poems I post to my blog are ones I at the time deem successful in one way or another. Which is very different from me thinking they are "good" or wanting to put them in front of readers right away. Instead, I can let the readers find the poems on their own. And it maybe means more when they do.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? Since my day job is Web Development, I find it hard not to answer technically. A blog is a publishing format, and a diary is a specific category of journaling. My blog is nothing like a diary. It's more like an ongoing chapbook.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What's your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
Rear Window (1954). Hitchcock is way scarier than all the Saw movies put together.

What's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
Well, there was this one time... I was friends with this guy and I didn't know I had a crush on him. I mean, I did... but I didn't know that my crush had morphed into scary crush. And then I was introduced to this guy that he liked... and even though I didn't really like the guy I ended up dating HIM as some sort of creepy way to seem desirable to the one I really liked. But it all blew up in my face. Luckily for me, and the good people of Gainesville, Florida, I met my now husband Nico Medina (also a writer!) over the course of that pyscho cycle. I can now go back to being a good person. Are we friends? Yes, according to Facebook.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
In 2006, I co-edited The Full Spectrum, an anthology of writing about queer experience by young writers aged 13 to 23. Poems and stories have also appeared in a number of anthologies, most recently The Best Gay Poetry 2008. In October of 2009, you should also watch out for Go Ahead, Ask Me, a book of irreverent conversation starters I wrote with my husband. I still laugh reading some of those questions. Good times. Separate from book projects, I'm hard at work preparing for National Poetry Month, which promises to be the best yet. Carry a poem in your pocket on April 30—national Poem In Your Pocket Day.

Party Favors!!!

2009-02-17T11:00:00.005-05:00

The Bradford Blog Bash is winding down, but this week is packed with soooo much Bradfordly goodness...I just can't contain my excitement. Here are some of the highlights:

NOW YOU SEE HER. Our fav author, Micol, has created a special vid that explains that interactive collection of web stuffs we like to call the Bradverse. She's super cute in it—especially right after the first cutaway—AND she manages to do a great job of explaining just what all this crazy internet stuff is all about. Let us know what you think, and spread it around! (It's also available on the FlirtyGirlBooks YouTube channel, if you have trouble embedding it from Vimeo.)

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE. Thanks to suggestions from Alea, Noah, and others, we've launched an official BradfordWiki!!! This is a special collection of articles about the series that's meant to be written for the fans, BY the fans. We've created a few article stubs just to get you started, but this is a place for YOU to share your Bradford knowledge with other readers! (In particular, I think Alea is interested in someone deciphering some of that unique Bradford slang...anyone out there willing to help her out?)

PARTY FAVORS. We've just added some fun new GoldenGirl-themed avatars/chat icons and wallpapers to the Bradford Novels downloads page. Deck out your desktop like a Fashionista, or satisfy your inner Paige (or Mads, or Spence, or Regan) by switching your chat icon.

THE GRAND FINALE. I know it's been a long and crowded party (thanks, authors, bloggers, and photo shoot cast & crew for giving us so many posts!) but you need to keep up your energy for a few more days! Not only do we have some really exciting posts this week, but we're planning two grand prize-ish giveaways (okay, so they're not a trip to Tahiti, but they're more than just a book). One's for a random commenter to any post from this week—multiple comments = multiple entries, natch—AND the other's for a random commenter to ANY POST FROM THE ENTIRE BLOG BASH (same rules apply). So, you're probably already entered to win one of the grand prizes!! How great is that? Now, let's get to work increasing your chances of winning by sharing your thoughts with us!

Awesome Authors: kc dyer

2009-02-17T09:00:00.002-05:00

Today we're very lucky to have Awesome Author kc dyer with us!
Here's a short author bio, in her own words: kc dyer is a professional liar, prevaricator, and provocateur. Her published work includes: SEEDS OF TIME (2002), SECRET OF LIGHT (2003), SHADES OF RED (2005), MS.ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK (2007), and A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW (2009). More in the works!
She can be found blogging at leftwriter and Darby Speaks, or hanging about her website at kcdyer.com. Facebook fanpage can (not so surprisingly) be found at kc dyer. (Darby has a fan-page, too, right HERE.) She tweets @kcdyer on Twitter. You can email her at contact@kcdyer.com.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
I've been blogging for almost three years—started in 2006. For me, it's a great way to stay connected with the people who read my books and the people in my writing world—friends, other writers and industry folks—who may not live where I do geographically.
My blog is called leftwriter. I called it that because I like to look at things from both sides, and while I blog a lot about my writing, I also blog a bit about the writing world and everything connected to it.
I blog a LOT. I run the blog for the Surrey International Writers' Conference, and I contribute to other blogs all the time. I'm a regular contributor to the Children's Writers & Illustrators of BC (CWILLBC) blog. And, just recently, I've started a new blog for the main character in my new book. The book is called A Walk Through a Window, and the character's name is Darby Christopher. I thought it would be fun to let her out into the world a little before her book arrives in March, so she's got a blog, too!

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I think my favourite thing about blogging is the connection I can have with people all around the world. I get hits on my blog from all over the world and I have a lot of fun connecting with other readers and writers on the 'Net.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
For some people, not much. They put their lives online for the world to see, and for them this can be a really cathartic experience. For me? Not so much. Occasionally I'll run a 'Dog Blog' post on my blog, and I talk a bit about every day things, but in general all the personal stuff is off limits. I try to be really respectful of my kids' lives and try to stay away from posting about them online. (Besides—they are bigger than I am now. I'm not crazy!)

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What's your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
Hmmm. I think either To Catch A Thief with Cary Grant or Rear Window with Jimmy Stewart. I love those adventure stories (and the leading men . . . )

What are your most recent books?
My most recent novel is Ms. Zephyr's Notebook. It was published in 2006, and the story of Cleo and Logan is told inside the pages of a teacher's notebook. Here's the blurb from my website:
When Logan Kemp hurls himself into a rugby scrum one fall morning, he has no idea that by afternoon he'll be fighting for his life. Worse, Logan learns the only other patient on his ward is a troubled girl named Cleo who may not just be hospitalized for a broken wrist. When all he wants is his regular life back, the thought of Cleo throwing away her own leaves Logan determined to change her mind.
Cleopatra Jones wants to design the perfect life; a teenage rugby player and a few well-meaning health professionals are not going to stand in her way. But Cleo soon finds that life—and even death—can interfere with the best-laid plans.
Burdened with prejudice and pain, these teens reinforce the walls that have kept them safe in their own worlds. But the secrets in a teacher's tattered notebook show them how the word sustenance can have more than one meaning. And facing the biggest challenge of their lives, Logan and Cleo discover something about the powerful forces of redemption and forgiveness.

My new book is coming out in March this year. It's called A Walk Through a Window, and it's a ghost story and a time travel story all wrapped up in one. Here's the blurb:
If you had a chance to step through a window to the past, would you take it?
A Walk Through a Window is the story of Darby, a young girl forced to spend the summer with grandparents she doesn't know in a place she feels she can never belong. But when a boy down the street extends a hand, it is more than friendship he offers. Together they discover a magical stone window frame that transports them to the very centre of the dramas of our past: the Underground Railroad; the coffin ships of the Irish Potato Famine; and even the Inuit as they crossed the Bering Land Bridge into North America.
Over the course of the long, very strange summer, Darby is forced to question part of own her life. And as tragedy threatens her family, that magical walk through a window offers Darby new insight into the people she has always taken for granted—and changes forever her perception of her country.

What new projects are you working on now?
Right now I'm working on two new books—the sequel to Darby's story is in the works, and I am working on a new series that's a kind of steam-punk time travel fantasy. I always like to keep things interesting!

Awesome Authors: Lauren Myracle

2009-02-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Micol says: Lauren Myracle has been a favorite author of mine ever since I heard her read from Rhymes with Witches at a Barnes and Noble in NYC. Her book was grabby and girlie and spooky all at once...the perfect precursor to her most recent release, Bliss, about a girl who moves from a commune to an idyllic suburb only to learn that her new picture-perfect school is, in fact, perfectly haunted.

Of course, Lauren is perhaps best known for her best-selling "Internet Girls" series, TTYL, TTFN, and L8R, G8R, which are are written completely in IM.

A Vermont College alumn who writes in innovative, media-savvy formats? Why does that sound so familiar?

Lauren is WAY busy working on her newest IM book AS WE SPEAK (which, yay!), but—OMG!—she was kind enough to shorthand a few questions for us.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best thing about writing entirely in IM's:
oh, baby! best thing = not having to play by the rules of SCARY STANDARD ENGLISH. or maybe best thing = no setting! me hate setting! me luv dialogue! or maybe best thing = pretending to be a kid again and just being goofy? easier to be goofy in IMs then in a serious literary novel. which, uh, yeah. isn't likely to come from me anyways... ;-)

Most scandalous thing that has ever happened to you, or to a friend because of you? Bonus points if said scandal involves im/email/blogging: oh, dahlink. like i'd ever share my secrets with the whole internet world. i will happily share a friend's secrets, tho! she will go unnamed. or rather, she will go by...Mathilde, and be sure to pronounce it all Frenchy.

well. once upon a time, Mathilde had a bf that none of her bff's liked. her bff's started behaving VAIR VAIR badly, by not inviting Mathilde to events for fear she'd bring bf. at least, that's what Mathilde suspected was going on--and then one sad day, her suspicions were confirmed. she got this email, c? and it was sent to the whole group of bff's, *including* Mathilde. only, it wasn't for Mathilde's eyes, oh no it wasn't. it was full of stuff like, "oh, i just hate Bertram, don't u?" and "i don't even want to ask Mathilde to book club, cuz what if she brings B?" and "u know our party next friday? let's say we cancelled it, k? i mean, more mathilde...i feel really guilty...but I CAN'T TAKE IT IF SHE BRINGS B!!!!!"

well. so mathilde gets, reads, weeps. (i wld 2, wldn't u?) then, BAM! a 2nd email appears in her inbox saying, "M! IGNORE THE OTHER EMAIL! DO NOT READ!!!!!"

yeah, uh-huh. can u say, "2 late, u traitorous bff?" so that is the sad, sad story of Mathilde, and what can go wrong with the dangerous REPLY ALL button. +shakes finger sternly+ consider yrself warned!

Your #1 must-read blog: oh. well, um, yeah. hmmm. i know!!!!! my sister's! +puffs chest importantly+ her name is Susan Rebecca White, and she's vair vair fab, and her website (where her blog is) is susanrebeccawhite.com. and guess what?!!! +squeals and jumps around spazzerifically+ she's a writer, 2! a really awesometatiousful writer!!!! and her first novel came out, like, yesterday, and it's called Bound South, and there is intrigue! lust! hilarity! wickedness! it all goes down in the pastel-tinted South, which susan knows all about and discusses very amusingly in her blog. so that's my must-read blog, and y'all must read it 2. promise? fabulous. l8r, g8r! <3 <3 <3

Mondays with Micol: Double Feature

2009-02-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

To celebrate the beginning of the last week of the Bradford Blog Bash, we decided to do a double feature for Mondays with Micol. So read both Q&A's and then comment on one or both to be entered in this week's giveaway.

Would you want to attend Bradford Prep?
I actually attended a private day school that was similar to Bradford in that academics were strongly emphasized and there was a LOT of pressure on students to perform. And I was always a bit of an overachiever: student council, newspaper, yearbook, lit mag, in addition to honors classes and AP track and that sort of stuff.
(Gawd, I'm making myself sound like a HUGE nerd. But there you have it. Would it help if I told you I was also a cheerleader for a brief stint? 'Cause I was.).
So I think intellectually, I would have been prepared for a place as rigorous as Bradford. Still, though, my school was very small, so as much as we had our cliques, the social life wasn't quite as cutthroat as it is at Bradford. The mean girl culture might be hard to adjust to.
All that being said—who wouldn't want to go to Bradford? The glamour! The drama! The outfits!

Which Bradford character did you think you'd hate, but end up bonding with?
I have a soft spot in my heart for poor Kaylen, who is so cripplingly insecure and transparent. I thought I would find her annoying and needy, but actually, she's lots of fun to write, and she brings out my sympathy and pity. I hope she has a chance to come into her own later on as the series evolves.

So, two questions for you, friendlies:
1. Would you want to attend Bradford Prep & why/why not?
2. Of all the scandal-mongers, frenemies, and bizznatches out there in the Brad-verse, which one do you LOVE to hate?

Tell us what you think by this Thursday at midnight EST, and you'll be entered in this week's giveaway. Since there are two Mondays with Micol questions this week, you'll get an entry for each question you comment about—that's two chances to win, just for letting us know what you think! We'll use a random number generator to select a winner, and will announce the lucky recipient in Friday's post. Good luck!

Review Roundup

2009-02-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all the teen-book bloggers who've said such nice things about GoldenGirl. Finding out that people are enjoying the first book and are already looking forward to Madison's story really makes us happy. Seriously. Squeee!

Okay, perhaps that was a bit overenthusiastic, but take a look at these reviews, and you'll see why we're so giddy.

Frenetic Reader rated the first Bradford novel 8/10, saying "GoldenGirl comes highly recommended, especially if you want a light read."

Shalonda says "The Bradford Novels are sure to be instant hits! GoldenGirl, the first in the series, is full of humor, fashion, and jaw-dropping drama!" (She also says this blog is "so very." Awwwww, you're the one who's so very, Shalonda!)

Alea at Pop Culture Junkie says GoldenGirl is "a gossipy, scandalous, fashionably good time!" (And I love her idea of putting together a glossary of the girls' slang. Maybe we'll do something like that on the website.)

THANK YOU. And keep checking out the online content, especially the blogs and tweets, for new posts. It's a great way to get to know the other characters better between now and the next book.

Awesome Authors: Lynn Weingarten

2009-02-15T09:00:00.004-05:00

In addition to being an AMAZING writer, Lynn Weingarten is one of my bestest of friendlies.
When we are not tapping away on our respective projects at a downtown coffee shop, we are generally distracting each other via IM or email. Lynn was kind enough to take some time to procrastinate with us here at the Blog Bash.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
My blog was started for me by a very, very nice friend of mine who called me one day and said, “Hey, I bought you a website today. It’s going to be your blog!” and then set the whole thing up and just showed me how to use it. The name is based on a funny made-up word one of my nieces once said.

I also have a Livejournal that I started not too long ago. I think I’ve only used it once so far, because I keep forgetting that I have it. But any day now I might actually start posting in it! That one’s just my full-name at Livejournal. I wanted to make that my public one since I keep the other one semi-anonymously.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? The fame mostly. If you go to Google and search for the phrase, “What if you stick something up your nose?” My site is the number 1 hit. I am very proud of this.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? Diaries are for secrets! Blogs are for photographs of funny stuff you see in the supermarket and drawings of dogs standing on top of cupcakes.

Dogs and cupcakes=two of my most favoritest things. Okay, so, Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
Rear Window, because it is the only one I’ve ever seen.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
There was always some scandalous rumor or other floating around. I remember once hearing a story about a particular girl in my grade doing some very private, very dirty stuff at a party, in the kitchen, with a big group of people watching. This very well may have been just a rumor,
but when I bumped into her in NYC just a couple years back and all I could think was OOOOOOO!

My group of friends all mostly knew all my secrets, but thankfully they were very good at keeping them.

That's what you think! ;) What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
Unless my subconscious is blocking something out, I don’t think I’ve ever done anything particularly awful to anyone. My best-friend in high school and I definitely got in a lot of random fights, including one that left us not speaking for a few months when we were 17 or so. But that was almost 13 years ago at this so I do not remember what the fight was about. We’re still close friends.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
My most recent (and only!) book is called Wherever Nina Lies, which was just released by Scholastic on Feb 1, 2009. It’s about a girl named Ellie who takes off on a cross-country road trip in search of her missing older sister Nina. Along for the ride (well, doing the driving) is a hot and mysterious guy named Sean who Ellie knows very little about. Lots of scandalous stuff happens along the way. Sometimes when I think about the fact that my parents are going to read certain sections of this book, I cringe.

Now I’m working on a new YA project, a picture book idea, and an article about the time I got to be in the studio audience of the Maury Povich show.

We're definitely going to want to see that article! Thanks for stopping by, Lynn!

Awesome Authors: Kristen Tracy

2009-02-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

We have the delightful Kristen Tracy with us today for Awesome Authors. Her Q&A is pretty awesome in itself, since it involves one of the most effective (and dangerous) school pranks we've seen yet, a Carmex caper, and how to get revenge on the guy who dumps you.

Kristen lives in San Francisco, where she writes middle-grade and teen novels. She teaches at 826 Valencia and is a volunteer gardener on Alcatraz. Also, she writes quite a bit of poetry. Visit her at www.kristentracy.com

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? Hmm. Diaries don't have comment sections. Also, I think it's understood that your diary is where you go to bleed in private after some dumb guy breaks your heart and your blog is where you go to bleed all over the blogosphere (and possibly publicize what the dumb guy did).

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? Nobody ever discovered any of my deep dark secrets, because, emotionally speaking, I have a pretty secure vault. But my high school was always experiencing weird scandals, because my class liked playing tricks. One of the biggest involved the lockers. They were set up like dominoes around the Commons area. And one day some sophomore guys decided to knock them over. And so they pushed the front one down and they all fell. But they didn't warn everybody. Or they didn't give people enough time or something, because one girl got stuck in there and her ear got torn. Not all the way off. But I'm pretty sure there was a noticeable scar. Because after the bandages came off, she wore a lot of hoodies and hats.

What's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him? I'm pretty good to my friends, so this is a tough question. Okay. I thought of one. In high school I had a falling out with a friend of mine. We'll call her Maple. It was a small fight. But Maple was very emotional, so it ended up becoming a rather significant spat. I liked Maple. She was sparky. Anyway, Maple and I were sharing a locker and she kicked me out. (For some reason, I couldn't get my own locker to open up on a consecutive basis, so she let me use hers. She had a top locker that was near most of my classes, so this was ideal for me). Anyway, I'm pretty sure that after I was officially kicked out of Maple's locker that I used to go back inside the locker and hide her Carmex. (She had a serious Carmex/flavored lip gel/tube Vaseline addiction.) I never took her Carmex. But I'd move it around. We're not still friends anymore. Maple moved very far away. Also, this may or may not be a true story.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now? My first middle-grade novel, Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus, is coming out this summer. (It's based on an incident where I fell underneath my school bus in grade school.) And I've got a teen novel set in Prague that I'm working on that has two best friends, a crazy person, and lots of hot dudes in it. It'll be out next year.

Awesome Authors: Kristen Kemp

2009-02-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

Kristen Kemp has written 7 young adult novels for Scholastic, including Breakfast at Bloomingdale's, The Dating Diaries, and I Will Survive. She's a longtime freelancer for women's magazines such as Cosmo, Glamour, Self, and Seventeen. She currently writes till her fingers turn purple for CafeMom.com. She lives in Montclair, NJ with her twin girls, a baby boy, a big Swedish husband, her cat, and her new puppy.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. Why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
I have a few blogs, but I won't name them here because they're not cool. Well, okay. One is http://www.cafemom.com/dailybuzz/healthy_living. I do it because they pay me. The second is a labor of love, www.montclairkids.com. I would love to have a personal one eventually, too.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I just get to be myself and make jokes and not worry so much about technical things, like grammar. Kidding, grammar is very important, but it's not essential in blogging like it is everywhere else. Speed is more important than grammatical perfection--both is even better.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
Blogs are more immediate. They're more frequent. They're juicier, too.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What's your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
Rear Window. She's just so beautiful. I'm not actually old enough to know a lot of Grace Kelly movies. My mother, though, is a diehard fan.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school?
The football team was jumping off a railroad bridge once into the Ohio River. I grew up there, in Louisville, KY. I wrote a story about it for the school newspaper, and the local TV news picked up the story. We all got put on probation. It sucked.

What's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
I sent a hurtful email about a friend to that friend accidentally. Thank goodness she forgave me. I had to send her a voodoo doll with my name on it and take her to many nice dinners. But she's my best friend, and she did forgive me.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now? Breakfast at Bloomingdale's. I'm writing health, diet, and nutrition for a few websites, and I hope to start on a young adult book about a fairy with a short attention span and boy problems soon.

Spring Cleaning

2009-02-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Bradford Blog Bash is ending its THIRD week, and we've still got a bunch of new awesome authors visiting next week. In fact, we had so many authors volunteer that we have TWO coming by over the weekend, so stop by on Saturday and Sunday for those Q&A's.

To celebrate the Blog Bash, we decided to do a little redecorating over at the Bradford Novels website this week, so check it out! Some of the new stuff includes an excerpt from GoldenGirl, a link directly to Spencer's student page (from which you can access other characters), and downloadable avatars featuring our Bradford girls. We're also working on some desktop wallpaper.

Since it's Friday, it's time to announce this week's randomly generated Mondays with Micol winner. Congratulations, Faith (who is not-so-secretly crushing on Jeremy)! We'll get your prize to you soon.

Fun on Friday: 25 Random Things about the Bradford Novels

2009-02-13T09:00:00.005-05:00

We just couldn't resist the whole 25 random things post. So here are 25 Random Things about the Bradford Novels.

1) Since Spencer Kelly is a distant relative of Princess Grace of Monaco, some of the proposed titles for the books included names of Grace Kelly movies, such as High Society, Rearranged, and The Philadelphia Story, among others.

2) Micol and her FlirtyGirl editor, Liz, have actually been friends and colleagues for many years. In fact, they worked together at Simon Pulse—the imprint that is publishing the Bradford series—back when it was launched.

3) Micol had never heard of Twitter until she began working on the Bradford series.

4) The Bradford Prep website is so realistic-looking that we have received serious queries about how to apply to the school! (And we are working on designing a fake application, just for fun.)

5) Several of the models who portray the main Bradford characters have friended their fictional likenesses on Facebook and MySpace. How many can you find?

6) Jeremy's musical tastes are inspired in part by several people in Micol's life: specifically, her brother and her fiance.

7) The school that CJ White's sister, Alexa, attended in New York City is based on LaGuardia Arts High School, which includes among its famous alums Sarah Michelle Gellar—long live Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

8) Websites that Micol uses for Bradford research include shopintuition.com, thefrock.com, iheartdaily.com, and Daily Candy Philadelphia. She loves that she gets to window shop in the name of her writing career!

9) Spencer doesn't drink coffee...but Micol is addicted to the stuff. Micol's editors frequently have to correct references to Spencer swilling lattes in between classes.

10) The ring that Tyler gives Spencer retails at Tiffany & Co. for over $700,000.

11) Trish Harlowe borrows her last name from Joel Maddon and Nicole Ritchie's daughter, who was born around the time that Micol was working on character profiles for the series.

12) The items listed as up for auction at the Hollywood Ball were strictly fictitious—if they exist, Micol didn't know it at the time.

13) Though she writes about VERY glamorous girls, Micol owns infinite pairs of yoga pants and track suits, and can usually be found wearing one of them while she writes.

14) Micol and her editors are constantly scanning online for interesting spa treatments and other fun, expensive activities for the Bradford girls to try out.

15) Although Micol has both a home office and a share in an NYC writing space, most of GoldenGirl was written in a West Village cafe: Cafe Henri on Bedford Street.

16) Blogger Toni the Tigress was modeled after snark supreme Perez Hilton.

17) Although Spencer's blog is titled All That Glitters, her favorite jewels are Majorca black pearls, which technically don't glitter.

18) Micol learned all about the Main Line area while researching for Bradford, and became hooked on the Pretty Little Liars series (also set on the ML) in the process.

19) Micol wishes fervently that Smooch was an actual shop that she could visit; the Dulce de Leche gelato sounds YUM!

20) Micol has almost as much of a crush on Jeremy as Spencer does.

21) Madison's blog, Prêt-a-Party, was actually named by a GUY!

22) Although it isn't mentioned in the books, Paige's minion Kaylen Turner is totally obsessed with Harley Pasternak's Five Factor Diet.

23) Some of the Bradford-related Philly research has led editors and writers to new hair salons, clothing boutiques, and restaurants! The Philly board of tourism should thank us.

24) Although Spencer takes French in school, Micol is Puerto Rican and studied Spanish. Hence Spencer's sign-off, Besos.

25) Micol and the FlirtyGirls have already plotted out some MAJORLY scandalicious secrets for Bradford Novel #3 . . .
but they're staying secret for now.

In NYC? Come Party!

2009-02-12T16:22:00.005-05:00

As much as I LOVE a good Blog Bash, I'm thrilled to announce that the lovely people at MediaBistro (aka, the organization through which I teach my YA writing workshop) are sponsoring a Bradford Novels launch party next week!

The party will be held on Thursday, Feb. 19th, at Ferro's restaurant (50th street and Lex) from 6:30-8:30pm. We'll have snacks and drink specials (including the ultra-very "Bradford Bellini" cocktail).

Here's the link to the MediaBistro listing:
http://www.mediabistro.com/events/view_event.asp?id=11745

Please forward along to any friendlies you think might be interested in attending, but note that if you're going to stop by, you should RSVP via the MB website.

Whee! FunFunFun!

Now, to get my hands on a tiara sometime between now and next Thursday!

Guest Blogger of the Week: Little Willow

2009-02-12T12:00:00.003-05:00

Many of you may know Little Willow through one of her many connections to the YA blog scene. Full disclosure: in addition to being one my FAVORITE web-mistresses, she is ALSO the mistress of micolostow.com. But I think that only makes her *more* awesome.

Little Willow's blog can be found at: http://slayground.livejournal.com

Tell us a little bit about your blog (the content, editorial identity, purpose):
Bildungsroman is, for the most part, dedicated to contemporary young adult novels, though I also review books for kids, tweens, and adults. In addition to book reviews, I also post interviews with authors, book-related news, and booklists based on themes, genres, or topics for various ages.

How/when/why did you decide to start blogging? Is your current blog your first? If not, how did your original blog/s evolve to your current blog-incarnation?
I've been designing websites for years, but Bildungsroman was my first blog. I contribute to other blogs and projects as well, such as readergirlz (http://www.readergirlz.com - http://readergirlz.blogspot.com), GuysLitWire (http://guyslitwire.blogspot.com), and SparkNotes SparkLife (http://community.sparknotes.com/index.php/category/books/).

Sparknotes was one of the very first GoldenGirl reviews to be published! So, what's your favorite thing about blogging?
Finding out that something I posted inspired someone, be it to pick up a book or a pen - or to put on a pair of dancing shoes!

What is one thing that surprised you about the blogging process?
Statistics tell me that many people visit my blog, but my entries do not get a lot of comments. I really like feedback and interaction.

So true. Come on out, lurkers! In your opinion, what constitutes a "good" (ie: interesting, readable) blog post? What sort of information are you looking to offer your readers?
Something inviting, intriguing, and intelligent. Honesty. Tone. Details. Positivity. Openness. Consideration.

What blogs do you read regularly?
Too many to list! The readergirlz blog as well as the individual, personal blogs run by each of the readergirlz divas and members of the postergirlz. Seven Impossible Things. The Longstockings. Christopher Golden. Sarah Miller. Maureen Johnson. All of my friends and clients. Yours, Micol!

Aw, shucks! Well, now I feel popular!

LITTLE WILLOW is an actress, singer, dancer, bookseller, writer, and webdesigner who is a fan of cats, Christopher Golden, and Duncan Sheik, among other things. She says, "I'm currently balancing my day job at the bookstore with web work while appearing in a world premiere musical that's running four days a week (and I've just been cast in another new musical!) I want for very little, other than respect, acknowledgment, and sleep."

Thanks for stopping by, Little Willow!

Awesome Authors: Deborah Reber

2009-02-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

Today we're very fortunate to have Deborah Reber visiting the Bradford Novels blog. She is a teen advocate, speaker, and author with a really amazing blog called Smart Girls Know!

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
My blog is called Smart Girls Know, and I started it in early 2007. The name comes from an idea for a book for girls I had about five years ago called "What Smart Girls Know." The whole idea behind the book was to empower girls to tap into how smart and capable they already are, and
how they have the power to handle any challenges they face and create the life they want. I haven't been able to get that book published (yet!), so I decided to share the ideas behind it with girls by creating my blog. Since then, Smart Girls Know has turned into a place for me to connect directly with girls about everything from issues affecting teens lives to posting info about contests, book reviews, interviews, and updates on my other projects.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? Having a place to interact directly with teens and having an outlet to share info I think girls need to know about.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? I think they can be one and the same, and probably are for many bloggers. But to me, a diary or journal is a place where I write about my innermost thoughts, frustrations, dreams, and goals . . . it's often the kind of content I would definitely not want anyone else to see! My blog is a place to share opinions about ideas and situations in life that I find important or interesting.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What's your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? Without question, Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief. You can't beat the combination of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly!

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? The biggest scandal I remember happening at my high school involved a, shall we say, "inappropriate" relationship between a teacher and a student. I went to a small school and once the cat was out the bag, it was the talk of the school for months. As far as my own deep, dark
secrets go, the only thing that comes to mind is a hookup between me and another classmate that happened during a Spanish class trip to Spain. My thinking was that "what happened in Spain, stays in Spain," but apparently the guy I hooked up with thought differently. . . .

What's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
Ugh. This happened 20 years ago and it still kills me to think about it. My friend had a tremendous crush on this guy, but he thought they were only friends. Then he decided that I was the love of his life. So I went for it. Of course, the friend hated me, and the relationship with the boy didn't last. Luckily, I was able to repair the relationship with the friend, but it wasn't easy and it took a couple of years. We're in touch through Facebook today, but I still wonder how she could ever have fully forgiven me for such a betrayal (hanging head in shame . . . )

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now? My last two books for young women are Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You and In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers, which are both aimed at helping girls live their best lives. Right now, I'm working on my first YA novel. It's been a blast so far, so stay tuned. . . .

Behind the Scenes of Bradford: Spencer's Alter Ego

2009-02-11T23:50:00.004-05:00

Squeaking this in under the wire, but here's the Behind the Scenes of Bradford post for Wednesday: a Q&A with Lane, the model who portrays Spencer, our Bradford GoldenGirl. She's no stranger to tiaras herself, having represented the USA at the most recent Miss World Pageant. Tiaras forever!

Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a freshman at the University of Georgia. I am very active in my sorority, Kappa Delta. I enjoy working with philanthropies and raising money for those who are less fortunate than I have been. I also model in New York and Miami. I just returned from South Africa after representing the United States at the Miss World Pageant.

Have you ever considered being an actress?
I have considered it before, but haven't gotten the chance to pursue acting...yet. :)

Was it more difficult for you to do this photo shoot than a regular shoot, knowing that you were also portraying a character in a book?
Yes, it was more difficult because I had a specific personality type that I was trying to portray.

What’s your most vivid memory of that photo shoot?
It was a lot of fun! All of us got along really well, and it was a great group to work with. It was one of my most enjoyable shoots that I have done. We got to go dancing at a club at nine in the morning. It was pretty funny!

What kind of books do you like to read? What are you reading right now?
I just finished Twilight, but as of now, textbooks are my main priority and I don't get much time for leisure reading.

Thanks for stopping by the blog bash, Lane!

Interview with Micol on Through the Tollbooth

2009-02-11T16:38:00.002-05:00

There's a nice interview with awesome author Micol Ostow on the Through the Tollbooth blog. Check it out!

Also, keep an eye on the growing list of GoldenGirl reviews and shout outs, which are updated daily in the sidebar (newest at the top), over here ====>

Thanks to all of you who have helped to spread the word!

Awesome Authors: Julie Linker

2009-02-11T10:00:00.002-05:00

Spencer's a big fan of tiaras, so I'm sure she'd approve of our guest today, author Julie Linker. Julie's first two books BOTH have tiaras on the cover, so she's obviously made of awesome.

Here's a short author bio, in her words: Julie Linker is the incredibly witty, charming, and fashionable author of the young adult novels, Disenchanted Princess and the recently released Crowned. To experience her awesomeness for yourself and read her blog, go to julielinker.com.

*The above bio may or may not contain a few slight exaggerations. However, the names of the books and the website are true.*

What's your favorite thing about blogging? I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’m not all that in love with blogging. Well, that’s not exactly true—I like blogging, but I always feel guilty when I’m doing it because I feel like I should be writing for “real.” You know, on a book. That being said, my favorite thing about blogging is definitely reading the comments people post. So people, read my blog and post something!!

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? For me, the main difference between a blog and a diary is that the whole world can read my blog, but I would be MORTIFIED if even a single person read my diary. In fact, I’m really bad about shredding my diaries, which is a big no-no for a writer because you can get good writing material from them. But I’m too paranoid! Not because I’m living a secret scandalous life or anything but because I usually only write in my diary when I’m mad or upset. So every entry is like “You won’t believe what so-and-so said to me today. She’s so mean. And her hair is hideous.” Or, if something bad has happened and I’m sad, there will be a whole bunch of entries like “Life is pointless. Nothing makes sense. I can’t take this anymore.” (Because I’m very melodramatic in my diary.) But the deal is—I don’t really *mean* any of those things. I’m just scribbling them down in the heat of passion. It’s not an accurate reflection of my true feelings, which is why I wouldn’t want anyone to see it.
A blog, on the other hand, is something you want other people to read. You write a blog entry knowing and hoping people are going to read it. I actually think about what I’m writing in my blog because I don’t want to a) hurt anyone’s feelings; or b) sound like (too big of) a dork/moron.
So, Blog=public. Diary=private.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? This is a hard question! I love Rear Window, but I also love To Catch a Thief. Cary Grant, the French Riviera, scads of diamonds—who can resist that? But Rear Window has Jimmy Stewart, lots of spying, and a dead wife buried in the yard. And Grace Kelly wears fabulous outfits in both of them. As in, they’re so gorgeous they make me want to cry. Especially the white gown in Thief. You know the one I’m talking about.
Sigh. I wish they still made movies like that.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? Now I’m depressed. Because I’m racking my brain and I can’t come up with a single scandalous story from my high school. Sure, there were a few unplanned pregnancies and a couple of people who got busted for drugs, but as far as a big, juicy scandal . . . yeah, I’ve got nothing. And none of my classmates discovered any of my deep, dark secrets because I didn’t have any. In high school, I was—how can I put this delicately? A dork. A very sheltered, very innocent dork.

What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
My BFF and I went away to college together, along with a guy from our high school who was our really good friend. He was really great and we liked him a lot, but once we got on campus he started being really clingy. Siamese-twin clingy. It was smothering. And it was starting to interfere with our dating lives because everybody assumed he was either mine or my BFF’s boyfriend. We tried to talk to him about it, but he just didn’t get it. So, we ditched him. And not in a nice way. I still feel bad about it. Ashamed. We found him on the internet a few years ago and thought about contacting him and apologizing, but we didn’t have the guts. Maybe someday we’ll do it.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
My first book, Disenchanted Princess, was released in July ’07 and my second book, Crowned, just came out in November. Crowned is about two rival beauty queens, so if you like pageants, you should check it out! Currently, I’m working on another YA, but it doesn’t have a title yet. It involves the the war in Iraq and is a bit more “serious” than my previous two books.

Awesome Authors: Carrie Jones!

2009-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Carrie Jones is the veriest. And that is all there is to say on the matter.

Just kidding. Here are a few reasons WHY Carrie is so very very very.
1) She is incredibly talented and has published four novels in the last two years. WTH, Carrie? Do you ever sleep?
2) She graduated from VCFA and is extremely dedicated toward being all helpful-like to younger people in the program, like myself. In fact, she played a crucial role in me selling my little labor of love, SO PUNK ROCK, which comes out this summer.
3) She writes about pixies.
4) She seems to have a direct line to John Wayne.

Take it away, Carrie!

Name: Carrie Jones

Blog URL: www.carriejonesbooks.com or http://carriejones.livejournal.com/

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. They are also, more and more, a central part of the YA-writing universe. When and why did you start blogging?

I started blogging when I was at Vermont College of Fine Art's MFA Program for Writing for Children.

Writers Sarah Aronson, Ed Briant, Bethany Hegederus and Kellye Carter Crocker were all blogging so that they could keep up with each other during the semester. They were just so damn cool that when they told me I should blog to and be their livejournal 'friend' I was all, "Oh! Oh! Oh! They want to be friends? With me? Oh yay!!! Happy dance!!!"

I started blogging.

Then I sold my first book, TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND to Andrew Karre who was at Flux. And he said to me, "Writer. You must blog. You must continue to blog." So I did.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? Do you ever worry that between your own blog and Through the Tollbooth (the VCFA alum blog mentioned above), you'll run out of words?

My favorite thing is that I'm allowed to be my own true, neurotic, quirky self in my blog. I can make my dog have entires. I can make my cat have entries. And my other favorite part is how amazingly nice people are who read my blog. These people have lives and loves and careers. They have mad, passionate ups and downs in their lives and they still take the time to:
1. Read my blog
2. Comment on my blog
3. Care
It's the caring aspect that really gets to me. We hear all the time about the dangers of the cyber world; about the horrors of human nature, but the truth is that there are so many amazing, giving, beautiful people out there. Okay, yeah, some of them might love Bic pens a little too much, but still... They care. I love reading other people's blogs and having them read mine. I think it's all loving and warm and toasty like roast vegetables and hot chocolate on a snowy day.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? How confessional do you like a blog to get? What sort of blog posts most appeal to you? What are some of your favorite blogs (book or otherwise) out there right now?

Well, a diary is for yourself. A blog is read by others (possibly). So there's a definite private vs. public aspect. Even though I seem terribly confessional on my own blog I really keep my biggest troubles and secrets to myself. I might hint at them occasionally (like this week actually) but I never tell. That's how I am in my un-blog life, too. I'm not good about telling the big deep hurts or truths.

When it comes to other people's blogs I really don't care how confessional they are. It's like books. I like all kinds. Some are factual. Some are emo. Some are just plain weird. It's not up to me to decide what other people should do with their space.

My favorite blogs are sinful pleasures really. I love cuteoverload, which is terribly cute-oriented of me. But it's so fluffy. And it has puppies on it almost every day. I always read Galleycat because Ron Hogan just rocks. Anyone who hugs me always gets read by me. It's like a Carrie Jones rule or something. Cynthia Leitich Smith hugs me, but even if she didn't I'd still read her blogs because they are full of usefull writer news. Same thing with Gwenda Bond's. I also have to admit that I read the superficial, which is a horrible, snarky sinfest of mean celebrity news. Barb Candidad (Fashionista_35 on livejournal) has a blog that just makes me so happy whether she's posting hot man pictures or talking about what she thinks the book business should be like.

We've got some Bradford characters who are hooked on The Superficial, too! GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?

The biggest scandal at my high school? It was probably about one of the teachers and one of the students having the sort of relationship that teachers and students are NOT supposed to have.
Or else it was just: Can you believe how much product Joe puts in his hair?

That was very important back then.

I was such a goodie-goodie that I had NO secrets. Oh. Wait. Yes. I did have secrets, terribly dark secrets, but nobody knew them. People still don't know them actually. I am very good at keeping secrets so do NOT even try, Micol. I swear I'll never tell.

Spoil my fun! So, what’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?

The first week of college one of my guy friends was really trashed at a party and he came up to me and said, "Carrie. I think you're gorgeous and you are a terribly sweet girl and I totally have the hots for you but it is just way too early to have a relationship with anyone right now. I mean, we only just got here."
And even though I didn't like this guy that way AT ALL I was all, "Whoah... Did I just get dumped by an ultra-pale accounting major that I don't even want? Whoah... ego.... Whoah.... Anger management therapy coming up."

And aloud I actually said (in a horribly mean way), "Woody, I don't want to have a relationship with anyone either and if I did, it sure as (insert swear word) wouldn't be with you."

Then I pivoted and turned away.

That was sooooooo mean of me.

And no we aren't friends now.

And yes people really called him Woody.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?

My most recent book is NEED, which came out in December. It's a fantasy about Zara who moves to Maine and is being stalked by someone very scary and very supernatural and very much not a vampire. It has a lot of romance in it. I have to do that to make up for the Woody slam, you know.

My second most recent book is GIRL, HERO, which came out in August. It's a novel about this girl, Liliana Faltin, who is trying to navigate freshman year when all this crud is going down with her mom and her dad. They're divorced. Her mom has a new guy who drinks too much. Her dad's started cross dressing. Enough said.

Right now I'm working on the sequel to NEED. YAY!

What did I say? SHE IS THE VERIEST! You should all read NEED now.
That will be all.

Besos,

Micol

Awesome Authors: Niki Burnham

2009-02-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Niki Burnham certainly is an Awesome Author. She is the RITA-Award winning author of twelve books, including Sticky Fingers, Goddess Games, and the Royally Jacked series. She is also a frequent blogger. You can read excerpts of her books, visit her bulletin board, and check out her blog at www.nikiburnham.com.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog? I blog in two different places. Once a month, I post to the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies blog. There, I mostly write about the process of writing (or, last month, about the tech guy at Apple who casually informed me that my hard drive was fried. Ouch!)
Then, I post roughly weekly to my own blog, The Go-Ahead, which is on my website and copied to MySpace and LiveJournal. The Go-Ahead is more for fun. I blog about television, Academy Awards fashion, writing, and a myriad of other topics, including baseball. (Picture me in a crowded room: "My name is Niki, and I am addicted to baseball. I understand that it's a sickness. . . . ")
I chose the title of the blog, The Go-Ahead, because I like the positive, optimistic connotations of the phrase. In baseball, a go-ahead run is one that—if the game is tied or your team is losing—puts your team in the lead. In writing, getting a "go-ahead" from your editor means that the publishing house loves the story you've submitted and wants to go to contract.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? It gives me a chance to have some back-and-forth with readers. I don't get a lot of comments on my blog, but I get a TON of e-mail about it from teens. It's usually along the lines of, "I totally agree with you about Kylie Minogue's outfit! I didn't want to put the comment on the blog, though, because I also have a question about something in one of your books. . . ." So that's cool. (Particularly when they agree with me about Kylie's outfits.)

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? I think of a diary as more of a log . . . a notation of things that happened to you over the course of a day, and how you felt about them. It's something you write for yourself. A blog, on the other hand, is more conversational. You know someone's reading it!

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? Do the newsreels of her wedding count? I loved how both she and Prince Rainier looked nervous and happy at the same time.
As to films, while I loved both Rear Window and To Catch A Thief, my fave would have to be Dial M for Murder. None of the characters were completely good or completely bad. I like that ambiguity.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? There really weren't any huge scandals. Or maybe I just didn't know about them!

Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? This is one of the upsides of being an Army brat. The longest I attended any school was three years, and all my friends moved from place to place, too. So if anyone had deep, dark secrets, it was tough to discover them. There wasn't enough time!
Not that I had any deep, dark secrets, of course.

What are your most recent books? Goddess Games is currently out in paperback. It's the story of three very different girls who are forced to room together while working at a mountain resort over the summer. Of course, each of them harbors secrets (and they want to keep it that way!)

What new projects are you working on now? I have several projects in the works, but I'm one of those superstitious writers who doesn't want to talk about a project until it's in the can. Is that so wrong? (I know, I know. More secrets!)

Awesome Authors: Jenn Echols

2009-02-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

I first "met" Jennifer Echols when she took it upon herself to organize an author blog for the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies line, for which she and I had each written several titles. These days, much of our communication consists of her "gently nudging" me when it's my day to post on the blog, and me frantically scribbling some thoughts down, and apologizing to her profusely. Luckily, in addition to be MUCH more productive and well-organized than I, she is also kind and merciful. I'm so excited to have her here today!

Jenn's personal blog can be found at http://jenniferechols.livejournal.com

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. They are also, more and more, a central part of the YA-writing universe. When and why did you start blogging?
I started blogging in October 2005 because my agent made me! My time was already thinly spread across writing, work, and family, and I didn't think I had room for one more responsibility in my life. My agent told me I needed to blog for the sake of my career, and I gave in. You can see my first post ever here: http://jenniferechols.livejournal.com/322.html. Aw, my little baby post, before I was published! Was I ever that young?

I'm really glad now that my agent put her foot down. I think blogging is the best thing I've done to connect me with my readers and with other authors. But do NOT ask me to join Twitter.

But how else will you keep up with the Tweets from all of our Bradford girlies? Okay, okay...you're off the hook! So, what's your favorite thing about blogging?
When it goes well, writing a blog entry is like writing a pop culture essay or a newspaper column, something I have done in the past and dearly loved. Some authors come up with a great entry like this every day and I am amazed, but I can only do it once every few weeks. I do not have enough brain capacity to write novels and daily blog entries too. If you ever see me post longish blog entries for several days in a row, you will know I am not working on a novel, and my writing has to go somewhere.

I can relate. I'm no good at daily blogging when I'm under deadline—Bradford Blog Bash notwithstanding, of course. Okay, then—as someone who coordinates between a variety of different blogs, how do you stay organized?
I am the founder and web mistress for the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies Blog at http://pulserocom.com and the MTV Books Blog at http://mtvbooks.blogspot.com. The Simon Pulse blog was very difficult to push through because the editors there had all kinds of legal concerns. I was just discussing this with my new editor over the weekend, and we agreed that today I would have no trouble starting such a thing, because blogging has become so much more commonplace in only a few years.

Now that both blogs are up and running, they're really not very time-consuming. I have a calendar that tells me when I should prompt writers to post (everybody has a target day), and I get an e-mail message when someone has posted a comment that I need to approve. The author bloggers are fantastic, so both blogs pretty much run themselves.

I will take that as a personal compliment! :) What are the pros and cons of running a group blog, as opposed to blogging strictly on a personal site?
On a group blog, obviously you and your books aren't getting as much attention as you would on your own blog. But the group blog theoretically draws a larger audience, and readers may discover your books because they were interested in someone else's.

Very true. I'm personally always interested, also, in how different bloggers group together to create joint sites, such as The Longstockings, or YA Fresh. What do you think the difference is between a blog and a diary? How confessional do you like a blog to get? What sort of blog posts most appeal to you? What are some of your favorite blogs (book or otherwise) out there right now?
Some blogs are essentially diaries, and I don't enjoy those. I love blogs where I can learn something or LMAO.

Hopefully the Bradford Novels blog has given you at least a few giggles. But it's not all fun and games! GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
We actually had quite a few teacher/student romances! But secrets—no. It was a Southern town of 15,000 people. There were no secrets.

I keep hearing about these teacher/student romances. If this was going on in my high school, I was outside of the rumor mill, for sure. So tell me, what’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
I went out with my friend's ex-boyfriend. I actually thought she would be okay with it, but she was NOT. She is still one of my best friends, though.

How very Bradford-esque!

And now for the promote-y part: Of course, we want to know about your books. What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
Going Too Far will be published by MTV Books on March 17. It's about a seventeen-year-old who avoids prosecution for a high school stunt by spending spring break on night patrol with the 19-year-old rookie cop who arrested her. I just finished revising The Ex Games, my new Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy set in the world of snowboarding, which will come out in October. And now I'm finishing a book I started during NaNoWriMo that I absolutely LOVE. There's no better feeling than loving the book you're working on!

Lucky for us—'cause we love READING your stuff! Thanks for stopping by our party, Jenn!

Mondays with Micol: Who's Your Bradford Crush?

2009-02-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Tee hee. Cute boys. One of our fave topics! For today's Mondays with Micol question, we asked our favorite authoress which Bradford boy she totally crushes on. Here's what she had to say:

Jeremy is the one I would have dated in high school: artsy, deep, thoughtful, above all of that social mafia stuff.

BUT I think I probably would have had a weak spot for bad-boy Dalton, too. He's like chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream; decadent, indulgent, bad for you in large quantities . . . but irresistible.

Okay, it's share-time, people: which Brad-boy gets YOU all haute and bothered?

If you need a cheat sheet, check out their pages on the Bradford Prep website. Log in using the username "guest" and the password from the e-mail on Spencer's desktop at the end of GoldenGirl.

Tell us what you think by this Thursday at midnight EST, and you'll be entered in this week's giveaway. We'll use a random number generator to select a winner, and will announce the lucky recipient in Friday's post. Good luck!

Giveaway Winners!

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This week, we had TWO giveaways.

Congratulations to Paradox, who wins a copy of Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize! We'll be sending you an e-mail soon.

And the winner of this week's mystery prize from Mondays with Micol is Liviana! Please e-mail your address to flirtygirl (at) flirtygirlproductions (dot) com so we can mail your prize out to you.

Have a great weekend!

Fun on Fridays: Jeremy's Back to School Playlist

2009-02-06T14:29:00.007-05:00

For today's Fun on Friday post, we're getting some musical guidance from Bradford's number one authority on great indie bands, Jeremy Brown.

(He also happens to be Spencer's ex-boyfriend—who recently returned from a year of traveling within Africa with his parents and about whom she may have some unresolved feelings. Swoon.)

Listen to Jeremy's Back to School Soundtrack (which he says is best enjoyed on shuffle) and let us know what you think!

Jeremy also wanted to include this song from the Pixies, but it wasn't available on playlist.com. So enjoy it here:

If you like Jer's taste in music, you might also want to check out his Tumblr blog, Out of Africa, where he occasionally shares songs, quotes, vids, and random thoughts that interest him.

And if you're looking for this week's Bradford Blog Bash giveaway winners, check back later today!

Awesome Authors: Jessica Verday

2009-02-06T09:00:00.003-05:00

Jessica Verday wrote the first draft of The Hollow by hand, using thirteen spiral-bound notebooks and fifteen black pens. She is currently handwriting the second novel and highly contemplating whether or not she should add in a Zombie unicorn. Visit her at www.JessicaVerday.com.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
After I signed on with an agent, I knew I should probably start blogging to get a feel for it and to get my name out there! The name of my blog (Jibberings) was just a completely random word that came to me in the shower one day. (That's usually where my best ideas come from)

What's your favorite thing about blogging? Reading other people's blogs.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
When I'm composing a blog, I think of several things:
1) That I'm not putting too much personal identifying information out there,
2) That what I'm saying will benefit someone, somewhere (even if it is just a silly post - laughing is good too!), and
3) That what I'm saying won't offend anyone.
When I'm writing in a diary, the only one who will read it is me, so I don't have to worry about my words as much. I think that keeping a blog can help us become better people since we are forced to recognize that our words have power. (Cyber-bullying? Not cool.)

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What's your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
Believe it or not, I've never seen a Grace Kelly movie. Which one do you suggest?

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? I went to a strict private school, so probably the biggest scandal would be each year when the inevitable teen pregnancy would happen. As for my deep, dark secrets? They are all still safe. ;)

What's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
I don't really have anything specific that I did, but I was forced to "stop" being friends with someone. Looking back now, I wish I would have been able to find a way to talk to that friend and explain why that happened. Luckily, I've been able to reconnect with them recently via MySpace and Facebook and I'm looking forward to getting the chance to grow our friendship again.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
My debut novel, The Hollow, will be published October 6, 2009. It's the first in a trilogy, and I am working on the second book right now.

Blogger contest to win a GoldenGirl ARC

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Check out this contest to win an ARC of GoldenGirl: A Bradford Novel from Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf. Ends 2/28.

Thanks, Lauren!

Awesome Authors: Nick Eliopulos

2009-02-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

Nick Eliopulos lives in Brooklyn and works as a children's book editor in Manhattan. He blogs, though not as often as he should, at interrobanger.blogspot.com.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
I meant for my blog to accomplish two things. One was to help me practice my craft. (I love making comics, so my blog is in comic format.) The other was to keep up with friends—especially friends left behind in Florida, who might want to know details of my life that I don't get around to reporting in e-mails. That other people have found it and enjoyed it is an unexpected pleasure; it also forced me to reconsider posting some of the more risque details of my life. THOSE I can save for e-mails.
As for the name—my roommate took a typesetting class and came home one day having learned a new word: interrobang. It's a combination of a question mark and an exclamation point. Something about that felt very comic-book-y to me, very much a confluence of visual and verbal language. But "interrobang" was taken and "interrobanger" adds a sense of activeness, of agency (and, maybe, of super-heroics?). So I went for interrobanger.blogspot.com.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I love getting comments. It's validation, reminding me that I'm not just gazing into the abyss; I'm connecting with people. And if those comments are from random strangers, all the better!

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
I think it's impossible to blog without understanding that others will see it. You might make every conscious effort not to censor yourself, but in my experience that awareness can't help but affect how you portray events—and especially how you portray yourself. Sometimes I've made blog entries specifically to communicate to someone in my life. Sometimes I've told myself an entry is done in spite of the fact that a particular person might see it. And the sorts of anecdotes I've chosen to focus on have definitely changed as my readership has grown.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What's your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? Rear Window. It's actually the only Grace Kelly movie that I've seen, but I love it. And she's fantastic in it.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? Ha ha. Well, my best friend and I were secretly dating our entire senior year. I was more or less openly gay. But he didn't identify as gay, so he didn't want anyone to find out. Some friends claimed in hindsight to have known, or at least suspected. But those we told right before graduation were shocked and, in fact, seemed to think it was an elaborate prank. That was an exhausting process, so I only told a few friends and let the news spread on its own. And it certainly spread.

What's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
Given that most of my friends are exes, there's a lot of water under various bridges. I can't say that a "worst thing" stands out—there's always drama, and I always try to make it work. But I did lose a friend a couple years back because I was unreliable—constantly late, that sort of thing. He couldn't deal with it. So while I wasn't doing anything malicious, I did mess up.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
I've had short comics published in the anthologies Stuck in the Middle and, drawing David Levithan's script, in First Kiss (Then Tell). I have another short piece in an upcoming, as-yet-untitled anthology—that's due in Spring 2010. And I have a full-length comic project in the works, but it's too early to talk about it!

Blogger of the Week: Author (and—natch—Blogger) Linda Gerber!

2009-02-05T10:00:00.001-05:00

How cool is that cover? Almost as cool as Linda Gerber herself!
I first "met" Linda a few years back, when she was working on her Students Across the Seven Seas novel: Now and Zen (which I totally recommend). She had read my own Westminster Abby, and we formed a mutual admiration society of sorts. These days, Linda has a fantabulous adventure-mystery-chick-lit series out there, aka, the "Death By..." books, the third of which, Death By Denim (love the title!) will be out this spring. In the meantime, she's here to chat with us about all things blog (and book!) related.

Blog URL: lindagerber.blogspot.com

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. They are also, more and more, a central part of the YA-writing universe. When and why did you start blogging? Were you a blogger before you were a published author, or did the two evolve concurrently?
When my family and I moved to Japan, I started a blog to show the folks back home what we were up to, so technically I was a blogger before becoming a published author, but that one was visible only to family and friends. My author blog I didn't start until after my first book came out.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
Connecting with cool people online! I have a lot of regular readers and through their comments I feel like I've gotten to know them a little bit. Plus I get to connect with other authors and bloggers when we exchange guest posts - like this!

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? How confessional do you like a blog to get? What sort of blog posts most appeal to you (or DON'T)? What are some of your favorite blogs (book or otherwise) out there right now?
My blog is absolutely not a confessional. I think that would get boring for the readers. Plus, what you post—even if you delete it—can remain in the cybersphere forever.
The kind of posts I like to read are positive and pretty much about stuff I'm interested in, like books, other authors, the publishing industry, current events, movies and certain TV shows. I don't waste my time reading posts that are whiny, gossipy, or divisive.
I have a lot of favorite blogs! I follow over twenty on my google reader and I'll bet you don't want me to list them all here! A couple that top the list are Melissa Walker's blog—she does cover stories of books that are fascinating to read—and Pop Culture Junkie, who does soft vs hardcover posts and cover lookalikes (can you see I'm obsessed with book covers?). And, of course, all the YA book review blogs and multi-author YA blogs like TeenFictionCafe, Books, Boys & Buzz and Readergirlz are must reads!

(ed's note: it is dangerously easy to spend one's writing day reading book and writing-related blogs—like this one! i like to call it "research!")

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
The biggest scandal that I knew about at my high school involved a homecoming queen vote count by the daughter of a college professor who 'volunteered' to let the school use the university's computerized tally system. Guess who ended up as homecoming queen? Even though you couldn't find a single person at the school who would admit to voting for her.

That sounds like the premise of a YA novel! So, what's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
Wow. What was that I said about true confessions? But in the spirit of this blog post I'll share. *shudder* This was long enough ago and my friend still doesn't know what I did (I think...)
In college I was interested in a guy my friend was dating. He had been a friend to both of us before they hooked up and so we had a prior history. While they were dating, he and I still talked. A lot. Eventually the main topic of conversation became their rocky relationship, and I confess I didn't do much to encourage it.
Then he went away on a study abroad for a semester, and my girlfriend started dating another guy. But she kept carrying on a long-distance relationship with our mutual guy friend. So one night she was talking about how she was all googly about guy #2, so I recorded her, and let guy #1 hear what was going on. They broke up.
I did end up with the guy for a short while, but it wasn't long before I lost interest as well. (There was a reason she was dating on the side, it turns out!) Much water has passed under the bridge since then, but I'm still not proud of what I did. I guess that I would consider my girlfriend and I still friends because we're not not friends, but now we live far apart and we rarely keep in touch.

Hmm...that actually sounds like a Bradford-worthy drama! Tells us about your most recent books. What new projects are you working on now?
My latest release is a YA romantic suspense, Death by Latte, which will be followed by Death by Denim in May. Right now I'm working on a YA paranormal which will come out next year and which is still, sadly, untitled.

Can't wait to read them! Thanks so much for partying with us!

Behind the Scenes of Bradford: An Interview with Regan's Alter Ego

2009-02-04T12:00:00.003-05:00

Today, we have a special behind-the-scenes treat: an interview with Caitlin, the model who portrays Regan Stanford in all the Bradford photos.

Tell us a little about yourself.
Well, I grew up in Maryland between Baltimore and D.C. I began college in Maryland, but left to pursue modeling about two years ago. I have been able to work in several places, including Paris, Athens, Senegal, Milan, Miami, and New York. I now live and work in New York City with New York Model Management. I plan someday to go back to school and get my Bachelor of Science.

Have you ever considered being an actress? Did being Regan influence you at all?
I have always been interested in acting. For me, getting to play a fictional character in a photo shoot was like a little taste of real acting and only piqued my interest more.

Was it more difficult for you to do this photo shoot than a regular shoot, knowing that you were also portraying a character in a book?
I don't think it was more difficult, I believe that all modeling is some form of acting. Acting sexy, acting silly, acting unnatural. I am not much like Regan though, so portraying her made the experience more of a challenge and much more interesting.

What’s your most vivid memory of that photo shoot?
My most vivid memory of that shoot was shooting the scene at the dance. It felt more like acting out a scene than some of the other shots. Trying to make a girl jealous and then getting into a fight with her is not something you have to do at most other photo shoots.

Do you keep a blog? If so, is it private (like a diary) or meant for other people to read?
I have never kept a diary or blog. I am not disciplined enough to keep up with them and I am not sure people would be that interested in my life, haha.

What kind of books do you like to read? What are you reading right now?
I love to read. Mystery, romance, fantasy. I am also a bit of a science geek. Right now I am reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything for the second time.

Awesome Authors: Lisa McMann

2009-02-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

We are sooooo lucky to have Lisa McMann with us today! She is the author of the New York Times bestseller WAKE. Its upcoming sequel, FADE, arrives in February 2009 and the third book in the series, GONE, is slated for spring 2010. WAKE is a YALSA BBYA nominee and a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adults. You can find Lisa on Myspace, Facebook, Goodreads, Shelfari, Twitter, and http://lisamcmann.com.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
I started blogging several years ago as a way to tell funny stories about my family and general observations about life and writing. I had a small following of online friends and I used a pseudonym. A few years ago, I put that blog to rest and went "professional" with my blog. I called it Five Point Five, because I had a formula that said something like, if you write 5.5 words a minute for 5.5 hours a day, you'll end up with a 70,000-word novel in 5.5 weeks. Something like that, anyway. Now, my blog is simply my name, or WAKE, or something—I keep changing it.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I totally love the new button options after each post where people can check a "reaction" button. I usually have a "Cabe is so hott!!" option, and that one always gets the most votes, no matter what the post is about.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
A blog is so, like, OUT THERE. Public. I would never blog about my secrets. A diary is private. Sometimes a diary is just what's written in your thoughts.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
I went to a private, Christian high school. People sent their kids there because they thought that would keep them away from drugs and stuff. SO not the case. There were major parties always going on. I didn't really go, though. I was sort of nerdy. And I was pretty private. I just collected everybody else's secrets so I could write them into stories. Muahahaha.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
The WAKE trilogy. Book 2, FADE, comes out this month (Feb) and continues the story of Janie and Cabe. I just finished writing GONE (Book 3), and that is in the editing stages—it is scheduled for spring 2010. I'm not yet sure what my next project will be, but I have a few ideas and I'll be announcing that on my blog as soon as I am able.

Awesome Authors: Nina Malkin

2009-02-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

Nina Malkin, author of the upcoming YA book Swoon, which goes on sale in May 2009, has agreed to be our guest at the Bradford Novels blog today. I can't wait to read her new book, 'cause if this interview is any indication, it should have a very unique, entertaining voice.

Here's a short author bio, in her words:
I’m Nina Malkin. I tell stories. I’ve had a few novels published, and also a non-fiction book about the cats in my backyard (uh-huh, really). I’ve also written a lot for magazines, specializing in relationships and pop culture.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?  
First, kudos to Micol on GoldenGirl and the whole brilliant blog-as-book concept. I could never come up with such a thing—I’m not a very techy person. I’ve never sent someone a message using my thumbs (though I have found another finger quite effective all by itself). I don’t own a cell phone, and have never actually read a blog, much less written one. That’s got to change, since there will be a blog on my website, ninamalkin.com, when it launches in May. No surprise that I’m calling it BLARGHHH! or maybe BLAHG. I’m sure there are many incredibly interesting blogs out there, blogs blogged by fascinating bloggers. Unlike bloggers, though, writers are boring. A blog on the minutiae of a writer’s day would be like: “Stared at computer. Chased cat. Scratched butt. Stared at computer again. Typed, typed, typed, typed . . . ”

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?   The Hitchcock classics are all pretty cool: Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief. Lots of twists and turns, you’re never sure what the deal is till the very end. Grace Kelly was staggeringly beautiful if you like that blond goddess perfection thing. To Catch a Thief isn’t my favorite Hitchcock movie (that would be either Spellbound or Strangers on a Train) but it’s my favorite for Grace Kelly because of the amazing clothes she wears.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school?
My high school didn’t have scandals. It had metal detectors. It was, I believe, the first high school in New York City with metal detectors built right in. So we weren’t really that worried about each other’s deep, dark secrets. We were more interested in not getting stabbed.

What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him? 
I freaked on her. It came out in conversation that we had different beliefs about a sexual politics issue, and to me it was like finding out that your friend is a Nazi. I handled it rather poorly—I yelled at her and told her she made me sick. I insisted she drive me home, and we never spoke after that. This is a regret, because we’re all entitled to our own opinions. By the time I accepted that I’d overreacted and behaved badly it was too late.

What are your most recent books?
Swoon is out in May. It’s about love and lust, possession and obsession, vengeance and betrayal, desire and deception and bliss . . . a girl, a guy, another girl, a ghost, a golem . . . y’know, the usual.

What new projects are you working on now?
A novel about sisters. That, and bargello (which is a craft, not a dessert).

Awesome Authors: Eileen Cook

2009-02-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today we're talking with debut YA author Eileen Cook. Apparently she loves dreaming up scandals and watching old movies, so she'd fit right in with Spencer and her crowd.

Author bio, in her words: Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. Eileen’s first book, a romantic comedy, Unpredictable was released in February 2008. Her next book, a young adult novel, What Would Emma Do?, was released December 2008.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? I love having a regular connection with readers that provides that immediate feedback. Writing books from the start of an idea to bookshelf is a looooong process. Blogging lets me fill that gap. Plus, I come across all kinds of odds and ends (like a hamster powered paper shredder) that I feel the need to share with others. I see it as a form of public service.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
My mom can see the blog. For that matter so can the rest of the world, so I try to keep any deep dark abiding dark secrets in my diary alone.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? I LOVE classic movies. I have a near un-natural relationship with the Turner Movie Channel. Some of my favorites are the Thin Man series. As for Grace Kelly, I love Dial M for Murder and Rear Window. Oh, and High Society. In fact, I pretty much liked all of them.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? My deep dark secret was that almost all of my scandals occurred in my imagination. In my mind, I had a very exciting life full of passionate romance, daring adventure, and ill advised risk taking. In real life I was far more boring. I was a part of a group that played a lot of pranks. We used to steal school mascots and that type of thing, but alas no scandals. However, there is always time, so who knows what I might get up to now.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now? My current book is What Would Emma Do? It explores what can happen if you kiss your best friend's boyfriend. (I told you I was full of scandals in my imagination.) I am currently working on another YA project (still untitled). It is a story of betrayal, the art of revenge, and classic movies. I had a ton of fun coming up with the various revenge plans. It turns out that I have a deep and abiding evil side. Who knew?

Mondays with Micol: Who's Your Bradford BFF?

2009-02-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Friends? Or Frenemies? For today's Mondays with Micol question, we asked our favorite authoress which Bradford character she would most like to be friends with. Here's what she had to say:

Hmm . . . you need each of them for different purposes.

I think Spencer is the most tried-and-true of all of the girlies, always wanting to believe the best in people and give her friendlies the benefit of the doubt.

But Mads is all about fun and flair, and Regan is probably the most understanding.

Paige is the girl you go to when your ex starts dating someone new and you need her to remind you of why you're way cooler than his flavor of the week and how it will never last.

So, dear readers, which Bradford bestie would you hang with, if you could, and why? Tell us what you think by this Thursday at midnight EST, and you'll be entered in this week's giveaway. We'll use a random number generator to select a winner, and will announce the lucky recipient in Friday's post. Good luck!

Fun on Friday: Grace Kelly

2009-01-30T13:33:00.005-05:00

To end our first week of the Bradford Blog Bash, here are some fun videos honoring Grace Kelly that we thought you'd enjoy. And scroll down for the winner of this week's Mondays with Micol giveaway!

This one seems to be a teaser for an old Grace Kelly documentary. But it shows a few clips from her movies and her fairytale wedding and gives a good short overview of her life.

A nice slideshow of Grace Kelly, where you can really see her resemblance to Spencer. Not so sure about the heavy rock soundtrack that goes with it, but it's better than the Yanni song that was playing on another slideshow of her!

The trailer for To Catch a Thief:

And, a fun music video for Mika's "Grace Kelly":

Finally, we've done the random drawing, and the winner of this week's Mondays with Micol prize is: Meredith! Congratulations, Meredith, we'll be contacting you soon via e-mail.

Also, check out this great Bradford Prep mention, and comment on YOUR favorite fictional school.

See you on Monday!

Blogger of the Week: Cynthia Leitich Smith

2009-01-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

At our Vermont College Winter '09 Residency "Opening Ceremonies," Cynthia Leitich Smith was named the Patron Saint of "The Undead, The Unpublished, and Everyone in Between." This lofty designation is no exaggeration.

Cyn is popular among readers for her contemporary, accessible look into the lives of multi-culti tweens and teens, and, more recently, her wildly successful forays into Southern Gothic supernatural (mwah ha ha!). She is popular among writers because her blog, Cynsations, serves as a comprehensive resource on all things kidlit. She is popular with ME because she rocks it out, all over the place, and in addition to be VERY VERY smart and talented, she is also phenomenally supportive of the many aspiring and burgeoning writers who are lucky enough to cross her path. I am so excited to have her here as a guest blogger today!

And, as an extra-special treat, we're giving away a copy of Cyn's TANTALIZE (also one of Madison Takahashi's picks, as per her student page, which is also a personal fave of mine!) Comment to this post by midnight Thursday (2/5), and you'll be entered in the random drawing to win her book. Winner to be announced a week from today.

Name: Cynthia Leitich Smith
Blog url: http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ or
http://cynleitichsmith.livejournal.com/

Tell us a little bit about your blog (the content, editorial identity, purpose):
Cynsations is a source for interviews, reading recommendations, publishing information, literacy advocacy, writer resources, and news in children's and teen literature.

How/when/why did you decide to start blogging?
November 2004

Is your current blog your first? If not (or, if so), how did your original blog/s evolve to your current blog-incarnation?
One of them is. Cynsations is mirrored at Blogger and LiveJournal. The Blogspot came first, and then I decided to crosspost to LJ and more easily reach the YA community there.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
Being able to offer a most-days hearty dose of information and inspiration. It satisfies my inner journalist, allows me to participate in the greater conversation of books, and hopefully is of some use to the audience.

It is! Okay, what is one thing that surprised you about the blogging process?
The size of the audience. On occasion, I'll ask at a children's-YA writer's conference how many people read Cynsations, and often the majority of hands go up. Jeepers.

Jeepers indeed! You're famous! And with good reason. . . . So, in your opinion, what constitutes a "good" (ie: interesting, readable) blog post?
Anything of interest to the targeted community of youth literature enthusiasts. Styles vary, and that's part of the charm of the community.

What sort of information are you looking to offer your readers?
I tend to go for the substantive--meaty conversations and shared resources with an emphasis on the positive and outreach to the YA readers themselves through giveaways and book-related information of particular interest to them.

What blogs do you read regularly?
The list is too huge to mention, though I skim the whole blogroll on JacketFlap daily. Just for fun, though, I'll highlight: Through the Tollbooth, The Blue Rose Girls, The Longstockings, Read Roger, Fuse #8, Nonfiction Matters, and the whole Austin Blogger Community (see my sidebar for links).

Great recommendations! Thanks for stopping by, Cyn!

Bio: Cynthia Leitich Smith is the author of TANTALIZE (Candlewick, 2007), ETERNAL (Candlewick, 2009), RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (HarperCollins, 2001), several short stories, and award-winning books for younger readers. She is a member of faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts M.F.A. program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com was named one of the top 10 Writer Sites on the Internet by Writer's Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. Her Cynsations blog at cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ was listed as among the top two read by the children's/YA publishing community in the SCBWI "To Market" column. She makes her home in Austin, Texas, with four bossy cats and her husband, author Greg Leitich Smith.

Awesome Authors: Amanda Marrone

2009-01-29T11:00:00.006-05:00

Amanda Marrone grew up on Long Island and now lives in Connecticut with her family and talking dog Griffin. You can learn more about her and hear Griffin say “hello” here: www.amandamarrone.com.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog? I started blogging after taking an online YA writer’s class that used LiveJournal as its virtual classroom. The instructor, author Lauren Barhnholdt, was a big blogger and I found a lot of other writers there. We were all sharing our writing journeys and successes as well as pictures of our kids and pets. I came up with my blog name after watching a really cheesy reality show called The Surreal Life. Being a mom and wife can be a bit unreal sometimes, so I came up with The Surreal Wife.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
Meeting other writers and hearing from people who’ve read my books. It also gives me a great place to brag about my dog, Griffin, oh, and sometimes my kids, too.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? A blog is a place to put yourself out there for the world to see, and a diary is a place to reflect on things privately. I’ve only kept one diary that was used as a sounding board when I had just turned seventeen and spent eight weeks in France as an au pair. I still have it and rereading it makes me cringe! I was horribly homesick, and it’s filled with all sorts of moaning about missing my boyfriend back in the states, doodles, song lyrics, and endless pages about how I was going to be a changed person when I got home. Yeah, that didn’t happen.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, but I loved High Society. I’m a huge musical fan, and Grace Kelly is just stunning in this one. I loved the telling moment when her finance gushes about putting her on a pedestal and you can see the wind being sucked out of her, because she she’s looking for an equal partner not an admirer.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
There was one deep, dark secret that luckily only a few people found out about, but I sure wish no one had!

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now? My most recent books are Uninvited and Revealers. Right now I’m working on a middle grade series about a twelve year old girl working in a magic repair shop, and I have two new young adult ideas I’m playing around with.

Blogger of the Week: Raisin Rodriguez!

2009-01-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

(Ed.'s note: My good friend Judy Goldschmidt, AKA the de facto publicist for one Miss Raisin Rodriguez, has been kind enough to pass along the below questionnaire from Raisin, who is no stranger to the potential perils of blogging. Judy has an 'in' with Rae. Enough said.)

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?

I began my blogging career when I moved from Berkeley to Philadelphia. I would talk to my two best friends, Pia and Claudia, every day, but sometimes stories aren’t as good when told a second time around.
For example, when I first found out I’d have to wear a uniform to my new school, I told Pia that I was so upset I needed to be Medi-Vac’d off my roof. But then when I told Claudia the same thing, I said I needed to be air lifted off my roof. "Medi-vac’d" is obviously much funnier. Now, through the miracles of blogging, I can get the story right for both of them.
It’s just that little extra something my customers have come to expect from me.

Can we get the URL for your blog?
About that: I named my first blog twoscoopsofraisins.com because my name is Raisin. But then there was an unfortunate event that resulted in everybody reading my very personal and private blog, so I changed the address to noneofyourbeeswax.com. Now I change it every month for security purposes.
But honestly, I miss noneofyourbeeswax.com. It says "Raisin Rodriguez" in a way that the others don't.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
No matter how ridiculous, incorrect, or nauseating I sound, I can speak freely without interruption.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
I’ve tried keeping a diary but since no one besides me is supposed to read it, I kinda lost interest. I prefer an audience whenever possible.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
I've never seen a Grace Kelly movie, but I knew this girl who once said “People tell me I look like Grace Kelly.” Which I don’t think you’re allowed to say about yourself. It's very braggy if you ask me.
So now I call her Princess Grace when speaking of her in the third person.

She'd probably take it as a compliment!...GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
Ummm . . . remember that unfortunate event I referred to in the first question? I wrote in my very private and personal blog about using a tampon for the first time (I’m in middle school.) Things were said. Body parts were named. There may or may not have been a mirror used. And then someone printed out my blog and passed it around to everyone in my grade. I’ve been piecing my life back little by little but I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same.

What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
One time I had a friend over and my sister’s poodle pooped out part of my bra. Things did not end well.

If only we had a picture of that! Well, Raisin, thanks for stopping by! I think you've taught us all a valuable lesson about privacy settings. And personal hygiene.

Behind the Scenes of Bradford: Photographer John Barone

2009-01-28T11:00:00.005-05:00

As part of our effort to provide a truly unique reading experience, we worked with talented Philly-based photographer John Barone to put together a marathon two-day shoot featuring Spencer, Madison, Paige, Regan, Tyler, Dalton, and Ryder Jared.

On the first day, we started out on the campus of Chestnut Hill College, which doubles as the campus of Bradford Prep. Despite the fall weekend, the temperatures were in the 90s(!!), and the humidity was through the roof! But our models, stylist, hair & makeup, and the rest of the crew were real sports, making the best of the sweltering day despite the fact that everything took about three times as long. We arrived at our second location (the photographer's studio) about 3 hours late, where we grabbed fake publicity and paparazzi shots of Hollywood hunk Ryder Jared. We also took some really amazing photos of Spence, Mads, and Regan for book #2 (one happens to be the photographer's favorite image from the shoot, and is posted below). Then, it was off to bed before an early call the next morning.

On day 2 of the shoot, our location was Pearl, a swanky restaurant/lounge in Center City that doubled as Saketini, Soirée, and Bar Fetish. Being indoors, it was much more relaxed for the models, but there was a lot of work for the crew to make the mini-sets look like completely different places. It was another long day, but we had plenty of fun making fake cocktails for the girls to hold (colorful, but non-alcoholic) and photographing some of the super scandalous events from book #1.

All in all, the models, crew, and photographer were all wonderfully patient, super creative, and a very entertaining. And today, as part of our Behind the Scenes at Bradford theme, we have a chat with photographer John Barone.

Please tell us a little about your photography background. How did you get started? What’s your specialty?
I have a four-year degree in art with a studio concentration in photography. Post college, I spent an additional 5 years expanding my education, between working in a pro photo lab, interning, and working as a freelance photo assistant. I started shooting commercial jobs back in 1997, but officially started my commercial and editorial business in 2000.

The Bradford photo shoot involved 2 days, 3 locations, 7 models, and a ton of wardrobe, lighting, and set changes. Have you ever done a photo shoot as crazy as this one before?
Oh, most definitely. Multi-day jobs all seem to be crazy. At least this one was local and not across the country.

What was the most difficult part of the photo shoot?
I would have to say the time allotted for production and actual shooting. It always seems like if we could just have more time we could take things to a whole other level . . . or at least catch our breath on the level we are presently on . . . LOL.

How many people worked on the photo shoot, and what were some of their jobs?
I think the on-site crew totaled 17 people. There were 2 art directors, 1 photographer (me), a first photo assistant, a second photo assistant, 2 photo interns to help with the runaround stuff, 1 hair & makeup person, 2 wardrobe people, and 7 models. But there were countless others that helped with production tasks like securing our locations and casting our models.

You took an amazing variety of photos during the Bradford shoot, from casual snapshot-style photos, to simulated celebrity publicity shots, to fake paparazzi and mug shots. How challenging was it for you to take so many different types of photos in two days?
It wasn’t too bad. I enjoyed the freedom I was given to experiment with some new lighting techniques.

Which shot was the most complicated to set up, and what made it so difficult?
The most difficult shots were probably those at Saketini. While the shots were close and intimate, we needed to light the entire room to set the mood. We used quite a few lights and many different colored gels.

What was the most fun for you to shoot?
I really enjoyed everything we shot, but I would say I had the most fun taking the paparazzi and the fashion show shots.

If you could only pick one image from the photo shoot as your favorite, which one would it be?
Hmmmm . . . that’s a tough one. I’d have to say that there is a shot of Regan during the runway fashion show that I absolutely love. All the models were amazing, but I really felt that she connected with me best throughout the entire shoot and it totally came through in that shot.

Thanks for hanging out with us today, John!

Awesome Authors: Aimee Friedman

2009-01-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

We're so happy to have YA author Aimee Friedman as our guest today, especially since she wrote A Novel Idea, part of the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies line that Micol has also written for. Aimee is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including South Beach, French Kiss, Hollywood Hills, and The Year My Sister Got Lucky. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Aimee has written stories and novels since she was very young, and today lives and works in Manhattan. Please visit her website.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog? I don't have one solo blog, but I would love to start one. I used to blog more regularly on the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy blog, but I've been negligent with my posts there as of late! The same goes for my Amazon blog, and the blog on my website, www.aimeefriedmanbooks.com. That will be my February resolution: to blog more!
I will say, though, that I am addicted to Facebook, which, with its updates and live feed, is very blog-like in nature.

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I am a bit of an oversharer with my close friends and family, and there is something cathartic about blogging, about letting the world inside your daily life, lending your foibles and your feelings a kind of grandeur and resonance. Also, as a writer, I find blogging very freeing; there's less of the pressure to "get it right" that I usually feel when I'm sitting down to work on a novel. Something about the informal format and vibe of a blog lends itself to a looser, more relaxed writing style, and experience. Yay for blogging!

What's the difference between a blog and a diary?
I still think of diaries as somehow more private, something to be locked up and tucked into a desk drawer. Writing something by hand, as opposed to typing it on a laptop, creates an intimacy, a secrecy. A diary is something you write for yourself, a blog is something you write with an audience in mind, and a novel may fall somewhere between the two.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why?
Growing up, my favorite Grace Kelly movie was High Society, because my mom loved it, and would make a point of watching it with me and my sister whenever it was on TV. I loved the sophistication, and the glamorous vibe, and the music! But once I was older, I discovered the amazing Hitchcock films Dial M for Murder and Rear Window, both starring Grace, and both sexy, smart, and stylish mysteries.

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets?
I attended the Bronx High School of Science, which is a very competitive public school in New York City. So, dorky as it sounds, some of the biggest scandals in school swirled around who was going to what college, SAT scores, and GPAs. I swear! Of course, there were also the who-is-dating-who scandals, the so-and-so-had-a-fight gossip, etc. I tried to keep my secrets pretty close to the vest in high school; sure, my best friends knew who I was crushing on and what my craziest dreams were, but I tended to be pretty private.

What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
I like to think of myself as a very loyal and trustworthy friend. My biggest friendship regrets are those friendships that, through laziness and the passage of time and my chronic inability to stay in touch, I have let slip away. Probably my second biggest regret is making prank phone calls to various friends when I was growing up! Prank calls were all the rage back then, before the age of cell phones, caller IDs, IMs, etc. Prank calls: funny in the moment, but not a great idea.

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
My latest novel, The Year My Sister Got Lucky, came out last year and will be released in paperback this June. It's a tale of sisters, secrets, betrayal, ballet, and yes, even some IMing! My newest novel, Sea Change, which will be in stores this June, doesn't involve much blogging, but it does involve some serious romance, legend, and lore.

Awesome Authors: Robin Wasserman

2009-01-27T10:00:00.006-05:00

Today is the first Awesome Authors post, and we're lucky enough to have Robin Wasserman visiting with us. She is the author of the Seven Deadly Sins series, Hacking Harvard, and Skinned. You can find out more about her—and her random obsessions with Neil Patrick Harris, Gossip Girl, cupcakes, and Robert Downey Jr—on her website, www.robinwasserman.com, or her blog, robinwasserman.livejournal.com. She is, for the record, very good at keeping secrets.

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog? My blog is called The Procrastinator, which I suppose is self explanatory (and explains why I keep at it). I started blogging a year or two after my first book came out, because I was really enjoying the blogs of other writers and figured I would give it a try. I quickly discovered that it was the perfect place to prattle on about all the stuff—TV shows I love and hate, articles that make me angry, random stuff I desperately wish I could buy, bizarre absurdities, etc—that I stumble across when I should probably be working. I’ve always dreamed of having a newspaper column, but until someone drops one of those in my lap, blogging has turned out to be an excellent substitute.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? I love having the freedom to write an exceedingly long rant about something relatively ridiculous (my love for Neil Patrick Harris, why you should watch Battlestar Galactica, the embarrassing thrill of shaking hands with Mandy Patinkin)—and I especially love when someone I don’t know comments on the post to say, “I know exactly how you feel!” There’s something oddly gratifying about connecting with strangers over shared passions for minutiae.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? For me the big difference is that I’ve written more than three posts. I’ve owned a lot of diaries in my life, and every single one of them contains two or three entries . . . and then a lot of blank pages. I’m not sure why it’s so much easier to keep up with the blog than with the diary, but I suppose the big difference is the awareness of having an audience. With the diary, I was always writing for some hypothetical future me who might want events recorded for posterity. That’s some serious delayed gratification, and I’m impatient. With blogging, on the other hand, you don’t have to wait for an audience. They’re out there 24/7, waiting for you.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What’s your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? High Society, because a) the only other Grace Kelly movie I’ve seen is Rear Window, and I didn’t like that one at all, b) I love Bing Crosby, and c) the soundtrack is excellent, and how can you not love a song called “High Society Calypso?”

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? Seeing as how my high school life was intensely boring, I didn’t actually have many deep, dark secrets (except for the secret that I hated every minute of it and was just waiting for college, and that was no secret at all). The biggest scandals I can remember all involved things like people cheating on physics tests by inputting the equations into their graphing calculators . . . which, while dramatic at the time, probably wouldn’t make for a very good book.

What’s the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him? I once accidentally-on-purpose sabotaged a friend’s blind date by revealing a detail about the guy that I knew she really wouldn’t want to know. (I realize this is rather cryptic, but if I go into any more details, I’d get in trouble all over again. We’re still friends, and I’d prefer to stay that way . . . )

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now?
My latest book is Skinned, about a girl who nearly dies in a fatal accident and gets reborn in an artificial body. On the up side, she’s pretty much immortal . . . on the down side, her friends and family treat her like a total freak, her boyfriend doesn’t want to touch her, and she’s not sure she’s the same person she used to be, or even a person at all. It’s about memory, identity, life, death, and the question of what makes us human. The sequel, Crashed, comes out next September.

Thanks for stopping by to chat, Robin! Hope it helped you procrastinate a bit!

Blog Bash Banner!

2009-01-27T08:30:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the official release of GoldenGirl today, here's a little random goodie: a fabulous graphic designed by Little Willow to advertise our blog bash! Isn't she the very bestest? Full disclosure: she is the webmaster of my author website (www.micolostow.com), so I have big love for her. BUT SHE DESERVES IT. She'll be guest-blogging for us during the bashity-bash, too, so keep an eye out!

Feel free to download it and post it on your own blog. Spread the Bradford joy!

:)

Author Chat with Micol TONIGHT

2009-01-26T17:51:00.003-05:00

Don't forget to drop by the author chat with Bradford author Micol Ostow, hosted by The Page Flipper. Tonight at 8pm EST, here.

See you there!

Mondays with Micol: Two Questions for the Price of One

2009-01-26T11:00:00.006-05:00

So, to celebrate the Bradford Blog Bash, we're hosting a little sit-down with Bradford author Micol Ostow every Monday. She'll answer a question or two about the books, and then ask you, the readers, for your opinions.

And the best part is that you'll be entered to win a prize, just for commenting! On Thursdays at midnight EST, we'll randomly select a winner for the week's Mondays with Micol giveaway, and will announce the lucky recipient in Friday's post.

Share your thoughts and possibly win a prize! It's that easy.

To start this blog bash off right, we're asking Micol not one, but two questions today. If your comment discusses BOTH of the questions, you get TWO entries in the giveaway drawing. That's double the chance to win. So, without further ado . . .

Philadelphia's Main Line is practically a character unto itself in the Bradford books. What makes the Philadelphia Main Line unique as a setting? As a die-hard New Yorker, for me it's fun to research the history and culture of another major city. We folks in NYC tend to forget that other cities even exist. I didn't realize that the legacy of the Main Line was as old and storied as it is. I also love the idea of an idyllic suburban-style enclave just outside a major metropolis—the best of both world for my characters.

Which Bradford character is the most like you?
They all have a little bit of me in them: I'm an overachiever like Spencer, while Mads and I are both bold, creative types. Regan is earthy, spiritual, and grounded (I would totally go to yogilates class with her if she asked), and Paige and I are equally snarky and straightforward.
(Full disclosure: Paige is probably the most fun to write, because she says all of the horrible thoughts that we all have, but would NEVER say out loud. It's extremely cathartic and a wickedly guilty pleasure.)

So, friendlies:

1. What are some of YOUR favorite settings for books? Were you excited to learn about a series that features the Main Line? Did you know anything about Philadelphia before you read (or read about) Bradford? Please to share.

2. Who is YOUR Bradford alter ego? Inquiring minds, and all.

Bradford Blog Bash!

2009-01-26T08:34:00.000-05:00

This is not a test, friendlies—the Bradford Blog Bash is kicking off TODAY!

If you will kindly refer to the image on the left, you will see that, while GoldenGirl is officially set to release on Tuesday, 1/27, some eagle-eyed folks have already spotted it out there in the retail wilds, spreading joy and blogtasticness amongst your friendly neighborhood teen readers' sections.

FABBITY FABNESS, no?

Yes.

And in honor of all of the Brad-fabulosity, we will be hosting a month-long Bradford Blog Bash that starts, as I mention, NOW NOW NOW!

We've got a tentative schedule of sorts for ya:

Mondays: will be Mondays with Micol, aka: a q&a with little old me, at the end of which I'll be shooting the q's out to you-all. If you post a response, you may just win yourself a special pressie. No lie.
Tuesdays: we'll have Awesome Authors: that is, interviews with lots of your favorite YA writerly types (many of whom will be offering copies of their books as giveaways, which is awfully nice of them, I must say).
Wednesdays: we will run Behind the Scenes with Bradford, where we give you a little glimpse into the making of our humble series.
Thursdays: will feature a Blogger of the Day, aka a super-loverly book blogger who comes by to chat with us (spreading the web-wealth; it's the Bradfordly way!).
And Friday is my fave: Fun on Friday, quizzes and other cool stuff, in addition to announcing the prizewinners of the week.

So. Much. Funness.

I CAN'T WAIT.
Thank goodness I don't have to.

OH—and lest I forget, here is a link to the groovadelic Pop Culture Junkie's review of GoldenGirl:
http://aleapopculture.blogspot.com/2009/01/goldengirl-by-micol-ostow.html

AND a reminder that I'll be chatting with The Page Flipper tonight: thepageflipper.blogspot.com, 8pm EST.

Come party with us, pretty please!

Book learnin'

2009-01-24T22:18:00.004-05:00

See what I did there? It's a double-entendre, of sorts.
For the past ten days I have been submerged in snowy Montpelier, Vermont, at my graduate residency of my MFA program, Vermont College of the Fine Arts' MFA in writing for children and young adults.
That's right, folks, I'm all fancified and certified now! I've got the diploma and everything!
So, now that my two year, incredibly intense schooling is behind me, what better way to keep myself busy than the GOLDENGIRL LAUNCH-A-PALOOZA?
!
As you MAY already know (ahem), GoldenGirl will *officially* release on Tuesday, 1/27. This means that as of Tuesday, my editors and I will be kicking off a frenzy of online fun for you: interviews with other awesome teen authors, behind the scenes info and pics from Bradford: The Making of a Series, polls, contests, prizes, giveaways, and more!
And for those of you who just can't get enough of mememe, I'll be chatting away with The Page Flipper on the evening of 1/26. I hope you'll join us, Monday night, and throughout our blog festivities!

So, now that I've got a big ole' master's degree, am I going to start talking all proper and finally forgo the slangity?
Well, what do *you* think?

Exactly.

Besos,

--Meeks

One Week

2009-01-19T02:42:00.004-05:00

Just one more week until the first Bradford novel, GoldenGirl, hits stores. And the websites keep coming! Check out the latest ones:

Richmond Resort Group, owned by Dalton's dad. His company was the developer of the Oceana Casino. Check out the map—when you click on a dot, you see the resort they own there!

Kenzo Takahashi Restaurants, owned by Madison's dad, obvs.

Bar Fetish, the hot new nightclub at the Oceana Casino where Spencer, Mads, Paige, & Regan party. I'm slightly obsessed with the cool tabletop navigation menu and the music that plays as you enter the club.

Let us know what you think of all the websites, and keep your eyes peeled for more sites, character blogs, student pages, etc. going up soon!

Primped, polished, and ready for viewing!

2009-01-09T17:03:00.005-05:00

So, I know we've been teasing you with promises of the Bradford book trailer. Well, it's finally primped, polished, and ready for its debut. Check it out and let us know what you think!

And feel free to embed the trailer on your website or blog to help spread the word! The trailer is available on Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace.

GoldenGirl: A Bradford Novel book trailer from FlirtyGirl Productions on Vimeo.

One Thousand Words

2009-01-08T17:02:00.002-05:00

That is the alleged value of a single snapshot.
Thus, I will sidestep the lengthy postmortem of last night's reading. Suffice it to say, the event was standing room only, and GoldenGirl was very well-received!
Herewith, a pic of yours truly and the fiance, smiling away after the finish of the Q&A.

It was fun to hear the other authors read, as well, and I am especially dying to read SCHOOL FOR DANGEROUS GIRLS.

Event! Event! Event!

2009-01-05T11:01:00.002-05:00

That's really the gist of it.
My friendliest people:
This Wednesday marks the inaugural Bradford launch event: a reading at the New York Public Library!
Not only will I be regaling you with a snarkalicious, scandal-filled snippet from book one, GoldenGirl, but you will also get to hear from some other fabu teen authors, including a few personal favorites. (I won't name names. A lady never. Suffice it to say, they are all groove-tastic).

I hope you'll come out to hear the reading, prepped with lots of question-y thoughts and comments. Bonus points (possible bribery involved, in point of fact), if you have an actual teen in tow.

The gory deats:

January 7 -- Teen Author Reading Night (6-7:30, Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL, 425 6th Ave , at 10th St .)

Claudia Gabel, Friends Close, Enemies Closer
Bill Konigsburg, Out of the Pocket
Micol Ostow, Golden Girl
Marie Rutkoski, Cabinet of Wonders
Eliot Schrefer, School for Dangerous Girls

We'd love to see you!

Muchos besos,

Meeks

Fa la la la la, friendlies!

2008-12-23T23:40:00.003-05:00

Our Holiday Gift to You . . .

2008-12-23T15:00:00.006-05:00

So, in honor of the holidays, I thought I'd update you on all the Bradfordian goodness that's been popping up on the Web. Think of these as free gifts, if you will, to tide you over until GoldenGirl arrives in bookstores in late January.

If you look over here
<----------------
you can see all the latest Bradford stuff as it appears. Such as

Spence, Mads, Paige, and Regan are all Twittering on a regular basis, so follow them on Twitter or keep an eye on the RSS feed on this blog to find out what they're up to at the moment.
The first 6 Bradford Websites are up and running, so check them out. Zephyr is particularly cool—can someone throw me a fictional intervention so I can be shipped off to Turks & Caicos during this freezing Philly weather?
Friend the Bradford gals on Facebook and MySpace. Links over here <--------------------
A few new Bradfordian blog posts have gone up recently (but don't worry, the really spoilery ones won't go live until the book is out, so you can read to your heart's content).
Also, check out Jeremy's OUT OF AFRICA blog on Tumblr, which he'll be updating regularly. Get to know this Bradford guy before the book comes out by keeping up with his latest thoughts/photos/links/whatevs. (Micol and I have serious crushes on him, just like at least one Bradford girl. What about you?)

We're finalizing the GoldenGirl book trailer for you RIGHT NOW, so keep an eye out for that as a New Year's pressie just for you. And don't forget to post the GoldenGirl countdown widget on your website/blog and let us know (either by e-mailing Micol or by posting about it here) so we can reward your awesomosity. 'Tis the season of giving!

Happy Holidays!

Fun Freebies!

2008-12-22T17:32:00.003-05:00

Santa visited early this year--something about us being Jewish had him confused, I guess--and dropped off the very pretty Bradfordly giveaways. Three have been promised to three very promising book bloggers:
shalondasblogspot.com
laurasreviewbookshelf.blogspot.com
sharonlovesbooksandcats.blogspot.com
But there are more! There are infinite! And one can be YOURS.
How, you ask?
Easy!
Just follow these three simple steps:
1. Visit the Bradford Novels blog.
(And look--you're here already! So you're all kinds of ahead of the game!)
2. Download our countdown widget.
3. Email me at micol@micolostow.com to tell me you've downloaded our countdown widget.

And then wait patiently for your fun freebie to arrive.

Oh, oh, oh, I do so heart the hols!

xx,

Micol

What'cha got there?

2008-12-15T13:37:00.002-05:00

Why, it's only an ADVANCE COPY of GoldenGirl, hot off the presses!
So purty...
Pre-order yours today!

News of the veriest variety!

2008-12-08T23:06:00.005-05:00

ZOMG, people: I spy with my little eye, TWO BRADFORD GALLEYS side by side!
Yes, it's true--I came home from Thanksgiving weekend to find the oh-so-pretty galley for "Fashionista" waiting for me and immediately set about laying it next to the galley for "GoldenGirl" to soak in all of the Bradfordly lurveliness.
(Aside: please to disregard the mess of whatnot lying on the floor below my dining room table; I live like a writerly heathen shut-in, for reals.)
How cute are they together? I mean, they are cute separately, but when placed adjacent to each other? It is an excess of YA series style, right?

Right.

Not only that, but the Bradford team will be going multi-media on your butts, post-haste: we're gearing up to post a book trailer for the series, an exclusive author vid, and to go livelivelive with all of the various websites for the full Bradfordverse experience. We've also got some dates for y'all to take note of w/r/t all sorts of launchy fun:

1/7/09: "GoldenGirl" reading at the NYPL (Jefferson Market branch) along with some of your favorite YA authors (NY, NY)
1/26/09: LIVE author chat with blogger thepageflipper (a great chance for me to schmooze with those of you who aren't NYC-local)
1/27/09: "GoldenGirl" releases (have you pre-ordered your copy?)!
2/17/09: MediaBistro launch party for The Bradford Novels (NY, NY)

Details on all of the above to follow as we get closer to B-day. And if you're interested in writing up Bradford on *your* blog, swing by my author website and drop me a line: www.micolostow.com. Flattery will get you everywhere, dearies...

Keep an eye on the widget! I'm off to primp. So much to do, so little time. Only 49 days (and counting)...

68 Days . . . and Counting.

2008-11-19T12:59:00.003-05:00

GoldenGirl has a countdown widget! So now you'll know exactly how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds it will be until Micol Ostow's new novel is available in bookstores.

Spread the word, post to your blogs & profiles, and enjoy the countdown!

Tweet, tweet!

2008-11-15T10:54:00.001-05:00

The fab four of Bradford (Spencer, Madison, Paige, and Regan) can now be found on Twitter!
(For a direct stream of their latest tweets, look to your left.)
Come follow them! They'll totes return the favor!

So, what's GoldenGirl about?

2008-11-14T13:34:00.006-05:00

Want a sneak peak at GoldenGirl, the first Bradford novel?

Here's a wordle of the entire book for you to enjoy! (I just love wordles. They're so pretty.)

OMG, friendlies! Bloggidy goodness!

2008-11-13T16:35:00.006-05:00

Hello and welcome to the very officialicous BRADFORD NOVELS blog!
If you are familiar with my work, then you may know that I already have both an author website and a LiveJournal blog, but from now until the launch of The Bradford Novels (that's 1/27/09, for those of you friendlies keeping score at home), I'll be posting HERE on a (mostly) regular basis to give you all kinds of dirt on the series.
My editors and I developed this blog to give readers a sneak peek into the months leading up to a book launch. As we get closer to G-day (GoldenGirl, aka Book #1, Day), you'll find author videos, Q&A's with other YA authors, brilliant insights on the writing life from yours truly (if I do say so myself), outtakes from photo shoots, cover stories, contests, and more, more, more!

Can you EVEN stand it?

I for one cannot. In fact, I may need to go lay down somewhere quiet and pull myself together again.

More soon.

As you were!

xx,

m