Review: The Smell of Other People's Houses

THE SMELL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES
Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
Contemporary Young Adult
240 pages
Wendy Lamb Books/Penguin Random House
Available Now
Source: eARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
In Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn’t like being a teenager anywhere else. This deeply moving and authentic debut is for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, and Benjamin Alire Saenz. Intertwining stories of love, tragedy, wild luck, and salvation on the edge of America’s Last Frontier introduce a writer of rare talent.

Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.

Four very different lives are about to become entangled. This unforgettable book is about people who try to save each other—and how sometimes, when they least expect it, they succeed.

MY THOUGHTS
The Smell of Other People's Houses is a story that's deceptively simple, one that gives us a few fleeting moments with a handful of characters as their lives briefly intertwine before leaving us at the last page waving a fond farewell. Despite it's more slice-of-life feel, it's a story that's hard to put down, the easy flow to the writing and the richness of the characters drawing us in and ensuring we're fully engaged from first page to last.

Stories with multiple narrators can be sometimes be tricky, a favorite among the group making time spent away from them a source of anxiety, but despite the presence of weightier issues involving teen pregnancy and various forms of child abuse and neglect, each character's story has a sort of quiet hope to it, making it hard to favor one over the others. Ruth finds herself pregnant and shipped off to an abbey to serve out her pregnancy in relative isolation, Dora battles a neglectful mother and the ghost of an abusive father, Hank attempts to save his brothers from a steadily worsening home situation by running away, and Alyce struggles with the guilt of a dream that differs from that of her father. Each has their own set of problems, but they all share an incredibly strong mental fortitude, facing their demons as they arise with a quiet strength that's endlessly fascinating.

They don't yell and rage at their circumstances, cursing and blaming their families for putting them in their current positions, instead they all simply deal as best they can and take us along for the ride as their problems lead them to one another. Wondering how each of their lives are going to intersect is part of the joy of this story, and while the end gives us no concrete answers as to how their lives are going to unfold moving forward, somehow it's enough just to have had these couple hundred pages with them.

Overall, The Smell of Other People's Houses is not a story that rips our hearts out and stomps on them or bowls us over with non-stop action, instead it slowly invites us in thanks to everyday people living everyday lives that just happen to be marked by more darkness than most. None of them allow that darkness to win though, bringing a smile to our faces as they each fight in their own way to hold on to what matters most.

Rating: 4/5

Find Bonnie-Sue:

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Be sure and check out the other stops on this tour for more reviews of this outstanding debut!

2/16 – The Young Folks
2/17  – Reading with Cupcakes
2/18 – Jessabella Reads
2/19 – Across the Words
2/20 – The Hiding Spot
2/21 – Pretty Good Gatsby
2/22 – Once Upon a Twilight
2/23 – The Reading Nook Reviews
2/24 – The Social Potato
2/25 – The Cover Contessa
2/26 – Irish Banana
2/27 – Waste Paper Prose
2/28 – Page Turners Blog
2/29 – Collected Works
3/1 – Live to Read
3/2 – Supernatural Snark

This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

 

Interview: Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman + ILLUMINAE

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming authors Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman to the blog to answer a few questions about their highly anticipated new release (it comes out today!!!), Illuminae. The format of this book, essentially a dossier of various documents, has me more than a little intrigued so I can't wait to dive in and see what's illuminated by these files (see what I did there? Illuminated? Yes? No? No. I need a vacation.). I hope you guys enjoy the interview more than my failed attempt at cleverness ;-)

The format of Illuminae is complex and unique. What was the most challenging part of telling a story through so many individual documents? 

We thought the greatest challenge would be convincing our publisher to design hundreds of pages of documents, including company logos, computer interfaces, spaceship blueprints, the ramblings of a mad artificial intelligence, comic strips and movie posters. But it turned out they were even more insane than we were, and thought it was a great idea. In fact, the greatest challenge was probably picking exactly the right document for each moment, to make sure we told the story the best way possible. There’s a difference in the information conveyed and the mood and pacing created by a press release vs a journal entry vs an IM conversation. We wanted to make sure each document did exactly the right job—but we wanted to make sure they didn’t prop the story up. It had to stand on its own. Ultimately, we didn’t want the format to be a gimmick, we wanted it to be integral to the way the story was told, but we also wanted to make sure our plot, pacing and characterisation was spot-on.

If you were to compile pieces of your life and work into a digital dossier that Kady and Ezra will hack into hundreds of years into the future, what in that file do you think they’d find most interesting?

Hmmm. It’s hard not to mentally replace the word ‘interesting’ with ‘incriminating’. Because that’s the sort of stuff Kady and Ezra would want to dig up. The reality is that they’d mostly find ideas scrawled on scraps of paper and long email chains where we talk our way in circles about the most ridiculous things. As for what they’d find most interesting… for Amie, it would be be the stuff to do with the golf course sign incident, and for Jay, it would be the stuff to do with a particular gig his band played at a particular place. We’re not sharing any more than that. You want to know, you’ll have to start hacking!

If you could spend a week in the world of any sci-fi movie, TV show or book, what world(s) would top your list?

Firefly. Fiiiiiiiiirefly. If they won’t give us a season 2, we’ll make our own gorram season 2. Let’s move on, we’re becoming emotional.

Let’s say that tomorrow Earth has to be evacuated. What are three things you’d make sure you didn’t leave without (aside from friends and family)?

We would like to state for the record (and any family members reading this) that the question does specify family are safe. We’re assuming pets come under that heading. So basically, we’re down to stuff that we can’t live without. We’re going to choose a case of excellent bourbon (because Jay considers it required for basic existence, and if he dies in the evacuation, Amie can trade it for helpful stuff), a crate of chocolate (exactly the same reason, except switch our positions) and a bookshelf stuffed to the gills with as many books as we can fit on it. We’re assuming we can mug someone for a computer to write on (we’re on a spaceship after all, if we’re evacuating the planet, they’ll have computers) so we’re focusing on booze, chocolate and books.

If Kady and Ezra were to stumble across a document that hinted at what’s to come in this trilogy, what are a few of the words they might find in its content?

Oooh, tricky. Here are a few words that are going to matter a lot in the coming books… Heimdall, Operation Plainview, journal, dust, spider, corsage and tattoo. We’d love to tell you what they mean, but it’s way more fun to watch you find out!

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Jay and Amie!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

ILLUMINAE

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

JAY KRISTOFF & AMIE KAUFMAN

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Magic, Middle School & TWIST MY CHARM

Happy Friday Everyone! Today I'm pleased to welcome author Toni Gallagher to the blog to talk all things magic, middle school and Twist My Charm: The Popularity Spell. I was addicted to the TV Show Charmed when I was a touch younger (I won't tell you how much younger though ;-)), and I always went back and forth between the three sisters in terms of which of their abilities I would most like to have if magic were real. I thought it might be fun to extend a similar question to Toni, so I asked her what spells she would cast if magic existed in our world. I hope you all enjoy, and for all you middle grade lovers out there, don't forget to add Twist My Charm: The Popularity Spell to your lists!

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If magic were real, what spells would I cast?

In Twist My Charm: The Popularity Spell, Cleo and her friend Samantha have the opportunity to cast positive, happy spells that will make their lives better. But when they decide to make themselves popular, they learn that doing something great for yourself might not be so great for someone else.

Since my story takes place in the world of sixth graders, I’d like to go back to my childhood to cast my spells and make my wishes.

First of all, I wanted to be able to sing – not just loudly (which I could already do), but well. Ideally I would sing like Patti LuPone, the Broadway star of Evita. She’s still out there today, belting out songs in musicals and in concert. Me? I’m singing on karaoke stages every once in a while. My version of These Boots Are Made for Walking will change your life. Not.

I also wanted to meet Steven Spielberg, the director. If he could’ve heard my story ideas, he surely would have made one into a blockbuster movie. My cousin and I, living in Philadelphia, would call his office in Hollywood and leave messages. We never heard back. However, when we wrote him a fan letter full of cut-out words from magazines, he wrote back – with words cut out of magazines! (You can see it on my website, tonigallagherink.com.) Many years later, I worked for his company, Amblin Entertainment, but I only met him face-to-face one time, when I advised him against directing The Prince of Tides. (Barbra Streisand, who did direct it, should thank me – shouldn’t she?)

Movies, plays and TV figured largely in my childhood, I suppose, because the other spell I would’ve liked to cast would be to send myself to Fantasy Island. This was an hour-long television show where Mr. Roarke, a suave man in a white suit, would grant people’s wishes. The problem with the show was that something would always go wrong; the person would always end up in danger. Well, I didn’t want that. I wanted to take part in Star Wars – not be in the movie, but experience it for real, in outer space, having adventures with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. But I would make a deal with Mr. Roarke beforehand. No danger, only fun.

However, if you cast a spell or make a wish and no unexpected circumstances arise, you don’t have a very good story, do you? If Cleo and Samantha’s spells didn’t cause trouble (for themselves and others), I wouldn’t have a book!  So maybe it’s best if I stay out of the magic business – unless I’m writing about it. Instead, I’m going to start working on my karaoke version of the disco song Car Wash. I may not be able to cast a spell, but I still need to entertain.

Thanks so much for stopping by Toni!

• • • • • • • • • • • 

TWIST MY CHARM: THE POPULARITY SPELL

Middle school can be tough, especially when you have to go to a new school. But what if there was a magic charm that gave the wearer popularity . . . that is, until the charm gets twisted. In THE POPULARITY SPELL Cleo Nelson just started sixth grade at a new school, where all the kids seem a lot cooler and older than her. But luckily she becomes fast friends with Samantha. So when a mysterious gift arrives in the mail, Cleo can’t wait to share the voodoo doll with Sam. But as the charms get bigger, the girls start to realize that happy charms can be twisted. . .

Find the book:

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Interview: Shalanda Stanley + Drowning Is Inevitable

Today I'm pleased to have author Shalanda Stanley stopping by to chat a little bit about her debut novel, Drowning Is Inevitable. She was nice enough to answer a few questions for me about her characters, New Orleans and who she'd call if she found herself in a tough spot, so I hope you all enjoy the interview. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Shalanda!

As a quick introduction to this story, how would the newspaper headline (or the first line of the TV news broadcast) read the morning after the tragic events between Olivia, Jamie and his father?

First line of the TV news broadcast:
Four teenagers, wanted in connection with the death of a forty-six-year-old St. Francisville man, are missing.

If each of the four main characters could magically wish themselves into the world of any piece of fiction in order to get away from the dark new reality of their lives, what book would each of them choose as an escape?

Olivia would choose the book Peter Pan. Olivia has no idea what the future holds and at the beginning of the book, she cannot imagine life after eighteen. She doesn’t tolerate the question, “What do you want to be when you grown up?” Olivia would want to escape to Neverland, where she and her friends would always be together and always stay the same.

I think Jamie would like to be on a perpetual road trip, one where he wasn’t running from anything. I believe he would escape to Kerouac’s On the Road. That way, the four of them would be free to travel coast to coast and have adventures, the kind that you know are important when you’re living them, but don’t realize how much so until you’re older.

Max wants an adventure story where he plays the lead and gets the girl at the end. He’d definitely choose The Princess Bride.

Maggie doesn’t read anything published after 1976, because she believes “Nothing current is original,” so her book-world escape would be to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The images in Alice’s Wonderland are so visceral that you can almost see the paint dripping off the page. This would appeal to the artist in Maggie. She’d love the idea that she could paint her world the way she wants it to be.

Jamie, Olivia, Max, and Maggie head to New Orleans when they’re forced on the run. What are a few places the city has to offer that would make ideal spots to hide in plain sight and blend in?

There are so many places in New Orleans to hide in plain sight: the Riverwalk, the French Quarter, Audubon Park, any place downtown. The sidewalks are alive with people and musicians. There’s so much noise in New Orleans. It’s an ideal spot to be lost.

If you ever found yourself with a seemingly unfixable problem, what fictional character would you call on for help?

Can I call on an author instead? Judy Blume answered so many of my life questions when I was growing up. Anytime I hit a bump or felt a growing pain, my mom would hand me the Judy Blume book that went with it, and Judy always made things better. In my mind, she’s this sage who’d definitely be able to help me find a solution to my problem.

Though Olivia’s journey in this story is difficult, what is one thing she would say the events of Drowning Is Inevitable has taught her about herself?

She learns how strong she is and that she’s her own person, not just an extension of her parents, her mother especially. She is the fate decider, and even though there is a worn path already laid out for her, she learns that she doesn’t have to go down it.

Thanks so much for answering my questions Shalanda!

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

DROWNING IS INEVITABLE

Olivia has spent her whole life struggling to escape her dead mother’s shadow. But when her father can’t even look at her because Olivia reminds him of her mother, and her grandmother mistakenly calls her “Lillian,”  shaking a reputation she didn’t ask for is next to impossible. Olivia is used to leaning on her best friend, Jamie; her handsome but hot-tempered boyfriend, Max; and their wild-child friend, Maggie, for the reality check that her small Louisiana town can’t provide. But when a terrible fight between Jamie and his father turns deadly, all Olivia can think to do is grab her friends and run.

In a flash, Olivia, Jamie, Max, and Maggie become fugitives on the back roads of Louisiana. They’re headed to New Orleans, where they hope to find a solution to an unfixable problem. But with their faces displayed on all the news stations, their journey becomes a harrowing game of hide-and-seek from the police—and so-called allies, who just might be the real enemy.

Shalanda Stanley’s breathtaking debut novel explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?

Buy Drowning Is Inevitable:

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Find Shalanda:

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Lou Anders + The Thrones & Bones Series

I'm hugely excited today to welcome author Lou Anders to the blog to talk a little bit about Nightborn, the upcoming addition to his fantasy-adventure Thrones and Bones series. I'm what you might call mildly (or possibly enormously, whichever) obsessed with all things mythology related, but Norse mythology is of particular interest to me. Lou was oh-so generous as to feed my obsession by sharing a few tidbits about some of the creatures inhabiting his world, so get ready for a little Norse education, Thrones and Bones style!

Trolls, Draug, and Linnorms… oh My!

One of the things I’m most proud of in the Thrones & Bones series is what you might call my “fantasy ecology.” When it comes to world building, I want the monsters and otherworldly creatures to be as much a part of their environment as the plants and animals of the natural world. For me this means that they derive from specific cultures and locales. So you don’t find ogres outside of a French-flavored land or mummies away from the culture that embalmed and wrapped them. Since Frostborn, the first book in the Thrones & Bones series, is set in Norrøngard, a land heavily influenced by Norse myth and culture, I took pains to make sure that the creatures we encountered derived from Scandinavian myth.

This meant a lot of trolls, obviously. In fact, I didn’t realize quite how closely trolls were associated with Norway specifically until I took a research trip to the country myself. Not only are there troll statues everywhere, and the obligatory troll figurines for the tourists, but trolls are part and parcel of the land, as reflected in the names of places. Take for instance the phenomenal Troll Wall (Norwegian: Trollveggen), a massive array of jagged peaks that is part of the mountain massif Troll Peaks (Norwegian: Trolltindene) in the Romsdalen valley. Or the winding mountain road known as the Trolls’ Path (Trollstigen), which forms a dramatic part of Norwegian National Road 63. And did you know that the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" is actually a Norwegian fairy tale? It’s called “De tre bukkene Bruse.” I never knew that and thought it was an English tale.

But what are trolls exactly? Originally they were synonymous with giants, and referred specifically to giants in a derogatory way. The “jotunn" of Norse myth sometimes worked with and other times against the gods. Many of them even married into the divine pantheon, so you could almost think of “troll” as a slur against the giants when the gods weren’t feeling well disposed towards them. But over time, trolls came to be regarded as their own unique beings, a category of spirits of the land. Dwellers in caves and mountains, trolls are usually depicted as strong but slow-witted. They can come in all sizes, from very small ones to enormous monstrosities the size of hills. They can be dangerous, but some can be almost kindly. The most surprising thing I learned is that trolls don’t necessarily turn to stone in the sun. In some accounts, a troll turns to stone when it dies, which is why the mountain slopes of Norway are littered with boulders.

While I learned new facts and corrected some misunderstandings about trolls, the draug was a creature I’d never encountered before beginning my research.The word draug means “again walker”, literally “one who walks after death.” Draug aren’t mummies or zombies, but intelligent, malevolent creatures that dwell in their burial mounds waiting to mess with any unfortunate living being who wanders too close. Draug can appear corpse-pale, dark blue, or maroon. Some draug can turn to smoke and move through solid rock. Some draug can swell to enormous size, large enough to swallow men and horses whole. Some can shape shift into animals (though often the animal in question has broken bones or bleeding flanks).  And some can enter your dreams. My favorite form taken by a draug is a cat that comes to your bedroom at night and sits on your chest. It then gradually grows heavier until you suffocate! It is often a mean or greedy person that turns into a draug at death, but a good way to keep a draug from rising is to install a “corpse door”, which is magical protection against its being able to leave its grave.

Probably the most exciting of Norse creatures is the linnorm, the Norse equivalent to dragons, with certain differences. Linnorms are more serpentine than other European dragons. The name means “constrictor snake.” They can be winged or wingless, and are sometimes limbless or have only forelimbs. In case you ever encounter a giant serpent and need to tell what it is, remember that European dragons generally have four limbs and less serpentine bodies. In Frostborn, we meet an enormous and ancient linnorm named Orm. He lives in the ruins of the city of Sardeth, having devoured the inhabitants long ago. He’s serpentine and winged, though I deliberately didn’t disclose his number of limbs.

This brings me to another aspect of Thrones & Bones that pleases me. It’s always been a pet peeve of mine when a fantasy realm or an imaginary city appears to exist in complete isolation. Real world history isn’t like that and an imaginary place shouldn’t be either. There are always bits of a particular culture that are borrowed or stolen from neighbors, intersections with people and places from far away. So in Frostborn we hear of other realms and we encounter foreigners, like the mysterious soldiers who ride wyverns—two legged, bat winged serpents that come from another country entirely. In fact, Orm himself isn’t actually a native Norrønian. We learn he appeared in Norrøngard over a thousand years previous, which makes him an immigrant.So he’s not technically a linnorm at all!  (Though as he’s lived in Norrøngard for over a millennium, maybe we should cut him some slack). We’ll learn more about where he’s from and why he left in the sequel, Nightborn. But all through Frostborn I worked in asides pointing to other cultures, neighboring countries, and the way the history of distant lands sometimes intertwines with that of Norrøngard (my co-lead’s famous sword Whitestorm was actually forged far away before becoming a legendary weapon in his own country). I hope this gives the book and the series a sense of believability and reality, the feeling that other stories might be going on elsewhere on the map beyond the confines of the tale we’re telling at present.

Meanwhile, in Nightborn, we’ll meet another set of creatures from Norse myth—the svartálfar, the dark elves! Dwellers under the earth, the dark elves are actually pale-skinned, but called dark for their black hair and eyes. They live in caverns beneath the Svartálfaheim Mountains and are rarely seen on the surface. But something has drawn them up into the sunlight. As to what, you’ll have to read the books to find out!

• • • • • • • • • • • •

NIGHTBORN

(releases July 14 from Crown Books/Penguin Random House)

Twelve-year-old Desstra is in training to join the Underhand, the elite agents of the dark elves. But her graduation is jeopardized by the betrayal of a teammate. Things go from bad to worse when she is sent far from home on a secret mission, under the supervision of this same rival, whose approval she must win if she is to graduate and realize her life's dream.

Karn is trading in the city of Bense, when he is snatched into the air by a wyvern. The creature carries him across the wilderness straight to the Blasted City, to Sardeth, home of the dragon Orm. Is Karn about to be a dragon's dinner?

Fate doesn't have anything so easy in store for him. The great dragon tells Karn he believes a second Horn of Osius exists, hidden across the continent in the city of Castlebriar. What's more, Orm has previously sent Thianna Frostborn on a mission to recover the horn, but her wyvern returned without her. It seems Thianna has run afoul of the dark elves. Now Karn must rescue his friend and together they must uncover the horn before the dark elves get ahold of this powerful relic.

With only a dragon's blessing to aid them and a mysterious riddle to guide them, Karn and Thianna must race the dark elves to a prize that could alter the fate of nations.

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• • • • • • • • • •

LOU ANDERS

Lou Anders drew on a recent visit to Norway along with his adventures traveling across Europe in his teens and twenties to write Frostborn and Nightborn, combining those experiences with his love of globe-trotting adventure fiction and games (both tabletop and role- playing) However, he has yet to ride a wyvern. With the addition of characters Desstra and Tanthal, Anders hopes that his second book in the Thrones and Bones series will continue to appeal to boys and girls equally. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. He has published over five hundred articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the country. He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Interview: Roxanne St. Claire + They All Fall Down

I'm thrilled today to welcome author Roxanne St. Claire to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her newest release, They All Fall Down. Roxanne was nice enough to answer a few questions for me about high school, murder mysteries and her teenage self, so I hope you all enjoy the interview!

To help us get to know Kenzie and her newfound friends a little bit better, could you assign each of them a typical high school yearbook superlative (best dressed, most likely to succeed, etc.)?

Kenzie Summerall – Most Changed
Molly Russell – Biggest Band Geek
Josh Collier – Sexiest Smile
Levi Sterling – Most Wanted by Administration

Confession: I live for lists. I love them and can’t get through my day without making one. Instead of a list like the one circulating at Kenzie’s high school, please give us a list of your top 5 favorite high school-centric movies.

Mean Girls
A Cinderella Story
The Breakfast Club
Clueless
Perks of Being a Wallflower

If Kenzie could invite a character from any piece of fiction (aside from Sherlock Holmes) to help her uncover the secrets behind the list and the death of her classmates, who would she most want to work with?

Why not Sherlock!?! He’d be perfect. Okay, then I’d have her pick someone from either the Guardian Angelinos or the Bullet Catchers, two incredibly talented teams of protection and security specialists…all invented by me!

If Kenzie had the chance to sit down and interview you, what do you think the first question out of her mouth would be?

“Why did I have to wait so long to find out the truth about my brother?”

I love a mystery that can keep me guessing. What book had the biggest/most surprising twist you’ve ever encountered?

I admit that I didn’t see the sad ending of Fault in our Stars coming. I read the book very early, before the big buzz, and when Augustus flinches in pain in Amsterdam for the first time, I gasped loudly in shock. No! He wouldn’t do that! He wouldn’t…he did. Sigh. Also, there’s a death at the end of Mockingjay that stunned (and infuriated) me. 

If, like Kenzie, the teenage version of you suddenly found herself the center of the popular crowd’s attention, what would her reaction have been?

I’d like to think I’d be more like Kenzie than Molly. Kenzie was not overwhelmed by it all, because she never really sought seek the attention and didn’t place any value on it. Her best friend, Molly, on the other hand was seduced – so it was a good thing that Molly wasn’t on the list. That was a big reason Kenzie didn’t get sucked into the power of the list, and was able to stand back and see what was happening objectively. 

What’s one thing your high school self never would have guessed about the direction your career as an adult has taken?

My high school self went 3,000 miles away from home (from Pittsburgh to UCLA) with the intention of being a high-powered attorney. But after one semester of college, I knew I wasn’t cut out for law school. I think my high school self would be surprised that those little “stories” I wrote for fun and to amuse my friends ended up as the way I make my living.

Thanks so much for these awesome questions. I’m happy to pop in today and answer more!

My pleasure Roxanne, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!

• • • • • • • • • • • •

THEY ALL FALL DOWN

Every year, the lives of ten girls at Vienna High are transformed.

All because of the list.

Kenzie Summerall can't imagine how she's been voted onto a list of the hottest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes dazzling. Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her.

This is the power of the list. If you're on it, your life changes.

If you're on it this year? Your life ends.

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • •

ROXANNE ST. CLAIRE

Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels of suspense and romance, including three popular series (The Bullet Catchers, The Guardian Angelinos, and Barefoot Bay) and multiple stand alone books.

In addition to being a six-time nominee and one-time winner of the RITA Award, Roxanne’s novels have won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense three times, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, the Award of Excellence, and many others. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and are routinely included as a Doubleday/Rhapsody Book Club Selection of the Month.

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And don't forget to check out the rest of the participating blogs!

10/14     Icey Books                                         

10/15     Bumbles & Fairytales                     

10/16     Across the Words                           

10/17     Bookish                                               

10/18     A Dream Within a Dream

10/19     Good Books & Good Wine          

10/20     Jean Book Nerd                           

10/21     Pandora’s Books                             

10/22     Anatea’s Bookshelf                        

10/23     Supernatural Snark                        

10/24     The Children’s Book Review       

10/25     Unofficial Addiction Book Club  

10/26     Live to Read

10/27     Winter Haven Books / Rather Be Reading YA      

10/28     Peace Love Books                           

10/29     Christy’s Book Addiction              

10/30     Stories & Sweeties

10/31     Wondrous Reads            

Read Pink 2014

Today I'm thrilled to once again bring attention to an outstanding campaign put together by Penguin Random House to support breast cancer research and awareness. They've explained the campaign, its history and its goals more eloquently than I ever could, so I'm just going to let them do the talking. Be sure and check the bottom of the post for a look at a number of the books that directly support the Read Pink® initiative.

READ PINK® IN HONOR OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH AND SUPPORT THE NEXT CHAPTER OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH

Penguin Random House Marks Five-Year Partnership Milestone and $125,000
in Donations to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®

What’s black and white and pink all over? The initiative by Penguin Random House called Read Pink® in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October)!

Today the scientific community has left behind the “one-size-fits-all” breast cancer treatment to emerge with targeted, more effective therapies. As a result, after remaining stagnant for more than 50 years, the death rate from breast cancer has decreased by 30 percent. The Read Pink^® initiative by Penguin Random House is proud to be part of this exciting new chapter in the fight against breast cancer, supporting the bold research of The Breast Cancer Foundation^® (BCRF), while leveraging its passionate readers to help increase awareness and education about the disease. This literary embrace of a life-saving cause has resulted in nearly 1.5 million best-selling novels shipped with Read Pink seals and information about BCRF across all five years of the promotion.

Penguin Random House is thrilled to partner once again this year with BCRF, as 91 cents of every dollar spent by BCRF is directed towards breast cancer research and awareness programs.

The $25,000 donation that Penguin Random House contributes, regardless of sales, provides vital funds to support the mission of BCRF.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Penguin Random House’s Read Pink® editions, we are featuring a few participating authors and what Read Pink® means to them…

Beatriz Williams (2014 Read Pink® Spokesperson), A Hundred Summers
“Every life lost to breast cancer leaves behind a hole that can never be filled again: a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, an aunt, a grandmother. I’m so grateful for organizations like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for their efforts to find a cure for this devastating disease, and honored to support breast cancer awareness, detection, and research through Penguin’s READ PINK program in 2014. With your help, we can move closer to the day when breast cancer leaves behind only survivors.”

Karen White, The Time Between
“Since 1989, death rates from breast cancer have been decreasing due to earlier detection and improved treatment because of the efforts of organizations like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Books have always been an important part of my life, and I am honored that my book will be part of Penguin’s Read Pink program that supports breast cancer awareness and research through reading. It is my greatest hope that through efforts like this we might find a cure within my lifetime.”

Nora Roberts, Sea Swept and The Witness
“To all the moms and daughters, wives and sisters, lovers and friends, Read Pink is here for you and yours. Help support breast cancer awareness and the strong, brave women who fight or will fight this disease and Read Pink in October.”

Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing
“I am so delighted to be included in the Read Pink campaign again this year with Perfect Timing being featured, along with so many other great books, to raise funds for breast cancer research. I can remember when a diagnosis of breast cancer was often equivalent to a death sentence. Nowadays, the survival rates have increased greatly, and I personally know women who have prevailed over this terrible disease. Sadly, I’ve also known a few women who lost the battle. So I call upon all of you to join ranks with me and countless other women in a war to defeat breast cancer. ‘Read Pink! Buy books bearing the Read Pink logo as gifts for the women you love.’ By standing together as sisters, we have it within our power to make a huge difference!”

Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes
“This is the time of year when we celebrate the progress that has been made in the battle against breast cancer and acknowledge the work that lies ahead. No, we aren't there yet. There's a long way to go. The greatest weapon we have to fight this disease is research and research costs money. That is why this breast cancer awareness campaign is so important and why I am proud to participate.”

Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand
“I’m so thrilled to be part of the Read Pink effort to help raise awareness and funding for breast cancer research. I hear frequently from romance readers who tell me my books and those of other romance authors have helped them get through breast cancer treatment. I want to hear from fewer of them in the future. I want to hear they took our books on fabulous vacations rather than treatments. Please Read Pink in October to support all the courageous women fighting this disease and to fund critical research. Thank you for Reading Pink!”

Full List of 2014 Participating Authors:
Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter from your Lover
Karen White, The Time Between
Nora Roberts, Sea Swept and The Witness
Jennifer Chiaverini, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker
Beatriz Williams, A Hundred Summers
Wendy Wax, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey
Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing
Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand
Janet Chapman, The Heart of a Hero
Lisa Gardner, MacNamara’s Woman
Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes

READ PINK® MASS MARKET PAPERBACK TITLES

 

READ PINK® TRADE PAPERBACK TITLES

 Mark your calendars and remember to join in the conversation with @BerkleyRomance and @PenguinGroupUSA on Twitter in October.  Make sure to use the hashtag #ReadPink!

For more information about the Read Pink initiative and to view a complete list of the participating retail outlets, please visit penguin.com/readpink.

• • • • • • • • •

READ PINK® SCHEDULE

Please support the blogs taking part in this special, Read Pink® Spotlight Tour!

October 1 – Exclusive guest post with spokesperson Beatriz Williams on LizandLisa.com

Sept 2 - Cheryl's Book Nook; The Readers Den; Gone with the Words; Pretty Sassy Cool


Sept 23 - Reading Reality; You Gotta Read; Adria's Romance Reviews
Sept 24 - Kimberly Faye Reads; Nicely Phrased; I Smell Sheep
Sept 25 - Romance Junkies; To Read or Not To Read; A Southern Girl’s Bookshelf
Sept 26 - Cindy's Love of Books; Chick Lit Plus; The Book Reading Gals 


Sept 29 - LitChat; Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf; Chris Book Blog Emporium
Sept 30 - Reality Bites! Let's Get Lost!; Grave Tells; Britt's Book and Life Blog; Sincerely Stacie
Oct 1 - Cocktails and Books; The Reading Nook Reviews; 2Bookaholics; Wit & Sin; Raw Books
Oct 2 - SOS Aloha; Bookish Things & More; Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads
Oct 3 -  Dew on the Kudzu; Peace Love Books; Grown Up Book Reviews


Oct 6 - My Book Addiction and More; Book-alicious Mama; Chick Lit Central
Oct 7 - A Dream Within A Dream; Thoughts in Progress; Mundie Moms
Oct 8 - Flirty and Dirty Book Blog; Readers Live A Thousand Lives; That's What I'm Talking About
Oct 9 - Book Lovin' Mamas; Lori's Reading Corner; The Book Reading Gals
Oct 10 - Supernatural Snark; Once Upon a Twilight; Expressions of a Hopeful Romantic


Oct 13 - Fallen Angel Reviews; Parajunkee's View; As I Turn the Pages
Oct 14 - Reading in Black & White; Keepin It Real Book Blog
Oct 15 -  ABCD Diaries; Fictional Candy; Paranormal Book Club
Oct 16 - Sexy Bibliophiles; Book Sniffers Anonymous; Sexy Book Reviews By Shelly & April
Oct 17 - Wicked Lil Pixie; The Book Swarm; Addicted 2 Novels; Stephanie’s Book Reports


Oct 20 - News & Sentinel, “Book Nook”; The Reading Café
Oct 21 - The Book Bellas; The Book Cellar
Oct 22 - The Novel Life; My Book Muse; Confessions of a Y.A. & N.A. Book Addict
Oct 23 - Rock Stars of Romance; Silver's Reviews; Journey of a Bookseller
Oct 24 - Sunshine & Mountains


Oct 27 - Bewitched Bookworms; Ramblings From This Chick
Oct 28 - Reading in Pajamas; Turn the Page
Oct 29 - Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks; Stuck In YA Books; Reviews by Tammy & Kim
Oct 30 - Fang-tastic Books; No BS Book Reviews; Marie’s Cozy Corner; Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews
Oct 31 - In Shadows; Love Romances & More