Blog Tour: Fall From Grace - Charles Benoit - Author Interview

Charles Benoit is here today with an author interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for his book, Fall From Grace. Thank you for being here today, Charles! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

What one song would you say describes the world as you see it?

(Let’s get Moving) Into Action by Tim Armstrong and Skye Swetnam 

If Grace and Sawyer were walking down the street, and they ran into you, what would they say?

Sawyer wouldn’t say anything, he’d simply wait for me to say something. But that’s okay since Grace would do the talking for both of us, probably a rant about how Larry was the best Stooge or that Bonnie and Clyde was a good movie that was ruined by the ending. 

 If Murphy's law affected you, what scenario would you see most likely unfolding?

If? I get no special dispensation from Mr. Murphy. It usually rears its ugly head around deadlines and freezing computers, but it’s been known to pop up when I’m due to make a speech or big presentation, often as a nasty shaving cut (on my bald head, naturally), a missing sock, hiccups or laryngitis. 

If you could choose to eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

Sushi. Specifically nigirizushi, which is basically raw fish on a ball of rice. I have been known to exist on it for days at a time. 

Can you give us a description of FALL FROM GRACE in haiku? 

Nice guy with no clue 

Clever girl with lots of plans 

Steal something for me

Thank you again for being here today, Charles! 

Charles Benoit can be found on his website, his blog, and on facebook. 

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Grace always has a plan. There’s her plan to get famous, her plan to get rich, and—above all—her plan to have fun. Sawyer has plenty of plans too. Plans made for him by his mother, his father, his girlfriend. Maybe they aren’t his plans, but they are plans. When Sawyer meets Grace, he wonders if he should come up with a few plans himself. Plans about what he actually wants to be, plans to speak his own mind for a change, plans to maybe help Grace with a little art theft. Wait a minute—plans to what?

Synopsis taken from goodreads. 

Blog Tour: Breaking Beautiful - Jennifer Shaw Wolf - Book Trailer Debut, Giveaway, and Guest Post

Jennifer Shaw Wolf is here today with the debut of her book trailer for her soon to be released book, Breaking Beautiful, courtesy of the Teen Book Scene. Thank you for being here today, Jennifer! You can follow along with the blog tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

About seventeen years ago I stood in front of some executives from Bonneville Communications to tell them why I was majoring in Broadcast Communications and why I deserved their scholarship money. My speech went something like this: "Being a broadcasting major is like finding out exactly what I want to do with my life, that I never knew I wanted." As confusing as that phrase might be, I won the scholarship. Then I got my degree in broadcasting, went on to be a stay-at-home mom and never worked (ha ha) a day in my life. 

Even though I have never had a "real" job in broadcasting, video-production has been one of my hobbies, loves, and passions since my first year of college. In school, my emphasis was in production (behind the camera) as opposed to news (in front of the camera), but we were encouraged to try both sides. After spending a few months as a very pregnant student reporter I never wanted to go in front of the camera again. (I've been trying to work up the nerve to vlog, but still haven't gotten there yet.)

The part of video production that I love is editing the pieces together to create a story, from something as small as telling a couple's love story for a wedding video to a mini-documentary that followed a three day pioneer reenactment done by teens from my church. 

What I've learned about visually telling a story has helped me a with writing (the the "what I wanted to do with my life that I've always known I wanted"). I visualize a scene over and over in my mind before and as I write it, and once it's written I look for the "heart" of the shot (or line or paragraph or chapter) and trim away what doesn't work, just like I do when I edit videos. 

Today I FINALLY get to debut the combination of my two loves, writing and video production. I've had the book trailer for BREAKING BEAUTIFUL in my mind since I first started writing the story. Right when I was ready to really get started on it, some personal things came up and I ended up having to scale back my original idea a lot, but I couldn't be happier with the result. 

I had so much creating this trailer. I loved working with  my "Allie," Brooklyn. She's one of my son's friends, an amazing teen actress (and singer) and just a really fun girl. I put her through a lot of to geth this finished; lying on a cold ledge, running in heels, and taking time out of her spring break vacation, but she was always willing to do it. I'm also grateful to North Thurston high school in Lacey, Washington and for letting me use the school locker area and to the Librarian, Steve Coker for helping me arrange that. And since we're doing the academy award thing; thanks to my amazing videographer-husband David and my son and other teen actors, David, Tristan (best creepy voice ever), Jennifer, Chelsie, Mellissa, Josh, Ben, and Jesse. 

So with way ado that is probably necessary here is the trailer for BREAKING BEAUTIFUL. 

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Synopsis taken from goodreads. 

Giveaway Details

Jennifer Shaw Wolf has graciously offered up a copy of Breaking Beautiful for giveaway. 

Thank you, Jennifer! 

Giveaway is open to US only. 

Giveaway will end April 24, 2012. 

Please fill out this FORM to enter. Comments, while appreciated, won't be counted as entries.

Thank you! 

Blog Tour: The Wicked and the Just - J. Anderson Coats - Author Interview

J. Anderson Coats is here today with an author interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her soon to be released novel, The Wicked and the Just. Thank you for being here today! You can follow along with the tour here. Enjoy!

What was your favourite scene from THE WICKED AND THE JUST to write?

At the end, there’s a scene where Cecily realizes the consequences of her actions. It’s gripping, abrupt and devastating, and it changes her completely.

What song would you say describes the world as you see it?

“It’s the End of the World As We Know It” by Great Big Sea.

Can you give us a description of THE WICKED AND THE JUST in haiku?

Medieval North Wales.

Tax breaks and cheap land. Life’s good

If you are English.

If Murphy's Law applied to you, what outcome would you most likely see happening?

Probably the same as what happens now. If I’m in a good mood, I see the beauty all around me. If I’m blue, that’s the way the world has always been and always will be just kill me now.

If you could go back in history to any time period, which would you choose, and why?

Hmm, knowing what I know about history, I’m pretty fond of the twenty-first century. I like flush toilets and antibiotics and representative democracy. But I have to say I’d be tempted to visit the great age of sail - the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There’s something very appealing about a world of frontiers, a world driven by discovery and novelty and the sense of potential for an ordinary (admittedly male) person with a little bit of luck and a lot of moxie.

The historian in me is scolding me for this choice, as it was also the advent of modern chattel slavery and the disastrous introduction of disease to the New World. But this era had the kind of restless energy and optimism that faded away once there was nothing left for people to discover. We traded wonder for knowledge, and although this was in no way a bad trade, something is definitely absent from a world without any more frontiers for ordinary people to explore.

Thank you for being here today, and answering my questions, J! 

J. Anderson Coats can be found on her website, her blog, and on twitter. 

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Cecily’s father has ruined her life. He’s moving them to occupied Wales, where the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will finally be the lady of the house.

Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now she must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl.

While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And outside the city walls, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.