Character Tweets: Tina from Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

In my debut novel, Leverage, Tina is the tough Goth-girl that single-handedly runs the stadium sound system and jumbotron messages at all the of Knights football home games--not because she likes football but because she wants to acquire the technical skills needed to become a sound and video producer. Unfortunately for Tina, she has to share the production booth with a very old crank named Walt who does the play-by-play game commentary. The following is a transcript of tweets from Tina during one of the Knights' recent home games.


TinaRocks!--Old Man Walt (OMW) just took out his flask filled with "tea" and the football game hasn't even started yet. Gonna B a fun night!

TinaRocks!--OMW says the football players in his day were a lot tougher. Sure they were, grandpa!

TinaRocks!--I can smell the "tea" on OMW's breath. I'm pretty sure it's not Lipton and I'm pretty sure you can't buy it at the grocery store.

TinaRocks!--Just explained to OMW the concept of twitter and tweets. He told me to "stop chirping on my fancy-schmancy gadget."

TinaRocks!--2nd quarter begins and OMW is nipping fast and furious on his flask.

TinaRocks!--OMW just called the visiting Mustangs a "bunch of sissy-bitches." His microphone was on and the whole stadium just heard it. I don't think he cares.

TinaRocks!--OMW just asked why a "devil girl" is running the sound/light board. He says I should be waving pom-poms on the sidelines.

TinaRocks!--Just put the following message up on the jumbotron screen. I'M WALT & I'M DRUNK!!! ENJOY THE GAME! Fans cheered. OMW didn't even notice!

TinaRocks!--Halftime is over. Can't wake OMW up. I would be worried except he's snoring like a bear.

TinaRocks!--OMW woke up midway through the third quarter. Said he needs to "take a mean ass piss right now!" Wayyyy too much info, Walt!

TinaRocks!--The Knights football team is up 24 to 10 not that OMW is around to comment and tell the fans.

TinaRocks!--OMW made it back to the booth with five minutes left in the game. He's got ketchup on his chin, half a hotdog in his mouth and his fly is down. Help!

TinaRocks!--OMW decided to take another nap on the floor.

TinaRocks!--Knights win game 27-13. OMW still asleep.

TinaRocks!--2nd to last jumbotron message of the night: CONGRATULATIONS KNIGHTS!

TinaRocks!--Last jumbotron message of the night: I'M WALT AND I'M HOMELESS. AGAIN!

TinaRocks!--Didn't want to wake OMW. Still snoring peacefully when I locked up the production booth. Same time next week, Walt?

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Character Interview: Tansy from Through Her Eyes + Giveaway

Today I have with me Tansy from the novel Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer.

Tell us something random about you.

I was totally crushing on a guy named Colin in San Francisco before we moved. He worked at a music store with my best friend Hailey, and we had just started to hang out when Mom announced that we were leaving. Hailey always warned me that Colin was “bad news” and I should stay away from him. But I had only been in Texas one day when I called her house and her mom told me she’d gone to a concert with him!

Who is your least favourite character you share your story with? Why?

This girl at school named Shanna is so self-centered and rude. I once overheard her making fun of me – and worse than that, laughing at my grandfather, Papa Dan. If she wants to be mean to me, fine, but not him – that’s not something I’m sure I can ever forgive. And Shanna treats Bethyl Ann like she’s as disgusting as a dried gum wad underneath a desk, or something. Bethyl Ann may be a total geek and only thirteen, but she’s also the only person who has been completely nice to me since the minute I moved to Cedar Canyon.

What super power would you like to have?

I’d like to be able to read minds. Then I would know what’s going on with Tate Hudson, this totally hot guy at school who was nice to me at first, then started acting like he hated my guts for no reason.

What's your favorite food (or drink)?

My favorite drink is a soy chai. As for food, I pretty much like anything except meat. Oh, and the gloppy pasta salad with extra mayo that Bethyl Ann’s mom makes is totally disgusting, but I’d never tell her that.

What 3 words would describe you best?

Loner. Photographer. Invisible.

If you could change any one thing you've done in the past, what would it be?

I feel really ashamed that I tried to avoid Bethyl Ann after we first met and she was trying to be so nice to me. If I could change that I would, because she’s a great friend – funny and trustworthy and loyal. And she’s really helped me through a difficult time. Even when I feel and act like I’m losing my mind over all the weird stuff that’s going on with the photographs and the ghost that haunts our house, Bethyl Ann is there for me. She has a very open mind and helps me try to figure things out.

Jennifer’s website

Through Her Eyes book trailer:

Through Her Eyes - Book Trailer from Emily Greaser on Vimeo.

You can win an ARC of Through Her Eyes by filling out the form below. Ends Friday, April 8th. Open to US/Canada.

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Character Interview: Nickel from Nickel Plated by Aric Davis

Today, I have the great opportunity to interview a character that really is unlike anyone I've met in a YA book so far. Nickel from Nickel Plated. Here's a bit about the novel:

Nickel is a survivor. He has to be. For as long as he can remember, his life has hinged on the flip of a coin. Or, rather, the scribble of a social worker’s pen. He’s been through the system, even had a good dad for a few years, until he was gone, too. But Nickel remembers everything he taught him, and since the day he escaped from foster-care hell, he’s put that knowledge to good use. Just twelve years old, he makes a steady living by selling marijuana to high schoolers, blackmailing pedophiles he ferrets out online, and working as a private investigator. When a beautiful girl named Arrow hires him to find her little sister Shelby, Nickel figures at best the kid’s a runaway; at worst, some perv’s gotten a hold of her. He scours the internet and the streets of Arrow’s suburban neighborhood, and what he finds there is as ugly a truth as he’s ever seen. For beyond the manicured lawns, Nickel discovers children for sale, and adults with souls black as the devil. And people like that aren’t about to let some kid ruin their game. This edgy thriller introduces a canny, precocious anti-hero, the likes of which young-adult readers have never seen.


Q: So Nickel, how did you get into the business of private investigation?

Would it kill you to keep it down? In case you didn’t notice, we’re not exactly alone out here.
My work isn’t something you choose, it chooses you. This is what my Dad did, and now it’s
what I do. It’s not the smartest thing, too much face time, but how am I supposed to say no? If a
kid needs help, I’m going to help. It’s what Dad would have done.

Q: What was your impression of Arrow, your latest client, when you first met?

Are you kidding? Young, dumb and full of…questions. Arrow is beautiful, and she’s got a bit
of bitterness to her, but the girl is just electric. She takes a minute to get used to, and she’s got a
heck of a right cross, but she is a sweet person, and she’s definitely easy on the eyes. I’ll say this
too, if you need someone at your back, Arrow is as good as it gets.

Q: What are the five best words you would use to describe yourself?

Won’t. Stop. Until. I’m. Dead.

Q: What's your past like?

Seriously? It’s bad, except for the time I spent with Dad, and that was like taking a course in
criminology, and in being a criminal. Dad raised me right, and that’s why I am where I am
today, free.

Q: What do you want to do when you get out of high school?

Lady, I don’t go to school. When I turn 18, I’m buying a rifle, driving to Detroit and making a
few widows. I might forget to tie my shoes or turn off the lights, but I don’t forget a debt, and
there are some people over there that need some chips cashed in.


Thank you Nickel for stopping by. I definitely would not want to be one of those people you'll be after in a few years.

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Character Interview: Sadie from Chasing Alliecat + Giveaway

Thanks to The Teen Book Scene, I had the great opportunity to interview Sadie from the novel Chasing Alliecat by Rebecca Fjelland Davis, which I will have a review of up shortly. Learn more about the author on her website.


You seem to love biking a lot, when did you first learn to ride and did you always love it?
I begged for a bike when I was four. I got one for my fifth birthday, and Dad took the training wheels off the third day I had it. Yeah, I loved it right away, but it wasn't until I was about ten that I realized how much fun it was to really push myself on a bike.

What were your first impressions of Allie when you met her?
Rock hard, probably a Punk rocker kind of girl 'cause of all the metal on her face; that she'd be mean, and crush me on the bike. She sort of scared me, that first time I saw her in the woods. Another reason nobody should judge from first impressions.

Joe seems like he's a pretty close friend, how long have you guys known each other?
Just met at the Blue Ox, or actually that night at Scout's Last Chance. When he was at Scout's, I couldn't believe the guy I saw at the Blue Ox was the Joe who was going to stay at Scout and Susan's for the summer.

Do you have hobbies other than biking?
Yeah! I started an Environmental Action Group at my school. One thing that didn't make it into the book Chasing AllieCat is that I researched the Junk Woods in LeHillier, and it's a SuperFund clean-up site. (The tap water in LeHillier SUCKS). I spent a bunch of time working on that during the summer, too, but our author took that stuff out 'cause it slowed down the mystery and the romance. I got Joe interested, too.

I took ballet from the time I was three, and I liked that, too, but it was hard to find time to do both: dance and bike. In ninth grade, I was in the advanced class, and we were dancing nine hours a week including rehearsals. Then I talked my mom into letting me quit dance so I could ride more. Thank goodness, she listened. I'm way better on the bike than I was on pointe shoes.

I play volleyball, too but I might not go out this year so I can keep racing in the fall. Mom thinks I should play volleyball one more year.

Oh, and I have been in the school plays. I was Chava in "Fiddler on the Roof." I think I got the part 'cause I was the best dancer that tried out.

What's one thing that most people wouldn't know about you?
That The Jungle Book is my favorite book and I've read it ten times. Also, that I have an obsession with t-shirts. I collect them from races, bike events, concerts, anything. Other than t-shirts, I am obsessive about not leaving a carbon footprint. I always haul my own bags to stores, no matter where I'm shopping, for example. (I guess people know that). That drives my friend Erica nuts.

They don't know that I think I want to major in engineering in college--maybe--and do something with alternative energy.

And now people know that I like Joe. But I don't think anybody knows how much I like him.


Thank you Sadie, it's great to learn more about you!

Here's the book trailer for this book:




And now for the giveaway! First off, Rebecca is donating $1 for every meaningful comment on the tour posts. Check out the tour schedule HERE.

Second off, this giveaway is for one copy of Chasing Alliecat (signed) and open internationally. This giveaway will end on Thursday, March 17th. Fill out the form below to enter and leave a meaningful comment for another entry.

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Character Interview: Ruby from Drought by Pam Bachorz

Earlier in the month, I reviewed Drought by Pam Bachorz. Today, I have with me Ruby, the main character from the novel who will share a bit more about herself.


Describe yourself with five words.
Secret. Hungry. Seeker. Survivor. Lonely.

What does a normal day in your life look like?
Every day we work for Darwin West--get up early, find out what the day's quota is, and head into the woods to harvest water. On a good day we get dinner. On a bad day I'm bringing Mama home to heal her from a beating. But lately... lately things have been changing. There's someone special now. Life isn't so... the same. So hard.

Is there a special guy in your life? What's he like?
If Mother or Darwin West found out, we'd be in a world of trouble. But I'll tell you. There's this boy... Ford. He's an Overseer. They guard us and do whatever Darwin West tells them to do. But he's different: kind, and handsome. He hates being an Overseer. And he loves being with me. We've been stealing time in the woods. It's the best part of my day, when I see him.

If there's one thing you could change in your past, what would it be?
I'd stop my father from disappearing. If he'd been here, maybe the church never would've chased my family out of Hoosick Falls. Maybe Darwin West wouldn't have followed us and made us his slaves. We all pray to my father everyday to come back and save us, but he never comes. Not yet, at least.

What is your dream for the future?
I want all the Congregants to be free. Free to live however they want--and I want to be a modern girl. I want modern clothes, and a modern house, and a chance to be with Ford like a modern girl might be. I want a chance to be something besides Darwin's slave.

Thank you Ruby for answering my questions.

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Blessed Blog Tour - Interview with Quincie + Giveaway

Today, I have Quincie from Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith to answer a few questions. Quincie is also the main character from Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith.

What is the best thing about being a vampire and what's the worst?

The best: energy. I’ve always struggled to balance school with working in my family restaurant, Sanguini’s. We’d close late, and then I’d have to be awake and at least pretending to pay attention in Econ the next day. Now I can go a couple of days at a time without sleep.

The worst: temptation. I’m coping, I am. I drink warmed porcine blood, and I have my very own chef, Nora, preparing me porcine blood JELL-O and popsicles. But if I want to stay wholly souled, that means “people” must remain firmly off my personal menu.

Close second: not being able to keep down solid foods. I’m told that I can build up a tolerance, and I’m working on it. But what I wouldn’t give to dive into a deep-dish pan of sausage lasagna right now.

If you had three wishes, what would they be and why?

My first instinct is to wish the past—at least some of it—away. To wish that no one I loved had ever died, to wish I’d never doubted Kieren’s innocence. But I don’t know what the ripple effects might be. So, I’m going to keep this simple.

I wish I had a pet that was 100 percent safe from my fangs.

I wish my pal Freddy and I could come up with a plan for off-site catering that doesn’t compromise any of the magic or thrills of Sanguini’s.

I wish I could find a belt that perfectly matches my blood-wine, kangaroo leather cowboy boots.

What's your favorite type of cuisine or favorite dish?

Italian of course, and I’m a (too) easy mark for anything in a smokin’ marinara.

What was your childhood like?

My parents were still alive. Daddy traveled a lot on his archeology expeditions and to conferences—mostly conferences. Mama practically lived at the restaurant, which was called Fat Lorenzo’s back then, and so did I. The staff was like an extended family. Especially Vaggo, our original chef. He was like a grandfather to me.

I had a best friend who was a girl, Sumi, but then she moved with her family back to India. And I had Kieren. I’ve always had Kieren. He’s my forever.

What do you want to do when you... grow up…or at least as the years pass?

Eventually, I want to take over management of Sanguini’s, but I’d never fire our current manager, Sergio. I’ll just wait for him to retire. I have no idea how I’ll explain not aging, but I have a few years to figure that out. Most of all, I want to build a future with Kieren—first here on earth and for eternity in heaven.

I’m not sure what to expect exactly. Both my Wolf man and my guardian angel have hinted that the End Days are nigh, but for all I know, they could be talking about two years or 200.

Thank you Quincie for stopping by the blog today.

Take a look at the book trailer for Blessed.

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling author of ETERNAL, TANTALIZE, and BLESSED, all Gothic fantasies from Candlewick Press. She also has written several YA short stories as well as books for younger readers.

TANTALIZE was a Borders Original Voices selection, honored at the 2007 National Book Festival, and The Horn Book called it "an intoxicating romantic thriller." A graphic novel adaptation of TANTALIZE is in the works.

ETERNAL was a YALSA Teens Top Ten nominee, featured at the Texas Book Festival, and Publishers Weekly said, "...readers should be hooked by this fully formed world, up through the action-packed finale." It debuted at #5 on the New York Times best-seller list and #13 on the Publishers Weekly best-seller list.

BLESSED crossed over the two casts. The Horn Book cheered: "Quincie has a zest for life that shines through as she balances supernatural duties with schoolwork and running her family restaurant, the vampire-themed Sanguini's. Romance blossoms, too, as she and her beloved werewolf, Kieren, prove their devotion to each other under deadly duress. A hearty meal for the thinking vampire reader." And Kirkus Reviews said the novel was "wild and ultimately fascinating.the pages fairly smolder in describing their [Quincie and Kieren] attraction to one another."

Cynthia may be found on the Web at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com, Blogger, LiveJournal, facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You can also find Cynthia on tour!

BLESSED by Cynthia Leitich Smith: Central Texas & NE U.S. Tour
Saturday, 1/29/11

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. BookPeople - launch party with Night School (Blood Coven) author Mari Mancusi (PUBLIC EVENT)

Wear red and black if you're on the side of Evil or blue and black if you're on the side of Good. Bonus points (prize entry) to anyone who dresses up as a vampire, shape shifter, vampire slayer, angel or faerie!

603 North Lamar, Austin, Texas

Sunday, 2/6/11

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. - Books of Wonder - reading/Q&A/signing to public with Another Pan author Daniel Nayeri (PUBLIC EVENT)

18 W. 18th St., New York, N.Y.

Monday, 2/7/11

10 a.m. to 11:34 a.m. Francis Lewis High School

6 p.m. Borders Bookstore - reading/signing (PUBLIC EVENT)

Borders Columbus Circle
10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y.

Tuesday, 2/8/11

4 p.m. to 5 p.m. New Brunswick Free Public Library - reading/Q&A/signing (PUBLIC EVENT)

6:20 p.m. to 9 p.m. Rutgers University -- guest lecture, "Materials for Young Adults" -- room 203

School of Communication and Information -- 4 Huntington St., New Brunswick, N.J.

Wednesday, 2/9/11

10 a.m. NYPL Mulberry Branch - visit with schools

10 Jersey Street (Between Lafayette & Mulberry Streets) New York, N.Y.

8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. New School Creative Writing Graduate Class - guest lecture

66 West 12th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues

Thursday, 2/10/11

11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Brooklyn Public Library - Professional Development Day

Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza

4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Brooklyn Public Library - Will You Be My Paranormal Valentine Party (with teens)(PUBLIC EVENT)

Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza

Friday, 2/11/11

2:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. Elisabeth Irwin High School Visit

Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin HS, LREI

272 Sixth Avenue, New York, N.Y.

7 p.m. The Voracious Reader - "Will You Be My Paranormal Valentine?" event with Another Pan author Daniel Nayeri (PUBLIC EVENT)

Saturday, 2/12/11

1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mercer County Library Event -- West Windsor Branch (PUBLIC EVENT)

333 North Post Road, Princeton Junction, N.J.

6:30 p.m. Barnes & Noble, Cherry Hill, N.J. (Greater Philly area)(PUBLIC EVENT)

911 Haddonfield Road, Cherry Hill, N.J.


Check out the other blogs on tour for Blessed via Teen Book Scene.

Now for the giveaway, I have not only the sweet prize pack pictured below but also an ARC of Blessed to giveaway. There will be two winners, US only. Fill out the form below by Wednesday, January 26th to enter.

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