Introducing LEVEL TWO by Lenore Appelhans

Lenore Appelhans is one of my favorite book bloggers, and recently she made a HUGE announcement: she got a book deal! So, while the book won't be released for quite some time, I can't wait to get my grabby hands on it!

Meanwhile, Lenore graciously offered to answer a few questions for me about LEVEL TWO, coming from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, in a joint acquisition with CBS Films. (YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT.)

What can you tell us about LEVEL TWO?

I can tell you that it’s exactly the kind of novel that I love to read! But if you want a bit more than the GoodReads description, here you go:

Level Two is a speculative young adult novel about a place that exists after our world (Level One). Seventeen-year-old Felicia Ward spends her days in her pod reliving her favorite memories - until she gets broken out by Julian, a boy she knew when she was still alive. There’s about to be an uprising in Level Two, and Julian wants to recruit her to the cause. But unsure whether she can trust Julian, and still in love with her boyfriend Neil on Earth, she finds herself torn between two loves—and two worlds.

Where did you get the idea for LEVEL TWO?

This is going to sound bizarre, but the spark of the idea developed out of an argument I had with my grandmother about whether money was better spent on Precious Moments figurines (her point of view) or travel (mine). The story started as a way for me to justify my own choices and priorities in life. I thought about how to best implement it for years, until I had a breakthrough last May while walking around the ruins of Pompeii, Italy with my critique partner. Once I had that “a ha” moment, the rest just flowed out of me.

You started out as a book blogger; how did that help you in writing?

My Precious Moments-loving grandmother had my astrological chart done by a professional when I was 10 and he said that I was destined to be a writer (apparently I have a grand trine in air signs). I’ve always enjoyed writing – even term papers in college. So when I heard that book blogs existed, I knew I wanted to start one. It was about the same time that I fell in love with young adult fiction. The book blog and the book blogging community got me reading more widely and WAY more. I am a big believer in the old adage if you want to be a writer, you need to read. It worked for me!

Which novels have influenced you or your writing?

I think every book I’ve read has influenced me in some way, even if I’m not consciously aware of it. Through what I’ve read, I’ve learned about pacing, structure, character development and other craft issues. That said, I gravitate towards novels that are high-concept and innovative - but still literary - since those are the kinds of books that really excite me and that I want to write. Books like CLOUD ATLAS by David Mitchell, FEED by MT Anderson, BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver and DUST OF 100 DOGS by AS King, to name a few.

What book are YOU waiting on eagerly?

So many! I have a huge appetite for anything dystopian, so I am eagerly awaiting everything on this list  as well as the sequels to all the dystopian series I’ve already started (i.e. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, DELIRIUM, MATCHED, THE PASSAGE, WITHER, etc.). And though they aren’t dystopian, I would drop everything to read WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman or a new novel by Jandy Nelson (THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE).

Thank you so much for telling us about LEVEL TWO, Lenore! And I know everyone else will be as eager as me to read it--why not go ahead and add it to your GoodReads?

Waiting On VARIANT by Robison Wells

About VARIANT: Benson Fisher thought a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

Okay, I think most of you know how I feel about books with rules, and whether or not those rules should be broken. So VARIANT is right up my alley. And luckily, I don't have to wait super-long to read it (VARIANT comes out October 18 from HarperTeen), because I happen to know Rob--and he's fantastic. And he may or may not have lent me an ARC.

You can add VARIANT to your Goodreads list here.

And follow Rob on his blog or twitter or on his weekly podcast, The Appendix.

What book are you waiting on??

Waiting on Week:The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson

Okay. Okay. It took me a while to get around to reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson. Once I started it, though, I could've kicked myself for waiting so long. Loved it.

So, I'm not making the same mistake twice.  As soon as I heard there was a sequel, I clicked pre-order-add-to-cart.  The Fox Inheritance comes out August 30th.  Here's the Goodreads blurb (if you haven't read Adoration yet, cover your eyes. Spoilers!):

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

 Everyone except Jenna Fox.

Doesn't that sound good? My only dilemma now is Kindle or Audible.

Any other Jenna Fox fans out there? What other books are you waiting for?

Waiting on Week: UNISON SPARK by Andy Marino

Got the pleasure of meeting Andy Marino in person just a few weeks ago and since then I've eagerly anticipated his debut novel, Unison Spark, due from Henry Holt this November. Thought maybe a little interview would be in order to get all of you as pumped as I am.

First off, tell us a little about Unison Spark.

AM: Unison Spark is a dystopian novel about a future where Facebook, Twitter, and the other dominant social networks of our time have evolved into Unison, an all-consuming, fully immersive experience that knows you better than you know yourself. Outside of Unison, people are crammed into Eastern Seaboard City, where an enormous ceiling separates wealthy topsiders from the poverty-stricken subcanopy zone. These worlds collide when Mistletoe, a subcanopy girl, meets Ambrose, the heir to the Unison empire. Together, they unravel a secret past that leads straight to the heart of a mysterious upgrade, Unison 3.0. Then it gets pretty wild.  

So you're dealing with alot of issues revolving around social networking. What's your feeling about social networking in general? How involved with it are you? What do you think are the benefits and pitfalls?

AM:For a long time I resisted joining Facebook for the same reason I’ve never owned a Nintendo Wii: being a productive fiction writer is all about limiting distractions. I know that for me, the problem isn’t hating the medium – whether it’s TV, video games, or social networking – the problem is loving it too much. I can’t get anything done without disabling my internet connection, because if I give in to the urge to check my email while I’m writing – just a quick look! – I’ll wake from three hours later with a drool-saturated keyboard and a dozen live Styx videos playing.

Now I’m involved across the board: Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, a personal blog.  Some days I agree with the rhetoric: hey, this really IS a great networking and publicity tool! Other days, it makes me feel like an even tinier cog in the machinery of human existence than is probably healthy. 

Anyway, I think all this complicated stuff that makes social networking so hard to respond to in any meaningful way also makes it the ideal backdrop for a sci-fi novel. It already feels oceanic and sinister.

So this is you first novel, what was your journey to publication like?

AM: It taught me important emotional lessons like how to tremble internally, so people couldn’t see how nervous and hopeful and scared I was feeling. On the business end of things, I’m fortunate to have come through without a single horror story. My agent believed in me from the beginning, and my editor probably understands what I’m trying to write about better than I do.

What one writer do you think we should all be reading? Why?

AM:Ever since I first read Game of Thrones I’ve been compulsively recommending George RR Martin; with all the recent exposure from the HBO series, that’s kind of like urging people to check out this really cool band called The Rolling Stones. But all hype aside, he’s an absolutely mind-blowing and inspirational writer. His genius for world-building – not just the fantastic elements, but the raw human conflict – is off the charts.

You've recently set out on your blog to cover every episode of Darkwing Duck. First off, that's awesome. Second, for the uninitiated, why should we love that duck as much as you do?

Besides the rogues' gallery of bizarre and funny villains, Darkwing Duck himself is a ridiculous combination of misplaced bravado, genuine tenderness, and actual crimefighting ability. He has a cool hat, and his catchphrases are mostly awesome. And the voice acting is top-notch. The very first episode features Tim Curry!

Interests outside writing? I seem to remember something about a heavy metal band...?

I play guitar in a band called SleepCrime. Our first album, Everything Secret Degenerates, is out now, and we’re working on the follow-up. We’ve got a new song about a China Mieville character.

So say hi to Andy everybody, ask him any questions you've got and be sure to follow his blog and check him out on Twitter

Now, as if you needed any more proof that Andy is an awesome dude you need to be paying attention to, here's a video of SleepCrime's The Christmas Truce.  

Waiting on Week: DARK PARTIES by Sara Grant

I just recently heard of DARK PARTIES by Sara Grant - and ever since then, I've been dying to get my hands on it! Isolated nation, lying government, supposedly no "outside world" left... yeah! Oh - and there's a love triangle and a beloved grandmother who goes missing... things I'm all about! :)


Here's the synopsis from Goodreads.


Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says... 

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.


So - what book are you waiting for?

Waiting on Week: BUMPED by Megan McCafferty

All this week we're featuring the books we can't wait to read!

As for me, I'm waiting on...

BUMPED really has me intrigued...here's the summary from GoodReads:

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

For more information, check out Megan's website.

How about you? What book are you eagerly waiting for?

A Fortunate April Fool

When I heard my release date was April 1st, my first thought was: “Oh, no. This is some cruel April Fool’s joke!”  I’d wake up today, Bobby Ewing would step out of the shower, and it’ll have been just a dream.  A good one, but there’d be no book.

But April isn’t the cruelest month after all. (My apologies to TS Eliot.)

I HAZ BOOK.

And I’m feeling incredibly fortunate.


…that I have supportive friends and family who’ve believed in me all along.

…that I attended that SCBWI conference and submitted Memento Nora to a fantastic editor at Marshall Cavendish who saw some glimmer of potential in the book.

…that I found an equally fantastic agent who fell in love with Nora, Micah, and Winter—and texted me from the bathroom of another author’s book launch to tell me so.

…that I stumbled upon a great outside-the-box publicist who saw ways to engage readers that I never imagined.

…that I’m surrounded by wonderful community of my fellow YA/MG debuts—from which came this opportunity to blog alongside four other great writers.

…for the love you guys (readers, writers, and bloggers alike) have shown so far for Memento Nora.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!


JUST JOKING!  I’ve always wanted to end a post that way. 

But really … Many, many thanks to everyone!



Oh, I almost forgot. The winner of the Memento Nora Challenge is:

Emily a.k.a WilowRaven

Congrats! I'll get that prize out to you as soon as I get your mailing address!