Guest Blog: Theresa Paolo - Finding Inspiration

I'm super excited to welcome author Theresa Paolo to the blog!  Her book (NEVER) AGAIN came out in October.  She's here today to talk a little bit about inspiration for the book, as well as inspiration in general.  Take it away, Theresa!

Thanks, for having me!

Inspiration is a large part of being a writer. It doesn’t just stop at that first spark of an idea either. It carries on throughout the entire time you’re working on a book. It can be triggered by almost anything, at least for me it can. A conversation, a news story, a sign on a tree, a song, anything. And when that moment hits, it is the best feeling. I can never get the idea down fast enough. I carry three notebooks with me at all times, but even though I’m prepared, most of my inspiration tends to hit when I’m in the shower. Why wouldn’t it?

The inspiration for (Never) Again was sparked by a news story. It was a tragedy, and I remember thinking not about the people who were involved in the event, but about the family members and friends who were watching it unfold, bit by torturous bit on TV and the radio. Little information was known, but for the people watching the TV and listening to the radio, it was enough to know that their lives may be changed forever.

I thought about their stories, and how they were going about their lives just like any other day when they received word of what was happening. My thoughts turned into a story and Liz was born. A girl who was not handling the fact that her ex boyfriend was back in town. Compared to the event she would watch unfold on TV her problems were absolutely ridiculous. But I wanted the story to be real. How many times have you had a bad day and you think it’s the end of the world? And how many times have you seen something that makes you realize your problems are miniscule? That’s where the idea came together.

A few scenes in the book were inspired by things my Dad has said. He’d be happy to know I’m giving him credit. The inspiration for Zach’s grandmother came from a coworker who was going through a similar situation. And the first scene where Liz dives into the bathroom to avoid Zach is actually inspired by my own personal experience of dodging an ex.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. You just have to open yourself up to it.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Theresa!  Make sure to check out (NEVER) AGAIN on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

"Writers betray people."

Last week, I had the honor of meeting Justin Torres, the bestselling author of WE THE ANIMALS.  If you haven't read it, you're missing out.  In short, it's a haunting coming-of-age story about family, betrayal, and sexuality that packs one hell of a punch in a whopping 125 pages.

The book.

The signed book.  It's OK to be jealous.

Though WE THE ANIMALS is fiction, Torres admits that it's thematically autobiographical.  Hence, one of the most interesting conversations we had involved his family's reaction to the book.  He said it was tough.  When the book was first coming out, he spent a lot of time worried about what they'd think when they recognized themselves in the characters.

"Writers betray people," he said.

As someone who frequently writes from personal experience, that comment really stuck with me.  He went on to say that he doesn't know if it's right.  If it's worth it.

At any rate, it got me thinking.

P.S.  Justin Torres disapproves of the blogosphere.  Oh well :)

(left to right) Me with phenomenal writers Tom Chester, Noa Nir, Meagan Smith, and Justin Torres

(NEVER) AGAIN Bloghop

Today we're celebrating the release of Theresa Paolo's (NEVER) AGAIN, a contemporary young adult romance.  Check out Theresa's blog and find (NEVER) AGAIN on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

In honor of (NEVER) AGAIN, I'm going to talk about what I've sworn never to do again, only to break the promise to myself.  What is it?  Straighten my hair.

I have hair that I like to call the Bellatrix Lestrange look:  it's curly and crazy, just like hers, and if I dare to brush out the curls, I get a lion's mane of a mess.  So I frequently attempt to tame it with a straightener.  However, every single time I do it, I tell myself that it's the last time.  Why?

Several reasons.  For one, it's not good for my hair.  I have problematic hair to begin with--thin, frizzy, fragile.  Then there's the fact that my hair just does't look all that good when I straighten it.  Sometimes it does--if someone else does it.  But when I do it, I'm impatient, and usually, it just looks stringy, almost matted, and it loses its luster.  But I keep doing it anyway.  I get frustrated with the curls and, as though to punish my hair for misbehavior, I press it between two burning plates till it's so hot I can't touch it.  Yeah, not good.

I've done it to punish my curls.  I've also done it for boys who've said they prefer my hair straight.  (The wo  Now, looking back, I shouldn't have cared what they thought.  I prefer my hair curly, and that's what matters.  So, never again will I straighten my hair.

Yeah, right.

Me and my curly hair!

October Book Recommendation

Personally, October is my favorite month.  We've finally hit Fall, which means bonfires, hayrides, s'mores, and all the wonderful spooks that come out of hiding.  It's also great time to brew a mug of hot cocoa and sit outside with a good book!

For a good October/Halloween read, I recommend THIS DARK ENDEAVOR, by Kenneth Oppel.

The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions. 

In this prequel to Mary Shelley's gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor's twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and best friend Henry on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn. 

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love - and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Ever since reading the Matt Cruse series, Kenneth Oppel has been one of my favorite authors.  THIS DARK ENDEAVOR doesn't disappoint.  It's a page-turner that makes the Frankenstein story a lot of fun, yet doesn't lose any of its signature darkness.  Even if you're not a Frankenstein fan, I highly recommend it!

Find it here on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.

THE SIGHT SEER, by Melissa Giorgio - On Sale Now!

Everyone should hurry over to Amazon to buy the wonderful Melissa Giorgio's book, THE SIGHT SEER.  Here's the blurb:

Gabi Harkins likes to think she’s a pretty normal sixteen-year-old. She goes to school, suffers though an awful part-time job, and deals with a bratty younger sister. But when a potential shoplifter morphs into a monster right in front of her, Gabi realizes her life is far from normal—especially when that monster follows her home and ends up battling a boy wielding a sword in her backyard.

That boy, Rafe Fitzgerald, is a member of Silver Moon, an organization devoted to eradicating demons before they kill humans.  If this little bit of news isn't earth-shattering enough, Rafe reveals that he needs Gabi's help.  As strong as Rafe is, he does not possess the Sight--a rare ability that allows a hunter to See through a demon's glamour, enabling them to strike before the demon does.  But guess who does?

While Gabi is reluctant to face another demon, she knows she owes Rafe big time for saving her.  Together, they're thrown headfirst into heart-stopping situations as they battle newer and more frightening demons.  When she starts to fall for Rafe, Gabi knows her normal life is gone forever.

Cover Reveal: (NEVER) AGAIN by Theresa Paolo

Just when she had finally moved on…

…He moved back.

When college freshman Liz Wagner hears her ex's voice for the first time since he moved clear across the freaking country, she does what any respectable girl would do:  Dive into the girls' bathroom.

Zach Roberts--the Zach Roberts--is back.  And he's everywhere Liz looks--infiltrating her friend group, buddy-buddy with her brother.  It's enough to ruin college altogether.  But what choice does she have but to put on a happy face and pretend he didn't leave her vulnerable and alone in a pile of emotional wreckage?

Pretending works, until tragedy strikes and the only person available for comfort is the one person she wants to stay away from.  When Zach turns out not to be the jerk she convinced herself he was, but the boy she used to love, Liz needs to decide whether to open her heart again to the boy who tore it out.

About the Author:  Theresa Paolo lives in the same town she grew up in on Long Island, NY with her boyfriend an Milton, their big-eyed goldfish.  She has a hard time accepting the fact she's nearing thirty, which is why she writes New Adult and Young Adult books, reliving the best an worst years of her life through her characters.  She put her love of writing on hold while she received her Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from Dowling College.  On November 11th 2011 at 11:11 she made a wish.  Two hours later she was laid off.  Jobless for the first time since she was sixteen she was determined to make her wish come true.  Writing became her life again and after many nights of ignoring her boyfriend to spend time with her characters, she finally received teh call that all her hard work, finger crossing and eye crossing paid off.  She signed with Berkley (Penguin) and her debut novel, (NEVER) AGAIN, a NA romance, will be out in Fall 2013.  When she's not writing, she's behind a camera or can be found in the blogosphere or on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Happy Book Birthday: UNSCRIPTED

Congratulations to Jayne Denker on her brand new book, UNSCRIPTED.

Here's the blurb:

One of Hollywood's hardest working women is about to discover there's a lot more drama behind the camera than in front of it…

Faith "Freakin'" Sinclair probably shouldn't have called her boss a perv…or grabbed his "privates."  But as creator of the hit dramedy Modern Women, she'd had enough of his sexist insults.  Now she's untouchable in the industry--not in a good way.  The only way to redeem herself is to convince Alex, the wildly popular, wildly demanding former star of her show, to come back.  But there's one obstacle in her way--one very handsome, broad-shouldered obstacle…

Professor Mason Mitchell is head of the theater department where Alex is studying "real" acting.  The only way he'll let Faith anywhere near Alex is if she agrees to co-teach a class.  It's an offer she can't refuse--and as it turns out, the professor just might end up teaching Faith that there's more to life than work--and that real-life love scenes are way more fun than fake ones.

Sounds awesome, right?  I can't wait to pick up a copy, which you can find at the following places:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

And make sure you look for Jayne Denker!  You can find her on Twitter and at her website!