If you didn’t see my post about Carrie Ryan and her take on the writing process, it’s here. Carrie is indeed a wise woman, not to mention an amazing writer. Her first novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, came out last year and recently made the New York Times bestseller list. The companion book, The Dead-Tossed Waves, came out last month. Both books are set a couple hundred years in the future, after the zombie apocalypse. While millions roam the earth in an undead state, hungry to spread their infection to the living, the survivors have fenced themselves off and live in a constant state of fear. I don’t want to say anything else about the plot because it would be too easy to spoil all the surprises.

I’ll be honest: I’m not the sort of girl who enjoys scary books. I’ve never read anything by Stephen King, and I have no interest in most of the paranormal young adult novels that are wildly popular right now. So why did I pick up Carrie’s books?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth snagged me with the title. I mean, it’s a really good one, isn’t it? I just had to see what it was about. And even though I barely took a full breath while reading, I couldn’t put it down. I was completely hooked into this world of the living versus the undead and the main character’s struggle to survive.

I was worried that The Dead-Tossed Waves wouldn’t be as good; after all, it had an incredibly tough act to follow. It didn’t disappoint. In fact, I think I actually enjoyed it more. The main character faced more complicated dilemmas, and the tension was even thicker.

I’m already looking forward to Carrie’s third book, which will be out next year. I can’t wait for her to scare the pants off me again!

Week before last, I had the chance to go out to dinner with several young adult authors, including Carrie Ryan. Carrie’s debut novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, is now on the New York Times bestseller list. Last month, she released the companion to FHT, The Dead-Tossed Waves. I’ve read both and will be sharing my thoughts on them shortly.

Carrie is a peach of a gal, with a great sense of style and charming Southern accent. I was instantly drawn to her warmth and intelligence. She recently quit her job working as a litigator to pursue writing full-time. It was interesting hearing how she went from practicing law, which she enjoyed, to penning zombie novels.

Carrie had many interesting and inspiring things to say about writing, but I was most struck by her attitude toward the writing process. She said that it’s important for writers not to be too hard on themselves, especially if they don’t find time to write every day. Carrie recognizes that other life events sometimes get in the way of writing, and it’s okay. Even on the days she doesn’t write, she reminds herself that she’s still a writer.

I really needed to hear this. It’s not possible for me to write every day, and I’ve been stressing about it. Revisions on my new book are going slowly, but I’m doing the best I can. In order to speed things up, I’d have to sleep less, leave my daughter with a babysitter more often, and/or eliminate what little time I have in the evenings to relax. And right now, I don’t want to do any of those things. My day job is caring for my girl. She’ll eventually go off to school, and maybe I’ll decide to write full-time. Who knows? But in the meantime, even though it’s going slowly, even though I can’t do it every day, I’m still a writer.

I first heard about Natalie Standiford’s debut novel, How to Say Goodbye in Robot, at a book signing for David Levithan. He was in town promoting his new novel, Love is the Higher Law (which is sitting in my to-be-read pile, screaming, “Pick me! Pick me!”). Someone asked David about the best books he’d read recently. His first pick was Robot, and then he sheepishly admitted that he’d edited it.

No need to be sheepish, David. You took on Standiford’s manuscript because you loved it. I’m sure I would do the same. I mean, whenever I take my daughter to the playground, I always secretly think that she’s by far the cutest kid there.

We’re all biased, right?

Biases aside, I knew I had to read this book. It’s the story of Beatrice, a.k.a. Robot Girl, who starts her senior year of high school at a new school in Baltimore. The popular girls offer friendship, and the cutest boy wants to date her, but Beatrice is more interested in hanging out with Jonah, a.k.a. Ghost Boy, a social outcast who enjoys late-night radio. Their relationship hovers in an area between friendship and romantic love, and Beatrice starts to feel her robotic armor peel away to make headway for real feelings.

I enjoyed so many aspects of this book, from Beatrice’s crazy, chicken-loving mother to the regular callers on the radio show. I got a kick out of the Baltimore references as well; my husband is from there, so I’ve done some time in that town, hon. How to Say Goobye in Robot is a book for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. Haven’t we all felt that way at some point?

I have a major regret regarding Hold Still. I first heard about it a few months ago, but I was up to my neck in other good reading and figured I’d get to it eventually. Then in January, I had the opportunity to go out for brunch with a bunch of amazing Bay Area young adult authors. Nina LaCour was among them. We only spoke briefly, but if I’d known how incredible her book was, I would have read it beforehand so I could have talked to her about it. I’m hoping to have that chance in the future.

Hold Still is breathtaking.

It’s the story of Caitlin, a high school senior dealing with the suicide of her best friend, Ingrid. Now, you might be thinking, “Ooh, sounds a little too heavy duty for my taste.” But LaCour handles the entire issue with a grace that allowed me to sympathize with Caitlin while feeling like her grief was very much her own. As I read, I felt as if I were peeking through a window at Caitlin as she figured out how to manage her emotions. I was peeking over her shoulder as she read Ingrid’s journal. I was a witness, not a participant.

That’s not to say that I’m opposed to being sucked into the vortex of a character’s suffering. I was a Russian literature major, for crying out loud. I can handle the heavy stuff. At the same time, I stand in awe of any author who commands a heavy subject without making a book heavy-handed. And that’s exactly what Nina LaCour did in her debut novel.

Hats off to you, Nina. Let’s have brunch again.

We’ve all been there. One of our friends thrusts a hardcover into our hands and says, “You have to read this.” And you’re thinking, “Hmm, yeah, maybe.” I try not to be that friend, insisting that people read things just because I liked them. I’m very careful never to say, “Omigod, you’ve never seen [insert name of awesome movie here]?!” Like it’s a personal failing not to have seen that movie.

I don’t do that.

All that being said, I very strongly urge to read My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman. Note, I didn’t say you have to. I won’t be that pushy. But let’s say that by not reading it, you are seriously missing out.

Ah, how I loved this book. It’s the story of Roz and her sister, Eva, two very different girls trying to figure out who they are in a small California town. But it’s more than that. There’s Shakespeare, in the form of a school production of As You Like It and Bjorkman’s highly clever interpretations of many of the Bard’s best quotes. There are secrets. Who is gay? Who is straight? Who gets the guy? Who gets the girl? Bjorkman left me guessing right up to the end.

My Invented Life is written in such a fresh, funny voice that I often found myself envying Bjorkman’s talent and wit. It was a good kind of envy, though. The kind that inspires me to be a better writer. I could go on and on (and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I did, right, Lauren?), but the book really speaks for itself, so do yourself a huge favor today and pick up a copy.

I went to a book signing featuring five authors, and I couldn’t wait to rush home and read Allen Zadoff’s Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have first. Zadoff’s reading was so funny, and he spoke so candidly about his own struggles as an overweight teenager that I knew I’d love his book. I did. It’s the story of Andrew Zansky, the second heaviest kid at his school and the son of a caterer. Unlike most books that deal with weight issues, Food, Girls doesn’t focus much on how many pounds Andrew loses by the end of the story. Instead, Zadoff explores Andrew’s journey to find acceptance with his peers and, ultimately, with himself.

As I read Food, Girls, I kept thinking that this book was in many ways the brother companion to Carolyn Mackler’s The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things. Notice the parallels in the kick-ass titles? Both main characters undergo physical transformations that end up being secondary to their mental shifts. Like Mackler, Zadoff’s message is sincere but never preachy and is summed up in one of my favorite quotes by India.Arie:

“No matter what anybody says, what matters most is what you think of yourself.”

With this debut novel, Struts & Frets, Jon Skovron joins an esteemed group of authors who have created characters that I totally crush on. Sammy Bojar is a boy with a guitar and a dream of making a living making music. I knew I was going to love this book when I cracked the spine and saw that the first chapter was titled “Idiots Rule,” which is also a Jane’s Addiction song. Skovron creates a playlist with his chapters, winding his way through the Pixies, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and ending with Soul Coughing’s “So Far I Have Not Found A Science” (still stuck in my head). I urge you to pick up this book, and then I dare you to put it down.

Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds, a fab-sounding YA book due out next year, is offering up a signed copy of TMI. Watch her video blog for more details!

Do you live in the San Francisco Bay Area? Planning a visit there in the next week? Then come meet me! I’ve got five, count ‘em FIVE, appearances scheduled in the next two weeks. And at four of these events, I’ll be in the excellent company of several other young adult authors:

Lauren Bjorkman (My Invented Life)
Cheryl Renee Herbsman (Breathing)
Malinda Lo (Ash)
C. Lee McKenzie (Sliding on the Edge)
J.A. Yang (Exclusively Chloe)

I’ve read and enjoyed all of their books, so if you’re looking for a gift for your favorite YA fan this holiday season, consider these my picks (along with TMI, of course).

Note: Books will be for sale at each of these events. The Barnes and Noble venue was recently switched from Colma, CA, to San Bruno, CA.

December 5, 2009, 3-4 PM

Book signing with Lauren Bjorkman, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Malinda Lo, and J.A. Yang

Borders
588 Francisco Blvd. West
San Rafael, CA

December 8, 2009, 7 PM

Young adult author panel with Lauren Bjorkman, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, C. Lee McKenzie, and J.A. Yang

Menlo Park Public Library
800 Alma St.
Menlo Park, CA

December 9, 2009, 12 PM

Young adult author panel with Lauren Bjorkman, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Malinda Lo, and J.A. Yang

Petaluma High School
201 Fair St.
Petaluma, CA

Note: This event is open to the public, but visitors should check in at the school office when arriving.

December 12, 2009, 2-4 PM

Book signing with Lauren Bjorkman, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Malinda Lo, C. Lee McKenzie, and J.A. Yang

Barnes and Noble
The Shops at Tanforan
1150 El Camino Real
San Bruno, CA

January 29, 2010, 6 PM

Young adult book club with lil ol’ me and no one else

Borders
Stonestown Galleria
3251 20th Ave.
San Francisco, CA

P.S. What’s that? You’re not lucky enough to be in the Bay Area this week and you still want to meet some cool authors? Done! Check out the other author events happening in New York, Chicago, and Toronto for Holidaze with the Debs.

Want to meet me or some other great new YA authors? This is your big chance; we’re taking the country by storm this holiday season! Check out the article written by Malinda Lo, one of my fellow Debs and book signing partner in crime.

The 2009 Debutantes, a group of 59 debut young adult authors, are pleased to announce Holidaze With the Debs, a series of author events in the U.S. and Canada this holiday season. At bookstores, libraries and schools in the New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto areas, members of the 2009 Debutantes will talk about their own books and other 2009 favorites. A full list of events is available below.

“Publishers are working with shrinking promotional budgets in this economy,” notes Rhonda Stapleton, a member of the 2009 Debutantes and author of STUPID CUPID (Simon Pulse). “As first-time authors, we know that much of our promotion is going to have to come from us, and over the last year we’ve also learned how much fun it is to do events together. So we’re especially excited to be able to talk to readers directly this holiday season.”

Each region’s events will feature that region’s local authors. Six Debs will be featured at San Francisco Bay Area events. Sarah Quigley, who lives in San Francisco with her husband and young daughter, was discovered when a New York editor found her blog and asked her to write a YA novel, TMI. J.A. Yang, also of San Francisco, channeled his inner teen girl when writing EXCLUSIVELY CHLOE, about a Chinese girl who is adopted by celebrity parents.

Events around Lauren Bjorkman’s Palo Alto High School reunion inspired her to write MY INVENTED LIFE. C. Lee McKenzie is a California native who now lives in Los Gatos; her debut novel, SLIDING ON THE EDGE, was inspired by a news report of self-abuse in troubled teens. Cheryl Renee Herbsman, a San Rafael mom of two, set her novel, BREATHING, about young love, in the South where she grew up. Malinda Lo, author of ASH, a lesbian retelling of Cinderella, lives in Marin with her partner.

ABOUT THE 2009 DEBUTANTES: The 2009 Debutantes was founded in 2008 by Jackson Pearce, author of AS YOU WISH, as an online community for debut young adult authors to share their experiences. The 2009 Debs’ books include #1 New York Times bestseller WINGS by Aprilynne Pike; critically acclaimed novels THE DEMON’S LEXICON by Sarah Rees Brennan, PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS by Michelle Zink, EYES LIKE STARS by Lisa Mantchev, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan, FLASH BURNOUT by L.K. Madigan and TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler; Scholastic Book Fair selection MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES by Erin Dionne, Junior Library Guild Selection CANDOR by Pam Bachorz and SHADOWED SUMMER by Saundra Mitchell; and a host of other amazing novels that debuted in 2009.

To find out more about the 2009 Debutantes, visit www.feastofawesome.com.

***

2009 DEBUTANTES’ HOLIDAZE TOUR

NEW YORK

Dec. 6, 1-3 p.m.
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th St.
New York, NY
Including: Megan Crewe, Sarah Cross, Deva Fagan, Neesha Meminger, Kate Messner, Shani Petroff, Jon Skovron, Michelle Zink

CHICAGO

Dec. 5, 1-3 p.m.
Borders
161 N. Weber Road
Bolingbrook, IL
Including: Cynthea Liu, Saundra Mitchell, Aprilynne Pike, Kristina Springer, Darcy Vance, Lara Zielin

Dec. 5, 7-9 p.m.
The Book Cellar, Inc.
4736-38 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL
Including: Cynthea Liu, Saundra Mitchell, Aprilynne Pike, Kristina Springer, Darcy Vance, Lara Zielin

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

Dec. 5, 3-4 p.m.
Borders
588 Francisco Blvd. West
San Rafael, CA
Including: Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Malinda Lo, Sarah Quigley

Dec. 8, 7 p.m.
Menlo Park Public Library
800 Alma St.
Menlo Park, CA
Including: Lauren Bjorkman, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, C. Lee McKenzie, Sarah Quigley, J.A. Yang

Dec. 9, 12 p.m.
Petaluma High School*
201 Fair St.
Petaluma, CA
Including: Lauren Bjorkman, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Malinda Lo, Sarah Quigley, J.A. Yang
* Open to the public, but visitors should check in at the school office when arriving

Dec. 12, 2-4 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
119 Colma Blvd.
Colma, CA
Including: Lauren Bjorkman, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Malinda Lo, C. Lee McKenzie, Sarah Quigley, J.A. Yang

TORONTO

Jan. 9, 2 p.m.
Indigo
Eaton Centre
220 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ontario
Including:  R.J. Anderson, Megan Crewe, Sarah Ockler, Rhonda Stapleton, Lara Zielin