HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! *blows horn and gulps champagne*
We are so excited to kick off the new year with a brand spankin’ new feature! The 2013 Club will showcase all the best and brightest debut authors of the year. Because, we know y’all love discovering great new authors as much as we do!
Our guest today:Elizabeth LaBan
Why she rocks: Her writing will suck you in from page one!
Her debut: The Tragedy Paper
The scoop on it: It follows the story of Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a friend.” A friend is the last thing Tim expects or wants—he just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet, despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “It” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim’s surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, but she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and Vanessa begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving teacher.
Jumping between viewpoints of the love-struck Tim and Duncan, a current senior about to uncover the truth of Tim and Vanessa, The Tragedy Paper is a compelling tale of forbidden love and the lengths people will go to keep their secrets.
Our thoughts: Another great YA novel that’s not just for teens. We love it!
Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and we’ll choose the winners on January 13th after 3pm PST.
Fun Fact: Our writer crush Jen Weiner loved The Tragedy Paper too, saying it was a “A beguiling and beautifully written tale of first love and heartbreak.”
Where you can read more about Elizabeth: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS…2013 CLUB: ELIZABETH LABAN
DO’S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do… Write a lot, read a lot, and go out into the world to find all the great and crazy stories.
DON’TS: 3 things every aspiring novelist shouldn’t do… Give up, take rejections personally, or over-edit themselves.
MUST HAVES: On your desk? I work at my dining room table and it is always a mess. The only thing I must have is my laptop computer – which is usually surrounded by piles and piles of junk.
On your Facebook feed? There isn’t really anything I must have here, just my news feed. I like to see what everyone is up to, how their kids are, and what people are cooking for dinner.
App on your phone? I just installed Twitter – I love it!
LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat? I must confess, I listen to my 13-year-old daughter’s iPod. The two songs I have been listening to over and over are Some Nights by Fun. and Home by Phillip Phillips – don’t tell anyone.
Book you read? I am just finishing a book by Jacob Tomsky called Heads in Beds – a memoir about the hotel industry. It promises to let you in on lots of secrets about how hotels are run and how guests can get extra stuff. I love hotels, and I love that sort of thing, so I am really enjoying it.
Time you laughed? Last night my kids and I were laughing really hard. My daughter’s name is Alice and for some reason Alice Cooper came up. I said, very seriously, “Is Alice a boy’s name, too?” My daughter said matter-of-factly, “Shouldn’t you have looked into that already?” We were laughing so hard my husband had to come up and see what was going on.
HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found “the one?” I’ve never told anybody this (I mean that!) but I queried about 50 agents before I found my wonderful, loyal, never-tiring agent Uwe Stender.
Hours do you write per day? That varies greatly. I am not someone who writes every day for a certain amount of time. Some days I don’t write at all. Lately, for example, I have not written much because I’m trying to help get the word out about The Tragedy Paper and my mother has been in and out of the hospital – so it’s been busy. But there was one weekend in November when I had a burst of excitement over the next novel I hope to write. I wrote for hours. I couldn’t drag myself away from the computer. I drove my family crazy. I’m waiting for another burst like that.
Minutes a day do you waste online when you should be writing? Maybe thirty or forty-five. I probably do what everyone does – turn on my computer, briefly glance at the top news stories, go through my Facebook news feed to see what people are talking about. (That can sometimes spin my day out of control. The other morning, for example, one mom said her kid and lots of others at our school had strep throat but didn’t have many symptoms. My daughter was a little under the weather so I had to call the doctor, whose office was closed, then find an urgent care center we could go to to get tested. By the time we were set to leave she felt much better, so we didn’t go, but we’d wasted a good hour or so). I also glance at Twitter, of course, and sometimes check Amazon to see the rating of my published nonfiction book and my not-yet-published novel. You know what? I want to amend that estimate of time wasted and change it to three to four hours!
BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal? I had been trying to sell a novel for a long time. The Tragedy Paper is the fourth novel I’ve written, and the first one to be published – so we started talking about going to a particular, wonderful, Thai place when I got an offer a very long time ago. The problem was, by the time I finally got an offer, that restaurant was closed. So we went to a great sushi restaurant instead.
Trick to overcome writer’s block? Get up and walk around, talk to your kids if you have any, or just talk to someone, anyone. They might give you a good idea for a next scene.
Way to think of a book idea? Brainstorm with people, and, if that doesn’t work, think about what you would like to read. I find book ideas come to life for me without my even realizing it. Something will click and then EVERYTHING suddenly seems like it will fit in the new book – I am constantly saying, “That would be a good scene in the book,” or “I have to write that down so I can remember it.”
NEXTS: Show you’ll DVR? Parenthood – my absolute favorite. And the new season of Girls on HBO.
Book you’ll read? Every Day by David Levithan.
Book you’ll write? Another young adult book – it’s starting to form, I am starting to think everything my daughter does would be a good scene in the book (that’s how I know it is taking shape!). I’m not ready to talk details yet. I wrote those first few chapters last month, but now I’m waiting to be taken over again with that amazing, all-consuming need to write!
Thanks, Elizabeth! xoxo, L&L
I just saw this for the first time and it looks like a great read! I like that it is told by two points of view, yet not both main characters. I can’t wait to see how this works :)
Wow! It sounds amazing!
I cannot wait to read this book! I’ve heard only great things about it. I will have my tissue ready at hand.
The Tragedy Paper looks so good. I love YA books even though I am in my mid-40s. I can’t wait to read it.
Julie
Hmmm – sounds very interesting. Sign me up!
This sounds awesome! Also, thank you for sharing that you queried 50 agents – that gives me (and I’m sure other aspiring novelists) hope.
Sounds like a wonderful story! Congratulations!
Sounds like an amazing story…can’t wait to read it!
I’ve heard amazing reviews of this.
This book sounds so so so good! Congrats on your pub day today!
Ooh sounds great! Can’t wait to read her debut novel.
Oh wow, this sounds so good! I have already added it to my amazon wishlist but will keep my fingers crossed that I win it here first :). Thanks for bringing it to our attention!
Would love to read this novel.
I really love learning about new authors via your website! Thank you so much!
It looks like a great story.
I have been hearing great things about The Tragedy Paper. Thank you for the giveaway – and great review!
Jill at Seaside Book Nook
Seasidebooknook at yahoo
I think I’m really going to love this new thing you are doing with new writers in the new year. I saw The Tragedy Paper on my libraries web page earlier today, but didn’t have time to look into the details, but the title had me, so I am so glad you came to my rescue tonight. Happy New Year.
Love the format of the interview! Book sounds great too.
My fav TV show also-watch it w/my daughter. Going to have to share this book w/her also. WOOHOO!!
This sounds like a fun read! I’m adding it to my “must read” list! Happy New Year!
I love that she encourages writers to read more. Thank you CLIND girls, for bringing us all such fantastic authors!
Can’t wait to read it! Love the songs on repeat.
Great interview!
Loved this interview. (And this book sounds great!) Elizabeth cracked me up when she talked about how she didn’t waste much time on the internet. (Me neither – HA!) And I’m glad to know I’m not the only one enjoying my teen daughter’s music more than I should!
This book sounds so great. I also love her dvr choice: Parenthood is the best and there are only 2 episodes left!!!
She is so funny.
Really want to read this one. Loved her interview too.
Nicole
Can’t wait to get this one in my hands to read it!
Can’t wait to read this one!
If Jennifer Weiner recommends it, it HAS to be good!
Sounds like a great read – would love to win a copy.
Sounds like a great read!
What an intriguing blurb. I would like to read it :)
The book sounds great…I have always loved YA books, even since I was a YA! Loved her list too…Parenthood is my favorite too ! :)
I am really liking YA lately and so I look forward to this book. I also love staying at a hotel!!!
Love Parenthood too!
Sounds like a must read! Thank You for your generosity with this giveaway!
This book sounds great! It’s added to my TBR list.
I’m with Elizabeth – Parenthood is a favorite show of mine. Love it!
This sounds like a great read! Thanks for the recommendation and the spotlight.
Can’t wait to read this one!
Sounds intriguing.
What a great cover! And sounds like a great premise to go with it. :)
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
Did you design this website yourself or did you hire someone
to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. thanks a lot
Hi! Glad you like it–We have a web designer that designs the site for us!
Congrats to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]! They’ve each won a copy of THE TRAGEDY PAPER! Thanks to all who entered! xo
This book sounds so good, can not wait to read it! :-)
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