July Book Releases + Author Interview: Suzanne Young of The Naughty List!

Libyrinth by Pearl North [Young Adult]

Release Date: July 7, 2009

Summary: In her debut novel, Pearl North takes readers centuries into the future, to a forgotten colony of Earth where technology masquerades as magic and wars are fought over books. Haly is a Libyrarian, one of a group of people dedicated to preserving and protecting the knowledge passed down from the Ancients and stored in the endless maze of books known as the Libyrinth. But Haly has a secret: The books speak to her. When the threat of the rival Eradicants drives her from her home, Haly learns that things are not all she thinks they are. Taken prisoner by the Eradicants, who believe the written word to be evil, she sees the world through their eyes and comes to understand that they are not the book-burning monsters that she has known her entire life. The words of a young girl hiding in an attic—written hundreds of years before Haly’s birth—will spark the interest of her captors and begin the change necessary to end the conflict between the Eradicants and Libyrarians. With the help of her loyal companion Nod, a creature of the Libyrinth, Haly must mend the rift between the two groups before their war for knowledge destroys them all. Haly’s life—and the lives of everyone she knows—will never be the same. A powerful adventure that unites the present and future, Libyrinth is a fresh, magical novel that will draw in young readers of all genres. Order it: Amazon.com

The Hundred-Towered City by Garry Kilworth [Young Adult]
Release Date: July 15, 2009

Summary: When a stranger from the past arrives in the middle of the night with shocking news, Jack, Annie, and Davey are catapulted into the wildest adventure they've ever had. Their parents have been arrested on suspicion of being spies. Not only in a different country but in a different time—Prague, 1903. The children travel back in time and find themselves face to face with danger, mystery, and the magic of a strange place. Where are their parents and who has stolen the key to the time machine? Will our young heroes be in time to save their parents from siniser Karlstein Castle? And even if they do, how will they return to the present day without the key? Alchemists, mythical creatures, and a man with a hook for a hand hold the answers they’re looking for. Order it: Amazon.com

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert [Young Adult]
Release Date: July 21, 2009

Summary: Kara hasn't been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad-boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park....Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own. Order it: Amazon.com

Sea of the Dead by Julia Durango [Young Teen]
Release Date: July 21, 2009

Summary: AS THE SON of the Warrior Prince, Kehl has always known certain things about the world. First and foremost is the certainty that the Teshic Empire is its center, and that everything -- and everyone -- beyond the empire's borders has been created ultimately to be brought under Teshic dominion. Furthermore, because Kehl is being trained to follow in his father's warrior footsteps, he is all too aware of the expectations placed upon him to never show weakness or fear, to instead show an unwavering loyalty to the Teshic Empire and its often severe beliefs and demands.But when Kehl is abducted by a seafaring band of rebels and taken beyond the borders to the enigmatic Sea of the Dead, a whole new world begins to open up before him. A new world filled with challenging beliefs and dangerous ideas. A world where Kehl's future -- as well as his past -- may be linked to the renegade crew of a ship named Carillon's Revenge and the Fallen King who captains her. Order it: Amazon.com

Bite Me! by Melissa Francis [Young Adult]
Release Date: July 28, 2009

Summary: AJ Ashe isn't your typical seventeen-year-old vampire—as if there is such a thing! She's stuck in the middle of a huge fight between her two BFFs. Her ex-boyfriend—whom she's still totally in love with, by the way—is now her stepbrother. A former classmate—who, um, she may or may not have turned into a vampire—is stalking her. And now, apparently, the fate of humankind lies in her little undead hands. What ever happened to the good old days, when all a vampire girl had to worry about was the occasional zit and hiding her taste for blood? Order it: Amazon.com

Author Interview: Suzanne Young

Suzanne Young is the author of The Naughty List which will be released on February 4, 2010. She will also be publishing three more books, so be on the out look for them! Thank you for taking the time out to do this interview and I look forward to reading The Naught List series.

For more info on Suzanne, check out her blog and make sure to become a follower:
http://suzanne-young.blogspot.com/

1) Suzanne, when was the first time you wanted to become a writer?
I wrote my first short story in 7^th grade. It was a murder mystery starring all of my friends—and the boy I had a secret crush on. Somehow, the cute boy and me were the only ones to survive until the end…. (and no, I never got the chance to date him in real life). I went to college for Creative Writing, but it wasn’t until 2007 that I wrote my first YA novel. After that, I was HOOKED!

2) What inspired you to write The Naughty List?
One day, I had a vision of ninja cheerleaders. Dressed in black, high kicking, throwing adorably sparkly death stars! But after creating my characters, I realized they weren’t ninjas. They were a society that caught cheating boyfriends!

3) Are the characters in the book based on someone you know?
Only one—the History teacher. He was actually my Science teacher in high school, but that’s who I pictured all the way. And yes, I know that’s probably a let down. I sure wish there was a super hot basketball player boyfriend in my dating past. :)

4) What was the hardest part of writing The Naughty List?
Creating the rules of the society. How did they conduct their investigations? What was considered cheating? I had an idea, but it wasn’t until I sat and wrote them down that I figured it out. Once I did though, it really helped smooth out the story for me.

5) If you had to sum up The Naughty List in one word, besides naughty, what would it be?
Darn. I was going to say naughty. Okay, how about “perkilicious”

6) Since Tessa is a spy, name one time when you decided to snoop around?
Oh, no. I don’t want to incriminate myself. (although, just between us, I once called the number of a girl I found in my boyfriend’s wallet. It didn’t end well.)

7) Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest?
Oh, so many! I love all the Tenners with books coming out in 2010, but as for books currently out, I love Mandy Hubbard’s Prada & Prejudice and I’m a HUGE fan of Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

8) What book are you currently reading?
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

9) What other books have you written or in the process of writing?
I have a few waiting in the wings. But right now I’m working on the next books in The Naughty List series, as well as working on a fantasy novel that I’m pretty excited about.

10) Tell us something about yourself that no one knows about.
In High School, I was on the Speech and Debate team. Yep.