November Releases + Author Interview: Thomas Fahy of Sleepless

November Releases:

How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation by Simone Elkeles [Young Adult]
*This is the continuation of How to Ruin A Summer Vacation*
Release Date: November 1, 2009
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 264
Pre-order: Amazon.com

Summary: Guess who's jetting to the Holy Land this summer! Remember me, Amy Barak-Nelson—a.k.a the queen of disaster? In case you forgot, my boyfriend Avi is in the Israeli army. A visit is definitely in order. Somehow my grandmother convinced me to sign up for two weeks of pure hell in a military training base. Getting up before dawn, peeing in a hole, and playing war games in the desert isn't my idea of fun. But what's worse? Our team leader turns out to be Avi!

Deadly Little Lies (A Touch Novel, Book 2) by Laurie Faria Stolarz [Young Adult] *This is the continuation of Deadly Little Secrets (A Touch Novel, Book 1)* Release Date: November 10, 2009
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Pages: 288
Pre-order: Amazon.com

Summary: Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift--pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred? Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then when an unexpected kiss leads to a frightening argument, Camelia makes the painful decision to let Ben go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at work, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. Adam is easygoing, and seems to really care about her.
But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events upturns secrets from Ben's past--and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who-before it's too late.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate [Young Adult]
Release Date: November 12, 2009
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 248
Pre-order: Amazon.com

Summary: A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake..Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party—when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead. From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove. Cruel Intentions meets Macbeth in this seductive, riveting tale of conscience and consequence.

On Viney's Mountain by Joan Donaldson [Young Adult]
Release Date: November 15, 2009
Publisher: Holiday House
Pages: 192
Pre-order: Amazon.com

Summary: Strangers have come to Viney's mountain, and she is furious! The arrogant invaders are leveling acres of forest in her beloved home in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee to establish a Utopian democratic settlement in 1880, the dream of English writer and labor pioneer Thomas Hughes. Sixteen-year-old Viney Walker is determined to sabotage their plans, but her sister Lizzie is thrilled, convinced that she will find a wealthy husband among the newcomers. Independent and uncompromising, Viney rails against the traditional fate of a mountain woman--marriage, children, unending drudgery--and prefers to focus on her true love and extraordinary talent--weaving. But Viney hasn't reckoned on Charlie Breckenridge, a handsome Englishman who takes a fancy to her. When she feigns a relationship with Charlie to put an end to the pressure from her family to find a man, her plot backfires in surprising ways, changing Viney and her mountain forever.

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott [Young Adult]
Release Date: November 15, 2009
Publisher: Holiday House
Pages: 320
Pre-order: Amazon.com

Summary: Spoiled, beautiful, fourteen-year-old Eugenie de Boncoeur is accustomed to outrageous privilege. The French Revolution may rage around her, but Eugenie's luxurious lifestyle is only improved by visits from her brother, Armand, who is especially doting since the two were orphaned. What Eugenie doesn't know is that their guardian has promised her in marriage to the wealthy, vengeful Le Fantome, a revolutionary who is nursing a secret grudge against her family. As the Revolution becomes increasingly violent, Eugenie is shipped off to convent school. Finally, there is no place in France that is safe for her. Eugenie dusts off her lightly used brains and rises to the challenge of survival. Soon she is in the thick of turmoil and romance, confronting spies, secret agents, and double-crossing suitors in her quest to get out of France alive. Sympathies shift, and every choice can change--or end--a life.

Author Interview: Thomas Fahy of Sleepless

Thomas Fahy is the author of Sleepless which is being released on August 11, 2009. He has also written The Unspoken and Night Vision: A Novel of Suspense. Thank you for doing this interview, I look forward to reading Sleepless when it comes out!

For more info on Thomas Fahy, check out his official website: http://www.thomasfahy.com/

1) Tom, when did you start writing?

I’ve enjoyed reading and writing for as long as I can remember. In junior high, I wrote my first murder mystery. It was pretty cheesy, but it was inspired by the Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle stories I was reading at the time. So, I guess I’ve been drawn to this genre for a long time.

2) What inspired you to write Sleepless?

I came up with the idea while working on my last book, The Unspoken. which is about a group of teens who are haunted by their childhood memories of growing up in a cult and now must face a horrifying prophecy—that they will die from their worst fear. The main character, Allison, is epileptic, and during her seizures, she has these visions of terrible crimes before they happen. Her visions made me think about nightmares and the power they can have over us—to make us scream, break out in a sweat, and, in some cases, sleepwalk. I thought it would be interesting to write something about sleepwalking—as if it were a disease that could infect people and make them do things.

3) Are the characters in the book based on someone you know?

In some ways, yes. Emma in Sleepless isn’t based on anyone in particular, but I think her sense of humor is similar to mine. I based Lily’s personality (as well as her long hair) on a good friend of mine, and Terence’s physical features and his interest in witchcraft were inspired by this guy I knew in high school who was the first (and only) self-proclaimed witch I’ve ever met! I guess there are bits of people I know in lots of my characters. Sometimes it’s intentional; sometimes it isn’t. They’re all still fictional, but certain aspects of them are influenced by real people.

4) What was the hardest part of writing Sleepless?
Writing about insomnia can be risky--the more you think about not being able to sleep the harder it is to sleep. I certainly had my share of sleepless nights while writing the book!

5) What is the meaning behind the title choice of your book?
Once the teens realize that they’re hurting people in their sleep, they try to keep each other awake. They hope to stay awake (to stay sleepless) long enough to figure out who is causing them to sleepwalk. Is it magic, a curse …? I titled the book Sleepless because they’re trying not to sleep, because they’re afraid of what they might do if they close their eyes.

6) Who came up with the cover design of your book?
Authors don’t have much say over the cover design, so you just need faith that the publisher will do a great job. And I think they did with Sleepless.

7) What was the worst nightmare you ever had?

I was drowning in this swamp. Thick, black muck was covering my body, and before I went under, I forced myself awake. I opened my eyes but couldn’t move. I tried to lift my arms and my legs. I got no response. I tried to turn my head. I couldn’t. I was absolutely paralyzed. It took a few moments before I could feel my body again. It was terrifying.

8) Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest?
Well, I’m a fan of Neal Shusterman’s and Jay Asher’s work. I always like to keep up with what they’re doing.

9) What book are you currently reading?

I’ve just started The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams, and I’m really enjoying it. I’m also interested in cults and wrote about one in The Unspoken. Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book is next on my list. I also just picked up a copy of his illustrated book The day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish.

10) Tell us something about yourself that no one knows about.

When I first met my girlfriend, she was worried that I might be a serial killer because I write horror novels. (I’m not, by the way).

Sleepless by Thomas Fahy [Young Adult]

Release Date: August 11, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 224
Pre-order: Amazon.com
Summary: Emma Montgomery has been having trouble sleeping. Whenever she closes her eyes, all she can see are horrible nightmares ... nightmares of gruesome murder. And she's not alone. All of the students in Dr. Beecher's secret society have been having terrible dreams and sleepwalking. Now, as their classmates start turning up dead, Emma and her friends race against the clock to keep themselves awake and find out what is causing them to kill in their sleep--before the next victim dies.