Bleed Like Me
Hi, blogland, and welcome to another great installment of my women authors' blog co-op, the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit. Today I am pleased to host Laurie Stolarz, author of the new book BLEED. What a great title! With self-injury as a topic (I haven't read the book, but this is what I am surmising from the press release), this looks like a book to which readers of THE BITCH POSSE may relate. So check it out! It's Young Adult fiction, but as I told you, I am a voracious consumer of YA... It is getting edgier and more daring by the day.
Ten teens, one unforgettable day
Over the course of a single day, the lives of ten teenagers will intersect in powerful and unexpected ways.
Among them are Nicole, whose decision to betray her best friend will shock everyone, most of all herself; Kelly, who meets the convicted felon she’s been writing to for years; and Maria, whose definition of a true friend is someone who will cut her. Derik discovers his usual good looks and charm won’t help him get the girl he really wants, while Joy, a fifteen year old waitress, hoping for true intimacy, narrowly escapes a very dark fate.
Seamlessly woven together, this collection of interconnected short stories paints an authentic portrait of today’s teen experience that is at once funny, moving, and often very haunting.
“The reader is swept along in this masterful plotting of characters as their lives intertwine in most unexpected ways. Laurie Faria Stolarz has captured perfectly the angst and folly of the teenage world.” – Teenreads.com
“…a funny, yet poignant book of interconnecting short stories in which the lives of 10 teenagers are seamlessly woven together….The author demonstrates the ability to identify with today’s teen experience…” – School Library Journal
Also Available by Laurie Stolarz:
The Blue is for Nightmares Collection
Llewellyn Publications
0738709883
$29.95
Ages 12+
Nightmares. Dark Secrets. Premonitions of Death.
Welcome to Stacey’s World!
With over 250,000 books sold, the Blue is for Nightmares Collection is now available as a boxed set, including a copy of Stacey’s spell book, filled with some of Stacey’s favorite home remedies.
It begins with the dreams. White lilies, the death flower. Being chased through the woods, knowing she cannot outrun her pursuer forever. Visits from the spirit of a girl who was murdered. Threats and taunts from an unseen assailant.
But that’s only the start. When the dreams begin to spill over into Stacey’s waking life, that’s when the nightmare really begins.
1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.
I really wanted to explore how the decisions we make everyday – even the smaller ones – can affect others in ways we may never even consider. The decision whether or not to pick up the phone or let the machine get it; the decision of walking to someone’s house versus taking the bus; or of taking a walk by a cemetery rather than at the beach – how the outcome of those decisions can have a domino effect, affecting other people’s lives…even the lives of people we may not even know. The book starts out with one girl (Nicole) grappling with the decision of whether or not to betray her best friend (Kelly) by going after her best friend’s boyfriend (Sean) while the best friend is away. We see how the effect of that decision plays out, affecting all the other characters in the
book.
2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I would recommend reading what it is you love. Ask yourself why you love it, why you feel it works. What technique does the writer use that works for you? What point-of-view? What do you like about the dialogue? The characters? Do the same for books that don’t appeal to you. Become a better reader. By answering some of these questions, you’ll become one. You’ll be able to identify what works for you as a reader. Then, apply those elements to your writing. Also, consider joining a writers group. I rely heavily on mine. They’re there for inspiration as well as critiques. We support each other through every step of the process – from that first idea to the finished book. And lastly, of course, it goes without saying that before you send anything out, know the market. Know which editors are looking for your type of book, what their policy is on reading unsolicited manuscripts, if you’ll need an agent, and which agents are accepting new clients in your genre. Also, be sure to ask your agent for a client list, check that they’re a member of AAR (http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do), and never pay reading fees.
3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?
Since I have a toddler, I don’t really have a typical writing day. I write when I can – when he’s in pre-school or napping or sleeping. I’m pretty good about being able to work on demand. When I’m working in the morning, I love a good cup of coffee (black) and I need to shut off my e-mail to resist the urge to procrastinate.
4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing?
Getting to connect with my readers. I’m lucky to receive between 50-100 reader e-mails per week, telling me how the books have touched them, impacted them, empowered them in some way. It doesn’t get much better than that. Also, I like having an excuse to watch MTV and read Teen Vogue on a regular basis.
The most frustrating?
Writing can be very isolating, which is why it’s so important – for me – to try and connect with other authors, friends, colleagues whenever I can. I love making school visits or attending author events, stepping out of my quiet office to connect with readers and people in the business.
5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?
I have a companion book to Bleed coming out in the fall of 2007. It’s a really scary novel called Project 17.
Thanks so much, Laurie! Check out her books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your best choice, your local indy bookseller.
THE AUTHOR
Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston. She is currently working on Project 17, the companion novel to Bleed, also for young adults. To learn more about Laurie, please visit her website: www.lauriestolarz.com.THE BOOK
Over the course of a single day, the lives of ten teenagers will intersect in powerful and unexpected ways.
Among them are Nicole, whose decision to betray her best friend will shock everyone, most of all herself; Kelly, who meets the convicted felon she’s been writing to for years; and Maria, whose definition of a true friend is someone who will cut her. Derik discovers his usual good looks and charm won’t help him get the girl he really wants, while Joy, a fifteen year old waitress, hoping for true intimacy, narrowly escapes a very dark fate.
Seamlessly woven together, this collection of interconnected short stories paints an authentic portrait of today’s teen experience that is at once funny, moving, and often very haunting.
THE BLURBS
“Stolarz expertly weaves a combination of stories the reader will remember for a long while.” – Anne Keller, RandomReads“The reader is swept along in this masterful plotting of characters as their lives intertwine in most unexpected ways. Laurie Faria Stolarz has captured perfectly the angst and folly of the teenage world.” – Teenreads.com
“…a funny, yet poignant book of interconnecting short stories in which the lives of 10 teenagers are seamlessly woven together….The author demonstrates the ability to identify with today’s teen experience…” – School Library Journal
Also Available by Laurie Stolarz:
The Blue is for Nightmares Collection
Llewellyn Publications
0738709883
$29.95
Ages 12+
Nightmares. Dark Secrets. Premonitions of Death.
Welcome to Stacey’s World!
With over 250,000 books sold, the Blue is for Nightmares Collection is now available as a boxed set, including a copy of Stacey’s spell book, filled with some of Stacey’s favorite home remedies.
It begins with the dreams. White lilies, the death flower. Being chased through the woods, knowing she cannot outrun her pursuer forever. Visits from the spirit of a girl who was murdered. Threats and taunts from an unseen assailant.
But that’s only the start. When the dreams begin to spill over into Stacey’s waking life, that’s when the nightmare really begins.
THE INTERVIEW
1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.
I really wanted to explore how the decisions we make everyday – even the smaller ones – can affect others in ways we may never even consider. The decision whether or not to pick up the phone or let the machine get it; the decision of walking to someone’s house versus taking the bus; or of taking a walk by a cemetery rather than at the beach – how the outcome of those decisions can have a domino effect, affecting other people’s lives…even the lives of people we may not even know. The book starts out with one girl (Nicole) grappling with the decision of whether or not to betray her best friend (Kelly) by going after her best friend’s boyfriend (Sean) while the best friend is away. We see how the effect of that decision plays out, affecting all the other characters in the
book.
2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I would recommend reading what it is you love. Ask yourself why you love it, why you feel it works. What technique does the writer use that works for you? What point-of-view? What do you like about the dialogue? The characters? Do the same for books that don’t appeal to you. Become a better reader. By answering some of these questions, you’ll become one. You’ll be able to identify what works for you as a reader. Then, apply those elements to your writing. Also, consider joining a writers group. I rely heavily on mine. They’re there for inspiration as well as critiques. We support each other through every step of the process – from that first idea to the finished book. And lastly, of course, it goes without saying that before you send anything out, know the market. Know which editors are looking for your type of book, what their policy is on reading unsolicited manuscripts, if you’ll need an agent, and which agents are accepting new clients in your genre. Also, be sure to ask your agent for a client list, check that they’re a member of AAR (http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do), and never pay reading fees.
3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?
Since I have a toddler, I don’t really have a typical writing day. I write when I can – when he’s in pre-school or napping or sleeping. I’m pretty good about being able to work on demand. When I’m working in the morning, I love a good cup of coffee (black) and I need to shut off my e-mail to resist the urge to procrastinate.
4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing?
Getting to connect with my readers. I’m lucky to receive between 50-100 reader e-mails per week, telling me how the books have touched them, impacted them, empowered them in some way. It doesn’t get much better than that. Also, I like having an excuse to watch MTV and read Teen Vogue on a regular basis.
The most frustrating?
Writing can be very isolating, which is why it’s so important – for me – to try and connect with other authors, friends, colleagues whenever I can. I love making school visits or attending author events, stepping out of my quiet office to connect with readers and people in the business.
5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?
I have a companion book to Bleed coming out in the fall of 2007. It’s a really scary novel called Project 17.
Thanks so much, Laurie! Check out her books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your best choice, your local indy bookseller.
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