SIMON & SCHUSTER WEEK: Sarah Alderson How to write a young adult thriller.

 

 

Hello there beautiful people. Casey here and I am here today to share our Simon and Schuster week with you all. So all this week we will be featuring YA books from Simon and & Schuster UK the publisher all over our blog. From guest posts from some of their awesome authors, to reviews of their books and an AWESOME giveaway at the end where you can win some of these epic books we have been featuring all week!

 

So without further or do here is our first post of the week. Its the epic Sarah Alderson!

 

 

Sarah Alderson is the fantastic British author of well known novels Hunting Lila, losing Lila and now her ebook novella Tormenting Lila - (Tad obsessed with these). BUT now she has another novel coming out which everyone is excited for and that is called "THE SOUND".

 

 

Here is a summary:  

 

When aspiring music journalist Ren Kingston takes a job nannying for a wealthy family on the exclusive island of Nantucket, playground for Boston's elite, she's hoping for a low-key summer reading books and blogging about bands. Boys are firmly off the agenda.

What she doesn't count on is falling in with a bunch of party-loving private school kids who are hiding some dark secrets, falling (possibly) in love with the local bad boy, and falling out with a dangerous serial killer...

"Sounds" fantastic doesn't it? get it?...anyway THE SOUND is NOW released in the UK so guess what? after reading this you can actually purchase the book!. So without further or do Sarah is here today to do a guest post on How to write a Young adult thriller! get a pen and paper guys;

 

How to write a Young Adult thriller

I am not really sure how it happened but I ended up writing thrillers. I guess because I love writing action and mystery stories and because I grew up watching too many movies like Terminator and Blade Runner and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Anyway, I also write screenplays too and have learned a lot from that process when it comes to writing books. Here are five rules for writing thrillers for teens:

The Hero must be likeable

My favorite book on screenwriting is called ‘Save the Cat’. The title refers to the fact that your main character, whether in a book or movie, MUST be likeable. Even if they are a serial killer, they must do something like save the cat from a burning building, so the audience/ reader wants them to succeed (like Dexter).
Pretty much every time I walk out of a movie or throw a book to the floor is because I don’t care about the character. Next time you dislike a book intensely check if this is the reason why. In YA I think a lot of writers focus on the love interest and don’t develop the female character into someone that’s likeable.

Conflict between the leads

The two leads must face significant conflict. Alex in Hunting Lila is Lila’s brother’s best friend. He’s also her ‘enemy’ – fighting on the side of the Unit against her kind.
Lucas in Fated is Evie’s mortal enemy.
In The Sound, Jesse is the bad boy who everyone warns Ren away from and then she manages to make him think she has a boyfriend.
Think of Romeo and Juliet, Pride & Prejudice, Gone with the Wind, Dirty Dancing – whether your leads are from other sides of the tracks, torn apart by family or misunderstanding or war or some other plot device, the conflict that keeps them apart must be epic and believable.

Great stakes
  I just finished The 5th Wave, and loved it. It worked on so many levels but from the off the stakes were so high. There was the fact the lead character was being chased by killer aliens (always stressful), the fact she was alone, the fact she had to find her brother, and the ever present knowledge that the next huge wave of attack was going to start any moment. Honestly, I think my nerves are yet to recover. All good books keep you turning the page because every moment feels like life or death.

In Hunting Lila the stakes really were life or death for Lila and in The Sound I threw in a serial killer to really keep Ren on her toes.

The element of surprise

I like to throw in several twists to unseat the reader. I also don’t like things to be black and white, because they never are in real life – everyone has their own story to tell. ‘Bad guys’ should always be 3D and you should know why they are the way they are.

Awesome secondary characters

Secondary characters should be completely rounded out. The secondary characters in Hunting Lila – Nate, Suki, Demos, Amber etc – are some of my favorite characters. They should help drive the plot forwards, round out and show other aspects of your main characters and can also help illustrate themes and add comic relief. But don’t add secondary characters for no reason. Every character and every scene should have a purpose to your story.

Thanks Sarah for all your tips and thoughts! from all this I bet THE SOUND is going to be fantastic!

 

Sound is now released in the UK

You can get it HERE.

 

Please check here on the 7th for another exciting feature from Simon & Schuster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Guest post: Lockword & Co author Jonathan Stroud.

Firstly, I would like to thank Jonathan for joining us here at Dark Readers...so over to Jonathan with his top tips for a scary story....I shall be reading and reviewing Lockwood & Co at a later date so watch this space.

Let’s face it, I’m pretty new to this game. I’ve only managed to complete one instalment of my supernatural adventure series, Lockwood & Co., so far. I reckon by the time I’ve finished the sequence, I’ll know a thing or two about ghost stories, but for the time being I’m still a rookie at the noble and ancient art of scaring the pants off readers. Having said that, here are some work-in-progress tips that seem useful to me. Most of them are fairly obvious, though it’s amazing how many movies manage to ignore them completely.

1. Character comes first.

We’ve all seen those films where an identikit group of idiots walks into the haunted shed / house / wood and gets picked off one by one by cannibals / ghosts / monsters / religious zealots or a combo of them all. And how hard it often is to care. In fact, one thing separates the memorable and watchable from the rest of the dross: characterisation. It doesn’t take much. Just a little bit of humour, a little establishing work to make the protagonists seem 3-D. Because if you feel even the minutest bit of empathy and interest for the protagonists, you’ll start getting interested in their ordeal. At the very least you’ll start hoping the unpleasant spiteful cheerleader gets it in the neck before the wry, modest, quietly humorous bookworm. Which is a start.

2. Dark Rumours

Hand-in-hand with point 1 comes this basic requirement. While you’re spending a little time picking out the finer points of your characters, you can intersperse a few subtle hints about your ghostly set-up. A few background rumours, a tall tale or two about the supposed massacre that took place in the old warehouse, or about the frock-coated killer who once dragged his victims back to the windmill by the lake. Whatever. The casual way your characters react to the rumours will re-enforce their normality, and make them more vulnerable in the audience’s eyes.

3. Slow Build of Tension

Time to introduce the scares. Begin with a gentle drip-feed of odd sightings, sensations, misunderstandings and half-noticed anomalies that have the effect of agitating your protagonists and readers. Subtle changes in atmosphere; figures glimpsed from the corner of the eye; little sounds that not everyone is able to hear. Start isolating your characters from each other, let their latent emotions (see point 1) come out as the stress begins to tell.

4. Don’t Over-Egg the Apparition

Even rubbish movies are generally quite competent at points 2 and 3, but they always fall down when it gets to the climax. The best ghosts are briefly seen and succinctly described: it’s all in the build-up, in the audience’s anticipation of what’s hidden in the dark. If they see too much, if they witness too many special effects, the shock and terror is inevitably reduced. By the same token, not too much ketchup, please: gore is another thing best left to the imagination.

5. Bind Ghost and Character together

The very best ghost stories are as much about internal darkness as external ghoulies. It’s through the emotional weaknesses of your main protagonists that the ghosts gain their ultimate power. If the final crisis features the hero/heroine confronting their own demons in the same act as facing down the supernatural foe, you’re on to a winner, and will have a story that’ll live in the memory long after the fear dies down.

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Ebook Review: Sunshine with a chance of Snow By Carole Matthews

Name: Sunshine with a chance of Snow
Author: Carole Matthews
Ebook short that is currently free until the end of July.

Summary: Beth and Michael have worked hard all their married life to give their children everything they want. It hasn't been easy but it's been worth it. Now, as Beth enjoys quality time with her family on their beach holiday, she knows she has a lot to be thankful for. But it's not until she's faced with her biggest challenge yet that Beth really begins to understand how lucky she is.

In this ebook exclusive short story, Carole Matthews will transport you to a world filled with love, family and sunshine. So put your feet up, stick the kettle on and indulge yourself for just twenty minutes.
Includes the first three chapters from the Top Ten bestseller A Cottage by the Sea.

Review: I have said it before and I will say it again I have NEVER been dissatisfied with any of Carole Matthews books. So far I have read It's a kind of Magic, With Love at Christmas, Wrapped Up In You, Winter Warmers and Summer Daydreams. I also have A Cottage by the Sea awaiting me at home.

Sunshine with a chance of Snow is an exclusive ebook, that is free up until the end of July. I purchased a Kobo Arc this week that I am in love with and this poignant short read was my first download. I was not expecting this story to go the way it did. What I will say is Sunshine with a chance of Snow will make you truly appreciate the finer things in life. What Beth experiences whilst on a well deserved holiday of a lifetime will shatter her world. But it makes Beth, Michael and their adoring children realise exactly what matters in life and lavish holidays and expense is NOT it at all. True friends and family are what truly matter in life.
Dive into this heartfelt read, if it doesn't get you, well then you're cold hearted.
I truly loved Sunshine with a chance of Snow and I would like to take the time to thank Carole for this awesome FREE read. I must say if I had to have paid for it I sure would have.

Yet again impressed.

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Guest Review: CROWN OF MIDNIGHT BY SARAH J. MASS

Name: Crown Of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
UK Publisher: Bloomsbury
UK Release date: 15 August
Summary: After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?


Review: For those of you that haven't read Throne of Glass (#1 in the series) please be aware that this review may contain a few spoilers for the debut book, although not for this one.

My worry when reading the second book in any series is that it won't match my expectations or the success of the first book. However Sarah J. Maas manages to keep the pace, action and excitement flowing in Crown of Midnight. The key characters are vibrant (and in the case of Chaol and Dorian, still charmingly gorgeous!), the plot is riddled with intrigue, and the fighting comes thick and fast. Crown of Midnight does not disappoint!

Celaena Sardothien is the series' heroine. I say this quite lightly though, because whilst Celaena is extremely courageous and gutsy as the King's Champion and hired assassin, she isn't the most sympathetic or likeable of characters. At least not to me. She is brash, outspoken and unforgiving. And her treatment of the loveable Chaol can be less than desired. But despite the coldness and ruthlessness that she regularly displays, Celaena did show a surprising sense of moral rightness, adventure and occasional bout of sensitivity that made me respect her. I guess the thing with someone like Celaena, who is destined to change history, is that making tough decisions doesn't always win you friends.

But whether you love Celaena or not she certainly keeps the plot interesting. Whilst charging around trying to solve the riddles and mysteries found in the castle's hidden basement chambers, she and Dorian both get caught up in plenty of riveting and high-energy action, and expose some unexpected and exciting revelations. Celaena also not only battles with the mental and emotional scars from her past, but gets involved in more than a few physical and bloodthirsty fisticuffs - as you would expect with an assassin there is gore and guts galore!

The love triangle that ran rampant in the first book dwindles in this one, so don't expect much overt sexual tension or fighting between Dorian, Celaena and Chaol. However Celaena does choose one of the two men, and practically settles down into a relationship. Despite this, both men suffer from Celaena's emotional ups and downs and try to protect her in some very dangerous situations. Chaol is still honourable, respectable, and charming, and unfortunately completely head over heels for Celaena and at her mercy. I really felt sorry for him in this book, as he had his father to deal with and had to struggle to decide whether his actions under the King were the right ones to take. Dorian, sadly, has a much smaller role in this book, however the plot sets up some exciting developments for him in the rest of the series. I’m really exciting to see how these revelations and the underlying tension between his and his father, the king, pan out.

Crown of Midnight is dramatic, dangerous and daring, and promises a lot for the forthcoming books.

Thanks Hannah from hannahmariska.blogspot.com what a FANTASTIC REVIEW! 

 

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THRONE OF GLASS STORY GENERATOR

 

We’re proud to announce that our Crown of Midnight digital story generator, which allows fans to put themselves and their friends into scenes from Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, has launched!

 

 

So imagine being in the story? Imagine you and your friends becoming part of it. I have tried it out guys and it is pretty awesome! also the website is pretty cool! CLICK HERE and be part of it!

 

 

 

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Book Review: The Soul Seekers: Mystic By Alyson Noel and giveway....

Name: The Soul Seekers Mystic
Author: Alyson Noel
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date: UK 4th July 2013

Summary: Since arriving in the dusty desert town of Enchantment, everything in Daire Santos life has changed...and not always for the better. While she's come to accept and embrace her new powers as a Soul Seeker, Daire struggles with the responsibility she holds navigating between the worlds of the living and the dead--and her mission to defeat the evil Cade Richter.  But Cade's soul is inextricably entwined with that of her boyfriend Dace, putting their love to the ultimate test.  How can she can't defeat Cade if it means destroying Dace too?  And is their love strong enough to survive death—and what lies beyond?

Review: Now I have to mention that I have been waiting for this book since I finished Echo last November. Yep! I am a sucker for Alyson's work and Dace and Daire have got under my skin just as much as Ever and Damen.

Any of you regular Dark Readers followers will know that I am one of Alyson's hugest fans, I cannot stress enough how much I love her writing. Echo taught us lots more about Dace and his evil brother Cade's fate. But what I will say is I was never prepared for the twists and turns that Alyson engineered in this novel. As I said to her in a tweet the twists are just pure EVIL.
Mystic is book three in The Soul Seekers series and it may just be my fave so far, yet again I am going to be distraught when this series ends I may just have to book a day off for Horizon's release.
Soo much goes on and the pace picks up quite quickly...it was so good to have Dace, Daire, Lita and the gang back in my life...sooo much happens I don't want to ruin anything for you.
But when you think one thing, bam another twist smacks you in the face.
Mystic is fast paced, there is sooo much to this novel I cannot stress how amazing this book really is. I did feel quite emotional at the loss of a major character and this could have been the end of the series. I am so glad it's not but I know Horizon is going to be EPIC!!!! UMM Macmillan and Alyson can I please have a super super advanced copy. I NEED TO KNOW what happens next.

For one lucky reader I have a spare copy of Mystic to give away just tell me why you deserve to win a copy. If you've already been a fan of The Soul Seekers series then tell me two of your fave characters and why you should receive this book. Please leave your name and email address so I can contact you.

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Book Review: Hubble Bubble By Jane Lovering

Name: Hubble Bubble

Author: Jane Lovering
Publisher: Choc Lit Books

Summary:

Be careful what you wish for ...

Holly Grey joined the woman's group to keep her friend out of trouble - and now she's knee-deep in hassle, in the form of apocalyptic weather, armed men, midwifery - and a sarcastic Welsh journalist.

Kai has been drawn to darkest Yorkshire by his desire to find out who he really is. What he hadn't bargained on was getting caught up in amateur magic and dealing with a bunch of women who are trying really hard to make their dreams come true.

Together they realise that getting what you wish for is sometimes just a matter of knowing what it is you want ...

Review: Firstly, this is the second book I have devoured from Jane Lovering and yet again I am well and truly captivated. As you may remember when I read Vampire State Of Mind I was flitting from book to book and nothing was keeping my attention span until I started Jane's book. So when I was given the chance to read her latest offering I jumped right in with both feet. Almost instantly I was hooked by Holly's story, it's funny as I recently read a book about wishes, and this is what Hubble Bubble focuses on.

Hubble Bubble had me captivated from beginning to end. Jane has managed to not only be comical but she has also added a slightly sinister twist to the tale. If you are not hanging on each and every word by the twists in this story then I seriously don't know what's wrong with you.

A few of the twists are rather unexpected and full of such drama you'll be ooohing and awwwing as soon as they happen.
Holly is an independent self-assured woman on the outside but is she hiding a secret on the inside??? Well I am not about to spoil that.
Is magic real? Or is the belief and hope of wanting something so much the positive influence in changing your own fate and destiny. Holly is not the sort of woman who believes in magic, she goes along for the ride with her slightly crazy friend Megan but does Holly need change more than she knows.
At first I really didn't know what to make of Kai but by the end of it I was cheering him on and also finding myself loving him just a little.
It's funny people use the term 'Everything Happens For A Reason' a lot but we don't always know what that reason will be. Kai and Holly are so similar and that's where their bond is formed.
If you're looking for a comical read with a twist then I guarantee that Hubble Bubble is the best book for you.

So thank you again to the lovely Choc Lit for providing me with a fantastic read. I shall be purchasing a Kindle by the end of the month and I know there will be lots of Choc Lit on there.
As I said on Jane's Q&A she will be providing us with a treat inspired from Hubble Bubble so watch this space.

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The lovely Jane Lovering answers Hayley's Q&A

I asked Jane to answer some questions for us here at Dark Readers and here are the results. My Hubble Bubble review and another treat from Jane will follow shortly.

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer and what inspired you?

I didn’t even know that writing was a job, not for a long time. I used to read books my dad brought home from the library, some of which I loved so much that I created stories in my head where I was ‘in’ the books I enjoyed. I’d write stories of my own, using the characters I read about (early Fan Fiction!), and then graduated to using my own ideas.  At that point I realised that this was a Real Thing, and other people did it too, and I knew I wanted to be one of those people.  So I was inspired by a mixture of story and writers who actually wrote. Plus, one trainee teacher at my primary school, who read something I’d written and told me ‘you could be a writer’. I was ten, and he was right.

2. What kind of books do you enjoy? Has your reading style changed over the years.

I enjoy almost every kind of book, although I don’t really read much suspense, life is scary enough already... I love ghosts and time slips and romance; romantic comedy I adore. I like paranormals and fantasy, sci fi and ...well, just about everything, really! Although recently I’ve gravitated to reading more non-fiction, I’ve no idea why. I think it’s because I’m reading on my Kindle a lot, and, for some weird and bizarre reason, non-fiction ‘sounds’ better on a Kindle. Yeah, I know. But I’m a writer, I’m allowed to be bonkers – it’s practically in my job description.

3. Where do you get your inspiration for your stories? I've read both Hubble Bubble and Vampire State Of Mind and they are so different yet both awesome.

I’m a big fan of ‘what if?’ What if vampires were real?  If they were, you can bet that there would be a hell of a lot of paperwork, and someone would have to do it... Hubble Bubble was the ‘what if you could make a wish?’ So I start from that concept and also characters. I get people traipsing into my head and hanging around, making a nuisance of themselves until I finally notice them and say ‘okay, who are you and what is your story?’. And from that, I get a book. Or sectioned.

4. You often mention going back to the day job on Twitter when you're not writing where do you work?

I’m a Biology Resource Technician in a local secondary school. It basically means I sort out lungs and eyeballs. Oh, and photocopying, there is a phenomenal amount of photocopying...

5. So you now have four books. What's been your favourite one to write and why?

Actually, I’ve got six books (there are two ‘stealth’ books, published by Samhain which...ssssh...no one seems to know about, even though they’re perfectly good books). Of them all, I always think that the most recent is my favourite, although it’s as hard to have a favourite book as it is to have a favourite child – I love them all, just in different ways! But, yep, I think Hubble Bubble is my current favourite, because writing it was a breeze, as though the story was just hanging there in the air, waiting for me to pluck it and set it on the page. Plus it’s very typically ‘Yorkshire’, the terrible weather and the mud...

6. What can we expect next?

There’s the book I’m just wrapping up, which is about an astrophysicist, a heroine with a horse called Stan and some suspect lights in the sky, and then I’m starting a new book, which will hopefully be called ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’, which is about a woman who writes books about graveyards, her identical twin sister, and an old mill in the throes of restoration.

7. What can we expect from the follow up to Vampire StateOf Mind? I cannot wait!!!

Now, this is in the nature of an exclusive, but I just signed the contract for the sequel!  Yep, just today I put the contract in the post! The book is called Falling Apart, it’s hopefully out in June next year (2014, for forgetful people out there), and it features quite a lot of zombies. Oh, the vamps are there too, but Sil has got himself into serious trouble, and Jess has to come to terms with a lot of stuff. Zan is his usual self, and Liam is...well, he’s still Jess’s sidekick. And the zombies? Well, you’ll have to read it to find out where they fit in... (shesaid, teasingly).

8. Do you read paperbacks or ebooks or both?

I read both.  Whatever is lying around, really.

9. Are any of your characters based on you?

All my heroines have a huge slice of me about them, but they are all prettier, taller, have better hair and are much faster with the funny lines than I am.

10. Tell us something we wouldn't already know about you?

Given the way I gab, there’s very little that people don’t know about me already. Honestly, I’ve probably even told half the people at work what colour my knickers are today, I just cannot shut up about anything! So...ummm... the best I can offer is that my eyes are two slightly different colours. One is grey and the other one is a greenish colour, it’s most noticeable in dim light, and if you ever want to freak me out just say quietly to me ‘your eyes are different colours again today’. Drives me MAD!

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Hayley needs some Kindle advice??

Helloooo Hayley here,

I aim to be back here more often. I know I know I said this last time. But I do mean it.
Last night I finished the awesome Hubble Bubble by Jane Lovering, she just so happens to be the author of Vampire State Of Mind the last review I posted for you guys. Yet again very impressed....my review should be up any day now, I just hope I can do her book justice. SOOO GOOD.

Anyway the point of this post is I need some help, I'm reading more and more on my phone and now I think it's time to get a Kindle. Now I am pretty certain that I will get the standard Kindle although originally I wanted the Kindle Fire but I have now realised I need a book reading device not a tablet.
Anyway I am a bit of a novice with all things Kindle so if you can help me out that would be awesome. I am hoping to purchase it by the end of July heeee.

I am also hoping to get a few Q&A's up for you guys with Jane Lovering and Alyson Noel.
For anyone that knows me from this blog I am a huge fan of Alyson's and I truly cannot wait for Thursday as that is the day Mystic is released the third book in the truly mind blowing Soul Seekers series and I am sooo excited. I have wanted this book since November when I finished Echo.
The last bit of news from me is I shall be undertaking a week's work experience with the lovely lot at Pan Macmillan at the end of this month. So I was thinking I would document my time for you guys like a diary from my week. How does that sound????

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