The Queen of... 2012

We picked up the brand new book, The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker, because of the title; but, we couldn't stop reading this pageturner because it addresses serious issues told by a teen narrator with a great sense of drama and humor who understands exactly what matters to a teen.? "Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small-town high school. Caught between being a country girl and a wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and who wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her." blurb from aleciawhitaker.com And, Alecia Whitaker is? on tour! She just read in NYC, and now she's reading from The Queen of Kentucky in... Kentucky. ? We'll see her 1/13 at 7 at Carmichael's Bookstore? and are counting down the minutes. Join us, or check her out at these locations.

Our author interview How would you sum up your book if you were pitching it to a Hollywood agent to make a movie? Judy Blume meets "Friday Night Lights".

Growing up, what was your favorite teen book &/or author? I have to say that I was a sucker for the Sweet Valley Twins series, as well as The Babysitter's Club. But other books that I read that really stayed with me were Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.

Is there any particular passage in the book that your friends will say is "so you"? I've already gotten a little feedback about this actually. My friends see a lot of Ricki Jo's spunky nature in me and I think the scene at the beginning of Chapter 7 really nails the way I was at her age. Not one to just say, "Can I try out for cheerleading?" Ricki Jo uses her sense of the dramatics to cover all aspects of how this is a good idea and to squelch any possible reluctance her parents may have. And yes, that kind of hilarious propaganda is in my personal repertoire. As my mom just told me on the phone, "We didn't call you Drama Queen for nothing."

When you were writing this book, how did you research teen magazines and styles to reference? Well, I picked up several weeks worth of Seventeen magazine, I watch shows like "Project Runway" and "America's Next Top Model," and I follow a hilarious fashion blog gofugyourself.com. And I searched the internet, of course.

When you were a teen, what did you think you would be when you were older? How did you decide to be an author? I never had grandiose visions of being a silver screen star in Hollywood, but I definitely had the goal to make a living off of the arts and I wanted to be an actress. I have been mildly successful in that area of my life here in New York, but I think that writing is my greatest strength. I was always a good writer and I took that talent for granted. It just seemed too easy. When I finally realized that writing doesn't come easily to everyone, (that maybe I was actually special), I decided to pursue it as a career and things really took off.

Did you enjoy high school English?? Nerd Alert! I was a straight A student and English always came easiest to me. I didn't have to work at it or study. I actually enjoyed the reading assignments so English class felt like an elective... that is until Mrs. Andrews came to our school. She taught AP English my junior year and I strongly disliked her for the first 9 weeks of school. Work for my grade? Are you serious? She taught at a college level and insisted that since we were "advanced placement" students, we should act like it. I didn't like it at first, but she quickly earned my respect and became one of my all-time favorite teachers. That A in English stood out from all the others because I earned it. I was proud of it.

What advice would you give teen girls about trying to fit in or being popular? I would tell them to celebrate as many parts of themselves as they commiserate. We're so good at tearing ourselves down, especially in the area of body image, but we don't always like ourselves like we should. Once you love yourself, you'll care less about getting other people to love you.

And because we love seeing how our guests respond to our "PopCosmo Questions": Age: 32? (wait, what?) Always has: a new book to read Proudest of: my son, Knox, who is now walking everywhere and climbing everything. Is thankful for: indoor plumbing Wants to: see one of my books turned into a movie one day (SO DO WE!) Is afraid of: snakes, spiders, and a world without chocolate Believes everyone should: work as a waiter once in their life Is embarrassed by: bad manners My style is: whatever the mannequin's wearing, then down a notch Pet peeve: eye boogers (seriously, look in the mirror, get it out)

Alecia, thanks so much for sharing some of your time with us... and come back and visit with us ANYtime!

Lorien Legacies: Interview with Pittacus Lore

You know that feeling of starting a book, and it's so good that you just want to savor it... and never have it end. Finding that book and realizing there is a whole series is a bit like finding the perfect Anthropologie sweater in the back room sale at 95% off (as in amazingly rare). If you haven't read I am Number Four, then DO. Why? Because even if you don't typically read books about aliens, we swear on a Lorien's life that you will absolutely love this book. And yes, there's a series and The Power of Six amazed us too. Plus, the movie is as good as the book... and not just because Alex Pettyfer stars in it.

The series is about a group of Loric who have grown-up on Earth after their planet was destroyed. We meet 15-year old Number Four in an intense scene as he learns about his legacies and that he is the next target of the Mogadorians. He is the fourth of nine Lorien, who are being killed in numerical order. We could go on, but simply put, the books rock. Trust us.

Our love for the series even spread to Pittacus Lore, who agreed to an interview, giving us the scoop about  himself and the series!  As the leader of the Loric, he is writing the books to document their fight for survival. We are honored and pleased that such a dedicated leader was able to take time from his mission and communicate with us.  In return, if any Loric need a safe place... we are here for you!

PITTACUS LORE:

Age: 10,162 years

Always has: a weapon

Proudest of: Surviving

Is thankful for: The other Lorien here with me on Earth

Wants to: rid the universe of the Mogadorian threat

Is afraid of: defeat

Believes everyone should: live freely, whatever that means for them

Is embarrassed by: my age

My style is: invisible

Pet peeve: crowds

What are your Legacies? I am the only Lorien with all the Legacies. The list is actually very long.

How did you survive the destruction of Lorien? To be revealed at a later date. To do so now might give the Mogs a strategic edge.

Do the Mogadorians know that you are on Earth? Yes, absolutely. They are trying to find me and kill me.

Is The Charm permanently broken? Yes.

Will you join Numbers 4-10 in the fight against the Mogadorians? All of the Lorien on Earth are fighting the Mogs, though I can’t tell you where or how.

What is the meaning of the blue pendants? They were part of the charm. Setrakus Ra collects them when he kills one of us.

How can Number 4 be attracted to Number 6 and Sarah? Same way humans can be attracted to and love more than one person. And both are beautiful, smart, and cool.

Did Sarah really turn in Number 4 to the police? To be revealed at a later date.

Will we hear more about Number 9? The next book is called? The Rise of Nine. So yes, you’ll be hearing more about Mr. Nine.

Is Setrakus Ra in the next book? Yes, he is. And we fight him, face-to-face.

What is a macrocosm?  The universe as whole, and repeatable patterns that exist within it.

Thanks so much, Pittacus Lore... and we are holding our breath until The Rise of Nine.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

  Do you sometime have trouble remembering what you had for lunch the other day, or what you talked about in AP Chem? We do! But what if daily life was erased each night when you went to sleep?

London can’t remember her past because her memory resets at 4.33 a.m. each day, so she has no idea what happened the day before. Luckily though, she can remember the future, and recalls the people who stay in her life. Every night before London goes to sleep she writes herself notes, from what she wore, to important conversations she had the day before. But why can't she remember the boy she's falling in love with and what do her nightly dreams mean?

This is one book that we couldn't put down and has kept us thinking about how we could forget the past but remember the future long after we finished it. It's a unique story, with interesting twists we never saw coming. Trust us, Forgotten is a book you we won't be able to forget!