My favorite thing about being an author
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of guest blogging for Kristen at Young Adult Book Haven as part of the Our Song blog tour, and I wanted to share the post with you all here as well. If you haven’t yet checked out her blog for fabulous reviews, interviews and more, you’re missing out!
Blog Tour: Our Song By: Jordanna Fraiberg Guest Post and Giveaway!
Today I have an awesome guest post from Jordanna on her favorite thing about being an author, Thanks to Shane @Itching For Books for hosting Enjoy!
Our Song blog tour June 10-14!
I’m thrilled to be part of this amazing blog tour, hosted by Shane at Itching for Books. If you aren’t already a fan of her blog, head on over to check out the amazing features and tours she hosts.
This week she was kind of enough to host my blog tour. The schedule is posted below, or you can find it here
June 10th - Addicted 2 Novels *Interview
Chapter Break *Blurb & Excerpt (blogger’s choice)
Rachel Reads *Review & Playlist (blogger’s choice)
Deviantly Deviant *Review
Books à la Mode *Review & Interview
A Bookish Escape *Review
June 11th - Coffee, Books & Me *Guest Post
YA Bookmark *Review & Dream Cast (blogger’s choice)
Project Read and Review *Review
Beth’s Blog *Review
A Dream Within A Dream *Review & Excerpt (blogger’s choice)
Imagine a World *Review
June 12th - Unraveling Words *Interview
Leisure Reads *Blurb & Excerpt (blogger’s choice)
Book-Marks the Spot *Review
My Library in the Making *Review
Never Judge a Book by its Cover *Review & Excerpt (blogger’s choice)
Confessions of a Vi3tbabe *Review
June 13th - The Book Addict’s Guide *Interview
Moosubi Reviews! *Review & Excerpt (blogger’s choice)
Young Adult Book Haven *Guest Post
The Reader Lines *Review & Favorite Quotes
That Artsy Reader Girl *Review
Deal Sharing Aunt *Review
June 14th - Winter Haven Books *Interview
Reader Girls *Review & Excerpt (blogger’s choice)
Rondo of a Possible World *Guest Post
Book Whirlwind *Review
The Bookish Confections *Review & Excerpt (blogger’s choice)
Enticed by Books *Review
In which Jay Asher blogs about our upcoming B&N event at The Grove
The F.A.M. at The Grove
Sunday, May 19, I’ll be speaking in Los Angeles with two other YA authors: Jordanna Fraiberg and Lauren Miller. If you’re anywhere near Barnes & Noble in The Grove (I’m talking anywhere within a 120-mile radius), you should definitely consider being there at 2pm. That’s when The F.A.M. (Fraiberg-Asher-Miller) will give a little presentation, answer your questions, and then sign your books.
In preparation for the Q&A, we decided to ask a bunch of questions we’ve always wondered about each other. Some of the questions were book-related, but many were not. If you’ve got a book-related question for us, and especially if you’ve got a weird or silly question…
We’d love to see you in L.A.!
Q: What time of day do you like to write? Any rituals you care to share?
JAY: I do my best brainstorming during the day, often while doing other activities, but I prefer to do the writing at night. I wrote most of my first book at a coffee shop, but most of my second at a small table in my living room that looked outside. I don’t have any rituals that I must do, but sometimes I like to help set a certain tone or atmosphere for myself just before sitting down to write. Sometimes that includes music (the My So-Called Life soundtrack for Thirteen Reasons Why; mid-90s pop-punk for The Future of Us). For the book I’m currently working on, along with specific music, I also have some scented candles set a very particular atmosphere.
Q: If you had a spirit animal, what would it be?
JAY: A beluga whale. But not just any beluga whale. It has to be a baby beluga.
Q: Are you a night person or a morning person?
Q: If you had to get a tattoo, where would you put it and what would it be? If you’re not sure of the design, what are some requirements it would have to meet?
Lauren Oliver: OUR SONG GIVEAWAY!
Hey all! Today I am VERY HAPPY to host my lovely friend and fellow writer Jordanna Fraiberg on the blog to talk about her second novel, OUR SONG. Her first novel, IN YOUR ROOM, was one of my favorites from my days as a baby editor at Penguin/Razorbill, and I’m so happy that she is gracing…
Beyond excited to be interviewed on Lauren’s blog today!
Launch Party Pics!
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the launch of Our Song last week!
A special shout out to Wallspace Art Gallery for providing the most amazing backdrop for this – or any – event, and to Chevalier’s Books for giving everyone a chance to buy their copy locally!
So, THIS is happening at my local B&N and I’m SO EXCITED I kind of can’t contain myself.
BOOK TO READ: Our Song
Today, Our Song by my friend Jordanna Fraiberg comes out! It’s a beautiful story full of romance, mystery, and self discovery. I’ll be posting an interview with her soon, and giving away a copy of her book, but if you’re looking for a good romance I’d run out and get it right away!
so honored! I love Lauren Oliver!!
It’s May, and you know what that means…the Penguin Teen Author Spotlight is officially in summer mode! Today we welcome Jordanna Fraiberg, author of the lovely romance Our Song, out today!! We love it, you’ll love it, we’ll all enjoy reading it while lying in the sun on the beach, we promise. Before you head off to your nearest bookstore to ensure that daydream comes true, though, stay here and hang with Jordanna!
Name: Jordanna Fraiberg
Novel: OUR SONG
Available: MAY 2, 2013
Who’s your favorite author, living or dead? I have different favorites for different reasons: for craft, for pure escape, and so on. The authors that really inspire me are Lauren Oliver, Sara Zarr, and Sarah Dessen. They all write such compelling characters combined with such beautiful prose. Virgina Woolf also holds a special place in my heart, and was an inspiration for OUR SONG.
What’s your favorite thing about your book? The message of transformation, the idea that no matter how bad things get, how seemingly irrevocable, there’s always hope, even if you can’t see it right away. The mysterious song threaded throughout OUR SONG is a symbol of that hope: even if Olive can’t hear it, or isn’t ready to, it’s always there, waiting for her.
If you could spend one year on a deserted island with one character from literature, who would you choose? Marley, the dog from MARLEY AND ME. I’ve been wrapped around a lab or a golden retriever since I was two years old, so life – especially a year on a deserted island – wouldn’t feel complete without a big dog within arm’s reach.
Where do you write? It depends where I am in the process. For first drafts, I like to write at home with my dog, Rocky, within arm’s reach (see above). My office leads out to a backyard with a gazebo, where Rocky and I sometimes wander when I’m stuck. When I’m brainstorming or revising, I like to coffee shop hop around my LA neighborhood.
Who is your favorite hero or heroine of history? I’ve always been fascinated with Gandhi, and I had the privilege of interviewing people who knew and worked with him when I lived in India during my junior year abroad. My take away from that project was that Gandhi was a man whose message transcended politics and party lines, because it was a message about peace and freedom. And those are the kind of messages that endure, that lift people out of hardship, that give them hope.
Do you tweet? What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever tweeted? I’ve only just recently joined the twitterverse, and it’s been the most welcomed addition to my life – I love the sense of creative community it can foster, not to mention being able to fangirl my favorite authors.
While not particularly comedic, this tweet just about sums it up:
“I think the best part about working from home is that everyday is Bring Your Dog to Work Day”
What is your favorite season? Spring, especially in LA, when the scent of night-blooming Jasmine fills the air.
If you could teleport anywhere in the known universe right now, where would you go? To my sister-in-law’s kitchen in Berlin, where we’d chat about life and story and motherhood, while the kids played in the backyard. Or Hawaii. I could always imagine myself in Hawaii.
Do you have any writing rituals? I used to be a professional athlete and I treat my writing the same way I used to approach my training. I start off slow at the beginning, finding my way into an idea, and once I’ve landed on one, I try to reach a word count goal every day. Like exercise, consistency is key because then the story starts to take on a life of its own, working itself out in my subconscious even when I’m not putting words down on paper. That’s the goal, anyway!
What is your idea of earthly happiness? When everything feels in sync. Being home with my husband and daughter, snuggling with my dog, writing, doing yoga, and hanging with friends and family helps me achieve that.
What is the best concert you’ve ever been to? Death Cab for Cutie, with my husband at the Hollywood Bowl. The Transatlanticism fireworks finale accompanied by the LA Philharmonic under the stars was something truly magical to behold.
What are you currently working on? Another contemporary romance, which is evolving and changing before my very eyes as I write it, so that’s all I’ll say about it right now!
………………………….
Thanks, Jordanna! We can’t wait to (re)read Our Song this summer!
You can find Jordanna on Twitter, Facebook, and her website.
Add Our Song to your “to-read” shelf on Goodreads!
Buy Our Song today from Penguin, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your local, independent bookstore, Books a Million, Powell’s and Walmart!
Thrilled to be featured on Penguinteen spotlight in honor of Pub Day!
OUR SONG twitter contest and giveaway!
In anticipation of the release of OUR SONG on May 2nd, I’m holding a contest!! What better way to celebrate than by giving away some swag?
To enter:
Tweet your answer to the following question with the hashtag, #OurSong, and you’re automatically entered:
What song did you and your high school significant other consider “Our Song”?
The Prizes:
One lucky winner will receive a beautiful heart pendant necklace (you’ll see how this plays a role in the book!) and a SIGNED hardcover copy of OUR SONG!
Three 2nd place winners will each get a signed ARC!
The Rules:
1. Contest starts NOW and ends on Thursday, May 2nd at 11:59pmPST.
2. If you follow me on twitter and tweet your answer, it will count as two entries
3. Winners will be picked by a randomizer and announced on Monday, May 6th!
4. Anybody can enter, but the winner must reside in the US or Canada.
5. Email me your info to claim your prize.
6. Earn additional entries by sharing this post and/or including it on your blog. (tweet me a link to your blog post and I’ll RT!)
I’m so excited to share this book with all of you. Good luck and happy tweeting!!