Jennifer Brown

I need a haircut.

My sister has her hair cut -- seriously! -- like, every third day or something. I haven't had a haircut since October.

It's not really the hair that's the problem. It's long and straight, so it's not like any difficult sculpting has gotten way out of control or anything (I'd love to have some difficult sculpting, but I have this thing about my face being too fat for artistic experimentation.) (Plus, I think by keeping my style the same as it was when I was six, I'm holding out hope that Fonzie still could love me).

It's that this time of year, with hair this long, I basically have one look -- the haphazard ponytail.

Not to mention my only accessory is the jewel-toned-hair-elastic-with-strands-of-stray-hair-stuck-to-it.

Hub and I'll go out... all gussied up... like to a wedding or something... and about halfway through dinner I'll look down and see this:

And, yeah, I'll totally flush with embarrassment when I see it, because not only is it a hairy blob and kinda nasty to have on your arm when you're eating, but it's purple and totally clashes with my outfit.

...But then I'll kind of sigh with relief, because I know that as soon as dinner's over and we're in the car, that sucker's totally going up in my hair.

So I'm making it a priority this week. Haircut. Nothing major or fancy (Remember: Art + JB's Fat Face = Fashion Don't). Just... something.

Any suggestions?

I'm really excited about today's interview, because the themes of Dee White's LETTERS TO LEONARDO are so similar to my themes in Hate List.

LETTERS TO LEONARDO is about a boy, Matt Hudson, who is turning 15. Only, instead of receiving the art lessons he was hoping for, he receives a letter... from his dead mother. Suddenly, Matt's life is just about finding out the truth. And what he finds could change him forever.

Dee, thanks so much for joining us, all the way from Australia!

Q: Your main character is a teenager coping with family mental illness. Why did you tackle this topic? Is this a passion of yours? 

A: I was thinking about this the other day, and realised that most of my writing seems to be about things that are going on in people’s heads. I’ve always been really interested in the human mind so that’s part of it. In Letters to Leonardo, Matt gets a letter on his fifteenth birthday from the mother he thought was dead. This part of the story was inspired by something that actually happened. But seeing as I was writing fiction, I had to come up with my own scenario for why Matt’s mother had been absent all this time. Mental illness seemed like a plausible explanation. 

Q: What is the mental illness and why did you choose that one?  

A:  Matt’s mother has bipolar, and I chose this illness because it was something that I already knew a little bit about seeing as I know someone who suffers from it. 

Q: What kind of research did you do about the illness before writing Letters to Leonardo?

A:  I did extensive research on the symptoms and treatments for bipolar, but my research also went way beyond that. I wanted to try and understand how it felt for someone living with bipolar and what it was like for their families. So I spoke to sufferers and their families and read many personal accounts.

Q: Writing about painful issues, especially with characters you love, can be extremely difficult. What was the hardest part for you, emotionally, about writing painful issues into your characters' lives?

A:  I become extremely attached to my characters when I’m writing – they become like real people to me – like my own children. So I find it really hard to allow/make bad things happen to them. I’m afraid I’m a bit pathetic, and I shed real tears for my characters because they seem so real to me.

Q: What is it like for teens living with family mental illness? What do you hope those teens will get out of reading your book? 

A:  Teens are so vulnerable. They are themselves going through such an emotional time in their lives, so dealing with family mental illness can be very traumatic – and hard to explain to others. Unfortunately, because you can’t see mental illness like you can say a broken leg or physical illness; it doesn’t always evoke empathy and understanding.  Teenagers are trying to establish their own individuality and identity so there can be a lot of embarrassment, guilt and anger to deal with when they are living with family mental illness. I hope Letters to Leonardo will raise awareness of real things that can happen to real people and help teens realise that having a family member with a mental illness doesn’t define who they are as a person. In Letters to Leonardo, Matt’s art teacher says to him. “You’re not your mother….don’t turn your back on your art. That’s what defines who you are – not the people you were born to, not genes or family resemblances…” 

Q: What do you hope teens who are NOT dealing with these issues will take away from this book? 

I’m hoping all teens will take away the importance of not allowing yourself to be emotionally or physically controlled by anyone else – and that it’s okay to be who you are. Letters to Leonardo is also about developing tolerance and understanding. In his last letter to Leonardo da Vinci, Matt says, “People can come from such different places and still be right.” 

Q: You've managed to balance the "tough stuff" in your book with humor. How did you strike that balance? When did you know it was "the right time" to lighten things up a bit?

A:  I wanted Letters to Leonardo to have emotional depth, but not be sentimental. So I think it was an instinctive thing for me. I believe that life is not black and white or even shades of grey – it’s full of colours. So whenever the colours were getting too dark in Letters to Leonardo, I added some lighter hues. 

Q: Anything I didn't ask you that you'd like to tell us? 

A: Matt’s story is also about the fact that we all make assumptions, but you never really know what is going on in someone else’s life – and especially inside their head.

Check out Dee's website (and the awesome book trailer for LETTERS TO LEONARDO) at: http://www.deescribe.com.au/

Thanks again, Dee! Good luck with your book!

I was so impressed with the response to last week's first-ever Love List Tuesday, I can't wait to get the next list going! Congrats to the week one winner, but there are still plenty of chances to win (and, yes, the Zac Effron mug is still up for grabs), so if you didn't get picked in week one, here's your chance to try again.

Here's my Love List:

1. My Disney trading pin collection

Extremely small sample of collection. Yeah, it's bad.

2. The neighbor who spontaneously watched the boys so I could do the grocery shopping alone.

3. The Ting Tings.

4. Speed Demon, who literally shielded my desk with his body during a flood in my office this week (Long, dramatic story. Are there any other kind?)

5. The new sparkly dress I got for anniversary dinner.

6. The scent called "Paige" that Megan Crewe uses to promote her book GIVE UP THE GHOST.

7. The new Indiana Jones game for Wii. Seriously cool time-waster.

8. And old women's fiction manuscript I've dug up and started re-working.

9. The July 4th fireworks show in Gladstone, Missouri. Or maybe just "traditions." I love traditions.

10. Homemade potato salad.

Now it's your turn. Comment with what's on your Love List and be entered to win this week's Grab Bag O' Love. Remember... post on your blog, Facebook, or tweet about the contest and earn an extra entry for each! And those who participate every week for all 10 weeks will get an extra two entries in the Grand Prize Grab Bag on September 1st!

Review Love List Tuesday rules here.

Good luck!

We spread the love. We posted. Using Random.org, we randomly chose a winner of Week One of Love List Tuesdays! And the winner is...

Susan Garner!!!

*cue confetti*

Congrats, Susan! You've won the first Grab Bag O' Love! Reach on in there and pick a bag...

*rustle rustle rustle*

You've chosen:

Kid Love #1:

I love Speed Demon because he's an amazing kid. He's a gifted reader and writer; I fully expect the world to be reading his work someday and comparing him to The Greats. Speed Demon has a huge heart and truly means it when he tells me he's proud of me. He also has a wicked sense of humor and can bat like Babe Ruth. Speed Demon's not yet read Hate List, but that doesn't stop him from putting on his publicist hat and spreading the word throughout the neighborhood. I've stuffed Speed Demon's Grab Bag O' Love with:

* A hardcover copy of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney (Speed Demon's favorite book ever)

* A $10 gift card to Barnes & Noble (because there are so many more favorite books to be discovered)

Also included in the Grab Bag will be a few Hate List gifties, including a blinged-out, autographed bookmark! Also included will be an autographed bookmark from Leigh Brescia, author of ONE WISH. Leigh has also been kind enough to include a coupon for a one-chapter preview of her book, and an entry into a contest to win your own copy of ONE WISH!

Congratulations, Susan! I will be emailing you for your contact information today. And don't forget... enter every week to earn two extra entries in the final week Grand Prize Grab Bag, which will include an autographed copy of HATE LIST!!

And that goes for all of you! Didn't win this time? No worries! We'll get the love rollin' again tomorrow! That Zac Effron cup's still up for grabs...

Edited to add: More goodies arrived today! Now each week's Grab Bag O' Love will also include a gorgeous bookmark, magnet, and rose pin from Michelle Zink's PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS! Awesome!

Three times this week I've been asked that question. It's a natural question to ask, after all. Hate List is complete. I'm obviously still writing. So... what are you working on, JB?

And three times this week I've kind of stammered and stuttered and scratched my neck nervously and hemmed and hawed and looked really uncomfortable when (not) answering that question. Because the truth is, I'm working on a lot of projects. And I don't know which one to talk about, so I end up talking about nothing.

It's never been easy for me to decide on a story. At this moment, I have six partial novels on my computer, along with a 3-page list of story ideas. Coming up with ideas and concepts and stories and characters has never been difficult for me. Completing a story isn't a problem. Deciding which story to fall in love with enough to complete it first is the problem.

I love them all. I want to get to know all the characters of all those stories equally. I want to find out what happens to them and I want to see them win (and some of them lose) and I want to watch their problems resolve and I want to spend my days thinking about them and wondering what they'll say next and... and... well, you see why it's so hard for me to announce that I've got one project on my mind.

It certainly doesn't help to be a multi-genre writer. On any given week I'm not only working on a couple Big Projects, but am also writing columns and blogs and having to switch gears from humorous to serious and maybe romantic and back again.

So yeah, I'm working on some projects. I have a novel that I'm focusing a lot of energy on right now (I've written 5,500 words on it this week alone). And I've another novel in another genre that I'm revisiting... revising... and re-loving. And I'm so happy to be visited by all these lovely characters and lovely stories every day. I'm just not ready to talk about them yet.

But keep asking! Because asking gets me thinking. And thinking gets me writing. And writing gets me... happy.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be in love with a fairy king? Don't worry, my lunch date probably never did, either, but that didn't stop her from finding herself in exactly that position.

Today, as part of my "Lunching with Leads" blog series, I'm lunching with Morgan Sparks, the main character of Cyn Balog's debut novel, FAIRY TALE.

About Fairy Tale

Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah- they're totally hot for each other. But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away. When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the source of Cam's distance isn't another girl- it's another world.  Pip claims that Cam is a fairy.  No, seriously.  A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their "perfect" love can weather an uncertain future.

Already I like Morgan. A girl who thinks she can fool the fairies so she can keep her man is my kinda girl. Let's go meet her right now.

Where are we eating?

The Parsonage Diner

Cool! I happen to love diners. What's on the menu?

Milkshakes

Yuuum! Make mine chocolate! Hey, I've got an idea, Morgan. Let's invite someone else to join us. Who should we invite?

My boyfriend, Cam.

Of course! That only makes sense. Plus, I've never met a Fairy King before. Is there anything you'd prefer I don't talk about today?

Those damn fairies.

Oooh, okay. I'll pretend Cam is just a regular guy. What do you want to talk about instead?

How we're destined to be together forever.

You are a cute couple. And those fans over there are totally eating you guys up. By the way, what do you think of having fans now?

Yummy.

Yummy's a good word for it! And speaking of yummy... I brought a Reeses for dessert. How do you eat a Reeses?

There's only one sane way to eat a Reeses-- bite by bite, no-fuss.

I like the way you think, Morgan! Good luck getting Cam out of fairy duty, and good luck to you and Cyn with your book!

To purchase a copy of FAIRY TALE, click HERE.

About Cyn Balog

Cyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them. She's also the Race & Event Manager for several national fitness magazines. She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and young daughter.  Both are 100% human, or so she thinks.  FAIRY TALE is her first novel.

Visit Cyn on her website: www.cynbalog.com

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Don't forget to drop in July 14th for lunch with the main character of Mandy Hubbard's PRADA & PREJUDICE.

I'm so excited! I can't believe it's finally here! My first Love List Tuesday, which can only mean one thing:

10 WEEKS TILL HATE LIST'S RELEASE!!!

And in case you've missed previous posts and have no clue what Love List Tuesdays is all about, click HERE and read the official rules. Who will be our first Grab Bag Winner? And what will be in the bag? The only way to find out is to post your addition to my Love List in the comments section below.

And now let's jump right in! Here are the things I am totally lovin' this week:

1) 21st Century Breakdown (which I've been listening to pretty much nonstop since I got the CD almost two weeks ago. American Idiot is still my favorite, but dang, this one comes real close!)

2) New blinged-out bookmarks with the "love" charms and the tassles and the -- oh, yes -- sequins. For LL Tuesday winners only!

3) John Anderson and John Henson, the Wipeout commentators. Just 'cause they make me laugh with all their big balls jokes.

4) Laser tag.

5) Air conditioning.

6) Dan Simmons, whose book "Drood" is like a master class in fiction-writing.

7) New grocery store in Liberty, even though it makes me sound old and lame and way mommish to say so. 'Sokay, I am old and lame and way mommish. And that grocery store is flippin' sweet.

8) My neighbor across the street who always brings me cookies.

9) The commenter named "swissmom" on my Saturday blog, whose comment about single parenting literally brought tears to my eyes.

10) Kidlit Central News, where some of the nicest writers I know hang out.

Now, how 'bout you? Who/What are you lovin' this week? Post your comment below and get entered to win a Grab Bag O' Love item. A winner will be chosen and announced here on Monday, July 6th.

Good luck!

This week marks 10 weeks till HATE LIST'S release, and you know what that means: Love List Tuesdays are about to begin! Want to win some cool Grab Bag stuff? So easy! All you have to do is:

1. Read my weekly Love List Tuesday blog.

2. Post in the comments section (only comments on my blog at www.JenniferBrownYA.com will count!) your addition to my Love List to enter.

3. Mention the contest on your blog, FB, or Twitter and receive an extra entry! Just post the URL in a separate comment on my blog.

4. Comments will be accepted until midnight the Sunday following the blog's posting, and a winner will be chosen randomly by noon Monday. The results will be posted here.

5. Entrants must have a U.S. mailing address! Sorry, no P.O. boxes!

6. Participate every week for all ten weeks and get an extra two entries for the Grand Prize Grab Bag (which will include an autographed copy of HATE LIST)!

Items you may or may not find in the weekly Grab Bag:

* Zac Effron travel mug

* "Love Hunter" voodoo baby

* $15 gift card to iTunes

* Zibbies horse

* $10 gift card to Barnes & Noble

* Hard cover copy of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"

* Debs schwag!

* And much more!!!

Plus, every Grab Bag will include a HATE LIST gift bag, including a special blinged-out, autographed bookmark!

Love. Post. Win.

The contest schedule will be as follows:

Tuesday, June 30th (winner chosen/announced Monday, July 6th)

Tuesday, July 7th (winner chosen/announced Monday, July 13th)

Tuesday, July 14th (winner chosen/announced Monday, July 20th)

Tuesday, July 21st (winner chosen/announced Monday, July 27th)

Tuesday, July 28th (winner chosen/announced Monday, August 3rd)

Tuesday, August 4th (winner chosen/announced Monday, August 10th)

Tuesday, August 11th (winner chosen/announced Monday, August 17th)

Tuesday, August 18th (winner chosen/announced Monday, August 24th)

Tuesday, August 25th (winner chosen/announched Monday, August 30th)

Tuesday, September 1st (GRAND PRIZE winner chosen/announced Monday, September 7th)

Good luck!

Today I’m lunching with a truly inspiring Deb. Cynthea Liu is not only a terrific writer, but has tons of creativity, energy, passion… and she’s just so darn nice, too. Have you checked out her launch yet? Well, before we lunch, get to it!

So today, as part of my “Lunching with Leads” blog series, I’m Sunday brunching with Paris Pan, the main character in Cynthea Liu’s PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE.

About Paris Pan Takes the Dare

Twelve-year-old Paris Pan's life is a mess. She's just moved to a tiny town in Nowheresville, Oklahoma; her family life is a comical disaster; her new friends are more like frenemies; and the boy she has a crush on is a dork. Things couldn't possibly get worse, until she discovers that a girl mysteriously died years ago while taking a seventh-grade rite of passage–the Dare– right near Paris's new house. So when Paris starts hearing strange noises coming from the creepy run-down shed in her backyard, she thinks they could be a message from the ghost of a girl. But while she has no plans to make contact with the great beyond, her two new friends have other thoughts. Everyone who's anyone takes the Dare, and now it's Paris's turn.

Oh! Fun! I gotta know what the dare is! Maybe Paris will whisper it to me. Here she comes... let's eat! Where are we eating?

We're sitting outside on some concrete steps, overlooking the school playground. Forget the cafeteria. Sugar Lake Elementary doesn't have one.

No cafeteria?! Boy, that is Nowheresville. What's on the menu?

Mom's leftovers. *Sigh*

*frowns* That doesn't sound great. Well, I guess we could make it a little better by making a party out of this. Who else should we invite to join us?

Mayo and Dana. My newfound friends. But watch for Mayo though. You don't want to get on her bad side.

Uh-oh, now I'm nervous. And I always say the wrong thing when I'm nervous. Tell me... What is the one subject you hope I don't bring up?

Let's not talk about the notes I've been passing to Tom Cox--everyone thinks he's brain-damaged.

Pretty dorky, huh? Okay, I'll leave Tom out of it. What is the one subject you hope I will bring up?

How about anything not related to The Dare? That'll work.

Awww, c'mon! I'm dying to know what the dare is! Guess I'll just have to read the book like everyone else. And speaking of everyone else... You're sure getting tons of attention from fans. How do you feel about all this limelight?

Fans? Me?!

Eat your heart out, Verona!

Awesome! I love a girl who eats up her admirers. But... How do you eat a Reeses?

There should be great care taken when eating a Reeses. 1) Make sure your dog isn't within 50 feet of you or she'll be eating it and not you. 2) Start from the middle and punch a hole through the center with your thumb. 3) Consume the punched-out part. 4) Next work around the outside. 5) Finally, wonder how on Earth you got lucky enough to eat a Reeses? Assume it was on super-sale on a triple-coupon day and Mom was feeling nice!

I've never tried that method before. I'm going to do it right now! Good luck, Paris, with the dare! And Good luck, Cynthea, with your book!

To purchase a copy of PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE, click HERE.

About Cynthea Liu

Cynthea spent her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was

a Whiz Quiz member, an Academic Decathloner, and a spelling bee

champion. (Yes, she was very popular.) After attending college on the

East coast, she worked at a corporate job where she mastered

PowerPoint and racked up thousands of frequent flyer miles.

Eventually, she traded in her suit for sweats to do the fun

stuff–writing for children. In addition to PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE

and THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, Cynthea's nonfiction book WRITING FOR

CHILDREN AND TEENS: A CRASH COURSE (how to write, revise, and publish

your kid's or teen book with children's book publishers) is available

in paperback. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1605301140/?tag=cynthealiu-20

Visit Cynthea at her website: www.cynthealiu.com

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Check back on July 1st for lunch with the main character of Cyn Balog's FAIRY LUST.

The Love List Tuesdays Grab Bag O' Love items are trickling in and piling up now. Here's a sneak peek at some of the things already up for grabs:

And there's so much more to come!

Plus! Each of my Grab Bag winners are going to receive a bag filled with Hate List goodies, including an autographed, blinged-up Hate List bookmark! And don't forget... someone will win a Grand Prize gift bag on September 1st!

Troy, iTunes, and bookmarks... what's there not to love?!