Daria Snadowsky

Where did you get the idea for Anatomy of a Boyfriend?

Although I didn't start writing the book until way later, I got my initial idea for it during freshman year of college. I remember that most of my hallmates had high school sweethearts when we started fall semester, but by spring semester, most of those relationships had ended. I realized that although the transition from high school to college is an exciting time, it's also really scary, because often it causes you to cut precious ties with your past. Those were issues I wanted to explore in Anatomy and why I set the story during Dominique's final year of high school and her first semester of college.

As a teenager what was your favorite book? What book inspired you the most to write?

Definitely one of my favorites was Judy Blume's Forever (1975), which is the central inspiration behind Anatomy of a Boyfriend. When writing Anatomy, I tried to be as honest and informative as Forever is with regard to the issues of love and sex.

Do you have any future writing planned? If so, what?

I have ideas, but at the moment I'm concentrating on law (my other career).

What author do you aspire to be like the most?

Although I admire many authors, like Judy Blume, I don't aspire to be like anyone else. We all have our own voices and paths, so it's best to stick to that rather than follow anyone else's.

Advice for anyone who wants to be a writer?

Don't get too discouraged by rejections. Just keep writing what feels real to you, and keep putting it out there.

Anatomy of a boyfriend

Love is passion. Passion means you cant keep your hands off each other. Or so Dominique thought. When she just so happens to meet Wes it's love at first sight. The passion that wells between them is cause for a lot of firsts. First love, first kiss, first "time". Either for the better or the worst things are going a hundred miles a hour. Will this relationship continue to be picture perfect or is it about to crash and burn?

I enjoyed this realistic portrayal of new sexual experiences between teens. It was unafraid, not hiding the most intense and sexual of details. Snadowsky writes in a delicious way that will make you devour what is there and keep you begging for more. Three thumbs up for this tale of love, hate, and sex.

Kristen: The Clique Summer Collection

Through out the clique books we often find ourselves wondering ,who is Kristen and how does she fit in here? This novel helps answer that question.

She is a girl who is stuck between two worlds. The one she wants (to be rich like Massie) and the one she has (middle class like Dune). She often feels poor because of her high class, to wealthy friends but we finally see that she's like most people, stuck in the middle.

Kristen loves Dune. Skye loves Dune. How will she ever figure out how to be the one he wants? With a little help from the Witty Committee and a lot of help from red jell-o she might just end up on Dune's side. Or with the security involved will she find herself grounded forever?

I recommend this book to clique fans because it makes the series a little more personal. We find out more in this one book about Kristen then in all the past clique books together. I must say Kristen is so down to earth and easy to connect with its incredible!

Private

My new addiction.... Private. I have only read the first book but seriously it's love. You know the feeling when you have your favorite candy and you say "Just one more" and end up eating twenty? The chapters in this book are like that. Just as the chapter draws to a end something happens. Maybe it's not everyones type; snotty girls, lying boyfriend, the in-crowd. I sure recommend it to everyone tho.

It got me thinking about wanting to go to boarding school but when I looked around schools cost $40,000 a year plus books and stuff. So maybe I'll never be able to go for real considering I'm middle class but living through these girls makes you realize new things.... New possibilities....

Author Interview

I asked a incredible author Cecilia Galante for a interview... Here's what she has to say

1. My favorite author of all time is J.D. Salinger who wrote The Catcher in the Rye, Franny & Zooey, Ten Stories, and Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters. I think the man was a genius with words, characters, plot, all of it. He inspired me to begin writing.

2. If Patron Saint became a movie, I would faint! When I came to again, (and if they gave me the choice), I would cast Holly Hunter or Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lillian, Meryl Streep as Nana Pete, and two unknowns as Agnes and Honey, because I seriously can't think of any teen actresses out there right now! Suggestions??

3. My favorite again and again read would have to be Catcher in the Rye. You know, I taught this novel one year to my ninth graders and the majority of them hated it. They thought the main character, Holden Caulfield, was too depressing and weird and freaked out. I was devastated. I mean, I found myself taking their opinions of this kid personally, because I have, for so many years, just LOVED Holden. From the moment he first stepped off the page for me, I found myself relating to him in just about every way possible. Of course, that may very well mean that I am depressing or weird or freaky, but I think that all of us, if we are honest with ourselves, are in some way like this kid. It's not comfortable to see that, but it's the truth. And that's why I go back to this book, year after year, and lose myself in it all over again.

4. I have two new middle-grade books coming out in 2009 and 2010 for Simon & Schuster. I have finished one of them about a girl named Lily Sinclair who becomes good friends with a man with Down's Syndrome. Together, they begin a search for Lily's missing father, with unexpected - and I hope - surprising results. The second one is still in the works, which means I can't talk about it yet, since it is still in that very tenuous, fragile state. I am also working on another young-adult novel about 3 girls who are best friends and find themselves one summer having to overcome an enormous challenge that might sever their ties completely. We'll see.

5. No other tours planned as of yet, although I do have several events for both Patron Saint and Hershey scheduled for the fall. And Patron Saint was just named The YA Book of the Year by the North Atlantic Independent Book Sellers Association, so maybe something will arrive out of that too!!

August book to buy from amazon.com

Library

I spent ten minutes in the library today so here are 6 upcoming reviews to expect.

• Private
• The Clique: Kristen
• Sweet Valley High Mysteries (2)
  
• Nick and Nora's infinite playlist
  
• The Undomestic Goddess
  

xo, Ash

Baby Help

When it comes to life we all wanna be independent, grow up sooner than we need to. In other words we all want "Baby Help". Baby Help: Definition; 1. A child who wants to be independent and do things her way even if its the hard way. 2. a mother who has to help her baby out of a tough situation. Both of those definitions fit this story. A captivating tale of love, hate and abuse. Love yourself, your child. Hate the man who almost kills you, who abuses you badly all the time.

Although a terrorizing and sad story i beleive we will all see ourselves in it somewhere. Do we respect ourselves enough to beleive that we deserve better? Do we strive for it?
xo, Ash

Easy by Kerry Hoffman

There is one stereotype that I for sure would never wanna get. Easy. With a tough life and nobody who cares sex can seem like the only way to get love. Through this graphic and in depth novel you will discover that love cant be found if you just aren't looking and that hope lurks in places you'd expect it the least. For sure a must read, devious, and rebellious story for every girl searching for love.
xo, Ash

Clique Summer Collection: Massie

For those of you girls who love the clique you'll devour the summer collection. In the Massie book you will experience naughty girls, cheating and fighting to get your way however it takes. Massie is the first book and Claire is the last with the other girls in between. Be sure to check them out this summer cause they are to die for....
Xo, Ash