Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
The Stillburrow CrushBy Linda Kage
Release Date: February 26, 2010
Synopsis: Sixteen year old, Carrie Paxton, isn't the most popular girl in her small town of Stillburrow. But that's never concerned her before. Her life revolves around her writing, and she loves her job as the student editor of the school paper. But when she gets assigned to interview the football team's beloved quarterback, she takes one look into Luke Carter's blue eyes and is a goner. Suddenly, she doesn't like her lowly rank so much. Then her dreamy, popular crush surprises her when he starts to act as if he likes her in return. But there's no way Luke Carter could possibly ever like a nobody like Carrie Paxton. Is there?
Why I’m Waiting: I heard about this one from Susan at Wild Rose Press and I’m glad she brought it to my attention. The story sounds just like the kind I enjoy. I’m not sure why I like high school romances so much, I guess I just think it makes a great setting for a story.
I was also lucky enough to get an interview with Linda Kage! It was fun getting to know her a little better and it makes me more excited to read Stillburrow Crush. Thanks again Linda!
Interview with Linda Kage
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born, raised, and still live in Kansas. My parents were dairy farmers, and I was the youngest of eight children. Now, I work in a library, and my husband and I are expecting our first baby in February. Oh, and during my off time, I love to write.
What made you want to write a YA novel, and what inspired Stillburrow Crush?
I've always loved to write, so when I went to college, I couldn't think of anything to major in but English with an emphasis in Creative Fiction Writing. Whenever we had writing assignments, I usually focused on teenager characters because I still didn't know much about being an adult yet. I figured I could create YA a little more realistically since I'd just been there, done that, and bought my senior trip t-shirt to prove it. One of my assignments in college morphed into what became today's version of The Stillburrow Crush.
How did you chose your characters names?
I feel like I need to quote Shakespeare here. What's in a name? Honestly, I have no idea where the names for these characters came from. I think I was mostly trying to make sure I didn't know someone by those names. Usually, I stress and change characters' names a dozen times when I'm working on a manuscript. But I don't recall doing that with this book. I just threw in a name here and there, they seemed to work, so they stayed.
What is the hardest part in writing a book? And what did you learn from writing Stillburrow Crush?
I think the hardest part of writing is trying to find what needs to be fixed. When you write a story, you can see it play out perfectly in your mind. You already know what color everything is, how everything smells, where everything is placed, and what expressions are on all the character's faces when they deliver their lines. What isn't so easy to know is if you're relaying that on paper well enough so EVERYONE else can see what you just saw in your mind. Since The Stillburrow Crush is the first story I liked enough to let other people read, I learned how valuable proofreaders and critique partners are. They really do catch things you just can't because they see your story from a different perspective.
What do you think of the cover? Did you play a role in choosing the cover?
I adore the cover. I was able to fill out a sheet, describing my story, my characters, and the mood and themes of the story. If I had a specific idea of what I wanted, I was able to write that on the sheet too. But the cover artist had the final say-so of how it would end. Since I had no idea what I pictured the cover looking like, I'm very pleased with what Kimberlee Mendoza came up with.
What three words would you use to describe Stillburrow Crush?
High School Romance
Stillburrow Crush will be released in a few weeks (February 26th), do you have any teasers for our readers?
Well, sure. Here you go:
If I'd had any air left in my lungs, I might've been able to continue, but I did a fairly decent job of making a fool out of myself as it was.
"Well. I...I...I mean, is it OK to talk to you, er, ask you a few questions about the game? For the paper, that is."
"Sure." A bead of muddy sweat trickled out of his hairline and down his temple, mixing with blood before moving on. Fascinated, I watched it drool a crooked path down his cheek and neck and then into the collar of his jersey.
As if catching my entranced stare, he lifted the hand that held his helmet and wiped the sweat away with the back of his palm. “What do you want to know?
I cleared my throat and dropped my eyes. “Umm, well…” I yanked a notebook from the inside pocket of my trench coat. The wind caught a few sheets, making the lined pages flail and thrash like they were drowning in the ocean or something. I tried to get a hold of them and rein them in but only succeeded in wrinkling most of the pad.
“Sorry,” I muttered, and dug deep into my outer pocket, frantically searching for my pen. I couldn’t find the irritating thing there, and switched hands on the notebook to search the other pocket. I didn’t dare look up. I could feel him watching and it made my cheeks hot.
He coughed, trying to get my attention, and my head flew up—long bangs falling into my eyes. He motioned toward my right ear with his index finger. I frowned, wondering if there was a twig or something in my hair and reached up, patting the area. And the pen, which had been securely tucked behind my ear, stabbed me.
"Ouch!”
Do you have a particular place to write? Do you like peace & quite, or prefer to have music playing?
I'm blessed to have a room in my house I call the library. All the walls are lined with bookshelves, and all the shelves are stuffed full with books. There's also a desk in there with a computer. And that's where a lot my stories are created. I have written to music before, but when I really get into a story, I just tune the song out, so it might as well be quiet as much as I pay attention to tunes! I've found it's a bit harder to concentrate though when the hubby is yelling through the house, "Hey, dear! Where's the mayonaise?"
Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?
Since I'm a romance junkie, I love to read books by Catherine Anderson, Cherry Adair, Lara Adrian, Sandra Brown, Suzanne Brockman, Suzanne Enoch, Julie Garwood, Cindy Gerard, Elizabeth Hoyt, Linda Howard, Lisa Kleypas, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Julia Quinn, Karen Robards, Nora Roberts, Gena Showalter, LaVeryle Spencer, Roxanne St. Claire, Anne Stuart, and J. R. Ward...just to name a few. Pretty much anything by them is among my favs.
Can you tell us about any current projects your working on?
I'm always working on something...lots of somethings. Lately, I've been focusing on contemporary adult romance stories, but I have a couple YA ideas I could work on in case The Stillburrow Crush ends up becoming crazy popular (fingers crossed!).
Where can we find you?
You can find me all over the internet! But the best place to start is my website, which I http://www.lindakage.com/. From there, you can find links to my:
I was born, raised, and still live in Kansas. My parents were dairy farmers, and I was the youngest of eight children. Now, I work in a library, and my husband and I are expecting our first baby in February. Oh, and during my off time, I love to write.
What made you want to write a YA novel, and what inspired Stillburrow Crush?
I've always loved to write, so when I went to college, I couldn't think of anything to major in but English with an emphasis in Creative Fiction Writing. Whenever we had writing assignments, I usually focused on teenager characters because I still didn't know much about being an adult yet. I figured I could create YA a little more realistically since I'd just been there, done that, and bought my senior trip t-shirt to prove it. One of my assignments in college morphed into what became today's version of The Stillburrow Crush.
How did you chose your characters names?
I feel like I need to quote Shakespeare here. What's in a name? Honestly, I have no idea where the names for these characters came from. I think I was mostly trying to make sure I didn't know someone by those names. Usually, I stress and change characters' names a dozen times when I'm working on a manuscript. But I don't recall doing that with this book. I just threw in a name here and there, they seemed to work, so they stayed.
What is the hardest part in writing a book? And what did you learn from writing Stillburrow Crush?
I think the hardest part of writing is trying to find what needs to be fixed. When you write a story, you can see it play out perfectly in your mind. You already know what color everything is, how everything smells, where everything is placed, and what expressions are on all the character's faces when they deliver their lines. What isn't so easy to know is if you're relaying that on paper well enough so EVERYONE else can see what you just saw in your mind. Since The Stillburrow Crush is the first story I liked enough to let other people read, I learned how valuable proofreaders and critique partners are. They really do catch things you just can't because they see your story from a different perspective.
What do you think of the cover? Did you play a role in choosing the cover?
I adore the cover. I was able to fill out a sheet, describing my story, my characters, and the mood and themes of the story. If I had a specific idea of what I wanted, I was able to write that on the sheet too. But the cover artist had the final say-so of how it would end. Since I had no idea what I pictured the cover looking like, I'm very pleased with what Kimberlee Mendoza came up with.
What three words would you use to describe Stillburrow Crush?
High School Romance
Stillburrow Crush will be released in a few weeks (February 26th), do you have any teasers for our readers?
Well, sure. Here you go:
If I'd had any air left in my lungs, I might've been able to continue, but I did a fairly decent job of making a fool out of myself as it was.
"Well. I...I...I mean, is it OK to talk to you, er, ask you a few questions about the game? For the paper, that is."
"Sure." A bead of muddy sweat trickled out of his hairline and down his temple, mixing with blood before moving on. Fascinated, I watched it drool a crooked path down his cheek and neck and then into the collar of his jersey.
As if catching my entranced stare, he lifted the hand that held his helmet and wiped the sweat away with the back of his palm. “What do you want to know?
I cleared my throat and dropped my eyes. “Umm, well…” I yanked a notebook from the inside pocket of my trench coat. The wind caught a few sheets, making the lined pages flail and thrash like they were drowning in the ocean or something. I tried to get a hold of them and rein them in but only succeeded in wrinkling most of the pad.
“Sorry,” I muttered, and dug deep into my outer pocket, frantically searching for my pen. I couldn’t find the irritating thing there, and switched hands on the notebook to search the other pocket. I didn’t dare look up. I could feel him watching and it made my cheeks hot.
He coughed, trying to get my attention, and my head flew up—long bangs falling into my eyes. He motioned toward my right ear with his index finger. I frowned, wondering if there was a twig or something in my hair and reached up, patting the area. And the pen, which had been securely tucked behind my ear, stabbed me.
"Ouch!”
Do you have a particular place to write? Do you like peace & quite, or prefer to have music playing?
I'm blessed to have a room in my house I call the library. All the walls are lined with bookshelves, and all the shelves are stuffed full with books. There's also a desk in there with a computer. And that's where a lot my stories are created. I have written to music before, but when I really get into a story, I just tune the song out, so it might as well be quiet as much as I pay attention to tunes! I've found it's a bit harder to concentrate though when the hubby is yelling through the house, "Hey, dear! Where's the mayonaise?"
Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?
Since I'm a romance junkie, I love to read books by Catherine Anderson, Cherry Adair, Lara Adrian, Sandra Brown, Suzanne Brockman, Suzanne Enoch, Julie Garwood, Cindy Gerard, Elizabeth Hoyt, Linda Howard, Lisa Kleypas, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Julia Quinn, Karen Robards, Nora Roberts, Gena Showalter, LaVeryle Spencer, Roxanne St. Claire, Anne Stuart, and J. R. Ward...just to name a few. Pretty much anything by them is among my favs.
Can you tell us about any current projects your working on?
I'm always working on something...lots of somethings. Lately, I've been focusing on contemporary adult romance stories, but I have a couple YA ideas I could work on in case The Stillburrow Crush ends up becoming crazy popular (fingers crossed!).
Where can we find you?
You can find me all over the internet! But the best place to start is my website, which I http://www.lindakage.com/. From there, you can find links to my:
Thank you so much for letting me visit and blabber on about myself.
Great interview! Love that she has a library to create and write in. :O)
ReplyDeleteSuper interview Linda and Kath. I love the teaser. I will definitely be buying this book. I mean, the author just happens to be one of my blogging pals. I loved reading that you were able to have input into the cover. Which now, I remember you blogged about that. Anyway, great interview you two. (^_^)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds super cute. I'll have to pick this up in february. Thanks for the pre-review. And thanks to the author for telling us her story. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Can't wait for everybody to read The Stillburrow Crush!
ReplyDeleteWow, great interview. Linda, I learn something new about you every time. Love that you write in your own personal library. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI'm envious of your library! I'm soooooo looking forward to reading your books:)
ReplyDeleteI'm envious of Linda's library as well. I'm thinking I should have asked for a picture to go with the interview!
ReplyDeleteOh MAN!!! I wish I could read it right now...that teaser was perfect! Great job Kath!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Linda! How exciting. Your book and your baby both in February. The month will never be the same for you :).
ReplyDeleteAnother great interview.
ReplyDelete