Young Adult
Pages: 320 Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: June 28, 2011
Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.
Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.
The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.
Some books are meant to be thought-provoking
Some are meant to steer up emotions
Some are just meant to be entertaining
And some, like this one,
are meant to make you smile, and appreciate.
If you've read Lisa's books,
you know what I'm talking about.
She always creates real characters,
Facing difficult moments
Beautiful stories, written in verse.
So this book is about the important things in life,
In January, 2010, I was about to work my last day at the day job I had worked for five years. A number of things had happened that made this feel like the right decision. But then, a week or so after my last day at the day job, we got word that my editor at the time didn't think the project proposal I had sent her was good enough to be published. And another book we'd sent out to publishers had been rejected enough times that it was time to face reality - it wasn't going to be published.
My back was up against the wall. I needed to sell a book - writing was my job now!
I let myself feel bad for a few days. And then, I prayed for inspiration, something I do often, actually. But the difference is that here, even now, when things looked so bleak, I believed it would come and I would find the story I was meant to write. I was scared, but it didn't feel hopeless, if that makes sense. I knew what I had to do was find a story I could get lost in. I needed to forget about the business side of publishing, as much as I could, and just focus on story.
This time, inspiration came via The Grammy award show the first weekend in February. Specifically, this performance by Pink:
Somehow, I hadn't heard the song "Glitter in the Air" before. The next day, I downloaded the song and listened to it over and over the next few days. The song is just so incredibly beautiful, and speaks of so many things: Fear, uncertainty, loneliness, and love, to name a few.
One line in the song caught my attention more than any other: "Have you ever wanted an endless night, lassoed the moon and pulled that rope tight?"
I love that image!! She's saying - please don't go, moon, I don't want this night to end.
And I started thinking about the feeling of desperation two people might feel in not wanting the night to end. So that led me to brainstorm reasons why a teen girl might not want the next day to come. It took a while, to figure it out, but I finally did, and I began to write a book that I knew now was going to take place over a 24-hour period of time, which scared me. Because, it's not an easy thing to do! How do you keep tension going while creating scene after interesting scene in the span of such a short amount of time?
I'm very much a pantser when I write - that is, I let the characters and story lead me along and I discover things as I write. I didn't know exactly who Amber was going to meet as she made her way to the beach, just that she would meet someone. And then, at the aquarium, which is an actual place I've visited, she meets a boy who is as enthralled with the jelly fish exhibit as she is.
Jelly fish are pretty magical. Have you ever stood for a long time, just watching them? They are almost hypnotic. It was at that point, I think, where the story took over. When Amber met Cade met and had their connection, I knew then I was in it for good. I was now writing a story I would finish and I was really excited about it. It felt good. It felt right. And yes, like the jelly fish they watched, it felt magical.
But I didn't tell anyone. I just wrote. I needed to keep everyone out and just let it be me, Amber and Cade. After you've written many books, the expectations people have for you can be debilitating. Sometimes even paralyzing! I couldn't let anything get in the way of this story. So I kept it to myself, and I didn't let myself feel bad about that. Do what you have to do, I say!
I finished a draft in about six weeks. Toward the end, I had a few marathon writing days. Music was playing, words were flowing, and I simply couldn't leave the story. It's what writers long for - days like those!
It can be really hard sometimes, to keep the business part of being an author separate from the creative part. But this book reminded me how important it is to do that. I had to shut off the noise of the outside world, and more importantly, the voices in my head telling me I was in deep trouble. What if I never wrote anything ever again that was marketable, I heard in my head on more than one occasion. I had to tell that voice to shut the hell up.
Magic probably won't happen when writing from a place of fear or worry or doubt. Magic happens by sitting down, opening your heart, and trusting that story, above all else, is the most important thing. Find the story. Fall in love with the characters. And write.
Interestingly enough, one of the themes that emerged from the book was one of fear, and not letting it get the best of you. If I had let fear get the best of me, THE DAY BEFORE would never have come to be. I now understand those other projects were rejected for a reason. Why? So I would find my way to this story. I'm so thankful now for those rejections!!!
And I'm really, REALLY excited to share the story of THE DAY BEFORE with all of you! I hope readers enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thanks, Sab, for having me here to share the story of how THE DAY BEFORE came to be.
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Thank YOU Lisa! You always inspire me so much.
THE DAY BEFORE is out in stores TODAY! Believe me, you dont want to miss this one! :)
This post features YA Authors as guests sharing their thoughts on books they have loved. It was inspired by YA Reads.
Today I have one of my favorite Contemp authors, LISA SCHROEDERraving about sharing her thoughts on one of the most anticipated 2010 contemporary releases, and personally, my favorite realistic fiction this year, Anna and the French Kiss!
I have dreamt of visiting Paris since I took French in high school. One of my best friends went as a foreign exchange student her senior year, and even now I ask myself, why didn't I DO that?
I think I was scared to go and live with a strange family, but if I could go back in time, that'd be one thing I'd definitely change.
Note to everyone reading this: If you have a chance to travel when you're young, DO IT!!!
And let me tell you, Stephanie Perkins does an amazing job at making Paris come alive for the reader. It's a book I know I'll reread simply because it feels like you are there, IN Paris with the characters.
Oh, the characters!! Anna is funny, and smart, and a girl I'd love to have as a friend. Now that I've finished the book, I find myself missing her. And St. Clair too, who I'll get to in a second. And don't we all know that missing characters is the best sign when a book is finished. I felt the same way when I finished LOOKING FOR ALASKA all those years ago after I read it, before anyone even knew a guy named John Green. Julie Strass-Gabel is obviously an editor who knows and understands that characters make all the difference in a story.
The characters in this book make mistakes. St. Clair, the hot boy is part French, part American, part English, but in my mind, just the hot boy in Paris, is the guy everyone loves, and yet, he's not perfect. And still, with every page, I loved him more and more, because he is kind and thoughtful when it really matters. Not to mention, he has an accent and he's hot! I mean, come on!!
The romance, the feelings, the ups and the downs as the story winds here and there and back again are SO realistic.
I told Stephanie on twitter one night - this is perfection on the page, and I really mean that. There were places I laughed out loud, and places I teared up because my heart hurt for the characters. I've always said - my favorite books are the ones that are able to bring that full range of emotions.
I expect big things for this book and for Stephanie Perkins in the years to come. This is the kind of book you read and can't wait to tell everyone about.
Thanks for letting me share my love of ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, Sab. I honestly can't sing its praises loud enough!!
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Thank you so much Lisa!
Anna and the French Kiss comes out this December 2nd, which makes it THE perfect X-mas gift for everyone. This is the single one book you don't want to miss, so be sure to preorder your copy today!
Young Adult Pages: 432 Publisher: Simon Pulse Release Date: January 5, 2010
Restless souls and empty hearts
Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.
I loved Chasing Brooklyn so, so much it's now one of my favorite books. I'm a big fan of verse writing, and this book is now one of the reasons why. I tend to rate books because of how much emotion they are able to convey. How much of what happens, feels like it's happening to me. Having read it one one sitting, this was an emotional roller coaster.
It is a beautiful story about grief, dealing, hope, healing, dreams, and obviously... love. The healing power of love. The characters, the plot, the writing, everything was just amazing. And I adored the alternating points of view. Has to be said: I love Nico (and he loves me back, FYI).
Nothing more to say; I think I made it quite clear that readers who enjoy love stories, and those who like to read about dealing with grief issues will definitely enjoy this book. I'll stop raving about it now!
I'm the 3rd stop in this amazing contest/tour for Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
I will just say that I am in love with this book!! Believe me, you'll love it! I read it in ONE day, which is a record since I started this semester. It's a beautiful story about coping and love, but it's also filled with suspense. The word that I picked is DREAMS and it's written in clouds and you'll understand why after you read it.
CHASING BROOKLYN by Lisa Schroeder will be released January 5, 2010. Due to publishers cutting back, ARCs are not as plentiful these days. BUT, Lisa has one ARC that she's sending out on a multi-state tour, and she will be trying to chase it down as it goes from reader to reader. If you would like to read CHASING BROOKLYN, add your name to the comments below. One name will be randomly drawn 24 hours from the date and time of this blog post, and the winner will be contacted via e-mail (please leave your e-mail address in your comment). Not only will the winner get to read CHASING BROOKLYN before it hits the shelves, but each winner will receive a $10.00 gift card from the bookstore of his/her choice from Lisa. If Lisa guesses what state the winner lives in before the state is revealed to her, that amount doubles to $20.00!
Participants in the Chase Around the USA have 5 responsibilities. If you don’t think you can meet these responsibilities, please, PLEASE do NOT volunteer to be a part of the chase.
1) READ - CHASING BROOKLYN within 7 days of receiving it. If you can read it sooner, even better!
2) Take a photo of ONE word - about the book, to describe the book, something in the book that’s important, etc. How do you show us your word? Be creative! Write on paper, on a t-shirt, in the sand, on the wall, in cereal – the possibilities are endless! Please TRY TO INCLUDE THE ARC IN THE PHOTO SOMEHOW. The only requirement is that it cannot be something negative. Of course some people may not like the book. But Lisa plans to use these pictures in a special way when the chase is over, so positive is best. If you don’t like the book, simply pick a word that shares the tone of the book, describes a character, etc. (By participating in this contest, you agree to e-mail the photo to Lisa for her to use as she chooses.)
3) Post the ONE WORD photo on your blog - along with a picture of the CHASING BROOKLYN cover and these rules, and hold another contest just like this one, drawing a name within 24 hours of the blog post. Do what you can (tweet, facebook, etc) to point people to your blog about the contest.
4) Post a comment on Lisa Schroeder's blog - that you've held the contest and drawn the next blogger's name (without revealing the name) to receive the ARC. Lisa will then try to CHASE the ARC down by posting a guess on her blog of what state the ARC will go to next. Once Lisa's blog post goes up with the guess, the current holder of the ARC will post the new winner's name and the state he/she lives in on his/her blog. If Lisa guesses the correct state, the next recipient of the ARC receives a $20.00 gift card to the bookstore of his/her choice!!
5) Mail the ARC - to the winner IMMEDIATELY after receiving the winner's address, so the book can get into as many hands as possible. Lisa is hoping for at least 7-8 stops on the chase, but that will only happen if people get the book read and sent off quickly. Use the flat shipping rate envelopes at the post office for a low price and speedy delivery! Whoever has the book on the release date of 1/5 will mail the book back to Lisa. Please feel free to write notes in the ARC for Lisa to read when the book is returned to her.
At the end of chase across the USA, Lisa will draw three names from the bloggers who participated in the chase to receive FREE signed copies of one of her books - I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, FAR FROM YOU or CHASING BROOKLYN.
Publisher: Simon Pulse
, an ALA 2009 Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, 
, a Texas TAYSHAS selection, and 
(See 
, a middle-grade novel published by Aladdin.
takes place in Paris, I couldn't wait to read it.
all those years ago after I read it, before anyone even knew a guy named John Green. Julie Strass-Gabel is obviously an editor who knows and understands that characters make all the difference in a story. 
