sarah ockler :: author of TWENTY BOY SUMMER

Today on fLiP iT fRiDaY, we’re chatting with Jill from Reading Is Bliss aka @readingisbliss on Twitter.

Describe a typical day in your life.

I wake up between 6:45 and 7:20 to get ready for school. I leave for school at 8:35, school starts at 8:50 and I’m get out at 3:50. Once I’m home I eat a snack, play the wii fit for an hour, read, eat dinner, do homework, check my blog, check my email, read, get ready for bed, go to sleep around 10:30 or 11:00…….then do it all again! Its pretty boring but on weekends I get to babysit, shop, and see movies so it gets a little more interesting.

I miss babysitting. You get to enjoy the kids without keeping them, eat their pop tarts and mac and cheese, play their Super Mario Brothers on Nintendo… well, at least that’s what I remember!

What is your favorite YA book and why? Or, which YA book has had the most profound effect on you and why?

Gosh…..This is such a tough question because I have read so many that I’ve loved. Most recently I fell in love with Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender. I’ve also loved Switch by Carol Snow and Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb is a book I’ll always remember because was one of the first books I read after my grandpa passed away in Jan ‘08 and I couldn’t even finish it since i could relate to most of it too closely. It is such a powerful and sad novel that triggered too many feeling after such a hard time for me.

A few people have mentioned Cures For Heartbreak to me recently. Now I’m really going to have to check it out.

What are 5 of your favorite things?

1. books (duh!)
2. babysitting (I rarely have a free weekend that I’m not babysitting but I LOVE it)
3. my cell phone
4. frozen yogurt
5. track meets

How long have you been blogging, and how did you get your book blogging start?

I’ve been blogging since January of this year. I started because my mom was tired of hearing my opinions on books she doesn’t read but I have too big a mouth not to share with someone! That’s actually only partly true. I kept up with a few blogs and one day (with my mom’s encouragement) I decided to start my own and share my thoughts on books with others who actually might be interested in them. I started my blog without knowing all of the hard work that it comes with, without knowing the AMAZING bloggers and authors I’d meet, without knowing of the books I’d be exposed too. I started without knowing how much I’d love this!

Yep, I can totally relate to your last 2 sentences when it comes to writing books! I think anything truly worthwhile and rewarding is hard work. And I know that you guys put so much love and effort into making your blogs awesome resources for readers, so thank you!

Are you planning any upcoming new features or special content on your book blog and/or is there anything specific you want potential new visitors to know about your blog?

Let’s see here….I host a lot of guest blogs and interviews. This pas April was crazy hectic with guests and May focused on birthdays (since my birthday is May 2nd and all that jazz). I’m trying to come up with a creative meme but until then I participate in In My Mailbox and I review often (or at least I try to). So check it out.

In addition to blogging, what other creative pursuits do you enjoy?

I try to write. I always start with a great idea but after 2 pages or so my idea is ruined and gets tossed aside. So I have a lot of good intros to stories but that’s as far as it usually goes.

As soon as I hear that someone is a writer or trying to write, I’m all over it with “No, don’t give up!” So… you could always try combining a couple of the intros into one storyline and seeing what you come up with! You never know — that might spark something fun!

What do you want to be when you “grow up”?

I want to teach 2nd grade. I’ve known since kindergarten I wanted to teach. My kindergarten teacher was actually so bad that she let me teach my failing classmates during recess in exchange for smiley face pencils. I am forever grateful for her though since doing that inadvertenly made me discover my passion to teach and that has never left me. My mom says I should be a lawyer since I argue a lot but I just consider that a back-up plan.

Maybe you’re both right. I think arguing is a good trait to have when dealing with a classroom full of kids. Or more specifically, their parents.

What are 3 things you’d like to do or accomplish in your lifetime?

So this means we can as out there as we want, right? Ok well then I would love it if I could …

1. run a 400m dash in 58 seconds. Since I run it in 70 seconds now I doubt that will happen but I can dream. Hmmm what else…..
2. I’d like to travel the world.
3. I’d like to become a world renowned teacher.
4. I’d love to have a big family and a loving husband.
5. I’d like to continue to read and interact with more great authors (like Sarah Ockler).

I guess that’s over 3 now so I’ll stop before this before turns into a paper on my life dreams…so yeah.

Hey, it’s awesome to have so many dreams, and it sounds like you’re already working on some of them! And look, another traveler in our midst! Yay! Now we really need to get going with that bake sale road trip fundraiser…

Tell us something that people who know you in real life would be surprised to learn about you.

I’m a person who tells people everything and what I don’t tell is pretty obvious about my personality when you meet me but I’m very demanding and controlling but patient too. I can’t survive without a schedule so I plan absolutly EVERYTHING in my day. I have a color coded calender and a marker board just for my TO-DO lists hanging on my wall. I stress out over absolutly everything and I worry a lot. I also feel like I have to provide for everybody. At school if you need food, money, a jacket, I’m the girl to go to. People tell me I’ll grow up to be that sweet over-planning room mom you had in elementary school. You know the one who always had everything together (or at least looked that way) and brought cookies?

Cookies? Scheduling? Okay, Jill, you are in charge of the bake sale! I think we only need about 100,000 cookie plates to start.

Now, it’s time for Apocalypse Mad Libs!

If I ever had to face a purple people eater I’d want Katie Alender on my side, because if she can write with such passighosts and life then she can surely take on a purple people eater.

If she wasn’t available, I’d take Megan from the book, Bad Girls Don’t Die, because if she willingly stepped in to help someone who hates her fight a possessed spirit that’s after her then she has the bravery to help me (someone who actually likes her) face this monster.

In any case, if I only had 1 day to live before the end of the world, I’d eat 100 bowls of pasta and 1000 bowls of Cookie Dough Ice Cream and just for the sake of it a salad on the side and then I’d tell everyone, “Always plan ahead, read too much, and in the face of a purple people eater……RUN!”

All right, anyone else have that song stuck in your head now? No? How about now…

Thanks for stopping by fLiP iT fRiDaY today, Jill! Check out Jill’s blog at Reading is Bliss and follow her at @readingisbliss on Twitter.

Today on fLiP iT fRiDaY, we’re chatting with Hope from Hope’s Bookshelf, aka @princess2293 on Twitter.

So check this out. I’ve been video-stalking Hope ever since March, when she casually mentioned TWENTY BOY SUMMER in her “In My Mailbox” video. It was the first time I’d seen the book mentioned on film, in the hands of a real live reader, and I watched the thing like 20 times.

(Now you know what a crazy psycho I am… okay you probably already knew. Anyway!) After reading TBS, Hope went on to create a book trailer and she also participated in a collaborative surprise video on the day TBS hit the shelves officially. Needless to say, I <3 Hope and I'm thrilled to introduce her today!

Describe a typical day in your life.

On a normal day, I get up at six in the morning, take a shower, and then get ready for school. My mom gives me a ride three days a week on her way to work, and the other two I ride my bus. Then I go to school which runs from 8 AM to 2:54 PM. Mondays, I ride the bus home, Tuesday’s I have my piano lesson right after school, and then I volunteer at the library and tutor, Wednesday’s I have church, Thursday’s I volunteer at the library again and tutor some more, and then on Friday’s I have my vocal lesson. On Saturday’s, I participate in a bowling league in the mornings, and then on Sunday’s I have church, too.

What is your favorite YA book and why? Or, which YA book has had the most profound effect on you and why?

There have been lots of YA books that have had an impact on me. Most of the books I read do have an impact on my life in one way or another. It’s just too difficult to pick one book or author when there are so many that I love and that have impacted me.

I like this answer. I feel like my favorites change often because I read so many amazing books. The list just keeps on growing and rotating.

What are 5 of your favorite things?

1. Books.
2. My laptop (with the Internet. )
3. Friends.
4. Music and my iPod.
5. My cell phone.

How long have you been blogging, and how did you get your book blogging start?

I started my blog on February 10, 2008. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision and I never thought that it’d become as big as it has today. On February 10th of last year, I had a snow day. On this snow day, I found The Page Flipper’s blog, and then shortly after I found The Story Siren, and I was like, “I read a lot. I could do this.” And so the madness began.

Page Flipper and Story Siren rock! How cool that they’re not just influencing readers to check out new books, but to start their own book blogs.

Are you planning any upcoming new features or special content on your book blog and/or is there anything specific you want potential new visitors to know about your blog?

I’m not planning any new upcoming features, but I do participate in some right now. Every Sunday, I do the In My Mailbox meme which was started by Kristi and Alea. On Wednesdays, I participate in the Waiting on Wednesday meme, and on Thursday’s I started my own special feature called Cover Craziness, which features books that have pretty covers. Once a week, I also have an author interview.

I am in the works of brewing up a special event in August, half for my sixteenth birthday, and half for a late one-year blog anniversary…

Can’t wait for Hope’s birthday! We’ll chat more about this in a later post!

*Cackles maniacally*

In addition to blogging, what other creative pursuits do you enjoy?

I do write some, though I don’t think it’s very good. I also sing (I’m in my school choir and also community choir), and play the piano, which I’ve done for four years. I volunteer at the library shelving books, which I find really fun. I also tutor some students for Algebra I and reading. I’m also apart of my school’s Student Government, Key Club, and National Honor Society.

Okay, so if I owned a college, let’s call it Sarah University, I would let you in like right now. Seriously. You wouldn’t even have to take the SATs or do an admissions essay or anything. I’m not sure how far a degree from Sarah University will get you, but the invite is always open.

What do you want to be when you “grow up”?

I would like to either be a preschool teacher or a music teacher.

Yeah, I guess you might need a little something more official than your honorary U of S degree.

What are 3 things you’d like to do or accomplish in your lifetime?

1. Visit France, England, and Ireland. In general, just travel more.
2. Meet my favorite authors.
3. Read as many books as I can get my hands on.

Same here, on all 3! And I still can’t believe how many book bloggers want to travel the world. Seriously. If we can get funding for this giant YA book writer/reader/blogger road trip we keep talking about, it’s going to be the best time ever. Maybe we need to do like a ginormous bake sale…

Tell us something that people who know you in real life would be surprised to learn about you.

I have a really bad potty mouth. xD

OMG! Me, too! No one ever believes me, either. Okay, now our road trip is going to be even more fun, because Hope and I are going to get grounded from the tour bus for saying $@#&%!

Now, it’s time for Apocalypse Mad Libs!

If I ever had to face the world coming to an end I’d want Cassandra Clare on my side, because she writes really good fighting scenes where the world almost comes to the end. .

If she wasn’t available, I’d take Jace from the book, City of Bones, because he is a good fighter (and good looking ).

In any case, if I only had 1 day to live before the end of the world, I’d eat chicken and broccoli casserole, pickles, and Ramen Noodles and then I’d tell everyone, “Don’t miss me.”

Thank you, Hope, for stopping by fLiP iT fRiDaY today! Check out Hope at Hope’s Book Shelf, where you’ll also find links to her YouTube channel, and follow her at @princess2293 on Twitter.