sarah ockler :: author of TWENTY BOY SUMMER

Thanks to all who participated in Twenty Tweet Summer this weekend! With more than 2,000 #20BoySummer tweets (Twitter search history stopped counting after that!), nearly 100 new follower friends, and tons of blogger, author, and reader participation, Twenty Boy Summer’s official Twitter launch party was a huge success! It was so much crazy insane fun that the Twitter cops busted us 5 time for over-Tweeting! Ah, you readers a wild bunch for sure.

Now, for the good stuff.

Trivia, Q&A, and Randomness Prize List

If your Twitter name is on any of the lists below, contact me to claim your prize!

Q&A

The Twitter party peeps asked some great questions, which is how I kept getting in trouble with the Twittercops — rapid fire responding! The following guests win their choice of a $15 bookstore giftcard OR a box of Buffalo’s own to-die-for chocolate sponge candy for asking some prize-winning questions, like stuff I hadn’t been asked before or things that were just plain fun to think about. The questions were so great that I’m expanding on my answers here, without the 140-character limit!

1. @thedreamereader asked: If you could meet just character from Twenty Boy Summer, who would it be?

   I would love to meet Aunt Jayne. Twenty Boy Summer isn’t her story, and she doesn’t spend a lot of time on the pages, but she’s so complex and full of pain as she navigates life after the death of her oldest child while still trying to be a mother to Frankie. I would love to meet her just talk to her about Matt and about her family, share her memories, and maybe make sand angels.

2. @khyrinthia asked: Did you intentionally make Frankie obsessed with makeup because it symbolizes her trying to hide her feelings / hide her face?

   Yes. Well, not that I intentionally set out to make Frankie obsessed with makeup, but as I was telling her story, that characteristic came through. Frankie hides behind appearances. The more made-up she is on the outside, the less she has to show her vulnerability on the inside. I’ve heard from some readers who really dislike Frankie, but I think that if they knew the old Frankie, they might understand her a little better, and see that she really is a loving friend and daughter with a genuine heart. But in the story of Twenty Boy Summer, the old Frankie doesn’t exist anymore. The intense pain over losing her brother is still really raw, and it manifests itself in lots of ways on the outside that don’t necessarily equate to how she really feels. Makeup, clothes, smoking, guys — it’s all part of Frankie’s mask.

3. @simply16 asked: What’s the 1st book you remember reading without help?

   Mom might correct me on this — in fact, I’m pretty much certain she will — but the one that I remember is The Aristocats. We had a whole collection of these Disney hardcover story books. I should ask Mom if she still has them.

4. @YaBookReleases asked: Do you have something that means a lot to you like Frankie’s sea glass bracelet?

   Yes. In 2004, my dear Aunt Marcy passed away. My husband and I were married the following year, and my wedding ring is made from Marcy’s diamond, surrounded by my and my husband’s birthstones. When I look at the ring, I think of Marcy, so in that way, she’s always with me.

5. @sarahmaclean asked: You’re running from the law. Who do you want on your side — Bourne or Bond?

   Bond. The young, unrefined one (Daniel Craig) who has yet to be unhinged by the venom a traitorous woman. Sarah MacLean asked if my answer was because he’s more competent or more hot, to which I could only say… he’s more competent at being hot.

Trivia

Twenty Boy Summer trivia winners will receive summer goodie bags stuffed with, well, summer goodies! And maybe a few yummies, too. Guests who answered multiple questions will receive even more goodies and surprises! You guys are really competitive, BTW!

1. What color is Matt’s sea glass necklace (the 1 Anna stares at before they kiss!)? Blue – @rowijo
2. What “sweet” nickname does Frankie’s dad call Anna and Frankie? Twinkies – @katiesbookshelf
3. What nickname does Frankie give Anna’s virginity? Anna’s Albatross (aka Albatross, A.A.) – @fantasticbook
4. What major city near Zanzibar Bay do the girls sneak off to see? San Francisco – @khyrinthia
5. Where was Matt planning to attend college? Cornell – @katiesbookshelf
6. Where did author Sarah Ockler attend college? University at Buffalo (UB) – @mmacri30
7. Where does Sam work? Smothie Shack - @khyrinthia
8. What smoothie flavor does Anna plan to recreate back home? Va Va Vineapple – @thebrainlair
9. What does ABSE stand for? Absolute Best Summer Ever – @rowijo
10. Name an author (1st & last name) Matt introduced to Anna before he died. Jack Kerouac – @awaitinserenity
11. Which famous bookstore does Anna visit to remember Matt? City Lights - @awaitinserenity
12. What was the name of Sarah’s FIRST book? E.T. – @mmacri30
13. What are Anna & Frankie shopping for when Frankie devises the “20 boys in 20 days” plan? Swimsuits – @fantasticbook
14. Where do Anna & Frankie meet the 1st 2 boys on their 20 boy mission? On the pier – @awaitinserenity
15. What is the name of the over-sunned creepster who buys the girls milkshakes on the beach? Harold – @awaitinserenity
16. What do Anna & Frankie make on the beach with Aunt Jayne in the middle of the night? Sand angels – @polopony95
17. What is a mythological name for sea glass? Mermaid tears – @bwbcom
18. What is the name of Anna & Frankie’s favorite band in the universe? Helicopter Pilot – @katiesbookshelf
19. What interesting medical fact does Anna learn about the band’s drummer? He had a liver transplant – @ninjajordyn
20. Why did Matt leave pennies on the ground instead of picking them up? To let someone else have a lucky day – @polopony95
21. Sarah wrote Twenty Boy Summer through workshops with which writer’s organization? Lighthouse Writers Workshop – @katiesbookshelf

Randomness

And finally… personalized hardcover editions of Twenty Boy Summer go out to the following party guests, just ‘cuz.

1. @regenbogenmord
2. @simply16
3. @sbennettwealer
4. @daffodils22

Thanks for coming to the party, guys. So. Much. Fun.