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.

Take everything you love about Austen-era England, like tea and scones and the English countryside and fancy dresses and… (*cough* Colin Firth *cough*), plus everything you love about a funny, somewhat-awkward, often-clumsy, well-intentioned, just-trying-to-fit-in modern girl in a great pair of red-hot Prada heels, swirl it all together, and take a sip. Now you’re getting close to the touching hilarity that is Mandy Hubbard’s debut novel!

About PRADA & PREJUDICE

Fifteen year old Callie just wants to impress the popular girls when she buys a pair of Prada heels on her class trip to London. She didn’t plan on tripping, conking her head, and waking up in 1815! Now she’s wearing corsets with her designer pumps, eating bizarre soups, and breaking up engagements. If only the nineteen year old Duke of Harksbury wasn’t so bloody annoying, she might have a little fun in Austen-Era England…

Callie’s 2009 Debut Party

The Guest List

She’d invite the whole crew from Harksbury (Alex, Victoria, and Emily) along with the twenty first century girls (Angela, Mindy and Summer).

Ooh I would love to see Summer try to play nice with Emily. Though I’m sure Victoria would be eating out of her hand!

The Party

It’s a ball at Harksbury, right in their ballroom! Callie loves the romance and glamour of the balls in 1815. The theme is Old-Meets-New. Maybe she’ll show Alex how to do the macarena and teach Mindy what a reel is. Guests will enjoy plenty to drink and eat — no souvenirs neccessary for something this crazy!

OMG that reminds me of my favorite scene in P&P… when Callie teaches the stable boys how to do the Robot! Hilarious and awesome!

The Guest of Honor: Callie

Callie is wearing a ballgown– probably silk– with her Prada heels. She’ll probably change into jeans later, to be more comfortable! And her theme song? Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry — because she’ll want the night to last forever!

Mandy’s Advice for Callie on Her Big Debut

Dance and laugh and don’t fade into the wallpaper!

With shoes like that, I don’t think she’s in any danger of fading into anything!

Speaking of those shoes… I’ve been doing giveaways with summer stuff and sea glass stuff because of the whole summer/sea glass theme of TWENTY BOY SUMMER. So it only stands to reason that Mandy do a giveaway where a random commenter (*ahem* that would be me) gets a pair of of those hot red Prada heels. Don’t you guys agree?

Best wishes to Mandy and Callie on their fun debut!

PRADA & PREJUDICE is available in book stores now, and also online through Indiebound and other Web retailers.

Mandy Hubbard grew up on a dairy farm outside Seattle, where she refused to wear high heels until homecoming—and hated them so much she didn’t wear another pair for five years. A cowgirl at heart, she enjoys riding horses and quads and singing horribly to the latest country tune. She’s currently living happily ever after with her husband (who, sadly, is not a Duke) and her daughter (who is most definitely a princess). Prada and Prejudice is her first novel. Visit Mandy online.

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.

Top 10 Things I Never Thought I’d Say to Teens When I Got This Old That I Actually Catch Myself Saying to Teens Now That I Am This Old:

1. When I was your age… followed by something really corny or inappropriate that further accentuates my old age.
2. We didn’t have cell phones (when I was your age). We had to keep a spare quarter in our shoe in case there was an emergency and we had to use a pay phone!
3. (When I was your age) We didn’t have email or IM. We wrote notes, folded into fancy shapes.
4. Why would you wear that? Aren’t you cold?
5. You call this poppy crap music?
6. When I graduated high school, you weren’t even a good idea yet.
7. You’re young! Enjoy it while it lasts! It’s all downhill from here! Or some variation on the youth/downhill theme…
8. I wish I could eat like that and stay skinny.
9. I have nail polish / underwear / concert ticket stubs older than you.
10. Um, yes, I am the author of that book. (Okay, I kind of like saying that one!)

And to round out tonight’s theme, I’d like to send a heartfelt note of thanks to my dear OLD friend Amy DWP.

It takes a special kind of friend to notice, point out, and call special attention to each and every one of someone’s gray hairs, and tonight, you did that for me. They (and I) felt quite honored!

Especially considering that when I was your age, we didn’t have gray hair. We had Sun-In! And Aqua Net! Check out the lift on those bangs!

Well now you’ve got me all nostalgic, so…

Top 10 Things That Were Cool When I Was Your Age

1. Rolling, safety pinning, or some other creative method for tapering the cuffs one’s jeans. Anything that didn’t cut off ankle circulation was considered bell-bottomed and therefore banned. Boot cut? We would have ostracized you!
2. Big, immovable, indestructible bangs of steel (um, see photo above).
3. Walkmans. That’s right. We didn’t have iPods when I was your age. If we wanted new music, we had to save up $8.99 to buy a cassette tape at the mall.
4. Making mix tapes, either by dubbing cassettes (for those of us lucky enough to have a double cassette deck) or by holding the recorder right up to the stereo.
5. Sissy tests, in which you let someone scratch the back of your hand rapidly and repeatedly until you pulled away. The longer you could stand it, the less of a sissy you were. If you didn’t have bleeding gashes on your hands, you were a loser. I made my own to avoid the test (some call it sissy, I call it genius) and told my parents an elaborate tale about slipping on the parallel bars in gym. That should have been a dead giveaway, considering I never did anything strenuous in gym, especially anything that had the potential to mess up those bangs.
6. Writing out all of the lyrics to songs so we could sing along.
7. Getting super creative with writing notes to girlfriends, like in code, colors, or with a really cool fold that no one had ever seen before.
8. Going stag to dances in big groups of girls. We had to go stag. Getting too close to the guys was a bad idea — we could kill someone with those bangs of ours! (Well, okay, maybe going stag was just my personal fad, since I never had a steady [or presentable in public] boyfriend.)
9. Hair scrunchies, often more than one at a time.
10. Cootie catchers, aka fortune tellers, in which you write little clues on paper and fold it up into this little thingy and… well, check out the explanation here if you really want to know.

And now I want to know… for all the readers over 18, what was cool when YOU were a teen?

Since we’ve gotten quite a few new participants this week in the 20 Things in 20 Days Blog Scavenger Hunt, we’re giving everyone an additional week to catch up on all the past clues and activities! Now, all participants have until 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, July 7 to complete as many clues and bonus clues as possible, earning points toward the grand prize!

20 Things FAQs:

1. Do I have to do all of the clues? No. You can do as many or as few as you’d like.
2. If I don’t do all the clues, do I have any chance of winning? Yes. Not everyone is doing all of the clues, and some clues have a range of possible points to earn based on effort or creativity. And, not everyone has answered all of the trivia questions correctly! AND, there are fun bonus clues to win more points! It’s still anyone’s game, so join in on the fun and give all the players a good run for their money!
3. What is the grand prize? The grand prize features… 20 Things! Those things include signed editions of the following books — Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard, Breathing by Cheryl Rennee Herbsman, Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog, Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne, and The Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu — and 14 summer fun surprises!
4. Are there any other prizes after the grand prize? Not officially, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be inspired by your creative entries to award some random fun stuff. You never know!

Good luck, everyone! And happy summer!

Okay, so I can’t exactly tell you the specifics of what I loved most about FAIRY TALE because it was the ending and I don’t want to give anything away! I’ll just say that this book is a totally new take on YA fairy stories that kept me guessing until the very end, which I <3d, which doesn't happen all that often. And the MC, Morgan? Well, if that girl went to my high school back in the day, I probably wouldn't have hated going there so much. She's quite sassy. I like that in a girl.

Now, if only I could get Cyn to come visit me when I'm in NYC… but that's another project!

About FAIRY TALE

Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They’ve been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah–they’re totally hot for each other. But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam’s awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away. When Morgan demands answers, she’s shocked to discover the source of Cam’s distance isn’t another girl–it’s another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their “perfect” love can weather an uncertain future.

Morgan’s 2009 Debut Party

The Guest List

Um, as long as they don’t have wings, she’ll let them in.

No wings? Check. Let the partying begin!

The Party

It’s a fancy Sweet 16 bash held at the Green Toad, an exclusive restaurant in the city with teal napkins. Or silver ones.

The Guest of Honor: Morgan

Morgan is wearing a teal sparkly dress tonight. And her theme song? Never Say Goodbye.

Hmmm. I really hope it’s the Bon Jovi version of Never Say Goodbye, because that’s the song of my very first kiss at the summer camp dance way back in 1980-something. Since Cyn’s a Jersey girl and all, I bet it’s totally the Bon Jovi version.

Cyn’s Advice for Morgan on Her Big Debut

Watch out for pissed off fairies.

Based on the pissed off fairies in FAIRY TALE, I think we should all make a mental note and follow that same advice. In the mean time, FAIRY TALE is a great summer read, and I wish Cyn and Morgan all the best on the big debut!

FAIRY TALE is available in book stores now, and also online through Indiebound and other Web retailers.

Cyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them. She’s also the Race & Event Manager for several national fitness magazines. She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and young daughter. Both are 100% human, or so she thinks. FAIRY TALE is her first novel. Visit Cyn online.

Time for another clue in the 20 Things in 20 Days hunt. Answer clues and challenges to earn points toward the 20 Things grand prize, including 6 signed books from 2009 debut authors! Get a clue… June 11th-30th at 20 Things in 20 Days!

If you haven’t heard of the hunt before — don’t worry! You can still play all of the past clues and rack up those points toward the grand prize, now through June 30. Check out the clue page for the full list.

Anyway, on to clue #17:

Just like Anna and Frankie in Twenty Boy Summer, best friends don’t always tell each other how important their friendship is or how much they care. Sometimes there’s an old hurt in the way, or a grudge or a stupid fight that no one remembers. Other times we just take for granted that our friends already know how we feel – but that’s not always the case. Actions may speak louder than words, but sometimes, a few little words can mean the world to a friend. For 20 Things clue #17, call or visit someone important to you and let her or him know how much you care. Leave a comment here telling us that you did! 5 points.

I’m blogging today’s 20 Things in 20 Days bonus clue because there’s something important I’d like to discuss with you.

Clue #16 today mentioned Helicopter Pilot — the girls’ favorite band in Twenty Boy Summer — and the band’s drummer, Scotty O. Scotty is my “baby” brother in real life. I say “baby” because although he’s 25 now, I remember when my parents first told us Mom was pregnant (my other brother and I thought all the secrets and funny looks meant that we were getting a swimming pool).

After a long wait of 6 months, which is like 20 years in kid-time, the big day arrived, and Mom and Dad brought Scotty home and put him in my arms. I remember that day, too. I held him and decided in an instant that despite earlier predictions, getting a baby brother was way better than getting a swimming pool.

Just like his Twenty Boy Summer cameo implies, Scotty later became a beat-droppin’, foot-stompin’, funk-tastic drummer. But that’s not the only true trait represented in the book — Scott is also a liver transplant recipient. He’s alive today because of one family’s generous decision to donate organs and tissues more than 20 years ago.

Without his liver transplant, Scott would never have drummed for HP. He wouldn’t have a cameo appearance in his sister’s debut novel. He wouldn’t do any of the things he’s done in his teens and twenties because he wouldn’t have seen those years. Without the transplant, Scott would have died before his 5th birthday.

My family was fortunate that Scott got a second chance through the gift of life, but not everyone gets a second chance. Today, more than 100,000 people in the United States alone are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, and many of them will die on that waiting list. In fact, over the 20-day course of our 20 Things Scavenger Hunt, 380 people will have died waiting for an organ transplant. I don’t know how big your school or office is, but 380 people was the size of my entire high school graduating class.

So for today’s bonus scavenger hunt activity, I’m asking everyone to learn a little something about donation and discuss it with your family. Whether or not you decide to become a donor when it’s your time to leave this world, it’s important to make an informed choice, and to share your wishes — whatever those wishes are — with your family. For Scotty, for me, and most importantly, for all of those people still waiting for a transplant, please check out some of the resources below and leave a comment here letting us know that you had the donation discussion with your loved ones. 7 points.

Organ & Tissue Donation Resources

• Donate Life America
• The Mayo Clinic’s 10 Donation Myths
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
• The National Donor Memorial

P.S. It’s been 25 years. I still think Scotty is better than a swimming pool.

So I’ve been kind of blog-absent lately, busy with supercrazyfun Twenty Boy Summer launch stuff and revisions for my next book, Fixing Delilah Hannaford (more on my new BFF Delilah later). And don’t get too excited because this post isn’t going to be an in-depth one, either. I just wanted to pop out of the ground for a minute to shake off the dirt, wave, and share a few guest posts / links / event news meant to substitute for a real, actual, thought-out blog post. Forgive me?

*Looks around and whistles while waving hands in a Jedi mind trick sort of way…*

You will accept and embrace the links in place of a real blog post…

Oh, hi! Hey! Check out these links and stuff!

1. The Buffalo News article, Emotions run high in Sarah Ockler’s first novel, ‘Twenty Boy Summer’, highlighting inspirations for the book, real life cameos, and more insider info. Sorry if you’ve already been bombarded with this article all over my Facebook, or if you’ve visited my mother and she’s pushed upon you 1 of the 8 million copies she bought, but it’s all so exciting that we can’t help ourselves!
2. Woman Around Town article, Grown Up Girls Come Out of the YA Book Closet, in which it’s totally okay for adults to show some YA PDA.
3. Fresh New Voice of YA guest blog at Book Chic. We’re chatting about the importance of journaling and would love to hear your thoughts on a few journal-related questions! And, James at Book Chic (a recent fLiP iT fRiDaY guest!) is giving away a TBS ARC to a random commenter.
4. Twenty Boy Summer Cover Story on the lovely Melissa Walker’s blog. Melissa is the author of Lovestruck Summer and the Violet on the Runway series, and she asked me to share the story behind the TBS cover and all that beautiful sea glass. We’re also giving away a signed copy to a random commenter!
5. Featured Guest Nose for agent sister Sydney Salter, author of My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters, in which I whine about that one time in college when I broke my nose.
6. My Favorite Author guest post for all the “Summer Mes” out there. Do you have a summer me?
7. Zoe’s Birthday Celebration guest post at Zoe’s Book Reviews. Pull up a chair for a story from my craziest birthday party ever, in which once again “emotions run high” as we kiss boys and commune with the dead. Er, not necessarily related…
8. Sarah’s YouTube Channel. I totally forgot to mention this, but I plan to do lots more vlogs in the future. Like, the future where revisions are done and books are launched and videos can be made in a stress-free environment in which I am nice to Pet Monster and he agrees to make a few more cameos. If you have a YouTube account, you can subscribe to the channel and get… I don’t know. Good YouTube karma!
9. Finally, don’t forget the Twenty Boy Summer contest page, updated regularly with new contests, including the 20 Things in 20 Days scavenger hunt, a chance to win a $100 Old Navy giftcard, and lots of TBS book giveaways from the awesome YA book blogger community.

Events

For those of you in the Western New York area, I’d love to see you in person at any of these upcoming events!

• Girls Afternoon at B is for Books
  Thursday June 25, 2:00 PM
  6562 E. Quaker Street
  Orchard Park, NY 14127
• Book signing at Barnes & Noble Clarence
  Friday July 24, 6:00 PM
  4401 Transit Road
  Clarence, NY 14221
• Book signing at Barnes & Noble McKinley
  Saturday August 8, 1:00 PM
  3701 McKinley Parkway
  Buffalo, NY 14219

Okay, must return to revision underground…

It’s clue #13 time! I hope you’ve all been playing along with the 20 Things in 20 Days hunt. Answer clues and challenges to earn points toward the 20 Things grand prize, including 6 signed books from 2009 debut authors! Get a clue… June 11th-30th at 20 Things in 20 Days!

If you haven’t heard of the hunt before — don’t worry! You can still play all of the past clues and rack up those points toward the grand prize, now through June 30. Check out the clue page for the full list.

Anyway, on to today’s clue:

At the heart of Twenty Boy Summer is a long-held secret kept by two best friends from another. Some secrets, like Anna and Matt’s, can be painful to keep, while others might be lighthearted, mysterious, mischievous, exciting, or even just downright fun. For 20 Things clue #13, tell a secret! If you feel like sharing, you can post your secret right here in the comments. If you don’t want to post your secret publicly, tell a friend, loved one, or even a total stranger a secret and leave a comment here letting us know that you did it. 4 points.