Three Things about YA author PJ Hoover and her New Release SOLSTICE (Tor) -- and a Cupcake!

Solstice

I'm in cover-love with PJ Hoover's New Release SOLSTICE (a dystopian teen romance from Tor Teen, Now Available!)

About SOLSTICE
"...a beautiful world of disaster and chaos" —School Library Journal Teen Review
"[Hoover's] confident deployment of myth is impressive..." —Publishers Weekly
"...a debut novel that consistently delivers..." —Booklist

IT'S ON MY TO-READ LIST!!! (Maybe a good one to bring on our summer vacation? I think so! :-))

So I was super-excited when PJ agreed to come by the blog here for an interview. (woot!)

Lena: If you were a dystopian heroine in the world of SOLSTICE, what three key strengths to saving the world would you want to bring to the table?

PJHoover: Let's see...I'd bring goddess powers, a green thumb, and the ability to resist a sunburn. That way I could withstand the heat of the sun, grow new plants, and basically do anything I wanted to.

Lena: Sounds like a smart plan. ;) Where did the idea for SOLSTICE come from?

PJHoover: I was exercising on the elliptical machine when I got the idea to work with a Greek myth. From there, the first chapter flew onto the computer and the global warming twist was created.

Lena: Cool! What's your favorite scene?

PJHoover: I love the scene where Piper and her best friend Chloe go to get a tattoo. So many fun emotions are wrapped together, and I find it a joy to read each and every time!

[For those familiar with my interviews, yes, that was Three Things. (There was even a three things within the three things, tricky, eh?) :)]

Lena: What's your favorite cupcake?

PJHoover: There is a cupcake called a Chocolate Elvis at my favorite cupcake shop here in Austin, Cupprimo. Truthfully I don't know what all it has in it, but it is delicious and only served on Thursdays!

Thank you so much for featuring me!

Lena: It was a pleasure to have you! But now I want a cupcake that's in Austin TX, which is a conundrum... LOL

Speaking of cupcakes...

The Chocolate Elvis from Cupprimo Cupcakery, Austin, TX (used with permission)

Q: What three items would you want on hand for your dystopian adventure?? (the cupcake is understood)

Goodreads Book Giveaway -- New Release SONGSTONE-- enter to win!

I've got a new release coming up in July (woot!). To celebrate & promote the upcoming release of SONGSTONE, my young adult fantasy, I'm hosting a Goodreads Book Giveaway for a chance to win a FREE paperback copy.

Enter here:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

SONGSTONE

by Lena Goldfinch

Giveaway ends July 29, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

About SONGSTONE (Coming Soon--July 2013!)

"Chivalry, complex world building, and poetic prose make Songstone a winning and unforgettable story. My hat’s off to Goldfinch who continues to surprise with romantic wit, and beautiful characters you wish were real.  But perhaps the crowning achievement of this book is the cultural nuances that you’ll find at every turn of the page. Brava!" 
-- Jennifer Cervantes, award-winning young adult author of Tortilla Sun

"Songstone sings with characters who come to life, a story full of magic, heart and adventure, and a world that lets you smell the sea air and feel the tropical sun on your back." 
-- Lisa Gail Green, author of The Binding Stone


Kita can meld song into stone. In a world with no written word, storytelling—the ability to meld (or magically impress) song into stone—is greatly honored. The village honors her master as their medicine man, but Kita knows he's secretly a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he’ll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it from him. Each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope. His spells blind the villagers, so they can’t see him for what he really is.

Not that anyone would want to help her. She was found in the forest as a baby and would have died if a village girl hadn't brought her home. But the villagers saw Kita's unusual coloring and decided she belonged to the mysterious tribe who lives in the forests of the volcano, a people feared for their mystical powers. So they fear her too. Now seventeen, she can barely admit her deepest longing: to know who she really is and where she belongs.

Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He's come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village--a storyteller who'll be chosen at the great assembly. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom and she'll risk her life to take it.

A dark, twisty tale of sorcery, tummy-tingling romance, and adventure, inspired by the folklore of New Zealand's Māori people.

Aire Review and Book Giveaway

Christina at Ensconced in YA reviewed Aire, my historical fantasy for teens,  & is hosting an International Giveaway! Stop on over to enter!

"The setting of this novel is beautiful-- we get the sense of the vastness and gorgeousness of Italian royalty. There is plenty of intrigue and plot twists. Anna is a good protagonist, and we also get to see in the head of the male protagonist, Jovanni. The supporting characters are strong, especially Ilan, one of her favorite servants. The last 20% of the novel moves at a quick pace and at that point, is hard to put down." -- Christina, Ensconced in YA

Follow the link to Ensconced in YA to read the rest & enter the contest for a free book. :)

Also, an interview link:

I was recently interviewed over on USA Today HEA book blog! In which I talk about Aire, my upcoming YA fantasy, Songstone, and my love for TV comedy Psych!

PSYCH is hilarious!