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Friday, August 03, 2012

PSC: Guest Post & Giveaway with Lisa M Stasse

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Morning book lovers! I’m really excited to welcome debut author Lisa M Stasse to celebrate to release of her dystopian novel, The Forsaken! Make sure you read along to discover her own summer camp experience and a giveaway of her book :)

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THE BOOK GIRL GOES TO CAMP:
Or, How Librarians Get Born
by Lisa M. Stasse

The first time I went to summer camp is the one that remains most memorable to me. I was almost ten years old, and living with my family on a farm in upstate New York. The camp was a few hours away in Ithaca, NY, which seemed like a huge deal to me at the time (in retrospect, this is pretty funny, given that Ithaca is far from being a gigantic metropolis). Anyway, because I was a super geeky book-lovin' gal even back then, I decided it was a good idea to pack a suitcase full of books and take it with me. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I literally stuffed about 60 of my favorite books in the suitcase. I'm sure my parents were really amused, but they were already used to my eccentricities, so they didn't say anything to me about it. They just helped me load the suitcase into the car. I was really excited to be going to the camp. It was only for 3 days, if I remember correctly, but at that age, 3 days can seem like an eternity. This was probably part of the reasoning behind bringing all those books!

Anyway, when we got to the camp, I suddenly felt nervous. You would think I'd be nervous because I was going to camp for the first time. But I remember being nervous because the camp was near a small man-made lake, and I suddenly got worried that my books would get wet! And I got worried about where I would put them too. It didn't seem nice to the books to keep them in a suitcase, but obviously these cabins weren't going to have bookshelves (which was a problem I had not considered). Eeks--what was going to happen to all my lovely books?? So I was like some dementedly precocious kid from a Wes Anderson movie--except I was probably more aggravating to everyone instead of endearing. (Speaking of Wes Anderson, his new movie Moonrise Kingdom--which involves a summer camp--is really awesome. Just thought I'd throw that digression in there in case you're looking for a good movie to watch).

Anyway, so my parents left and stranded me at the camp with my suitcase of books, which they had to help me carry into the cabin, and I wasn't sure what to do next. Some of the other girls were from "big cities" (again, probably places like Utica and Rome, NY, 'cause big cities are completely relative when you live in upstate New York) and I was intimidated by their extreme level of sophistication.

So I decided to show them my suitcase full of books. I could not have anticipated the reaction, which ranged from awe to total contempt and hatred. Suddenly, I was the center of a big, heated debate. Was it cool or crazy to bring a suitcase full of books to a 3-day summer camp? Or was it both? (In hindsight, I'd go with both, hee hee). But it was at this moment that I became "Book Girl." I could kiss goodbye to "Lisa" as a name. Book Girl was my new identity, as in "Hey, that's Book Girl!" Even the counselors got into it. Now, this could either be a good thing or a bad thing. Obviously some kids thought I was insane, and didn't want anything to do with me. But others realized it was pretty neat, especially when they wanted to borrow (or just take and "forget" to return) some of the books.

So I became an unofficial librarian--or guardian--of the books! And along the way I met some other great girls who became friends and who were total book geeks like me. We talked about our favorite authors and books, and most of us had big plans for writing our own books one day in the future. But what I didn't realize is that this summer camp would set me on the path to my future career (okay, so that sounds melodramatic, and probably the events are unrelated). But I am currently a librarian at UCLA, and basically get to be Book Girl all day long. In fact, these days I am mostly Digital Book Girl, because a lot of my work involves digital library stuff for the university. Still, I sometimes think back to that day at camp. I wish I still had that awesome suitcase filled with books. But of course my house and where I work are filled with books--so now I get to be surrounded by them all day long.

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More about The Forsaken:

The Forsaken (The Forsaken, #1)As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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giveaway

Simon & Schuster is offering two (2) copies of The Forsaken to two lucky winners!

To enter the giveaway, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

Open to US only

Ends Wednesday, August 5th, 2012
(like all of our Paranormal Summer Camp giveaways)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Lisa M. StasseLisa M. Stasse was born in New York, and has since lived in Spain, Russia, Hawaii, and North Carolina. She graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Government and English lit, and is currently a digital librarian at UCLA. Lisa loves watching science fiction movies, cooking Spanish food, and dancing around her house to 80′s music. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband and their two-year-old daughter. All three of them are learning how to surf

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

Follow Tynga on: Facebook | Twitter

48 People left their mark' :

  1. I LOVE dystopian novels! While I love reading paranormal, I absolutely LOVE reading novels about dystopian societies, post apocalyptic societies, etc. It's interesting to see the speculation of different authors of how they perceive the future to be or other dimensions!

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    1. Also, I'm BEYOND excited to read Forsaken!!

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  2. I love dystopian books because they always get me thinking what if the world turns out that way...

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  3. Thanks for the guest post and giveaway! I love dystopian books because they comment upon current socio-political issues, showing us what our world could become if we let it...

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  4. I like seeing how others imagine society changing.

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  5. I really enjoyed your camp story. I am really starting to like dystopian books, and this sounds like a great read.

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  6. thanks for a great post and giveaway! I love dystopian/ end of the world stories just b/c of how completely different they are. Plus it's kinda cool to imagine "what if" scenarios.

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  7. I like how different each dystopian book I've read is.

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  8. I have no reason. I like all kinds of genres as long as the story is good.
    vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com

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  9. I like seeing how they mimic our own world. Makes it seem really realistic!

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  10. I love reading dystopian books because I think they say a lot about the nature of humanity, and, in that vein, they're scarier to me than just plain horror.

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  11. I like the fact that everything as we know it (at least in North America, as I'm sure some countries are definitely dystopian-like) has gone to hell in a handbasket. Usually rights are horribly restricted or some plague has broken out and it's interesting to see how authors have their characters deal with the world they live in and try to change it or at least create a different life for themselves.

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  12. I love that everyone is so obsessed with the end of the world, and I think dystopian books show that life goes on, even when things are falling apart. They are, in fact, stories of hope.

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  13. I've always been fascinated by stories about the end of the world as we know it, and seeing how the author imagines life after - how people would react to such a huge change. Do they descend into chaos or organize and live the best life they can, working together - that's very interesting to me.

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  14. Personally I've always liked hearing about the different theories when it comes to the end of the world and I find it interesting how each author spins their own tale on what can happen.

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  15. I enjoy the worlds created by dystopian authors for their many weird twists that can often be traced back to things in our present world. It makes me look at the world I live in differently.

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  16. The truth is up until this year I have had a bias opinion about the Dystopian genre, I didn't think it was good or worth my time till this past February I was proven wrong. In February I caught a horrible bronchial infection was holed up at home for two weeks. While I was home I saw that my mother had checked out the Hunger Games trilogy (all unabridged audio) with nothing else to do and unable to focus on schoolwork or let alone hold a book in my hands, I started listening to them. Before the week was out I was absorbed in Katniss's world (and most likely to due to my high fevers I was dreaming I was fighting/working along side/against the other tributes with her) After that I couldn't get enough, once I was better I ask the YA librarian for more I read Legend by Marie Lu, Divergent and Insurgent, and more. I have come to love Dystopians,I can't even believe why I didn't pick them up before.

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  17. I like that anything can happen and the settings are interesting.

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  18. I love how dystopian includes societies ruined by all sorts of things - war, science, disease. It's always very unique. And I like how the characters have to decide how far they are willing to go to change things and be true to what they want despite what society wants.

    Thanks so much:)

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  19. I like all kinds of books in the young adult genre. This one just seems really good! Thanks for the opportunity to win. :)

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  20. I like dystopians because the main character is usually strong. And they fight back against impossible things. Kind of gives us courage to fight back on things we don't agree with in life instead of standing by to let things happen. I don't know. I love dystopians...

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  21. I love dystopians because there's a fantasty world like in paranormals, but you can imagine it's a possible reality in the future.

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  22. I like dystopian genre, because it makes me wonder what would I do in their situation. It really makes you think!

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  23. Really like dystopian books because always fascinating to me to see the many imaginative turns human society can take. Also from destruction, there is always the presence of hope and optimism I find when reading these types of novels. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  24. Call it sick and twisted but I like to see how other people think what the future may hold.

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  25. I love dystopian novel because I love reading about the worlds that authors can come up with.

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  26. I like reading all different generes. They all are good.

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  27. It really feels like a whole other world, one that could possibly happen. It makes you think, how could society come to this? And then you're hoping that your protagonist can make it out and defy the odds. It's just so much more powerful.

    Thank you for the giveaway! :D

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  28. Just this past year I've found myself gravitating towards more & more dystopian fiction - I think it's the uniqueness of worlds with possibilities, and generally the strong characters that appeal to me <3

    Mary DeBorde M.A.D.

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  29. I like how futuristic most dystopians are as well as the characters. Most characters in dystopian books are more humble and have depth because they have almost nothing and everyday is a struggle to survive.

    Thanks for the giveaway! :D

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  30. Asides from dystopian stories being really cool, I like seeing the characters working through the challenges of surviving in their worlds and struggling to become better people and break free from the constraints that have been placed on them by their circumstances and/or societies.

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  31. I love the differences between the dystopian world and the current world. Seeing how the future world formed, the reasons why, and other things like that. It's sort of like an alternate universe, which I find really fascinating!

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  32. I've entered at least a dozen giveways for this book! I really hope I win one!!!

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  33. I love dystopian because of the state of mind it puts you in. Like could this really happen, and how would I react to the new world.

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  34. I love dystopian because I love danger :D

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  35. I love seeing every author's prediction of the future:)

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  36. I like the way dystopians make me think, the world is different, there are many what ifs that challenge me. thanks for the giveaway

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  37. It's interesting seeing how the world comes out in the future

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  38. I, like others, have loved dystopians ever since I read The Hunger Games. I love the world building and the different versions of what might happen if an apocalypse occurred. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  39. I love dystopian books because they take me out of this one into one that is different and who knows one day something like one of these kind of books might just come true. Hope not really but one never knows and it really does prepare you for the unknown. Thanks Joannies

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  40. how do you tweet again and get credit when the rafflecopter does not refresh with a new link to do it again. Do you just tweet anyways thanks Joannie please let me know jscddmj [at] aol [dot] com

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  41. I love dystopian books! They also make think about what if. You never know if this might happen and you might have to bring out your inner bada** ;) Thanks for the chance.

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  42. love dystopian books because it's cool to think what the world would be like in them and how i would fit in/act

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  43. I think I love dystopian books so much because it feels like there are real heroes. They're not just kids thinking they have a tough life. They really DO! Love that!

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  44. Dystopian books are awesome because they introduce a world that doesn't exist...currently, that is. >;D

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  45. I love reading them cause they give us a look of what could be=)

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  46. I love dystopian books because they are so cool on how authors can come up with futuristic things that never happen and they are all different.

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