Bookish

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Interview: Kimberly Pauley, author of Cat Girl's Day Off + HUGE PRIZE PACK Giveaway (INT)

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I'm absolutely delighted to be joined today by the phenomenal Kimberly Pauley, author of the absolutely fantastic YA contemporary novel (with tiny elements of paranormal), Cat Girl's Day Off.
If you missed my review of Cat Girl's Day Off click here, or simply scroll down a bit (it's the post below this one).

1. Welcome to Bookish Kimberly! Thank you so much for being one of the guests during the Contemporary Fiction Month feature! Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Thanks for having me! Well, I’m the author of three funny YA books for teens and I live in London with my husband and son (we moved here last year from the US). I majored in English in college and have always loved writing—I still have all my journals from when I was a teen!

2. You recently published YA novel, Cat Girl's Day Off, has made a huge impression on me! It was all kinds of adorable and meaningful, and I had a wonderful time following Natalie's adventures! Could you tell us who or what inspired you to write it?

It started with the simple idea of a teen who had a super power that they thought was stupid and kind of blossomed from there. I love cats (it seems most writers do) and also Ferris Bueller. Once all those things got smooshed together, the story was born!

3. Could you share with us your favourite quote from Cat Girl's Day Off?

Ohhh, that’s hard. Do you mean like one of the quotes that head up each chapter? If those, I’d probably have to go with one of the Heinlein ones (since he’s one of my favorite authors of all time). Maybe this one: “Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat.” If you mean one of the bits that I wrote…hmm…that’s even harder!

4. What would you say is the most important quality your characters possess?

A sense of humor. Or, well, maybe the ability to learn and grow. That sounds good, doesn’t it?

5. Have you always wanted to be a writer? At what point in your life did you decide that writing is something you want to do?

Always! I always wrote. Even when I had boring, awful, terrible corporate jobs, I still wrote. It’s hard to pinpoint a decision point, but I guess you could say when I quit my corporate job back in 2005 to write full time would be it.

6. Did you have any funny/crazy fan moments yet? (If so, please do share!)

They’re all fun! Perhaps the time I was doing a presentation somewhere and one girl was so excited she was literally struck speechless and kept making owl-ish noises every time she tried to say something to me. That was just totally adorable.

7. How do you approach writing a new novel? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A little of both. I do outline, but I don’t do so extensively. I can’t go completely off the top of my head though (I never finish the book that way), so I guess I’m more of a plotter.

8. What's next in line for you? Are you working on a new book now?

I’m a little up in the air right now. I’ve got another book completed that my agent has out right now. I was working on a new book…but I might be switching to work on a different new book…can’t really say any more yet. Hopefully news on that soon! But suffice it to say that there are always at least 2 books going on in my head at any given time.

9. Which three of your favourite contemporary books would you recommend everybody to read?

Hourglass by Myra McEntire (love Myra), the Skullduggery Pleasant books (if you’re a bit bloodthirsty), or anything by Marlene Perez (love Marlene too!).

10. If your book had a soundtrack to accompany it, what songs would be on it?

I hadn’t really thought about a Cat Girl soundtrack! The other book I have finished (Ask Me) has a definite soundtrack (each chapter has a “theme” song), but I didn’t really have any music in mind with Cat Girl. I’d probably have to pick some fun cat-related tunes like “Love Cats” by the Cure and things like that. Would love to hear people’s suggestions! There are a couple of songs mentioned in the book (like “Born this Way” by Lady Gaga—it’s Oscar’s ringtone on Nat’s phone), so I guess that would be included too.

12. Do you have a favourite contemporary fiction character/couple?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Wow, I feel like I should be able to say yes to that, but I really don’t have a favourite! (and I just typed favorite the UK way there, which kind of hurt my fingers…I live in the UK now, but I still am not used to all the “extra” vowels). Oh, wait, I do have an odd favorite couple…from Neal Shusterman’s books (Everlost, Everwild, and Everfound): Allie the Outcast and Mikey McGill (formerly the Monstrous McGill). Truly an odd couple, but I like them together. I haven’t read the third book yet and the second one ended with a serious cliffhanger, so I’ve got to pick it up and find out what happened!

Kimberly, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us here today! I LOVED Cat Girl's Day Off and wish everyone would take the time to read it and find out for themselves how absolutely wonderful a book it is! Looking forward to reading your next book!

About the author:

KIMBERLY PAULEY is the author of the award-winning Sucks to Be Me, which was honored on the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list. The sequel, Still Sucks to Be Me, was listed on the VOYA Best Science Fiction Fantasy List of 2010. Born in California, she has lived everywhere from Florida to Chicago and has now gone international to live in London with her husband (a numbers man) and the cutest little boy on any continent (The Max). She wrote Cat Girl’s Day Off because she wanted to share what cats really think with the world.

For more information about Kimberly and her books, visit her online at kimberlypauley.com.

Together with Bonnie from Words At Home and Asheley from Into The Hall Of Books we are hosting a fantabulous giveaway blast! Kimberly Pauley has offered to giveaway a wonderful prize-pack to one of out International readers!

Here's what you can win:

- A copy of Cat Girl's Day Off
- Signed Bookplates
-Swag
-and a T-SHIRT of your choice from Kimberly's store (you can pick anything from here: http://stbm.spreadshirt.com/

Contest is open WORLD WIDE

Ends: June 30th

There are plenty of extra entries, so knock yourself out.
For 25 bonus entries into the giveaway, complete the SCAVENGER HUNT (details below)

Cat Girl's Day Off Scavenger Hunt!

Hidden in our reviews of Cat Girl's Day Off are three magic words (one in each review) that create a magic sentence that unlocks the bonus +25 entries for everyone who can figure it out and put it together. The magic words are in bright pink -> like this one and here's where you can find them:

First word: Hidden in Evie's review of Cat Girl's Day Off (click here)

Second word: Hidden in Asheley's review of Cat Girl's Day Off (click here - will be posted on -the date is yet to be determined)

Third word: Hidden in Bonnie's review of Cat Girl's Day Off (click here - will be posted on June 14th)

Find out what the mystery sentence is to gain +25 bonus entries into our WICKED AWESOME giveaway!

Enter through RAFFLECOPTER below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Interview + Giveaway was posted as part of the Contemporary Fiction Month feature. Click on the picture for full schedule.

Labels: Author Interview, Comedy, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction Month, Giveaway, Young Adult |

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Friday, June 1, 2012

Cat Girl's Day Off by Kimberly Pauley (Review)

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Posted by Evie |

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Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Comedy, Mystery, Paranormal

Publication.Date April 1st 2012

Pages: 334

Published By: Tu Books |

Website Kimberly Pauley |

Cat Girl's Day Off - Goodreads

My review copy: Finished copy won in a giveaway at Nook Full Of Books (Thank you, Agnieszka!)

Where to get:

Natalie Ng’s little sister is a super-genius with a chameleon-like ability to disappear. Her older sister has three Class A Talents, including being a human lie detector. Her mom has laser vision and has one of the highest IQs ever. Her dad’s Talent is so complex even the Bureau of Extra-Sensory Regulation and Management (BERM) hardly knows what to classify him as.

And Nat? She can talk to cats.

The whole talking-to-cats thing is something she tries very hard to hide, except with her best friends Oscar (a celebrity-addicted gossip hound) and Melly (a wannabe actress). When Oscar shows her a viral Internet video featuring a famous blogger being attacked by her own cat, Nat realizes what’s really going on…and it’s not funny.

(okay, yeah, a frou-frou blogger being taken down by a really angry cat named Tiddlywinks, who also happens to be dyed pink? Pretty hilarious.)

Nat and her friends are catapulted right into the middle of a celebrity kidnapping mystery that takes them through Ferris Bueller’s Chicago and on and off movie sets. Can she keep her reputation intact? Can she keep Oscar and Melly focused long enough to save the day? And, most importantly, can she keep from embarrassing herself in front of Ian?

Find out what happens when the kitty litter hits the fan.(Goodreads)

Meep stretched again and then ambled over to sniff Rufus's butt. She was a lot like a dog that way, though I'd never tell her that. I like my bed not peed in.

He always seemed to have a sly grin on his face, like he'd just thought of this hilarious joke that he was about to tell you and it would be so funny you would pee your pants. And he knew you would, which was why he was smiling to begin with.

I'll be requiring some decent food and a litter box, he said. If you have that in your room, then we are agreed.

I loved, loved, LOVED this book. Humorous, delightfully cheerful, clever, and refreshingly quirky, Cat Girl's Day Off is one of the most enjoyable novels I've ever read. You wouldn't believe how much fun I had with this book. Filled with vibrant personalities, laugh-out-loud hilarious dialogues, eye-popping situations, mysteries, and cats with attitude, Kimberly Pauley's most recent book is a cat story like you've never read before. I'm not exaggerating, this book is flipping EPIC!

Our heroine, Natalie, is a cat girl. No, I don't mean an old and grumpy cat lady that smells like cat urine and is totally socially awkward. I mean a girl that can hear cats and carry out full-blown conversations with them. The ability to talk to cats is Natalie's talent. In fact, each of her family members has some sort of a special talent/ability: her little sister is uber-smart and can blend into the environment much like a chameleon, her older sister is a human-lie detector, her mom - is super intelligent (highest IQ in the world) and has incredible laser vision, and her dad's talent is so complex it's practically not possible to classify it. Natalie always thought that from all the talents she could've ended up with, she got the most boring one. She's so ashamed of it, keeps it a secret and never ever talks about it. Only her two best friends, the geektastic celebrity-gossip-machine Oscar and gorgeous born-to-be-famous Melly, know about Natalie's ability. It isn't until the famous celebrity blogger, Easton West, gets kidnapped that Natalie's unique skills finally come in handy. With the help of the most aristocratic pink cat you'll ever meet, Nat and her two faithful side-kicks will make saving Easton their mission. And let me just tell, it won't be an easy one!

Where do I begin? I loved everything about this book, from the phenomenal, three-dimensional characters to intriguing plot line to Kimberly's fluid and entirely captivating writing style. This book is a treat, and not only for cat people - I don't consider myself a cat person (please don't tell Rufus!), but I enjoyed every second of this novel. The plot line was mysterious, funny, romantic and positively energetic. It kept me intrigued and well entertained throughout the entire time. There were some paranormal elements to it (the talents), but I can't really call it a paranormal book, to me it was a contemporary novel with paranormal elements (and I will stick to that!). Light, fluffy, and colourful, this is an uplifting read, and one that is sure to bring a huge grin to your face.

One aspect of Cat Girl's Day Off was especially fascinating to me, and I'm talking about this book being minority and LGBT friendly. The story featured not one, but many Asian or half-Asian (like Oscar) characters and they were all brilliantly fleshed-out, and - what is extremely important - in totally non-stereotypical way. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to read a book with such multicultural diversity, and one that would also be incredibly tolerant and accepting of homosexual characters. A breath of fresh air, to say the least! I loved that the lead protagonist was not yet another gorgeous blond girl with blue eyes. I'm so tired of clones! I needed Nat to be different, and she was - in so many ways, all of them absolutely wonderful. Her vibrant personality really stood out to me (and so did Oscar's and Melly's, not to mention the absolutely fabulous Rufus!), and I quickly warmed up to her. She was likeable, just a little bit shy (but not embarrassingly so), full of energy, and with a charming sense of humour. I was so proud of her when she asked Ian out! She did it in the most stylish, bad-ass, adorable way, and at that time all I wanted to do is high-five her - I was so proud, I think I almost teared up! Oscar was just wicked awesome, and I absolutely and utterly adored him. Next to Nat and Rufus he was one of my top three favourite characters. And out of all the characters in this book, I believe Oscar to have the most approachable, sparkly personality - I couldn't help but to love him.

Cat Girl's Day Off is not only an action-packed and intensely entertaining story. This book is also layered up with meaning and profound messages. Featuring themes like friendship, family, self-discovery and self-acceptance, it's a book that will not only make you snort your drink through your nose, but also make you stop and think. To me, this book is a gem. It's a pocket full of sunshine that brightened my day, made me laugh like a maniac (and in public, too!), and left me feeling satisfied, mellow, and enriched.

This review is posted as part of the Contemporary Fiction Month feature!

Click on the picture for full schedule.

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

Labels: Comedy, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction Month, Mystery, Review |

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2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge - Update + Giveaway

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Hello, lovelies! Hope you're doing great! I'm here to post a quick reminder that May's WRAP-UP post can be find over at Christa's Hooked On Books

She is also hosting a great International giveaway for anyone who joined our challenge, so if you've read and reviewed any of your TBR books in the month of May, make sure to stop by her blog, link up your reviews and enter the giveaway! (and just FYI, you can join the challenge ANYTIME!)

For me, May was very slow. I have been focusing all my energy on preparing the Contemporary Fiction Month feature that is now up and running on the blog. Needless to say, I didn't get to read many books from my 2011 (or earlier) reading pile. I did read one, though, and it was awesome! I finally got around to reading and reviewing The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter :)

Click here for my review!

And don't forget to enter my giveaway of Goddess Interrupted before it's over! Click here.

That's it for me! Keep on reading, lovelies! This month's WRAP-UP post will be posted at Jenna's Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/, so look out for that, too!

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Interview: Elizabeth Eulberg, author of Take A Bow + GIVEAWAY

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I'm honoured to be joined today by the fabulous Elizabeth Eulberg, author of the absolutely breathtaking YA contemporary novel, Take a Bow.
If you missed my review of Take A Bow click here, or simply scroll down a bit (it's the post below this one).

1. Welcome to Bookish, Elizabeth! Thank you so much for being one of the guests during the Contemporary Fiction Month feature! Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Thanks for having me! I'm the author of three (THREE?!?!?) novels, I'm also a huge music lover and karaoke enthusiast. When I'm not pretending to be a rock star, I love to read and go for walks on the beach. Wait, is this a dating profile?

2. I loved reading Take A Bow, it was such a gorgeous, captivating and meaningful read! Would you mind telling us who or what inspired you to write it?

Thanks! My love of music was a huge inspiration for the book. Growing up, I always wanted to go to a performing arts high school as I couldn't imagine anything better than spending all day at school surrounded by music. But there wasn't a performing arts high school near the little town I'm from, so I decided to write a book set in one!

3. What would you say is the most important quality your characters possess?

I think they all have heart, even if one's intentions aren't the best. I also made an effort to make them flawed. Nobody is perfect. Especially one of the characters!

4. What is your favourite and least favourite part of the writing process?

I love creating a new world and playing "WHAT IF?" to get the plot down. I think my least favorite part is that it can sometimes be a very isolated job. The only way the book is going to be written is if you sit down and write it. But it is the best job in the world, so no complaints!

5. Have you always wanted to be a writer? At what point in your life did you decide that writing is something you want to do?

I've always like telling stories and I wanted to be a musician since I was little. It wasn't until I began working in publishing years ago that I decided to give it a shot. It was very intimidating since I was surrounded

by all these amazing authors and I kept it a secret pretty much until I had a publishing deal!

6. What's on your TBR (To Be Read) list for this summer?

SO many books! Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti, Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker, Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley - and that's just for June!

7. Do you have a favourite line/quote from a book or poem?

One of my favorite quotes is from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."

And of course there's "Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them." Not exactly sure where that's from, but I agree with it!

8. What's next in line for you? Are you working on a new book now?

My next novel, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, will be coming out next spring. I just started outlining what will be my fifth novel, but too soon to talk about that one!

9. Which three contemporary books would you like to see adapted into motion pictures?

Selfishly, The Lonely Hearts Club. The Gallagher Girl series by Ally Carter and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.

10. Yearbook Superlatives! If you went to high school with the characters from your novel, who would you vote for?

Most likely to succeed? Carter (at the start of senior year!) and Sophie (at least in HER mind!)

Class clown? Jack

Nicest? Emme

Most school spirit? Ben

Most likely to attend summer school? Ethan

Teachers pet? Emme

Elizabeth, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us here today! I'm looking forward to reading your next books!

About the author:

Elizabeth Eulberg's lifelong love of music inspired Take a Bow. Although she didn't attend a performing arts school, she is currently trying to make up for it in karaoke bars throughout the greater New York area. She is the author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice. She lives outside of Manhattan with her three guitars, two keyboards, and one drumstick. For one brief, shining moment in '09, she was chosen as the Guitar Bar of Hoboken's Student of the Week.

For more information about Elizabeth Eulberg and her books, please visit her website: click here.

!!! ~Giveaway~!!!

Scholastic Canada has generously offered to give away one hardcover copy of Take A Bow.

I am offering one extra copy for my International readers!

OPEN TO: Canada only + World Wide

Ends: June 30th

To enter:

Be a follower of this blog, 13 or older, and answer the question:

You learned what's on Elizabeth's summer TBR list, what's on YOURS???

Enter via rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Interview + Giveaway was posted as part of the Contemporary Fiction Month feature. Click on the picture for full schedule.

Labels: Author Interview, Contemporary Fiction Month, Giveaway |

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Genre:	Young Adult, Contemporary, Comedy, Mystery, Paranormal
Publication.Date	April 1st 2012
Pages:	334
Published By:	Tu Books \|
Website	Kimberly Pauley \|
	Cat Girl's Day Off - Goodreads
My review copy:	Finished copy won in a giveaway at Nook Full Of Books (Thank you, Agnieszka!)