Anne Osterlund's Blog, page 4

Guest Post Topic from Carol: Why do you write for the young adult audience and how do you choose your subject matter?
I look at Salva.
He ignores me, pretending to focus on his hand of poker cards. I’m getting the distinct impression he thinks someone else should answer this question, but Aurelia, the heroine of my earlier books Aurelia and Exile, is busy dealing. And Robert as well as Aerin and Dane, from Academy 7,wisely declined to join the game. Besides, this is Salva’s blog tour, and he should really take the lead in answering the guest posts.
“Why do I write YA?” I say to him.
He switches around the cards in his hand, then stretches out on the carpet, rolls over on his back, and pretends to be concentrating. “Not sure. You love teenagers?” he pretends to answer.
“That is such BS and you know it,” I say.
He rolls back over on his stomach, trades in a card, and feigns nonchalance. “You find us more of a challenge than adults?” he asks.
To read the rest, join Salva, Beth, Aurelia and I for our guest post at The Paperback Princesses.

Character Profiles Name: Salva (Salvador) Resendez Grade in School: Senior Favorite subject: Salva doesn’t really figure this out until late in the novel. Hobbies: Football. Student government. Reading nonfiction. Science Odyssey Team. I’m not sure you can call any of these hobbies. Salva is seriously overbooked. Friends: Pepe & Tosa are his closest friends. Though Salva has kind of a magnetic personality, and he’s pretty good at respecting anyone’s strengths.
To be continued . . .


Name: Beth Courant
Grade in School: SeniorFavorite subject: EnglishHobbies: Reading. She loves writing, but she doesn’t consider that a hobby.Friends: Ni (Nalani) Villetti To be continued . . .

To read the rest of Salva & Beth's character profiles and to sign up for the last scheduled giveaway of the SALVATION blog tour, join Salva, Beth, and I at A Life Bound by Books.

Then come join us for today's interview at Stalking the Bookshelves.


Taster question:

I love that Salva is "nice guy" instead of the YA staple "bad boy". Was he always envisioned that way or did the character change as you were writing him?
Salva has always been ethical, intelligent, motivated, and worried about living up to his family’s expectations. His parents and older siblings have sacrificed so much for him to have an opportunity at a great future. He wants desperately to live up to those sacrifices. Without this history, he would not be who he is. I have known so many teens—especially in immigrant and single-parent families—who take on extraordinary responsibilities. Salva is flawed and conflicted; he has yet to determine his own path. But he is, at heart, an incredible human being.

Anne
(who is just home from ALA and has a very happy Simba kitty)

By Anne Osterlund (with help from Beth and none from Salva)


The living room has been invaded by guys. Salva; his older brother, Miguel; and Salva’s friend, Tosa, are spread out on the furniture with their eyes glued to the television and—shudder—a football game. The scent of popcorn permeates the room. 

I open the door to the outside world. “Off to Wondrous Reads!” I declare. 

Beth instantly pops her head out from the library room. “Will we be reading?” 

“No, we’re talking about our top ten contemporary YA novels,” I explain. 

“I don’t read novels,” Salva says, failing to get up from the couch. He has about ten books lying around the house and they’re all nonfiction reads like The History of the World’s Most Polluted Places. 

“You can fake it,” I say.

To read the rest, come join Salva, Beth, and I for our guest post today by clicking on the link to Wondrous Reads! 

“Salvation is a moving and entertaining book with an unexpected finale that will trap you from the beginning and consolidates Anne Osterlund as one of the most brilliant authors of the YA genre.”—Naty Gomez from Literatura Romantica Juvenil
(translated by yours truly)
So sweet! Naty Gomez, from Colombia, won my SALVATION Goodreads Giveaway. (The odds for winning, btw, were 1 in 3,000. She posted an absolutely wonderful review in Spanish this week, and Salva, Beth, and I are so thrilled that our final ARC went to a recipient who drew so much meaning from their story. Check out her review and the rest of her blog at LiteraturaRomantica Juvenil . (There is an English translation tool, though at times it is quite hilarious. All the “he’s” that refer to Beth should be “she’s.”)
This is definitely a week for expecting the unexpected. In the non-virtual world, Salva, Beth, and I are knee deep in the middle of meeting all kinds of amazing librarians/teachers/students and fellow authors at the ALA Mid-winter Meeting this weekend. Today we met Barbara Caridad Ferrer, the author of When the Stars Go Blue (I am dying to read this book!) and Heather Davis, the author of Never Cry Werewolf. Heather is clearly a kindred spirit.
In addition to that, Salva and Beth received more surprise reviews! Jeracalea from My Nose in Books wrote a wonderful review . I love her summary from the point of view of both characters. And her conclusion. “I think that all teens should read this!”
Definitely a quote that calls for happy dancing.
And Montana from The Book Belles posted an adorable review . (She gives out flowers instead of stars:)
Plus, we had two scheduled interviews. One with ReadingAngel yesterday.
Taster Question:Were you more like Salva (star-athlete, outgoing, ect) or Beth (the shy quiet type) when you were in high school?LOL. I don’t think I was half as interesting as Salva or Beth. To misquote Anne of Green Gables, “If you’d only let me tell you what I imagined about myself, it would be so much more interesting!”
I will confess to being a perfectionist. Salva, Beth, and I all have that in common. Sometimes I think the things that make Salva and Beth the same—their intelligence, drive, grief, and fear—those are the elements that I find the most fascinating.

Last—but not least: Salva, Beth, and I flew in our internet plane to meet Dannielle from Book Whale Reviews. Dannielle is an amazing blog host! She was one of the first to contact us (last summer, I think!) and the first to send questions. I hope you all enjoy both our interview and her site.
Taster Question:Give us three "interesting" facts about you (Be Creative).Salva and Beth—the main characters from Salvation—and I will give you each one.-Salva once snuck a snake into church.-Beth likes bubblegum ice cream.-I belong to a fluffy orange kitty named Simba.
Anne(who knew this weekend would be crazy, but not this crazy)

Salva, Beth, and I are everywhere again today! (We're taking an international internet plane).

First there's our scheduled interview at Tina's Book Reviews:


Tell us three random things about yourself.I’ll tell you one for each of us:Salva is taking AP calc.Beth has a habit of losing her calculator.I have a bunch of main characters—from Salvation, Academy 7, Aurelia, and Exile—that like to get together and throw parties on my blog. 
(But then all of you already know that:) To read the rest of the interview, follow the link above.

Next, there's our promised interview at A Good Addiction. Just went up a day late. This one has a genuine taster question:


What kind of cookie would you describe yourself as?Homemade chocolate chip. In this, Salva and I agree. We’re both perfectionists.
Join Salva, Beth, and I for a little perfection at the link above.
And finally, if you are up for a some fabulous Mexican sunshine (y si quieres celebrar en el espanol), take an international flight to join us at Libros de Vida with Diana. (Gracias a Diana por la oportunidad!)
Ejemplo de Pregunta:
Describe un poco a los personajes principales en SalvationSalva (Salvador) Resendez es un joven brillante que está más allá de los reflectores. Es presidente del consejo estudiantil, quarterback del equipo de futbol y tiene un promedio casi perfecto. Su familia inmigrante mexicana tiene altas expectativas y Salva pretende cumplirlas. Pero en vez de aprovechar su habilidad de líder, permite que sus amigos lo dirijan.
Hasta que conoce a Beth Courant, conocida como un área de desastre andante. Beth – desorganizada, inteligente, sensible y soñadora – puede ser su salvación. Pero lo que ni Salva ni Beth saben es que el costo de la salvación es la moral.

Salva, Beth, and I are at Good Choice Reading. Another incredible site! Our interview today includes a very special sneak peak. Think of it as the teaser before the Teaser Tour!

Also here's a taster question:
Describe your main characters in six words.

Salva
-Intelligent -Driven -Competitive -Kind -Torn -Afraid
Beth -Disorganized -Sensitive -Caring -Whip smart -Passionate -Strong
To read the rest and sign up to win an autographed ARC, click on the link to Good Choice Reading.
Anne(who is packing tomorrow for the ALA Mid-winter Meeting:)

"My favorite thing about the novel was that the ending came out of nowhere. It was not at all what I was expecting and just as I was getting to know the characters and what to expect Osterlund changed the game and made me reevaluate everything. It is writing like this that takes me completely by surprise that I fall in love with and I think that is why I loved Salvation so much, it took me by surprise."--Emily from Falling for YA

Wow! Salva, Beth, and I are on Tour Stop #19 today. I can't believe we're only half done! Check out Emily's great review & giveaway. Plus, of course, another interview.

Taster Question:
Salva's struggles to stay true to himself while also pleasing his immigrant father were so vivid. Did you have to deal with something similar growing up? Or have you had students who were dealing with these high parental expectations? I think the struggle to find one’s own path is a universal part of the senior year experience. Along with that rush of knowing the year is going to end, friends are going to move on, and that no matter what choice you make, life is going to change dramatically. Salva has plenty of his own problems without me pawning mine off on him. His sense of responsibility is heightened, both by his role as an older sibling in an immigrant family and as one in which a parent has died.

To read the rest, click on the link to join Salva, Beth, and I at Falling for YA.

SALVATION Blog Tour Schedule—updated 1-20-13
Salva, Beth, and I have added several tour stops to our original tour schedule. In addition to adding Fiction Folio last Friday, we also moved Wondrous Reads to Jan. 27th and added stops at Read For Your Future, Confessions of a Vi3t Babe, The Reading Date, and Adventures in YA Publishing. Our updated schedule is below!

What:SALVATION Blog TourWho: Anyone interested in joining my main characters—Salva and Beth—and I for a month of celebrating our new book, Salvation, with giveaways, crazy guest posts, quirky interviews, honest reviews, and sneak peaks! When: Dec. 24th-Feb. 8th. See the schedule below.Where: Various websites all across the literary universe. See the schedule below.Why: To have fun, get to know Salva and Beth, and win free stuff!Contact: Follow the links on the schedule below.


December 24th—A Reader of Fictions: http://readeroffictions.blogspot.com/Dec. 28th—Reads and Thoughts: http://karlaamaemaglaoy.wordpress.com/Dec. 31—The Story Siren: http://www.thestorysiren.com/Jan. 1—The Irish Banana Review: http://theirishbanana.blogspot.com/Jan. 2—YA Bibliophile: http://www.yabibliophile.com/Jan. 3—The Authoress: www.theauthoress.comJan. 4—YA Bliss: http://www.yabliss.com/Jan. 7—Michelle and Leslie’s Book Picks: http://booksandmakeup.blogspot.com/Jan. 8—Cari’s Book Blog: http://cariblogs.blogspot.com/Jan. 9—The Compulsive Reader: http://www.thecompulsivereader.com/Jan. 10th—SALVATION RELEASE DAY!!!amaterasu Reads: http://amaterasureads.blogspot.com/Northwest News & Notes:http://www.novelsnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/Jan. 11—Tabitha’s Book Blog: http://tabithabookblog.blogspot.com/Jan. 14—Yearning To Read: http://yearningtoread.blogspot.com/Jan. 15—Candace’s Book Blog: http://www.candacesbookblog.comJan. 16—In Between: http://inbetweenwritingandreading.blogspot.com/Jan. 17—Katie’s Book Blog: http://www.katiesbookblog.com/Jan. 18—Fiction Folio:http://www.fictionfolio.com/Jan. 21—Falling For YA: http://fallingforya.blogspot.com/ Adventures in YA Publishing: http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/Jan. 22—Good Choice Reading: http://www.goodchoicereading.com/Jan. 23—A Good Addiction: http://agoodaddiction.blogspot.com/Jan. 24—Tina’s Book Reviews: http://www.tinasbookreviews.com/Jan. 25—Reading Angel: http://www.readingangel.com/Jan. 26—Book Whale Reviews: http://bookwhales.blogspot.com/Jan. 27—Wondrous Reads: http://www.wondrousreads.com/Jan. 28—A Life Bound By Books: http://alifeboundbybooks.blogspot.com/Jan. 29—Stalking the Bookshelves: http://stalkingthebookshelves.blogspot.com/Jan. 30—Read For Your Future: http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com/Jan. 31—The Paperback Princesses: http://allaboutyabooks.blogspot.com/Feb. 1—One Week SALVATION Sneak Peak Tour!Pure Imagination: Sneak Peak 1 http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/Feb. 2—Always YA at Heart: Sneak Peak 2:http://www.alwaysyaatheart.com/Feb. 3—Books with Bite: Sneak Peak 3:          http://www.bookswithbite.net/Feb. 4—Live to Read: Sneak Peak 4:http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/Feb. 5—The Bookish Babe: Sneak Peak 5:http://thebookishbabes.blogspot.comFeb. 6—Confessions of a Vi3tBabehttp://confessionsofavi3tbabe.com/Feb. 7—The Reading Date          http://thereadingdate.com/Feb. 8—I am a Reader Not a Writer: Sneak Peak 8:http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com

            “So . . . we’re off to Fiction Folio today for the next stop on our Salvation blog tour!” I announce, stepping into the living room.             Salva, who’s already waiting by the outside door, tightens his watch. “That wasn’t on the schedule.”             “I know.” I reach into my pockets for the car keys. “But we had to push back Wondrous Reads because the mail between here and the U.K. simply wasn’t up to par over Christmas Break  so the arc was late and—”             “I think Fiction Folio is a fantastic site!” Beth sings as she enters the room. She has on a long, flowy purple skirt that clearly belongs to a former crown princess from two of my previous novels, Aurelia and Exile. “Aurelia says Tara said wonderful things about her books.”             “Right.” Salva eyes the skirt warily, then looks back at me. “But you should have told us.”             “Sorry,” I apologize. My hands come out of my empty pockets. No keys. “I was just so excited when the book hit stores last week that I was telling everyone and posting on Facebook and newsletters and—”
Come read the rest by joining Salva, Beth, and I at Fiction Folio.

"By the end of the book I had tears running down my face and I definitely needed some tissues with this one."--Katie at Katie's Book Blog on SALVATION

I think Salva, Beth, and I are now all in tears ourselves. We consider tears the epitome of the power of the written word. Check out the rest of Katie's review along with an interview at Katie's Book Blog.

Taster Question:
The characters in Salvation all have very different personalities.  Is there one character most like you?
Um . . . no, of course not. I never lose things like Beth. (I say as I glance around the room wondering what on earth happened to my address labels). Or type up my notes like Salva. (I add, while, yes, typing up the third draft of this interview). Or—cough—set ridiculously unreachable goals like both Salva and Beth. (Such as writing four young adult novels for Penguin Books).
In truth, I think all authors relate to their main characters. But ultimately Salva and Beth are very much themselves. They have no problem arguing with me when necessary.
To read the rest, follow the link above.