Get Lost with Author Joelle Charbonneau

Get Lost in a Story Readers, I am pleased to present New York Times best selling author Joelle Charbonneau  ~ Donnell

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say?

But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?  

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it.  But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies – trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose:  love without truth or life without trust.

Praise for The Testing

“The Testing is a chilling and devious dystopian thriller that all fans of The Hunger Games will simply devour. Joelle Charbonneau writes with guts and nerve but also great compassion and heart. Highly recommended.” – Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Rot & Ruin and Flesh & Bone

“Trained to rely on her wits, Cia must survive on her courage and trust her instincts, even when it means following her heart ever deeper into danger. A surefire favorite for dystopian fans, The Testing crackles with suspense, passion and betrayal set against a scarred and brutal world.” –Sophie Littlefield, author of Unforsaken and Hanging By A Thread.

 

DONNELL:  Joelle, welcome back to Get Lost in a Story.  It's been a long time!  Congratulations on hitting the list of the New York Times for book one in the Testing trilogy.  What went through your head when you hit #8 on such a prestigious list?

JOELLE:  Ha!  I value your friendship far more than any NY Times best selling label, although I have to admit the label is pretty darn cool.  But strange.  I admit that I haven’t a clue what went through my head when I got the news that we hit the list the first time.  All I really remember was shedding a bunch of tears.  The emotions – shock, thrill, joy, terror (don’t ask…but it’s in there) –were really overwhelming.

DONNELL:  You write other series as well as your YA trilogy.  Your Skating series published by St. Martins and your Choir for Hire series published by Berkley.  Do you walk into walls and spend a lot of time talking to yourself because I sure would?

JOELLE:  Is that how I got those bruises?  Huh…who knew?  I guess I should pay more attention to where I walk.  Or just sit down more!

DONNELL:  In addition to writing, you have a small child, and you just returned from a book tour.  I’m a little concerned that you’re not applying yourself.  Seriously, are you meticulously organized?  Should we be concerned you’re taking too much on?

JOELLE:  The kid is tons of fun and the book tour was a wild experience.  I’m glad I’ve gotten to do so many things that I’d never dreamed of doing since I started writing.  And while I try to stay organized, I admit that lots of things fall through the cracks.  At the top of the list is sleepJ

DONNELL:  Dumb, dumb question:  Do you have any hobbies?

JOELLE:  Deep sea diving….kidding!  I love to cook, which is great bonding time with the small person in my life since he loves cooking, too.  I’m also a big fan of all sports (are the Olympics here, yet?) and reading.  The last is probably a given, but hey – I needed something else to make me sound well-rounded.

DONNELL:  You visit a lot of schools as a result of the book, The Testing.  I assume your fans ask you lots of questions.  What is a question you were asked that surprised you?

JOELLE:  School visits are the unexpected and possibly the best part of my job as a young adult author.  The question that surprised me the most was when a student asked how I stayed motivated through all the rejection and if I had advice for them on how to survive rejection as well.  I was so impressed that the student (whom I’m told by a teacher has incredibly high grades and great test scores) was already thinking ahead and accumulating tools to face any difficulties she might face in achieving the future she is dreaming of. 

DONNELL:  I heard a rumor you can carry a tune.  True/false?

JOELLE:   My masters degree claims this to be true!

DONNELL:  What’s in your refrigerator right now?

JOELLE:  You do realize that I’ve been out of town for 2 weeks right?  Milk and chocolate milk (just bought yesterday), some cheese and eggs.  Oh – there was a bottle of prosecco, but we opened that to celebrate INDEPENDENT STUDY’s appearance on the Times List.  I would have offered you a glass, but you live too far away.  The bubbles would have fizzled by the time you got it.

DONNELL:  It's the thought that counts.  Thanks.  Joelle, it’s your turn to ask the readers a questions.

JOELLE'S QUESTION FOR READERS:  Okay – here’s one I’m dying to ask – have you ever tried to figure out how many licks it really takes to get to the center of a Toosie Pop?  If so – how many?  I’ve never been patient enough to figure out the answer.

And I’m happy to give away a signed copy of either THE TESTING, INDEPENDENT STUDY or A CHORUS LINEUP.  Reader’s choice!

 www.joellecharbonneau.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/AuthorJoelleCharbonneau

Twitter – @jcharbonneau

Joelle Charbonneau has performed in opera and musical theatre productions across Chicagoland.  She now teaches private voice lessons and is the author of two mystery series:  The Rebecca Robbins mysteries (Minotaur Books) and the Glee Club mysteries (Berkley).  Joelle’s also the author of New York Times Best Selling THE TESTING trilogy.   Learn more at www.joellecharbonneau.com, www.facebook.com/AuthorJoelleCharbonneau, or find her on twitter at @jcharbonneau. 

Our Darling Donnell

DONNELL ANN BELL AT THE GOLDEN NETWORK RECEPTION

(left) RITA award winning Young Adult author Rosemary Clement-Moore, Margie Lawson, Jean Willet, Angi Morgan and Donnell. (right) Donnell, Lynda Bailey & Jean Willett.

Thanks, Angi, you and the wonderful women pictured above have always got my back ;) and I so appreciate your lovely header.

What's the one thing you learned at conference last year you wish everyone knew?

DONNELL: Wow, why do I get the tough questions? I learned so much being a two-time Golden Heart finalist. The first time, I earned the GH nod, I walked around with that try-to-be savvy, try-not-to-impersonate-a-deer-in-the-headlight-look. And it wasn't even the harsh-element experienced deer either, darn it. For this Colorado girl, I wore a corralled *rein* deer expression. Rudolph had nothing on me.

So what have I learned from conferences? That you have to *make it what it is.* If you go there clutching for your comfort zone and your friends' shirtsleeves... Big mistake. Get out there. Walk up to people, introduce yourselves. Try to engage colleagues in conversation.

You'll find that most people are just that--people. Don't monopolize the conversation, of course. Ask them about themselves. Find out what they write. If you know and love their writing, let them know about it. If you don't know what they write, tell them you'll have to check out their books, and then make a point to do so. Show them you mean it and write down their title's name or ask them for a business card. Then slip them one of your own, and say let's keep in touch.

Most of all, have fun!

Networking is our friend in this business. Pictured below with me is my buddy Joelle Charbonneau who was one of our first bloggers at GET LOST IN A STORY. Below Joelle is my fabulous critique group and the flowers they brought me when I sold.

Back row: Jude Wilhoff, Sharon Silva & Karen Fox
Jodi Anderson, Pam McCutcheon aka Parker Blue & Angel Smits

DEBUT BOOK
TITLE THE PAST CAME HUNTING

Bell Bridge Books
ISBN:

Available September 15, 2011

My promo will be short and sweet right now, dear readers, because the fabulous minds at Bell Bridge Books are working on a title for my debut book (formerly Walk Away Joe). With each new day, I learn something amazing about the publishing industry, and how much *work and creativity* is behind it. I couldn't have sold to a more hands-on company that supports its authors. We're kind of like the story of the three bears right now... We want everything to be .... just right.

To name a few of my Bell Bridge cohorts, the fabulous Parker Blue, author of the very successful Demon Underground series, Ken Casper, author of As the Crow Dies, Lisa Turner, author of A Little Death in Dixie, which recently grabbed # 1 Book on Amazon.com !! these are just a fraction of the talent that surrounds me. To learn more about their releases and those of others, check out http://www.bellbridgebooks.com/

Then, when it's my turn, I hope you'll share in my uncontainable joy as I have my outstanding blog partners at Get Lost in a Story. September's just around the corner. The book was already special. Bell Bridge has made it extraordinarily so.

YOU CAN FIND DONNELL AT:

Her website, Facebook Twitter, @DonnellAnnBell & blogging on Five Scribes.

GET LOST WITH THE CREW
Leave a comment this week and be eligible for Gift Cards or Books from The Crew and other autographed books they pick up at conference. Drawings to be held on July 4th.

Donnell is adding to the prize pool by donating a $15.00 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift certificate (one lucky commenter's choice.)

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

TODAY'S QUESTION:
Let's talk heroes: Alpha, Beta or somewhere in between. Who's your favorite hero and why?

Joelle Charbonneau

Get Lost in a Mystery to Make You Laugh ....


Joelle Charbonneau is one of the nicest, kindest people I've had the pleasure to know. If she's not teaching voice lessons, or playing with her son Max, she's laughing with her husband Andy, or writing in the wee hours. Trust me I know because I'm usually up at the same time....


About Joelle:

While Joelle is happy to perform for an audience, she is equally delighted to teach private voice lessons and use her experience from the stage to create compelling characters in her mysteries. Her first Rebecca Robbins mystery, Skating Around The Law, which Kirkus Reviews called “Funny and sexy”, hit shelves this past September. The second book in the series, Skating Over the Line, will be released in September of 2011.

Please welcome, St. Martin Minotaur Author Joelle Charbonneau as she answers our GET LOST IN A STORY "Get to know you" questions.

Which of your characters would you most/least invite to dinner, and why?As long as Pop shows up at dinner without one of his dates, I would love to have him at the table. His dates are a little too aggressive for my taste, but Pop is a hoot. People might be laughing too hard at his stories to actually eat, but that’s okay. I think laughter is the best part of friends getting together.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?Yeah, I admit that I do read some reviews. Hey – I can’t help it. My publisher e-mails some of them to me. However, as a former professional actress and singer, I am used to dealing with reviews. Whether they are glowing or hideously awful, they are just one person’s opinion. I’ve read fabulous reviews of books that I’ve hated and scathing reviews of novels I’ve loved. Most of the time I’m just amused at what the reviewer chooses to focus on. Often they see something in the book I never even thought was there.

Have you ever written a character who wasn’t meant to be a hero/heroine but he/she wouldn’t go away?Well, in Skating the camel wasn’t meant to be a huge part of the storyline, but he wouldn’t leave me alone. All of the sudden he was taking over scenes and looking for people to love him. Does that count?

What is your favorite cheese?Provolone with Brie as a close second – yikes, both of those sound kind of pretentious. Perhaps I should have stuck with cheddar.

Tea or coffee?Coffee – if it doesn’t taste like coffee. Then I’ll choose tea.

What name have you been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet?Roberta. I love being able to shorten the name to Bobbie, but so far, it hasn’t managed to fly in a book. Maybe some day.

What’s in your refrigerator right now?Diet Pepsi, left-over ham, eggs and lots of veggies. Hmmm…I think you just reminded me that I need to go to the store – or maybe I’ll just make a frittata for dinner tonight *grin*

Is Elvis really dead?I sure hope so, otherwise all those Elvis impersonators are in for a huge lawsuit.

What is your favorite tradition from your childhood, that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?My dad wasn’t a fan of cartoons, but every year during the holidays he scoured the paper looking for the kids’ specials. On the nights they were on, my father popped popcorn, pulled the big comfy arm chairs in front of the T.V., got out blankets and pillows and watched Charlie Brown, Rudolph and Frosty with us.

What does it mean to love someone?I tend to go against the popular saying and believe it always means you’re willing to say you are sorry.

What color would you make the sky if it weren't going to be blue anymore?Can we make it more than one color? I think streaks of silver, chartreuse and gold would make for an interesting morning commute.

What do you do to unwind and relax?I read. (Yep, I’m that boring.) I also love to cook. More often than not, I create my own recipes by throwing whatever I think might taste good in a pan together. Then I tell my husband that we might have to order out for pizza. So far – no pizza has been ordered, but that streak is bound to end some time.

What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?I’ve been fortunate to meet a great number of the writers that I’ve always loved and admired. And the best part is they are all fabulous people.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?I can’t come up with last names for my characters. For Skating Around The Law I asked my mother to list all the people she could remember from her competitive roller skating days. Lots of those names ended up in the book. Now that I’m on FB, I tend to scroll down the list of friends for inspiration.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing/researching a book?That one humped camels are faster and better for racing. Even more surprising, camel jockeys sit on a saddle which rests on top of the one hump. Go fig.

What is your favorite kid joke?What is black and white and red all over? (A newspaper – HA!)

Which era would you least like to live in, fashion-wise? Most?Don’t you dare drop me into the 70’s. Me and bell-bottoms would NOT get along. However, feel free to time warp me back into the mid-1800’s (although I’m taking my modern plumbing with me.) The opera singer in me loves to wear corsets!

Tell me how many hats you have in your home?Wow – lots. Do we count the hats that are part of Halloween costumes, too? If so, I’d guess somewhere around 40 or 50, which means it is time to give some of them away.

Dog person or cat person?I love cats. I love dogs. However, I own a cat. Cats are a lot less work. When you have a toddler in the house, less work is a good thing.

Which is your favorite language other than your native language?French. I love the sound of it, although I’m not always so fond of French when I have to sing it. The speaking rules and singing rules are different. (Although, I admit that my first response to this question was English – not American English, but the British variety. If you’ve even spoken with a Brit you’ll agree that the two versions of English sometimes bare no resemblance to the other.)

If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and specifically why?1908 to watch the Cubs win the World Series. God only knows if I’ll ever see it in my lifetime, so I might have to do a bit of science fiction magic in order to experience it.

What would you do if you had a time machine?Beat it with a very large sledge hammer. I know me. I like to tinker and play with things. The world would not be better off if I started traveling through time. Trust me.

How much money does it take to be happy?Enough to pay the bills and go out and see a movie once and a while.

What question are you never asked in interviews, but wish you were?How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?Well, the smart money says I’d go back to stage performing, but I’m also intrigued by public relations. Can I do both?

What’s the first thing you do when you finish a book?Call my husband. (Is that weird?)

If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?Stephen Sondheim. If you’ve seen Sweeny Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Assassins, Into The Woods, A Little Night Music or any of his other shows you know why. The man is a genius. I’d love to pick his brain and see the world from his point of view if only for a moment.If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?Everyone talks about writer’s block, but I think that phrase means different things to different people. I don’t suffer from it in the traditional sense. I always can write something, but occasionally I get hung up half way through a chapter as to what my final chapter hook is going to be. I can’t write well after the mid-point of a chapter until I know where the chapter is going. Those are moments where I have to put aside the typing and let my brain think a while. I use that thinking time to wash floors and do laundry. It’s amazing how having to do those tasks always kick starts my mind into coming up with an idea so I can put away the housework and start typing again.

~ ~ ~
Thank you for being our guest here today, Joelle. What wonderful answers to our questions! To learn more about Joelle visit her web page at http://www.joellecharbonneau.net/ Today, one lucky commenter will receive a $25 Barnes and Nobel gift certificate.

Come back tomorrow when The Lost 6 tell just a little about ourselves. Should be fun!
Please "like" us on Facebook: Get Lost In A Story to get a daily update on guests and prizes.
Donnell

AND A QUESTION FOR OUR READERS to get the comments flowing...
Which of Joelle's answers surprised you the most?
Thanks everyone for stopping by. Just to clarify, The Get Lost crew have come up with this fabulous questionnaire, and we hope authors and readers will enjoy reading them. I will do more serious interviews but later when I'm not on deadline. ;) Or of course authors have their choice of this "getting to know" you form.

~~ As for yesterday's winner of the Barnes and Noble $25 gift certificate, ALEXA, you are the winner! If you didn't leave your e-mail please contact me at bellson@comcast.net. Happy Storytelling, everyone!! ~~