Teens Read Too Blog

Just wanted to let everyone know that an interview with yours truly is currently up at the Teens Read Too Blog, talking about my new book Split and things like cleaning my basement.

Teens Read Too, btw, is a great site covering the gamut of the Teen/YA reading world.  Drop by and leave a comment.

Meanwhile, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB) gave Split a nice review, saying in part:

"The fact that the Wades aren't integrated, healed, or thrown back a year to when this all began is deeply satisfying, especially as readers will likely find both of them compelling protagonists who deserve their wildly divergent, dreamed-about happy endings.”

I’m particularly pleased with that bit, since it hits my intentions for the book squarely on the head.  I’m likewise happy to say the BookSpot blog also got the idea, saying in part, “I enjoyed that the two characters (two Wades) were so different but it was obvious that they had both started at the same place, too. They weren't so, so different that it was unbelievable that they'd just made different choices but not similar enough that you couldn't understand how simple choice could change your life.”

It’s always nice to be understood!  Pax.

SPLIT on Sale NOW! Read the Book… hear the SONG!

 

If the widget thingy above is working properly you’ll now be hearing the new tune I completed to commemorate today’s official release of my latest novel from Walker Books, SPLIT.

SPLIT (the novel) tells the story of Wade Jackson, a teen torn between a bohemian love for music and his more academic ambitions in physics and computer science.  Rather then choose, a quirk in the universe allows him to pursue both, creating two Wades, and  two very different worlds.

The lyrics of several songs appear throughout Wade's stories, but this I think encapsulates the book.  Truth be told, I wrote the lyrics back in my early twenties, while living in a small studio apartment in Mt. Vernon.  The melody is something I came up with a few months ago, making the song a collaboration between my own selves, separated more by time than ambition.

The piece was recorded over the last few months in my living room.  I’m on guitar, piano, lead and backup vocals, with Rob Sunderland on mandolin, bass, and harmonies and Bruce Scofield on harmonica.

The MP3 can be downloaded for free by visiting my music page and right-clicking on the appropriate link.  Pax!

Paranormal State!

Just received permission from the folks at IT! Books (HarperCollins) to post this excellent cover for the upcoming Paranormal State book.

For those not in-the-know, Paranormal State is a reality series broadcast on the A&E network, which chronicle the investigations of the Paranormal Research Society, under the guidance of their director Ryan Buell.  PRS began as a student organization at Pennsylvania State University, but has since evolved into much more.

With the show having completed its fourth successful season, Ryan takes a look back at the beginnings of the group and the show, delving into intimate detail about how their encounters with the unknown have changed lives, including his own.

I said in an earlier post that for each episode, covering a single case, the crew shoots as much as 48 hours of footage, which is skillfully edited down to 22 minutes for broadcast.  Much of this book is about those other 47 hours and 38 minutes.

Ryan and I have been working on this for well over a year, and through the twenty hours plus of interviews, I’ve continually been impressed and surprised, not only by the integrity of Ryan and his investigators, but also the fascinating details that didn’t make it into the show.  This is a unique and fascinating look at the world of ghost-hunting, reality television, and just where the line lies between evidence and belief.

I’ll be chatting much more about this in the weeks to come.  Meanwhile, the release is set for September 21st and both the publisher and A&E have some great plans for promoting it.  Feel free to advance order by following the links above.  Pax!