Darby Speaks...with Aphra

Hey, hey hey -- it's interview day!

I'm actually posting at a reasonable hour, too -- before midnight, dontchaknow. So after announcing our amazing contest last night, I am all ready to sit down and have a heart to heart with Aphra Connolly. Aphra is the star of a series of novels by Linda Gerber: Death by...Bikini, Latte and Denim. These adventures have taken Aphra all over the world, and I'm anxious to hear all about it.

So without further ado...welcome Aphra!

Darby Christopher: Hey Aphra -- You grew up on a tropical island, and lately it seems you are on the run a LOT. Have you ever considered taking up skateboarding?

Aphra Connolly: Someday. Might come in handy for a fast getaway. I've never tried a skateboard yet, but I have surfed. Same general concept, right? (Ha!)

Darby: Yeah, well I've never ridden a surfboard, so I guess we're even. aphra, my story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Tell me a little about where you grew up and where you live now.

AC: For a while I lived in South Carolina, before my dad and I moved to a private island resort where I lived for four years. I'm not allowed to say where I'm living now. Not good for the whole undercover thing...

Darby: Oh, yeah -- we can't have you blowing your cover! But can you tell us a little bit about what your family is like? Do you have any pets or siblings?

AC: It's just my mom, my dad and I. Not always together, though.

Darby: Yeah -- that's got to be hard for you. I've read your stories and you certainly have a lot going on in your life. What has been the scariest thing you have ever faced so far?

AC: Probably being shot at by an on our island. Or, wait. The plane crash. That was pretty intense. But so was being chased by double agents. And... well, I can't tell you the rest.

Darby: Yikes! What has been your most favourite, greatest adventure?

Looking back, it was probably being stuck in the cave with Seth. I know, it doesn't sound like much fun - especially the crawling through bat guano part - but that's where I really knew I liked Seth, and that he liked me, so looking back, I wouldn't give up a second of that night.

Darby: Even with the bat guano it was pretty romantic, I have to admit. Do you have a special skill or talent you’d like to share? Especially if it's secret -- spill the beans!

AC: I don't know about talent, but I do speak a lot of languages. The Finns have a name for someone who can learn languages quickly; they call that person a kielipaa. It means language head, and it's considered a special skill, so I guess it could qualify.

Darby: A language-head, eh? Maybe you could help me with my French homework... By the way, who is YOUR favourite fictional character?

AC: There are too many to choose from! I can relate to Cami Morgan from the Gallagher Girls series, so I'll go with her, although I really have a lot of other faves.

Darby: Hey, I like Cami, too! Now, Aphra, I've heard all of your 'Death by...' books are written by Linda Gerber. Can you tell me something about her?

AC: She's a kind of frazzled mom-type who lives in Ohio. I don't see her much recently, mostly in spurts because she's got, like, four kids and a dog and she does a lot of traveling around. I like the traveling part because then she can give me some really interesting locations to hang out in.

Darby: After Bikinis, Lattes and Denim ...can you tell me a bit of an idea about what's next?

AC: For me? I'm taking a breather (except that all three books will be making the rounds of the Scholastic Book Fairs this year.) Linda's working on another project before she can spend more time with me (*pout*). It's a paranormal YA called TRANCE and it's about a couple of sisters who reluctantly receive premonitions through trance writing, and what goes wrong when one of them misses a message. It comes out next spring.

Darby: Whoa -- the TRANCE book sounds pretty cool! If I want to learn more about you on-line, where can I look?

AC: You can check out Linda's website at lindagerber.com. You can also find Linda's blog: lindagerber.blogspot.com or follow her on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Gerber/518643863 or on twitter: http://twitter.com/gerbsan

Thanks so much, Aphra. It's been great getting to know you a little better!

And for those readers out there who'd like to find out about Aphra's latest adventures, now's your chance. The contest is officially open! Just enter your suggestion for another of Aphra's DEATH BY.... adventures, and maybe give us a little plot description. If you tweet or blog about the contest let us know and we'll throw your name into the draw an extra time -- more chances to win.

The prize pack consists of a signed copy of DEATH BY DENIM, a signed copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW and a summer cooler for a six pack of your favourite root beer. Who can resist a summer prize pack like that?

Maurice the cat and I will do the draw next Friday night after midnight [his favourite time of the day....]. We'll announce a winner on Saturday, August 15th.

Ready...set...GO!

~Darby

CONTEST! Win a Linda Gerber novel!

Time slipped away from me today, a little, and I'm posting in the wee hours of Tuesday morning...but let's all just pretend it's still Monday night, shall we?

Because Monday is the day to announce our next contest! This one's a summer six-pack special.

No, no -- not THAT kind of six pack!

This week I'll be interviewing Aphra Connolly, star of DEATH BY BIKINI, DEATH BY LATTE and DEATH BY DENIM. This girl's got a lot of death in her life!

To celebrate the interview which will take place right HERE tomorrow (actually...today...Tuesday!) let's do something a little different. You may have read some of Aphra's adventures already...or you may have been waiting for this very opportunity to win one of her books. For the purposes of our contest, it doesn't matter a bit.

In order to win, all you have to do is suggest a title for Aphra's next adventure. If you feel like it...give us an idea of what you think she should get up to.

Maybe...DEATH BY TWITTER, where Aphra gets sucked into the evil world of 140-character messages. Or perhaps DEATH BY CHOPSTICKS, where Aphra and her mom solve a mystery in San Francisco's Chinatown.

You pick the title, enter it in the comment section of this posting, or the post of the actual Aphra interview and you'll be entered to win! The prize package this week? A summer six-pack cooler (perfect for toting that Diet Coke down to the beach), a copy of Aphra's latest adventure DEATH BY DENIM , and a copy of my own latest book, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

As usual, if you blog or tweet a link to the contest post, we'll put your name in the draw an extra time. More chances to win!

Okay -- I'd better get off to bed so I can be fresh as a daisy for interviewing Aphra tomorrow. And YOU need to be thinking up book titles. Ready? Go!

~Darby

Launch Week Continues with Mystery Author #4

You may have spotted this unique aquatic creature on kc dyer's blog. And after spotting her, you may have wondered -- "Why stripes? Why not polka dots?"

And to that I answer..."Why not?"

All the better to disguise my mystery guest of the day -- author, adventurer, mother and bee-fancier. (Uh -- not really a bee-fancier. I made that bit up to justify the mask...)




Let's expose her for real and find out a little more, okay?





Tada! It's Linda Gerber, author of a bunch of really amazing books for teens including Now and Zen, Death By Bikini and out this year...Death by Denim! She and her family have lived and explored all over the world -- Finland, Japan, Hawaii and many other places. DEATH BY DENIM will be Linda's fifth book for teens, and she will be giving a signed copy away to a lucky winner drawn from the comments on this blog post.

Darby Christopher: Welcome, Linda! I like reading about all your adventures, since I appreciate a good adventure myself. Let's go back to the beginning. My story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. You have lived in a ton of different places. Where were you born?

Linda Gerber: I was born in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains in Provo, Utah.

DC: And after all that travelling, where do you live now?

LG: Dublin, Ohio... for now.

DC: I know you grew up in a big family. Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid? Can you tell me one?

LG: Some of my favorite family stories center around my grandma. She was petite in size, but huge in personality. The stories center around how she didn't like being told what she could and couldn't do. For instance, since she was the top student in her high school class, she was awarded a beautiful pin from Tiffany's and, because she was a girl, a scholarship to secretarial school. She was insulted and turned it down (the scholarship, not the pin!) because she didn't want to be limited to being someone's secretary. She paid her own way to university instead, where she studied accounting.

She was adventurous: she was one of the first women in Salt Lake Valley to ride in an airplane (and got her picture in the paper for it - I am not kidding). After university, she moved to Los Angeles on her own and scandalized her hometown by marrying a divorcée - my grandpa.
When my dad was a baby and it was discovered he was blind, the doctors told her to saw the corners off of the furniture so that he wouldn't hurt himself and to enroll him in a blind vocational school so that he could learn a useful "skill." She wasn't having any of that. She made sure he had every opportunity to learn and experience anything he was interested in, such as piano - she taught him to play by ear - and trains - she took him to the train yard so he could feel all the working parts on a locomotive. As a result, he attended school with his sighted friends, was involved in social clubs and wrote for the school paper. He never let anyone tell him what he could or couldn't do, either. He's been a university professor for over 40 years, writes books and leads study abroad tours. I think a lot of the credit for his attitude goes to her.

DC: That's amazing! Your family all seem to be adventurers in one way or another. Speaking of adventure, can you ride a skateboard?

LG: Ha. Sadly, no. Just ask my kids, who tried to get me on a snowboard last time we were in Park City. Same concept, I'm told. I fail.

DC: I've -- uh -- never actually tried to snowboard, either. So I'll let you get away with that one. Besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

LG: Oh. Yikes. Well, I also like to paint and sculpt. Back when I had more time for this sort of thing, I used to make polymer clay jewelry and Father Christmas dolls - sculpting their faces, painting the features, making intricate outfits and toy bags. I sold them for quite a lot at some of the local craft boutiques, but it still wasn't worth the time that went into them. It was a labor of love, though. Kind of like writing.

DC: Hmmm. One of the things I love is red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

LG: Good dark chocolate. European chocolate, preferably, since they know how to do it right!

DC: European chocolate, eh? I've seen a little bit of Europe through this -- ah-- special kind of window near my grandparent's house. So, if you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

LG: I might like to go back to my pre-highschool days and give myself a navigation guide for the next several years. And a few hints about the tech market... : )

DC: Wow that sounds like a practical idea! I wish I'd been able to control where I was going, too. If you did go back, is there anyone special you’d like to meet?

LG: I would love to have known my grandma when she was young.

DC: I would have liked to meet her too. She sounds really cool. So, what are you working on now, Linda? Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

LG: My next release is DEATH BY DENIM, which hits the shelves in May. The continuing saga of Aphra and Seth goes international!

DC: I love Aphra and Seth! I read all about them in DEATH BY BIKINI and DEATH BY LATTE. Where can I learn more about you or your books on-line?

LG: Stop by my website: www.lindagerber.com or, for giveaway contests and the latest updates, come hang out at the blog: lindagerber.blogspot.com

DC: I'll do that. Thanks, Linda!

Don't forget if you'd like to win an ADVANCED copy of DEATH BY DENIM (It's not even due out until MAY!!), then leave a comment below and you could be a winner. One entry per blog post, please -- but you can enter as many of the different draws this month as you'd like.

What are you waiting for? We'll have a new mystery author tomorrow for you to enjoy, but for today I'd like to thank Linda Gerber for being my guest on Darby Speaks. Thanks again, Linda!

~Darby

UPDATE: We have a winner! Check here: http://tinyurl.com/c2c7xy to see if it is you!