Sunday, February 08, 2009

GCC Presents . . . Wendy Toliver!!

Okay, not only is she tall, slim, and completely gorgeous--but she also happens to be one of the nicest people you could possibly meet! I was lucky enough to hang out with the awesome Wendy Toliver at last summer's RWA conference, so I consider myself to be a pretty good authority on this!

Anyway, her latest book, MISS MATCH, is officially released on February 10th (though I've already seen it nicely displayed in every bookstore I've been to this week!) and Wendy was kind enough to stop by and tell us a little bit about it!

Here's the story:

Simon and Schuster releases Eden resident’s second YA novel right in time for Valentine’s Day. Filled with romance, humor, and fun local references, Miss Match is sure to delight young adults and adults alike.

Sasha Finnegan has always had a knack for setting people up, and at sixteen, she's turned her talent into an online business, molding high school crushes into true love. But Sasha finds her toughest match yet when hottie Derek Urban asks her to set him up with Sasha's gorgeous sister, Maddie. It's not that Derek isn't a good catch. In fact, after spending so much time with him, Sasha can't help but think he's perfect -- for her, that is.

Can Sasha push her feelings aside for the sake of her business? Or has this miss finally found her match?

More Info about Miss Match:

Miss Match is Wendy Toliver’s second Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy. It was a 2007 finalist in the Romance Writers’ of America© Golden Heart® contest in the Young Adult category (under the title Cupid Girl). “What I like best about this book is that it’s about a smart, funny, down-to-earth sixteen year-old who isn’t super skinny and drop-dead gorgeous. It takes place in Salt Lake City, close to where I live, so I was able to weave some fun local aspects into it.” --Wendy Toliver

Here's the same 5 questions I always ask:

Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

I’ve always loved fixing people up. I still do! (By the way, if anyone out there is interested in meeting my 29 year-old brother who lives in Orlando or my adorable mom who lives in Denver, leave a comment. Haha) Also, my sister and I have a great relationship and though we might not have always seen eye-to-eye growing up, we always came through for each other like Sasha and Maddie do in Miss Match.

What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

As of recently, I don’t drink Diet Coke, which used to be my staple. Now I just sip green tea (iced) or Celestial Seasonings “Tension Tamer” (hot) or water, and perhaps a glass of red wine while writing.

I love my home office. It’s a great color (cranberry) and comfy and I’m surrounded by my favorite things, from books signed by my author friends to my voodoo and Bratz doll collections to family photos and cards and gifts from friends and fans.


If you could live inside any book-- which would it be?

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Definitely. Or maybe Oh the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Or how about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Oh, man. Too many to list!

What book rocked your world growing up?

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.

If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?

Oh wow, hard question. If I didn’t have to stay there, I think I’d like to visit Woodstock summer o’’69. But that’s because I’m in a “party” mood right now.


Wendy's Story:
Wendy Toliver lives in the Utah mountains with her three little boys, her husband, and other various wildlife. She graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in Speech Communication/Broadcast and has had a variety of jobs, from performing singing telegrams to working at an advertising agency.

Now a soccer (etc.) mom and the author of The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren and Miss Match (both Simon Pulse), she couldn’t be happier. Well, if she had a self-cleaning house, a Porsche, and an endless supply of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, she just might be a tad happier. Visit her online at www.wendytoliver.com.

OR:

www.wendytoliver.com
www.teenfictioncafe.blogspot.com
www.pulserocom.com
www.simonandschuster.com
www.myspace.com/roxytoliver

Where to Purchase:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Or a bookstore near you!

And check this out!

In The Not-Too-Distant Future
Coming in Spring 2010 from Simon Pulse ... Lifted, in which a transplant to parochial school learns that not all students are as pious as they seem when she's inducted into a shoplifting clique and soon finds herself in over her head.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad this is out tomorrow! It's on my list for the next time I'm at the bookstore!

Thanks for stopping by, Wendy.

Alyson Noel said...

Hey Amy- I know- it looks great, doesn't it?!

Keri Mikulski said...

Great interview, Alyson and Wendy!!

Miss Match is on my TBR! Can't wait. :)

Anonymous said...

That looks excellent. I just added it to the Amazon order I've been slowly building. Along with Evermore, of course. :-)

Oh, and I loved the picture of Wendy's writing room. I'm such a voyeur. I wish everyone would post pictures of where they write. Hmmm. Perhaps a meme is born? There's no law that says you have to be good at continuing others' memes in order to start one, is there?

Wendy Toliver said...

Thanks for the wonderful interview, Alyson. And I am so excited for Evermore's immense success already!

And Amy, Caryn and Keri, thanks for your sweet comments.