Presenting Greg Logsted!!!

Okay, so remember when I interviewed The Amazing Lauren Baratz-Logsted just a few days ago? Well, today I'm interviewing her equally amazing husband Greg, who's new book, SOMETHING HAPPENED is available now!

Anyway, he graciously agreed to stop by and answer the same questions I always ask, so without further ado, on with the interview! 

Tell us about your new book.

Hi, Alyson! Thank you so much for having me on your site. My new book is called SOMETHING HAPPENED; it’s my first novel (Simon & Schuster, Nov 2008). It starts five months after the unexpected death of Billy Romero’s dad and Billy is still struggling with the loss. Billy's mom spends more time talking to her Bluetooth than to him, and his best friend, Ziggy, just doesn't get it. There's no one who understands how alone Billy feels...except his new English teacher, the young and beautiful Miss Gate.
Miss Gate offers support and friendship, even giving Billy extra help with his writing outside of school. Billy isn't really sure how he feels about spending so much time with his teacher. It's a little weird, but it's also kind of exciting that someone like Miss Gate wants to hang out with him. But the closer they get, the more Billy wonders what kind of friendship this really is...

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

I guess one of them would be that everyone who read the book at Simon Pulse really loved it but because it deals with a touchy subject they were unsure how to market it. There was a lot of back and forth and I was beginning to worry that SOMETHING HAPPENED was going to turn into NOTHING HAPPENED. In the end they decided to just march into the breach with the original manuscript and a second (much better in my opinion) cover.
All of this did delay the release by at least six months, which for a first time author like me felt like an eternity.

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

I have a small desk in our bedroom. It’s very cluttered. I use three clipboards: one for my outline, one for a list of all my characters with descriptions, and a third for a list of words or phases that I’d like to work into whatever I’m working on.
I guess my main ritual is I like to have a cup of tea while I’m working even if I don’t drink any of it. As for totems, I don’t really have any, unless you count the small collection of political buttons, odd-shaped rocks, pictures and books of poetry that line my desk.

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

SLAUTERHOUSE FIVE. No, I’m just kidding.
Let’s see, you know I’ve always loved SHERLOCK HOLMES. I love the feel of it. I think it would be fun to sit in his den and watch him work on a case.

What book rocked your world growing up?

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST by Ken Kesey.

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

I think I’d like to spend a day in John Kennedy’s White House. So much was going on and so much changed in such a brief period of time.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I guess I’ll plug my next book, ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH (Simon & Schuster, June 2009). It’s about a thirteen-year-old boy, Cody Saron, accustomed to living a globetrotting James Bond lifestyle with his mysterious dad. Cody must suddenly learn to cope with regular school life for the first time after he's forced into hiding when a secret mission turns bad. He thinks after everything he’s done that going to a small Connecticut junior high school will be easy, a piece of cake…boy, is he ever wrong.

Greg Logsted was born in Amityville, New York, raised in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and attended the University of Arizona for Journalism. He lives in Danbury, CT, with his wife, author Lauren Baratz-Logsted, and their daughter Jackie. The three of them wrote a series together called THE SISTERS EIGHT. Greg’s first YA novel, SOMETHING HAPPENED, was published by Simon Pulse in 2008 and his second, ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH, will follow in mid-2009. His website is still under construction, but interested parties can take an early peek at www.greglogsted.com.

Presenting Lauren-Baratz Logsted!!!!!!!

Hey Everyone-

Searching for that perfect holiday gift for the adults, teens, and children on your list? Look no further, Lauren Baratz-Logsted writes amazing books for all three!  And I'm thrilled that the amazing (and I don't use that word lightly) Ms. Baratz-Logsted, (who, by the way, penned the novel, VERTIGO, that my mom and I both devoured), took some time away from what must be an insanely busy schedule (the woman is seriously prolific!) to talk about her new series for kids, THE SISTERS EIGHT.

If you haven't heard of these books yet, then please, stop whatever it is that you're doing (besides reading this blog) and visit the dedicated website by clicking HERE. 

Now would be a good time. 

Seriously. I'll wait.

Anyway, the site is adorable, the books are amazing, and, lucky for you, you can order them today!

So, without further ado, on with the same questions I always ask:

Tell us about your new book.

THE SISTERS EIGHT is a nine-book series of books, written with my YA novelist husband and our eight-year-old daughter Jackie, launching Dec 29 with Annie's Adventures and Durinda's Dangers, about that rarest of things: octuplets. On New Year's Eve, Mommy goes out to the kitchen for eggnog, Daddy goes out to the shed for firewood...and neither returns. Now the Eights, as they are known, must solve the mystery of what happened to their parents while keeping the wider world from realizing that eight little girls are living home alone. The books are geared toward ages 6 to 10 but with early reviewer comparisons to Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl and Edward Gorey, hopefully readers of all ages will enjoy. The books are being published by Houghton Mifflin and the first two have been selected by the Junior Library Guild. Curious parties can read more about the series at the wonderful site Houghton Mifflin created, www.sisterseight.com.

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

In December 2006 we were stranded by a blizzard in Colorado with friends who had neither children nor a TV. We were there for 10 days. By the end, looking for things to do, it occurred to me I'd always wanted to write a book my daughter Jackie - six at the time - could read, because she's always been so proud of my career. So I asked her what she'd like; being an only child, she said a book about sisters. Me: How many sisters? Her: eight. Me: What ages? Her: 1-8. Me: What if we made them octuplets, all seven years old, who will be eight on 8/8/08? And we were off and running with my husband Greg providing yet more input, particularly about talking refrigerators and flyting watering cans.

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

Sloppy. I call it my basement cave: small room, no windows, books and papers everywhere. It's not a pretty sight - maybe that's why it works for me? I do have a page torn on the wall torn from a calendar with a picture of Curious George that's captioned: "George sat down on the floor and began to write." There's my ritual in a nutshell - I sit down and I begin to write - well, except for the floor part. My must-have? Time. I always need more time. In terms of totems, does turning on "General Hospital" on the little TV in the corner every day at three count? I hope so, bec

ause I just did.

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

Oh, what a wonderful - and devilish! - question. It's a toss-up: Love in the Time of Cholera, my favorite book by a living author; or The Great Gatsby, my favorite book by an author now dead. If I could live in the latter, I'd find a way to get to that swimming pool in time to save Gatsby. They didn't nearly know then what people know now about emergency medical care and such. Of course I don't know anything about it either, and I'm a lousy swimmer, so maybe it wouldn't matter much my being there after all. OK, now I'm depressed.

What book rocked your world growing up?

So many! But since I'm guessing you don't want a whole list, for today at least I'll say A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Like Gatsby, it also has a young man, who is better than all the rest, dying tragically. Maybe I just love people who are better than all the rest? Or maybe I just have, you know, aspirations.

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

Can I have something to eat before answering this one? Seriously, you do make a girl think! Back in 1921, my grandfather, looking to escape religious persecution, smuggled my grandmother - pregnant at the time with my father - and her sister out of their Russian village in the back of a hay cart. They're all dead now and I wish I could go back and ask them more about what it was like since by the time I was old enough to appreciate the story they we

re all gone.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Well, I love you and think you're grand. Is that an OK way to end this? Doesn't matter. I'm saying it anyway: You're a doll, Alyson, and a wonderful writer. (Oh, and if anyone wants to know anything else about my life and other books, they should go to www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com .)

The story of Lauren:

Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).

Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.

Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent bookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.

In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.

Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.

In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.

Lauren’s favorite color is green.

Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.

Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.

Lauren is available to talk at schools, libraries, book fairs and conferences – really, anywhere! Depending on time and distance, a fee may be required.