Happy Valentines Day!!
WinterHaven is so excited to bring to you our first Authors Love Fest!
For this event, we reached out to some of our favorite authors and asked them if they would participate in a fun Valentines Q&A. We were so excited to see the response we got, and even more elated to share their fun facts with you!
In addition, we've been running a giveaway throughout our Cupid's Cloud Hop for a chance to win 3 YA Contemporary books and here are your choices!! So read through their fun facts and if you win, you get to choose three books from any of these participating authors!
If you could go on a Valentine’s date with any fictional character, who would that be and where would you go?
Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars. Amsterdam, of course!
Who was the last person you received or gave a box of chocolates from or to?
Myself ;)
What is the greatest love story of all time… in your opinion?
Romeo and Juliet- especially the movie version with Leo and Claire.
What is your favorite Valentine’s candy?
Cinnamon Hearts
Follow Lisa Burstein
Jen CalonitaIf we're only counting the last few years, then I'd have to go with an obvious choice and say Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games trilogy. Does anyone not love that boy? I found myself stress eating while I read those books because I was so worried about what would happen to Peeta! And then I'd be terribly annoying and press friends who had already finished the series to tell me what happens to Peeta, but they thankfully wouldn't tell me (my apologies to author Elizabeth Eulberg who I drove insane over this).
But when I was younger, I would say my book crush was on Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I loved that book so much. Then I fell in love with the TV mini series and went back and read the books again!
Who was the last person you received or gave a box of chocolates from or to?
This house does not miss the chance to buy a box of chocolate for Valentine's Day! I actually hit up CVS this weekend to buy a box with R2-D2 on it for my son Tyler, one with heart-shaped peppermint patties in it for my son Dylan (I may have to steal a few of those), and a box of assorted chocolates with Mickey Mouse on the cover for my husband. We are huge Disney fans over here and any chance to buy something with Mickey on it, we take it!
What’s your favorite restaurant for a Valentine’s date?
A steakhouse! Any steakhouse! I know red meat is supposed to be bad for us and all, but in moderation it's not that bad, right? Nothing makes me happier at a restaurant than a nice filet mignon with creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes on the side. I sleep for a week after a meal like that, but it's always worth it!
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Jennifer Echols
What is your biggest book crush of all time?
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. I spoke at a high school recently and mentioned this book. One of the students had no idea it was a book before it was a movie. YES IT IS AN AWESOME BOOK.
What is your favorite Valentine’s candy?
Cadbury Creme Eggs. Yes, I know that’s technically an Easter candy, but they come out around Valentine’s Day!
Dancing or dining on Valentine’s Day? Which do you prefer?
Oooh, I would LOVE to go dancing, but my husband won’t take me because he knows all my dances eventually devolve into the robot.
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Rachel Harris
What is your biggest book crush of all time?
Well, all time I’d have to say Mr. Darcy. I mean come on. In that same league would be Laurie from Little Women. But newer men, I’d say Adam from Gayle Forman’s If I Stay series.
What’s your favorite restaurant for a Valentine’s date?
I love PF Chang’s. Really I love restaurants in general because it means I don’t have to cook. But I’m addicted to pork dumplings. Yum! Tied for second place would be Pappasito’s Mexican restaurant and Olive Oil, this adorable family-owned Greek restaurant with the best food ever!
Dancing or dining on Valentine’s Day? Which do you prefer?
Dancing—I love to dance. Maybe not moves you’d bust out on Dancing With The Stars or anything, but give me a good band or DJ and I’m a happy girl=)
Box of chocolates or dozen roses? Which do you prefer?
Dude, I’m an author and a homeschool mom. Roses are pretty and all, but I need the extra boost of energy and yumminess chocolate provides!
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Pip HarryWhat is your biggest book crush of all time?
I just adore The Perks of Being a Wallflower. To me, it's perfect.
If you could go on a Valentine’s date with any fictional character, who would that be and where would you go?
I might sneak off to a beach in Thailand with Daniel Cleaver from Bridget Jones's Diary. Don't tell Mr Darcy.
If you were to get a Valentine’s card from another author, who would you hope to get one from?
Dr Suess - illustrated and rhyming.
Who was the last person you received or gave a box of chocolates from or to?
A library I gave a talk at gave me a huge box of chocolates. Made me love libraries even more.
If you could write a love story about two fictional characters from two different books, who would you pair up?
Tiny Cooper from Wil Grayson, Wil Grayson and Patrick from The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
What is the greatest love story of all time… in your opinion?
How could you go past Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet? It's timeless and heartbreaking.
What is your favorite Valentine’s candy?
I'd be anyone's valentine for Caramello Koalas, Toblerone or a bucket of M&Ms.
What’s your favorite restaurant for a Valentine’s date?
Fish and chips on the beach with a takeaway bottle, followed by a dip in the ocean.
Dancing or dining on Valentine’s Day? Which do you prefer?
Dining. My dance moves are from the 90's and should probably stay there.
Box of chocolates or dozen roses? Which do you prefer?
Can I be greedy and say both? A girl can dream.
Kiss or cuddle? Which do you prefer?
They are such a good combo, but I do like a really excellent cuddle. My daughter calls them Huggles.
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What is your favorite Valentine’s candy?
Dark chocolate anything.
What is the greatest love story of all time… in your opinion?
That's tough. You can make a case for Pride & Prejudice, although I prefer Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. In contemporary stories, I prefer it when the love interest has a sense of humor. I also prefer it when he's a nice guy, not arrogant. I'm also not big on stories where the guy rescues the girl. I like the pairings in Willow, The Way We Fall, Shrinking Violet, and The Day Before.
Kiss or cuddle? Which do you prefer?
Why limit ourselves?
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Katie McGarry
What’s your favorite restaurant for a Valentine’s date?
I’m not exactly a super expensive restaurant type of girl. I become very intimidated by
multiple place settings, breakable china, and exquisite crystal. With that in mind, my favorite place to go out to eat with my husband is Texas Roadhouse. It’s the type of place that plays country music, peanut shells litter the floor, and flat screen televisions are playing the latest U of K or U of L game of the day. It’s
loud and crowded and it’s the type of place where I feel comfortable.
Box of chocolates or dozen roses? Which do you prefer?
I’m going out of the box. I prefer daisies. For years, guys would show up at my house and give me roses. Which was awesome, but my favorite flowers are daisies. I’d tell them, but they never cared. They bought what they wanted to give me. My husband was the first to show at my door with a sprig of daisies in his hand. My heart melted into a puddle because he was the first man to ever listen to what I had to say and
bought something that would make me, not him, happy. I knew then he was a keeper.
Kiss or cuddle? Which do you prefer?
I prefer a little of both.=)
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Amy McNamaraIf you could go on a Valentine’s date with any fictional character, who would that be and where would you go?
I’d have to time-travel to an appropriate age for this, but I loved Phineas “Finny” in John Knowles A Separate Peace. He was the perfect mix of devilish charisma, general high-spiritedness, good looks, and just frenetic enough to be harboring some kind of hidden depth. We’d climb the tree (before the fall of course) and jump into the river.
Who was the last person you received or gave a box of chocolates from or to?
We have Belgian friends who keep us rich in the good stuff from Chocolatier Jean Galler (and subsequently cause me to run extra miles), and for my daughter’s birthday we toured the Mast Brothers Chocolate factory in Williamsburg, NYC. That said, I’m an equal opportunity chocolate eater and love a good Lion bar.
Box of chocolates or dozen roses? Which do you prefer?
Neither! I love the paper-heart love-notes from my kids, and my honey’s been known to concoct a new cocktail for us to try
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If you were to get a Valentine’s card from another author, who would you hope to get one from?
Either Sarah Dessen or Barbara Kingsolver. I admire both of these writers so much for their storytelling abilities. It would be cool to know them as friends. And I guess if they're sending me a Valentine's card, that means they'd like my books, too! *dreams* :o) <3
Box of chocolates or dozen roses? Which do you prefer?
Well, probably the chocolates, but the roses would be better for my waisline! LOL! :D
Kiss or cuddle? Which do you prefer?
Both! :D
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Holly Schindler
What is your biggest book crush of all time?
It’s got to be Mr. Darcy. I adore anything Jane Austen—I’m pretty low-tech, and find the time frame of her books to be utterly serene. That might also very well be a big part of the reason why I chose to set my second book (and first romance), PLAYING HURT, at a fishing resort in rural Minnesota. I removed my two main characters from their cell phones, their computers, in order to give them plenty of face-to-face time. I figure, if we’re dealing with a romance, there has to be plenty of actual, human interaction. Pretty hard to fall in love over a few texts.
What is the greatest love story of all time…in your opinion?
I really appreciate unlikely love stories…and love stories in which the two people involved make each other grow in some way. I’ve always listed HAROLD AND MAUDE as one of my favorite movies (and love stories) for those reasons. You don’t get a more extreme May-December romance, and I love how Maude teaches Harold to love life again. PLAYING HURT, my own romance, focuses on two former athletes (who have both endured more than their fair share of tragedy) who show each other back to the light that can still exist in their lives.
What is your favorite Valentine’s candy?
Chocolate covered cherries. No doubt about it.
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If you were to get a Valentine’s card from another author, who would you hope to get one from?
It's a really close call between John Green and Marcus Zusak.
What is the greatest love story of all time… in your opinion?
I'm gonna have to go with a fairly well-worn answer on this one -- but as love stories go, you can't beat Pride & Prejudice. There's something so undeniably romantic about the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and it gets me every single time.
What is your favorite Valentine’s candy?
Honestly? Right around Valentine's Day, I get really excited because the jelly beans start appearing for Easter. For me, that's so much better than candy hearts!
Follow Jennifer E. Smith
If you were to get a Valentine’s card from another author, who would you hope to get one from?
John Green. Because whatever he wrote it in, it would be simultaneously brilliant, romantic, and hilarious. Best combination ever.
What is the greatest love story of all time… in your opinion?
If I can go with a television show, I'd pick the Doctor and Rose Tyler from Doctor Who. I can't even think of them without getting misty-eyed. It was beautiful and tragic, and just so perfect. "I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye."
Dancing or dining on Valentine’s Day? Which do you prefer?
Dining. I can't dance at all! I love just dressing up nice, doing a nice dinner at home, and seeing a movie or something. Going out to eat on Valentine's Day always sucks because everything is so crowded. The last time we tried, I was sick and running like a 102 degree fever so I don't at all remember standing in line for like an hour waiting to be seated, much less eating!
Follow Kelley York
If you could go on a Valentine’s date with any fictional character, who would that be and where would you go?
Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables would be pretty good on Valentine's Day, I think. I'm not sure where exactly we'd go, but it would involve a buggy and a picnic.
If you could write a love story about two fictional characters from two different books, who would you pair up?
Amber Appleton from Matthew Quick's Sorta Like a Rock Star, and Jerry Renault from The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier. Maybe that sounds a little sick, but Jerry could use a big dose of Amber's optimism.
Follow Sara Zarr
Thank you to all of our Authors who joined us for the Cupid Cloud Hop Authors Love Fest!!
Be sure to fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win 3 YA Contemporary Books, where you can choose from our participating Authors listed above. We hoped our enjoyed out Authors Love Fest!!
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