Piper Morgan by Stephanie Faris

Today, Stephanie Faris is joining us to tell us about her newest books. Oh, and give us a "what if?" question. Enjoy... 

One day, an eight-year-old girl learns she has to move away from the only home she’s ever known. She and her mom live a nomad-style existence over the coming months as her mother accepts one exciting temp job after another. For the young girl, it becomes an adventure, but she still longs for a place she can call “home.”

That leads me to today’s What If? question.

What if you found a job where you could triple your current salary, but you could no longer live in one place? To get the salary, you have to move every couple of weeks to a new city? Would you accept the opportunity and learn to adapt or stay at your current pay to remain in one place?

And now some more about Piper Morgan...

When Piper Morgan has to move to a new town, she is sad to leave behind her friends, but excited for a new adventure. She is determined to have fun, be brave and find new friends.

In Piper Morgan Joins the Circus, Piper learns her mom’s new job will be with the Big Top Circus. She can’t wait to learn all about life under the big top, see all the cool animals, and meet the Little Explorers, the other kids who travel with the show. She’s even more excited to learn that she gets to be a part of the Little Explorers and help them end each show with a routine to get the audience on their feet and dancing along! 

In Piper Morgan in Charge, Piper’s mom takes a job in the local elementary school principal’s office. Piper is excited for a new school and new friends—and is thrilled when she is made an “office helper.” But there is one girl who seems determined to prove she is a better helper—and she just so happens to be the principal’s daughter. Can Piper figure out how to handle being the new girl in town once more?

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive.

Links:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Amazon

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How I Got My Agent: Stephanie Faris

It's time for another How I Got My Agent series! This week, I've lined up some great authors who were more than willing to share their story of how they got their agent. I think you'll enjoy them! For today, we have the amazingly talented Stephanie Faris with us. Take it away, Stephanie!

How I Got My Agent

by Stephanie Faris

The journey to publication is never a straight line. For many of us, there will be a few wrong turns, some dead ends, and quite a few roadblocks along the way. But as long as you get to your final destination, it’s all worth it.

I wasn’t new to writing when I first started looking for an agent, but I was new to writing for young readers. I was so excited to hear there was finally a market for books for teens, I jumped right into writing one without really studying the market. I read quite a few books and thought I knew what the industry wanted, but I was way off.

The book that landed my agent started out as a series called Ghost Patrol. It was about three teenage ghost hunters, written at the beginning of the paranormal investigation craze. I knew it had that unique something that just might get attention, so I started sending it to agents. The feedback was positive, but interesting.

“Your voice is a little too young for young adult,” one agent said. “Could you rewrite it as a middle grade?”

At the time, this was news to me. I’d grown up young adult books like Sweet Valley High, which were targeted to tween readers. I had no idea today’s young adult books were supposed to be written for 18-year-olds to read, mostly because when I started researching, I naturally gravitated toward the sweet young adult books that were out there. I read a stack of middle grade books and rewrote Ghost Patrol as a middle grade novel.

That agent rejected it, but I knew it was even stronger. I started the research process over, searching for an agent that was looking for a great middle-grade series. That was when I found Natalie Lakosil. She was actively looking for authors at the time and she was at a great agency. I sent a partial of Ghost Patrol to her and soon after, she asked for the complete manuscript.

I still remember that trip to the post office. At the time, I’d had years of experience with standing in line at the post office with my packaged-up manuscript in hand, but I remember this one specifically. I had a good feeling about it. After more than a decade of rejections, you should learn never to get your hopes up, but you can’t help wondering, “Is this it?”

The email came in unexpectedly. I actually read her second email first, the one where she’d attached the contract. I had to backtrack to the email just before, where she’d offered representation. I know you’re supposed to think on it for a while, but I’d already researched her. I knew she was the one I wanted.

I think if there’s anything to be learned from my journey, it’s that perseverance pays off. Also, the book you land an agent with may never even see the light of day and that’s okay. It was read by the most important reader of all—the agent who sold my first (and every other) book!

(Also, P.S., Natalie just put out a call for “a fun, fresh historical or sci-fi romance.” So if you have one, send, send, send!)

Bio:

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses, as well as the upcoming Piper Morgan series. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive. 

Links:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Blurb:

Piper helps some four-legged friends find the perfect home in the third book of the brand-new Piper Morgan series.

Piper is super excited to help out at Bark Street, a local animal shelter in town. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by adorable puppies and dogs all day? And when Piper sees Taffy, the cutest dog she has ever seen, Piper is determined to find a way to bring Taffy home. But it won’t be easy—especially when she finds out someone else wants to make Taffy a part of their family, too!

Author Interview: Stephanie Faris

We are so excited to have Stephanie Faris, author of 30 Days of No Gossip, with us today. Be sure to read all the way through her interview and sign up for the Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom. Stephanie has generously offered a free autographed paperback copy of 30 Days of No Gossip and some cool bookmarks! You don't want to miss it!

Thanks Stephanie for being willing to go into the "hot seat!"

Bio:

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing. When she isn’t crafting fiction, Stephanie is indulging her gadget geek side by writing for online technology sites. She lives in Nashville with her husband.

You can follow Stephanie on her blog HERE, or check out her website HERE.

                                                       

Blurb:

Can a middle school gossip queen change her ways, or will she lose her BFF for good? Find out in this M!X original novel.
Maddie Evans prides herself on being the gossip queen of Troy Middle School. She is the first person her classmates go to when they need the latest news on the ins-and-outs of TMS—and Maddie never disappoints.

Her best friend since birth, Vi, isn’t crazy about Maddie’s penchant for passing on rumors, but it’s never been an issue in their friendship. Until the day Maddie lets slip who Vi is crushing on—in front of her crush.


Vi is furious, and she confronts Maddie with an ultimatum: no gossip for 30 days, or twelve years of sisterhood goes down the drain. Maddie agrees, but only a week into the challenge, she gets one of the juiciest pieces of gossip EVER—something that could affect the future of the school. Will she be able to keep her mouth shut and tame her ways? Or will she be left standing alone with no one to hear her stories?

Interested in reading the book? You can find it HERE.

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Interview with Stephanie Faris:

 When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


For me, I think it was a gradual process. I wanted to be a writer from the first time I picked
up a book, but I think I realized, even at a young age, that writing wasn’t something you
did because you wanted to. Like singing or acting or dancing, it was a talent you either
possessed or didn’t.


It was only once I got to college that I began to feel confident about my writing. I wrote
news stories for the campus TV station every day. I didn’t have an English teacher
standing over me, asking me to diagram sentences or avoid split infinitives. There was a
different structure to a news story. That confidence stayed with me as I left college, which
soon led me to the decision to write my first novel.



What inspired you to write 30 Days of No Gossip?


I think in many ways I have a bit of a gossip problem myself. I always saw it as a way to connect with other people. I’m usually not sure where my ideas come from, but I remember trying to go without gossiping for even five minutes and it was easy, as long as I didn’t speak to anyone! I wondered what would happen if someone actually had to go 30 days without gossiping and 30 Days of No Gossip was born.


Describe your writing process. Pantser or plotter?


I don’t outline at all. I get an idea and start typing away. About 40 pages in or so, though, I
realize I have no idea where I’m going next! Usually at that point I’ll start a synopsis, but
even then, I don’t plot all the way to the end unless my editor is waiting for a synopsis. I
don’t like to get too far ahead. I guess I like to be surprised.



Have many books have you written? Which is your favorite?


I laughed when I read this question. I started writing in the mid­90s and lost count around
book number 20. My favorite book is always the one I’m currently working on, but I still
have a special place in my heart for the book series that landed my agent. It was called
Ghost Patrol and it was about tween ghost hunters. We came close to getting it published
a couple of times, but by the time we’d shopped it around for years, the idea had already
been done to death by other authors.



What are you currently working on?


While waiting for my next round of revisions, I’m working on a young adult series that’s a
little darker. I don’t know if it will ever see the light of day, but I have so many ideas
pending in other genres, I figured I’d try something different during the long wait!



What advice can you give to aspiring authors?


One of the most important things an aspiring author can do is find a writer’s group. The
camaraderie and support is priceless. Much of what I know about writing today came from
attending conferences and workshops when I was younger. Both Romance Writers of
America and the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators offer this sort of support.




Now for some fun questions that have less to do with writing and more to do with getting to know you….

List five adjectives to describe yourself.


Tenacious, energetic, dedicated, sensitive, cooperative



What is your favorite quote?


“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”—Wayne Gretzky



If you had the opportunity to live one year of your life again, which year would you choose and why?

I think I’ll stay in 2014! This is the first year I’ve been able to be a full­time writer, so I’m
doing what I love all day. I can’t think of a year in my life that’s more perfect than this.



What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done?


Getting up in front of a group to speak is probably the scariest thing I can imagine. Every
time I have to do it, I want to hide somewhere. I think bungee jumping and skydiving
would probably be less terrifying than public speaking!



If you had your own talk show, who would be your first three guests?


Olivia Newton­John, because I idolized her so much as a child. Stephen King, because
I’ve read his books since I was a small child. Can I do another writer? If so, it would be
Judy Blume, because she’s touched so many generations with her writing.



Thank you so much, Stephanie! And now for the Rafflecopter giveaway!


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