So You Want To Read YA?: Guest Post from Kathleen Peacock (author of Hemlock)

This week's "So You Wanna Read YA?" post comes to us from Kathleen Peacock.


Kathleen spent most of her teen years writing short stories. She put her writing dreams on hold while attending college but rediscovered them when office life started leaving her with an allergy to cubicles. You can learn more about her on her website at www.kathleenpeacock.com or follow her on Twitter @kathleenpeacock. 


Without further ado, let's date some YA books, shall we?

Trying any new genre is a bit like jumping into the dating pool: you cautiously wade in, make a few missed connections, and wonder if you’ll ever find “the one.” And that’s all it usually takes. Once you click with one book, the whole genre seems less intimidating and becomes an awesome all-you-can-eat buffet.

(I realize I’m mixing metaphors. Just roll with it.)

To help you make a love connection with the YA title of your dreams (see? we’re back to dating), I’ve taken three books that I frequently thrust upon non-YA readers and written online dating profiles for each.

Do any strike your fancy? If so, you can pick up the lucky book(s) at your local library or bookstore. Try taking them out for coffee and see where things go.

Nickname: A_Great_Perhaps  
Real Name: Looking for Alaska
Pick up line: “I'd finally had enough of chasing after a ghost who did not want to be discovered.”
My perfect date: A small coffee shop filled with misunderstood people and corduroy.
My friends would describe me as: Shy and a little too earnest for my own good but my crooked grin and combination of innocence and smarts makes people fall hard and fast.
About Me: There’s no point in denying it: I’ve got a thing for manic pixie dream girls. If you’re misunderstood and angry yet adorable, let’s hang out.  Self-destructive girls and thoughtful guys please do apply. And remember: a bazillion nerdfighters can't be wrong.
I’m perfect for you if you like: That blond girl in Almost Famous, thoughtful, self-deprecating guys, getting your heart ripped out in the best possible way

Nickname: TheGirlOnFire  

Real Name: The Hunger Games
Pick up line: “May the odds be ever in your favor!”
My perfect date: Hunting. I’ll shoot a squirrel. You cook it.
My friends would describe me as: I actually only have one friend. He’s short on words but good at setting snares.
About Me: I’m only here because the Capitol thought my life wasn’t hellish enough and signed me up for online dating.
I’m perfect for you if you like: Lots of action, Survivor, doomed romances with a body count, commentaries on reality TV, voyeurism, and consumerism

Nickname: ItsNotAll$andc@stlesAndN!njas  

Real Name: Going Bovine
Pick up line: “Someone needs to push the reset button on this planet.”
My perfect date: Trying to track down an obscure band which may or may not exist. Or hooking up with punk rock angels. I’m not picky.
My friends would describe me as: My friends are a hypochondriac and a garden gnome. Both may or may not actually exist outside my mind. Either way, you don’t want to know how they’d describe me.
About Me: I’ll never make sense and you’ll love me that way.
I’m perfect for you if you like: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, that claymation episode of Community, movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Stranger than Fiction, conversations that make no sense.

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 Kathleen Peacock's debut novel Hemlock will be published by HarperCollins May 8. Hemlock follows high school senior Mackenzie as she attempts to solve the mystery of her best friend's murder in a town affected by the werewolf virus (description via WorldCat).

Because Kathleen has a soft spot for libraries, she's got a great give away going on now for librarians. Check out this blog post for the easy details on how you could win one of two pre-orders of Hemlock.