Autographed Giveaway & Cover Reveal from Amy Helmes & Kim Askew!

Authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes are excited to offer a sneak peak at the third book in their “Twisted Lit” series of Shakespeare-inspired YA novels. I was fortunate enough to score an interview with these incredibly talented women in December. Be sure to check that out for more inside scoop on what they're cooking up next. This time around, they’ve put their unique spin on Romeo & Juliet. Published by Merit Press, Anyone But You will be released in January, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Powell’s. (None of these are affiliate links as I do not participate in those programs.)

Anyone But You: A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (Book #3 in the Twisted Lit series) by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Summary:

Two Italian restaurants, both alike in dignity, in Chicago’s Little Italy where we lay our scene... After her family’s struggling eatery, Cap’s, falls prey to another of the Monte clan’s vicious and destructive pranks, sixteen-year-old Gigi Caputo finds herself courting danger during a clandestine encounter with Roman Monte, the very boy whose relatives have brought her family such grief. When the daughter and son of these two warring factions fall for each other, their quest to mend this bitter family feud turns out to be a recipe for disaster.

Their story is irrevocably linked to the summer of 1933, when two twelve-year-olds, Benny and Nick, hop the turnstile at the Chicago World’s Fair. While enjoying some of the fair’s legendary amusements, Nick has a “love at first sight” encounter with Stella, a young girl who unintentionally causes a lasting rift between the two boyhood pals. Deftly winding its way through past and present day, this modern take on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet has much to do with hate — but more with love.

http://twistedlitbooks.com/

Now on to the giveaway! Since I really loved Tempestuous these lovely ladies have agreed to let me giveaway an autographed copy of it to one of you lovely readers! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win. Must be 13 years or old & have a US mailing address.

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Interview with Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Today I am fortunate enough to host the very talented authors of the new series Twisted Lit. These ladies put modern spins on some of Shakespeare's greatest works. You've already heard my opinion on both books (Tempestuous and Exposure), so now let's hear it from the ladies themselves!

Interview with Kim Askew and Amy Helmes, authors of the Shakespeare-inspired YA series Twisted Lit, featuring Tempestuous and Exposure (Merit Press). Both Kim and Amy think Shakespeare understood the young's true love and pain like no other, from Hamlet's sorry stepdad to Juliet's trauma drama, hence this literate farce, based on "The Tempest."

For more information please visit Twisted Lit Books and http://www.adamsmedia.com/merit-press-books and follow them on Facebook.

How did you make the move from writing about book-to-movie adaptations on your joint blog Romancing the Tome to retelling such classic stories yourselves?
We enjoyed writing the blog together, and decided it would be really fun to collaborate on a novel. We spent some time each day brainstorming book ideas, and finally hit upon the concept of putting a modern-day spin on our beloved Shakespeare. We immediately saw the series potential. It's perfect, because we're both former English majors, our blog is about adaptations, and we can't imagine anything more fun than thinking about Shakespeare all day long!

How do you choose the Shakespearean works you retell?
We liked the idea of choosing two very different works for our first titles, and we wanted to start with something unexpected. The Tempest is lighthearted -- there's this violent storm and a shipwreck, yet all the main characters survive. Meanwhile, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's darkest plays, and we knew it would be fun to play off the conceit of the quest to become “prom king and queen.” It was a fun challenge to interpret the spirit of both those plays, but in our own unique way.

So far you've retold The Tempest & Macbeth, what other works can we look forward to seeing retold in the future?
We're currently writing a modern-day spin of the classic Romeo and Juliet, but we've also thought about adapting King Lear, Henry IV, and Hamlet, to name but a few. Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, and we'd love the opportunity to adapt them all!

Do you have a favorite line or quote from any Shakespearean work?
It's hard to choose just one, but given all the teen angst in The Bard's plays, we adore this tongue-in-cheek quote about adolescence from The Winter's Tale: "I would there were no age between ten and three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the rest; for there is nothing in the between but getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry, stealing, fighting."

Is there any chance you may choose a different author at some time?
As classic literature buffs, we've definitely considered the idea of twisting some other favorite authors, which run the gamut from A to Z . . . or, in literary parlance, Austen to Zola.

If you could become any character in a book you've written, who would you be & why?
We adore our two heroines Miranda (Tempestuous) and Skye (Exposure), but if forced to choose, the good girls in us would love the chance to be mischievous Miranda for a day to experience firsthand her Ferris Bueller-like ability to stir up fun and mayhem wherever she goes.

© 2012 Kim Askew and Amy Helmes, authors of Tempestuous: A Twisted Lit Novel

Kim Askew, coauthor of Tempestuous: A Twisted Lit Novel, whose work has appeared in Elle and other magazines as well as the anthology The May Queen, is a content manager for the Webby-winning teen site www.FashionClub.com and the FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Follow Kim on Twitter.




Amy Helmes, coauthor of Tempestuous: A Twisted Lit Novel, is coauthor of Boys of a Feather: A Field Guide to American Males, also is a weekly contributor toThe Rundown, a daily e-mail service that keeps subscribers informed on what's new and cool in LA. Follow Amy on Twitter.

Tempestuous (Twisted Lit #1) by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes review

Recently banished, unfairly, by the school’s popular crowd, former “it girl,” Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at the Hot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall’s nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

From Goodreads

The go-to queen was almost completely dethroned! That is, when Miranda Prospero gets busted for her part in a grades-for-cash scam, she finds herself in a whole new world. Forced to pay restitution in the amount that she earned as ringleader, Miranda finds herself the new go-to queen at the mall. Filled with plenty of people in need of her particular skill set, Miranda finds herself the center of their small world.

Unfortunately, fate has a funny way of messing with everyone's plans. A giant blizzard blows through and shutters the mall. Downside, everyone, including Miranda's former posse, ex-boyfriend, and her new preoccupation, are all stranded there overnight. Soon enough things go from hellish to hilarious as Miranda sets out for retribution with her helpers Ariel and Caleb. Mischief ensues as “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” 

Another amazing retelling from Kim Askew and Amy Helmes! First let me say that, The Tempest has a very special place in my heart. Were it not for my love of Shakespeare (and the need for "production points" in drama class) I may never have worked on my high school's outdoor production of this play. I met my husband on the set the very first day I was there and we've been together ever since.

Back to the awesomeness that is this book! Kim and Amy have captured the essence of this story and breathed contemporary life into it. The characters were spot on representations of their classic forefathers. Even better though were the references that they wove into the story. Not just references to the original story (those were rather expected naturally) but they wove in some awesome pop culture references (like Doctor Who!!). The whole thing was seamless.

I really enjoyed watching Miranda struggle with her identity and who she believes herself to be. It's one thing to know that you're a spoiled brat, it's another thing entirely to know that you were a shallow, base-dwelling, cold-blooded wretch. Miranda has the best intentions, most of the time, but she's beginning to wonder about her plan executions.

A funny, unique, and all together entertaining tale of clashing groups, Temestuous is simply a must read. It takes no time at all and you'll be amazed at how much fun you can have reading a Shakespearean work.

Exposure (Twisted Lit #2) by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes review

Double, double, toil and trouble. Sometimes, the quest for high school royalty can be deadly! 

In this emotionally-charged twist on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a self-conscious shutterbug named Skye Kingston navigates a treacherous school year in Alaska fraught with unspoken secrets and tragic twists of fate. Along the way she encounters three strangely prophetic BFFs; one social-climbing, sociopathic cheerleader; and a heart-stopping hottie named Craig McKenzie: the man who would be Prom King. 

Can Skye save the boy she loves — and herself — before they get caught in the crosshairs?

From Goodreads

Skye has mostly coasted through high school on the fringe of every social group. She knows who to talk to & who to avoid in order to make as few waves as possible. Having spent the majority of her high school years in the art room's darkroom developing photos the "old way" while pining after her could-have-been-her-boyfriend acquaintance Craig, Skye never really got to know much about anything outside of her own little world.

All of that changes when she is suddenly thrust into the middle of a tragic accident. While not directly involved, she knows the truth about what happened that night at the party. Even worse, she knows that she should do something about it, but her paralyzing fear of doing the wrong thing prevents her from not only doing what's right, but doing what could have saved them all.

We all know I am a big fan of retellings. See my previous love of Jackson Pearce or Stacey Jay's work. This one is another great book to add to that list. While it says "Twisted Lit #2" that's just a loose relation for the other books. Kind of like Jackson Pearce's. If you've read the other books, great, you'll have a more in depth understanding of the relationships. If you haven't read the other books, no biggie, it's not necessary at all!

These women have done a fabulous job in updating the story of Macbeth for the new generation. They seamlessly blended the language of Shakespeare with modern vocabulary. This book strikes a fine balance between the story we all know (and some of us love) and the one that they are presently telling.

The characters are terrific updates to the classical characters. My personal favorites are the three native Alaskan girls as the three witches. I also loved how these characters seemed to embody the original characters not just in their behavior, but in their speech and physicality as well.

The tempo of the book is just right so that you can fully appreciate the work that went into creating this multi-faceted dream of a Shakespearean retelling. I never felt like it was too wordy or that not enough was going on, so it was a fairly quick and enjoyable read.

Please give it a shot! I'll have my review of Tempestuous (Twisted Lit #1) up in a few days. I can't wait to tell you about that one too!