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Character Bucket List: Adele Griffin and Theadora Parrott from ALL YOU NEVER WANTED w/ Giveaway

by Martina Boone

Happy Thanksgiving!


Name: Theadora Parrott 
Age: 17 years, 2 months, 5 days old.
Sign: Pieces
favorite color: red
favorite flower: peony
favorite saying: “Well that’s your opinion, isn’t it? And I’m not about to waste my time trying to change it.” ~Lady Gaga

I can’t believe that the day before Thanksgiving we have to write some asinine English in-class essay about what we should be grateful for. Could this be any more eighth grade?

Considering that I
a: do not care about this assignment and
b: am totally regretting that I didn’t just call in sick today (like I should have) I am opting not to do this at all. Right now I could be eating the last pack of Twinkies, catching up on Season 2 of American Horror Story, and texting Joshua. Oh well.

Instead I’m going to make a Bucket List, aka all the things I’m gonna do before I kick it, although by the time I get old, science will have probably found a way for super-rich people to stay alive forever.

Also, considering I have limitless access to anything, I will probably take care of most of this list by the time I’m 21 lol.

Till then here is:

My Bucket List by Theadora Parrott

10. go on tour with Gaga as her personal dresser, give interviews, take credit.
9. buy a Gray Lurie parrot, name him Parrott, and teach him to say dirty words.
8. rent a killer house in Rio for the 2016 Olympics, invite everyone.
7. commission a temporary full body tattoo made of Swarovski crystals.
6. charter this yacht. http://bit.ly/ebpgMO
5. eat a deadly torafugu in Japan.
4. own something by Jeff Koons: www.jeffkoons.com
3. try this on: http://most-expensive.net/ring
2. get married in Bali: http://bit.ly/10uB8jb
and my number #1? I want to do is . . . this: http://bit.ly/nYHmYy

About Adele Griffin

Adele Griffin the critically acclaimed author of numerous novels for young adults, including the Vampire Island and Witch Twins series. Her novels Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be were both National Book Award Finalists. All You Never Wanted, Griffin’s newest novel, was published October 2012. She lives with her husband and two children in Brooklyn, New York. Her website is www.adelegriffin.com. Follow her on Twitter @adelegriffin and Facebook.

* * * *

All You Never Wantedby Adele Griffin

With my eyes closed and Alex’s core friends all around me, it was like I’d become my big sister, or something just as good. And so who cared if they were calling it Alex’s party? One thing I knew: it would be remembered as mine.

Alex has it all—brains, beauty, popularity, and a dangerously hot boyfriend. Her little sister Thea wants it all, and she’s stepped up her game to get it. Even if it means spinning the truth to win the attention she deserves. Even if it means uncovering a shocking secret her older sister never wanted to share. Even if it means crying wolf.

Told in the alternating voices of Alex and Thea, Adele Griffin’s mesmerizing new novel is the story of a sibling rivalry on speed.

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about All You Never Wanted?

5. the thematic spin is about how money can’t buy happiness– or anything meaningful
4. it’s got a pretty hot romance, which is new for me, and was so thrilling and fun to write.
3. one of my favorite jackets ever. (it’s amazing, right?)
2. it was blurbed– beautifully– by Sara Zarr
1. I dedicated the book to my mother.

Order All You Never Wanted on Amazon

View All You Never Wanted on Goodreads

To win an ARC of ALL YOU NEVER WANTED, please complete the form below by 6:00 PM November 28, 2012. The winner will be announced on November 29th.

Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.
Posted: Nov 22, 2012
Category: Imported from AYAP
Tags: Character Bucket List

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p> <p>Your main character needs to be:<br /> • Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br /> • Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br /> • Active enough to drive the story<br /> • Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p> <p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />
The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p> <p>But your theme needs to be:<br /> • Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br /> • Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br /> • Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br /> • Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p> <p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />
The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p> <p>In general, your plot should:<br /> • Hook readers fast<br /> • Build tension that a child can follow<br /> • Create page turns that feel natural<br /> • Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p> <p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.
The Arms of your story are the side characters.
The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p> <p>Your setting should:<br /> • Make your character's world feel real<br /> • Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br /> • Connect different scenes and moments organically<br /> • Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p> <p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black. 

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