THE PRANK LIST by Anna Staniszewski

I'm currently at the ALA Conference, which is filled with all kinds of awesome experiences that I'll be happy to share at a later time.

For now, though, I'm happy to feature Anna Staniszewski's newest book, THE PRANK LIST. It's the next installment in her Dirt Diary series and I can't wait to read it!

From Goodreads:

Rachel never thought she'd fight for the right to clean toilets, but she has to save her mom's business. Nothing can distract her from her mission - except maybe Whit, the cute new guy in cooking class. Then she discovers something about Whit that could change everything. After destroying her Dirt Diary, Rachel thought she was done with secrets, but to save her family's business, Rachel's going to have to get her hands dirty. Again.






And here are Anna's answers to some questions!

You just finished revisions, and recently posted about your experience. Besides bravery, and fun, is there anything else you'd recommend to writers slogging through revisions?

When I'm reading the novel over and over, looking for problems, it's easy to miss things. That's why I do a lot of out work outside of the manuscript, including making lists of what happens in each chapter, checking that I have my characters' motivations figured out in every scene, etc. That way I can focus on the big-picture issues before I worry about making the sentences sound pretty.

What a fantastic idea! How does THE PRANK LIST build on the plot established in THE DIRT DIARY? 

At the end of The Dirt Diary, there's talk about Rachel taking a pastry class at a local bakery. That idea stuck in my head, and I wondered what would happen if Rachel got to the class and it wasn't at all what she thought it would be. Also, in the first book, Rachel spends time working for her mom's cleaning business, so I thought it would be interesting to bring in a rival cleaning service and see how far Rachel is willing to go to help her family.

Intriguing--and a great way to ramp up conflict. As part of the celebration for THE PRANK LIST's release, you hosted a cupcake party. What fun! What other promotional ideas have you found helpful in getting word out about your book?

I've found that events are often best when they're simple and focused. If you're planning something fun (like cupcake decorating or crafts) it's best to choose something that's fairly easy and doesn't require a lot of expense or set-up. You probably won't have a lot of time to chat with people and enjoy the event if you're worried about making sure the twenty-step activity you planned is going perfectly!

Very true! You have an upcoming book, I'M WITH CUPID, coming out in 2015. How does it differ from your other books, and what do you like most about it?

I'M WITH CUPID is a bit of a departure for me. The story is about a boy cupid and and girl reaper who accidentally swap powers. While, like my other books, it's going to be a funny tween read, the subject matter is a little darker than my other projects. The story is told in third person from two characters' viewpoints which has been a fun, different voice to write in after two series written from one character's point-of-view. I love realistic stories with a hint of magic, so I feel like I'm totally in my element with this series.

Bio:


Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. Currently, she lives outside Boston with her husband and their crazy dog. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time reading, daydreaming, and challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. She is the author of the My Very UnFairy Tale Life series and the Dirt Diary series. Her newest book, The Prank List, releases on July 1st from Sourcebooks. You can visit Anna at www.annastan.com.

To grab a copy of THE PRANK LIST or THE DIRT DIARY, click the links below: