Phoebe Kitanidis is the author of the new Paranormal YA title WHISPER (which comes out tomorrow) about a girl who hears the whispered thoughts of those around her. I immediately thought of Edward Cullen and that episode of Buffy called “Earshot”and knew I wanted to read this book. Better still, Phoebe was kind enough to give us a glimpse into what inspired her to write WHISPER today. And she brought a copy of her book to giveaway too! See details below.
About the author
Phoebe Kitanidis is a Greek-American writer, author of the YA novel Whisper. She is currently at work on a second teen novel titled Summer Falls. Phoebe grew up in a variety of places, including Athens, Greece; the American Midwest; and the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended five elementary schools and has moved more than twenty times. After her graduation from U.C. Berkeley, she taught Language Arts, then worked in a few high-tech corporate offices. In 2004, she earned her M.A. in Communication from San Jose State University. That year, she also traded the Bay Area’s sunshine for cloudy Seattle, where she began her writing career. A six-year contributor to Discovery Girls magazine, Phoebe Kitanidis wrote Fab Girls Guide to Friendship Hardship as well as dozens of articles for tween girls. Now a full-time novelist and settled Seattle transplant, she lives with her partner, Robert, and their grey cat, Myst.
On WHISPER
by Phoebe Kitanidis
While I love stories that whisk me away to a completely made-up world, with Whisper I was aiming for something else, a softer supernatural element that mimicked human behavior as closely as possible. A vampire can stand as a metaphor for almost anything (from addiction to sexy bad boy), but most of us would have our worldviews shattered if we saw someone’s canine teeth sharpen into fangs so they could suck their victim’s blood. In contrast, the powers in my book should feel almost-possible. The world of Whisper is like our own, shaped by a constant underground stream of subtle communication acts.
See, I believe that every day, usually without realizing it, we try to read other people’s minds using clues we’re given. For years, teachers and professors would call me out in class: “Looks like you disagree, Miss Kitanidis.” Huh—me? I hadn’t even said anything… but my eyebrows were raised. People are more attuned to nonverbal cues (like facial expression, eye contact, posture, body movements, tone of voice, volume, and silence) than words. Our subconscious minds read non-verbals at light speed, constantly balancing the input of sounds and images with the social context we find them in. What’s more we do it automatically. Most of us don’t ask ourselves what that girl’s slouch “means” or whether it’s possible that narrowed-eyes stare she’s giving us is actually friendly. We just know. And with all that info coming in, it’s easy to get overloaded. Especially if you’re taught to be a Nice Person who cares about other people’s happiness. Then reading other people—checking their mood, learning their preferences, gauging their response to everything you say and do—can become a full time job.
I wanted to write about a girl who was so busy tuning in to other people’s signals she wasn’t paying enough attention to her own. (Sadly, I based her on many girls I knew in ninth grade, including myself.) As Joy enters high school, part of her is tired of working so hard to please others and ignoring her own “selfish” desires… but she’s terrified that if she lets up, she could wind up like her hermit aunt, or her sister the freak. When I started writing, I didn’t know what would happen at the end. All I knew was that only something bigger than the fear of rejection could force Joy to start changing into someone powerful.
Find Phoebe online:
Phoebe Kitanidis Facebook Fanpage
Phoebe Kitanidis on Twitter
Subplot: The Official Blog of Phoebe Kitanidis
Thanks Phoebe for stopping by. Come back anytime.
Giveaway
One hardcover copy of WHISPER by Phoebe Kitanidis
Book Description
I'd love a cup of coffee. . . . I wish she didn't hide how pretty she is. . . . I hope she didn't find out what Ben said about her. . . . I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin. . . .
Joy is used to Hearing Whispers. She's used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people's deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good—to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people's lives—especially Joy's—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears Jessica Whisper I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that's what it takes, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car, and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.
Whisper is an exhilarating debut novel from talented newcomer Phoebe Kitanidis.
GIVEAWAY GUIDLINES
- Open US only
- Leave a comment for Phoebe or answer the question “Whose thoughts would you want to hear?”
- Entries must be received by Midnight MST May 1st. Check back on May 2nd to see if you won.
Please use the various links to +SHARE this giveaway on any social network/blog you use.
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