Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Guest Author: Melissa Senate + Giveaway

Melissa Senate, author of The Mosts, has been kind enough to stop by Reading with Tequila to tell us about her new novel.

THE MOSTS by Melissa Senate

Last December, among the many links to Best Of The Year lists for books, movies and albums, one 140-character tweet on Twitter stopped me cold. It said something like: If there are Best Books of the Year lists, there should be Worst Books Of The Year lists, right?

No. No, there should not.

Worst Of The Year. Why? To make the authors of the books feel bad? To make those who enjoyed reading“the worst” books feel bad? To make the creator of the list feel . . . what, exactly?

This question is at the heart of The Mosts, a novel for teens about what happens when The Mosts—Most Popular, Most Beautiful, Most Brainy, Most Hot, etc.—come up against The Most Nots (in The Mosts’ vicious opinion): Most Ugly, Most In Need Of An Extreme Makeover, Most Geeky, etc. Fifteen-year-old Most Popular, Madeline Echols, who well remembers what her life was like before she was brought into the glittering group of Mosts, is hired by a small band of “misfits” to keep them off that dreaded “Most Not” list, which circulates around school on the last day—just in time to ruin summers. Madeline’s best friend, Most Beautiful, defends the vicious list by saying that Most This and That lists, such as Most Popular, Most Beautiful, Most Brainy, have been around forever and appear in yearbooks, so why shouldn’t there be a printed list of Most Nots? Most Ugly. Most Geeky. Most Stupid. And her personal favorite: Most Not.

She’s serious too. Doesn’t give a whit about the teens she and her friends nominate to be on that list of “Nots.” But Madeline, who has a lot of questions about life, her family and her place in the universe, does. When they hire her to transform them from Nots into . . . Not Pick-On-Able, Madeline begins to understand a thing or two about acceptance, self-acceptance, and just what is unacceptable.

About the Author

The Mosts is my second novel for teens. I’m also the author of eight novels for adults, including my debut, See Jane Date and my latest The Secret of Joy. My next novel for adults, The Love Goddess’s Cooking School, will be published by Simon & Schuster in October. I’m a former fiction editor from New York City who has spent the past six years living and writing on the beautiful coast of Maine, where The Mosts is set.

About the Book

Madeline finished freshman year at Freeport Academy just as invisible as when she started. But after a summer in Italy with her sophisticated aunt, she returned as a sophomore with cool clothes, European attitude, and a hot new boyfriend, Thom.

Maddie's part of the in crowd . . . the Mosts. Her best friend, Caro? Most Beautiful. Her other friends, Fergie, Annie, and Selena? Most Stylish, Most Hilarious, and Most Hot, respectively. And Madeline? Most Popular. Her life is great.

While it lasted.

Now Thom's moved to California—so Maddie's no longer the girlfriend of a popular guy. The guy Caro likes only has eyes for Madeline—can you say social suicide? And a group of misfits at school are begging Madeline to help make them over.

Madeline knows there's a fine line between being a Most . . . and being a Not. She doesn't want her status to change . . . but what if she doesn't have a choice?

Fun summer fiction from Melissa Senate, THE MOSTS is sure to be a favorite among tweens and teens looking for a great beach read.

For more info about The Mosts, you can check out Melissa's website (http://www.melissasenate.com) or Amazon

Giveaway

Melissa has 5 copies of The Mosts set aside just for you guys! To enter, leave a comment with what you might have been voted as in high school. For example, I might have been voted Most Likely to Disappear in the Bermuda Triangle. (I had a strange fixation.)

Tweet this post for an extra entry. Leave a separate comment with the tweet link.

Remember to leave your email so I can contact you if you win.

Entry deadline is Monday, June 14th 11:59pm EST. US only.

45 comments :

  1. I love the sound of this book. Will definitely read it and I totally agree about the lack of a need for worst anything list. Sheesh!

    In high school, I would have probably been labelled "Most Silent in Every Situation Even at a Pep Rally". Obviously, I've gotten over that phase of my life.....LOL

    janezfan(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  2. Most likely to get lost on the way home.
    dukesangel002(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  3. Tweeted http://twitter.com/readingangel002/status/15711253585
    dukesangel002(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  4. I really wanted this one..I looks awesome. Self discover meets Fashion.

    I was probably labeled most likely to have a party.

    Clevverlyinked@yahoo.com

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  5. http://twitter.com/Cleverlyinked/status/15711407442

    Tweeted

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome giveaway!!!

    I would probably have been labeled most talkative..

    lovestoread0708 AT yahoo.com

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  7. Voted "most shy"
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. tweet
    http://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/15711631555
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I actually WAS voted something in high school - MOST QUIETEST. Yep, I was the shy girl with a nose in a book, but also a Varsity softball player, so go figure. LOL!

    I love Melissa Senate and would love to read this one!

    js1997@gmail.com

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  10. I would have been crowned Most Talkative. I don't think my mouth ever stopped moving in High School.

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

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  11. I would have been Most Outspoken because I always spoke my mind.

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  12. Wow... this book looks amazing! I'll be picking it up, regardless of whether I win a copy or not!

    I'd probably would have been voted Most Owl Like. Which sounds really weird. But I have big eyes and sometimes kids would say I looked like an owl. They aren't even THAT big. :/ Haha

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Sara @ The Hiding Spot
    grochowskisAThotmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  13. I tweeted as well:
    http://twitter.com/thehidingspot/status/15718397263

    Thanks!
    grochowskisAThotmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  14. This so hits home for me, as a high school friend (from our hometown in Maine!) just posted a bunch of pics from junior year on FaceBooks. Yikes and wow.

    I was voted Most Likely to Go Into Politics. But the pics reveal me to be a solid contender for Most Likely to Regret Her High School Perm :)

    trishryanonline@gmail.com

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  15. This book sounds so great, totally on the top of my TBR list! I probably would have been voted Most Talkative...big time chatty cathy over here :)
    Email address:
    thebooksophisticate@hotmail.com

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  16. I would have been "Most Likely to Not Fit in...Anywhere...and Be Perfectly Happy With it"!

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tweet:
    https://twitter.com/nfmgirl/status/15722485497

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  18. In HS, I would probably have been voted Most Likely to Give You A Ride Home... I was one of those Nice Kids. (I mean, I still am, of course...)

    This book looks pretty awesome; great giveaway!

    comedyofmanners(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhutchison57/status/15722852417

    comedyofmanners(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would have been voted "Most Facetiousness" & I am still the same way today :)

    abibliophilesparadise@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Tweet: http://twitter.com/bibliophileprds/status/15722758420

    abibliophilesparadise@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Most outrageous dresser!

    missie at theunreadreader dot com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Looks like a fun read!
    I might have qualified for "Most likely to run into stationary objects" *Klutzy could have been my middle name.

    paigepooler at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I would have been voted most quiet.
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

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  25. I would have been voted least talkative. I was very shy & I had a boyfriend who dumped me because I said hardly anything.
    Love & Hugs,
    Pam
    pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  26. I would've been voted Most Likely to Crack Nerdy Jokes. (I'm still that girl!)

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Tweet: http://twitter.com/whatinabox/status/15743908196

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I would have been voted Most Quiet. I was 'in' but, always on the outskirts. I would love to be included in this giveaway.

    gcpeach17 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. we had an awards show themed senior prom and i was voted most opinionated. people who know me now, many years later, would still agree with that assessment!

    i would love to read this book - it sounds fabulous!

    meaghan_koci (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I'd have probably been voted most likely not to get married!! (Never dated in hs) But I've been married 29 years!! I'd love to be entered to win this one. It sounds terrific

    I follow on gfc

    mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thanks for the contest!
    Please enter me.
    bevsharp@desch.org
    I would probably been voted for least likely to be both a bartender and a librarian (which I am!)

    ReplyDelete
  32. I might have been and should have been voted biggest flirt. But instead was voted as shortest girl in my class. Please enter me. Thanks!

    ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  33. Voted most likely to not finish college.

    Jeff72768@yahoo.com

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  34. Most likely to succeed

    and I think I did too,

    christina101092@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Most likely to have kids and marry early and I did do that.

    shundelt@yahoo.com

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  36. this is tuff. Maybe most likely to become a Dallas Texas Cheerleader. That dream never happened, I fell in love at 16 and just wanted to get married.

    chirth7@yshoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks for the info and chance to win!
    I would have been voted most organized.
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  38. OOh I really like Melissa Senate! this sounds like fun.

    I would say I would have been voted Most able to make others laugh. I was the jokester. everyone's pal, ha ha. that's great unless you totally have a crush on the cute football player who only thinks your "cute" and "funny". sigh

    michwerm@gmail.com

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  39. did i just really type your instead of you're?

    ReplyDelete
  40. The Nerd.

    aikychien at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  41. Tweeted:
    http://twitter.com/aikchien/status/15997126060

    aikychien at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hmm... I was voted to pass the first round of American Idol, which I am pretty cool with compared to some of the odd things some got. (Most likely to become a cross guard :D) I think if they actually associated names with things instead of randomly choosing I might be most likely to laugh until I die. I giggle a lot. :)

    -Jackie

    jackie_love35@msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. This sounds like a great book! I would love to be the winner!!

    In High School I probably would have been voted "Most Likely to Become a Teacher" which did happen.

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  44. Tweet! Tweet!
    @NancyeDavis

    http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/16126359981

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  45. i would have been voted most likely to become the next elvira! that was my nickname in high school due to my wearing black a lot, my morbid sense of humor, and my, um, attributes....

    k_sunshine1977 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete