Guest Post: Susan Wingate and Her Novel, Spider Brains: A Love Story!

Today I have the great pleasure in hosting a guest post by author Susan Wingate about her latest YA book, Spider Brains: A Love Story!

About the Author:

Most recently, Susan Wingate’s novels, SPIDER BRAINS and DROWNING each reached Amazon Bestseller status in 2012. DROWNING won the 2011 Forward National Literature Award for Drama. She would love for you to read her books. You can find them all under the tab on this site labeled “Books”. SUSAN has written eleven novels, two short story collections, a few plays, one screenplay and tons of poems. Her latest 2011 novel DROWNING  (contemporary women’s fiction), won 1st place in the 2011 Forward National Literature Award and also won a finalist award for the category of Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit in the 2011 International Book Awards. A vibrant public speaker, Susan offers inspiring, motivational talks about the craft of writing, publishing and marketing, and how to survive this extremely volatile (e-)Publishing industry. She presents these lectures for private groups and at writing conferences, libraries and bookstores around the country.

To get your copy of SPIDER BRAINS by Susan Wingate: http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Brains-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B007KDAS0C/ref=la_B003CMMERK_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1339336080&sr=1-6

To view all books by Susan Wingate: http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Wingate/e/B003CMMERK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

To learn more about Susan, go to her website: http://www.susanwingate.com

Visit Susan Wingate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/susanwingate

Like Susan Wingate on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanwingate.author

Follow Susan Wingate on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/susanwingate/susan-wingate-s-books/

About the Book:

If one were to bake the story SPIDER BRAINS into a cake, they should sprinkle in Charlotte’s Web, toss in one Jellicle Cat, then stir in a little Spiderman—but as a girl and not in that goofy latex outfit! A tale of hope, transformation, transition and inspiration.

After her father’s death last year and, now, in the throes of a gnarly teacher’s whim as she thinks ahead to college (or really just dreams of getting into college), a small black arachnid bites fifteen-year-old Susie Speider on the finger. The bite sends her nights into fantastical dreams about taking revenge on a teacher who, ultimately, holds her college aspirations in the palm of her cold calloused hand. But, after Susie figures out the dreams are real, she ups the ante by visiting the teacher regularly… as the spider! And, oh, by the way! Who is that boy spider munching on flies, hiding over there in the corner? A story of loss and forgiveness, tolerance and kindness, Susie Speider deals with the death of her father while Matt Ryder–the new neighbor boy–has just lost his mother. Ultimately, SPIDER BRAINS poses some important questions about how to treat Attention-Deficit-Disorder.

 Guest Post:

Under the Spell of Susie Speider

By Susan Wingate

Thank you to "My Guilty Obsession" for hosting my debut Young Adult novel, SPIDER BRAINS: A LOVE STORY while we go on blog tour this month of August. 

 

While developing this story, I fell completely under the spell of the main character, Susie Speider. Her unique teenage voice crystallized in my mind. Her situation in high school brought back treacheries I'd long suffered myself--stealing my way through concrete halls of the school. Trying so hard to avoid the stoners, the cowboys, the Crip-wanabees, and all the other gangs who they themselves were just hoping for a little protection. 

 

But, as it turned out, protection wasn't quite so needed in the halls as it was in the classrooms. Where the teachers berated students if they answered a direct question with nerves and stammering--who the teachers felt didn't perform as well in class as other more social (or possibly, more confident) students. Teachers who rolled their eyes and made sarcastic remarks about them. All the while, covering their cruelties as "just poking some fun." No matter that these same students suffered issues at home too with possible divorces or family members dying. The teachers didn't care. They had problems too. And they took their problems out on the students.

Enter Ms. Morlson, Susie Spider's science teacher. A teacher who doesn't hide the fact that she has it in for Susie (maybe even hates her), to the point she has been trying to fail Susie and hold her back a year, destroying any chances for a good start in college.

To me, SPIDER BRAINS is a mix of Meg Cabot's "The Princess Diaries" and "Spiderman"—but as a girl and not in that goofy latex outfit! 

 

This is the blurb: After her father’s death last year and, now, in the throes of a gnarly teacher’s whim, a small black arachnid bites fifteen-year-old Susie Speider on the finger. The bite sends her nights into fantastical dreams about taking revenge on the teacher who, ultimately, holds her college aspirations in the palm of her cold calloused hand. But after Susie figures out the dreams are real, she begins visiting the teacher regularly… as the spider! And, oh, by the way! Who is that boy spider munching on flies, hiding over there in the corner?

A story of loss and forgiveness, tolerance and kindness, in SPIDER BRAINS, Susie Speider deals with the death of her father while Matt Ryder–the new neighbor boy–has just lost his mother. Ultimately, this story poses some important questions about how to treat Attention-Deficit-Disorder and is a tale of hope, transformation, transition and inspiration.

Thanks again for hosting me today. It's quite an honor to be a feature author on this amazing blog. -Susan Wingate.

Thank you so much Susan for being here today!!