Blog Tour- Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt + Interview

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
"According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own."- summary from Amazon

I seriously don't even want to write a review of this book and instead just tell you all to go buy it now because it's such a cute, funny, and yet really serious book. But I need to write something, so here we go.

Leavitt's only has one book out at the moment but this second book shows to me what an amazing writer she already is. This is her first standalone and YA debut (Princess for Hire is an MG) and it's hard to imagine that that's true. She does a wonderful job weaving both the funny and the very serious nature of having a parent diagnosed with MS. It never feels awkward or anything; the book just flows naturally.

Payton in particular is a wonderful narrator. I love her focus exercises and she's pretty darn funny, but she does have quite a few flaws and her emotions feel very real. I really felt for her struggle and it really helped keep the pages turning. I also loved a lot of the secondary characters and it was just a good world to spend some time in.

Of course, I can't talk about this book and not mention the romance. It's such an interesting way to have the two of them meet and interact- Sean's head being her Focus Object and her wanting to do more research which means having to talk with him. I loved the scenes with the two of them together because it was realistic and just fun. Sean is a certified hottie, both inside and out, and I dare you not to fall in love with him.

Overall, a fantastic second book and it really makes me eager to read more from Leavitt. Good thing the next Princess for Hire book, The Royal Treatment, is in my TBR and will be in stores this May!

And now, an interview with Lindsey Leavitt!

1) How did you get the idea for Sean Griswold's Head (which sounds like you just made a head in a lab somewhere and named it Sean Griswold, but readers, that's the title)?

K, I wish I had a cooler answer, but... I had a dream. And in it, I was in English class and super stressed about something in my home life, and the only thing that would make me feel better was writing about this boy in my class. And that boy's name was Sean Griswold. I woke up and started asking all the questions--Why was I upset, who was that boy, ect. And I pulled out a notebook and started this book.


2) You've got the second Princess for Hire book, The Royal Treatment, coming out in May. Can you tell us about that, as well as what you're working on now?

Absolutely! The Royal Treatment continues Desi's story, and follows her adventures as she progresses to the next level of the Facade agency. Here's the blurb, because I suck at writing these myself.

Desi Bascomb's job as a princess substitute has gotten a whole lot more glamorous now that she's advanced to Level 2 within the Facade Agency. Magical make-up, roller-skating celebrities, and the chance to see Prince Karl again are just some of the major perks. Not to mention, she's landed the role of Fairy Queen in her school's production of Midsummer's Night Dream (opposite her best friend's crush. Which is a little weird, but at least he wears a donkey head during their kissing scene). Life should be perfect, but Desi can't seem to shake the feeling that there is more going on with the agency's magic than she's told. Like why is this mind-bending power exclusive to royals? Is it possible that there could be a bigger way to make an impact in both parts of her life?

I'm finishing up the third book in the series (out 2012), and then I'll work on a YA book I just sold that I'm really excited about, AUTHENTICALLY VINTAGE, which should be out in early 2013.


3) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor (or flavors, if you're so inclined)?

Orange Juice, AW root beer, mmmm, and lemon drop.


4) You wrote a post a little while ago talking about your love for book bloggers as well as some experiences with some of them, both good and bad (but mostly good). Hands down, what was your favorite experience ever with a book blogger?

Just one? James, you're killing me. How about I do a RECENT experience. The very first book blogger I met (online) was Jessica at www.chicklitteens.com Her blog introduced me to wonderful world of articulate and thoughtful book bloggers, and I've checked in on her blog throughout the years. So I was beyond excited when she showed up at a NYMBC signing I did at Books Inc in San Francisco--she was the first one there and seeing her took away any nerves I had about the event (because, hello, BOOKS INC is BOMB!) I love connecting with online friends, because there instantly is so many things to discuss, and it means so much to me when readers make a special effort to come to one of my events.