YA Spring Break Week has come to an end. Thanks to all of our WONDERFUL guest bloggers, including Monica McKayhan, Shannon Greenland, Lucienne Diver, Diana Peterfreund and Rachel Caine. You all did an awesome job! Also, thanks to everyone who commented and participated in our contests. We had an absolute blast and we hope that you did too!
We still have a few unclaimed prizes. If you recognize your name from the following list, please email your physical address to contests @ knightagency.net (remove spaces in address):
Winner of 5 Books from Monica McKayhan's INDIGO series: Anna
Winners of Signed VAMPED bookplates from Lucienne Diver: Nicola, Suzette and Isabel
Today's winner of signed Rachel Caine book of their choice: tetewa
YA Spring Break Week: Guest Blogger Shannon Greenland
NEW UPDATE: Sara has yet to claim her prize!! You have until April 30th to do so or another winner will be chosen. Give us a holler at Contests @ knightagency.net (remove the spaces before emailing) by the deadline, and we will pass your info along to Shannon! Thanks! UPDATE: The winner of this contest is Sara! Thanks to everyone who participated :). How Great Are Sidekicks?
What’s a Batman without a Robin? Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson? Shrek without the Donkey? Harry Potter without Ron and Hermione?
Sidekicks play a very important role. They are the best companion for the hero and the person the hero talks to the most. Sidekicks can usually do something the lead character cannot, making them an asset to the lead and the story. They make the hero think through things and many times offer wonderful comic relief. They bring something out in the lead character that the reader would not necessarily see if it weren’t for the sidekick’s question, comment, or reaction. They help us like the hero, which is what we’re supposed to do as a reader.
If an author’s not careful, though, sidekicks can easily take over a story! In fact, many subsequent novels are spun off of reader enthusiasm over a supporting character.
I was thinking back to high school the other day and remembered this guy (we’ll call him X), who drove a corvette and was the ooh-la-la of the place. X had a trusty sidekick (we’ll call him Y). Y was everything X was not: shorter, chubbier, smarter. X was everything Y was not: athletic, tall, handsome. My friends used to kid that X was friends with Y only because it made him look good. Truth be told, they had a fantastic relationship. They were everything the other was not. And, in fact, just a few weeks ago I got a Facebook message with a picture of X and Y still together with their wives and children. Too funny!
Switching to me and THE SPECIALISTS. My lead character, GiGi, is the brain of the spy group. But she couldn’t function without her sidekicks, who are everything she is not. There’s Wirenut, the goofy electronics specialist. Beaker, the Goth chemist. Parrot, the shy linguist. Mystic, the touchy-feely clairvoyant. And Bruiser, the spunky martial artist.
I’m giving away one complete, autographed set of this series. Just comment on this blog and I’ll enter you to win. That’s it. Very easy! I’m going to draw a winner on Tuesday, April 7th and announce it here and at my site over at www.shannongreenland.com Cheers!
If you love YA, then you'll love what we have planned starting Monday, March 30th! It's YA Spring Break Week on the TKA blog. Our lineup includes guest authors Monica McKayhan, Shannon Greenland, Lucienne Diver, Diana Peterfreund and Rachel Caine. They will each tackle one of the classic character types in YA literature. Think Prince Charming, the irrepressible Sidekick, the Diva, the Bad Boy, and of course, America's Sweetheart. Looking back to my own high school days, there are a few more I could add in. How about yourself? What about the Bookworm (read: me). LOL. Glad those days are over, but I still love to read about them and reminisce.
Don't forget to check back next week for these special guest blogs, which will feature plenty of fabulous prizes!
