Today we’re excited to share with you a guest blog, from author Jessica Brody. Jessica’s new book, My Life Undecided, is out to buy this week, and here we get to hear from the main character, Brooklyn…

Okay, here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously. Decisions…so not my forte. Don’t believe me? Well, there’s a whole book about my life that’s being released this month that pretty much sums it all up.

It’s called MY LIFE UNDECIDED. It’s written by Jessica Brody and basically it tells the story of how (and why) I started this blog called MyLifeUndecided.com, on which I posted every decision I came across and let my blog readers vote on what I should do. That’s right. I completely threw in the towel and let others choose how I lived my life.

Sound funny? Well, it kind of is. I mean, now that I can look back on it and all. At the time however, it wasn’t quite so funny. At least not to me. After all, it’s my crazy, screwed-up life we’re talking about here.
But anyway, the nice people over at BookBabblers asked if I’d do a guest blog. And since I’m pretty much a blog pro now, I agreed. So here I am. Now the question is, what do I talk about?

Well, I decided (yes, I’m capable of making a decision on my own from time to time) that since the theme of the day (and this book) is decisions, I would post the top five worst decisions of my life…thus far.
You know, just to give you a little taste of what I’m dealing with here on a daily basis. So here it goes:

Brooklyn Pierce’s Top 5 Worst Decisions of All Time:

5) The time I decided to be friends with a girl named Shayne Kingsley. You know all those movies you see about high school and there’s always this one über-gorgeous, popular girl who rules the school and treats like everyone like crap? Well, put all of those girls together and you get the one and only Shayne Kingsley. Also known as my BFF. And you know that phrase they use, “With friends like that, who needs enemies?” Well, that pretty much sums up my relationship with Shayne.

4) The time I decided to take a nap in the convalescent home where I was serving my court-ordered community service hours for decision number 1 (keep reading.) Let’s just say, it didn’t go over too well with my supervisor and my punishment…well, actually, I’d rather not repeat it. It’s pretty disgusting. Plus, it’s already included in the book and I think one written account of this revolting occurrence is plenty. So I’ll just say, “See Book For More Detail.”

3) The time I decided to accept money in exchange for drinking Windex. But just to clarify here, I was eight. This wasn’t like last week or anything. But alas, there I was, eight years old. And that stupid kid who had just moved in down the street dared me to drink from the Windex bottle…in exchange for five bucks. Yeah, you read that right. FIVE. Not a hundred. Or fifty. Or even ten. Just five. You can barely even buy a happy meal for that anymore. But being the decisionally challenged pre-adolescent that I was, I accepted. And it ended in a trip to the emergency room. (FYI, video evidence of this terrible decision can be seen in the book trailer for MY LIFE UNDECIDED which has been pasted below.)

2) The time I decided it would be a good idea to chase a lizard off a hiking trail and found myself stuck at the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft for two whole days. I was two years old at the time and forever immortalized as “Baby Brooklyn: The Little Girl Who Fell Down the Mine Shaft.” Yes, it was all over the news. Quite the story, I’m told. Not that I remember it. So sadly, my number two worst decision of all time is something I have no recollection of. But I can always turn to the trusty Wikipedia if I ever want a reminder.
And my number one worst decision of all time is…(drum roll please)…

1) The time I let Shayne Kingsley talk me into throwing a party in a model home of my mother’s real estate development…while my parents were out of town. Wait, it gets worse. There was a fire. The police showed up (and the news outlets), I ended up in handcuffs, and that brings us right to chapter one of the book (also known as the horribly accurate and embarrassingly true account of my fifteenth year of life.)

I’d tell you more, but that would be beside the point. It’s already all written out and published in a nice, pretty hardcover edition. With a book jacket and everything. So if you want to know more about my fascinating undecided life, I guess you’ll have to read the book. And yes, that’s me on the cover. In case you were wondering. Just for the record, I asked them not to include my photo. You know, for obvious reasons of “anonymity,” but did they listen? Of course not. When do grown-ups ever listen to the desperate pleas of teenagers? And am I receiving any royalties for having my story told to millions? Nope. Not a penny. Which is pretty unfair if you ask me. I mean, I selflessly divulge all these personal and private details of my life (including an embarrassing choking episode and a rather intimate kissing scene) and the author gets all the glory? Yeah, I’m definitely going to have to talk to someone about that.

Thanks, Jessica! Tempted you to want to know more? We have the book trailer here, and you can buy the book from our links and shop now…

We recently brought you our interview with Jessica Brody, and now we can share our review with you, and the chance to win a signed copy of the book.

The Karma Club – Jessica Brody

Maddy always thought she understood how Karma worked – do good things amd you’ll be rewarded; do something bad and you’ll get what’s coming to you. But when Maddy’s boyfriend, Mason Brooks, gets caught with Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them, it seems like Karma has let Maddy down badly.

That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start The Karma Club – a secret society – in order to ‘help’ Karma along. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the Universe…

Don’t get mad. Get even.

This novel tells the story of Karma. How it works, why it works and that if you mess with it…it will mess with you.

This book was quite slow to get into at first, but after a few pages I was hooked. It’s a very enjoyable novel, and the schemes they came up with to get back at people as part of The Karma Club made me laugh out loud! The storyline is original and unique – I’ve never read a book like this before.

My favourite character is Jade because she has such good ideas and sometimes she helped Maddy when she was in trouble.

The cover is really pretty, I love it. It’s simple but effective; it makes you just want to pick up the book straight away!

Jessica, if you’re reading this, will there be a sequel?? This book is AMAZING and you’re definitely missing out on a lot if you don’t read this novel. I give this novel a rating of 5/5…….I. Loved. It. SO. Much!

Thanks, Amber. Jessica – please let us know if there will be a sequel, as Amber’s fit to burst?!!

To be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of The Karma Club, just comment on this post, retweet it or Facebook ’like’ it (UK only). We’ll pick a winner at 8PM Tuesday. We’ve also added it to our shop now.

Today we’re bringing you our interview with The Karma Club’s author, Jessica Brody:

How did you come up with the idea for The Karma Club?

This was definitely one of those ideas that just “came” to me. A friend of mine had told me some horrendous story about how a boy dumped her (I don’t even remember the story, I just remember it was infuriating!) and the entire time she was talking, I kept thinking, “Someone needs to do that right back to him. He can’t just get away with that. He needs a taste of Karma!” And then boom, the idea hit me! A secret society of girls who help each other out, dosing out Karma to those who deserve it when the universe is slow to do it on its own. And thus THE KARMA CLUB was born. Of course, as soon as the idea came to me, I also knew that my characters would never be able to get away with it. Karma is a tricky thing. And you definitely don’t want to meddle with the universe!

Do you believe in Karma?

Absolutely! I’m a big believer in Karma. But I also don’t think it’s as easy as doing a good deed and then the next day you’ll wake up with millions in your bank account. The universe works in mysterious ways and sometimes it takes a little searching and a little time for those ways to reveal themselves. But I love giving back and helping people and animals and the planet (even if I don’t get anything in return). Sometimes the “karmic payback” is that warm gooey feeling you get from knowing you made a difference in the world. That’s why I started TheKarmaClub.org. So I could share that feeling with the world.

You’ve written adult novels, too, so what attracted you to writing YA novels?

I really didn’t plan it at all. When I came up with the idea for THE KARMA CLUB (see question above!) at first I tried to plot it out as an adult novel and it felt all wrong to me. Then I started to think about it as a story about teens and suddenly it all started to fall into place. Of course, I had no idea how to write a teen novel. So I started reading a bunch of YA fiction to get a feel for the genre. The first book I read was KISS AND BLOG by Alyson Noël and I fell in LOVE with it. (She and I are now very good friends.) I then wrote out 50 pages of the story, showed my agent and asked, “Am I even close to the mark here?” She read it, liked it and told me to keep going with it. She said I had a “natural YA voice.” I think that’s code for “you’re still 17 at heart” (which I still feel!). Writing THE KARMA CLUB was so much fun I decided to stay in the genre. I have two more YA novels coming out in the next two years and a new YA series in the works too!

Tell us about your next YA book, My Life Undecided?

I’m SO excited about the next book. I think it actually might be my favourite yet (but don’t tell any of my other books that!) My Life Undecided is about a fifteen year-old girl who is notorious for making terrible choices and so she decides from now on, she’s going to post every decision she comes across on an anonymous blog with a poll for readers to vote on what they think she should do. And she vows to do whatever the poll result may be. Obviously problems and hilarity ensue! It was a blast to write. Brooklyn Pierce, the main character, became very near and dear to my heart as I wrote it. I’m excited to introduce her to the world.

What are your favourite books from your childhood?

I was a HUGE fan of Judy Blume. I read all her books. She taught me how to be a girl. I’ll never forget the first time I read, Just as Long as We’re Together. Her books made me feel like I was normal. And that’s a big deal when you’re thirteen!

If you could live if any fictional place, where would it be and why?

Edward Cullen’s bedroom. LOL. Just kidding…sort of. Um, I’d probably choose Hogwart’s Castle. I’d love to have my mail delivered by owl.

In the real world, you live in LA, so what’s the best thing about living and working there? (we are jealous – all that sunshine and The Grove shopping!)

Haha! You know what’s funny, I hardly go to the Grove! I guess it’s one of those things. When it’s right there, you don’t to go! But I do love living in LA. The best thing about living here (apart from the weather) is the fact that it’s a city of dreamers. Everyone here is following a dream. And they come from all over the world to do it. Actors, screenwriters, producers, models, directors, entrepreneurs. Some make it, some don’t, but that’s not the point. Everyone here has stepped out of their comfort zone to pursue something that makes them happy and I love being around that energy. Oh, and the beach is nice too!

Thanks so much for doing this interview! It was really fun!

Thanks, Jessica – it’s a pleasure having you with us. Look out for our review of The Karma Club coming soon, and we’re now eager to read My Life Undecided, too! The Karma Club’s been added to our shop for you now, too.

Find out more about Jessica here and you can follow her on Twitter here.