Authors Are Rockstars: J.K. Rock

Rockers and rollers, I am very honored to be a part of the 2nd Annual Authors Are Rockstars tour! And today I have not one, but two author rockstars: J.K. Rock, the sisters-in-law duo of Joanne and Karen Rock, and the creators of Camp Boyfriend!

While I can't say that they wear leather and put three bottles of hairspray in their hair every week (or do they?), I can say that J.K. Rock are total rockstars. For one, they are great at socializing and interacting with people on Twitter, which I just love. They also rock out on Pinterest, where they have a Rock Star Bloggers' Hall of Fame! If that's not enough, Joanne and Karen are just so stinkin' nice, and you can't help but want to be friends with them! Therefore, I'm stoked to have them on the blog today as they discuss a fun camp related topic. Oh, and did I mention that there's a totally rocking giveaway? So stick around, my fellow reading rockers, and prepare to ROCK ON with J.K. Rock!

Go Backstage!
Go backstage with Joanne and Karen as they discuss their Top Ten Best Camp Moments!

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When we were writing Camp Boyfriend, we were definitely inspired by depictions of camp we’d seen in popular culture. From movies, songs, books and even a poem, here are some of the camp moments we love:

1. "A Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe"
The song we all sang at Girl Scout camp is an early introduction to girl empowerment, although we’d like to think that in an era where “no means no” we don’t really need to jump out of canoes to avoid kisses…

Just a boy and a girl in a little canoe
With the moon shining all around
As he glides his paddle
You couldn't even hear a sound
And they talked and they talked
Till the moon grew dim
He said you better kiss me
Or get out and swim
So what you gonna do in a little canoe
With the moon shinin' all a--
Boats floatin all a--
Girls swimmin' all a rou-ou-ound!

2. Meatballs – Campfire Story
Bill Murray gave us a classic campfire tale where the scary main character has a hook for a hand. And, like any good counselor, he tells it with just the right amount of drama!

3. Stand by Me – Campfire Scene
Even more than the scary stories, we love the conversations that happen by the bonfire at night. Stand by Me reminds us how friendships are made around a shared fire in this memorable campfire scene:

4. Dirty Dancing – Kellerman’s
Dirty Dancing wasn’t really set at summer camp, but the mood at this Catskills resort definitely resembles camp, especially in the Talent Night scene:

5. Little Darlings – Randy and Angel Meet
Kristy McNichol and Tatum O’Neal flirt their way through Little Darlings and there’s no scene we love more than when Kristy McNichol’s character meets young Matt Dillon. We love the way she checks him out! Don’t let the name fool ya…

6. Meatballs
I adore this hilarious ‘Motivational’ speech Bill Murray gives to his non-athletic campers before they compete against a mega competitive camp in color wars. It’s called “It Just Doesn’t matter!” and you’ll laugh until you cry while watching it! As Counselor Bill says “…it just doesn't matter because all the really good looking girls would still go out with the guys from Mohawk because they've got all the money.” hahahahahaha

7. Wet Hot American Summer
If Monty Python had done a movie about American summer camps, it would have been this spoof, Wet Hot American Summer! It is one of my favorite summer camp movies because it pokes fun at everything I love about camp and stars some of my favorite actors when they were first starting out like Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, and Janeane Garofolo to name a few! In this scene, a rejected boy trains with the cook on how to win girls at camp- ROFL

8. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 
OMG!!! This is the funniest spoof on camp I’ve ever seen. . . Watch Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon as two teen boys obsessed with Toto’s song "Africa." They keep singing it past lights out because they’ve eaten thousands of Twizzlers. Their whistle happy camp director is hilarious when he busts them and calls them “Turkeys” hehe

9. Camp
One of my favorite camp movies is actually a British one called Camp. It’s funny and heartfelt with talented kids with amazing voices. It’s about  Camp Ovation,  a performing arts summer camp where talented kids come to spread their wings. Among them are Vlad (Daniel Letterle), a "bona fide straight boy"; Ellen (Joanna Chilcoat), a megastar with huge insecurities; and Michael (Robin de Jesus), who's struggling with his sexual identity. Their director, Bert Hanlon (Don Dixon), is a washed-up has-been -- but the kids have at least as much to teach him as he has to teach them. If you want to check it out or rent it, it’s on NetFlix. . .

10. "CAMP IS…" by Molly Hott
Our agent sent us a copy to this poem after we finished Camp Boyfriend, so we can’t really call it an inspiration. But any camper can identify with this one! It captures so much of the experience.

Camp is where I learned to be me
And where I let you know, it’s ok to be you
Camp is where I learned to make friends
And where I learned to be a friend
Camp is where I learned how to make my bed
And where I taught others about the importance of hospital corners
Camp is where I saw my first remembered sunset
And where I shared my first remembered sunrise
Camp is where I learned to hold hands confidently
And where I shared the importance of having a hand to hold
Camp is where I cried myself to sleep missing home
And where I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe when I had to leave
Camp is where I saw my first starry night
And where I shared the sighting of my first shooting star
Camp is where I sang and cheered until I had no voice left
And where I learned that my voice would never really come back
Camp is where I learned to respect, my counselors, my campers, my friends and myself
And where I learned about disciplining my staff, my campers, my friends and myself
Camp is where my sister and I became friends
And where I learned that my friends would become my sisters
Camp is where I learned to try everything and anything
And where I learned my strengths and weaknesses
Camp is where I learned that tears of joy can overwhelm you at any time
And where I learned that those tears turn to the greatest memories
Camp is where I learned to laugh until it hurt
And where I learned that laughing is the best medicine
Camp is where I learned to live with others and share common space
And where I learned that wearing the same thing every day is cool
Camp is where I learned how to separate my laundry
And where I learned that I would come home with none of my own clothes
Camp is where I learned I would sleep my deepest and most comfortably
And where I learned that waking up next to your friends every morning is treasured
Camp is where I learned about music and how to change the words to every great song
And where I learned that singing at the top of your lungs anywhere at any time with camp friends is acceptable
Camp is where I learned to love my counselors, my campers and my friends for who they are
And where I learned that each of these people would somehow remain in my life forever
Camp is where I learned about tradition, culture and spirit
And where I learned that these things can change but still remain the same
Camp is where I learned that there is no greater place to be
And where I learned that there is no greater experience for a child, an adult and for me
Camp is where I learned to be me
And where I let you know, it’s ok to be you.

The Ticket!

Title: Camp Boyfriend

Author: J.K. Rock
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Publishing Date: July 2, 2013

Pages: 324
Goodreads | Amazon | 
Barnes & Noble

The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.

They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

And don't forget to check out Camp Kiss, the prequel novella to Camp Boyfriend!
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Meet and Greet!

J. K. Rock is the writing partnership of sisters-in-law Joanne and Karen Rock. Separately, they write adult romance. Together, they dream up Young Adult books like Camp Boyfriend, the first in a three-book series. The summer camp stories continue with Camp Payback (4/14) and Camp Forget-Me-Not (8/14), plus bonus free novellas in between stories. Visit Camp Boyfriend's website to learn more about the series and the free prequel novella, Camp Kiss, which you can download here.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | 
Karen's Twitter | Joanne's Twitter

Merch Table!
From the rockstars themselves:

What are some of your favorite camp/outdoors memories- real or fiction? Share them in the comments section on this blog and one lucky individual will win an advanced copy of Kami Garcia's (author of Beautiful Creatures) upcoming book Unbreakable, an advanced copy of Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, an autographed copy of Camp Boyfriend, an 'I < 3 My Camp Boyfriend' fitted tee, bookmarks and temporary tattoos.  Best of luck!

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Groupies, if I wasn't hosting J.K. Rock, I would totally enter this giveaway! It is made of awesome! Oh, and by the way--it's INTERNATIONAL!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Thank you so much for stopping by and meeting (or seeing again) Joanne and Karen! These ladies truly are rockstars, and it's wonderful to share that with you! Now, go and rock on, readers!