Adventures of the Teen Furies

by MaryJanice Davidson

Overview

Andrea Grouper, chronic wise-ass and Air Force brat, has plenty to keep her busy. When she isn't battling her chauvinist father for freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, she's keeping a wary eye on her best friend (who is under psychiatric care), avoiding her best friend's creepily manic boyfriend, fending off the poetic attentions of her own boyfriend, and hiding her crush on his best friend. Add an uncaring school and a loving but clueless family to the mix, and you've got Andrea's life in a nutshell--rollicking good times, the anger of the oppressed, and painful insecurity. In other words, adolescence. Andrea and her friends use role-playing games as an escape from their lives as misfit high schoolers, becoming fearless, buff young superheroes with a roll of the dice. Through their imaginary characters, they experience life, death, and everything in between, while in the real world they are more victims than heroes. Humorous and poignant, <I>Adventures</I> will strike a chord in teenagers because, like them, the Furies are alternately powerless and powerful. And, like them, the Furies find no matter how frightening or silly the circumstances, true friends are invaluable. [Cover art Dirk A Wolf]

Product Details

BN ID:	2940000071069
Publisher:	Hard Shell Word Factory
Publication date:	06/01/1999
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	455 KB

About the Author

Reading the coyly self-deprecating autobiography on her web site, one gets the distinct impression that MaryJanice Davidson does not have the slightest interest in talking about herself. Perhaps it's because she simply doesn't have the time. Prolific does not begin to describe this chart-busting dynamo, the author of four bestselling series and literally dozens of novellas and short stories.

A writer with a few romances and YA novels to her credit, Davidson had tried for years to interest publishers in her idea for a humorous, tongue-in-cheek vampire romance. After dozens of rejections (and assurances that there was no market for paranormal!), she submitted her manuscript for publication online. An editor at a New York publishing house downloaded the story, was royally entertained, and contacted Davidson to acquire the print rights to Undead and Unwed. On the spot, she was offered a three-book contract.

When Undead and Unwed and its wry sequel, Undead and Unemployed, were released in early 2004, not one, but two stars were born: Davidson and her irresistible protagonist, the reluctant vampire queen Betsy Taylor. A smart, sassy, 27-year-old secretary, Betsy is killed in a freak car accident and wakes up (so to speak) to discover that she is not only a vampire but the much-prophesied Queen of the Undead. Readers loved Davidson's wry take on vampire literature, a genre long distinguished by its gothic self-seriousness. Betsy, with her smarty-pants attitude and passion for designer shoes, is one vampire queen who owes more to Sophie Kinsella than to Anne Rice.

While Davidson has continued to produce more Undead novels, she has also found the time to launch three other romantic fantasy series featuring 1.) a hybrid mermaid named Fred, 2.) an eccentric family of Alaskan royals, and 3.) a cyborg spy. All are infused with her trademark wit and imagination. In addition, she and her husband, Anthony Alongi, have written the Jennifer Scales series, originally marketed to young adults and re-released as fantasy fiction for all ages. Davidson also remains one of the most popular writers of paranormal romantica; her short stories and novellas appear regularly in anthologies.

Hometown:

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date of Birth:

1969

Place of Birth:

Minot, North Dakota

Website:

http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net

Editorial Reviews

Davidson uses the male-female mix of her group to explore the various romantic issues faced by teenagers. The entanglements are inevitable, and Davidson examines various scenarios as her characters fall in and out of love. As with most teenagers, the question of sex looms large in the mind of this group, and Davidson addresses their confusion without adopting a preachy stance.

Kassia Krozser

A YA novel, Adventures of the Teen Furies is about as true to teen life, in language and in emotional conflict, as any book I've read--and as a former high school teacher, I have read a great many. The characters are teens, with all that implies: mixed-up, prone to emotion, loyal, creative, wanting to grow up, afraid, and, above all else, lovable.

Anonymous Reviewer