Why A? The Blog of Lisa Amowitz, young adult writer

So what's new with me?

2011-12-04T11:03:00.001-08:00

While my blog has been gathering dust, I haven't been doing nothing. Here's what's been going on:
My agent Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider has been an enormous help with my new book, BREAKING GLASS. I'm very excited and completely awed by Victoria's genius and dedication in helping me get this polished to a high shine. And of course, much thanks, as always, to my critique group, the Cudas for their slash and burn crits, as well as their wonderful friendships. Also, a big hug to my ever faithful beta reader, Colleen Rowan Kosinski, who has never ever let me down. If you'd like to read the first chapter of BREAKING GLASS, click here.

But what you may not know, is that while I was revising BREAKING GLASS, I worked on a picture book with the incredible Michelle McLean. Our book, illustrated by me and written by Michelle, is titled LYRIA'S EXTRAORDINARY WISH and is also currently out on submission. If you'd like a peak at the art, check it out right here:

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Lyrias-Extraordinary-Wish/2505851

Also, I have started on a new WIP, tentatively called Finders. (not crazy about the name, and so far I have changed the mc's name three times! From Davy, to Danny and now to Bobby! He's kind of a country bumpkin with a strange paranormal problem, so I think Bobby works.) No samples. Not ready to share!

Lastly, can someone please tell me what to do with the book I wrote before BREAKING GLASS? It's called LIFE AND BETH. It did not sell, but I still love it. If anyone wants to read a chapter and thinks they have some ideas what I should do with it.. click here.

Remembering 9-11

2011-09-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

I'm a New Yorker and I'm not finding all of the recollections and talk of 9-11 easy. But somehow, reading other people's memories of the day is oddly comforting.

So here is mine:

That morning I was in a great mood. It was nice and early--8:30 AM and I was well ahead of schedule. We'd recently rolled out a few brand new courses at the college where I teach, and I'd finally started to feel I had things under control.

I paused before getting into my car and stared up into that implacably cloudless blue sky thinking I'd never seen a nicer morning in New York City. Yet, while driving to work, though the day was glorious, a vague sense of dread took hold of me, the same sense I'd had pretty much since 1999—that something bad was going to happen. I hadn't felt it for awhile though, especially after a summer where the biggest news was a series of shark attacks.

But that morning, the vague sense was back.

As I was about to turn from Sedgewick Avenue onto Hall of Fame Terrace, I heard Claudia Marshall's soothing voice on my favorite radio station, WFUV, announce rather calmly that a plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. At first, I assumed it was an accident, and envisioned a small plane hitting the building like a bug on a windshield. But the knot in my stomach clenched tighter.

I pulled onto campus and into a parking spot right in front of my building and sat listening to the car radio as an eyewitness who worked in the Empire State Building recounted how he'd watched a jumbo jet swoop down and fly straight into one of the towers. I was paralyzed with fear and knew this was no accident. I got out of the car, just as our office manager, Sharon, was coming to work and told her what I'd heard.

In my office, I sat, shuffling papers around. At the time I didn't have an internet connection in my office and was cut off from the news. A few minutes later, Sharon came in to tell me a second plane had hit Tower 2. That's when we hugged and started to cry.

We, along with the only other person on the floor, Cesar, our lab tech, tried to get the news on TV. It was hard then, as there wasn't much in the way of broadband and our TV reception stank. But there it was, that horrible image of the burning towers.

Meanwhile, I had a class to teach. And so I went. About half of my class managed to make it, most of them having no idea what had transpired. Again, with the poor internet of the day, and with cell phone and internet finally petering out, it was hard to get information. But, one of my students had a husband who was a police officer. It was she, Rosa Cordero, who informed us that the first tower had collapsed.

It was a small group that had wandered in that morning, maybe about nine students. We were in a state of raw shock. For lack of knowing what else to do, we gathered in a circle, held hands and prayed. A few minutes later a car with a bullhorn demanded that we evacuate the campus immediately. Without delay, we left. With no cell service, I could not reach my husband, who worked two blocks from Ground Zero and who often got a bagel in a bakery in the train station under the WTC. That morning, I wasn't sure what route he had taken to work and I couldn't reach him.

It took me nearly an hour to drive the ten minutes from the college to my kid's school, where my daughter was in Kindergarten and my son in fifth grade, since all the bridges to Manhattan had been blocked and the traffic in a normally quiet area was insane.

When I got to the school, all was chaos. I picked up my daughter and a few of her friends, because their parents were stuck downtown. My friend, who was home recovering surgery, had picked up our sons and another boy. Somehow, I ended up with seven kids in my house, fielding calls from their panicked parents.

The thing I remember most clearly was my son, Ben, sitting next to me on the bed in my bedroom. He was three months past his tenth birthday and he recalled that birthday very clearly, because on that day, June 19, 2001, the four of us had on a whim gone to the observation deck of the World Trade Towers for the very first time and watched the sun set. While we were there a jet flew low over the Hudson River and my son was alarmed.

"That plane can fly right into the building!" he said, fearfully.

"That will never happen, honey. Planes fly here all the time."

So when he faced me and said, "You lied, Mommy," I knew exactly what he meant. And what was I to tell him? What on earth were any of us supposed to tell our children from that moment on?

In that moment, I knew our world had changed forever. Safety was an illusion and we were all going to have to find a way to live with the knowledge that a day that could begin with a clear blue sky could end in horror.

This is the world my kids have grown up in. This is why I started to write, and why, I realized that nothing is too frightening or horrifying to share with a child. That you have to live in the moment, in the now, and take each day as the gift that it is.

Eventually, that afternoon, my husband called. He had decided to bike to work that day, since it was so beautiful, when he was originally going to take the train. On his ride on the bike path that follows the West Side Highway, he heard crazy sirens and care radios blaring with news he couldn't figure out. Something awful had happened. He found out as he got to a spot on the bike path with a clear view of the towers, just in time to witness the first tower collapse.

It took us all, my family, my students, every one I know, a long, long time to heal--to become ourselves again. For weeks that smell lingered in the air--the awful smell of burning fuel and death, a smell I hope I never smell again because I will most certainly cry.

For the rest of the semester, the students at my college were like automatons, diligent robots who went about their work mechanically. All of us were filled with unspoken outrage, that we should be attacked, that such a perfect day should be marred with such hate. Our days were filled with mentions of the dead and the missing--people we knew were lost and never coming home again.

One of my students was an ex-marine on National Guard duty who got called to Ground Zero to rescue people and recover bodies. He returned to class two weeks later, tightly wound and bristling with restless and chaotic energy. After an nearly violent outburst in class, I advised him to get help from the VA--which he reluctantly did—eventually finishing the class quite admirably. To me that brave student, Leo Rosado, will forever represent the bravery that all of us here in New York needed to get up every morning and face our frightening new world--to have hope again in the future.

And to heal that semester, we did the thing we do best--art. The art department created a 9-11 memorial exhibition and all my classes 9-11 projects to help us deal with the event.

But we got through--and that New York--the one that pulled itself together, the New York that came out onto the streets of my neighborhood that night to sing the national anthem and just hold hands and be together is the New York I will never forget. Because we learned just how strong we are.

In the years that followed many good things happened in my life. My son, then 10, who after facing his own academic and emotional struggles, is now 20, and a junior at a great college. My daughter is a beautiful and spirited teen, nearly 16. She doesn't remember much about that day. I turned to writing and art to heal, and it worked.

It's sad, though, to think of how divided this country has become in the years since. But this city, my city is not. We stood together and thrived in this past decade despite the economic downturn and political upheavals that have rocked this country--despite everything. We put aside our petty differences. We learned that in the face of adversity, you can prevail, that life is too short to bicker over differences in color, or gender preferences. It's a lesson I have taken to heart in just about every aspect of my life. No amount of fear will ever squelch our spirit here in New York.

As a footnote, I'd like to mention that in 2002, I entered a web-design contest sponsored by my employer, The City University of New York--and to my surprise, won. The website I designed is still up and running and featured today on the homepage of cuny.edu

It was a healing experience to create that website and I am forever grateful for the opportunity it gave me to express my grief and emotions from that day.

http://www1.cuny.edu/portal_ur/content/911site/web/finalintro.html

If any of you blog followers (if I have any left after being too negligent) want to share your memories, please do.

Road Trip to Rhinebeck, center of the YA universe...

2011-07-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Suzanna Hermans and Jennifer Laughran, bookseller and agent extraordinaire, OBLONG BOOKS in Rhinebeck, New York has become a veritable children's book mecca.

Friday night, my critmate Dhonielle Clayton (of Teen Writer's Bloc) and I went on a road trip to see Libba Bray, and two other panelists, Michael Northrop, & E. Archer at Oblong for the Hudson Valley YA Society's: Survivor Edition. It was an entertaining evening, with Libba talking about her awesome new book BEAUTY QUEENS, mad libs style. A peak moment for me was when I managed to get a moment to talk to Libba, who is one the of the most hysterically funny and down to earth people I have ever met. I told Libba how one of my students is a huge fan of hers. She asked if I had the student's phone number and it just so happened I did. Libba called and left an adorable message!!! What a lady!!! And, I should also mention, BEAUTY QUEENS, is an ambitious, incredibly original and hilarious, can't put down read. Libba, you are just the BEST.

But, also, another excellent perk of visiting the hamlet of Rhinebeck is getting to hang out with Jennifer, the Gertrude Stein of childrens' lit. Jennifer is full of information and advice which she dispenses freely and generously for no particular reason other than that she just plain old knows everything and wants to share. Thanks, Jenn!

Another really great part about my mini road trip? Talking non-stop with Baby Cuda (her title as youngest member in my six year old online critique group), Dhonielle-who, poor dear, never seems to tire of my interminable babbling. If some day someone should ask how I plotted my current WIP and the book that my incredibly tenacious agent Victoria Marini has out on submission (BREAKING GLASS) I'm going to have to admit that my super secret technique is the Dhonielle and Lisa road trip. Yep--we have worked out plotting kinks for four of our books and came up with some new book ideas to boot. I highly recommend taking a road trip with a simpatico fellow writer. We had SO much fun (plotting our books is like crack for us--and of course, as usual, we missed our exit), and got so much done. And did I mention we stayed at the world's creepiest motel?

What a great little trip. If you are anywhere close to New York City and can take a drive up to Rhinebeck, NY--you've got to visit Oblong Books. Say hi to the wonderful Suzanna Hermans and Jennifer while you are there. But if you do run into Jennifer---bring plenty of cash, because you will not leave without a book. It's pretty hard to say no to one of the top agents in the biz when she's trying to sell you something. Pity those poor editors. :)

Rising from the dead to review the Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter

2011-05-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, not exactly dead, but buried in my WIP, BREAKING GLASS, nearly done at 242 pages. I've just been SO ENGROSSED, I hope you'll all forgive me.

I'd promised long ago to review Ellen Potter's KNEEBONE BOY and now I am going to keep half my promise—I'm having a guest blogger, my brilliant and generous critique-mate of five years, Cyndy Kennedy Henzel do the review. When Cyndy told me that she, too was as big fan of this rather unheralded book from 2010, I asked her if she'd like to do the review for my blog. She did and hear it is:

THE KNEEBONE BOY

by Cynthia Kennedy Henzel

I love surprise endings, and Ellen Potter’s KNEEBONE BOY delivered. The Hardscrabble children, Otto, Lucia, and Max, set off to stay with their cousin in London. When they discover she has gone on holiday, they find their way to their great-aunt’s, who lives in a miniature castle behind a sinister real castle once owned by the Kneebone family. Here, the story falls into the pattern of a semi-fantasy as they discover the morbid history of the castle then face dragons, secret passages, and other fantastical elements as they try to rescue the Kneebone heir locked in a castle tower.

THE KNEEBONE BOY, however, is not a fantasy. Or an adventure. Or a mystery. It is more the tale of a dysfunctional family with a dark secret. The father takes periodic trips to paint portraits of displaced royalty. The oldest son Otto, 13, hasn’t spoken since their mother mysteriously left five years earlier, and the great-aunt is wildly wacky.

The reader is lulled into complacency by the Lemony-Snicketish voice of the narrator, one of the children but which one is never identified, into accepting the characters and events that unfold as normal. This works wonderfully to disguise what is actually happening; the clues to the surprise ending are all masterfully planted. However, since the story is told in the past tense, the voice is somewhat jarring at the finale. We are surprised, maybe even shocked, but it is difficult to be empathetic. The narrator also tends to pause to tell the reader something is going to happen; a device that tends to pull the reader from the plot and doesn’t seem really necessary.

I’ll admit I was tempted to put the book down halfway through, thinking that it was just another tale of wacky characters off to visit the wacky relative in the mysterious house and having a somewhat silly adventure. It is not. Keep reading. It is a masterfully plotted story. You will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Homework Helpers by Michelle McLean

2011-01-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

This post is in honor of the release of Michelle McLean's new book

HOMEWORK HELPERS: Essays and Term Papers

Michelle is a young adult writer also, and a long time pal of mine. This is her first published book and I am here to attest, first hand that it is awesome.

Why do I know?

Because my daughter and I used it!

Last spring my ninth grade daughter had a massive research paper due in a class whose sole focus was that paper. The teacher had them put together research, work on grammar, learn to site sources, etc. Unfortunately, the class was less than systematic and so was the time frame. The students were given about two weeks to complete the entire paper, and my darling daughter, bless her dear little heart, had NO idea what she was supposed to be doing and when. So the NIGHT before the ENTIRE paper was due, we both realized the whole massive thing was due the next day. And what had she DONE? Nada. Now you can imagine how many gray hairs were formed that night and how high my blood pressure spiked.

Okay. Some parents might have taken the *you made your bed now lie in it* approach. Okay, I admit--I am a bit of a helicopter. But I didn't waste a breath on anger. There was no time. Instead, I emailed Michelle. I knew her book wasn't due out until NOW, but she was kind enough to email me her proofs. Which I USED to help my daughter organize herself, literally the NIGHT BEFORE. AND...drumroll, with Michelle's clear-eyed, systematic approach..it GOT DONE. By 10PM.

Final grade: 88

I think the teacher was a little stingy, because the paper turned out AWESOME.

And if not for Michelle's book, my daughter and I would have been rendered into a quivering mass of jelly.

So--consider this an endorsement of a fabulous tool for students of all ages--and go out and get it.

http://www.amazon.com/Homework-Helpers-Essays-Term-Papers/dp/1601631405

Michelle a freelance writer and the Chief Editorial Consultant for PixelMags, LLC., a company that digitizes magazines and other literature for use on mobile devices. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in History from Weber State University and a Master of Arts Degree with Distinction in English from National University.

Upcoming events and an artistic breakthrough

2011-01-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well--I have been--uh--lazy? Also, I got myself a new gmail account and that messed up my blog sign in. So I had to puzzle that out (with not much gusto) for a bit. But here I am, and unlike alot of other more diligent bloggers I am NOT going to promise wonderful things on my blog. I am going to remain true to my impulsive blogging self and only post when I actually have stuff to say or share. Which is not, to be honest, all that frequently.

I do admire regular posters. You have a lot of discipline. Discipline I don't possess. Not for blogging, anyway. I prefer to save my limited stash of discipline for writing, artwork and doing my job. Lately I am going to add--going to a REAL gym--as opposed to Curves.

First, let me congratulate my two critique-mates, Heidi Ayarbe (COMPROMISED 2010) and Kate Milford (THE BONESHAKER 20210) on their YALSA nominations. That's HUGE and I am so proud--but hardly surprised. They are brilliant writers (and two of the very nicest people I know).

So, I have two things to share. Well, maybe three. I am hoping to interview Ellen Potter of THE KNEEBONE BOY. And I am going to feature a post about my friend Michelle McLean who's book HOMEWORK HELPERS: ESSAYS AND TERM PAPERS is due out this month.

The third thing is that I have finally made a major breakthrough on my languishing picture book. I am now, officially on a roll with the art, though I have not written a single word. (see below). Also, I got a thumbs up from my agent, Victoria Marini, on the premise for my new WIP, so that gives me the kick I need to dive in.

My book LIFE AND BETH is still out on submission. We've gotten two rejections, but as Victoria assures me (she is so ASSURING) they are GOOD rejections. In other words, they are not about the quality of the book, but more about marketing issues with the particular publisher. Not sure I totally buy this, but I am not going to sweat it. Everyone can't fall in love with you, right? But a perfect match is out there. I found Victoria, after all. Just need an editor that has as much faith.

Anyway--keep an eye out for my post on the wonderful Michelle McLean. I have known her for many years and I have actually used her book to help my daughter pull off an academic miracle last year when she waited until THE NIGHT BEFORE to turn in a ten page research paper. And somehow--with the help of Michelle's book (ARC emailed as an amazing courtesy) she not only got it done but got an A- on it.

Shameless Holiday Book Spree

2010-12-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

I now bring you my shameless holiday book list. I hope you will buy these books for two reasons:
The first being that that are excellent! The second being that I know all the authors and want their books to sell.

So, keeping that in mind, I bring you the totally biased and self-serving booklist 2010: (Note--at the end of my fiction list, I am including a book that I read this year that hasn't gotten the attention it richly deserves, Ellen Potter's THE KNEEBONE BOY).

1. THE BONESHAKER by Kate Milford

2. CLAIRE DE LUNE by Christine Johnson

3.COMPROMISED by Heidi Ayarbe

4.SCONES AND SENSIBLITY by Lindsay Eland

And now for additional bonus, recommendation (pssst..I am going to be interviewing the author, Ellen Potter in a few weeks).

6. THE KNEEBONE BOY by Ellen Potter

And now for our non-fiction portion of the list:

7. EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS
by Christine Fonseca, School Psychologist

8. THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY by Carolyn Kaufman, PsyD

The characters who live in my head want to meet you

2010-11-11T22:08:00.000-08:00

Hi all. My characters from LIFE and BETH have been living in my head for a very long time. They felt they deserved a proper send off. What I am posting here are photo-illustrations which I will then render as traditional drawings.

This first image is Beth Collins, the girl who not only plays a killer lead guitar, but can kill with her mind.

The second image is love interest, Alain Duquette, the French classical guitarist with secrets of his own. (pssst...note I gave Alain's shaggy main a trim--thanks, Christine!_

Finally--Rewrite off to readers (and agent) and what I learned

2010-11-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

I know I've been absolutely silent on here and I apologize. I've been dedicating myself to completing the rewrite of my book LIFE AND BETH and it's taken WAY longer than I ever imagined. But, finally, finally, finally, I finished. I'm not fooling myself that more revisions aren't in store before my lovely agent Victoria Marini subs, but it feels good to have reached this milestone.

And you know what I learned? No matter what your writing method is--seat of the pantster, outliner, whatever, there are no shortcuts. I wrote the first draft of this book almost a year ago, in a very random way. It was DREADFUL. Then I created my (very pretty and useful looking) plot map. That helped a lot. THEN, I started to submit to agents and most of them came back and told me--yeah--we like your premise, we like your writing, but the whole thing falls apart like a flabby souffle.

So, then I downloaded Scrivener and used THAT to help me RE-OUTLINE the whole mess--and still, still I had a long haul ahead of me.

So what's the lesson here? The lesson is that there is no substitute for an awesome critique group and beta readers who target your weak spots like a laser beam. Thank you to all of you geniuses for getting me through this!

I am very excited to sink my teeth into my next project, which is writing and illustrating a picture book. There is also my untitled WIP, which I am going to outline on Scrivener FIRST.

Christine Fonseca Blog Tour Book Giveaway—WINNER!

2010-10-21T05:16:00.000-07:00

We have a winner. The method for choosing the winner was this: I counted all the comments that were not either mine or Christine's. I entered the total amount into a random number picker and voila--the winner was commenter #6, and that was...drum roll....

Padget!

So, Padget, whomever you are--please email me your address. I will forward it to Christine and you will get your copy of Christine's book!

Rutgers One on One/ Christine Fonseca book giveaway reminder

2010-10-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

Today I am leaving for the Rutgers One-one-One conference in Piscataway, New Jersey. I'll be driving there with my good friend and writing-mate Dhonielle Clayton and meeting up with my other good friend and writing-mate Colleen Rowan Kozinski, both of whom are wonderful muses and exceedingly talented writers. I'm also looking forward to the BlueBoarders dinner tonight at the Radisson Hotel.

I'm excited and a bit nervous. Since I've never been to one of these events before, I don't really know what to expect. It's a much less passive experience than most conferences as you are paired with a mentor. And you have no idea whom your mentor is until you get there. Kind of like a blind date. So, I'm busy getting myself together with my usual fear that I am going to forget something crucial. Hopefully, I won't. I know one thing I am bringing which I would rather not and that's a head cold. Wouldn't you know that after not having a cold for at least a year, I came down with one. But I refuse to let it slow me down. I'm planning to resist it! Hopefully, it won't slow me down too much.

Anyway, I hope to report back on this event when I return, or if I have a moment, maybe while I am there. Have a great weekend, all!

And just a reminder: Comment on the post below this for the chance to win the new book on gifted kids by the amazing Christine Fonseca.

Christine Fonseca Blog Tour Pitstop and Book Giveaway!

2010-10-12T05:18:00.000-07:00

First, I want to thank Lisa for hosting a leg of my blog tour. Be sure to check out the great contest at the end of the post for a chance to win a signed copy of EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS. Now, on to the post –

When Lisa and I talked about a topic for my guest post, she asked a great question – “Why are gifted kids so difficult at times?”

That IS the question, isn’t it!

The answer lies in understanding the underlying intensity present in gifted individuals. I think this poem by Pearl Buck really sums things up:

The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this:

A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.
To him...
a touch is a blow,
a sound is a noise,
a misfortune is a tragedy,
a joy is an ecstasy,
a friend is a lover,
a lover is a god,
and failure is death.

– Pearl Buck

I have worked with gifted children and adults for more than a decade, and I can say that nearly everyone I have met lives this poem to some degree.

Intensity refers to how an individual approaches life. At its best, it is the driving passion that enables some people to achieve amazing things - in any domain. But at its worst, it is the turmoil that has the power to consume these same individuals from time to time as they learn how to manage that aspect of their personality.

Intensity comes in the form of cognitive intensity - those aspects of thinking and processing information that all gifted individuals use to problem solve. It relates to the attributes of focus, sustained attention, creative problem solving, and advanced reasoning skills. Most people think of cognitive intensity as intellect, or "being smart" - all good things.

Emotional intensity is akin to the above poem. It refers to the passion gifted people feel daily. But it also refers to the extreme highs and lows many gifted people experience throughout their lifetime, causing them to question their own mental stability from time to time. This type of intensity is a natural aspect of giftedness. However, in my experience, it is also one of the most misunderstood

attributes – and it IS the reason gifted kids sometimes struggle.

My newly released book, EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS, talks not only about the specific difficulties inherent with gifted individuals, but also ways to help teach kids to manage this part of giftedness. I hope you check it out!

Thanks for stopping by, Christine!

And now for the giveaway. Just comment below and you will be included in the randomly chosen giveaway contest!

Website

Blog

Find me on Facebook or Twitter

Order the book.

Want an e-reader version? Order here.

Read the first chapter here.

Phew--It's Dusty in here! Cleaning out the place for a guest post from the awesome Christine Fonseca

2010-10-07T05:21:00.001-07:00

Well, I hope you will all forgive me for falling down a rabbit hole for nearly the entire month of September.

September is life re-entry time for me after being away all summer. Back to my wonderful job teaching graphic design at Bronx Community College where I find a good deal of my inspiration; back to being the General Manager and CEO of my family; and lastly but certainly not least, finishing the massive rewrite of my book LIFE AND BETH, which my wonderful agent, Victoria Marini would like to start selling. And I am nearly finished. Victoria and I both agree that writing is a priority, so the blog has languished a bit. But, hopefully not for long.

What better way to celebrate my Bloggiversary than with a visit from the amazing Christine Fonseca, whose book EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS is has been released by Prufrock Press.

So, I hope you'll all join me when Christine breezes through. There'll be a cool contest, too. Just to let you know, the incredibly energetic (and gifted, of course) Christine is also a writer of young adult fantasy, hence our friendship. Talk about multi-tasking—no one multi-tasks better than Christine Fonseca!

Remembering 9-11

2010-09-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Was it really nine years ago? Two wars and a changed world later, here we are. And so much has changed in my life since that it's almost incomprehensible. I do believe I began writing in response to that awful day.

I'm not going to say much. I'm just going to post this link to the website I designed for the City University of New York, my employer. I won the competition and I think it was working on this website that saved my sanity. It was this website that led me to the conclusion that creativity of any kind is the cure for the feeling of out-of-controlness all New Yorkers (and Americans) experienced on that day.

I hope you'll visit this website. It doesn't get much traffic, but it still means a lot to me. It captures exactly how I felt that day when terror rained down from a clear blue sky.

http://www1.cuny.edu/portal_ur/content/911site/web/index.html

I'd love to hear your thoughts and recollections on 9-11 and the state of the world in general.

I'd also like to state for the record that the hatred that is brewing in this country is frightening to me. Intolerance is the most un-American of all behaviors. We owe it to ourselves and our constitution to be bigger than our enemies, not to become like them.

And let's all pause to remember those who died and those who sacrificed their own lives to save others.

Bigtime Mockingjay Spoiler--Don't read unless you are done and want to discuss

2010-08-27T04:13:00.000-07:00

Here are my thoughts.

While I love the characters in the HG trilogy at face value (I am firmly Team Peeta, BTW--he is my dream man) I think the true reason for the trilogy's popularity goes beyond even the great plot, characters, writing, etc.

It is the underlying theme, the basic sensitive, gentle and thoughtful nature of the author (who I met in person yesterday-swooooooon) that informs her ferocious story-telling skills. Suzanne Collins has something she wants to tell us. And her characters are more than just people. They are symbols.

Katniss is all of us--unsure, wanting to do good, but often mislead and used as a pawn in other people's agendas.

Snow, of course is just plain old base evil.

Gale--and this is controversial but I think after you've read the entire MG book you'll see my point. Gale is an example of how outrage, deprivation and abuse can make you a killer. Gale has become everything Katniss has tried to avoid. Gale is in transition to the point where he can become as bad as Coin, someone who might have started off as well-intentioned but lost sight of her moral compass. And this is what Katniss has always feared. And this is why things end so bad with Gale--no kissy-kissy. No closure. Katniss fears what Gale has become. What she might have become--if not for one person.

Which brings me to Peeta. Peeta is hope, beauty in the midst of chaos, love, everything that is good, that can still prevail even in the worst of circumstances. This is why when Peeta briefly turns bad it kills us (and Katniss) so much. Prim represents the same thing, but she is not as strong as Peeta. He is strength and beauty combined. SO in the end--Katniss had to choose Peeta. How could she not? He represents the hopeful future for humanity (and for her). Oh--and Haymitch. He's what you get when you are like Peeta, but without the hope. And Haymitch is whom Katniss might have become if she'd not found Peeta to remind her of why life is still worth living, even after you've survived the Hunger Games .

Mockingjay Day in Millerton, NY

2010-08-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

I picked up my copy of Mockingjay on Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 2PM at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY, the town I am summering in. By 2AM of Aug 25th I was finished having read it in one long marathon interrupted only three times (of course not counting human necessities) 1) when I went to Winter Sun and purchased my awesome tomato red Baggalini purse, which I will always think of as my Mockingjay bag. 2) when I made dinner (can't remember what) and 3)when I watched my new favorite show Covert Affairs with my new favorite hottie Chris Gorham (you know I must like him if I put down MOCKINGJAY).

Yeah--so you won't get any spoilers from me. I'm going to wait until a reasonable amount of time goes by until I discuss.

I do want to discuss the great opportunity I had to meet and get my book stamped by Suzanne Collins at Oblong Books at the Millerton Branch. But first I want to thank the local hero, Suzanna Hermanns, proprietor of Oblong Books (@oblongirl ), for organizing this terrific and well-planned event.

By all reports, Ms. Collins was kind, patient and very lovely. I told her that as a writer, she is a great inspiration to me. She was so warm. I respected this amazing woman before, now I feel like--I don't know--awed even more. She read from both Catching Fire and Mockingjay, and her lovely voice gave me chills. I just don't know what else to say.

Afterward, I went for milkshakes with the lovely Jules Dominguez a local YA writer and the brand new resident of Rhinebeck, the awesome Jennifer Laughran (@literaticat), who also now works for Oblong Books (Rhinebeck branch). What fun. With the sun setting behind us as we laughed and slurped our really REALLY thick milkshakes--I was so happy to have found this little pocket of YA heaven right in Dutchess County.

I should tell you--I have had the amazing experience of meeting and getting to know Jennifer this summer and she is FUN. And smart--and she seems to know me way too well already. (enough to finish my sentences and laugh at me. Am I that transparent? yeah--I am) Okay--she is not my agent--that would be Victoria Marini who I have yet to meet, but I am happy to call her a friend. So I feel extra lucky. And it was so great to get to know Jules who I've *known* on Twitter for quite some time.

So--it was a great evening, all in all. I had time to reflect on the way back, driving past the rolling golden hills of the gorgeous Hudson Valley, the sun low in the sky, Suzanne Collin's mesmerizing voice still in my ears, about just what a great summer it's been.

All I can say is, wow. And thank you Suzanna(@oblongirl) for working so hard to make this happen.

Lisa

Mockingjay Countdown

2010-08-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Mockingjay comes out this Tuesday, August 24th and along with it, for me, comes the thrill of finally knowing the outcome of Katniss' adventure combined with the struggle to slow it down and SAVOR the book and the writing. It's like having the world's most delicious meal plunked down in front of you when you are ravenous.

So, I just wanted to share that I am unbelievably fortunate to have purchased my book and a ticket to get it stamped IN PERSON by Suzanne Collins herself on Thursday, Aug 26 at Oblong Books in Millerton, NY. I know, don't hate me. Call Oblong Books and get your own ticket! (I get to pick up the book in Rhinebeck, NY on the 24th---YAY). The question being, will I be able to stall finishing the book until then? I don't know--it's usually a struggle of heroic proportions to keep from gobbling down a hundred pages at a clip.

I will try.

So what are your thoughts on the impending release? Has it defined your summer as it's defined mine? Who's re-read the previous two. Who doesn't understand what the fuss is about?

Let's hear it!

Oh--and LISTEN to the first chapter as read by Ms .Collins herself on Audible.com's FB page
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/audible.com

Exciting News!

2010-08-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

I've just signed with agent Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider for my young adult paranormal LIFE AND BETH, and I am OVER THE MOON. Victoria is smart, enthusiastic and seems to do her homework big time. I think after all this time, I HAVE THE RIGHT AGENT FOR ME.

Gosh.

It's been a long strange trip, and of course, it's far from over, but this is an important milestone. I can safely say that past experience has enabled me to recognize someone who is professional, proactive and dedicated.

So--YAY! and thanks to my hardworking, patient critique-mates and beta readers who put up with me, my endless drafts, my doubting, my anxiousness and my goofball sense of humor. (oh--and my own skin-stripping crits) Seriously. None of this could be happening without all of you--and you ALL know who you are.

Kate Milford's amazing reader encounter

2010-08-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

I really just had to share this. I love Kate and I just love thinking about how great this experience was for her and her little circle of Boneshaker Fans! Hey girls and guys!!! You are some awesome kids!

http://clockworkfoundry.com/?p=657

Tenner Tuesday with Kate Milford!

2010-07-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

Go read this interview my pal Lindsay Eland of SCONES and SENSIBILITY did with my other pal Kate Milford of BONESHAKER. It's so much fun. just like Linds!

Tenner Tuesday with Kate Milford!

It does pay to google your own name

2010-07-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Wow. I just read this in a forum and so I did. Buried under all of my blog posts and comments, ad nauseum, I discovered a reflection on MY SUBWAY art written this past December by a grad student the prestigious City University Macaulay Honors College. Holy wow!!

In case you all do not know this about me, I am an artist, illustrator and professor if graphic design in addition to my career as professional book geek.

http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/weinroth/2009/12/05/final-project-nyc-subway-art-work-by-maria-ivana-frieda-briar-maria-e-conor/

In Brief: July 22

2010-07-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this. Lookee here--this is my homey, Christine Johnson! I am SO proud!!! She is SO awesome!

In Brief: July 22

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Blog Contest Reveals Title of Sophomore Novel

First-time author Christine Johnson’s novel, Claire de Lune, about a teenage werewolf, was published by Simon Pulse this past May, and because of the positive responses the book received among book bloggers, Johnson held a contest for bloggers to win the chance to announce the title of the book’s sequel, as well as a prize pack of books and other items. Eighty-five bloggers entered the contest, and the winning blogger, Cherry Mischievous, announced the title (Nocturne) earlier this week. Nocturne will be published in May 2011. Photo: Joy Oxenrider.

Pssst..Guess who's getting married in the town I'm in?

2010-07-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

Chelsea Clinton. Yep. It's all anyone's talking about in Rhinebeck. The wedding is July 31. Crazy. This small town is already pretty hectic. Do I actually need to escape from my VACATION? Or maybe I'll run into Bill. Yeah. I'd like that.

Cottage Days

2010-07-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

My, my, I've been negligent. Which is one of the reasons I'd hesitated to start a blog in the first place. I'm always hectic, and even though my head is usually buzzing with a million things, I don't always know what to post.

So I'll just report on life as it stands. I'm on summer vacation in the hills of northern Dutchess county New York! I'm a professor, so don't hate me, but I'm off until late August.

But I'm trying to write, write, write. Before that I'd been query, query, query-ing. And got an impressive batch of responses, most of which are still out for review. But the best part was that two agents wanted to TALK and suggested that I do a major revision and were willing to give me some feedback. I'm not going to comment on either agents, just that no promises were made. But for me, the fact that two agents bothered to fit time to talk into their crazed schedules and discuss my book was AMAZING.

And the ideas were awesome.

So that's what I am doing this summer. Not revising. Rewriting. My new WIP is on hold and the picture book I won a grant to illustrate and write is percolating, too.

About the picture book: I'm very excited, but terrified, too. I wish some kind soul would step in, siphon the visual ideas out of my brain and put nice childlike words to them so I can start drawing. I love picture books. I love the idea of illustrating them. Writing one scares the heck out of me.

Any ideas, crowd?

Guest post on Michelle McLean's blog

2010-06-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

http://michellemclean.blogspot.com/2010/06/guest-blogger-lisa-amowitz.html

(Pssssst---I love you, too, Elky--I mean Michelle.) Bet you didn't know that for two years Michelle and I knew each other only as *Elky* and *Justwrite* from the querytracker forum. Which is a good time to put in a plug for Querytracker. Run by the awesome Patrick McDonald, QT has come a long long way since I first joined it in 2007. I am using it for this agent search and it has been invaluable. Check it out: http://querytracker.net/index.php

Free Online Writer's Conference in August

2010-06-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is so exciting! It's founded by Elana Johnson (my favorite kick-ass empress of the blogosphere) and some other cool folks like Lisa and Laura Roecker. There are going to be a host of agents and writers participating...so check it out!!! It's free!

http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/2010/06/mother-of-all-pay-it-forward-events.html

And don't forget...It's Ten Word Tuesday on Michelle McLean's blog where I continue to spout my infinite font of wisdom. (ouch--that was hard pulling my tongue away from my cheek, especially after the oral surgery I had last Friday.)

http://michellemclean.blogspot.com/2010/06/ten-word-tuesday-with-lisa-amowitz.html

My Interview on Michelle McLean's website

2010-06-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

http://michellemclean.blogspot.com/2010/06/interview-with-lovely-lisa-amowitz.html

Come visit Michelle's website. She spotlights different authors monthly and this June she is spotlighting me! I think I'm going to have to turn the tables on her very soon. Michelle has an awesome NF book coming out for writing essays and term papers and was kind enough to help my daughter out of a major pickle, the end result being a glorious win. She is also a YA author. So stop by and say hello!

Bear with me as I clear out the cobwebs

2010-06-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have been wondering if I tripped and stumbled into a black hole. Well, I did sort of. Partly because it was the end of the semester and I had a bazillion work related things going on, and the other part was because I was furiously polishing my just completed WIP, which is now a finished novel out for query.

Hurray, you say? Congrats for finishing? Hmmmm. There is no one happier than me when I am revising and editing a manuscript I love.

I HATE letting go.

What's even harder is sending the poor baby out into the world. And that is what has been going on. LIFE AND BETH, my YA contemporary fantasy is on the dating circuit. She's all grown up and trying to meet her perfect agent. She's actually out on dates as we speak. Without a cell phone.

Okay--enough silly metaphors. I have issues. Issues that have NOTHING to do with this industry because I have nothing but admiration and respect for the agents and editors who slog through thousands of manuscripts. At my job we just had to look through about fifty resumes and the amount of people who send to the totally wrong position is astounding. So pity on the agents.

That being said, my issues have nothing to do with those good people. It has to do with me. I need to move on. Like any good parent, I have to cut the apron strings and let my baby find her own way in the world.

Good luck, Beth (my mc). I hope you find true love!

That being said, it's time to get to work on the next WIP!!

And now for some cool news. Next week I am guest blogger on Michelle McClean's website!
Be sure and stop by!

Live chat with author Christine Johnson at 9PM eastern TONIGHT

2010-05-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/2010/05/mundie-moms-author-chat-with-christine.html

Reviews: Heidi Ayarbe; COMPROMISED, Christine Johnson; CLAIRE DE LUNE, Kate Milford; THE BONESHAKER

2010-05-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

It has been very exciting for me this month to see books in print from three wonderful writers whom it has been my privilege to know so well. I've had interviews of all three of them posted here and I've noticed the positive reviews stacking up, so I thought I'd share some of them with you!

COMPROMISED, by Heidi Ayarbe

http://girlsinthestacks.com/reviews/ya-novel/2010/04/book-review-compromised-by-heidi-ayarbe/

http://readingjunky.blogspot.com/2010/05/compromised-by-heidi-ayarbe.html

CLAIRE DE LUNE, by Christine Johnson
http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/2010/05/claire-de-lune-by-christine-johnson.html

http://yaaddict.blogspot.com/2010/02/review-claire-de-lune-by-christine.html

http://www.book-crazy.com/2010/03/claire-de-lune-by-christine-johnson.html

THE BONESHAKER, by Kate Milford

http://www.bsckids.com/2010/05/the-boneshaker-by-kate-milford-review/

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1820054182.html?nid=3713

http://bookaunt.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-of-boneshaker-by-kate-milford.html

http://www.fantasyliterature.com/reviews/the-boneshaker/

This just in--WINNERS!!!

2010-05-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

And..drumroll...the two winners of the Claire de Lune contest are...

Deb Salisbury
and
Keri C!

I'm so happy because you guys are such great blog pals!

Deb definitely gets a copy of Claire de Lune and I do believe Keri gets one as well.
So message me, guys and Christine will send you your booty.

Congrats, ladies, and stay tuned for my Boneshaker contest.

Interview with Kate Milford of The Boneshaker

2010-05-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Tell us about a bit about yourself--as in your film background and that other strange place you inhabit known as Nagspeake.

When I moved up to New York, it was to write for the theatre. I was mostly writing historical stuff—absolutely nothing like what I write now, weirdly. I started writing for screen to adapt one of those plays, and I’m not going to tell you I got all that great at screenwriting, but I do think I learned to write much more visually and (control your laughter, considering The Boneshaker wound up almost 400 pages) much more efficiently than I did before. I think, even though I didn’t wind up being great at either stage plays or screenplays, I learned a lot from studying both that helped to make me a better fiction writer.

The easiest way to explain Nagspeake is that it’s my vacation getaway. As a reader, some of my favorite books are city-as-character stories, so my husband suggested I amuse myself by building a character city online, where ultimately it can exist alongside real cities and maybe even pass for one of them. Nagspeake has its own mythology and local mysteries and oddities, characters that live there who write for the websites that make it up. I have some crazy plans for it down the line. It’s also the setting for the book I’m working on right now.

Can you give us a quick synopsis on The Boneshaker?

Sure. Basically, it’s 1913 in a crossroads town called Arcane, Missouri. Natalie is 13; she loves machines and bicycles (her father’s a bike mechanic) and local folk tales she hears from her mother. Then Arcane’s doctor is called out of town just before a traveling medicine show run by Doctor Jake Limberleg rolls in. Natalie’s suspicious of the hucksters right along with everyone else, but it’s Limberleg’s collection of automata (which don’t seem to behave the way Natalie knows machines should) that keeps her skeptical even when the rest of the town starts to believe in the medicine show’s miraculous cures. Then there’s some devil-at-the-crossroads excitement, a temperamental antique bicycle, and of course lots of weird antique medical creepiness.

People are calling The Boneshaker a middle-grade steampunk fantasy. How would you characterize it?

When I wrote the first synopsis I put on my website, I think I used the phrase “a mechanical fantasy for all ages.” There’s certainly lots in the book that will appeal to steampunk fans, but I should be very clear that this is not a pure expression of the genre by any means. But then, as a reader, I’m a big fan of books, movies, tv, etc that blend genres, so I guess that’s going to turn out to be what I like to write, too. This one wound up being a little of this, a little of that.

How on earth did you come up with the concept for Boneshaker. Knowing you as I do, I'm quite convinced aliens visit you in your dreams and whisper this stuff in your ear.

If by “aliens” you mean the weirdos in my life like my dad and my husband, then yes, you’re absolutely right. They do, only it’s not in my dreams, it’s every minute of the day. I called my father yesterday to ask him to send me a book and he said, “Oh, hey, I just remembered something you might want to write about someday. Remember how your great aunts had those fruit trees they were really proud of that bore all those wormy apples they had to cut up into a million pieces before you could eat them? Well, Myrtie’s favorite one was an old-fashioned apple tree, and the kind of apple it grew was called Seek No Further. Isn’t that cool?” And you know what? I actually know exactly what I’m going to do with that bit of information. Once he sent me an email about the proper way to give chisels as gifts. And let me not begin to talk about the weird stuff I get from Nathan. Let’s see. In my inbox right now: emails about secret subway entrances, the Briggs-Rauscher Oscillating Reaction, the history of using 60 as a base for seconds and minutes, and (no surprise) scary old surgical tools. Plus my grandmother and Nathan’s mother are big genealogists who love details as much as I do. Nathan’s mom told me a story once about the little Missouri town where his father grew up where they stole the train station from the next town over. They all know I love weird stories and details like that, so they all save them up for me.

Man, I am so jealous. But then again, I've got my son. Who may actually be an alien.

What else are you working on these days?

Right now I’m revising the book set in Nagspeake; the working title is Charlotte Underground, but that will almost certainly change. It’s about the phenomenon in that city of Old Iron—iron that forms a sort of skeleton the city is built upon, and that nobody really knows the origin of, and that moves on its own power, kind of like the way plants reach for the sun. For some reason I started thinking about Jack and the Beanstalk, and Charlotte’s story started coming together. I’m also working on the continuation of Natalie’s story, if anybody decides they want to read more of that.

What has been your path to publication?

My first reader and editor was my friend Julie, and I absolutely credit her with this book being whipped into sufficient shape to land an agent. The original draft was maybe novella-length, and over a period of two years I expanded it into something approaching a book and started looking for representation. That process—finding an agent—took about six months. I queried something like twenty agencies, and I think I met you, Lisa, at about the same time I signed with Scovil Galen Ghosh. Then I revised the book with the help of my agent, Ann Behar. She shopped it around for just under a year before it sold to Lynne Polvino at Clarion Books.

Any advice for striving authors to be?

Do the work. Write the best book you can, and revise it until it’s the best book you can imagine. Then find yourself a critique group you trust to help you revise it until it’s the best book they can imagine from you. Then write the best query letter you can, and repeat the process. When you have the best query letter ever to represent your best book ever and your ego is ready to get smacked around, then start contacting agents. I know people have sold books without agents, but I don’t know how to do it.

Also, I think it’s really important to have a network, and not to work in a vacuum. There are lots of ways to build a network; Verla Kay’s Blue Boards are free and give access to a huge, responsive and very supportive community, for instance. There are group blogs that focus on every conceivable genre. Getting involved with groups like the SCBWI and SFWA do require registration fees, but I’ve found them well worth those costs. Most important for me, though, has been having a really supportive, trusted critique group. And I’m not just saying that because Lisa recruited me into hers three years ago.

Tell us something unexpected about Kate Milford.

Well, this week I’m really missing muay thai, so let’s go with that. I practiced muay thai, which is Thai boxing, for a year before I had to stop last fall in order to meet my deadlines for The Boneshaker, but I can’t wait to get back to it. A year is nothing, by the way—just long enough to move from beginner to intermediate classes and start sparring and occasionally not get totally owned. I’d go into work with bruises all up and down my shins from checking kicks, bruises all over my arms from blocking punches, black and blue elbows, the occasional shiner…I was pretty.

I'd also like to share that talking to Kate about food and its emotional resonance can be a transcendent experience. If she ever gets tired of writing children's lit, she can always be a food critic! And that anyone overhearing our conversations when we meet up will be certain WE are aliens.

I hope this interview gives you the idea of what a fascinating, gifted and generous person Kate is. I have been fortunate to know her in person and I can attest to her splendiferousness. And her hugs can kill. Kate is a full six inches taller than me and can rip my small head off with one of her powerhouse love-you-to-death hugs! Love you to pieces, Kate. You are a genuine artist with a unique and amazing vision. And now the world will get to see it! I couldn't be more thrilled!

Claire de Lune Contest winners to be announced soon!

2010-05-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Claire de Lune Contest Giveaway ends tonight at 12AM!!!

2010-05-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

C'mon! join the fun!

Claire de Lune Contest Giveaway

2010-05-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

So here are the rules:

If you are not a follower, become one. Comment. Then tweet, blog or post on a forum about the contest (include a link).

Winner will be chosen at random. (Christine will pick a number and that's the winner!)

Deadline: Monday May 10, midnight.

So get commenting and win a copy of Claire de Lune!!!

Interview with Christine Johnson of Claire de Lune

2010-04-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Christine Johnson, my good friend, critique partner and author of the upcoming YA paranormal romance, Claire de Lune. And stay tuned for another book giveaway contest!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born in Chicago, but moved to Indianapolis when I was too little to remember living anywhere else. I have two small kids and a wonderful husband. I write YA fantasy and I adore reading and chocolate and I have a degree in Political Science. Also, as you may have gathered, I have a talent for being exceptionally random.

Tell us about your upcoming release, CLAIRE DE LUNE. Tell us about any sequels you may have in store for readers.

CLAIRE DE LUNE! Coming to bookstores May 18th! Huzzah! Okay, now that that’s out of the way - CLAIRE DE LUNE is about Claire Benoit, a girl who discovers on her 16th birthday that she’s a werewolf. She’s descended from a long line of female werewolves - it’s actually a female-only species. Unfortunately, she’s also just begun a romance with Matthew Engle, the ultra-hot soccer star who’s father is leading the hunt for a rogue, human-killing werewolf in their hometown. Claire has to struggle with her new identity while also dealing with the danger that seems to be coming at her from every direction . . . with life-changing results. And there will be a sequel! It’s currently slated for publication in the summer of 2011. I’m drafting like mad. Writing like crazy. Staring at the computer endlessly. It’s awesome.

You somehow juggle a demanding writing regimen and raising two small children. How do you do it?

I don’t. Seriously. I could be a more effective mom if I wasn’t a writer. I could be a more effective writer if I wasn’t a mom. But I love both of those roles so much - they’re so essential to who I am. Also, I think I’m *better* at each of them because I am both. The logistics work because I have a really fabulous mom and a great husband and a couple of fantastic baby-sitters who help out with the kids so that I can get my writing done.

What inspires you?

I love this question! Great books inspire me. Every time I read something new that I really love, it makes me want to run off and write. I also always come back from long walks and hot showers with new ideas - that’s when the knotted-up scenes come unsnarled, or a sticky sub-plot gets greased. And NPR is great, too. Seriously! I’m always hearing stories on NPR that give me ideas for new things to think about - new jumping-off points for my own stories.

What advice to you have for aspiring writers?

Read. Write. Repeat. You can only know what you’re aspiring to by exposure - hence the reading. And you can only creep toward those aspirations by trying and failing and trying and failing and improving inch by inch until you’re good enough. And also - there’s a boatload of patience and a modicum of luck involved, so be prepared to weather the passage of much time and also the unfairness of an agent’s or editor’s personal tastes.

What kind of books would you like to see more of on the shelves?

Oooh! YA fantasy, just like the ones I write! (Heh. I’m working on my shameless self-promotion, since it doesn’t come naturally to me. How did that sound? Kidding!) Okay. I think - I really like the direction that the YA genre has gone in the last few years. The books, as a whole, are treating teens as legitimate, capable, discerning readers. Which they *are.* The more honest and well-crafted the books are, the better the genre does, the more teens read, and the happier I am. I think it’s happening already, but I really want to see it continue.

Tell us something we may not know about Christine Johnson.

Oh, man. Let’s see . . . I’m passionate about and obsessed with sharks. Matawan, NJ, anyone? I’m miserable at math. I can’t stand the word “ointment.” Just typing that made me shudder a little bit. Hey, Lisa! Thanks for having me by for an interview. I always love talking to you. Let’s do it again soon!

Thanks, Christine, or C as she is fondly known in our corner of the world. Gee, didn't know about the shark or ointment thing. That's pretty hysterical. I'm going to press you on that to find the root of your aversion when we meet up in June!

Contest Results!

2010-04-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

FIRST PLACE (signed copy of COMPROMISED – hardback): VESUVIUS CRIPPA (Absolutely cool and I loved the string of names afterward. Honestly, Magenta Maccaroni was my favorite in the pile .. as well as Al Dente. J )

SECOND PLACE (signed copy of FREEZE FRAME – paperback): THE KNICKERBOCKER MAINSPRING (and I also loved Katie Barracuda because, well, if I’m the CAPO of the bunch, I need followers that suck up!)

And, KUDOS to Lisa's mom. She was disqualified because a family member can't win the prize. Nevertheless, I was quite impressed with Moishe the Mohel.

CONGRATS TO ALL! Happy happy reading! Please send your addresses to Lisa, so she can pass them on to me. I’ll mail them out next week when I’m in the States!

Thanks for participating.

Heidi

Lindsay Eland blog tour!

2010-04-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Join Lindsay as she visits fifteen blogs!!!

http://lindsayeland.com/blog-tour-has-begun/

Heidi Ayarbe—Compromised Contest Opens!

2010-04-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

Prizes:
First prize—A signed copy of COMPROMISED
Second prize—A paperback copy of FREEZE FRAME

Deadline: Monday, April 26, 2010, 12AM

Guidelines:
All you have to do to enter this contest is..
1) either Tweet, Facebook or post a link in your blog and show evidence of this in your comment
AND
2) Come up with a creative Mafia-boss name! Yeah, it's kind of random, but fun!

So have at it!!!

Interview with Heidi Ayarbe

2010-04-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm switching the order here, folks. The awesome debut author Christine Johnson will be my next interview. This week I am featuring Heidi Ayarbe author of 2008's FREEZE FRAME and the forthcoming COMPROMISED. Heidi joins us to talk about her books, her philosophy of writing and a few random thoughts about American Idol (a guilty pleasure I share ).

Heidi is another of my long-time critique-mates (since 2005- wow) and I have had the great joy in witnessing her rise as a successful author of YA fiction. Aside from being a truly original voice and gifted writer, Heidi is almost pathologically generous of spirit. She feels everyone's pain, which could be why her books never fail to move me to tears. Even after I've read them six times. Go out and read them all. You will be changed.

Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a daughter, sister, *favorite* aunt, wife, mother, and YA author. (I’m really good at being an aunt! ) Other people may call me other things, but we’ll just leave it as is.

Tell us about your forthcoming May release, COMPROMISED.
Maya’s always lived a life of science based on procedures after her father’s arrest, Maya is sent to live in Kids Place, a group home, while waiting for foster family placement . She makes a plan to escape – in search of an aunt Maya’s never met and is joined by Nicole (Cappy), a street smart illiterate kleptomaniac. The two are joined by Klondike, a burn victim who suffers from Tourette’s. The unlikely trio sets forth to face life on the streets.

..and your previous release, FREEZE FRAME...
No matter how many times Kyle re-writes the scene, he can't get it right. He tries it in the style of Hitchcock, Tarantino, Lynch -- all his favorite directors -- but regardless of the style, he can't remember what happened that day in the shed. The day that Jason died. And until he can, there's one question that keeps haunting Kyle: Did he kill his best friend on purpose?

...and your next year's release, THE DOUBTING.
I’m on final revisions stage of THE DOUBTING about a high school soccer star who suffers from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and has spent his life hiding it from everyone he knows. The novel has been a challenge because it all takes place over the course of a weekend – a weekend when everything comes crashing down in his life and he has to come to terms with the fact he has this disorder.

Any hints of what your fourth book will be? (pushy, aren't I?)
I’m really excited about the little seed of an idea I have … But I’m a bit superstitious and never tell anybody (except for my agent) what I “might” be working on.

Do you feel being an American native residing primarily in Colombia affects your writing about contemporary American teens, either adversely or positively?

Well, we don’t have Cheerios here which is a travesty. That alone must have some kind of adverse effect. Let’s call it, “The Cheerios Effect.”

That said, in all honesty, I don’t think living abroad has affected my writing for American teens at all. You had a great interview with an author who said something to the effect of, “We never get over middle school.” (I believe that was the magnificent Anne Spollen). Much of my writing comes from my experiences growing up as a teen in Carson City, Nevada (where Freeze Frame and The Doubting take place). I always draw from that world to write. And from Colombia, I draw on the texture, smells, and colors of a world that’s very different from the one in which I was raised to help remind me of the details of Nevada. (It’s ALL about the details in this business!)

What it does effect, though, is the ability to promote my books in the States. As you can imagine selling books written in English about American teens doesn’t really draw in the Colombian buyer.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to the Cheerios deficit.

What inspires you?
Challenges. Tackling something that I think I can’t. For some reason I have stories that I want to tell. I don’t know why they’re here with me, but I need to get them out on the paper. Plus, having a deadline is a great inspiration. J

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
LOVE words. Read. Read, read, read, read, read. Write what you love – don’t write for the market. Share your writing with competent, supportive, critical readers and LISTEN. Listen to ideas. Filter the information and revise. Revise, revise, revise, revise … And keep at it. There’re so many wonderful opportunities for writers out there, and I really believe that this is a tortoise/hare business. Right now, though, it’s tough to break in – even tougher than a few years ago. So make sure your first draft is as perfect as can be. Be market savvy. Know what’s out there similar to yours and find a way to makes yours stand out. Then read some more.

What kind of books would you like to see more of on the shelves?
Maybe the question could be what would I like to see “less” of on the shelves. Last year almost 300,000 books were published in the USA. THAT’S MADNESS. That said, within that deluge of words and pages, there’s so much amazingness out there. SO MUCH! I can’t wait to see “more” of something I never expected, like last year’s brilliant surprise, giving us a modern-day Don Quijote on acid (Libba Bray’s Going Bovine) for instance.

Tell us something we may not know about Heidi Ayarbe.
I have a crush on one of this year’s American Idol contestants. This makes me a “cougar.” Gack! Okay. Other than that, which might not be the most appropriate fact for your interview, let me see … I’m actually a really private person, I guess, and don’t feel comfortable with people knowing too much about me. For this reason, I will not disclose the name of my secret crush.

Heidi, thank you so much for dropping by. As evident in your answers, you are made of awesome and so are your books. Love you, lady!

Live blogcast from the SCBWI retreat

2010-04-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not there, but my new critique-mate Jeff is and so is my fellow Cuda, Cathy Giordano, who asks that I post a link to the firstnovelsclub live bloggers. I did attend in 2007 and it was a lovely weekend! So here's the link. Enjoy! Thanks, Cath!

http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/

Interview with Cyndy Henzel

2010-03-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

Cyndy, (who writes historical young adult and middle grade fiction as well as magical reality) and I have been members of our online critique-group the Cudas since its inception in August 2006. I have come to depend on Cyndy's unfailingly sharp eye (and teeth) to kick, pummel and slash my manuscripts into shape. I've been inspired and delighted by her masterful ability to weave a tale and bring it to life with her vivid descriptions. I feel as if I have personally traveled to Stalinist Ukraine, Maldives, the Arizona desert and the Republic of Georgia thanks to her lush imagery. Cyndy is one of my unsung heroes (who really squirms when she is praised) and my trusty partner-in-crime in the Cuda approach to bone-crunching critiques. I hope I see the day at long last when she is granted the Newbury honor she is destined for.

Tell us a little about your background.

As a kid I loved reading and science. We moved a lot, so books were my dependable friends. When I was 15, my parents decided to leave the city and move to rural Oklahoma and live off the land. My parents, 3 younger siblings, and I moved into a one room cabin and learned to grow and can food, butcher pigs, milk goats, and build a house. I went to a small town high school where I learned to be comfortable not fitting in.

I’ve written everything from a weekly newspaper column to fiction and nonfiction for children. My graduate work was in geography, the field that covers everything that happens someplace -- perfect for me because I find everything interesting (yes, I even watched curling during the Olympics). I spent ten years working for an international environmental program which created the wanderlust itch that I still like to scratch.

What kind of books do you write?

Mostly great books, although one or two have been merely good.

Actually, I tried writing picture books but was told you can’t tell little kids that the rattlesnake was chopped and stomped and burned (this was before Neil Gaiman). Now I write mg and ya novels set in lesser known places. Currently, I am interested in young people in the post-Soviet countries that are struggling to regain – or invent -- their identity.

You just returned from a trip to the Republic of Georgia. Can you give us some highlights from your visit?

This was my third trip to Tbilisi, Georgia, one of the settings for my current work-in-progress. This time we went out to an ancient monastery. One of the monks took a liking to us and took us on a tour of the Patriarch’s private quarters (the Georgian Church is an Orthodox Catholic sect) then down the creepy stone steps into the cellars where we saw the 200-year-old wooden vat for grapes and cavernous underground storage jars for making wine. Then he opened a bottle to sample and toasted us – a lovely, lovely experience.

How have the places you've traveled inspired your writing?

I like to walk through regular neighborhoods, see what is on the shelves in the grocery store, visit local shops, watch the kids play in the park and how their parents react to them. I read up on the history of an area, then read local newspapers to see what people are talking about. I always think about what it would take for me to adapt to living in a place; and what it would be like for someone from this place to adjust to life in America. This is a theme that runs through much of my writing – what you keep, what you have to give up, and how you change in a new place.

What kind of children's and young adult books would you like to see more of on the shelves?

I love well-written, intelligent books; ones that transport you to another time or place or make you think about things that have never occurred to you before or that let you see things through new eyes. I’d like to see more historical fiction and contemporary stories set outside the US and more insightful science fiction.

Tell us something surprising about Cyndy.

Hmm. Writing? I wrote a My Turn column that was published in Newsweek then was reprinted as the Column of the Year with an update for their 30 year anthology.

Personally? I can make a wedding gown, tile a house, scuba dive, and I’ve never been bored.

Coming in April

2010-03-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah...I've been silent of late, stewing in the juices of my revisions. But I'm breaking my silence to announce four, yes FOUR, fabulous interviews and two contests!
I should divulge that all of the woman I am going to interview are my critique-mates from two different groups. Once you *meet* them you are going to go green with envy to think that I get input from these awesome people on a regular basis! And they are SO AWESOME I am compelled to share:

First interview: Cyndy Kennedy Henzel, writer of middle-grade and YA historical fiction. (aka Cuda of the west, and I'm going to fess up, the best damn editor and critiquer in the known universe.) Cyndy is way too humble so I'm happy to embarrass her and heap public praise on her writing, editorial skills and her incredible generosity of spirit which she cloaks in hysterical one-liners.

Second interview: Christine Johnson, author of the upcoming CLAIRE DE LUNE, a YA werewolf love story from Simon Pulse/ May 2010. Christine is a member of my crit group The Wordslingers. Christine writes first drafts that are better than most of what makes it into print and we all *hate* her for it. Nah--we love her to pieces. Plus she does all the amazing things she does with a toddler and a five month old baby. Yikes!

Third interview: Heidi Ayarbe, author of the upcoming COMPROMISED/ May 2010 (HarperTeen—an imprint of HarperCollins) and the 2008 FREEZE FRAME (Laura Geringer Books/HarperTeen an imprint of HarperCollins), is also a member of Wordslingers and in addition to being one of the most caring humans on the planet writes the most gut-wrenching YA fiction in print today. Her writing often drives me to tears (in a good, cleansing sort of way).

Look out for other upcoming Heidi Ayarbe releases: THE DOUBTING from Balzer and Bray 2011 (HarperTeen an imprint of HarperCollins)

FREEZE FRAME paperback release: May 2010

First contest: We are going to be holding a signed ARC giveaway for CLAIRE DE LUNE and COMPROMISED.

Fourth interview: Kate Milford, author of the upcoming THE BONESHAKER/ Clarion May 2010, and another member of the Cudas is our very one female Stephen King and purveyor of mg steampunk fantasy. I featured a little info about THE BONESHAKER a few posts back.

tentative second contest: I hope to hold a BONESHAKER ARC contest as well.

Okay, PHEW. Now you know why I was quiet...I had to store up energy. April is going to be hectic around here. Sorry if I'm gushing a little too much, but they are all very, very dear to me and totally brilliant in their own individual and fascinating ways.

Some Questions for Chuck Sambuchino

2010-03-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Sorry I've been uncharacteristically mute for awhile. It's been a busy week and a half. But things have calmed down and now I can share with you the Wisdom of Chuck and everything you ever wanted to know about literary agents.

What do you believe is the average amount of clients that an agent reps at any given time?

Hard to say, but perhaps 25 is a good average. Some can rep 40 or more. Others 15 or fewer. It just depends on how many books the writers are churning out.

Hey, Chuck! Any advice about marketing for us playwrights?
Never underestimate 1) referrals, and 2) the ability of a good developmental workshop. Get some actors in a space to workshop the play. Invite producers to see it, and let that baby fly. If the work has potential, power players should approach you afterward and talk about a regional production.

Is it wise to get an experienced agent for my fiction?

Newer agents are actively looking for clients and will have more time to put into your manuscript. A more experienced agent will probably know plenty of editors and sell your work quicker, but they are not often taking on new clients, and will probably give your work less attention. It's a trade-off.

I'm looking for an agent who lives near me but can't find anyone? What should I do?

Most agents are in NYC, and you don't have to live near an agent to work with one. I know both of you would like to meet face to face, but in-person contact is not mandatory to have a wonderful and successful agent-author relationship. Keep in mind, though, that agents who live outside of NYC are still great choices. Look for sales they've made. If they're selling books, then they're good at what they do. Plenty of great agents live in California, Colorado, Florida, Boston, DC and Texas.

I've heard of writers selling their novels based on a synopsis only, but a lot of advice says you should only query with a finished manuscript. Which is correct?

If you're a new author, you need a finished, polished manuscript. After your agent sells that book, you may run into some editors who like your writing and want to line up other books from you. This is a situation where editors can ask you for synopses and make deals on those alone. In other words, never plan on this happening. Just hope!

Agents love writers with platform, but I'm new to this whole thing. Can you give some advice on building a platform?

This is a topic that could require hours. But I will tell you that an underestimated tactic is teaming up with others. For instance, if you're having trouble producing blog content and getting readership (and thereby building a platform), start a blog with other like-minded writers. So instead of just you writing about fantasy writing, there are seven of you and each writes one day a week. Also, if you want to write about a nonfiction subject (parenting, for example), but lack credentials, then team up with an expert. They supply the expertise and credentials, and you do the writing.

Thanks for visiting, Chuck and be sure to visit Chuck's blog at
www.guidetoliteraryagents.com

Ask Chuck, Blogger and Chief at Guide to Literary Agents

2010-03-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

So Chuck is the great guy who runs the GLA blog, the one that ran the contest I just won first runner up in. I wanted to interview him, but Chuck and I decided that a Q and A session would be more useful than an interview, since he's been interviewed so frequently.

Chuck has agreed to ANSWER YOUR AGENT QUESTIONS.
So start asking!

I am going to activate comment moderation to screen questions. The best four questions will be posted for Chuck. So it is YOU, my blog readers, who will interview him instead of me. I'll post my cool contest in a day or so.

Chuck Sambuchino is an editor for Writer's Digest Books (an imprint of F+W Media). He is the editor of two annual resource books: Guide to Literary Agents, as well as Screenwriter's & Playwright's Market. He also assists in editing Writer's Market (www.writersmarket.com). He recently helmed the third edition of Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (a WD trade book), released in 2009. He is also the author of a forthcoming humor book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack due out in Sept. 2010 (Ten Speed Press / Random House). Chuck is a former staffer of several newspapers and magazines - most notably Writer's Digest. During his tenure as a newspaper reporter, he won awards from both the Kentucky Press Association and the Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists.

He is a produced playwright, with both original and commissioned works produced. His work has appeared national and regional magazines, with recent article in Watercolor Artist, Pennsylvania Magazine, The Pastel Journal, Cincinnati Magazine, Romance Writers Report and New Mexico Magazine. During the past decade, more than 600 of his articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines and books. Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary Representation (fairbankliterary.com) is Chuck's literary agent. To read his blog, visit www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog.

You can also see interviews with him on Writer Unboxed, the Texas Sweethearts website, the Novelists, Inc. website, and Writers on the Rise. Besides writing, Chuck loves music, and plays guitar and piano in a rock cover band. He also has an insatiable sweet tooth and is forever searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. He and his wife have a flabby-yet-lovable dog named Graham, and they live in Ohio.

This is TOTALLY crazy

2010-03-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Whoops—It was for the previous contest...the kid lit one. I forgot I entered! The one I posted about is still on, so hurry and enter!!!

There were 400 entries and...

I WON. Tied for second place. I am in shock. I get a ten-page crit from Jennifer Laughran and a years membership to Writer's Market. WHEEEEE!!!! You guys bring me good luck!

So in honor of all of my awesome followers, present and future, I am going to run my own paranormal YA contest where what you win is a crit from me, the blood-thirstiest Cuda of them all.

Yep. So stay tuned for details. And an interview with Chuck Sambuchino, from Guide to Literary Agents.

Just had to share.

New Paranormal Contest on Guide to Literary Agents

2010-02-28T05:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Dear+Lucky+Agent+Contest+Urban+Fantasy+And+Paranormal+Romance+For+Both+Teens+And+Adults.aspx

Silver Lining Award

2010-02-28T03:53:00.000-08:00

Deb Salisbury, The Magic Seeker, gave me this award. Thanks, Deb! Now I get to pass it on to five other worthies. Here we go:

Laci Smith, who says she never wins any of my contests. Here, Laci!
Go visit Laci and follow her sweet, heartfelt blog.
http://jessieandlacismith.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-can-still-see-you.html

The Public Query Slushpile
http://openquery.blogspot.com/2010/02/query-brigid.html

Anne Spollen, author and blogger extraordinaire
http://annespollen.blogspot.com/2010/02/ya-and-ya-reviews.html

Heidi Ayarbe, author and expat blogger
http://heidiayarbe.blogspot.com/2010/02/not-again-cliche-storylines-ads.html

Mary Lindsey, author and all around awesome person
http://marylindsey.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/interview-with-emmanuelle-alspaugh/

Portrait of a teen reader: Meet Allison

2010-02-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Some teenagers read only when forced (by gunpoint sometimes.) Some read in spurts, like my 14-year-old daughter who can sometimes read 100 pages a night, and then not pick up another book for a month.

And then there is my daughter’s friend, Allison. I have rarely seen Allison without a book, whether she’s on the soccer field (at half-time, of course) or hanging out with the girls. Usually when we see each other we get this crazed gleam in our eyes and gravitate toward each other; two obsessed book freaks. The other girls, my daughter included groan; there they go again! Allison and I are always exchanging books. I have two of hers now! (and I think she has a few of mine—I tend to lose track).

I thought it would be fun to share some of Allison’s thoughts about books and reading in general, since she is an actual, real life teenager and a member of our target audience.

Welcome, Allison! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm 14 in 9th grade. I play soccer, I like swimming, hanging out with friends.

How many books would you say you read a month?
I would say I read at least two books a month.

When did you become the voracious reader you are today?
The first books I was really into was the HOUSE OF NIGHT series. It was about the time when TWILIGHT was not really popular (two years ago). My sister was reading TWILIGHT and kept telling me how great it was, so I moved onto my next series. Then I didn't read anything for a while. I sort of read the IMMORTALS books, but just as something to read until the next book of HON came out. Then I started talking to Lisa who introduced me to the UGLIES series and the MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series. Now I'm waiting for the next book in most of those series, and reading the Sookie Stackhouse series (the books the show True Blood is based on)

What’s your favorite genre?
My favorite genre would be fantasy, supernatural, teen romance.

Is there any particular book that sparked your interest?
The Mortal Instruments is by far my favorite out of everything I’ve read.

Do you prefer series or stand-alones?
I definitely prefer series over stand-alones.

What do you look for in a book? What keeps you reading?
In every book I’ve read there is always forbidden romance, so that really gets me interested. I like books that keep me guessing and really pull me out reality.

Do you have a favorite book?
My favorite stand alone book is WALK TWO MOONS. That book has no out of the ordinary characters and no real twist, but something about it makes me want to read it over and over again.

What kind of book would you like to see on the shelves in the next year or so?
I’m really looking forward to the next book in most of the series I’m reading. Maybe a new kind of genre altogether that doesn’t have any super natural beings.

Do you ever think you might want to write as well?
I would love to write a book someday but I don’t think it would be any good.

Thank you for stopping by, Allison! And let me let you in on a little writer's secret: None of us are any good when we start. You just need a story to tell and the courage (or insanity?) to keep writing. With each book we get a bit better. Some of us even get published. And we are always afraid we aren't really any good. But that never stops us from writing. So be brave and give it a go! If you start now, imagine how good you'll be by the time you graduate high school!

Julia, Julie and Lisa

2010-02-15T14:18:00.001-08:00

Is it possible to be in love with a pot?

In my case, yes. You may be wondering why on earth on a blog that has been dedicated entirely to writing, I am crooning about the ridiculously expensive Dutch oven I bought yesterday.

Bear with me. Somehow I will connect this to writing. But first I want to talk about cooking. And Valentine's Day. And the movie Julia and Julie.

Saturday was a busy, busy day for me. I cleaned. Then I went downtown to a gallery opening with my colleagues where a few of our fine students had work in a juried show. Then hubby and I went to IKEA and bought a new couch for the living room (at last) and a desk for my work area. SO, by the time he put on Julia and Julie, I was pooped and not all that engaged. But I loved the movie. And I fell in love with Julie Childs (well, with Meryl Streep as Julia Childs).

So on Sunday, when our plans to go out for a family Valentine's Day dinner seemed like not such a good idea because my daughter had a guitar recital scheduled from 6PM to 7:30 (yes, thank you Riverdale Y—great planning) I decided, all on my own to go Julia. I raced to Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought this magnificent red enameled beauty, eschewing other inferior (but cheaper) models. I knew that Julia would approve of my choice.

I came home laden with food, the Dutch oven and a potato ricer for making mashed potatoes and cooked up a storm. Roast chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus in cream, all from different JC recipes I found online. I slathered on the butter. And UGHHH. But it was amazing and the food VANISHED with no leftovers in a frantic eating frenzy.

Next Julia recipe, however, I am making modifications. OLIVE OIL. (sorry, Julia).

Okay. What's with me? Why did I love this movie so much? One reason was the lowly young writer, Julie Powell who gave herself a goal and stuck with it, despite the inconvenience. The other was the portrayal of Julia herself, a woman already in the autumn of her years, who stumbles on a consuming passion and does not back down. Both women found a way to persevere for the LOVE OF IT and not for the goals they would achieve. Sure, Julia wanted her cookbook published and Julie just wanted to write something someone would read. But what I took from this movie was the passion for the creating. And I want to write this way. For the love of it.

Then I thought..hmmm. I can do something fun that my family will love with food to thank them for putting up with MY all-consuming passion (writing) which often means they get dinner very late and not always Julia-quality.

So it was my Valentine's gift to the family for putting up with me, I guess. But it was also a tribute to women who strive to achieve and still put food on the table.

Why not enjoy all of it?

The nice benefit to this was as I was struggling to squeeze the potatoes through the ricer, my 14 year-old daughter came in and for possibly the first time in years, wanted to cook with me. I asked her if this was because of the movie and she admitted it was. Then we both discussed how movies (and books) can change and influence us. So it all came around full circle. And she did a smashing job on those potatoes!

MY query on the Query slushpile! Yikes!

2010-02-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

LOOK!!!!

http://openquery.blogspot.com/

Buzz Time—YA author Leah Clifford and A TOUCH MORTAL

2010-02-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well it's that time again when I shamelessly plug another writer pal (and her fabulous mega-agent Rosemary Stimola whose semi-accurate likeness you will find on this blog about two posts back).

I *met* Leah Clifford online almost three years on the Querytracker forum when there were maybe about fifteen of us originals. Back in those days, I knew her as Gypsygurl. (actually, she' ll always be Gypsygurl to me. Its her brand name). I've been familiar with this manuscript from its earliest days, and right from the start it was clear to me Leah was a brilliant writer with a big future. If she was a stock, I would have invested for sure!

Ever since Leah told us QT-ers back in December that her book had sold, we've been sitting on this fabulous news-so now it's time to shout to the world about Leah's book A TOUCH MORTAL, due from Greenwillow in Winter 2011. I love typing that title. As a self-proclaimed title freak I think it rates a perfect 10.

Anyway, here's the blurb about Leah's sale in Publisher's Marketplace.

YA Rebels vlogger Leah Clifford's A TOUCH MORTAL, the first in a planned trilogy in which a seventeen-year old doesn't remember the details of her final hours, but now, she's a Sider, a lost soul trapped between the living and the dead; endowed with a special power no Sider ever had, she is pulled into a feud between Fallen and Bound Angels which will reveal the truth of her death and alter heaven and hell and everything in-between, to Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, the for publication in Winter 2011, by Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio.
rosemary@stimolaliterarystudio.com

Okay. Now I hand the mic over to Leah. If you'd like to really meet Leah, you can check her out on her vlog, YA Rebels http://www.youtube.com/user/YARebels or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/leahclifford.

Leah, aka, Gypsygurl, can you tell us a bit about your background?
Sure! I'm an Ohio girl born and raised, with a few great escapes in there. I lived in Colorado for a few years and worked as a flight attendant for a few more, so I went through a period where I was constantly on the move. Before that, I attended a community college where I took some creative writing classes, but other than that I have no "formal" training in writing.

How long have you been writing? Is A TOUCH MORTAL your first book?
I've been writing since I was very young, but only writing for publication for the last few years. A TOUCH MORTAL is not my first book though. I have a trunked novel that is an adult paranormal, but it's pretty awful. When it was finished I queried a bit, but knew I could do better, so I pulled the manuscript and started on the YA novel that grew into A TOUCH MORTAL.

Tell us a bit about the main characters in A TOUCH MORTAL.
My main character, Eden, is so much fun to write! She's snarky and sarcastic, a girl who can hold her own against the boys for sure. She lives in NYC and runs the Manhattan crew of Siders (see PM announcement for what they are). There are also the Angels. One of them, Az, is Eden's ex-boyfriend, who she's on the outs with...though he's determined to change that.

Are any of the characters based on actual individuals?
No, they're all fiction.

What inspired your book?
So, remember that stint at community college I mentioned above? Well, in one of those creative writing classes, I had a story due. Actually, it was late. And I had NO IDEAS. I ended up writing a short story about teens watching a jumper on a building ledge. It wasn't like anything I'd ever written before, and for years I wondered why they were so cavalier about the whole thing. The novel grew from that original short story.

Can you tell us a bit about your road to publication? What obstacles did you face? I started officially querying in January of 2009 and by February I had received four offers of representation. I'll be the first to tell you I had NO idea that was gonna happen. After a period of freaking out, I had a phone call with each agent and went with Rosemary Stimola. We went out on submission, but the responses we received seemed confused in the first pages with the world building. I'd never written YA, and never fantasy, so my world building skills weren't the best then. REVISION TIME!!! I took a few months, added another 100 pages and 20,000 words and we were ready to go out again. The offer came two weeks later.

Tell us something about Leah Clifford we'd never think to ask about?
One of my favorite things is the antique Royal typewriter I own. It still works but needs a new ribbon. Someday, I want to type a rough draft on it (probably for a short story lol). You can see it behind me in most of the Rebels vlogs (I'm Thursday).

Thanks for the interview, Lisa! And thanks for being there every step of the way!
The QT crew rocks!
(yep, they do!)

Lucky Agent Contest on Guide to Literary Agents

2010-02-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Dear+Lucky+Agent+Contest+Middle+Grade+And+Young+Adult.aspx

Conference Notes

2010-02-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

You thought I WROTE notes? Okay.. I did.
But they weren't that interesting. The sketch above was at the beginning of the Friday writer's intensive. We were seated at tables of about eight other writers and an agent or editor. The idea was for each writer to read 500 words of their work and then get feedback from the professional at their table and the other writers. In the afternoon we switched writers and pros. At the morning session I had Michael Bourret who is a very nice, funny, and no airs guy. He gave great advice to all of us. The other writers at the table were quite insightful and accomplished in their own right (Hi Jeff! Hi Kipp!). Same goes for the afternoon. I was very pleased with the advice I received. It drove me to really assess the way I began my WIP and took me even deeper to adjust a few key plot points.

The second sketch is super agent, Rosemary Stimola. Not sure I captured her likeness very well except for her outstanding hairdo! She is one cool lady and I wished she talked longer. Sadly I cannot post the sketch of the gentleman who preceded her on the grounds it might incriminate me. I plead the fifth. Anyone who was there will know exactly what I mean.

It was a very useful weekend. Allyn Johnston, whose breakout session was on picture books, should get a prize for "most prepared". This woman put together about 250 hand-stapled dummy books so we could "turn the page" with her. Her joy and love for what she does was evident in every word.

Oh ..and how can I forget! I MET LIBBA BRAY!!! Okay. For two seconds; but I love that woman! She is very down to earth and lots of fun. And an awesome writer as some of you may already know. She is a rock star.

So all that aside, the high point for me was when me and my other two critmates (aka Team Munchkin Cudas) found a cozy corner in the Hyatt and tore the throats out of our WIPs and stitched them back together in the space of two hours. Cath and Dhonielle—you guys are AWESOME!

For my new followers, Cudas is one of my online crit groups. Kate Milford and Lindsay Eland are Cudas. Then there's my other crit group The Wordslingers, of which Heidi Ayarbe and Christine Johnson, (whose books I will be featuring in the upcoming months) are members.

Okay. That's all. Would love to hear from others who were there, too.

The BONESHAKER buzz starts HERE..Boneshaker ARC contest

2010-01-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

So I might be a little biased.

I have had the unbelievable pleasure and good fortune to know Kate Milford as both a friend, and critique-mate for almost three years. And, yep, I knew right away this lady was something special. Special NICE, special SMART, special creative..and a teensy-weensy bit of strange (just the right formula for me).

She is AWESOME!

Her new book, the middle grade steam-punk fantasy, The Boneshaker is due out May 24 from Clarion. It's *drumroll* illustrated by Andrea Offermann www.andreaoffermann.com, which for me, as an illustrator and designer, sends me swooning.

Kate is a Cuda (the online critique group I moderate), and like our beloved Lindsay Eland, one of two Cudas with book contracts. Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with Kate.

In the next few months I'll also be interviewing two more fabulous ladies from my other critique group—debut author Christine Johnson (YA paranormal Claire de Lune) AND the award-winning Heidi Ayarbe with her second book, Compromised.

So there's going to be a lot going on here as I jump up and down (possibly making a fool of myself, but what else is new?) and cheer-lead for my talented writer pals.

Anyway, back to Kate. You heard it hear FIRST. Kate is so original, she'll blast your socks off.

Have I led you wrong yet? Have I? (Anne Spollen, remember? Also..Neesha Meminger, Lindsay Eland and Becca Fitzpatrick)...I know..shameless, aren't I?

Kate is holding a contest on her Boneshaker Facebook group. http://clockworkfoundry.com/?p=263

The more peeps you get to sign on to her group, the bigger your chances of winning a Boneshaker ARC. So if you DO join, remember to mention I sent you there!

So good luck, and remember. This blog is where you heard the name Kate Milford FIRST, and don't you forget it!

OMG IPAD!!! Apple..I love you

2010-01-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

http://www.apple.com/ipad/#video

SCBWI conference this weekend in NYC. Who's going?

2010-01-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

I am a NY resident, so I will be commuting. I am signed up for the Friday intensive.

Anyone else going?

Oh, in other news: I finished the second draft of my clunkazoid WIP, thanks to the Plot Whisperer. Now I have to clean up, edit and get a query going. I'm going to be getting my first 500 read on Friday, so I hope that goes well. Then it's back into the the querying jungle. Thank goodness I have this blog to distract me and I am going to LEAP into the next book without even stopping for air.

It'll be my fifth. Yeesh. It's been five full years that I've been at this writer's game. I'm so glad I love my day job! I hope something good happens this year. Either way, I'll trudge on. I have the thick scarred hide of a tyrannosaurus rex.

Plot Map by the "Girl with One Eye"

2010-01-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! One of my blog-pals on here has posted her very own plot map inspired by mine (which was inspired by the Plot Whisperer). Run over there and check it out. It's awesome!

http://asquirrelamongstlions.blogspot.com/2010/01/asking-for-directions-no-matter-whats.html

Thanks for sharing, Girl!!!

Interview with Anne Spollen, author of The Shape of Water

2010-01-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

Anne Spollen, author of last year's The Shape of Water and the forthcoming Light Beneath Ferns, has been kind enough to visit here. I guess she could tell how wildly obsessed I've become with her writing and wanted to speak for herself! I hope my enthusiasm rubs off on some of you. And PS...Anne snuck in a little question for me at the end.

I am almost done reading Light Beneath Ferns and I am loving it. As Anne herself states, it is quite different from "Water". She says it is less lyrical, but I have to say—Anne's incredible poetry comes right through. I told Anne that readers of her book might also enjoy a book by Laura Whitcomb, entitled A Certain Slant of Light, a ghost story with a lyrical twist.

Now I will step aside, and let Anne take it from here...

Tell us a bit about your background and what you've been up to lately.

I was born in Staten Island, NY, and went away to New Paltz, NY to attend college. After I met my husband there, I stayed and became a high school English teacher. I also taught in the English department at SUNY, New Paltz while completing my Masters in English literature. I stopped teaching when my first son, Christopher, was born. I had always written, so I began writing poetry while he napped. By the time his brother came along 26 months after him, I stayed home full time and worked on poetry from time to time. I had very little time as I had had two kids in two years and my husband and I didn't have anyone nearby to help. So writing time was pretty scarce. When I did have time, I wrote and published poetry regularly. Then I moved on to longer poems that became short stories. I felt pretty happy when I began publishing short stories on a regular basis. Eventually, one story wouldn't stop. By that time, Christopher was in the fourth grade and that story eventually became the Shape of Water.

Lately, I've been teaching online Spanish classes and English classes at a college. I am, of course, working on a YA book and a new middle grade book. An "adult" book is in the distant future.

Your first book, The Shape of Water has a strong connection to place, a seaside community in Staten Island, one of the boroughs of New York City. Can you tell us how you came to set your story there?

Well, I grew up in Staten Island right on that beach that Magda inhabits. The setting was already in my mind; I imagined nothing to create that setting. One day I got the image of a girl standing on the beach, looking out at the water. I recognized the beach, but not the girl. The image kept recurring, and when I sat down to write about what I saw, I saw fire behind the girl. Magda just sort of told the story to me. Writing that book, not to get too Shirley MacClaine-like, but it was a lot like channeling.

I think Magda taught me exactly how important setting is to a story. I couldn't imagine her (or her mother, even though you never formally meet her) anywhere but on that beach.

Are there any specific biographical elements in The Shape of Water, or are they more abstract? Although I never suffered such loss as Magda, I also experienced feelings of isolation growing up in suburban Long Island. I thought perhaps it was your intention to express those feelings and how a person can work their way out of them.

My mother still lives near that very beach on Staten Island. I did lose my dad less than a month after I turned 13, so I probably drew on some of those feelings. I don't think when we write we are entirely in control of what goes on the page. Or maybe that's only my experience.

I do believe that every teenager has feelings of isolation as s/he goes through adolescence. Or every thinking teen (I don't know anything about those outgoing, super athletic kind of teens --) The teens who write to me say, "You got it right; this is how I feel right now."

I think the loss of the parent serves as a metaphor for that loss of navigation we all feel as we realize that life will not continue the way it has through our childhood, that very soon, we will have to do things that are difficult and confusing - and we will have to do them alone.

Are there any other insights you'd like to add about this book? (Can you tell I'm kind of obsessed with this book?)

Lol, I'm obsessed with books pretty often, too. I think you pretty much got them all in your review, Lisa. Probably the strangest element to this book is that I felt, as I said, that I wasn't in control of the writing; the characters were. Mrs. Fish, in particular, was not supposed to play as large a role as she did. In fact, I edited out quite a bit of her conversation before sending it out, and she still would easily be considered a character.

Your latest book, Light Beneath Ferns is quite a departure from The Shape of Water. Can you discuss this with us?

I deliberately wanted Light Beneath Ferns to be different from The Shape of Water. I didn't want anything to do with the ocean, or fish, or a dreamy kind of girl. Elizah is a stronger girl than Magda; she is fine with being alone, and Magda clearly was not (she may not have wanted peers either, but she clearly suffered the absence of her mother). I also wanted to be less lyrical. It's difficult for me because I started out as a poet, and I admit to loving language over plot (there is not, on the whole, too much plot development in poetry). I do love creating images and evoking atmosphere; it's not unlike casting a spell. But you don't want to end up writing the same book in a different setting.

Second books have it tough. People are expecting the first book in a new cover. I think writers should have range. And Light Beneath Ferns is meant for a younger audience than Shape of Water.

I was criticized fairly frequently in Shape of Water for being too lyrically dense, having inaccessible passages, and creating language that was too lyrical for teens. (I should add that I got a lot of praise for Shape of Water, too, but that was pretty common criticism) LBF does not have these characteristics; I wanted to create a stronger voice, a stronger female character and not worry so much about the language. I think each book teaches the writer something new. From LBF I learned more about voice.

What was your road to publication?

I wrote for tiny publications with pictures of draft animals on the cover out in the Midwest when I began. Editors would force me to work on maybe the two last lines of an eighteen line poem seven times. I think that's paying your dues. I never got paid; but a wonderful thing happens: editors solicit you. I was enormously flattered by this in my twenties, even though non-writer friends would look at me like I had just grown an anterior head. "You mean, they asked for a poem, and they aren't going to pay you? Why are you so excited?" Well, because someone had read and LIKED my other poems enough to contact me. I started getting well-known in the literary journals and by the 90's, I was getting a little bit better known for fiction. Of course, having a new baby in 1998 sort of put the brakes on. Then I was home with three kids all under six, so things slowed down. I wrote maybe a page or two a week. When Emma was about two, and napped, and both her brothers were in elementary school, I began trying to write at least every other day. I went back to short fiction, but they kept growing longer and longer. Becoming a novelist surprised me, but it's one of those lovely surprises in life.

Any advice to striving authors out there?
Yes, don't take advice. Sit down and write what feels and is true. Nothing else matters.

Tell us something about Anne Spollen we might not expect.
Even though now I'm the mom who always has a year's supply of children's vitamins in the kitchen cabinet, and carries Neosporin, clean socks, cough drops, juice boxes and healthy snacks, I used to do incredibly risky things as a teenager. Not the kind of things you might be thinking, but more like taking a rowboat under the choppy waters of a New York City bridge, driving a car across an icy pond, and seeing if you really DID get detention for flipping off a substitute teacher (you do). I think it's because I did those things and I had so little fear of consequences at that age, that I stalk my kids. I KNOW what's in their genes; unfortunately, it has become apparent to me that nature, at least in our household, is overriding nurture. But I don't think people expect that a bookish mom who writes careful novels would have had such a wild spirit as a teenager.
And that's a good segue way to close this: people almost never ask me why I chose to write YA as opposed to say mysteries or romance novels. I hold a not-so-secret conviction that somewhere, inside all of us, we are still recovering from middle school. That's why we, as adults, can connect so instantly to teen fiction. I also secretly believe that YA writers (and possibly their editors) suffer from this malady more than the average person. Just saying...

Now Anne turns the tables on me:

And Lisa, one question for you: You are a YA writer. Can you tell your blog readers just the tiniest bit about your writing? (Can I guess that it's lyrical?)

Ah! Well, I do strive for lyrical. As a trained artist, I guess my writing springs from the visual. I struggle to describe the scenes I see in my head. I'm still trying! I guess, Anne's skill with language is the ideal I aspire to. My writing is a LOT wackier and I live in a crazy magical place where angels pop out from behind trees. I'm trying to ground myself a bit more.

I have now adopted Anne Spollen as an official Lisa Amowitz muse. And to think, if not for a random comment on a blog, I might have missed this literary gem.

Thank you, Anne! See you on the best-seller list! Be sure to visit and catch up on our Shape of Water discussions.

The Shape of Water, by Anne Spollen— review

2010-01-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

While I'm waiting to interview Anne Spollen, I decided to post my review of her first book, THE SHAPE OF WATER. I thought her latest book, LIGHT BENEATH FERNS, came out on February 1, but I just got it delivered from Barnes and Noble! (shh!). I've already ripped it opne and probably won't be able to stop. This one appears to be a paranormal, *sigh*. Well, heres' my Shape OF WATER REVIEW.

I read this book because my critique mate, Dhonielle Clayton. told me it had changed her life. Knowing D's taste and her own magical gift of language, I was intrigued. After reading the first page, I was swept away by the beauty and lyricism of the language. The Shape of Water is rich with elemental metaphors that connect to the underlying themes of loss, grief and recovery.

Magda is cast adrift after her mother's death, floating dreamily in a neglected beachy community in the outreaches of Staten Island, NY she thinks of as the Drift. The Drift is the wild place she and her mother co- existed in a dreamy world of their, with little to connect her to The Standard, the controlled “safe” area of her community. The Standard is a place she feels she can never gain acceptance to, that her mother gave her no "tools" with which to enter there. The book is filled with metaphors of water that underscore Magda's sense of alienation and grief. In her numb state, she imagines a campy family of talking fish that gradually reveal the truth behind her parent's marriage. Eventually, Magda believes that she has discovered the “shape” of the water that holds her and that she can, at last, swim out. The shape of water is a metaphor for the shape of Magda's grief. While submerged, it seems boundless, but as she continues to paddle for shore, she can discern its shape, and her release from it. This is a hopeful book, a story of one girl's journey toward self awareness, healing and self-acceptance.

Hope some of you will read this book, so we can discuss!

Update on the update. And Anne Spollen

2010-01-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

My friend is fine. Her parents spoke to her. Both her home and business are intact and she is providing food her workers who lost their homes.

Big sigh of relief and time to move onto more writerly things.

I have a big treat on the way. I am going to be posting an interview with the author Anne Spollen. Her book THE SHAPE OF WATER is a lyrical masterpiece.

So stay tuned.

And keep Haiti and Lil in your thoughts.

SDY3Z3MQ24Z7

Earthquake Update

2010-01-16T08:48:00.000-08:00

Just got some good news. My friend and her husband are okay, and apparently their house has sustained very little damage. I am relieved, but still heartbroken about what is going on there. I have to believe that Lil has been spared to help. Hi Lil, if you're out there.

Please give what you can to help this broken nation recover and maybe remake itself in the aftermath of this catastrophe.

Earthquake

2010-01-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

There's been a catastrophic earthquake in Haiti this evening. There are reports that hundreds of thousands of people may have died. Please give to reputable organizations to help the desperate people there.

I'm sending out a prayer for my friend Lillian Deslandes, who's lived in Haiti for the past 33 years and for everyone else in this devstated country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.

My Totally Awesome Plot Mess, (I mean map)

2010-01-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

Martha, the Totally Awesome Plot Whisperer, asked me to post my map. So here it is! Pretty, huh? On each of those post-its is a "scene" that follows a plot line. The plot is divided into the beginning, middle and end. Plot Whisperer has you do the END FIRST! Then the middle.

The post-it colors are not that systematic. A person with a functioning left brain, might have a color-coded system. The green floating post-its are little things I need to foreshadow, reinforce, etc.

I'm not sure I did it right, but the process helped me incredibly. I've got a road map! Yay!

Let me know what you all think and if you have any cool tips to add, or questions to ask. I strongly suggest you visit Martha's website. (see sidebar. There's a link to her blog and also to the December day by day plot month that lifted me out of the doldrums.

First of Firsts

2010-01-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

It's the first post in the first month in the first year of a new decade.

It's a great time to talk about first chapters!

Working with our blog contest winners, Steena and AmyKated (who are unbelievably great sports!) got me to thinking—what makes a great first chapter? What elements do you think it needs?

I'm still pretty nervous about the first chapter of my WIP. I don't know if I'll ever be truly satisfied, but these days I'm too busy trying to complete the endless revision (or re-envisioning to be precise, since it's pretty much a total re-write) to focus. But once I begin polishing, I'm sure I'll be right back to obsessing over my first chapter.

So what about you? What elements do you think will hook a reader? I write YA, so my genre has its own unique conventions. I'm interesting in your opinions.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Happy last day of the decade and the Wonderful Wizard of Plotting

2009-12-31T06:34:00.000-08:00

A few ruminations:
Yeah, yeah..the first decade of the twenty-first century is over. I guess it's been a mixed bag as far as these things go. This country has lost its innocence and a good bit of its exuberance. I think we have tempered our expectations, but within that realized that happiness can still be pursued and found.

I suppose in my own way, that has been my journey as well. I started writing midway through the decade, at rather a late point in my life. I'd already committed myself to the visual arts. As I became more and more engrossed in writing, my dream of publication became all-consuming. It also happened to be timed with the meteoric rise of the Young Adult Book sector (initially spurred by Harry Potter then fueled by Twilight). It seemed in 2007-08 that getting published was an easily attainable goal. I got pretty close. But my timing was a bit off. I signed with an agent in late 2008, one week before the near collapse of the American economy. And that was the week that for the country, and for me, things started to change. It became difficult for agents to sell books to a skittish industry. Many agents closed shop. Things soured quickly.

My agent and I parted on good terms six months later. I bear her no ill will and am pleased to see that things are turning around for her. They seem to be turning around for the industry as slowly, the economy returns to life. But either way, the industry is changing as e-readers become more popular.

As for me..I am the furthest thing from discouraged. I am still in hot pursuit of the publishing dream. But as I read books that I admire, such as Hunger Games and Beautiful Creatures, I realize I am in even greater pursuit of writing excellence. I am more interested in upping my game, and improving my writing. I don't even want an agent until I am certain I have reached a higher level. When I signed with my agent, I thought I'd gotten as good as I could. I was wrong. Now don't think I am stalling. I am revising and hope to begin querying in the early part of 2010. But I am in no hurry. And I am content writing, critting and blogging. I never expected to love blogging like I do! Thanks to all the people who have chosen to follow me and listen to my blatherings!

Now, for my find of the year (thanks to my blog-sistah Christine Fonseca for the lead) I am now officially addicted to the PLOT WHISPERER. This genius blogger has just completed the month long, day by day plotting plan. It is SUPERB. I am posting the link to DAY ONE. Now, with the whole month of steps posted, you can follow at your own speed.

Thank you Plot-Whisperer, you magnificent Wizard of Plotting!!

Scones Contest WINNERS!

2009-12-28T18:27:00.000-08:00

Okay. I know I promised three winners, but you know, we only had five contestants! They were all great, btw. So We decided we would pick two winners. The grand prize winner, who gets one signed copy of Scones AND a ten page crit from two or more Cudas. The second place winner gets a ten-page Cuda crit as well, but most likely from just one Cuda (which is most likely to be me!).

So congrats to our GRAND PRIZE WINNER:
Steena Holmes!
We loved the characterization of the elegant chocoholic vs. the rather banal veggie guy. The dainty chocolate sipper reminded us of one of Linds' characters in Scones!

so congrats, Steena!

Second Prize goes to:
Amykated!
You had us after Booger Flickr!!!

And thanks, everyone else. It was a tough decision!

Winners..get in touch at
mommatoo (at) optonline.net

Holiday BlogNog

2009-12-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

So the contest is over. I wish we'd had more contestants, but the ones we had were splendid! Judging begins and we should announce our winners sometime next week.

Just want to give a shout out to Christine Fonseca and Elana Johnson for naming this blog as one of their faves of 2009. Did I already do that? If so, I'm saying it one more time for good measure. It gives my blog authenticity because I usually repeat my good stories at least twice (so my mother is quick to tell me.)

Elana gave me this award!!! I am so honored. My little blog is a newborn, but hopefully in 2010 will grow to maturity. (Well, since it's my blog it's never going to be that mature.) I'm passing this on to:

The Bloodred Pencil
Deb Salisbury
The Bookshelf Muse
To end off the year I'm going to list my favorite books of 2009.

And yeah, I admit it. ALL I ever read is YA with an occasional MG thrown in.

These days, we've been remodeling our living room and have just built two giant-sized floor to ceiling bookshelves (yes!). I unloaded all my old books from college days and even earlier, and realized I have some GOOD ONES in there, like Ursula LeGuin THE DISPOSESSED, and Robert Heinlein's TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE. Anne Rice's vampire books. (Man, am I dating myself). I'm itching to re-read some of these.

But let's get back on topic—2009 faves:

1) CATCHING FIRE—by Suzanne Collins. (It think I read Hunger Games in 2008).

This series has got to be my all-time favorite. When I started reading Catching Fire I had to force myself not to read the whole thing in ONE SITTING. I managed to spread it over two days, I think. This woman is everything I want to be as a writer. Descriptive. Imaginative. Poignant. Suspenseful. She has it all. Bless you, Suzanne Collins. Keep em' coming.

2) CITY OF GLASS—Cassandra Clare. How do I love thee, Cassandra? Let me count the ways. She is my icon of urban fantasy, plain and simple. The master.

3) FIRE—Kristin Cashore. Again, I love her books. She does so much telling, yet somehow gets away with it. It fascinates me. And her romance is exceptional, her world unique. This one started off slower than GRACELING, but in the end, I loved it just as much.

4) GOING BOVINE—Libba Bray. I haven't seen this on too many fave lists, but I adored it. As I've mentioned on the first post on this blog, I love Libba!!! How she has leapt from a Victorian fantasy to a modern day Jack Kerouac teen road trip that was wrenchingly sad and gut-splitting funny at the same time, I'll never understand. Can't imagine what's next.

5) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES—I'm not done, but the creep factor and the southern small town gothic makes a wonderful combo.

These five books have something in common—great writing and great characters. I crave this. If anyone has others they can recommend, please share.

In other news:
Don't forget to check out Lindsay Eland's newly released SCONES AND SENSIBILITIES. It is a hoot!

Now for 2010 coming attractions:
Three critmates have books coming out.

Heidi Ayarbe's second book COMPROMISED The tale of an escaped foster child and her harrowing road trip in quest of a long lost relative. (her first book FREEZE FRAME won acclaim and awards. Check it out!)

Christine Johnson— CLAIRE DE LUNE, young adult fantasy
A story of forbidden love and coming of age as a werewolf. She has a sequel due out in 2011!!

Kate Milford— THE BONESHAKER, steampunk fantasy
Devilish happenings at the crossroads at a turn-of the century medicine show. This book is life-altering. Kate is one of the most original voices around. Just wait. You heard it here first.

I'll be interviewing all of these fascinating ladies and more...

Have a great holiday and be well!!!

Lisa

Scones contest deadline TONIGHT at midnight

2009-12-22T05:43:00.000-08:00

and...I am tickled and honored to be mentioned by Christine Fonseca as one of her FIVE FAVE blogs for the year. Wow! This blog is only three months old. Thanks, Christine!

Now everyone go follow her if you don't already. She is a BUNDLE of energy and smarts. If I ever feel lazy I read her blog and realize it's possible to do eight million things in one day and do them well. I'm kind of hyper, myself, but I think Christine has me licked!

http://christinefonseca.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/a-few-of-my-favorite-things-and-other-randomness/#comment-1756

Three more days to enter the Super-Fabby Scones competition!!!

2009-12-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

Deadline is midnight, Dec. 22, Scones Release Day!!

http://lisa-amowitzya.blogspot.com/2009/12/announcing-super-fabby-scones-and.html

Plot issues never take a holiday

2009-12-15T07:09:00.000-08:00

At least in my head.

My characters don't really care what's going on in my life or the "real world" around them, so lately, wading into the deep waters of the mucky middle of my revise, I'm stressed. I sat for two hours last night listening to my computer read my ms to me, on high alert for tension and sufficient foreshadowing, all the while worrying—Does anyone care? Is there enough romance? Enough spookiness? Or too much? Is my MC proactive enough?

Argghhh. I'm probably due for some intensive crits, but I want to untangle all the threads as best I can first.

Elana Johnson had a fabulous post on the Querytracker blog once about how to approach the daunting revise, which helped me loads.

I just stumbled across another post from Janice Hardy about how to push your characters to make hard choices. Thanks to Deb Salisbury for that cool link! This sparked an idea for me, so let's see how it goes...

Anyway, I'd love to hear from people. Any advice you have for working out plot kinks; either links to other blogs or your own thoughts are welcome. Thanks!

In other news:
Christine Fonseca is holding a comment contest on her blog in honor of the one year anniversary of her blog! (and pssstt...she has another one as well). Christine is an energizer bunny of a woman, writing, working, parenting and I often find myself wondering if she is a cyborg. Anyway, visit her and join the fun!

In honor of Happy Agent Day and reaching 60 followers...an Ode to Sarah Davies

2009-12-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

I figured I'd weigh in.
Nope. I don't currently have an agent, though I did have an amazing agent once who I hold in the highest esteem.

It's simple. We NEED agents. We WANT agents. And agents have to deal with lots of whining from the writing community. But I am not going to whine. As a design professor who is in the position to judge the merits of other's work, I can sympathize with agents and their plight.

So instead of praising agents wholesale as a group, I am going to single out ONE AGENT who is not my agent or even close to becoming my agent. But this particular agent has treated me with absolute kindness and fairness and given me amazing advice. She has a blog where she treats other striving authors with the same kindness.

That would be the wonderful Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary.

SO this post is for you, Sara, in celebration and appreciation of your awesomeness. I don't know if I'll ever be lucky enough to become your client, but even still, just knowing there are agents like you out there gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

I raise my coffee cup to you, Sara Davies, agent extraordinaire!

here's the link to her blog:

http://www.greenhouseliterary.com/index.php/site/sarahs_blog

Nathan Bransford, literary agent, has a discussion forum!

2009-12-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Rebecca Knight for the hot news.

http://forums.nathanbransford.com/index.php

Another Interview with Lindsay Eland on the Querytracker.net blog

2009-12-09T17:35:00.000-08:00

YA writer, Suzette Saxton, Querytracker blogstress extraodinaire interviews Lindsay!
Head on over:

http://querytracker.blogspot.com/

and don't forget to enter the Super-fabby Scones and Sensibility book giveaway and Cudawriters critique contest.

http://lisa-amowitzya.blogspot.com/2009/12/announcing-super-fabby-scones-and.html

Announcing the SUPER-FABBY Scones and Sensibilities Challenge! First Prize, a signed author's copy of SCONES plus a killer Cuda critique!

2009-12-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

In honor of the December 22 release of Lindsay Eland's SCONES AND SENSIBILITY (aka Lindsay, the Nice Cuda) Why A? is holding our very first contest! With prizes!

SCONES tells the story of Polly, the dreamy, Jane Austen-obsessed tween who sets out to make a love match for all the lonely souls in her sea-side town, with hysterical results.

Entry Rules:
All you have to do to enter is choose the Follow button, if you haven't already (on your right hand column of the blog) and leave a comment describing a poorly conceived love match, set-up or blind date in 1-3 paragraphs. Humor is encouraged.

For example:
Describe a love match between

a cat person and a dog person
a germophobic vegetarian and a carefree meat-eater
a roller coaster fanatic and a carsick person
a tightrope walker and someone with a fear of heights

Use our samples or make up your own!
You get the idea!

Deadline:
December 22 or the first 50 entries, whichever comes first;
Winners announced December 27th.

First Prize:
Signed Author's copy of Scones and Sensibility
Full-toothed Cuda crit (with bite marks) from 2 or three actual Cudas of the first ten pages of your YA or MG manuscript

Second Prize:
Cuda crit (with bite marks) from one Cuda of the first ten pages of your YA or MG manuscript

Third Prize:
Full-toothed Cuda crit from one Cuda of the first five pages of your YA or MG manuscript

Good luck! email mommatoo@optonline.net with questions

AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Artists: Exhibition Opening; 50 Books 50 Covers

2009-12-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

50 Books/50 Covers

This exhibition opens on December 10. All of you New Yorkers who are interested in design or publishing (or like me, both) should make it their business to get down there. I am, so maybe I'll see you there!

There's an art to this cover design thing! It does not simply occur as if by magic (ask my students). Here's the link to the show info. You can also link to the AIGA website and view previous shows on bookcover art (and all kinds of other award-winning graphic design).

http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/exhibit-fifty-fifty-2008

Happy Thanksgiving Interview with Sally Shields, author of The Daughter-in-Law Rules and publicity specialist

2009-11-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hi all. For a change of pace, I've interviewed my friend Sally, a local author and publicity specialist. I even designed the header on her blog so take a look. Sally wrote a self-help book called The Daughter-in-law Rules and it went on to become an Amazon best-seller. You can visit Sally on her blog at >http://thedilrules.blogspot.com/

Q: What is the concept behind the DIL Rules and how did you arrive at that name?

Sally Shields: The Daughter-in-Law Rules is based on the 7th spiritual law of success, which is: the quickest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want. By that I mean, be a loving, kind-hearted, sensitive person, and the world will reflect that back to you, even in the form of your mother-in-law! I loved that book The Rules: Time Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right. I patterned the Daughter-in-Law Rules on that book.

Q: What motivated you to write the DIL Rules?

SS: Like a lot of women, I got married and got a mother-in-law. But after a couple of years, I was left scratching my head, thinking, where is the manual for this?!!! I wrote to the ladies that wrote the bestselling book The Rules, and told them that since they helped all these women meet and marry the men of their dreams, they then needed to provide some advice on how to get along with the other woman in their man's life—his mom! These two authors told me it was the best idea they'd ever heard. I honestly just wanted some advice on the topic! "You should write it," they said. At first I thought they were crazy since the last thing I'd written was a term paper in high school English class! But, the gears started turning in my mind. So I started to jot down all the troublesome incidents that would pop into my head in regards to my MIL, and came up with a rule and a solution to deal with each and every one. When I put a few of these rules into practice (and saw that they actually worked) I thought maybe I could help save other young wives years of needless contention!

SS:Q: Have you published any other work that you've written?

SS: I have three music books; Modern Jazz Piano (Hal Leonard, 2004), The Pianist’s Jammin’ Handbook and A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Jazz Etudes for the Intermediate Sight-Reader. I've also written The Collaborator Rules: 101 Surefire Ways to Stay Friends with Your Co-Author as well as a poetry book called "A Pond Beneath the Moon.” And I’m currently working on two other books; The Million Dollar Author Club and Naturally Thin or Discipline? Insider Secrets of the Super-Slim.

Q: What makes you unique as an author?

SS:I am very focused on solving a problem in a very short period of time. I don't mind telling people what to do or how they should do it. Here's the Rule. Now do it. Sometimes people tell me that they don't want to do these rules because it seems like too much work. Then I give them the Dr. Phil answer which is, "Well, how's THAT workin' for ya?!!" These rules are problem-solution oriented so give them a try!

Q: What inspires your work?

SS: I love being creative and just coming up with stuff that I think will help people, or bring humor to a situation, while at the same time solving my own life's problems! My vision is now to create more harmony among mothers and daughters-in-law around the world while at the same time raising money for breast cancer. I am currently working with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation on a unique fundraising idea with Estee Lauder, who also supports breast cancer.

Q: Has your book been featured in any national publications or on television?

SS: Yes! I've been in Star Magazine, Girlfriendz, For the Bride, and Obvious Magazine. I've appeared twice on the nationally syndicated The Daily Buzz, Fox & Friends, Rachel Ray, Tyra Banks, BetterTV.com, as well as having appeared on Martha Stewart Whole Living Radio . As well, The DIL Rules was recommended as Book of the Week by Dr. Laura Schelssinger.

Q: Are you self-published or through a publishing house?

SS: I started off self-publishing with Outskirts Press, a print on demand company, but have re-released The DIL Rules under my own imprint, Safflower Publishing Inc. with a new cover, subtitle, foreword, interior design and illustrations, and am working on a DIL Rules board game and calendar.

Q: Who or what personally inspires you to push forth with your career?

SS: I've been a musician ever since I was a kid, and I just get a lot of energy from performing, speaking, being out there in the media and expressing my ideas in my unique way fuels and motivates me forward.

Q: Have your book sales been positively/negatively affected by the financial changes in the country and if so how you come up with ways to divert from it (if negative)?

SS: I notice that the more radio and TV appearances I do, I can keep the sales up. It seems to be more about continually letting people know about the book that makes more of a difference than the financial state of affairs. It would be fun to compare current sales to what it will be like when Obama whips this country back in shape eventually! :-)

Q: Do you have any events coming up that people should know about or book tours?

SS: As I have 2 small kids, I have been doing virtual book tours from home and doing national radio tours via telephone. I do some local book signings here in New York, and I speak at various events such as the ASJA, and the Catholic Writers Event asks me to speak at their events. I also do a weekly radio show called Blurb! that is a book contest for authors. For more information on how authors can apply to be on the show, check out BlurbRadio.com. As well, the head of the African Women’s Business Network has purchased the foreign rights to the DIL Rules and she has invited me over to speak in Lagos Nigeria sometime in 2010.

Q: What advice would you have for young entrepreneurs and authors?

SS: I would say keep it fun, because otherwise all those hours you put in wouldn't make any sense! And remember that there are only two elements that you need to succeed in any endeavor: a passion for your topic and a sincere desire to help people.

Q: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

SS: I see myself with my own reality show, as a Daughter-in-Law Rules seminar leader, a speaker at Bridal events, fundraiser and spokesperson for Breast Cancer fundraising, and continuing to partner with corporations such as Macys, David's Bridal 1-800-flowers, Estee Lauder, and Martha Stewart Weddings.

Q: Any final words of wisdom?

SS: Never give up on your dreams. You don't have to know the how, but focus on the why. Don't set limits and reach for the sky. Do positive affirmations morning and evening, and you will see your thoughts transform into things. You can manifest your desires by focusing on the things that you want. Don't give up because it takes a while for the universe to prepare the meal that you've ordered, but know that it is in the oven back there so make sure you don't leave the restaurant!

Thanks, Sally, for joining us today and for the great information. Readers, here's your chance to get some personal advice from Sally—about getting along with your daughter-in-law, marketing your own book, living your dream. Just click on the "comment" line below and let us hear from you.

The Bookshelf Muse: Massive Followers Contest!

2009-11-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

The Bookshelf Muse: Massive Followers Contest!

Contest on Bookshelf Muse

2009-11-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/2009/11/massive-followers-contest.html

Great prizes, including a full manuscript critique! It's a great blog that I have relied heavily on.

Interview with Neesha Meminger, author of SHINE, COCONUT MOON

2009-11-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

Neesha Meminger, author of SHINE, COCONUT MOON joins us today to hang a bit. Neesha is a warm, funny and brilliant woman whose works are deeply moving and poetic, yet starkly realistic, dealing with themes of coming of age, race, and cultural identity.

1. Hi, Neesha. Your first book, the young adult novel SHINE, COCONUT MOON came out last March. Can you tell us about the book and what prompted you to write it?

SHINE actually started out as an epic story of the bonds and fissures created between mothers and daughters through migration, culture, tradition, and the Great Generational Divide. After many ground-up revisions, the 9/11 layer was added, Uncle Sandeep entered the scene, and the story became more focused, more clearly about how relationships, in general, weather all sorts of storms.

2. I know this is not an autobiographical book, but can you tell us about your background, and how, perhaps that has informed the events in the book.

It's not autobiographical, but there is much in SHINE that reflects my own experiences growing up, the experiences of my family, my friends, and people I knew. There are several scenes in the book that are based on events I either witnessed or lived through. And the characters are all amalgamations of people I know and love. Including Mike :).

3. How long have you been writing?

I've been journaling for as long as I can remember. But writing, and reading, were always about survival for me. They were about *communication*--and when you don't speak the official language in your new home, your very survival hinges on communication. My parents both did not speak English fluently when we first moved to Canada from India, so as the eldest child, I became the default interpreter. It was critical that I learned, FAST, how to speak, understand, read, and write the language (and, by extension, the *culture*) that we were all immersed in.

When my mother lost my younger brother in a crowd, it was really a matter of life and death for her to be able to communicate that to a police officer. And, if she couldn't do it adequately, it fell on me.

So, I developed the habit, early on, of reading EVERYTHING--instruction manuals, signs in windows, ingredients lists . . . and packing every single second of each day scribbling words I'd learned.

I would say that was the beginning of my journey.

4. What have you been working on lately?

I've been deeply absorbed in a paranormal YA that I am *very* excited about. I would say it's eighty-five percent of the way there.

5. Can you share with us a bit about your path to becoming a published author?

My path was not easy, nor was it quick. I first saw my work published in my early twenties--mostly poems, essays, and short stories. It was a thrill, but it was not enough. I never felt my true self shone through in so few lines or so few pages. I had so much more to say and I knew it would take many, many more pages for me to say it! *grin*

So, I started to write longer and longer pieces, focusing on fiction. I knew I wanted to write book-length works because those were what had affected me so deeply. The books that really shaped the way I saw the world, books that taught me something about people, life, the emotions, how to navigate through difficult terrain -- not by telling me how to do it, but through *story* . . . those were the types of books I wanted to read, and those were the ones I wanted to write.

I completed my first manuscript when I was in the MFA program at the New School in NYC. It was a crappy manuscript, to be sure, but through writing it, I learned how to write a book-length work. How to stick with something and see it through until it was finished. And how to shape and mold small segments so that when you were finished, it was one, long, cohesive story.

After that, I took many years to learn how to revise. How to find more stories, give them form, and refine them. Then, began the years of querying agents and editors. Finally, after more polishing and refining, I caught the interest of two agents. I signed with one and, together, we worked on what would become SHINE, COCONUT MOON.

6. What advice would you like to give to fellow writers?

Honestly, the best advice I have is to keep going. I know it has been said many times before, but it is always worth repeating. You have to be as stubborn as my ornery father to get anywhere in life, I think. And writing is no exception.

The other advice I'd give is to find a community of writers. A good network of supportive writers, who are open and generous, is worth its weight in gold.

7. Name a book that influenced you the most, as a writer and an individual.

Hmm. For fiction that would have to be Tuck, Everlasting. It's MG, but it had a *tremendous* impact on me when I read it all those years ago. I had no idea you could write things that (a) weren't *true*; and (b) didn't even seem *possible*. So, that book really opened up, for me, one of the most important things a writer can possess: a vivid imagination.

In non-fiction, I would have to say Bird by Bird, by Ann Lemotte. I loveloveLOVED that book. She infuses humor, spirituality, and so much truth in each page of that book. I find it inspiring every time I read it.

8. Tell us something unexpected about yourself.

This may not seem unexpected to your readers, but it is unexpected for *me*. [whispers] I am horribly addicted to The Tudors series by HBO. When hubby is still at work and kiddies are in bed, I am watching episode after episode, back to back. I am deeply mesmerized.

Thanks for stopping by, Neesha! That was wonderful. Since we are actual *real-time* friends, and neighbors (yes, we literally live across the street from each other and have our regular pow-wows at the local Starbucks. How we met is quite a story in itself, though. We live in a very busy citified community where could have easily remained strangers) I am privileged to *hear* this in your lovely voice, which is as wonderful as your writing voice.

Love you, lady. and I am beyond ecstatic that you are finally writing a paranormal. Now I am dying to know more. Guess I'll find out at our next Starbucks meetup!

Reblog: Fiction Groupie; Roni England gives Title advice

2009-11-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

I stumbled on this blog quite by accident and I'm glad I did. Roni England gives excellent advice for tackling one of the most dreaded aspects of novel writing; choosing a title! I happen to freak out until I get a title for a WIP as those who know me well will attest. I am just as bad when a friend is in need of a title and tend to barrage said victim with endless, usually bad attempts. I'm happy to say that I was about 30% responsible for naming SCONES and SENSIBILITY (I called it Crumbs and Sensibility, which kind of lacks that catchy ring, but did lead to the current fabulous title.)

From Fiction Groupies, the blog of writer Roni England

The Title Struggle
Many writers say not to worry about the title of your WIP because most of the time, the publisher's marketing department changes it from whatever your name was anyway. However, I have also read that agents (can't remember which agent blog this was on) sometimes ask to see pages even if the query was only alright because the title was really great. So, I think it's worth giving more than a passing thought.

Coming up with a title is HARD. How are you supposed to come up with a few words that a) make a reader want to pick up the book b) relate to some important aspect of your book and c) hasn't been used before? It's daunting.

Some writers say that a name pops into their head before they even start the story--that the title itself was part of the inspiration. This was not the case for my first two novels. Shadow Falls was titled The Scholarship until I got through the second draft. I didn't like the working title, but I needed something to call the thing besides "the book". Wanderlust was the same way. I started off calling it Rockstar. However, with my most recent WIP, the title finally came to me first: Exposure Therapy. Now that third one could change since I'm just starting the book, but I kind of like it.

So what can you do to help come up with title possibilities?

Brainstorm a list of words that come to mind about your book. Don't edit yourself, just make the list.

--Some obvious things that could inspire the title

* Character names (Carrie)
* Character career
* Setting (Twilight)
* Theme (Atonement)
* Conflict/Turning Point (Marked)
* Time Period
* Special object that plays role in the story (The Sword in the Stone)

--There are some titles that aren't so literal and this is a good way to come up with them. For those of you who have read Hush, Hush, you know that those words aren't uttered in the book. So why is it called that? According to the author, it's because the book is about secrets.

Look for inspiration in unexpected places.

--Music: song titles and lyrics have been used for titles (Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True and She's Come Undone; In the Still of the Night has been used multiple times, Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts). However, do note that song lyrics are subject to copyright laws but song titles are not. Either way, this doesn't come into play until you get published.

--Nursery Rhymes: James Patterson has used this as a theme--Along Came a Spider, Jack and Jill

--Cliches & Puns: something to avoid in writing, but if twisted a bit for a title it can work. Tall, Dark, and Dead by Tate Hallaway, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy and Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

--Classic Literature/Shakespeare: The Sound and the Fury, A Rose by Any Other Name

Alright, I hope that gets your brain cranking. In case your wondering about my titles, here's where I got them from:

Shadow Falls is the name of the town in the book, but is also a play on the fact that something dark is trying to consume the character

Wanderlust is the name of the hero's band, but also a play on the fact that he can't settle down. It also plays into the MC because although she has the desire to see the world, something in her past keeps her stuck in one place (emotionally and literally)

Exposure Therapy is from the MC's job as a social worker. She has something to overcome in her past and exposure therapy is a technique used by counselors to work through phobias and such. It's also a play on the fact that the book will be sexy and well, things will be exposed, lol.

So what's the title of your WIP? How'd you come up with it? What are some of your favorite book titles?

Also, don't forget my Amazon gift certificate contest is still open until midnight (central) tonight, so if you missed yesterday's post, check it out to enter.

**Today's Theme Song**
"I'm Like A Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off"-- Fall Out Boy
FOB are masters at the unconventional yet awesome punny titles
(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Reblog: Heidi Ayarbe's Awesome Author's Visit

2009-11-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

I decided to visit my dear friend Heidi Ayarbe's (author of FREEZE FRAME, 2008 and the forthcoming COMPROMISED)blog expecting to find something entertaining and I did. So I am sharing the splendor and the wonder that is Heidi.

This year my author visits were with Kindergarteners, second and third graders, who, in my opinion, had some of the best questions and comments ever!

1. Did you write your book in pencil or are you allowed to use a pen?
2. Do you have lots of pictures in the book?

I asked how long they thought it took me to write the book:
Student A: Ummm, like ten hours.
Student B: No way. At least two weeks.
Me: About three and a half years. So I started when you were still wearing diapers and finished when you were in first grade.
Students. Whoaaaaaaaa ... (whispers -- she's really slow.)

3. Do you read your book after you're done?

I talked about revision and making corrections and how my editor had pages and pages of notes on how I needed to make my book better.
Student A: Oh. Did you forget your capitals and periods?
Student B: I bet you missed a lot of spelling words.

4. How did you draw the picture on the front?
5. Do you really like your job?

And my favorite ...

6. How did you get the pages in the book? (Comments afterward included: Geez. If she had to put her book together in the garage she'd never get done.)

Thank you Fritsch School for welcoming me and making me smile. Thank you for your amazing attention to detail.
PLUS, I loved the hugs. (High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers usually don't hug me.)

Interview with Becca Fitzpatrick, author of HUSH, HUSH

2009-11-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

HUSH, HUSH is a dark and dangerous YA fantasy set in a town in coastal Maine involving a romantic liason between a high school girl and a fallen angel. The plot is involved but the action kept me completely riveted and never confused. I read through the book in less than a week, which is a big thing for me, because it takes a VERY engaging book for me to give up writing time. I just had to know what happened. So, I am so thrilled to introduce Becca Fitzpatrick, the author of HUSH, HUSH, who will give us some surprising insights into the book's origins.
Patch the fallen angel from Hush, Hush is such a dark and seductive creature. What gave you the idea for the book?

The very first inspiration for the story came from an experience in my own tenth-grade biology class. We must have been studying human reproduction, because my teacher asked me, in front of the whole class, to name characteristics I would be attracted to in a mate (yikes!) I sat next to a really cute boy, and the thought of naming characteristics I might look for in a mate was a humiliation I was not about to subject myself to. I told my teacher, “pass,” but the experience always stuck with me, and when I sat down to write Hush, Hush, that little piece of my history evolved into an early scene in the book.

Hush, Hush is set in coastal Maine and makes much use of it’s moody terrain. What is your connection to this area?

When I was in high school, I was pretty sure I would grow up to be a marine biologist. I had posters of whales and dolphins pinned up all over my bedroom, I had a huge collection of whale/dolphin T-shirts, my Christmas present from my parents in 9th grade was a whale-watching vacation to California, and my aunt and uncle adopted a humpback whale for me named Tanith. Every so often, the whale adoption agency would send me photos of Tanith in the wild, and once I even got a humpback whale calendar. As I was flipping through the photos in the calendar, I came across this amazing photo of a breaching whale, and in the background was the Maine coast, dense with evergreens. I hung on to that picture for years, and it was my dream to someday move to Maine. Eventually I forgot about that dream, but when I started writing Hush, Hush I found myself writing about a girl growing up in a small, atmospheric Maine town without even realizing that of course I'd picked Maine as the setting because of my childhood dream. It's funny how something so seemingly small as a photograph I first saw when I was fourteen years old could have such a big impact on Hush, Hush, but there you have it.

You wove your intricate plot so deftly, yet you left some loose ends that I can only assume are deliberate. I’m talking about the mystery behind Nora’s father’s death. I’m feeling this is going to be explored in the next book, CRESCENDO. Am I right, or is that top secret?

Without ruining anything, I will say that in Crescendo, you'll find out what happened the night Nora's dad was murdered. Let's just say he was living a secret life...one with ties to Patch...

Nora Grey is a pragmatic girl who shuns danger, yet is drawn into Patch’s dangerous web. Do you relate to Nora in anyway or is she strictly a fictitious character.

The only thing Nora and I have in common is our curly hair. (If I remember one thing about my teen years, it was how much I hated my hair. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to torture Nora with the same big, curly hair. Ha!) While Nora claims to be a sensible person who shuns danger, she's a pretty unreliable narrator. She's actually very lured by the idea of danger. Since her father's death, she's tried very hard to create a safe, comfortable life for herself. She's terrified that what happened to her father will happen to her. But underneath everything, she's a very reckless, impulsive, and spontaneous girl.

As a follow-up; is Patch based on anyone you know or would like to know?

His character was inspired by a guy I knew long ago. And that's all I'm going to say about that!

How long have you been writing? Is Hush, Hush the first book you’ve written?

I started Hush, Hush in the fall of 2003. After receiving several rejections for the manuscript, I put it away and started another YA novel called The Tornado Interviews. In the end, I came back to Hush, Hush, and found someone who believed in it as much as I do.

What was your road to publication?

Long and bumpy! It took me five years to write and sell Hush, Hush. I probably have around seventy five rejection letters.

What is the best advice you can give aspiring authors?

Keep a journal. You never know when your own life experiences will inspire a story.

What are some of your favorite reads? Which influenced you most as a writer?

Oh, wow. I love so many different types of books. I love Jane Austen, Diana Gabaldon, Karen Joy Fowler, Laurie Halse Anderson and Sandra Brown. This year, I really enjoyed Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Tell us something unexpected about Becca Fitzpatrick.

Hmm. In high school, I could run the mile in five-and-a-half minutes.

Are you doing a book tour? Where are some of the places you are scheduled to visit?

I'm touring in January and February, but my schedule isn't finalized yet. I'll post cities on my website as soon as I can.

Can you tell us the best place to visit you online?

My website is www.beccafitzpatrick.com

Thanks so much, Lisa, for the interview!!
You are most welcome, Becca. Stop by again when CRESCENDO is due to come out.

The Cudas Speak, Part Two: Dhonielle Clayton, aka Baby Cuda

2009-11-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

Before the interview I want to make an exciting announcement: In honor of the December release of Cuda Lindsay Eland's SCONES AND SENSIBILITY, the Cudas are hosting their very first ARC contest!!! Details and entry information coming soon!

And now, join us as Baby Cuda, Dhonielle Clayton swims to the top of the tank.

1. Tell us about yourself.

Hmm, I am a twenty-six year old 3rd grade teacher. I have my masters in Children's and Young Adult Literature and haven't read an adult book since I graduated college four years ago. I love Asian foods, particularly clumpy white rice, sauteed onions and the taste of sesame oil. I am plagued with chronic heartburn due to my penchant for spicy foods. I haven't grown an inch since 7th grade, maxing out at 5'1''. I love to travel, having lived in Japan, England and France. And my favorite thing to do is sleep in hammocks. I have puffy, brown hair. I am scared of whales and most sea mammals. My Irish heritage has made me obsessed with all forms of cooked cabbage. I don't enjoy the smell of fish. I am so happy to be part of the Cuda camp, they are my surrogate mothers, friends and confidantes.

2. You have an interesting agent story. Can you tell us?
I researched and obsessed over the whole "land an agent" thing. I wrote and re-wrote my query letter. I sent it to the Cudas who chomped on it. Then, I sent my agent an excerpt from my little 30,000 word terrible first novel. She told me she loved it AND it needed a lot of work. This wonderful, stellar, spectacular and patient woman signed me, sent me gigantic revision letter and off we went into a failing children's book publishing economy. But two years later we are still going strong and now I must hurry up and give her something new to sell.

3. You write in a few different styles. Can you tell us a bit about that?

I am scatterbrained and get bored with myself easily so I try to switch things up and continue to try different writing styles. I tend to write first-person, lyrical prose loaded with strong images and the internal machinations of the main character (which often leads to NO plot, my big problem). I am drawn to people who write that way and most of the time it's the way the words come out. But, I am trying to dabble in the third-person with an plot-oriented and high-concept novel. Wish me luck!

4. In your young life, you've been a bit of an adventurer. Can you tell us a few highlights and also tell us how these adventures have informed your writing?

I travel because I thrive on exciting isolation to help my writing: sitting in Parisian cafes alone with my notebook, sipping cafe au lait and nibbling on a crepe while staring at fashionable French ladies; perched over a 24-hour ramen noodle bar slurping up tonkatsu ramen with chopsticks and a chugo spoon while curious Japanese onlookers steal glances at me as I write; wandering the cobblestone streets of North London marveling at the way people speak; laying on pink-sand Bermudian beaches asleep instead of writing. I like to borrow small details from each place I have spent a significant amount of time in to pepper into my writing. I tend to produce more written work when I am traveling versus when I am at home, teased with millions of distractions.

5. What books/ people/ experiences inspired you growing up?

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

I was mostly inspired by my grandparents and parents habit of dragging me down South every summer. Going to my grandmother's Mississippi farm and my mother's hometown in North Carolina has really shaped my imagination. Southern imagery, people, food, and preoccupations live strongly in my imagination even though I was raised slightly below the Mason Dixon line in the Maryland, right outside of Washington, DC. I have written strong scenes and loads of pages from the sticky booth of a Waffle House (one of my favorite places on Earth).

6. Tell us something surprising about yourself.
I still leap onto my bed every night afraid there is someone underneath it who will grab my ankles (I should not have watched "IT" as a child).

Meet the Cudas

2009-11-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

We Cudas have decided the best way to celebrate the release of Lindsay Eland's fantabulous book, out this December, SCONES AND SENSIBILITY, is to let the readers of this blog meet us all. We are quite a crew (or chew, some might say) and each of us is distinctly different from the other fish in the tank.

Have no fear, you will be hearing from Becca Fitzpatrick and Neesha Meminger. They are kind enough to fit my interview into their seriously frantic schedules and it will be a treat! In the meantime, while we await Baby Cuda Dhonielle Clayton's arrival, let me introduce you to the creatures that swim in our pond.

Lisa: Mama Cuda. Sometimes goes by the name of The Bottom Feeder or Fang
Lindsay: Nice Cuda, who could possibly nibble you to death. Also known as Love Bites Cuda
Dhonielle: Baby Cuda, Baby Genius Cuda
Cyndy: Longtooth of the West
Kate: Snaggletooth of the East
Pippa: Our newest Cuda, but no less sharp in the tooth. Quickjaw of the North
Our Cuda on hiatus:
Cathy: Eagle-eye Cuda or one who swoops down to eat wayward fishies
And lastly, our Cuda Emeritus:
Linda: Wise Cuda, or fondly known as Yoda Cuda.

Wrestling the Plot monster, change of plans and Meet the Cudas

2009-11-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

My interview schedule is getting pushed back slightly. I now hope to interview the other four members of my killer critique group, The Cudas. So far I've interviewed the wonderful Lindsay Eland, last month. (Don't forget to pre-order Lindsay's new book, out in December, Scones and Sensibility.) Linds is known as the "nice Cuda", though through years of exposure to we sharp-toothed fishies, she has certainly added an edge to her critiques!

Next Cuda on tap is Dhonielle Clayton, aka, "The Baby Cuda" or sometimes dubbed "The Baby Genius". Dhonielle is the writer all other writers might be tempted to hate: She landed a big-time agent on HER FIRST QUERY. Yep. But if you read her brilliant writing, you'd know why. And you wouldn't hate her either. You'd love her and beg to read more. And beg her to PLEASE WRITE MORE.

That being said, expect to hear from this fascinating lady very soon. (maybe later today).

So far, we are skimming the upper levels of the Cuda shark tank. But as the weeks go by, we are going to be doing some deep sea diving and meet the fiercer, bottom swimming Cudas. I'll introduce them as they surface. Oh..I guess I should fess up. As the founder of the Cudas, I'm one of them. Mama Cuda they call me, but don't let that kindly name fool you. My critiques are also on the savage side. Of course my graphic design students at Bronx Community College are not the least surprised about this, I'm just as demanding when it comes to art.

But don't get we Cudas wrong. It's all about one thing. Excellence. Our commitment to each other is fearsome; our only goal to help each other reach our fullest potential. And that is a beautiful thing—to know that you will get an honest appraisal of your work, even though it may leave a few teeth marks.

So far, with two contracted authors and most Cudas signed with an agent, you might say our tough approach is working. (yeah, and it's also working at BCC—hey guys!!!)

Now about that plot monster.

The plot of my WIP has grown extra arms. I'm afraid if I don't lop some off (you know, as Stephen King says—kill those darlings) they will strangle my entire book. And the Cudas might have to go on a feeding frenzy. They are a very hungry group. I'd like to avoid becoming their next meal if I can.

I am well-known for my convoluted plots. So wish me luck as I interview my characters as well today and try to make sense of their motives. Hopefully it will dawn on them that they NEED the plot to work if they want to see the light of day.

Wish me luck!

SCBWI conference

2009-11-11T03:57:00.000-08:00

I have already registered. Anyone else going?

Oh, my

2009-11-07T12:37:00.001-08:00

http://www.shewrites.com/

Upcoming Interviews

2009-11-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

I have two very exciting interviews lined up and coming to you in the next week or so.

First, I have Becca Fitzpatrick, author of the new YA hit, HUSH, HUSH. Becca is ready to roll, but I asked if she minded waiting until I finish her excellent book so I can discuss it intelligently. I LOVE it so far and am so excited to talk to her about it and all kinds of other authorly things.

Next I will be welcoming Neesha Meminger, author of the critically acclaimed SHINE, COCONUT MOON. Neesha is going to stop by to share her thoughts on coming of age, cultural identity issues other tidbits about writing.

Muse Musings

2009-11-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

I am very happy to have published the two previous posts on this blog. For one, I'm happy to share and I hope those of you who visit here have found the information useful, but also, I am continually utilizing the resource myself.

I am following Elana Johnson's prescription for editing my monster WIP and it IS REALLY HELPING. I've divided the beast into chunks which has miraculously allowed me to focus and to stop RE-READING and revising the first three chapters. Like Lady Macbeth washing her hands, I've read, rinsed, repeated way too often.

Thanks to Elana, I've gotten out of my rut and moved onto—woohoo—chapter 6! And, to bolster my confidence as I plow ahead, trying not to balk at the monumental task, and trying not to let doubt cloud my vision, I have been re-reading Kathryn Craft's pronouncements. They have become my EIGHT COMMANDMENTS OF CONFIDENCE. If anyone wants to voluntarily embroidered them on a sampler so I can nail them to my wall, please let me know.

So, hat's off to my Blog Muses and may the force be with us all.

Wisdom from the Blood Red Pencil

2009-10-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

Another amazing post I just had to share. Visit the BLOOD RED PENCIL blog at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com

Ten Affirmations to Bolster Optimism

Economy got you down? Try optimism. It can help you get published.

Doubt it? Read on: More than thirty years of research in high-rejection endeavors, from athletic competition to life insurance sales, suggests the statement is true. There is more to optimism, however, than The Little Engine’s “I think I can.” Optimism is the practice of framing what has already happened in a positive light.

To raise your optimism quotient, try the following ten affirmations. Meditate on them, speak them, and copy them down in your own hand until you are convinced of their truth. Once you own these concepts, your writing will be less about the absolutes of success and failure, and more about gleaning the benefits of every step on your path. And who knows—you may end up appreciating the process of getting published as much as you enjoy the writing.

1. Agents, editors, and authors all love to read and all have the same goal: to increase our country's wealth of good writing. Agents and editors need writers to keep them in business.

2. The book industry is super tough right now, but I am doing what I can to improve both my craft and my knowledge of the publishing industry.

3. I believe that being a published author is my destiny and I will start my journey down that road, but factors beyond my control will affect the timing of my arrival. I will get there when I get there.

4. While pride is the first of the seven deadly sins, optimism is a blessing for myself and for all of those around me. I love my work, so I will share my enthusiasm for it with others.

5. Rejection is the badge of honor I must sometimes wear to prove that I am boldly putting my work out into the world. No one ever got published by keeping her manuscript safely in her desk drawer.

6. Rejection may be a matter of personal preference—my work didn't connect with that reader—or it may simply mean "not yet." It is better to learn that I am not quite ready for publication by being rejected by an agent or editor than to get slammed publicly by critics, realize poor sales, and never be published again.

7. Every experience is a good experience for a writer. Victory, failure, acceptance, rejection—they are all part of the human experience, and stoke the creative fire within me.

8. If I am an optimistic fool, so be it. The real fool is the person who stops doing what he loves just because it is difficult.

9. Worst case scenario: it never happens for me. My epitaph: "She died pursuing her dream." What stronger, more beautiful statement could be made about my life, published or not?

10. I am committed to learning. Learning can be uncomfortable, but ignorance will not move me forward along my path. If writing is truly my passion, I must not give up. If we writers stop pursuing our dreams, who will write all the books?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kathryn Craft is a free-lance editor at Writing-Partner.com, partnering her clients through project development to line editing to honing marketing materials. She prefers "Advocate for Writing Excellence" to "Nit-Picking Perfectionist," thank you. She hosts writing retreats for women and blogs at Healing Through Writing.

Some more kernels of wisdom from Elana Johnson

2009-10-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

First a disclaimer: No Elana is NOT paying me to post all this info from her and about her. Elana is just a font of information and I found this post on the Querytracker blog (tidbit: I am one of querytracker's earliest members, from back in 2007. Elana joined after me!) and it was SO useful and timely for me, I just had to share. Don't worry, I asked Elana first.

The QueryTracker.net Blog is part of QueryTracker.net. Learn more About the QT Blog Team, check out Essential QT Blog Posts, or Subscribe to our Feed!

Editing: How To Avoid Staring Into The Great Black Abyss

Posted 10/28/2009 09:00:00 AM by ElanaJ

Okay, so imagine you've finished the fifth draft of your amazing NYT bestseller. You've let some time go by. And now you're ready to edit the manuscript. Again. (*Note: for the purposes of this post, editing and revising are synonymous.)

You sit down, open the document, and...proceed to stare into the great black abyss like somehow your MS will edit itself. Oh, sure, maybe you're like me and you immediately click on gmail when something earth-shattering doesn't hit you about your novel. Or Farmville. Or Cafe World. Or a writing forum. Heck, maybe you even distract yourself with Hulu and Free Rice. And when you get really desperate, well, let's not go there.

I know (trust me, I KNOW) the thought of editing an entire manuscript is overwhelming. Daunting. Like climbing the mountain--again.

So today, I'm going to give you some pointers that have helped me tackle my 320-page manuscript, edit it, polish it, get it to betas and then out the door in less than 30 days. Strap yourselves in.

1. Set goals. Not only a "finish-by" goal date, but goals for what you want to accomplish in the edit. Does character A need more depth? Do you need to introduce the antag earlier so readers know who/what the MC is up against? Do you need stronger world-building? Faster pacing? A sub-plot that needs fleshing out? What are you trying to accomplish with the edit?

Know what these are. Don't freak out that there's SO MUCH that needs to be done. Just make a list.

2. Chunk your MS. It's much easier to wrap your mind around 100 pages rather than 350. So chunk your MS into manageable sections. I split mine into three distinct pieces and worked on them individually.

Okay, so you really haven't opened the document and started yet. This is all the "behind-the-scenes" stuff that you can do in a notebook or in your head. It usually takes me 2-3 days to make my list and chunk my MS. Take some time to do this. It helps things settle in your head before you actually start.

3. Read. That's right. Hopefully, it's been a while since you've read or worked on your MS. You'll be able to see things with fresh eyes this way. I printed the first chunk and sat down to read. Yes, I had a pen (it was black, not red) in my hand. During this reading phase, I was doing three things:

Line-edits (for awkward phrasing, repeated words, word choice, paragraphing, funky formatting, etc. Everything looks new and different on paper. I strongly encourage printing the chunk and editing on paper.)
Outlining (I don't outline before I write. So I create my outline as I edit a finished draft. I have a pad of small (2-inch by 2-inch) post-it notes next to me. After I finish reading a chapter, I write the main focus of that chapter on a post-it and place it neatly in my manila folder. Can't sum it up? Maybe you don't need that chapter. Every chapter must advance the plot. Even if you write from an outline, you can do this to see if you've really used every chapter, every scene to advance your plot. And hey, maybe your outline has changed.)
Making Notes (I know my goals for the edit, so as I'm reading, I draw a star and make myself a note. Like, "Insert a memory about character B here." Or "This would be a great place to reflect on plot point G." Or "Introduce antag here by way of video." Or "More world-building/setting here." I don't actually write the insertions. I simply make notes of places where they could go.)

4. Transfer from paper to computer. Remember, this is only for the first chunk. For me, it was about 115 pages, and it took me about 3 days to read, line edit and make notes for the section. Then I finally opened my Word document and started with page one. I entered the line edits, written changes and deletions. When I got to spots where I had a note for new material, I wrote it. Everything is done with the "Track Changes" feature on, so I can see what I've done. Actually transferring the changes is easy. And since you have something tangible to do, you don't waste any time staring at the screen, wondering what to do and where to do it. Transferring only takes 1 day. Maybe longer if you have large sections to add/rewrite.

5. Rinse and repeat. After section one is transferred into the computer, print section two. Read, pen in hand, post-it's nearby, computer off. Transfer to manuscript. Print section three. Read, transfer. Since I only had three sections, I edited my entire novel in about 12 days. With the goal-making, I finished a round of (major) edits in two weeks.

(*Note #2: Some of you might stop here. If this is say, the second draft, and you're not ready to send to readers yet, you're done! In only 2 weeks. Leave the MS for a while, write something else maybe. Then come back and start with #1 with new goals for another edit.)

6. Send to readers. Now, this could be an entire post by itself. But I don't have time for that, so I'll just say to choose people who you A) trust and B) love and C) will read FAST. I mean, you only have 16 more days. I recommend recruiting a few (meaning: 2 or 3) readers who will critique as you finish chunks. So really, you could have stuff out with Beta readers after you transfer the first chunk. When they finish, send them the second, and so on. This way, you're not stalled at this point in the process, waiting for reads. You've been getting them back on shorter sections. Which is how you want to work anyway.

7. Go over crits, make changes. Add stuff, delete stuff, etc. This is just a polish. You've already done the major reconstruction. Now you're just smoothing over the edges, based on what your readers have said. If you have fast readers, you can probably get this done in a week or so. I think I had my chunks back and crits incorporated in about 8 days.

8. Leave it alone. Which means, leave it alone. Don't open it. Don't read it. You can think about it if you want. I didn't. 2 days. I actually did this immediately following the final transfer (step 5), while waiting for reads to come back on chunks. It doesn't matter when you do it, but it's vital. Seriously, leave it alone.

9. Send entire, repolished MS to trusted readers. These are NOT the same people who read the chunks. Different people. I had 4. I sent them the "final" MS as well as a list of my goals so they knew what I was trying to accomplish with the edit. (*Note, I did this because with one exception, my readers had already read my book, so I wanted them to know specifically what I was trying to do this time around.) Again, they need to be A) trusted B) loved and C) fast.

10. Final edits based on final reads.

11. Done!

This system worked for me. I managed to edit my 83,000-word novel, get reads, and polish it up in under 30 days. Hopefully, you've seen something in this list that can help you focus your energy into accomplishing an edit (no matter if it's your third draft or your, um, eighth) of your manuscript without falling into the great black abyss. What do you do that helps you get the editing done?

File Under: editing, revising

So here's the lowdown

2009-10-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

I do believe the online novel was launched as a fundraiser. Ms. Valente's work, both poetry and fiction has already been extensively published.

Here is her background. Either way, she is quite young and is an incredible and resourceful person. This little find fuels my interest in uncovering many more publishing gems, known and unknown. Everyone has a story to tell!

http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/about/

I think I'll move on now. If anyone digs up any more tidbits on CMV, please let me know! Maybe she'll find her way here and speak for herself.

HOW I learned to research my blog posts better...

2009-10-27T07:40:00.001-07:00

After posting the last tidbit about Catherynne Valente, I implied and actually believed myself that Ms. Valente was a first-time novelist whom published her works online and was miraculously plucked from cyberspace and given a book deal. Further research reveals that Ms. Valente is an award-winning published author.

This still does not negate the fact that Ms. Valente did, indeed, first publish her work online before landing a book deal. However, I'm not sure how well her tactic would work for a lesser-known author. I am still impressed with her method and now I'd like to learn exactly why she did this and what her goal was. I was equally impressed with the writing. I'm going to see what I can find out, so stay tuned!

THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING

2009-10-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

From Publisher's Marketplace, 10/26/09
Catherynne Valente's THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING, an Alice-in-Wonderland-like YA fantasy adventure, originally published chapter by chapter on the author's website, and THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH FAIRYLAND AND LED THE REVELS THERE, to Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends, by Howard Morhaim at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency (NA).

This is incredible! After publishing her entire book, chapter by chapter, online, Catherynne Valente landed a book deal with Feiwel and Friends. I don't know the particulars, but this is awesome! Here is the link to her website where you can read for yourself...

http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/fairyland/

I think the writing is wonderful. Hats off to the talented and resourceful Catherynne Valentine.

From the Query to the Call with Elana Johnson

2009-10-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

Meet Elana Johnson, YA writer and Blogstress Extraordinaire. Elana also wears another hat: Query Ninja. Elana decided to sum up her knowledge in the new Ebook, From The Query to the Call, available at her website www.elanajohnson.com

Tell us about yourself, Elana.

I’ll be brief. Or at least I’ll try.

I am many things: A mom. A wife. A teacher. A US citizen who breaks the speed limit (shhh). A blog addict (I read at least 40 blogs a day. And I comment). A reader. A reality TV watcher. A friend.
And an author. I love to write. It provides a release from my real life. Not only do I write novels, but I love to write on my own blog. And I also co-author the QueryTracker blog. Oh! And the Query Ninja blog. I run that too, in conjunction with my ebook, From the Query to the Call.

How long have you been writing? What kind of fiction do you write?

I’ve been writing since December 2007, so coming up on two years now. I write YA, anything from science fiction to fantasy to paranormal to straight-up high school mayhem. There’s nothing better than YA. My current favorite genre is dystopian fiction, since that’s what I’m currently querying.

You have an ebook; what is this book about?

My ebook is called From the Query to the Call and it’s a guide for everything a writer needs to know after they finish their novel. I remember feeling so overwhelmed with the whole “query” side of writing. I researched for hours, attended conferences, read agent and publisher blogs.

And then I compiled it all into a handy guide that shares what I know and have learned. It’s basically got three sections:

1. How to write a query letter. And not just any query letter. A killer query letter. One that will set yours above the other slush the agents are getting.

2. Entering the query trenches. This covers everything from e-queries, cover letters, submitting partials and fulls, corresponding with agents, and of course, fielding “the call.”

3. Query letter samples. I take the reader through progressive queries during the letter writing section. In addition to that, I have a whole section devoted to letters that worked. I think studying something that is successful helps you develop something successful of your own.

And that’s the ebook. You can check out my website for more information.

What prompted you to write it?
I wrote this ebook because I wish wish wish I had something like this when I started. From the Query to the Call is 63 pages, and it contains everything a writer needs to know from the time they decide they want to query literary agents to the time they sign with said agent.
There’s so much conflicting information out there, and the sheer volume of it is enough to scare away Hercules! I remember feeling like I was treading water, barely keeping my head above the crashing waves, as I searched for the information I needed on how to find a literary agent. I literally spent hours and hours searching for a single piece of information. Thus, I wrote this book so authors could have the one guide that has everything they need in one convenient place.

What advice do you have for writers who seek publication?

I have a three-step process:
1. Work hard.
2. Don’t give up.
3. Finish strong.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself.

Oh, dear. I feel like I have no secrets from the blogging community! I attended four universities before I graduated, is that unexpected?

Love Triangle: Words, Images and Me

2009-10-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

This is ground zero for where I direct my restless mind...

Should I write?
or
Should I draw?

or, maybe I should design something, like a website or a logo. (after all, I am a graphic design professor and dream in typography).

For most of my life it was all about art, (see Fairy-tale book, Exhibit A: early influences) with a random scattering of words thrown in for fun. But now my two loves, art and writing, have to share a room (or a bed) in my frenzied mind. It's not always pretty. Sometimes they fight, throw things around and compete for my attention. Art is kind of jealous of Words. But I feel I owe her some quality time. For the past years, Words were hogging all the face time. But that just didn't seem fair. Or natural. So I decided the best way to unite my two true loves is to write and illustrate a picture book.

This is the one illustration I've done so far for a book I'm calling BREATH, based on a dream I had as a very small kid. I'd like to self-publish. I'm thinking this is the best way to do them all; draw, write, and design. Will anyone want it? I don't really care, to be honest. At the very least I'll have a cool gift to give to my future grandkids.

So tell me what you think. I could use some encouragement.

This would be the half-title spread

Introducing the Adorable and Brilliant Lindsay Eland

2009-10-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm a little biased. Linds, as I call her, and I have followed each other across the internet for about five years now. Back in the day when we were both newbie writers, we joined our first critique group which later broke up. But I dragged Lindsay with me on my online quest for editorial feedback. For the past three years, Linds and I have been members of a killer critique group (killer for our editorial savagery) that I moderate. We fondly call it The Cudas (for barracudas). Linds is undeniably the "nice Cuda." But don't let that perky smile fool you. Behind that smile is a mind that churns out original and comic works of middle grade fiction faster than you can say cutie-pie.

Lindsay's middle-grade humorous novel, SCONES AND SENSIBILITY, comes out this December from Egmont. I can tell you, having witnessed it's nearly fully-formed birth—it is a hoot! So I'm going to turn the mike over to Linds and let her speak for herself.

Tell us about yourself. 

Let’s see. I’m a thirty-year-old mother of four. I love to laugh, drink iced mochas, and sing really loud in my car. I don’t like brownies with nuts and I’m extremely sentimental and will probably keep this interview just because it’s been given to me by a dear writing friend!

You have a book coming out this December, the middle-grade novel  Scones and Sensibility. Can you tell us about it?  

Sure! Scones and Sensibility is about an overdramatic and overromantic twelve-year-old girl who, using her heroines Elizabeth Bennet and Anne Shirley as her guides, sets to match-making in her small beach town with disastrous and hilarious results.

You have a great sense of humor and a brand of wit all your own.  What is your inspiration ?  

Life! I grew up with laughter all around me. Listening at my Grandparents table to the roaring laughter and the pee-in-your-pants stories my parents, my grandparents, and my aunts and uncles told. And really, life is full of funny mishaps, hilarious witticisms, and knee-slapping adventures.

What advice can you give aspiring authors? 

Write and read. And then read and write. A writer is first and foremost a reader…so read! And don’t ever, ever, ever give up! No writer would have gotten to where he or she was if they had given up after the first or even the twentieth rejection.

What books inspired you growing up? 

Matilda by Roald Dahl
Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Patterson
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

These were the books that first gave me the deep yearning to want to create stories that were filled with magic.

Tell us something surprising about yourself. 

Let’s see…I hate the sound of someone eating a banana or stirring a bowl of macaroni and cheese…it’s extremely gross to me. I’m also probably one of the only women on earth that wishes her hair wouldn’t grow….yes, I like it short and I wish it would just stay like that.

Visit Lindsay at http://lindsayeland.com/

What to expect

2009-10-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

The delightful Lindsay Eland, whose middle grade humorous novel, SCONES AND SENSIBILITY will be released this November, will be visiting here soon, so stay tuned. I'm hoping to have a few other interviews lined up in the weeks and months that follow.

2009-10-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

OMG!!! I knew I loved Libba Bray.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KloEAoKvBqA