Write About Now

Book App for iPhone Geeks

2012-02-01T03:47:00.000-08:00

I've always been kind of a Mac geek, but I'll admit that since my husband gave me an iPhone for mother's day, my geekiness has reached new heights. I use my phone for everything. On our recent trip to New Mexico, I mapped all our routes on the phone, looked up authors and titles at the book store, checked on menu options for a restaurant we planned to visit, found a bike store, a place to get my son a haircut and a Sears where I could return a pair of boots I had bought online in California. And that was just on Saturday!

And the apps? Oh, the apps! Here's a new one, releasing today: Teen Book Finder. Designed to "enable access to the best literature for teens," the app is searchable by author, title, year and genre. And since it's a project of YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association), you can also search their database by award/list. Even better, a Find It! button, powered by WorldCat, will direct users to the nearest library where they can pick up the book. Pretty cool, eh?

No, it's not perfect. With it's focus on "the best literature for teens," a lot of indie and small publishers will not be listed. And it only covers titles released in the last three years. But hey, it's a start. Hopefully, other developers will see the potential and come up with similar apps that cover a broader base. You can read more about the app and it's development at thedigitalshift.com. An Android version will be released later this year.

What cool stuff are you geeking out about?

DITCHED and One-Star Reviews

2012-01-25T03:50:00.000-08:00

There are so many wonderful people with books coming out this year. Another one of my friends celebrated her debut release with a signing in Santa Monica at Diesel, A Book Store. Not to be confused with Diesel, the clothing store. Trust me, I now know the difference since I showed up at the clothing store first. *head palm* Ugh.

Fortunately, I was close to being on time for a change, so we made the 3-mile trek to the right Diesel with plenty of time to hug, listen to and have a book signed by the wonderful Robin Mellom. Her YA novel, DITCHED, came out on January 10 and believe it or not, she has another book, a middle grade novel, coming out in June. Talk about a banner year!

As for me, I just got back more edits so my nose will be buried deep in revisions while I wrestle with the last act of my story. But I can't sign off without mentioning a great list I found on Mediabistro. There has been a lot of uproar in the last few weeks about one-star reviews and whether or not people who rate books on Goodreads or Amazon can really call themselves reviewers.

My answer? It doesn't matter whether you're reviewing for the New York Times or your own personal blog. Reviews make people aware of a book but it doesn't mean they're going to buy it. And the list I found on Mediabistro kind of proves the point. Look at this list of books and how many one-star reviews they had on Amazon. I've read some of those titles. I know they're awesome.

One-Star Reviews for Bestselling Books
1. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (669 one-star reviews)
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (396 one-star reviews)
3. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (344 one-star reviews)
4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (169 one-star reviews)
5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (157 one-star reviews)
6. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich (119 one-star reviews)
7. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (118 one-star reviews)
8. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (191 one-star reviews)
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (96 one-star reviews)
10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (81 one-star reviews)

Yes, everybody wants good reviews, but your book isn't going to appeal to everyone. People can be mean with their opinions, but it doesn't mean you have to respond in the same way. More importantly, it doesn't mean people won't read your book. All you can do is write the best story you know how to write. The rest is out of your hands.

And, oh yeah -- can someone remind me of this sometime down the road when I'm stressing over a bad review!!

Party in New Mexico

2012-01-18T03:26:00.000-08:00

Caroline, Kimberley and Me

I love meeting blogger friends in person and being able to attend the book release party for Caroline Starr Rose's debut, May B, was definitely a treat. Especially since not only did I get to meet Caroline for the first time, I also got to meet an another New Mexico author/blogger/friend: Kimberley Griffiths Little.

I've been to quite a few book signing events and I have to say I was impressed with the crowd at Caroline's event. The only author I know to even come close to having that many people attend is Maggie Stiefvater. Pretty impressive for a debut novelist!

And what a great presentation Caroline put together. It was fun to hear her read a few passages from May B and even more fun to see the original sketches from her cover artist and hear how the process went. My kids were thrilled with the punch bowl full of Jelly Belly's. I swooned over the cake with the book cover. Isn't it pretty?

After signing books for more than an hour and a half (yes, the line was that long!), we went out for guaco tacos and sopapillas. Mmmm. (Why can't anybody make good sopapillas outside of New Mexico???) It was a great way to celebrate the day.

I'm so glad I got to share part of this experience with my agent-mate and so excited to see what she does next. Congrats Caroline!!!

Making it Real

2012-01-11T03:08:00.000-08:00

From a real estate magazine, the house my MC lives in

Setting plays such an important part of every story. Books that transport you into their world, real or imaginary, make the story come alive in your mind. When I can see the place as I read, hear the water echoing off the concrete as it drips, feel the cold seep beneath my jacket, smell the musty decay -- then you've hooked me. I want to read more.

But how do you make your words create a visual image for your reader?

I'm a very visual person. So for me, photos are a must. Even when I'm making something up, I like to have a visual resource to reference. I'll scour the internet for images that evoke a sense of place. I've drawn neighborhood maps, house layouts and figured out routes on Map Quest.

But sometimes there's no substitute for actually visiting a place. A pivotal scene in one of my novels takes place at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena. While the lab isn't exactly shrouded in mystery (they hold an open house every year), there aren't a lot of photos on the web. And try looking it up on Google Earth. You can't get past the gate. I did so many carefully worded searches on Google that I started to worry that government representatives might show up at my door to ask what the hell I was doing!

My solution? Go to the annual open house. And since I didn't have time to see everything I wanted to see, I scheduled a group tour a month later. Yes, it was time consuming. But oh, how valuable. Those scenes would not be as visually real without that hands-on experience.

This weekend I'm taking a road trip, tracing the path my characters go on in part of the story. As a bonus, I'm tying it in with the book release party for my agent-mate, Caroline Starr Rose. Woo-hoo!

How far are you willing to go to make a scene real?

------------------------------------------

Three wonderful bloggers who I count as friends had books released into the world yesterday. Caroline Starr Rose's debut MG verse novel, MAY B
Robin Mellom's debut YA romantic comedy, DITCHED
Beth Revis' second YA sci-fi novel, A MILLION SUNS

Congrats to all of them!!

And just so you know, all three of them are holding contests to celebrate their book releases, so you might want to pay them a visit to see what they're giving away. And don't forget to tell them happy book birthday!!

Agent Spotlight on: Ammi-Joan Paquette

2012-01-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about the start of a new year is that feeling that anything is possible. This is the year that I (fill in the blank) ______________________.

If signing with an awesome agent is on your list, here's someone you should consider. I first came in contact with Ammi-Joan Paquette when she was the Secret Agent for a contest I entered at Miss Snark's First Victim. Joan selected my story as a runner-up and requested pages. Even better, after I revised based on her suggestions, she was happy to look at it again. Her comments helped me make the story stronger and I'll be forever grateful.

Joan has been part of the venerable Erin Murphy Literary Agency since early 2009, but she's been writing since she was a child. She's been on both sides of rejection, she knows how to revise and she understands the thrill of being a debut author. Are you in love yet? Read on to learn more about Joan and what she's looking for in an author.

You’ve been an agent now for a few years, but I'm sure you remember: how excited were you when that first deal went through?
I was absolutely beside myself—the more so because of what an exciting sale it was! This was in June 2009, and I had only been an agent for a few months, so when I received an offer for Jennifer A. Nielsen’s hilarious middle-grade fantasy, ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR, I was thrilled. Then we got another offer! The book ended up selling in a three-book deal, at auction, to Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, and the results have been absolutely wonderful. The second book in the series, ELLIOT AND THE PIXIE PLOT, came out this summer (with the third due next spring) and the series is garnering terrific reviews and a loyal following of fans.

One of my best rejections (if there’s such a thing!) came from you. Do you think being a writer yourself makes you more sympathetic as an agent?
Aw :D

I have to say that I definitely feel a kinship with other authors. I’ve had more than my fair share of rejections along every step of the process, so I do try to put myself in the shoes of the recipient, and remember those times when I was on the receiving end! This is such a tumultuous business, full of extreme lows and surreal highs, and having someone in your corner who’s been there and has experienced all the stages can only help. At least I hope it does!

I definitely think it does.

I keep seeing your name pop up on Publisher’s Marketplace, not only as an agent, but as an author. Can you talk about your upcoming titles?
My first novel, NOWHERE GIRL, came out this September from Walker. It’s the story of a thirteen-year-old American girl who was born in a Thai prison and has to find her way home while unraveling the secrets of her past. While I also have a picture book out—THE TIPTOE GUIDE TO TRACKING FAIRIES (Tanglewood, 2009)—releasing a novel has been a very different experience for me, so much more personal. I love it! Next on the publishing horizon is the companion picture book THE TIPTOE GUIDE TO TRACKING MERMAIDS, due out in May 2012, which will be filled with sea, sand, and scales—and much glitz and glitter too. I also have several other novels and another picture book due out in 2013.

And what are some of the soon-to-be-released titles by your authors?
There are some terrific titles near on the horizon! The most recently-published client book is Mary Lindsey’s dark and dangerous paranormal romance SHATTERED SOULS (Philomel, December 2011), and others soon to come include Jennifer A. Nielsen’s blockbuster adventure THE FALSE PRINCE (Scholastic, April 2012), J. Anderson Coats’s epic tale of life in 13th century Wales, THE WICKED AND THE JUST (Harcourt, April 2012), and Eric Pinder’s rollicking picture book, with illustrations by Marc Brown, IF ALL THE ANIMALS CAME INSIDE (Little Brown, April 2012). There’s something for everybody!

Love the cover for THE WICKED AND THE JUST. But all of these titles are going on my list. They sound really good.

Since you don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, how can writers catch your eye? Do you plan to be at any upcoming conferences?
I love to receive queries from writers who attend the conferences I speak at, even if we didn’t actually meet in person during the event. This spring I’ll be in Austin, in Nebraska, and at the yearly New England conference.

Are you more attracted to character-driven stories or tightly woven plots?
Good question!—More and more, I’m really looking for both. I am definitely a plot-driven gal: I love it when the tension is strong and plot twists are both completely logical and entirely unexpected. With that said, none of this can possibly work without a strong, layered character that gets right to work on your heartstrings. I really believe that the true masterpieces, and the books that will stand the test of time, are the ones that weave these two elements to maximum effect.

What’s the hardest thing about agenting?
Sometimes manuscripts you fall in love with and put hours and weeks and months into don’t end up finding that perfect home. And that’s tough. But I believe utterly in the skill and heart and tenacity of each of my clients, and over and over we’ve seen those elements come through eventually: whether finding just the right spot for that lingering manuscript, or breaking out with something completely new. As long as you’re writing (and revising!), you’re moving forward.

And your favorite part?
My absolute favorite part of this job, hands-down, is picking up the phone and making that call for a debut author’s very first book sale. There is no better feeling in the world.

I think every author would agree with that one!
Thanks so much, Joan!

Places around the internet where you can find Ammi-Joan Paquette:
ammijoanpaquette.com
EMLiterary.com

Caroling and Winners

2011-12-21T04:30:00.000-08:00

Image Source

The thing I love most about working in a school is being around the kids. I love their energy and enthusiasm, not to mention the funny things they say.

For instance, this conversation I overheard between two first graders working on a holiday word search.

"Did you find CAROLING?"
"No. What is CAROLING?"
"I think it's Santa's wife."

Love them!

And now, my fellow bibliophiles, some books I need to ship out. The winners from last week's giveaway are:

Myrna Foster: Wisdom's Kiss
Jackee: The Replacement
C.R. Evers: Revolution
Kelly Polark: A Great and Terrible Beauty
Tricia O'Brien: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Woo-hoo!! Congratulations one and all!! Send me your snail mail addy's and I'll get these books to you, maybe even before Christmas :)

Have a great holiday and I'll see you all next year!!

That Time of Year

2011-12-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

The holidays are all about gifts and giving, right? So here's my gift to a few lucky readers: books, of course! I have five to give away:

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (ARC)
Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (ARC)

Leave me a comment if you'd like to win and if your profile doesn't connect to your email, be sure to leave it in the comment as well.

LET ME KNOW WHICH BOOK YOU WOULD PREFER!

I can't guarantee that you'll get it, but you have a better chance of winning it if you tell me which one you want to read the most. You don't have to be a follower to win, but followers do get an extra entry. (There has to be some sort of reward for hanging around here!)

Five winners will be announced next Wednesday. Good luck and happy holidays!!

Amazon's Game of Monopoly

2011-12-07T04:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, so back in May I facetiously wrote a post called, Amazon Seeks (Publishing) World Domination. It's looking less like a joke every day.

Let's recap. Amazon has six imprints: AmazonEncore (publishing overlooked books and authors), Amazon Crossing (publishing popular overseas titles for English-speaking markets), The Domino Project (publishing "Idea Manifestos" whatever that means), Montlake (publishing romance titles), Thomas & Mercer (publishing mysteries and thrillers), and 47North (publishing science fiction/fantasy/horror). They'll be launching their seventh imprint next year, headed up by publishing veteran Larry Kirshbaum. They have also taken over Audible.com and forged a dubious book-rental partnership with Overdrive (dubious because it isn't clear how authors will receive royalties on some of the rented titles).

Their latest move? Acquiring more than 450 children's titles from Marshall Cavendish. (Here's a link to the New York Times article.) So not only are they causing unfair competition with bricks-and-mortar retailers by not charging sales tax in many states, they're also competing directly with the very companies that helped establish them as a powerhouse company: publishers.

Amazon has many positives. Their website is easy to use and they've become the go-to site for finding information on books and authors, no matter how obscure. They've also been a great resource for self-publishers. But their growing dominance as a book seller AND publishing company will continue to impact this industry in many ways. And I'm not sure how much of that impact is positive.

What do you think?

Five Worth Reading

2011-11-30T05:05:00.001-08:00

I went back over my Goodreads list to see which of my most recent reads got five stars (I don’t give those things out lightly!). It was no surprise that 3 out of 5 were dystopian/futuristic/sci-fi books. What surprised me is that out of the 120 books I’ve read so far this year (!) only 20 have earned a five star rating. And within those 20 is a mix of realistic fiction for adults, YA and MG, as well as my beloved dystopian/futuristic/sci-fi titles. There’s still a month to go. I wonder how many more five star books I’ll find in that time?

Top Five Recent Reads

The Pearl Wars (Skyship Academy #1) by Nick James
The voice of this character pulled me in from page 1. I absolutely adore Jesse. Great action, great pacing, great characters. And the crazy futuristic world he’s created? LOVE it. I can't wait for book 2.

Variant by Robison Wells

I hadn't read any reviews of this book before I started so the twists and turns in the story were a complete surprise. I raced through this, breathless to see what would happen next. The only bummer -- it's part of a series. *sigh* I'm reading too many series books!!

Shine by Lauren Myracle (One of two realistic fiction titles on my list)
All I can say is that the National Book Awards people got it wrong. This was such an incredible book, such a moving story. It stayed with me for weeks. Loved it.

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Expected publication: January 10th 2012 by Razorbill

I love this series, love that the world is so believable, love the characters and the obstacles they overcome. So imaginative, so awesome...SO SAD that I have to wait more than a year for the final book!!!   

Write fast, Beth!!!

Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse by Lucas Klauss (You wouldn't guess it from the title, but this is my other realistic fiction pick)
Expected publication: January 3rd 2012 by Simon Pulse

This book surprised me in so many ways.   The writing is practically perfect. The characters, I loved. Watching the MC struggle with questions of religion and atheism and respecting his parents as he falls in love, grows apart from his friends and deals with betrayals -- it's all in there and written with such honesty and humor. Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop. And when I did have to step away to cook or pick the kids up from school, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I read it in a day.

So there you have it, five books that blew me away. Books that I keep telling people they have to read. What are some of the best books you’ve read recently?

Mastering His Stuff

2011-11-23T04:32:00.000-08:00

I help out in the Homework Club after school three days a week.

Yes, the euphemism makes me laugh, too.
Join our club! It rocks!
Trust me, I didn't name it.

A few days ago, one of the 2nd graders raised his hand to ask a question. I headed over to his table to help him. He was sitting next to a couple of older boys from my daughter's class.

As I got there, one of the older boys leaned over to the 2nd grader and said, "If you need help, you can ask us. We're in 4th grade. We've mastered all that 2nd grade stuff."

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. I wasn't needed here. That boy was in good hands. The hands of a master.

Instead, I ran for a piece of paper. So I could write down what the 4th grader said.

Of course. :)

Launching Open Minds: A Conversation with Susan Kaye Quinn

2011-11-16T03:30:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, author Susan Kaye Quinn launched book one of her Mindjack Trilogy. Since it was her first foray into self-publishing (she has previously published a novel with Omnific Publishing), I was curious to know how well her promotional efforts went. She was more than happy to answer a few questions for me.

Overall, how do you think the launch and blog tour went?
I seriously could not have asked for it to go any better. The response on launch day was awesome and wonderful and overwhelming! I’m so glad that I had a chance to share that day with my Virtual Friends (I had an in-person book signing later that week for my Local Friends). I love that people are intrigued by the premise, buying the book, and reading it right away. And leaving reviews! It’s awesome.

The Book Blog Tour has been cool in a different way, reaching out to new readers, people that are not in my circle of friends. And they’re having a great response to the book too. The book bloggers themselves have been gracious and fun to work with. And the reviews have been great! Can’t ask for anything better there as well. (I just had one blogger come back and want to include Open Minds in their year-end Best Books of 2011 list!)

Do you think one works better than the other or are both necessary?
I struggled with how to do this when setting everything up. I’m really pleased with how it worked out, though. The Virtual Launch party was a one-time thing, and mostly with people that I already was friends with (although I made some new friends too!). It gave my friends a chance to celebrate my book with me (which is awesome), without being restricted to a certain schedule or pacing, like a tour. And it was fun!

The Book Blog Tour serves a different purpose, gathering reviews and reaching people who I who don’t know, but that I hope will be intrigued by the book. I’m posting the Book Blog Tour schedule on my blog for my regular blog audience, as we go, but only because they might be interested in some of the guest posts or contests. The Book Blog Tour is really to expand my Reader Audience. As I mentioned on Adam Heine’s blog Monday, I see the two events serving different circles– one is my Blog Audience and one is my Reader Audience. The intersection of those circles are my friends who enjoy reading my work. But the two events were really directed at the two different circles.

That's an interesting way to look at it. I didn't realize you would reach different people with the blog tour. So do you think you the blog tour did its job of attracting new readers and/or followers?

Absolutely. I love the support of my friends, and that’s a key part to getting a book started. Hopefully those are the people that will start handing the book to their friends and they will enjoy it too. But pulling in readers with just a blurb/cover and possibly a review is important. People need to love the book first, and the author second, if it’s going to be successful in the wider market.

Speaking of which, how did you do in that wider market? You climbed pretty high on the Amazon charts, didn't you?
The peak on Amazon US was 7,156 … so close to breaking the top 100 in the Action & Adventure bestseller list for Young Adult e-books (about 6-7k in the Kindle Paid Store)! And while it would have been great to break into the bestseller list right away, I’m really hoping to have the visibility of the book be wide enough to catch some of the after-Christmas Kindle market.

Those are some impressive stats! How'd you do on B&N?
Most of my sales are on Kindle (or paper in the beginning, for friends that want autographed copies), with B&N a much smaller player. There’s all kinds of ways to measure ranking on Amazon. Honestly, I don’t even track rank on B&N.

Okay, so back to the promotion. Were you able to maintain interest over the entire blog tour?
If by “interest” you mean “do your regular blog readers click through”? Probably not (although some clearly are and leaving comments). But, like I mentioned above, the idea of the Blog Tour was not to get my regular blog readers excited/interested in Open Minds – it’s to reach new readers. In that, it’s been very successful, and the sales that I continue to have I attribute directly to the Blog Tour. Some Book Blogs have greater reach (more potential readers) and some have a passionate, but smaller, audience, but both are definitely bringing in sales. Book Bloggers do a great service for both readers and writers. Another benefit is meeting the Book Bloggers themselves. I have several that are already asking to be put on the list to review Closed Hearts (which is key, because most Book Bloggers won’t review the second book in a series if they haven’t reviewed the first).

That's so cool that you can see sales as a direct result of the blog tour. So, what would you change for the next time around?
I still need to do a serious post-mortem, but a couple things I would change: 1) query more teen book bloggers (in addition to the book bloggers I’ve already queried, who are awesome!), 2) shorten the Book Blog Tour to 1 ½ weeks (as opposed to 2 ½ weeks). Originally I thought there would only be one stop each day, but I had so many book bloggers interested in reading/reviewing that it didn’t work out that way. Now, I think it would be better to have multiple stops per day over a shorter (overall) tour.

And because inquiring minds want to know: how far are you on Closed Hearts?
I just uploaded my 19,308th word to NaNo. :) Which, for you plotting nerds, is almost to the break into Act II. In other words, we’re getting to the good stuff!

Woo-hoo! Can't wait to read it!

Congratulations, Susan. You've given me some great ideas for book promotion and targeting audiences. I keep learning so much from you :)

Thanks so much for having me on your blog!

A few places where you can find Susan on the web:

Inkspells (blog)
Mindjack Trilogy website
Goodreads
Twitter
Life, Liberty and Pursuit website (Susan's first novel with Omnific Publishing)

Editor Spotlight on: Sarah Ketchersid

2011-11-09T04:37:00.000-08:00

Back in September you might remember I mentioned going on the Best Retreat Ever. While I was there I was lucky enough to meet the wonderful Sarah Ketchersid, Executive Editor at Candlewick. She edits picture books, chapter books, middle grade and YA fiction, as well as those extremely popular OLOGY books. (We own Dragonology and Egytptology.)

In between jetting to exotic places like Frankfurt and editing books with release dates as far away as 2015(!), Sarah was kind enough to take a few minutes for this interview.

It was great meeting you at the Los Angeles Working Writer’s Retreat. How intense is it for you as an editor to participate in an event like this where you have to provide feedback on so many different stories?
It was great to meet you, too! The retreat was amazing, but, yes, very intense. I really have to be on my game for two whole days. Yet the time I have with each individual author is very short—just 15 minutes, and that includes listening to him or her read the work out loud. So I’ve got to listen carefully and then respond almost instantly with something coherent, and I hope, intelligent, insightful, and encouraging all at the same time! It definitely helped that all of the authors were so open and willing to hear my feedback. And it was especially gratifying to listen to the first pages session on Sunday morning and see how well the writers revised based on our feedback.

Have you ever found a new author through a conference?
To be honest, I haven’t yet, but I’m ever hopeful. Once at a conference I met an author whose work I was already considering and we had a chance to talk in person about the manuscript, and then I signed it up a month or two later. Being able to connect with someone one-on-one like that goes such a long way toward building a trusting working relationship.

Good to know there's hope!
You recently went from Senior Editor to Executive Editor at Candlewick Press. Can you explain the difference?
Thanks for asking about this. I don’t think there is a general answer for what makes one editor a Senior Editor versus an Executive Editor—it really depends on the company and the dynamics of the editorial department there. For myself, I am adding some more responsibilities, including working more closely with our Foreign Rights Team. So I attended the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany a few weeks ago for the first time.

Oooh, I'd love to attend Frankfurt some day. Did it live up to your expectations?

I have to say that it did. It was huge! They even have a mini bus to take people from one hall to the other, because it's so big. It was so interesting to see publishers from all over the world as well--it felt as if nearly every country had at least one booth there.

Sounds incredible! Some day... :)
I think you said you’ve been with Candlewick for ten years. How did you get into editing?
I was an English major in college and wasn’t sure what I was going to do after graduating, when a recruiter from Penguin came to campus. I thought, Publishing! That’s it. I’d always loved books and reading so I knew it could be a good fit for me. My work study job was as an aide at the campus day care center, so I was also interested in children and their development. After I got my degree I worked for a year as a bookseller at Barnes and Noble in the children’s department which helped me realize that I wanted to work in children’s publishing. I was eventually hired as an editorial assistant at Dutton Children’s Books, and was there for six years before I joined Candlewick in 2001.

Candlewick is a relatively young press (started in 1991, right?) but your books have made such an impact on children’s literature. How does that award-winning past factor into the choices you make for future books?
Thanks so much for saying that. We do take a lot of pride in our work at Candlewick and in creating the very best books we can. That comes into play in a variety of different ways from the kinds of books we acquire to the quality of the paper we print on! I think all of us editors feel a responsibility to only take on the best of what gets submitted to us, in order to keep that goodwill that we seem to have built up over the years of publishing such wonderful books. Our designers also work so hard to create truly beautiful and beautifully designed books, right down to the smallest details.

Over dinner one evening you explained that the company is 100 percent employee owned. How does that work? How does it affect your approach to books and authors?
The company was founded by Sebastian Walker (as Walker Books) in London in 1978 and Candlewick Press, the American arm of Walker Books, was started in 1991, just before Sebastian passed away. When he died, he left the company in trust to his employees and now employees are given shares in that trust. So we all own a part of Candlewick Press and of Walker Books in London and Australia. It is a good feeling to know that as a company we are only answerable to ourselves and not to a larger company, whose main business may not even be books. I think that gives us the opportunity to take a few more creative risks and to follow our editorial instincts when we sense that something is right.

I know you were excited about ABOVE WORLD by Jenn Reese. Can you tell us about the book and some of the others you have coming out in the next few months?
Yes, I am very excited about ABOVE WORLD! It’s coming out next February and it’s a middle grade novel set in a future where humans have turned to genetic engineering in order to survive in extreme environments, like growing tails to live under the ocean, or wings to live in high mountains, or horse bodies to survive in the desert. It’s a great adventure with strong characters that I simply love.

Sounds like my kind of book! I'll have to look for that one.
The other middle grade novel I’ve got coming out next spring is the fantasy novel THE PRINCESS OF TRELIAN by Michelle Knudsen. It’s the sequel to THE DRAGON OF TRELIAN which came out a couple of years ago. People might know Michelle as the author of the picture book Library Lion. She’s also an amazing fiction writer. Here is another novel whose characters I just fell in love with! I’m very excited for this sequel to come out—I know a lot of young readers who have been waiting.

I’m also excited about two lovely picture books publishing this spring: HAPPY LIKE SOCCER by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Lauren Castillo; and STEP GENTLY OUT by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder.

And I’ve also got a very funny new illustrated chapter book from Daniel Pinkwater called MRS. NOODLEKUGEL.

And the eleventh Ology book is also coming out next spring: ILLUSIONOLOGY, which is about magic and illusions. I didn't know anything about magic before starting work on that one, and now I can do some pretty cool card tricks and mind reading feats!

Now I wish I had brought a deck of cards with me to the conference. I could have learned some magic and impressed my daughter! I know she'll want that book. She's always buying magic kits and trying to do tricks :-)

How many books are you working on right now? How many new projects have you signed on in the last year?
I’m working on lots of different books in various stages of development—from looking over proofs near the end of the process, to line editing or reviewing sketches in the middle, to giving feedback on plot synopses and first drafts right at the start. In 2012, I’ve got about 15 books coming out, and in 2013 I’ve got 11 so far. And then I even have a few books already scheduled for 2014 and 2015. In the last year I’ve probably signed up about 7 to 8 new projects.

2015? Dang, that's so far away!
Will you be at any other conferences in the next year?
I actually don’t have any writer’s conferences scheduled right now, so I’m not sure!

Have you been practicing your karaoke for the next conference? :-)
Ha ha! I really should! I think was a little ambitious taking on ABBA’s "Fernando." Did I really do that?? A true “one-night only” performance that I don’t think will (or should!) be repeated ;) It was so much fun, though!

It was fun! There was something in the air that night... :-)

As was this interview. Thanks, Sherrie.

Thank you, Sarah!

Find out more about Candlewick Press at their website.

A few of Candlewick's bestselling/award winning books:
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson
The Magician's Elephant by Kate diCamillo
Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Author Spotlight on: Caroline Starr Rose

2011-11-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

Today I'm so excited to be interviewing someone who is not only a fabulous author, but an agent-mate as well. Caroline Starr Rose has had more than her share of ups and downs on the road to publication. (Read this post, When Things Don't Go as Planned, to learn about just one of the bumps.)

But the end is in sight for her debut novel, May B. It's set to hit shelves in January and best of all -- I get to be there for her launch party in Albuquerque! Woo-hoo!!

REALLY!!!!!???????

YES!!! It worked out perfectly!

That is so cool!!

I know, but I have to stop dancing around the house, and do a proper interview so tell me: how long have you been writing?
Fourteen years this December.

Has it always been historical fiction?
No, though my first attempt at a novel was a horrendous historical about the Oregon Trail. I still shudder to think of it!

Ha! My first novel causes way more than a shudder. Ugh! What sparked the idea for May B.’s story?
A couple of ideas came together for me as I worked on May. I started by researching the frontier -- an era that fascinated me -- and trusted something would catch my interest as I read. I was curious about the challenge of writing about a character alone for much of the story. And I’ve always wondered how children with learning disabilities would have coped in an era before their challenges were understood.

How did you research the setting and period?

I started reading about mail order brides, actually!

Mail order brides could make a good story :P And actually, Mrs. Oblinger sounded kind of like she could have been a mail order bride.

She wasn't, but I thought it would be fun to throw in a little ode to my beginning research :)

From there I read about the frontier in general and was especially drawn to first-hand accounts of families moving west and to journals and letters kept by pioneer women. I decided May’s story would be a great fit for Kansas: the geography was right for a sod house (with which I was enamored) and the weather extremes worked with the blizzard I needed to help tell her story.

Well her story is amazing. I enjoyed it tremendously and I'm not the only one. You’ve been getting some amazing blurbs, including the awesome one from Karen Cushman. Are you just delirious?

Absolutely, crazily delirious. I’m not sure if I still believe it!

I first found Karen Cushman’s books in college and used CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY, THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE, and THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE in my classroom. To realize she not only read my work but loved it -- it’s an incredible honor.

You've had a wilder ride than most in your quest for publication. How did you keep your spirits up when you heard your first publisher was shutting down?

Agent Michelle let me vent when I needed to. She reminded me from the start there were other editors who had loved May before and would probably be interested in her again. I was a part of the Class of 2k11 at the time, and they along with the Elevensies really bolstered me. My first editor, Nicole Geiger, let me call and cry. Really, people were wonderful.

How hard was it to go through another revision with a second editor once your book found a new publishing home?

I’ll be honest; I was a pill at first. I’m generally very open to others’ suggestions, especially ones from the publishing world. But it was really hard for me to hear my book, which had been weeks from an ARC printing, needed more edits. As in three more rounds. That said, editor Emily Seife so clearly loved my character and wanted what was best for the story, she won me over pretty quickly.

I’m so grateful things ended up this way. The book is much stronger; I have two marvelous editors to thank for that.

And you wound up with an AWESOME cover!!

You were a teacher for a number of years. How do you think that influences your writing?

I’ve taught all over the place -- five schools in four states. Being with kids from all over and from all walks of life showed me despite incredible differences, kids are pretty much the same: they need to feel accepted and they need to know there are adults who believe in them. I’d like to think I’m respectful of my young characters and honestly portray their experiences, hoping one day my young readers will, through the magic that is fiction, see their own big and small moments as important and valid.

You’ve been looking at unconventional ways to market this novel. Can you share some of those ideas?

You mean those 2000 postcards sitting in my office? ;)

Uh, yeah. 2,000?

That's a lot of stamps!

I spent months collecting addresses of frontier and historical museums in the plains states. I also have the addresses of every elementary and middle school in Kansas. May comes out two weeks before Kansas Day, the anniversary of Kansas’s statehood and a day set aside in Kansas schools to study state history. I’ve used Kansas Day as a draw in the postcards I’m sending to schools. As for the museums, it’s a long shot. Still, I think of the number of times I’ve left museums with a book or trinket related to the exhibit I’d seen. I also plan to send postcards to all Kansas public libraries and all the elementary and middle schools in my city.

I created a huge giveaway called the May B. book club kit open to any school, library, or reading circle. Included were 10 copies of the book, discussion questions, lesson tie-ins, bookmarks and stickers, a copy of the May B. book trailer, and a Skype visit with the winners after they’ve read.

Then there’s Take Five! Pick Two! where I sent five bookmarks to interested blog readers and asked them to share two of them with librarians, teachers, young readers, book bloggers, or booksellers.

I also applied for SCBWI's new grant for authors with books coming out in 2012, where two winners receive $2000 to put toward book promotion. Though I didn't win, it was an opportunity I refused to let slip by and gave me a chance to intentionally think through promotion ideas.

How do you plan to celebrate your release day?

Not sure yet! Champagne, definitely.

Well, when I'm there we're celebrating at Sadie's with some sopapillas! If they have champagne, too, all the better!

Sadie's, here we come!

What are you working on now?

A picture book about the Louisiana wetlands and another historical verse novel.

Thanks so much, Sherrie. This was a delight!

Absolutely! See you in January!!

To learn more about Caroline, you can find her in these online spots:

Blog: Caroline by Line
Facebook May B. Page
The Apocalypsies -- Class of 2K12
The (Teen) Book Scene

Why Cheesecake is like Mud

2011-10-31T04:24:00.000-07:00

I write for children, read children's books and teach elementary age children. I've got two children living at home. You'd think I would have a good handle on describing things in a childlike way. But every once in a while (more often than I'd like to admit!) I get a peek inside the 8-year-old- psyche that reminds me just how far I am from truly thinking like a child.

My daughter and I were making cheesecake together last week. As she mixed the ingredients for the graham cracker crust, she kept asking me if the consistency was right.

"No," I'd say. "It needs to be a little wetter, so it holds together when we put it in the pie pan. But not too wet."

She sighed. "Do you mean like mud?"

Huh?

She saw my questioning look. "When you dig in the dirt, and it goes from dry to kind of damp and it sticks together in clumps."

I had to smile.

"Yes. Exactly. Make it like mud."

----------------------------------------------------------

Tomorrow is the launch for OPEN MINDS by Susan Kaye Quinn. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am for Susan, and not just because I beta read this book and was completely blown away by the story. I'm impressed with how she has approached this book release, how she has balanced the publicity with her blogging and how organized she manages to be with everything! I could definitely learn a thing or two from her, and luckily she's documented a lot of it on her blog :)

Her launch has cool prizes up for grabs (I want that t-shirt!) and a blog hop that will reveal the story behind OPEN MINDS. If you haven't already heard about Susan or her virtual launch or her books, you will. She's amazing.

Have a great Halloween!

Author Spotlight on: Martha Alderson

2011-10-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve written before about Martha Alderson and her helpful YouTube series on plot. Today I'm talking to Martha about her new book, THE PLOT WHISPERER: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (Adams Media, October 2011). It's out just in time to inspire all of you getting ready to start National Novel Writing Month next week.

How did you become the Plot Whisperer?

The light bulb moment when plot became clear to me took about ten years to snap on. First came trial and error with my own writing, attending writing workshops and classes, and reading every book on writing I could get my hands on. But… the actual moment arrived when I volunteered at a writing workshop for children. Thanks to my background as a special education therapist, I completed a task analysis of the skills required of the students and developed a simple handout to support the children’s writing experience.

One of the first questions I asked the children to answer was who is the main character? (Character emotional development, inner plot)
The second question asked what does the main character want? (Dramatic action, external plot)

The simplicity of those two questions hooked me and since then I’ve been racing to keep up. I began analyzing all sorts of novels, memoirs and screenplays for plot and structure. I was so excited about my finding that I wanted to share the plot ideas with other writers. When I started plot consulting with writers from all over the world, I become the Plot Whisperer.

You’ve been teaching people about plot for nearly 15 years, through workshops, books and dvds. How is this book different from your previous offerings?
Thank you for asking this question! The plot bliss I’ve been swept up in for all these years has deepened as I began to deepen my understanding the universality of our shared journey together. Now I’m passionate to share the story beneath the story.

Just as a writer can push aside her words to see the deeper meaning of her story, anyone can push aside the drama of her own personal life to see the deeper meaning at play and what supports her efforts and what depletes her.

The Plot Whisperer book conveys that deeper meaning and points out how to direct your choices in ways that best supports you in achieving your personal long-term goals in life.

I watch your YouTube videos when I get stuck or need inspiration. What made you decide to create those – for free?

I’m so pleased you use the Plot Series as inspiration! A joy to hear. Thank you.

No, thank you! They've been so helpful.

A friend had created her own channel a couple of years before I did. I remember at the time how foreign it all sounded, exotic and confusing – hmmmmm… sort of just like what the protagonist of your story feels upon entering the exotic world of the middle and you may feel each time you move away from your comfort zone in life.

The idea must have been growing in the back of my mind all that time, because one day I asked my friend if she wanted to go for it. I owe the Plot Series all to her because she jumped in with both feet and off we went – blissfully being pulled along, never much knowing exactly what we were doing but having a ball doing it.

Another venue in which to share my passion, that’s how I saw the experience. What I have gotten back from kind words and support from writers all over the world far exceeds what I give.

A lot of “pantsers” get hives when people start talking about plot, but your techniques seem to apply as much to revision as they do to first drafts. Do you think it makes a difference whether you pants your way through the first draft or plot it all out ahead of time?
No. I don’t care how you write the first draft. Just get it written all the way from the beginning to the end anyway you can – pre-plotting, plotting as you write, or writing purely by the seat of your pants. With a completed draft, no matter how wretched you may believe it is, you can then get down to the real work of plot and structure.

I tend to plot as I write so this is good to hear :)

You talk a lot about transformation. As a writer, how do you know if your character has changed enough to call it a transformation? And how critical is that to the story?
Change is enough. Change whispers the same empowerment to your reader as a deeper and more profound transformation. All that dramatic action has to have an effect on the protagonist or what is the point?

Change is critical.
Transformation is sublime.

Mmmm...I like that.

What do you think is the biggest stumbling block for writers new to plotting?
Giving in to the belief that it’s too hard. No matter whether you plot or not, the true task at hand is the writing. Don’t ever let anything to get in the way of your writing. If plotting stalls you from writing, stop. Slowly, the more you ready yourself and the ideas grow you’ll find ways to make plot work for you, too.

Oh, this is SO true! And a good reminder to not use plotting as an excuse to not write.

Do you have any workshops coming up where people can work with you on a more personal basis?
Not yet. This has been a wild year of writing and getting the book ready in time for writers to use it to pre-plot for NaNoWriMo. I’m exhausted in a glowy, satisfied way.

Teaching is a part of me. Anyone who is interested in when I plan to dip back into teaching plot can sign-up for the free monthly Plot Tips eZine or follow me on any of the social media.

Thank you, Sherrie!

Thank you, Martha!

Martha Alderson has worked with hundreds of writers in sold-out plot workshops, retreats, and plot consultations for more than fifteen years. Her clients include bestselling authors, New York editors, and Hollywood movie directors. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA. Follow her blog, workshops, vlog, or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

When Bad Publicity Shines

2011-10-19T04:36:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time it was a great honor to have your book named as a finalist for the National Book Award. Right now, I'm sure more than a few authors are grateful that they weren't caught in the vortex of embarrassment the National Book Foundation found itself in this week.

If you haven't heard about the confusion surrounding nominations for SHINE by Lauren Myracle and CHIME by Franny Billingsley, you can read about it in Publisher's Weekly, Vanity Fair or the Los Angeles Times. When I received the email announcement from the NBF, it included both books. Yes, it seemed odd to have two YA books with similar titles. Yes, I wondered why the category had six nominees instead of the usual five. Yesterday, under pressure from the NBF, Lauren Myracle bowed out of the nomination, after it was revealed that her book had been put forward by mistake.

I don't know about you, but if it was me, I'd have been devastated. To have the thrill of being nominated followed soon after by the knowledge that your book wasn't supposed to be there? To have the world publicly debating whether your book deserved the honor? We writers are already neurotic. What a nightmare to have to go through.

Lauren Myracle is used to being in the midst of a firestorm. Her books have been regularly banned and I'm sure she's used to a certain degree of public scrutiny. But no one should have had to endure the week she's been through. Despite her disappointment, she handled herself with grace, encouraging the NBF to donate to the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

To be perfectly honest, this book was not on my radar. I'd seen her earlier novels, ttyl and the others in that series. But after hearing about the whole debacle over the past week, I'm more than curious about SHINE. And I doubt that I'm the only one. All the publicity surrounding the Foundation's mistake has pushed this book to the forefront, in a way that simply being nominated for the award could not have done.

Maybe in the end, Lauren Myracle will have the last laugh, showing the world that not only is her book deserving of the title, so is she.

Paying it Forward Blogfest

2011-10-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

Choosing just three blogs to highlight is tough. Kelly Polark's smile always cheers me up, especially when I read about the latest concert she's gone to. I enjoy reading Kristan Hoffman's musings and the adventures (and book reviews!) of Krispy and Alz. Medical Mondays with Lydia Kang always entertains and informs. Tricia O'Brien's poetry and photographs are always beautiful and Shannon O'Donnell usually finds something to inspire me when I need it.

So many great blogs I could highlight. I feel terrible leaving any out! There are plenty to visit on this blog hop.

But there are three that come into my Inbox on a regular basis. I don't always comment on their posts, but I always read them:

Susan Kaye Quinn
Laura Pauling
Stina Lindenblatt

Read them. They are awesome.

That is all.

Author Spotlight on: Shannon Whitney Messenger

2011-10-12T04:06:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already seen the news heard round the blogosphere, let me point you over to this post, because the news of the week is that SHANNON WHITNEY MESSENGER HAS A BOOK DEAL! And not just any book deal. We're talking a six-figure pre-empt, big-name-editor, OMG kind of book deal. Woo-hoo!!

I've read Shannon's posts for years. I've known her in person for more than a year. And let me tell you, when I heard about this deal, I was SO VERY happy for her. She's worked hard to get to this point and she has been so generous with her time for other writers and around the blogosphere.

But enough from me. It's time to hear all about this awesome new deal that she's been sitting on for five months! Yikes!

Okay, so first of all, HUGE congratulations on signing with one of the coolest editors ever. It took weeks before you could officially announce the news. How hard was it to sit on something like that?

Aw, thank you Sherrie. And weeks? Ha—try MONTHS! We finalized the deal back at the beginning of May. MAY! So it was really, really, really, really, REALLY hard keeping the secret for that long. But in some ways, it was also nice, because it gave me a chance to get used to working with my editor and power through all my edits with a lot less pressure, because no one knew what I was up to. Plus, I wasn’t totally alone in my suffering (at least for most of the wait). My friend, Natalie Whipple and I were both sitting on secret deals at the same time (yes—we spilled the secret to each other). So we had a lot of fun amusing ourselves with vague tweets with the hashtag: #codeword. I’m sure everyone who saw them thought we were weird, but we found it ridiculously entertaining. :)

Oh, that's too funny! So many secrets :)

So when you heard the great news, what did you do to celebrate?

I wish I could say I did something super exciting, but it all happened so fast (we got the offer on a Thursday and by Saturday we were accepting) that I was a little too shocked to do much more than stare at my phone, hoping it wouldn’t ring and I’d find out it had all been a big mistake. I think my husband took me to a celebratory dinner—but honestly, it’s all a bit of a blur. We did continue the tradition of commemorating landmark events with a new charm for my Tiffany charm bracelet, though. My husband bought me the New York taxi one, since NY is the publishing capital (and they don’t have a book one—what up with that T&Co?).

Maybe when you're as famous as Audrey Hepburn they'll make one for you. (And I have no doubt these books will make you famous, Shannon!)

Like you, I’m a huge fan of Brandon Mull. When you found out you would be working with the same editor as him, what was your reaction?

Absolute disbelief. All of the editors we submitted to were wonderful, but—I must confess—Liesa was someone I was really rooting for because I am a HUGE admirer of so many books she’s edited. So when my agent told me Liesa had come in with a pre-empt I had to let the words sit in my head for a minute before they actually made sense. Once they finally did, my next reaction was basically: OMG-how-will-I-work-with-such-a-rock-star-editor???? Fortunately, my agent set up a phone call between Liesa and I, and Liesa was so funny and friendly that she put me at ease right away. I knew after like five minutes (though we talked for almost two hours—it might have been a record!) that not only could I work with her, but that she totally got my book and would help me make it the best it could be. And I was absolutely right. Working together these last few months has been amazing, and I know for a fact that I could not have found a more perfect editor for me, or my writing.

Can you tell us anything about the novel?

I CAN! (Which is so cool, btw. I finally get to talk about my book!) It’s called KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, and it’s book one in a middle grade fantasy series launching Fall 2012. It's about a twelve-year-old girl who has always been different -- she's years ahead of the other kids in school and can read minds. She's always assumed there's some kind of logical explanation for her talents, but when she meets an adorable and mysterious boy, she finds out the shocking truth. She's never felt at home because she, well, ... isn't. There are secrets buried deep in her memory, secrets about her true identity and why she was hidden among humans, that others desperately want and would even kill for. And she must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Sounds awesome! I can't wait to read it!!
I know you studied screenwriting at USC. Do you have any finished screenplays?

Ha—um … yes. Though a better question would be: do I have any GOOD finished screenplays? To which the answer is a resounding, NO! I have one about boy bands (yes, really!) and one that’s kind of SLIDING DOORS-esque and then a few romantic comedies that aren’t nearly as romantic or comedic as they should be. I realized pretty quickly that my writing sensibilities were much more geared toward novel writing than screenwriting.

What made you decide to write a novel for middle graders?

Shannon as Rainbow Brite

Well, for one thing, I am totally in tune with my inner 12-year old (see picture at left!), so it’s a pretty perfect fit. I mean—you should see my toy collection. Middle grade was also the age range where I REALLY fell in love with reading when I was growing up, so when I started thinking about writing a book I was naturally drawn there. But this story was also not something I’d ever planned to write. I never thought I’d write something with such a complex world within our world, or such an in-depth mystery. But the characters popped into my head and they were so real and interesting that I couldn’t stop thinking about them, so I finally decided to write them down. Turned out to be a very good decision :)

I’d say! Do you think your screenwriting background has helped you with writing novels?

It’s definitely helped with my character development and dialogue, since that is pretty much the foundation of a screenplay. But I guess the biggest thing I carried away from film school was to “think like a producer.” Every single scene, prop, location, and character has to be in the screenplay for A REASON—because it’s just too darn expensive when something ends up on the cutting room floor. We were taught to question the necessity of everything, and make sure that we tie every detail into the plot in as many ways as we can. And that’s definitely something I’ve carried over into novel writing, and I think it really helps to make each moment as interesting and powerful as possible.

Drawing by Shannon

Those are some great writing tips you sprinkled in there. In addition to writing novels, you are also an incredibly talented artist. Is it just for fun or have you ever thought of drawing for a living?

*blushes* Wow, thank you, Sherrie. And I actually did start out as an art major, but I switched away from that because I hate drawing on the computer (which is what so many of the careers in art now require) and because I am a REALLY slow artist. I realized that I would have to work ten times as hard as everyone else just to produce the same amount of work, and that didn’t seem like the most efficient career. So I switched my focus to writing—another decision that turned out pretty well :)

I know you and your husband met while you were studying screenwriting in college. Does he write also? Does he read your writing?

No, my husband is many awesome things, but he’s definitely not a writer, and he’s not much of a reader either. He’s only read a MUCH older version of my book (like, 5 or 6 revisions ago)—and keeps saying he wants to wait to read it again until it’s been printed, so he knows it won’t change anymore. But I don’t find that insulting because he doesn’t read anything else, either. He’s like a 10-year-old boy that way. If it isn’t a movie or a video game he’s really not all that interested. Le sigh.

Ha! I can so relate to that :)

So you write, you draw, you help organize WriteOnCon, you blog, and you attend conferences around the country... Do you also have a day job?

Thankfully, no. I was working part time until about a year and a half ago, but the schedule had kind of been killing me. So when I signed with Laura I decided that I was committing to making writing my career at that point, and I needed to take the leap. I quit the day job and hoped for the best, and I’m very, very glad that decision paid off. And I’m very, very grateful to have had a husband with a full time job to get us through the interim.

You’ve written some great posts about not giving up. How did you keep your mind off the submission process and just focus on writing?

It’s funny—whenever any part of this process gets stressful, be it intense revision notes, deadlines, rejection, whatever—I always find myself asking: WHY am I doing this to myself? But that question is actually what helps me get through, because I do have a reason. I love writing. I actually gave it up once, after I left Hollywood, and I missed it—bad! Sure, there are parts of this process that are filled with suckage and frustration. But there is also nothing more fun than watching a scene I see in my head come alive on the page. So whenever I start to get discouraged or feel like throwing in the towel, I do something to remind myself that writing is fun. I free-write a random scene with a favorite character just to play around a bit. No pressure for it to be good. No plans to ever show anyone. It’s just me and the words, falling in love with each other all over again.

When you started college, what did you think you’d be doing ten years later? How does this book deal compare?

Well, since I was at a very prestigious film school, I thought I was going to be a screenwriter. And while I wasn’t delusional enough to ponder who I would thank in my Academy Award acceptance speech, (okay, fine, maybe a fleeting thought had crossed my mind) I did think I’d have seen one of my movies on the screen by now. But honestly, seeing my book on the shelves—or better yet, in the hands of kids—will be way more rewarding. Hollywood and I were such a wrong fit, it’s almost laughable to think I wanted to work there. This is where I belong and I’m so glad I made the choices that brought me here. It’s certainly not perfect—nothing in this world is. But it’s totally my dream job, and I couldn’t be happier to have it.

I couldn't be happier for you, Shannon! Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and once again, CONGRATULATIONS!! Maybe next time we meet up at a book festival, it'll be ARCs of YOUR book we're holding up :)

Shannon Messenger may have studied film and television production at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, but she was always a bit of an odd fit for Hollywood. Her screenplays were about boy bands and stuffed animals coming to life and lonely tumbleweeds finding true love, and her professors never quite knew what to make of them. So after a year trying to find her niche in television, she finally discovered that it made much more sense for her to try writing books for children. After all, she still watches cartoons, regularly eats candy or cupcakes for lunch, and cannot sleep without her bright blue stuffed elephant named Ella.

She currently lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and an embarrassing number of cats. KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES is her first novel, book one in a middle grade series launching Fall 2012 from Simon & Schuster (Aladdin). She is also one of the founding members of WriteOnCon, a free online Writer's Conference for kidlit writers. You can find her online at her personal blog, Facebook, or on Twitter.

Alisal is for Authors

2011-10-05T04:05:00.000-07:00

I may not live in Solvang anymore, but this past weekend I got to experience one of the coolest things this little town has to offer: the Alisal Guest Ranch. Imagine my surprise when I found myself seated on a hay bale across from another children’s book author – one who’s book I own! But let me not get ahead of myself…

The Alisal Guest Ranch is ten thousand acres of wide-open spaces that has been in use for more than a hundred years. A working cattle ranch and luxury retreat, the Alisal started welcoming guests in 1946. If you time it right, you can live out your City Slicker fantasies during the spring cattle drive. That is if you aren’t already exhausted from all of the golf, tennis, archery, fishing, boating, hiking, spa treatments and other activities the ranch has to offer.

Most of us that live here never get to see much beyond the resort entrance since you need to stay overnight at the ranch to participate in the activities. And with rooms starting at $500/night in the off season, you can understand why we locals tend to sleep in our own beds.

But this past Saturday we got to join some friends on an all day adventure that started at 7:30 a.m. As soon as we arrived, we climbed on horses for a one-hour ride out to the Historic Old Adobe. My daughter loves to ride horses and has been actively riding for more than a year. My son, well…when the wranglers asked about each of our riding abilities, my son wanted to know if there was something lower than beginner. He even asked if he could ride one of the miniature ponies. “Less distance to fall,” he reasoned.

Fortunately, the lure of an amazing Cowboy Breakfast at the end of the ride convinced him that mounting the horse was worth it. After eating all the eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, biscuits, gravy, fruit, cereal, coffee, hot cocoa, oj and quesadillas we could fit in our stomachs, we rode back to the stables and got on a shuttle that took us out to the Alisal’s private lake. While the men jumped in a bass boat to go fishing, my friend and I got into paddle boats with our kids. We spent the afternoon cruising the lake and learning how to shoot air rifles as well as bows and arrows. What a blast! My middle finger is still numb and the bruises haven’t quite faded, but I think a compound bow and a target range might be on my Christmas list :)

As the sun set behind the mountains, we loaded into the hay truck to go back to our cars. Another family got in with us and the mother started talking about books with my daughter and her friend. They talked about The Wish Giver and the woman mentioned that she had written a book called The Wish Stealers.

My ears perked up. “Wait, did you say you wrote that book? It’s actually in the basket by my bed, in my to-read pile!”

Yep, I was sitting across from Tracy Trivas, her husband and two adorable daughters. We chatted for the rest of the ride about children’s literature, SCBWI and the writing retreat I had just attended. And I was reminded once again of just how small the world really is.

As we drove home, my son said, “It feels like we were on vacation for a day.” So true. A vacation practically in our own back yard.

Awesome.

Best Retreat Ever

2011-09-28T04:05:00.000-07:00

Sarah Ketchersid, Tim Travaglini and Jen Rofé

Two weeks ago, right before we moved, I was fortunate enough to attend the Los Angeles Working Writer's Retreat. If you ever have the chance, two words of advice: DO IT.

I'd considered going in the past, but always ended up going to the SCBWI summer conference instead. This year I decided to skip the conference and try out the retreat. I'm so glad I did. Two things set this event apart from others I've attended. First, you get a lot of one hour blocks to write and revise. Two, you get to interact with agents and editors in an informal, intimate setting.

The retreat is limited to 40 writers and you have to sign up early because the spaces fill fast. They have a big waiting list every year. Participants are split into groups of four. These are the people you'll be attending critique sessions with for the weekend. (I was lucky enough to have the fabulous Lee Wind in my group. I can't wait to read him in print!!) Each group makes its way through the agents, editors and authors on faculty. This year's faculty included Jen Rofé from Andrea Brown, Sarah Ketchersid from Candlewick, Tim Travaglini who has edited projects like Michael Spradlin's YOUNGEST TEMPLAR trilogy and Laini Taylor's DREAMDARK books, and the writing team of Judy Enderle and Stephanie Gordon who have written more than fifty books together.

The critique sessions are not for the faint of heart. While nobody is out to attack the writers, they are there to ask tough questions. Jen Rofé pointed out several weaknesses in the opening pages of my WIP and wouldn't let me off the hook when I tried to explain my way out of it. Was it tough? Yes. Was it worthwhile? Absolutely. I ended up slashing three pages and starting the story in a completely different way. When she heard the new opening two days later she told me it was a great revision. Music to my ears :)

First Page panel: Jill Corcoran, Sarah, Jamie Weiss Chilton & Jen

That's the beauty of this retreat. You have time to write and revise after the critique sessions AND you're able to get more feedback on the changes you've made, to see if you're going in the right direction. At Sunday morning's First Page session, agents Jill Corcoran and Jamie Weiss Chilton joined the panel and let us know whether or not they'd be interested in reading more of our stories. I thought I'd be terrified being the first one to get up and read my page aloud. But after the karaoke party the night before...

Sarah sings Abba

Tim and Jen rock out to Weezer

...well, let's just say belting out Journey in front of everyone was a lot more nerve-wracking for me than reading the first page of my story! Somehow, losing our inhibitions through music made everything easier. How else would we have known that Sarah Ketchersid has a soft spot for Abba? Or that Jen Rofé and Tim Travaglini sound good on Weezer? My critique partner Lori and I sang AC/DC's "Back in Black" with Tim and we all jumped in when "Love Shack" came on at midnight. Yeah, it was that kind of night.

So next year, it'll be a tough decision: summer conference or writing retreat? Maybe I'll sell my novel, get a big enough advance and be able to attend both. *ahem* Did I say that out loud? Yeah, well, a girl can dream...

Thanks to organizers Lee Wind, Sarah Laurenson and everybody at SCBWI-LA who worked hard to make this event possible.

Technical Difficulties

2011-09-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

So, scheduling a drawing for the day I moved into a new house was probably not my brightest moment. Especially since we still don't have phone or internet service at the new house. Right now I'm sitting in front of a coffee house that closed hours ago, taking advantage of the free wireless access. Yeah, I'm that desperate for the internet :P

I should probably announce the winner before the cops show up to haul me away for loitering, so, without any further adieu, the winner of my ARC of LEGEND is:

Yay, Kathryn! Email me with your snail mail address and I'll get this book out to you (relatively) soon!

I'll be back in two weeks after we've settled into the new house since, theoretically, my internet service should be working by then. Based on past experiences with Verizon, I'm crossing my fingers but not holding out much hope...

Have a good weekend!!

Win a copy of LEGEND

2011-09-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Some might say the dystopian craze is waning. But then a book like LEGEND hits the market, and all those predictions go right down the drain. If you enjoy dystopian YA, you're going to want to read this book. Lucky for you, I've got an advance copy to give away. Woo-hoo!!

Here's the description from author Marie Lu's website:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

And the book trailer:

This is the first book in a series, but the ending is still satisfying, no obnoxious cliffhanger here. I was impressed with the taut prose, the well developed characters and the heart-pounding action. It's no wonder this book has already been optioned for a movie!

The novel doesn't come out until November, but you can win my advance copy just by leaving a comment. Followers get an extra entry. Get your comments in by midnight on Tuesday, September 13. One lucky winner will be announced next Wednesday.

Protect Yourself

2011-08-31T03:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever Googled yourself or something you wrote, only to find that your content was on someone else's site, and it ranked higher than yours?

You're not alone. And Google is trying to do something about these "scraper" sites.

Matt Cutts, head of the webspam team at Google, tweeted this on Friday:

The link in his tweet takes you to a form that says:

"Google is testing algorithmic changes for scraper sites (especially blog scrapers). We are asking for examples, and may use data you submit to test and improve our algorithms."

Provide the URL for your original content as well as the URL for the scraper site. But keep in mind, this link doesn't flag the site's content. To make the alternate site go away you'll have to report a copyright infringement.

Yes, it's a bit of work. But in the long run, you'll help Google better monitor the content thieves AND you'll be protecting your work. Definitely worth the time.

-------------------------------

And now, the winner of RIPPLE by Mandy Hubbard is:

Congrats, Susan!!! Email me with your snail mail address and I'll get this book out to you.

Check back next week for another fabulous giveaway. Trust me, you'll want this book. I won't tell you the title, but I will say that when Echo from the Book Loft put it in my hands, I literally started squealing. It's the lead title for Penguin's fall releases and it's already been optioned for a movie. It doesn't come out until November, but you'll have a chance to win a copy here.

Enough hints? Check back next week to see if you're right!

Amazing Summer Reads

2011-08-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

Some people, when they are stressed, go for the chocolate. I tend to bake. And read. In the months of June, July and August, I have baked cheesecake, cookies, baguettes, challah, and countless other treats that my skinny jeans are already protesting about. I've also read 42 books. Yeah. It's been quite the binge. At least the reading binge won't show up on my hips :P

I've discovered some fantastic books this summer, and one that I'm going to give away. Read on for your chance to win.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Published March 2010 by Bantam

I adored this book.

Set in a quirky North Carolina town, these characters are as rich and tasty as the southern barbecue they all enjoy. Told from alternating viewpoints, the novel follows Julia, who left as a teenager and returned after her father died to run his restaurant, and Emily, a teenager sent to live with a grandfather she's never met in a town she'd never heard of until her mother died. Secret pasts, mysterious lights and forbidden friendships keep the story moving along. But the beautiful descriptions and palpable emotions of every character made me slow down to savor each page. The touch of magical realism (and romance) didn't hurt either.

Even though The Girl Who Chased the Moon is marketed to adults, I can see it having crossover appeal. And certainly, readers who enjoy paranormal YA will be more open to the fantastical elements of this story. One of my favorite books of the summer. I'll be reading everything this author has written.

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
Expected Publication October 2011

So much to love about this book!

Jessica Martinez does an excellent job of capturing the intensity of child prodigy musicians. Carmen is feisty, ready to push beyond the boundaries and expectations her equally intense stage mother has set. While she's drawn to Jeremy, her own competitive streak pushes her to make hard choices.

I fell for these characters right away and sacrificed sleep to finish the book. It was incredibly readable and an exciting glimpse into the world of competitive classical musicians. I couldn't give it the full five stars because a couple of turning points pulled me out of the story. Completely. But maybe that's just me. And in spite of that, I stillhighly recommend this book. I'm looking forward to reading whatever Jessica Martinez publishes next.

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
Published May 2011

This is another book that I think has crossover appeal, though it's not a YA. Told in alternating viewpoints in third person, I wasn't sure if I would feel close to the characters from that distance. I did.

I loved seeing how much these characters evolved because of a short encounter that changed their lives. Beautiful story, beautiful writing. I loved everything about Beautiful Girl.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Published November 2010

I don't know how I even managed to stumble across this book, but I'm so glad I did. Great characters with depth, great premise (Deaf girl managing a band? Hello!) and wonderfully realistic situations. To top it off, it's set in one of my favorite places: Seattle, the birthplace of grunge and Jimi Hendrix (and both play an important part in the story).

Piper is a wonderful character, full of determination, pride, intelligence and humor. I love how the band comes together, how they grow together. Definitely made me want to plug in an amp and start wailing to Nirvana :D

Brilliant book.

The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni
Published March 2010

Another story featuring a high school rock band. (I must have a thing for these!) I checked this book out from the library and loved it so much I had to buy my own copy. The weird and wonderful characters aren't just randomly odd for the sake being eccentric. These are fully realized people, delightfully complex and full of all the strange foibles that make us human. Set in Iowa, this coming of age story borrows philosophy from Buckminster Fuller and several punk rock gods. Yeah, it sounds strange. But trust me, the book is awesome.

This was Bognanni's debut novel. I can't wait to read what he comes up with next.

And now, the book I'm giving away my ARC of...

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
Published July 2011

Lexi suffers from a curse, handed down for generations, that turns her into a siren on her 16th birthday. Unaware of the power of her voice, she accidentally kills someone and ends up shunned by all her former friends. Things start to change when a new boy shows up at school, and one of her old friends reaches out to her. Soon Lexi is torn between keeping her secret and walking away from love. Talk about a deadly love triangle...

You can read my full review at Shelf Awareness for Readers.

If you'd like to win my copy of Ripple, leave a comment. You have through August 29 to enter.

What great books have you read this summer? I'm off to bake some banana bread :)

Free Education

2011-08-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

Let's face it: there are plenty of books, conferences and classes designed to separate writers from the small amount of cash in their pockets. But every once in a while, something comes along that's worth far more than you have to pay. This week, there are two great resources for writers that you should take advantage of.

Write on Con
This FREE online conference, now in its second year, started yesterday with an amazing lineup of presenters like Holly Root, Jay Asher and Shelley Moore Thomas. There's plenty more to come in the next few days, including live chats you won't want to miss. The full schedule is here.

Portable MFA in Creative Writing
How many times have you daydreamed about pursuing an MFA? Well here's your chance to download a virtual version from the New York Writer's Workshop. The ebook has chapters on fiction, personal essays and memoir, magazine writing, poetry and playwriting, written by NYWW instructors. And for a limited time, you can download your own FREE copy from either Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Know of any other good educational resources for writers? Tell me in the comments!

Find Your Way Back

2011-08-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

My garage. Big fun.

I have been banging my head on the wall for the last week. And not just because I'm tired of packing boxes, and searching real estate listings, and filling out loan documents.

I've been struggling with the next chapter in my novel. I put my characters in a situation that makes sense, but they aren't doing what I want them to do. They're meandering, saying inane things and generally, being rather boring.

Now this is a first draft. So to a certain extent, I've given myself permission to plow through and not have everything be perfect. But up until this point, everything has been going pretty smoothly and this draft was turning out much cleaner than I thought it would. Which makes it very frustrating that my characters would choose to screw things up now, in chapter 10!

I know where the story ends. I know what has to happen in my climax. I even know what's going to happen in chapter 11. In fact, the next chapter is mostly written. But this chapter? So. Frustrating.

What do you do when your story gets off track? And how do you find your way back?

And just for fun, a few links:

Summer Camp for Bookish Kids
Oh, to be 12 and spending a summer with Lauren Oliver, Gordon Korman and 13 other amazing authors. Why wasn't this sort of thing available when I was younger?

Hunger Games Photos
Have you seen these? I'm trying not to get excited because the movie can't possibly be as good as the book is in my mind. But these stills make me optimistic. I'll definitely be seeing it when it's released.

Another Self-Publishing Success Story
British writing team Louise Voss and Mark Edwards scored a four-book deal with HarperFiction after their Kindle UK e-book sold more than 50,000 copies in June. What they need to do is write a how-to manual for all of us who want to know how on earth they managed that many sales!

Oh, and for those who are interested, the deal on the house in Santa Ynez fell through. Thank goodness. Because we ended up getting the perfect house in "downtown" Los Olivos -- a cute Victorian town of about 1,000 people, ten minutes from our house in Solvang. Los Olivos Sherrie? Uh, no. Guess I'll just have to be Sherrie Petersen for now.

Here's a link to the Los Olivos website. Check it out. You'll fall in love. And yes, you can come visit. :D

Solvang No More

2011-08-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

Kirk Irwin photo

Yep, it's official. We're packing up, selling our house and moving about five miles east of here to the sleepy town of Santa Ynez. And somehow, Santa Ynez Sherrie doesn't have the same ring as Solvang Sherrie. *sigh* I might actually have to start using my real name. Hmm...

While Solvang is known as the Danish Capital of America (you knew that, right? *grin*) Santa Ynez is known for its beautiful horse ranches, vineyards and wineries. It's the heart of Santa Barbara County Wine Country. Of course, I don't own a horse ranch and I don't know much about wine. I'm just, you know, a struggling writer currently obsessed with throwing out as much as possible so I don't have to move it.

But, just because I'm not paying as much attention, doesn't mean things aren't happening in the publishing world. Here are just a few of the things that caught my notice in the past week:

Free E-Books
Everybody wants to get something for nothing and this website highlights some of the titles you can legally download every day (via Galley Cat). (Don't get me started on the whole book pirating thing.) This week's featured title: Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela Choi. Sounds interesting, no? Also still free (but only available for Kindle) Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman.

Best Book Deal Ever
Jane Austen's unfinished novel, The Watsons, sold at auction for £993,250 (about 1.5 million). Note to whoever ponied up the cash: I've got several unfinished novels and I'm willing to cut a much less expensive deal.

Shelf Awareness for Readers
Speaking of good deals, I'm now a book reviewer for Shelf Awareness (getting paid to read books=awesome deal for me!) and they're giving away a hardcover of The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman. Sign up here to enter the contest. Follow this link to read my review of Ripple by Mandy Hubbard.

Night of the Giving Dead
And just in case you were wondering, Carrie Harris raised more than $7000 with her book launch / fundraiser for the Mott Children's Hospital. Yay Carrie! And yay for those of you who bid on items, donated items, and scored some sweet deals. I snagged a t-shirt and signed copy of Hold Me Closer Necromancer by Australian author Lish McBride. Woo-hoo!

And that's about it from me. Some empty boxes are calling my name. Stupid things won't shut up! Ugh. Hope you're all having a more relaxing summer than we are...

The End

2011-07-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

This may be the only time you'll hear me admit this: I liked the movie(s) better than the book.

Shocking, I know. This never happens. But honestly, THE DEATHLY HALLOWS was a slog for me. If I wasn't reading it out loud to my son, I doubt I would have finished reading it at all. Did we really need to document every, single, painful moment spent in the flipping tent?

But HP7P2 made clear for me things that were not so clear (and way too long) in the book (i.e. Dumbledore in King's Cross Station). The showdowns between Minerva and Snape (the entire audience cheered) and Molly and Bellatrix (of course we cheered again!) were AWESOME. I think my favorite scenes were the ones with Neville. He literally stole the show when he was on screen. And excuse me, but when did he get so good looking? How does that sneak up on someone when we've watched him grow up on screen?

I took my son to the midnight opening because come on, IT'S THE LAST ONE. And what a blast to be caught up in the whole experience: being up late with a bunch of dressed up crazies to be part of this shared cultural phenomenon. My son was shocked that I didn't cry, even at the death scene of my favorite character. Maybe since I knew it was coming. Maybe it happened too fast. Maybe I just have no tears at 2 in the morning.

But I am sad that this is truly the end.

Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for an amazing series of books, movies and memories.

Why Ninja Zombies Rule

2011-07-13T04:23:00.000-07:00

I've been following Carrie Harris for a long time, from back in the days when Twilight parodies and Slayer (of Bees) stories debuted, people at the gym freaked us all out and Richard Simmons made regular appearances on her not quite so fancy blog. I still have emails from when she got her book deal and the fabulous prizes she sent after I zombified her two years ago.

But nothing could have prepared me for the awesomeness that is The Night of the Giving Dead. Not only is this woman funny, she's generous too.

To celebrate the release of her debut YA novel, Bad Taste in Boys, Carrie is hosting an auction to benefit the Giving Library at the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital, a hospital that serves about 70,000 kids. Yeah, totally worthy recipient, right?

Here are just a few of the items you can bid on:

Signed copies of great books like Clarity by Kim Harrington and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Audio cds of books like Torment by Lauren Kate
Query and manuscript critiques from agents like Tina Wexler, Alyssa Eisner Henkin and Kate Schafer Testerman or authors like Beth Revis, Caroline Star Rose or Cynthea Liu.
Weronika Janczuk is even offering a full manuscript critique and Michelle Wolfson has a 30 minute phone call up for grabs.

(Just, y' know, don't outbid me on the items I've bid on...pretty please! ;P)

But check out the grand prize drawings:

A Kindle preloaded with Bad Taste in Boys OR
A 6-month mentorship with Carrie herself

Even if you've already been to The Night of the Giving Dead, check it out again. New items are added as they come in so the lists keep growing.

Help sick kids, get cool stuff -- it's a win-win for sure. The auction only runs through July 25 so make sure you make your bids before time runs out.

And just so you know, tomorrow night while Carrie vicariously attends the midnight showing of Harry Potter with me, I'll be catching my zzzz's through her. We're part of the Order of the Blog Ninjas. We can do things like that :D

Magic or a Sword?

2011-07-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

Which is more importantwhen fighting monsters? Magic or a sword?

Not the sort of thing you typically have to worry about on a Saturday morning. But, you know, if you're a writer, the question might come up. Especially if you inhabit the Woerld created by Teresa Frohock in Miserere: An Autumn Tale. Here's her answer:

-------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for having me here, Sherrie!

I can’t speak for any novel but my own, but in Woerld, experience is your most valuable weapon, because it is through experience that you know whether to use sword or magic.

When I originally envisioned Woerld’s bastions, they were more like universities, military academies where the Katharoi learned the art of warfare, but also more about their enemy, the Fallen. The more I delve into Woerld and the cultures of the bastions, the more I realize that they place a great deal of emphasis on learning and on older Katharoi guiding the younger members.

They are fighting an enemy that is ancient and devious. The Fallen have eternity and they know it, so they think nothing of devising plans that can span generations. They also know that a successful coup does not have to entail bloodshed.

Faced with an enemy like this, the Katharoi’s only hope is to educate themselves about their enemy as thoroughly as possible. That way, when they have to face off on the battlefield, the Katharoi don’t waste time or energy trying to discern the best approach. The question as to whether to use magic or sword will be instinctive because of their experience.

So what do you think? Which is more important when fighting monsters?

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I'm going with magic!
Teresa's debut novel, Miserere: An Autumn Tale, was released on July 1 from Nightshade Books.
Read the first four chapters of Miserere FREE here. You can learn more about Teresa and her novel by visiting her website, Teresafrohock.com.

The Fear Factor

2011-07-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

I’ve been having a lot of email conversations with writer friends. Some are published, some have yet to finish writing a novel. Several, like me, have an agent and are on submission. One thing we have in common, regardless of where we are on our journey as authors: we all have major fears.

Published author is worried that her new novel won’t sell, that her recent release won’t sell through, that she’s spending too much time or not enough time on marketing, that her revisions won’t meet the editor’s expectations, that she might never be published again...

Agented author is scared that her book will never get picked up by a publishing house, her agent will drop her as a result, and nothing she writes will ever be as good as the novel she got signed for, and that wasn’t even good enough to get published…

Unagented author is depressed because she has put in years working on something that may never see life beyond her laptop, that her writing will never measure up, and no matter how hard she works, she may never be lucky enough to even snag an agent...

Any of those sound familiar?

It used to surprise me to hear agented authors say they were scared. As an unagented writer looking up to them, I thought they had it made. They had someone who believed in them enough to sign them on and sub their book. What did they have to worry about?

And then I got an agent. And I realized that wonderful as it is to have someone on your side, it doesn’t quiet that snarky little voice that keeps trying to remind me that I’m not good enough, that one day soon I’ll be found out, that I may as well give up now.

We writers tend to be a bit on the neurotic side to begin with. (Yes, I’m talking to you. And you.) But we can’t let those fears get the better of us. Every step of the way there’ll be things that scare us, things that threaten to overwhelm us. We’re bigger than that. And the friendships we’ve forged through this amazing blogging community will see us through no matter where this writing journey takes us.

What’s your biggest fear?

Stare it down. TAKE it down.

You can do it. You’ve got a journey to make.

The Brilliance of Others

2011-06-29T04:17:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because my life is all about summer right now.

Maybe it's because all my creativity is going into my WIP and the yummy things I've been cooking up in the kitchen.

Maybe it's because that stack of bills I've been ignoring keeps staring at me reproachfully, warning me that they can't be avoided much longer.

Maybe it's all of the above?

Nothing I write in this little space could be as brilliant as what Michelle Argyle wrote here. The last few days haven't offered up any heartwarming moments like this one from Susan Quinn. I haven't got a new cover to reveal like Beth Revis. And my babies are much larger than Tiana Smith's new bundle of joy.

So while I don't have much to say today, it's good to know that others do. Especially when I read a post like this over at *Headdesk*, inspired by something I wrote a few weeks ago! (Always happy to create stress for my readers! Sorry, Mandy -- and you're welcome!)

Back to the writing cave I go. Isn't summer wonderful?

What I'm Reading

2011-06-22T03:49:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about vacation is having more time to read. I brought along a bag of eight books (yeah, my husband thought I was insane, too!) but only got through four. A fifth one I just couldn't get into so I stopped at page 78. I may try it again because everyone raves about it, but it was really annoying me! The ones I enjoyed reading were:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

(from Goodreads) Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb — males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape — to find her twin brother and go home.

(my comments) I read this in a day. I couldn't put it down once I started. Yes, I had some questions, but nothing big enough to make me not want to read. And now I wait (impatiently!) for the sequel...

Finny by Justin Kramon
(from Goodreads) Fourteen-year-old Finny Short can’t make sense of her family’s unusual habits: Her mother offers guidance appropriate for a forty-year-old socialite; her father quotes Nietzsche over pancakes. Finny figures she’s stuck with this lonely lot until she meets Earl Henckel, a boy who comes from an even stranger place than she does. Unhappy with Finny’s budding romance with Earl, her parents ship her off to Thorndon boarding school. But mischief follows Finny as she befriends New York heiress Judith Turngate, a girl whose charm belies a disquieting reckless streak. Finny’s relationships with Earl and Judith open her up to dizzying possibilities of love and loss and propel her into a remarkable adventure spanning twenty years and two continents.

(my comments) This unfortunate cover doesn't convey what a great story lies inside. It's interesting to see a guy's perspective on a love story, of how much he thinks a female will put up with from the man she loves. Technically not a YA, but the book definitely has crossover appeal.

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
(from Goodreads) According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him. The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

(my comments) Lindsey Leavitt's sense of humor always comes through in her books and this one is no exception. Full of fun characters, heartbreaking situations, believable family dynamics and a sweet budding romance, this book confirms that Lindsey can write about more than just tiaras :P

Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

(from Goodreads) Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, longs for a life of adventure far beyond the staid old kingdom of Montagne.

Tips, a soldier, longs to keep his true life secret from his family.

Fortitude, an orphaned maid, longs only for Tips.

These three passionate souls might just attain their dreams while preserving Montagne from certain destruction, if only they can tolerate each other long enough to come up with a plan. Tough to save the world when you can't even be in the same room together. Magic, cunning, and one very special cat join forces in this hilarious, extraordinary tale by the author of Dairy Queen and Princess Ben. An incredibly creative tale told with diaries, memoirs, encyclopedia entries, letters, biographies, even a stage play, all woven together into a grand adventure.

(my comments) I read this MG to review for Shelf Awareness Consumer, so I can't post it here until it posts there! But I will say that the story was quite unexpected -- and that can be a good thing :D

What great books have you been reading this summer? Any recommendations?

Summer Lovin'

2011-06-10T03:54:00.000-07:00

Ballard School's 6th grade graduates

Yesterday was the last day of school. And I'm telling you, the teachers were just as excited as the students :) My son is now done with elementary, ready to move on to middle school in the fall. I cried at the promotion ceremony (ok, I admit, I do every year!), hugged the students I'll miss, celebrated as we pulled out the yearbooks we'd worked so hard to put together.

I have big plans for this summer. I have a lot of writing/revising to do, and I need plenty of time to just enjoy my kids. They're growing up so fast. I don't want to miss any of it.

So I won't be blogging as much this summer, probably just once a week with a few special posts thrown in here and there. I'll miss being around to interact as much with all my bloggy friends, but I wouldn't trade the time with my family and my writing for anything.

We're going on vacation so I won't be back here until June 22. In the meantime, tell me YOUR plans for the summer. I hope they involve lots of fun and LOTS of writing!

Before You Hit Send...

2011-06-08T03:45:00.000-07:00

It happens to the best of us. We finish writing a book we’re excited about. Our friends tell us how wonderful it is. Our critique partners say it’s the best we’ve written yet. Sponge Bob’s annoying song starts running through our heads, “I’m ready! I’m ready! I’m ready!”

So we send it out.

And get smacked down.

I can’t speak for every other writer out there, but I can share what I’ve learned from the experience.

You’ve only got one shot.* Once an agent turns your query down, you can’t rewrite it and query them again. Your chance with them is blown, at least until you have a new book written. Make sure your query is the best it can be. Make sure your novel is the best it can be.

Agents are busy. Even though you’re giddy with excitement because you met them at a conference and you want to get the story to them right away before they forget who you are, take a deep breath and slow down. Chances are they’re going to be inundated when they get back from a conference and that doesn’t even take into account all the queries, partials and fulls that were in their inbox before they left. It will likely be weeks before they read your submission.

Take your time and make sure what you’re sending out is the best. How? Here are a few tips:

Let your story sit. At least a week, preferably two or three weeks. I’d heard this one but I didn’t have the patience. I figured it was one of the rules I could break. Turns out it’s a good one, even for seasoned writers. Never underestimate the power of distance. Being away from your story helps you spot issues or clunky prose more clearly.

Print it out. If you’ve only been looking at the story on screen, you’re not getting the full impact of your words. Just like taking time away, seeing the words on a piece of paper will give you a completely different perspective on your novel.

The truth hurts. Even if there’s only one person telling you something in your story sucks, don’t completely discount what they’re saying. That one critique could be all that’s standing between making your story good and making it great.

Perfect your query. You’ve spent a long time working on your novel. Spend at least a proportional amount of time working on your query. It should have the tone of your story, include a strong hook and leave the reader wanting more. Get as many people as possible to read that query and give you feedback. (Query Queen Elana Johnson is giving away copies of her book From the Query to the Call on her website. Her blog has plenty of fantastic advice on querying.)

Query slowly. Don’t query everyone on your list all at once. Send a few out and gauge the responses. If agents are asking to see pages, then your query is doing its job. If you’re getting rejects without requests, then you need to work on harder on your query.

Every situation is different, but you owe it to yourself to give your story the best shot. Most importantly, don't get discouraged. Even bestsellers get rejected. (And if you'd like to read some of the rejections received by a recent bestseller, check out this post from Kimberly Derting, author of THE BODYFINDER.)

*I did email an agent to ask if I could resubmit after I made drastic changes based on her earlier rejection. She was gracious enough to say yes. And then she rejected me again :) But don't count on this. Many agents specifically state that they will not accept re-queries on the same project.

Entering the H.I.V.E.

2011-06-06T03:13:00.000-07:00

I first heard about this book during a session with editors at the SCBWI conference last summer. I knew right away I wanted to read it.

Hogwarts may be for students who display a talent for magic. Kids who have a knack for evil wind up at HIVE, the Higher Institute of Villainous Education. Hidden inside a volcano on a deserted island, students take classes like Villainy Studies and Stealth and Evasion 101, all designed to turn them into supervillains.

But nobody chooses to attend HIVE. They are kidnapped and brought there, sometimes with their parents' consent, sometimes not. And leaving is not an option. So can a group of students plan an escape and actually make it out?

Full of action, suspense, an epic battle and a giant carnivorous plant, HIVE is a promising start to an adventurous series. Book 6 in the series came out last September so can you guess what we'll be reading all this summer?

Find out more about the books on the HIVE website: http://www.hivehub.co.uk/#/home

Looking for more good middle grade books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Myrna Foster
Brooke Favero
Anita Laydon Miller
Deb Marshall
Barbara Watson
Michael Gilmartin

Lenny Lee Fest

2011-06-03T03:35:00.000-07:00

You've probably seen his icon around the internet. You can't help but smile when you see this ray of sunshine. So today, to bring some extra happiness to this awesome 11-year-old, I'm posting a poem that my son's class recited last year for Mother's Day.

As far as I know, the author is anonymous. I love the simplicity of this poem. We spend so much time striving for perfection when really, there is beauty to be found in life with all it's flawed imperfections. Lenny Lee is one of those people who looks on the bright side of everything, who brings me joy every time I get a comment or an email from him. If you've never visited Lenny's World before, here's the link: http://lennys-world.blogspot.com. He's an amazing writer, he loves animals and he loves to share hugs.

I hope you like the poem, Lenny. Thank you for all the smiles you bring. ((Giant hugs))

Queens and Kings of Imperfection

We are queens and kings.

It might not seem
Like we are queens and kings,
But look carefully
    And see,
Gloriously crowned,
Beautifully inept,
Marvelously imperfect,
Queens and Kings of Imperfection.

We leave perfection
To the few
    Who seek
        what cannot be attained.
    Who desire
        what cannot be given,
    Who yearn for
        what cannot be achieved.

And we accept
    Our crowns of imperfection.

We offer this crown to you,
For it is the crown of truth
    And joy
    And laughter,
    And wonder,
    And freedom
    From the tyranny
    Of trying to be
        What can never be,
            was never meant to be,
                and will never be.

Wear your crown with joy
And rein with the freedom to:

Run in the wind,
But come last in the race.

Write poetry,
Without any need to publish.

Dance,
With neither grace nor rhythm.

Sing opera,
Without a tune.

Play baseball,
But never hit a home run.

Teach,
But not perfection.

And love,
    Not just the best in you,
    But the sad, weak, discouraged,
    And sorry parts, too.

It might not seem
Like we are queens and kings,
But look carefully
    And see,
Gloriously crowned,
Beautifully inept,
Marvelously imperfect,
Queens and Kings of Imperfection.

Publishing News

2011-06-01T03:54:00.000-07:00

During BEA last week, middle grade books got some extra attention with their first ever Buzz Panel. Since I've never attended BEA (someday!!) I didn't realized that there wasn't a buzz panel before now. Young Adult books, of course, get plenty of attention. I'm glad to see that middle grade is getting noticed, too.

And what were they buzzing about? New books by Matthew Kirby (I interviewed him here) and N.D. Anderson look amazing. And YA author Lisa McMann will be introducing a new middle grade series that sounds very promising. Publisher's Weekly has a full article about the buzz panel here.

You may have noticed that a growing number of literary agents are helping their clients e-publish. Now Bloomsbury is taking advantage of the trend. They've formed an imprint that will work with literary agents to create e-book and print-on-demand editions of books where the rights have reverted back to the author. The imprint, Bloomsbury Reader, will launch in September with 500 titles. Publisher's Weekly has the full article.

Stories of self-publishing success keep making big news. But the Washington Post ran an article about the self-publishing "gold rush" with this quote from Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords: “We have less than 50 people who are making more than $50,000 per year. We have a lot who don’t sell a single book.” So much for a gold rush. Read the full story at the Washington Post.

Starting June 23, you'll be able to download two FREE audiobooks every week through August 17. Some of the free titles include Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (who I was thrilled to interview last year), Little Brother by Cory Doctorow and Storm Runners, the newest title from Roland Smith (I interviewed him here). Get the full list of audiobooks and links for downloading at School Library Journal.

Reading Like A Writer

2011-05-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

Blogger Tabitha Olson writes some of the best book reviews I've read. Even when she doesn't like a book, she manages to analyze it so thoroughly, that half the time I still want to read it, just to be able to fully appreciate the insight on craft that she so eloquently shares. I also know that when I read her reviews, she isn't going to cheer for something that she doesn't feel is quite there. But she's never insulting or offensive. She always strikes a great balance.

Today she's here to share her thoughts on reading, writing and reviewing. Take it away, Tabitha!

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Honesty. What does it mean to you? I don’t mean the dictionary’s definition. What does it mean to you?

I’ll tell you what it means to me: an open mind, balance, objectivity, and exploration. Basically, it means I need to take a step back and look in places I don’t ordinarily look. It’s very eye-opening, and I apply this concept every time I sit down to read.

When you pick up a book, what are you intending to get out of it? Just enjoyment or entertainment? Or do you want to see how published authors manage their craft? For me, I like to read for entertainment, but it always come second to craft. So, I tend to view reading as a learning experience with the added bonus of good entertainment value. :)

But how do you turn reading into a learning experience?

It’s not easy. But, since nothing about writing is easy, that should come as no surprise. :) In order to get the most out of a reading experience, I have to embrace every aspect of honesty. This manifests in a few ways.

Put yourself in the author’s shoes.

Since writers do this kind of thing all the time, that shouldn’t be too difficult. :) Putting yourself in the author’s shoes helps you to be in the right place so you can better understand the story. In order to get the most out of this exercise, two things must happen. 1) Figure out what the author intended to accomplish with his story. 2) Look at the story itself and figure out what it actually accomplished. Yeah, it’s hard, but there are always little clues that help us along. When you first start out, it might require a re-read or two. Once you’ve done this, though, you can move on to the next point…

Put on your critiquing hat.

I firmly believe that critiquing can teach us as much about writing as actually writing, so I try to critique as much as I can. When I read a book, I basically treat it like I’m reading my critique partner’s work. I start out with the assumption that there’s going to be both good and not so good stuff, and make mental notes accordingly. Reading a published book is different from critiquing because the author can’t take the book back and make changes. BUT, he can improve his writing going forward. So, if you review books, you can write an honest review in the vein of a constructive critique, and learn something in the process. :)

Be objective about what works and what doesn’t.

There are two aspects to this. 1) Strong reactions, either positive or negative. Take a good look at why the story evoked such a strong reaction from you and explore it. If you loved it, or if you hated it, figure out why. There are likely several aspects to this. 2) Don’t let the weaker reaction slip away. Even if you hated the book, what did it do right? If you loved the book, what could have been better? There are always two sides to the coin, and we need to be objective and honest with ourselves by looking at both of them, because that’s the key to maximizing our learning experience.

To be the best writers we can possibly be, I think we need to read widely and analyze everything. What did we love, and why? What would we have done differently? Be honest with yourself, and with the books you read, and you’re on your way toward creating a good learning experience, which will ultimately make you a better writer.

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Thank you, Tabitha! You can read more of her book reviews (and sign up for this month's giveaway) at her blog, Writer Musings.

Monday's a holiday so I won't be posting, but I'll be back Wednesday. Hope you all have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!!

Trust What you Know

2011-05-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

Maybe you’ve noticed…there are a lot of people dispensing advice on the internet. And a lot of it’s good. In fact, I’ve learned quite a lot from reading online posts.

If it wasn’t for the internet, I never would have learned how to plot a character’s internal journey as well as their external journey. I wouldn’t have known how to format a query letter, find a beta reader or kill my darlings. I may never have tried to interview my main characters, create layers for my stories or keep tension on every page.

But sometimes all the advice, even though it’s good advice, can get to be a bit much. These days when I sit down to type I don’t just hear my character’s thoughts, or even the sound of my snarky internal editor. I also hear voices reminding me to use more active verbs, stop using filter words and for once, add some emotional depth to those characters before the third draft!

Ugh. It’s a lot to think about.

Every one of us started on the writing journey because we had a story to tell. And if you’ve been blogging for a while, chances are you’ve become a pretty savvy writer because there’s a lot of great information out there to help your writing improve.

But for today, when you sit down to write, turn off all the advice and all the chatter. You already know what to do. Now just trust yourself to do it. Write that story.

We’re all waiting to read it.

Book Review: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

2011-05-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would fall in love with a criminal mastermind. Especially one who's only 12.

Artemis Fowl intrigued me from the first page. He speaks like an adult and takes fiendish delight in toying with anyone he doesn't consider his intellectual equal. He has no fear of brawn, either. But not because he's an imposing figure. He doesn't need to be. He has his heavily armed bodyguard, Butler, for that. Not that Butler needs weapons. He could kill a man a hundred different ways without using a weapon.

Do you see why boys like this book?

Artemis Fowl is full of gun fights, explosions, chases and double crosses. And did I mention the fairies? Yeah. But don't look for any sweet creatures with diaphanous wings. These elves, gnomes, trolls and fairies carry weapons. And they aren't afraid to use them.

The amazing underground worlds that Eoin Colfer has created with this series takes traditional lore and turns it on its ear. The best part, though, is the understated, smart a$$ character of Artemis. His ruthless words often contradict the thoughts running through his mind. Much as he wants to be seen as a tough guy, he has a soft spot for his mother. And though neither would admit it, he and Butler would be lost without each other.

The entire cast of characters make this book fun to read. There's Holly, the elf that Artemis goes up against. She's strong, she's a trained LEP Recon officer and she's got an attitude to match. Commander Root is the coolest, fungus cigar chomping fairy you'll ever come across. Foaly the centaur, a tech wizard, loves to match wits against Artemis, even while keeping the fairies shielded from humans and developing cool new gadgets. Mulch Diggums, the kleptomaniac dwarf with an explosive back side, can't seem to stay out jail. With more than one secret hidden in his beard, there's more to this dwarf than just his killer farts.

Put all of these characters together, add a stolen book of gnomish, a lot of gold, a missing father, a fairy-napping, cool futuristic gadgets, and lots of explosions, and you'll see why this has become a popular, long running series. I'm partial to the original covers, but my son thinks the new ones are even better. Whichever version you read, it's what's inside that will keep you turning the pages.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade reviews? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Myrna Foster
Brooke Favero
Anita Laydon Miller
Deb Marshall
Barbara Watson
Michael Gilmartin

And I've got three winners for the ARCs from last week's post:

Congrats to Lenny, Brooke and Jackee!! Email me with your snail mail addresses and I'll get your books out to you!!

Racing Through Solvang

2011-05-20T03:45:00.000-07:00

I sat down to write this post and realized I had written something similar two years ago. The only difference today is that Lance Armstrong won't be here, and neither will I. Rather than being trapped with all the road closures, we're heading down to the beach for the day :)

If you want to win one of the ARCs I'm giving away, be sure to leave a comment on this other post. You have until Sunday night. Have a great weekend!

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Sometimes big things happen in small places.

Today the Amgen Tour of California makes its way through Solvang. It's astounding to me that part of this major world class event is staged in our little Valley. The riders fly by, about a block from my house. I watched from the bottom of the hill, where they rounded the corner, so close I could have reached out and touched them! I didn't want to get arrested so I kept my hands to myself :^)

The amount of people thronging our streets was pretty amazing. The booths, the groupies, the traveling masses that accompany this race -- it's overwhelming. It's not every day that you see a jumbo tv screen on Copenhagen Drive, towering over thousands of people, each hoping to catch a glimpse of the riders speeding by. Our population quadruples for the day when this event rolls through town.

One of my neighbors, a semi-pro biker, paid the thousand dollars to ride in the amateur pre-race. Other friends volunteered on the route or helped cook and serve food to the riders. For this one day each year, the town shuts down to accommodate the time trial. We don't get mail, many roads are closed, schools are out and we all throng downtown to see the spectacle.

This is the fourth year that Solvang has hosted Stage 6 of the race, and the first time I've been up close and personal with it. Soon the EZ ups will come down, the gates will be loaded and the bikers will move on to the next place.

And Solvang will go back to being a small town.

The Magic Number

2011-05-18T03:23:00.000-07:00

Today I'm guest posting over at Adventures in Children's Publishing. I'm both terrified and honored that they're including something from me on their amazing blog! Here's a sneak peek at what I wrote:

THE MAGIC NUMBER

A friend asked me the other day how many queries she should send out for a book before giving up.

Seriously?!

My first reaction was, “NEVER GIVE UP!” But then I started thinking about my own querying journey and I realized sometimes, you do have to give up.

I started querying SECRET OF UNDINE in early 2009. I loved that book. It had water faeries and trolls, and two unsuspecting kids who get caught up in a territory war between the magical creatures. It was brilliant. *snarf* I entered it in a prominent contest and won third place. I thought I had it made. Agents were going to be lining up to get their hands on this story...

Head on over to Adventures in Children's Publishing to read the rest.

And if you haven't already left a comment to be entered in the fabulous drawing for the ARCs of three soon-to-be-released books, get thee to the post below. Or just follow this handy link :)

Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You

2011-05-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

I don't have a review today, but I do have some ARCs to give away, courtesy of my fabulous local indie, The Book Loft. Two are middle grade, one is YA, all three will be coming out next month.

First up, SHARK WARS by E.J. Altbacker. Unlike most ARCs, this one is actually hard cover!

(From the back cover:) Journey into the ocean's depths for a middle grade adventure series that has all the action of Warriors and Star Wars...but brings the battle underwater!

(From Goodreads:) Since the dawn of time, prehistoric shark clans called Shivers have ruled over the earth's oceans, fierce protectors of all who swim. For eons, the Big Blue has prospered under Shiver Law, and the delicate balance of sea life kept sacred. Until now.

Rising sea temperatures and overfishing have caused food to become scarce, and the battle for new hunting grounds has brought with it corruption and warfare.

Now, with the ocean on the brink of chaos, a young reef shark named Gray - exiled from the safety of his peaceful reef home - must venture deep into Open Water to unlock the secrets of his destiny and bring peace back to the ocean. But first, he'll have to discover the truth about who - and what - he really is.

Coming from Razorbill June 28, 2011

THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE by Kathryn Erskine, author of Mockingbird

(From Goodreads:) Mike tries so hard to please his father, but the only language his dad seems to speak is calculus. And for a boy with a math learning disability, nothing could be more difficult. When his dad sends him to live with distant relatives in rural Pennsylvania for the summer to work on an engineering project, Mike figures this is his big chance to buckle down and prove himself. But when he gets there, nothing is what he thought it would be. The project has nothing at all to do with engineering, and he finds himself working alongside his wacky eighty-something- year-old aunt, a homeless man, and a punk rock girl as part of a town-wide project to adopt a boy from Romania. Mike may not learn anything about engineering, but what he does learn is far more valuable.

Coming from Philomel June 9, 2011

And because some readers can never get enough dystopia (yeah, that would be me!)

ASHES, ASHES by Jo Treggiari

(From Goodreads:) A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.
Coming from Scholastic June 1, 2011

If you'd like to win one of these books, let me know in the comments. I'll randomly select some names Sunday night and announce the winners next Monday, May 23.

If you're looking for some Marvelous Middle Grade reviews, check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Myrna Foster
Brooke Favero
Anita Laydon Miller
Deb Marshall
Barbara Watson
Michael Gilmartin

And are we all glad to have Blogger back to normal?! Yeah, Friday the 13th indeed!!

Writer Magic

2011-05-13T11:06:00.001-07:00

Every writer believes in magic.

It doesn’t matter what genre we write. Whether it’s realistic fiction, paranormal, fantasy, YA, MG – every word we write is a testament to our belief in magic.

We believe in the magic of stringing words together, that those words will reach readers ready to dive into our fictional worlds.

We believe in the magic of querying, that we’ll find a dream agent who will sell our story to editors at the mythic New York publishers.

We believe in the magic of reaching out to people across states, countries, ages and platforms, to share our stories and build friendships.

There is magic to be found in every hour of every day, in every part of this writing journey. In every letter typed, every friendship forged, every world built, every smile shared.

Every tear shed.

Thank you for being part of the magic in my life.

Amazon Seeks (Publishing) World Domination

2011-05-11T05:31:00.000-07:00

Things are changing so fast in the publishing industry it can leave your head spinning. Earlier this week, Amazon announced that they would be publishing a romance line, Montlake, and three of the Big Six publishers announced that they would be opening a joint, online retail site, Bookish. (Read the Publisher's Weekly article.)

Amazon made it clear that this is the first of several publishing imprints. Below is an excerpt from Publisher's Marketplace:

Amazon Launches Romance Imprint, with More Genre Lines to Come
Amazon is launching another imprint, Montlake Romance (named for a Seattle neighborhood), which will publish "a broad range of frontlist titles in popular romance sub-genres, including romantic suspense and contemporary and historic romance novels, as well as fantasy and paranormal." The first announced author is two-time RITA winner Connie Brockway, whose THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE will be published this fall. They say it will "be available to North American readers in Kindle, print and audio formats at www.amazon.com, as well as at national and independent booksellers," and Amazon tells us her print edition will be published as a trade paperback, though in the future they expect to publish romance authors in trade paper and mass market.

But it makes me wonder: will Bookish be able to compete against Amazon's formidable online book sales and who, besides Amazon, will carry Amazon published books?

Do they really think national and independent booksellers will carry their books? I mean truthfully, I can't see my local indie embracing Amazon books when they've been such a ruthless competitor in the past. And as a writer, would you want your agent pitching your books to Amazon imprints?

What do you think?

P.S. It isn't just books. According to this article, Amazon dominates one third of all e-commerce in the United States. Something to think about...

Audio Book Review: The Indian in the Cupboard

2011-05-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

Confession time: I've never actually read this book. Mainly because the audiobook is SO very good!

A few years ago when we were going on a long road trip, we borrowed this tape from the library. (Yes, it was so long ago that we still had a cassette player in the car!) I'm not always a fan of audio books. Many times a perfectly good story can become annoying with the wrong reader. (The guy who read the Percy Jackson books totally grated on my nerves. If I hadn't already read and loved those books, I doubt I could have listened to a single cd.)

We were pleasantly surprised when we listened to THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD. None of us were familiar with the book. But the British author, Lynne Reid Banks, did a wonderful job of bringing her story to life. Her voicing, especially for the Indian and the cowboy, Boone, matched the personality of the characters so perfectly. In fact, when we watched the movie some time later, the guy playing the Indian seemed like such a wimp compared to the voice and personality the author had given him.

The story blends magic and history with an exploration of family, friendship and growing older. Not only do we watch the Indian and cowboy try to forge a friendship, despite their stereotypes of one another, we also see how the friendship between Omri and Patrick is challenged as they fight over how to take care of the Indian and cowboy they have brought to life. Banks subtly weaves in some very grown up themes of racism, responsibility, love and honor, but she never loses sight of the fun in the story of magically bringing a toy to life.

Because it was so good, we ended up downloading our own copy of the audio book. I've listened to this story now three times with my kids and every time I find new things to enjoy. Even if you've read the printed book before, I would absolutely recommend listening to Lynne Reid Banks read her classic story to you. It'll make your next four-hour drive in the car much more enjoyable :-)

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Brooke Favero
Barbara Watson
Natalie Aguirre
Anita Laydon Miller
Sheri Larson
Middle Grade Mafioso

The Internet School of Writing

2011-05-06T03:53:00.000-07:00

As writers we are constantly bombarded with ways to spend our money to improve our craft. Phenomenal conferences, star-studded workshops, weekend retreats. Quite the smorgasbord of expensive writerly treats.

The truth is: you don't need to spend another dime.

You can find tons of inspiration, tutorials and writing wisdom through blogging. Here are a few blogs that dispense plenty of useful advice at a price everyone can afford.

Adventures in Children's Publishing
If you don't already follow these ladies, you should. Their Friday roundups of blog posts are legendary. You could literally spend all day reading the amazing links they find each week. Their WoW Wednesdays posts are instructive and inspiring, and on Mondays they highlight new releases, often with giveaways.

Laura Pauling
This chick can analyze story structure in books like no one I've ever seen. Her posts are so good at showing what makes a story work. People always say that reading is the best teacher. I say read with Laura. Check out the books that she analyzes and then re-read her posts. It will help you understand the craft behind a good story and help you on the way to improving your own novels.

The Other Side of the Story
I just recently discovered this blog and holy smokes, what a treasure trove of information. Author Janice Hardy has more than 500(!) articles on planning, writing and editing your novel and it's beautifully organized to make finding what you're looking for a cinch.

The Bookshelf Muse
Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have put together multiple thesauruses for writers. With lists of descriptive words for emotions, setting, symbolism, and more, these ladies are a great resource when you're at a loss for words.

Literary Rambles
Casey McCormick does a ton of research to help writers find agents. Her profiles on people who rep books for kids should be your first stop once your manuscript is polished. She is constantly updating the information and if you don't see the agent you're looking for, you can email her your suggestion for a future profile. In addition to the agent profiles, Natalie Aguirre now regularly contributes with interviews and book give aways. Definitely a great site for kidlit writers hoping to be published one day.

Write On Con
The brain child of Casey McCormick, Elana Johnson and a host of other bloggers, this is the most amazing site. The inaugural free online conference took place last summer and all the incredible transcripts are still available on the site. They've also been hosting monthly chats with agents and live query events. This year's conference is scheduled for August 16-18 so mark your calendar. You won't want to miss it.

There are so many more valuable blogs and web sites. What are some of your favorite online resources? Give 'em a shoutout in the comments (even if it's your own blog!!).

Author Spotlight on: Medeia Sharif

2011-05-04T04:04:00.000-07:00

So many amazing books are coming out this year, many by people I've seen around the blogosphere for a while. And to me, it's even cooler when someone you "know" has a book to celebrate. One of those people is Medeia Sharif. Her debut, BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER., will be released in July and check out these cool blurbs:

"I laughed out loud as Almira struggled to fit in with her traditional family as well as the rest of the world."
-Sydney Salter, author of SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK, JUNGLE CROSSING, and MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS

BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. deftly combines humor and poignancy with an authentic teen voice set against the multicultural background of vibrant Miami and Almira's loving yet-strict Muslim family. The book's universal themes will resonate with all teens balancing family ties with coming-of-age conflicts."
-Paula Yoo, author of SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY, GOOD ENOUGH, and SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS

Please welcome author/blogger/teacher Medeia Sharif!

How long did you work on BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. before you started querying?
I worked on it for five months before I started querying. Then I revisited the manuscript after a round of rejections, made it stronger, and started querying again.

How long did it take to find your agent? Your editor?
About nine months after starting BRE I found my agent Marlene Stringer, and this was after a few months of querying. After finding her, it took approximately a year to get a book deal (but my editor was interested months earlier). I’d say for both it took approximately 3-4 months.

That's pretty fast in the publishing world. You’ve had other agents before you signed with Marlene. Did you have books that came close to publication as well?
With my first agent that didn’t happen. After her, I signed with someone else. We got one strong nibble on one of my manuscripts, which was adult fiction. But my writing wasn’t ready, I wasn’t ready. So, that was my closest call before BRE. (You can read about some of her earlier novels on this fun blog post.)
BRE sounds like it does a great job of capturing the feelings of a first generation American struggling between two cultures. How much of the story reflects your own high school experience?
In high school, many times I felt out of place at home and at school because I didn’t want to conform to someone’s idea of how I should act and I didn’t confirm people’s expectations of me. I remember what I wanted didn’t always sit well with family or classmates. I felt like I was sitting on a fence between two ways of life and not fitting in.

Do you celebrate Ramadan?
I’ve never celebrated Ramadan. I grew up with it, but never participated.

Oh, I love the irony there :)
Even before writing BRE, I wanted to write a book centered on the holiday. My first inkling was to write a MG book with a male main character until Almira popped into my brain. I liked the idea of the purification and self-restraint associated with the holiday, and both of those elements are mentioned in the novel.

So in a way, I guess it's similar to Lent, right? What does Ramadan commemorate?
The Koran was revealed during the month of Ramadan. Also, it’s a time to rid oneself of sin and get closer to God.

As you wrote BRE, did you have a feeling that this was the one?
Yes. I wrote adult fiction prior to that, but most of it centered around teenagers!

Ha! Love it!

I finished my first manuscript when I was eighteen, and practically everything after that was a coming-of-age type of story. Once I switched from adult to young adult (BRE is my first young adult piece), something clicked with me.

Are you still teaching full time?
Yes, I’m a full-time English/Reading teacher.

So how much time do you actually get to spend writing?

I write a half hour to an hour a day depending on my schedule.

It doesn't sound like much but the time adds up quickly and it has obviously worked for you! What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel to BRE and a young adult novel unrelated to my debut.

Okay, one last question. How do you pronounce your name? meh DAY ah or meh DEE ah? Medeia’s pronounced like the Greek mythological character, meh DEE ah. Then Sha-reef.

Good to know! Thanks for stopping by. I'll be looking for BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. when it comes out in July.
Thanks for this great opportunity.

You can find Medeia around the web:

Website
Blog
Twitter

BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. will be available July 8 from Flux.

A Book Review and a Book Festival

2011-05-02T04:17:00.000-07:00

My daughter came home with an ARC that she'd gotten from a friend. She didn't pull her nose out of it until she was finished. And then she insisted that I read it. I'm so glad I did. What an amazing story! From the award-winning author of IDA B, this new novel will please fans and earn her plenty more.

If you want to read my review, you can visit my Goodreads page. But today, I'm going to give you a link to my daughter's blog. She'd love to have you read her review. Maybe she'll even convince you to pick up this book when it comes out on May 15 :)

We spent most of Saturday at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC. What a blast! With hundreds of booths, nine stages and

Andrew Smith, Shannon Messenger, Me, Ally Condie

attendance in the thousands, it was an overwhelming experience for us small town book lovers. But it was also a chance to meet up with internet friends like Catherine Linka from Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse and MMGM founder Shannon Whitney Messenger. Yeah, that's us between Andrew Smith and Ally Condie and omigosh, Ally Condie knew who I was! How cool is that? Just one more reason to love blogging :)

In addition to getting books signed, listening to fabulous author panels and trying not to get lost as we sought out specific booths, we also scored a bunch of cool free stuff: a Judy Moody movie t-shirt, a Narnia DVD, Ben & Jerry's ice cream (Yes! Free Ben & Jerry's!), bookmarks and pencils galore, airbrush tattoos and these awesome glasses that my son immediately had to wear. There was so much to see, we didn't even get to half of it. At least now that we know what to expect, we'll be better prepared for next year.

My daughter was most excited about getting her book, Aloha, Kanani, signed by Lisa Yee. Yes, lucky Lisa Yee has written two books for the current American Girl doll of the year. And she scored a trip to Hawaii for research. That's my kind of research! Can I have her job? My daughter is especially proud of this doll because she saved up her own money to buy it. (And the lovely person at the American Girl doll store didn't even complain as she dumped the money out of the jar to pay for it!)

The YA panel of (left to right) Gennifer Choldenko, Robin Benway, Gayle Forman and Allen Zadoff was moderated by author Cecil Castellucci. They talked about finding inspiration for stories, choosing character names and balancing magic and reality in their writing. Halfway through the talk, my son turned to me and said, "Listening to this makes me want to go home and write."

Yeah. My sentiments exactly.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Joanne Fritz
Brooke Favero
Myrna Foster
Barbara Watson
Natalie Aguirre
Anita Laydon Miller

Of Paper, Blogs and Books

2011-04-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

When I interviewed Roland Smith, it surprised me to learn that he writes his first draft by hand in a journal. I haven't done that since seventh grade, the first time I ever completed writing a novel. The whole thing was written out on lined notebook paper in my Trapper Keeper. I still have it somewhere. In the garage. I think.

But I have noticed that whenever I get stuck on a story, it helps me to print it out and go over it with a pencil. It looks different in print than it does on screen. I look at my words differently. Scribbling notes to myself on paper or in a journal also helps. I never write a full outline, but I do like to write ideas, scenes or snatches of conversation on a note card.

Where do you write your first drafts? Do you write any part of them by hand? Does writing by hand help you when you're stuck?

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Tomorrow I'm going to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and I can hardly wait!! Not only am I looking forward to hearing authors like Lisa Yee, Megan McDonald, Ally Condie and Allen Zadoff, I also get to see crazy blogger buddy Shannon Whitney Messenger. Woo-hoo! And did I mention the festival is FREE? I love free :)

Today I get to hang out with Casey McCormick. Coffee will be involved. And books. It'll be a blogtastic start to my weekend. I love that so many writers who I've met through blogging have turned out to be living, breathing people. People that I call friends.

One of those amazing bloggers gets a Roland Smith paperback of their choice. And today the winner is Kristin at Another Gray Day.

Congrats, Kristin! Send me your snail mail and your title of choice and I'll get that book out to you. And to everybody else, have an amazing weekend! I know I will :)

How Babies are Made . . . According to an 8-year-old

2011-04-27T04:18:00.000-07:00

My husband gave our son "The Talk" before he started fifth grade. He was asking some pretty pointed questions by then and we wanted him to know the truth before he heard too many distorted playground versions.

I know that the younger kids tend to learn things sooner than older children but so far, at least in this regard, it hasn't happened yet with my daughter. At least I didn't think so until we had this conversation...

Last week my husband was out of town for work. I took the kids to a restaurant on Thursday after my son's fencing class. The three of us noticed an adorable baby across the aisle who was quite taken with my children.

After smiling and making faces at the baby, my daughter turned to me and asked, "Why doesn't Daddy spit in your mouth?"

"Um, because that would be gross?"

"No, Mommy. He needs to spit in your mouth so you can have another baby."

I literally choked on my water. And then laughed until I couldn't breathe. And then texted my husband and laughed some more.

Seriously, what are they learning on the playground?!

Author Spotlight on: Roland Smith

2011-04-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

It's another Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and I'm pleased to welcome author Roland Smith to the blog.

If you've been reading kids' books for a while, chances are you've come across a book by Roland Smith. With nearly 30 published titles to his name, Smith is a prolific writer of picture books, middle grade and YA novels. His stories are filled with realistic characters and amazing adventures that appeal to a wide range of readers. Last month he released STORM RUNNERS, the story of a boy and his father racing across the country in pursuit of hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. The second book in this series will be out in September.

Read through to the end for a chance to win one of Roland's books. But first, the interview...

Do you still write all your first drafts by hand?

My preference is to write my first drafts in a Moleskine journal. I do this because it's portable and doesn't need a battery. For me to keep the momentum on a story going it's best to carry it wherever I go, reminding that what I'm supposed to be doing is writing, even though as an author there are many other things that I have to do like speaking, signing, and selling books. If you write by hand there is no spell check, grammar check, it's just you and the story and the words. I just returned from speaking at a conference last night. Got to the airport early, took out my Moleskine and wrote my way across the country.

Just like Grace in Cryptid Hunters! I love it!

Besides the penchant for moleskine journals, your background working with animals also plays a part in a number of your novels. You’ve said that you’re uncomfortable with animals in captivity. How did that influence your choices when you worked in zoos, and now as an author?

I think everything in your life influences your writing and working in zoos as a zookeeper, curator, and research biologist for twenty years has certainly influenced my writing. When I say that I'm uncomfortable with animals in captivity I'm not saying that I oppose zoos. Zoos are here to stay and have done many wonderful things for wildlife. When I was hiring zookeepers I liked candidates that were a little uncomfortable with the idea of animals in captivity. I felt (and I believe I was right) that they would take better care of the animals in their charge. I should point out that 99% animals people see in zoos today were born in captivity. Very few wild born animals are put in zoos.

You’ve rescued sea otters, reintroduced wolves to the wild, lived in the jungle with elephants: is it safe to say that you’ve had hands on experience with many of the topics you write about?
Many, but not all. It's been said that you should write what you know. I think this is a little misleading. I don't know Stephanie Meyers, but I doubt that she's ever had an encounter with a vampire. My point is that you need to write about what is important to you, what's interesting to you, which can be very different than what you KNOW from personal experience.

You spend a lot of time traveling and doing hands on research for your novels. How long does it take you to research a novel before you start writing?

That of course depends on the novel. Here's my spectrum... I wrote my novel SASQUATCH in three weeks, and I was traveling during that entire period. The three elements in the novel were Mount St. Helens, Big Foot, and D.B. Cooper. I already knew a lot about all three subjects, so I didn't have to do a great deal of research. ELEPHANT RUN took me about 10 years to complete. I had to do a great deal of research, travel to Myanmar, and there are four completed novels with the same title, totally different from each other, that no one will ever see. I just couldn't get the story right until the fifth try and I won't send a book in unless I like it. When I started writing it took me twice as long to do the research as it did to write the novel. It takes me a little less time now. I think experience has made me a little more efficient.

SASQUATCH is one of my son's favorites. He'll probably be in awe to hear how fast you wrote that. I'm in awe of how fast you wrote that! But you’ve managed to release at least a book year since your first book came out in 1990. Do you work on more than one book at a time? How long does it take you to write and revise a novel?

On any given day I only work on one novel, but alas because of my many deadlines and book contracts (I'm not complaining) I'm working on more than one novel at a time. I don't think this is the best way to write a book and I don't recommend it. Ideally you (and I) should work on one book at a time. As soon as I catch up, and I've told myself this for years, this is how I'm going to write my books.

What happens to me is that I will be working on a book and an editor will send in the line edits for a book I finished, which means I need to stop working on the book I was working on and put my head back into the book I finished. Or, I will be working on a book and an editor will say we need for you to outline the book your supposed to send to us next year... "Could you please..." Again, I'm not complaining. I'm happy editors and readers want my books. Maybe someday, when I grow up, I will be able to work on one book at a time.

I know you’re a big reader. Do you read nonfiction? Middle grade? Adult fiction? What’s on your nightstand right now?
I read two or three books a week, and for the last couple of years almost all of the books I've read have been read with the Kindle app on my iPhone and iPad. I travel a lot and I travel light with a library of 250 books in my pocket. I read a lot of adult thrillers, adventure, and mysteries, which is the genres I write for young adults. I also read a lot of non-fiction. I just finished reading "At Home: A Short History of Private Life" by Bill Bryson. The week before I finished "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbran." Both were fantastic reads, which have nothing to do with the novels I'm working on at the moment.

I do read YA books that my friends write, or publishers send me. For instance I just got back from Texas where I was speaking at a luncheon with 5 other authors, some whom I knew, some whom I didn't know. I read their most current books, because it's rude not to know the work of the people you are speaking with.

Your I,Q novels don’t deal with wild animals or cryptids or the outdoors at all. What was the inspiration for this series?
Again, I write about what's important to me. When an author writes something different from what they've written before it's often said that "it's a departure" for them. The truth is that it's a departure for the reader because the reader doesn't know the author personally or what interests him or her.

My son and I are dying to know: how much longer do we have to wait for the sequel to Tentacles?
It's schedule to be out in 2012. In fact, I'm working on it today right now....

Awesome! Can't wait to read it!

Want to know more about Roland Smith? Here's where you can find him around the web:

Website
Twitter
Facebook

If you'd like to win one of Roland Smith's amazing novels, tell me in the comments. One lucky reader will get to choose any of his novels that is available in paperback. Comment by Thursday midnight (PST). A winner will be announced Friday.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger talks TIGER and has a giveaway as well.
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Joanne Fritz
Brooke Favero
Myrna Foster
Barbara Watson
Aly at Kidlit Frenzy
Anita Laydon Miller
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I also have winners to announce from the YA giveaway last week.

The winner of Jellicoe Road is:

The winner of The Water Wars is:

And since Amanda Hoving was the only one to put her name in for Soul Enchilada, that one goes to her!

Congrats to all the winners!! Send your mailing address to solvangsherrie at gmail dot com and I will get these books out to you.

Teen Book Drop and the E-volution of Free Books

2011-04-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for free books, today is your lucky day. I've got plenty to choose from! And that's much nicer than worrying about those nasty taxes, isn't it?

It's no secret that e-books have been growing at a steady rate. As book chains fail and publishers tighten their belts, readers keep flocking to digital editions, often lured by lower priced stories and "free for a limited time" offers from bestselling authors like these:
Wings by Aprilynne Pike (free through April 18)
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (free through April 25)

But I had no idea just how fast sales have been growing. Most articles I read said that e-book sales were still only 5% or less of total sales for publishers. That's changed. Dramatically. Yesterday in Publisher's Weekly they announced that e-book sales for the first two months of this year are equal to trade paperback sales for the same period. That's right. EQUAL to trade paperback sales for 19 reporting publishers. Just for the month of February, e-book sales jumped 200%. That's huge!

But if we go completely digital, what will happen to events like Teen Lit Day?

Yesterday readergirlz promoted Rock the Drop! and we did our part by leaving three YA novels in popular hangouts on State Street in Santa Barbara. We left Paranormalcy by Kiersten White at Starbucks on the corner of Cota, As You Wish by Jackson Pearce at Yogurtland and Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green at Natural Cafe. My daughter couldn't stop watching the people walking by the books we left, hoping someone would pick them up and take them home. She got so excited every time someone would look at them. Unfortunately, no one took them while we were watching. But it got her thinking.

"Why do we only do this once a year?" she asked.

I didn't have a good answer. As soon as we got home, she started pulling out more books that we could leave for people to find. I have a feeling we'll be dropping plenty more books in the weeks to come! And this time we'll leave notes on the covers so that people know right away that the books are meant to be taken.

If you're not in the Santa Barbara area and you don't have an e-reader, never fear! I'm still going to Rock the Drop right here on my blog. I love to see people smile when they get a free book, even if it's just a virtual grin :)

So what's up for grabs? Melina Marchetta's Printz winning novel Jellicoe Road, Cameron Stracher's dystopian debut The Water Wars and David MacInnis Gill's riotous deal with the devil, Soul Enchilada. And how can you win one of these prizes? Leave a comment letting me know which book you'd like me to send your way. If you don't pick one, you won't be entered in the drawing. (And that's okay! I still like to hear from you!) Random winners will be announced on Monday, April 25.

My kids are on spring break next week so I'll be on a blogging break. Have a fabulous week and I'll be back with a Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and three lucky winners on April 25.

Brand X

2011-04-13T04:25:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been talking about author brands. (Stina did a good post that explains it pretty well.) I’m no expert on the subject. In fact, I screwed up from the get-go by using Solvang Sherrie for my blogspot address instead of Sherrie Petersen. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called Solvang as a result. (Note: it’s the town I live in, not my name!)

Actress Sherrie Peterson

But say you go to brand yourself, only to find out that someone beat you there, stole your name before you had a chance to lay claim. Google Sherrie Peterson and you’ll find an actress. Not me. But that’s who comes up when you spell my name wrong. (I’m “en” instead of “on.”)

Author Matthew J. Kirby added his middle initial when he found writers (and a whole lot of other people!) with the same name.

Another Matthew I know had a similar problem. Only the person who shares his name turns out to be a porn star. X-rated images are NOT what you want your fans to come across, especially when you're writing for the under 18 crowd! You may recognize him from his blog, The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. What you may not know is why he recently changed his name from Matthew Rush to Matthew MacNish.

How did you discover that you shared the same name as a porn star?
I don't remember. It was years ago, and I can only assume I just Googled my name, and he came up (pun intended).

Ha! Yeah, I guess that particular job lends itself to all sorts of punny possibilities. Why'd you decide to change your last name instead of just adding an initial or using your middle name?
Well the pen name MacNish actually is my middle name. Sort of. My middle name is Minneice, which is an anglicized version of my grandmother's maiden name, which was MacNish, from her clan in Scotland.

Very cool. I love the history of names like this. You know I have some Scottish ancestors, too, on the Stevens side of my family.
Scottish is awesome.

I agree! So tell me, what kind of books do you write? Anything with crossover appeal for the other Matthew Rush's audience? :-)
Hmm. Interesting question. I've only written one novel, and I call it YA Rural Fantasy, but that's sort of a joke. There are no erotic scenes so I'm not sure how excited fans of the famous Matthew Rush would get.

Rural Fantasy? That's a subgenre I haven't come across yet!
Do you miss using your real name on the internet?
Not really. It's fun to have a pen name.

Has it caused any confusion for people who already knew you as Matthew Rush?
Just a few, but I didn't know them well, and they figured it out soon enough.

Well, Matthew, here's hoping one day you're just as famous as the other guy who shares your name. Though, you know, not for the same reason... (Sorry, you it probably makes you crazy, but it kinda still cracks me up!)
Don't feel bad about laughing about it for one second ... it's HILARIOUS. I still laugh about it a lot myself.

Thanks for sharing the reasons behind your name change. You've obviously maintained your sense of humor about it :P

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So tell me -- have you ever Googled your name and been surprised by the results? What brand are you representing on the internet?

Book Review: Beyonders by Brandon Mull

2011-04-11T04:20:00.000-07:00

It's another Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and I'm pleased to offer up a guest review from one of the toughest book critics you'll ever hear from: my 11-year-old son. A huge Brandon Mull fan, he insisted that we pre-order Beyonders as soon as he heard about it. Then he spent the 24 hours after it arrived, reading it from cover to cover.

I haven't had a chance to read this book yet, but based on his review, I think I'll be sneaking into his room after he goes to school to check it out for myself :-)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Being eaten by a hippo is both a good start for a book and something funny that you would never want to happen to you.

I've read all of Brandon Mull’s books and this is one of his best. It starts off with Jason, a 13-year-old who works at the zoo, getting swallowed by a hippopotamus and traveling to an alternate dimension called Lyrian. He meets another Beyonder (what the Lyrians call people from Earth), a girl his age named Rachel. Together, they set off on a quest to find the word to unmake the evil wizard emperor, Maldor, and find a way home.

Let’s start with the cons. It is a bit TOO coincidental that two Beyonders end up in the same place, on the same day, and find each other at the same palace. And did he need to bring a girl in so that it would appeal to female readers as well? I don't think so. This is a great adventure that would appeal to most girls even if there wasn't a girl main character. Also, the last ten pages are too quick and what happens is extremely unlikely.

Now that I’ve finished with the bad stuff, I’ll tell you the good stuff. The writing was excellent, and the elements he mixed into it felt extremely cinematic. The way Jason is dragged into the quest is realistic, and he acts like an actual person. What I mean by this is that he doesn’t become a leader and take up the quest willingly and give his life for the other world. He just wants to go home. The story has plenty of action to keep readers entertained. Plus, the ending had an interesting twist to it, but I won’t give you any specifics. Some of the things that happen in the story might be too intense for young kids, but this is a really good book for older middle grade readers.

Rating: 7.8/10
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Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Myrna Foster
Joanne Fritz
Brooke Favero

The Ballard Jamboree

2011-04-08T04:35:00.000-07:00

My kids go to a school that has been in continuous operation since 1883. This historic little red school house was actually yellow when they first built it. These days, it serves as the kindergarten classroom. Over the years it has seen countless children pass through it's doors, and more than its share of mothers crying as they leave their children on the first day of school. Some cry out of nostalgia, a few from separation anxiety, and others for joy and anticipation of a few hours of peace at last :-)

The little red school house is the backdrop for everything we do at Ballard School. Every morning students in K-6th grade gather around the flag to say the Pledge of Allegiance while two students raise the flag and another two ring the bell in the tower. Some days, this simple ceremony can bring tears to my eyes. Especially now, as my son nears the end of his time on this campus.

This past weekend we gathered together for a fundraiser, a day of old-fashioned fun that included sack races, tug o' war, pie throwing and the largest game of musical chairs you'll ever see. It took weeks of work for parents to coordinate, plan, decorate, advertise, sell tickets and procure auction items. But in the end, we raised more than $50,000 to help the PTA pay for field trips, special assemblies, computer maintenance and a music program for our students. Keep in mind this is a school with only 118 students. Maybe since we only do this big fundraiser every three years or so, people are more willing to spend money to benefit their kids.

As for the kids, the Jamboree is just a day of fun. A happy memory of cotton candy and barbecue, games and friends, music and celebration. Hopefully, as they grow older and move away from our small community, they can look back fondly on days like this and appreciate how lucky they were to grow up in the little town of Solvang.

Switching the Goal

2011-04-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

Most stories start with a character who wants something. That need, that desire, is what drives the story forward as the protagonist fumbles their way toward achieving that goal. I've read countless books, blog posts and magazine articles talking about the importance of making your character's need very clear from the beginning of the story so that readers know to cheer as the MC gets closer to his goal, or feel frustrated as obstacles keep him from the goal.

But can the goal change over the course of the story?

Say you have a character who is desperate to get back home. But the taxi breaks down on the way to the airport, she misses her flight and is stranded by the side of the road. While she waits for another taxi, a minivan crashes in front of her. She pulls the lone survivor from the burning vehicle, a child who is suddenly alone in the world.

How would this affect your character? Would it change her goal, at least for the short-term?

Say your character decides to help this child get back to his family on the other side of the country, even though it means delaying her own desire to return home. Now she has a huge obstacle. Not only is she going in the opposite direction of where she actually wants to go, she's also responsible for another human being.

The choices your characters make don't just affect their goals. They also reveal who they are as people. My imaginary character could have handed the child off to the police and caught the next flight out of town. But then what would that say about her as a person?

What about in your story? Do you have characters with changing goals? Is your protagonist sometimes his or her own antagonist as well?

Before You Kiss that Frog...

2011-04-04T04:17:00.000-07:00

I've never been a big fan of pink. I begged to wear jeans instead of dresses and I never wanted to be a princess.

So you'd think with the pink cover, the tiara and "princess" in the title, it would be enough to scare me away. But the truth is, I love THE FROG PRINCESS by E.D. Baker.

Now, if you've seen the Disney movie that was supposedly based on this book, then I strongly urge you to read the book. About the only similarities you'll find are that the princess kisses a frog who claims to be a prince and turns into a frog herself. The movie is kind of fun in it's own way, but the book, well, does it surprise you that I like the book better?!

The best thing about Princess Emma is that she's not your typical princess. She doesn't like the prince her parents have picked out for her, she's clumsy, she prefers to be outside rather than in a stuffy castle and her mother has pretty much decided that she's hopeless. Sometimes, she doesn't even want to be a princess. I can relate to this girl! But the best thing about Emma is her sense of humor. This book made us laugh out loud when I read it with my daughter. And he'll never admit it, but my son enjoyed hearing it, too :O)

Once she kisses the frog and the spell doesn't work, Emma and Eadrick are off on an adventure to find the witch who cursed him. They're hoping to reverse their froggy fates and get back to their families, but along the way there's plenty of adventure and fun.

Like many middle grade books, this is the first in a series. The eighth and final book came out this past fall. The four I've read in the series have all been funny, lighthearted and great to read with any age. Unlike some series' that tend to get darker as they go along, the characters in Tales of the Frog Princess maintain their playful spirits and the stories are nothing but fun. Even for someone who doesn't care for princesses.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Myrna Foster
Joanne Fritz

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-04-01T04:01:00.000-07:00

Sweet, juicy, strawberries in March. And do you see how big they are?

That's a quarter on the table beside them. Ginormous!

Watching my son catch a fish...

...and then feed it to this guy.

Seeing snow up on the mountains when it's over 90 degrees here in the valley.

Sadly, most of this has melted now.

All the amazing bloggers I've met. You all ROCK!!

What I've Learned About Writing

2011-03-30T04:34:00.000-07:00

The more you write, the better you get.

There you have it. Everything I know boiled down to eight simple words. Deep thoughts, right? You probably already knew that.

But knowing it, and truly knowing it, are sometimes two very different things.

I didn't find an agent with the first book I queried. It won awards, it got requests, it had some close calls. I put blood, sweat and tears into that story. It was the absolute best that I could do.

At the time.

While I queried it, I started working on another story, the one that did land me with the incredibly wonderful Michelle Humphrey. And even though I found the first draft of that story quite brilliant, critique partners and beta readers were wise enough to point out what needed work. Sometimes quite bluntly :-) It took editing, rewriting, more editing, and another big rewrite until it got to the place where it was good enough to catch my agent's attention.

Last month when I went back to read that first book, the one I queried for a year to no avail, I discovered something amazing: I'm a better writer now than I was two years ago. Much better. I am SO glad that story never got published. It wasn't ready. And neither was I.

Of course, I didn't know it at the time. I probably would have been pissed off if someone suggested it at the time. It was the best I could do then. But by keeping at it, my best keeps getting better.

So my advice to every aspiring writer out there? Keep pouring your heart onto the page. Keep listening to people who are willing to give you feedback on your writing, even if you don't agree with it at the time. Because even the worst critique usually has at least a kernel of truth in it. Don't get discouraged. Everyone has suffered rejection and lived through it. Everyone has had to rewrite a story they thought they were done with.

The most important thing you can do is to keep at it. Keep writing. You can only get better.

An Action-Packed Series

2011-03-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

"When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news."

Isn't that a great first line? It's the opening sentence of STORMBREAKER by Anthony Horowitz, the first book of the Alex Rider series. Awesome as that line is, the book only gets better from there.

Forced into spying for the British government agency M16, Alex Rider takes over the mission that got his late uncle killed. As he uncovers the plot, he learns the truth about his uncle's death as well. Alex is a likable hero, strong yet believable, and the clever way he gets out of situations keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The action never lets up in this book. In fact, I wouldn't recommend that you start it before bed because you'll be up all night reading and then trying to get your hands on the next book in the series. The plot is full of twists and turns, and of course, explosions. Every good spy novel has explosions, right? And If you've ever been fascinated by the cool gadgets that James Bond uses, you'll enjoy the ones Alex gets: zit cream that melts metal, a Game Boy that can find electronic bugs, and more.

Book 9 (yes, nine!) in the series, SCORPIA RISING, just came out this month so of course my 11yo had to buy it. These books skew to the older end of middle grade, but advanced readers as young as eight or nine will enjoy them too and parents won't have to worry about inappropriate content. While there are plenty of heart-pounding action scenes, there's no graphic violence or language.

STORMBREAKER was made into a decent movie starring Alex Pettyfer (currently starring in I AM NUMBER FOUR), but as always, the book (at least for me) is better. If you've got a middle grade reader who likes spies, epic action scenes and nonstop suspense, this is the perfect book to start them off with.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Myrna Foster
Brooke Favero
Joanne Fritz

Writing Racy Part II

2011-03-25T04:17:00.000-07:00

I just want to offer a heartfelt thank you for all the fabulous responses on Wednesday's post. You guys have given me a lot to think about.

I've spent a lot of time the last two days emailing back and forth with people who commented and I have to say, these conversations have been awesome. If you left a comment and you didn't hear from me, it's because I don't have your email address. Add it to your blogger profile or your sidebar or just email me at solvangsherrie at gmail dot com. I'm loving the thoughtful responses and I'd love to continue the conversations.

Because really, this isn't just about race. If you're female do you have a responsibility for how you portray females? What if you're gay or a cancer survivor or overweight or in a wheelchair? How much of who you are informs how and what you choose to write about?

As I said to many of you, I think in many ways, we're better off looking for our similarities than pointing out our differences. And yet, sometimes, by highlighting those obvious differences, we can then show our similarities with even greater impact. At least in my idealistic world :)

Maybe the fact that I've never experienced overt racism impacts my attitude. I mean, the worst thing that ever happened to me was in first grade. A kid named Stan told me I was chocolate ice cream and he was vanilla and vanilla was way better than chocolate. He actually taunted me for quite a while with this nonsense until a teacher heard him and he got busted. To this day, I'm not a fan of chocolate ice cream. Is it because of Stan? I have no idea whether or not I liked chocolate ice cream before Stan showed up in my life. But I do know that there are plenty of people who've had to deal with far worse. And I think for them, this issue could take on a whole different meaning.

I'd like to believe that one day race won't matter. That someday people won't be judged by their skin color, by whom they love or by any of the barriers that divide us now. Wouldn't that be lovely?

I'd also like to believe that one day I'll turn on the news and not see a single item about Charlie Sheen or Lindsay Lohan.

Hey, a girl can dream, right?

And now, the winner of CAMO GIRL by Kekla Magoon:

Woo-hoo! Congratulations, Sheri!
Email me with your address and I will get that book right out to you.

And to everyone else, have a fabulous weekend <<33

Writing Racy

2011-03-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed from my little avatar, but just in case you didn't, I'll let you in on a secret: I'm not white.

Sorry if it came as a surprise. It's so much a part of me that I don't think about it on a daily basis. I certainly don't stop to point it out, at least not until today. Even when I look in the mirror I don't notice the color of my skin or the slant to my eyes. It's just me. I've been mistaken for Filipino, Hawaiian, Black, Latina... I am all of that, and none of it. (Oddly enough, no one has ever mistaken me for English or Scottish, even though I'm also that and only God knows what else!)

Every once in a while someone will ask me where I'm from. My answer? Ohio. That is where I was born after all. Sometimes they'll laugh, they think I'm toying with them. But originally, they'll say, where are your parents from? Um, Nicaragua and Jamaica. Oooohhhh... Like that explains it.

The thing is, I've never claimed to be anything other than a first-generation American. My parents are both mixed race so in my opinion, there's not enough of any one nationality in me to claim one race. That would be shortchanging part of who I am. When I fill out those forms that ask for ethnicity, I check every box except Eskimo. As far as I know, that's the only one that doesn't apply. But honestly, if an Alaskan native shows up on my doorstep and claims to be related, I'm not going to faint from surprise. I've got everything else. Why not that too?

But as a writer, what is my responsibility to represent people like me in the pages of my books?

I've been blogging for two years and never felt the need to talk about my race. People either like reading my posts or they don't. I don't think my race has anything to do with it.

In my books, I imagine characters who are not white, but I never say what any of them are. I don't think I even mention skin color except in one story. And every reader thought from my description that the kid just had a tan. *sigh* In many of the stories I've read where they do mention skin color, it often sounds contrived. Sometimes through language or situations or names, you realize that the character isn't white. That, to me, is the most natural way to integrate it.

Or through the cover. But that's a whole other can of worms that I'm not even going to get into. Not today at least.

Because there are a lot of people like me. We were born in America, we see ourselves as American. We don't have ethnic names, we just speak English (okay, yes, I speak Spanish as well, but ignore that for the moment!).

Do I have a responsibility as a writer to find a way to represent people like me on the page?

(And btw, sorry if you were expecting a different type of racy discussion, but I write middle grade. You can visit Stina if you want a more sexy topic :P )

Author Spotlight on: Kekla Magoon

2011-03-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

It's another marvelous Middle Grade Monday and I'm pleased to have an interview with author (and agent mate) Kekla Magoon.

Kekla made a splash with her debut novel, THE ROCK AND THE RIVER, winning the American Library Association's Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent. The book was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award and was named a 2010 ALA Notable Book for Children and a YALSA 2010 Best Books for Young Adults. What a way to debut!

Her latest book, a contemporary middle grade novel called CAMO GIRL, came out in January and earned a starred review from Kirkus.

Find out how you can win a copy of this marvelous middle grade book at the end of the interview.

How amazing was it to get so much attention for your first novel?
Amazing, yes. It was many things at once: wonderful, exciting, flattering, perhaps nerve-wracking at times. (I'm comfortable in my pajamas at the computer, and suddenly I had to find something to WEAR to all these events!)

When ROCK came out, I hoped it would get noticed for being the first novel with significant content about the Black Panther Party for young people, but it still surprises me that the book was so widely well-received right away. I was really thrilled to be honored with the CSK New Talent Award, because the awards are selected by librarians, who are such fabulous book-oriented people--and very discerning! I can't imagine a bigger honor than ALA folk reading and enjoying my books, because that's how they'll really get into kids' hands. My other favorite award was the Eva Perry Book Club's Mock-Newbery, because I got to meet with a really fun bunch of teens at the ALA convention.

The most unexpected thing was the NAACP Image Award nomination--before I got nominated it wasn't even on my radar as something to hope for. I got to go to Los Angeles for the televised award show (the literature part wasn't televised, but still) and I saw lots of Hollywood stars! Overall, it's been extremely uplifting and gratifying to know that people have come to care about my book as much as I do, and especially to know that it has helped inspire youth and educators to consider a different perspective on the civil rights movement.

Bummer they didn't televise your part, but still, what an incredible experience! Even though THE ROCK AND THE RIVER is historical, the writing feels so immediate. How hard was it to put yourself in 1968 to write this story?
Kids sometimes ask me if I was alive in the civil rights movement, because the story feels believable. I'm so glad you phrased it differently! But I'm always glad to hear that the writing feels immediate.

I did work hard to put myself in a different time period, mostly through my imagination. I listened to 60s music on a playlist sometimes when I was writing, or to get into the mood to write. I also feel connected to the underlying issues of the story--race relations and social justice movements--because I deal with these issues in my own life in the present, although the manifestations are different today.

Whatever's in me that made me want to tell this story is based on things I have experienced or witnessed, so I put a lot of that into the characters. I wasn't alive in the 60s (my memory starts somewhere in the mid-80s) but it really wasn't as long ago as it sometimes seems. There are lots of people in my life who remember those difficult days, and I was able to draw on their knowledge, as well as on research material like books, newspapers and documentary films. Interestingly, much of the intergenerational sharing has taken place after the book's release. Invariably, older people who read the book will come up to me and say, "I enjoyed your book; it reminds me of..." and they proceed to tell me a story about their own memories of the movement.

You did so much research on The Black Panthers and the civil rights movement for this book. Do you plan to put together a non-fiction companion book at some point?
Yes, I would like to do a non-fiction book on The Black Panthers. I'm currently researching and developing a proposal for it, actually. It's an important Black History topic that isn't widely talked about, especially with children and youth, but it's starting to be on the radar after THE ROCK AND THE RIVER as well as Rita Williams-Garcia's Newbery Honor-winning title ONE CRAZY SUMMER.

CAMO GIRL is very different from THE ROCK AND THE RIVER. Are you more attracted to contemporary stories or do you plan to write more historicals?
I like both historical and contemporary. They serve different purposes for me, both as a reader and a writer, in the same way that fantasy serves a different purpose than realistic fiction. I often like to deal with so-called "edgy" topics in contemporary fiction. If that's too generic a term, I could specify by saying I write about topics that challenge me in different ways, things I struggle with or things I see others struggling with in the world.

In CAMO GIRL, those issues include bullying, childhood psychological issues, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some would argue that exploring the Black Panthers is an "edgy" topic for historical too, I suppose, but for me historical fiction is more about understanding what it might have been like to live in a certain place and time. I like history, but what I'm attracted to is the story behind different moments, and how people navigated difficult choices within situations that really occurred.

How long does it take you to write and revise a novel?
Each one is different. Generally speaking, it takes me at least a calendar year to take a book from the idea stage to a complete manuscript good enough for submission to my agent or editor, but it doesn't take me a year's worth of actual writing time. In other words, I write pretty quickly, but I work on multiple projects at once. My inspiration/enthusiasm/commitment to each piece waxes and wanes. Sometimes I need time to mull.

I wrote THE ROCK AND THE RIVER in about a year, then did two meaningful revisions over the course of the next two years. But after that first year, I was never working on it exclusively. I wrote the bulk of CAMO GIRL in about three months, but I knew the story and had been picking at it page by page for about a year beforehand--but during that year I was actively drafting another novel! At the other extreme, a novel I drafted the first five pages of back in 2003, I only just sent my agent the full finished copy in 2010.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Pantser, until I figure out the plot, then I switch over. I rarely write my chapters in chronological order, though, even after I know the general plot. I jump around a lot, drafting scenes that feel right to me, usually knowing as I type that "This will be in the book, I just don't know where yet!"

I've heard so much about the Vermont MFA program. How do you think it benefited you as a writer?
VCFA has affected me--and my career--in truly countless ways. I'm inherently excited about writing and I think I would still be writing even if I hadn't discovered the VCFA program, but I can't imagine that my life as a writer would be unfolding the way it is right now without that place and the people I've met there.

I'll break it down three ways:

One, simple craft. I know that my writing improved dramatically as a result of the intense and focused environment, the wisdom, talent and commitment of the faculty, and the support and guidance of my classmates.
Two, intention. Going through the program changed me from a "dabbler" to a "writer." This is a linguistic distinction--I believe if you write at all, you are a writer--but VCFA helped me claim writing as a deep personal value, an aspiration, and ultimately empowered me to pursue it as a career.
Three, community. Going to residency as an adult is like going to camp as a kid. Writing is a solitary occupation; it's so easy to get too far into your own head, and the regular non-writer people in your life can rarely relate to the struggles you go through. Other writers can.

I can't fully articulate the emotion behind that sort of validation, but it's the same reason why librarians get excited at ALA, or teachers at NCTE, or SCBWI members at a conference--the people there GET you!

How long does it take to complete the coursework? Would you do it again?
Indeed, there are times when I wish I could do it again! I absolutely would recommend VCFA to anyone who is serious and committed to his or her writing. The MFA program lasts two years, which comprises four semesters of independent coursework with a faculty mentor and five total residencies--one to start each semester, plus one at the end of the program when you graduate.

I returned to the campus this January to serve as a Graduate Assistant during the residency. It was great to re-enter the supportive, passionate community for an extended period of time. Frankly, the community's support has never waned for me, no matter where I am--we continue to form an active network with one another online and in person. It's been an extremely dynamic experience for me to be connected to VCFA, both as a student and as an alum!

What do you have coming out next?
This spring I have a non-fiction book out called TODAY THE WORLD IS WATCHING YOU (Lerner), which tells the story of the Little Rock Nine and their struggle for school integration in the late 1950s after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision. It's actually available now, although it's official release date is not until April.

In 2012, I have a YA novel called 37 THINGS I LOVE coming out with Henry Holt (for those detail-oriented readers who are curious, this is the novel I was drafting while picking at CAMO GIRL for a year!) and a companion novel to THE ROCK AND THE RIVER called FIRE IN THE STREETS with Aladdin/Simon & Schuster.

Sounds like you've got a busy schedule ahead! Thanks for stopping by, Kekla!
Thanks, Sherrie!

You can learn more about Kekla on her web page

Or watch a Simon & Schuster interview about her favorite people in history

If you'd like to win a copy of CAMO GIRL, let me know in the comments. I'll be announcing a random winner on Friday so be sure to leave your comment before midnight on Thursday, March 24. Good luck!!

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Myrna Foster
Brooke Favero
Joanne Fritz

What I've Learned About Queries

2011-03-18T04:10:00.000-07:00

We all know that querying sucks. It's hard to be rejected, hard to put yourself out there when you've been shot down so many times before.

But here's the thing: sometimes when you get the polite, "Thank you, but it's not the right fit," all they're really saying is, "It's not the right fit."

Now I'm assuming here that you've written a killer query and had it vetted by several people. I'm also assuming that you have written, revised, let it sit, and then rewritten and revised some more. Because if you've only written and revised and you're getting rejections, then by all means, go back and revise again before you send out more queries.

This is for the people who have done that, the people who have done everything in their power to craft the best story they possibly can. I know a LOT of people who are here. I've read their books. I know they're talented writers.

And I'm here to say, truly, sometimes it's not you. It's them.

I don't mean that in an adversarial way. All I'm saying is that there are a whole realm of possibilities out there. The agent you queried may have just signed someone with a similar story. Maybe they're holding out for a particular kind of story that they know a certain editor is looking for. Maybe they think it's a great idea, but not something they want to represent. Or maybe they just weren't feeling it that day.

Who. Knows.

The point is, this part of the process is out of your control. You can't beat yourself up second guessing the hidden meaning in a rejection. Sometimes it's not you. It's them.

Don't lose hope.

You only need one yes. But you might not get it until after you've heard a hundred nos.

Write the best story you can. Write the best query you can. And above all, keep writing. As long as you believe, one day it will pay off.

My Favorite Book

2011-03-16T04:24:00.000-07:00

It may seem kind of strange, but I rarely open my favorite book in my collection. I haven't read it cover to cover. Honestly, I only pull it out on occasion to read some of my favorite parts.

Why?

Because it's really, really old. As in printed-before-the-last-century old.

My 1882 Excelsior Edition of Andersen's Fairy Tales

Kind of silly, I know. But I love that the cover is embossed leather with gold leaf. I love the musty smell that comes off the yellowed pages. I love that inside there's an ad for additional collections, all priced at $1. I love that I paid $2 when I bought it from an antique store years ago. To me, its worth so much more.

I recently pulled it down to reread The Tinderbox, a favorite of mine as a child. I remember being fascinated with the story because while many fairy tales seemed to have a moral, this one was kind of immoral. The main character killed people who got in his way, never paid for his crimes and got to marry the princess in the end.

Hmmm.... No wonder Disney hasn't popularized this one....

What's your favorite book in your collection? Why?

Proof that You're a Writer...

2011-03-11T04:30:00.000-08:00

Used with permission from Debbie Ridpath Ohi at Inkygirl.com.

You edit everything, including your husband. While he's speaking to you.
Your main purpose for leaving the house is to scribble down conversations that other people are having so that you can go back home and type them into your novel.
You accidentally call your children by the names of characters in the book you are writing. And they answer.
You know more names of editors and agents in New York than you do of the people living on your street.
You go into withdrawal if you spend more than a few hours away from your computer.
A day without checking your email makes you so ill you end up in the ER, where fortunately, they have free wireless access.
You have better conversations with the voices in your head than the people sitting next to you.
You prefer to sit in a quiet room with your computer than to go out on a Saturday night.
You can come up with five other words for "look" without even thinking.
The word 'rejection' makes your heart stop, even when it has nothing to do with your writing.

Do you have any more to add? Leave them in the comments :)

I won't be posting on Monday because the kids are off from school so we're going to Knott's Berry Farm (which actually has far more roller coasters than berries these days). Have a great weekend and I'll see you back here on Wednesday!

Reading Out Loud

2011-03-09T03:15:00.000-08:00

Today is World Read Aloud Day, part of LitWorld's global literacy movement. If you're in New York City, you can check out the 24-hour Read Aloud Marathon in Times Square, where they'll be having some famous names read to the crowds. But if you're like me, living in a different part of the country, you can find another way to mark the day.

My daughter and I decided to celebrate by reading one of our favorite picture books together, Bark, George by Jules Feiffer. Believe it or not, this hilarious PB has less than 230 words. Talk about making every word count!

Happy reading!

Building on a Classic

2011-03-07T04:18:00.000-08:00

Like most kids, mine enjoy a good pirate story. We've read How I Became a Pirate, Uncle Pirate, The Time Pirates, and of course Peter Pan. So when I showed my kids the cover of Peter and the Starcatchers, they were more than willing to have me read it to them.

Now I happen to love a good retelling of a fairy tale. (Check out this review of three versions of my favorite fairy tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon). But the writing duo of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson do more than just retell the tale of Peter Pan. They turn it on it's head and create their own mythology. Filled with adventure, magic and, of course, pirates, this story also has a huge dose of humor (always a plus with middle grade). We see how Peter and the Lost Boys first cross paths with Hook (who has a different name since he doesn't have his hook yet) and Smee. We also learn how Tinkerbell and the mermaids of the lagoon come into existence.

This book makes a great read-aloud (perfect for National Read Aloud Day on Wednesday), but it's easy enough for good readers to tackle on their own. Now that there are four books in the series, this is an excellent choice for kids who like to follow a group of characters on numerous adventures.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade book reviews? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Myrna Foster
Brooke Favero
Joanne Fritz

Beautiful Blogger

2011-03-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

I've been bad about passing on blogging awards, so I'm trying to rectify that by following up on this one that I received on Monday from Tabitha Olson. Thank you, Tabitha! (And if you don't follow her blog Writer Musings, you should! She writes great book reviews AND has some awesome giveaways!)

When she gave me the award, Tabitha listed seven pet peeves, so here are mine:

Finding the word "perched" in every single book I read. It's become a game for the kids when I read to them. And oddly enough, we find it every single time. Perching is for birds, not people, not houses and it's not a creative use of the word when it's in every book.
People who complain about the weather. If it rains, their plans are ruined. If it's sunny, they miss the rain. I mean seriously, we live in Southern California. It doesn't get much better than this. Enjoy what comes. It's all good. And complaining won't change it anyway.
Misspelled words in advertising and product names. I downloaded a multiplication game for my daughter called Timez Attack. I'm sorry, but just because we're concentrating on multiplications doesn't mean you can spell the title wrong. It doesn't make the game more fun. It just undermines a different part of her education. Ugh.
Tourists. Maybe because I live in a tourist town, but it really drives me crazy when they stand in the middle of the street to take a picture of a windmill. Hello! Trying to get somewhere without killing anyone but you're making it difficult!
Laundry.
Socks. Especially when they never make it into the laundry basket.
Buying a book for myself. And then finding another copy buried under the stack by my nightstand. Although that sometimes turns into a sweet giveaway on the blog :)

I'm passing this award on to seven other beautiful bloggers, in no particular order:
Laura Pauling
Kristan Hoffman
Lori Walker
Anne Gallagher
Bish Denham
Angela Felsted
Lenny Lee

And the winner of Michael Spradlin's The Youngest Templar: KEEPER OF THE GRAIL is:

Congratulations, Kelly! Send me your snail mail and I'll get this book out to you asap.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Read Across America Day

2011-03-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

If Dr. Seuss was still alive, he'd be 107 years old. And probably pretty amazed by the legacy he's left behind.

To celebrate his birthday (and encourage young readers) the National Education Association established Read Across America Day in 1998. Schools, libraries and book stores observe the day in different ways. My daughter's third grade class gets to have a reading party before lunch. The kids bring in a stuffed animal or pillow and a favorite book to share.

But the celebration doesn't last for just one day. March is Read Across America month and NEA has an downloadable calendar with resources and ideas for keeping kids reading every day of the year.

Their website has plenty of ideas for creating reading events that support literacy for children.

And if you'd like to win a wonderful book to read with a child (or on your own!) leave a comment on the post below before midnight on Thursday. The winner will be announced Friday. Happy reading!

Author Spotlight on: Michael P. Spradlin

2011-02-28T04:23:00.000-08:00

It's a Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and I'm pleased to be interviewing Michael Spradlin, author of The Youngest Templar trilogy. These fast-paced adventures mix history with fantasy, and I have to say, they are absolutely addictive. (If you'd like to own a copy of the first book in the series, read on to the end of this post for your chance to win.)

But don't just take my word for it. Meg Cabot agrees with me. Seriously.

“Adventure quest at its best. Tristan is a hero to remember. Readers will be dying for the next installment."

Pretty cool, huh? My 11-year-old actually discovered this series and lists them among his top ten favorite books. He's a pretty tough critic so that's high praise coming from him! When he found out I was interviewing the author, he threw some of his own questions into the mix.

My son got me hooked on the Youngest Templar series. I think I read all three books in two days. Like him, I couldn’t stop once I started. But now we both want to know: Are you going to continue the series? (We’d really love it if the answer is yes!)

I would love it if the answer was yes as well!

I think I left enough threads in the story to be picked up and explored and continued, but the decision doesn’t rest with me. It’s up to the readers. And what I mean by that is, it’s up to the readers and fans of the series to convince the publisher that the audience wants more books. And that’s true with any book or series not just The Youngest Templar. Not every series is a mega bestseller out of the gate like Percy Jackson or Wimpy Kid. Readers who write enthusiastic reviews on websites like Amazon and BN.com are enormously helpful. Who recommend the books to their friends and fellow readers, they are a series’ best friend. And frankly, not to be crass about it, but it comes down to readers buying the books they’ve read and loved as birthday gifts and Christmas presents and as donations to their school or local library. Nothing replaces word of mouth and the recommendations of others when it comes to helping an author continue to write more books in a series that readers love.

Publishing is like any business, driven by the bottom line. And it takes a lot of luck and support from fans and readers to be able to continue a series. I would love to keep writing more Youngest Templar novels. But at this point it’s not really up to me.

I am shopping around a Youngest Templar Graphic Novel series which would tell all new adventures with Tristan, Robard and Maryam. You can find out more about it by joining The Youngest Templar Fan Page on Facebook.

Well, I'm spreading the word right here! READ THESE BOOKS! THEY'RE AWESOME!

You’ve pretty much conquered every age group with picture books, adult comedy and a YA series. Do you have any more books planned for middle grade readers?

I most certainly do. I love writing for Middle Grade and that’s actually what I consider myself: a Middle Grade writer. I always saw my Spy Goddess series as a Middle Grade series but the publisher published it as YA. The bulk of my fan mail for that series comes from 10-12 year olds. So I think I was right. I think publishers and booksellers are sometimes confused about what ages read what.

My next novel for Middle Graders is The Raven’s Shadow which features a thirteen year old Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln saving the world.

Now that sounds cool! You write such a wide range of stories and for different age groups. How hard is it going from writing pirate haiku and zombie Christmas carols for adults, to channeling a teenage spy goddess, to getting inside the head of a 13th century boy or developing a picture book about the pony express?
My standard answer is I find it easy because I consider myself a renaissance man, interested in all sorts of things. My wife would tell you I have the world’s shortest attention span. I’m not sure I really have an answer except to say that each of my books, even the non-fiction or Pirate Haiku, have characters. And I become invested in them and just want to tell their stories.

The Youngest Templar series has such a great blend of history and fantasy. I love how seamlessly characters like Robard and Tuck are woven into the story. Without giving any spoilers, how did you even come up with such an amazing concept?
As a tween/teenager I loved historical fiction, and I especially loved it when fictional characters interacted with historical figures. In this case, even though may of The Youngest Templar’s characters are based on legends, I just thought since the book was set in the third Crusade, it might be fun to have Tristan become friends with a certain archer from a certain forest in England. It was such a rich tapestry to draw from, and gave readers something familiar, yet allowed me to reinvent things in my own way.

Which character do you identify with the most?
Honestly, I think I indentify most closely with Robard. Robard is a little rough around the edges. A little bull in the china shop when it comes to his relationships with others. Always well meaning but a little clumsy about things. Yet, he is steadfastly loyal, brave and believes in honor and justice. I don’t know if I quite live up to his example, but I do try to do the right thing, just as he always does in the books.

He’s also a bit of a smart aleck, he approaches every situation with humor and ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you they are my most common traits.

Your blog has a lot of templar history, including links to templarhistory.com. Any other resources you’d recommend for separating the fact from the fiction?
When speaking at schools and to young writers, I always tell them to immerse themselves in whatever world they are writing about. Mainly, I tell students to always approach history with a bit of skepticism. We talk a lot about the importance of primary sources, but we have to remember that sometimes even primary sources are flawed. Human beings have feelings, emotions, agendas, and faulty memories. People who ‘witnessed’ a historical event will all see it differently. So remember that often times the ‘truth’ is relative.

I also caution users of the internet to remember that not everything on the internet is fact. It’s great for photos, records, documents etc, but whatever you use from the internet you need to be sure of the source.

And remember when you are writing historical fiction, it’s important for a story to sound and feel realistic, but don’t let the ‘facts’ get in the way of a good story. It is fiction after all.

How long did it take from when you started writing until you got your first book published?
My first book was a picture book which I finished in 1997 and was published in 2002. It had a long and laborious road to publication but it finally got there.

Wow, five years. And now you have fifteen books under your belt! What advice would you have liked to hear after you got that first contract?
Get an agent. I didn’t have an agent for my first three books and I regret it now. Dealing with your publisher creatively is taxing enough. Let an agent handle the business side of it.

Sounds like excellent advice. With all these books, you must spend a LOT of time writing. What do you do in your down time?
Usually my down time is spent relaxing with my family, being owned by two dogs, and thinking about what I’m going to write next.

Personally, we're hoping what you write next is another trilogy of The Youngest Templar!

Thanks so much, Michael. It's been a pleasure.

Many thanks for the chance!

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Michael's next middle grade novel, Raven's Shadow, should hit the shelves in 2012. His next picture book, The Inch High Samurai--a sort of Japanese version of Tom Thumb--will likely be out in 2013.

Michael Spradlin around the web:
The Youngest Templar website
Read an excerpt from book one, The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail.
Facebook Fan Page
Keep up with Michael on his blog.

If you'd like to win a copy of The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail, leave a comment by midnight on Thursday, March 3. One lucky winner will be announced on Friday, March 4.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade books? Visit the Shannons: Shannon Whitney Messenger and Shannon K. O'Donnell have the full roundup.

Bee Proud

2011-02-25T04:31:00.000-08:00

My son has always been a good speller. Since he started taking spelling tests in Kindergarten, he has only missed two words. And one of those was in First Grade when he mixed up a "b" and a "d" spelling dlack instead of black. Maybe it's all those hours spent reading...who'd have thought!

Last year he went to the Santa Barbara County spelling bee and spelled out in the second round. Disappointed, he determined to do better next time. This year, he finished third.

It took 74 words to get him out, and let me tell you, by the time it got down to the last ten kids, I was having trouble breathing. Every time he spelled a word right, he'd look across the room and smile at me. I fought to keep the tears in because no 6th grader wants to see his mother bawling in the audience. But I was so overcome with emotion, SO incredibly proud of him.

The top two finishers get to go to the state level spelling bee. If one of them can't make it, my son can take their place. For him, the best part was finding out that he got not only the trophy (with his name soon to be engraved on it), but $25 cash. In addition, a representative from the Mason's will be going to his school in a few weeks to present him with the engraved trophy and another check in front of the whole school. All for being a good speller.

In a world where basketball stars and strung out actresses make more money than a whole staff of teachers and librarians, it's incredibly cool to see someone rewarded for hard work and using their brain. Especially when that someone is my child :D