Author Spotlight on: Kendell Shaffer

I'm excited to introduce you today to a YA writer I met several years ago through an online class, Kendell Shaffer. A screenwriter, a teacher and most recently a radio show host (!), Kendell has combined her background in entertainment with her current hometown of Venice Beach, to create a novel that feels different from your typical angsty teen stories, totally raw and real.

Welcome, Kendell!

Let's start with the basics. How long did you work on this novel? How many versions did you go through?
I started writing the novel in the online writing class through mediabistro.com where we met! Once I finished it I did two more drafts then sent it to an editor, Winslow Eliot. The self-publishing part was fairly quick once the manuscript was ready. I had fun with the cover art. I found a girl with blonde dreadlocks, like Kalifornia, and did a photo shoot on Venice Beach. My husband designed the cover.

I love that Frances Bean was an inspiration for writing this story and I also love the relationship that Kal develops with her dad. Who were your rock star idols growing up?
When I was a teenager, hair bands were popular and I really didn't like those. I grew up in Baltimore and the summer before 10th grade a radio station in Washington DC, DC101, played only music from the 1960s the entire summer. So my best friend Virginia and I listened to that nonstop and I gained an education and love of the music from that decade. The funny thing was that the following school year we found the boys who had the done the same thing we had, so our first boyfriends were discovered because of the shared love of sixties music.

That's so cool that the radio station focused on the sixties for the summer. I know I've dated guys based on musical tastes in the past :-)

I like how you placed your characters in a lot of real locations around Venice, almost making the city another character in the story. What made you decide to set the story there?
I live in Venice and it's so vibrant and ever changing. It doesn't know if it wants to be a beach town or Rodeo Drive or Silicone Beach or all of those at once. It's restless and unpredictable, sort of like a teenager, so yes, Venice Beach is very much a character in KALIFORNIA BLU.

Yeah, anyone who has spent time in Venice knows what a crazy, fun place it is. My kids like going just to people watch. Do you plan to set additional novels there?
I'm working on a sequel to KALIFORNIA BLU. It will take Kal at first to Europe with her mom, but then she returns to Venice and all the characters we met in the first book.

As if writing books isn't fun enough, in your other life you're a screenwriter. How does writing a novel differ from writing a screenplay?
In novels you get to take the characters much further then you would in a screenplay. You can explore details in more subtle ways and you aren't limited to the number of characters you have or pages you write.You have much more room to play and don't have to limit yourself thinking about the reality of a budget and locations.

In addition to working on VFX on "Knight and Day," you've also worked as an associate producer on several films and television shows. Do you think that production background has helped you with the business side of self-publishing?
I am finding the ability to walk up to strangers and say, "I wrote a book, will you read it?" has been helped by my living and working in Los Angeles. You can't really be shy when you do that and I have learned to be able to talk to anyone while working as a producer. The organization skills help with self-publishing; the "I can do that" attitude helps too. In production and post production you are constantly given problems that need to be solved quickly and cost efficiently. So yes, all that helps.

It definitely helped with your book trailer. The production value on this is just amazing. It's one of my favorite book trailers EVER.


Just gorgeous! It makes me want to see a movie of KALIFORNIA BLUE. I think you might need to get working on that ;-)

So tell me – what do you think is tougher: the writing, the publishing or the marketing? Why?
The publishing is a piece of cake. CreateSpace has been remarkable and they have unbelievably good customer service. Writing is just a joy. But marketing is a challenge. You have good days when something great happens like an interview with you, Sherrie, but there is no direct route so it's challenging to navigate all the different directions you could take. Also it does take time away from writing. I have a radio show once a month called WriteSpa Teen where I interview YA authors so that helps with the marketing and it's really fun!

And you've gotten to interview some incredible authors like Amy Timberlake and Jane Yolen. I'm so impressed!

So what are you working on right now? What will your next book release be?
I'm working on a sequel to KALIFORNIA BLU which will come out at the end of the summer. And I started a middle grade reader about a boy ballet dancer called THE BUN TEST. Both my kids are in a serious Russian ballet program so I spend a lot of time in the dance studio. My eleven-year-old son is the only boy in a company of 60 girls. I thought that would make a good novel.

Love the title! My son did ballet for a very short time. I told him he should have stuck with it  because there will come a day when he appreciates being the only boy in the company of 60 girls!

Thank you so much for stopping by, Kendell. It's been great catching up with you!

You can find out more about Kendell and her projects (including the upcoming Japanese translation of her novel!) by visiting some of her virtual hangouts:

Website: http://kendellshaffer.com
YouTube: http://youtu.be/xHaiGnXCmvg
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kaliforniablu
Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/writespa
Buy the Book: http://www.amazon.com/Kalifornia-Blu-Kendell-Shaffer-ebook/dp/

Author Spotlight on: Indie Author Susan Kaye Quinn

I interviewed Susan Kaye Quinn three years ago after the release of her first novel, LIFE, LIBERTY & PURSUIT. (You can read that interview here.) So much about her life and her writing has changed since then that I thought it was time for us to have another chat.

First of all can I just say that you're the most intrepid of any writer I know. Releasing two books in two weeks right before Christmas?! Yikes!
Oh… I like that word, intrepid! Most of the publishing choices I make are part of my Grand Evil Plan, but really they fall out of the freedom that comes from being indie. That manifests itself in many ways.

After the huge release party for THIRD DAUGHTER, you kind of flew under the radar with FAERY SWAP. Why'd you decide not to make a big splash with your first MG release?
First off, I consider the releases of both THIRD DAUGHTER and FAERY SWAP to be “soft launches” – meaning release first, market later. This is an indie strategy, and pretty much the polar opposite of trad-pub launches, where there’s a lot of pre-launch buildup and an attempt to squeeze all the sales into that first launch-period. The difference is really a philosophical one, driven on the trad-pub side by physical shelf space – there’s a limited amount of it, and your book will get pulled if you don’t move enough copies in those first few months. There’s also a drive to get on the big bestseller lists by compacting sales in that first week. By contrast, indie titles aren’t on the physical shelves, and the main way indie titles are discovered is word-of-mouth – which takes time. It’s a slow build, but one that can be long-sustaining. Indie authors have forever to promote their books, and the attention span to do so (whereas publishers are necessarily onto the next “new release” title).

So both titles were “soft releases” for me – besides, right before Christmas is a lousy time to market (everyone is busy and lots of books are on sale). And yet it’s a great time to release an indie book (because you can catch that post-Christmas rise in ebook sales that comes with all those new ereaders being opened). The reason THIRD DAUGHTER's launch was bigger (I planned prizes, held a Facebook party, etc.) was because the book was much-anticipated by my readers, and I wanted to throw a party in celebration of it for them. It was more about letting the people who had been waiting for it know and having fun with it, than serious marketing (which will come after the first of the year). With FAERY SWAP, I’m pleasantly surprised with the attention it’s getting, even with minimal announcements, but again, the marketing will come later, and over time.
 
Ah, of course, the Grand Evil Plan :)

You tend to write pretty fast but this one has been kicking around for a lot longer. Did you go back and revise it after you gained more experience as a writer?
It worked out that way, but that wasn’t my intention. I first drafted FAERY SWAP over two years ago, thinking I would submit it to traditional publishers. Shortly after, I indie published and my understanding of the industry (and the direction of my career) took a sharp turn. It became difficult to justify spending months revising that first draft of a story that I knew I couldn’t publish indie (especially when I had other titles that I knew would sell). After a while, I realized I had to finish for me – and worry about how to publish it afterward. Still, I struggled to find time to do it in between other projects. It was only when a publisher (Skyscape) came along with a nudge (they were interested in several of my works), that I finally did it. My experience as a writer at that point definitely helped with revisions, but it also meant I had to rewrite big chunks of the story. Which was fine – I’m very pleased with how it came out. In the end, Skyscape’s editor loved it but they had to pass on it. I decided the time was finally right for indie middle grade – or at least right enough. I’m savvier about how the market works now, and I’m hoping my readers will take a chance on FAERY SWAP for the kids in their lives.

FAERY SWAP

You've covered just about every age range and a multitude of genres with your writing, including your non-fiction how-to guide on indie publishing, which probably would have been frowned upon by a traditional publisher. What do you think has been your biggest takeaway so far from these experiences? Which age range do you find it easiest to write for?
Indie freedom FTW! :) I love that I can write the stories I want to write and know people will have a chance to read them – whether it’s just a few readers, trickling in over time, or a bunch, only time will tell. And I have time (see above). Indies live in the long tail.

As for the writing itself, I’ve always thought middle grade is the hardest to write for – getting the voice and the humor and the pacing all just right is a challenge. You don’t have the luxury of a lot of interior thoughts, exposition, or plot-driving sexiness and violence. You have to dig deeper – I think of it as a purer form of storytelling. That being said, I think THIRD DAUGHTER was one of my more technically challenging works, because I had to blend two different aesthetics (steampunk and east-indian) as well as two different genres (romance and action-adventure). Then there’s my 9-part serial, DEBT COLLECTOR, which is for adults, but was challenging just because of the format – again very condensed, fast-paced storytelling. I guess I like challenging work! I write across a range of ages primarily because I go where the story takes me.

As I mentioned, intrepid!

You've shared peeks inside that brain of yours and it's brimming with amazing story ideas. How do you select which one you're going to work on next?

This, actually, is one of my biggest challenges. The flip side of the freedom to publish is the agony of deciding which stories to write. DEBT COLLECTOR is a great example of a story that swooped in and forced me to write it – I literally couldn’t get the words out fast enough on that one. For 2014, I’m trying to force myself to be a bit more strategic about which stories I write next, because now I’ve got THREE series going at once (DEBT COLLECTOR, THE DHARIAN AFFAIRS, and a new one… SINGULARITY… that hasn’t published yet). I don’t want readers to have to wait too long between books/seasons.

So when will we see another MG book from you?
My 2014 schedule says I’m supposed to write/release two novels (SECOND DAUGHTER and LEGACY-SINGULARITY#1) as well as a nine-part serial (DEBT COLLECTOR Season Two) as well as three novellas. I tell my schedule that it’s crazy, but it refuses to listen. As for MG… FAERY SWAP is a stand alone, and I don’t expect to publish another middle grade novel in the foreseeable future. I do have another middle grade novel that I’ve shelved – a space opera that I could revise and publish, and maybe I will, if FAERY SWAP really takes off. But my expectation is that won’t happen, at least not right away.

You've challenged yourself by making the Mindjack video, and then writing the serial. I have no doubt you'll be boldly going where no other writers have gone in the near future. How do you plan to challenge yourself in the coming year?

I really only challenge myself in the craft and in productivity – the other things (the video, the serial, translating OPEN MINDS to German) are really more opportunities that I accept as they come along rather than challenges I set for myself. But my 2014 schedule is definitely a challenge! And I’m taking a screenwriting class that is a definite craft challenge. Just last night, I was telling my instructor, “Um, I’m not sure if I can finish this script in the nine months we have for class.” She encouraged me to just rough draft it, get the story out using my strengths as a writer, and worry about coming back and filling in the weaknesses later. Great advice, and exactly why I’m taking the class from her. Because she’ll say, “You can do this, Sue,” and I want to prove her right. I’m really like Hermoine, that girl who lives in the library and always has her hand in the air in class. I need to rein that in a little! :) But my joy has always been in taking on challenges and mastering them… or failing spectacularly and moving on to the next one.

I don't think failure is in the cards for you. Thanks for stopping by, Sue!
Thanks for having me!

Faery Swap by Susan Kaye Quinn

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, print Goodreads

Warrior faery princes can be very stubborn. Especially when they possess your body.

Fourteen-year-old Finn just wants to keep his little sister out of Child Protective Services—an epic challenge with their parentally-missing-in-action dad moving them to England, near the famous Stonehenge rocks.

Warrior faery Prince Zaneyr just wants to escape his father’s reckless plan to repair the Rift—a catastrophe that ripped the faery realm from Earth 4,000 years ago and set it adrift in an alternate, timeless dimension.

When Zaneyr tricks Finn into swapping places, Finn becomes bodiless soul stuck in the Otherworld, fighting spriggans with sharp teeth and rival faery Houses. Back on Earth, Zaneyr uses Finn’s body to fight off his father’s seekers and keep the king’s greatest weapon—himself—out of his hands. Between them, they have two souls and only one body… and both worlds to save before the dimensional window between them slams shut. 

Faery Swap is an action and druid-magic filled portal fantasy, told by both a runaway faery prince and the boy he’s tricked into taking his place.

This Prince and the Pauper meets Warrior Faeries tale is suitable for all ages.

Includes 4 interior illustrations.

  

Click here to read the first chapter.

Full Print Cover

Author Spotlight on: Medeia Sharif

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.

Author Spotlight on: Roland Smith

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.

Author Spotlight on: Kekla Magoon

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

Author Spotlight on: Michael P. Spradlin

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."
~ Meg Cabot, New York York Times Bestselling author 
 
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!

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

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.

Author Spotlight on: Terry Lynn Johnson

We’ve all heard the adage: Write what you know. Sometimes, it’s actually good advice. 

It worked for author Terry Lynn Johnson, debut author of DOGSLED DREAMS. In a crowded literary world filled with vampires, witches and snarky teens, DOGSLED DREAMS stands out from the rest because it’s so…well, different.

The book came out last month through 4RV Publishing, and Terry is here today to talk about her journey so far.

I can’t think of a lot of books on this topic, though I do remember reading Gary Paulsen’s Winterdance a few years back. What made you think about bringing this story to the children’s market?
When I went to races with my dog team, I was constantly asked the same questions by spectators. Questions about my life in general with the dogs. People are curious about the lifestyle and they want to make sure the dogs are being treated well. Especially kids! It was important to me to show how amazing it is to share your life with sled dogs. To try and portrait how strong the relationship is between a musher and her dogs. How it's that special relationship - that bond and trust, that keeps the integrity of the sport. Gary Paulsen is also a musher. His books are a joy to read.

I know you canoe and kayak and do a lot of outdoorsy activities. Do you actually have any experience with dogsledding?
For over ten years I had my own team. I raced, guided overnight expeditions, even went to Alaska for a winter and handled for a team running the Iditarod and worked for a dogsledding company in the Yukon. Every dog in DOGSLED DREAMS is inspired by my own real life dogs. All the names are the same, as well as some of their quirks. 

Wow, that's impressive! So you know this topic very well!
I’m not exactly a city girl, but the whole dogsledding thing seems really foreign. How hard was it to make the story accessible for all readers?
At the heart of dogsledding you find universal themes. Love and trust. That is easy for anyone to relate to. I weaved in some technical information, some mushing terminology too, but hopefully in a way that a reader will understand and learn. I've had readers email me and say they now feel like an apprentice musher after reading the story. That is so wonderful to hear!

Even after finding a small publisher on your own, you were still querying agents. How surreal has it felt to sign with your dream agent and have a book come out so close together?
It has been quite a year. I feel extremely lucky.

And are you out on sub with another book through your agent? Can you tell us the pitch for that book?
My latest project: A 15-year-old musher, a boy with a secret, and a fight for survival.

Secrets and survival -- sounds like another exciting read!

You’ve done some pretty out of the box marketing for this book. Not everyone can talk about their Junior Musher Video Contest! And the little stuffed Huskies were too cute! How did you manage to find such creative tie-ins? 
I can NOT take credit for the Junior Musher Video Contest. That was the brilliance of my publicist Kirsten Cappy of Curious City. She has awesome ideas and it seems an unlimited supply of energy. I couldn't have done it without her.

What has been the most amazing part of your journey so far?
The support from readers. Their enthusiasm and selfless assistance with promotion completely blows me away! Also, connecting with the writing community. I've made so many great friends. 

I know lots of people on the East Coast have been suffering under this Snowmageddon. Any professional tips for staying warm? :-)
Find a buddy. Or a good book!

Thanks, Terry! Stay warm with DOGSLED DREAMS. Hey, that could be your new slogan :P

DOGSLED DREAMS has been selected as a recommended read by the Iditarod Education Department. The book is available through Indiebound, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Read more about Terry and DOGSLED DREAMS:
First chapter of DOGSLED DREAMS
Terry's website: http://www.terrylynnjohnson.com/
Terry's blog: http://terrylynnjohnson.blogspot.com/

Author Spotlight on: Denise Jaden

Last summer I started hearing good things about Denise Jaden's debut novel, LOSING FAITH. I added it to my TBR list, but, well, you've seen the piles on my nightstand! I finally started reading it at the end of November and wouldn't you know -- around the time that I finished the book, I wound up signing with the same agent as Denise!

Obviously, Agent Michelle has GREAT taste in books :-)  But we aren't the only ones who think Denise made a stellar debut. Here's what School Library Journal had to say:  

This thoughtful first novel explores early grief and shows how it can tear at the structure of a family that cannot mourn together...With pitch-perfect portrayals of high school social life and a nuanced view into a variety of Christian experiences of faith, this first novel gives readers much to think about.

The novel has gotten glowing reviews on numerous blogs and was also listed as one of the best reads of 2010 by multiple readers at the Best I've Read blog.

Whew--Heady stuff!

LOSING FAITH came out in September and today Denise is here to talk about her experience with this first novel and give us a peek at what she has coming up.

Thanks for stopping by, Denise! I know you wrote several novels before LOSING FAITH, but this book actually had a pretty short journey to publication once you signed with Michelle. How long did you spend writing (and rewriting) it?

I wrote the first draft of LOSING FAITH in 21 days during NaNoWriMo 2006. I had worked on an outline for about two months prior, and then I worked on revising the manuscript with critique partners for close to a year. I got an agent in 2007, sold the book in early 2008, and it hit the bookstores in September 2010.

Cool! I love that this story was a NaNo novel!

Now I’ve read that you consider writing your “hobby,” but you obviously take it pretty seriously. How many years have you been writing?

I think that’s just my style. I take everything a little too seriously. LOL. I’ve been writing for about eight years now, and whether I continue to publish or not, I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing.

Are you an every day writer or a binge writer?

I’m definitely an every day writer. In fact, if I go for more than two or three days without writing, I get a little, um, grumpy. My husband will attest to that! I do find, though, that the continuity really helps me stay in the story, and I often even dream about my characters and stories.

Oh, I can relate to the novel dreams :-) But your schedule, yikes! You exercise at the gym every morning, homeschool your second-grader and you’re also a professional Polynesian dancer. How do you squeeze writing time into your day?
I was pretty blessed in that my son napped right up until he was six years old. When he stopped napping, I implemented a “quiet time” and we stick to that pretty rigidly. That hour and a half is my only time each day to really focus on my writing.

You had a pretty extensive blog tour with the launch and I’m sure did some signings. Now that LOSING FAITH has been out there for a few months, which marketing efforts do you think had the most impact?
It’s really hard to say, since I don’t watch sales very closely. My motto has always been to give everything marketing-wise a try and see what feels right or isn’t too difficult. So far I haven’t found any of it difficult, and some of it I’d even say is TOO much fun (turn OFF the Twitter, Denise!). I love having bookmarks and that’s one thing I would never do without. I also had a lot of fun putting together a blog tour, and I think that raised a fair bit of awareness for my book.

At what point did it finally feel real to you, that you were really going to be a published author?

Um, in some ways it still doesn’t. I’m still surprised when I see my book on a bookstore shelf, almost like I’ve forgotten that it’s actually out there. I think the biggest transforming moment so far, though, was when I held my advance copy of the book. Seeing it bound with a cover for the first time was really something else.

You had a great review in School Library Journal in December. Has it been hard reading the less than glowing reviews or do you just ignore them?
I have a pretty thick skin, but still, unpleasant reviews are not fun. I’ve been pretty fortunate that most reviews for LOSING FAITH have been extremely positive, but I’d have to say what bothers me the most are the “meh” reviews—the reviews that make it painfully obvious that the book I poured my heart and soul into didn’t really affect someone one way or the other.

Ugh, I can only imagine how disappointing that would be. What’s something you wish you would have known before publication that would have made the journey a little easier?
I wish I’d known how many areas there are to compare yourself to others. I wish I’d made myself break the comparison habit a long, long time ago, because it only seems to get harder.

Oooh, that’s a good one. And a hard one I think. 

On your blog I read that you’ve been hard at work revising APPETITE FOR BEAUTY. Tell me a little about this story and its road to publication.
APPETITE FOR BEAUTY has been a work in progress for over five years. It was the second novel I penned (the first YA) and holds a pretty special place in my heart.  It’s contemporary YA and another sister story.

I submitted it to my agent earlier this year, maybe in April. She came back with some minor changes, and we submitted it to my editor near the end of summer. I think it was a couple of months before I received an offer, and I’m actually working with a different editor at Simon Pulse on this one.

Oh, that’s excellent that you got the same publisher, though, and that they’re interested in more of your work. You have several other stories simmering on the back burner. Do you plan to go back to the archery story or is there a different one floating to the surface?
Yes, I can’t wait to go back to PERFECT AIM! But…I’ll be working on another book before that. I just wrote a first draft for a companion novel to LOSING FAITH. This one’s in Tessa’s point of view, and it’s my priority at this point so not too much time lapses between books.

Yay! I’m glad that we’ll be hearing more from these characters!

It’s January so I have to ask: do you have any writing goals for this year?
I’d like to revise, polish, and sell the companion novel this year. And get through at least one revision of PERFECT AIM. I also plan to write again for NaNoWriMo in November, but that will be a brand new project and I’m undecided on what that one will be about so far.

Sounds like you’ve got a busy year ahead! Best of luck with those writing goals and with everything else going on in your life. And thanks for stopping by!
Thanks so much, Sherrie!


Here's the trailer for LOSING FAITH.




And here are some of the places around the web where you can find Denise:
http://www.denisejaden.com
http://denisejaden.livejournal.com
http://twitter.com/#!/denisejaden