*NOTE: Contest is now closed. Thanks to those who entered!*
Today's an exciting day for readers. TWO amazeballs books are releasing today! TWO books that I am so very excited for readers to get in their hands and devour and love, in different ways.
First is a book I haven't had a chance to read yet, but believe me, I can't wait.
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller is not your standard contemporary. First, it's from the boy's perspective--but more than that, Travis is a Marine, back from a tour in Afghanistan. Here's the summary:
When Travis returns
home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his
brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by
nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into
Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school,
that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of
each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family
problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that
might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible
sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero. (from Goodreads)
I've known Trish since we were both hanging around at Verla Kay's Blueboards, writing different books, querying, going through the process. I always liked Trish's avatar because it looked so hopeful, so friendly. Her posts were friendly too, and smart. I was thrilled when I discovered that my new agent represented Trish too--we're agent sisters!--and she's been very supportive of me.
But that's not why I think you should read this book. It's not why *I* want to read this book. I want to read it because of reviews like this one, about SLN's emotional honesty:
Well. It's not really about zombies. It's about people: damaged, hurting, REAL people who happen to have to deal with zombies. Here's my review from Goodreads:
*** I've loved all of Courtney's
books, and I expected to like this one--she is such a talented writer,
she can pull anything off. Even zombies! I admit, I'm not a zombie
fan--but this book isn't about zombies at all. It's about people: how
they relate, how they react in difficult circumstances, and really, how
they can completely mess each other up--and redeem each other.
Courtney's
amazing skill lies in opening a vein directly to a character and
letting us in to that private, real world. That skill hasn't changed
just because this book has zombies. Sloane is very, very real and
heartbreaking in her pain, but she was still someone I wanted to spend
time with and understand. All the other characters are also deeply
realized, complex people in their own right.
The zombie setting
is well done and keeps you on the edge of your seat, but in the end it's
Sloane's journey I found most compelling.
Read it. Trust me. ***
I have to tell you too--in just a little aside--how awesome Courtney is. She's been an incredibly supportive friend to me for years now, and I have a sneaking suspicion she is the same with a ton of other writers. Courtney emails have made me cry, have gotten me through, have made me laugh out loud more than once. I think she deserves the best of everything.
She just also happens to write effing kick-ass amazing books, which I am so happy to support.
So here's where you say WEREN'T YOU GOING TO GIVE AWAY A BOOK, SUSAN?
Why, yes. Yes, I was. Not only that, I am going to GIVE AWAY TWO BOOKS, one of each.
Here is ALL you have to do:
--Comment on this post and tell me which book you'd like, Something Like Normal or This Is Not a Test (or if you want either, say that too!) You'll be entered!
--You get an extra entry if you tweet about the contest! Just make sure to @susan_adrian so I see it!
--Contest will be open until Thursday morning, June 22, 8 am MDT. North American entries only, please (sorry!) The winners will have the books shipped directly to them.
A year or so ago, I had the honor of reading an early version of Victoria Schwab's debut novel, THE NEAR WITCH. I've always loved fairy tales, and this is an instant classic: it envelops you in the dreamy fairy tale landscape, it intrigues you, draws you in...and WHAM scares the crap out of you.
Okay, so I'm not a lyrical writer like Victoria. But it's true. This story will both scare and captivate you. The language is gorgeous, the landscape and characters whole and real.
And it's out officially on August 2nd!! I can't wait for the rest of you to read it.
To celebrate, I cornered V for a little one-on-one interview time--AND I'm giving away a copy of THE NEAR WITCH, mailed to your (North American) door.
Are you ready? Here we go!
1.The Near Witch is in the best tradition of fairy tales: creepy, magic, and possible enough to scare the heck out of you. I know you've picked Little Red Riding Hood as a favorite classic, but for research you must've read some more obscure, off-the-wall stories. What's your favorite out of the ordinary fairy tale, and why?
You know, it’s interesting, but most of my research revolved around the WAY stories are told, passed down from generation to generation, and the way they shape a community. Truth becomes relative, and tradition becomes law. But I have indeed read a good deal of fairy tales and fables.
One of my favorites is Godfather Death by the Brothers Grimm. I have always had a weakness for personifications, especially those of Death (the first book I ever wrote, and one I’m determined to revisit some day, involves Death) and in this one we get God, the Devil, and Death. A man with many children is overwhelmed by yet another, a boy, and goes into the road to seek guidance and a godfather. God walks by, but the man refuses, accusing him of being unfair. The Devil walks by, and the man refuses him, too, knowing his cons. Death walks by, and the man, knowing he treats all equally, chooses him. Death goes on to guide the child, to elevate him to a position of power. But the boy crosses Death once, and is forgiven, but he does it a second time, and in the end Death claims him.
2.Creepy! I am so impressed (always) with your lyrical, almost dreamy use of language—which fits perfectly in the world of The Near Witch. Tell me about the language in this book. How do the village and the moors shape the words? How aware of this were you when you were writing?
The language in the book is incredibly important. Writing a fairy tale means landing the style, and in this case the narration, between fantasy and reality. The tone has to be slightly more formal, without being lofty, well-drawn, but sparse. So much of writing a fairy tale is the WAY in which it’s written. I could have done NW and had it read like high-fantasy, or like paranormal, but I didn’t want to. I wanted a fairy tale, down to the timelessness. And it turns out, as many, many rounds of fine-tuning will attest, finding that little “timeless” patch on the spectrum of style is actually really hard.
3.You're stuck alone in an elevator with Neil Gaiman, and you have time to ask him ONE question. What would it be?
(O_O).
Can I have this dance?
4.You get to bring Neil ONE type of chocolate or baked good, without it being at all creepy. :) What would you bring?
GASP. I’d probably bring him a batch of chocolate cake cookies. Because they are apparently quite eatable, and in my mind he’d take them home, and keep snacking on them, and then I’d leave a more lasting impression than say, a cupcake :p
5.Explain your obsession with narwhals.
Narhwals are the unicorns of the sea!! But seriously, I find them enchanting. They are proof that there is still a little magic in the world.
6.Like everybody, you've had ups and downs in this crazy publication path. Tell me your favorite thing that's happened so far. What do you look forward to most?
Oh yeah, it’s definitely been a roller coaster. But one of my favorite things has been so small and random. A friend and fan of the book (that second F-word sounds sooooo weird) told me that one of HER friends recommended THE NEAR WITCH to her after the friend’s mother, a high school teacher, told her daughter about it, after she heard a group of students in the hall talking about books they wanted to read that summer.
Yeah.
I still can’t process that people out there who are not directly related to me/friends with me even KNOW about my book, so that was pretty wonderful.
**************
Victoria's the coolest.
Okay, so you want to win a copy of this book, right? RIGHT?
Here's what you do.
You saw how I scattered images throughout the post, to illustrate? I want YOU to go on an image scavenger hunt.
1. Go forth and find an image or images of things to do with THE NEAR WITCH or Victoria. Suggestions include, but are not limited to:
narwhals
chocolate
cupcakes
Neil Gaiman
Fairy tales
Witches
Yorkshire villages
Note: You are NOT allowed to steal the images from (a) this post or (b) anything V herself has posted. Search the internet a *little* further.
2. Post your picture(s) somewhere, and tell me here or on twitter (@susan_adrian) where. You can post it on twitter, your blog, Flickr, Tumblr, whatever. Just post and say what it's for (#thenearwitch), and TELL ME! You get an entry point for each picture, UP TO FIVE.
3. You also get one point just for commenting here or twittering with #thenearwitch hashtag, for those people who don't want to mess with the pictures. See how easy I am?
4. Contest ends Friday at noon!! Then I'll do a random draw and order copy of THE NEAR WITCH for the winner!! North American entries only, please. Though everybody is welcome to post pics.
AND THE WINNER IS, by random draw...LINDA GRIMES!!
This makes me laugh only because I think she's entered every one of my contests and never won. It had to happen eventually! :) Congrats, Linda!
To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout. Jem. Boo Radley.
Gregory Peck as the hot single-dad campaigner for justice.
Oh, I'm sorry, I got distracted for a minute. *shakes self*
Anyway. You loved the book and the movie, right? I even loved the play.
So imagine if you took the spirit of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD--the hard, cold edge of justice standing up to powerful forces, the complexity of crime and personal relations in a small community--and you infused it into a YA novel? With excellent, turn-the-page writing and strong, breathing characters?
I had the privilege to read this book a while back, and let me tell you, it's good. It's strong, and brave, and very different from the rest of the books out there on the shelves right now. And I'd like to share it with YOU.
To win a brand-new, shipped-to-your-house copy of THE MOCKINGBIRDS, all you have to do is comment below, with:
--your favorite scene from the book or movie of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
--OR the reason you want to read this book!!
Contest will close Friday morning at 8 am my time, and I'll buy the book and ship it off to you. North American entries only, I'm afraid. (yes, Canada!)
You want to win? Want to see what everybody's talking about? GO!
As promised, here's Child's* interview with Jackie Logsted about her part in writing the fabulous Sisters Eight series. Jackie's 10, and Child is 8 (excuse me: 8 and a HALF!). Child loves to read the series, but I think she's also inspired by the idea that Jackie helps write it--she's started writing plays with her classmates at school. She also acts, just like Jackie!
*I promised I would reiterate that her real name is not Child. Child is her secret identity. :)
Here's the blurb about the Sisters Eight series:
It’s a good old-fashioned mystery with missing (or dead) parents, nosy neighbors, talking refrigerators, foul-smelling fruitcake (is there any other kind?), and even a little magic. Eight little girls, eight cats, and one big mystery—let the fun begin!
Stay tuned to the end of the interview to find out how you can win a hardback copy of Annie's Adventures!
Child: What part do you help with when you're writing the books?
Jackie: Well, me and my dad give tons of ideas, and the way I help is, I try to think of good ideas for my mom to write into the story, I tell her the ideas, and hope for the best.
Child: It's hard to pick because I like all of them, but I think my favorite sister is Durinda, because she's nice. What's your favorite character?
Jackie: It's really hard to pick, but if I had to choose, I think I'd choose Zinnia because, if you think about it, she doesn't lie, she's nice and she sticks to who she is. She's unique, and I like it.
Child: In the books, Jackie is funny and fast (like fast-as-a-train fast!). Are you like Jackie?
Jackie: Yes and no. Of course, I am Jackie, but I'm not fast. I'd even have to say that I'm one of the worst at anything sports-related in my class. I'm not sure if I'm funny or not. I'd have to say that I'm half like Jackie Huit. Everything else is all me. (Jackie's mom would just like to say that Jackie is very funny, whether she knows it or not.)
Child: So far my favorite adventure is Jackie's Jokes. What's your favorite?
Jackie: My favorite book would have to be Petal's Problems. It comes out in October 2010 and at the moment I'm writing this, it hasn't come out yet, so I can't tell you why I like it. I'll just say, I like it.
Child: If you could have anything from the Huit's house (like seasonal rooms or talking refrigerators), what would you have?
Jackie: I would have to say the Seasonal Rooms because if it was cold and I wanted to get warm, I could! If it was warm and I wanted to cool off, I could! I just think it would be fun and would come in handy.
Child: The sisters each have a cat. I have a dog named Daisy. Do you have a pet?
Jackie: I technically have a pet. In the past, I had two fish: Drink and Goldy. They both died. But a few weeks ago, I was with my friends Lawerence and Andrew and we found a newt! We keep it at their house, but it's technically both of ours, so I technically have a pet.
Child: (We had fish and they died too. That's just like me!) I want to be an artist when I grow up. What do you want to be?
Jackie: Up until recently, I had no idea what I wanted to be, but about three weeks ago I finally decided. When I grow up, I want to be an actress. I just love to act! It's one of my favorite things to do. Thanks for interviewing me!
Thanks for joining us, Jackie!! And as she mentioned, Petal's Problems will be out in a few days. I know we'll be lining up to see what happens when it's Petal's month.
In honor of Jackie's Jokes, we're going to have a little joke contest here on the blog.
To enter to win a copy of Annie's Adventures (read it yourself, pass it on to your favorite middle grader, or donate it to your local library or school library!)--or just to join in--share your favorite knock-knock joke in the comments below. Just make sure to say if you want to be entered to win the book or are just playing! (to clarify: I'll assume you want to be entered to win unless you say different. Thanks!)
Contest will be closed midnight on Thursday. We'll do a random draw on Friday, October 1, for the lucky winner!
I know I usually talk about--and give away--YA books. Even grown-up books every once in a while. Tomorrow I'm talking middle-grade, with a special guest star.
Child absolutely LOVES the Sisters Eight series. She begs to read them at bedtime, during bath...whenever she can. She's also fascinated by the fact that while Lauren Baratz-Logsted is the primary author, one of the co-authors is her daughter Jackie. Just two years older than Child, and already a published author.
What's not to be fascinated with?
So I had the idea...what if instead of ME interviewing Lauren (so DONE), Child interviewed Jackie?
Much more interesting.
We've got the questions and answers ready for tomorrow, AND we'll be giving away a hardback copy of the first book in the series, Annie's Adventures. You can read it yourself or pass it on to that fabulous middle grader in your life.
Please stop by tomorrow to read and comment on Child's first interview, and have a chance to win!
THANKS, guys!! Contest is closed. I'm swamped right now, but I'll get to this and announce the winner as soon as I can!
(Also, I looked up international shipping rates from Amazon, and yep I can swing that. So all entries will be considered.)
Y'all. Without any ado, may I introduce to the stage the fabulous, talented...Kody KEPLINGER, author of THE DUFF!
(also, you can enter to win a copy of THE DUFF here! Details at the bottom!)
Obligatory question: Tell me about THE DUFF and Bianca.
THE DUFF is, in my opinion, an edgy, sexy romance for teens. It’s about Bianca, a girl in her senior year of high school, who is informed that she’s the “designated ugly fat friend” of her group of friends. The word haunts her, but its not her biggest issue. She’s also dealing with a family that’s falling apart, and the only “escape” she finds is in a purely physical relationship with the school’s biggest womanizer. The same guy who called her the DUFF, in fact. But even cynical Bianca has to eventually admit that her feelings for the guy have gone farther than just the physical, but how could he ever feel the same about her when she’s the “DUFF”?
I understand you first heard the term "The Duff" in high school. What was your reaction to it? How did your reaction compare with Bianca's? Luckily, I wasn’t in Bianca’s shoes. No one told me that *I* was the DUFF. I thought I was, and when I heard the word I remember telling my friends “Wow, I’m so the DUFF of this group.” But had someone actually called me that to my face the way Wesley does Bianca? Well, let’s just say Bianca takes it better than I ever could have.
Lucky for B, she’s smart, cynical, and pretty level headed. I think her cynicism is really what saves her from being completely crushed by this. If she was the romantic type, I think being called a “DUFF” would hurt much worse.
In the book Bianca comes to the conclusion that everyone feels like a Duff in some way. Do you think that's really true? (I know I feel like a Duff in publishing sometimes…) :)
Oh, I definitely think it’s true. There are so many incarnations of “DUFF.” You can be the DUFF at work, the DUFF of your friends, the DUFF in a classroom. DUFF doesn’t always have to mean the actually meaning, it can also just mean feeling like the least adequate. We’ve all felt that way, both physically and intellectually, I think. Insecurity is like the great unifier for women and maybe men, too. We all feel insecure sometimes. We’ve all been DUFFs.
I was impressed with the realism of your dialogue. Bianca and her friends sound like actual, smart teens. Did you read it aloud to make sure it sounded realistic? Did you give it to friends to vet?
I read almost everything out loud, or have someone read it to me, just to make sure it sounds all right. With the dialogue, it was my favorite part to write. I always find the things my friends say funny and clever, and I wanted to capture that with Bianca and Casey and Jessica. Some lines of their dialogue are right out of convos I’ve had with real life friends. Others just kind of felt natural for the character. With dialogue, I just try to remember – these are the girls *i* know. Not adults. Not geniuses. Just normal teen girls. I know them, so what would they say? Its’ actually really fun!
I think especially at high school age, we tend to set up ideals for ourselves—what "the perfect guy" should look like (as well as what we should look like as "the perfect girl"). I liked that Bianca didn't want to play into that romance ideal and yet she clearly had firm ideas of who she should and shouldn't be with (Toby and Wesley) and had to open her mind to different possibilities. Can you talk about fantasy vs. reality when it comes to guys?
I knew going in to this book that Wesley, though he was hot and clever and sexy as hell, would not be Bianca’s “type.” So I asked myself “Who would this girl crush on?” That’s how I got Toby. For those who haven’t read the book, Toby is Bianca’s long time crush. He’s basically this insanely smart, cute little political buff. To be fair, I think I’d have a crush on him, too.
I don’t have a lot of dating experience myself, but one thing I have found is that when it comes to guys, expectations and ideals are usually never as they seem. I once had a crush on a boy for MONTHS only to discover that, while we were great friends, he could really drive me up the wall and it was probably better that we never dated. Bianca doesn’t have that kind of realization with Toby or Wesley, but she does have to come to realize that boys can take you by surprise. The right guy can be the wrong guy for you. It’s not always fun to learn, but Bianca’s journey to figuring out who is “right” for her, or if anyone is really, was fun to write for sure.
And speaking of that (ahem), tell us about Wesley.
Oooooh, Wesley. *sigh* I had the most fun in the world writing about Wesley Benjamin Rush. He was one of those characters that took me by surprise. He was intended to be a very different character and, instead, ended up in a very different and much better place.
Wesley is a hottie, and he knows it. He’s a charmer and a seducer. A “man-whore” as Bianca calls him. But he’s also unexpectedly smart – the boy has a taste for classic literature – and he has issues of his own. He’s not what Bianca expects, and writing him was fun because, as Bianca discovered who he really was, so did I.
I was intrigued in looking at some reviews of THE DUFF that the only major criticism some people had was that Bianca was "too bitchy". I've been accused of that myself with my main characters, but have always felt it's important to not make a character too mellow in an attempt to please everybody. Can you talk about the fine line of "bitchy" vs. "too bitchy"?
I want to say upfront that, in my opinion, Bianca isn’t so much “bitchy” as . . . “negative.” And while some people have had issues with that, others have approached me and said, “I WAS this girl in high school.” The fact is that one character can’t appeal to all readers. And that’s the beauty of fiction – it’s a different experience for everyone.
That said, there is a fine line to walk. The trick, I think, is to let the reader see the deeper core of the character. If the reader can see the reasons WHY the character is so negative, then they are more likely to sympathize. Bianca has a lot to be bitter about – she’s dealing with family issues, she’s still a little scarred from a first love gone wrong, and now someone is telling her she’s a “DUFF.” Who wouldn’t be a little bitter?
But, to be fair, I love cynical, sarcastic girls in YA. Even completely unlikeable ones. Because lets be honest, not all of us are always likeable as teens.
After all that, a little bit of fluff. What's your favorite food? What would you hoard if you could only have one thing for a month?
Oh my God . . . favorite food is spaghetti, but if I had to, I could live – and live happily – on pepperoni pizza Lean Pockets. YUM!
****
So I was right--you want this, don't ya?
To win a brand-spanking new copy of THE DUFF, we're going to have a little flash fiction contest. Write me a story in 100 words or less, including the following elements, and post it in the comments to this blog post:
cherry coke the DUFF red Converse shoes spaghetti
Contest will be open until Friday, September 10, at 8 am mountain time. Then I'll do a judgy-thing (enlisting additional help if necessary) and choose my favorite entry. Also, bonus points for tweeting/blogging/facebooking about Kody, The Duff, or this contest.
Got it? DO IT!
And thanks so much, Kody. I loved THE DUFF.
(and if you happen to not win? Go buy a copy. Really.)
I love Kody. She's YOUNG, a good mumble-mumble younger than me, but she's a smart cookie, and the girl can write a damn good story.
A while back I asked Kody if she'd be willing to do an interview with me, and she of course was a rock star about it and complied. So heads up: I'll be posting the interview tomorrow. And...
Laurie Lamb! Laurie, send your address to susan (dot) adrian (at) yahoo.com so I can bundle off your copy!
Thank you all for playing along! I had such fun reading these, and I had a tough time deciding. Honorable Mentions go to:
--Bill Cameron, Patrick Lee, and CKHB for their lies about Sean Ferrell and each other. Because everyone loves to lie about Sean Ferrell.
--Linda Grimes (bff) for starting it off and shamelessly pimping the contest all over twitter.
Jenna, Amy Jo, Karla, Morgan, Carina, Sterling, Charles, Kristin, Nikole, Scarlet, I loved reading yours!!
Why did Laurie's win?
Because I wished it was true. And the whole thing made me laugh. Here's her lie:
Susan Adrian has compiled a nude calendar featuring notable people from her writing/twitter world. Highlights include: Miss January—Janet Reid swigging gin while ringing in the new year, Mr. March—Jeffrey Somers with his pussy cats, Miss May—Suzie Townsend and her puppies frolicking through a spring meadow, Mr. June—a sweaty Bill Cameron showing off Skin, and Mr. December—a snow-covered Sean Ferrell looking NUMB. Get yours! On sale now!
The Bill Cameron and Sean Ferrell lines are brilliant. Congrats Laurie!
The winner of FALLEN is...Natalie!! Congrats, Natalie! Email me at susan (dot) adrian (at) yahoo.com with your address, and I'll send it out!
Today, we're gonna have a little more fun. Today, I'm giving away a copy of Justine Larbalestier's fabulous and brain-twisting book, LIAR.
From Justine's website:Liar is a psychological thriller set in New York City told from the point of view of a compulsive liar.
You guys, I had such fun reading this book, never knowing what was truth and what wasn't. I've always loved unreliable narrators--they mess with you so! (It makes me want to write one. Okay, not quite yet. But someday.)
So believe me (ha) when I tell you that you want to win this one. But I'm going to make it a little more challenging.
To win this book, you've got to lie to me.
Post in the comments with your best, most outrageous lie. Bonus points for making the lie about somebody in our crazy cast of characters writing/twitter world (*cough* Janet Reid, Suzie Townsend, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, Sean Ferrell, Bill Cameron, Victoria Schwab, Linda Grimes, etc..., but really anybody you want or anything you want. Make it a good lie.
Tomorrow I'm actually going to judge my favorite lie (extra judges brought in if necessary) and award LIAR to the winner! Contest closes at 8 am tomorrow.
So GO! Lie to me!
UPDATE: THE CONTEST IS CLOSED. Thanks for playing!
Thanks for playing yesterday, everybody! The winner of a copy of RAMPANT is...
Derek Molata! Congratulations, Derek! (You're on a good news roll...) :)
Today's swag is slightly newer, still YA (of course): FALLEN, by Lauren Kate. It's gothic and romantic and intriguing.
Fallen
Some Angels are Destined to Fall There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.
Want to read it for yourself?
For today's contest, I want you to go to today's BEA schedule of author signings. Pretend you're there, and find 5 authors you'd want to go get a signed book from. Even Rick Springfield and Neil Sedaka are there today!
Then post your 5 chosen authors in the comments field. Contest closes at 8 am tomorrow, when the final one will open!
Confession: I've been to BEA twice, but it was long, long ago. Before Child...before husband! Before writing.
Back then I was a shiny young bookseller/bookstore manager, and getting to go to BEA was a huge perk. Celebrity authors! I still squee a little over the memory of meeting James Earl Jones. Parties! I'm sure I didn't get to go to the super cool private ones, but I did manage to squeeze into a dark, pulsating party where Stephen King, Amy Tan, and Dave Barry et al. (The Rock Bottom Remainders) were rocking the house.
But most of all...SWAG. Oh my cupcakes, the amazing piles of books (Free Books) for booksellers to take! Galleys, hot titles, new titles...I dragged bags of them all over the convention center. I came home with a suitcase full. It was insane.
These days if I attended BEA I imagine I'd do a little more networking, visiting, chatting, and I'd certainly be a lot more aware of what was really going on around me. But I'd still scoop up the swag like nobody's business.
So in celebration of BEA and all the booksellers/authors/agents/editors/friends who are there this week, and in sadness that the rest of us are NOT there, I'm going to give away a little swag.
For each of the next 3 days, you can win one book. All you have to do is answer a question in the comments below. Today's book (hardcover!) I highly recommend:
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns…
The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great. Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years. Or not.
RAMPANT, by Diana Peterfreund
Want it?
Go to PW's list of Kids' Galleys to Grab at BEA, then come back here and tell me in the comments which book or books you'd grab. If you don't read YA or kids' books yourself, which one would you snag for someone you love?
Contest closes at 8 AM tomorrow, when the next one will be gearing up. GO!
Photo at left from Flickr Commons. Isn't it adorable?
So this week I won a book (GEEKTASTIC), which gave me such a boost that I decided to return the favor. I'm going to give away a book!
Better, I'm going to give away an AMAZING book that freaked my mind right out with its fabulousness. I've got a lot going on right now, so I don't have much time to read. This book had me dragging it right along to meetings, reading in the 5 minutes before, reading under my desk "just to the next chapter", reading it while I was making dinner. Because pasta takes 20 minutes to boil, right? SCORE!
It's that compelling. It has totally unexpected twists, super-cool technology, a really intriguing character...
Yeah. You need this book. And I'm going to give it to you!
Contest is open for 24 hours, give or take--closing at noon MST tomorrow. Regular point system:
+1 for a comment below (don't forget email address!)
+1 for a tweet or retweet, or post on Facebook
+2 for a blog post about either THE BREACH or the contest
Joanna Stampfel-Volpe generously hosted a contest here with me last week, but she's decided THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. She wants to give away MORE to you guys!
This one is for some lucky kiddo--so moms out there, get on this! Joanna and I are giving away one copy of OTTO GROWS DOWN, a picture book by Michael Sussman.
From an Amazon review:
"Michael Sussman's first children's book is a humorous take on sibling rivalry and suitable for preschoolers and up. In the story, six-year-old Otto is celebrating his birthday when he gets upset at all the attention being given to his infant sister Anna. He wishes that she was never born and soon enough finds his wish coming true in the strangest manner - time moves backwards, and very soon, Anna is sent back to the hospital and Otto finds himself getting younger and younger. As he grows 'down', Otto begins to grow 'up' and learns the lesson of appreciating having a sibling." (reviewer z hayes)
Doesn't that sound cool?
This contest will be open a little longer, since we're all busy: until 8 am MST Monday morning. So you have all weekend to link, and get yourself more entries!!
Rules:
For 1 point, post a comment below with at least ONE thing that makes you smile about any member of your family: sibling, child, spouse, parents, whatever. It's a celebration of what's good about families, even crazy ones!
An additional 1 point for tweeting OR Facebooking the contest
An additional 2 points for linking to this contest on your blog!
Contest will close at 8 am Monday, and we'll do a random draw. Ready? GO GO GO!
~*CONTEST CLOSED*~
I'll announce the winner in a bit! Stay tuned!
Hi all! It is a giveaway FESTIVAL here. So let's dive in to an interview with Enchanting Urban Fantasy Author Kelly Gay, who stopped by to tell us about her debut novel (on shelves now!), THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS. We're also giving away a signed copy!
Susan: Hi Kelly! First, congratulations on the release of your first book! How's it feel so far?
Kelly: Thanks Susan! And thanks for having me on your blog! My book being ‘out there’ in the world feels awesome, scary, exciting, surreal… you name it. A book debut fits that whole rollercoaster analogy incredibly well.
Susan: I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy yet (I will, ASAP!), so could you tell us a bit about the story?
Kelly: Sure. The book is set in Atlanta about a decade after the discovery of heaven-like Elysia and hellish Charbydon, two alternate dimensions, which are home to beings that inspired our myths of angels, demons, gods, and monsters. Now they live among us, and it’s Charlie Madigan’s job to police the off-world sector and keep the peace, but when a new off-world drug is released, an ancient threat emerges, and her ex-husband makes a terrible bargain to win her back, there’s nothing in heaven, or hell, for that matter, that Charlie won’t do to set things right.
Susan: Charbydon and Elysia…aha. A student of the classics, eh? Can you talk about how classic mythology shaped the world you created? How have you diverged?
Kelly: Yeah. I’m a sucker for all things ancient and classical. I was reading Herodotus when I was ten years old. The Histories is still one of my all time favorite reads.
Susan: I'm fascinated with the idea of an urban fantasy heroine who's also a single mother (I love Vicki Pettersson's take on that too, but I'm sure it's very different). Can you talk about the balance she has to strike? How has your experience as a mother influenced that part of the story?
Kelly: Ooh a Vicki Pettersson fan? Me too! LOL. But, yeah, mine takes a totally different path to motherhood. The thing that makes Charlie who she is at the start of BPOD is that fact that her personal life has been very much like someone you might know; someone who has gone through school, gotten married to their high school or college sweetheart, had a child early on, and who works for a living. Charlie has been a mom to her daughter for eleven years now. It has shaped who she is and defines what is important to her. It’s made her a mature, determined, protective woman. And since she’s been in the workforce while also being a mom, she’s already found a decent balance between work and motherhood. It’s become second nature—hard some days, but it’s the norm where Charlie is concerned. (Thought, events in BPOD change the norm somewhat.)
But the balance nowadays is shifting as her daughter, Emma, approaches the age where she wants independence and will fight for it. Charlie is in the midst of learning how much to let go while still maintaining her tight bond with Emma. It’s a scary time for Charlie because she knows things happening now between them could define their relationship later in life. It’s a struggle for sure, wanting to protect but knowing you have to let go of some strings in order for your kid to grow and learn from their own mistakes. And, in this regard, I do find I draw on experiences with my own mother and with my daughter as well, a daughter who is getting very close to the stage Emma is at right now. Lord, help me! J
Susan: I'm not *cough* unfamiliar with the balance of motherhood and writing myself. How do you juggle those roles, which can both be so time-demanding?
Kelly: Oy. It’s hard, I won’t lie. When my son, who just turned 2, entered the mix, it really became a struggle to carve out quiet time, and enough time to be productive and turn out material at the pace I’d been used to. One of the things I’ve learned is that I have to accept it. I can’t stress and fight against that fact that I must stop writing to tend to a need that arises. I used to get frustrated when I had to stop mid-creative streak. But, I’ve since learned to chill, and I stopped trying to work when they’re home, or even when they’re playing quietly (though I will do things like blog posts, email replies, and answering interview questions, LOL). And since I’ve made that little rule, I’m able to enjoy the time spent with my family without wanting to finish that sentence or rework that paragraph. When they’re at school and daycare, that’s when I sit my butt in the chair and work. If there’s a tight deadline and I need to work in the evenings or weekends, then I make sure I’m not the primary caregiver at that time, and I’ll go outside of the house, wake up early, or wait until everyone is in bed.
Susan: Now. Tell me about this YA series. (please)
Kelly: Yay! I’m so excited about this project! DARKNESS BECOMES HER is the first novel in the series, and it will debut in Spring 2011 from Simon Pulse, with a second book a year later. I call the series, ‘GODS & MONSTERS’, but I’m not sure yet if that will change. It’s dark, urban fantasy, set in a post apocalyptic-like New Orleans that has been forsaken and abandoned by the government and most of its inhabitants due to two massive hurricanes that destroyed the city a decade earlier. It's now become a sanctuary for the supernatural, a place run by the Novem, nine of the oldest (and strangest) families in New Orleans.
My heroine, Ari, is a pretty tough and independent teen, with some unique qualities. She’s searching for answers, clues to an obscure past that leads her to New 2 (what folks now call New Orleans). With the help of some misfit kids and teens living in an abandoned Garden District mansion, Ari discovers a curse that has stood since the time of the gods, one that is beginning to stir inside of her and ignite the age old war between gods and monsters.
I can’t tell you how excited I am about this story. It’s dark, lush, and has a gothic feel. The city is decaying, ebbing back into the swamps, so the atmosphere is very creepy. And I'm blending some ancient mythology (the gods) and the vampire, witches, & shapeshifter mythos (the monsters) together, connecting them with an ancient curse that lives inside of my heroine.
Susan: What have you found different about writing YA versus adult UF? Does one voice or the other come more naturally to you?
Kelly: So far, I‘ve been able to fall quite easily into the voices of both Charlie and Ari. I’ve been writing young adult for a few years now, so I feel really comfortable stepping into the YA role. In fact, the manuscript I was shopping before BPOD was a YA, and I figured eventually I’d hit with one of the genres and either debut as an adult author or as a YA author. But I think it turned out just right because this new YA is much stronger than the one I’d been shopping earlier.
There’s not a big difference to me when I write one or the other. I’m aware of the differences in things like themes, relationships, and goals and motivations, but my style is naturally dark and paranormal, and since both genres allow me to explore that to my heart’s content, I’m pretty comfortable in both roles.
****
Thanks so much, Kelly! Now, let's give away a copy of that lovely, dark UF, shall we? For this one I'm going to make you work...well, a TINY bit. With the holidays, I won't make you work hard.
To enter:
For 1 point, post a comment below with the name of your favorite mythological creature. Classic myths, modern myths, whatever you like!
An additional 1 point for tweeting OR Facebooking the contest
An additional 2 points for linking to this contest on your blog!
This is a one-day-only thing: Entries must be in by tomorrow at noon mountain time.
Eeee! You guys, I am SO excited to be hosting a guest blog from Fabulous Agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary. Joanna read my manuscript when she was working as an assistant at FinePrint Literary, and she's been a fantastic friend/sounding board/cheerleader ever since. Anybody would be lucky to have Joanna in their corner. Listen to what she has to say! Oh, and did I mention that she's giving away a query crit AND books? Read on!
BNFF – Best Networking Friend Forever
by Joanna Stampfel-Volpe
I need to make a bold statement. One that some of you may disagree with, but nonetheless, I stand by it.
Agents are human beings.
That’s right! We’re not evil goblins who survive on the unhappiness of others. We’re not creepy elves who sit in our offices churning out form rejection letters day in and day out. And we’re certainly not slithery snakes, or sharks.
Well. Most of us aren’t.
I’ve decided to come out as a human being at this time for three reasons:
1. It’s the holidays. 2. I don’t like it when writers approach me at conferences (especially in the bathroom) with their manuscript in hand, suggesting that I read it on the plane ride home. They charge you by the pound for luggage these days so I usually try to travel light. 3. I REALLY don’t like it when writers approach me at conferences as if they’re so below me that at any moment I’ll sneeze and mistake them for a tissue. I am not more important than you. Except maybe to my dog, PeeWee, because hey, I control his food.
So there should be no reason not to hang out with us agents at a conference and share a laugh/drink/crazy story/etc. In fact there is a very good reason to hang out with us at conferences—networking, of course!
I definitely have more than a few writer friends who are not represented by me, and some not represented at all (yet), but that doesn’t mean we don’t have things in common. And most of them I met at conferences, just like the ones you attend. We laughed over dinner, exchanged vacation stories over a glass of wine, played board games and ate popcorn, we talked about movies, food, pets, good books, crazy family and celebrity gossip. But the one thing we didn’t talk about was their manuscripts. Because it wasn’t about pitching at that time. It was about making a connection that had some lasting power. If and when they do send me something to read (whether it’s a submission or not), you better believe I take it very seriously. And even if they don’t (because they’re already represented, or I don’t work on their genre), I am definitely going to cheer them on from the sidelines. You never know when you might attend an event with a client of mine. You may need a blurb for one of your books (or I might ask you for one!). You may need a critique group suggestion. And I might send you a book to review on your blog. Who knows what a wonderful connection like this could bring, right? But you’ll never know unless you try. All that being said, as fellow human beings, us agents don’t appreciate being stalked, hunted down or followed around all night. Just like with any connection, you have to make sure the feeling is mutual.
Moral of the story: Treat agents (and editors!) as you’d like to be treated.
Follow this advice and you just might make a BNFF.
And since it IS the Season of Giving, I’d like to give two lucky people a present! The two winners of the contest will be picked at random—all you need to do is leave a comment and tell me what your favorite genres are (ie-paranormal YA, adult historical romance, political thrillers, etc). The winners will receive a small package of books to read over the holidays and one query critique.
Cheers & Happy Holidays! Joanna
Bio:Joanna Stampfel-Volpe is an agent with Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation. She is looking for juvenile (up to YA) fiction and non-fiction, adult genre and mainstream fiction and some nonfiction areas. She accepts hard copy or e-mail queries--e-mail address:LiteraryNancy2@gmail.com. Send snail mail queries to 240 West 35th Street, Suite 500, New York, NY 10001. Joanna's specific interests are: chapter books to upper YA (non-fiction, contemporary, paranormal, romantic, humor, post-apocalyptic, historical and fantasy *fantasy/sci-fi needs to really stand out, unique), adult romance (historical, paranormal, contemporary), fantasy (urban fantasy, steampunk, unique), up-market fiction (dark, literary, horror, women's fic, commercial thrillers, historical, magical realism, speculative fic), narrative non-fiction (pop culture, environmental, foodie).
She is NOT interested in: cozies, cookbooks, academic nonfiction, epic fantasy for adults, hi-science fiction for adults, poetry, collections/short stories, screenplays.
***
Thanks so much, Joanna!
So, CONTEST!! As Joanna said, just post a comment below, and list your favorite genres! Also, let's spread the word. You'll get one additional entry (+1) for tweeting about the contest OR posting on Facebook, and another additional entry (+1) for posting on your blog and letting us know about it!
Note: Eeek, I didn't put an end date on this! Let's do until Thursday at noon mountain time!
You KNOW you want to win a query critique from Joanna. Plus...Books!
Here it is, peeps! The DANI NOIR interview, with the Most Fabulous Nova Ren Suma!!
Nova is the author of DANI NOIR, a tween novel about noir-movie-obsessed Dani and the lies she uncovers in her small nothing-ever-happens town, out now in hardcover and ebook from Simon & Schuster / Aladdin. IMAGINARY GIRLS, Nova’s YA debut, is the story of two sisters and their bond that can’t be broken. It is due out in hardcover tentatively in Summer 2011 from Penguin / Dutton.
Also, Nova is immensely cool. Just so you know.
Susan: Tell me your summary of Dani's story.
Nova: Speaking of fabulous, first off, thank you so much, Susan, for having me on your fabulous blog!
DANI NOIR is about liars, cheaters, and all things Rita Hayworth. It follows 13-year-old Dani the summer her best friend has moved away, her brother's away at camp, and her dad's left her mom for another woman. Classic black-and-white film noir movies and the stunning femmes fatales that star in them are Dani's only escape from her boring small town where nothing ever happens, or so she thinks. But when she realizes that someone's been lying, and not in the movies but in real life, she sets out to uncover the truth, no matter who gets hurt on the way...
Susan: I was so impressed with Dani's authentic voice, the authentic headspace of a 13-year-old. Tell me about how you slipped into Dani's skin.
Nova: Oh, thank you! You know, the whole time I was writing the book I felt like I was channeling Dani herself, like she was a real girl. She's a very dramatic character, so it turned out to be a very dramatic summer and fall for me while I was writing this novel. I may have acted out a little, so anyone who knows me, please forgive me! To get inside her head and slip into her skin I sent myself back in time to age 13. I remember the summer before eighth grade so clearly—too clearly—so it felt natural to speak from that voice. And when I felt myself feeling distant from Dani, I'd turn off the lights and watch a scene from a noir movie. Also, copious amounts of ice cream helped.
Susan: There is such a fabulous interplay between two different pieces in the book: Dani's troubles, including her parent's divorce, and her love of film noir movies. How did you come up with that combo?
Nova: I can't separate Dani from her love of film noir movies. I can't imagine a story about her without that interplay, it's so much of how she sees the world. I guess this is why, when I look back at the start of the writing before I decided to write about noir movies specifically, the story was completely flat. She was flat. Sure, Dani existed, but she was nobody special. She could barely carry a scene. Then I had one of those click-worthy moments watching a particular scene in a certain classic noir movie called Gilda. It's the scene where you first see Rita Hayworth.
I saw it through Dani's eyes, imagined her watching it from her lonely seat in the Little Art movie theater, looking up and meeting eyes with Rita Hayworth, and it all sort of fell into place. Once I knew where I was going, I went crazy with it. The "if this were a movie" diversions were my favorite parts of this book to write... could you tell?
Susan: Do you have favorite film noir bits? Are they the same as those in the book? Why?
Nova: If you asked Dani, she'd say her favorite thing about noir films are the femmes fatales, such as her hands-down favorite Rita Hayworth, but she'd also give props to Barbara Stanwyck, Lauren Bacall, and Lana Turner. And if you asked me the same question, I'd have to agree with Dani. Maybe that's why it was so easy to write her: We connect to the same things. So I think you could say that the scenes mentioned in the book are scenes that resonated with me personally, and that's why I shared them with my character.
Here's another scene that stuck with me from Gilda and that Dani also mentions loving:
In one point of the book, the projectionist, Jackson, insists on showing Dani the opening shot of Touch of Evil, which he says is genius because it's one camera moving through the streets without cuts, one of the first times that was done in movies. (View the Touch of Evil opening scene here) In real life it was my husband, an NYU film school grad, who insisted I watch that scene. I remember how excited he was by how skillfully it was done, not a cut until the car blows up at the end—and it sure was pretty impressive—but when I was watching I had the kind of reaction Dani might have had. The whole time I'm going, Yeah, yeah, that's great, but where's the femme fatale?
Susan: I understand you'd ghostwritten some projects before writing DANI NOIR. How many books did you complete before this sale?
Nova: For a few years, I did write a lot of books for kids and tweens under different pseudonyms and house pseudonyms—I lost count at seventeen. That amount probably sounds ridiculous, but only four were novels; the rest were shorter. Before DANI, I also wrote two adult novels of my own that were never published. At one point I remember counting up the pages I wrote in the span of two years—and it was more than a thousand. Let me tell you something about those years: I was tired. Very, very tired.
Anyway, I guess DANI NOIR is technically my seventh novel, but it feels like my first. It's the first original tween novel I ever wrote, and it's the first time someone actually gave me a real shot to publish my own story under my own name. Thank you, Simon & Schuster! Now that the book is out, it's also the first time people are actually reading what I wrote, reading and responding, and that's all new to me. It's a wonderful, exciting, frightening feeling. It took a while, and a lot of pages, to get to this place, but I'm glad it waited to happen with DANI NOIR.
Susan: Talk a bit about your writing process. Outliner or seat of the pants? Quick draft or revise as you go?
Nova: Outside my various day jobs, I am at heart a very disorganized person: scattered, messy, easily overwhelmed and terribly forgetful. This is why I need an outline to write a novel. It's important that I know what I'm in for, that I plan out my story in order to reach the end. Now, what I call an "outline" may look more like a rough or quick draft to another writer, but I like calling it an outline because I don't consider it real writing. I'd prefer not to show these "outlines" to anyone except my husband, who reads everything I write at every stage and helps me make it better (I'm so lucky to have him). No one else should see the outline though. I'm afraid it would make someone who didn't know me not want to read the book!
As for revising as I go, this is exactly how I write a first draft. What I consider a first draft has already been gone over multiple times—so it's maybe a third draft, technically. I do this chapter by chapter, so after writing to the end of one chapter, I spend days (sometimes weeks) rewriting it before hitting the next chapter.
I know that wise writers and writing teachers say that, for a first draft, you should just let your words flow and not get hung up on shaping your sentences at such an early stage, but I can't work that way. I do realize this is a waste of time when big chunks are cut later, or big plotlines changed, but I can't help it. I write in layers: I go over it and over it and over it and the story and the characters come clearer the longer I've spent carving them out. The first words I spit onto the page are never the ones you'll find by the end.
This method may sound painful, but I love it. The rewriting process between my private first draft and the official first draft I'll show readers is the most thrilling, delicious part of writing a book for me.
Susan: You were one of the leaders of the "twitter-break" last week. Can you talk a bit about your love/hate with social media? Do you think it's valuable to you, or too much of a time-suck?
Nova: I'm so very conflicted about Twitter, mainly because I like it so much. Too much. I'm a very easily distracted person, so I tend to misuse it. I tell myself it's perfectly okay to tweet (or check Facebook) while writing, and then I spend much of my writing time clicking back and forth between windows, reading people's updates, commenting... and there I've lost an hour and my scene feels dead on the page. I have no self-control.
Last fall, while I was writing DANI NOIR, I forced myself to give up Twitter for about two months. And that was before so many people were using Twitter; I followed maybe 20 people. So imagine how much worse it is now to follow hundreds!
Fact is, Twitter is a wonderful tool for authors and, through it, I've connected with so many people in the industry: writers, editors, agents, librarians, reviewers, not to mention it's a great way to keep up with my faraway friends. In fact, Susan, I'm pretty sure that Twitter is how I first connected to YOU! I just need a way to find balance—to write when I'm writing and not let Twitter call me away. That's how this week off Twitter came to be. For me, abstaining like this has been cleansing. I hope to come back to Twitter refreshed and focused, and not let my bad habits hold me back from writing the best novel I can. Fingers crossed.
Susan: What are you working on now? Is there any more to Dani's story?
Nova: I'd love to write another book about Dani—in my mind, her story certainly continues, but there are currently no plans for a sequel. However, as we speak, I am in the midst of developing some new tween novels and there's one especially insistent 13-year-old who's making herself known in my head. I'm excited to try to find her story.
But that's for the future. Because the novel I'm writing under deadline now—the one that's so important to me, I even gave up Twitter for a week!—is due this winter. It's my debut YA novel, and it's called IMAGINARY GIRLS. It's the story of two sisters, their strong bond, and the dead body that threatens to break it. Even though it's for an older audience, you'll find some echoes of DANI NOIR in there: the first-person voice, since I always write in first person, and the place, as IMAGINARY GIRLS is also set in the Hudson Valley, where I'm from. I'm at the point in writing this novel where it's completely taken over all my senses. It feels more real to me than the real life I'm walking around in. This is dangerous, like when I'm outside crossing the street and don't pay attention to oncoming taxicabs, but it's been great for the novel so far. Assuming I make my deadline, look out for IMAGINARY GIRLS from Dutton in, tentatively, Summer 2011.
Thank you so much for interviewing me, Susan! I appreciate the chance to connect with your readers. And if anyone wants to find me elsewhere, my main website is http://novaren.com, and all things DANI NOIR can be found on http://daninoir.com. And... guess what? I'm on Twitter. Feel free to follow me and distract me, within reason!, at twitter.com/novaren.
