Blogiversary Re-post #2: My 3 Life Lessons

From January 23, 2009. Because they're still true, and I still need to learn them.

*****
I've slowly come to the realization that there are 3 major lessons I keep re-learning, over and over and over. Each time they dawn on me as Truth, as Revelation, even though I'm well aware I've learned them before. It's just so easy to forget. If I believed in reincarnation or karma, I'd say these are the lessons I'm working on in this life.

So I'm going to put them in writing this time, hoping that will help me keep them in mind. Y'all feel free to remind me, too.

1. Give without expectation. If you give love freely, or do things for others freely, without expecting anything in return (this is the hard part for me), the love will come back to you. People will choose to do things for you. CHOOSE, instead of being expected to, which is different and vastly better.
2. Do the work first, and inspiration will follow. This is really just a different version of butt-in-chair, but it is SO easy to get frustrated when writing or life isn't going the way you want it to, and want to give up because it isn't coming. I realized this one again yesterday when (whew) I had a big plot revelation for SSP...after banging my head against a wall for 11,000 words. Yes, I start with ideas, but the story doesn't coalesce until I put the hard work in. Often I struggle to scrape the words together for my daily goal, only to find that at the end of the session words come, I get into the flow, and I go over my word count. You have to go through the hard part.
3. Things happen for a reason. I know. This is an old saw, and can seem pretty flat when the world is falling apart around you. But it's true.

Example: I had some pretty miserable school experiences. I mean bad. At one point in 5th grade there was an "I hate Susan club", and many of my classmates were members. Yeah. Because I went through all that a little part of my psyche is still there, still dealing with social struggles and rejection.

Unforeseen Result: Now I write YA. I couldn't, if I hadn't suffered then. I understand what that place is like.

Example: Both my husband and I were laid off within 3 months of each other. We had a 6-month-old child, we had no income besides Social Security, and the economy was tight in our industries, so we had trouble finding jobs (sound familiar?).

Unforeseen Result: Instead of having our child in daycare, I was able to stay home with her for a year. Then I got a really good job in Montana, in a small town, and my husband stayed home with her for another year, until she was ready to start at a fabulous preschool that she loves. My mom moved here a year later (from somewhere else), and now Child is able to have a close relationship with her grandparents that she would not have otherwise had. It worked out in a way I never would have guessed 6 years ago.

I am NOT saying change is easy, or work is easy, or giving of yourself is easy. None of it is. It's freaking hard, and that's why I keep forgetting these lessons. (over and over and...) But I welcome the moments when I realize them again, and feel that surge of YES.

Blogiversary Re-post #3: Be Afraid

This is my most popular post by far. Mostly just because Janet linked to it, which spread it far and wide from there. :)

*****

What is your biggest fear?

Rejection? Death? The unknown? Loss? Is your main character facing down that fear?

Why not?

I don't know where I read or heard this first: Robert McKee, maybe, or quite possibly Donald Maass, in his Surrey master classes. The advice: Find your fear, and dump it on the page. Make your character deal with it in just the way you've always dreaded. 

It's hard. I've done it, stared at the screen thinking "No, I can't talk about that. Even thinking about that scares me silly. How can I possibly live every day with that ache, that trickle of fear, for months?" You can. You should. It brings a vividness to your book that will otherwise be missing, that will become the vague, undefined lack earning you "I just didn't love this" comments by the bucketful.

However, if you truthfully portray your fear, and your characters react to it honestly, your book will resonate with readers. See, the trick is you're not the only one with that particular fear. If it's cathartic for you to deal with it on the page and come through the other side, it's cathartic for readers as well. They'll recognize the truth, connect with the powerful emotions. Rip through the pages to see if your MC will overcome it. Cheer for her when she does.

Like everybody, I've got several fears that underlie everything, that can rise to the surface with one word. One is rejection.

I'm not talking about book rejection—that's just a step in the process, in my opinion. I'm talking about when your best friend for years starts going cold. Stops calling you. Tells you one day, in front of all the people you most want to impress, that she can't believe she was ever friends with you in the first place, you're such a loser.

Yes, that happened to me.

Or when your boyfriend, or husband, starts spending long hours away from you. Turns away when you try to kiss him, or worse, pretends. But you can tell. It's different. It's over, you just haven't admitted it yet.

Or when you're a kid, and one of your parents leaves, for reasons that are perfectly valid from a grown-up's perspective, but to a kid just means they've failed somehow.

Jenna dealt with that fear. Natalie's facing it too, in a different way from a different source. But I think it's a common anxiety, and important. And very, very real to me. 

Another one I didn't even realize until I wrote Jenna was the fear of losing control. I hadn't realized the true terror of that moment when—because of medical reasons, or because you're just a kid—decisions about your life are taken out of your hands, and you no longer have a choice. I did that to Jenna. Of course she took control back, but she had to lose it first. I had to, to understand it.

Don't hold back. Don't sugar-coat issues, to make them safe. Face your fears. Make your characters go through those particular layers of hell. 

And then, at the end, let them win.

Blogiversary Re-post #4: News (yes, finally!)

This is a re-post of another of my seminal moments in writing life so far, signing with the wonderful, sharkly Janet Reid.

When I posted this, I think I rather thought the rough bits of my writing journey were over completely, but not quite yet. Still hanging in, but so glad to have Janet on my team!

*****
I am absolutely THRILLED to announce that as of this morning I have signed with Janet Reid, of FinePrint Literary Management!!!!!

I first ran across Janet at Surrey, as part of the panel of the dreaded SIWC Idol workshop. As in previous years, I submitted my 2 pages, this time of JENNA, to be read aloud and critiqued. Kristin Nelson stopped the reading, but Janet stood up for it, and said she loved the beginning and would have kept reading.

I didn't really consider submitting to her, though, because I knew she didn't take YAs. However, I ran into her again at the banquet, and reminded her that she'd liked my book...and she asked for pages right there. Sadly, I didn't have them hiding in my cocktail dress, but I slipped the first chapter to her the next day. She said she'd get in touch with me.

Fast forward to November. I hadn't heard from her, but I'd been submitting to other agents, and I still had her on my list as a long shot (no YAs, remember?). So I sent her a follow-up email with the first chapter again. Didn't hear right away, but that's standard. Kept submitting. In the meantime a few other agents asked for the full.

On December 18th, I got a wonderful email from Janet saying she couldn't believe she hadn't asked for the full right away, and could I please send it?

She read the whole thing IN ONE DAY and called to offer representation that night. She loved it. (okay, I feel like Sally Fields now; I will refrain)

We had to wait until the other agents considering the full had a chance to respond, which is why the long radio silence between then and now. But from the moment I talked to her that night, I wanted to sign with her. She's wonderful, and she LOVED THE BOOK. Just as it is. (yes, I did watch Bridget Jones last night, why do you ask?)

As to not repping YAs? I asked Janet that. She said "Well, we're just going to change that right now, aren't we?" :)

So there you have it. I have an agent.

Thanks to all of you for your support through everything!!

Blogiversary Re-post #5: Oh, it was a good one

From December 26th, 2007:

****
Usually, Child wakes me up with a gentle tapping on my back. Sometimes it incorporates into my dream, like the alarm buzzer, but she just keeps up the tapping, tap tap tap, until I respond.

Yesterday it was more of a thump thump thump.

"HE CAME!" she said, in a barely restrained whisper. I rolled over immediately, to find two big eyes, right there. "He CAME and you'd never believe it I've never seen so many presents IN MY LIFE!"

She bounced up and down, clutching her teddy bear, beaming.

"Really?" I whispered back, snapping out of grogginess pretty quick. "Did he eat the cookies?"

"YES! I looked, and there were only CRUMBS LEFT! And he drank all the milk except for THIS MUCH!" She scrunched her fingers together in a fist, showing me a teeny gap, and grinned. Bounce, bounce, bounce. "And I've never seen so many presents, and you have to come look, and there's a present on top that's shaped like a TURKEY! Come ON!"

There was no "okay in five minutes" yesterday. There was only a smile between me and hubby, and a quick throwing on of socks and such, and an even quicker push of the coffeemaker button.

And then it was Christmas.

The rest of the day was wonderful, filled with surprises and playing and phone calls and a lovely time with grandma and grandpa. But that...that was my favorite moment. That lasts me all year.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

Blogiversary Re-post #6: I Wonder

Today, the theme is Child. I have a bunch of "favorite" posts about Child, but I narrowed it down to two. I think. Both from 2007!

Here's the first one, from May 2007, called I Wonder.
 *****

It hit me this morning, the perfect word about raising kids. In fact, I think this word was made to describe the experience of raising kids.

Wonder.

In that first moment, when you hold your first baby in your arms, wonder overwhelms you. Look at the little toes! The pink, squashed cheeks! The tiny swirl of hair! It is completely amazing that this...person...grew inside you, and is real.

And the sense of wonder really doesn't stop. You hang over her, entranced, as she sleeps. Breathing! Snoring! Then as she takes her first steps, toddling straight into your arms. As she says her first word. As she writes her own name. As she goes to school, as she learns to swim. If you're anything like me, you're constantly struck by how cool, how wondrous, all of these achievements are, day by day.

But there's the other kind of wonder too, and that's an equally huge part of being a parent.

I wonder what she'll be when she grows up?
I wonder if she'll like to read, like me?
I wonder what she's doing at school today?
I wonder how she can behave like that, when we've had this discussion before?
I wonder if I'm doing the right thing?

When I signed up for being a parent, I hadn't realized there'd be so much uncertainty, so much doubt. Sure, there are all the jokes about wishing they'd come with a manual, and the sober advice that they're all different, and you have to make up new rules for each one. But I had no idea that I'd constantly be wondering if I was making the right choices, doing enough, saying the right thing. Or worrying about her even when she's not with me (especially when she's not with me).

I'm not really looking forward to the teenage years, when my central worry might be "I wonder where she is right now?". Fortunately, I also expect there will still be some of that other kind of wonder--the amazement kind, at what an awesome kid I'm raising--to balance it out.

**side note, on Question 2: Last night when we were discussing reading, Child said "I can't IMAGINE not loving to read. It's so FUN. And you learn things!" So I guess I don't have to wonder about that one. :)

Blogiversary Re-post #7: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

I love this old post, from February 12, 2007, for personal reasons: it was when I flipped the switch and changed my writing life, turning completely from historicals to YA. I dropped a book on Isabella of Castile I had 9,000 words on, because I was starting to hate it, and I just didn't feel I wanted to write that way anymore. So I had a long talk with a friend, and posted this after making my decision. The VERY next day I wrote out the starting point and characters for JENNA, and found my voice.

*****
There are some big changes going on...in my head. {s}

On Friday I took a hard look at what I'm doing--what my writing goals are, what I'm passionate about, what kind of career I want to build. And what's not working for me now. With the help of a good friend, I realized that if I want to change course I need to do it NOW, before I get stuck on a track I don't want to be on.

In short, writing historicals isn't making me happy right now; it's making me UNhappy. I dread the research, I'm bored with characters whose lives I already know, in a world I can't experience yet have to stick to. I feel like I'm writing with both hands tied behind my back, and it's stopped being fun.

I'm yearning to write something of my own, a story that's wholly mine. Where I don't have to stick to a script--I make up the script. Where I can include elements that excite me, where I can let go and use my real voice, instead of trying to re-create someone long dead.

And I was thinking, la la la, I can write this new book, in a new genre for me, and still try to sell TMT.

No.

If I sell it--and I still think that I could, if I spent some time really improving it--I will be expected to write historicals for a good long time, to build my career. And I don't want to do that.

I made a list of all the things I love to read about, to think about. Of the things that I love from my favorite authors of all time (the humor of Douglas Adams; the other worlds of Susan Cooper; the adventure and pacing of Mary Stewart, etc.). And folks, I am going My Own Way.

So you will see a change already in the blog...the Book 2 counter is gone. The references to historical fiction are gone. And guess what--instead of that medieval lady over there in the profile that I was hiding behind? There's me. (Well, a cartoon representation of me, but that's the closest you get for now.)

And the Medieval Word of the Day? That was nice, wasn't it? But I'm sorry, that has to go too.

My word of the day: transform: To change the form of; to change into another shape or form; to metamorphose.

Blogiversary Re-post #8: The Sensation of COLD

Happy Tuesday!! This re-post is just because I think it's useful in describing what Really Cold feels like. Before coming to Montana I had no idea. Thankfully today it's about 30 above zero, so this is a memory of what December was like this year...

From January 12, 2007, I bring you: BRRRR.

*****

This morning it is -24 degrees. Fahrenheit.

It's difficult to describe what that kind of cold feels like, but for the sake of an exercise, I'll try.

I bundle up of course; you have to. I'm wearing silky long johns under jeans, a long-sleeve shirt under a hooded sweatshirt, boots, a lined coat, gloves, and a hat. I never wear a hat unless it's really cold, but at this temperature it's necessary or there's a very real danger that my ears will get frostbite. It's happened before--with mild frostbite the lobes turn a mottled red and the skin flakes. Yuck. So I'm wearing a pale blue tuque that I got, unbelievably, at a San Diego Padres baseball game. Much more useful here than in San Diego.

I also have a soft black scarf wrapped around my neck and over my mouth. I wish I could wrap it over my nose too, but I wear glasses, and that means instant fogging up. Not good to be stumbling around outside when the goal is to get IN, as fast as possible.

Even with all this protection it's still painfully cold for that top half of my face that's still exposed. The worst, really, is my nose. The instant I step outside my nose hairs freeze--I'm not kidding! It's a nasty sensation. Tickly, but sharp, like hundreds of little doll-size needles inside your nose. I try not to inhale very much, or very deeply. My cheeks and my forehead ache with cold before I take ten steps. My glasses freeze and the metal frames become heavy; I'm aware of each point they touch my face. In spite of my gloves, the tips of my fingers ache and tingle, sending a warning to my body that I recognized even when I was a newbie at this. ("This is ridiculous! Why are we outside in this? Get the hell in!")

Cars, even new, fancy cars, don't start when it's this cold. Our CRV did, but only reluctantly after a couple of tries. Once you do get on the road every car pumps massive clouds of steam out the tailpipe, a rolling chain of fog. Everyone goes slower, because you have to wait for the car-cloud in front of you to clear before you go. If you stop somewhere for an hour or so the warmth inside the car, from your breath or the remnants of the heater, freezes inside the windows, and you have to run it for 10 minutes or so or drive anyway, peering through patterns of ice.

But we're in Montana, and we're supposed to be tough. So everybody smiles at each other once we're in, rubbing our gloved hands, stomping our feet. "It's a bit cold out today," someone says. "But actually not that bad," someone else answers. "Remember when it used to be -40, for 3 weeks at a time? We have it easy now."

Yeah. We have it easy.

Medieval Word of the Day: inlaw: One who is within the domain and protection of the law: opp. to outlaw.

(Okay, I had to laugh at that one. That would be confusing for time-travelers, wouldn't it?)

A poem

A poem, just because.

Itch
by Susan Adrian

My shoulder blades itch.
I think it is because
they miss their wings
and want them back.
I tell them to hold on
for a few more years.
I am so not ready
for the burden of wings
again.

Blogiversary Re-post #9: Critters

Apparently in early 2006 I was thinking an awful lot about critiques and feedback. Here's a handy little post, hopefully still useful, on how to choose critique partners.

*****
How to Choose Critique Partners (aka critters)

To me, critters and readers are a vital part of the process of writing. I wouldn't feel comfortable sending a book off to agents without knowing that somebody besides me had read the thing.

I expect my critters, in general, to:

--tell me if the story "hangs" together
--point out plot holes or inconsistencies (why did Davy's eyes change from green to blue?)
--check pacing (did they want to keep turning the pages? was there anywhere it sagged?)
--note any oddities in language that pulled them out of the story
--tell me about character (did they like Katherine? did they hate the villain? why? Were their feelings mitigated or changed at the end?)
--say, as a reader, if the ending and the story arc was satisfying. Were they happy when they closed the book?

These are from regular critters. "Expert" critters I expect to really just look at their portion of expertise. I had someone read TMT to check that my descriptions of the countryside and flora and fauna of northern England were correct. She also had some excellent comments about the little bits of dialect I have, since she's a native-born of that area. I had a monk look at the scenes in an abbey of his order. I had an archaeologist look at the scenes in the abbey that he's excavating. These readers may or may not have other comments, but you really need them for their expertise.

So what things do you look for in a critter, to give you all this feedback?

1. Honesty. This one is absolutely imperative. It's up to you whether it needs to be honesty couched with tact, or plain-speaking brutal truth, but you need to know what they really thought. Not what you want to hear.

2. A critical eye. I don't think critters need to be writers; a reader's perspective can be just as valuable (that's who you're selling to in the end, after all!). But it won't help you if they read it and say only "it was great!". They need to be able to evaluate it and be able to express what they liked, and what they didn't. How it could be improved.

3. Patience. I doubt this one is just me. I tend to pepper my critters with questions after they finish a read, at least for a day or so. They need to be able to deal with questions.

4. Expertise. If they're one of your expertise readers, but of course.

What do they get out of doing this monumental task for you? Well, if they're writers, you might offer to read their work critically in exchange. This is almost always a good deal. If they're experts, they get the thrill of having been asked, and being able to talk about their expertise. (you laugh, but this seems to be enough) If they're readers and like your genre, they get to read a book, hopefully a good one, when no one else has had a chance to see it yet.

And of course, they get a mention in your acknowledgments when you do get published. Never forget your critters in the acknowledgments; they helped you get this book out to everyone else.

Medieval Word of the Day: selcouth: Unfamiliar, unusual, rare; strange, marvellous, wonderful.

Blogiversary Re-post #10: Listen and Reflect

I've had this blog for 4 years tomorrow. Wow! That's a lot of blathering.

To celebrate, I scoured back through my ancient posts to find the ones I liked best. There's a good mix of craft, Child, news, changes...it's been interesting to see where my head was through all these books, through these 4 years.

The posts aren't in favorite order, because I simply couldn't decide. I'm going to go from oldest to most recent. So here's a gem from April 2006, when I was in the midst of writing my first book, The Murderess's Tale. It's called Listen and Reflect.

*****
Today I'm thinking about feedback, and how critical it is in the process of becoming a writer. Not just that you get feedback--that is vital, unless you're a random genius who is perfect, and then we would all have to hate you--but how you judge it, and how you accept it.

Newbies, for example, are often swayed by the slightest breeze of a comment. I tread particularly carefully when critting newbies, because they are so very easy to crush. "You have an opinion about my work? (You actually read my work, wow!) Of course you're right! I'll change it right away!" And then the next critiquer comes along and says the opposite, and the newbie changes again. And again. We have all been there. Finally at some point it comes home, with a slam. How can all of these people be right, when they contradict each other? And why should they know more about my characters than me?

Unfortunately, this leads some into the donkey phase. I will not budge my work is right I am the only one who knows here let me explain to you what this really means and why you just aren't seeing it correctly...

Hmm, perhaps this should be the "toddler phase" instead.

Donkey/toddler people think that they want feedback, but they don't. They want validation that their work is perfect as is, and praise up the wazoo. When they don't get that, they either argue or they lash out, but they don't listen. (Some writers are, I fear, trapped in the donkey/toddler phase.)

At a certain point, if you're really taking this thing seriously and want to succeed, you have to move into "listen and reflect". Here you ask a variety of people for feedback (of course, not just your friends, your mom, or your co-workers; also ask experts in your field, your historical area, the region your book takes place in, and agents, if you're that far in), and you LISTEN. Carefully. Attentively. With as much distance as you can muster. You resist the urge to jump in and say "but but". You write down their comments, or you save them in neat files. You say "thank you very much; your feedback is so important to me." Then you don't look at it for a while (more distance).

When you've gathered a bunch, you take it all out and look at it again, all together. Chances are those points that seemed so hurtful and mean the first time (and yes, sometimes they still do) seem much calmer and more reasoned now. So now you can analyze it. Is there a pattern? Are different people saying the same things? Weigh them based on their expertise. Put more weight on the regional critiquer's comments about the landscape than your neighbor's. ;)

Then, most important, reflect. Which ones resonate with you? Which suggestions are things that had crossed your mind, but you really didn't want to admit it? Which ones make you excited to think about changing? Which ones cause you to think differently about the whole work, see how it could be better?

This is what I'm doing with TMT. I've gotten a little flak here and there that I'm "changing it for agents" or "changing it based on a few comments". No. Three agents read it and made comments, and some of those comments were RIGHT ON. I knew it, after my defense mechanisms shut down. I knew that the book was okay as is, but if I did these things it would be oh so much better. I'm not writing "to" anybody, except me. But I asked, then I listened, and then I reflected. I think if you do anything else in this business--if you're a swayer or a donkey--you're sunk before you start.

Medieval Word of the Day: recolage: wanton or riotous conduct.
*****

Concert Shenanigans

Today hubby and I helped chaperone a gaggle of kids from Child's school to the annual Symphony Kid's Concert. Elementary kids from every school in town + several from nearby towns for an hour of classical music!

It wasn't too bad. Most of them aren't used to concerts like Child is, so there was an awful lot of fidgeting and whispering and poking and putting feet through the seats and making faces at each other. In our group there was also 1 nosebleed, 3 potty runs, and 2 cup-of-water runs. I'll be glad when Us Three go to the full concert tomorrow night so we can actually pay attention to the music, but it was fun.

I enjoyed watching Child and Girl Next To Her do Egyptian Princess snake-slithery movements to Aaron Copeland. :)

NEXT WEEK I'll be revisiting 10 top posts of the past 4 years, to celebrate my 4th blogiversary. Two a day, Monday through Friday. I hope you'll come back and check them out!!

Imagery

Weird Fact I Just Realized: As of the 9th, I've been blogging for 4 years. 4! Years! 745 (746) posts. 750, probably, by then.

Huh.

I hope it's been entertaining and useful to somebody besides myself and my BFFs. :)

To celebrate, next week I'm going to do a little retrospective and post my Top 10 Hits. Okay, the posts I like best. WHY THE HECK NOT?

Ahem.

Anyway, that's fair warning. Today I'm going to do an imagery puzzle post. This is the approximate content of my head right now. Try to figure it out if you dare.

(image from one of the employees in my office)

 

(image from http://www.emoodicon.com/emoodicon-key-for-kitteh.html)

(image from http://www.emich.edu/english/gsp/writing.gif)

 

(image from http://www.stellaalesi.com/blog/uploaded_images/alesi_20080406_4061-752080.jpg)

(image from iStockPhoto)

 

(oops. HIM again)

Darkness

Sometimes I walk in the dark.

When my vision went bad, it went fast. At the beginning of 7th grade I tested as 20/20. By the end of 8th grade it was 20/200. I couldn't sit in the back row anymore. I was squinting. I forgot what the world looked like in clarity, in detail--it was all a bit of a blur.

I got contacts, of course. I could see again, the glorious vision of individual leaves instead of green blob-trees. But my vision without help continued to deteriorate. Within another year or so it was 20/400. That's legally blind without correction. (Fortunately, correction works fine for me.)

I was 13. I didn't tell anyone, but I deduced, on my own, that it was just going to keep getting worse. I figured they probably wouldn't tell me, but at this rate I'd be really blind before too long.

So I started practicing. I'd close my eyes and navigate around my room, around my house. I'd find my way around walls and furniture with my hands. I'd pour drinks with my eyes closed, judging by sound or my thumb on the edge when to stop. And at night, often, I'd go through the whole house without turning lights on, testing myself.

I don't know when I started to believe that the worst wouldn't happen. But last night I went to check on Child after all the lights were out, and I realized I still do it. Not for the same reason: just to challenge myself. Have I paid enough attention to where all the toys are, where we left things? Do I remember the sharp jut of the desk here, the chair there?

I collect bruises, sometimes, but I keep trying.

Writing is like walking in the dark, isn't it? Especially for pantsers like me. I don't have an outline, a map, a light. I start with a character in a situation and I follow along. Walk bravely in the darkness to see where it leads me.

I collect bruises, sometimes, but I keep trying.

Happy Birthday Child!!

Today, she is eight.

It's hard to believe that tiny baby with the big cheeks, that opinionated toddler, that wild and energetic 4-year-old, became the beautiful person she is now. So creative, kind, smart, and FUNNY.

Did I tell you she's writing, directing, and starring in a series of plays with her friends at school? Title of the first one is FARTMAN IN THE WEIRD WORLD.

:)

I love that  she loves to wear dresses and sparkly things (even though I didn't). I love that she LOVES to read. I love that she is stubborn and strong-willed enough to make it in the world. I love that she is way smarter than I am, but the teachers commented on how kind she is to others and how fun she makes the classroom. I love that she tries new things and likes adventure.

I love my baby who is so not a baby anymore--and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Happy Birthday, Child!

WINNER!

And the winner of THE BREACH is...

TrishaleighKC!! Congrats Trisha!

CONTEST!

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

Ready? Enter! Post! Win!

Olympics Girl

I went into labor at 4 am on February 22, 2002. Right on the due date--2/22/2002. Auspicious, huh? Despite the fact that I was a first-timer, I was fairly calm. The pains weren't awful yet, so I knew it'd take a while. I tried to rest, got up, took a shower, and got everything ready. We headed to the hospital at 8 am.

The lovely doctors and nurses turned us right around and sent us home again. "Not even close" to delivery. It'd be at least 8 hours, probably. I was to relax and rest and pay attention to changes, and I would KNOW when it was time to go in.

It was 15 hours before we went back. For that whole day I labored, rocked in my mother-in-law's handmade rocking chair, thought about how different life would be tomorrow, and watched the Winter Olympics on TV.

She didn't come until noon the next day, the 23rd.

The next time the Olympics were on, she was 4. We watched, but life with a 4-year-old is crazy, especially around birthday time. I was planning a party, buying presents. Still I thought of that day with the Olympics, and my now-big girl.

She's turning 8 next week, and she's a smart, funny, active girl, interested in dance and acting and school. I love spending time with her. The other night we all curled up on the sofa together, watched figure skating and rooted for our favorites. She was big-eyed with awe watching the skaters, the snowboarders, the skiiers. I told her the story of our first day together with the Olympics, and we counted how old she would be for the next ones.

12. 16. 20. 24.

It goes so fast it's hard to stop and take stock, to realize how beautifully and remarkably things--children--change. But we're lucky. We have a marker that makes us stop, notice the time.

She's my Olympics girl, my very own winter miracle. This time of year I'm even more grateful for her.

New York Roundup: Part 4, final portion!

So I've talked about the lunches and drinks and conference parts of the trip, which were amazing. But it was also my FIRST trip to New York--so I itched for the touristy. Victoria and Tiffany were old hands at the city, so they scoffed at our ultimate tourist plans, but Emily and I were determined. On Sunday we first took care of priority #1--socializing with Wonderful Writer Nova Ren Suma, and eating cupcakes.

 

You can see video of that sugary event at Tiffany's blog, far better than I could describe.

Then Em and I set off for our next Big Plan, the carriage ride through Central Park.

It was all that I wanted it to be--we giggled the ENTIRE TIME. I took 5 million pictures of Central Park from the carriage, but they're probably the same as every other person's pictures of Central Park in winter. These are my two favorites:

Miss Emily!! (giggling)

Our fabulous Irish driver, Tye, and Dancer. Tye kept up an endless stream of Irish-flavored chatter even though he clearly must have known by then we were insane. (the giggling)

After the ride we hoofed it ourselves up the street to see Radio City--just because I saw the sign. Along the way (while stopping to warm up our frozen fingers), we saw this place:

How cool is THAT? I took a picture just so I could show Courtney Summers. (LOOK, Courtney!)

And then we accidentally came across THIS:

 

And headed back to Times Square, because Em hadn't been there yet. Yay more Toys R Us in Times Square! And M&M's sign, to keep up the candy theme.

 

And then, my friends, it was time to get our cold selves back to the hotel, order Chinese takeout, and crash. And then time to go HOME!

I've been home for a week, and I love being back in Montana, back with my wonderful family. But I admit I do miss my New York peeps, and my Team Sparkle girls.

Next year we'll have to try somewhere else!! Any suggestions?

New York Roundup: Part 3

How many parts IS this? you ask.
Patience, Grasshopper, I answer. As many as it takes.

Yes, I did take some cold medicine. Why do you ask?

So, Friday of NY trip. I was so thrilled to be invited to lunch with V, Agents Extraordinaire Joanna Stampfel-Volpe and Suzie Townsend, and one of Suzie's cool clients. We had mexican food at Dos Caminos, which was YUM. Even better was the conversation, which was almost all books and writing and YA. The waitress asked us at one point to please stop talking about TWILIGHT or she would be forced to buy it. O_o Such kindred spirits!

Some conferency stuff, and then Team Sparkle rested until it was time for KidLit drinks. That was so fun!! I felt so New-Yorkish all dressed up with cosmo in hand. (It was an Irish pub, but I could not resist the call of the cosmo) The place was a bit too crowded to say hi to all the people I wanted to, but I did get to meet SF Agent Jennifer Laughran (literaticat) and fab authors Shana Silver, Jen Hayley, Suzanne Young, and many more!

We were completely taken over by laughing more than once, which is always healthy for the soul.

THEN we decided to take a midnight trip up to the top of the Empire State Building.

My favorite part of telling this story is that every single person, New Yorker or not, says "I didn't know it was open that late!"

It IS. It was nearly empty. And so much fun!

Saturday I had complete Picture Fail, but it was a jam-packed full day, the actual SCBWI conference. Highlights:

• I cried--openly--at Libba Bray's keynote speech. It was so what I needed to hear right then.
• The Writing Fantasy breakout with Arianne Lewin, a Disney/Hyperion editor. Intriguing stuff.
• The Literary Fiction breakout with Alvina Ling, who I follow on Twitter. Extremely useful. The book I'm writing now is definitely on the literary/commercial straddle.
• Jacqueline Woodson's inspiring speech, particularly her reading aloud her beautiful writing
• Peter Sis's fascinating life story
• Jim Benton's creative and stimulating talk, illustrated (Happy Bunny!)

We had to duck out early to make it to drinks with Joanna, Suzie, Laura Whitaker from Harper Collins (twitter buddy!),  Kody Keplinger, Kirsten Hubbard, Kaitlin Ward, and their agents Kathleen Ortiz and Michelle Andelman. AND Joanna's husband Joe, who was Such a Sport.

And look, they took video! Check it out! http://www.yahighway.com/2010/02/nyc-publishing-tips-movie.html

We finished up the evening with a group dinner with the most excellent crew from the Blueboards.

See? There is so very much to talk about it *requires* many posts. One more to come!

New York Roundup: Part 2

Part 2, with more pictures!

So on Thursday last I set out by myself on the streets of New York to find the FinePrint offices. Agent Janet had given me detailed walking instructions, which I diligently printed out and put in my coat pocket.

And lost before I left the room.

I LAUGHED out loud when I realized this, because it was just so ironic and yet typical of me. Fortunately I remembered most of the directions, and figured out the rest. I successfully made it. The intern said, "Oh YES!" when I said my name. *beam*

I had the pleasure of meeting Stephany Evans, Colleen Lindsay, and several very cool interns, and giving Joanna Stampfel-Volpe a quick hug before Agent Janet and I set out on a surprise adventure.

"You'd better laugh when you see this," she said, "or I'll disown you." She studied me. "Never mind, you're going to laugh."

Reader, I laughed. She maneuvered me through my first subway trip, and stood me right here.

A tiara! On the wall of the subway station!

Nah, she doesn't know me AT ALL.

In further proof, she took me to a chocolate restaurant for lunch, Max Brenner's. Chocolate!Restaurant! I ordered this:

 

Yes, I did. It was AMAZING. Add in coffee and talk, and a very happy conversation about my new book, and it's hard to top that.

And it was only my first full day!!

But that night the rest of the Team Sparkle contingent--my lovely Emily Hainsworth and Tiffany Schmidt--arrived, and we hoofed it to a diner. Then we came back to the room and ate from a whole desk full of snacks, mostly sugary, and watched a RAINBOW BRITE movie.

I know. Two of us (*raises hand*) had not seen it before, and two of us SANG TO EVERY SONG.

We have video, somewhere.

The next morning we were meant to go do touristy stuff, but we kind of stopped at Dylan's Candy Bar. And stayed there, for an hour or two. We browsed, bought presents, bought chocolate, and had cupcakes.

And they browsed and tweeted on their Blackberries. (caption: What Team Sparkle REALLY does)

 

And then V and I set off for our most glamorous lunch with Joanna and Suzie Townsend. But that will be tomorrow!

New York Roundup: Part 1

I think it's kind of lame when people start every post apologizing for how long it's been since they posted--so I won't do that. I've been busy, and y'all get that, right?

Late Monday night, I got back from my marvelous, mind-blowing Trip to New York City for SCBWI. It's taken me this long to catch up and gather myself (and my pictures) enough to START talking about it, but I think I'm ready now. To start, at least.

I was a little nervous heading in. I felt silly being nervous, because I've lived in cities, and I've navigated cities--London, Paris, Rome--by myself before. But this was New York. THE city. What if I got immediately lost? Mugged? Marked as The Idiot from Montana?

Fortunately I shared my row on the plane with a kindred spirit--I swear we chatted for four out of five hours--so she and I hung out until our bags came. I thought I might have muddled the bus/shuttle to the hotel, but it worked out fine. A quick phone call to Agent Janet (as she made me promise to do) and her assurances that I could call her Anytime while there made me feel a buffer of protection, and welcome.

And then I got to the Team Sparkle Room, and all was right with the world. Practically coming home, that.


Our hotel, the Grand Hyatt, was sandwiched between Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building. It was amazing. This is the view that greeted me straight off the bus.

Not iconic or anything, right? V (the amazing Victoria Schwab) and I (first ones there) went to a fabulous, rather luxurious Italian dinner at Fabio Picollo Fiore. Highly recommend, particularly if you're feeling gossipy. :)



The next day we checked out Grand Central by daylight, along with Times Square.

I ran into a certain agent in Toys 'R' Us there!! She even had her trident ready!

Okay, not really. But I DID have an amazing lunch with Agent J that day. THAT, and the arrival of the rest of Team Sparkle, will have to wait for the next post. :)

Dash in and out

Wow, it's really been that long since I blogged, huh? Day-am.

I have been VERY BUSY. On the list of craziness:

• Child did get a part in the play! A small part, but add rehearsals to our schedule. :) (still, very excited!!)
  
• Started edits for SALVAGED. For some reason this is going very slowly, probably because of the rest of Life right now, but I have notes and know where to start.
• Am in my new office, but still dealing with other people moving + cleanup of old space + organizing
  
• Covering a co-worker's impending maternity leave, so am handling a large bit of the campus alumni magazine work. Must have it ready to go to the printer before I go to...
• NEW YORK! I'm leaving for SCBWI a week from tomorrow!! Eeek! I am insanely bouncy about this, but also have a whole mess of planning/packing/rounding up loose ends to do before then...

Back to work! Maybe sometime today I'll actually get lunch. Maybe. :)

Worry Balls and Yay

Hi y'all!

Yesterday Child went on the first school ski trip of the year, so I transformed instantly into Ball of Worry.

This is normal for me on any field trip, but worse with skiing just because I *don't* ski. I've been a couple times, but I pretty much suck at it, and Child is already far, far better than me. So I don't go along and get in the way--I let her go with her teachers and ski instructors and get my exercise worrying my ass off all day.

So I picked her up with great relief yesterday--except that the answer to "How was skiing?" was "Good. Except when I fell and twisted my knee." *limp limp limp*

ARGH.

I don't think it's bad--it's not swollen or discolored or anything--but it's her first injury like that, so we're watching it. Hopefully it's just a strain or a pulled muscle. We'll call the doc if it's not better soon.

But she got up again after falling and skiied down the hill. And then went up the lift and skiied down again before going home. So it can't be that bad, right?

But there was GOOD news yesterday too. We'd found out on Monday that last night there were auditions at the kid's theatre for JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. In spite of her crammed dance schedule, Child really really wanted to go and try. I figured with her restricted schedule and the 50+ kids who tried out, we wouldn't hear back again.

But nope, this morning we checked the list. She got called back! On her first audition ever!

And so it begins... :)

Callbacks tonight, and we shall see!

Some Girls Are Tiara Day!!

Happy 2010, everybody!!

Today is a Very Special Tiara Day, in celebration of the release of my good friend Courtney Summers' AMAZING new book, Some Girls Are.

I was lucky enough to have the chance to read an ARC of this book a month or so ago. I went into it knowing it was dark and edgy, that it might hurt a little. I'd gulped up CRACKED UP TO BE (which was just named a Cybils Finalist!), and it had shaken me in the best possible way...and I knew this was darker. What I didn't know was how REAL it was.

Courtney's writing is amazing in that it absolutely does not hold back. At All. You feel as though you're right there, experiencing the hell of high school and being 16 or 17, and the ridiculous ways girls treat each other. Bullying didn't just touch me...it was a significant part of my school experience for many, many years, and it shaped me like so many others. What's fascinating about this book is that Regina, the main character, is firmly on BOTH sides of bullying. You see how she fell into it, and you see how you could yourself in that situation. Then you see, with Regina, how horrible those cutting remarks can be on the other side.

Courtney's writing is never sappy, never condescending, never a bit anything but a true sucker-punch. I don't always like to read the really tough stuff, but I loved this book. More, I'm blown away by the skill of the writer.

You don't want to miss the boat on this one. Check it out now, and keep an eye out for her next!

Happy SGA book birthday, Courtney!

Let There Be Happy Dancing

I did it, I did it, I really really did it! *DANCING*

I beat my goal (December 31) and finished the first draft of SALVAGED today! Just now! WooHOO! Boy this draft is a DRAFT and will need a real major cleanup, but yeeHAW. I have a real end and everything!

So you want to know what this book is about? Don't you? Don't you? *happy grin* Here 'tis:

SALVAGED
by Susan Adrian

Sixteen-year-old Annika (Annie) has never used a computer or a cell phone. She's never watched TV, slept in a real bed, or kissed anyone but Xander. Until now.

Annie's always lived in The Community, an ultra-environmental commune tucked in the canyons of San Diego, led by her idealistic, maybe-crackpot dad. What they can't grow or raise they salvage from the wasteful people of "the wild". You'd be amazed what you can find back of a restaurant. But Annie's sister Zilla runs away with Xander, and Dad sends her to drag them back.

To find them Annie has to venture into the wild by herself, into an alien culture of excess. When she crashes a company picnic she meets Bryan, a cute, rich boy who thinks she's homeless. She lets him think it, lets him help. All she needs is a couple days to get Zilla and Xander.

But once she finds them, Annie's not so sure she wants to return, much less force her happy-go-lucky, impulsive sister back under the strict Community rules. The wild is much more complex and captivating than she imagined. And there's Bryan, who's also just a tiny bit captivating. But if she doesn't bring them home soon, Dad will come after them himself. And the last time that happened...that's the one thing Annie won't let herself think about.

Can Annie be salvaged? Does she want to be?

Almost there!

I'm here! I had a LOVELY Christmas, and hope you did too (if you celebrate)!!

I'm just headdown trying to finish this draft. If all goes *well*, this week, my pretties.

*cackle*

(of course I'm in my right mind, sheesh)

Merry CHRISTMAS!!

Eeeeee!! It's almost Christmas! It's almost Christmas!!

*bounces around the room*

I adore Christmas--it always has been my favorite day of the year. Yet I really had no idea how magical Christmastime could be until I had Child.

Every morning, when I go in to wake her up and give her morning hugs, I point to the calendar right next to her bed.

"How many days until Christmas?" I say.

The past few mornings, she didn't even have to look. "THREE!" she would say, give a little squee, and throw her arms around me. Her eyes are so alive with pure happiness they hurt, in the way that all aspects of parenting hurt just a touch--the knowledge that this lovely, perfect moment will pass.

But I savor those moments. And her excited discussion about where Santa might be *now* (she loves the NORAD tracker), and reminders that she needs to make sure to go to bed early tonight so Santa can come, and LOOK there are presents under the tree ALREADY but there will be MORE and will I help her wrap her presents for Gram and Opa tonight?

Last night, curious, I asked her what she was looking forward to most about Christmas. She's 7, almost 8, and a sharp little kid--I never know what's going on in that head. Did she love the music, the candles, the decorations? One year she told me she loved the Christmas lights best. Or was it the hope of presents? The excitement of surprise?

She thought carefully, her arms around her knees. Then she said, "Spending the day with my family. And giving other people presents."

"Yes," I said, and gave her another hug. "That's really the best part of all, isn't it?"

And it is. May all of you who celebrate it have a magical, merry Christmas filled with family and giving, and love. I feel so, so blessed--because I will.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Craziness..& the Antidote

My workplace has exploded with insanity.

See, we're moving to a new building over the next 2 weeks. Yes, CHRISTMAS weeks. And the Bureau I work for has been in our current building since our inception in 1919. A passel of geologists in the same place for 90 years.

You think we have some stuff? Maybe some rocks? Rooms full of equipment and publications?

You'd be right. And geologists don't want to throw ANYTHING away.

It's an all-new building, and most of the furniture isn't set up yet. But the campus has decided to go the cheapest way and hire students to move us over Christmas break. So we have 30 football players and U-Haul trucks ready to move--with only 2 weeks to do it--but we can't move in yet. Servers are going today, I hear, so we'll have no access to printers or networks anymore. The geologists, seeing the truck, are realizing they finally have to pack up their (ahem) STUFF, so they're scurrying like mad ants.

Oh, and it's 3 days to Christmas. *eeep*

Anyway, all is not lost, because I have the antidote to all this insanity:

--Christmas Cheer
--and CANDY.

Christmas Cheer consists of filling my office with Christmas music as I pack and soothe staff, of pausing to check if my packages have arrived yet...and most of all, remembering Child's happy squeal-and-hug this morning when she counted off the 3 days left.

The candy? Last night, to help soothe, I made My World-Famous English Toffee.

Here's the recipe, if you'd also like to be world-famous! (especially for jmartinlibrarian!)

Susan's English Toffee
(make on a dry day: humidity messes with the consistency)

1 cup roasted unblanched almonds (the bags of slivered almonds at the store will do nicely)
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or a little more, because it's chocolate)

Sprinkle 1/2 almonds in a 9 x 13" glass baking pan. Melt butter on the stove, over medium heat. When completely melted, add sugar, brown sugar, and water to butter, mix. Cook and stir occasionally to boil to 300 degrees (hard crack) on a candy thermometer. (you DO need a candy thermometer! It needs to be exactly that temperature) Remove from heat, stir in soda fast. Pour & spread over almonds. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate pieces over the toffee, spread evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the almonds on top.

Note: I always panic when I make this and think the consistency is wrong, because at first it's chewy. But if you let it sit until morning, it will be *perfect*. Should melt in your mouth!

Let me know if you make some. Enjoy!!

Winner of OTTO GROWS DOWN!

Good morning!! In spite of the fact that it's Monday, I am awake and fairly cheery.

It took me a good 2 hours to get that way, but NEVER MIND about that. :)

I LOVED your stories. They made me smile too! Thanks for playing. The winner of OTTO GROWS DOWN, offered by the lovely Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, is...

Trish!!

Congrats, Trish! Send me an email and we'll get the book to you.

You guys, I am so excited about Christmas. I'm just saying.

Are you Ready for Another Contest??

You know you are!!

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!

Kelly Gay contest winner!

And the winner of a signed copy of The Better Part of Darkness is:

Christopher S. Ledbetter!

Congratulations, Christopher!! Email me at susan dot adrian at yahoo.com to claim your prize!!

Don't forget, tomorrow I'll be giving away a copy of a lovely picture book, OTTO GROWS DOWN by Michael Sussman!

Interview & Giveaway with Author Kelly Gay!

~*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.

I really wanted to base my world on the ‘what if?’ questions I always had when reading mythology. What if some of these myths were based in obscure ancient truths and these truths were passed down, generation after generation, traveling across cultures until they became the foundations of many different civilization’s myths? Myths diverged, became different, expounded upon, but what if originally they’d been based in fact, in early man’s sightings, in visitations, in the meddling of Elysians and Charbydons in our early history? That question is answered in my fictional world and in the city of Atlanta. The Elysians and Charbydons have been visiting our world for eons, meddling, using our world as a neutral ground and sometimes as a battleground. And now that science has discovered the existence of these dimensions from which they hail, they can no longer hide, they had to come out and admit their presence. Each being in these worlds inspired different myths. The nymphs of Elysia along with the sidhé fae and the darkling fae from Charbydon inspired some of the Celtic myths. The angelic-looking Adonai and sirens inspired tales of angels. The jinn, demons, and so on…  

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.

Ready? GO!

Why I Love Ya

Dear Fabulous Agent Shark (not-so-secret identity Janet Reid):

I've always loved your enthusiasm. The way you chuckled to yourself when you read my opening pages, standing there in the lobby of the Sheraton. The request for a full, given only the way you could give it. (Remember, it started out, "What the hell is wrong with me that I wasn't leaping all over this the day you sent it?" I laughed out loud.) The way you gulped down my book in one day and offered that night. That unbounded enthusiasm, that love for MY story...the way you *got* it, even the tiny little references...how could I ever turn that down?

I couldn't, of course. You made me wait for the other agents, but in the end I knew who I'd choose.

I love the way you've stuck with the book, with me. It hasn't been easy, I know. It didn't go right away, and still didn't, and still didn't. Not for lack of trying. I bet a lot of other agents would've given up by now, figured they were wrong and it was a lost cause. Not you.

I love that when I email you, fretting, you may very well roll your eyes over there in New York, but I can't tell it from your emails.

I love that every time I talk to you on the phone I get the renewed sense that you love this book, that you're not done yet.

I love that when I fret about the book I'm writing now, you get all Buddha-like and say "I have confidence in you." And when I worry that it's not commercial enough, you remind me that you love what I write.

I love that you have a close-knit cadre of clients I can hang out with on Twitter, that feel like my brothers (and couple of sisters). I love that you're on Twitter too.

I love that you're on my side.

I'm so very glad to be on your team.

Love,

Susan

**Note: This is part of Unofficial Official Agent Appreciation Day, a fabulous idea of Kody Keplinger's. Because sometimes agents get a bad rap, we wanted to join together to surprise our agents with a little love. A list of participating blogs will be available here:  http://lisa-laura.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-agent-day.html/**

Winners!

TWO Winners this contest, thanks to the generosity of Joanna. Each winner will receive a package of books and one query critique by Ms. Stampfel-Volpe herself.

The winners, by random draw, are:

Jeni
&
Mechelle Fogelsong!

Happy Holidays Jeni and Mechelle! Email me at susan (dot) adrian (at) yahoo.com to work out how to get your prizes to you!