Why I write for teens

A blog reader recently asked me to write about why I write for teens so... here you go!

The short answer is another author: Lois Duncan.

I read Lois Duncan's books--and re-read them--obsessively, growing up. My personal fave is DOWN A DARK HALL (my poor husband had to sit through my dramatic recounting of the plot, just last week). But there's not a bad one in the entire batch. To this day, I have her books near my writing desk, as both inspiration and plain good company. 

I can't name a single book I've read as an adult that I've loved so much. I think I've lost that ability to pour myself into the world of an author, to be completely lost in their words--and to obsessively seek out their other books. But I still remember that feeling. And I can't imagine a better audience to write for than other teens who love to read, just like I did (and do). 

Also, my imagination automatically draws me to stories about teens. Whenever a new idea pops into my head, my imagination takes it to a world that teens would inhabit. Usually a dark world. I tried writing picture books, and who knows, maybe I'll try again in the future. But my stories always end up taking a dark turn that's just fine for a YA audience, but might leave a preschooler in tears, hiding under their blankets. I will never forget getting a personal rejection on a particular picture book manuscript that said, "nobody will ever, ever buy this book for their children." (You know you've gone down the wrong path when an editor takes the time to personally explain why your book is so, so wrong for its audience!).

There's one last reason I love writing for teens: I love this industry. It's thick with talented, creative people who love to meet each other, work with each other, read each other's work, and support each other. I never feel alone in my writing journey... and I never feel like someone's got daggers aimed for my back (uh, if they do, just please don't tell me...). And I am continuously amazed by the new work that my fellow YA writers are turning out.

In short--I kind of feel sorry for the people who aren't writing YA. Y'all... you don't know what you're missing!

Sprints versus a steady pace

I've recently come to realize that I am a sprinter--not a marathon runner--when it comes to writing books. When I write, my fingers fly: in a really good session, I can put down 2,000 words in an hour or two. But then I'm wiped out.  I can't take a short break, then return to my computer to whip out the next chapter. I need a couple of hours, or even a day or two, to get my writing mojo back.

I actually like running this way, too. If I'm running a road race, I like picking someone ahead, sprinting to catch up, and then walking or slow-jogging until it feels like my lungs won't burst out of my chest. Then I sprint for my next "victim". I have tried the other way--running at a steady pace--but guess what? I achieve the same rate, almost always finishing those 5Ks in around 35 minutes (I never claimed to be a FAST sprinter...), no matter how I try to run it. But my legs are a lot happier if I do the sprint/rest thing.

Until I realized I was a writing "sprinter", I got angry with myself. How could I write a chapter so fast and then "laze around" after that? WHY couldn't I keep the pace up? Why? Why? This was particularly annoying to my librarian side, who enjoys setting little schedules and goals for how many chapters get done in a week or a month. Sprinters do not always cleave to the little schedules, but we always reach the finish line in time!

Now I understand that I write in bursts, and rest in bursts, and that's OK. Some people do it very differently: they put out two or three pages every day, without fail. Either way, I bet we reach the end of our project at about the same time. 

Fellow sprinters, you might want to check out fun motivational things like NaNoWriMo (though this requires sustained sprinting over an entire month, so eat your Wheaties), the more gentle JoNoWriMo+1.5, or the take-as-much-punishment-as-you-like Write or Die online tool.
 

Who knew being an artist included bacon?

I just got back from a whirlwind 10 days of being an writer, and just a writer. Since I normally balance being a writer with being a mother, wife, employee, and occasional (very occasional) bad plant mother, this was an unusual chance to me to soak in the creating and publishing world that I love so much.

First, I went to BEA, and I also got to visit with readers and authors at the Teen Author Carnival. It was great to meet booksellers, librarians, editors, agents, sales reps, bloggers, reviewers, and last but not least the very nice doorman at my friend Laurie's building who displayed unfounded but entirely appreciated trust and let me in at every hour. I also found out what Kringle is, at my publisher's booth, (a delicious pastry that tastes even better than it looks), and even met a bookseller who lives three blocks from my in-laws (I am surprised she hasn't already found a CANDOR flier pasted to her door! kidding.... although people in St. Louis should not be surprised if my mother-in-law thrusts a CANDOR card in their hands...).

Then I headed off to Kindling Words West, a wonderful 7-day retreat for published childrens' book writers and illustrators. We huddled up at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, NM, which was not only gorgeous but boasted delicious and bountiful meals, including crisp hot bacon every morning. After Kathi Appelt got us going every morning with instruction and writing exercises, I pounded my way through over 21,000 words, soaked in the wonderful company of my writing colleagues, and also got to explore a bit of New Mexico. I think my favorite Taos experience was the vocal coyotes behind our room (particularly after my roommate assured me that coyotes do not leap ten feet up,  over barbed Reservation wire, and through windows to snack on bacon-fed chicks from DC).

I learned a lot from my generous colleagues at KWW. Among the lessons:

• No matter how many books you've published, or what awards you've won, the next one will tie you up in knots.
• So much of the publishing business is out of our control, no matter how hard we try to control it.
• Full-time writers are adept jugglers too, often doing school visits and editing jobs too.
• I am not a very good spoons player. Not yet, at least...

If you are a publisher childrens' book writer or illustrator, I can't recommend this retreat highly enough. I've already got the 2010 retreat on my calendar.

And now... back to my everyday reality, and the next 21K words!

Read this Book: WINGS

Today I am welcoming fellow Debutante Aprilynne Pike to my blog, to celebrate the release of WINGS. You just may have heard of this one already, since it debuted on the NY Times Bestseller list!  It also has one of my favorite covers in the 2009 new releases to date. I just got to meet Aprilynne at BEA last week and she's lovely and gracious. Also, tall. But I tend to think many people are tall!

If you love discovering new series, or enjoy a great fantasy yarn, then you'll definitely want to check out WINGS. So read the details below and wing your way to the nearest bookstore or online outlet (groan... I just couldn't help that pun!).

ABOUT WINGS
Aprilynne Pike's WINGS is the first of four books about an ordinary girl named Laurel who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. When Laurel is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to both worlds.

APRILYNNE, MEET MY FAVE QUESTIONS...

--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
If your grandma Grace has read a lot in her life, then she probably would enjoy seeing something very new. I always tell people, you've never seen faeries like my faeries. And that is what I would tell you grandma. This is a story different than any she's ever read before. It's also clean and mostly language free, which--I have found--most grandmas appreciate.;)

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
I like to think that she would have really liked it. But considering how much I read, perhaps it's more rational that she would have read it, enjoyed it, checked it off her list, and then moved on to the next book.

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
My book involves faeries who are members of the plant kingdom. A little known fact about me . . .um . . . I'm really good at killing plants. I like to say I have a black thumb. But because I was writing about plants for most of the summer, it made me think about my own plants and actually remember to water the grass. So because of Wings, my grass was greener that summer than any other summer.:)

ALL ABOUT APRILYNNE
Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne currently lives with her husband and three kids in Utah, and dreams of warmer climates.

Read This Book: DULL BOY

Secret superpowers. Who DOESN'T dream of that? And who doesn't love reading about them?

Sarah Cross' new YA title DULL BOY lets readers into the world of Avery, who's trying to keep his superpowers on the down-low. I'm welcoming her to my blog today to celebrate her release. Check out the super-secret details below and pick up the book today! 

ABOUT THE BOOK
Superpowers are awesome -- unless you actually have them, like Avery does. There's only so much he can pass off as "adrenaline" before people start to get suspicious. Probably it's best to lie low, so guys in white lab coats don't come to carry him away, to find out what makes his freakish body tick. Who wants to be vivisected? But flying under the radar becomes a whole lot harder when you can actually fly. It's dangerous to be different, so for now he'll pretend to be normal, unremarkable Avery -- a dull boy -- anything to keep his secret safe.

What he doesn't expect is the horrifying truth about where his powers came from, who else might have them, and the madness of one villain's plan to turn this superpowered dull boy into something even more powerful and amazing.

SARAH SUBMITTED HERSELF TO QUESTIONING...
--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grace, you know you want to dress up in spandex and leap from rooftop to rooftop under the cover of darkness while fighting crime. It has always been your dream to be a vigilante. Now, it's true that DULL BOY is light on the spandex, but no one else has to know that! When you get caught, YOU CAN TOTALLY BLAME YOUR SUPERHERO ANTICS ON DULL BOY!

I'll take the fall. I don't mind.

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
"#$%^ing finally! I can't believe we didn't get published at 17!"

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
I don't use real-life settings, but they all feel real to me now. :)

SARAH'S SECRET IDENTITY
Sarah Cross has saved the world, like, five times since fifth grade -- and you didn't even notice. Learn her secrets at www.sarahcross.com.

See you at BEA?

On Thursday I head to NYC for my first-ever Book Expo America, which bills itself as the largest publishing event in North America. I can't wait to meet all the booksellers, librarians, publishing folk and writers who will be strolling the exhibit halls... and tell them all about CANDOR. :-)

If you'll be there too, you can find me at a couple of spots:
--The NYC Teen Author Carnival (not associated with BEA) on Thursday 5/28 from 4-6
--Coffee & Krinkles, an event at the Egmont USA booth (#4458) on Friday at 3:30
--The Egmont USA reception on Saturday evening (invite only event)

I'll also be attending some of the other big BEA events, so grab me if you see me!

Read this book: SHRINKING VIOLET

So who hasn't fantasized about being a radio DJ? Well, Danielle Joseph actually did it--and now she's written debut YA title SHRINKING VIOLET, which is all about a girl who becomes a radio DJ.

I remember hearing the first few pages of this book being read out loud during a Florida SCBWI conference (they put on an outstanding conference!) and knowing it would be pubbed. And indeed... it is. Congratulations Danielle! So read the scoopage below and grab your copy of SHRINKING VIOLET today.

ABOUT THE BOOK
For high school senior Teresa Adams, every day is an ordeal. She’s so painfully shy that she lives in dread of having to speak to anyone in the hallways or answer questions in class. But after school, in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks—doing mock broadcasts for Miami’s hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up, Tere surprises herself by working up the nerve to ask her stepfather to give her a chance—and finds herself The SLAM’s newest intern on one of the station’s most popular shows. Behind the mike she’s Sweet T, her sexy, confident on-air persona. To everyone’s shock—especially her mother’s—Sweet T is a hit. Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ’s awesome taste in music, making Tere wonder if it’s possible to be jealous of yourself. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest—and a prom date with “Sweet T” is the grand prize--Sweet T’s dream could turn into Tere’s worst nightmare. . . .

MY FAVE TRIO OF QUESTIONS...
I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
This is a book for the everyday girl that struggled with the social politics of high school, that didn't give in and stayed true to herself.

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
Wow, i wrote this--lol! She would probably find a lot of solace in the book!

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
My book is set in Miami so I drew from my everyday settings. The copy editor for my book questioned the peacocks crossing the road but that is the norm where I live:)!

THE STATIC ON DANIELLE

Danielle Joseph was a college DJ for five years on the Gyroscope, a world music show. She also interned at several top Boston radio stations while earning her BFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Marketing Communications and Advertising from Emerson College. She has taught Creative Writing and English to Middle school students.

 

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Danielle now lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and two young sons. These days you can find her cruising around with the tunes blaring and her internal DJ hard at work.

 

Things writers never talk about: day jobs

Growing up, I always pictured my favorite writers Doing Nothing But Writing. Can you see them too? There's Lois Duncan, bent over a manuscript at a small attic desk, ghostly whispers swirling around her. Or Ellen Emerson White, tucked in a DC rowhouse overlooking the Washington Monument and penning her next story about living in the White House. I have no idea if that's what their lives or writing spaces were, or are, like, really--but that's how I always pictured it. Nothing but words and romance and... fantasy.

Pure fantasy.

I'd like to say I've gotten more realistic, now that I'm a writer. But sometimes I still imagine everyone else is spending oodles of time at their desks, churning out books, while my life is spent juggling, and juggling, and juggling.

But I think my life is actually far more typical of a children's book writer than many realize. Yes, I do spend lots of time writing books for teens. But I also am a mother to a four year-old, and I work full-time for an educational publishing company doing non-writerly things. I have a beautiful old house that is always demanding attention--patch! renovate! paint! mow!--and an ever-supportive husband who barely ever complains about the huge queue of shows to be watched on our DVR.

I know writers who are accountants, teachers, media specialists, public librarians, stay-at-home parents, and attorneys. They all struggle to find the time--and energy--to write.

Don't get me wrong: I am grateful for my writing career and it's always worth the struggle to make time for it. But the next time you picture your favorite writer lavishing six, seven, eight hours per day on their manuscript... odds are, their desk is empty during most of that time. it's amazing what we all DO get done, given that nobody's found a way to fit more hours into their day (and if you have... will you please share?).

Read This Book: BREATHING

Congratulations to Cheryl Renee Herbsman, who's visiting my blog today to celebrate the release of her YA debut BREATHING. This book took me by the hand, settled me in for a sweet-and-difficult romance, and let me soak in a genuine, wish-I-were-there, southern setting. 

You can read an excerpt of BREATHING here.

Here's a little about BREATHING:

What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe?

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels and working at the library. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

This debut novel has it all—an endearing, funny, hopelessly romantic main character, lots of down-home Southern charm, and a sunny, salty beach setting that will transport you to the Carolina coast. 

Cheryl answered my three fave questions:

--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grandma Grace: A sweet romance is fun at any age. And it's never too late to learn to follow your dreams!

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
She would loooooove it.

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
Breathing takes place on the Carolina coast, where my family often went for summer vacations. I sort of combined the characteristics of the North Carolina and South Carolina beaches. They're both beautiful!

And finally, have a glass of sweet tea and settle in to hear about Cheryl:
Cheryl Renée Herbsman lives in Northern California with her husband and two children, but she grew up in North Carolina and often spent summer vacations at the Carolina coast. Like Savannah, she fell in love as a teenager, and like Savannah and Jackson, she and her boyfriend carried on a long-distance relationship. They are now celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary.

Read this book: FORTUNE'S FOLLY

Today I'm welcoming fellow Debutante Deva Fagan to my blog, in celebration of her new release FORTUNE'S FOLLY, available now for purchase. Deva has dreamed up one of the best heroine names I've heard in a long time: Fortunata. You just know this is a girl who's going to wend her way into some fantastic and mystical adventures. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STORY:

Ever since her mother died and her father lost his shoemaking skills, Fortunata has survived by telling fake fortunes. But when she's tricked into telling a grand fortune for a prince, she is faced with the impossible task of fulfilling her wild prophecy-or her father will be put to death. Now Fortunata has to help Prince Leonato secure a magic sword, vanquish a wicked witch, discover a long-lost golden shoe, and rescue the princess who fits it. If only she hadn't fallen in love with the prince herself. . . .

DEVA ANSWERED MY THREE FAVE QUESTIONS:
--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
She should read it if she likes fairy-tales, adventure, romance, or hideously ugly shoes.

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
Why is there no unicorn in this book??? (I went through a long Unicorn Phase)

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
The setting of FORTUNE'S FOLLY is a fantasy world, but it is inspired by renaissance Italy. Some of the pivotal scenes take place in a city modeled on Venice, full of canals and bridges and twisting walkways. I had a lot of fun looking through real pictures for inspiration!

AND HERE'S THE SCOOP ON DEVA:

Deva likes searching for patterns, which is how she explains both her degree in mathematics and the echoes of old fairy-tales in her stories. She also loves tea, gardening, and playing the fiddle. She lives in Maine with her husband and her dog.

That's not my name

When I first signed on with agent Elana, I asked her whether my last name was going to be a problem.  I mean, let's face it, I'm not luck enough to have a short forceful name, ala John Green, or something alliterative, like Gail Giles. I've got a mess of vowels and consonants in my last name that nobody really knows how to deal with. Heck, I even have an uncle who, after a trip to Europe, announced that he was going to pronounce it different from the rest of us, having consulted with the good European people about how it should be pronounced.

But authors like Zusak, Levithan, and Pfeffer give me hope, and I'm sticking with the name I was born into.

The best way I've found to explain the pronouciation is this: It's BAY-shores, plural, like shores of the bay. I explained it that way to my future husband, when I met him at the college paper, and he teased me for months--"hey, Pam Shores-of-the-Bay!". But maybe that was just because I was so skilled with the one-pica tape and he was trying to get my attention.

So, with apologies to the Ting Tings:

They call me 'BACH-oars'
They call me 'Ba-SHORES'
They call me 'BACH-oose'
They call me 'BAY-shore'
That's not my name
That's not my name
That's not my name
That's not my name

They call me 'BUH-shores'
But I'm not that
Bach-Buh-Bas
Always the same
That's not my name
That's not my name
That's not my name
That's not my name

DC Kidlit Drinks night: who's in?

Sure, NYC is the nerve center of publishing. But DC's got some major kidlit cred. We're crawling with writers and have representation from the editorial and agency side too.

So why shouldn't we have our own Kidlit Drinks night? Why should Manhattan get all the glory and cosmos? 

I've seen some evidence via Google at past attempts at DC Kidlit drinks but nothing new... so either it's gone underground or it's time to revive the idea.

If you're in the DC area and would be interested in a happy hour with other members of the kidlit community, drop me an e-mail (pbachorz AT yahoo DOT com) or leave a comment here. In particular I'm wondering whether people prefer 6 PM or 8 PM for start time, and whether we ought to kick it off in DC proper or Silver Spring (seems like most of the kidlit people I know live in MD but maybe that's because I live in MD!). 

Prolly we'll start in June. 

Read this book: SLIDING ON THE EDGE

Today's stop on the blog tour shows the power of critique groups. A few years ago, right after Little Dude was born, I joined my first online critique group. There were, I think, 5 of us in it. And here we are, a few years later, with three of us (Lee, me, and L.K. Madigan) pubbing our first novels within 6 months of each other. Incredible!

When I read the first chapter to SLIDING ON THE EDGE, a few years ago, I was knocked out. I knew Lee would get this pubbed. The voice is compelling and the story rocks along. Lee also has a gift for making the reader feel like they are living in her story's settings. So settle in, learn more about my critique buddy Lee, and buy the book!

About Sliding on the Edge

 

Shawna Stone is a heartbeat away from making the worst mistake anyone can. She’s close to taking her own life. Kay Stone is a grandmother Shawna has never known, and at sixty-four Kay feels there is little left in her life to look forward to. When they are thrown together they circle each other in a crucible of secrets and distrust until saving a doomed horse unites them and gives each a reason to live.

Lee answered my 3 favorite questions:

-I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grandma Grace might enjoy my Grandma Kay, a woman with a past who gets a chance to set a few things right. And I agree with you, Pam, there are a lot of great YA books that the more mature reader can enjoy.

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
I think my 16-year-old self did read it, after she wrote it. That person felt pretty scared for the MC and really wanted her to pull through.

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
The town I call Sweet River is loosely based on Auburn, CA. A small frontier town in the Sierra Foothills. Auburn is bigger and more up-scale than Sweet River, but the flavor is the same.

And here are the details about Lee:

 A native Californian, C. Lee McKenzie has always been a writer, but to eat and make contributions to children's college funds, she’s also been a university lecturer and administrator. Lee’s written and published non-fiction articles, both in her field of Linguistics and Inter-cultural Communication, and in general readership magazines. For five years Lee wrote, edited, and published a newsletter for U.S. university professors who were managing global classroom issues. Since she turned in her academic hat and began writing for young readers, Lee’s fiction and non-fiction works have been frequently published in the award-winning e-zine, Stories for Children, and Crow Toes Quarterly has published her ghostly tales. Sliding on the Edge is her first young adult novel. Writing for teen readers keeps Lee in touch with the young members of her family, and allows her to re-visit those wonderful years in life when everything is possible. When she isn’t writing, Lee’s hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Los Gatos, California.

 

Read this book: SILVER PHOENIX

Today I am pleased to be welcoming Cindy Pon, authored of the newly released SILVER PHOENIX: BEYOND THE KINGDOM OF XIA. The description of her book has some of my favorite words, as a reader: "marked by immortals", "terrible evil", "stealing souls"... sign me up! And seriously--sadly--when was the last time you read a fantasy with an Asian heroine? If you love fantasy like I do--or if you're just looking for a great story that's different from everything else out there--read on...

ABOUT THE BOOK

On the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. She can reach into other people's spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams...and that's just the beginning.

 

ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor's palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. She must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. And then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. Here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.

CINDY ANSWERS MY 3 FAVE QUESTIONS...
--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
grandma grace, my book is a very straight forward heroine's journey. a story of growing into your own self and power, a story about first love. i think you'd enjoy it!

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
i think i'd be floored. i was an avid reader since elementary school but had NEVER read a book with an asian protagonist in it. fantasy will always be my first genre love, so i think i'd be thrilled to read a fantasy with an asian heroine. maybe that's why i wrote the book--for my teenaged self?

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
since it's based on ancient china and i've never been to the country--the book has no actual place at all that i have ever visited. it's all from fotos i have seen and from the pictures within my own mind.

ALL ABOUT CINDY

Cindy Pon was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and her family immigrated to California in 1980, settling in the suburbs of Los Angeles. She began writing stories before she was officially declared English proficient. She received her bachelor's from the University of California, San Diego, and also earned a master's from New York University. The author is a student of Chinese brush painting, and her love for the art is reflected in her storytelling. Cindy Pon lives with her husband and two small children in San Diego, California.

Read this book: THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU

Today must be the day for awesome covers, because I'm welcoming Heather Duffy-Stone to my blog in celebration of her new release, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU. Heather's cover is one of my favorites in this year of amazing releases. And I can't wait to read what's INSIDE that great package! Heather's title is available for purchase now. Congrats, Heather!

Here's the scoop on Heather's title:

The stories people tell are always about the things we left behind, and about the things we wish we could do again. The real story isn't about what you know; it's about what you wish you knew then. When my brother and my best friend fell in love—that was the end of everything I knew.

 

Fraternal twins Nadio and Noelle share a close connection—and as Noelle's best friend since they were five, Keeley Shipley fit perfectly into their world. But everything changes after Keeley spends the summer before junior year at Oxford. When Keeley returns, Nadio falls in love with her. Noelle, ripped apart by resentment, sees her as an ungrateful rich girl. But Keeley has a painful story that she can't tell yet. As Nadio and Keeley hide their romance, Noelle dives into something of her own—a destructive affair with an older boy.

 

Beautifully presented by dual narrators in a haunting stream of memories, this is the deeply moving story of how secrets can consume a friendship—and how love can heal it.

Heather answered my three favorite questions for authors:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grandma Grace remembers the first time she fell in love, I bet. She remembers her best friend and what it felt like to grow apart. She remembers her brother who reminded her of the best part of herself. I bet she remembers, too, when she realized her parents were human. And they weren’t always right. I think she’d like this story.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
I loved him too. He never called me either.

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
The loft party certainly came from real life. I went to a party once nearly one hundred years ago in this sweeping loft in Brooklyn. The loft was so big you couldn’t see from end to end. And there were so many people there… everyone was so impossibly cool I could barely speak. I felt about three inches tall and yet fascinated. Everyone was fascinating. And I met a boy there. So… there you go.

And here's the scoop on Heather:

Heather Duffy Stone writes stories and essays that are mostly inspired by high school—either her own or someone else’s. This Is What I Want to Tell You is her first novel. She has lived in Vermont, England, Los Angeles, rural New York and Rome, Italy. For now she cooks, sleeps, explores, writes and teaches in Brooklyn, New York.

Cover revealed!

It's finally here! The fantasic final cover for CANDOR is complete, with a thumbnail below. Click on the image to see a larger version of the cover. It does a great job of tying into the story, introducing the elements of isolation, conformity, rebellion, and a really hot guy who obviously is up to no good. Just 6 more months until you can all find out exactly what Oscar Banks is up to!

Many thanks to the Egmont USA team for working so hard on making this cover. It was well worth the effort!

Read this book: THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH

Looking for a gripping, dark read? Look no further than THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, the debut young adult novel by Carrie Ryan. Carrie, a fellow Debutante, is stopping by today to answer a couple of questions about her book, which recently got a starred review in Publishers Weekly--and is available now.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Forest of Hands and Teeth is about a young girl named Mary growing up generations after an apocalypse in a village surrounded by fences protecting them from the Unconsecrated, zombie-like creatures inhabiting the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Cut off from the rest of the world and told they are the last survivors of the Return, every part of her life is controlled by the religious order called the Sisterhood. As Mary starts to fall in love with someone she shouldn’t, she learns the extent of the Sisterhood’s power and starts to discover more of their darkest secrets. When the security of the fences is threatened and her world is thrown into chaos, Mary must decide what she’s willing to risk to find out if there’s life beyond the Forest.

Carrie Answered My Three Favorite Questions:

--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
I totally agree that grown-ups should read teen books! My mom has totally been loving a ton of YA books. I think your grandma Grace would like my book because it's about the same thing as a lot of adult books: life, hope and love.

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
Wow, you/I wrote that?

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
There isn't really a real life setting, but there is a real life moment. There's a scene in the book when the protag has totally broken down and is wondering what right she has to think that her dreams can come true. I pulled this from an email I sent to my fiance a while back when I wondered what right I had to think that my dreams of becoming an author could ever come true. I still have the email :)

ALL ABOUT CARRIE:

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie Ryan is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full time. She lives with her writer/lawyer fiancé, two fat cats and one large puppy in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are not at all prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

 

Hello pretty little ARC

I have my ARC! Just one, for now, but that's enough to relish, to wave about gleefully, to make it all so very REAL.

NOTE that this is not the final cover--which is common in ARCs. Although the spray-paint font DOES relate to an important element in the book. As soon as I've got the final cover (and my publisher's OK!) I'll be happily unveiling it on this blog.

For the uninitiated, ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. They are not the final text, but are close enough for the publisher to distribute ARCs to reviewers, librarians and booksellers. Using ARCs gets the book out there much earlier than waiting for final hardbound copies.

Excuse me while I go cradle my pretty little baby and coo to it.

 

it's OK if it's hard

So I'm in the midst of some hard work in my WIP and I will admit to a little whining and a lot of chocolate eating. But as I was walking back from McDonalds at lunch today (I hoped to get an ice cream cone for dessert...sadly, the machine was broken ahhhhhhhgain, which prompted more whining), I had this flash.

This is something simple--something I should have figured out years ago, but i think it's been an excuse for quitting things sometimes, for me.

Which is kind of an embarassing admission because really, this is basic.

Here it is.

Just because it's hard doesn't mean you're not good.

If I had figured this out years ago, and believed in it, maybe I would have played soccer long enough to not suck at it. And maybe I wouldn't have quit that biochem major I had for three minutes. Well, maybe I still would have. That lab DID smell funky. :-)

I think if you're good at enough things (you know I'm talking about you, overachievers), this is an even harder lesson to learn. Since some things do come relatively easy, then it's easy to dismiss the hard stuff. "I'm not one of the people who can do that," we say. Or, "that's not meant for me... I'm more a writing/math/swimming/take-out food kind of person."

Well, that's my wisdom for the week. But really it's enough wisdom for the year. I'll be reminding myself of this one for awhile.

Back to that plotline...

When to stop fiddling

Last night I decided I was giving myself One Last Plotting Session (for now!) for my WIP, DROUGHT. I grabbed coffee, Edy's French Silk Ice Cream, and stayed up until the wee hours working on my synopsis. And then I finally sent the half-alive, gasping thing to Agent Elana. She has been sending me kind (perhaps unfounded--we'll see!) e-mails saying things like I'm sure it's not as rough as you think. I hated to make her pay for skywriting that said "SEND THE DAMN THING ALREADY"! Jet fuel is expensive these days.

Actually, Agent Elana blogged yesterday about when to stop fiddling, and I'm taking her thoughts to heart. Put on your red strappy shoes and check out her post too!

Make it a Fab Sunday and Win Some Debs goodness

Got the Sunday blahs? Or feel like you're unstoppable? Either way, stop by TODAY (and today only!) for you chance to win the March goody bag from the Debutantes. More than 30 goodies and gadgets, people! Why not give it a shot?

Read this book: THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA

It's a grey gloomy day in Maryland and I'm dreaming of escape. Escape to somwhere very different from here, a place that would give me a stamp on my passport and a whole new view of the world. And watching Amazing Race tonight just may not be enough!

Luckily I've got Cynthea Liu stopping by my blog. Her new  YA release, THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, takes readers all the way to CHINA while also spinning a great tale. Check it out!

And now, excuse me while I dig up that passport and call my travel agent...how far would three nickels and a toy firetruck with a missing wheel get me?

 

About Cynthea's new release:
Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she's bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi'an, China, she jumps at the chance. She'll be able to learn about her passion—anthropology—and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots. But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she's been looking for?

Cynthea answered my favorite 3 questions for authors:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Dear Grandma Grace,
Do you fancy yourself a world traveler? Have you ever been to China? If you have, would you like to take a walk down memory lane? Are you into hot Asian guys and Peking duck? If so THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA is for you!

Okay, I'll be serious. Grandma Grace, if you like stories about teens searching for connection, or if you enjoy a hopeful story that might tug at your heartstrings, this book is for you.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
16-year-old-self would probably say, "so this is where they've been hiding books with Asians in it!"

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
So many places in THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA are real-life places. You'll see many famous hotspots in and around Xi'an and Beijing. My brother lives in China so I was lucky enough to go to most of the places featured in THE GREAT CALL. Enjoy reliving my experiences!

And finally, here's the scoop on Cynthea...
Cynthea spent her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was a Whiz Quiz member, an Academic Decathloner, and a spelling bee champion. (Yes, she was very popular.) After attending college on the East coast, she worked at a corporate job where she mastered PowerPoint and racked up thousands of frequent flyer miles. Eventually, she traded in her suit for sweats to do the fun stuff–writing for children. In addition to PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE and THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, Cynthea's nonfiction book WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS: A CRASH COURSE (how to write, revise, and publish your kid's or teen book with children's book publishers) is available in paperback

using interviews to develop characters

My WIP has two pairs of sisters, and I've been trying to get a handle on their relationship. I've got the bestest sister in the world (awwww... no, really, I do!) but  I want to dig into other sister relationships besides my own. So, I'm trying interviews.

I have started with willing victims: my mother and my aunt, who are just 12 months apart. Perfect, since one pair of my fictional sisters is that close in age. I talked with them both (apart from each other) for about a half hour, asking pre-prepared questions about what it's like to be a teen with a sister who's so close in age. I think the most helpful part was hearing specific anecdotes that showed what their relationship was like.

Next, I hope to talk to friends and friends of friends. Of course I won't use their specific stories or experiences, but I hope that I'll be inspired and that their interviews will help to flavor my characters' development.

Read this book: WINNIE'S WAR

Thanks to my insatiable appetite for historical novels as a tween and teen (Sunfire Romances, anyone?), I aced my AP American history exam. I kid you not--I remember reading the topic for one of the long essays and thinking "this is just like the plot of Josie!" (thanks for the college credits, Vivian Schurfranz, wherever you are).  So I'm always psyched to see exciting new historical fiction. Today I'm welcoming fellow Debutante Jenny Moss to my blog, author of debut historical novel WINNIE'S WAR.

About Winnie’s War

 

A debut novel set against the backdrop of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918.

 

Life in Winnie's sleepy town of Coward Creek, Texas, is just fine for her. Although her troubled mother's distant behavior has always worried Winnie, she's plenty busy caring for her younger sisters, going to school, playing chess with Mr. Levy, and avoiding her testy grandmother. Plus, her sweetheart Nolan is always there to make her smile when she's feeling low. But when the Spanish Influenza claims its first victim, lives are suddenly at stake, and Winnie has never felt so helpless. She must find a way to save the people she loves most, even if doing so means putting her own life at risk.

 

Jenny answered my favorite questions for authors:

--I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.  Twelve-year-old Winnie learns a lot about grownups during the course of the book. Grownups, reading Winnie's story, might learn (or rather *remember*) what it's like to be young and curious.

I'd be very interested to know what your grandma Grace thinks of any of the Deb books. Will you report back? :)

--What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book? Sixteen-year-old me would have wanted to meet Winnie.

--I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book. My grandmothers lived down the street from one another in a small Mississippi town. My memories of the time I spent there inspired me to create my own small town: Coward Creek, Texas.

Finally, here's the scoop about Jenny...

 

JENNY MOSS is a former NASA engineer. She earned a master's degree in literature and taught writing as an adjunct at University of Houston-Clear Lake. Winnie's War is her first novel. She lives with her two teenagers in Houston, Texas.

The index cards are up

I promised a picture of my "plot wire" picture awhile ago. I've been playing with it a lot lately so I thought I'd post a pic. I shot it from the back (far more picturesque) so unfortunately you won't see any writing on the cards!
 

Willing victim (free verse)

I am

captured,

but willingly.

Gleefully.

Sisters pull me under

and whisper

Stories.

Garbled

watery

but enchanting.

I scribble it all down.

The sisters

Demand.

Don’t surface.

Don’t sleep.

Don’t eat.

Just write.

But I must emerge.

Family

and paycheck

demand.

I pull myself out.

Reality is cold

muddy

unpleasant.

The sisters cry…

come back

it’s warm here.

we might fade.

we might forget.

But it’s dinnertime.

I close my door

And hope

they can wait.

There are no warm-ups

I once aspired to being the next Julie Andrews. Certain that summer stock was the next step--and that the community theater in Round Lake came close enough--I auditioned for YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN one summer. I think I was 15, or maybe 16.

I still remember what I wore: cut-off jean shorts along with a sleeveless button-down shirt that I made myself, and the Payless version of white leather Keds. I thought I looked a little like Jennifer Grey in DIRTY DANCING, only, you know, with Mary Martin hair. I was the youngest person there, along my buddy Jason from my high-school theater group (not to be confused with Loyal Long-Suffering Arts Patron Jason).

When they called my name, I walked up to the pianist. I gave him my music and asked him to play a few bars. I sang softly, just warming up, like we always did at my high school. I wasn't trying to sound good. I was just trying to warm up. (I use the same excuse now when I fall on my butt during pilates. Just warming up over here, people!).

Well, after about a minute, the auditioners told me to STOP.No more needed.

"Wait," I said. "I was just warming up. I'm way better, really..."

"We got what we needed," the guy said. "NEXT!"

That was my big shot. Not surprisingly, I didn't get a part with a solo. Surprisingly, I did get a part that gave me stage time. Not a lot of people showed up for auditions. Or maybe they really liked that Mary-meets-Jennifer look, eh?

I learned to always take my best shot everytime. No public warm-ups.

I think of this lesson a lot lately, as I work on my next project. It's so tempting to forward the first few rough chapters to my agent and editor, hoping they'll pass out with joy and shock at my artistry. But I don't--because I want to take my best shot. I'm not saying I'll sit on my pages forever, or wait until the book is done (Pam's editor and agent now pass out from relief, not joy). But I will make sure they're ready for prime time. Because you never get a second shot.

Hey Round Lake---you casting for this summer yet? I almost fit in those cut-offs...

Read this book: WAITING TO SCORE

Here in the metro DC area, we're shocked, resentful and gleeful (depending on who you ask) to be looking out our windows at about 6 inches of snow. We had a roaring fire last night and my son was thrilled to don snowpants this morning. So I'm feeling very northern and totally in the mood for a HOCKEY tale!

Today I'm welcoming debut author J.E. MacLeod to my blog, in celebration of the release of her Young Adult tale, WAITING TO SCORE.Grab a cup of hot cocoa and curl up to learn more--then scoop up a copy for yourself!

About WAITING TO SCORE:
Zack Chase, new in town, gets a crash course in the dangerous, fast-paced lives of local teen athletes. A good-looking, book-loving hockey star, Zack’s also expected to be a womanizing, alcohol-abusing party animal, but it’s not who he is. As jealous, obnoxious team captain Mac hounds him, Zack falls for Goth-girl Jane and befriends her teammate brother, both with their own secrets. Tragedy strikes and affects them all in this true-to-life debut novel, giving readers an insight into the lives of high school students and athletes. J.E.'s path to becoming an author was a windy one. After college, she wrote advertising copy for radio and then television and eventually moved on to work in sales and marketing for too many years.

J.E. kindly answered a few questions for me:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.Hi Grandma Grace. You should read Waiting To Score, because it will show you what teens today have to contend with and how brave and noble they can be. It's not easy being a teen, but sometimes they get a bum rap when they don't deserve it.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book? Holy crap. I write a book that gets published when I'm older?? That is the coolest thing ever.

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that founds its way into your book. Oh man. So much of real life creeps into my stories. Hockey rinks though. Yup. I spent a lot of time in them babies when I was young. A lot of times I was like Jane, Zack's crush, reading a book in the stands, freezing my butt off wishing the game would end. (Not always though. I did like watching sometimes, especially play off games)

And finally, here's some info about J.E.:

After having a son, J.E. followed her dreams and wrote her  first book. Once she started writing YA, she felt like she’d found her home and has been writing it ever since. J.E. lives near the Canadian Rockies with her husband and son and a new puppy named Meeko.  She does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot.

Read This Book: YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME

Today I'm pleased to welcome Stacey Jay to my blog to chat about her new release, YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME, now available for purchase. I am beyond psyched to read this book--how can you beat a combination of zombies and homecoming? That's right. You can't.

Here's a taste of what her story is about:

Megan Berry's social life is so dead. Literally. Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people. All Megan wants is to be normal--and go to homecoming. But someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it's looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party--the bloody kind.

Stacey somehow found time in her incredibly busy life (I am awed by how productive and together this lady is!) to answer a few questions:

What are you most proud of in YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME?

The freight train barreling down the tracks, edge of your seat plot. It gets going and doesn't stop and I'm really proud of that. I love to entertain and for slightly ADHD people like me, non-stop action is a must. I hope my fellow short attention spanners enjoy it. (And those with longer attention spans too, lol.)

You're performed on stage. If YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME became a Broadway musical, would you accept a part in it? Which one? Assume makeup and costumes can work wonders.

I'd have to be Monica because I LOVE being the bad guy. Playing the bad guy is way more fun than the heroine. This is assuming all her songs are written in an easy-to-sing mezzo-soprano, of course. I was always one of the background dancers in musicals never the lead because my voice...she ain't that great. But on the upside, I've still got a killer high kick, lol.

Who is most suited for the zombie lifestyle? The least?

Most suited for zombie lifestyle=moms of very young children. We're already surviving on very few brain cells so I think we'd make the transition to zombie-hood fairly well. (If I could munch some brains and feel recovered from nine weeks of no sleep while caring for my new baby, I would TOTALLY consider it.)
Least suited for zombie lifestyle=picky eaters with texture issues. I don't imagine brains taste that great or feel good sliding down. Ya know?

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.

To remember what it felt like to fall in love for the first time. And because Megan isn't just a "teen", she's a pretty interesting person and I, personally, have enjoyed being in her head for two books. (The second Megan Berry book is in edits as I type.)

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?

You are a dork and there should be more cussing and kissing in this book. (I would tell her that yes, I am still a dork and that I tried to put more cussing and kissing in there, but my editors said I had to tone it down.)
 

And finally, here's the scoop on Stacey:

Stacey Jay is a workaholic with three pen names, four kids, and a decidedly macabre sense of humor. She loves zombies, creepies, crawlies, blood, guts, gore, and of course, romance. "You are So Undead to Me", Stacey's debut paranormal Young Adult Romance featuring Zombie Settler, Megan Berry will be a January 22nd 2009 release from Razorbill books.

Thanks for visiting, Stacey. Everyone, go pick up your copy of YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME today!

getting to know your characters

How do you first get to know your characters?

I'm working on a new project and I'm finding that the characters are being elusive--coy, even. The only way I get to know them is to write. And then, as I learn new things, I have to edit previous chapters to match up with what I've learned.

I can't get them to talk to me any other way. I've tried character worksheets, free writing, even modeling them on people I know. But in the end, the only way they'll speak to me is if I start writing their story. Every other method feels forced and false.

So how do you do it?

too neat (free verse)

The Boys are
elsewhere.
I am home
Alone.

Every surface is
piled high.
Books
toys
dirty dishes
three gloves
(where did the other one go?)

I could...
watch TV
work out
call my sister
write some more
read a book.

But disorder
makes me itch.
Living with my Boys
means I always
itch.

So I clean.
Legos under the playtable.
Cozy throws folded.
Find a home for new birthday toys.

Two hours
and done.
The first floor, at least.

But I am lonely now.
No evidence of
Boys.
Anyone might live here.

I take out the legos again.
Build something tall
with wheels.

Leave it in the middle of the floor.
There.
Now it is home again.

Read this book: SHADOWED SUMMER

Today I'm pleased to welcome Saundra Mitchell in her latest stop on our Debutantes blog tour. Saundra's spookfest SHADOWED SUMMER is now available for purchase. Like great suspense that doesn't let up? Then pick up a copy today.

 

Settle in for the details about Saundra's great new yarn:

Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared. His mother knew he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, and his girlfriend thought he was murdered.
 

 

Decades later, certain she saw his ghost in the town cemetery, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out the truth behind "The Incident With the Landry Boy."

Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette's latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts, in search of a boy she never knew.
 

 

What she doesn't realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.

I asked Saundra my three favorite questions and here's what she said:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Because Shadowed Summer is about friends and family, love and grief, and being human, and I think those things matter no matter your age.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
Whoa, that's weird. Iris' dad cooks the exact same thing for dinner that my mom cooks on Fridays...

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.

Well, uh... I made up the entire town of Ondine, Louisiana. Even the stores in it. Did I mention Iris' dad makes my mom's Friday dinner?

 

And here's a little bit about Saundra:

A screenwriter and author, Saundra Mitchell penned the screenplays for the Fresh Films and Girls in the Director's Chair short film series. Her short story "Ready to Wear" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her first feature film, Revenge Ends, debuted on the festival circuit in 2008. In her free time, she enjoys ghost hunting, papermaking, and spending time with her husband and her two children.

Hope you enjoyed hearing about Saundra; more blog tour stops coming soon!
 

Read This Book: THE SEASON

A Valentine's treat today: I'm celebrating the release of the page-turner THE SEASON, by Sarah MacLean, a fellow Debutante. Romance! Intrigue! Frothy dresses! Put down that box of chocolates and curl up with this instead--it's far tastier. Here's a sneak peek:

Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford doesn't fit into the world of Regency London — she's strong-willed, sharp-tongued, and she absolutely loathes dress fittings. Unfortunately, her mother has been waiting for years for Alex to be old enough to take part in the social whirlwind of a London Season so she can be married off to someone safe, respectable, wealthy, and almost certainly boring. But Alex is much more interested in adventure than romance.

 

Between sumptuous balls, lavish dinner parties and country weekends, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get entangled in her biggest scrape yet. When the Earl of Blackmoor is killed in a puzzling accident, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. It's a mystery brimming with espionage, murder, and suspicion. As she and Gavin grow closer, will Alex's heart be stolen in the process?

 

Romance and danger fill the air, as this year's Season begins!

Sarah graciously consented to answer a few questions for me:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grammy, this book harkens back to a day when men were gentlemen and smooching was scandalous...but everyone did it anyway. Who doesn't love gentlemen and scandals?

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
"Oh. My. God. This is the book is exactly the kind of book I would write!"

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
The last time I was in London with my mom we flew a red eye in, landing at Heathrow at 6am. Our hotel, which was right on Hyde Park, didn't have a room ready for us at that ungodly an hour, so we dropped our bags, grabbed some tea-to-go and headed for the Park.

We walked for a while through the greensward, and ended up at the horridly gaudy Albert Memorial, where my mom took a nap while I wrote in my journal. While the Albert Memorial wasn't built until long after my girls had their picnic in Hyde Park, I like to think that they sat under a tree that wasn't too far away from where mom and I spent time that morning.

And here's some info about Lady Sarah:

Sarah MacLean is the author of THE SEASON, a YA novel coming in March 2009 from Scholastic. She grew up in Rhode Island, where she spent much of her free time bemoaning the fact that she was more than a century too late for own Season. Her unabashed addiction to historical fiction helped to earn her a degree in European History from Smith College before she moved to New York City to pursue a career in publishing. After receiving a Masters in Education from Harvard University, Sarah returned to New York, where she lives with her husband, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She is currently working on a series of regency-set romances to be released in 2010 from Avon/HarperCollins.

Many thanks to Sarah for visiting my blog today. Happy Valentine's Day, all!

protecting your work from the hawk

I got a beautiful bird feeder for my birthday, back in December. It's state of the art--squirrel proof (really!), perches that are supposed to encourage both small and big songbirds, and full of premium black sunflower seed. My father carefully hung it up at the edge of the yard, in a sheltered spot, so I could see the birds while I worked.

There haven't been many customers. A chickadee here, a finch there. But there has been this big, bold cardinal who's stopped by a number of times. I like watching him. The seed is barely gone, but at least those few birds have been happy.

But then Diana came back.

Diana, who I named after the famed huntress. Diana, the juvenvile hawk who first appeared after wild windstorms right after Christmas. She ate three of our squirrels and was never seen again.

Until today. High winds. And now, Diana.

Diana plucked my cardinal friend from the feeder. Then she sat the fence and had a long and thorough feast. I couldn't look and I couldn't look away. My sole flashy birdfeeder friend had met his end. And why? Because I invited him there.

I killed my dinner guest.

So how does this relate to writing? It makes me think of what we writers do to our ideas. We try to get our lives and our minds open to ideas: we buy the feeder, we hang it, we fill it with the best seed. And then we are overjoyed when even the most drab chickadee shows up. It's something! And sooner or later, we hope flocks of songbirds visit.

But what if just one cardinal shows up? One brilliant idea, something you know you can develop into a special story. What happens when you, yourself, devour that idea?

What happens when you unloose your own personal Diana--your own inner critic?

How do you protect your ideas from your inner critic? You need a critical eye to make your work shine--at least eventually. But how do you let that cardinal flit around the yard before unleashing the hawk?

Better yet--is there some way to outfit your cardinal with some kind of anti-hawk missile? A way to make sure that critic doesn't destroy him?

These questions are on my mind because I recently let me own hawk eat a good idea. I worked it to death without writing a chapter. And now I'm so sick of it, and it's such a mess, that I had to set it aside. Happily another idea arrived. But I'm afraid I'll do the same thing all over again.

Maybe I just need to find a way to cage up my hawk...

Time stolen from sleep (free verse)

Alarm too early.

Husband rolls over

back to Sleep.

Jealous.

So jealous.

But time is precious

And too easy to give

to child, work, cleaning, friends, TV, e-mail.

Too easy to steal

from myself.

So I get up.

Stumbling

and

whining.

My desk.

My computer.

Scribbled notes.

They all wait.

I wrap Nana’s quilt

around my shoulders

and begin.

Bleary.

Still stumbling

over words

over ideas.

But I persist.

Because writers write.

And this is my

time to do it.

I take my hour

before the day

DEMANDS
it back.
 

Read This Book: MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES

This year the Debutantes will be throwing each other virtual launch parties with blog tours. Today I'm putting out my best china for my first visitor: Erin Dionne . Grab your Oreos and rejoice, because her sweet and funny book MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES is now available in bookstores everywhere (not to mention your favorite online outlets). Congratulations, Erin!

Here's a peek between the covers:

Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean, but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn’t entered her in the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. To get out of it, she’s forced to launch Operation Skinny Celeste—because, after all, a thin girl can’t be a fat model! What Celeste never imagined was that losing weight would help her gain a backbone . . . or that all she needed to shine was a spotlight.

Erin graciously consented to answer a few questions from me:

I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grandma Grace--you should read MODELS because it'll make you laugh your socks off! Also, because no matter how old you are, I think any one can relate to feeling left out and losing a friendship.

What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
"Dude--I can't believe you put the puking scene in there! Why would you do that?! SO embarassing!"

I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
Uh-oh...well, you asked for it! My main character, Celeste, makes a series of poor choices that lead her to, ummm, "toss her cookies" on her gym teacher's shoes. I, also, thew up on my gym teacher's footwear in junior high after running the mile. When it happened to me, I was legitimately sick with a stomach bug. Awesome, huh?


And here's a little more about Erin:

Erin Dionne has lived on two coasts and in four states. Her debut novel, MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, was inspired by events that occurred in seventh grade, when she wore a scary peach bridesmaid dress in her cousin’s wedding and threw up on her gym teacher’s shoes (not at the same event). Although humiliating at the time, these experiences are working for her now.

 

Erin lives outside of Boston with her husband and daughter, and a very insistent dog named Grafton. She roots for the Red Sox, teaches English at an art college, and sometimes eats chocolate cookies.

Want to hear more from Erin? Head over to her LiveJournal for a list of where she'll be stopping by next.

halfway through page proofs

Tonight I hit the halfway mark on reviewing my CANDOR page proofs--happily ahead of schedule, despite an offspring ear infection and an awesome trip to NYC. I shouldn't gloat. The universe will deliver some giant smackdown, like a catastrophic ginger tea spill or something.

I love peeks into other people's workspaces, so I'm sharing mine. There's the page proof, with my blue pencil waiting for action. In the background is the Winston Churchill paperweight my husband gave me--it reads "never, never, never give up". Smart dude, that Churchill. You can just glimpse my lab-beaker pencil holder and yes, in the far edge, that's Knuffle Bunny egging me on. Just one See's candy wrapper. Must be early in the session. And it's all on top of my beloved $125 oak desk from the antique mart in Mount Dora, Florida. Part of it is made from a citrus crate (admittedly that portion of the desk is probably not oak!). 

Next time I'll have to post a pic of my crazy writers' wire running overhead!

My website is live

I am pleased to announce that www.pambachorz.com is up and ready for your viewing pleasure. It includes the basics--a bio, contact information, a section for announcements--and also offers some fun extras like photos of settings that inspired CANDOR and a quiz to see if you're brainwashed. I hope you'll check it out!

For details about the tools I used to build the site, check out this previous post.

see you in NY?

I'm packing my bags tonight for NY SCBWI. Can't wait to get my creative  batteries recharged and connect with my writing world in person. I hope I'll see lots of LJ friends there--keep an eye out for the redhead with the Debutantes tote bag.

next step for CANDOR

FedEx delivered my page proofs today. My story is laid out in page format, complete with copyright page, acknowledgements, and dedication. I'll have about two weeks to do one last read of CANDOR and mark any necessary changes.

I can't calculate how many times I read CANDOR while I was working on it. But now it seems entirely different. I read the first chapter and it felt like someone else wrote it. It's amazing the difference a simple layout can make.

songs fueling my writing lately

I do my best writing when I listen to music. While I've been working on the synopsis, plot planning and character outlines for my WIP, here's what's been inspiring me lately:

• "Don't You Evah" by Spoon: I love this loose, weird, affable rant against people who have the easy life. Or at least that's how I interpret it...
• "Throw It All Away" by Brandi Carlile: Because her sad songs make me way, way sad. Helps me to crawl into my MC's Big Problem.
• "Poison Pushy" by Stanton Moore: The retro loungey song is the soul of the duh-he-loves-you dude that my MC mistreats... and mistreats...
• "Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti: 'Cause it gets my fingers moving!
• "Another Postcard" by the Barenaked Ladies: It's absurd (a mystery person sending postcards with chimpanzees), and I'm inspired by the absurd in this work. Although I DID take out the rogue genetically engineered rooster that popped in at about midnight one night...(did you just hear my agent and editor shudder with simultaneous relief and fear?)

I would admit to having "Full Moon" by The Black Ghosts on heavy rotation but I don't want to be tooooo much of a Twilight fangirl...

My favorite new writing tool

What writer doesn't love their gadgets? My new favorite is a lonnnnnng wire picture hanger that I bought from IKEA. It's a thick wire that stretches from one end of a wall, over my desk, through an open area, to another wall. That's about ten feet of uninterrupted hanging space, though I think it could have gone for as long as twelve, if I had the room. There are little clips dangling from it--also purchased from IKEA--and I attach index cards to them. The clips easily slide along the wire, and I can also simply pull one off and move it to another part of the wire.

This has made plotting quite a lot of fun. I fill index cards with chapter ideas, then place them on the wire. Shuffle. Shuffle again. Take some off, add others. Repeat.

It also makes my study look like there's a Serious Writer who works in it. Perhaps a slightly unhinged Serious Writer. Which makes me stand a little straighter and plunge into work a little sooner when I walk into the room.

The picture hanger, plus two packages of clips, ran me about $18. Well worth it!

Haiti

The speaker showed us pictures
and spoke
searing words.
Haiti suffers.
1 hour away
from Us.
Rich us.
Rich me,
moaning:
oh woe dirty bathroom sink
oh woe defiant child.
No running water
in Haiti’s villages.
Rampant disease.
Parasites invade
feet
soaked in sewage.
2 out of 3 children
Dead
by age 5.
Dead.
His organization built
toilets.
They are
the villages’
Pride.
I can open my
wallet.
I can tell my
friends.
But I can’t understand:
why them?
why not me?
How do I begin to
Deserve
my riches?

For more information, please visit the website for Voice of Haiti.

what I'm working on

For the curious--these days, I'm working on the synopsis and three sample chapters for my second contracted book with Egmont USA. Once I've finished work on those, I'll send them off to my agent. Hopefully she'll love them. After we've had a chance to talk and I've made any necessary changes, I'll shuttle my new baby off to my editor. Hopefully she, in turn, will love them--and then I'll be drafting book 2 like crazy.

In the new year, I've tried something new for setting aside writing time: making a weekly schedule. On Sunday nights, I draw a simple grid that lists the hours I'll be writing each day (such as 6-7 AM and 9-10 PM). I commit to a minimum of 10 hours per week (although once I start steaming along, I tend to spend more time than that). Then I post the schedule on my study door. My husband knows when to expect me around--and not. And I also can see that I've still got some time for vegging in front of the TV, vacuuming (or coming up with reasons not to), and sleeping!

I'm also trying to set aside some time each week to work on marketing/promo things for CANDOR. The great thing is that easy, free opportunities are out there to promote my book. But many of them take some initial effort--filling out questionnaires, etc. So I just chip away as best I can.

Finally I'm working on my goal of being more involved in the writing community: joining local organizations like the WNBA (no, not the basketball league!), being a more frequent participant in the my listservs and online communities, and heading to conferences (can't wait for NY SCBWI!).

Wordle fun

My sister just pointed me to Wordle. Paste in the text of your book and it'll make a word cloud from most frequently-used words. You can pick the font, the colors, and tweak the layout. Addictive--and actually could be a good writing tool, if you want to see what words you tend to use most frequently.

I pasted the first three chapters of CANDOR into Wordle, and here's what I got (click on the image to see the full version):

title="Wordle: CANDOR by Pam Bachorz"> align=center src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/441762/CANDOR_by_Pam_Bachorz"
alt="Wordle: CANDOR by Pam Bachorz"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">

go win yourself some swanky swag

Today and today only, enter to win a goody bag over at The Feast of Awesome, a community of writers with YA and MG books coming out in 2009.

miles between us

Your DVD
came today.
Full of
memories.
We eat dinner
while we watch,
consuming
eagerly.
A cruise.
Colorado.
Piano recital.
Birthdays
we missed.
Jack-o-lantern
we didn't
see.
You're running
the race
alone
I want
to be next to you.
I won't cry.
Not in front of
my Boy.
But inside?
I howl.
I love you.
I miss you.
I wish
moving didn't put
miles
between us.

Apps I'm using to build my website

I've known for awhile that I needed to do a website, but I wasn't sure where to start. This was particularly annoying since, two cities ago, I used to build websites for my day job.

But it's a new world now and I don't have the snazzy (and expensive) tools I used at work, like the Adobe CS Suite and high-end HTML editors. Plus there's style sheets and Flash and other cool dizzying technologies. In my days of website building we used HTML and PERL. And we thought animated GIFs were just insanely cool. I'm about 10 years behind.

But I had an unexpected windfall of free time this weekend, so I decided This Was It. I was either building this site or writing up a description of what I wanted so somebody could do it for me.

I started by surfing author sites--a LOT of author sites. I decided to go with a very simple layout that used minimal graphics--partly because I like the look and partly because I didn't want to monkey with making graphics or have to find someone to make them for me!

Then I looked for HTML editors that would help me to build the pages. I found Coffee Cup Visual Site Designer, which I downloaded as a 21-day free trial. It's quite nifty. I don't know if it would be friendly enough to someone who's never built sites, but for someone who understand the basic concepts of design but doesn't want to monkey with code, it was perfect. Once I got my home page built, I knew I could do the whole site.

I also embedded content in my pages with some cool tools (all free!):
--flickrSLiDR embeds a slideshow of  images that inspired the setting of CANDOR (which I stored on flickr)
--Playlist offers a list of songs that helped to inspire we while I wrote CANDOR
--Quibblo let me build a fun online quiz

So I am proud to say my site is nearly, nearly done. As soon as I have a book cover--or a placeholder graphic for it--it'll go live. And I'll be sure to post here when it does!

If anyone has nifty ideas about creating placeholder cover graphics, or you've seen someone do it effectively, please let me know.

Next challenge: book trailer.

Cool tool to see links between words

This Christmas I got a nifty gift: a piece of software called Visual Thesaurus. I'd  been using the web version but it's a very limited demo. VT draws 3-D clickable maps to illustrate the links between words, clustering groups of related words. It's so much more useful than the straight text list you get in a conventional thesaurus. I've used it to brainstorm about character attributes, to discover title ideas, and just to find that perfect word that I can't quite put my fingers on without help.

The software also comes with a ton of proper names--people and places--linked together, but I haven't tried it. Useful for writers of historical fiction, maybe?

I have no financial interest in boosting this product! I'm just a big fan.

my title is a word of the day

CANDOR is the word of the day on dictionary.com! Gosh darn, it doesn't mention my book. :-)

I particularly like the old Latin definition of "purity and openness"--which is the opposite of what reaaaaaly happens in my fictional town of Candor, Florida. Lots of hidden dirt and secrets!