The Lucky 13s

Choose Your Own Adventure

2012-03-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

It's All About the Ride.

When I was 12 years old, I wrote a Choose Your Own Adventure tale called The Silver Key. I wrote it as a computer game (starting on a Commodore Vic-20 and moving to a Commodore 64) and it tracked the adventures of a young girl who found a Silver Key and went off in search of doors to open.

My intrepid heroine discovered pirates, highwaymen, other kids with their own keys, as well as a mysterious underworld society called The Delvings (this was my older sister’s inspired contribution to the tale). She swung through forests, jumped off cliffs, leaped chasms and (of course, hello, I was writing the story) fell in love.

I absolutely adored Choose Your Own Adventure stories – flipping through the pages to find out what happened next based on decisions you made at the bottom of every page. Didn’t like what you found? You could always go back and start over at the beginning, or at the last critical juncture. It was a low-tech “undo” and seemed a perfect way to correct your mistakes.

As I take off on this new adventure with the Lucky 13s, leading up to the launch of my debut novel Maid of Secrets in Spring, 2013, it occurs to me that life doesn’t usually hand you such easy “do-overs”. You plot and plan and choose your adventure, and if things go awry, you can’t just “undo”.

Or can you?

With a few notable exceptions, just about any life path you take can be turned into a temporary detour or a momentary wrong turn, if it ends up not being the right choice for you. So too can every RIGHT decision eventually become a WRONG one if you stay on a path too long. In my own world, I was going to become a college professor of international affairs… but instead I took a job that was COMPLETELY wrong for me, mainly because I was offered what was, at the time, a crazy amount of money.

The job involved sales. I, for the record, suck at sales.

Within twelve months, however, I was in a different job in the same company, doing what I did best—writing. My career track after that was an upwardly-mobile scribble, but whenever I found myself totally miserable, it was just a matter of choosing a new adventure. The choices weren’t always easy, but the leap was always worth it. Eventually, the career itself became the wrong decision for me, and I left corporate America behind for freelance work.

I think of this now as I’m about to take another leap, facing decisions about the work I take on vs. the books I want to write. I’m nervous about where the next step will take me, and what my life will be like. I know from experience that nothing is unchangeable in life—heck, wait long enough and even history is revised, as I learned when I was that aspiring college professor. But it doesn’t mean it’s an easy choice to embrace the new adventure.

Still, I can recognize a cliff when I see one, and I know the leap is coming.

What about you? What major decisions have you made that changed your life's adventure?

Jennifer McGowan has been writing fiction since well before she knew any better. A past Romance Writers of America Golden Heart winner and 2011 Golden Heart finalist, Jenn is represented by agent extraordinaire Alexandra Machinist, of Janklow & Nesbit.

Jenn's debut novel, MAID OF SECRETS, will be published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in Spring, 2013. You can find Jenn online and on twitter.

APOCALYPSE NOW: An Interview with E.C. Myers, Author of FAIR COIN

2012-03-08T04:00:00.001-08:00

Happy Book Birthday to E.C. Myers, author of FAIR COIN,

available now!

From E.C. Myers' website:

Sixteen-year-old Ephraim Scott is horrified when he comes home from school and finds his mother unconscious at the kitchen table, clutching a bottle of pills. The reason for her suicide attempt is even more disturbing: she thought she’d identified Ephraim’s body at the hospital that day.

Among his dead double’s belongings, Ephraim finds a strange coin—a coin that grants wishes when he flips it. With a flick of his thumb, he can turn his alcoholic mother into a model parent and catch the eye of the girl he’s liked since second grade. But the coin doesn’t always change things for the better. And a bad flip can destroy other people’s lives as easily as it rebuilds his own.

The coin could give Ephraim everything he’s ever wanted—if he learns to control its power before his luck runs out.

Without further ado, here's our interview with E.C. Myers about his mind-bending debut!

FAIR COIN is your debut novel. Do you have any plans to celebrate the launch?
I’m going to have a quiet dinner with my wife and some friends, which is how I like to celebrate most happy occasions. I seriously considered having a launch party—and I still might later in March or in April—but I’ve been too busy working on the sequel in the last few months to devote much effort to coordinating a big event. I also forgot to schedule a day off from work on launch day, so I’ll spend most of it at my day job. It’s just business as usual.

We love the title of this book and its origin in scientific theory. Where did the idea for FAIR COIN come from and how did the story develop?
Thank you! Many of my stories start with a visual prompt, playing in my mind like a scene from a movie. In this case, I imagined a boy flipping a coin into a fountain to make a wish. The moment his wish came true, a shockwave rippled out from the fountain, changing the world around him as it spread, but leaving him unchanged. I thought that was really cool, and from there I had to figure out how the coin worked. And since he was using a coin, I knew that it would be important whether it landed on heads or tails. I kept thinking about the story for a couple of years, scribbling down questions and ideas, until I finally sat down to write it.

What three wishes would you make if you had a coin like Ephraim's?
Since I know how the coin works, I wouldn’t make any wishes at all! But if I didn’t know anything about it, I probably would wish to be a bestselling young adult novelist. I would use the second and third wishes to try to fix everything that inevitably goes wrong with the first wish.

You dedicate FAIR COIN to your mother, calling her "the best of all possible mothers". What inspired you to tackle Ephraim's troubled mother/son relationship?
My mother is the strongest person I know. She came to the U.S. from South Korea alone, learned English, earned her American citizenship, and raised my sister and me on her own. She worked hard to give us the best education possible and everything we needed or wanted. She’s also encouraged me in everything I’ve ever tried to do, whether she approved or not. I can’t separate the person I am from the person she is, and I wanted Ephraim to have that kind of supportive relationship too, though it certainly isn’t perfect.

I’ve also noticed that YA books often go to great lengths to keep parents off screen, or they set the protagonist at odds with them. But parents also can be best friends with their children. Ephraim’s mother doesn’t appear often, but she’s still a presence and an influence on his actions and decisions throughout the book.

Your wife is an editor. Tell us about how this particular dynamic impacts both your relationship and your writing process.
Right now my wife is a student at medical school, but she still reads manuscripts for a YA literary agent when she can. When we first started dating, I knew she read a lot of YA so I told her my idea for Fair Coin and she told me I had to write it. She helped me brainstorm a little more of the story, and gave me book recommendations so I could reacquaint myself with the best current YA books, because I firmly believe that to write YA well you have to read and love it.

I was nervous showing her the first rough draft of the book, but she liked it—and wrote me a detailed editorial letter that told me what I needed to fix or strengthen. She’s a smart reader and editor, her notes were spot on, and she has great taste in fiction, so I trust her opinion implicitly. She’s been too busy to read and critique my manuscripts since, with the whole studying to become a doctor thing, but I still ask her for advice about story problems all the time.

What's next for you? Tell us about your next project.
I just turned in the sequel to Fair Coin. Quantum Coin should be out from Pyr in fall 2012. Although it’s a continuation of the events of the first book, I always intended Fair Coin to be a standalone story. I hope that readers will pick up the second book to find out what happens next with Ephraim and his friends and to learn more about the coin.

My next project is an alternate history young adult book about reincarnation, titled Who We Used to Be. I’m working on the fourth draft now. We don’t have a publisher for it yet, but I hope that will change.

Where can fans find you (ie: tour schedules)?
I don’t have a formal tour lined up, but I have a few readings and signings scheduled in Philadelphia and New York City in the next few months, and I’m trying to schedule more. I’ll be participating in the NYC Teen Author Festival at the end of March with a ton of great YA authors. The full schedule can be found here.

I will be at Dragon*Con in Atlanta in August and probably World Fantasy in Toronto in November. The best places for news about appearances are the Fair Coin Facebook page or my website. I’m also all over the internet, but mostly on Twitter (@ecmyers). I love connecting with other YA readers.

Lastly, the Lucky 13s are very curious about superstitions. Do you have any superstitions that play a role in your process?
I’m not very superstitious. I avoid walking under ladders or breaking mirrors, and black cats in my path make me a little nervous, but those don’t really affect my writing. I do believe in luck though, which helps me when I have work out on submission. I make the story as good as I can, and I do my research and put in the effort needed to get it out there, but then I accept that what happens to it next is largely out of my control. You can make a lot of your own luck, but I think there’s still an element of chance involved. Timing is everything.

Thanks for visiting, Eugene, and congratulations on the release of your debut!

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E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts. When he isn't writing, he reads, plays video games, watches films, sleeps as little as possible, and spends far too much time on the internet. Fair Coin (Pyr, March 2012) is his first young adult novel. You can find E.C. Myers on his blog, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

FAIR COIN is now available through:

Name Neuroses

2012-03-07T01:00:00.001-08:00

Truth: I'm not a very organized writer.

I’m fascinated when I hear fellow authors talk about the way they handle drafting or revisions—complex processes that involve outlines, Scrivener, color-coded Post-it notes, or a combination of all three. Those methods sound incredibly smart, but they don’t work for me. I’m a pantser. I’ve tried outlining and it stifles the story I’m trying to tell. So far, I’ve even managed to get through edits for A POINT SO DELICATE without outlining, though I don’t know how long that can last.

But when it comes to character names, I am meticulous. Besides the plot itself, they are the most important part of the story I’m writing, as I think names can be so indicative of a personality. I’d imagine my particularity about spelling can be traced back to my journalism days, where the first rule you learn about interviewing is to ask your source how to spell their name. Even if it’s Jane Doe, you verify, because you can never be sure. But I remember being infuriated as a child (okay, maybe even a little bit today) when people automatically spelled my name as “Brandi” without asking. To me, Brandy is a completely different name than Brandi, and when asked, I verbally spell out my name as “Brandy with a y” though I know it doesn’t matter as much to anyone else, if at all.

When I was in elementary school, I purchased a thin paperback book of name origins and their meanings from the Scholastic Book Club and pored over it constantly. Even then, names were so important to the stories I was writing. I still own that little paperback, but now my primary method of research is a baby name website called Nymbler.

Before I begin a story, I have to choose my character names. I may have a few in mind that I want to use for supporting characters, but the protagonist is always much more difficult. Nymbler allows you to plug in names you like, then generates literally hundreds of suggestions, separated by gender and based on the initial name submitted. You can make a list of favorites or continue asking for more names if you’re as picky as I am.

I automatically rule out names that have any negative associations from personal experience. I’m also not interested in using trendy names, and I typically steer clear of using names of close friends or family. (Except for surnames. Many surnames of supporting characters in my books are derived from people I know well.) I lean toward names that have fallen out of fashion but still have flair, and I’m also a fan of traditionally boys’ names for girls. I’ve been known to tool around on Nymbler for days, attempting to find the absolute perfect name. Even weeks. No joke. Once I’ve whittled down my choices to a list of about 10, I send them in an email to my friend and trusted beta reader, Lisa, for her thoughts.

Lisa is a godsend for many reasons, and not least of all because she’s just as obsessed with names as me—if not more. (In fact, she and her husband kept their baby’s name a secret through her pregnancy, which was torture for nosy little me, though I unknowingly guessed it one day after I randomly declared it one of my all-time favorite names.) Once Lisa receives my list, she asks for the mood of the story, character traits—basically anything that will help her form an opinion. Then we go back and forth – sometimes for weeks – about the pros and cons of the names and narrow it down until I choose one. Surnames are less of an intense process, but I still run them by her if I have trouble deciding. This method sounds a little convoluted - and, yes, perhaps just a tad bit neurotic - but it works for me. It’s almost like having a specialized critique partner, one who understands the importance of names in the world I’m building.

I’m very happy with the character names in POINT, but the funny part is that I can’t remember how most of them came to be. Two of the characters had been recycled through drafts of several novels I failed to finish, so needless to say, I was happy they finally found their home in my debut. As for the main character and the boy she fancies, they are two of my favorite names that just happened to work and came to me quite easily. Overall, from protagonist to the most minor supporting players, I’d be hard-pressed to think of names that fit any better. I’m currently in the middle of revisions for POINT, but I can’t wait to share my character names (and their stories!) with you as the process moves along.

Brandy Colbert was born and raised in the southwest Missouri Ozarks. She graduated with a journalism degree and has since worked as an editor at several national magazines and a business writer at an investment banking firm. Her debut novel, A POINT SO DELICATE, the story of a ballet prodigy whose life begins to unravel when she's forced to admit to the role she played in her childhood friend's abduction, will be published by Penguin/G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers in fall 2013. Brandy lives in Los Angeles where she eats too much cheese and never goes to the beach. You can find her at her blog or hanging out on Twitter.

It's Just a Name… Right?

2012-03-06T01:17:00.000-08:00

I’ve always been a tiny bit obsessed with names. When I was a kid – way before I realised I wanted to be a writer – I used to write made-up names in disguised handwriting in the fronts of my books, hoping I’d stumble across them in the future and think the book had actually belonged to someone else.

But names are just… names, aren't they? They don’t actually matter. Or do they?

Well, yes.

Working out my main character’s names is one of the very first things I do when I’m beginning to plan a new story. I might have a vague idea for a plot, but it’s just that – vague. It’s not until I get my names that everything jumps into focus. And those names have to come along and find me; it’s never the other way round.

The main character in ACID is called Jenna Strong. You might think the surname was deliberate, because she’s a kick-ass character trying to survive in incredibly tough conditions, but honestly? It wasn’t. Jenna’s name arrived in my head out of nowhere, before I knew anything but the sketchiest of details about her or her situation, but I knew it was right because… well, I just knew. There’s a brilliant blog post/essay here from Laini Taylor on her Not for Robots blog, where she talks about ‘the snick’ - the sound and feel of a puzzle piece fitting into place. That’s what it feels like when I have the right name - it just fits, without me even having to think about it.

Once I have a name, I have a character. This might sound strange, but for me, Jenna’s name dictates everything about her – from her the way she looks to the way she . If she’d been called, say, Jenna Anderson, she’d have been a very different girl indeed. I know I don’t have the right name if I have to start looking names up in the phonebook or a name dictionary, or if my character starts behaving in a way that just isn’t them. This is a problem I had with the protagonist of my WIP, now fixed, thankfully.

Secondary characters’ names aren’t so important. They tend to come to me as I write and are much more interchangeable, especially as I often end up with a bunch of similar-sounding names that I have to alter in later drafts so as not to confuse the reader.

But for my main characters, I have to get that ‘snick’ for them to be able to exist at-all. So what’s in a name? Pretty much the whole book, as it happens.

How about you? How do you come up with your characters’ names? And how do they affect your story?

What's in a Name?

2012-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

I must go into this post with a warning. It might getcomplicated. You see, names mean a lot. Even when you don’t mean them to. Aname’s tone, origin and social stigma all go into creating a piece of yourcharacter. For a long time I didn’t think much of it. I assigned my charactersnames willy-nilly and figured they were just as well off for it.

The day I enrolled in the Harry Potter class at my college(yes, my college was awesome and had an entire class dedicated to the study of J.K. Rowling’s series) allof that changed. One of the many interesting things I learned during thoselectures was the true depth of Rowling’s etymology when it came to names. Forexample: Albus Dumbledore. Albus is a version of Albion (as well as the Latin word for white) which is theOld English term for the island of England. Dumbledore is the Old English wordfor bumblebee.

Another example, Fawkes, the phoenix who appears in thesecond book of the series, shares a name with Guy Fawkes, the “burning man”whose effigy is torched every November 5^th.

Lest you think these are coincidences, hop on over to thiswebsite and you will see just how in depth J.K. Rowling’s naming process was. I willwarn you, your mind might be blown (mine was).

Once I learning about this vastly complicated yet awesomenaming process, I was inspired. I started deciding that I would try to use namesthat had significance or meaning to the characters who held them.

Here are a few of the names of my characters from LuminanceHour.

Emrys: Immortal,Eternal She is the main protagonist and, as a Fae, is immortal.

Richard: PowerfulLeader He is the crown prince of Britain.

Breena: FairylandShe is Emrys’s best friend and also a Fae.

Anabelle: Graceand Beauty She is the princess and Richard’s sister. Like her name,she is very poised and put together.

But it’s not just literal meaning I consider when choosingnames. I also try very hard to avoid names that start with the same letter. Iknow this sounds silly, but if you have three characters names Mary, Marni andMacy, your readers might have trouble telling the difference between the three.Unfortunately, I’ve had to get rid of some names because of this rule.

In this novel especially I’ve delved into a lot of recentfairy lore (courtesy of William Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser) to pick out someof the immortals’ names. There are even two Narnia-inspired names in the manuscriptif you look closely enough for them!

Despite all of these rules and resources when it comes tonaming, there’s two rules that trump all others. First when I name a character, Ihave to like what I’m calling them. Second, I will not use any names that I might want to save for future children!

How about you guys? Are your rules for naming characters at all similar to mine? What are your qualifications? Tell me below in the comments!!

When she’s not writing and drifting around the globe, Ryan Graudin enjoys hunting through thrift stores and taking pictures of her native Charleston, SC. Her novel LUMINANCE HOUR, the story of a Faery Godmother who falls in love with the prince she’s forced to guard, is due out with HarperTeen in 2013. You can learn about all of these things and more at http://ryangraudin.blogspot.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @ryangraudin

Eating in with the characters from INFINITE SKY

2012-03-02T01:12:00.000-08:00

Like a lot of debut novels, Infinite Sky draws a lot from my real life. Silverweed Farm is a pretty much exact replica of Brook Farm where I grew up [have a look at pictures on my blog], and the corn-den is based on a real hide-out me and my brother made in our teens. There's no way I could have written Sam, Iris's brother, if it wasn't for my older brother, Liam, and the same goes for Iris's dad, Thomas.

In fact, starting out, the novel was a barely fictionalised version of the major event of my childhood: my parents splitting up. But as my character became more fully realised, the story moved away from this territory. Iris's mother - Anna - for instance, while having traits in common with my mum, acts in a way my mum never would: leaving her family to drive across Tunisia in a sky blue Transit van. And unfortunately, Trick, the young Irish Traveller, is pure imagination...
But d'you know what I stole entirely from my childhood? Barefaced thievery, without even attempt at concealment or disguise? The food. Not only are Pot Noodles and cheese and bean toasties a mainstay of Iris's diet (I ate a lot of these at my dad's house) she also invents a meal of her own. A meal fit for queens and kings: chicken and mushroom soup spaghetti. Only a few months ago my dad and I argued over who invented this meal. Both of us claim the honour of bringing it into the world.

So imagine my surprise to discover that almost everyone who read this scene when I first shared it with my critique mates found the meal disgusting. Worse, they felt sorry for my characters that this was the kind of fare they were eating!

Without further ado, I will post this very-early-and-now-deleted scene here, readers. You may make up your mind on this important debate for yourselves.

Sam stuck his head round the door. He did his machine gun monotone. “What’s for tea?”

Dad rubbed his thumb into his palm under the hot tap. His hands were filthy from work.

“Crisps on toast?”

This was Dad’s idea of a joke. It meant he hadn’t done the shopping. Sam didn’t laugh.

“I’ll make it,” I said. How hard could it be?

Sam went through to the living room, and put the telly on.

“I’ll leave it with you then, Eye,” Dad said, drying his hands. “You’re a better man than me.”

I looked in the pantry: bread, pasta, crisps, pickled onions, tins.

Dad bought tins even when we’d already got tins – baked beans, pineapple chunks, soup – we were never short of these things. I opened a can of chicken soup and poured it into the biggest saucepan I could find, then sluiced a mushroom soup in, using the tea leftover in the metal teapot on the back of the Aga to wash out the leftovers, a la Dad.

A few minutes later, Dad walked through the kitchen, tanned knees poking out the holes in his faded jeans, brown hair wild around his head. He opened the living room door to go and watch telly, and I heard David Attenborough say:

“... from this vantage point, the lioness can scan, unobserved, miles of unforgiving...”

Bubbles emerged from the mixture, I poured in a pack of spaghetti, forcing the ends down until they were covered. I went to watch telly too.

Dad was in his green leather armchair by the unlit fire. Sam was in the seat next to him, a floral itchy thing that was Nanny's before she died. I took the settee, which at night-time became our dog Fiasco’s bed.

Stuck to the ceiling was a mysterious dollop of tomato sauce of which we all denied knowledge.

On telly, a lion stalked a gazelle.

“Oh no!” I said. “It’s got separated from its family.”

“From the herd, dickhead.”

“Sam,” Dad said.

The gazelle’s eyes stared straight ahead, bow legs still trying to run away as the lion tore a chunk out of its throat. Settling down onto all fours, the lion’s chest heaved sharp pants as it drained the blood from the gazelle’s throat.

I went back into the kitchen. The spaghetti was changing. If it wasn’t soft, it was at least chewy.

Everything was fine except that the meal was grey like the inside of a toilet roll. I tried to think of other foods that were grey like the inside of a toilet roll.

“How’s it going, Eye?” Dad asked, looking over my shoulder.

“Pork is a grey food.”

“Does it taste alright?”

“Course,” I said, getting a teaspoon and tasting it for the first time. “It tastes like chicken and mushroom soup.”

“What’ve you put in there?”

“Chicken and mushroom soup. And spaghetti.”

He held his hand out for the spoon.

“Mmm,” he said. “Soupy!”

Sam leaned round the door frame from the living room. “I’m meeting Benjy at seven.”

“It’s ready.” Dad told him and I wanted to whoop because this was the closest he’d ever come to favouritism.

“Five minutes,” I said, making the most of it.

“Is that all you can say?”

“No, I can say dickhead as well. Dickhead.”

“Iris,” Dad said.

Sam went into the living room, and it became clear what the dish needed. Sweetcorn. I opened a can and shook some in.

“Maybe chilli powder too?” Dad said. I nodded and he sprinkled it on.

“It is no longer a grey meal,” I said, splitting a strand of spaghetti for us to try.

Dad slopped out three portions. Ever keen to up the colour count, I added orange cheese.

We sat down at the table.

“This is disgusting,” Sam said.

He dropped a strand of spaghetti on the floor. Fiasco sniffed at it.

“Even the dog won’t eat it. Look!”

“You are an ungrateful little sod sometimes, Sam. It’s lovely, Eye. Thank you.”

The truth was somewhere between the two.

So? Verdicts please! Would you be happy to eat Iris's feast?

Chelsey Flood writes short stories, plays and novels. Her first novel INFINITE SKY comes out with Simon and Schuster in February 2013.

Follow her on Twitter or visit her blog.

The Girth of the First Draft

2012-03-01T04:38:00.049-08:00

by Peggy Eddleman
The theme on the blog this week is "Dinner with our characters: What's on the menu in our books?" I'm going to twist our theme just a tad (or possibly a lot) and not talk about my book so much as ALL BOOKS. And food won't be quite so literal...
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When we draft, we binge-eat. Not US, of course (okay, maybe sometimes us).... our BOOK binge eats. I mean, looking out at all the possibilities for this new and exciting manuscript is a bit like going to a buffet with all the food in the world on it! Everything looks SO GOOD, and you just know if you stick all that good stuff in your book, it will make it SO GOOD.

Once you get to the end, your book is probably going to be a little on the chunky side. Or possibly somewhere closer to flat-out obese. All those great things, when combined, leave you with a lot of dead weight that really isn't helping your story move.

Now think about an agent or an editor, holding up a ticket to publishdom, calling out, "I'm ready to make an offer! Come and get it!"

And your book, with its thunder thighs, tubby legs, overworked lungs, jiggly belly, and flabby arms lumbers on up to the agent/editor. Do you think they're bound to make it there first? Let's be honest, people. Your book might have a heart attack on its way.

AND THAT'S WHERE REVISING COMES IN.

Revising is like diet and exercise for your book. As you're going through, trimming all those scenes that may have been a blast to write but didn't end up helping your storyline, your manuscript loses weight. When you get rid of that sub-plot that ended up going nowhere constructive, your manuscript gets healthier. As you go through and make each sentence more concise, your manuscript gets leaner.

When you've trimmed all of the fat, it's easier to see where your book needs more muscle. Where pushing yourself over and over will make it stronger. Where only feeding it exactly what it needs will keep it healthier.

And even if it's incredibly painful to get it into that great of shape, you'll be able to look at and it'll be a beautiful site to behold.

Then, when that agent/editor stands up with the elusive golden ticket, your manuscript will not only be able to run the whole way, but it will be in good enough shape to leap over every single obstacle that might get in its way, and still be able to run the marathon that is the publishing business once it gets there.

Happy fat-trimming, everyone!
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Peggy Eddleman's debut middle grade post-apocalyptic adventure THROUGH THE BOMB'S BREATH will release in Fall of 2013 from Random House. She hangs out at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah with her three hilarious and fun kids and her incredibly supportive husband. You can find her every day at her blog, Will Write for Cookies, or on Twitter at @PeggyEddleman. THROUGH THE BOMB'S BREATH is now on Goodreads.

Going to Dinner with the characters from TRAINWRECK

2012-02-29T04:49:00.000-08:00

What’s on the menu for my characters in TRAINWRECK? Um, a dinner date? I decided to write a scene with Ben and Ani before her rape because part of the fallout of Ani’s sexual assault is the damage to their relationship. A relationship that is actually very strong before it is damaged permanently by the events of one party.

“Where to?” Ani asked as she slipped into my jeep.

I shifted my eyes to the side and glanced at her bare legs. Even after three weeks, I couldn’t stop staring at them. My heart thunked in my chest and my palms felt like an overly enthusiastic poodle had licked them.

“Beez.” Ani snapped her fingers. “I’m up here.”

I grinned. “Sorry. Nice legs.”

“Are you going to sit here all night admiring them or are we actually getting food?” Ani crossed one smooth tan thigh over the other. I raised an eyebrow.

“You’re teasing me?”

She smiled and I lost my breath. Still. Three weeks and I was like a third-string basketball player suddenly asked to start.

“Dinner, Beez. I’m starving. Where are you taking me?”

I gripped the steering wheel with my slick palms and forced myself to move. “Zoo.”

She laughed. “Again? You’re taking me to dinner at the zoo again? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was becoming our place.”

“I like your mustardy kisses,” I said.

She belly laughed and it circled around me, through me, and made me want to pull the jeep over again so I could make out with her. She leaned over and squeezed my shoulder. “You’re a surprisingly good boyfriend. I wouldn’t have guessed it when we first met.”

“Um, thanks.”

She sat back into the crappy vinyl of my bucket seats and sighed in the way girls do when they’re thinking about serious stuff. “Not everyone likes mustard,” she said as she looked out the window. She turned back to me. “I’m glad you do.”

“Is this your Ani way of telling me you really like me?” Please say yes. Christ, don’t let me be the moron who’s fallen too hard too fast for a girl who only half-likes me.

She shook her head. “Of course it isn’t. I think you’ve known me long enough to know I’m not that subtle.”

I snorted and coughed.

She swatted me. “Shut up. You think I’m adorable in my lack of subtlety.” Adorable and amazing and like no girl I’ve ever met.

“So?” I asked her and hated that my voice sounded needy. Idiot move, but there was no turning back now. I pulled the jeep to the side of the road and stared at her.

She licked her lips and blinked. Why do girls do this? Always with the lick-lipping. Surely this is some ploy they learned in junior high to turn us inside out.

“I like you,” she said and didn’t break eye contact with me. “Just as much as you like me. Maybe more.” She grinned and the breath knocked out of me. “Now can we get a move on here? I’m starving and sitting on the side of the road is not getting you any closer to mustardy kisses.”

Christa Desir writes dark contemporary young adult books and is represented by Sarah LaPolla at Curtis Brown, Ltd. She graduated as a theatre major/women's studies minor from Grinnell College and lives with her family outside of Chicago.

Christa's debut novel, TRAINWRECK, was created after she attended a survivor testimonial writing workshop offered by the Voices and Faces Project. Written from a boyfriend's perspective, it tells the story of a girl who is gang raped at a party and the fallout of their relationship afterwards. It will be published by SimonPulse in Fall 2013.

What's on My Main Character's Menu? And What's That Pungent Smell?

2012-02-28T04:00:00.013-08:00

The theme on the blog this week is "Dinner with our characters: What's on the menu in our books?" Today you're invited to sample a taste of life in Cat Winters's YA historical ghost tale, IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS.
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Welcome to the gaslit kitchen of my main character's aunt's house. Have a seat. Make yourself at home...as long as you're not carrying influenza germs.

I apologize if my protagonist says anything snappish or cynical to you. I've made her life miserable lately, and she isn't feeling her best. Plus she's getting tired of the food.

What's on the menu? you ask. Well, I'm sure you're aware we're at war with Germany. No, no, no, this isn't WWII. Go further back—to 1918. WWI. The Great War. We're sending our food overseas to help the starving in Europe, so the Food Administration is asking us to ration our meals.

The government's suggestions:

Sunday - One Meal Wheatless & One Meal Meatless
Monday - All Meals Wheatless & One Meal Meatless
Tuesday - All Meals Meatless & One Meal Wheatless
Wednesday - All Meals Wheatless & One Meal Meatless
Thursday - One Meal Wheatless & One Meal Meatless
Friday - One Meal Wheatless & One Meal Meatless
Saturday - All Meals Porkless, One Meal Wheatless, & One Meal Meatless

It's Tuesday, I see, so let's forgo meat today, and you'll need to put aside your craving for bread for this meal. Sorry about that, but this is war, and we need to be stellar Americans.

What was that you just said? I think I heard you mutter under your breath that you wonder if this family has made its pledge to the Food Administration. Rest assured, my protagonist's aunt has filled out the appropriate form, and you'll find the Food Administration Membership Card hanging in the front window:

Courtesy of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections,
Cornell University Library.

This is a patriotic house—all-American, we swear. No one here wants to impede the war effort.

Yes, I saw the dark, nervous look my protagonist just darted our way at the topic of anti-patriotism. Please ignore that look and let's get back to the menu.

Oh...I see you're glancing at the pot boiling on the stove, wondering about that pungent smell. If you haven't noticed (how could you not?), there's also a lethal flu blazing across America, and most people are resorting to folk remedies to keep themselves alive.

My heroine's aunt isn't cooking that pungent item for you to eat.

She's cooking it for you to wear.

What exactly is it? you ask with widening eyes. What am I going to have to eat or wear to stay alive?

I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait until you get your copy of In the Shadow of Blackbirds to find out what's boiling on that stove.

You didn't really think I'd tell you everything I'm cooking up for my novel before it's available, did you?

Cat Winters was born and raised just a short drive down the freeway from Disneyland, which probably explains her obsession with haunted mansions, bygone eras, and fantasylands. Her debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, a young adult WWI-era ghost tale, is coming Spring 2013 from Amulet Books. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two kids.

Cat's haunts: CatWinters.com, Twitter, and Facebook. In the Shadow of Blackbirds is now on Goodreads.

A Glimpse into the World of THE FOUNTAIN

2012-02-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Today I'm going to give you a glimpse into the world building of THE FOUNTAIN, my YA sci-fi coming out in the summer of 2013 (Dial/Penguin).

Here's the basic blurb:
It's about a 17-year-old who must rescue her kidnapped sister with the help of a band of outcasts with mutated genes, set in 2150 when genetic manipulation has been outlawed.

So how did I think up this world? I extrapolated based on the reality of today.

Neia and its Agriplane:
Zelia and her sister currently live in Neia (an aggregate state of Nebraska and Iowa). It's an agricultural state, famous for its agriplane. I envisioned a world where the earth itself was overpopulated and the ground poisoned from pollution. The growth of food needed to be physically moved upwards onto a an artificial field that runs parallel to the earth, held aloft by gigantic supports and the occasional building. As a result, under the agriplane where people live, is quite gloomy since the agriplane gets most of the sunlight.

Magpods:
Fossil fuel-driven automobiles will be a thing of the past. The most energy-wasting thing about driving is friction--friction from the air, and from pushing a vehicle's weight against the earth. Instead, there will be magpods--oval-shaped pods that ride over magnetic strips embedded into the ground. Totally frictionless. No one owns the magpods. Based on your demographic and ability to pay, a particular magpod will zoom up to you when you request one. And if you can't afford them? There are free, public magpods, but they're kind of gross.

F-TIDS:
Fingertip identification--based on your fingerprint and capillary (blood vessel) pattern--define you. Where you live, who you are, your medical record, how much money you have, etc. Pressing your fingertip will sign electronic documents, or get you the right magpod after pressing a magpod ordering machines. It's great because you can't leave your fingertips at home like a wallet or credit card, and it's nearly impossible to forge. But it's pretty scary, because everything you do can be watched.

There is so much more I'd love to chat about, but I can't spoil my own book, now, can I? ;)

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into THE FOUNTAIN!

And now a question for you. Can you share a teeny tidbit about the world building of your current WIP? Pretty please?

Lydia Kang is a writer, part-time doctor, and salt-addicted gal with a near-pathological need to doodle. Find her on Twitter, her blog The Word Is My Oyster, and Facebook.

If you want to get a better glimpse of THE FOUNTAIN, you can check out her Pinterest page!

Dreaming California: Setting and THE WIG IN THE WINDOW

2012-02-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

Inspiration for "Luna Vista"

Describing setting doesn't come naturally to me. There is, in fact, one inconspicuous paragraph in my middle grade mystery THE WIG IN THE WINDOW that took me an entire day to write. If I ever dared reveal which paragraph (not even torture would convince me to do that), you would be hard pressed not to burst out laughing.

I blame my setting challenges on my itinerant childhood. As I was growing up, I moved every two years or so. My childhood memories are a jumble of different schools, houses, friends, and neighbors. When I write, I tend to visualize places from my past that call up certain emotions. I might imagine my seventh grade classroom in Reno, Nevada to write one scene, but transport myself to my sixth grade cafeteria for the next. My resulting prose might do a great job of conveying my characters’ mental landscape, but in early drafts (and – yikes! – even later ones) my descriptions of their physical world are riddled with inconsistencies. In a draft of THE WIG IN THE WINDOW sometimes kids walked down linoleum hallways and at others they strolled across outdoor courtyards. “Is the school campus-style?” my editor politely asked in her editorial letter. “It was a little bit hard to visualize.”

No kidding. When I went back and sketched diagrams of the fictional jumble of places I’d created, the result looked like I'd hired Picasso to draw up blueprints.

Setting is important to me, though — however hard I struggle to evoke it. I set THE WIG IN THE WINDOW in the fictional California seaside suburb of “Luna Vista,” because I wanted to create a surreal backdrop to my mystery. Preposterous events are easier to accept when the entire world of a story is just a bit off kilter. Besides, ugly secrets are best uncovered in beautiful surroundings. Luna Vista’s surreal nature also gave me more liberties in depicting my character’s lives. My young sleuths Sophie Young and Grace Yang roam about more freely than actual suburban kids do these days— a useful ability when it comes to conducting high-stakes investigating. A more true-to-life setting might also have required them to be tethered to that universal foe of mystery: technology.

However surreal the fictional town of Luna Vista is, it was inspired by a real place: Los Angeles’ stunning Palos Verdes Peninsula, where I was lucky enough to live briefly as a kid. Luna Vista Middle School — and the beach where the book’s final late-night showdown takes place — bears a strong resemblance to my former public middle school, Malaga Cove:

Of course, halfway through sixth grade, my family moved. This was my new school:

I think I picked the right setting. Don't you?

Kristen Kittscher's debut mystery THE WIG IN THE WINDOW (Harper Children's 2013) follows the comic misadventures of two tween sleuths who suspect their school counselor is a dangerous fugitive -- and just might be right! A former middle school English teacher, Kristen lives in Pasadena, California, with her husband, Kai. When she's not writing, you'll find her running her after-school tutoring business or taking orders from her hopelessly spoiled pets. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, or at Sleuths, Spies & Alibis, where she blogs with other YA & MG mystery authors.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

2012-02-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

This is a really wonderful time in my home state ofLouisiana. The last few weeks we’ve been inthe height of Mardi Gras season, ending yesterday with Fat Tuesday. Across thestate, everyone celebrated by attending Mardi Gras balls, eating King Cakeshoping to find the baby inside and fighting like children over the beads andcups thrown from the floats being paraded through the city streets. Laissez les bons temps rouler - Let the good times roll...It’s one of my favorite times of the year.

A float from our local Krewe of Highland Mardi Gras parade.

When most people hear Louisiana – they immediately think NewOrleans. And while New Orleans is an amazingly fun over the top city – it’s notthe only interesting destination in the state. Louisiana is filled with manysmall towns that ooze charm and history.

In my novel, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, my main characterand her family are stuck in the Witness Protection Program and are forced tomove from city to city. Each new identity comes with the added pressure of “fittingin” and the town becomes as important as the people in it. The unique cultureof small town Louisiana was the perfect setting for my novel and I knew I hadto use it as a character in the story.

And what a character it is!

Although I had many great small towns to choose from – I pickedNatchitoches, Louisiana. It’s about thirty minutes away from where I live inShreveport and I’ve been there many times. What makes Natchitoches utterlycharming is the cobblestoned streets on Front Street, the winding Cane Riverthat runs through town and it’s laid back way of life. Everything moves at aslower speed – there’s always time to visit over a cup of café-au-lait and talkabout your day.

Front Street, Natchitoches, Louisiana

Cane River

And how can you talk about Louisiana without talking about therich, sumptuous food. Natchitoches, like any good Louisiana town, has its shareof wonderful fare: Beignets (a fried doughnut covered in powdered sugar), Boudin(Cajun sausage made with pork and rice) , and Étouffée (crawfish or shrimpsmothered with gravy and vegetables). But it’s known for their Natchitoches meatpies: a crescent-shaped, flaky pastry filled with savory meat, onion and garlic.Utterly delicious! And it was fun subjecting my characters to bizarre foodslike Crawfish pizza and shindigs like Cochon de laits (pig roasts)!

Beignets from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans

Natchitoches Meat Pies

So when my scared family gets dumped in the middle of this oldLouisiana town, it’s quite a shock. The accents of the people there seemforeign, the food seems outrageous and the people way too nice. And when youhave secrets to keep – they last thing you need is this small community tryingreally hard to make you feel at home.

Ashley Elston lives in Shreveport, Louisiana with her husband and three sons. Her debut YA thriller, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, will be published by Disney Hyperion in Winter 2013.

The World of Luminance Hour

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

This week on the Lucky 13s we’re talking about the settingsof our novels. Because my novel is a story about a Faery who guards the Princeof England, I didn’t have a very difficult time choosing where to set my story(understatement!). Ever since I first crossed the Atlantic twelve years ago andexplored the streets of London, the halls of Buckingham and the sweeping fieldsaround Stonehenge, I’ve been captured by the grandeur and the significance ofthe place. Since many of you are familiar with these places via social media and television, I thought I might show them to you today in a slightly different light--through the perspective of the Fae. Take a seat and I’ll give you a glimpse of Britain through the eyes ofPrince Richard and Emrys.

London

A city of ghosts and kings, London sets the stage for Emrys's story. It is a place bustling with life: black cabs, the snaking trains of the Underground, tourists cramming the tops of double-decker buses. But there is a shadowy side to England's capital not seen by its mortal inhabitants. Soul feeders (spirits who need human death to sustain them) roam pubs and alleyways looking for victims. Emrys and the other Fae are sworn to protect the royal family from these predators, but in London's bustling nightlife, it proves quite a challenge.

c Nora Leitz

Parliament's clock tower and the London Eye are two places where you can get a bird's-eye view (or a Fae's-eye view) of the city. There may or may not be some scenes that take place here.

Buckingham Palace

c Nora Leitz

Prince Richard spent his childhood here, among so many art-strewn halls, floor-length mirrors and gilded moldings. His father, King Edward, still lives and works from the palace's grand apartments. The surrounding gardens are a good resting place for their invisible Fae guardians, who use the presence of trees and earth to recharge their magic against the city's grating technology.

Windsor Castle

c Kate Barry

Windsor is the second royal residence featured in Luminance Hour. The royals use it as a getaway whenever they grow weary of inner London. Although their Faery guardians appreciate the relief from so much concrete, electricity and steel, they are also on edge every time they must reside in Windsor's walls. The reason is Herne the Hunter, a powerful free spirit who lurks in the woods of the adjoining Great Park. His dark, unpredictable nature makes all uneasy.

c Kate Barry

Stonehenge

c Kate Barry

This iconic structure is one of the last bastions of strong, wilderness-fed magic in the south of the British Isles. Queen Mab, the ruler of the Faery court, sometimes comes here with her courtiers to soak up all of the energy the stones have to offer her. At one time spirits were born here, springing up like pure energy out of the ground, but ever since the Industrial Revolution the site's magic has tapered off.

The Highlands

Because of this decline of magic, most of the older Fae stay in the Highlands, far from technology. Queen Mab's court is tucked away in the beauty of this wilderness, between snow-capped peaks, tea-stained lochs and crumbling fortresses.

c David Strauss

Emrys spent many happy years here before she lost one of Queen Mab's Kelpies to the brown waters of a loch. Her punishment? Go to London and join the Guard as Prince Richard's personal Faery guardian. It's here our story begins...

When she’s not writing and drifting around the globe, Ryan Graudin enjoys hunting through thrift stores and taking pictures of her native Charleston, SC. Her novel LUMINANCE HOUR, the story of a Faery who falls in love with the prince she’s forced to guard, is due out with HarperTeen in 2013. You can learn about all of these things and more at http://ryangraudin.blogspot.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @ryangraudin

Setting, Lies, and Photographs

2012-02-20T05:25:00.000-08:00

This week on the blog we're talking about a sometimes overlooked topic: setting. If writing a book was like hosting a dinner, "setting" sometimes feels like the appetizer you forgot to put out and then remembered halfway through dessert. But setting can really make or break a book: I can still taste the popcorn from the circus in THE NIGHT CIRCUS, feel the salty wind from THE SCORPIO RACES, and feel the claustrophobic spaceship from ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.

My YA Gothic thriller, THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER, takes place in three settings: London in 1894, a wooden tall ship, and an unnamed tropical island. I've never been to any of these places (especially not in 1894). So how does one write about a place one's never been?

Lie! (aka, use your imagination)

I'm banking on the hope that none of you have ever been in 1890s London either. But lying only takes it so far. To create a realistic feel, I had to put in hours and hours of research and visiting similar places, like this ship from the 1700s I found at the North Carolina Outer Banks.

The reenactors aboard didn't quite know what to make of my questions: If you had to hide a llama on board, where would you put it? Did the crew play Backgammon? If there was no fresh water and everyone only drank beer, was everyone just drunk all the time?

The bulk of my book takes place on a fictional tropical island, and since it doesn't exist, I haven't been there. So I had to imagine it from photos and guidebooks and my own memories. When I was sixteen--the age of my protagonist--I spent a year in Costa Rica as an exchange student. For various reasons I didn't actually have to attend school, so I spent my time exploring rain forests, hanging out with hippies on the beach, riding horses in the surf, and climbing volcanoes. That was more than a few years ago, but it certainly made an impact. The funny part was, I didn't even think about using my time in Costa Rica as inspiration until I'd written the first draft. Reading back through it, I suddenly remembered the sights and smells of Costa Rica and realized that whether knowing it or not, I had pulled upon my own experience to create the setting.

16-year-old Megan not realizing that one day, many years later, she'll use this memory to write a blog post on setting.

I also personally think islands make some of the best settings. LOST was a big inspiration for this book, and in fact I pitched it to my agent as a 19th century LOST. There is so much you can do with an island as a microcosm of a society--and in my book's case, a society gone very, very wrong.

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Megan Shepherd is a young adult writer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her debut book, THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER, will be published in early 2013 by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins as the first in a three-book Gothic thriller series. She is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary. Visit Megan at her website, on Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads.

Above World! Interview with Jenn Reese

2012-02-16T05:12:00.000-08:00

I was really fortunate to get an ARC for Above World, one of the best sci fi middle grade novels to come out in a long time! There I said it! And it has a great cover too!

And Jenn is not only an agency mate of mine, she is an awesome friend and truly talented writer. So I got to ask her a few questions here on the Lucky 13 blog.

Ello - Hi Jenn! Congratulations on your book release and welcome to the Lucky 13s! Can you tell us about your road to publication?

Jenn - My road was fairly standard, I think: I wrote the book, revised like crazy, and managed to sign with a great agent who found Above World a fantastic home. But I certainly couldn’t have done any of that without the support of my friends. Some of them read the first draft as I was writing it and cheered me on, others gave me invaluable feedback on the novel, query, and synopsis. A few gave me lists of the agents they had queried, and some even gave me referrals. When I got offers from more than one agent, they patiently reviewed my comparison spreadsheet and didn’t laugh. Now they’re the people re-tweeting my announcements and giving me pep talks when I get a bad review. Actual publication is just the tip of a mighty iceberg made of effort, support, and love. (For example, if I showed this answer to one of my trusted friends, they’d tell me I was being a sap and to lose the iceberg metaphor. They’d be right.)

Ello - And your book just came out this week! How are you celebrating your book release birthday?

Jenn - First, my partner Chris and I are both ditching work. (Woo!) We’ll hit More Than Waffles for lunch, where I will order “Waffles Benedict with avocado instead of meat,” my traditional meal of celebration. (That’s Eggs Benedict on a waffle, which is even more delicious than it sounds.) Because it’s Valentine’s Day, the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood is showing one of my all-time favorite movies, The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant. I’ve never seen it on the big screen, and I absolutely can’t wait.

Ello - Sounds like a blast! Now, the world and mythology of your book is so fascinating! Can you tell us a little bit about how you created it?

Jenn - For this book, I worked backwards. I started with the endpoint, the spark that made me most excited to write the book: a world where humans had bioengineered themselves into mythological creatures in order to survive in harsh climates. Then I tried to build a history that made this future world at least remotely plausible. I speculated that our current problems with overpopulation would continue to worsen, creating the need for creative solutions. These “solutions” (no spoilers!) resulted in the Kampii, Aviar, Deepfell, and Equian cultures.

Ello - And that is what is so cool about your book! In Above World, you can adapt and live under water, in the air, on land, in the deep, etc. Where would you choose to live and what adaptation would you want and why?

Jenn - I’m not going to lie; I want them all. I have always dreamed of shapeshifting into animal forms. Animals are sleek and fast and always free. When I was young, I was in love with horses, and would have chosen them. Then came a very severe dolphin phase. Now, as an adult who spends far too much time in LA’s traffic, I most often dream of soaring through the skies with my own pair of wings.

Ello - Flying. That's the one I absolutely would choose! Ok, last question. Do you have any superstitions that affect you as a writer?

Jenn - Except for knocking on wood to avoid jinxing myself, I am not a superstitious person. In terms of writing, I won’t talk about any good news unless it’s a done deal – but that reflects on my years working in Hollywood, not publishing.

Awesome! Thanks Jenn for stopping by and congratulations again on your awesome new book!

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Posted by: Ellen Oh - Writer, lawyer, college instructor, donut-slayer, chocolate lover. Addicted to diet coke. Likes to quote extensively from the Princess Bride, Monty Python and Godfather movies. Never leaves home without her iphone, chapstick, a book and her American Express card. Her debut, PROPHECY, comes out in Winter 2013 by HarperCollins Childrens.

My Valentine--Michelle Wolfson

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Valentine's Day is a special day for me and not just because it's the day that chocolate doesn't have any calories. This very day last year, I signed with my agent. So I thought it would be appropriate to interview her (Michelle Wolfson) on our one year anniversary. She is a very smart lady with lots of cool insights for writers.

Interview:

Kasie: Since it’s Valentine’s Day and since this is the one year anniversary of the day I signed with you, would you recommend all writers include a marriage proposal in their query like I did, since it seemed to work? Just kidding. Of course. But that leads me to the actual question: Are there any “gimmicks” people included in their query letter that actually got you to request pages? (Side note: Is your husband jealous that I have stolen this romantic holiday as our anniversary?)

Michelle: So first of all, my husband was actually thrilled to turn over to you the responsibility of showering me with love and lavish praise on Valentine’s Day. Oh, and cards. Yes, it is the ultimate Hallmark holiday, but that’s perfect, because I happen to love cards. But the ones that make me laugh. And then you should feel free to talk all about our wonderful marriage inside, because make no mistake about it, we are married. You are not leaving me. Ever.

Oh wait, there was a real question in there, right? Gimmicks. Well, gimmicks are funny things (and by funny I mean slightly weird) and agents are funny people (and by funny I mean slightly weird). The same gimmick might entertain me on a certain day and on another day, in another mood, I might think—that’s so ridiculous.

Ultimately, it all comes down to your writing, so I think instead of wasting a ton of time coming up with the most clever gimmick, I would invest that time into writing the best query that you can.

Now charm is something different, and I often have people open their queries with a comment that makes me smile. But again, this doesn’t necessarily make me take them on. It may make me more likely to respond even if it’s a no, even though that is not my policy. But I’m not sure how helpful that is.

Kasie: That is very helpful. And I'm glad my talk of twitter conversations in my query made you think I was charming instead of odd. Which leads me to my next question.

What is the most important thing you look for in a client?

MIchelle: So this relates back to the previous question, and although there is no doubt that the writing comes first, personality, temperament, and fit are all important to me—as they should be to you. I am very up front about the way that I work, and I recognize that it may not be right for everyone. But it works for me.

I want clients who are working hard toward achieving their goals, so that I can work hard to help them achieve those goals, whatever they may be. I listen to my clients and I want them to listen to me; I feel we have discussions about their careers and the directions they want to go. And I want clients who are open to ideas and to what I have to say.

As a side note, it occurs to me that I answer this question differently every time I’m asked it, and the answer probably largely depends on what has been going on recently at the agency. But a key takeaway there is there’s no right or wrong way to be. Be professional, be respectful, be open to suggestions and you can’t really go wrong.

Kasie: I agree, personality was important to me as well when I was looking for an agent. I wanted someone who was not only smart and professional but who I could be myself with and I enjoyed talking to.

Changing topics here. It seems like everyone and their dog and their dog’s grandma is writing now. How does a writer stand out in this competitive market? (Side note: If my dog’s grandma actually writes a book, can I refer her to you?)

Michelle: Soooo, I think maybe I would prefer to hear from you if your grandma’s dog writes a book. If that happens, let’s talk, ok?

I do think it’s harder and harder to stand out in this market. I don’t have a secret formula for it, and if I did, I certainly wouldn’t be sharing it here on this blog!

I think the advent of social media, while time consuming, also provides writers with marketing opportunities that weren’t available in days gone by. I would encourage you to begin sooner rather than later to build a following. And I would encourage you to work smarter rather than harder.

Watch other writers who are successful in social media. Look for new smart ideas. Save them for later. Don’t just do the same old tired things. Otherwise I feel that social media becomes draining very fast and just another excuse to keep you from writing.

And most obvious of all, if you want to stand out, write a stand out book. It can happen. Think BIG!!

Kasie: Okay, so speaking of social media, with the whole blogosphere as our playground these days, and knowing you are only a tweet (or twenty....thousand) away, are writer’s conferences worth it? Do you feel like you connect better with writers face to face?

**This answer was awesome and if you want to know what she thinks, you should go over to her blog to read the answer.**

Kasie: So what is your favorite part of your job?

Michelle: When I get to call an author and tell him/her we got an offer. No wait! When I get to call another editor and say we have another offer, what are you going to do? No wait!! When I have an editor on the line making an offer and the other line rings that another editor is calling…you guessed it, to make an offer!

Ok, just kidding. Kind of. Of course sales are exciting, but there are so many wonderful parts. I love being involved in all stages of books. From ideas to publication to covers and titles and marketing and PR—I love the variety. Every author is different and every book is different.

I would say that in particular I love strategizing with my clients about their careers—helping to come up with a plan for the future. Each one is different—everyone writes at a different pace, everyone has different goals, and it’s my job to think outside the box and figure out how to make it happen.

Kasie: And you are very, very good at it. I know I said only five questions, but you know I can’t quit without asking: How did you not know who Adam Levine was before the last season of The Voice? Are you not a music girl?

My mom is a pianist, so growing up, I would say about 95% of my exposure to music was classical music. And then MTV was invented. And music videos were all the rage. And poor Michelle just didn’t get the concept of watching music. I said what?? Music is something that’s meant to be in the background while I read (and prepare for my future career). So really, if I knew who Adam Levine was, I probably wouldn’t be a literary agent today. Except I’m pretty sure I went to Hebrew school with an Adam Levine, but it probably wasn’t the same one.

Kasie: Well, when you put it like that, thank goodness you didn't know who Adam Levine was. But let's all take a moment to be glad you know who he is now. Because let's face it, he makes all our lives a little more complete.

Thanks so much, Michelle, for doing this interview. And thanks for being my Valentine. :) Visit Michelle's blog here to learn more about her and for more commentary on today's interview.

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Kasie West writes YA paranormal (and dabbles in contemporary). She graduated from Fresno State University with a BA degree that has nothing to do with writing. She earned her masters in Junior Mint eating (which is awarded after eating your millionth King Size box....and is now working on her PhD). She loves sappy alternative rock ballads and reading way past her bedtime. She blogs at kasiewest.blogspot.com

Her debut novel PIVOT POINT will be out with HarperTeen in the Winter of 2013

The 13th Day: Super-Awesome-Bomb-Diggity News!

2012-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Some people may think that the number 13 is unlucky, but not those of us at The Lucky 13s!

In fact, we're celebrating the 13th day of each month by featuring all the fabulous stuff that's been happening to The Lucky 13s.

Please raise a glass to our super-awesome-bomb-diggity news....

Sarah Skilton welcomed a baby boy named Elliot. We can all brag that we've created debut novels, but Sarah's created something even cuter. Welcome, Elliot!

Elle Cosimano has been accepted into the SCBWI Mentor Program for Agented/Published Authors and will be working with Ellen Hopkins (squee!) on a new mystery/thriller project.

Christa Desir has been contacted by dozens of rape crisis organizations around the country offering support for her book, TRAINWRECK. This includes a letter from RAINN founder Scott Berkowitz and a note from one of the Voices and Faces supporters who works at NPR and would like to pitch the story of how she wrote this book to This American Life.

Chelsey Flood's stage adaptation of Infinite Sky has been shortlisted for a BBC Writers Room competition.

Emma Pass and Chelsey Flood have been asked to take part in a Q&A at the Derbyshire Literature festival in May. Mark your calendars!

Caroline Carlson's middle grade pirate fantasy, MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT, and its two planned sequels will be published in the UK/Commonwealth by Simon & SchusterUK and in Brazil by Companhia das Letras.

Liz Coley's agents at Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation have sold foreign rights to UK, Sweden, Brazil, and France for Pretty Girl-13. She's glad she doesn't have to do the translations!

Dystel and Goderich and her young adult comtemporary novel CANARY will be published in the summer of 2013 by Medallion Press.

She blogs, or you can find her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Life and other unplanned events

2012-02-10T04:37:00.000-08:00

People who know me, know that I am a HUGE fan of planners. Show me a to-do list or a shiny new calendar system, and you've hooked me, cold. But whether you're fourteen or forty, life sometimes doesn't work out the way you expect.

Sometimes, it's the good surprises that throw you for a loop and send your life careening out of control. And sometimes, the surprises aren't so good.

When I was a teenager, I was living life pretty much according to plan. I was a straight A student, and was popular "enough" and athletic "enough" for our small school. I figured I'd finish out high school, go to college, get a great job, get married, have kids, etc. (I didn't say this was a great plan, but it's sort of what I figured would happen).

Then, one sunny day in September of my sophomore year, my highly active, successful and joyfully self-employed father unexpectedly passed away. I won't go into the details, but something in his body just gave out, and that was it. To say my life changed dramatically after that day was, of course, an understatement. Setting aside the whole emotional hit for myself and my family, I moved to a much smaller house, enrolled in a much larger public high school, learned new skills, found new friends, adapted.

And it's probably the "adapting" part that mattered the most. I had to take ownership of my life and live a new reality. And yes, over time, I realized that this new reality could have a great deal of joy in it… and I certainly appreciated that joy more, after what I'd been through.

I'm happy to say that most of the other surprises in my life have been pretty amazing. My career path has taken me all the way up the corporate ladder--until that ladder fell over and I became a freelance writer. Along the way, I fell in love, won a few writing awards, and, just last year, achieved my decade-long dream of selling my first novel. (woot!)

I had all sorts of ideas about what my life would be like, post sale… but um, yeah--just like my "plans" as a teenager, I'm finding that the reality is much more complex than anticipated. I think I secretly expected a game show host moment where I'd be given my new life on a shiny platter and I'd know EXACTLY how to live it. But once again, I'm finding it's much more about adapting and taking ownership of my new reality (or, some days, surreality) to actually live this life of my dreams.

Bottom line, for each of us, life can change in a heartbeat, and all the planning you do in the world might not matter once you're actually in a moment of dramatic (and hopefully positive) transformation: once you get INTO your perfect college or LAND the job of your dreams or, in my case most recently, BECOME a full-time fiction writer. Because life isn't about planning… it's about living.

Though I'm still not giving up my planner.

What about you? Has your life path ever taken an unexpected detour? Are you living the life you planned?

Jenn's debut novel, MAID OF SECRETS, will be published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in Spring, 2013. You can find Jenn online and on twitter.

Ode to… my writing partner

2012-02-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

The Lucky 13s are all loved up over thenext couple of weeks. Today, I want to pay tribute to my writing partner, AdamParks, who was the first person to read Oathbreaker– long before it became the novel it is now. And long before I had an inklingof a deal, he believed that it would happen for me.

And so, in true ode style, I’m going toserenade him in verse:

Dear Adam, at uni we met because someonesaid

We had the same colour eyes. Weirdhazel-green.

More in common: classes we took, books we’dread,

But most of all, we shared the same dream.

To write! But more than just write, to live to write

And together we sat in the same cafe onBloor

Replacing our blood with coffee, fillingour fingerprints with ink

You read the first draft; pointed outthings that weren’t right

Things that weren’t wrong; but most of allyou asked for more.

For that, I thank you. Next stop: yourdeal, -wink-.

***

Her debut novel, THE OATHBREAKER'S SHADOW is due from Random House Children's Books in Spring 2013. Find out more on her blog or feel free to say hello on Twitter!

WHAT BIG TEETH YOU HAVE, GRAMMAR

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

Commas in the New Yorker fall with the precision of knives in a circus act, outlining the victim. - Elwyn Brooks White

I’m not going to talk to you about comma rules, but I am going to make a point about the role of grammar in contemporary writing. It counts. Still. Yes, sentence fragments have become common. Really. Especially in kidlit. Infinitives are permitting themselves to be ruthlessly split from time to time. And sentences are allowed to begin with conjunctions and end with prepositions when the occasion warrants.

However, to misquote Churchill, there are certain errors up with which I will not put.

I recently read a quite excellent story that was blemished only by two grammar errors, like chin zits on a lovely face. First, there were misuses of lie versus lay, one each way. Lie was used for lay, and lay was used for lie. Elsewhere in the manuscript they were used correctly, suggesting that the author and editor and copy editor had the ability to get it right, but not consistently.

If this usage isn’t second nature to you, I beg and implore you to learn the difference. It is the single most common error in written and spoken English (no citation--just experience).

The second error was another that has become rampant in spoken English on TV and radio--misuse of the past tense forms of verbs. I drunk a glass of water. Those of you screaming, “Noooooooooo!” may be excused from class now. Those saying, “Huh? Isn’t that right?” may benefit from a refresher. Reading “my heart sunk” is like hearing fingernails on the board to anyone who had Mr. Erickson for middle school English. Just remember the Grinch: “Stink, stank, stunk.” And remember that the Titanic SANK into the sea, and, after several days, all hopes of finding survivors HAD SUNK.

Grammatical errors, even more than typos, throw the reader out of the narrative to the sound of their own gnashing teeth. SImple errors can even generate a smidgen of distrust in the bond between audience and storyteller.

Fortunately, I have tackled both of these all-too common errors in a quick, easy, and lighthearted way that I hope will stick. Rather than repeat myself, I invite you to follow these links:

Lay down your pen and get this right!

Drink-Drank-Drunk • Stink-Stank-Stunk

Let me know if there are any other grammatical points you’d like explained in my inimitable way, and I will add them to my grammar rants.

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

Liz Coley writes young adult novels and science fiction/fantasy short stories for anthologies and magazines.

Her novel Pretty Girl-13 from HarperCollins Katherine Tegen Books will be debuting in 2013. There are secrets you can't even tell yourself.

For more about Liz and her work, visit lizcoley.com andLCTeen.com or follow her on Twitter at LizColeyBooks.

Apocalypse Now: An interview with emily m. danforth, author of THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST

2012-02-07T05:00:00.001-08:00

I'm so pleased to feature emily m. danforth, whose debut novel, THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, publishes today! In case you haven't read the wonderful reviews it's been getting, here is a brief description:

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief she’ll never have to tell them that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

But that relief soon turns to heartbreak, as Cam is forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and not making waves, and Cam becomes an expert at this—especially at avoiding any questions about her sexuality.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. To Cam’s surprise, she and Coley become best friends—while Cam secretly dreams of something more. Just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, her secret is exposed. Ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to “fix” her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self—even if she’s not quite sure who that is.

I was lucky enough to read this book pre-publication and ask emily some questions about her beautifully written novel.

You were born and raised in Miles City, Montana. What prompted you to set THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST in your hometown rather than a fictional town based in the same area?

My answer is in two parts. (Probably some of you will want to just skip part two. I’m totally fine with that. In fact: just about everyone should skip part two.)

a) I think it’s absolutely accurate to call THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST an autobiographical novel. And the details that are most autobiographical (because there is also a great deal, in fact, a majority, of wholly invented material) are the details of place. Frankly, Miles City has a really colorful and fascinating history as a cattle/cowboy town, and a very particular geography and culture, and I was interested in exploring some of that in my novel. The (world-famous) Bucking Horse Sale, for instance, really does take place in Miles City each and every May, and it’s such a throwback kind of western, good-timin’ cowboy event (you should check it out if you get the chance: http://www.buckinghorsesale.com) that I knew I would just have to write a scene that takes place at BHS. So while I could have created some fictional town with some invented name and then have given it some event like Bucking Horse Sale, but not actually named that event Bucking Horse Sale, the question is: why? Why do that? Because I’m afraid that people will think I’m writing memoir otherwise? Or because I’m afraid of annoying current and former Miles Citians? As a fiction writer I’m drawn to the practice of using real places—towns or attractions that readers can absolutely find on a map and arrange to visit, if they’re so inclined—but then coloring those places in such a way that it renders them as a fictionalized versions of themselves.

I understand that this might be disappointing for some readers who want every street name or video rental place, whatever, to match exactly to reality—though businesses close and re-open all the time, right, so there isn’t a “fixed” reality that a novel can capture and hold ever, because “the real world” will always keep changing—but more importantly, we each experience a place—be it a town or a museum or a carnival, the world’s largest ball of twine, whatever—as funneled through our completely unique and personal set of judgments and expectations, experiences and associations. I suppose this is a convoluted way of saying that we create our own reality(ies), and that mine can never be identical to anyone else’s, but that also helps to explain my approach to fiction: the Miles City in my novel can only ever belong fully to Cameron Post, it’s hers, because she’s not only our first-person narrator and protagonist, she’s also a character with very particular sensibilities of place. So yes, it’s Miles City, but not THE Miles City. That’s my distinction. It’s Cameron Post’s Miles City.

b) There’s no way to tell this part succinctly so I’ll just say this: the wonderful Canadian writer Alice Munro has a (fairly widely anthologized) short story titled “Miles City, Montana,” and part of that story is in fact set in a town Munro calls Miles City—ostensibly “the” Miles City. (My Miles City, I might say, feeling like a territorial fiction writer.) I love Alice Munro’s short fiction, I do, but I came upon the story in question as a young writer and have always taken issue with what I see as a blatant misrepresentation of one specific aspect of our town. Now, undoubtedly Munro would tell you that she was just fictionalizing a place to suit the needs of her story (as I just advocated for above), and I take no issue with that. I get it. I like it. I write fiction that way, too. However, as a writer who was born and raised in Miles City, a writer whose parents in fact still live there, I decided to make this specific location (in my novel) bear much more resemblance to the reality of the last hundred years or so of local history. And so, you see, it just had to be Miles City. It had to.

As someone who grew up in the '90s, I feel that you captured that period so well; the pop culture references were dropped in so seamlessly that I often felt like I had traveled back to my own teenage years. Did you have to research a lot or was it all in your head, so to speak? Was there a specific reason you set the book in the '90s?

Thanks for saying so. It’s nice to hear that from a fellow '90’s teen (they were the landscape of my adolescence, too). I guess I wouldn’t call some of the preparatory work that I did while writing this novel research so much as reminding. I had a clear sense of some of the prominent cultural trends and ideologies of that decade, the sensibilities, but I misremembered some of the details, of course. For instance, a couple of times I had a movie in mind for Cameron’s VHS rental obsession, and I would even write it into a scene, and then I’d look it up on IMDB and realize that I was a few years off, that it had come out later in the 1990s than I had thought, same thing with some songs.

I wanted to set the novel in the 1990s, the early 1990s, not only because a kind of early nostalgia for that time, I guess—though certainly I’ll willingly admit to that—but also because I’ve long been marveling at just how much has changed (for the better) during the last two decades in terms of LGBTQ visibility and advocacy. There’s lots of cultural “evidence” of this, but I’ll just given the example of the internet. It can be easy, I think, given the ubiquity of internet even by 1996, to misremember it as this enormous site of social change (and, of course, of community-building, of information dissemination) throughout the entirety of the 1990s. But that’s just not the case for the very early 1990s. So for Cam, this world of information is just around the corner, certainly, but not quite there; not yet in any way that can directly benefit her, anyway. I guess what I’m getting at here is that one of the things I wanted to do most in the novel was to chronicle this very particular slice of history—a time and a place—as viewed through the eyes of one character.

In the summary on your website, you describe the novel as not just "coming of age" but coming of GAYge. There's been more and more talk about how the LGBTQ community is portrayed in YA novels - or, more specifically, arguments from editors and readers alike that there is a serious lack of YA books with LGBTQ protagonists and characters. What are your thoughts on this topic? Is the range of books improving? Did you set out to write an LGBTQ book or did the book come first, the label later?

I’m being a little bit cheeky with coming-of-GAYge. I mean, it’s true, yes, that Cameron’s journey is one to all kinds of self-acceptance, including an acceptance of her sexuality, but it’s also just sort of funny to play with portmanteaus. I came up with that term, or maybe my friend Dave came up with it, I don’t remember, but it was when we were having a conversation about the book (when it was still decidedly in-progress) a few years ago. Whatever its exact origins in that conversation, I’ve been using it ever since.

But as to your question, yes, absolutely, I do think that the range of YA books with LGBTQ protagonists is increasing and diversifying. Certainly if the publishing professionals that I’ve worked closely with are any indication-- from my agent to my editor to the whole team, really, at B+B--there’s no question that there are plenty of people within the publishing industry absolutely committed to telling all kinds of stories from all kinds of perspectives. It seems to me that we’re, right now, somewhere in the middle of the golden age of YA publishing, and thus novels with certain characters or storylines are now viable in ways they mightn’t have been even five years ago. This is certainly not to suggest that things are perfect, but are they improving? Absolutely.

As for setting out to “write an LGBTQ book,” I guess I’m just not sure how to answer that. I “set out” to write a coming-of-age story wherein the protagonist has to recognize and then confront and (hopefully) reconcile her sexuality within a culture that not only doesn’t outwardly seem to support said sexuality (and identity, and attraction, and desire, and, and, and…), but in fact has many systems and structures which deny her various identities and/or attempt to change them into what’s sanctioned and upheld: heteronormativity. I’m conflicted about a category like “LGBTQ book” because I’m just not really sure of the factors required of such a classification. Are all books with LGBTQ characters “LGBTQ books?” If a book pushes against any aspect of heteronormativity is it, necessarily, an “LGBTQ book?” The part of me that embraces that classification (LGBTQ book) is the part that knows it might help some readers to find my novel: readers who wouldn’t have otherwise; readers who might then come to identify with its characters or situations; readers who might feel that the novel reflects back to them one or more of their own “essential truths,” or perhaps challenges those truths in interesting ways. But the part of me that bristles at such a classification, or label, as you put it, is the part that knows the novel form to be, as Henry James famously called it, “a loose, baggy monster.” And John Gardner talks about the need for a novel (in order, he said, to “be” a novel) to attempt to get at the complexity of the world (a tall order, to be sure). There are lots of ways to do this on the page, but the point is that some of the novel’s power, to my mind, comes from its irreducibility: that it’s not ever just one thing; that it can’t be. So I guess my answer is: sure, my novel is an “LGBTQ book,” and it’s also a coming of age story, and a novel of instruction or development, and a novel of place, and… You know what I’m saying, here.

I have to admit, I knew very little about religious conversion therapy before reading your novel. It's a pretty heavy topic, to say the least. What was your experience researching and writing about it?

I would venture that you’re not going to be the only reader to go into this book without knowing much about conversion therapy, at least in this kind of detail: that’s one of the things that made me want to explore it so fully. I didn’t invent conversion therapy for this novel. I wish that I had, I guess. It would be nice for it not to be a part, however small, of the fabric of our culture, but that’s not the case. There are absolutely churches and religious officials and parents, people in positions of influence and authority, who believe in religiously-informed conversion therapy as a viable form of “treatment” for “same sex attraction disorder.” Most of these people also believe that if you don’t seek out this kind of “help” you’re going to hell. (My apologies, but I have to use an overabundance of scare quotes when talking about this subject. It’s just the way it goes.) I mean, obviously, when we’re talking about a population who refers to any variation from the strictest enactment of heterosexuality as “same sex attraction disorder,” we can assume that there’s not a whole lot of room for fluidity of desire or identity or expression.

My experience of researching this topic was often upsetting and always baffling. There’s absolutely zero credible (rigorous/thorough) scientific evidence to suggest that such “therapies” are effective at changing attraction or desire or identity in the least. And, in fact, there is much evidence that such “therapies” cause all kinds of harm to those who partake in them. (You can reference the American Psychological Association or the American Psychiatric Association—or a whole host of other, credible, scientific organizations—for studies and statements about this very topic.) The question we need to be asking is a simple one, and it’s definitely not: Does conversion therapy work or might it work? Instead it’s: “Why are we (is anyone) actively treating something that is not an illness.” I am not “sick with homosexuality.” No one is. The problem is not that a certain percentage of the population is somehow “sick with” non-conforming gender identities or non-heterosexual attractions. The problem is in believing that this is somehow a sickness in the first place. Let’s start there. (Of course: I tried not to be nearly so dogmatic in my novel as I’m being here.)

How are you celebrating your book's release?

I actually have the bulk of my teaching load on Tuesdays, so on its official release date of February 7, I’ll be teaching an intro to creative writing class and a graduate workshop in fiction at Rhode Island College. Which is, in some ways, probably the perfect way to celebrate. I get to talk about writing and books with some very smart writers at all stages of the process. And then later in the week I’ll be one of the visiting writers at Hendrix College in Arkansas, so that will be my first official event, post-release, and I’m very excited to meet those students. Also, at some point, I think my wife and I are going to try to sneak over to Al Forno, which is this AMAZING local restaurant in Providence. That will be the private, grilled-pizza-filled, celebration. We want to have a party too, and I’m sure we will, but not until later in the spring; in May, maybe, so we can use the outdoors, light some candles, string some lights—do it up garden-style.

And since this is The Lucky 13s blog, I have to ask: what's your favorite superstition?

This one's easy (and fun, thanks for asking it): I love to throw salt over my shoulder after I've spilled it. And since I do most of the cooking in our house, and since I can be quite a messy cook, there's usually an occasion to throw Kosher salt or sea-salt or just table salt over my shoulder on nearly a weekly basis. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanks to the Lucky 13s for hosting me!

emily m. danforth was born and raised in Miles City, Montana. She has an MFA in fiction from the University of Montana and a PhD in creative writing from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where she's worked as the assistant director of the Nebraska Summer Writers Conference. She teaches creative writing and literature courses at Rhode Island College and is coeditor of The Cupboard. This is her first novel.

You can connect with emily via her website, Twitter, or Facebook.

And you can purchase her book online through the following websites:

IndieBound

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This interview was conducted by Lucky 13s member Brandy Colbert as part of an ongoing series of interviews with The Apocalypsies – YA, MG, and children’s book authors debuting in 2012.

Apocalypse Now: An Interview with Jessica Spotswood

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to host Jessica Spotswood on the blog today, whose debut BORN WICKED releases tomorrow!

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Welcome, Jessica!

1. Tell us about your journey with this book. What was the inspirational spark?

I was inspired by a dream I had about three sisters who were fighting over a magical locket from their mother. There’s no locket in BORN WICKED, but the idea of exploring the complicated relationships between three sisters with a dangerous magical inheritance stuck. Like Cate, I’m the oldest of three sisters.

2. There's a definite Salem-esque feeling to Chatham (the book's setting) and mythology. Tell us about your research and world-building process for this book.

One of my favorite notes from my editor was to “ruffle my corsets” more, so I read up on Victorian fashion and home décor and social customs. Since BW is an alternate history, I was able to take some liberties, but I hope all of those little details contribute to a rich portrait of the Cahills’ world. As for the witchery: I wanted to write about a society where educated, independent girls weren’t valued without making it seem preachy. I wanted to give the Brotherhood and the general populace a real reason to fear strong women. In this society, the Brothers use witchery as an excuse to persecute disobedient women, but the witches did do some terrible things in the name of protecting themselves. It’s not entirely black and white.

3. You've got a great book trailer! How involved were you with its creation, or did your publisher take the reins?

Thank you! I actually had nothing to do with the book trailer, but I love it. Cate looks very like I imagined her, and I think the voiceover really captures her determined independence. And I was delighted that it features the first-kiss scene between Cate and Finn where Cate loses control of her magic; that was one of my favorite scenes to write.

4. BORN WICKED is the first in a trilogy. Can you give us a little sneak peak into the rest of Cate's story?

I’m afraid things are only going to get worse before they get better for Cate and her sisters! The Cahill sisters will get to learn more about their magical heritage and what’s expected of them in the coming war between the Brotherhood and the witches. As usual, they’ll be divided about how to handle the responsibilities they’re faced with. They’ll finally get to meet their godmother, Zara Roth. There will be scandalous romantic trysts, new friends, political uprisings, and heartbreaking betrayals!

5. Here at the Lucky 13s we're big believers in superstitions. Tell us about your favorite lucky charm.

I have a pair of pink pearl earrings that were my grandmother’s. She was always my biggest cheerleader, and I like to wear them for holidays and special occasions; it makes me feel like she’s there with me. I’ll definitely be wearing them on my book tour!

Thanks so much for the fabulous interview! I’m so looking forward to reading all of the Lucky 13s books next year!

Thanks for being here, Jessica! BORN WICKED debuts tomorrow and can be found at your local brick-and-mortar bookstore as well as here:
Goodreads
Amazon
Jessica's Website

Books that inspire: On Writing

2012-02-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

You know what cheers me up on a bad writing day? Carrie.

Yes, I'm referring to the blood-soaked prom queen created by Stephen King, but not in the way you might think. I enjoyed the book, loved the original film (not so much love for the sequel or made-for-tv remake...though the musical sounds interesting), but I don't perk myself up by breaking out either. Nor do I fantasize about hosting a telekinetic barbecue for all the agents and editors who rejected me over the last decade.

Okay, maybe I've had that fantasy once or twice...but, that's not what I mean.

I'm referring to the genesis of Carrie and the rough beginnings of her creator, a man who became the most successful writer of the 20th century. If you don't know the story, I won't spoil it for you here. He tells it much better than I ever could in his memoir ON WRITING.

It's part textbook, part autobiography, and part magic. It won't give you a formula to duplicate Mr. King's success, but will show a commonality between him and us mere mortals attempting to put words on paper. He got rejections. He had trouble paying his bills. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, hammering away at that typewriter was a waste of time.

If you've ever felt like that, what better company to be in?

The book's not for everyone, and there are other great books on the craft out there. I read ON WRITING at least once a year, particularly during rough patches. I think you could do worse than giving it shot at least once.

Or, you can work on your telekinesis. Whatever works.

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

Lamar "L. R." Giles writes for adults and teens. Penning everything from epic fantasy to noir thrillers, he's never met a genre he didn't like. His debut YA mystery WHISPERTOWN is about a teen in witness protection who investigates his best friend's murder and stumbles on a dark conspiracy that leads back to his own father. It will be published in Summer, 2013 by HarperCollins. He resides in Virginia with his wife and is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Find out more on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Apocalypse Now: An Interview with Sara Wilson Etienne

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's my birthday! Which means...it's also release day for Sara Wilson Etienne's HARBINGER! It was so nice of Penguin to think of me on my birthday!
In all seriousness, I'm thrilled to have Sara here to talk about HARBINGER!

Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller.

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.
But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.
Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.
Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.
And here's the fantastic trailer:


Sara Wilson Etienne

Thanks for being here, Sara!

1. Tell us about your road to publication with this book. Was it straight and narrow or long and winding?

I’m gonna go with long and straight. Writing the book and getting it published took me a full ten years, but there weren’t any crazy twists or detours along the way. I wrote and rewrote and rewrote Harbinger countless times. Teaching myself to write--how to put together a novel--as I went. I got notes from my critique groups, went to conferences, met my agent at one, then rewrote my book a few more times, and finally sold it! Thinking back, I was pretty single minded about the whole thing, so I guess…life is a highway? I wanna ride it??

2. The mythology in HARBINGER is so unique. Your Author's Note at the end gives us a tantalizing glimpse into your research and world-building; can you expand on that a bit?

Hmmm…well, I don’t want to give anything away. But let me say this. I LOVE research. I love immersing myself in a sea of facts, sifting through the sands to find that one perfect detail. And the best details—details that are worth basing a book on—are the ones with a tiny amount of specific information and then lots of unknowns surrounding it.

And that’s what I found when I started researching Maine’s history and pre-history, something delicious and solid, but with crazy questions that no one could answer. So I set about making up my own answers.

3. Music is a strong theme in the book, from the drumming that Faye hears in her head to the song that Kel sings to her. What's your writing playlist like?

I listened to the Battlestar Galactica soundtrack while writing HARBINGER and it pretty much works as a soundtrack for my book. Pounding Taiko drums, eerie wailing, and sweeping melodies. It instantly let me sink into Faye’s world and linger there.

4. What's your writing process like? Do you have any rituals?

Well, I start my day with coffee and breakfast and I have some wrist problems, so I do arm exercises while the caffeine is kicking is. Then I put whatever music I’m listening on repeat. I listen to the same music over and over while writing a book. It’s like a trigger. Yes, I am Pavlov’s dog.

As for the big picture, I’m big into rewriting beginnings until I get a grip on my characters and plot. And in fact, I tend to rewrite whole drafts, rather than revising details until I finally work out a solid version . My favorite part though is after the book has a sturdy framework and I get to make it pretty!

5. Tell us what's up next for you.

Well, I’m revising a new book, unrelated to Harbinger, currently titled Unworthy. Like I mentioned, I rewrite a lot and, true to form, I’m re-envisioning the whole thing right now! It feels a little daunting but I’m pretty excited about it!

6. How are you celebrating my birthday...er, your release day? :-)

Happy Birthday!!!

Thanks!

I’m celebrating with awesome art! I’ve been doing these art reveals every Thursday... twenty-five amazing artists have created Harbinger-inspired pieces of art. So this week, I’ve been building up to the release with a slew of reveals. You can see them here, at http://holbrookacademy.com/sketchbook.php .

And on Saturday, Feb 4th, I’m having my launch party at Children’s Book World in LA. I can’t wait!!!! Was that enough exclamation marks? I’m seriously ready to sign some books and party big time!

7. Lastly, we at the Lucky 13s believe in lucky charms. And since talismans figure so prominently in HARBINGER, tell me - do you have any talismans?

Yes! I have a hedgehog necklace my sister gave me…I wear it when I need a little extra courage. I also have a lot of Wonder Woman accessories that do the same thing. Stripey, tall socks help too. I guess I have a lot of talismans that remind me to be brave!

HARBINGER is out today!

Amazon
Goodreads
Sara's Website
@wilsonetienne on Twitter

APOCALYPSE NOW: Interview with Marissa Meyer, author of CINDER

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

Marissa, as the first Apocalypsie to debut in 2012 with the well-publicized release of CINDER, you are the GPS guidance system for the Apocalypsies and Lucky 13s whose engines are started but haven’t yet seen the road. Maybe you can give us some directions. I’d like to ask you about the promotional process leading up to and following release.

First of all, how long before the January 3 release of CINDER did promotion start for you? What kinds of activities were you asked to do in advance?I feel like I’ve been promoting since even before the book deal! I’ve had my blog for years and I also had a writing-based newsletter on my old web site (to be reinstated once marissameyer.com is up and running). As for CINDER-specific promotion, I did lots and lots of blog interviews and guest blog posts, amped up my social network presence on Twitter and Facebook, did a month-long blog feature all about book promotion in hopes of generating more traffic there, and ordered Cinder swag all a couple months prior to the release. I joined Skype an Author Network, sent ARCs and postcards to my local libraries, helped plan my book launch party, and hosted some giveaways on my blog and Goodreads. I also worked with my publisher to create promo videos for ads on Shelf Awareness and School Library Journal and provided a lot of content (such as character and setting descriptions) for the making of the book trailer. Whew!Your blog tour schedule looks both impressive and grueling. How did you set up so many guest spots and how on earth did you produce so much content on so many topics? Did you get a head start?

The blog tour was mostly set up through my publisher—one of their social media gurus has a lot of connections in the blogging world, so she reached out to her own contacts. I did have a couple requests myself (friend bloggers and also some sci-fi blogs that I’m a fan of), and they all got to be included as well.

I started brainstorming blog posts about two months in advance of the tour, as it was important to me to have a variety of posts that covered everything from my agent query letter to inspiration photos to wacky vlogs. Once I started focusing on writing the posts, it took about a week to get through them all, and I think I had all but three posts completed before the tour even started. I knew that I did NOT want to be writing blog posts while I was on tour, so it worked out well getting them all done so early!

Your road trip also looks impressive and grueling. How did you and your marketing team choose the places to go? How much of your life did you have to put on hold while you were traveling? What kinds of expenses were covered by your publisher versus you?

The book tour was a lot of fun, but you’re right—it was also very grueling! I was definitely getting travel weary toward the end of it, although I was lucky that I got to take a couple breaks in between stops to come home and relax before hitting the road again.

How my publisher chose the locations is still rather a mystery to me, other than I know my publicist has a relationship with booksellers and knows what stores put on great events. I also think a couple of the stores may have requested to be a part of the tour.

My publisher covered all of my travel expenses—flights, media escorts, hotels, and food—while we covered my husband’s expenses, so he could travel with me. It was really awesome having him there and I know his presence helped keep me sane. Plus he got to act as official tour photographer!

As for putting my life on hold, pretty much everything got put on hold. I’m still way behind on emails and I didn’t get a speck of writing done during the tour. But it was well worth it as I got to meet so many wonderful readers and book sellers!

What was an outstanding or really memorable moment of your book tour?

Oh gosh, there were so many. Definitely among the highlights was meeting a bunch of old fanfiction readers. I wrote Sailor Moon fanfic for many, many years, and I had lots of people come up to me on tour and tell me they’ve been reading those fanfics since they were teens. It was so rewarding to meet people who have stuck with me on this long writing journey! One girl even brought a bound hardback book of one of my old fanfics—her friends had had it made for her because she read the story so often! So I got to sign both that and CINDER, which was very cool.

Is there something you did along the way that you never imagined you would/could do?

Oh, I feel that this whole promotion things has been one new challenge after another. I was so nervous to record my first videos and vlogs and also to do my first radio interview, but both went fine. I was terrified of the school visits at first (one was in front of about 300 students!) but I’ve since gotten pretty comfortable doing them, and I was also scared when I was asked to write an article for the Wall Street Journal (gulp). And on and on. But I try to embrace things that scare me, because I do think it’s healthy to get out of our comfort zones. When I’m nervous about doing something new, I just tell myself that any number of authors have done this and survived before me, so I’ll be just fine too.

Any general or specific advice for those of us looking forward to our releases?

Work on the next book! Without doubt, the smartest thing I did last year was get Book #2 finished way, way early. (I sent it to my editor in September, even though it’s technically not due until this March.) October was then swallowed up with getting married and going on a honeymoon, which left me all of November and December to work on promoting CINDER before its January 3rd release. Not having to worry about both writing and promoting at the same time was a life saver for me.

Not to mention, of course, that by far the best thing anyone can do to sell their books is to first write really great books.

Finally, since we are the Lucky 13’s, we’d like to know, is there a superstition you developed or followed on your journey? And by that, I mean either your journey to publication or your physical journey around the country.

Haha—good question! I guess I’m superstitious when it comes to how successful the book might (or might not) become and I try not to think about it. It’s hard, because CINDER has so much publisher support and buzz around it that I’ve had about a gazillion people tell me things like, “It’s going to be huge!” and “It could be the next big thing!” and I just want to cover my ears and sing “la la la” when I hear that. I don’t want to jinx anything, and I also don’t want to get my expectations up so high that I can’t appreciate the journey for what it is and all the fabulous things that are happening. I know it’s human nature to always want more-more-more, but I really try to enjoy every victory and accomplishment, no matter how big or small, without thinking too much about the future.

Thank you so much, Liz and the Lucky 13s, for such an awesome interview!! I can’t wait to cheer you all on during your own promo and publication journeys.

THANKS, MARISSA!

Want to hear a sample from CINDER? Check out this excerpt from the audiobook here:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Liz Coley writes young adult novels and science fiction/fantasy short stories for anthologies and magazines.

Her novel Pretty Girl-13 from HarperCollins Katherine Tegen Books will be debuting in 2013. There are secrets you can't even tell yourself.

For more about Liz and her work, visit lizcoley.comandLCTeen.com or follow her on Twitter at LizColeyBooks.

APOCALYPSE NOW: an interview with Kristen Simmons, author of ARTICLE 5

2012-01-31T04:00:00.001-08:00

Today we’re excited to talk to Kristen Simmons, author of the gripping dystopian YA novel ARTICLE 5, which is available as of TODAY from Tor Books. Congratulations, Kristen!

About ARTICLE 5:

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked and replaced with the Moral Statutes. There are no more police – instead, there are soldiers.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. She has learned to keep a low profile, but then her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And what’s worse, one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Welcome to the Lucky 13s, Kristen. So you’re a Cormac McCarthy fan. Me, too. Did THE ROAD figure into your design for this book?

Cormac McCarthy is such an inspiration. In THE ROAD, it’s not fully explained what happened or how the world became that way, it just is, and the characters are forced to deal with it. It got me thinking, what would we do if we remembered what it was like before the world fell apart? If teenagers remembered going to school and hanging out late on Friday night at Burger King, but now must abide by a curfew and go to a soup kitchen to get their meals? And what if, like many people, they never took advantage of how good things were until they were taken away? Often, we complain about how terrible things are, but if the apocalypse actually happened this year, many of us will be looking back on this time and saying, oh my gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t appreciate that mortgage payment and that car payment and those hospital bills, those luxuries that I actually did have.

You have worked as a therapist specializing in trauma. Ember and Chase have endured war, deprivation, and loss. Did your therapeutic work help you gain insight into these characters, who miscommunicate and mistrust so profoundly?

It did. Perhaps the most important thing I learned as a therapist is how resilient we all are. How much we can take and still fight back. Witnessing someone recover after they’ve lost everything is awe-inspiring, and that is what I hoped to capture with my characters. People who have had trauma in their past, especially when they have the kinds of symptoms that come up for Chase, tend to try to bury it. Chase has something he can’t reveal to Ember, but even the things that aren’t a secret are painful for him to talk about, so he avoids communication as much as possible. He’s constantly battling his memories, but they’re right under the surface, breaking through in his temper and sometimes in his dreams. This is hard for both of them because they remember a time when being with each other was the easiest thing in the world. It’s not any more. It’s work to connect even on simple issues. But if they can learn to trust each other, they’ll heal, and grow even closer than they were before.

Can you tell us about how the book came to be published?

My journey has been a long one. I finished my first novel – at least the first one that I thought might actually be publishable – about ten years ago. My boyfriend at the time (now my husband) bought me this book called Writer’s Market, which contains a sample query letter (one of many things along this journey that I had never heard of). OK, I thought, not so hard. I modeled my own letter after the sample and I sent it out to some agents. Imagine my surprise when they all promptly responded with rejections! It was my first taste of the publishing world and I was crushed. But! Time heals all wounds. A year later I was at it again. I finished another book and sent out more query letters. This time I didn’t tell a soul; I was fairly embarrassed at the way the last attempt had gone. I was glad I didn’t. The result was the same: more rejections.

I didn’t know what I was doing wrong. I didn’t know this was kind of a common experience. I’d never heard of critique partners, or beta readers, or organizations for writers. I wish I’d come out of my shell and done a bit more exploring. Either way, the itch came again and I turned back to writing. But four manuscripts later, all I had to show for progress toward my goal was a box stuffed with rejection letters.

Then I wrote ARTICLE 5 and I thought, last chance, I’ll give this one more try (which of course I’d told myself before). I finished the manuscript, I wrote my query letter, and … amazingly! … got a few bites. One of them was my fabulous agent, who changed everything, and led me to where I am today!

And it’s a trilogy! Was that your intention all along?

I didn’t know if ARTICLE 5 would be two books, a series, or a trilogy, but I knew it wasn’t the end of Ember’s story.

Wow! What an incredible accomplishment. So what are you doing to celebrate?

I have a launch party on the 2nd of February at Inkwood Books, an indie bookstore in Tampa, Florida. My agent is coming, which is very exciting!

And we’re ultra stoked on your behalf! A final question: do you have any superstitions?

Normally, I’m not superstitious, but right now I am because the book is coming out! So any black cats I see – get away from me! If there’s a ladder in my garage, I tell my husband to close it. I won’t let umbrellas come in the house. I’m super paranoid about those kinds of things right now, but three months ago I wouldn’t have cared!

Thank you, Kristen. We look forward to Books Two and Three!

Kristen Simmons has a master’s degree in social work and is an advocate for mental health. She lives with her husband and their precious greyhound in Louisville, Kentucky.

Find out more about her and her books at kristensimmonsbooks.com or www.facebook.com/author.kristensimmons.

This interview was conducted by Lucky 13s member Julia Mary Gibson as part of an ongoing series of interviews with The Apocalypsies – YA, MG, and children’s book authors
debuting in 2012.

ARTICLE 5 is out today! Get it from your favorite indie bookstore, or online at Amazon, B&N, Inkwood Books, Macmillan.com.

Just Say No!

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

by: Mindy McGinnis

From a young age we're taught this phrase. Don't be afraid to reject drugs. Stand up for yourself. Make it clear you're not interested. Walk away. But it seems that if you continue to apply this lesson to innocuous solicitations as you get older, you risk social alienation.

What am I talking about?

Random Kind Person: How would you like to be a Brownie leader this year?

Me: No.

Nice Parent: I'm looking for a few moms to volunteer to watch the younger children during soccer practice, would you like to help out?

Me: No.

Really Cool Book-Type Person: I'm starting an adult book club, would you be interested?

Me: No

When you read the above statements, I kinda come off like a bitch, don't I? And while that's a debatable point, what it comes down to is that there are only so many minutes in an hour, hours in a day, days in the week, weeks in the month, and months in the year. I've got time constraints like a sassy nun's got a chastity belt, and adding more shit to the shinola in order to make nice doesn't fit into my worldview.

I started out trying to say it nicely, and be polite, the way my German momma wants me to.

Examples:

Me: Well, that doesn't really work for me. Wednesday nights I have a knitting class.

Gleeful Response: Oh but that's OK! We can move to Tuesdays or, meet in the mornings even!

Me: Well, I'm not sure. I'm awfully busy right now.

Cheery Smile: Oh it's not all that time consuming, half hour meetings at the most!

I've even tried honesty:

Me: I don't think I can. See, I'm a writer, and I need that time to write.

Oblivious: You can just bring your paper and pencil with you, and write while the kids are playing!

So, I let my Irish side have a go and I went with the concise, slightly rude, you-can't-explain-me-away answer that those anti-drug assemblies taught me years ago: No.

While our amazing e-friendships and networking reminds us that we are not alone in our journey towards authorship, the fact remains that the act of writing is a solitary endeavor. We need our time, we need our space, we need to get into the groove and hit our stride to make the words start flowing.

So don't be afraid that you won't be invited to the next Nice People Gathering or Coalition of Really Useful People. Stick to your guns, write your books.

To the Finisher Go the Spoils

2012-01-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

This week on the Lucky 13s, we've been sharing our favorite bits of writing advice. Write what you love, said Amy McCullogh. Give yourself permission to write badly, said Elizabeth May. It isn't difficult to get published; it's difficult to write a good book, Megan Shepherd reminded us.

The advice I'm sharing today doesn't condense quite as easily, but I hope it's as helpful to you as it was to me.

Severalyears ago, I had a decent career as a freelance copyeditor, business writer, and proofreader, but I was secretly desperate to be writing something bigger and truly my own. In the midst of this quiet miasma, I went to a writers' conference. In an undistinguished multipurpose room, underfluorescent lights so gruesome they made conference attendees look like extrasin a zombie movie, film critic and novelist Stephen Hunter delivered the openingspeech. Hunter held forth at the microphone for 40 minutes or so,giving a no-nonsense pep talk that was by turns funny, helpful, and profound.

Hemade the case for a pragmatic approach to writing—a no-fuss, no-muss method. Youhad to get your butt in the chair, he said. If you weren’t in your chair (or inyour bed, or on the exercise ball you use as a chair, to tone your glutes), youweren’t putting words on the page.

Thiswas the Carhartt jacket school of writing. There was no waiting for the muse,no wondering whether you were good enough. You just had to do your time. Youwere a shipbuilder, building a vessel. You were a bricklayer, raising a wall.

(PabloPicasso is said to have voiced a similar thought: “Inspiration exists, but itmust find you working.” Various sources phrase this quotation slightlydifferently, but Picasso’s basic point is much like Hunter’s: La chaise, s’il vous plait.)

But,Hunter continued, you couldn’t just sit in your chair, keying madly; you had tofinish your projects. He said this, or something very similar to this: Theworld rewards people who finish things, out of all proportion to their talent.

The world rewardspeople who finish things, out of all proportion to their talent. He was so right!

DidI have talent? Maybe. But if I didn’t finish something—specifically, afull-length fiction manuscript—it wouldn’t matter anyway, because no one wouldsee it. It was time to get moving--all the way past the finish line.

____________________________________________________________

Elisabeth Dahl'sfirst book, GENIE WISHES, an MG contemporary novel with line drawings, is dueout from Amulet/Abrams Books, in spring 2013. Shehas just completed her second book, a novel for adults. Elisabeth lives inBaltimore, MD, with her family, two dogs, and a devoted office chair ofthe Aeron variety. Elisabeth has a fledgling website and a Twitter account, @ElisabethDahl.She is represented by the wonderful Marissa Walsh of FinePrint LiteraryManagement.

The One Easy, Simple Secret to Getting Published

2012-01-26T05:23:00.001-08:00

I know this blog title starts off sounding like some terrible snake-oil sales scam along the lines of Loose Weight Fast! or The Secret Doctors Don't Want You To Know! That's what I thought when I first heard this bit of industry advice from a critique partner. She said that there is one simple secret that is the key to getting published:

It isn't difficult to get published. It's difficult to write a good book.

Let me put in a brief disclaimer. There are many talented writers out there who have amazing books and, for whatever unfortunate reasons, just haven't gotten published yet. You never know if something totally weird and unfair is going to happen to you, but...

In most cases, writers need to forget about publication and focus on just writing a good book.

If you write a good book, I mean a really good book, a book with great marketing appeal and wonderful characters and an engaging hook and strong writing that keeps editors and agents up all night reading, then chances are getting published will come naturally. But here's the catch, which I have painfully learned through personal experience. Writing a good book is hard. It takes a certain something (creativity? originality? perseverance? luck?) that can't be found in how-to books. It takes years of study and failure and emotional upheaval and heartburn medication. It's often much easier to focus on concrete, manageable tasks like making list after list of agents, obsessively reading publishing industry blogs, reformatting your query letter again and again, networking with (stalking?) editors and agents, and trying to uncover the "secret rules" to publication. Trust me, I've been there. And don't get me wrong--researching agents and preparing a professional query letter is extremely important. But not nearly as important as having an salable, gripping, wonderfully good book.

So how do you know if you've written a good book?

FInd critique partners you can trust to be brutally honest, not just to boost your self esteem (though these can be nice too)
Get professional feedback through contest and conference critiques
Read dozens (at least) of high-quality, successful books in your genre and target age range. Be brutally honest with yourself. Is your book as good or better than those, while still feeling totally fresh and new?

I've heard of authors who break all the publishing rules and send queries on pink paper or misspell names, and you know what? Agents and editors are only human, too. The number one trait they look for in writers is great writing, not rule-following. While we should always try to carefully read and adhere to publishing guidelines, try not to let the "publication rules" overshadow your real job as a writer: to write.

________________

Megan Shepherd is a young adult writer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her debut novel, THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER, comes out in early 2013 from Balzer+Bray/ HarperCollins. She is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary. Contact Megan on her website, follow her on Twitter or Facebook, and find out more information on her books at Goodreads.

Give Yourself Permission to Write Badly.

2012-01-25T06:53:00.000-08:00

This week on the Lucky 13's, we're discussing the best publishing advice we've ever received. I can't remember where I garnered this gem, but here it is: Give yourself permission to write badly.

Simply nod yes wherever you are in the vast cyberspace if you've ever experienced this scenario:

You've thought of a lovely story and you just know you have to write it. The first scene may have already taken shape in your mind. It's a lovely scene, profound. You can picture it with such utter clarity -- every line of dialogue, everything your characters feel, their every thought. It's all so vivid; the only thing you need to do is let it play out as you type.

So you go to your computer, you sit down, and you open your word processor. And you stare at the blank screen.

You stare longer. Your fingers hover above the keyboard as you try to coax out that first perfect sentence. Like a bout of stage fright, the words simply don't come. Your mind is locked up. You type a mediocre first sentence, because surely that will get you going. It doesn't. You work that first sentence over again, adding words, taking them away, adding more.

You type the first paragraph. God, it's so horrible -- so you edit it. You chip away at what you wrote because the words aren't good enough. They're not encapsulating the feelings you want to get across for this scene. The words aren't right. And you find it to be a struggle to write past the first chapter, or sometimes even the first page.

If this is you, let me assure you that you're not alone. A lot of writers have this anxiety, and part of that comes from comparing our work to the published books we read. "I'll never write like this," you might think. Or, perhaps, "I wish I could write like this."

Some books are so beautifully written, the scenes so enviable, that it's hard to believe that, at one point, the books you love so much were once probably quite dreadful. Because, you see, many first drafts are. They are full of incomplete scenes, or unnecessary characters, or place-holder sentences that sit there until the author comes up with something better.

Give yourself permission to write badly, because no first draft will be perfect. Because you need to get the story out of you. Because you can go back and fix everything that is wrong with your manuscript. Because the important thing is that you write and pour that first draft out of you, so it exists on paper.

Give yourself permission to write badly, because those beautiful, profound words that are somewhere inside you will never, ever go away -- and you can always add them later.

___________________________________________

Elizabeth May is an occasional book cover photographer, a fantasy novelist, a lazy PhD student, and an accomplished coffee drinker. She resides in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she can frequently be spotted skulking about dark wynds with a camera in hand. She spends far too much time on Twitter and her blog.

Her début novel THE FALCONER will be released in 2013 by Gollancz (UK/Commonwealth) and Chronicle Children's Books (US/Canada).

Apocalypse Now: An interview with Brodi Ashton, author of EVERNEATH

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today we are so pleased to speak with Brodi Ashton, author of the fabulous new book Everneath, which hits the shelves TODAY! Congratulations, Brodi!

From Goodreads:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned—to her old life, her family, her friends—before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back—this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

---

1) I spent many happy hours as a child engrossed in my D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths. Have you always been interested in mythology? What is it about the Hades/Persephone myth that particularly interests or inspires you?

I mention D'Aulaire's book in my sequel, because I totally devoured that book time and time again as a kid! So yes, I've always had an interest in Greek mythology, but I never set out to write a story about it. For Everneath, the story of a girl returning to her old life after a long mysterious absence, came first. It was only later that I realized the similarities to the plight of Persephone.

2) The story of Everneath is told in a flash-back-flash-forward style that reveals information to the reader one tantalizing bit at a time. Did you have to outline extensively in order to write this way? Or did you write the sections in chronological order and then rearrange the pieces?

I didn't do either! I hate outlining, and I couldn't write the sections in chronological order. This is not because I have an organized mind or anything, because if you ask my friends I'm the least organized person around. But when I wrote the book, the scenes just naturally fell into place in a before/after kind of way. Every time I was in the present, and a question came up about the past, I'd go and write about it. That's how the timeline evolved.

3) Although this book is part of a trilogy, it also works well as a stand-alone. Did you always intend for it to have sequels?

No. It wasn't until I was interviewing agents that the idea came up. My agent (Michael Bourret) asked me on the phone if I was done with the world of the Everneath, and that's when I thought to myself, maybe not. We had such a similar vision for the story, and it was a leading factor as to why I picked Michael.

4) Nikki chooses to return to the Surface in order to tie up loose ends and make peace with her loved ones and her former life. If you had only six months left on the Surface, what would be the top three things on your to-do list?

I would eat and eat. I just returned from a Disney Cruise, and I did just that, and it was a beautiful thing. Also, I'd be with my family. And order a million dollars worth of stuff off of the HSN.

5) Cole's band, The Dead Elvises, plays a very large role in the story. Are they based on a real band? Did you write to a playlist of Dead Elvises-style music? If so, what was on said playlist?

I didn't base them off of any particular band, but I imagined they're very hip, with a lot of swagger. I didn't create a playlist, necessarily, but I could imagine them singing "Ulysses" by Franz Ferdinand.

6) How do you plan to celebrate your release day?

Launch party. Everyone's invited!

7) We Lucky 13s like to ask people about their superstitions and lucky rituals. What's yours?

When I'm writing, I always have a Diet Coke nearby, and usually a cup of tea steeping. And nothing could be luckier than chocolate-covered cinnamon bears!

Thanks so much for talking to us, Brodi!

---

Brodi Ashton received a bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Utah and a master's degree in international relations from London School of Economics. She has an active following on her blog, which can be found here. You can also follow her on Twitter. Brodi lives in Utah with her family.

You can purchase your copy of Everneath at your favorite local indie bookstore or online at IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.

---

This interview was conducted by Lucky13s member Alison Cherry as part of an ongoing series of interviews with The Apocalypsies—YA, MG, and children's book authors debuting in 2012.

The best publishing advice I've received? All you need is love...

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week’s Lucky 13s theme is on the best industry advice we’ve ever been given. First up is Amy McCulloch, and the advice she’s passing on is: Write what you love (and love what you write).

***

First off: Kung hei fat choi to all our Lucky 13 readers who might be celebrating! (I am with homemade spring rolls and copious cups of Longjing [aka dragon well] tea from Hangzhou!)

Write what you love.

This is one of those pieces of industry advice that can sound so silly. Write what you love? What else would you write about? Why would anyone write a book that they didn’t like?

Yet it’s the one piece of advice that I give to almost everyone who approaches me for tips on how to get published. Write what you love because if you don’t, believe me, it shows. It’s a rule that applies as much to established authors as to debuts. I remember one particular editorial meeting last year where one very senior editor sighed over a proposal from an author.

“Why doesn’t he just write what he loves?” she said. In this case it was clear he was writing for a trend - and the resulting sample pages were nothing like the quality of the rest of his work.

Indeed, I’ve witnessed several books turned down because it’s obvious that the writer is trying too hard to follow a perceived trend, or because they’ve heard a particular genre is more commercial or an easier sell than another. Far more often than not, this approach just doesn’t work.

Oh, I know the temptation of writing for trends. Last week, when the Lucky 13s wrote about abandoned novels, I could really sympathize. I have at least five novels abandoned that I tried to write that I thought would be an easy sell (or at least, an easy pitch) – yep, there’s an abandoned vampire romance and, yep, there’s even an abandoned contemporary ‘chick lit’ novel too – so NOT me. And if an agent said ‘I really want a steampunk near-future zombie misery memoir this year’ – trust me, I was brainstorming ways to make one of those work too!

Even more disheartening for me was that the more I heard about new, hot trends, the more I heard that new epic fantasy for teens was a hard sell, and that while a few editors were looking for ‘boys adventure’, it was more for middle-grade than young adult.

I never gave up on my novel, but for a long time I gave up on believing it would sell. I wrote it for me – because I wanted to read it, strange as that sounds – but I didn’t pin any publication hopes on it. When eventually it did sell – to an amazingly passionate editor at RHCB – it felt amazing. It’s great to know that someone else has fallen in love with something you’re desperately, hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with too.

That’s not to say that your love can’t be on-trend – in a lot of ways that’s how trends grow and develop: by having a lot of passionate authors running the trends in new and exciting directions. And it also doesn’t mean that writing to a trend won’t make it an easier sell – sometimes it does.

But ultimately, whether you’re blazing a new trail or filling in a gap in the market, if you’re writing what you love, you’ll find an agent, editor and eventual audience that will love it too.

***

Amy McCulloch is a girl of many publishing hats: author, editor and reader. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, she currently lives in London, UK. Other than books, she is addicted to travelling, running and Starbucks coffee.

Her debut novel, THE OATHBREAKER'S SHADOW is due from Random House Children's Books in Spring 2013. Find out more on her blog or feel free to say hello on Twitter!

The (Short) Life of An Abandoned Novel

2012-01-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

The decision to abandon a novel is generally never as simple as filing away the manuscript and never looking at it again. It's easy for authors to become attached to their words, no matter how flawed the sentences, or broken the plot, or undeveloped the characters.

I have written ten novels. And I have abandoned more than that.

My Abandoned Novel begins with an idea. It's so new and shiny and appealing. It begs me to simply indulge it for a little while, to take a break from whatever else I'm working on and let it grow and develop, as novels do.

My Abandoned Novel has a history of not wanting to be plotted. It appears like vapour, and is so fleeting that I begin to believe it might dissipate if I plot for it. New ideas can be seductive like that -- they'll tempt me to abandon all planning and simply write. They'll make me forget all the ideas that have begun the same way and died an abrupt death. Because this idea will be different. This is a beautiful idea, filled with endless possibilities. This idea is so big, that as I develop its mental picture, it grows and expands and it must be written, must be written, must be written.

So, I write. And write. The Abandoned Novel is so exciting to compose, I feel that I will breeze through it, beginning to end. The scenes simply exist, fully formed in my mind, and I have to keep typing. Deep down, I know how this ends. If I leave this idea for even a moment, I'll lose it.

I have trained myself to plot my novels, because if I don't, this is what happens: eventually, I have to stop typing. When I try to revisit the manuscript, that frenzy to write write write doesn't exist anymore. It's been sated. The idea has been indulged. No matter how hard I try to get it back, I can't write any further. I hit the wall of I don't know what's going to happen or how to get past this scene.

The Abandoned Novel then becomes properly abandoned. I began it too soon. I let the idea take over rather than properly letting it develop into something I could plan and add to. I hit a wall because the scenes beyond that simply didn't exist for me.

If I attempt to plot the rest and can't recapture that excitement, I let the idea go. It's important to me never to force a story, or write because it feels like wasted time if I don't. I never consider the Abandoned Novel to be a waste.

Because, sometimes, that small spark of an idea can be revisited later and become the novel it had the potential to be.

______________________________________________________

Her début novel THE FALCONER will be released in 2013 by Gollancz (UK/Commonwealth) and Chronicle Children's Books (US/Canada).

Abandonment issues

2012-01-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

Abandoning a book isn't an easy decision.

Well, if you've only written 1,000 words it's kind of easy. 10,000 is tougher. But, 63,910?

See, that EXACT word count is where I am now. The project, a YA religious horror novel that was going good for about 4 months, suddenly turned into A Nightmare on Book Street. It's seriously messing with my productivity as I lose day after day trying to figure a (good) way to untangle the numerous plot threads I've lost control of. Things seemed so perfect in month 1 when this baby was 50 smoking pages of intense they-won't-be-able-to-put-this-down goodness. 200 pages later, with no end in sight, not so much.

What to do?

Maybe 'abandon' is too strong a term. Maybe me and the book need a break. If I love it, let it go and all that. I'm on the fence, but if I decide to put this one away after all this work I can live with it. Why? Because I typically finish my work. I've written over a half-dozen novels. I just finished a draft of YA Urban Fantasy novel (hopefully more on that soon) in October, and soon I'll have to devote all of my attention to performing edits on WHISPERTOWN, so there's plenty for me to do.

You, however, probably want to know if and when YOU should abandon a book. That's an easy assessment once you answer a simple question. What do YOU typically do?

Sometimes an idea doesn't pan out. If that's a rare occurence for you, there's no harm in letting a so-so story go to work on something more promising that you can finish. If ALL of your stories don't pan out, so you never finish anything, you may need to consider that you have Abandonment Issues. The issue being that you abandon all of your work when it gets hard. That is something we can not abide.

If you normally finish the writing you start, letting a rough idea or two go isn't the end of the world.Who knows, you might come back to it later. It's happened to me before.

If you tend to start more than you finish, DO NOT ABANDON ANYTHING ELSE! You have to get over this hurdle sometime. Might as well be now.

It always gets hard. Doubt seeps in. Neither are reasons to abandon your book. In fact, now that I've typed that, maybe I'll reconsider letting go of that project I've come so far on.

You should reconsider, too.

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

When an idea is just an idea

2012-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

This week, Lucky 13ers have been discussing when it’s timeto abandon an idea. It’s hard, agonizing really, when you realize your storyjust isn’t working. The first novel I tried to write barely got past 5,000words. I had an idea I thought would make a fantastic book. Yes, fantastic.

I would “write what I know.” We’ve all heard that particularpiece of advice and I could do that! I have three boys. Our family lives justoutside of town, while not technically “the country”, it’s pretty close. Andthese three boys are a walking mess. More days than not – they leave the houselooking like normal children only to return covered in mud, shoeless and carryingunknown items found in the woods. (And sometimes these items are alive!)

Oldest son, middle son and a cousin, who may or may not be allowed to come back over.

How great –a Middle Grade adventure story starring three boysgrowing up in the country. I mean, look at all the real life material I had topull from. Just documenting what my boys got into every day would be the bestMG boys’ adventure book out there. This book would write itself. Right?

No, it didn’t.

Not at all.

I started out with a great setting, introduced my maincharacters and had them get into a few scrapes and misadventures. And then…Ihad nothing. Even some of the funniersituations I wrote about was not enough. There was no meat in this story.

All the cute (and not so cute) things my boys did was cute(or not so cute) to me. And only me. Because I’m their mother.

And while I’m not knocking the “write what you know” advice,I have to add a little something to it. “Make sure it has a plot and wouldactually be interesting to other people!”

There are times when an idea for a fantastic story is just that - an idea. And while I enjoy what each new day brings with my boys,it’s not the riveting, roller-coaster, white-knuckle stuff great novels aremade of.

Thank goodness.

Ashley Elston lives in Shreveport, Louisiana with her husband and three sons. Her debut YA novel, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, will be published by Disney Hyperion in Winter 2013. You can find Ashley at her blog or on Twitter.

My Poor Abandoned Middle-Grade Novel

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

After I finished writing my first YA project (you know, the one no one will ever see), I needed a change. I wanted a new voice, a new sensibility, a new world. I wanted a new genre. I wanted a lightness and an innocence that I didn’t think I could manage with a YA voice. I wanted to experiment, to push myself, and to have fun. I wanted to write a middle-grade novel for the first time.

So I did. I wrote 30,000 words, which for a middle-grade novel is pretty far along. I fell in love with my little narrator, a girl named Ada with the eyes of the world on her. She was sweet. She was spunky. She was smart. I had the time of my life connecting to that voice and getting to know her.

But. My plot was a mess. And more than that, I couldn’t write through the confusion. Or rather, I overwrote through the confusion. Sometimes we all get lost while writing a novel. A novel is a big, hulking mess sometimes. But we write through it, we write our ways out of the chaos, we rediscover why we were writing in the first place. But in the case of my little Ada, I couldn’t write through it. I kept changing my mind about what the novel would be. And then I started worrying about what other people would like the novel to be. There was a road trip. There was family dysfunction. There was a unique structural element. There was an older sister and two mothers and five cities and a first crush and a runaway and a celebrity. There were so many ideas, I couldn’t remember what it was I wanted to write about, or what kind of story I was telling. The tone kept changing. Ada’s voice would shift. I couldn’t even decide on a tense.

I wasn’t writing through the problem, I was writing around it. I was writing three different books and trying to shove the pieces together into one book. I was so concerned with making it right, that I wasn’t able to follow through on a single idea. So I set it aside, and it’s been a little under a year since I’ve visited with Ada.

I think if I were to return to Ada and her story, I’d have to start over. Not rearranging chapters, not revising what already exists, not weeding through those 30,000 words. I’d have to truly start over. Blank page. Chapter One. With only my love of little Ada to guide me.

The word count would start from zero, but the process wouldn’t. I got to know Ada in those months I spent trying (and failing) to write her story. And hopefully, someday, that work will pay off, just not in the way I originally imagined.

But that’s what’s so fun about what we do, right? The exciting prospect of your greatest failure someday becomes a wonderful success. Because you just never know.

Apocalypse Now: An Interview with Megan Miranda, Author of FRACTURE

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

When I read that Megan Miranda's book Fracture was being pitched to fans of Before I Fall and If I Stay, I couldn't help but get excited by this book. My expectations were high and this book did not fail. It hooks you from the start and doesn't let go until the end.

From Goodreads:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage.

Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

First, a pretty standard question....what gave you the idea to write this book?

I have a background in science, but the more I studied, the more I was drawn to the anomalies—the things that didn’t seem to follow the rules, or to the things science couldn’t explain yet. We know so much about how things happen, but there is still so much unknown about the brain and how it works: why some people recover, why others don’t; why people with the same injuries can have vastly different outcomes. I’ve also wondered for a while how much of us, and therefore our brain, is determined by DNA, and how much is something more. I don’t have any answers, but the questions inspired me to write.

What is your writing process like? Do you outline? Do you just sit down and let the story tell itself?

I don’t outline, though I probably should. I can’t think that broadly at first, though. I sit down and start to write, and then eventually I start over again once I realize where the story is going, or where it should go. By the time I sit down to write the final draft, I usually have a pretty structured outline in place, but the outline is usually a reflection of things I discovered in earlier drafts.

I love the winter setting in Maine. Was it inspired from a place you know? Did you have a lake like Delaney's lake? Did you grow up with cold snowy winters?

Thanks! It was inspired somewhat by a place I know. My dad grew up in Maine, and it was always our favorite place to vacation in the summer. We used to stay on a bay, which was absolutely freezing even in the summer (though it didn’t stop us from daring each other to swim in it). The setting for Fracture has that same feel (though a lake instead of a bay), only it’s after the tourists like me leave—when it’s just this small town in the cold winter. I grew up in New Jersey, and we definitely had our fair share of snow (and I also had my fair share of playing-in-snow-related injuries), but not nearly as much as the setting for Fracture.

What are your "must haves" while writing? Are there a certain foods? Drinks? Music?

The only must-have for me is silence. Which is pretty hard to come by with a 3 and 5 year old at home J Which is why I typically do most of my writing at night. Other than that…nope! If I’m revising, I also require sticky-notes. I’m partial to the hot-pink variety.

What was your favorite part of writing Fracture?

Developing the characters and the relationships during the first draft. It was kind of a mess, but I love that beginning feeling, when you’re getting to know your characters, and anything can happen still.

Delaney survives being underwater for eleven minutes. Your cover states that a lot can happen in eleven minutes. Give me three things that you can do in eleven minutes!

*Well, I definitely can't run 2 miles. I'm going to be optimistic and say that I could run 1...but that might be a lie. I used to be a runner, but now I think I'd be lucky if I could just complete a mile.
*Like Delaney, I once wrote an English essay in ten.
*Now that I have 2 kids, I can actually get ready for the day (including shower) in 11 minutes out of necessity. It’s not pretty, but I’m pretty proud of that skill!

Delaney asks those close to her what they would do if they had one day left to live. Well...what would you do?

I did think about this while writing Fracture since Delaney has to think about it. And I don’t think it would be any big thing. I’d spend it doing what I do most days: with my kids, doing something they absolutely loved.

Delaney develops an ability after her accident to sense death. If you could have a special power, what would it be?

To fly. Just because.

How do you plan to celebrate your release day?

I’m going to be in NYC, which I’m so excited about because a lot of my family lives nearby. And I’ll be doing an event at Books of Wonder that night with some of my favorite authors!

And since you're being interviewed by The Lucky 13s, I have to ask...what's your favorite superstition?

It’s not exactly my favorite superstition, but it’s the one I can’t seem to shake: I still hold my breath when I drive by a graveyard. I grew up around the corner from a pretty large one, so it was pretty much a daily occurrence. I honestly have no idea what the superstition behind this is, but now it’s habit.

Fracture is avaliable today!

Get it in your local bookstore or on the following sites:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

*This interview was conducted by Lucky 13 member Rachele Alpine, as part of an ongoing series of interviews with the Apocalypsies—YA, MG, and children’s book authors with 2012 debuts.

When/why do you abandon an idea?

2012-01-16T04:03:00.000-08:00

This week the lucky thirteens are answering this toughie:

When/Why do you abandon an idea?

This is a question that has been painfully close to my heart as I work on my second novel. I have given up on novels before, and it isn't fun. I didn't want to give up onthis one – I'd already spent three months writing 30,000 words – but was it worth finishing? Would anyone want to read it?

On top of worries about whether or not the book was worth writing, there was – in my mind at least – a flicking calendar. For the first time in my writing career (which technically began three months ago) I didn't have all the time in the world. My deadline is December. But, I asked myself time and again, should it really be this hard?

Before I finished my first novel, INFINITE SKY, I had started two other novels. One was a dystopian story set in Cornwall, the other a story about some damaged people living by cliff tops, that had something to with religion. If my descriptions are a bit vague it's because I barely know what I'm talking about.

After between five and forty thousand (Yep. Forty.) these two fledgling novels died a death. I didn't know what they were about. There was no momentum within the stories. I had nothing to say. There was no urgency. Even I couldn't be bothered to write it, which meant nobody would want to read it. Eventually, reluctantly, and with more than a little relief, I gave up. (For the record, I looked back at these four or five year old documents recently and was astounded by how little of worth there was in them. Phew!)

INFINITE SKY was the first novel that I completed. It was the first novel to have its own momentum, not immediately, but before too long. Quite early on in the draft, I knew with a certainty I hadn’t felt before that I would complete it. Whether it would sell or not, or appeal to anyone, I had no idea. But there was a kind of force to it. All I had to do was write.

That's not to say I didn't go for weeks without writing a word, or that I didn't get lost and confused along the way. It's not to say I didn't frequently have to put the novel aside well before noon just to take a little disheartened nap. But I couldn't give up on it. There was a story, and even if I didn't know what it was yet, this story had an ending. I just had to get there and find out what it was.

This time, everything's different. I have a publisher for this book, as I sold INFINITE SKY as part of a two book deal. And I have a deadline. Someone out there actually cares what I'm writing. This is mind blowing to me, after eight years of quite the opposite.

The conclusion I have come to - after much freewriting and reading and worrying about why this book is not coming together - is that I have to find a whole new way to write this novel. Just because I have written one, does not mean I now have a template for novel-writing. Alas.

But what was it that made me realise that this book deserved to be written? How did I realise that I’m not just wasting my time? How do I know I shouldn’t just cut my losses and think up a different idea?

My characters.

From very early on, the three of them seemed to live. They had a rapport that moved me and made me laugh. They had thoughts and ideas of their own, and hopes and dreams. I could see their relationships to each other and how these were going to change as the story went on. Those two novels I abandoned years ago? They didn't have this.

I still don’t know exactly what my second novel is about. I'm not sure where it is set. I can’t yet talk about it confidently or with any clarity. But I want to know what becomes of my characters. I want to know what happened to them to make them the way that they are. Those funny, hurt, hopeful little beings that they are. Already I am falling in love with them, and I think that other people will too.

Chelsey Flood writes short stories, plays and novels. Her first novel INFINITE SKY comes out with Simon and Schuster in February next year.

Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog.

The 13th Day: Writing Snacks

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Some people may think that the number 13 is unlucky, but not those of us at The Lucky 13s!

In fact, we're celebrating the 13th day of each month by featuring a blog entry that celebrates all of our members.

Here's how it works... I'll ask a question, and they'll answer.

It's a way of making the 13th day of each month a little bit more special!

This month's question was...

Winter is the time for hibernating and staying warm and cozy inside
with your manuscript. What is your must have food/drink while writing
and revising?

Watch out! Your mouth might start watering as you read our tasty responses!

Rachele Alpine:
I need a good strong cup of coffee to keep me going. I mix in a little skim milk and vanilla creamer and it's the bomb diggity! Gummy candy is also a must...but I'll talk Hot Tamales in an emergency situation.

Cat Winters:
Hot chocolate topped with chocolate whipped cream from my favorite indie
coffeehouse.

Julia Gibson:
Yorkshire Gold tea with milk and sugar and cucumbers on toast with a
choc. Without that, no writing is possible!

Jessica Young:
Dark roast coffee and dark chocolate are my staples. But have been known to explore various other options: salt water taffy, popcorn, salt and vinegar chips, jelly beans, and alternative beverages – especially when revising, nothing is safe!

Emma Pass:
Freshly ground coffee and cheese on toast. :)

Kristin Halbrook:
A triple espresso with a touch of Irish Cream and a pack of Gummy Tummy
penguins. Total brain food!

Betsy Cornwell:
Tea, Earl Grey, hot--the way the best Starfleet captain takes it.

Brandy Colbert:
I don't eat while writing (in fact, I'm the Queen of Forgetting to Eat For Several Hours When Writing) but my favorite snack is a glass of tart grapefruit juice and a bowl of Trader Joe's organic popcorn popped in olive oil. A strange but delicious combination.

Elsie Chapman:
Caffeine is my vice of choice! I'll take it in any way, shape, or form, but
I'm partial to Tazo Awake and Stash Double Bergamot teas in the winter, and
iced coffees in the summer!

Lydia Kang:
I must have salt! But a little sweet makes it even better. My latest
writing treats are medjool dates and a slice of fancy-schmancy cheese. Oh,
and green tea. I'm a tea-aholic.

Erin Bowman:
Chai is my weakness. Chai tea, Chai lattes, *Pumpkin* Chai lattes! Nothing
like a beverage that tastes like Autumn and spices to warm you up on a cold
winter day.

Caroline Carlson:
I'm a tea drinker. These days it's usually English Breakfast with milk
and sugar. I don't eat while I write, and on really good writing days,
I get so caught up in my work that I forget to eat lunch until it's
almost time for dinner. (But I always have some cookies nearby in case
of writing emergencies.)

Elisabeth Dahl:
I alternate between sparkly drinks (seltzer, diet soda, the occasional glass of cava) and hot drinks (especially I Love Lemon tea). Somehow the combination of cold and hot fuels the effort.

Ashley Elston:
Okay, seems like everyone snacks like a grown-up while I'm more like a twelve year old. Coke zero while writing and banana Laffy Taffy while revising. And yes, only banana flavor will do. I need the comic relief from the jokes on the wrapper to get through the really stressful stuff!

Phoebe North:
Eight o'clock coffee and cheese and crackers! Om nom nom.

Ryan Graudin:
Without a hot drink at my side I can't seem to get the words to come out
right. Any kind will do the trick: Chai, coffee, tea, hot chocolate. I also
really enjoy Butter Rum Lifesavers (they remind me of Butterbeer!)

Jennifer Stark:
I am all about coffee, however I can get it. Everything else is incidental to the caffeine! Foodwise, it's really whatever is handy, particularly almonds and cheese.

Liz Coley:
A latte and a lemon Nonni's biscotti are my writing staples!

Amy McCulloch:
For me, it's a mug of hot tea and a packet of Cadbury chocolate buttons! The right combination of food for my muse.

Imogen Howson:
Coffee with skimmed milk and honey. Food is nice, but it's for breaks, not
for while I'm writing--too much of a distraction otherwise!

Corey Haydu:
I'm also a writer who relies heavily on a hot drink. I usually go for a
Starbucks Chai latte, or a skim mocha anywhere else. As for snacks,
goldfish are a staple. But when I need extra motivation, I treat myself to
a chocolate croissant. I have a feeling January will be all about the
chocolate croissant, since I will be starting revisions!

Megan Shepherd:
My writing drink of choice is a maple & sea salt hot chocolate from my
town's chocolate lounge. That's right--chocolate lounge. It's amazing!

Deb Driza:
I drink a ton of Zen hot green tea, and pretty much eat whatever's in
grabbing distance (so if you're writing nearby, lock up your snacks!)
but I love those chocolate brownie bites with sea salted caramel from
Starbucks...yum!) And if I'm splurging on drinks, I'll have a hot
apple spiced cider. (No skipping the whipped cream for me--that would
be cider sacrilege!)

Tamera Wissinger:
On cold writing days my favorite morning snack combo is a cup of hot peppermint milk and a bowl of dry Cheerios. (Love the crunch!) After lunch a bit of dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt signals it’s time to go back to work.

Mindy McGinnis:
I write lying down, so if I were to eat or drink anything while writing I'd
probably choke and die, thus negatively impacting my productivity.

Jessica Corra:
For me the only must-have is WATER. Lots of it. I get really focused and
forget to drink anything, so staying hydrated is super important to me.

Sarah Skilton:
In the morning before work, I like coffee, tea, or a smoothie (OJ, plain
yogurt, bananas and strawberries in the blender) to get me in the proper
mindset of starting my day and writing for an hour. At night, after
spending the day filling my brain up, I like a Guinness or a glass of wine
to help me relax and place a formal separation between my "work day" and my
"writing night." This also helps me be less critical of whatever I'm
writing or revising!

Chelsey Flood:
I drink earl grey all day when I'm writing. With extra sugar when things are bad, and always milk. Coffee makes me feel agitated/nervous, so occasionally I have a cup of that to see if it stimulates me, and if I can turn that nervousness into alertness. It doesn't work. If I'm writing at night, I sometimes drink red wine, to make it feel a bit more sociable.

April Tucholke:
I drink yerba mate, cold, with a bit of almond milk, out of a quart
mason jar (I like that they have lids). Sometimes I'll make a
espresso con panna, if I'm feeling up for the buzz, or maybe a warm
matcha--which is green tea powder whisked into water or milk. It's a
sprightly jade green color that I find cheering on dark days.

What about you? What is your favorite writing snack?

Dystel and Goderich and her young adult comtemporary novel CANARY will be published in the summer of 2013 by Medallion Press.

She blogs, or you can find her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Tough Time Trouble

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Lucky 13's have asked a question for the week:

What keeps you going, when the going gets tough?

I know that feeling. That downward roller coaster when your stomach contents reside in your neck as your writing career goes kablooey? I've lived it. Here's a sampling of bad times and what's helped me through the muck.

I can't get an agent/publisher.
I've heard people call rejections "subjections." It truly is a subjective business. I tried hard to turn the rejections into energy driving me forward. Tweak the query letter. Keep working on your writing quality. Have another book coming down the pipe. Reassess your path periodically. Be ready for the worst news, and hope for the best.

I did strongly consider small presses and self-publishing if I couldn't find an agent or get published traditionally. I had confidence this book deserved to be on a shelf (or e-shelf). I'm glad that I had those options open to me.

I have writer's block for this scene/character/plot/sequel.
This regularly tortures me. The Lucky 13's helped me out with sequel angst, and they came to my help with all kinds of suggestions. So talk things through with your writer friends. For some reason, lying a dark, quiet room gets me to brainstorming nirvana. Works on migraines, and works on writer's block too! But sometimes, all that thinking just gets your brain sulci in knots. When that happens, time away from your project is golden.

My writing career is not going as planned.
Whose writing career? Is is yours, or is it someone else's? I've heard so many amazing success stories, and it's unbelievable how varying the paths are. Any success of another writer does NOT diminish your own career as a consequence. Most of us will not be the writer who pours out their first book ever in a few weeks, considers drool-ridden offers from 10 agents, has their book go to auction for over half a million dollars, and snags a movie deal as icing on the cake. Those writers are still human. None of these things gives them the ability to poop sunshine or pee rainbows.

Forget the others and write, write, write. Work on your next project. Consider publishing your work (anthologies, traditional and online journals, etc) so you can keep building your portfolio of writing. Consider alternate pathways of getting to your publishing goal. Find a support group that will tell you you're writing isn't garbage, while also being honest and pushing you to improve.

Everything sucks.
Chances are that if you are reading this blog, you possess some or all of the following: a place to sleep at night, clothes on your back, food to eat, a loving family, friends, and a computer to access. You are probably not currently hospitalized with a deadly illness. You probably have a fire in your belly about a passion near and dear to you (writing, maybe? Hmmm?).

Don't forget perspective. Things can always be much worse than they already are. Worrying about writerly concerns are truly a first world problem. I need to remind myself of this often. And believe me, perspective slaps me back to reality time and time again.

Lydia Kang is a writer, part-time doctor, and salt-addicted gal with a near-pathological need to doodle. Her sci-fi YA novel, THE FOUNTAIN (Dial/Penguin) will be out in Spring of 2013.

Find her on Twitter, her blog The Word Is My Oyster, and her website.

The Twelve Days of Rejection

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing with this week's theme: What Keeps You Going When the Going Gets Tough. I know the holidays are over, but I've composed my ode to writing survival to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

THE TWELVE DAYS OF REJECTION
by Cat Winters

On the first day of rejections my true love gave to me:
My writer friends' empathy.

On the second day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Two chocolate bars,
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the third day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Three foot rubs,
Two chocolate bars,
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the fourth day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Four calls to my sister,
...etcetera, etcetera...
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the fifth day of rejections my true love gave to me:
FIVE FRESH-AIR BREAKS,
Four calls to my sister,
Three foot rubs,
Two chocolate bars,
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the sixth day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Six yoga sessions,
FIVE FRESH-AIR BREAKS,
...la, la, la, la, la... add some more caffeine...
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the seventh day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Seven escapist movies,
Six yoga sessions,
You know all the rest,
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the eighth day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Eight inspiring novels,
Seven escapist movies,
...and can we make them movies that involve attractive men in historical clothing? Because that makes me really happy...
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the ninth day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Nine stress-relief walks,
Eight inspiring novels,
Seven....oh, just give me the @#*!-ing chocolate...
And my writer friends' empathy.

Barbara Poelle,
Dauntless Literary Agent
& Master Pep Talk Giver

On the tenth day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Ten Barbara pep talks,
Nine stress-relief walks,
Men dressed in historical garb,
...la, la, la, la, la...
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the eleventh day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Eleven hugs from my children,
Ten Barbara pep talks,
Nine...
...OH MY GOD, I'M NEVER GOING TO GET PUBLISHED!
I. AM. NEVER. GOING. TO. GET. PUBLISHED!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two chocolate bars,
And my writer friends' empathy.

On the twelfth day of rejections my true love gave to me:
Twelve hours of uninterrupted writing time,

Eleven hugs from my children,
Ten Barbara pep talks,
Nine stress-relief walks,
Eight inspiring novels,
Seven escapist movies,
Six yoga sessions,
FIVE FRESH-AIR BREAKS,
Four calls to my sister,
Three foot rubs,
Two chocolate bars,
And my writer friends' empathy.

That's all it takes.
____________________________________________________

Cat Winters was born and raised just a short drive down the freeway from Disneyland, which probably explains her obsession with haunted mansions, bygone eras, and fantasylands. Her debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, an illustrated YA historical ghost tale, is coming Spring 2013 from Amulet Books. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two kids.

You can visit Cat's haunts at CatWinters.com, Twitter, and Facebook. In the Shadow of Blackbirds is now on Goodreads.

Apocalypse Now: An Interview with Robin Mellom, Author of DITCHED

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've had my eye on Robin Mellom Ditched since I read about it in Publishers Marketplace. I remember it being pitched as The Hangover for teens centering on prom. I am so glad I get to present it to all of you. This book rocks!

From Goodreads:

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.

Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.

Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.

And then ditched her.

Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together — stain by stain on her thrift-store dress — exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...

But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

Filled with humor, charm, and romance, Ditched: A Love Story by debut novelist Robin Mellom will have readers dreaming of love on their own prom nights.

First, a pretty standard question....what gave you the idea to write this book?

My agent suggested I write a humorous teen novel. So I thought back on all the crazy things that had happened to me and recalled one incident at a formal dance my freshmen year of college involving a semi-blind date. I say “semi” because we went to dinner one time before I would agree to go to this formal with him. At dinner, he was extremely shy and quiet, but also well-mannered and nice so I agreed to go with him. But on our second date—the night of the dance—his fraternity brothers convinced him to drink way too many shots of vodka and he turned into a MUCH different person. The guy thought it would be “oh-so-hilarious!” to run around unzipping girls’ dresses (including mine) and I spent most of the night in the bathroom fixing my zipper and cursing his name. Needless to say, there wasn’t a third date with that boy. But that zipper-malfunction-incident went on to become the nugget that led to me writing DITCHED which led to my first published book. Aaah, closure. Love it!

What is your writing process like? Do you outline? Do you just sit down and let the story tell itself?

I start with an idea and usually I tinker around with the first chapter to get a handle on the voice and character. Then I stop and outline the turning points and conclusion. Whenever I know how a story will end, I can more confidently start back at the beginning.

What is your "must haves" while writing? Is there a certain food? Drink? Music?

Miniature Reese’s, Coke Zero, walnuts (to keep me from feeling guilty about the junk food). Music is different depending on whether I’m writing teen or middle grade and it depends on if the scene is fun or serious. So I usually have an appropriate Pandora station playing in the background.

Justina's dress is pretty important to the book. What did your prom dress look like?

My dress was one-shoulder, black, and straight to the floor. I loved the dress because it looked very similar to an extremely expensive dress I found at the mall but this one was a total bargain at JC Penney. No shame in a Penney’s dress! I’m proud of being totally practical.

Did any disasters happen at your own prom?

Fortunately for me, my own prom was quite lovely, but we did end up at a crazy party at a Hampton Inn, so yes, that ended up in the book. (Sorry, Mom and Dad, if you’re reading this. The truth finally comes out!)

Justina is telling her story to two women in the 7-11....if you had ten dollars to spend in the 7-11, what would you buy?

I love the coke slurpees and the entire candy bar aisle

What was your favorite part of writing DITCHED?

Many of the scenes were inspired by stories from friends of mine. Like the demolition-derby ready Cadillac the main character drives around in was a story told to me by my hairstylist. And the limo driver was inspired by a story told to me by my Chiropractor. I had the best time while writing this book because I got to run around asking all the people in my life, “What happened at your prom??” Crazy stuff, I promise.

How do you plan to celebrate your release day?

I’m having a party at my house on release day with thrift store prom dresses and junk food and champagne and my closest friends. I’m also having an “official” launch party in Santa Monica on the 22nd at Diesel Bookstore where I’ll talk about my writing journey, read from the book, give away stuff, eat and party!

And since you're being interviewed by The Lucky 13s, I have to ask...what's your favorite superstition?

I love the idea of not trying to step on the cracks of sidewalks, so my son and I often hold hands and jump our way down the street. Superstitious and FUN! ☺

Ditched is out today! Get it at your local bookstore or one of the following sites:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

You can also read the first chapter of Ditched here.

*This interview was conducted by Lucky 13 member Rachele Alpine, as part of an ongoing series of interviews with the Apocalypsies—YA, MG, and children’s book authors with 2012 debuts.

PROCRASTINATE YOUR WAY TO PRODUCTIVITY

2012-01-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Writing is easy: All you do it sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. - Gene Fowler

In the modern age, this cogent advice could perhaps be recast as: “Stare at a white screen until your eyes bleed.” For more words of encouragement from other authors, check out this link.

But you came here to listen to me, not them. So here’s what I do when the going gets tough, when I’m stuck and I can’t face the screen either to revise or create, when I’m emotionally exhausted, having a personal dark night of the writer’s soul, terrified that if I write anything down I’ll be struck by a bus and when they go through my computer, that will be what people thought I actually wanted to write.

Do something else.

There are so many non-writerly ways to procrastinate. Clean the house, grocery shop, make a complicated recipe for dinner, go for a walk, file that foot-high pile of receipts, go for a drive (but take care of something you were supposed to do so you don’t waste gas). All of these give your mind stillness, a time to be routine. And often in being given permission not to think about the story, the devious and contrary mind will work on the story anyway, under the covers with a flashlight.

There are so many writerly ways to procrastinate. Read a book. Yes, that’s what writers do--we read and appreciate and analyze. Turn on NPR and listen to interviews. Yes, that’s what writers do--we tell stories about people’s lives. Read a book on writing craft, even a favorite chapter of a manual you have already finished. Yes, that’s what writers do--we develop our craft over the years with effort and attention. And while you are procrastinating in writerly ways, the urge to create germinates and grows stealthily underground, waiting for a burst of sunlight to break through.

Do not: spend a hour reading Twitter unless you are looking for business contacts or new plot ideas. Do not: spend an additional hour catching up on Facebook unless you are promoting a book to your fans. Do not: spend ninety minutes on YouTube looking at random videos unless you are writing about popular culture. Internet can suck the life out of a day, leaving you with a hollow feeling of having passed out and woken up three and a half hours later with nothing to show for it.

Take care of business, clean your house and head, make room. Then, when the perfect thought leaps into your mind, stop procrastinating, and use the burst of adrenalin to break through the sludge and get to work again.

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

Liz Coley writes young adult novels and science fiction/fantasy short stories for anthologies and magazines.

Her novel Pretty Girl-13 from HarperCollins Katherine Tegen Books will be debuting in 2013. There are secrets you can't even tell yourself.

For more about Liz and her work, visit lizcoley.com and LCTeen.com or follow her on Twitter at LizColeyBooks.

Mindy McGinnis: How I Got My Agent

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

The query process is full of pitfalls and frustrations. But here's the good news: it actually works. Here's the bad news: it's up to you to make it work.

It took me a full decade to realize the truth of the second part of that statement. I had three novels and hundreds of rejection letters under my belt (uh yeah, I said hundreds) before I figured out that talent isn't the only thing you need to succeed in this business. You also need research, tenacity, and a support group.

Tenacity - I'm Irish, so... check.
Support Group - Hmm... nope didn't have one of those.
Research - What? You mean I have to do something other than write the book?

I joined the amazing writing community over at AgentQuery Connect, wrote a new book, improved that book with the help of the tried and true crit partners I found there, wrote a query, improved the query with the help of the same, and... then I sent the query.

The result? After a decade of agent hunting and amassing 130 rejections on one manuscript alone, I had 8 full requests in a week. Yeah. It's what I tell my students - do your homework.

Adriann Ranta of Wolf Literary was one of my first choices as well as a first responder. I chose Adriann because she was a newer agent, hungry for manuscripts and open to new writers. Adriann requested a partial to begin with, the full shortly thereafter, and then asked to schedule a phone call. My palms sweated. I thought I might vomit. Luckily I didn't, as it would've impeded my ability to speak, but my hands were slick little puppies and my cell kept slipping out of my grasp.

Kinda like my hold on reality.

After a conversation about my inspiration for NOT A DROP TO DRINK, a quick talk about other ideas I had and sharing on her part about Wolf Literary and what they brought to the table, Adriann offered to represent me. And I seriously considered peeing myself.

I wanted to say YES! right then (hey, a decade's worth of effort had just paid off!), but there were other fulls still out and it's proper procedure to let the agents holding them know that I had an offer. I asked Adriann to give me a week to get back to her, informed the other agents and waited for that week to pass. I had one other offer, but Adriann and I had a shared vision for the project, and our personalities had really clicked. At the end of the week, I called her to voice that 7-day-old "YES!"

Quickly followed by: "Uh... now what?"

APOCALYPSE NOW: An interview with Veronica Rossi, author of UNDER THE NEVER SKY

2012-01-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

What better way to start off the New Year than with an interview with Veronica Rossi, whose highly anticipated book, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, releases today from HarperCollins! Congratulations, Veronica!

From Goodreads:

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

How did you come up with the idea for UNDER THE NEVER SKY? What were your inspirations?

UNDER THE NEVER SKY had several points of inspiration. I knew I wanted to write a story about two very different characters: a girl of the future, and a boy of the past. I was intrigued by all the story possibilities of this pairing, and I also loved that it would give me the ability to probe into my own questions about our interconnectedness with technology. I knew I didn't want to write a time-travel story, so I started to ask a lot of what if questions, and ended up with a post-apocalyptic setting that forced people to divide into two groups. One group would live in the safety of enclosed cities and their lives would be highly dependent on technology. The other group would live in a harsh exterior world, reverting to a much more primitive existence of raw survival.

A number of non-fiction books helped to inspire the societies in UNDER THE NEVER SKY. A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES and RADICAL EVOLUTION were two books that I read backward and forward, and used as spring-boards for creating the Dweller and Outsider societies. It was tough-going at first, but the more time I spent world-building, the more fun it became.

Your book takes place in a futuristic world divided between the Pods, with genetically engineered beautiful people and virtual realty realms, and the Death Shop, a radiation-tainted wilderness. Which world would you rather live in?

I'm tempted to say I'd choose real life, but I'm a dreamer at heart. I think I'd choose the Pod life and spend my days cruising the art Realms. Can you imagine stepping into a Van Gogh painting? I'd also love to fly, or attend an underwater concert. Oh, and the Mythology Realms! Who wouldn't want to see a real Minotaur? My husband thought up a Realm the other day that I'd love to see: New York Surf Realm. I'd love to surf through Central Park. That's the thing about the Realms. If you can imagine it, it can be done. There's just no limit.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY has so much to offer readers—romance, big themes, suspense, and a little science fiction. What do you hope readers will most connect with?

It's interesting that you mention the different aspects of UNDER THE NEVER SKY, because that's what I hope readers will enjoy. Personally, I love stories that are broad and offer friendship, adventure, romance, personal growth... I hope UNDER THE NEVER SKY will appeal to readers who also love those things as well. If you pinned me down to one thing, though, I'd have to say the romance is one of my favorite aspects.

Tell us about your path to publication. Were you lucky or cursed with many obstacles?

I spent almost seven years writing seriously before I wrote UNDER THE NEVEr SKY. I have two novels in a drawer that I didn't query. I knew they weren't ready. But once I had the Never Sky manuscript finished, the process was lightning fast. I was very lucky to meet people who believed in the story right away. In the span of three months, I had a US offer, international offers and a movie deal. I feel guilty even saying it. But it does make up for years and years of staring at my ceiling in the middle of the night and asking myself, Why am I doing this? Will I ever be published?

Dystopian stories are popular right now. Why do you think teenagers and adults are connecting now to the ideas and issues this genre deals with?

Well, first, I'd like to make a small clarification that my story does have some dystopian elements, but it falls more comfortably into the label of science fiction. (That's a label that has traditionally turned off many readers, but I hope that will begin to change.) Back to your question, I think many of these stories might appear heavy and dark on the surface, but they can really offer hope. And like all sci-fi, it's a great platform to examine the consequences of our current actions and choices.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY is the first in a trilogy. What can we expect from the next two books?

The Aether storms will increase, and that will put a lot of pressure on everyone. The phrase rats on a sinking ship comes to mind. It's going to get intense. Also: there will be betrayal, death, and more romance. Sorry to be vague, but... you know. Can't give it away!

Because this is the Lucky 13s blog, we like to know a little more about authors’ superstitions. Do you have any lucky charms or believe in any superstitions?

I have a few superstitions, but nothing out of the ordinary. I hold my breath when I drive through tunnels or past cemeteries. When my younger son is with me, I don't step on cracks in the sidewalk. I do have lucky charms, though. I have two necklaces that bring me luck and my best lucky charm is my mother. She's amazing at drawing good things out of the Universe. She lights a candle and prays, and nine times out of ten, something good happens.

Thanks so much for having me, Megan and Lucky 13s! I'm looking forward to reading your books!

***

This interview was conducted by Lucky 13 member Megan Shepherd, as part of an ongoing series of interviews with the Apocalypsies—YA, MG, and children’s book authors with 2012 debuts.

Connect with Veronica and learn more about UNDER THE NEVER SKY:
Veronica's website/blog
Veronica's Twitter feed
Facebook page for UNDER THE NEVER SKY series

Buy your copy of UNDER THE NEVER SKY at your favorite local bookstore, or online at:
IndieBound
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

2012 Writing Resolutions? Just Do It.

2012-01-03T03:51:00.000-08:00

Calvin & Hobbes on Resolutions

I have a confession to make: I am a huge fan of New Year's Eve, Resolutions, Goal Setting, and Planning in general.

In fact, I can generally be found preparing for the New Year when I'm only halfway through the year before. I have an ongoing obsession with planners, a marginally-disturbing menagerie of time management and achievement books, and a compulsive need to create "To-Do" lists.

But as 2012 clocks in at Day 3, I sit down at my desk and find myself drifting away from all of my carefully constructed color-coded charts, logical lists, actionable action plans and meticulously-honed mantras and instead staring at a blank screen with a wildly unexpected thought bubbling in my mind: "Just Do It." This is both terrifying and strangely liberating.

Why? Because for the first time in my writing career, I actually can just do it.

In 2011 I learned that my young adult novel, Maid of Secrets, would be published in 2013. Up to that point, I'd been a part-time fiction writer and full-time something else. Well, in 2012, after months of (you guessed it!) planning, I'm finally committed to being a full-time fiction writer and part-time something else (in my case, freelance writer). And now that the New Year is here, it's time to "Just Do It".

My Writing Resolutions therefore are pretty straightforward, and come down to these four cornerstones:

1. Be a Fiction Writer First

In my freelance work, I do a lot of marketing and advertising writing -- and I am a member of multiple blogs, loops, forums and other random internet groups that can often be colossally distracting from the real work of the writer... which is actually writing FICTION. But to be a professional fiction writer, the fiction writing has to come first. This for me means writing (or editing) every day, working on developing new ideas, and hitting deadlines (both real and self-imposed). Yes, I'm hopeful to have lots of fun promo for Maid of Secrets to do eventually... but for long term success, I will always need to put the fiction writing first!

2. Read Good Books (and watch Good Movies)

There are plenty of books and movies out there we take in for sheer entertainment value, curiosity, or to stay current with the latest market trends. But there are also many extraordinary books and movies that can stretch us as writers, open us up to true excellence in the craft, and flat out make us better at what we do. My goal is to seek those out and welcome the lessons they bring.

3. Commit to being a Healthy Writer

"Healthy" means different things to different people, and balance is one of those ephemeral states that doesn't really match up with my often-extremist lifestyle. But if I can't achieve balance, then at least I will strive for harmony - going all out in one area, then refilling the well with equal enthusiasm. Being healthy to me also means I will regain my former levels of fitness (which I most definitely lost in the back-to-back writing blitzes of 2011!) and will take better care of my health. I've got a lot I want to do in this life!

4. Develop and Maintain Positive Connections

Writing can be an isolating existence, even in today's highly-wired world. Making positive, meaningful connections and building on real relationships in person and online (vs. just racking up followers and living on the fringes of social media) can help us all navigate both the good and the more-challenging experiences that life brings. I tend to be more of a loner, but in 2012, I hope to venture a bit further out to make new friendships - and deepen others.

What about you? What are your New Year's Writing Resolutions for 2012?

Jenn's debut novel, MAID OF SECRETS, will be published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in Spring, 2013. You can find Jenn online and on twitter.

APOCALYPSE NOW: An Interview with Kami Kinard, Author of THE BOY PROJECT

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Throughout 2012, we Lucky 13s will be interviewing The Apocalypsies—YA, MG, and children's book authors debuting during this brand-spanking-new year.

Even though 2012 is only a few hours old, one of The Apocalypsies is celebrating her new release this very day: Kami Kinard, author of The Boy Project (Notes and Observations of Kara McAllister).

About The Boy Project:

For anyone who's ever felt that boys were a different species....

Wildly creative seventh grader Kara McAllister just had her best idea yet. She's going to take notes on all of the boys in her grade (and a few elsewhere) in order to answer a seemingly simple question: How can she get a boyfriend?

But Kara's project turns out to be a lot more complicated than she imagined. Soon there are secrets, lies, and an embarrassing incident in the boy's bathroom. Plus, Kara has to deal with mean girls, her slightly spacey BFF, and some surprising uses for duct tape. Still, if Kara's research leads her to the right boy, everything may just be worth it...

Full of charts and graphs, heart and humor, this hilarious debut will resonate with tweens everywhere.

“This middle-school drama is hip to the moment, with break-up texting, kissing, and popularity tug of wars…Kara’s boy-crazy experiment lends refreshing perspective on teen relationships, and the results point to self-enlightenment.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Kinard creates a highly credible middle-school universe of popular girls, dorky boys, unpredictable teachers, and volatile loyalties; she hits all the right notes as Kara learns that first opinions are rarely accurate and that the scientific method does not always apply to human beings.”

—Publisher’s Weekly
_______________________________________________________________

Welcome to The Lucky 13s, Kami! The Boy Project is filled with your protagonist, Kara McAllister's, boy-hunting notes (organized on note cards, no less), pie charts, graphs, and sketches, which give us a wonderful peek inside her brain. Did you decide to incorporate these visual elements when you were originally writing the book, or did that idea come along later?

"This is one that was ultimately removed from
the book. These are the chucks worn by
one of the boys Kara observes."
—Kami Kinard

Kami Kinard: That idea came along later. I subbed the manuscript for critique at a SCBWI conference, and the editor who read it suggested I add “stuff” to it. She suggested I read Cathy's Book by Stewart/Weisman/Brigg, which is not only full of illustrations, but also other tangible “stuff.” I loved that book. It’s for a much more mature audience and has an entirely different premise, but I enjoyed the visual components. After reading it, I thought about how I could incorporate visual elements into my manuscript, so that is when I added the charts and line art. The notecards came even later when I had to make a big format shift. See my Apocalypsies blog post!

You started your writing career in children's poetry, and your work has appeared in major magazines such as Ladybug and Jack and Jill. How did breaking into the poetry market compare to trying to get a novel published?

Kami: Breaking into the magazine market with children’s poetry was surprisingly easy for me. Some of the first poems I sent in were purchased. Over the years, a fairly high percentage of what I submitted was published.

Turning the magazine success into book success was much harder. Several years ago, I went to the Rutgers One-on-One Plus conference and asked every editor I met about poetry collections. They all said the same thing: They are almost impossible to get published unless you are already famous.

I still love children’s poetry! But I also just love working with words. So I decided to write prose in addition to poetry. The hardest thing about this shift was the learning curve. I already knew how to write poetry, but I had to learn how to write a novel. It takes time to learn how to do it right.

You've taught both preschool and high school. How did you decide to focus on the middle-school level for The Boy Project after working with older and much-younger kids?

Kami: I came up with the idea for the novel while reading my old middle-school diaries, but the age group also appealed to me because my son was in middle school while I was writing The Boy Project and I was around a lot of kids that age. I worked with the local middle school so much that I won volunteer of the year when he was in sixth grade. When he was in seventh and eighth grades, I co-coached the Odyssey of the Mind teams. We had two teams win the state championship and took one team to the National championship. So although I never taught middle school, I was spending a ton of time with children that age while I was writing. My son is in high school now, but my daughter just started sixth grade. I feel another MG novel coming on…

How would your own middle-school self feel about Kara's scientific attempts to uncover the mystery behind boys?

Kami: My middle-school self would have loved Kara’s idea and would have been rooting for her every step of the way! My middle-school self would have also been taking mental notes on Kara’s progress with the intention of duplicating the experiment if it worked for Kara. Notice I said intention. My middle-school self would have never gone through with such an experiment.

Your name is Kami. Your protagonist is Kara. Both of you have four-letter-names that start with K. Was that planned, or did the coincidence occur on a subconscious level?

Kami: Ugg. I’m sure it was subconscious. Unlike many authors, I didn't give a lot of thought to the names I used. I wrote the first draft of this novel very quickly, and I didn’t want to lose momentum by slowing down to think of the perfect names, so I just plugged random names in as I went. This ended up being a problem when a ton of the characters had names that started with a hard C sound. I felt pretty narcissistic when my editor pointed this out to me... since both of my names start with that same sound! When revising, I did slow down and give a lot more thought to the names. But I had spent so much time with Kara at that point that I couldn’t change her name. I will say this: If you never want your editor to call you by your character’s name, don’t give your MC a name with the same first two letters!

The Boy Project debuts today, January 1—a festive time to kick off a major new project. How do you plan to celebrate both the New Year and the publication of your novel?

Kami: I am super-excited about my book’s early debut, and on New Year’s Day I will try to make some noise on the web. (Thanks for helping me today!) I decided that New Year’s Day might not be the best day to have a book launch party. I am planning three parties over the following two weeks in three towns I have lived in here in South Carolina. Friends are helping me with all three, so it will be a lot of fun to travel, see everyone, and have a reason to celebrate!

Last of all, we Lucky 13s have a question we like to ask all our guests: Do you have a favorite superstition?

Kami: I’m really not a superstitious person. So my knee-jerk reaction was to say, “NO! I don’t believe in superstitions.” But then I remembered that when I was planning a book launch party, the facility I wanted to use suggested Friday the thirteenth, and I said, “No way!”

And I have to admit to other superstitious behavior. It involves playing cards. There is an old saying that luck runs with the floorboards. For card playing, therefore, it is better for you and your partner to sit parallel to the floorboards. I’m all for giving myself the upper hand in cards, so if I can nab these seats, I do!

See what I mean? I’m really not superstitious.

Kami Kinard can be found online at kamikinard.com, Facebook, and Twitter. The Boy Project (Notes and Observations of Kara McAllister) debuts today from Scholastic Press.

Starting Over When Your Plot Doesn't Go As Planned

2011-12-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

Whenever I notice my plot derailing, I stop writing and backtrack through the document to determine the point where things went south. While working on a new project this summer, I realized about 100 pages in (I know -- eek) that the story hadn't started in the right place. As a result, the pieces didn't fit together in a compelling way.

I completely re-worked the beginning, and once I did that, several of the plot and characters problems seemed to take care of themselves. The problem with my beginning was that we didn't know enough about the protag, and the obstacle he first faced was someone else's dilemma, rather than his own.

By starting the story one day earlier, I was able to establish my main character as a "boy of action" with a clear objective, and that set an entirely different tone and pace for the story.

The process reminded me of that Arade Fire song, "Ready to Start."

My mind is open wide
And now I'm ready to start
Your mind surely opened the door
To step out into the dark
Now I'm ready

In my experience, until you know your main character's hopes, dreams and fears inside out, it can be difficult to write about him; and knowing your main character's hopes, dreams and fears can take time (say, 100 pages of writing), at which point the plot may need to be reconfigured. Now you're ready to start.

Sarah Skilton grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated with a TV/Radio degree from Ithaca College in upstate New York before moving to sunny Los Angeles, where she's worked as a production assistant, a TV extra, a film reviewer, and a script analyst. She has also studied Tae Kwon Do and Hap Ki Do, both of which came in handy while writing her martial arts-themed debut YA novel, BRUISED, due out Spring 2013 from Amulet Books. She's represented by Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary. Check out her blog, Twitter, and Facebook page.

What To Do When Your Plot Doesn't Go As Planned

2011-12-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

First of all, I’ll be honest: I’m not so familiar with this scenario.

Not because I stick to a beautifully-crafted outline. Not because of my wicked plotting skilz. But because I don’t plan much in the first place. I’m one of those feel-your-way-through-the-dark-with-a-flashlight-types who is constantly surprised by things my characters say or do. So things not going as planned is pretty much the plan. Sometimes I have an idea of where I’m going – major sources of conflict, the climax, the ending. But I usually don’t start out that way.

Most often I start out with an idea, a title, a character, or a scene – then follow it and see where it leads. As characters do and say things, or as the situation changes, I react. I think, “What next?” Then I try things out to see what happens. When I write picture books (which is most of the time), the feedback from this process happens much faster. I can see pretty quickly if something works or doesn’t. With longer manuscripts, I may follow one path for a while before realizing it isn’t working, and that can be frustrating. Then I try to take a step back and revisit what the story is about: my MC's needs and wants and how they intersect with situations and other characters in escalating conflicts and, ultimately, a resolution.

While this may not be the best method for everyone, it’s the way I go about it most of the time. I’ve tried to work in a more systematic, structured way, but I quickly lose momentum and interest. There’s something about the process of discovery that pushes me forward. I like following the clues to where my story is going, interacting with it in a fluid way.

Curious about what others do, I asked some friends about how they deal with unplanned plot developments:

Rae Ann Parker: When my characters do something that surprises me or moves things up on the timeline, I usually say out loud to my computer screen, "You're not supposed to do that!". As a plotter, this sometimes aggravates me, but I try to go with it, since the characters know best and I revisit my outline before moving on to other scenes.

Hannah Dills: I like to start a book with a concept I love and dive in to get a feel for the story, but then I take the time to complete Blake Snyder's Beat Sheets to make sure that I map out my characters' journey and include all of the necessary plot points to make sure it will be a story everyone will love!

Patsi Trollinger: My secret word for resolving plot problems: Yarn. When I am truly desperate, I take a long piece of yarn and create a rough approximation of the traditional story arc on the floor in our house. Then I place scene cards along the arc. ('Scene card' sounds impressive. In this case, it's a rectangle cut from scrap paper with one or two handwritten phrases summarizing the action in a scene.) The yarn and cards give me a visual representation of the so-called rising action. And if my descriptions of the action don't sound more and more exciting as they get closer to the peak of my yarn (no pun intended), I know I have to work to do. Often, it becomes apparent where the work needs to be done. That's it: yarn.

Kim Norman: Here's my favorite tactic with a problem manuscript: I put it in a drawer for about 7 years.

Even those who plan more extensively have to adjust when characters won’t cooperate or a scene isn’t working. But if there’s anything that all of my writer friends have in common, it’s flexibility and perseverance, no matter where they are on the plot-planning continuum.

Happy holidays, and here's to a great 2012!

Jessica Young grew up in Thunder Bay, a small Canadian city on the North Shore of Lake Superior. She earned a B.A. in Fine Art and Psychology from the University of Guelph (Canada) and a M.A. in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University. Currently an art teacher and mother of two, Jessica has also been a: tree planter, art therapist, museum outreach coordinator, lifeguard, homeless shelter art and music group leader, flower arranger, wilderness program canoe trip guide, and (absolutely terrible) waitress. She loves painting, picnics, dancing, kayaking, dark chocolate and dark roast coffee, music, the color blue, the beach, and attending SCBWI conferences. She can be found on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and hanging out at outdoor cafés. Her first picture book, MY BLUE IS HAPPY, will be published by Candlewick in Spring 2013.