Q&A with Lee Kelly

Yesterday I reviewed A CRIMINAL MAGIC.  Today I have a Q&A with author Lee Kelly to share, courtesy of BookSparks PR.

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1. When naming your characters, do you give any thought to the actual meaning?

I do! Well, maybe not the literal meaning of the name, but definitely the “feel” and popularity of the name at the time period of the novel. For example, in A Criminal Magic, Joan and Alex were both popular names in the 1920s. I also thought that “Joan” sounded tough, no-nonsense, and powerful, while “Alex” sounded like the name of someone a little softer, maybe even more complicated (at least to me). In my first book, City of Savages, I named the mother in the novel Sarah, what I consider to be a strong but also sort of “everywoman” name, while the sisters were named Sky (a dreamer, soulful, contemplative) and “Phee” for Phoenix (strong-willed, brave, and a girl literally born during the end of the world).

2. What is your main character’s favorite song?

Joan and Alex both love jazz, but I think Joan would be more into female blues singers (like Bessie Smith) and Alex would prefer the traditionally popular numbers from Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.

3. Any recent works that you admire? 

I’d love to mention a team of female authors called the Freshman Fifteens – it’s an incredible group of writers and an awesome list of 2015 young adult debuts: check out our website at http://freshmanfifteens.com. In the adult fiction sphere, I absolutely positively loved Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies – the characters felt like friends by the end.

4. If you could co-write a book with any author, who would it be? 

While it would be seriously intimidating, I might pick someone prolific in the young adult realm, like Judy Blume, or in the fantasy realm, like Neil Gaiman – I just think it would be such an awesome opportunity to learn from them.

Lee Kelly

5. How have your personal experiences affected your writing? 

I think I’m one of those people that “write what they know,” but I take what I know and try to disguise it really well J. For instance, when I started my first novel City of Savages, I had just moved back to New York from LA, and I was working at a large law firm, with tight deadlines, demanding bosses, and long hours. I found myself needing a way to channel all of my frustration, and soon I began daydreaming about a very different version of New York: a Central Park that actually was a prison, life-or-death subway rides, city rituals that were extremely cutthroat and savage… a couple of months later, I had the beginnings of City of Savages.

During my writing of A Criminal Magic, I was at a very different place in my life, and this time the stress was more internal and subtle. I had gotten a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster, which I was thrilled about, but I was terrified over not being able to write more than one novel, over being a hack, over not measuring up in the writing world . . . and slowly but surely, the “magic” in the story became a loose analogy for writing, and I found ways to use that metaphor to explore the amazing (as well as dangerous and debilitating) aspects of the writing and publishing world. I think the exercise ended up making the magic system in the novel more textured, and personally ended up being really cathartic!

Interview with Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg

Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg are the authors of the Engelsfors trilogy, an international sensation.  The third and final book, THE KEY, has just been released in English from Overlook Press.  This Swedish phenomenon is the story of five teenage girls who discover that they are the Chosen Ones and must work together to defeat the demons trying to get a toe-hold in their small town of Engelsfors.  It's no wonder that it's become popular - at the heart of the story is female friendships, and the many narrators represent a diverse range of people.

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1. THE CIRCLE, the first book in the series, has won several awards and been made into a movie. What does that feel like?

Amazing and surreal. We wrote books that we wanted to read ourselves, and lucky for us, others wanted to read them too. We truly love these characters, and we’re so happy to see readers embrace them. We were very involved in the making of the movie (Sara cowrote the screenplay with director Levan Akin) and we’re very pleased about how it turned out.  

2. How did you find the balance between realistic and paranormal elements?

We tried not to treat them as seperate storylines, but to let them come together. That’s when things become really exciting, in our opinion - when the magical and the everyday clash. It was important not to let the Chosen Ones become too powerful too quickly because then they would be able to solve all their problems with magic. And at a certain point, when there’s too much at stake, it’s not realistic for them to care about homework anymore. It’s hardly a spoiler to say that they reach that point in The Key …  

3. I loved how developed the setting of Engelsfors was. Were you inspired by any actual Swedish small towns?

We were somewhat inspired by Mats’s old hometown, Fagersta. It’s also an old industrial town, with high unemployment, surrounded by forest. Mats hated living there when he was a teenager and felt very claustrophobic. If you were a guy and not into sports, you were pretty much done for. But Fagersta is a much nicer place than Engelsfors. There’s no apocalypse there, at least not as far as we know. Fun fact: The members of the famous rock band The Hives are also from Fagersta and they actually wrote a song for the soundtrack of the film. It’s called Blood Red Moon and the lyrics are based on The Circle. One of the weird of wonderful things that have happened to us during the past five years.  

4. Rights to the Engelsfors trilogy have sold to 29 countries. What's the strangest thing that's changed in translation?

English is really the only language we know well enough to be able to read ourselves. So we don’t really know any details about, say, the Japanese text or the Russian or Italian. We love it when our translators ask us questions that make us think about the text from new perspectives. For instance, when do certain characters put away their titles? Or when the translators tell us things we haven’t really thought of ourselves, like the fact that Ida only really curses when she is scared or surprised.  

5. There's currently a big push for diversity in American YA. The Englesfors trilogy (first book published in 2011) has a variety of diverse characters. Was that something you thought consciously about?

Yes, definitely. SPOILER WARNING THE CIRCLE/FIRE From the very beginning we decided that our ”main romance”, our ”will they or won’t they”, would be between two girls. END OF SPOILER We discuss these things a lot and we’re constantly trying to learn more.

 6. If you got elemental magic powers, which element do you think you'd get?

SARA: I would probably get water because the idea of being able to hear people’s thoughts freaks me out. Telepathic communication would be awesome though. But Mats and I more or less have that already. Wood would be very interesting. Or air, because it would be cool to be able to become invisble. And very scary probably, because there’s so much you don’t want to find out about people…

MATS: I would love to be able to fly.  

7. What are you working on next?

MATS: My next novel comes out in Sweden in September. It’s a horror novel about a 12 hour trip on a cruise ship crossing the Baltic Sea, and it’s called Färjan (so far, our agents call it Blood Line in English). I am also working on a trilogy of children’s books about monsters, and some other stuff.

SARA: My next book comes out in September in Sweden. It’s called Time for Each Other (Just nu har vi varandra) and it’s a children’s book about time and life, illustrated by amazing artist Maria Fröhlich (”The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury”, Shadow Show, IDW). I have many projects – a graphic novel, a web series, a couple of secret ones – in collaboration with others. But I’m also going to start writing my first solo novel soon. It will be in the same genre as the Engelsfors books.

Interview with Miranda Kenneally

Miranda Kenneally is the author of JESSE'S GIRL, which comes out next Tuesday, July 7th.  I loved JESSE'S GIRL (my review), so I'm happy to share this brief interview with you.

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1. Your heroes and heroines all have varied, detailed interests. JESSE'S GIRL is set in the music industry, for instance. How much research do you do to get these aspects of your characters' lives right?

Depends on the book. For RACING SAVANNAH, which is about horse racing, I did 3 months of intensive research before I even started writing the book. I spent time in Kentucky and read a ton of books about horse racing. I hung out in barns with horses and went to races. With JESSE'S GIRL, I felt like I knew enough about music to go ahead and start writing, but as I got more into the story, I consulted with a guitar expert and a girl who has her own band (like Maya) to confirm details. For BREATHE, ANNIE, BREATHE, about a girl training to run a marathon, I didn't do any research on running because I had already run one before. Research all depends on how much I already know.

2. The Hundred Oaks books are all loosely connected, so characters tend to reappear when it is logical to do something. How far in advance do you plan out their lives? For example, Sam and Jordan appear at age 24 in JESSE'S GIRL. Did you know where they'd end up when you finished CATCHING JORDAN?

No, I haven't made any effort to plan their lives. I'm just keeping things loose and seeing who shows up and what they are up to. It's kind of fun to be in the dark. :) Teaser: I will say that I mention a character about 2 times in RACING SAVANNAH. Now I am writing a book about that random character's sister. i definitely didn't plan it. Just happened! This new book is coming out in 2016 and is loosely related to Racing Savannah.

3. With six books under your belt, you have a bit of experience. Which was the hardest novel to write? 

JESSE'S GIRL! I seriously rewrote this book like 6 times. Considering I was doing the "girl meets famous guy" trope, I wanted to make sure Jesse and Maya were realistic and I had to make my story different from everything else out there. Also, writing a book where most of the action takes place on one day is super hard!

4. You've talked quite a bit on your blog about how much revision goes into your novels. Are there any bits you're particularly happy that you cut?

Yeah, actually. In the first draft of JESSE'S GIRL, I could tell Maya and Jesse had sizzling chemistry. It was hot! I actually had to tone it down so it wouldn't be too racy! Unfortunately, though, my first beta reader said, "This book will never sell because it's so cliche. Girl falls for famous boy: it's been done. So I did a draft in which Maya gets together with another dude, and she and Jesse just become best friends. It felt really forced, so I ended up going back to the version in which they are a couple.

5. If you could shadow a famous musician for a day, who would you pick? 

Justin Timberlake. Because duh!

Interview with Bobbie Pyron

Bobbie Pyron is the author of LUCKY STRIKE, which was released last month.  She currently lives in Park City with her husband and her animals (two dogs and two cats).  Fun Fact: she's the great-great-great niece of author Harriet Beecher Stowe.  I asked her five questions about LUCKY STRIKE and her life; her answers are below.

For more, visit other stops on her blog tour.

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1. Have you ever been particularly lucky?

Not to sound predictable, but I DO feel I was so very lucky when I met my husband, Todd. I’d been divorced for ten years and had some rather “interesting” relationships during that time. I’d gotten to the point where I’d decided I’d never meet a man that I could enjoy living with as much as I loved living with my dog—and then I did! He’s incredibly funny and supportive; he’s handsome AND handy!

2. You grew up in Florida. Did you use anything from your own childhood to develop the setting?

Oh yes, that was part of the fun in writing this book. Although the town of Paradise Beach is fictional, it’s a mash-up of several different town in the Florida Panhandle I lived in as a child: Okaloosa Island, Ft. Walton Beach, Destin. In Ft. Walton there is, in fact, a miniature golf place called Goofy Golf. We went there to play often when I was a kid. It’s still there, T-Rex and all! In Destin, which used to be a little fishing village, we had the Blessing of The Fleet every year, and in Ft. Walton, we had the annual Billy Bowlegs Festival.

3. Dogs are one of your passions in life and at the center of your last two books. Did it feel strange to move away from dog stories with LUCKY STRIKE?

That’s a great question. In some ways, it did feel strange, but I have a horror of getting pigeon-holed as a particular type of writer, even if that’s being boxed in as a “dog writer.” I want to surprise myself and my readers, and stretch myself as a writer. However, I’ll always have a dog in my books.

4. Which of the characters is least like yourself?

Oh wow, that’s a hard question! There’s a lot of Nate and Gen in me, and even Chum Bailey. Perhaps the Reverend Beam is least like me. He is so very sure of everything and is a commanding presence. I’m neither of those things. I’m always seeing the gray area, always the observer.

5. Can you share a favorite sentence from LUCKY STRIKE?

Gen looked up from her book on theoretical physics and sighed. “Nathaniel, a toaster cannot have a ‘plan’ because a toaster does not have a brain.” 

Interview with Geoff Herbach (with an excerpt and a giveaway)

Geoff Herbach is the author of GABE JOHNSON TAKES OVER (formerly FAT BOY VS. THE CHEERLEADERS) and the Felton Reinstein series, which starts with STUPID FAST.  His books have won a Cybils Award and the Minnesota Book Award.  He currently teaches creative writing in addition to working on more books.

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1. GABE JOHNSON TAKES OVER is your first book starring a narrator other than Felton Reinstein. Was it difficult to leave Felton's voice behind?

It was hard in one way – Felton feels like my kid. I really love him! So, I actually experience sadness, like missing him, when I write sometimes. Gabe’s voice felt pretty natural, though. I didn’t find him rolling into Felton territory, because Gabe just naturally has a more organized mind. I do think Gabe would find Felton hilarious and vice versa, though.  

2. GABE JOHNSON TAKES OVER was published in hardcover with the title FAT BOY VS. THE CHEERLEADERS. How does the new title represent the book better?

That’s a good question, for sure. Fat Boy vs. The Cheerleaders shows up as a newspaper headline near the end of the book. Gabe is both offended by it (because it’s mean and it doesn’t really represent what happened) and okay with it, because he thinks maybe the headline will get lots of people to read the story. In the end, I have to agree with his first response. The book is about him claiming his natural power, sort of re-claiming it after he’s been robbed of his dignity. I think Gabe would approve of new title. Because he does, in fact, take over. And, he wouldn’t want anything to do with dumb name-calling (he has to learn that in the book).  

 

3. Was your high school experience more like Felton's or Gabe's?

I played football and ran track and wasn’t in the band, but I also was in choir and played cello in the orchestra… I think my natural nervous energy matches better to Felton’s, but I was actually more woven into the regular life of the school than Felton, so more like Gabe… I guess a combo! Both those guys make up weird swear words. I was definitely that guy!  

4. You also teach creative writing and speak at schools. Have any students affected the way you approach your writing?

A kid in Lancaster, Wisconsin just told me about this Teen Court he’s a part of. It’s through the county and they actually work with juvenile offenders… I’m really excited about that. I’ve had other kids tell me about their driving habits and their soda machine habits and their Walmart walking habits and all of that stuff has gotten into books, so definitely. There’s nothing in the world as fun as doing creative writing exercises with teens at high schools and middle schools. Great stuff comes out all the time (and, yeah, I sometimes use it – I do ask for permission!).  

5. Any upcoming projects you can talk about?

First, I’ve got this book about a kid named Taco coming. I’m in revisions on it now, and this kid is so relentlessly sunny in the face of relentless trouble…I just love him. He’s super buoyant. He’s totally deluded, but figuring it out. Can’t wait until Taco meets the world!

I’m also co-writing a book (actually three – Strange Times, they’re called) with former Blink 182 front man, Tom DeLonge. The books are going to be pretty great. They’re skater-y and funny and terrifying. Tom is a really, really energetic human and that’s flowing through what we’re doing. So, good stuff coming!

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Enter to win a copy, and then click through to finish reading the excerpt!

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Gabe Johnson Takes Over Excerpt:

That stupid pop machine. Stupid pop. It all started with that stupid—

Yeah, I hate that machine. For so many reasons.

First things first! That machine made me a junky! A pop junky! I’m not the only one in school either.

Back in May, me, Justin Cornell, and Camille Gardener did this pop study for health class. It was Camille’s idea because she turned into a health nut when her dad started organic farming last year. (Her dad grew like two tomatoes and one giant zucchini. Mr. Gardener’s not the greatest farmer in the world.) Anyway, out of Camille’s concern for health, she got us to study usage of the pop machine, her theory being that unhealthy kids would be the heaviest users.

Big, bad study, sir.

Blog Tour Review and Interview: The Infinite by Lori M. Lee

Book two of Gates of Thread and Stone series
By Lori M. Lee
Available now from Skyscape (Amazon)
Review copy
Read my review of Gates of Thread and Stone

Last year, I fell in love with GATES OF THREAD AND STONE, the debut novel from Lori M. Lee.  This year I get the privilege of reviewing the sequel, THE INFINITE, and interviewing Lori for the official blog tour.  I loved that THE INFINITE expanded the world of the first book, which consisted of not much more than a single city.  When a messenger visits from across the Wastelands, from a city no one in Ninurta realized existed, Kai's world gets bigger.  Especially as she's one of the envoys sent to help rescue the other city from a monster lizard invasion.

Reev and Avan are really only present at the beginning and end of the book, but their relationships are still very important to Kai and the changes within them hang over the whole of THE INFINITE.  Reev and Kai love each other unconditionally, but she suspects that her brother is hiding something from her.  He also has a tendency to be overprotective, and Kai now knows that she can protect herself.  Avan, meanwhile, is no longer quite himself due to the events at the end of GATES OF THREAD AND STONE.  Kai loves Avan, but neither she nor Avan know whether he is actually the boy she loves.

Lanathrill, the new city, gives Kai some new perspective.  She discovers options she didn't know she had, discovers things she might not've with Reev and Avan hovering over her.  Since the end of the last book, she's lost the ability to use her powers.  I found her surprisingly nonchalant about this, upset but not actively doing anything to regain an integral part of herself.  Especially when it would come in handy on her trip.

I must give Lori props for one of the most horrifying scenes I remember reading lately.  It was visceral, upsetting, and I kept hoping it would turn out to not be as bad as it seemed.  Yet it was.  It's a real turning point in the book, one that made it even easier to get swept into Kai's turbulent world.  THE INFINITE is a pulse-pounding sequel, and I can't wait for the series to grow even more depth in the third book.

1. Much of GATES OF THREAD AND STONE and THE INFINITE take place within a single, labyrinthine city: Ninurta. What were some of your inspirations for this city?

Well, the city itself isn’t very labyrinthine. It’s just the East Quarter, the slums of Ninurta, that’s earned that description. The East Quarter is made up of an enormous cube of stacked freight containers that the inhabitants have slowly converted into living spaces, which they’ve dubbed the Labyrinth. That’s where Kai lives. The Labyrinth was inspired by the Walled City in Hong Kong. It was once the most densely populated place in the world until it was demolished some decades ago.

Once I’d established the Labyrinth, the rest of the city came easily, because I asked myself, “In what kind of city would this place exist?”

2. There's been a rising demand for more diversity in children's and YA fiction. What is the importance of diversity in fiction for you?

Diversity is necessary in everything I write, and I’d love to see it more in what I’m reading. Stories should reflect the world around us, which is filled with so many different people and cultures. I also want my children to see themselves reflected in the books they read and the shows they watch. It’s a sign that we’re not nearly where we need to be that my daughter still delightedly goes, “Hey, she’s Asian!” whenever there’s an Asian person on a book cover because it’s so rare.

3. How does it feel to have your second book coming out? Is it more or less nerve-wracking than your debut?

It’s less nerve-wracking in that I know what to expect now. And it’s more nerve-wracking in that I’m worried about disappointing fans of the first book. It’s a haze of anxiety, chocolate, and hot cocoa basically lol. (Yes, I pair chocolate with... more chocolate.)

4. Is there anything you wish you could change about GATES OF THREAD AND STONE after writing the sequel?

I try not to think about things like that lol. Once the book is published, there’s no going back and changing things, so if I do sometimes wish I’d done things differently, I don’t linger on it for long because it doesn’t do me any good. I’m pleased with how the book and the sequel came out, and I hope readers are too.

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Interview with Jeff Fleischer (+Contest)

As part of the Zest Books Rockin' Blog Tour, I'm reviewing the book ROCKIN' THE BOAT, giving a copy away, and interviewing the author Jeff Fleischer.  I previously covered author John Grant.

Jeff Fleischer is an author, journalist, and editor who is currently working on a book on climate change that he researched as an Alicia Patterson Fellow in New Zealand.  He's written over two hundred articles for publications such as Mother Jones and Mental_Floss.  ROCKIN' THE BOAT is his first book of nonfiction for teens.

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1. Have any revolutionaries inspired you personally?

Several of the people in the book are revolutionaries I always found inspirational. Nelson Mandela's the most obvious one because I remember watching him leave prison and followed his whole second act in life, but also Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Gandhi, Kate Sheppard, and a few of the others.

2. Who did you most regret not getting to include in the book?

If I have to pick just one, I'll say George Johnston, who led the Rum Rebellion in Australia. There were also a lot of people I regret having to leave out who were more influential, but his story would have been fun to write about, and I'm unusually interested in Australian history.  

3. Were you unfamiliar with any of the revolutionaries before researching for ROCKIN' THE BOAT? 

I was at least reasonably familiar with everyone in the book, but there were a few I had to learn a lot more about before writing. For some, like Garibaldi or Arminius, I knew about their revolutionary actions, but didn't know much about their early lives.  

4. The revolutionary profiles are accompanied by terrific pictures. How were those images found? 
 
The publisher did some research found a round of images we were allowed to use in terms of royalties. I went through them and found a few replacements and made a few suggestions, but the vast majority of the credit goes to the publisher for finding great photos we were able to use.

5. What do you suggest inspired readers of ROCKIN' THE BOAT read (or do) next? 

Hopefully they'll find a few favorites -- or at least a few who are their favorites to read about -- and go read more about them. One of the hardest things about writing a book like this is trying to condense the lives of such accomplished people into a few pages each.
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Interview with John Grant

As part of the Zest Books Rockin' Blog Tour, I'm reviewing the book DEBUNK IT!, giving a copy away, and interviewing the author John Grant.  Come back later today for the review!  On March 16, I'll be covering ROCKIN' THE BOAT by Jeff Fleischer.

John Grant has written approximately seventy books and has won both the Hugo Award and the World Fantasy Award.  He used to run Paper Tiger, a publishing company specializing in fantasy art books.  He's previously written nonfiction books, but DEBUNK IT! is his first nonfiction novel specifically for teens.

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1. DEBUNK IT! makes the point that we're all fallible. What's one bit of misinformation that you can't believe you fell for?

One thing I know I was definitely wrong about until a couple of years ago was the protein content of mushrooms. Abstruse, huh? For some reason I’d got it into my head that, pound for pound, mushrooms had about the same protein content as meat or poultry. I said this in front of a friend at some point, and he told me (very politely) that I was talking absolute and complete twaddle – although, him being a good friend, that wasn’t precisely the term he used. I looked it up and he was of course right.

At a rather more significant level of false knowledge, I can remember many years ago clinging onto the steady-state theory of the universe far longer than I should have after the big-bang theory had become firmly established. This was really for sentimental reasons, because it was a prettier and more comforting theory, and also because I had enormous respect for one of the main steady-state proponents, Fred Hoyle. Once I finally realized that my brain was saying one thing and my heart another, I straightened my ideas out a bit.

2. How did you come to be interested in science?

Funny you should ask that, because it ties in perfectly with what I’ve just said! My dad was a biochemist, my mom a geographer and my (very much older) brother a mathematician, so I guess you could say that I had no way of escaping an interest in science. But what really did it for me was picking up my brother’s copy of Fred Hoyle’s book Frontiers of Astronomy. That book absolutely blew me away. Of course, I now know that much of the information in it was wrong – the steady-state theory, for example! – but what it did was stir my imagination and my emotions; it woke me up to the idea that the universe, though hostile, was a far wilder and more wonderful place than I’d ever realized, and that it was open to me in my lifetime to conquer that universe in the sense of finding out more about it, trying to understand it better.

3. You've written science fiction (and several other genres) in addition to nonfiction. Do you approach science differently depending on the genre you are writing in?

The fiction that I write tends to be more fantasy than SF, although sometimes the fantasy is based on science-y ideas, or has science-y ideas chucked in. A new collection of my stories, Tell No Lies, was published a few weeks ago, just before Christmas, and I was intrigued that one reviewer, when talking about the collection, mentioned genres. This was almost puzzling to me, because I didn’t feel that difference when I was writing the stories!

So the answer I’m groping toward is that when I’m writing about science for real I try to keep my feet fairly firmly on the ground. I do like writing about speculative scientific ideas (assuming I can understand them!), but I take care to label them as speculative. When I’m writing fiction, though, all that reserve goes out the window. Sometimes I’ll base any science-y parts on actual science, but more often it’ll be loopy ideas that have popped into my mind and that I’ve liked the look of. Like the story of mine that was published in the science journal Nature (brag, brag) about the little boy who wanted a universe for his birthday . . .

4. Your book CORRUPTED SCIENCE dealt with misinformation for adults. Did you change your approach when writing for teens in DEBUNK IT!?

Not a great deal, to be honest. I think teens are actually brighter and faster-witted than adults tend to be, and they’re also mentally far more flexible; they’re just as likely to harbor false notions, but those false notions haven’t had decades to root themselves almost inextricably into the mind. So I kind of took that for granted as I was writing Debunk It! – that I was speaking to a smarter audience. It made the book a lot of fun for me to write, and a challenge, too.

5. Why should DEBUNK IT! readers trust you?

Well, as I keep telling my wife and daughter, they should trust what I say because I’m always right about everything . . .

Oh, you don’t believe me either? Well, let me put it another way:

If I were sounding off with my own pet theories in Debunk It! then I’d encourage readers to distrust me. However, the stuff I’m defending in the book is firmly established knowledge, so, if you disagree with it, it’s not me you’re disagreeing with but thousands and thousands of the best and most informed minds that humanity has to offer.

Golly – that makes me sound a little hidebound, which I assure you I’m not! I also do try to make plain in the book where science (in particular) is still working on a problem, so that there are valid rival ideas around as to how something works. My target for debunkery, though, is ideas that aren’t so much rival as nonsensical – that have been comprehensively refuted time and time again, such as (to choose one that’s much in the news at the moment) the idea that vaccines can cause autism. We have truly massive evidence that this cannot be true, and yet you still have showbiz personalities and unscrupulous politicians casting doubt on the matter. I mean, if you’d be happy to have a showbiz personality or a politician perform brain surgery on you, then it’d be reasonable to trust them on other medical matters. Me, I prefer to get my medical advice from the medical profession.

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Interview with Valerie Tripp

Valerie Tripp

Today I am posting an interview with Valerie Tripp, who is best known as the author of many American Girl novels. She's written for Felicity, Elizabeth, Josefina, Samantha, Nellie, Kit, Ruthie, Emily, and Molly.  Unlike most of the interviews I post, this one was not conducted by me.  The questions were asked by Jonathan Sprout, an award-winning children's artist.

You can click on any of the book covers to go to their Amazon page.

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Jonathan Sprout: You write about fictional heroes. What qualities do you look for
when creating your fictional characters?

Valerie Tripp: I don't have to look far for heroic qualities because my characters are inspired by my readers, and my readers are heroic to me because they face their daily challenges with humor, empathy, curiosity, generosity, and kindness. All of my books have the same message: Yes, disappointments and troubles will come your way, but you’ll be okay. You are the hero of your own life story.

“I don't have to look far for heroic qualities because my characters are inspired by my readers, and my readers are heroic to me.” - Valerie Tripp

Jonathan Sprout

Jonathan: Your books essentially take us back in time and bring history to the present. You must do a lot of research. What is your process?

Valerie: I love to do research. It is not a process; it is a way of life. When you become interested in a time period, it is as if the universe is full of the information you need – you just have to start to pay attention! Research for me is travel, reading, talking to people who are experts and people who lived when my character did, looking at movies, and listening to music. It is also observing and being delighted and inspired by girls of today. Research can also be looking back at my own experiences as a child. Research is active: it can be taking cooking lessons, going for a horseback ride, swimming in the Rio Grande river, and trying to knit a sock (unsuccessfully, by the way!)

Jonathan: When you are creating a character, do you think about the parents, caregivers or teachers of these girls and boys and how your
characters will inspire dialogue between them? Can you elaborate?

Josephina

Valerie: I always hope that my stories will spark conversations among generations. Molly, who is my WW2 character, has led girls to ask their families about their great-grandparents’ experiences during the war. More than one Army uniform has been lifted out of a trunk in the attic! And the emotional content of a story can spark conversations as well. Josefina’s aunt comes to live with her family, and many girls tell me they have spoken to their parents and step-parents inspired by Josefina’s dilemma: can she be loyal to her Mama and still love her new step-mother? One of the loveliest purposes literature can serve is to connect us by being a vehicle for conversation.

Jonathan: Your books encourage boys and girls to understand that they too can be “heroes” in their everyday lives (i.e. you don’t have to be famous to be a hero). What are your thoughts on this?

Samantha

Valerie: I deliberately chose to write about history from a familiar and familial point of view, so that my readers might see what a regular kid’s life was like. I’m hoping that my readers will say, “Hey! That could be me. I would have been heroic just as Kit is, facing the Depression. Or I would have stood up for my friend just as Samantha does at the turn of the last century.” I am hoping my readers will see that THEY are what American History is. They are shaping our world. The decisions they make will determine what life is like for us all in the future. They are already heroes.

Jonathan: Are there differences between what girls find heroic and what boys find heroic? How has an awareness of this this helped you to
craft your stories?

Valerie: No, I don’t think there are differences between what boys and girls find heroic. Heroism is facing your own specific challenges, and no matter what those challenges are, we all have to find the inner courage to do so.

Jonathan: Tell us about your latest writing venture - writing for boys.

“I felt as though books were short-changing boys. The boys I know are funny and nurturing, passionate, goofy, adventurous, brave, and have rich inner lives.” - Valerie Tripp

Valerie: I felt as though books were short-changing boys. The boys I know are funny and nurturing, passionate, goofy, adventurous, brave, and have rich inner lives but the boys I saw in books had to solve problems with magic or bathroom jokes. The Boys Camp books show boys facing landslides, fires, near-drowning, friendship troubles, skunks, bears, snakes, shyness, and dives off cliffs! They’re jokesters and bird-watchers, tennis stars and singers – and they are ALL heroes!

Interview with Lauren Morrill

Lauren Morrill is the author of MEANT TO BE and BEING SLOANE JACOBS, which came out earlier this month.  BEING SLOANE JACOBS is the tale of two girls who have the same name, but different interests - and who decide to switch lives.  Read on to learn some more about the book and Lauren!

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1. I was super excited to read BEING SLOANE JACOBS because I did competitive figure skating as a kid and I still love to watch the sport and read books about it.  (Can't wait for the Winter Games!)  There's quite a bit of detail in the book about the work that goes into being a figure skater and a hockey player.  How did you research the sports?  Anything particularly interesting you couldn't fit into the book?

 

I watched a lot of figure skating tape on YouTube, paying close attention to the commentators. I also couldn't have done it without Nancy Kerrigan's book Artistry on Ice. It was really helpful in getting all the basics of figure skating down. As for hockey, I talked to a lot of friends who are hockey fans and also hit up a Boston Bruins game.

2.  Speaking of skating, your website mentions (several times) that you play roller derby.  That's obviously super cool.  How did you get into it?

 

A friend of mine played in the inaugural season of the Bleeding Heartland Rollergirls in Bloomington, IN. After cheering her on from the sidelines for a season, I knew I had to get out there. I tried out for the second season, and the rest is history! I played one year in Bloomington, then four years for the Boston Derby Dames. Now that I've moved to Georgia, I've been coaching the Middle Georgia Derby Demons.

3.  What is the best part of working with Lexa Hillyer and Lauren Oliver at Paper Lantern Lit?

 

I've learned a lot from them over the last couple of years, and I've really been able to grow my writing. Also, the parties are pretty fabulous!

4.  So far you're two for two with books set in foreign countries!  What setting would you like to explore next?

 

My next book, The Trouble With Destiny (Fall 2015) is set on a cruise ship, so that one's been fun to write! And for the one after that, I'm returning to the good old US of A. It's set in a small southern town that's just been taken over by a movie production. My Unscripted Life  is scheduled for Fall 2016.

Interview with Regina Brooks

I posted a little over a month ago about the YA Novel Discovery Contest.  There are a few more days to enter, so get cracking if you've written a YA novel!  I interviewed literary agent Regina Brooks of the Serendipity Literary Agency about the contest, her job, and the importance of diversity in YA.

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1.    Since some of my readers might not know, what does a literary agent do?

An agent is a person who is essentially a manager for an author. They negotiate contracts, help authors understand trends, shop the book and prepare the project to entice editors or publishers. They are also responsible for ensuring you get royalty statements and mediating issues between the author and publisher such as during cover art disputes.

2.    Everyone I know in publishing has at least one book they love that never found its audience. What are some underrated gems from your career?

The Making of Dr. Truelove by Derrick Barnes. His book came out well before publishers, librarians, and teachers accepted edgy YA.

3.    A contest on the scale of the YA Novel Discovery Contest clearly takes a lot of time and effort to run.  Why did the Serendipity Literary Agency decide to start this contest?  What are some of the benefits of running the contest?

One huge benefit is that it’s a service to the YA author community.  Authors typically get really nervous about pitching whether it’s at a conference or through an online query letter. This contest allows an author’s idea to get in front of an agent without having to pitch.

The reason we only want to see the fist 250 words is because an author should be able to get an agents attention quickly and most agents who have been editing or ageing for years can tell very quickly whether it’s a project that so would be of interest.  Serendipity Literary Agency LLC., since its inception, has always been a place for the YA author to feel at home and it a great way to let more people know about our mission.

4. What are some of the other ways you find new writers to represent?

Besides queries, I find new authors at conferences, by referrals from other authors, through Twitter, and in classes that I teach.

5. There's a growing call online for diversity in literature.  You've represented Coretta Scott King, Stonewall, and LAMBDA award winners.  What makes diversity important to you?

Everyone should have a voice and whatever I can do to help bring as many voices into the marketplace as possible I’m excited to be able to do that. While diversity among young adult authors is growing, there still remains a critical need for more, especially given the changing demographics in the US. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with stories that challenge and inspire an interest in diversity.

Interview with CJ Lyons

I'd like to welcome author CJ Lyons back to the blog!  This New York Times bestselling author is making her YA debut with BROKEN, about a young girl with a heart condition beginning to attend high school after years in hospitals.  Stay tuned for my review later today.

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1. Hi CJ!  You were the first author I interviewed for my blog, about your first book.  What has changed for you as an author since then?

CJ: I remember, hi again! LIFELINES was such a fun book to chat about. Hmm…what’s changed since that first book? I’ve written over twenty more (in fact, book #21, AFTER SHOCK, is being released January 7th), won a bunch of awards, hit #2 on the NYT Bestseller list, and am having the time of my life!

Perhaps most importantly was finding my YA voice—so much fun! I’m so looking forward to adding YA to my repertoire of Thrillers with Heart.

2. BROKEN is your first YA novel.  Did you know you were writing for a YA audience when you started writing, in the middle, or after you finished?

CJ: I’ve always loved reading YA and everyone kept telling me that as a pediatrician, I should write it. But honestly, I never found a story that I thought was worthy of my kids—my patients—until BROKEN, so I knew it was YA as soon as I began.


Writing for kids is tons tougher than writing for adults. Most grownups read for entertainment, but kids read for so much more. They want to vicariously experience the world and the choices they’ll be expected to make as adults as well as learn who they are and how they can fit into that larger universe once they’re the ones in charge.

3. Do you think you'll write more YA novels now that you've dipped your toes in the pool?

CJ: I just turned in my second YA Thriller and this one was so hard to write! It deals with two kids, Jesse and Miranda, being black mailed by a cyber-predator using capping (screen capture images) and how they find the courage to stand up to him (with the help of their parents). They go through hell and some of the things that happen to them were so painful to write that I was weeping as I typed—but then I was crying again when I wrote the ending as they rose above it all and triumphed.

Despite how difficult that book was to write, I loved it! Unlike my adult thrillers, I actually find that I can go deeper and darker emotionally with YA, which is a lot of fun—just goes to show that you can still have the thriller pacing and adrenalin rush without it all being car chases and explosions.

4. You have personal experience with Scarlet's rare disease, Long QT, through your niece.  Was it more difficult to write about a tough subject you're so close to?

CJ: Not the medical aspects, no. But waiting for my niece’s seal of approval before sending it to my editor—that was murder! Thankfully, she loved the book and really felt I’d nailed that whole first week of a new school vibe. Of course, she made me promise to tell everyone that she’s nothing like Scarlet, the main character of BROKEN. Scarlet is very sheltered and naïve, while the best adjectives to describe my niece are “fiercely independent.”

5. Now that you have a number of books available, do you have a favorite?

CJ: Actually, it’s DAMAGED, the second YA I mentioned above.  It’s honestly the best book I’ve ever written and as a pediatrician, the one I’m most proud of as I think it might actually save lives.

I thought it would be a stand alone, but after I finished it I realized there aren’t many books out there that tell you the rest of the story, the price to be paid for defeating the bad guys, so I’d love to tackle another book with Jesse and Miranda and show how their courage, strength, and relationship continue to evolve.

About CJ:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-one novels, former pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.

Winner of the International Thriller Writers’ coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday).

Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net.




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I don't know about ya'll, but I'm already excited about DAMAGED and its sequel!  I love books that explore consequences.

Interview with Stephanie Kuehnert

I hosted Stephanie Kuehnert on In Bed With Books back in 2009, and it's a pleasure to interview her now!  She's the author of I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE and BALLADS OF SUBURBIA, and she recently relocated to Seattle with her husband.  You might be familiar with her writing through Rookie, the mag run by wunderkind Tavi Gevinson.

Read on for more about Stephanie and VERY SUPERSTITIOUS!

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1. VERY SUPERSTITIOUS is a charity anthology to support the SPCA. What does supporting this charity mean to you? 

Animals have been a huge part of my life since I was a kid. Both of my cats are rescues and I regularly donate to local animal shelters. When I was still living in the Chicago area, I was part of a community group who cared for feral cats, rescuing the kittens and finding them homes, and neutering the adult cats, getting them medical treatment and keeping them feed. I feel very strongly about protecting our furry friends, so I was honored to donate my story to this cause.

2. You're known for your gritty, realistic novels. How did it feel to write something more fantastical? Do you think your fans will enjoy this story? 

Yes, I generally write contemporary realistic fiction. However, I am a huge fan of shows like Buffy, Supernatural, and The X-Files as well as urban fantasy authors like Melissa Marr, Jeri Smith-Ready, and my amazing VERY SUPERSTITIOUS contributors, and magical realism by people like Nova Ren Suma and Francesca Lia Block. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at writing something fantastical, ghostly, or with a little twist on reality. Also, I really loved the lore in my hometown, Forest Park, Illinois, which is home to more dead folks than living! I enjoyed playing with all of this and probably will do some more dabbling. In fact, the characters in my ghostly VERY SUPERSTITIOUS contribution do make a cameo in my next contemporary YA project. I think my fans will still love this story because it is edgy and music-driven like I know they expect from me.

3. In addition to your novels, you're also a staff writer at Rookie, a columnist for Forest Park Review, and a contributor to Ms. Fit. How do you regularly come up with interesting topics to write about?

Well, I moved to Seattle this summer, so I no longer writer for the Forest Park Review, though I have been trying to document my Seattle journey on Tumblr (seattleboundwritergrl.tumblr.com). But with that and with FPR, those were very much about place, and if you’ve read my fiction, you know I adore writing about place, so writing about the real spots I love is natural for me. I write personal essay for both Rookie and Ms. Fit, and that is something I’ve been doing since I was a teenager. It’s like a natural extension of journaling or making ‘zines for me. Plus, Rookie gives me so much room to write about everything I love from soap operas to Star Trek: The Next Generation to the Savages along with my personal essays on things like self-injury, so really I’m never running out of ideas. I love reflecting on what I’ve been through and writing about stuff that gets me excited.

4. Do you believe in any superstitions? 

I was born on Friday the 13th (which I consider lucky, same for black cats), so yes, I am very superstitious. I probably can’t even name all of my superstitions. One of my writing superstitions is not publically speaking of my WIP’s titles until they are officially going to be published, like it might jinx them or something.

5. What would you say to someone to convince them to read VERY SUPERSTITIOUS? 

 It’s almost Halloween (my absolute favorite holiday, by the way). Isn’t it the perfect time of year to read some spooky tales by some of YA’s best writers (I am seriously *honored* to be included among them!) AND the proceeds benefit animals. It’s a win-win!

Interview (and Giveaway) with Kimberly Sabatini

Author photo by Dawn Sela Photography - www.dawnsela.com

Today I have an interview with Kimberly Sabatini, the author of TOUCHING THE SURFACE.  I reviewed this debut novel in November and called it "a good choice for speculative fiction fans tired of monsters and dystopias and looking for something a little quieter, if no less dramatic."

Her official bio:

Kimberly Sabatini is a former Special Education Teacher who is now a stay-at-home mom and a part-time dance instructor for three and four year olds. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with her husband and three boys.

Kimberly writes Young Adult fiction and is represented by Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary Agency. TOUCHING THE SURFACE is her debut novel. (Simon Pulse – Simon & Schuster, October 30, 2012)

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | BLOG | GOODREADS

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1. TOUCHING THE SURFACE is set after Elliot dies for the third time. Why did you decide on three lives? 

This question hasn’t been asked very often, but it always makes me chuckle. After reading TTS, a good friend of mine once pulled out a laundry list of books on different types of spiritual theory. She was wondering if I’d read any of her favorites and if they’d played a roll in my decision to have Elliot die for the third time. I then had to fess up and admit that my sole inspiration (or my soul inspiration) for the concept was the baseball song…’cause it’s one, two, three strikes your out! But I am completely willing to take credit for having been well read if you’d like me to pretend. :o)

2. If reincarnation is real, which life to you think you're on? 

I’ve thought about this—even worried about it a little bit. I’m not sure I can pick an exact number, but I think I might have turned a corner. I feel as if I had a bit of an awakening, almost a Delve, when my Dad died. By getting to the place where I wrote a book and put so many honest feeling out into the world, I may have changed my own trajectory just a little bit. Perhaps I’m finally paying attention to the important things. It sure feels good to be making even a little bit of progress.

At the end of the day, I figure I’m a little bit above an earthworm, but not within shouting distance of Gandhi. I guess I’m the spiritual equivalent of a mid-list author. LOL!

3. Many readers are wary of love triangles, but many enjoy them too. There's a reason they're so popular! How did you approach your love triangle to keep it fresh? 

 Ahhhh the love triangle. Well, first of all, I’m not anti-love triangle. If you watch the world around you and the people in it—there is an awful lot of triangulation going on. I believe it’s more about HOW it’s done, not IF it’s done.

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When I started writing TTS, Oliver was 4-years-old. In fact, he was still four when I sold it. In my mind * SPOILER ALERT * there isn’t a love triangle, between Elliot, Trevor and Oliver in the traditional romantic sense. But there IS love and all the pushing and pulling that go along with it.

When asked to age Oliver up to a teenager, I loved the idea. I could see the benefits of making that change, and to this day, it has been the most fun I’ve ever had revising. Admittedly, I did put small bits and pieces of doubt and angst into the triangular relations ship between Elliot, Oliver and Trevor, but it was because my characters still needed to go through the process of figuring out what they already knew.

 4. I love novels (and other media) set in the afterlife. Where there any depictions of what comes next that influenced the Obmil in TOUCHING THE SURFACE? 

Reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, had a big impact on writing TTS from the point-of-view of a dead girl. Prior to ingesting that book, I’d never thought of approaching the voice of a story from that direction. I was fascinated by what Sebold had done and the creative desire it kicked off in me.

More often than you’d expect, I found my inspiration for the afterlife in rather normal ways. This is Mohonk Mountain House (http://www.mohonk.com/Photos-Videos). It’s a popular place in the Hudson Valley, where I live. After a day of hiking at Mohonk, I couldn’t stop thinking of it as the afterlife location for my novel. I don’t know what it was that flipped the switch, but this is exactly how the Obmil looks in my mind. It’s still on my Bucket List to stay overnight here—while I’m alive. LOL!

Picture taken by Kimberly Sabatini

5. You've been a published author for close to eight months now. How does it feel? What's coming next? 

It is bizarre. Yes, that is the only word I can come up with that takes it all in. Some days I pinch myself because it’s that amazing. Other days I’m knee deep in three-boys-worth of laundry and I’m talking to the underwear saying… “You do know I’m an author, right?” Just so you know—the underwear really doesn’t seem to care.

I’ve come to think of myself like a book-nerdish-super-hero. I walk around doing normal things in normal clothes (which I will later have to wash) but every once in awhile I get to strip off my average self and I get to be the super part of me. I go on school visits, talk to librarians, speak at events and sign books. It’s incredible. I need to get a cape.

But ultimately, most things haven’t changed too much. I still juggle boys and household chores in order to get writing time in. I struggle to find a balance with my marketing and social media. I eat too much ice cream and must spend some of my writing time going for a run or buying new pants. What drives me forward every day, is the same beliefs that I had before I sold TTS.

*I have no choice but to write and be a part of this book community—it is what I must do and where I belong.
*Rejection is a learning experience and quitting is not an option.
*I am open to things happening when they’re supposed to happen, versus when I THINK they should happen.
*I will grow and change for the better with time and practice.
*Sometimes I need to push myself more.
*Sometimes I need to push myself less.
*I cannot compare myself to everyone else and have time to be my best self.
*I WILL make mistakes, it’s what I do after that matters.
*Publishing is a business and I need to be educated on how it works. Writing is everything good in my life and it should be done without the publishing business sitting on my shoulder.
*If ONE person has read something I’ve written and it’s changed them for the better, I’ve accomplished what I’ve set out to do.
*I will always dream bigger than what everyone thinks I’m capable of, because I love to see their faces when I actually do it.

Right now I’m doing a lot of laundry and revising my second novel, THE OPPOSITE OF GRAVITY. I’m also working on my third, CHASING ADAPTATION.

Thank you so much for having me over to your blog and thank you to all the readers who are supporting the Book Tour. Your support is incredible and I appreciate it so much.

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Experience the afterlife in this lyrical, paranormal debut novel that will send your heart soaring.When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.

Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | THE BOOK DEPOSITORY | GOODREADS

  

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There are two options for the giveaway: US and International.  There will be one winner of a signed hardcover of TOUCHING THE SURFACE for each.  Must be 13 years or older to enter.  Must choose which giveaway and leave a comment on a blog tour stop to enter.  There are optional ways to get bonus entries.

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