Interview with Hilari Bell

Let's welcome Hilari Bell! She's the author of the Goblin books and the Farsala trilogy, among others.  (I discovered her due to the Farsala trilogy, which confused me when the books kept changing names!)  She's a former reference librarian who now writes first time.  TRICKSTER'S GIRL is a little different from her previous books - there's a little more science fiction to it and it's a bit more grown up.  The sequel, TRAITOR'S SON, will be available in 2012.  This interview is part of a T2T tour, as is the review that will be posted later today.  You can catch Hilari at All About {n} on the fourteenth or at her previous stops.
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1. Some of your books are directed more towards a middle grade audience and others are aimed at young adults. What do you think makes a book MG or YA? Are you conscious of the audience when writing a novel?


The main differences between MG and YA are the age of the main characters, complexity of the plot, and pace of the story--also sometimes length. In MG, because the characters are younger they also have somewhat different problems and concerns, and the younger your reader the faster your pace needs to be. The age of the reader also impacts how many and what kind of subplots you have going on. But when I sit down to write a story, I think of the story I want to write. Only when I've decided that a particular plot would be best as middle grade or YA do I start thinking about the rest of it. And I also love writing for tweens (ten to fourteen) which falls right between the two age categories, but that's awkward for publishers, bookstores and libraries, because the books have to be shelved in one section or the other. They end up being labeled either younger YA or older MG, but in fact quite a bit of my YA and middlegrades are actually tween.

2. TRICKSTER'S GIRL is a science fantasy instead of fitting neatly in science fiction or fantasy. What was the hardest part about combining the genres?

I don't find it hard to combine them, which probably says something bad about me and categories. (Note the above paragraph, about how many of my books falling in between the normal age ranges?) But if you can have fantasy elements in a middle ages setting, or fantasy elements in today's modern world, why not fantasy elements in a futuristic SF setting? And it's a total kick to write, because you get the best of both genres--the coolness and freedom to explore the future that comes with SF, and the fun of magic. The first book I ever sold, SONGS OF POWER, is also a near-future SF/fantasy. So in some ways writing TRICKSTER'S GIRL and TRAITOR'S SON felt like coming home.

3. TRICKSTER'S GIRL is also quite different from your previous works, which tend toward traditional fantasy. What sort of territory do you think you'll explore next?

The next thing I'm going to work on is a gypsy steam punk novel, but (what is it with me and categories?) it's set in an alternate just-post-WWI setting instead of Victorian. In this world most magic has become just another branch of science, with recognized principles that are well understood and harnessed, but gypsy magic is different. And WWI fought with magic was every bit as brutal as the real one. I'd like to say more brutal, but it would be hard to be more horrible than WWI, which seems to me to have combined the worst of both modern and primitive warfare--it was ghastly. What's at stake in this story is the success of a peace conference that stands a chance of ending that war. It will be very cool.

4. In your site bio, you mention that you enjoy a decadent sort of camping with your mother. I couldn't help but wonder if that influenced your portrayal of Kelsa's relationship to her father.


Not so much their relationship, but Kelsa's love of nature, of the beauty and peace of the open places comes from me. And it was very frustrating, because Jase in the next book lives in one of the most stunningly gorgeous places I've ever seen, but he's a total city kid whose first love is his car! He does get better eventually, but seeing the world through his mind I couldn't do Alaska justice--and that hurt, because Alaska is incredible. Until I wrote these books I didn't realize that my editor had also been to Alaska, but she told me that when they first went there she and her husband were "stunned silent" by it's beauty. And that's just about right.


5. Who are some of your favorite authors writing now?

Lois Bujold, Eric Flint & David Weber are my top three, but there are a lot of others.

6. Do you ever write yourself into a corner? How do you salvage a good idea when your first attempt at executing it goes wrong?


I'm one of those people who plots out the whole story before I ever start to write--because I don't want to write myself into corners! I also don't want to have to go back and throw out a quarter (or more) of my manuscript backtracking all those paths that turned into blind alleys. But I do know quite a few writers who can't bring themselves to give up the joy of discovering the story as they write, even though I think they end up doing twice as much work as we pre-plotters. And when they write themselves into a corner they usually agonize and write in circles for a long time, and then bring their stalled story into the writers group and tell us what they've got so far and where they're stuck. The group brainstorms for a while and comes up with several different directions they could go, and several interesting ways to get there. But they almost always have to throw out huge chunks of what they've written so far, because what they've got is what lured them into that dead end in the first place.

Kailin Gow: On Balancing Action and Romance

Kailin Gow is the author of more than forty books and the founder of the Shy Girls Social Club. You can visit her previous tour stop at Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm, as well as Faye's and my reviews of BITTER FROST. She'll visit Books by Their Cover next. Full tour dates are available at the Traveling to Teens site.

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On Balancing Romance with Action

I get asked all the time about how to plot a novel so that there is the right amount of action with romance. Most of my novels involve a great deal of action coupled with romance. These elements are necessary in the type of novels I write – books with a strong heroine who usually face extraordinary situations and has to be brave enough to persevere through her situation to survive. I find that my main characters typically lead the way in the romance department, and like in real life, romance happens in the most interesting moments. I tend to have romance in many area of the novel because, to me, life is romantic.



In Bitter Frost, where Breena is drawn into the world of Feyland, her entire concept of Feyland starts off in a dream-like romantic state. Prince Kian is her dream guy, and despite his initial coldness, their adventure and trek through Feyland (which is dangerous, yet fascinating), is filled with romance and action throughout.



In Rise of the Fire Tamer, a series about a group of teenage gamers caught in a world suspended in time, there is plenty of action, but romance abounds because the characters can’t deny the attraction they feel for each other. Going through what Gem, Sparks, Rio, Kat, and Jack goes through; they’re bound to seek comfort and form friendships with each other.



In PULSE, a vampire mystery love story, there is plenty of action and even more romance. A large part of the romance stems from the characters themselves – vampire brothers who are drawn to Kalina, a girl who has a very special destiny. The vampires in PULSE are so romantic, it’s part of who they are.

As far as finding the right balance between romance and action, it is a matter of what feels right for the characters, the plot, and the audience. When it comes together, you know it seems right – just like love.

Interview with Melissa Marr

I doubt Melissa Marr needs much introduction. She's the author of the popular Wicked Lovely series, the fourth book of which - RADIANT SHADOWS - I reviewed earlier today. You might want to check out her lj, linked above, which has the details of two live chats she's participating in this week . . . plus links to the free e-copy of WICKED LOVELY.

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1. Did you expect the popularity of the Wicked Lovely series? Did success affect your writing process?

To be honest, I had no expectations. I wrote a short story (in 2004) that lingered in my mind, so (in 2005), I turned that short story into a novel. At that time, there was no YA paranormal boom; TWILIGHT hadn’t even released when I wrote WICKED LOVELY. So, I had no indication that there was a readership for a YA-romance-urban-fantasy-crossover.

By the time WL hit the shelves, I was already writing what turned out to be the core of the 3rd book in the series, so . . . no, it hasn’t really been a factor for me. By the time it could’ve been an issue, I was revising the 2nd book and writing the 3rd book, and by then I was so far into the world to notice much of anything. The major way the exterior world impacted the books was in the amount of time tour and conferences took time away from writing, so I had to learn to write in airports and hotels too.



The one thing that has been a little unnerving was re-visiting the first book for the film while I was writing the 5th book. A few times that really tripped me—especially as an image I used in the fifth book (DARKEST MERCY) was one the screenwriter (Caroline Thompson) came up with to add to the first book. It was an eerie similarity, but I’m a believer in Universal Order so I took it as a good sign.

2. You made your adult fiction debut with "Two Lines" in the UNBOUND anthology last August. Do you have any more plans for adult fiction or are you going to keep writing YA?

I think my directions are entirely dependent on the stories I need to tell. “Two Lines” (and a couple other short stories before it in semi-pro mags) had to be adult; GRAVEMINDER (my debut adult novel, tentatively set for early 2011) had to be adult. I’m not migrating to adult or leaving YA; without spilling details, I can say with certainty that there will be more YA from me. I have short stories in TEETH (a YA folklore-based vampire antho), NAKED CITY (an adult urban fantasy antho), and another adult urban fantasy antho. I like short stories, but there are both YA and adult novels in my future too.

3. I am very excited about the Smart Chicks Kick It tour, since it starts in Austin and Houston (so I should be able to attend 1-3 days) and features some awesome, well, smart chicks. How is a large tour like this organized?

I’m not sure how it should be done, but in this case, it’s been a bit random. In 2008 and 2009, I did a few events with authors whose books I liked (including Kelley Armstrong). I had fun, and then, honestly, I just get urges to try something new. Organizing a giant tour was new, so I started asking authors I knew my readers liked or thought they would like. From the start, Kelley, Holly, & Cassie were involved. A few months in, we invited Alyson. Then, we started adding more and more people--so much so that the original plan of 6 cities in 6 nights has evolved into 12 nights in 11 cities and twice as many authors as I had proposed. I’ve done 3 tours and a bunch of other events, so I emailed a few booksellers I knew, and they all said “oh yes!” Kelley started an online presence. More stores invited us. So, in one way, “organizing” is probably the wrong word. It grew waaaay beyond my organizational goal. So, Kelley and I talked, decided we were going to become crazy without help, and proposed that we hire a publicist to handle the details. We suggested the idea of a publicist to the group; they agreed. Kelley and I still do the bulk of the organization-coordination-with-authors, but Media Masters took over working with the stores. Then, various Smart Chicks have taken on things like website, Twitter, swag design, etc. I’m sure there will be snags, but it’s new and a challenge, so IMHO, it’s all good fun.

4. What media influenced your writing? What were your favorite things to read (or watch) as a kid?

I didn’t (and still don’t) watch much TV or film. We had a television, but we only had 2 channels. On the other hand, the library had thousands of books. There was never a contest for me. I remember watching the Wizard of Oz, Yogi Bear, football, boxing, the Muppets, and the local news. I’m sure there were other things I watched, and I know we went to the movies sometimes and one of our family friends had a VCR. Then when I was in high school, we got a VCR. I remember watching Blade Runner, the original Star Wars movies, Indiana Jones, anything with Clint Eastwood, and all of the James Bond movies. I’m not sure how any of those influenced me beyond an appreciation for the fantastic. In high school and college, I went to movies on dates, but that was rarely for watching the movie. By grad school, I didn’t watch much of anything other than boxing, Buffy, or soccer. These days, I watch documentaries (with my son) and Vampire Diaries (with my daughter).

Books, however, were definitely an influence. I grew up with fairy tales, folklore, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Rossetti, bags of paperback romances and SFF from yard sales and the flea market, boxes of mysteries and philosophy from my uncle, and stacks of library books. I learned to read before I started kindergarten, and once I knew how, I read daily (still do). My omnivorous reading choices continue now, too. As of this moment, my nightstand has a stack critical articles from Folklore journal, two romances, a fantasy novel, a horror novel, 2 YA, 1 MG, and a picture book.

5. Do you ever have trouble making deadlines? Are there any scenes or characters you've had particular trouble with?

*grin* I’m a bit of a workaholic. I’ve turned every novel in ahead of deadline. DARKEST MERCY (WL #5) isn’t due until July 2010 (it’s in my editor’s hands already); GRAVEMINDER was due in December 2009 (I turned it in November 2009); and RADIANT SHADOWS was due in June 09 (I turned it in February 2009). Part of it, honestly, is that in contracts I ask for deadlines later than I expect to need, so if I have any crises, I already have emergency time in the schedule. I work far in advance of deadline—generally starting books 2 years ahead of due dates. It’s a little neurotic, but I’m old-fashioned on this topic: if I say I’ll do it, I’ll drive myself to the ground doing it. (And I expect the same from those in my personal and my business life.)

Struggle scenes . . . Leslie’s hazy addicted period in INK was hard to write emotionally; Ash’s grieving in FRAGILE was frustrating to write (I wanted her to toughen up, but that would’ve been imposing my approach to stress, rather than letting her be her); and one scene in RS and another in MERCY (which I can’t say for spoiler reasons—but both made me weep). It’s less about the story than my discomfort with lingering on the vulnerable moments. I’m very blunt, but I’m also inclined to be private with the tender emotions. That makes it hard for me to dive into them to write them. My family knows if someone is about to experience any tear-causing-event because I get intense urges to do anything other than write then.

Alisa Libby: Researching Those Crazy Tudors

Today I am kicking off Alisa Libby's Traveling to Teens tour with a guest post on her research for her newest novel, THE KING'S ROSE. Be sure to stop by later today for my review. I was going to add pictures to this post from my own trip to Hampton Court, but my laptop crashed last night. You'll have to imagine it for yourself, but believe me, it is well worth seeing if you're ever in the London area.

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(Clicking on the book cover to go to Amazon is a good idea - THE KING'S ROSE is currently bargain priced.)

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There are many different ways to research a historical novel. I spent many hours reading about the Tudor court for my novel The King's Rose, but I'll tell you about something more fun: ghost hunting. My husband(/research partner) and I took a trip to England. We visited Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, among other places. A highlight of the trip was the night-time “ghost tour” of Hampton Court Palace. We were there to see a specific ghost: Catherine Howard, who supposedly haunts a particular gallery in the Palace.

Catherine Howard was a teenager when she was married to King Henry VIII of England. He was an incredibly powerful king and Catherine was his fifth wife—he had divorced two and beheaded one before her (the other had died shortly after giving birth to his long-awaited heir). Catherine was a youthful, pretty, fun-loving creature, which is perhaps why Henry found her so appealing. Unfortunately, she may have been a bit too fun-loving. After just over a year of marriage, the King was informed that Catherine was having an affair with one of his servants. Upon this revelation, Queen Catherine was imprisoned in her chambers at Hampton Court.

According to legend, Catherine broke free of the guards and ran from her chambers at Hampton, screaming “Henry! Henry! Henry!” It wasn't proper to use the first name of the king in public (even for a queen). She was desperate to see the king; perhaps she hoped that seeing his young, blushing bride would soften his actions against her. Supposedly his advisers thought the same, which is why Catherine never reached her goal. She was caught and dragged back to her apartments, screaming like a crazy person. She never saw Henry again. A few months later she was executed at the Tower of London. The legend follows that her ghost still haunts that gallery at Hampton, screaming Henry's name.

Hampton Court is a gorgeous palace. If you like macabre, gothic stuff like I do, it's even more stunning at night. The entire outside of the palace was lit in spooky, shadowy blue and purple. However, I have to admit that I didn't see Catherine's shrieking ghost in the spooky, “haunted” gallery. Perhaps this is for the best. Ghosts aside, it was amazing to visit the place where she experienced both her greatest triumphs (her first official presentation to the Court as queen was at Hampton) and her terrifying fall from grace.

One of the final stops on our trip was the Tower of London. Because I am a morbid individual, I made sure to schedule this visit on February 13th, the anniversary of Catherine's execution. We visited the site where she was executed (by beheading) and her burial place in the Chapel of Saint Peter ad Vincula. Catherine doesn't get many visitors. All the visitors and the roses go to Henry's infamous second wife, and Catherine's cousin, Anne Boleyn. Catherine is the far less famous beheaded bride—but I found her fascinating. I left a stone on her grave, a sign that I had paid her a visit. I like to think that she understood.

In case you are interested in reading more about those crazy Tudors, here are some titles you may enjoy. For more about The King's Rose and my first book, The Blood Confession, visit my website: www.alisalibby.com. You can also visit my blog: www.alisamlibby.wordpress.com.

THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII by Alison Weir
THE WIVES OF HENRY VIII by Antonia Fraser
A TUDOR TRAGEDY, the Life and Times of Catherine Howard by Lacey Baldwin Smith
KATHERINE HOWARD by Joanna Denny

Review: Eyes Like Stars

Traveling to Teens is a tour event for Young Adult authors of any genre. Visit the T2T website for giveaways and more!

By Lisa Mantchev

Lisa Mantchev grew up in the small Northern California town of Ukiah and can pinpoint her first forays into fiction to the short stories she thumped out on an ancient typewriter. She makes her home on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state with her husband Angel, her daughter Amélie and four hairy miscreant dogs. When not scribbling, she can be found on the beach, up a tree, making jam or repairing things with her trusty glue gun. A list of her short fiction can be found on her authorly website (http://www.lisamantchev.com/) and Eyes Like Stars, her debut novel, is due out in the Summer of 2009 from Feiwel & Friends. You can read more about it at http://www.theatre-illuminata.com/.



Summary:

All the worlds her stage.
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents. She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.
Until now.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book-an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family-and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.

Open Curtain

Review:

Lisa Mantchev throws you right into the world of the Théâtre Illuminata. It's disorienting at first, until the rules governing Bertie's world become clear. I think it works well though, because it allows the consistency and detail of Mantchev's world to shine through.

I enjoyed this book when I read it. I loved the sweet romance of Nate and Bertie as well as the sexual tension between Ariel and Bertie. (She can have her cake and eat it too, right? Usually I know which guy I want to get the girl but I rather liked both options.) I loved that Mantchev developed Ariel's motivation, because it is the rare villain who can be convincing without a montive other that being evil for the sake of being evil. And it's what Ariel deserves, coming from THE TEMPEST. The play has some thorny moral issues that are only more confused by a post-imperialist reading.

But I love it even more since I've been reading the hideously detailed introductions to the Shakespeare plays for my class. (If you're using a college level text, like the Arden Shakespeare or Oxford World Classics, the introduction will be as long as the play itself.) These introductions spend quite a bit of time discussing staging. What the most famous versions were like, how things hanged as the interpretation changed, what changes are made to emphasized one or two themes of the play . . . it makes it so beautiful that Bertie decides her place in the Théâtre Illuminata is as a director. The director's vision is vital to a performance. It keeps the play relevant, focused, and innovative.

The Théâtre Illuminata faces more danger than that of Ariel's actions. Attendance is flagging. The characters mock Bertie since they all know their lines perfectly - but it's kind of terrible. They do the same performance every time. Variation gives plays vitality. It's only fitting for the spunky Bertie to direct.

In addition to delivering a great plot, Mantchev knows how to give enough answers to satisfy while leaving enough threads open to make the reader eager for Act II. I can't wait for more rescues and revelations, nor can I wait to see how the consequences of Act I unfold. And if you like the characters, I do recommend reading some Shakespeare. Especially A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, the sourse of Peaseblossom, Mustardseed, Moth, and Cobweb. It was my first Shakespeare experience, back in seventh grade. And it's a good one to start with because it's hilarious.

EYES LIKE STARS is a strong debut, and I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy. I also can't wait to see what Mantchev does outside of Théâtre Illuminata. It's books like this that convince me a faerie on the cover is a sign of quality.