Hope you are reading some great books as well!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Books, books, books!
Here's what I've read lately, and I highly recommend them all!! (The first two, THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING and SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS are appropriate for ages 8 and up. The rest are young adult novels - and are appropriate for ages 13 and up).
Hope you are reading some great books as well!
Hope you are reading some great books as well!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Amanda Palmer and the Art of Asking
I'm going to post the TED talk with Amanda Palmer here because, wow, it is SO good! It is worth the 14 minutes of your time to watch it, I promise!
I love what she has to say about trust vs risk, and how it comes down to CONNECTION. The things her fans have done for her, all over the world, in the spirit of connection, is so very wonderful. It proves that there are a lot of good people in the world.
There should be no shame in asking for what we need sometimes. I try really hard to connect with my readers. I answer every e-mail, every letter, every facebook post, as many tweets as I can, because I honestly like being connected to my readers. It reminds me that what I do matters. And yet, when it's time for me to start promoting a new book, I dread it. I dread anything that remotely says - please, buy my book!
I think she's right - there is an art to asking. And I have not quite figured that art out yet. But I honestly want to learn, so if anyone has any tips, lay 'em on me!
I find it interesting that readers have no trouble asking me to continue to write my books, however. Perhaps it is because in the same sentence they often say something flattering, like: You are so awesome, please keep writing books. It's a compliment that way, yes? So maybe I should write back: And I think you are amazing, so please buy my books. :) I don't know - it doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?
The thing is, and maybe this will sound corny, but when I get a note from a reader who says I love you and your work, I DO love them back. And I love that they felt moved enough to write to me. And mostly I wish we could just do this whole book business on a model of love, because wouldn't that be so much more pleasant? Alas, if only I could buy tea and cookies and dog food and college tuition and Lucy yoga pants with love.
I'll always keep writing. Whether or not a publisher will continue to buy them is the question. In a way, Amanda and I are a lot alike. My novels-in-verse are different. Her music is different. And what's hard is that different doesn't always sell the way "mainstream" does.
But the people who do buy, they've got a lot of love in their heart! So what do I do? I write another story. It's my way of saying, I love you too. And I hope and pray it's good enough to make an editor take a chance on it.
I'm happy for Amanda Palmer and all of her success. She seems like a lovely person. Plus, hello, she's married to Neil Gaiman, who is another very lovely person! (I saw him give his Newbery speech live at ALA a couple of years ago and he is so charming yet very down-to-earth too.)
Peace and love,
Lisa
I love what she has to say about trust vs risk, and how it comes down to CONNECTION. The things her fans have done for her, all over the world, in the spirit of connection, is so very wonderful. It proves that there are a lot of good people in the world.
There should be no shame in asking for what we need sometimes. I try really hard to connect with my readers. I answer every e-mail, every letter, every facebook post, as many tweets as I can, because I honestly like being connected to my readers. It reminds me that what I do matters. And yet, when it's time for me to start promoting a new book, I dread it. I dread anything that remotely says - please, buy my book!
I think she's right - there is an art to asking. And I have not quite figured that art out yet. But I honestly want to learn, so if anyone has any tips, lay 'em on me!
I find it interesting that readers have no trouble asking me to continue to write my books, however. Perhaps it is because in the same sentence they often say something flattering, like: You are so awesome, please keep writing books. It's a compliment that way, yes? So maybe I should write back: And I think you are amazing, so please buy my books. :) I don't know - it doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?
The thing is, and maybe this will sound corny, but when I get a note from a reader who says I love you and your work, I DO love them back. And I love that they felt moved enough to write to me. And mostly I wish we could just do this whole book business on a model of love, because wouldn't that be so much more pleasant? Alas, if only I could buy tea and cookies and dog food and college tuition and Lucy yoga pants with love.
I'll always keep writing. Whether or not a publisher will continue to buy them is the question. In a way, Amanda and I are a lot alike. My novels-in-verse are different. Her music is different. And what's hard is that different doesn't always sell the way "mainstream" does.
But the people who do buy, they've got a lot of love in their heart! So what do I do? I write another story. It's my way of saying, I love you too. And I hope and pray it's good enough to make an editor take a chance on it.
I'm happy for Amanda Palmer and all of her success. She seems like a lovely person. Plus, hello, she's married to Neil Gaiman, who is another very lovely person! (I saw him give his Newbery speech live at ALA a couple of years ago and he is so charming yet very down-to-earth too.)
Peace and love,
Lisa
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Nice reviews of FALLING FOR YOU
Waiting for professional reviews to come in is a bit nerve-wracking, to say the least.
Today I thought I'd share some of the nice things reviewers have said about my latest YA novel, Falling For You.
VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates, a publication for librarians) says, "Schroeder has done a wonderful job creating teenage characters from a variety of backgrounds and using those backgrounds to influence their actions. This novel is ripe for use in a classroom or book club; discussion points include: healthy relationships, poetry as expression, relationship boundaries, and more. Readers looking for a realistic teen read saturated in emotion will love Falling For You."
Ripe for use in a classroom? That makes me as happy as this cute little guy!
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School Library Journal says, "Rae is a well-drawn, strong-willed heroine, and her blossoming relationship with a homeschooled neighbor adds a sweetness and depth to the story."
Awesome! Sweetness, like a cupcake, right?
I love that she mentioned the hope that I believe is prevalent throughout in what is sometimes a pretty sad story. Hope like a rainbow in the sky...
Thanks for letting me share!
Today I thought I'd share some of the nice things reviewers have said about my latest YA novel, Falling For You.
VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates, a publication for librarians) says, "Schroeder has done a wonderful job creating teenage characters from a variety of backgrounds and using those backgrounds to influence their actions. This novel is ripe for use in a classroom or book club; discussion points include: healthy relationships, poetry as expression, relationship boundaries, and more. Readers looking for a realistic teen read saturated in emotion will love Falling For You."
Ripe for use in a classroom? That makes me as happy as this cute little guy!
.jpg)
School Library Journal says, "Rae is a well-drawn, strong-willed heroine, and her blossoming relationship with a homeschooled neighbor adds a sweetness and depth to the story."
Awesome! Sweetness, like a cupcake, right?
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books says, "As things get worse and worse for her, she [Rae] seeks ways to help herself and others that are faithful to her character; she's no Pollyanna, but she is determined that the messes that surround her on all sides won't define her, and she manages to convince herself and others that being honest about one's pain can bring compassion. It's a heartening message for readers in difficult situations, and the poems scattered throughout the text enhance the cathartic note of hope in hard times."
I love that she mentioned the hope that I believe is prevalent throughout in what is sometimes a pretty sad story. Hope like a rainbow in the sky...
Thanks for letting me share!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
AMAZING, FANTASTIC, SWEET ARC CONTEST
I have ARCs to give away!
ARCs are Advanced Review Copies of books that are coming out in the next few months but are not on the shelves yet.
Look what you could win!! (All descriptions are from worldcat.org).
Sorry, U.S. residents only. I've decided to use rafflecopter to make it easier for people to enter, so one person will win all four ARCs.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ARCs are Advanced Review Copies of books that are coming out in the next few months but are not on the shelves yet.
Look what you could win!! (All descriptions are from worldcat.org).
The Program, by Suzanne Young
"When suicide becomes a worldwide epidemic, the only known cure is The Program, a treatment in which painful memories are erased, a fate worse than death to seventeen-year-old Sloane who knows that The Program will steal memories of her dead brother and boyfriend."
***
Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
"When sixteen-year-old Mallory learns that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with his cyber "wife," she rebels against technology by following her grandmother's list of goals from 1962, with help from her younger sister, Ginnie."
***
Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
"Ten years after surviving the tornado that killed his parents, Vane Weston, now seventeen, has no memory of that fateful day but dreams of a beautiful girl who, he now learns, is not only real, she is his guardian sylph, who harnesses the power of the wind."
***
Poison by Bridget Zinn
"When sixteen-year-old Kyra, a potions master, tries to save her kingdom by murdering the princess, who is also her best friend, the poisoned dart misses its mark and Kyra becomes a fugitive, pursued by the King's army and her ex-boyfriend Hal."
***
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, February 11, 2013
Poetry Contest - Eight Cousins Bookstore
Eight Cousins Bookstore in Falmouth, MA is doing an awesome thing to promote my latest YA novel, Falling For You.
Because Rae, the main character in Falling For You, writes poetry as an outlet for the stuff she's dealing with, they thought it would be cool to have a poetry contest with me picking the winner!
The contest is open to all interested parties and you can find all the information you need, including the on-line entry form, HERE.
But hurry, the contest ends February 14th - that's THIS coming Thursday!
If you write poetry and have notebooks with poems you've written laying around the house, why not submit something? Or, write a piece specific for the contest, if you'd rather do that. It's totally up to you!
I can't wait to read some poetry entries once the contest is closed. Will it be YOURS that I pick as the winner? Stay tuned....
Because Rae, the main character in Falling For You, writes poetry as an outlet for the stuff she's dealing with, they thought it would be cool to have a poetry contest with me picking the winner!
The contest is open to all interested parties and you can find all the information you need, including the on-line entry form, HERE.
But hurry, the contest ends February 14th - that's THIS coming Thursday!
If you write poetry and have notebooks with poems you've written laying around the house, why not submit something? Or, write a piece specific for the contest, if you'd rather do that. It's totally up to you!
I can't wait to read some poetry entries once the contest is closed. Will it be YOURS that I pick as the winner? Stay tuned....
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Thank you and where do I go from here?
It's been a little over a month since Falling For You was released into the world.
First, I want to say thank you to all of you who have done any of the following: bought the book, read the book, reviewed the book, blogged, tweeted or talked about the book somewhere, told friends about the book, asked your library to order the book, etc. etc. Every little thing helps!
Really. I mean it. THANK YOU! Here's Stormy and me giving you a virtual hug for your support!!
Lately I've been getting questions like - what's next? What are you working on now?
The thing is, I love YA. Like, I love, love, love it. But I know there are many people who write it a helluva lot better than I do. There are many days when I feel I'm not the writer I need to be to compete in today's market.
I wrote Falling For You at a time when I needed to do something different. I was tired of hearing the criticism about verse novels. A lot of people don't even want to try them, and that frustrates me SO much. It's like they hear the words "verse novel" and their brain immediately says, "well, not for me."
So I put something different out there. Reviews seem to be kind of mixed. I'm trying to stay away from them, for the most part, because it doesn't help the already somewhat low confidence. And honestly, it's FINE, not everyone is going to love every book, I know that. I've gotten some really heartfelt notes from teens, teens who needed to read this book at this time, and knowing that makes me glad I wrote the book.
But what's next for me as far YA goes? I honestly don't know. Some days I think maybe I should bow out gracefully from the YA world. Let the far more talented have the shelves. But like I said, I love YA. It's hard to leave!
Since November I've been secretly working on a YA manuscript. It's quiet and lyrical and has two characters I adore. It's part verse and part prose.
And it's all me. The question becomes, is that enough?
For a while, I thought I wouldn't finish it. I was going to walk away, and leave the YA world behind for a while. But the book won't let me leave! It keeps calling to me and calling to me. So for now, I'm writing it JUST for me. It's fun. Magical at times. When it's finished, I'll have to decide if I want to show it to anyone. It may not have a big enough hook. It may be too quiet. It might suck! For better or worse, I haven't worried about any of that. I've just tried to write from my heart, which is where my best work comes from.
At the end of the day, publishing is a business. Numbers matter. I can't control how many copies of my books are sold.
Fortunately, a great story matters too. That's what I'm going to focus on for now. We'll have to wait and see what happens next...
xoxo
Lisa
First, I want to say thank you to all of you who have done any of the following: bought the book, read the book, reviewed the book, blogged, tweeted or talked about the book somewhere, told friends about the book, asked your library to order the book, etc. etc. Every little thing helps!
Really. I mean it. THANK YOU! Here's Stormy and me giving you a virtual hug for your support!!
The thing is, I love YA. Like, I love, love, love it. But I know there are many people who write it a helluva lot better than I do. There are many days when I feel I'm not the writer I need to be to compete in today's market.
I wrote Falling For You at a time when I needed to do something different. I was tired of hearing the criticism about verse novels. A lot of people don't even want to try them, and that frustrates me SO much. It's like they hear the words "verse novel" and their brain immediately says, "well, not for me."
So I put something different out there. Reviews seem to be kind of mixed. I'm trying to stay away from them, for the most part, because it doesn't help the already somewhat low confidence. And honestly, it's FINE, not everyone is going to love every book, I know that. I've gotten some really heartfelt notes from teens, teens who needed to read this book at this time, and knowing that makes me glad I wrote the book.
But what's next for me as far YA goes? I honestly don't know. Some days I think maybe I should bow out gracefully from the YA world. Let the far more talented have the shelves. But like I said, I love YA. It's hard to leave!
Since November I've been secretly working on a YA manuscript. It's quiet and lyrical and has two characters I adore. It's part verse and part prose.
And it's all me. The question becomes, is that enough?
For a while, I thought I wouldn't finish it. I was going to walk away, and leave the YA world behind for a while. But the book won't let me leave! It keeps calling to me and calling to me. So for now, I'm writing it JUST for me. It's fun. Magical at times. When it's finished, I'll have to decide if I want to show it to anyone. It may not have a big enough hook. It may be too quiet. It might suck! For better or worse, I haven't worried about any of that. I've just tried to write from my heart, which is where my best work comes from.
At the end of the day, publishing is a business. Numbers matter. I can't control how many copies of my books are sold.
Fortunately, a great story matters too. That's what I'm going to focus on for now. We'll have to wait and see what happens next...
xoxo
Lisa
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Upcoming Events - Please come see me!
For Phoenix AZ Peeps: Saturday, 1/26 4:00 to 6:30: YAllapalooza Book Fest for teens and tweens w/ lots of awesome authors at Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, Arizona. Games, pizza and book signing. Yes, I said pizza!! Awesome, right?
For Portland, OR peeps: Monday, 2/4 7:00: Book signing with Kimberly Derting at Powell's Books, Cedar Hills Crossing, Beaverton, Oregon. We're gonna play a game, Big Brother style! There will be PRIZES!
For Las Vegas, NV peeps: Saturday, 2/9 10:30 am to 5:00 pm: YAllapalooza Book Fest for teens and tweens w/ awesome authors at Centennial Hills Library, Las Vegas, NV. Celebrate teen authors as they share writing tips and explore the world of teen lit. Games, crafts, a literary fashion show and other fun-filled activities will engage the entire family during this 1st annual festival co-sponsored by Barnes & Noble. Book sales and signings will take place throughout the day.
For Portland, OR peeps: Monday, 2/4 7:00: Book signing with Kimberly Derting at Powell's Books, Cedar Hills Crossing, Beaverton, Oregon. We're gonna play a game, Big Brother style! There will be PRIZES!
For Las Vegas, NV peeps: Saturday, 2/9 10:30 am to 5:00 pm: YAllapalooza Book Fest for teens and tweens w/ awesome authors at Centennial Hills Library, Las Vegas, NV. Celebrate teen authors as they share writing tips and explore the world of teen lit. Games, crafts, a literary fashion show and other fun-filled activities will engage the entire family during this 1st annual festival co-sponsored by Barnes & Noble. Book sales and signings will take place throughout the day.
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