The Monday Five

I know, it's usually the Friday Five, but I'm a few days behind with *everything* lately. Like, so many people I know have already seen Catching Fire, but I won't get to see it until this weekend sometime. I'm SO excited - people are raving about it.

Anyway, I have a few things to share, so here we go, the Monday Five, which doesn't sound nearly as cool as the Friday Five, but that's okay since I've never been, and never will be, one of the cool kids.

1. This weekend I switched out my iMac that was about ten years old, so I'm writing this on my new and improved computer and I LOVE IT! I bought a used iMac on ebay from a company that specializes in cleaning up old ones and reselling them. This one (a 2009 model) came with a ton of software loaded on it and the latest operating system for much, much less than I would have paid new. I try to buy used as much as possible in life, because it just makes sense to me in so many ways.

As I was copying files over and getting everything set up on the new one, I noticed I've been using Office 2004. 2004, people! That is crazy!! The most frustrating thing was that Blogger wasn't playing nice with the old, old operating system I was using, so I couldn't read blogs anymore. I'm a strange beast of a writer. I have a laptop I use on the treadmill desk sometimes, but other times, I want a nice big screen and a comfy chair, so I really need both a desk computer and a laptop. I've dragged my feet for so long, but I'm glad I finally took the plunge and got something newer. The speed - OMG, the speed!!! Happy, happy, happy.

2. On Friday, I got news that School Library Journal will review Frosting and Friendship in its upcoming December/January issue, and it's an awesome review! Here's a snippet:

"Schroeder’s realistic dialogue and depiction of daily dramas show her strong grasp of middle-school life. The combination of baking and bands will initially attract many girls, but it’s the short chapters and simple diction that keep the plot cooking. Readers will be drawn to the well-delineated, quirky Lily. They’ll empathize with her, ponder her dilemmas, and cheer her on to make the right decisions."

3. I saw my baby nephew, Jacob, this weekend. He is almost three months old. He had a bit of a rough start but he's doing great now! Baby cuddles are the best!

4. The fourth and final CHARMED LIFE book is due one week from today. I have about three more chapters to write. I'm hoping to finish the draft by Wednesday, and then I will spend a good chunk of the long weekend editing before I send it off to my editor on December 2nd. Eep - I'm almost there! Fingers crossed things go according to plan!

5. Finally, I discovered over the weekend, thanks to Kim Baccellia who told me the news via twitter, that FALLING FOR YOU is a paperback pick in the December 16th issue of FIRST for Women magazine. Of course I had to go out and get a copy. And, I had to take pictures because, come on, Dr. Oz on the cover and Nicholas Sparks, Maria Semple, and Shirlee McCoy featured alongside my book? So. Weird.

click on the picture to enlarge

"When my book club chose this novel about a young relationship gone wrong, I was skeptical," says Melissa Sorrells, FIRST associate editor. "But its complexity drew me in and held held on tight." It goes on to say, "Rae's courage and journey to self-worth reminded me of roads I've traveled in my life -- and of just how strong I am."

The paperback comes out on December 3rd!! Next Sunday I'll have a list of ten things you should know about the book to celebrate the paperback release.

In the meantime, have a *wonderful* Thanksgiving holiday! Eat lots of pie, okay? I mean it. I really want a t-shirt that says, "Life is short. Eat pie."

It's a trilogy!

A few final copies were delivered to me on Saturday.

So here is the latest book, Frosting and Friendship, cuddling up to the other two, It's Raining Cupcakes and Sprinkles and Secrets.

Three is definitely not a crowd in this instance, right?

When the idea hits

Wow, I haven't blogged in a while. I'm just so busy, writing books and editing other books and basically trying to keep my head above water at this point. It's all good, of course. The work now means many books to come next year and the year after, but still. It's work, and my brain is tired, so it's hard to find the brain energy to do much of anything beyond the work that is required.

It's summer, though, my favorite season here in rainy Oregon, so I've tried to get out and have fun on the weekends as much as I can. Here's a picture of me on a hike last weekend in the Columbia River Gorge. (Wahclella Falls, Exit 40, if you're local and looking for an easy and pretty hike to do. It's only a mile in to see the falls, and this trail is much less crowded than the popular trail to Punchbowl Falls).

Anyway, I was thinking last night about the cupcake "series" that will soon be coming to an end. (One more month, as of today, and Frosting and Friendship will hit the shelves!) I cannot even tell you how grateful I am to have had the original idea to write a book about cupcakes and friendship.

I can still remember the exact place and the exact time when the idea for what eventually became It's Raining Cupcakes came to me. Not all books have this exact moment kind of thing as far as the idea goes. And it's kind of fascinating to me.

There are really only two books out of the eight novels I've published thus far when there was this big "A-Ha" moment about the book and it was so strong and so powerful, I remember it like it happened yesterday. The other books came about more slowly, maybe after writing in my idea journal or after playing around with words or even entire books that eventually led me to the right place.

The interesting thing, however, is that those two books (the ones where the ideas hit me like a bolt of lightening and I couldn't wait to get to the computer to start writing) have been my most popular books.
I'm going to be honest and say that I kind of feel like it's divine intervention, giving me what I need at the moment I need it. It's a wonderful thing.

The first time it happened, I had a dream about a girl whose boyfriend died, but he loved her so much, he didn't want to let her go and so, he came back as a ghost. I woke up with this strong sense of love, and it was like - BAM, this is going to be your next book! I couldn't wait to get to the computer and start writing down this girl's story, and I did, that very morning, before I had to get ready for work. I Heart You, You Haunt Me came from that dream.

With It's Raining Cupcakes, I was brainstorming ideas on the drive home from work, desperately wanting to write a middle grade novel that would be fun and happy-making. I hadn't published any middle grade novels, and I really wanted to, because I have such fond memories of books and reading during that time in my own life. When the idea for setting a book in and around a cupcake shop popped into my brain, again, I couldn't wait to get home and start writing. It was just what I needed at the time, and Isabel's story poured out of me.

I love that excitement and sense of urgency, when you know you're on to something good. I was recently reading something on the internet when an idea struck and I'm in love with the idea, but unfortunately, right now, I'm too buried in other work to even begin to think about it. So, I've scribbled in my idea journal for now, and that will have to do.

Kids love to ask authors where they get their ideas. I always say mine come to me in lots of different ways, and give some examples. But I can't deny my favorite way is when the idea hits in a big, big way and you know you're on to something good.

Happy weekend!

Less than two months and a nice Kirkus review

It is almost August. Why does summer have to fly by so fast? Do you know what comes after August? Yes, that's right - September. Silly question, I know. But this year, September is an exciting month. Do you know why?

Because THIS happens in September:

I've updated the "Books for Kids" page to include a short summary. If you want to make sure and get it the first week it's out, here are the places you can pre-order. Just click on the link and it'll take you to the book's page. Pre-orders are a very good thing for an author, just FYI.

Powell's Bookstore

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Your favorite independent bookstore

And, a bit of good news: I just received the first review, from Kirkus, and it's a good one. It'll be available on-line two weeks before the publication date, but I'll share this line I especially like: "Ultimately, Lily's choice to celebrate her unique abilities and interests affirms readers' rights to do the same."

I can't wait for my cupcake loving readers to discover this story! A big, huge thank you to all of you who have been so supportive of this series that I've had so much fun writing!!

Surprises and unique story elements

I've been thinking a lot about surprises and unique story elements, mostly because I've discovered how much I love it as a reader when something surprises me, in a good way.

I'm reading a contemporary novel for adults right now, Nowhere But Home, and I was enjoying it just fine and then... surprise! Something different. Unique. Something that made me go - wow, I haven't seen that in a book before. Suddenly my desire to get back to this book has increased tenfold. I'm dying to see where this new plot thread goes. I'm SO intrigued by it (I'm not going to tell you what it is, in case you want to read it).

But here's an example that might illustrate what I mean, because I realize "surprises" can mean lots of different things. One of the things I really loved about The Silver Linings Playbook is that I wasn't expecting the dance-thing. At all. It took me completely by surprise, and it kind of turned the story on its head and made it so much more fun.

In my YA novel Falling For You, I added a fun element, a surprise, in the way of secret notes to give the reader a bit of a break from what is a pretty dark story at times. I've read a few other books where secret notes or "clues" (that lead the character places) play a part, and I can specifically remember how much I loved that part of the story.

I really believe readers want to be surprised one way or another, and it is our job, as writers, to figure out how to do that.

One of the things I've started doing when I'm writing a book is to brainstorm "fun" things in my notebook. It's usually a list of random things that make me smile and that I might like to put in a book some day. Not all the things get put in *that* book and sometimes I come across an idea I save for a book all its own.

Another example of this comes via this drawing, which a reader sent to me after she read the first two "Cupcake" books and wanted to give me ideas for the third book.

Along with this picture she drew (which I love by the way), she gave me a description of every girl in the band and what she wore. It made me realize (and remember my hairbrush singing days) that most girls this age love music and probably do imagine from time to time what it would be like to be on stage, singing or playing music. This led me to putting Lily, the main character in Frosting and Friendship, in a band with a few of her friends, since she loves to sing. The girls are new at this band thing, trying to find their way with playing music and writing songs, as they would be at the ages of twelve and thirteen. But I love how this part of the story played out and how it came to be a part of the main plot.

Another way to look at this comes via my friend and NYT bestselling author Laini Taylor. She's said on her blog a few different times that one of her favorite questions to ask while she's writing is this: "What is the coolest way this plot thing might happen?"

Cool. Fun. Unique. 

Keep these words in mind, and find ways to bring the cool, the fun, the unique to your story and surprise the reader. You'll be glad you did. And so will your readers!!

The cover of Frosting and Friendship!!!

Coming September 24, 2013!!!

What do you think?

I LOVE it! I love the purple and red and how the fun streamers make it feel like a celebration. And check out the charm bracelet that once again gives little hints about what's in the story.

So excited to share this with the readers who have gobbled up IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES and SPRINKLES AND SECRETS. A huge thank you to Aladdin who said, yes, let's do a third book!

In January, I'll share more about what the book is about. But for now, we can gaze at the delicious little cakes and drool, haha.

Exciting News - Another "Cupcake" Book!!

This was in PW Children's Bookshelf yesterday:

Lisa Schroeder (The Day Before) has signed with Simon & Schuster for two new books. Annette Pollert at Simon Pulse has acquired her fifth YA novel, Falling for You, which will pub in spring 2013. Her first YA novel not in verse, it tells the story of a teen girl who relives the love of a dangerous boy as she hovers between life and death. At Aladdin, Alyson Heller signed Schroeder for Frosting and Friendship, a companion novel to It’s Raining Cupcakes and Sprinkles and Secrets. Scheduled for fall 2013, it’s about a girl who wishes she shared her friend’s talent for baking. Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger brokered the deals, both for world rights.


I announced Falling For You last week, But Frosting and Friendship is brand new news,  and I am SO EXCITED! Like, this is me right now:

I need to say a big thank you to all of the kids, parents, teachers and librarians who have bought and shared and loved It's Raining Cupcakes and Sprinkles and Secrets. It's because of YOU there will be another book! Writers can only keep writing when there is a demand, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for embracing Isabel and Sophie so there can be another book.


I don't want to say too much about the third book, because I am still writing it, and that's a fragile place to be. First and foremost, I need to get lost in the story and FINISH it!! But I can tell you the main character is Lily, and she is a disaster in the kitchen, but longs to be a great baker like Sophie and Isabel, who are in the book a lot too.


So excited for 2013! Now... back to that book!!