Are you a blogger who would like to read my next YA novel, CHASING BROOKLYN, coming out in January?
The first reader in the Chase Across the USA has finished and will be drawing a name for the second stop this afternoon, 4:30 EST. So hurry if you want to enter!
Check out The Compulsive Reader's blog to see what she had to say about the book in her one-word photo!! And to enter the contest, comment OVER THERE, at HER blog with an e-mail address if you'd like to get in on the drawing to be the next stop in the chase. Not here. Sorry for the confusion!!
Every winner, besides getting to read CHASING BROOKLYN, wins a $10.00 bookstore gift card, possibly $20.00 if I guess the next location.
Can't wait to see where my little ARC goes next!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
A Tuesday List of Happy Things
Twitter was all a flitter last night with...unhappiness. And I want to talk about it, and yet, I really don't. Because, as I told someone there yesterday, where our focus goes, energy flows. And I'm not sure I want to fuel the fire anymore.
So, instead, you get a list of happy things.
Happy Thing #1 that I did yesterday - I made cupcakes with my friend Suzanne Young. Her novel, THE NAUGHTY LIST, comes out early February and it is really fun and cute. Teens are going to eat this one up, I'm telling you!
Happy Thing #2 - Tomorrow night, I'm going to THIS, making me the best mom in the entire universe for one whole day. Here's a picture for those who don't like clicking over:
Happy Thing #3 - Yesterday it was confirmed that S&S is sending me to the great state of Texas in April for the Texas Library Association conference, where I will be on a panel with two amazing verse authors. They are the authors of these books:
Yes, can you believe it? Sonya Sones and Ellen Hopkins, and uh, me! Pinch me, please???
What happy things are going on in your neck of the woods?
So, instead, you get a list of happy things.
Happy Thing #1 that I did yesterday - I made cupcakes with my friend Suzanne Young. Her novel, THE NAUGHTY LIST, comes out early February and it is really fun and cute. Teens are going to eat this one up, I'm telling you!
Happy Thing #2 - Tomorrow night, I'm going to THIS, making me the best mom in the entire universe for one whole day. Here's a picture for those who don't like clicking over:
Happy Thing #3 - Yesterday it was confirmed that S&S is sending me to the great state of Texas in April for the Texas Library Association conference, where I will be on a panel with two amazing verse authors. They are the authors of these books:
Yes, can you believe it? Sonya Sones and Ellen Hopkins, and uh, me! Pinch me, please???
What happy things are going on in your neck of the woods?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A few cool things
First - Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER, wrote an article for School Library Journal called - THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD GHOST STORY TO GRAB KIDS' ATTENTION. Some great books are listed there, and I'm so honored she chose I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME to be among them! You can read the article HERE.
Next, Daisy Whitney, a really cool YA writer who recently sold her novel titled THE MOCKINGBIRDS to Little Brown, did a guest blog for her friend, Debbie Schubert called Teaching YA. First of all, isn't she adorable? Second of all, she gave Debbie a fall reading list with some of her favorite picks for learning all about the YA genre, and guess what? She mentioned me in her top ten! Wow. Thanks Daisy!
And finally, I don't think I ever shared the awesome blurb that's on the front of CHASING BROOKLYN:
"Sexy, sweet, suspenseful - I couldn't put it down." ~Lisa McMann, NYT bestselling author of WAKE
Thanks for letting me share!
Next, Daisy Whitney, a really cool YA writer who recently sold her novel titled THE MOCKINGBIRDS to Little Brown, did a guest blog for her friend, Debbie Schubert called Teaching YA. First of all, isn't she adorable? Second of all, she gave Debbie a fall reading list with some of her favorite picks for learning all about the YA genre, and guess what? She mentioned me in her top ten! Wow. Thanks Daisy!
And finally, I don't think I ever shared the awesome blurb that's on the front of CHASING BROOKLYN:
"Sexy, sweet, suspenseful - I couldn't put it down." ~Lisa McMann, NYT bestselling author of WAKE
Thanks for letting me share!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Thoughts on Characters
Who does characters well? Extremely well? Sarah Dessen.
I have character envy when it comes to Sarah. Man, how I want to do characters that well.
Sometimes, a character comes to me fully formed and it's fabulous. The various characters in IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES came to me with their various quirks and interests pretty much as they showed up on the page. And then the way they all came together and gave me what I needed for the story - it was magical!
But more often than not, I have to figure out who a character is as I revise, revise, revise. And so, here I am.
I have this male character who needs to be sort of mysterious for awhile. And yet, I want something that makes you feel like you know him a little bit when he shows up. But how?
I know he's had a rough life. And so, I have to think about how that may come through in those first pages where we meet him. I also know there are things about him that will surprise a person - interests you wouldn't expect.
Anyway, my job this week is to get to know this guy better. Figure him out. Then rewrite him on the pages so he isn't just any guy, he's THIS particular guy, and he's interesting and he's someone you'd like to spend more time with.
Sounds easy, right?
Ha!!!
I have character envy when it comes to Sarah. Man, how I want to do characters that well.
Sometimes, a character comes to me fully formed and it's fabulous. The various characters in IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES came to me with their various quirks and interests pretty much as they showed up on the page. And then the way they all came together and gave me what I needed for the story - it was magical!
But more often than not, I have to figure out who a character is as I revise, revise, revise. And so, here I am.
I have this male character who needs to be sort of mysterious for awhile. And yet, I want something that makes you feel like you know him a little bit when he shows up. But how?
I know he's had a rough life. And so, I have to think about how that may come through in those first pages where we meet him. I also know there are things about him that will surprise a person - interests you wouldn't expect.
Anyway, my job this week is to get to know this guy better. Figure him out. Then rewrite him on the pages so he isn't just any guy, he's THIS particular guy, and he's interesting and he's someone you'd like to spend more time with.
Sounds easy, right?
Ha!!!
Friday, October 2, 2009
One day at a time
When you get to this point - 3 months or so before the release date of a new book, things start heating up. I have a list of things to do in the coming weeks to gear up for the release of CHASING BROOKLYN.
On top of that, I have a new manuscript I want to revise and a new idea for a verse novel I want to flush out and try some sample pages.
This would all be great if I had 40 hours a week to work on the promotion and the writing. But I don't. I'm lucky if I have 10 hours a week. And work is crazy busy right now, so I get home exhausted and don't want to do anything except curl up with a book or a favorite TV show.
On my walk at 5:30 this morning, as I came down the hill, clouds weaving their way across the sky, I just had this feeling that everything will be okay. I'd been thinking about all of this, the familiar feeling of worry rising up in me as I wondered how I could get everything done. My normal response to this is to remind myself that I just have to take it one day at a time. Don't worry about tomorrow - just focus on today. What needs to be done today? With any extra time, what do I want to accomplish today?
This morning, my to-do list circling around in my brain, I stopped, looked at the sky, and a sense of calmness washed over me. I was reminded, once again, in nature's subtle way, I am not alone. And it will be okay. I have to trust that it's not going to be like this forever. And so, I took a deep breath and kept walking.
That's what I have to do every day. When it all seems overwhelming, take a deep breath, remember I'm not alone, and just keep going, knowing the hard work is going to pay off someday
On top of that, I have a new manuscript I want to revise and a new idea for a verse novel I want to flush out and try some sample pages.
This would all be great if I had 40 hours a week to work on the promotion and the writing. But I don't. I'm lucky if I have 10 hours a week. And work is crazy busy right now, so I get home exhausted and don't want to do anything except curl up with a book or a favorite TV show.
On my walk at 5:30 this morning, as I came down the hill, clouds weaving their way across the sky, I just had this feeling that everything will be okay. I'd been thinking about all of this, the familiar feeling of worry rising up in me as I wondered how I could get everything done. My normal response to this is to remind myself that I just have to take it one day at a time. Don't worry about tomorrow - just focus on today. What needs to be done today? With any extra time, what do I want to accomplish today?
This morning, my to-do list circling around in my brain, I stopped, looked at the sky, and a sense of calmness washed over me. I was reminded, once again, in nature's subtle way, I am not alone. And it will be okay. I have to trust that it's not going to be like this forever. And so, I took a deep breath and kept walking.
That's what I have to do every day. When it all seems overwhelming, take a deep breath, remember I'm not alone, and just keep going, knowing the hard work is going to pay off someday
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Two Thumbs Up
Books I've read lately and loved:
ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr. I love the very real yet subtle exploration of faith in this book. Release day is today, October 1st - go and get yourself a copy!
HUSH HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick. This was a real page-turner and kept me guessing until the very end.
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett. I felt like I lived with the characters in this book, which takes place during the civil rights movement. One of my favorite reads of 2009!
BREATHING by Cheryl Herbsman. Sweet, sweet book with great characters, a memorable setting and a voice that you remember long after you close the last page.
What have you read lately that you've loved?
ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr. I love the very real yet subtle exploration of faith in this book. Release day is today, October 1st - go and get yourself a copy!
HUSH HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick. This was a real page-turner and kept me guessing until the very end.
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett. I felt like I lived with the characters in this book, which takes place during the civil rights movement. One of my favorite reads of 2009!
BREATHING by Cheryl Herbsman. Sweet, sweet book with great characters, a memorable setting and a voice that you remember long after you close the last page.
What have you read lately that you've loved?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
On books and reading
My 12 YO got in my car yesterday with THE LIGHTENING THIEF clutched tightly to his chest. He went on to explain that he only had 30 more pages and he just couldn't wait to read them and see what happened. He came home and read those last pages before doing anything else. I ♥ Rick Riordan, because I don't think my reluctant reader has EVER been that excited to read a book.
Monday is his night to help me make dinner, so as we worked in the kitchen, he said, "I want to tell you about it Mom, but I don't want to spoil it for you." (I haven't read it yet, and we've talked about seeing the movie).
I said, "That's okay, you can tell me." Because I KNOW what it's like to read a book and love it so much, you just HAVE to talk to someone about it.
So he told me about the ending that totally surprised him and why it was a surprise and I asked questions as best I could, not really knowing what any of it was. :)
One thing I really like about the middle school he goes to is that they have literacy workshop every other day. Literacy workshop is a 45 minute time period where most days, the kids get to choose a book and just read silently. This is their opportunity to read for pleasure.
And I let my kids choose whatever books they want to read.
My kids know I am an avid reader, and they can talk about what they read with me anytime. They can ask questions, they can express concern, or they can just tell me about it, like G did last night.
I'm not afraid of books when it comes to my kids. But the fact that we have a week called Banned Books Week tells me there are a lot of parents out there who are afraid of books.
So to those who have tried to ban a book from a classroom, a school, or a library, I'd like to say this:
Don't take away an opportunity for my kids to safely explore a subject they may be curious about.
Don't take away an opportunity for my kids to discuss with me something they read about, which is a very safe way to talk about a subject.
And don't take away an opportunity for them to become better educated about a subject you may be afraid of, because I believe through books, we walk in shoes we might not otherwise walk in. Through books, we learn to understand. And through understanding, we become better people.
Don't take away an opportunity for my kids to become better people.
Monday is his night to help me make dinner, so as we worked in the kitchen, he said, "I want to tell you about it Mom, but I don't want to spoil it for you." (I haven't read it yet, and we've talked about seeing the movie).
I said, "That's okay, you can tell me." Because I KNOW what it's like to read a book and love it so much, you just HAVE to talk to someone about it.
So he told me about the ending that totally surprised him and why it was a surprise and I asked questions as best I could, not really knowing what any of it was. :)
One thing I really like about the middle school he goes to is that they have literacy workshop every other day. Literacy workshop is a 45 minute time period where most days, the kids get to choose a book and just read silently. This is their opportunity to read for pleasure.
And I let my kids choose whatever books they want to read.
My kids know I am an avid reader, and they can talk about what they read with me anytime. They can ask questions, they can express concern, or they can just tell me about it, like G did last night.
I'm not afraid of books when it comes to my kids. But the fact that we have a week called Banned Books Week tells me there are a lot of parents out there who are afraid of books.
So to those who have tried to ban a book from a classroom, a school, or a library, I'd like to say this:
Don't take away an opportunity for my kids to safely explore a subject they may be curious about.
Don't take away an opportunity for my kids to discuss with me something they read about, which is a very safe way to talk about a subject.
And don't take away an opportunity for them to become better educated about a subject you may be afraid of, because I believe through books, we walk in shoes we might not otherwise walk in. Through books, we learn to understand. And through understanding, we become better people.
Don't take away an opportunity for my kids to become better people.
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