Heather Beck, a Canadian author and screenwriter, contacted me some time ago about doing a possible interview and giveaway. After checking out her site and asking her what she had to offer middle grade wise, I suggested we do something a little closer to Halloween. The following is what book she had offered to do a giveaway for. You'll see why mid-October is a good choice (although scary is good anytime of year when you get down to it!)
From the author's site:
When darkness falls and the air turns cold, ghosts come out to play.
Heather Beck presents Haunted, an anthology of ghostly encounters and paranormal events.
GhostPark
After discovering a mysterious playground in the woods, Chase is stalked by angry ghost children.
A Haunting Past
Truce’s class trip to an old native reserve turns deadly when Bear, an infamous chief who died two hundred years ago, blames him for the tribe’s extinction.
The Manor On The Rocks
Grey, damp and surrounded by jagged rocks, Calla Lily’s new home isn’t only unpleasant, it’s also haunted by the world’s most evil boy.
A Medieval Nightmare
When Ellie and Brandon get trapped in a medieval museum that’s a bit too real, they fall under a spell and become pivotal players in a ghostly regime.
A Watery Grave
A camping trip becomes a heart-pounding race for survival when Justine meets a ghost who’s determined to change her fate by trading bodies with a living entity.
Haunted includes volumes 1-5 of The Horror Diaries series.
Heather has been busy out in the blogosphere. Here is one of her most recent interviews. She is one busy writer!
If you'd like to win a copy of this all you need to do is leave a comment by MIDNIGHT Monday, October 15, 2012. Yes, you read that right. When the witching hour tolls, the giveaway will end. Much thanks to Heather for offering to do this giveaway. Good luck to all the enter-ers...and, BOO!
Congrats, Julie. I'll be in touch to get your mailing details.
Now, it is my great pleasure to have Nicole Luiken on the blog. She's joining me for Oh MGYA Canada! and we're talking her books, her recent award nomination, her writing process, how she creates worlds, handles backstory and how she balances her writing life!
It's been some time since I've done one of these and I'm thrilled Nicole was able to do this. With all that said, let's begin with a little bit more about Nicole from her website:
Nicole Luiken wrote her first book at age 13 and never stopped.
She is the author of eight published books for young adults, including Violet Eyes and its sequel Silver Eyes, Frost, Unlocking the Doors, The Catalyst, Escape to the Overworld, Dreamfire and the sequel Dreamline. She also has an adult thriller, Running on Instinct, under the name N.M. Luiken and a fantasy romance ebook, Gate to Kandrith.
Nicole lives with her family in Edmonton, AB. It is physically impossible for her to go more than three days in a row without writing.
Most recently Nicole's book, DREAMLINE was a finalist for The Monica Huges Science Fiction Fantasy Award. So, it seems fitting that that is what the giveaway is for. More about DREAMLINE:
Cross over into the world of dreams...
Years ago, Lissa decided she could either have friends or secrets, but not both. Now there's a new boy in town who sees past her social outcast label, but is he someone Lissa can trust, or a spy for the wulfdraigles?
The wulfdraigles are ancient enemies of humanity who are trapped in the world of dreams. Eight years ago, Lissa helped her sister Brianne stop a wildfire from burning Grantmere to ashes, but now the wulf- draigles have returned. They have a new plan to spill their nightmares into our world, and live again. It is up to Lissa to stop them. It is her destiny; what she was born for. And quite possibly, what she will die for, too. Read an excerpt.
Thanks for being here, Nicole. First thing I want to do is congratulate you on being a finalist for the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy! Given the storytelling, the world building and mythology and the list goes on, I'm not surprised. What about you? How did you hear and what does it mean to you receive that honour?
I was notified by email, and I was very surprised, because I'd never heard of the award before! This is actually its inaugural year, though the CCBC (Canadian Children's Book Centre) puts on a whole slate of other YA awards. I'm thrilled and honoured to be a finalist for such a prestigious award.
The fact that the award is named after Monica Hughes makes it doubly meaningful to me. When I was in junior high, I read all of Monica Hughes's books that I could get my hands on (and in many cases reread them.) Keeper of the Isis Light and Guardian of Isis are my favourites. I recently read Keeper to my son Simon and so got to enjoy it all over again. She was a wonderful writer.
One of my favourite aspects of your book is the mythology you have around dreams, something you introduce in DREAMFIRE. What is your process for this?
I'm not sure I have a process! It grew rather organically over a number of years.
Ever since reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader I've been intrigued by the idea of dreams coming true. I was a little disappointed when in the book Lucy, Edmond and Caspian prudently sail away before landing on the Dark Island. So, when I was in grade ten, I decided to write a book about a girl whose dreams came true.
I started work on the novel and then got stuck. To kickstart the idea process I tried to remember scary dreams that I'd had and recalled a real doozy of a nightmare I'd once had about being alone at a campfire and fighting off a ring of wolves. At the end of the dream a voice said, "The wolves are bad, but the wallies are worse." Hmm, I thought, is there such a thing as a wally? So, I looked it up in the dictionary. There was an entry for wally, but it was a adj, meaning sturdy. However, the entry beneath it caught my eye: wally-draigle, a slovenly or feeble-minded creature. I liked the way the word sounded and thought it had possibilities so I kept browsing: wallaby, wallet, etc. Then I hit on Walpurgisnacht, 1/ the Eve of May Day on which witches are said to ride, and 2/ and event or situation with a nightmarish quality. It was so perfect I got goosebumps.
My mythology grew out of that dream (which Lissa also has in Dreamline) and Walpurgisnacht. I love that DREAMLINE is about the little sister we meet in DREAMFIRE. Was this always your plan and has the book been in the works for sometime now then? I wrote both books while still in high school so they've *definitely* been around for awhile. :) When I originally wrote Dreamfire, I intended it as a stand alone, but because the wulfdraigles weren't fully defeated in book one, an editor suggested that the story could continue. Lissa was such a spooky little girl in Dreamfire, that I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to grow up with the power to cross the dreamline at will.
Actually, there also used to be a second book, featuring the middle sister Suzy, but since she didn't have any supernatural powers like Brianne and Lissa the book didn't work as well. I eventually took my favourite Suzy scenes from book two and added them into book one as well as giving Rex a cameo in book three. Sometime back you and I briefly talked about backstory and how to include it in your book. That conversation was particularly about DREAMFIRE. I really was impressed with how you did it and especially taking notes on how you used backstory as a tool to keep the reader turning those pages because you want to know what happened before. But. You also knew when to let the reader in on the full story. Just as I felt myself thinking, okay, I really want to know what happened with Brianne...you showed me. Well done! Can you talk a little about that? In Dreamfire I use the mystery of Brianne's backstory as a secondary hook to draw the reader in. In chapter one, there are several references sprinkled about, "If my nightmares were returning again, making a fool of myself in front of the class was the least of my worries." "Just a dream... Right? Wrong. My dreams had a nasty habit of coming true." Chapter two starts with Brianne remembering "being treated like a walking leper.. The last time I'd tried to use the knowledge my true dreams gave me to help solve a crime I'd ended up being accused of the crime myself. Thinking about the unholy mess I'd made of my life last year... made me sick to my stomach," but the full story doesn't come out until she relates it to Ben in chapter six.
I think the key to dropping these hints is to make them progress a little further each time. If all I had done was make the same mysterious reference over and over it gets annoying (as my editor gently pointed out to me.)
The big reveal needs to come before the big confrontation. In Dreamfire it's at the 1/3 mark, but in a different story it might be delayed to the halfway of 2/3 mark. Pushing the reveal much past that and you risk alienating or frustrating your reader. I prefer to give them a pay-off for reading the earlier chapters. By the 1/3 mark in the story, the reader should be well hooked on the main plot anyway or you've failed.
If the backstory reveal is the climax, then it shouldn't be backstory at all, it should be the main story (or at least book one). Now,Wulfdraigles are bad bad and scary! (readers: note the image behind Lissa on DREAMLINE cover) Even typing this I love how scary and downright bad they are. What was it like writing them, carrying them around in your head? Did you write into the wee hours with them, scare yourself? I do find the wulfdraigles rather scary, and for years the words "dream come true" made me shiver. We use the phrase so casually and yet I suspect few of us would wish our actual sleep dreams to come true.
The only time I remember being really freaked out was during the plotting process when I stumbled on the word Walpurgisnacht. You write for adults as well as teens. Do you work on one then the other or do you do both? In other words, are you are more than one project at a time writer?
I am experimenting with working on more than one project at a time. For the last year while I worked on the 2nd and 3rd drafts of my adult fantasy novel Soul of Kandrith, I set aside every Monday to work on a YA project. (The sequel to Violet Eyes and Silver Eyes.) I worried that it would be hard to switch tracks, but it worked quite well, and now I'm experimenting with working on two books every day, setting myself a quota for the 'priority' book and allowing myself to work on the second one if I meet the quota. You've have been writing since you were 13. How has your writing changed over the years? Any particular pieces of advice you have for others? Thinking of keeping that writing routine going, in particular. Over the years I am sure the time you have to write has changed considerably. I do see in you bio that it is physically impossible for you to go three days without writing.
My writing process has evolved a lot over time. My original model was to plot out a book, do a first draft, then let it rest awhile and work on something else, then go back and do another draft. Only sometimes I would be distracted by a third shiny new idea and never get back to the first draft. This haphazard process resulted in books like Dreamfire and Dreamline which I wrote the first drafts of in high school not being rewritten and published until much later.
My problem is that I enjoy the plotting and first draft part of writing more than I do the revising and polishing bits. My current solution is to write the 2nd and 3rd drafts simultaneously. Confused? Let me try to lay it out: 1/plotting 2/first draft 3/second draft in which I attack large plot problems and deepen characterization 4/third draft in which I pore over the printed manuscript, looking at every scene as a unit, honing my word choice, tightening my sentences and adding in description. (If the story is a movie playing in the author's mind, my movie has an extreme zoom focus in on the characters faces.) The thought of facing several hundred pages of third draft makes me whine, so after I've done two or three chapters of 2nd draft, I set myself an additional goal of doing 3rd draft-level revision on one scene a day. That way by the time I finish the 2nd draft I'm about halfway through the 3rd draft and it's not as daunting.
Advice to writers? Read a lot and try to write every day. I started out in junior high with a goal of writing 1 page a day and gradually increased to about 4 pages (1000 words). When I was in college and working full-time I usually wrote in the evenings. At that time if I didn't have at least 2 hours available, it didn't feel worthwhile to make the effort and I'd blow it off. Then I had my kids. Now 20 minutes is a valuable block of time. Make writing a habit. I have days when I don't get as much accomplished as I would've liked to, but very few days (like Christmas) when I don't fit in a little writing. Oh, one more piece of advice, don't just count words. That time you spend thinking about your book while you take a walk or shower still counts as writing. What is up for you for the rest of 2012? Writing projects? School visits? Conferences? My current project (tentatively titled Angel Eyes) is book three in my Violet Eyes series, featuring Mike and Angel. I have another six chapters to revise. My next priority project is a fourth draft of the first book in a YA fantasy series called Otherselves (think mirror magic and multiple worlds).
I am a member of YABS, but I don't have any school readings booked for this fall yet. :( I plan to attend the Pure Speculations SF conference this fall. And, of course, I'm hoping to go to the gala where the CCBC winners are announced in Toronto. Oh my gosh yes, Nicole. I hope you can go to that gala, as well. Good luck with your current projects and enjoy that conference. On to the giveaway details...the usual, leave a comment with a way for me to contact you. You have until midnight MST next Sunday (Sept. 23). International! You can check out Nicole's Facebook fan pagehereand you can find her on twitter, here. Say, if you go on and like that page, I'll give you another entry. Tweets will result in the same. I'd love for you to help me spread the love for this fantastic Canadian author!
I have the opportunity to read the ARC for Courtney Summer's latest book, THIS IS NOT A TEST. Needless to say I jumped at the chance and needless to say I read it in one sitting. So. So. Good. Here is more about it from the author's website:
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up.
As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, everyone’s motivations to survive begin to change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life–and death–inside. When everything is gone, what doyou hold on to?
And to double up on the cool I was also given a chance to interview Courtney as part of her blog tour. So, here is that interview. And, if you'd like to win of copy of Courtney's book, just leave a comment by the end of today. Midnight MST, that is.
Courtney, I've been a fan of yours since your first book. When I started to read THIS IS NOT A TEST and you dropped us into an apocalyptic novel (zombies no less!) I was amazed. I loved the premise. What if a teen who thought she had nothing to live for was thrown into a world where instinct would make her fight for her life. And once she started that fight, how would she (and could she) stop the fight. What made you decide to write this particular book? How did the idea come to you, in other words.
Thanks so much, Deb! Everyone who knows me knows I've always been a fan of zombies, so writing a book about them wasn't much of a stretch for me. After my editor gave me the greenlight on the pitch, which was basically, "teens stuck in a high school during the zombie apocalypse," I began to develop the idea. I thought a lot about the zombie movies I liked and one thing I noticed was that the main characters in those movies usually had this unwavering will to live and I thought--would I be that person, if I was in the zombie apocalypse? Would I want to live in spite of it all? When I took away the the things that were important to me, I realized my answer wasn't so cut and dried. I thought it would be interesting to write about a character who doesn't want to survive, who is determined to die, during the zombie apocalypse and it all sort of grew from there.
As you developed the story, what were some surprises the characters and plot had in store for you? For example....characters you knew for certain would survive who were suddenly not so fortunate. (If answering this question makes you think you might be in a position to spoil some of the book, we can totally skip it!)
It's hard to tell you what surprises the characters and plot had in store for me without giving anything away. I will say that going into this zombie novel, I knew there HAD to be a body count and I knew that I didn't want every death to be entirely expected. I had a pretty clear idea of who was and wasn't going to make it from the beginning--except for one character. That particular character ended up rewriting their fate. But I'm not saying who it was. ;) Every single character you created was compelling and so, so real. It was like a cross section of kids from high school. They also represented, for me, different aspects of family relationships-sibling to sibling, child to parent. How did your settle on the characters you chose and I'm curious who came first in terms of their development. Anyone not make in into the final draft?
I'm so glad you found them compelling and real! The characters revealed themselves to me as I wrote. The first draft of TINAT was about finding their voices and the second draft was about fine-tuning their motivations. The character that came first in terms of development was Sloane. She always had the same background with her father, but how that defined her and how she interacted with other characters because of it evolved from one draft to the next. In the first draft of THIS IS NOT A TEST, there were eight teens who made it to the school: Sloane, Rhys, Trace, Grace, Cary, Harrison... and Sabrina and Will. Sabrina and Will were two characters too many and they really watered down Grace and Harrison arcs. So when I wrote the second draft of the book, I combined Sabrina and Grace and Harrison took on some, but not all, of Will's traits.
I'd love for you to share your zombie research. How'd you establish the rules for them in this world? Favorite movies? Book of rules for zombies we could go check out, too? Although the ending is completely satisfying (and oh so _well_ done. When I was done reading I just had to sit and think for bit. Loved it.). I could totally see a sequel to this book or another book set in this world. Is this a possibility?
In terms of research, I mostly looked into the ways power and technology would fail and how water could continue to run in the school. I also did a lot of research relating to how I wanted the school to be designed--I wanted the place to be easily fortified since I knew most of the conflict would be interpersonal, so I looked up windowless schools, various kinds of lighting schemes, things like that. In terms of the zombies--the characters don't know how the outbreak started but I do. :) I'm keeping that under my hat for now, though. I did decide on some fundamental basics for my zombies right away, however. They had to be fast moving because I wanted the outbreak to take people by surprise--no time whatsoever to prepare for it, just instant chaos. I wanted how fast people became zombies to depend on the bite--that's a pretty classic zombie rule. I didn't read a book of zombie rules to establish the way my zombies operated so I can't rec one but I can tell you my favourite zombie movie is Night of the Living Dead (a classic for a reason!). For now, it's best to think of THIS IS NOT A TEST as standalone though I can't promise I'll never revisit zombies again. :)
Thanks for having me on your blog, Deb!
Thanks for being here and double thanks for writing the books you do. Happy touring.
More books from Courtney, you know you want to check them out and so you should because she is one talented writer!
When “Perfect” Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter’s High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher’s pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace? Parker doesn’t want to talk about it. She’d just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her counselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there’s a nice guy falling in love with her and he’s making her feel things again when she’d really rather not be feeling anything at all. Nobody would have guessed she’d turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth. Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.
When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why?Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he seemed to find inspiration in everything he saw? And, most important, why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on… but are some questions better left unanswered?
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard–falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High… until vicious rumors about her and her best friend’s boyfriend start going around. Now Regina’s been “frozen out” and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn’t come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend… if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don’t break them both first.
Today I am happy to welcome Judith Graves,author of the Skinned series, to my blog. She's here to share her thoughts on finding balance as we blog, write, promote our books, ourselves. It is a tricky thing to do and often I find myself tipping the scales too far one way or the other.
Before I hand over the blog to Judith, though, I want to share a little bit about SECOND SKIN which is the second in her series, Under My Skin, being the first.
The book trailer:
My thoughts:
Just released. Just received a copy from the author...and well. It does not disappoint. In fact I think she upped her game with this one. Smart (a**) heroine with a huge secret (can you say wolven?) that keeps trying to bust out of her skin. She hangs with her friends doing the "usual" stuff- hunting paranorms (demons, vampires, hell spawn, werewolves) while balancing school, relationships and all the fun of living in a small town that seems to be a magnet for all the baddies. The action is fast paced, heart stopping and heart breaking. Judith found a balance in her writing that I found compelling-kind of like the humour and feel of Supernatural (t.v. series). Speaking of T.V. I think this would translate well to the screen. From Goodreads: With FIENDS like Eryn…
Monsters. Bloodsuckers. The evil. The damned. Eryn McCain knows they exist— she’s been hunting them since she was a child. At sixteen, she’s ready to take on all comers. Being a shapeshifter gives her an advantage when it comes to her unusual part-time job. The hours suck and the pay is, well, non-existent, but bonuses like inhuman strength and night vision make tracking scary beasties a dream come true. Especially in a town like Redgrave.
When an ancient demon targets Redgrave High, Eryn and her crew of hunters must face their innermost fears to prevent the Harvest Moon Dance from becoming one serious Monster Mash. Loyalties are tested and temptations abound. With questions ever brewing, can Eryn share a future with the brooding, noble, human Alec—the hunter after her heart? Or will she succumb to her enemy’s son, Wade, a seductive predator as bloodthirsty as she is?
What happens when you’re both the beauty and the beast? Alright. Nuff from me. On with Judith's thoughts about finding balance in your writing life! More about her books and the giveaway at end of post.
On Finding Balance:
There are several things I struggle with in life. Constructing killer sentences, avoiding chocolate, and finding that elusive beastie known as BALANCE.
Each day of our lives is filled with things we hope to accomplish and while we’re tackling Today, we add a few dozen goals for Tomorrow. To keep us on track we’ve got daytimers, to-do lists, email alerts, and stickie note jungles growing around our laptops/workstations.
If we’re lucky, we might even build in some family / real life / fun time, although that will be penciled in and likely shifted around – or scratched out. Or forgotten.
The life of a young adult author is a frenzied, multi-tasking, social networking event – every single day. However, several years into this gig, I can finally say I think I have a handle on the whole work life versus social life issue.
At least, I do in theory. There are always hitches in my plans for a balanced day, let alone my hopes for a balanced life. But here’s how I attempt the impossible.
I have a schedule. And most days, I live by it. Rigid, you say? OCD? Perhaps, and yet in the few months since I’ve created this schedule I’ve managed to get more pages written, have more down time, and have been able to focus my attention when with my husband / my hyper labs (rather than obsessing over scenes I could be cranking out), and enjoying my other interests (playing guitar, singing/songwriting) than ever before.
If a few days here or there are wonky, so be it. I ALLOW myself to trip occasionally, as long as I get back up, and back on track.
I offer you my writing schedule in hopes that it helps fellow writers, or any other soul floundering in a sea of TO-DOs:
NOTE: 5am wake up time is usual for me, but might seem extreme to others. J
WRITING DAY SCHEDULE
5-8am: breakfast, reading, exercise
8-NOON: update blogs, answer interview questions, write guest posts/articles, update social media (FB/Twitter, etc.)
NOON-1pm: lunch – play with the pups / take them to mailbox
1-4pm: write (daily goal 3 pages can be on one or spread over multiple projects)
Evening: research, watch film/TV, outline, brainstorm…and live a little.
***
Thanks so much for doing this for us, Judith. Love your writing day schedule and how you do allow yourself the trip ups, but always get back in the saddle...or should say back in the boat! Now, if you'd liked to learn a little more about her, here are the places to go:
Twitter: @judithgraves and @AStrangeways Blog Tour: Second Skin
To win a copy of Judith's book all I ask is that you comment. If you'd leave some thoughts, tips, techniques on how you find your balance, it will get you another entry. Contest is open until midnight on Monday. Open to U.S. and Canada. Enjoy your day everyone!
I am so pleased to welcome Terry Lynn Johnson to my blog today. Not only because her book DOGSLED DREAMS received thumbs up from my book club kids (and me!), but also because she recently made a fantastic announcement about her next book. Terry is a dedicated and passionate author who has worked hard on each leg of her writing journey. I'm so impressed with her. Because of that passion we're able to hand her book to young readers. And it is a book I recommend...you recommend.
And by the way! I'll be giving away a copy of DOGSLED DREAMS. Just leave a comment and next Monday random org and I will pick a winner.
Here's more about the book from Good Reads:
Twelve-year-old Rebecca dreams of becoming a famous sled dog racer. She’s an inventive but self-doubting musher who tackles blinding blizzards, wild animal attacks, puppy training, and flying poo missiles. All of her challenges though, seem easier than living up to the dogs’ trust in her abilities.
Here's the interview that offers you a chance to get to know Terry.
Thanks for being here, Terry! The book I'm giving away is DOGSLED DREAMS. It received thumbs up from my book club kids who are ages 9-12.Did you set out to write for this age group or was it more how the story evolved once you knew it was one you wanted to tell?
I knew Dogsled Dreams would be a middle grade story. But when I wrote my second book, I tried for young adult. It seems though, it's much more fun to write in this genre. I love the excitement of life and learning new things at this age. Do you have a new book we can watch for or one you and your agent are seeking a publishing house for? My middle grade adventure, Ice Dogs will be released in 2013 (winter) by Houghton Mifflin. Ice Dogs is about a young musher who gets lost in a blizzard with her race team, and saves a boy with a secret. With their food gone, and the temperatures dropping, they must learn to trust each other and the dogs if they are going to survive. Do you have a great author visit or book signing moment you'd like to share? Something made you think...I love this job! I was at a sled dog race in Marmora, Ontario, and a young reader hung around my table looking at my book, reading the back, talking to me about other books she's read and loved. When her mom found her, she talked her into purchasing a copy. I was so happy to have met her and talked about our mutual love of books, and sled dogs! Speaking of loving the job, when it comes to the writing what is your most favorite part of the process, what is your least, or the part you find the hardest to work on. I love revising. I know a lot of writers hate it, but, I get excited to see my story shaping into the best it can be. Hardest part of this business is the waiting! I have the attention span of a pea. It's quite difficult for me to wait months to hear back on something that I've been working on. But I'm sure it's good for me to work on patience. I know several kids who are aspiring writers. They range in age from 8 to 13. When did you start writing and do you have any advice for them? My interest in writing may have started in grade nine. I had an awesome creative writing teacher who encouraged me to keep a file of ongoing ideas and works in progress. I still do that. I'd also suggest doing some on-line research to find the many periodicals that are looking for content from young writers. They have to put out a new issue every month or so, that's a lot of opportunities to get your writing published! Do you mind sharing a latest greatest read with us? Something you would recommend to middle graders and/or teens and those of us who read and writer for them? oh, I could talk for hours about great books. For middle grade, I loved Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner. And my favourite young adult book this year so far was Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys And finally (being as we are also celebrating Oh MG/YA Canada today, too!) What is your favourite part of living where you do? Do you have another part of Canada that you love to visit or that you've always wanted to but haven't yet? I lived in Thunder Bay for twelve years, the setting for Dogsled Dreams. I lived right on Lake Superior and absolutely loved the wildness of it. Now I live on a smaller lake, near Lake Huron, which I also love. I like that there's so many opportunities for outdoor adventures. So many trails to explore, bays to kayak, mountains to hike, I feel very blessed to live in such a beautiful place. And such inspiration for an outdoor writer.
That's all folks! Thanks for stopping by and reading. If you'd like enter the giveaway, just leave a comment. Making the draw next Monday.
Don't forget to check out the rest of the MMGM gang:
Morning all! At the risk of mentioning this too much (I will blame it on my rookiness at doing this) I am hosting a Marvelous Middle Grade Read-a-thon. It was inspired by MMGM. My to read list and book pile is massive. I kept thinking, man, I need a weekend to read my brains out with all these books. I've participated in a couple of read-a-thons and loved them, so figured why not do one for all the middle grade I want to read. More details in my sidebar.
Also...giving a shout out to Charlotte of Charlotte's Library. She posted her round-up of middle grade fantasy reviews, news and more yesterday. This is a regular read for me. Hope you make it yours!
Alrighty then....on with MMGM! Another big thanks and a dozen cupcakes to the fab Shannon Whitney Messenger for leading the charge.
26 Tips for Surviving Grade Six by Catherine Austen is a series of connected short stories headed told in third person follows Becky throughout her grade six year, from her wish come true to have someone her age living on her street to Christmas Holidays away from _everything and everyone_, to a birthday party that threatens a best friend relationship.
From Good Reads:Becky wrote the book on getting through grade 6, but these aren't the kinds of tips that come from school books or teachers... Forget social studies, math, and science - this hilarious new novel is about surviving some of the real problems tween girls face. Honest and heart-warming, the story follows 11-year-old Becky Lennnox over the course of the school year as she figures out how to survive friendships, first crushes, embarrassing parents and annoying older brothers.
Delightful and spot on for the middle grade experience. Becky is a believable character whose voice and personality come shining through. No small challenge when writing in first person, in this writers opinion. And what a fun choice for a mother daughter book club. Laugh out loud funny and great opportunities for moms to share their own sixth grade experiences as they flood back after reading this. The author has managed to capture the reality of a today kid with a universality that will speak to the old day kids (like me). Yep. Kind of liked this one. I interviewed Catherine last week as part of her blog tour (there's still time win a copy of 26 TIPS and her YA dystopian ALL GOOD CHILDREN btw). She's also the author of another middle grade, WALKING BACKWARD. This one is on my ipad waiting to be read. Back tomorrow with my thoughts on ALL GOOD CHILDREN. Enjoy the rest of your MMGM and do check out the rest of MMGM-ers. And for those of you Nano-ing...write ON!
Today it is my pleasure to welcome Catherine Austen to the blog. She's a mighty fine author of picture books, middle grade and young adult authors. And, she's Canadian so I'm adding her to my OH (MG/YA) Canada collection of interviews!
Adding a quick note to say...The Marvelous Middle Grade Read-a-thon is on!
Catherine has two new books out now and she's on a whirlwind blog tour that I'm thrilled to be a part of. Plus, her publishers are giving away both of her books. Details follow the interview.
First, let me share the books.
Her Young Adult: ALL GOOD CHILDREN From Catherine's site: Quick-witted, prank-pulling graffiti artist Maxwell Connors is more observant than the average New Middletown teenager. And he doesn't like what he sees. New Middletown's children are becoming frighteningly obedient, and their parents and teachers couldn't be happier. As Max and his friend Dallas watch their classmates transform into model citizens, Max wonders if their only hope of freedom lies in the unknown world beyond New Middletown's walls, where creativity might be a gift instead of a liability. For those who like their dystopias with a rich character sauce and a side of humour. Her Middle Grade: 26 Tips for Surviving Grade 6 From Good Reads:Becky wrote the book on getting through grade 6, but these aren't the kinds of tips that come from school books or teachers... Forget social studies, math, and science - this hilarious new novel is about surviving some of the real problems tween girls face. Honest and heart-warming, the story follows 11-year-old Becky Lennnox over the course of the school year as she figures out how to survive friendships, first crushes, embarrassing parents and annoying older brothers.
And now, the interview!
Congrats on having two more books out! One is middle grade, one young adult. Was the process for writing each one different? Or do you have a basic path you follow from idea to book?
I am all over the map. If I make any progress at all in a manuscript, I call it a good day.
I wrote All Good Children fairly steadily for about ten months (5 drafting and 5 revising), working from a detailed outline. Some days were hard to face (I got stuck in my narrator’s terrified head a bit too deeply), but I was I was dedicated and methodical.
I wrote the first part of 26 Tips as a short story about 8 years before I wrote the rest of the book, and I expanded it SUPER FAST: I jotted out some ideas and drafted the whole thing in the space of a few weeks. Then came revisions, but still, it was a fast and completely joyful process because that book is all fun.
You have been pretty busy this fall with launching ALL GOOD CHILDREN & 26 TIPS FOR SURVIVING 6TH GRADE, blog tours, interviews. What were some of the highlights. Did you getting any sleep? ) Any advice for other authors embarking on a blog tour or getting out there and promoting their books online?
I always get my sleep. I always exercise. And I practice drums at least a couple times a week. The real question is: Did I get any writing done?
As for highlights, I love my book launches. I throw a party at my local library. It’s relaxed and warm and busy and chatty. I am always touched by the friends and neighbours who come out to help me celebrate.
I also enjoyed meeting other writers this past year – I joined a critique group and attended events and visited an awful lot of coffee shops. I’ve always envied the way musicians collaborate. “I’ll do the dialogue and you jump in with some narrative summary,” just doesn’t work the way guitar and piano can. But writing and publishing is still made easier by friends who are peers.
For promotion advice, I’d say: Do what you’re comfortable with. I like interviews because they make me pause and think about my own creative process. I have fun on my website, and a few people actually look forward to my blog posts. But if you’re not comfortable doing those things, then don’t. One good review in a respected journal will sell your book better than a ton of self-promotion. So write a great book and let other people blog about it. Would Salinger tweet? Would Dostoevsky do a blog tour? You need to write; all the rest is optional.
In my book club I have some keen readers (of course!), but also some keen writers. They range in age from 8 to 14. When did you start writing and do you have any advice for my book clubbers?
I don’t remember if I wrote stories as a kid, but I took extra English credits in grade 13 and I published my first story in university, so I’d guess that I started young.
As for advice: Cultivate your imagination (unplug and go stare out of windows or sit on a stoop and conjure up some characters and stories – adults will call this lazy but it’s hard work). Devote yourself to a task long enough to accomplish something (keep working until it’s the best you can make it – adults will call this obsessed but it’s completely normal and necessary). Read A LOT. And just write, whatever it is that you feel like writing – a poem, a journal, a comic, a story – as often as you can and as well as you can. And be proud of it.
What’s your typical writing day like?
Drag self to computer. Procrastinate for twenty minutes. Berate self for procrastinating and UNPLUG INTERNET. Open work in progress. Reread yesterday’s writing. Experience pleasant surprise that it’s not as bad as I remembered. Resist temptation to plug internet back in. Resume writing (for whatever time I have available that day).
Recent read/s you’d like to recommend?
A House Called Awful End by Philip Ardagh cracked me up. The Glory Wind by Valerie Sherrard made me cry. Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne Jones was beautifully written. And Christopher Paul Curtis’s Elijah of Buxton is my favourite narrator ever.
Thanks for stopping by, Catherine! Happy touring.
If you'd like to learn more about Catherine please do head to her website and her blog. And, be sure to check out the blogs on the tour. I know I am!
The giveaway is for US and Canada. All you need to do is comment and make sure I can contact you so I pass the info to the publishers. One winner with receive BOTH books. You have until midnight (MST) Monday, November 28. Good luck!
And to all our neighbours south of the border...Happy Thanksgiving.
