Oh MG YA Canada!-Cheryl Rainfield and a giveaway of SCARS.

Today I welcome author Cheryl Rainfield to the blog and my feature Oh MG YA Canada. Cheryl is the author of SCARS, yet another one sitting read for me. She created a character who will always stay with me and a storyline that was captivating from the beginning. More about SCARS from Good Reads:
Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. 
When I finished reading SCARS, I wanted to start it again. Even though the subject matter is difficult (rape, self harm, sexual abuse) the main character, Kendra, is so fierce, so strong and yet so in need of people to just care (and she finds that with a family friend, a new girl friend and a therapist) that the thread of hope that ties the entire book together practically shines. It’s a gentle shine, if that makes sense. The author does _not_ shy away from making sure you understand Kendra’s pain and her need to cut herself. She doesn’t shy away from showing you Kendra’s scars, inside and out. The writing is solid, lyrical at times in the way Kendra shares her story. This is a book I would highly recommend to teens, especially those who are reading Ellen Hopkins and Gail Giles. SCARS would make a great pairing with any of their books. 


Now, on to the interview!

This is a story that is very close to you with MC’s experience with sexual abuse (that is your arm on the cover). How did you work through the difficult times when it came to writing this story, sharing it out loud.

Writing SCARS was sometimes painful, but it was pain I was still living. For me, writing is a way to have a voice, and a way of reaching out to others, so it was often a positive thing. And I am used to writing through pain; it can be a therapeutic process. What was more painful for me was putting in bits of happiness, since I didn’t know real happiness for years and not for most of the time I wrote SCARS.

The other really painful thing was trying to get SCARS published. It took me more than ten years (where I revised SCARS more than 30 times), and in the last few years of getting personalized rejection letters and editors telling me my work was good, I felt despairing and sometimes hopeless, afraid I would never be published. Getting my work published was part of my dream. I am a writer; I know it deep down, and have always known it. Once SCARS was published, it was an incredibly healing experience. I was being heard instead of silenced, and I was reaching people, helping them know they weren’t alone and encouraging healing on a much wider scale than I’d been able to before. I felt joy! 

Reaching out to others is very important to you and not just with your book. I see at the back there is an extensive list of groups that are available to those going through similar experiences. Are there any other places you’d like to share now or opportunities for people to help those in need that have developed, or you’ve become aware of since the book was published?

There are a few other places I’ve since learned about that weren’t listed in the resources.

To Write Love On Her Arms, http://www.twloha.com/ a project that works to encourage hope and help people dealing with self-harm, depression, suicide, 

It Gets Better Project, http://www.itgetsbetter.org/ , a wonderful video project reaching out to lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer youth who were bullied or thinking of suicide, letting them know they’re not alone and it does get better. (I did a video for this project which you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_XIpkisWxo )

Favourite reads lately. Have a couple you’d like to share? At the library I’ve got kids 8-12 in my book club and recently I have some 12 and ups (about four) who are starting to come.

Some of my favorite relatively recent reads--they’re all YA--are Luna by Julie Anne Peters, Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King. Also anything by Ellen Hopkins, Nancy Werlin, Gail GIles, and Lois Duncan. And for middle grade readers, I love Andrew Clements’ work.

Many of my book club kids are writers, as well. Could you share with us (and them) how you organize your writing time, plus any advice for them?

I try to write as much as I can, but I also have to spend a lot of time doing book promotion now. I’m not sure I organize my writing time--I’m not very organized! I just try to get everything done, and work hard at it.

Some writing advice:

-your first draft is only a draft. If you want to make the writing really powerful, something that will touch other people, it helps to revise it, often multiple times. 

-it also helps to get feedback from others about your writing. Listen to what people say, and if more than a few people say the same thing about your piece, then it probably needs to change.

-read your work aloud; you will catch so much that you would otherwise miss. You’ll hear the way the words flow, what is working and what isn’t. When you stumble aloud, there’s usually something that needs to be changed there.

-read a LOT. Books will feed your creativity (and your soul), and they’ll help you become a better writer.

-if you want to write, then write. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. 

I’ve started asking some of my guests where they write best. At home? At the coffee shop? Sitting up in bed? What about you? Do you have some favourite spots?

I write best at home on my couch with my little dog beside me. I like quiet. But I’ve also found that I can write and edit on the subway, especially for long trips. I can get a lot done that way. I do all my writing and editing by hand--I may be one of the few writers who still does that--and then later I transcribe it into my computer. I’ve found that for me, writing flows better, is deeper, more connected, and more powerful when I write by hand than when I write directly onto the keyboard. Writing by hand, for me, feels more natural and intuitive....

Thank you so much, Deb, for your wonderful review of SCARS and for your thoughtful questions.

You're welcom, Cheryl. To win a copy of SCARS, all you need to do is comment. Contest is open to Canada and U.S. Until this Saturday @ Midnight (MST).

Don't forget to watch for Cheryl's next book: