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It's only the middle of June, but if there is, this year, another moment of unintentional comedy as richly hilarious as the putative climax of J.J. Abrams's Star Trek Into Darkness, I will be very surprised.  Going into the movie, I didn't expect that I'd find it funny.  Abrams's 2009 reboot of the Star Trek franchise left me genuinely outraged, and its sequel seemed to promise more of the same.

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Whew! What a fabulous weekend…hung out with some old friends and made some new ones. Thanks to all the wonderful folks who stopped by to say hi!

A big shout out to Angela, Sydney & Kate, Carly and Vivian too

Hanging with my booth buddies!

And WHAT would San Francisco be without a little seafood and some awesome live music (& lots and lots of stories ) We were joined by the amazing Kris Kendall, Angela Orlowski-Pert, & Diana Murdock too!

As much fun as all that was…the party continues now, because I came away with some FABULOUS reads I never knew about before and I’m dying to share my SFINE TBR list with you!

Squeeee! I’m devouring these books as fast as I can! You should check them out too

The Consequences Series [ADULT TITLE NOT YA OR NA!!!!!!!] by Aleatha Romig
Thirty Seconds to Die by S. G. Holster
Entangled by Nikki Jefford
Nissa by Bethany Lopez
Forged by Greed by Angela Orlowski-Pert
Again by Diana Murdock
12.21.12 by Killian McRae
Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts [This book contains very disturbing situations, dubious consent, strong language, and graphic violence]

I hope you find a great read on this list for your own TBR What a great way to kick off the summer! And I’m so excited to have all this swag that I thought I’d share a little with you too So, if you want some SFINE swag, let me know in a comment here.

More about the book signing this week…until then, what’s been inspiring you lately? I am constantly inspired by a book I read called You Are Your Choices by Alexandra Stoddard. Among the many things Alexandra talks about in the book, she suggests making choices based on Aristotle’s triangle which has three points of consideration: The Good, The Beautiful & The Truth. I’ve been really focused on making my choices being mindful of these three things. It’s really helped me over the past few months. Have a great week! I’ll see you on Wordless Wednesday

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In case you don't subscribe to the Tor newsletter (which you totally should! They have the best articles.), I have an article in today's edition.  

It's all about why we should let kids read dystopian novels.

And thank you!

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     Joan Aiken writing at her very best was a perfect companion.      Well travelled, cultured, with a wealth of personal experience, and the ability not just to tell a gripping story, but to draw the reader in to the very process of writing.   What she loved was to hold her audience in a […]

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Now that school is out for the summer, you may be wondering how to keep your children entertained without spending tons of money.  If finances are tight, don’t despair.  There are plenty of fun filled activities you can do with kids to make the summer a memorable one.

1. Pitch a tent for the GREAT AMERICAN BACKYARD CAMPOUT.  You can sleep under the stars in your own backyard. Identify constellations, make s’mores (check out my recipe under the recipe section of this blog). Tell stories, sing songs, eat hotdogs, and do everything you’d do at a camp far away.  Visit: http://www.nwf.org/great-american-backyard-campout.aspx

2.Check out: http://www.parade.com/summerschool   for 14 days of how-to steps and expert tips on everything from building a sand castle, to how to skip stones. You can also learn things like HOW TO HOST A BACKYARD MOVIE NIGHT, SPOT CONSTELLATIONS, TEACH KIDS TO FISH,  and even HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ICE CREAM.

3. Put on a Show.  A Puppet Show that is.  There are tons of videos and sites on how to make your own puppets and puppet theatres.  To get you started, enter: Making puppets in your search engine and a load of sites will appear.  Here’s a good one:

http://www.about.com/od/puppets                                     

You can also use stuffed toys, pencils with funny tops, or socks with painted faces.  Or even cookies!  (see photos) Let your imagination run wild.

To make it a real event, sell popcorn and lemonade.

  4.And…you can’t go wrong with water.  If you don’t have a pool, a sprinkler on a hose works great.  Squirt guns and water balloon fights are sure cures for boredom and cool everyone off on a hot day.  For little ones, fill up a bucket with water and let them “paint” the sidewalk to their hearts content.  Add a few cups for pouring and you’ll keep them entertained for a long time.

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Rebellion’s profile in the U.S. has increased since Simon & Schuster began distributing its books in 2010, with growing sales for the graphic novel line following 2012’s Dredd.

U.K. publisher Rebellion is going after a somewhat younger crowd with its new children’s imprint, Ravenstone, which launched at BEA with the June release of its first book, Lupus Rex by singer-songwriter John Carter Cash.

The company’s entry into the crowded children’’s book field has been met with enthusiasm, said publishing manager Ben Smith, because the debut title is “not just another dark apocalyptic YA fantasy or vampire novel. People appreciate that it’s for middle grades.” Beyond the first two books, Ravenstone is looking to a possible sequel to Lupus Rex.

Ravenstone joins Rebellion’s other prose imprints: Solaris – which publishes fantasy, science fiction, and horror, including books by bestselling author James Lovegrove – and Abaddon Books, which presents shared-world fiction, mostly in the urban fantasy genre.

Jon Oliver, editor-in-chief at Rebellion, said that a children’s imprint fits well with the publisher’s genre offerings. The line begins with just one book a season to start: Lupus Rex, a fantasy about an epic battle among crows, wolves, and other creatures for the crown of their world. It’s the first middle-grade title for Carter Cash, who has previously published three picture books. Ravenstone’s fall release will be Jan Siegel’s comedic Devil’s Apprentice, in which a successor to Satan – who is retiring – must be found.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: authors and illustrators, need to know, New Imprint, News, publishers Tagged: Abaddon Books, Ravenstone Children's Imprint, Rebellion children's publisher, Solaris Fantasy Imprint, UK & US Market

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I want to step back for a second and clarify my own personal definitions of plot versus structure. As mentioned in my previous post on plot definitions there are many views of what plot it! Additionally, I fear that as I walked us through arch plot and classic design last week, I may have reinforced the misconceptions that plot and structure are same thing.

Plot and structure are not the same thing!

I did a previous series on plot (To Plot or Not to Plot) where I explored the differences between narrative, story, plot, and structure. I’ve since re-evaluated some of the things I said in those posts and the following are my current definitions:

PLOT: Plot is often defined as a “sequence of actions” (Fletcher) or “the actions of the characters” (Bechard). However, plot is also the connective tissue that links events or actions with meaning. It’s not just what happens, but the causal connections of why it happens. Janet Burroway defines plot as a “series of events deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance … Plot’s concern is ‘what, how, and why,’ with scenes ordered to highlight cause-and-effect.”

In simple terms, plot is a series of actions with a cause and effect relationship. In my explanation of arch plot, the hero’s journey is the plot.

Whereas…

STRUCTURE: Structure is the triangle or mountain shape in the diagram I used. Structure has two parts. The first is arrangement. For example, you tell scene one, then scene two, then scene three. Or you tell scene 3, then scene 1, then scene 27, etc. This is about order and organization. The second part is about patterns, rhythm, and energy. It’s about the movement and feeling your particular arrangement creates. The triangle (often called the Aristotelian story shape) is a visual metaphor for the escalating energy that is meant to come as a result of a classic design arrangement.

With structure we are looking at the arrangement and rhythm of the whole. Author, Susan Fletcher defines structure as “the organization, or overall design, or form of a particular literary work … [It is the] larger rhythm of the story.” Additionally, Chea says that “in examining story structure, we look for patterns, for the shape that the story as a whole possesses. Plot directs us to the story in motion, structure to the story at rest.”

In the coming posts, I’m going to list alternative plots and alternative structures. I wanted to clarify the difference between these terms so you would better understand how I’ve organized these lists. One is by the nature of the action (plot) while the other is about the organization and rhythm of the action (structure).

Works Cited:

Bechard, Margaret. “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Plot.” Faculty Lecture. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT. Jan 2008.

Burroway, Janet. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narative Craft. 8th Edition. New York: Longman, 2011.

Chea, Stephenson. “What’s the Difference Between Plot and Structure.” Associated Content.  16 Feb. 2010. Web. 7 May 2011.

Fletcher, Susan. “Structure as Genesis.” Faculty Lecture. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT. July 2012.

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In a few days, summer will officially be here. Time for vacations, reunions, camps, fun with cousins and friends. But don’t forget to encourage the kids in your life to read.

First Book created this eye-opening graphic that shows the effects of the summer slide, the loss of reading skills that can happen when kids don’t read during the summer break from school. Reading is Fundamental, which has a Multicultural Literacy Campaign, discusses the slide too and offers tips to beat it. Check them out here.

There are so many wonderful books kids can explore. To get you started, here are 10 cool picture books written and/or illustrated by African-Americans that celebrate the spirit of summer. Click on each book cover for summaries and other helpful details.

Hot Day on Abbott Avenue by Karen English, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe.

Juneteenth Jamboree by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Yvonne Buchanan

Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day by Tameka Fryer Brown illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb. Check out the trailer here.

Summer Sun Risin’ by W. Nikola-Lisa, illustrated by Don Tate

Summer in the City by Kathleen Wainwright, illustrated by Nancy Devard. Check out the trailer here.

Seaside Dream by Janet Costa Bates, illustrated by Lambert Davis

One Hot Summer Day, written and illustrated by Nina Crews

Bigmama’s, written and illustrated by Donald Crews

We Had a Picnic This Sunday Past, by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Diane Greenseid

A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

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It's finally here! SOLSTICE, my debut young adult novel, releases today! Woot! Woot!

So yes, I am totally going to the bookstore to look for it on the shelves. And I am going to celebrate big!

I am so thankful to all the people who have made this day possible. SOLSTICE is a book I love, and I could not have done it without you all!

In honor of the release of SOLSTICE...


Why 42?
Because it's the answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything, so it only seems right.





I divided the books into 6 groups of 7 books a piece. That means there are six chances to win!

Each group has:

• 7 books, including 2 books by one author
• 1 Tasty Treat
• 1 Swag collection featuring postcards and 6 SOLSTICE character trading cards
• 2 Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels buttons: 1 sweetheart and 1 scoundrel

GROUP 1:


1 Box of 10 Twinkies*
1 Awesome Swag Set
Original paperback of SOLSTICE back before it was edited by Tor
Signed hardcover of INVISIBILITY by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer (yes, signed by both authors)
ARC of RAGS & BONES by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt
ARC of TEMPEST by Julie Cross
Hardcover of VORTEX by Julie Cross
Signed Paperback of THE MARBURY LENS by Andrew Smith
ARC of EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton


GROUP 2:


1 box of 10 Twinkies*
1 Awesome Swag Set
Signed ARC of SCORCHED by Mari Mancusi
ARC of SHARDS & ASHES by Melissa Marr, Kelly Armstrong, Veronica Roth, and Kami Garcia
ARC of HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire
ARC of TIMEPIECE by Myra McEntire
ARC of UNRAVEL ME by Tahrerah Mafi
Signed Hardcover of DOOMED by Tracy Deebs
ARC of BREATHE by Sarah Crossan


GROUP 3:


1 Box of Girl Scout Thanks a Lot cookies
1 Awesome Swag Set
ARC of SHADOWS by Robin McKinley
ARC of SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman
Paperback of REALITY ALI by Christine Marcniniak
Paperback of RIPTIDE by Lindsey Scheibe
Paperback of DEAR TEEN ME edited by E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kenneally
Paperback of BUT I LOVE HIM by Amanda Grace
Paperback of IN TOO DEEP by Amanda Grace


GROUP 4:


1 Box of Girl Scout Thanks a Lot cookies
1 Awesome Swag Set
ARC of SCHOOL SPIRITS by Rachel Hawkins
Signed Paperback of THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass
ARC of THE ELITE by Kiera Cass
Paperback of CALLI by Jessica Lee Anderson
Signed Paperback of SWEET VENOM Tera Lynn Childs
ARC of ETIQUETTE AND ESPIONAGE by Gail Carringer
ARC of HEMLOCK by Kathleen Peacock



GROUP 5:


1 Box of Girl Scout Thanks a Lot cookies
1 Awesome Swag Set
ARC of ASHES ON THE WAVES by Mary Linsdey
ARC of BURN BRIGHT (DARK STAR) by Bethany Frenette
ARC of SHADOWLANDS by Kate Brian
ARC of HEREAFTER by Kate Brian
Signed Paperback of FIRELIGHT by Sophie Jordan
Signed Paperback of THE FARM by Emily McKay
ARC of IF I SHOULD DIE by Amy Plum



GROUP 6:


1 Box of Girl Scout Thanks a Lot cookies
1 Awesome Swag Set
ARC of FERAL NIGHTS by Cynthia Leitich Smith
ARC of GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson
ARC of CROWN OF EMBERS by Rae Carson
ARC of GILT by Katherine Longshore
ARC of THE LEGACY OF TRIL: SOULBOUND by Heather Brewer
Paperback of ONYX by Jennifer Armentrout
ARC of GODDESS by Josephine Angelini


*Okay, so the Twinkies are past their expiration date! If you win this set and prefer Girl Scout Cookies, please let me know!

*****

It's easy to win! Two things to note...

1) This giveaway is open until 12:01 am on July 3, 2013
2) Book prizes are US only.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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I was craving a rice salad, but without the rice. Something that’s all about soaking up a good sauce. Roasted cauliflower has been my recent go-to sauce-soaker-upper, and I was really happy with what I came up with. Here’s the skinny:

Olive Oil

1 head Cauliflower, finely chopped

2 or 3 handfuls Grape or Cherry Tomatoes

Dressing:

2 cloves Garlic

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

1 T Dijon Mustard

tiny drip of Honey (or something else if you’re vegan)

Lemon Juice

a few tablespoons or more Minced Chives

a few tablespoons or more fresh Oregano, chopped (basil or parsley would be good, too)

1 T Capers

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Oil a baking sheet and throw the cauliflower on it with a couple of garlic cloves. Roast at 375F, for about 20 minutes. Halve the tomatoes and roast them for about 20-30 minutes as well. This brings out their flavor like crazy.

I’m not really a measuring kind of person when it comes to dressing (or, let’s be honest, for a lot of things). If you really want measurements, you could use a basic vinaigrette and add the extras. I think I’d add even more herbs next time. I really wanted something that was so green it would color the cauliflower, but my herb garden wasn’t quite in full swing when I made this.

Chop up the roasted garlic and whisk it together with the other dressing ingredients.

Toss the cauliflower with the dressing and tomatoes. Add walnuts. Yum. I realized later that the dressing flavors were inspired by the broccoli gribiche recipe from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day.

What are you cooking this summer? I’m always on the lookout for interesting salads. Hope you had a great weekend and a happy Father’s Day.

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LATEST NEWS

The North Carolina Press Foundation is offering four of Artie’s serial stories to Newspapers in Education (NIE) newspapers across the United States. This year’s theme is Dig into Reading. In addition to the NIE, the foundation will also be offering Artie’s work to libraries and other newspapers throughout the United States. To read the stories please click on the NC Press Foundation link listed above.

Two of Artie’s children’s books will be featured on Ameba TV beginning this summer. Based in Canada, Ameba TV is presently streamed worldwide in million of homes.

Ameba TV’s rich, diverse content library delivers thousands of hours of educational, preschool, musical, and multilingual programming to children ages 2 to 12. The popular children’s streaming TV service features award-winning shows, like WordWorld, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, BusyTown Mysteries, and Ruby Skye PI.

More to come!

View from a Zoo – Bored with her life, a housecat seeks out adventure in this new fully illustrated picture book coming in the summer of 2013. Written by Artie, the book is being illustrated by the incredibly talented Indian artist Sunayana Nair Kanjilal. More to come as the book’s release date gets closer….

Use of any of the content on this website without permission is prohibited by federal law

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Part 1.

When was the first time you guys started to feel like celebrities? Was that a feeling back then or not quite that early?

No, not generally. The only time I felt like a celebrity was back in my home town. A local celebrity.

Can you think of any anecdotes about Bill that you haven’t told anybody else? Something that gives a little bit of texture to him, like a joke that he made or something that he once did that made a big influence on the strip?

If something pops to my head, I’ll tell you.

Did you know his parents?

No.

Did he ever talk about them?

Not very much.

And he didn’t have siblings, right?

No, not that I know of. 


[NOTE: turns out he did]

Did you know Freddie?

I knew him when he was a baby. He was a, you know, uh…he was a…Batman was long gone—Bill was long gone before he grew up to know anything about it.

[NOTE: Jerry’s timeline was off. Bill died in 1974, the year Fred turned 26.]

You mean before Freddie knew what was going on?

Yeah.

So you never saw Freddie as an adult?

No. I may have once. I was trying to think of that the other day. I know I spoke to Portia about him several times. I can’t remember meeting him. If I did, it wasn’t very much.

Do you remember Bill talking about him?

Only as a child, when he was young.

Was Freddie born while you guys were already working on Batman?

No, I think he was born later, as I recall? At least it might have been after I had left Batman, not Bill.

And what year did you leave?

I left about ‘47.

Was Judaism important to Bill?

Not that I recall.

Do you know what his inspiration was for his oversized props? You drew oversized villains on the covers. I was wondering if that might have influenced him or he influenced you?

I also drew oversized props. I haven’t thought of where that began. I know I used them in my covers ‘cause I tried to do very symbolic covers and splash pages if you ever looked at them. I never tried to do a literal theme.

So you don’t remember where you guys—

[unintelligible] track it down. I know he had employed them in his scripts. I would hesitate to take credit for them, but who knows, I might have done [here?] without even thinking of it, [thinking?] of doing a symbolic cover, you know, obviously has part of the symbolism.

Did you guys ever have a moment where you felt, to use a modern word, “cool”—like if you were on the street and you saw some kids eagerly buying a Batman comic?

Yeah, I would say that might have occurred. I [could] remember that, yes. It’s kind of marveling that it was so part our culture already.

Do you have a specific incident in mind?

Not with Bill… [tells the Cuba story that’s also in one of his Alter Ego interviews]

What did Bill look like?

[NOTE: At the time of this interview, I’d seen only the two regularly republished photos of Bill, neither of which was an especially clear likeness; I went on to uncover close to a dozen others.]

He was not tall. I’m not tall either but I think he might’ve been a little shorter than me. I was like five eight 5’8” or something. I think he was [slightly?] shorter. He was a little stocky—not heavy. Strong. As you probably know, he loved golf.

Was he balding?

Not at that time.

But later?

Later he was.

Did he have a certain style?

No, I don’t think he was that concerned with fashion. I think it was just everyday stuff.

What did his workspace look like?

He worked in his apartment. The times that I visited he and Portia there, it was just a part of the living room, but he may have had a study, I’m trying to remember now, with files. I think he did, because he had extensive files.

In filing cabinets?

Yeah.

And back then they were probably wood, right?

I would guess. Although we had steel files then [too]. We’re not talking about prehistoric times. (we both laugh)

Part 3.

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---

START YOUR NOVEL

Six Winning Steps Toward a Compelling Opening Line, Scene and Chapter

• 29 Plot Templates
• 2 Essential Writing Skills
• 100 Examples of Opening Lines
• 7 Weak Openings to Avoid
• 4 Strong Openings to Use
• 3 Assignments to Get Unstuck
• 7 Problems to Resolve

The Math adds up to one thing: a publishable manuscript. Download a sample chapter on your Kindle.

---

“I just want my novel out there.”
Ouch.
Too many times lately, I have heard people say this about their self-publishing efforts. Out there. I just want it out there. What does that even mean?

It means a couple things:
First, it means that the writer can find closure to his/her writing process. It means there is a finished product and the creative process has ended. Now, it’s up to everyone else to do whatever they will do with that product: ignore it, read it, praise it, trash it. But the writer can move on. There’s value in this, of course, to have something finished and not on the back burner, to have it stop nagging.

Second, the writer usually means that the story, novel, picture book, or nonfiction book will find readers. Here’s where the writer is wrong. The book will not find readers by itself. Guaranteed.

In their fascinating book, DECISIVE, Chip and Dan Heath talk about one flaw in the decision making process, namely, that people overestimate their own success and ignore solid data in front of them. In fact, most self-published books sell less than 100 copies. If your book is OUT THERE without any support, you will NOT sell copies. Your friends and family–because they love you–may buy copies, but that’s usually the 100 copies that get sold. Do not make this mistake (and how many ways and how strongly can I say this?), you will not sell copies if you do not market.

OUT THERE–publishing a book without marketing a book is not going to work.
Many of you will ignore this fact: you will convince yourself that your story is different and will beat the odds. OK. Do what you have to do. Put it OUT THERE. But it will not sell.

Unless.

A self-published book needs marketing. That means the publishing house (that’s you!) needs a platform, a network of connections that are proven places to sell a book. The author (that’s you!) needs to be working to support the publisher (Oh, that’s you, too!) to sell the book. This can be accomplished through any number of means: catalogs, speaking engagements and back of the room sales (BOTR), online venues, guest blogging, schools, special sales to corporations, gift shops, and on and on. The venues for sales of books are endless. But you must focus somewhere and work to get your book into those venues.

OUT THERE? You want your book out there? Get it out of your head by doing a small printing and giving copies to friends and family as Christmas gifts. But if you really want it OUT THERE in the world wide market place, get ready to work.

Instead, you should be saying, “I want to work hard to get my story into the hands of the right readers.” Now THAT is a worthy goal of self-publishing.

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Author appearances can be more than just a book signing. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-dicks/post_4820_b_3293703.html

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I’m so excited to be a part of the Kids Read Comics! festival this weekend in Ann Arbor, Michigan! I’ll be taking part in a couple of drawing events, conducting a workshop at 826 Ann Arbor, and meeting fans and signing copies of Giants Beware! at the Artist Alley.

 

Here’s a link listing all the events. There’s great stuff going on Friday through Sunday:

http://mlatcomics.com/krc/programming

Hope to see you there!

-Rafael

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In 2006, I had the privilege of interviewing Jerry Robinson, one of the earliest ghost artists on Batman and a true class act, in my research for Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman.

I ended speaking with him multiple more times, including once at his New York City apartment, which was chockablock with priceless Golden Age art and other mementos.

Most if not all of the numerous interviews I conducted for the book contain gems that did not make it into the book, so here is my chance to share them nonetheless. This one (which I transcribed from a recording) is edited slightly. Upon rereading it, I am surprised how much info it contains that I had not—and still have not—read elsewhere.

How did you meet Bill Finger?

I met Bill Finger I think at the first time at Bob’s apartment when I first joined the team. He introduced me to Bill when I joined Batman. It was only a couple of months after it started.

Did you get a different impression from him than you did from Bob?

They were definitely different personalities.

How would you describe Bill’s personality?

Bill seemed very soft, kind. Not outgoing. Reserved but very easy to get to know. He wasn’t standoffish…

Did you become friends?

We became fast friends. He actually became my I say cultural mentor. … Remember, I was a 17-year-old kid. Just graduated high school. I knew nothing of New York. I was still going to Columbia, studying journalism, and commuting from my little room in the Bronx. Bill introduced me to everything in New York. Museums, galleries, movies. I soaked everything up like a sponge. I was fortunate that we hit it off. Personally, I think we each appreciated each other’s contributions.

Do you remember what you talked about besides the work?

Everything. Bill was widely read. He also was interested in everything, as I was, in learning everything. And he had very good taste. I don’t know how he was introduced to all these things himself, but he certainly knew them. [unintelligible] …the Metropolitan, MOMA, and foreign films, and other talks and things around town. The galleries.

Did you ever meet his friends that were not in the industry?

That’s a good question. I don’t remember. I knew his wife very well.

Is that Portia?

[unintelligible but affirmative] When he was first courting Portia, I think she came from Rochester was it? Or Albany? You probably know… [unintelligible] Before I met her, he was going with her … I remember several occasions where we’d be going out for lunch or dinner and he’d stop and say “I’ve gotta call Portia.” He’d get in the phone booth. At that time, they had the Superman-type phone booths. I’d stand and wait for him. He had endless conversations with Portia on the phone.

Was she interested in his work?

Yes. She knew what he was doing intimately. They were very close. She was a very intelligent gal. Once she came to New York they were married. They were both friends. I would go out to dinner with them, just the three of us.

Was she more dominant or more outgoing than he was?

I guess maybe in those terms, somewhat. She wasn’t [unintelligible]. She was very articulate and expressive.

What did she think of his work schedule? He was working late into the night.

We all did. (laughs)

So she just accepted it.

Yeah, I’d say so. [goes on in mumble about how some writers were night owls, some morning people]

Was Bill allowed to tell people that he was writing Batman?

They couldn’t stop him from talking to anybody. I think any of us knew…well, of course I knew. His name wasn’t on the feature, obviously.

If his name wasn’t on the feature and he said he wrote it, would people be suspicious?

I don’t think so. I don’t think anybody would just make that up. [unintelligible] They knew every strip wasn’t done just by the author, or the artist signed his name in many cases.

What was Bill proud of?

I think he was proud of his work. He was a very careful craftsman. He was proud of his creation. All of us were. I think that was part of the tragedy of Bill, as it was Siegel and Shuster, that they weren’t credited with their genius.

Do you think that shows a lack of business savvy on Bill’s part or did he just accept that that’s how things were?

Well, he was naïve, as most of us were. If we knew then what we know now, it’d be a different story. I might be head of Warner Bros. We were dealing with very wise publishers who had dealt with artists and contracts before. Some of these cases [were] the first thing they ever sold. It was the beginning of the industry.

Did Bill ever originate a character without an artist?

He wrote many television scripts, and I think even a couple of movie scripts.

That was later in his career, right?

Yes. He worked for a lot of publishers so I’m sure he had a hand in creating a lot of the characters.

[I mention Green Lantern, Wildcat, and he says he doesn’t know others besides those I mentioned]

Do you know if Bill read any fan mail?

I don’t think we were privy to it. I don’t they generally showed us the fan mail. We knew it was popular in sales and so forth, but that wasn’t gotten into until later. [mentions Stan Lee developing rapport with readers]

Would you describe Bill as one of the guys? If you ever went out with a group, was he chummy and social and making jokes?

The apartment I shared with Mort Meskin and, before he left to the army, Bernie Klein, it was kind of the hangout for [contributors who were near?] DC. Bill would be a frequent visitor. I think I have a, one of the books you have, you know, where people who visit draw a cartoon or…

Like a guest book?

Yeah. And there were usually crazy drawings or serious or whatever. And the old girlfriends would write in it.

You have it still?

I have [something, yeah?].

So Bill’s writing is in it?

I’m pretty sure he’s there saying, uh…we [sounds like “found” but might be “had”] a dart board on the wall. I remember that was a pastime for everybody. We challenged…in darts. I think Bill wrote something that was like “Damn it, Jerry, beat me again.”

[NOTE: Bill’s page is reproduced in Bill the Boy Wonder…and the original suffered a sad fate.]

Would you shoot around Batman ideas while you were playing darts?

We would always be…you know, if [we weren’t on another topic?], we would do it in social [situations with?] other artists around, unless we were talking about comics. But Bill and I, and sometimes we were with Bob, we would always be kicking around ideas. We used to live, breathe, eat, and sleep Batman. [Wild age to be in?]

Part 2.

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Tom McNeal’s just out Far Far Away is getting some well-deserved buzz so I figured I would post my brief goodreads comments, written after reading it a few months back.

A very unique read, sort of spooky, definitely creepy as it goes on. With one notable exception, the characters are-not-quite Grimm characters, but nearly. The book is filled with Grimm tropes and you think the author is going to take you in somewhat predictable fairy-tale directions and he doesn’t. McNeal really knows how to make food sound really scrumptious and also various characters twinkly and fun until…they are not. It probably would have given me nightmares as a kid. That is, I was the sort of kid who always freaked out around clowns and there is a character in this book that reinforces just why they freaked me out. Can’t say more without spoilage.

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SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – Maggie Steele cheered herself hoarse Saturday, June 15th, at one of the biggest pole-vault festivals in the nation, the Texas River Vault Championship! “It was one of the greatest things that ever happened to her,” said … Continue reading →

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  This will be a shorter post than usual, guys. I had emergency eye surgery the day after I wrote my last post, and I am still essentially working with one and a half functioning eyes.

   We've been talking about what the blogosphere holds for the writer. You already know the answer to that....a lot. You can spend all time trolling the Internet just reading writer's blogs, advice columns or sites that will help you do this, that or the other better. Unless I have a specific problem, I don't spend a lot of time cruising the virtual highway. I just don't have time.

     If I am online, it is to find out what is being published and what is worth reading. There was a time when I read everything that came out, good, bad or indifferent...but again...I don't have the time any more. (I should also add that as a librarian, reading everything that came in was part of my job.) Another part of the job was reading the review sources....Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book, etc.  All of these are available online for free, in condensed forms.

    However, I have been relying on these sources since my library school days, and I have learned that not every book makes it to the "the Bigs" of the review world. That's when I discovered bloggers-who-review.  Some bloggers drop a review or two into their posts from time to time.  I like lots of reviews, all in one place. (Again...that time-saving thing.)

    Once a month I check my two favorite sources, Richie's Picks and  Good Reads. Good Reads has recently become affiliated with Amazon in some fashion which seems to annoy my fellow readers. I am not going to get into a political debate over book reviewing. I scan through Good Reads not so much for the quality of the reviews, but mainly to see what people are reading. If there are a thousand plus reviews or likes of a book I've never even heard of, I check Amazon for the review.  That is, I check Amazon if it is an adult book.  If it is a children's book, I click on over to Richie's Picks 

    Richie Partington doesn't so much review books as to write short essays about them.  He includes lengthy passages from the book (so you can get a taste of the writer's style) , compares them to other books (not necessarily books of the same genre or author...just books that ring a bell in Richie's head.) He keeps a year's worth of "recent" reviews online, but has an archive of his "Richie's Best of the Year" going all the way back to 2005. Richie's selections are eclectic. He reviews whatever floats his boat (I am still waiting to have one of my books in Richie's Picks). What I like about this blog is that Richie gives you more than enough information for you to decide whether this book is worth your time or not. Like I say, so many books, so little time. That's why Richie is my reading guru.

    Don't forget to enter our latest book giveaway for our own Jill Esbaum's book.See Jill's post for information.   This is one of your last chances, since the deadline is June 18th.

Posted by Mary Ann Rodman

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Seventeen things to consider when choosing your book title. 

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/05/17-steps-to-reader-grabbing-title.html

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Art by Chris Gugliotti

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Life is already so complicated that we, humans, make it even more worse with our thought process. One of the thoughts that make our lives miserable is the word ‘COMPARE’. Endless comparison with our neighbor, our friend, our colleague, our family and our spouse also!!! There are two sides to a coin and also comparison. You can either feel good or bad about comparison. Scene 1: Imagine you’re

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It's almost here! In honor of the release of Solstice , I have an amazing blog tour planned! Huge Thank You to Mod Podge Blog Tours and Tor Teen for coordinating this fantastic line up. And a huge thank you to all the book bloggers taking part in the tour. You guys are the best in the world, and I really appreciate you!

Since Solstice is heavy in both mythology and dystopia, the tour is split down the middle. Half the posts will focus on the mythology aspects of the story, and half on dystopia. Bloggers will be either on Team Myth or Team Dystopia! How fun is that :)

Each day there will be two posts, one for Team Myth and one for Team Dystopia. And here are the tour details!

I'd love for you to join me on this super-fun tour! There are all sorts of cool posts, like my favorite myths and the path to publication for Solstice.

And before I forget, thank you for all your Solstice support!

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See you there!

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