Author of The Circle, Cindy Cipriano, was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions about being an author for my blog readers. I am happy to share my interview with her.
What inspired you to write your debut novel, The Circle?
Once when I was in "time out," I daydreamed about lifting a tile in the floor and wondered what I'd find below it. I imagined a wise man hunched over a desk working by candle light. This person became Uilleam and is really where the idea for the series began.
If you had to choose one character in your book you are most like, who would it be and why?
I'm really not like any of the characters in The Circle. They are much, much more interesting :) I will say my favorite character is Donnelly. He's just so fearless.
Who are some of your favorite children's books and how have they inspired you to be a writer?
C.S. Lewis is probably my all-time favorite children's author. I was inspired by his brilliant use of magical realism, in that it's not "in your face," but thoughtful and skillfully placed throughout his novels.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a writer?
Finding enough time to write!
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
I love the actual writing part, sitting at my computer, completely immersed in my story.
Have you ever experienced "writer's block" and how do you get past that?
I have experienced "writer's block," and the best way for me to get past it is just to sit down and start writing.
The Circle is a fantasy novel. Is that your favorite genre to read as well? What other genres do you love?
I love anything that is middle grade/young adult fantasy.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next book that we might not know from reading the first?
The Lost is the second book in the Sidhe series. In this book, Calum and his friends will be tested regarding their friendship for and devotion to each other. And, yes, there's more about Finley :) There are also some deleted scenes from
The Circle posted on my website:
http://www.thesidheseries.com/deleted-scenes.php
What advice would you give to somebody thinking about becoming a writer?
Join a good critique group, now. I would have saved so much time had I joined one earlier.
Once your book was published, was there every anything you wished you could go back and change? Why or why not?
I really felt
The Circle was "done," when I submitted my manuscript to Odyssey Books. Thanks to my amazing editor, Michelle Lovi, I don't feel the desire to go back and change anything. I would love for readers to let me know what they think about
The Circle. I encourage them to please visit my reviews page and post a review.
http://www.thesidheseries.com/review-links.phpCindy Cipriano's middle grade fantasy,
The Circle, is available through Amazon or other local retailers.
Check out my review
HERE.
**This is NOT a sponsored post. No money was exchanged in return for the post.**
The Snevil Author, The Winner in the City, and The Show that Broke the Seal (blog I posted on my page on July 2, 2008)
Okay so.......
cue magical music that lingers in the air with mysterious bravado.....
THE TITLE WAS FINALLY REVEALED!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, after being under wraps for two years, the secret is FINALLY OUT!
The name of the book everyone has been asking and talking about is:
DAVID THORNE:
The Golithian Orbs
by C. L. Freire
On June 30th (sorry it's taken me so long to post a blog about this. What can I say? It was a taxing day:) So on June 30th, I appeared on
Blog Talk Radio with
LESA, to finally reveal the title of my upcoming debut
Tween fantasy.
OMG! It feels so
AMAZING to
FINALLY be able to talk about the book without having to worry if those feet of mine are going to dance their way into my mouth! Yeah, I know. I have that problem, and it almost surfaced a few times on the air the other night. Even
Vern Firestone, President and CEO of
TRIAD Publishing Group, my publisher and dear friend, caught my near-flub.
That was a good and hearty laugh we all shared, let me tell you:)
So, the show was really amazing. Tons and tons of dear friends were there to support me and to finally find out the secret behind the puzzles that many were haunted by for the last month. No, I'm serious. I had friends contacting me constantly, telling me they were being followed around by the image of the puzzles. Some were dreaming about them, and one person even spent the entire past weekend obsessing over the puzzles and the title that was so snevily masked by the clues....hehe
Right out of the gate, the calls began pouring in from some of my dear friends (thank you all for your support...I love you!), and some other dear friends lingered with an endearingly voyeuristic ear:)
The first call in was Vern, who sat back and waited patiently for me to prance my way into
THE BIG REVEAL:) And then....one by one, my friends called in.
Thank you so much to:
BradleyThom (my dear cute and cuddly snevil brother…oh come on Thom, you know I had to do it! It was a moral imperative!)and then there was:
The AMAZING M
Kathy
Garrett
Millie Astrid (our cousin)
Randy
and Sherri and everyone else who called in (I can't remember who else called in, but I promise to update this list when I do
The big surprise of the night for me was when, fresh from the grave, my good and dear friend,
Joni Shanburn, Vice President of
TRIAD, called in. I wasn't expecting her because she was having some computer issues:) And shortly after she called in, so did another dear friend, the snevil sinister sister of Joni,
Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc came strolling in with her shovel, fresh from digging Joni up:)
And so I spoke about the contest and the world the series is set in....sorry, you have to go listen to the show to get THAT out of me...hehe
I answered questions from callers, laughed a lot, YAYed and OMGded my way through the show...shocker, I know. And then.....
drumroll please.....
Vern proceeded to talk about how there were about a hundred entries in the Crack the Code contest, and how there were eleven people who had conquered the puzzles. After asking me to select a number from one to eleven, I chose 8 (my hubby's favorite number), and
BOOM!
THE WINNER OF THE WORLD'S FIRST COPY OF MY BOOK was.......more music please......
SHERRI SCHWEDOCK of
Write in the CityWhooHoo.....Congratulations SHERRI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her winnings include the VERY FIRST COPY OF MY BOOK ever to roll off the presses, signed by me personally (and here's the kicker...since we both live in South Florida, I will actually get to hand deliver the book to her, have coffee with her and sign the book while we share an awesome afternoon gabbing about this and that:) Sherri's also getting the "mystery gift". Remember that? Well, now I can finally tell everyone what it is. Well, actually, I did on the show.
It's a replica of the dragon statue that sits in the center of ElderSquare, which is the heart of Elder City, the oldest city in the magical world I set my series in. For those of you who never got the chance to read the first three chapters of
DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs, Elder City is a towering metropolis built entirely by magic.
Yup, being the city girl I am, I couldn't think of a more "ME" choice to base this series in, can you?
And finally, as promised, the instant
I FINALLY ANNOUNCED the title,
DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs (god that feels so freeing), Vern Firestone OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED THE PRE ORDERS.
Yes, my dear and cherished friends, because of the
OVERWHELMING response to the date of the opening of
pre orders, Vern decided to open them up during the show, instead of waiting til midnight. And so, the chatroom began filling up with people announcing
"I just placed my order!"
"GO! CINDY! I just ordered the book!"
"Got my copy!"OMG! YAY!
I can't believe my little book, the one I've put everything I have into, is finally
AVAILABLE FOR PRE ORDER! And, people are
ordering it in droves! That's right, by midnight, the
pre orders were already
in the dozens. OMG! OMG! OMG!
Some people even left comments on my page here about how they had already ordered the book and couldn't wait to read it! A lot of you emailed me about it.
OMG! OMG! OMG! Is THIS really happening?
And the last time I checked, the
PRE ORDERS were
STILL POURING IN.
Now, remember,
PRE ORDERS will be open until September 1. AND....everyone who pre orders
DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs, will be able to have it autographed by me personally. Not to mention, those who do
pre order it, will also
save nearly ten dollars off the price it will be once it hits the open market on October 1.
So take a jaunty little stroll over to
TRIAD Publishing Group's website and click on the black banner on the right side of the homepage. You'll know it when you see it. It's got four orbs (two blue, one red, one green), and then click on the "
BUY THIS" on the next screen.
ENJOY it, my dear and cherished friends. As I said, I've put everything I have into this book, and nothing would make me happier than to know that
DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs is a book you
WILL NEVER FORGET:)
And so, there it is:) The show was amazing!
YOU are all
AMAZING! And if I dare confess, everyone who
HAS read the book so far has admitted
not being able to put it down. So get your copy now and save yourself nearly ten dollars off the price the book will be once it hits the open market:)
Here is the show, for those who missed it. So grab your favorite comfy beverage and kick back. Enjoy, and feel free to leave your thoughts in your wake:) Like you, they are always welcome:)
GINORMOUS HUGS and SECRETS REVEALED:)
Cindy
author of:
DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs(Still feels so great to be able to say it publicly...YAY!)
______________________________________@@@@@@@@______________________________________
My book is still forever away, it seems, but I may have some AMAZING NEWS regarding the book cover soon, so keep an eye out for my announcement on that.
I gotta say, I CAN NOT FRICKIN' WAIT TO SEE MY BOOK COVER!!!!
Ah but just the same, all is well and good and fantabulous on the Cindy front. Why? Because I have the absolute HONOR to say that I have the most INCREDIBLE PUBLISHER ever to walk this green and blue watery little marble we call home. So great is he that I thought it only right and honorable and Just for me to dedicate an entire blog to him and his out-of-this-world publishing company, TRIAD Publishing Group.
I'm post dating this because if not, I have to tell everyone about what VERN FIRESTONE has done not only for me, but for so many authors whose dreams have led them to TRIAD.
Vern Firestone is such an incredible person. And you should all know that I would not blow any kind of smoke here for the sake of blogging...even if I love blogging, which I do, but you all know that...
No. I really wanted to tell everyone what an amazing person Vern is. He is the owner and publisher of TRIAD, and in the time I've known him I can honestly say that not a single conversation with him has gone by without my being absolutely blown away by not only his attentive, caring, and knowledgeable nature, but also his ability to make me laugh and give me hope for a bright and prosperous future with the best and most incredible company I could have ever hoped to be part of and dream of being welcomed into.
I mean, I don't even think HE knows what he has done for so many authors. I just don't think he really grasps the amount of dreams he has made a reality, how many hopes he has brought to light, or how many lives he has forever changed. You see, Vern Firestone has cultivated this force to be reckoned with...the force that is TRIAD Publishing Group. Not to mention the force that is the man himself.
You know, before December 10, 2007 (yes the date is burned into my memory forever), I was a writer struggling to find my place in this world. I always wondered which publishing house I would wind up with, if any at all, and what it would be like. I'm not one for formality or stuffiness, so I always asked myself if I would even ever "fit in" with the houses out there. And I was most certainly terrified about what someone from those houses would do to my book. You know, the one I spent five years of my life writing and rewriting a million kajillion times?
I was desperate to find a home for my books; a home I could be proud to be part of; a home I could feel exhilarated to know even exists. I spent about 2 years (give or take) trying to get this close-minded industry to look at my book. So I did what every aspiring writer does. I searched and searched and came up either empty, or came up to a door that quickly closed on me because certain agents and editors didn't and/or wouldn't consider certain genres, or wouldn't look at manuscripts unless they came from someone they knew. And forget that old and tiresome story of "Well, you have to catch an editor or agent on the RIGHT day" with the "RIGHT" letter..because we all know how easy it is to gage the quality of a book by a freakin' letter!
Yeah! Whatever!
You know how many great authors have been overlooked because of some "Agent" or Editor" who thought the book would never sell? I can tell you this, my dear friends, isn't it fun to try and picture the agents who turned down J. K. Rowling and Stephen King?
But then came what is still today the most interesting email I have ever gotten in my life. One that categorically changed it forever. It was from one Mr. Vern Firestone, a man who not only scoffs at the proverbial "BOX", but flat out turns away from it with an intelligent grin. And in his wake he draws the attentive eye of an industry that has carved its own path in a tight, exclusive little BOX made of stone. You know the kind, the ones that refuse an entire genre, or a certain book because of this or that.
Well, I say PISHAW to them all! They can keep all the rights they strip of their authors, and all the time and energy they spend on books they have no intention of marketing in any way, and all their frustrating red-tape that eventually gives some authors a new dream, that of hanging themselves with said tape.
But Vern Firestone is different. TRIAD is different. Out of the vision of publishing mastermind, Vern Firestone comes the sweet sounds of doors forever opening for authors who might otherwise spend years of their life watching their hopes slip away. With TRIAD comes the realization of the dreams and passions we as authors hold dear. And with Vern and TRIAD came an army of authors who one by one have come together to form, not merely a publishing company, but a true and caring FAMILY.
This is what I'm so shocked by...the amount of support and encouragement they all share for one another. So to be able to say I'm now part of that just leaves me speechless at times. And the times it doesn't leave me with nothing to say…well...I have to blog about either TRIAD itself, or their amazing authors if for no other reason than I am beyond proud to be part of such a Publishing House.
Now onto the gravy, my dear friends. As I said, every time I speak with Vern, or he emails me, he's got incredible news, new contacts in so many new and exciting directions, and each conversation falls in line with that of a great time spent with a great friend. Truly, that's what it feels like to know him. He is not just a publisher, he is a friend…and FATHER to us all. And when he talks, even if it's not in his words, the term, "A Deal You Just Can't Walk Away From" is always dancing in the air.
So I thank Vern Firestone. I thank him, and TRIAD, and all of its authors because if not for their eye on the future and their ear to the grindstone, so many people and so many books might never be who and where they are today.
I know, because now I'm one of them.
HUGS and Unending Admiration,
Cindy
TRIAD PUBLISHING GROUP.
Oh, one more thing: I think we need to surprise him with an all-TRIAD-Author get together one day. I'll bring the bullhorn. I've got one in my closet for all my trips to the rooftops...LOL.
What a blast that would be! OMG! And yes, I realize he might one day find out I suggested this, and he might laugh his mighty laugh and say, "Hey, see. I wasn't surprised."
But (insert wicked hand-rub) he won't know WHEN it would happen..LOL
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As I read through the stack of nonfiction picture books for the Cybils Award, several things made me stop and say, "Hmm..." so I thought I would share them here.
#1 Page Numbers
Very few of the books had them. Not really essential with only 32 or 48 pages, I suppose, but I missed them. A lack of page numbers sure makes it a challenge for anyone -- kids, parents, teachers, reviewers, and, um, award panelists -- to discuss a book in specifics.
#2 Index
Related to #1 -- hey, if you don't have page numbers it's pretty hard to have a working index. Of the handful of books with page numbers, only a few had an index. Not including an index isn't such a big deal for those who read a book cover to cover, but many nonfiction readers don't read that way, preferring instead to read smorgasbord-style, jumping around according to interest and purpose. An index allows for readers to quickly zero in on the parts of the book they'd most like to read. A picture book index doesn't have to be long and complicated. In many cases, just a half dozen or a dozen entries would do the trick. Like page numbers, I don't think an index is essential for a nonfiction picture book, but it's a nice touch.
#3 Bibliography
Very few books included one. That's okay. These are picture books, after all -- often a first introduction to a subject so the content isn't far enough off the common knowledge trail to make it essential in the way that it is for middle grade or young adult nonfiction. The other thing is space. Picture books with a broad scope require broad research, and that could translate into a whopper of a bibliography for which there simply isn't room. (been there, done that, got the t-shirt) For picture books without a bibliography, I still want some kind of confirmation that the content is accurate. It could be detailed acknowledgments or a note naming an expert reviewer (as long as it really IS an expert, which seems really obvious, I know, but judging by some of the "expert reviewers", is something that needs to be mentioned) or an author's note containing information about the author's connection to the material and/or the reserach & writing process. Speaking of which. . .
#4 Author's Notes
I love them. Part of the reason is a peculiar fascination I have with the story behind the story -- the nitty gritty of the research and writing process -- but it's also an economical way to give credibility to content when a bibliography is out of the question. A detailed author's note helped secure a spot on the shortlist for at least two of the Cybils books in our category. Without the notes explaining the primary sources and highlighting the research process, they may not have made it because unanswered questions would have been left hanging...important questions such as: How does the author know this specialized information? Where did the dialogue come from, or {gasp} was it made up? Can the author legitimately write in first person without stepping into the realm of fiction? How confident am I in the accuracy of this book?
#5 Author Illustrators
Four of the seven books on the shortlist were created by author illustrators...that is, one person did both the text and illustration. Is this significant? I don't know, but it seemed like a high number to me and gave me pause to think. It could just be coincidence, of course, or, on the other hand, perhaps the visual nature of the genre benefits from a kind of synergy that results when text and pictures are developed in the same brain. It's something I'm going to be more cognizant of from now on as I read title lists.
#6 Topic Clusters
Certain themes seemed to repeat themselves: baseball, circuses, eggs, and animal camouflage.
#7 Publisher Participation
Not all publishers sent review copies for the panel's consideration. Most did. A big shoutout to them. Woohoo! Thank you. But for the publishers who didn't: Why the heck not? I have three words for you: WORD OF MOUTH. The publicity the Cybils generates should not be underestimated. This is not some rinkydink operation. The blogosphere goes far and wide. Nominated books are being talked about...bigtime. We had some amazing books nominated in the Nonfiction Picture Books category. The Cybils folks listed them in several places on their website, each of the panelists and judges have been talking about them on their blogs, writers and librarian lists have been abuzz about them, and industry movers and shakers are involved and paying attention. I have already gushed about many of them to teachers and librarians during school visits, as well as to fellow writers, family and friends. Word of mouth...and all for the cost of a few books. Oh, and curiously, one publisher sent a package of books, but not all of its books that were nominated...that caused an extra big "Hmm..."
Finally, I have to give a big round of applause to the Cybils organizers who have worked so hard and done SO much, but whose efforts are often hidden behind the scenes. What an extraordinary group to work with...amazing. They were always approachable and helpful, quick with answers and input, and humour was always at the ready. They provided all the tools and support we panelists needed for our work to run smoothly. Fab job, guys! Thanks for letting me be a part of the Cybils this year.
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