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It’s summer reading time. We’re fortunate to have the talented Em, Nora, and Alicia of Love YA Lit here to share their current summer reading list with us. You’ll drift away with these white hot reads.
While only Nora has summer break these days (school is officially out for summer), all three of us still have a special place in our hearts for summer reading! Whether reading at the beach while catching some rays, listening to an audiobook while gardening, or taking a tourism break on a trip by diving into a story, we are excited to have some outstanding books as companions on these hot summer days. Here are a handful of books that we’re excited to check out this summer!
Eva is a copy of another girl named Amarra. She spends her time studying everything about Amarra so that she is ready to replace her if she is ever to die. And die she does. Now Eva is expected to take her fifteen years of studying, move to India, and convince the world that Amarra is alive – that this other girl is her. In addition to an interesting concept, India is the big draw here. Em spent a semester of college in Bangalore, which is where the author grew up, and is drawn to books with Indian settings, which are few and far between. We have heard very little buzz about this title – positive or negative – and are curious to check it out for ourselves.
Ages 13 and up | Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers | August 28, 2012
Kenzie is graduating from high school. While her peers are dreaming of prom and heading to college in the fall, she finds herself with bigger concerns: the loss of her father and the baby growing in her belly who her mother and her boyfriend don’t understand her desire to keep. The silver lining? She’s sent to Spain for the summer. The downside? She’s meant to live out her pregnancy working in the kitchen on a bull ranch and then give her baby up for adoption to a Spanish couple. This book offers readers a chance to vicariously travel the world, but it might not be the vacation of our dreams. A big draw of the book is the setting, but the last thing we want to do is work on a bull farm and feel pressured about what to do with our bodies (and our babies). Hopefully there’ll be some gazpacho slurping and someone (not the pregnant teen) will get to drink some sangria.
Author Beth Kephart has created a unique treasure hunt related to her newest novel, You Are My Only. She will be posting a series of Story Behind the Story posts at various blogs, and readers who track them down have the opportunity to win a signed copy of Kephart's book You Are My Only AND a critique of the first 2,000 words of a work-in-progress.
Can we take a moment to thank Egmont for publishing another Beth Kephart exquisite novel? Thank you, Egmont!
You Are My Only will be released October 25th, and I encourage you then to find Beth's newest book. In this realistic fiction novel, you'll breath despair along with several suppressed characters. You'll turn pages and yearn for them each to find hope. One story tells of a young mother's loss of her baby, while the second winds a tale of a teen sequestered from society. How the works intertwine is brilliant. From beginning to end, images and movements echo and resonate back and forth between the stories. At the reveal, I actually stopped reading, stunned by the moment of truth.
As always, I was mesmerized by Beth's rich writing. Even in the smallest detail:
"There is a bird making a tree branch heavy, her gray belly bottom like the high back of the sun."
"Outside the wind sneaks up under the loose skirt of the roof tiles..."
Nesting in the story are sweet truths of life that you can grapple with and then possibly hold.
"Tragedy and blessing," Miss Cloris says. "Sometimes they're the same one thing."
"What do you suppose any of us, Sophie, wish to be remembered for? For the things that tried to stop us or the ways we carried on?"
I'm still thinking over the latter. I'm challenged to find the truth that I would ultimately hold.
You Are My Only is current, relevant, and gracefully written with gripping realism. There is no shrinking back. Thank you, Beth, for staying truly dedicated to the fine art of writing.
So happy to share our former rgz Author in Residence Beth Kephart's new trailer for her next novel. My review for You Are My Only ran here. Don't miss this book when it releases at the end of the month. Don't-miss-it.
Beth Kephart has shared many Cover Stories in this space--for Undercover and House of Dance, for Nothing But Ghostsand for The Heart is Not a Size. Her latest novel is high in my pile, and it should be in yours too! I dare you to read a Beth Kephart book and not sigh at the beauty of her words. She's truly a poet (check out her blog for proof).
Here's Beth talking about the cover of her new novel, You Are My Only:
"For many months I have wondered just how I would write this cover story. In some ways, I still don’t know quite what to say.
"Should I start with the title, You Are My Only, which sets the mood? And if I start with the title, then aren’t I really starting (or shouldn’t I start) by thanking my agent, Amy Rennert, and her colleague, Robyn Russell, who helped me toward knowing what the title must be during a week of grave uncertainty?
"You Are My Only, then—a title that I was helped toward. Words that struck me once, and strike me again today, as singular and brave.
"To create the image, we turned, of course, to Neil Swaab, who had designed the gorgeous cover for Dangerous Neighbors [read that Cover Story on bn.com], and who seems to get books the moment he reads them—seems to settle on that symbol or scene that obsessed the writer or, in this case, kept the writer going. Both of my protagonists—Sophie and Emmy—are caught inside worlds, trapped in places they should not be. Both look out through windows on people and places just out of reach. What might symbolize that? What single image might tell the story of two young women separated by time and place and hurt?"
This month, readergirlz is honored to feature renowned young adult author E. Lockhart! We're discussing her book The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.
Read the January issueof readergirlz. There's a playlist for the book, plus book guide questions and party ideas.
Drop by the readergirlz blog to discuss the book with other readers, ALL MONTH LONG!
And don't forget to join us for the LIVE! chat with E. Lockhart on Wednesday, January 20th at 6 pm PST/9 pm EST.
Other news at readergirlz this month:
Last bit of author-in-residence excitement with Beth Kephart... Beth Kephart is the amazing author of several books (including the delicious mystery NOTHING BUT GHOSTS), and she's been our author-in-residence since December. We have one last chat with her on January 6 at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST. Don't miss it!(TOMORROW!)
We introduce our next author in residence, Elizabeth Scott... Elizabeth Scott wrote LIVING DEAD GIRL; SOMETHING, MAYBE; and STEALING HEAVEN. We are going to have a great time exploring her work and her writing process.
I head up the readergirlz Street Team, and this year we welcome some new members. The 2010 Team: These fabulous folks can help guide you through the wonderful world of YA books: Miss Erin, Priya, Silence, Vanessa, Sarah, Enna Isilee.
4 Comments on January Readergirlz: E. LOCKHART (and other New Year's news), last added: 1/7/2010
Christy: So what you're saying is you'd like to review some of the books you see featured at readergirlz? Yeah, you can buy the books, or else you can go to your library and check them out there. If your library doesn't have them, you can request them, and they should be compliant about getting them in.
Jacket description: "Georgia knows what it means to keep secrets. She knows how to ignore things. She knows that some things are better left unsaid. . . . Or are they?
When Georgia and her best friend, Riley, travel along with nine other suburban Pennsylvania kids to Anapra, a squatters' village in the heat-flattened border city of Juarez, Mexico, secrets seem to percolate and threaten both a friendship and a life. Certainties unravel. Reality changes. And Georgia is left to figure out who she is outside the world she's always known."
What a little gem! Author Beth Kephart is talented at really creating a picture for her reader, both of setting and characters, and evoking emotions into every sentence in her books. This one is certainly no exception and you'll find yourself feeling the hot Juarez sun (and boy is it hot...used to live not too far from there) and living the tension between Georgia and Riley.
These characters are both complex in their own ways, making you want to know more about them and sympathizing with the heartaches they're each going through. And in the midst of the relationship drama, there is this trip to Juarez. Filled with hope and determination to make something better for the impoverished city and the families living there. Both aspects of the story are perfectly intertwined and beautifully done.
And for once I can applaud an author for knowing when to end her novel! One of my biggest pet peeves among YA and Middle Grade authors today are the lengthy books they write and the feeling that they shoved a whole bunch of extra stuff into a book to make it 500 pages long, rather than keeping a great story 200 pages. Beth Kephart knew when to stop and the result is a wonderful little book I would happily hand to any teen.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
The Heart is Not a Size Beth Kephart 256 pages Young Adult HarperCollins 9780061470486 March 2010 Review copy received from publisher
To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a small percentage of the purchase price. Thanks!
2 Comments on The Heart is Not a Size (YA review), last added: 3/26/2010
Perhaps you've been waiting anxiously for this day because a gorgeous, brilliant, and much-anticipated book is hitting the shelves at this very moment. That day has arrived!
Today, Beth Kephart's latest exquisite novel, DANGEROUS NEIGHBORS, is born! So if you happen to be at the bookstore for any other reason, please pick it up and savor it like the rarest and finest of chocolates.
I'm thrilled and proud to welcome Beth to a special edition of Story Secrets to spill some of her DANGEROUS NEIGHBORS secrets - and she has generously offered to give away one book (see entry info below)!
*****
DANGEROUS NEIGHBORS is the story of twin sisters set against the backdrop of 1876 Philadelphia, the Centennial year. When the novel opens, Katherine has lost her sister, Anna, to an untimely death and, feeling responsible, is unwilling to live on. She chooses a hot Saturday in early September to make her way to the Centennial grounds, where all the noise and commotion of the international exhibition does nothing to permeate her sadness. Chased by Anna’s former lover and contemplating suicide, Katherine is saved, at the exhibition, by an unlikely turn of events and by a boy, an animal whisperer of sorts, far outside her social class. The present day story is leavened by numerous flashbacks, where we meet Anna herself, and her lover.
Holly Cupala: Such a fascinating premise, Beth! Both sisters and a beloved city. Can you tell us about how the idea began?
Beth Kephart: I had been working on a book (an unusual “autobiography”) about a Philadelphia river—a book called FLOW: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PHILADELPHIA’S SCHUYLKILL RIVER— and I kept encountering images and stories of old Philadelphia that led me in this direction. I love my city, and I always return to it in my imagination.
"Katherine and Anna are two peas in a pod, two sisters that are so close together than only death can really tear them apart. After Anna's tragic death, Katherine is so filled with sorrow, anger, and guilt that her desire to live fades away; it takes a series of surprises and near-disasters for Katherine to find her way. As we ride through Katherine's memories and current life, the story of her and Anna is slowly unraveled, until the thing that we've all been dying (pardon the pun) to know about is finally revealed.
Dangerous Neighbors is a quietly powerful and poignant novel that kept me enthralled the whole time. It's a lot shorter than I expected it to be - only 166 pages - but I feel that its brevity only enriched the story. Once again, the main thing that stands out in this novel - and all of Beth Kephart's novels - is the writing. All of the words were so deliberately picked, the descriptions were like poetry, and awkward phrases were nonexistent. Kephart can put things into words that the rest of us cannot, and in such a beautiful and touching way as well..."
Read the rest of this review on Priya's blog. (And read the story behind that gorgeous cover here!)
Congrats to Tessa and Liesl, winners of May's 2k11/Elevensie swag packs!
With a historical middle-grade coming out next year and research on a new book underway, I've been thinking a lot about historical fiction. There are particular challenges and limitations that come with telling a story in a time before our own.
Here's what Beth Kephart has to say about the genre:
In time, I would write my own history-indebted books. I would come to an earned understanding of how difficult it is to both honor the past and make it relevant and pressing for modern readers. One has to make decisions about authenticity, completeness, recorded truth, the shaping of language, the admission of now to then. One has to yield to the novelist's first obligation, which is to craft a moving, timeless story.
And that is perhaps what is so great about this book, is that you get the true sense of Elizabeth as a person. She isn’t a character from history or an un-relatable, larger than life, individual. She’s human.
What particular challenges do you see in creating historical fiction?
18 Comments on Crafting Historical Fiction, last added: 5/31/2011
One of the main challenges I find in writing real life people and events can be a sense of restrictive creatively, since you don't want to depart from the facts with a great story line idea that you'd normally go after if you were free to write straight fiction.
My challenge? Character! The ideas for my MG historical fictions have been jump-started by settings, and then trying to imagine the people that populated those settings. A hollow sycamore and pioneers. A stone barn built in the Civil War, etc. The settings are clear in my mind. But the character? Since the story doesn’t start with any one person’s history, my challenge is in developing the character that lives and breathes in those settings.
Kenda, that's how I wrote my first historical (or first to sell. The true first was horrendous). I immersed myself in the setting and hoped a character would emerge. She did (with some cajoling on my part). Reading first-hand accounts of the era helped me to discover her.
I've also been thinking quite a bit about historical fiction. Perhaps my personal favorite genre (and not only b/c my first novel Glory Be is also middle-grade historical- to be released in January). A "few" years ago when I was still working as a school librarian, there was a feeling that historical fiction was tied to an event in history, or at least that characters from history made an appearance. I'm thinking I may need to explore the definition of historical fiction again however! I just read a book I loved, set in the 1950s, but with no obvious historical figure or event. What do you think? True historical fiction? Do you have a definition? And what about Richard Peck's novels? How would we classify them?
I think setting is key. While people and events might factor in, time and location are the ultimate deciding factors.
Think of THE HELP or last two Newbery winners, WHEN YOU REACH ME and MOON OVER MANIFEST. I don't remember any of these books having historical figures. Historical events were general, such as World War II (not specific battles but the idea of soldiers serving) or segregation -- more ideas or themes than specific events.
I think all aspects of writing historical fiction is challenging, but especially the language and deciding how much of the period's language to use. Too much is cumbersome for today's readers to follow. It's hard to get the right balance that gives just enough the flavor of the times.
Also, I was surprised to find out at a writers conference back in September that anything that takes place before 1990 is considered historical fiction for kids. Pretty interesting, huh? Who woulda thunk?
OK, now that's just WRONG!!! Pre 1990? The guidelines used to say 50 year back. Egads. The Help certainly focused on "history" if you consider the Jim Crow laws, etc. And I think I read that When You Reach Me was only set in the 1980s b/c the writer most identified with that time period and wanted the details to work (freedom to roam the streets of NYC, for example). I bet most of her readers didn't even realize what time the story took place. In many ways, it could have been "anytime." Lots of history in Manifest, with the soldier's letters, the Depression- at least that's what I thought. Just my opinion, of course. I see how it doesn't really have to center on an event or a person, but there should certainly be mention of things that could only have happened during that time period, wouldn't you say?
Staying true to the setting and time period and vernacular is challanging to say the least. ANd if you are tying it to particular characters who actually LIVED during that time period--then you're really got to juggle lots of balls. Today I found out that my assumption about an elementary school in SC in 1945 was not nearly as "unmodern" as I had assumed that it was. And it only was a teeny-tiny piece of the pie! Staying true to the facts is what has me pulling out some hair at this point.
Agreed about the 50 years vs. 1990. I've heard both, too. I really think When You Reach Me was the turning point, with the idea that if the story isn't "current", you'd better include details to ground the story in the correct setting.
Carol, this is where it helps (me, at least) to remember what I'm crafting is ultimately a story. There are details that can be changed, there are things we'll never know completely. If it serves the story (and you explain to your readers), I think it's legitimate.
Oh, I can imagine a great deal of difficulty in historical fiction, especially with character, bringing them alive and making them fresh even if they lived a long time ago. But so many authors seems to do it so well because I love so many historical fiction novels.
There's an amazing author I met last year, not with a formal introduction, but through a book review. That book was like a nourishing meal, meaty and savory and lovely. Now she's read May B., and I am deeply honored by what she had to say about my girl.
Not far from downtown there's a rusted, old abandoned space-metal building sitting in a state of decay from neglect. There are several block shapes spray-painted in random colors as though graffiti artists used the side of the building to test their new cans before tagging the local businesses and schools.
In spite of the blacktop surrounding this building, a small tree pushed its way through the asphalt-covered ground several years ago. The part of the building behind the tree makes such a beautiful backdrop, like a giant patchwork quilt sewn together stitch by stitch, always there to embrace this tree.
It's Redbird's favorite place, especially in the afternoon when the sun glows on the warm colors of the quilted metal. It's as though Redbird gives the tree a reason to stay alive with the promise of her daily return.
What some may perceive as decay and neglect, Redbird finds a sacred space that welcomes her with warmth, grace and beauty.
Done for Illustration Friday's prompt: Stitch. Acrylic and colored pencils on scrapbook paper.
0 Comments on IF : Stitch by Stitch as of 1/1/1900
claudine hellmuth said, on 1/11/2008 7:08:00 PM
beautiful painting!!
Regina (artsy_reg) said, on 1/11/2008 7:16:00 PM
Such a lovely rendering, and such a lovely story as well. Just beautiful.
Anonymous said, on 1/11/2008 7:36:00 PM
enchanting: michael dailey
thefridayfrog said, on 1/11/2008 7:52:00 PM
lolo...this is so lovely. i love love the soft color blocks, the form of the tree, and the very sweet redbird. the acrylic and the pastels make such a winning medium team! hooray for you to explore it all! :))
NANCY LEFKO said, on 1/11/2008 8:31:00 PM
lovely illustration and such a fine tale.....
Barbara Hagerty said, on 1/11/2008 10:21:00 PM
This is lovely! Wonderful illo!
JO said, on 1/11/2008 11:26:00 PM
What a beautiful painting, really lovely.
neilornstein said, on 1/12/2008 9:45:00 AM
this is my absolute favourite to date ( until the next favourite comes along). Rich color and strong design.
Digital Scott's illustrationblog said, on 1/12/2008 10:09:00 AM
Very, very nice. The colors are awesome! And nice big view to enjoy in all it's glory!
Mick said, on 1/12/2008 10:28:00 AM
What an interesting mix of media with scrapbook paper foundation. I love this piece, Laurel, very good job with the story as well!
Nancy Bea said, on 1/12/2008 10:37:00 AM
Lovely, as always!
Rrramone said, on 1/12/2008 11:02:00 AM
Love the colors and the shadows. ;-)
ValGalArt said, on 1/12/2008 11:05:00 AM
Filled with beauty and hope! Love this!!!
Perriette said, on 1/12/2008 11:13:00 AM
I don't know which I like better, the story or the illustration. Both are poetic.
Isabelle said, on 1/12/2008 11:22:00 AM
Lovely colors!
Sherry Rogers said, on 1/12/2008 2:04:00 PM
what a wonderful Story. I love this painting a lot! Great Colors.
atomicvelvetsigh said, on 1/12/2008 7:53:00 PM
this is so gorgeous! one of my faves this week so far.
Greg Hartman said, on 1/12/2008 8:06:00 PM
This has turned out beautifully! I love the cast shadow from the tree to the wall too! Thanks for the welcoming back and your comment on my blog. I'd my car stolen in the beginning of November, it threw a huge wrench in the works for me. Fortunatly I've a good friend who has been letting me use her car for awhile.
rbaird said, on 1/12/2008 9:01:00 PM
Such beautiful things are often missed. Redbird (and Laurel) see the hidden beauty! Thanks for sharing!
Forever Young said, on 1/13/2008 2:56:00 AM
the colours are so warm abd inviting.know i'm back when i see your amazing stuff.
Gorillustrator said, on 1/13/2008 3:30:00 AM
Beautiful. Very nice pastel colour scheme and wonderful story to accompany it.
isay said, on 1/13/2008 5:59:00 AM
ohh i like this a lot-everything about it.
imwithsully said, on 1/13/2008 8:11:00 AM
Well, how about that! We both used acrylics this week. I think this one is beautiful! Mine is nowhere near the beauty of yours. PS. I am making you my agent!!!!!!
Debra Kay said, on 1/13/2008 9:44:00 AM
I'm glad redbird has her place to be.
nice said, on 1/13/2008 10:54:00 AM
WOW!!!!
Debbie Egizio said, on 1/13/2008 11:52:00 AM
Beautiful!!!!
Red bird can see the beauty in all things! Love this!
suana said, on 1/13/2008 2:04:00 PM
This piece has such a warm and dreamy quality to it. Great combination of quilted background with the naked greenish gray tree. You are one of those rare bloggers who truly dare comfort and inspire.[at least that's how I see it] Thank you again for your lovely words on my blog!
Zari said, on 1/13/2008 2:46:00 PM
what a lovely story!...and what a wonderful painting; a really great composition, layout and colors!
irvine said, on 1/13/2008 3:29:00 PM
I love love love it!
Princess Pepper Cloud said, on 1/13/2008 3:46:00 PM
You always see the beauty and calm behind every wall!
steve said, on 1/13/2008 5:26:00 PM
Love all the time and thought put into this Laurel.
Ellen Byrne said, on 1/13/2008 7:09:00 PM
Aow. Again, a very thoughtful, serene and beautiful piece!
elizabeth said, on 1/14/2008 4:33:00 AM
This is stunning, and made even more so by the accompanying story. Thanks for sharing!
Ginger*:)* said, on 1/14/2008 4:42:00 AM
If I were a bird this might be my favorite place as well. This is just charming!
carla said, on 1/14/2008 5:27:00 AM
This is such a pretty painting! It's lovely on a visual level - the rendering of the tree and branches is excellent, the shadow on the building is a perfect touch, and Redbird seems to glow - but it's also extra lovely with its story. beauty finds a way to appear in almost every place. You captured it so well:>
PamPod said, on 1/14/2008 6:27:00 AM
Oh...so beautiful. I love your story and it's meaning...despite being surrounded by metal and asphalt, the tree and Redbird don't despair! The colors are so warm and soothing. And, of course, your story is as well.
On a less serious note (because I must) -- dibs on your art when you die!
Tim Hunt said, on 1/14/2008 7:24:00 AM
I enjoyed your artwork and writing. This would make a nice quilt.
kdhamel said, on 1/14/2008 8:45:00 AM
Beautiful! Such wonderful color and softness - your paintings always have such magic in them!
get zapped said, on 1/14/2008 8:58:00 AM
I swear visiting your blog is like going to church, or temple, synagogue, you know that spiritual place in nature… always a breath of fresh air. This piece is so peaceful. Btw, thank you for commenting about my design. I am in the process (have been for some time) in preparing to look for another design job and would love to find something that utilizes my skill with pattern and color. I'm getting past the fear and to the place where I know things will open up, if I keep focus and faith in what I do best. Enjoy your week!
Nicole Florian said, on 1/14/2008 9:04:00 AM
Beautiful colors! Very sensitive!
sketched out said, on 1/14/2008 9:53:00 AM
My soul just sighed. Your story accompanied by your lovely painting brought a little mist to my eye. I had the same reaction to the scene in "American Beauty" when the boy-next-door shows a film he took of the discarded plastic bag floating around in the wind, along with some leaves. It was as poignant as a ballet.
Beauty surrounds us, sometimes in the most unlikely places. Thanks for reminding us.
Señorita Pil said, on 1/14/2008 12:40:00 PM
thanks Lolo, your work is so beautiful!!!
Catnapping said, on 1/14/2008 1:59:00 PM
this is glorious. the colours are zinging right through me, and your speculation about why the tree lives...rings soooo true.
i love this. i love this. i love this.
Brine Blank said, on 1/14/2008 4:57:00 PM
Really like the way you made the shadow play off of the colors in the backround...nice
DeLi said, on 1/14/2008 5:45:00 PM
lovely image. and i could just imagine the place. i see alot of that particularly in countrysides where i walk and its so sad sometimes to see a decaying beauty becuase of neglect. like those ancestral houses i remember as a beauty when i was a kid.
lil kim said, on 1/14/2008 11:59:00 PM
wow that's very lovely. love the pastel colours and beautiful interpretation of the tree's and bird's life. I always think and artist is not so much in what you do but in how you look at life - you are a true artist in all ways!
lil kim said, on 1/15/2008
wow that's very lovely. love the pastel colours and beautiful interpretation of the tree's and bird's life. I always think and artist is not so much in what you do but in how you look at life - you are a true artist in all ways!
priya said, on 1/15/2008 8:23:00 AM
This picture is exquisite! And what a lovely story...
Ihhh said, on 1/15/2008 11:33:00 AM
Thanks for your kind comment! I really like your painting. Very beautiful...
Last week, I invited Beth Kephart, author of YA novels Undercover (Come back later for a Book Giveaway Contest!), House of Dance, and the soon to be released Nothing But Ghosts, to stop by and share her thoughts on how to create emotion in our writing. Beth kindly accepted and I was thrilled. I mean, Beth is a National Book Award finalist, an NEA grant winner, a Pew Fellowships in the Arts recipient, a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts winner, a Leeway Foundation award winner, and a Speakeasy Poetry Prize winner. In addition to YA, Beth is written memoir and non-fiction. She offers experience and beauty of words and it is a wonder to learn from her.
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Beth's work. While I count Beth as a friend, I'll let you know there is no bias here. Beth's writing is simply stunning and if you want a treat,go over and read her blog. She updates it at least once a day and it is filled with lyrical musings that will make you crave more.
As I wrote in my interview with her, Through the Eyes of Beth Kephart, "Beth has an incredible gift of seeing the little things that matter. I've decided she is a writer with a pure artisanal mindset -- she hand selects each word before painting layers of meaning and imagery onto paper."
Here's what Beth shares with us on how she brings emotion to her work:
You have asked me how I bring emotion into my work, and may I first say what a tremendous question this is, for how, indeed, is emotion achieved on the page? For me it begins in real life, in the way that I live. I feel deeply, always. I live my life on the perpetual precipice of wanting, of wishing, of needing. I want to touch things I can’t reach, like the pink in the sky. I want to be able to do things I can’t do, I want to live longer, I want to see more, and I lean all this wanting directly down onto the page. My characters are reaching, too—filled up with desire or curiosity or loss. They’re not finished people. They’re grappling. Sometimes the thoughts they are thinking are swooshed together in long, circuitous sentences. Sometimes they are yelped out, in a word or two. The surprising image is essential to emotional writing. So is deliberate variation in the structure and rhythm of sentences. So is reading every sentence you write out loud, several times, and if it doesn’t move you, it sure as heck isn’t going to move its readers.
Once again, you introduced me to another wonderful author. You're right. Her blog overflows with emotional writing (just like your writing). I read one and my eyes welled up. I'm buying her books today.Thanks Vivian, and it's nice to see you back...
Grappling. Perfect word for Beth's beautiful characters. And I love this: *circuitous sentences*yelped out words*surprising images *variation in the structure and rhythm of sentencesBINGO! Thanks, HWM and Beth!
Thank you, Patty! And if you wait, I've just posted the chance to win a copy of Undercover!Oh, Beth,You didn't have to do that! Thank you.Lorie Ann,E-mail headed your way!Em,Beth has a beautiful way of looking at things, doesn't she?
Look at the book cover. Isn't it gorgeous? I wish Harper Teen would put stick-on tattoos of this design inside the paperback. Are you listening, Harper Teen?
I love this book so much, I'm giving away one hard cover copy of Undercover. (This will get me off my butt to mail out the prizes from the 30 Day Challenge.)
All you need to do, for a chance to win, is write a comment about a memorable book that touched your heart by Thursday, March 12th, 11pm EST. Did it make you cry, think, grieve, yearn, etc.?
What are you waiting for? Comment away.
25 Comments on UNDERCOVER Book Giveaway, last added: 4/6/2009
Ugh! My last comment blew up. To start over, one. This book cover is stunning. Sign me up. My last verification word was cyarec--almost similar to cyranec. Fate? Yes?Also, I really enjoyed House of Dance, but almost didn't buy the book since the book cover didn't do any justice to the book. Which is a shame since authors need a knock your socks off cover for teens to want to shell out money for
Calliope, You've brought up an interesting point about the relationship between book covers and sales that many bloggers have brought up before.I agree with your choice on HP 7. Fantastic book.
Even though, my daughter has an ARC and I hope to buy the new paperback with the Extra, I'd love to share the hardcover with a teen friend. Thank you for the contest :)I read B's House of Dance and Undercover back to back (H of D first)so it's hard to remember my separate reactions. I know that H of D made me cry, think, and yearn. I remember grieving a little, in Undercover, that my really great
Sherry,You're welcome. And we both had similar reactions to House of Dance. Boy, did it make me yearn. And Undercover, sigh. Oh, did it touch my emotions, big time.
House of Dance made me cry. It was so beautiful, so perfect, and I'm honored to be a friend of Beth's. (I do read her blog too.)I didn't want to hold the tears back, so I just let myself wet the pages.
Maya,I agree, House of Dance is so beautiful. It definitely pulled at my heartstrings--I wonder if it was more so since I have memories of ill family members and the life that was?
Wow, okay, memorable book that touched my heart... there's a lot that have so I'll just choose the most recent one that instantly made it into my top 5 favourite books ever.Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (it made me laugh, cry, think, yearn and grieve).The story and characters just seemed so... real? to me and there was a lot of tragedy in the book but enough love and hope in it to make up for
Eep! Thought I'd commented before, but maybe not?Anyway, I wanted to add Jodi Piccoult to the list. Her book My Sister's Keeper was stunningly touching...I wept at the end, but still knew that it was the perfect ending.
I'd have to say that I have 2 books that I have read over so many times that I consider them more friends than books. Is that wrong? The first is Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It is such a fantastic of the eternal power of friendship. I even had the great pleasure of meeting Fannie Flagg shortly after the movie was released, and she is delightful!The other book
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley is one of my favorite books ever- it was really touching and it made my cry (I usually never cry while reading books, so it meant a lot to me).
Thanks for this giveaway! I've been putting Kephart's books on my wishlist forever, and winning one would be spectacular. The first book that comes to mind is Where Is the Mango Princess? by Cathy Crimmins, a memoir about Crimmins's husband's brain injury and struggle to regain some semblance of normality; it's beautifully crafted. I married a man with a brain injury and volunteer with the local
Ally in WA said, on 3/10/2009 12:12:00 AM
The is so much by Anita Shreve that I love but probably the most touching was Light On Snow.espressogurl(at)hotmail(dot)com
I'm going to say Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. It's a book about sacrifice for the people that you love, and I got so deep into the main character's head that it honestly took me a few days to come back out again. I still cry every time I read it.In fact, I think I'll go read it again. :)
skatergurl said, on 3/10/2009 9:05:00 AM
Justina Chen Headley's book, Nothing But The Truth. It brought me back to high school. I cried my eyes out.No need to enter me, I already own Undercover. It is incredible. Brought me straight back to this girl who made my life miserable. Whoa. Geeky girls rule!
I tend not to cry at books/movies/theater/etc., but I sobbed through 'Night' by Elie Wiesel. It's a devastating true story about the Holocaust, and the writing is absolutely stunning. I had to read it for a class in eighth grade and it's still the most powerful reaction I've had to a single book.
After I read House on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford I could not stop thinking about it. Amazing book. It made we want to be able to create something as memorable, as touching, as it was. And the cover of Beth's book is beautiful!!
"The Little Giant of Aberdeen County" by Tiffany Baker really touched me, especially the main character Truly. The book made me cry in some parts and kept me really emotionally involved with all of the characters.
I'm going with "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane". There was just something about Edward that I loved. It seemed to be a book that writers either loved or didn't care for at all. Put my mark in the love column.By the way, if you ever have the chance to see Kate DiCamillo live, go. She's very entertaining.
Oh, what a terrific contest! I've been getting to know the lovely Beth, whose book is also a recommended read at readergirlz this month. A memorable book that touched my heart...I would have to say The Higher Power of Lucky. I didn't read it for a while except for the first page because of all of the hype - then I skipped to the end (which I swear I NEVER do) to see the payoff. Was the scrotum
tracey said, on 3/12/2009 9:28:00 PM
Pick me! Pick me! This book sounds like something I'd love to read.A book that moved me was The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt. I laughed and cried so much.
Yesterday, while I was lounging about at the dance studio, the very gorgeous (you should see her) Tirsa said to me, "Do you know that there are, like, a ton of Beth Kepharts?"
She was on Facebook, trying to friend me. I was the forest, apparently, that could not be found for the trees.
A ton of me(s), I thought. How tres convenient! Could one possibly do my laundry and the other cook and the other get caught up with that pile of magazines? Oh. Please. I am aware of one poor alter ego, right in this neighborhood, who gets called upon, on occasion, to read from one of my books. I had the chance, once, to apologize in person, when she showed up at one of my readings to shed some light on her most unfortunate circumstance. I told her that I'd share the spoils of my fame someday, if ever spoils there are.
(From the looks of things, that won't be happening anytime soon.)
But I'm banking on the fact that none of these Beth Kepharts have had a day like the one I've had—an email from my brother-in-law of Seville, at four AM. A call from my Dallas-based brother-in-law nearer to ten (he wanted me to open a box he'd sent; he said, Beware, for the love stuffed inside might spatter out and stain you). A call after that from my Salvadoran mother-in-law, a woman I met just weeks before my wedding, a woman who taught me coffee farming, a woman I didn't think knew much of anything about English until she lay on my sofa for a week reading my book about her country, Still Love in Strange Places, laughing at the funny parts). A note later on from Adela, my aunt-in-law, if I might use such a term for one of the most glamorous women on earth.
And in between, my friends. And yesterday, my father. A moment ago, my son, that now-familiar happiness in his voice, a story he's been writing on his mind. And in a few hours, the sea.
That's this Beth Kephart. She has rain in her hair in the photo up above. She wears her lousy, ripped-up jeans.
Another me to do the bill paying, cleaning, mundane stuff...that sounds really good. Then there would be more time to enjoy the beach in the rain, right?
Bills, cleaning, taxes, raking out the trash that keeps blowing into my garden from the lawn across the way—all these I give to my imaginary alter egos.
A multitude of me would be great. I could get one to do the dishes and one to comment on all my favorite blogs. I've been so terribly behind in that lately. *cringes* Don't think I've been ignoring you! :)
If you're not familiar with Beth Kephart, you can read my interview here. And over at My Friend Amy's blog, Amy and Lenore throwing a book drive party with fabulous prizes. They are trying to get 200 sales for Beth through their blog, so if you haven't bought the book yet, do it through their link.
I've enjoyed interviewing authors on my blog, and I have to say, I've noticed a trend...these friends of mine are doing well, winning awards and gaining momentum in the marketplace. And who, you may ask, is this happening to? Well, since being interviewed on my blog:
• Thalia Chaltas was named as a Flying Start author by Publisher's Weekly. Her book, Because I am Furniture, is also going into a second run.
• Val Hobbs' book Sheep was chosen as this year's California Young Reader Medal winner for intermediate readers. Sheep was extremely popular in hard cover and was reprinted in paperback in April.
I love success stories. I'm so excited for all of them and thrilled that I got to share their stories here on my blog. Now, I'm off to the sofa. The kids are gone, the house is clean, and I can't wait to read Nothing but Ghosts.
Have a great weekend!
11 Comments on Interviewing my Author Friends, last added: 6/29/2009
How do you know so many famous authors!? That is just awesome. I know you're going to be on that list, and I'll be interviewing you about your huge sales one day!
Awesome! I hope that means something good is in store for me in the near future. ;) Thank you SO MUCH for interviewing me, Sherrie, as well as including all the info for A NEW JOB FOR DILLY! The tour has been lots of fun and all my hosts have been so creative!
rgz Launch Party with Janet Lee Carey! Join the STEALING DEATH Launch Party with rgz co-founder, Janet Lee Carey on Wednesday, September 30, at 6 p.m. Pacific/9 p.m. Eastern! We’ll be chatting about her new fantasy release. The chat will be over at the readergirlz blog.
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We are happy to announce our very first Author in Residence, Beth Kephart. This critically acclaimed, gracious writer will be on the rgz team through December. Check out her mini-issue at the rgz website. Watch our blog for Beth’s monthly vlog entries about writing, which will include contests! See her first post here.
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Teen Read Week Tribute! Do you love YALSA's Teen Read Week? Let it out at your blog through a post or vlog, then send the link to readergirlz@gmail.com. Subject line: Your name, TRW Tribute. We’ll collect all the contributions and post them at the rgz blog in a 24 hour time span. Tell us about your recent release, or a book you love dearly, and then give a shout out for Teen Read Week. The tribute will run October 23!
And here's a sneak preview for the awesome Teen Read Week event we're planning at readergirlz! (Remember last year?) And do we have an unbelievable lineup! Stay tuned for more info later this month...
2 Comments on readergirlz news!, last added: 9/9/2009
For the next four months, Beth Kephart, our first author-in-residence at readergirlz, will be posting monthly video blogs in which she discusses the art (and the joys, and the frustrations) of writing. Each vlog entry will also serve as a prompt for writing contests.
Here is the first of Beth's vlog entries, with her written introduction:
"I believe that the stories that touch us are written by authors who remain vulnerable to the world - who leave themselves open to the raw wounds and the glorious possibilities of yearning, outreach, and hope. Watch the video, then write no more than ten lines of poetry or prose expressing a fully lived emotion. Send your entry to kephartblog AT comcast DOT net by September 25th, 2009. The author of the winning ten lines will receive a signed copy of Undercover, a novel about a young, aspiring poet who discovers the beauty that lives within her."
Beth Kephart, our first author-in-residence at readergirlz, has been posting monthly blogs in which she discusses the art (and the joys, and the frustrations) of writing, along with writing prompts and related contests. Here is Beth's third prompt:
"In this readergirlz challenge, the premise is simple: Find a photograph of yourself as a young child on the verge of some new knowledge or turning point. Write a paragraph about that photograph/that moment in present tense, as if you are experiencing that moment for the first time. Then write about that photograph/that moment in past tense, with the gift of retrospection. Ask yourself what you gain from working in the present tense, and what is gained by reflection; include your thoughts on this with your submission."
Send your entry to kephartblog AT comcast DOT net by November 25th, 2009. The author of the winning paragraph will receive a signed copy of Nothing but Ghosts, a novel about a young girl who, in learning to live past her mother's unexpected passing, involves herself in decoding the mystery that envelops the recluse down the road. The past and the present collide in Ghosts.
0 Comments on Beth Kephart: Then and Now as of 1/1/1900
"...a challenge that asks you to look at something familiar and transform it into the unexpected. Check out the video posted here. Send your best work to kephartblogATcomcastDOTnet. The winner will receive an advanced reading copy of The Heart is Not a Size (which is due out in March from HarperTeen). The winning work will be posted on this site. Our deadline is December 30, 2009."
Revision update: I can always tell the parts of my first draft where I was struggling. This morning, I found one of those parts at the beginning of this next chapter I’m working on, and I found a much better way to get into the story.
I love this. But it also gave me an idea about research for us writers.
If there’s an area we want to work on — plot, characters, word choices — we can read books that excel in those areas. We can learn something new, something good in every book we read. But, like Frenetic Reader points out, writers tend to be strongest in one or two areas, and the rest follows.
If you want to know what books to read for these different areas, read the reviews. Look at what’s on the bestseller lists and honors lists that are in the genre you’re writing and read what reviewers say. If you’re looking for books strong on plot, read the books reviewers say have a strong plot, or Google search review, your genre and plot and see what kind of results you get.
Most of the books in my must-read list I’ve found through reading about them in blogs, but I was only looking for popular books in the genre I write. From now on, I’m going to scour reviews and let them be my guide based on what I’m looking to build on.
3 Comments on Read to write, last added: 12/12/2009
Great advice. I know that most of the books I read tend to be focused on characters but I’ve recently tried to branch out to find some great examples of plot and setting. Reading is an excellent tool for helping to improve writing. Thanks for sharing this.
Peggy Abrahams said, on 12/12/2009 1:40:00 PM
Great idea – to read books flagged by reviewers for a particular strength – and to read with a specific strategy in mind.
Thanks, Samantha.
daybydaywriter said, on 12/12/2009 3:02:00 PM
Thanks, Cassandra and Peggy. Yeah, reading is a great writing tool — and so enjoyable.
The Lost Girl 
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These fabulous folks can help guide you through the wonderful world of YA books: 
"Katherine and Anna are two peas in a pod, two sisters that are so close together than only death can really tear them apart. After Anna's tragic death, Katherine is so filled with sorrow, anger, and guilt that her desire to live fades away; it takes a series of surprises and near-disasters for Katherine to find her way. As we ride through Katherine's memories and current life, the story of her and Anna is slowly unraveled, until the thing that we've all been dying (pardon the pun) to know about is finally revealed.
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We can't wait to read this one! It looks really good.
Sash and Em
Enjoy! Beth's writing is lovely.