How to use this Page

We love listening to Chris Crutcher. He always has the most interesting things to say. Luckily his new novel, PERIOD 8, is full of things to talk about!

Watch Chris Crutcher discuss the truth and when to tell it, what it means to live a good life, and PERIOD 8. Make sure you stick around until the end for a special message to teachers and librarians!

Download the PERIOD 8 discussion guide and get talking . . .

If you checked in with us yesterday, you read the behind the scenes editorial perspective of Michael Hassan’s debut teen novel, CRASH AND BURN.  Today Michael responds to our notoriously strenuous, sweat-inducing Opening the Book questions…

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?

I was always into books and a real sucker for the Dr. Suess stuff, can probably still recite Green Eggs and Ham by heart, but the first book that made me want to be a writer was Les Miserables, which I would probably have  named as my favorite book, except for the Princess Bride by William Goldman, who is primarily known as a screenwriter, but has written some incredible novels.

I am currently re-reading several William Goldman novels, including Marathon Man and the Color of Light.  You can learn a lot as a writer from reading his books. .

More importantly, I am back to reading hardcovers and paperbacks after spending too long  with e-books.  While I’m a techno nut, the truth is there is nothing better than holding a real book, being able to thumb back and forth through the pages and knowing exactly where you are at any given point.

 What is your secret talent?

I play keyboards.  I am, in fact, really bad musician and have been fired from some pretty talentless bands when I was younger.  Thankfully I record nothing so no one has to know.  Until now.

Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.

Mean Girls.  I could watch this movie constantly and still laugh at every line.

Also, fart noises and Gilbert Gottfried, not necessarily in that order.

My current obsessions are…

Headphones, I have like 20 pairs.  I need loud music when I’m working.

Also, Uncharted 3D, in fact almost every videogame, movie and documentary in 3D.

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

Know where you are going before you start.  Make an outline and stick to it and then keep on going without looking back until you hit THE END. And then, take whatever you’ve done and put it on the highest shelf in your room for 6 weeks without looking at it.

And then make a new outline and start over with the brightest red pen you can find.

And don’t, under any circumstances, get stuck playing Uncharted 3D or watching anything else in 3D.  In fact, disconnect your television and your internet and throw away your iPads, playstations and smartphones.

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…

Forgets that they are reading;

misses a train stop because they need to finish a chapter;

recognizes the characters so much that they find it difficult to believe that its fiction;

Buys another book the second they finish this one;

Or is inspired to write one themselves.

Tell us more about how CRASH AND BURN was born.

I was challenged by my son, who has ADD to write something that he would be willing to read.  Spending time with him and his friends, playing videogames and watching movies, I wanted to come up with a form of entertainment that they would consider to be as fast paced and captivating, something that would make them think differently, more deeply  about themselves and their world.   Using him and his friends as models, I went back in time and thoroughly researched the everyday occurrences in the world they lived in, the language they used,  the legal and illegal drugs they were experimenting with and the social interactions between them and the adults in their world.   When I realized how difficult the struggle was for most kids, I knew that I had something that I wanted to write about.

Thanks Michael!  CRASH AND BURN (which has received 2 starred reviews– from Booklist and BCCB!) is on sale in stores now.

Next in our Winter 2013 New Voices series is teen debut novel CRASH AND BURN, by Michael Hassan, a book that quite literally stopped us all in our tracks the first time we heard Michael’s editor, Jordan Brown, formally present it.  Today I’ll let Jordan’s powerful words speak for themselves…

Of all the qualities of a manuscript that get me interested in working with an author, one of the most exciting is when I feel like I’m reading the work of  someone who looks for untold stories in places where we don’t expect to find them.  Of course, the most prominent plot elements of Michael Hassan’s debut novel Crash and Burn—the story of a profoundly troubled senior who takes his school hostage at gunpoint, and the profoundly untroubled student who stops him—are, sadly, not unusual or unobvious ones.  But what is unique and unexpected about Mike’s story is the perspective from which he chooses to tell it.

Steven “Crash” Crashinsky is unlike any of the teen male characters one finds in contemporary teen literature.  He is not the brooding, complicated, brilliant outcast; he’s not the bad boy with a heart of gold; he’s not the irredeemable jerk; he’s not the heartthrob who can distill his interior struggles in a moment but is still paralyzed by indecision.  He is all of these things, and none of them.  He is the kind of male character who is remarkable only for being so typical: a teen whose self-image has been defined by his learning disabilities, whose behavior has been shaped by society’s indulgent “boys will be boys” attitude, who has realized that life’s a lot easier when you just don’t care.  He’s the kind of teen we all know, and yet the kind we don’t often find populating teen books—perhaps because he’s the kind we don’t often find reading teen books.

But he is not unreachable, as Mike’s knockout of a first novel shows us.  This is a book—one of the first I’ve seen—that speaks directly to these young men, telling a story they need to hear.  The element of the book that was paramount to both Mike and me in the editing process was keeping Crash’s voice and experiences as authentic as possible.  And thus we have a story that doesn’t pull any punches, that reads more like a chronicle than a novel, that speaks to these readers in a language they can understand.

Crash and Burn is not a book for everyone.  The truths it draws out and elucidates don’t provide many answers for the desperate struggles today’s teens experience.  But I’m a big believer in the idea that the process always starts with asking the right questions.  And Mike asks these big questions while writing a story that is hilarious and frightening and touching in turn; one about friendship and tragedy, first love and first hate; one that shows us that the untold stories can sometimes be the most important.

Thanks Jordan! And don’t forget to visit us again tomorrow for an interview with the author, Michael Hassan.

Yesterday we took you behind the editorial curtain of debut teen novel PIVOT POINT.  Today I bring you the inside scoop on the adorable, hilarious Kasie West herself…

What is your secret talent?

Secret talent? If I tell, it won’t be a secret anymore. But since I’ve never passed up on an opportunity to brag (that might not be a true statement), I will tell you that I am super good at proving I’m not a robot. I rock word verification on blogs and websites. Seriously, I have like a 99% success rate at figuring out those impossible to read words. Is this a talent?? I think yes.

Fill in the blank:                         always makes me laugh. 

My husband (He is so funny. The main reason I married him, by the way).

My current obsessions are…

twitter, garden salsa Sun Chips, naps (I’m only obsessed with naps right now because I haven’t been able to take them and I need a nap so bad).

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

Read read read and keep writing. Make sure you are constantly feeding your mind with new books and plots by reading whenever you can. And when you are done writing a book and it’s ready to query, start immediately on your next one. Don’t spend a lot of time editing a book over and over (note: I’m not telling you not to edit. Definitely edit.). But keep moving forward.

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…

Laughs, loves, and appreciates the friendships in their lives.

Tell us more about how Pivot Point was born.

Like with other books I’d written before Pivot Point (books that were not published) I find inspiration in life: things I see, movies I watch, experiences I have. My husband and I often discuss plots or ideas that would make a good book. Pivot Point was inspired by the movie Sliding Doors. I love that movie. I love the idea of one pivotal choice that can change everything; The idea of exploring alternate realities and seeing how small decisions can change outcomes. We may not have mental abilities like the people in this book, but I truly feel like choice is power. We have the power to choose to work hard and follow our dreams or to give up. We are in charge of our fate, our destiny, and that is power.

Thanks Kasie!  PIVOT POINT is on sale in bookstores now– and once you read it, you’ll be happy to know this happy news: there will be a book 2, out next year!

Next up in our Winter 2013 New Voices series is  the teen debut novel PIVOT POINT, by Kasie West.

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, a special type of clairvoyant, whenever Addie is faced with a choice she is able to look into the future and see both outcomes. So when her parents ambush her with the news that they are getting a divorce and she has to pick who she wants to live with, the answer should be easy.

However, as Addie searches her two possible futures, one where she leaves with her father to live off of the paranormal compound and the other where she stays with her mother and the gifted in the life she’s always known, she realizes how hard the choice really is. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through…and who she can’t live without.

This one was love at first sight (or should we say love at first read) for us: it’s bright, fun, well-plotted, and clearly the beginning of a very promising career for Kasie!  Let’s hear why Kasie’s editor, Sarah Landis, loved it immediately too…

When the agent pitched Kasie’s novel to me, it immediately reminded me of one of my favorite rainy-day movies, “Sliding Doors”, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.  I’ve been let down more times than I can count by a great idea that doesn’t come through in execution.  But in this case, not only did it live up to my expectations, it exceeded them!  Addie is such a winning protagonist.  She has attitude, spunk, intelligence, and a sense of humor (girl heroines rarely have a sense of humor!). The whole idea that one decision can potentially alter the course of your life has always intrigued me.  I think we’ve all made a decision and then wondered… What If?  In PIVOT POINT, when Addie is faced with a decision, she has the ability to look down both of those roads and decide which one has the better outcome.  But…as we find out, knowing both paths doesn’t necessarily make choosing any easier.  In fact, sometimes it makes it even harder.

 PIVOT POINT had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how it was going to end.  As editors, we see the same recycled plots over and over, and I feel like I’m rarely genuinely surprised.  And I totally was!  When I first read it, the ending was so good but so, so frustrating.  Without giving anything away for anyone who hasn’t read it, I begged and pleaded with Kasie to change the ending (that is how strongly I felt about these characters fates).  The way she revised the ending is so completely perfect now.  That brings me to what a dream it is to work with an author who you know is going to be around for a long time.

Thanks Sarah!  And don’t forget to check back tomorrow to hear from Kasie herself.

In Chris Crutcher’s upcoming novel, PERIOD 8, a group of students comes together every day during Period 8 to talk about (in the author’s own words) “the important things: hopes, dreams, fears, and the comedy and tragedy of their lives.” Teacher Bruce Logsdon, who runs Period 8, has only one rule—you have to tell the truth. No question is off-limits, no topic is forbidden, as long as the discussion remains honest.

If you’ve read his books or seen him speak, you know that frank treatment of tough subjects is a Chris Crutcher hallmark. Perhaps you are thinking, “Hmmm. I wonder how much of this Bruce Logsdon character is autobiographical.” We can’t exactly answer that for you, but we can offer you this exciting invitation . . .

In the spirit of Period 8, Chris Crutcher is taking real-life questions from teens, and he will answer them in a video to be posted on our teen community website Epic Reads.

Do your teens have burning questions they’d like to ask him? (Who doesn’t, right?) Encourage them to submit their questions on Epic Reads, and check back at the end of March for some video answers from this very wise man.

The Day of Love is almost upon us! There are so many wonderful classics for this holiday (a personal favorite has always been, and always will be I LIKE YOU, by Sandol Stoddard Warburg) and I think the best way to celebrate is with books and chocolate*!  These are a few brand new picks for your Valentine’s Day reading:

AN AWESOME BOOK OF LOVE!, by Dallas Clayton
There are so many different kinds of love – the way you love your husband or wife, the way you love your child, the way you love your parents – and Dallas Clayton knows just how to describe them all.

FANCY NANCY, NANCY CLANCY: SECRET ADMIRER, by Jane O’Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
The second in the Fancy Nancy chapter book series. Love is in the air, and Nancy Clancy is sure to make the most of it!

NOBODY BUT US, by Kristin Halbrook
BONNIE & CLYDE meets BLUE VALENTINE in this addictive, heart-wrenching story about two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

THE TROUBLE WITH FLIRTING, by Clare LaZebnik
A hilarious and romantic twist on the Jane Austen classic, Mansfield Park.

*True chocolate-lover tip: all that Valentine’s Day chocolate goes on deep discount starting February 15th–enjoy!

The news is now far and wide, but we want to officially say– yahoo!  This past weekend in Seattle at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, six of our titles were honored by awards committees and we are beyond bowled over with excitement and pride.  Congratulations to all– to the authors, editors, fans, and champions of these books.  Every Midwinter we are so grateful to be reminded that the community we book-people live and work within is vibrant, supportive, and very, very much alive and kicking. We are all in it together.

• Newbery Medal Winner: THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, by Katherine Applegate. (see our previous post about IVAN here, and our discussion guide here)
• Caldecott Honor: EXTRA YARN, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen.
• Printz Honor: DODGER, by Terry Pratchett (see a special note from Terry about Dodger here)
• Schneider Family Book Award: A DOG CALLED HOMELESS, by Sarah Lean
• Geisel Honor: PETE THE CAT AND HIS FOUR GROOVY BUTTONS, created and illustrated by James Dean, story by Eric Litwin
• Morris Award Finalist: THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, by emily m. danforth

All of our award-winning books living together in harmony.

Newbery Committee member Susannah Richards placing IVAN’s shiny sticker!

EXTRA YARN co-editor (VP and co-publisher of Balzer + Bray) Alessandra Balzer doing the honors!

Printz Committee friends giving DODGER their love.

Schneider committee and A DOG CALLED HOMELESS editor Sarah Shumway celebrating.

And Amelia Bedeila (did you celebrate AMELIA BEDELIA DAY?) wanted in on the fun, too!

Congratulations to all authors and illustrators honored with 2013 awards, and the biggest and humblest of thank you’s to the awards committees for their hard work, dedication, and the countless hours they spent this past year reading and discussing books.  Now we wish we could fast-forward to June and our official ALA celebrations!

Hey, do you know what comes out in just two weeks? Guess? Okay, here’s a hint – SUPER, the sequel to my award-winning novel POWERLESS! (subtle, I’m not)

You can pre-order at your favorite local bookstore, or by following any of the bookstore links on the book page.

And don’t forget, Halloween is right around the corner, and that means millions of trick-or-treaters going from door to door asking you to fill their bags with copies of my books . . .
Don’t ruin a great American tradition!

The idea behind our next Summer New Voices pick is almost too good to be true– Cinderella meets The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor? But that’s what THE SELECTION by debut novelist Kiera Cass is, no exaggerations, we swear.  We fell for the main character, America Singer, as she’s torn not just between two boys, but between two possibilities for her future. After all, who among us wouldn’t feel at least a little bit tempted by a chance to be royalty?

Kiera’s editor, Erica Sussman, tells us why she fell for THE SELECTION:

“Move aside William and Kate! There’s a new royal romance to fawn over.

I am a total sucker for a happy ending, a sweet romance, and healthy helping of drama. So when The Selection was pitched to me as a lightly dystopian Cinderella meets The Bachelor, I knew it was right up my alley. What I didn’t realize was how head over heels in love I would fall for it. Even now, I can remember finishing the book and desperately wishing I had the next one right then and there; I needed to find out what was going to happen. Right from the start, I was swept up in America Singer’s world. The poverty she leaves behind for the glittering gowns of palace life. The competition with other girls for a prize she doesn’t even care about. Her all-encompassing love for Aspen. And her steadfast friendship with Prince Maxon, which blossoms into an unbelievably sweet courtship.

One of my most favorite things about The Selection is its author, Kiera Cass. From the moment I first corresponded with Kiera I couldn’t stop gushing about her enthusiasm, her kindness, her humor, and her intelligence, all of which bubble over in everything she says. And her videos? Well, her videos are a masterpiece in and of themselves. From the first one I ever watched – in which she celebrates her book deal with epic dancing, I was hooked. If you haven’t checked out her YouTube channel, please do. I promise, it’s impossible not to watch her videos without smiling:  http://www.youtube.com/user/KieraCass.”

Thanks, Erica! And check out an excerpt of THE SELECTION here.  And stay tuned tomorrow for a few words from Kiera herself.

Yesterday we brought you a few words from the editor on the dystopian YA debut, THE SELECTION, and today we ask the author herself, Kiera Cass, the really tough questions…

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?

My favorite book from childhood is probably The Giving Tree. I was BFFs with a tree for a week in the first grade because of that book. And I’m currently making my way through Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson.

What is your secret talent?

My secret talent? I can touch my tongue to my nose. It’s pretty magical.

Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.

This picture ALWAYS makes me laugh. I have a pinterest board of ridiculous things to look at when I get stressed, and it helps me every time!

My current obsessions are…

…cranberry apple juice, Rob Pattinson, cupcakes, and Dance Moms.

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

I always tell aspiring writers to learn everything they can now. There’s so much happening behind the scenes of making a book that it’s a bit dizzying sometimes. There are lots of great blogs out there, helpful authors on twitter, and informative books. I also make a series of Behind the Book videos on my YouTube channel to show others what it’s like to get your first editorial letter or deal with doubt or any of the other things that pop up along the journey.

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…

… just has fun reading it. I write stories to entertain myself, and I hope that other people can just enjoy the ride with me.

Tell us more about how INSIGNIA was born.

The idea for The Selection came from thinking about Esther and Cinderella. I always wondered it Esther maybe liked the boy next door before she was shipped off to compete to be queen. Even if she lost, she was never coming home. What was going on in her heart? And Cinderella never asked for a prince. She asked for a night off and a dress. Did getting a prince make her happy? Or was being a princess too much for her? Those two thoughts meshed in my head, and I knew I wanted to write a story about a girl from a humble background who would get the attention of a prince, but she would already be in love and not want him. And I knew she would go through something (which ended up being the Selection) that would show her more of the world than she was ever prepared to see.

I fell in love. Every time I get to sit down and work on The Selection, I get excited. I really hope that people stick with America, Aspen, and Maxon through all three books, because I think their journey is fantastic!

Thanks Kiera!  You’ll be happy to hear that THE SELECTION is available for purchase now.  And once you’ve read it, you’ll be equally happy to know that the next in the trilogy, THE ELITE, is due out in Summer 2013.

It’s just two days before the beginning of your junior year when you’re hit by a pickup truck. And killed. And brought back to life. And somehow, you know that it was the loner you’ve never spoken to before that did it. And then, as impossible as it seems, things get even weirder. Sucked in yet? We certainly were. Welcome to UNRAVELING, the debut thriller/sci-fi/romance by Elizabeth Norris.

Let’s hear from Elizabeth’s editor, Kristin Rens, about how she knew immediately that UNRAVELING was something really special:

“I knew I wanted to publish Unraveling before I even finished reading the first page.

From the moment I met Janelle, the main character, I was pulled in by her lively, no-nonsense voice and her take-no-prisoners style—she’s tough, and she’s strong, and she’s loyal to the folks she loves—and her voice is so vivid that I knew within minutes that this was a character I would follow to the ends of the earth. And the fact that she’s up against a clock-ticking countdown that just might lead to the end of life as she knows it? Well, that was the icing on the cake.

In the current wave of paranormal and dystopian YA, Unraveling feels refreshing and different—it’s a high-stakes thriller, a Veronica Mars-esque mystery…and it’s got a light sci-fi twist that would even appeal to readers who don’t necessarily consider themselves sci-fi fans (I know, because I’m one of them). And holy cow, does Liz Norris know how to write a love story—because at the heart of Unraveling is the sweeping romance between Janelle and Ben Michaels, who in many ways are the ultimate star-crossed lovers.

Liz was a high school teacher for a couple of years before she became an author—and it shows in her writing, and in her characters. Because more than anything else what makes Unraveling such a compelling read is that she’s a writer who knows teens—knows how they talk, how they act, what they want. And this comes through in every page of the book—in Janelle’s relationship with her brother Jared, which is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time; in her sarcastic yet fiercely supportive dynamic with her best friend Alex; in the romance between Janelle and Ben, which is sweet, and tender, and completely believable. And there’s a depth and complexity to the characters and to their story that makes Liz a very special writer indeed.

I like to call Unraveling the love child of I Am Number Four and the TV show Fringe. But it’s also very much its own story, one that keeps surprising you as you read. And the result is a breathtakingly romantic sci-fi thriller about one girl’s fight to save her family and her world.

I absolutely love it.”

Thanks Kristin! We also want to share a few of the great reviews that UNRAVELING has received:

“Readers will enjoy the nonstop action and romance.”
— School Library Journal

“A satisfying puzzle full of novel twists and provocative clues.”
— Publishers Weekly

Read a hearty excerpt of UNRAVELING here– the book is out in bookstores now. And come back tomorrow for an interview with Elizabeth herself!

A Q&A that I did with Sharon Roat is up, where I talk about my experience of writing SCARS, how I got my agent, how writing HUNTED was a similar process to SCARS, and my upcoming novel STAINED. I hope you’ll check it out.

Yesterday we brought you an inside scoop on UNRAVELING, and today we’re giving you some insight into the author herself, Elizabeth Norris.  Be warned: by the end of this, not only will you be dying to read the book, you’ll be sighing with envy at Elizabeth’s romance and craving banana pudding.

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?

When I was first learning to read, my mom bought me a collection of picture books about characters from the Disney movies and I read them over and over again until I could practically recite them. Then in fourth grade I read A Bridge to Terabithia and it was the most incredible story. I begged my mom to buy me a copy since I had to give the school its copy back. Right now, I’ve just started reading Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta, and it’s wonderful.

What is your secret talent?

I’m not sure if it’s a talent, but I always manage to find myself in strange or awkward situations that make hilarious stories after the fact. My friends in college used to joke that I should put all my embarrassing stories together in some kind of memoir and title in Only in My Life.

Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.

My sister. Whenever we’re together it’s like the stars have aligned and everything is hilarious.

My current obsessions are…

I recently discovered the banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery and I swear I have dreams about it. I’m also super obsessed with Game of Thrones–the books and the television show. I feel like Westeros is a real place and I want to go visit it (but after the war ends).

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

There are a lot of highs and lows when you’re writing a book and even more when you’re trying to get published. You have to savor the highs and let them inspire you, and then let the lows roll of your back.

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…

…feels something.

Tell us more about how UNRAVELING was born.

Like most of the crazy stories in my life, this once starts with “So I met this guy…”

Only, I didn’t actually “meet” the guy in a traditional sense—I became friends with him over the internet. He was a friend of a friend, funny, intelligent, charming. We traded meaningless comments or jokes with friends, but the more I got to know about him, the more it seemed we had in common. We liked the same movies and television shows, we both loved to read and to write, and we just seemed to be on the same intellectual wavelength. We recommended books to each other and we could talk about anything and everything.

And somewhere along the line, I realized he had become my best friend—and then we met, and it just felt like we belonged together (I’m a hopeless romantic, I know). Of course, he lived in another state and neither one of us had any ambitions to ever move so we started muddling through a long distance relationship, making up our own rules and trying to figure out what worked best for us.

Which got me thinking about long distance relationships. They’re hard—flawed and tragic. Most of them are doomed from the beginning. The emotional highs and lows in that type of relationship add an intense stress to even the most calm lives.

In June 2010 (during one of those emotional lows), I thought about how universally unfair it was, that I’d finally found this guy who was perfect for me, who really belonged with me, and yet he actually also belonged somewhere else. And that was the moment of inception of UNRAVELING. Because at its heart, it’s a star-crossed love story. Janelle and Ben are from different worlds, and in their darkest moments, they find each other.

I am also a huge science fiction and fantasy nerd, and I hate the perception that science fiction isn’t cool so I wanted UNRAVELING to be accessible to people who don’t know a lot about science or who don’t normally read science fiction. I love shows like Fringe and The X-Files and I wanted to do something with science fiction that was very grounded in reality. I spent about two months thinking about the plot and writing down character ideas in a notebook while riding the subway, and then I started writing pieces of dialogue and a few key scenes. And then before I knew it, the book was almost complete.

Thanks Elizabeth!  UNRAVELING is on sale now.  And you’ll be happy to know that this won’t be the last you’ll hear from Ben and Janelle. Check back next summer for more!

And that wraps up our Summer New Voices!  We’ll be back January to share our amazingly talented debut writers of the winter with you.  Until then…

We’ve teamed up with our brilliant Online Gurus here at HarperCollins Children’s Books to bring you something new on The Pageturn: monthly videos highlighting that month’s “picks,” featuring picture books, chapter books,  middle grade and YA.

They’ll be brief booktalks of titles that we feel are perfect for your use in libraries and schools, both brand new and old favorites, directly from our hearts to yours.  We don’t think we’ll be ever be YouTube stars (just wait for the blooper reel!), but our goal was to replicate as much as possible that great experience we have at conferences with you all, talking face to face, sharing what we love.

So here we go! Thoughts? Suggestions? We want to hear!

Molly’s September picks:

Picture Books:
EVERYTHING GOES: IN THE AIR, by Brian Biggs
GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS, by Mo Willems

Chapter Books:
FANCY NANCY: NANCY CLANCY, SUPER SLEUTH, by Jane O’Connor, Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

Middle Grade:
THE PECULIAR, by Stefan Bachman
THE GREAT UNEXPECTED, by Sharon Creech

Teen:
THE CROWN OF EMBERS,  by Rae Carson

We have an absolutely HUGE treat for you today: words from Sir Terry Pratchett himself in advance of his newest book, DODGER, publishing tomorrow.

Sir Terry Pratchett on DODGER:

“Dodger was initially undertaken as a tribute to Henry Mayhew, who, in London, in the early years of the Victorian reign, catalogued meticulously the lives, jobs, foods, hygiene, sleeping arrangements, etc., of the poor of the city. He did this simply by walking the streets, getting into conversations with people, and then later recording them in his notebook.

He spoke to everybody, even down to the little flower girls who sold posies for a meagre living and slept in doorways and didn’t even know which country they were living in. His friend Charles Dickens is often said to have made the middle classes of London aware of the appalling circumstances of the under classes of the richest and most influential city at that time. But, in truth, while Dickens did sterling work, Mayhew—and the people he worked with—did it the hard way: by piling up the dreadful statistics until they could not be ignored. In so doing, they compiled a startling and wonderful body of knowledge about what was happening beyond the city lights.

This record is available as the book London Labour and the London Poor. And it is a heavyweight document, as Mr. Mayhew speaks of the sick, the neglected elderly, and, not least, the ladies of negotiable affection (a polite way of putting it—the phrasing, incidentally, originated in the United States).

I read London Labour and the London Poor in my teens shortly after reading The Lord of the Rings. And I thought that one day it might be great to do a real fantasy in the world of Mayhew, picking out a street urchin of the time, winding him up, and dropping him in the middle of a thunder storm to begin his own personal odyssey. He would meet Mayhew, Dickens, and number of other prominent Victorians, while at the same time telling it like it was in those days. That is how Dodger was born, and he did most of the work for me—coming alive on the page and quickly running off with the story itself.

Thank you for reading about him.”

And for more on DODGER, watch Terry speak to his “chums” here:

Our NYC-area librarian pals were kind enough to join us last week for an early morning of ferocious book talking, coffee consuming, and oohing and aahing over our upcoming Winter (and early Summer) 2013 titles.  It was an oddly hot and humid day to chat about Winter (10 weeks until Christmas…it’s really coming!), but we managed to get into the spirit and of course, had an absolutely lovely time.

A few snapshots:

Balzer + Bray VP and Co-Publisher, Alessandra Balzer, holding ELVIS AND THE UNDERDOGS, by Jenny Lee, and THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! by Mo Willems.

Editorial Director Tara Weikum with CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS by Miriam Forster, and Executive Editor Erica Sussman with THE MENAGERIE by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, and MIND GAMES by Kiersten White.

Greenwillow editor Martha Mihalick with the stunning and creepy cover for ARCLIGHT, by Josin L. McQuein.

Our editors have truly outdone themselves with this season’s crop of  really terrific “This Meets That” book descriptions… :

• “Tim Burton Meets the Natural History Museum” — STARDINES SWIM HIGH ACROSS THE SKY, by Jack Prelutsky, illustrations by Carin Berger
• “The Artist meets the Pigeon” — THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! by Mo Willems
• “Little Women with wings” — THE FAIRY BELL SISTERS series, by Margaret McNamara
• “Frog and Toad meets Law & Order” — PLATYPUS POLICE SQUAD: THE FROG WHO CROAKED, by Jarrett Krosoczka
• “Stephen King meets Veronica Roth meets The Passage” –ARCLIGHT, by Josin L. McQuein
• “X-Men meets The Godfather (with heart)” –TRANSPARENT, by Natalie Whipple
• “The Devil Wears Prada meets Disneyworld” –HOW ZOE MADE HER DREAMS (MOSTLY) COME TRUE, by Sarah Strohmeyer

Lo and behold, a new Preview blog post feature!  These are books that, when mentioned, garnered an across-the-room-audible “awwwww!” from the audience:

• AMELIA BEDELIA– 2013 is the 50th Anniversary of our favorite mixed-up but wholeheartedly well-meaning friend Amelia!  We’re reissuing the original picture book in a bit larger trim size with truly fantastic additional back matter.
• TIPTOE JOE, by Ginger Fogelsong Gibson, illustrations by Laura Rankin — I won’t spoil the payoff of this adorable picture book, but let me just say, you’ll lay your hand over your heart when you get to the end.
• GIANT DANCE PARTY– written by THE Betsy Bird! Illustrations by Brandon Dorman.
• RAMONA– We’re repackaging the entire beloved Ramona series in 2013, and let me tell you, the art is adorable.  The consensus in the room (and from Beverly Cleary herself, of course) was that this is true Ramona- goofy, a bit scruffy, and every bit lovable.

And that, my friends, is the inside scoop!

Today YA author Jocelyn Shipley talks to us about writing–the heartaches and the joys. Jocelyn Shipley is the author of How to Tend a Grave,
Getting A Life, and Cross My Heart, and co-editor of Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls. Take it away, Jocelyn!



All I Really Need to Know About Writing
by Jocelyn Shipley


I’d like to thank Cheryl very much for inviting me to do a guest post about writing. What an honour! I met Cheryl some years ago through CANSCAIP and always admire and am inspired by her dedication to books and reading, her constant efforts to stand up to book banners, and her support of other writers. Plus she has the best smile!

It’s been twenty years since I took my first writing class, and ten since I published my first book. After all that time and five more books, you’d think I should know almost everything there is to know about writing. But I don’t. I have to tell you that most days, I still feel like a beginner. All I really know is how much I don’t know.

I used to be confident that if I worked hard enough, I’d figure everything out and be set for life. Didn’t happen. Writing didn’t get any easier. In fact it got harder, because my expectations got higher. I put so much pressure on myself to grow as a writer and achieve more. I’m no longer satisfied with simply completing a manuscript – I want it to be better, much better, than my last one.

But my attempts to improve my craft often fall short. On bad days, when my words won’t flow, my characters won’t come alive, my plots bore me and I’m out of ideas, the urge to shred every printout, delete every file, throw the laptop out the window and bang my head against my desk for the rest of my life is strong. Hey, it even sounds like fun. More fun than writing, anyway.

What keeps me going?

On good days, and there are also plenty of those, writing is a way to explore the world, to figure out why we’re here and what it all means. Not that I expect to find clear answers. I’m pretty sure there aren’t any. But writing is my attempt at making sense of things.

Somehow life is easier to understand through a story. There’s something so satisfying about creating a bit of order out of the randomness of daily experience. It uplifts and renews me to take raw emotions and conflict and try to put them into words, the words into sentences, the sentences into paragraphs, the paragraphs into chapters, and finally the chapters into a book that I hope will resonate with others.

Writing makes me feel whole and grounded and engaged with life and I’d probably go mad if I ever stopped. So I guess you could say that along with everything I don’t know about writing, there is one thing I do know for sure. It’s simply this: Even though writing sometimes makes me crazy, it always keeps me sane. And I think maybe that’s all I’m ever going to figure out. But it’s probably all I really need to know.

Thank you, Jocelyn! I so identify with writing helping you feel whole and grounded–I need to write, and it can help heal us, I believe. And I also really identify with the need to keep making a manuscript better–that it’s not enough to just complete a manuscript. Of course we want polished writing that is going to reach people (and get published). I think a lot of writers can relate to that.

About Jocelyn Shipley

Jocelyn Shipley’s YA novel, How to Tend a Grave, won the 2012 Gold Medal Moonbeam Award for YA Fiction – Mature Issues. She is co-editor of Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls, and her other books for teens include Seraphina’s Circle, Cross My Heart, and Getting A Life. Her work has been translated into many languages for Stabenfeldt’s tween book club GIRL:IT, and her award-winning stories have appeared in anthologies, newspapers and magazines. She lives in Toronto and on Vancouver Island, Canada.

Connect with Jocelyn online:

www.jocelynshipley.com
Twitter
FaceBook

A CONFUSION OF PRINCES, Garth Nix’s first teen novel since ABHORSEN, came out earlier this year– did you read it? We did, and we were completely enthralled: it’s a sci-fi, action/adventure tale set in a totally fascinating world where thousands of mostly-immortal superhuman Princes compete to rise above the rest while operating within a dangerous, traitorous Empire. And you know, fighting epic battles in space. But above all, it’s a coming-of-age story that you’ll find complex and moving. And it received three starred reviews (SLJ, Horn Book, and Kirkus), to boot!

Today we are lucky enough to hear from the man himself, as Garth graciously agreed to be subjected to our shockingly rigorous line of questioning…

What time is your alarm clock set for?
As it is shared with my wife Anna, who is an early riser, the alarm usually goes off about 6:00am. But if I am honest, my actual rising time is around 8:00am and sometimes later, if I stayed up working and didn’t go to bed till 1:00 or 2:00, as is not unusual.

Favorite book from childhood?
I have many, many favourite books from childhood. How could I select just one? Today I will choose KNIGHT’S FEE by Rosemary Sutcliff, tomorrow I might choose THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper, the day after that TARAN WANDERER by Lloyd Alexander, or perhaps CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY by Robert Heinlein, or DOWN WITH SKOOL by Ronald Searle, or LEAVE IT TO PSMITH by P. G. Wodehouse or THE GOLDEN GOBLET by Eloise Jarvis McGraw or UNCLE by J. P. Martin . . . there are too many wonderful books to choose from!

If you weren’t an author/illustrator, what job would you like to have?
I have had many different jobs, mostly in publishing. My favourite was being a literary agent, helping other authors get their work published, and that is probably what I would go back to being if I wasn’t being a full-time author.

How many stamps are in your passport?
I think I am on my fifth passport since I was 19. The current one has about twenty stamps in it. Sadly, some countries don’t stamp passports anymore, it is all stored electronically, so I don’t have as many in the current passport as I would once have collected. The best passport I had was in my late 20s, which had lots of weird and wonderful visas and entry/exit stamps from Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Favorite word?
Sorcerous.

What are you reading right now?
I just finished reading the fascinating non-fiction book THE TIME TRAVELLER’S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND by Ian Mortimer.

Finish this sentence: “I always smile when…”
…I come home from a trip away and see my family.

Funniest (or most interesting) question from a fan?
I get lots of interesting questions, but one that really stumped me was someone at a book event who asked me: “Why 996 steps?” I had no idea what she was asking. She repeated the question. Eventually it turned into a very specific question about the number of steps down from the well in the Abhorsen’s House, in my book ABHORSEN and why that particular number. The answer being that I had no idea, it just seemed the right depth.

Thanks Garth! Be sure to check out Garth on Twitter, Facebook, and at his website.

Share this!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving; I certainly did.

Though the next two items are not book related, I wanted to pass on information about two charitable events going on in the Houston area right now:

December 11, Tuesday, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Mixed Emotions Fine Art and Frame, 95 Tuam St.
Art For the Trees If You Please – Art Benefit

Our beautiful park suffered severely from last year’s drought. Money raised through ticket sales for this event and 30% of artists’ sales will be donated to The Memorial Park Conservancy for park reforestation.

Come enjoy the wine, dessert and snacks at the cocktail reception featuring the founder of Paws on Patios, Patrick Walsh, Jim Porter– chairman of The Memorial Park Conservancy, Brian Kalinec– singer/songwriter, Suzanne Marsh– silhouette artist, and the amazingly tall Walking Tree Of Life performer as well as many wonderful artists who will be selling tree-themed art. Visit www.theartfullumbrella.com/art_benefit for the details and to purchase tickets. Art which is not purchased at the event will be for sale online from December 12th-18th at www.theartfullumbrella.com/art_gallery/. Photo credit: Steve Lathem

For those of you in the West Houston/Katy/Fulshear areas, I wanted to pass on news of the 3^rd annual “Stuff the Sleigh of Katy”, an all-volunteer holiday toy drive benefiting pediatric cancer patients treated at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) – West Campus, and their siblings. Santa Claus will present the children with toys collected in his Santa’s Sleigh at a family holiday party. The community toy drive is accepting donations to purchase holiday gifts through Wednesday, December 12. Those interested in sponsoring a child’s gift may stop by the Firethorne Community Center to select a ‘sleigh’ gift card with a wish list item on it from a young cancer patient or their brother or sister. Photo credit: Ginny Lund

We have several fun events happening this weekend! Remember that the information here is from the sponsoring bookstore or organization’s website and changes do happen. Please check their websites for the latest, most up-to-date information on these events.

December 8, Saturday, 11:00 a.m.
McGovern-Stella Link Houston Public Library
Anna Dewdey, PB Author/Illustrator

Best-selling picture book author and illustrator Anna Dewdey will visit Houston to kick off the Houston Public Library’s annual Season’s Readings program. Anna is the author of the LLAMA LLAMA picture books as well as ROLY POLY PANGOLIN, GRUMPY GLORIA and NO BUNNY’S PERFECT.

December 8, Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, The Woodlands
Rachel Harris, YA Author

Join Rachel Harris as she discusses and signs her new book MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

Armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat is thrust into the Renaissance on the eve of her sixteenth birthday where she soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But romance takes an unpleasant turn when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around. Can Cat find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

December 8, Saturday, 1:00 p.m.
Murder By The Book
Joy Preble and Sophie Jordan, YA Authors

Joy Preble will be signing her DREAMING ANASTASIA along with Sophie Jordan who will be signing the FIRELIGHT series.

December 9, Sunday 2:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, The Woodlands
Nancy Binford, Illustrator

Illustrator Nancy Binford presents her new book, THE LAST CHRISTMAS TREE. The story of a not-to-handsome tree that has watched all the other trees on the lot get taken home. Will The Last Christmas Tree get a home?

While you’re out doing your holiday shopping, don’t forget to stop by the Houston area fine independent bookstores which frequently sponsor author and illustrator events:

Blue Willow Bookshop: Houston
Katy Budget Books: Katy
Murder by the Book: Houston
Brazos Bookstore: Houston
Kaboom Books: Houston
The Book Nook: Brehnam
The Book Nook: Sugarland
Good Books in the Woods: Spring
The Book Attic: Tomball

Share this!

I’m excited that my new YA fantasy Parallel Visions is now out in the world! To celebrate, I’m having a contest. Help me get the word out about Parallel Visions, and you’ll be entered to win bookstore giftcards and an ebook reader. It’s $2.99 ebook, and $7.99 print. It’s up on Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords (where you can get it in every ebook format, including for Nook), and will be up on B&N in a few weeks.

Parallel Visions deals with being different, domestic violence, attempted suicide, rape, and asthma, all in a fantasy setting. Like all my books, it’s also written with suspense and hope, and some of my own trauma and abuse experience.

Evelyn Fazio, the same editor who edited my books Scars and Hunted, edited Parallel Visions. I care a lot about Parallel Visions, just like I do all my books. I hope you’ll help me get the word out.



Check out the book trailer!

Help me get the word out about Parallel Visions, and you can win:

• 1 of 2 bookstore giftcards for $10 (at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, or any other online bookstore)
  
• 1 of 2 bookstore giftcards for $5 (at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, or any other online bookstore)
  
• A Kindle, Kobo, or Nook! (Your choice.)
  

You can get multiple entries to the contest:

• 1 entry for watching the book trailer
  
• 1 entry per tweet about Parallel Visions or my book trailer http://youtu.be/gcq1veOfnbI (up to 5 entries)
  
• 1 entry per post on your blog, FaceBook, Google+, or other social network about Parallel Visions or my book trailer (up to 5 entries, 1 per social network)
  
• 20 entries per ebook or print book bought of Parallel Visions (email me the receipt)
  

So you could have a total of 31 entries to the contest.

Contest is open worldwide, though the ebook reader is US and Canada only. (UK if the stores ship there.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ve been waiting for this day for a while–the official cover reveal of STAINED (which comes out this November from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)! All across the web today, you’ll see many book bloggers, librarians, reviewers, and some readers who have generously taken part in this reveal.

So, here it is–the cover of STAINED!

I really, really love this cover. I think it immediately tells the reader exactly what the book is about, just like SCARS does. You know just from looking at the cover that the girl has been abducted. And if you read the tagline–Sometimes you have to be your own hero

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for “normal.” Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.



Like I did with SCARS and HUNTED, I drew on some of my own experiences of bullying, abuse, and trauma to write STAINED and to give it greater emotional depth. Like Sarah in STAINED, I experienced abduction, imprisonment, periods of forced starvation, mind control, and having my life threatened. And like Sarah, I tried hard to fight against my abuser, keep my own sense of self, and escape. I hope, if you read STAINED, you will see Sarah’s strength and courage, and appreciate her emotional growth as she reclaims herself.



And here’s the book trailer for STAINED; I hope you’ll watch it!

So, what do you think? Do you like the cover? Does STAINED sound interesting to you?

comes out Nov 19, 2013. If you want to make sure you don’t miss it, you can pre-order a copy:

Amazon.com (hardcover)
Amazon.com (kindle)

Amazon.ca (hardcover)
Amazon.ca (ebook)

Amazon.co.uk (hardcover)
Amazon.co.uk (ebook)

The Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)

Powell’s

Books a Million

Share this!

Hold onto your socks! February is busy!

February 2, Saturday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Lone Star College – Montgomery
Montgomery County Book Festival
Admission: FREE

The Montgomery County Book Festival is now partnering with Lone Star College – Montgomery. This year the festival is being expanded from a teens only format to include authors of children’s and tween books, young adult authors who cross over to the adult market and authors who write specifically for adults. However, as this blog focuses on children’s and young adult’s literature, I’ve only listed the names of authors who write for these age groups. For a complete list, visit the Montgomery County Book Festival website.

Jonathan Maberry * Sherrilynn Kenyon * Jill Alexander * E. Kristin Anderson * Kathi Appelt * Kendare Blake * Rachel Caine * Suzanne Crowley * Lindsay Cumming * Carolee Dean * Tracy Deebs * Wendy Delsol * Brian Falkner * Janet Fox * Bethany Hegedus * C.C. Hunter * Sophie Jordon *  Jacqueline Kelly * Mary Lindsey * Kimberly Griffiths Little *  Nikki Loftin * Diana Lopez * Mari Mancusi * Lisa McMann * Anna Myers *  Jenny Moss * Mike Mullin * Joy Preble * Cory Putnam Oakes * Bettina Restrepo * Victoria Scottya * Janni Lee Simner * Cynthia Leitich Smith * Greg Leitich Smith * Dom Testa * Jo Whittmore *

February 2, Saturday, 3:00 PM
River Oaks Book Store
Mary Dodson Wade, Children’s Author

Chinese New Year Storytime! Join author Mary Wade in celebrating the Chinese New Year with the reading of NO YEAR OF THE CAT.

The Emperor has a problem. He wants his people to remember the year in which his son was born. But there is no way to keep track of the years. So the Emperor devises a race in which animals will cross a river. The first twelve animals to reach the opposite side will have a year named after them. Thus, the people will be able to remember the years and the events that occurred. And so the race is set. Rat, knowing he is no match for the rushing water, schemes with Cat on how to cross the river. Together the two convince Ox to carry them across. But halfway across the river, Rat shows his true colors. Will Cat make it to the other side? Which animals will have a year named after them? Accompanied by exquisite watercolor artwork, this charming story explains the origins of the Chinese calendar.

February 5, Tuesday, 6:00 PM
Barnes & Noble, College Station
Janet Fox and Joy Preble, YA Authors
Join Janet Fox and Joy Preble for an exclusive young adult Q&A session of their latest books and what it takes to be a YA author. We will be celebrating the release of Janet’s newest book, SIRENS, and Joy will talk about her upcoming book, THE SWEET DEAD LIFE.

Now-February 10
Main Street Theater
Memory House, Play by Kathleen Tolan: Mature YA/ Adult

Houston playwright Kathleen Tolan’s regional premiere of MEMORY HOUSE, directed by Claire Hart-Palumbo.

As Katia struggles to finish her college essay by tonight’s midnight deadline her mother Maggie tries to motivate and encourage her while baking a pie. Mother and daughter wrestle with lingering issues from Katia’s adoption from Russia, her parents’ divorce and her fear of leaving home as they pick their way through the very human, very honest, and sometimes very funny struggle of how to connect with each other and face the future.

Post show discussions: Following the Sunday matinee on February 3, the audience is invited to join the artists involved with the production as well as a diverse panel of adoptive families, who will reflect on the play and share their own experiences.

For very important information about this event including pricing and age restrictions, see Main Street Theater’s website.

February 5, Tuesday, 7:00 PM
Blue Willow Bookshop
Ally Carter, YA Author

Ally Carter will also be appearing at Murder By The Book  on Tuesday, February 6 at 6:30 PM.

Ally Carter, New York Times best-selling author of the five books in the Gallagher Girls series, will discuss and sign her young adult novel PERFECT SCOUNDRELS.

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting—or stealing—whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir—this time, Hale might be the mark.

For important information about this event, please see Blue Willow Bookshop’s Events page.

Share this!

Today it’s my pleasure to introduce you to S.J. Kincaid, author of INSIGNIA, the super engrossing sci-fi thrill ride that we all love around here.  Yesterday we gave you a few words from S.J.’s editor, Molly O’Neill, and today we have a few words from S.J. herself (follow her on Twitter @sjkincaidbooks).

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?

My favorite book from childhood has to be a novel I first read in seventh grade called ‘Legacy’ by Susan Kay. It belonged to my sister, and I picked it up one day and couldn’t stop reading for a couple days until I’d finished it. That novel honestly changed the course of my life. It stirred a fascination with history that completely changed my interests in high school and college.

Right now, I’m re-reading Catching Fire, and getting ready to read Neil Tyson Degrasse’s Space Chronicles.

What is your secret talent?

I can draw faces reasonably well. Mostly when I’m in lectures. And I’m supposed to be listening to whatever’s going on. Actually, I’ve been out of school for about a year, so I’m probably rusty, but as soon as I’m in an enforced sitting-somewhere situation again, I’ll pick it up again.

Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.

Dogs. They’re just so cute and quirky and loveable.

My current obsessions are…

Michio Kaku. You know a guy is a genius when he can make principles of astrophysics comprehensible to me.

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

Persist. It took me seven novels to get published. The mantra I heard that really kept me motivated was this: “The only way to be sure I’ll fail is to quit.”

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…

…enjoys the hours they spend reading it.

Tell us more about how INSIGNIA was born.

INSIGNIA came to me in pieces. I had this story I’d started about a gamer kid traveling around with his father, but it was just sitting there alongside maybe twenty other stores with about five-thousand words on my hard drive that I never picked up upon.

I also had this other vague idea about a massive war fought remotely in outer space. I got this one from an article discussing the likelihood future combat will minimize human involvement, and will instead consist of remotely controlled machines battling it out. I was fascinated by this idea, because it reminded me of a video game, and I thought of all the troubling implications that could arise from further distancing the aggressors in a battle from the damage they’re wreaking.

Anyway, INSIGNIA came about at some point when I mentally jointed that story fragment of a gamer kid with the giant World War III scenario. I didn’t plan to write it because I was going to grad school for a year, and it just seemed too big, but I kept getting idea after idea for this world, and then I began to imagine a fortress right on top of the Pentagon we have today.

The last key? My grad school had a lighter schedule during the summer. I realized it was now or never—I could write the story or just forget about it. I already had so many ideas, I couldn’t bear to just flush them away. So I gave it a shot. The rest is history.

Thanks, S.J.!  Insignia is on bookshelves now, with a sequel set for next summer– thank goodness!