Bruce Hale and Deborah Wiles answer questions at Sunday morning's panel.

Sheri Sinykin accepts a gift of gratitude from SCBWI-Wisconsin members, for being the founder of our annual retreat, nineteen years ago.

This weekend was SCBWI-Wisconsin's nineteen annual retreat, and it was amazing.
I arrived early, as I do the first session on Friday afternoon, called, "From Beginner to Pro: What you need to know." I was expecting 12-13 people, who were all attending their first retreat. Imagine my surprise when 18 people showed up! Some of them had been to many retreats, but said they always learned something new from my session.
(BLUSH.)
That evening, Bruce Hale (author of the Chet Gecko Mysteries) gave a lively, entertaining and information packed talk about creating suspense. He read examples from published books, doing all the different voices with great enthusiasm!

Lisa Yoskowitz, Dutton Editor, told us the secrets of how to write a killer query letter.
Friday night social time (food, wine, lively conversation) ended when the last diehards, like me, toddled off to bed at one in the morning.
As my room was right across from the communal showers, I was awakened at 5:30 a.m. by an early riser, and early shower-er. Seriously people....
The morning was packed. Greg Ferguson, Egmont editor, spoke about what happens after your book is acquired. We saw revision letters, marked up manuscripts and more. Loraine Joyner, Peachtree art director, showed us a picture book from beginning manuscript to finished book. It was magical to see rough sketches transform into brilliant colorful pages.
Mary Kole, agent at Andrea Brown (blogs at http://kidlit.com/), covered the process of finding an agent, in a lively and information packed talk.
Then, lunch. Let's just say the meals aren't the highlight of a conference at the Siena Center in Racine. Neither are the rooms or communal bathrooms. But where else do retired nuns welcome you so warmly and offer up their prayers for you? And where else can we bring tons of snacks, and chocolate, and beer and wine and talk into the wee hours of the night without disturbing anyone?
Sat. afternoon was taken up by breakout session, peer critiques and critiques by the editors, agent and authors. After dinner, author Deborah Wiles gave an inspirational speech that had us laughing, crying and gasping in shock. What an amazing woman! See her here, on YouTube, http://tinyurl.com/27d3ksg.
We relaxed after with a wine and chocolate event, where we oggled the work of our chapter's amazing illustrators, and learned the winner of our illustration contest. Three winners, that is, since art director Loraine Joyner couldn't choose just one!
On Sunday morning, Pat Schmatz, author of Mousetraps (http://patschmatz.livejournal.com/) gave an inspirational speech about connecting with your characters and telling their stories. It was an eye opener for many, including me. We left feeling energized and ready to dig back into our writing project. Thanks Pat!

Here's a somewhat blurry picture of Sheri Sinykin (author of Giving Up the Ghost) accepting a gift from our RA Pam Beres and assistant RA Judy Bryan. Sheri set up the first Wisconsi

Today, I opened my mail to find a tea bag, sent to me by our local Literacy Council. A note invited me to have a cup of tea and curl up with a good book. Oh, and send a donation please.
My Mom was a believer in the restorative effect of tea. Betrayal by a friend, a poor grade on a test, not getting the role you wanted in the school play...it could all be fixed by a nice hot cup of tea.
The secret was that Mom dispensed wisdom along with the tea. Friend betrayed you? They weren't worthy of your friendship. Poor grade on a test? Did you try your best? Well then, don't worry. You can't do better than your best. Didn't get the role you wanted in the school play? Minor roles are important, too. You can't have the play without them. Just do your best. Even a minor character can shine.
Smart woman, my mom. Here's to you!

So, I changed the name of my blog--again. I'm pretty sure that's something the experts would advise against. But, I couldn't help myself. I started blogging at a time when I wasn't so "into it" and things have changed.
There isn't just joy in writing, there are joyful moments every day. I'm going to share a few with you in this blog, and hope you share your joyful moments with me as well.
Today's Moment: Ugly came to the bird feeder.
Ugly is a Northern Cardinal who showed up some years ago. Instead of beautiful red and black feathers, and a proud Cardinal plume on his head, Ugly was....um, he was just ugly. His feathers were a muddled mottle of red and black. He had no Cardinal plume. He was the most ineligible bachelor ever. If he went on a reality "geek" show for birds, he'd lose. The only thing missing was big, black-rimmed glasses held together with white tape.
So, imagine my surprise when Ugly found a pretty little girl Cardinal to make babies with that first year. Then, Mr. and Mrs. Ugly brought their seriously ugly offspring to feed at our sunflower seed feeder.
And today, Ugly and his female came to visit again. I'm not sure if it was Ugly the First, or Ugly the Fourth, or whatever. They all look disheveled to me, as if they are in a continuous state of molting.
So, there's joy in this. Even an ugly bird deserves a little happiness.
Did you have a moment of joy today? Please share!

Okay, so I kind of dropped the ball on this one. I extended the contest, to allow more people to enter. Then I got sooooooo focused on my work-in-progress that I sort of...ignored the contest.
Mea culpa.
On the other hand, I did manage to get a lot more done on my work-in-progress. It's progressing, you might say.
Okay--raising my right hand--I do solemnly swear to blog once a week, on Monday. I will also eat more broccoli and take my vitamins. (But not calcium. Did you see the study linking calcium supps. to heart attacks? Eeeks.)
Okay, drumroll.....and the winner is....
Pat Schmatz!!!
Here's her entry for a new Talent or Ability:
"Seven Degrees Sight. When I touch a person, I immediately see/feel the linkages between me and them. So if I meet a stranger who is a friend of yours, I "see" you. In a blur of images/feelings/impressions...and it takes the path of most connection. So I might be connected to you through two other people, in two different ways, but my images will follow the path of the strongest emotional involvements. Meaning that anyone I meet, I will immediately know the most direct emotional route to them, even if it's through seven people."

Runner up is April S. with this idea:
"Here's a subtle one: the talent of good luck. Lights always turn green, there's always an empty parking spot close to the front of the store, you're the one who happens to find the lost purse or get the tickets that were turned in last-minute at the sold-out show. But what happens if you rely too much on that good luck instead of making your own?"

Here's what judge Linda Joy Singleton had to say about the entries:
"Well it's between the first two. Ironically I can think of books that are out with similar plots. For the first one, Jennifer Barnes' GOLDEN where she sees people's auras that are links of connection. And the 2nd one about being lucky reminds me a bit of How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier which has a great premise of everyone having some kind of fairy-given skill (like hitting only green lights or having good fashion sense).

So I pick this one:

Seven Degrees Sight. When I touch a person, I immediately see/feel the linkages between me and them.(Pat Schmatz)

It's more detailed and interesting. I could read a book with that concept.

Thanks, Linda Joy Singleton. To check out Linda Joy's books, go to:
http://www.lindajoysingleton.com/
http://www.facebook.com/lindajoysingleton
www.twitter.com/LindaJoySinglet

Loved this article on how people truncate their speech in normal conversation.
http://tinyurl.com/2aou8ly
It's interesting to me as a writer, since I need to write conversational dialogue, with all its stops and starts and abbreviations and searching for words. We really don't speak fluently, or even clearly, in most situations.

Okay, folks, here's your last chance to enter my Talent contest. Simply post a new Talent, Ability or Power--be creative! The prizes are autographed books (mine, that is!) and the world's largest calculator!
I'm extending the deadline since I've had a busy March! My husband and I took an unexpected vacation to New Orleans. We booked our flight at one in the morning on a Friday, and took off the following Tuesday. I'll post some pics in a few days.
We hadn't been away together in years---like about seven years! What a great time! We stayed at the Antebellum Guest House, a bed and breakfast place which I whole-heartedly recommend. Our host was funny, engaging, passionate about New Orleans, and an amazing cook!
www.antebellumguesthouse.com
If you go there, tell Keith I sent you!

Talent Contest!!!!

No, you don’t have to sing or dance or play the tuba. It’s not that kind of contest!

We’re talking Talent here, like telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, invisibility, and so on.

I’m looking for creative, out-of-the-box thinkers who can suggest a fresh, new ability or talent. Be crazy. Be original. Be goofy.

The prizes:

Signed copies of all three of my books.

The world’s largest and possibly ugliest calculator. (Imagine being the first on your block to own this fine item!)

And, the possibility that your entry, your Talent, will appear in my next book, and your name will appear in the acknowledgments!

Disclaimer: Please realize that once you post something on the web it is public. Anyone can use your idea, without asking your permission. So if you are a writer, with a terrific idea for a novel, don't give it away!!!

How to enter--post a comment to this blog, with your Talent idea and a brief description. If you aren't a livejournal person, and post anonymously, leave a first name and the initial of your last name. I'll post the winner on this blog, and will ask for your contact info at that time.

The contest will run until March 15. Please feel free to tweet about it or mention it on your blogs!

The judge for this contest is the lovely and talented Linda Joy Singleton,(Dead Girl series, Seer series)
http://lindajsingleton.livejournal.com/
Check out her books! http://www.lindajoysingleton.com/

Hi people!
Sandra Cox, many-times author, is running a contest on her blog. The prizes: a copy of just released Vampire Island, a ya novel, and red and silver earrings.
Check it out!
Here's the info:
"The contest runs from Feb 15 - March 13. I'll be giving away an autographed copy of VI and a pair of vampire red and hissss silver dangle earrings. To enter just leave a comment at downtownya.blogspot.com and send an email to [email protected] with VI contest in the subject line."
Have fun!

Well, if laughter truly is the world's best medicine, I will be over my cold in no time!
I've had a nasty cold for a week, with a horrific cough. Yesterday, I slept in and felt better. So last night, I didn't feel like going to bed. I watched the Superbowl commercials online, then turned on TV.
Did you know Groucho Marx had a game show? Omg. No flashy lights or strobes or music. Just Groucho standing at a microphone, reading questions from a piece of paper, and two contestants standing next to him answering questions. Hilarious. What struck me though, is that the contestants were always a man and a woman. The man always answered for the woman. Sometimes the men didn't even consult the woman they were partnered with--they just shouted out the answer.
How things have changed. Groucho started each contestant by asking a bit about them. His first question to the woman was, "So, what does your husband do?"
That got me shouting at the TV.
Funnily enough, the woman (who was in her sixties) had a colorful past. She had completed over 1,000 parachute jumps--out of hot air balloons!!! (This was back in 1918 or so, before airplanes were really jump-out-able)
Next, Ozzy and Harriet. Oh, wow. You've got to watch it. I laughed myself sick. Or laughed myself well, I'm not sure.
The crowning glory was a Lucy Show episode where she trains Don Rickles as a boxer. By this time, I was howling. My husband, who sleeps like a log, woke up and came downstairs to make sure I was okay.
I was still grinning when I woke up this morning.
I still have the cold, though.

Recently, I had the pleasure of reading Bug Boy, by Eric Luper. Bug Boy is the story of Jack "Shabby" Walsh, a fifteen-year-old apprentice jockey at the Saratoga Race Track. Set in the year 1934, Bug Boy introduces the reader to the fascinating world of horse racing, and the reality of life in the Depression. Here's what Eric had to say about researching and writing Bug Boy.



Website: ericluper.com
Blog: http://livejournal.com/eluper
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eluper
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ericluper



Why did you decide to write Bug Boy?

I remember going to the track with my father when I was a young child. The track we went to was a concrete, steel and chain-link monolith. The people there wore ratty clothes, smoked smelly cigars and drank way too much. And I remember feeling frightened and repulsed and confused all at the same time. Why would people choose to go to such a place?

So of course, after I moved to upstate New York and friends suggested we go to Saratoga Race Course for a day at the races, my blood pressure climbed and the first question I asked was, “Why?”

After some cajoling, I ended up tagging along. And I ended up having an amazing day. Saratoga Race Course is unlike any other track. People dress up. People bring picnic baskets. People go with their families like they’re spending a nice day at the park. Sitting there, you can just imagine what it was like a hundred years ago, and the more I learned about Saratoga the more I was attracted to the idea of writing a novel that takes place there.

Setting a story in a 1930s racetrack must have taken a great amount of research. Tell us how you learned about racetracks, jockeys, the 1930s, and thirties slang. Where did you go for information? How did you find experts to interview?

I spent lots of time at the National Museum of Racing (racingmuseum.org). I spent time at the Saratoga Historical Society, the archives at the Saratoga Public Library, and the New York State Archives. I scoured newspapers (cartoons, editorials and advertisements were the most helpful).

I’m also fortunate to have lots of friends who are involved in racing. I know jockeys, agents, turf writers, lifelong track enthusiasts, a track bookkeeper, and several horse owners. I was also fortunate to have a few long conversations with Saratoga Race Course historian, Tom Gilcoyne, who unfortunately died at the age of 91 just before Bug Boy came out. Tom had been going to the track every day during Saratoga track season since he was 5 years old (that was 1922!). If you gave Tom a year, he could tell you what happened during track season that year. Tom was so instrumental to the development of my book that I dedicated Bug Boy to him in memoriam.

The life of an apprentice jockey in the thirties was a rough life. How have things changed, or not changed, for racetrack employees today, particularly for exercise boys and jockeys?

The life of an apprentice jockey today is also quite rough. Although awareness of the plight of the backstretch worker is more well-known today, not a lot has changed with regard to conditions. Most workers still live hand to mouth with no insurance and no job security. Benefits, which usually come in the form of a few mattresses or some donated clothes, are usually handled by local ministries and other charitable organizations. I hope that Bug Boy helps to raise this aware

I think I changed my journal name. Let's see how it posts

Well, I'm impressed. I emailed LiveJournal support with a question, and a volunteer answered within a day!
Superb!

Okay. So here's the thing. I started this journal in 2006 or so. I was the Reluctant Blogger at the time. Now, I've jumped into the whole cyber-promotion thing. I'm on myspace (Deborah Lynn Jacobs) and Twitter (deborah_jacobs) and Facebook (Deborah Lynn Jacobs.)
So, it appears I'm the UN-Reluctant Blogger now. How can I change my journal name? And, should I? Will people have to re-friend me?

I'm sooooo excited. I successfully made my own book trailer and uploaded it to YouTube. Not bad for a techno-dummy eh?
Here it is. Please watch it and tell me what you think! Better still, link to it in your blog and rate it on YouTube.
Whoohooo!

I'm the guest speaker for a discussion about plot, over at the Institute of Children's Literature.
Drop by and join the fun. People have posted great questions, which I've done my best to try and answer!
http://institutechildrenslit.net/index.php

Today is the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing. You know, the "one small step for man" moment? If you're old enough, you'll remember where you were when you watched the TV. Or, if you are younger, you might wonder what the hype was all about. The images were ghostly, with Neil Armstrong almost see-through at times, and the sound quality was terrible. But if you saw it live, as I did, it probably left you with a flashbulb memory. (I was way the heck up north, at a fishing resort (well, kind of a fishing lodge or camp), with my parents. We watched the event on a tiny black and white TV in the main lodge, surrounded by log walls and mounted fish and a moose head or two. It was magical.)

Our local paper ran an Associated Press article, saying, in the words of reporter Seth Borenstein, "how did NASA end up looking like a bumbling husband taping over his wedding video with the Super Bowl?" Incredible. In all, it's thought that 45 tapes of the Apollo 11 mission were taped over.
So now, a Hollywood studio has pieced together footage from copies scrounged from around the world: CBS news tapes, kinescopes (whatever the heck they are!) from the national archives, a video from Australia of the original transmissions, and--get this--camera shots of a TV monitor.
Why didn't they just go to You-Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMINSD7MmT4

Of course, the conspiracy theory people are having a heyday. Yeah, well, Mythbusters busted that one! Here's just one example:
Mythbusters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wym04J_3Ls0

So, I've been revising a book and told my agent I'd send it.
"Good," he said. "I'll need a synopsis with it."
No problem, I figured. I've done them before. It's easy. Introduce all the main characters, hit on all the plot points, tell the ending, and, if possible, state the theme. One or two pages, third person, present tense.
Ah...yeah...about that...
I start off strong, using great verbs and succinct sentences. And then, in the middle, I hit the wall. You know that wall--the one with bricks of despair and mortar of I-can't-do-this? That one.
See, this book is written in two voices, with roughly parallel story lines. A lot happens. A LOT. Trying to get that into one or two pages? Well, let's just say I'm better at writing novels than short fiction....
So, out of desperation, I have come up with a strategy. I'm speed reading my ms, and writing down the major plot points. Then, all I need to do is weave them together into a compelling, brilliant, succinct synopsis.
No problem. Sigh.
If you have a strategy for writing a synopsis, please share it. I've pulled out most of my hair and can't afford a wig.

So, have you created a scene with sensual tension between the guy and the girl in your YA novel? Maybe a little flirting? A kiss? More?
Check out the Maryland Romance Writers (Maryland chapter of the Romance Writers of America) contest here:
http://www.marylandromancewriters.org/mrw/index.php?page_id=9
The final judges of the YA category are: Krista Marino, Delacorte; Lindsey McGurk, Samahain Publishing, Inc
All finalists receive a brief critique by the final round judge, a certificate, and mention in a paid advertisement in the next issue of the RWA® Romance Writers Report. First place winners receive a $50 prize.
And the deadline is June 1, 2009.
The YA category is brand new this year. Why not give it a try? Could be fun.

So, yesterday was Talk Like Shakespeare Day in Chicago. Sponsored by the Chicago Shakespeare Company, and officially proclaimed by Mayor Daley, the event was in honor of Shakespeare's birthday--or at least the day we think was his birthday!
There's some fun stuff on the Chicago Shakespeare Theater site:
http://www.talklikeshakespeare.org/
Check out the video of "Who's On First?" and the "B or not a B" here:
http://www.talklikeshakespeare.org/main.taf?p=0,10
And, if you want to follow the bard on Twitter, go here:
http://twitter.com/shakespearesays

So, what did you do for the planet today?
For some cool pics, go to:
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/

So, today was Teen Book Drop. Go here for more info:
http://readergirlz.blogspot.com/2009/04/rock-drop-report-in-authors-and-rgz.html
This is the idea. Readergirlz, GuysLitWire, YALSA and publishers dropped 8,000 new books into hospitals for teens. the organizers invited us to get into the act by dropping a book in a public place.
I dropped my books off at a local mall, at the food court. High schools are on spring break, so it seemed a logical place.

Only, after I left my books on a table, I wondered: what if no one, no teen, picks them up? What if the cleaning staff think they are abandoned, and dump them in the trash?
My poor books looked so vulnerable, so lost, so alone....
So, I went over to a table with four teen girls and two of their moms. I explained the whole book drop thing, and handed them two books. At first, they didn't quite realize they could keep the books, share them around, read them, give them to friends, etc. It was pretty cool to see their reaction when they realized these were a gift. Here's two of the teens, with their moms.

Remember how I posted recently, under a subject "No good deed goes unpunished?" I talked about running out of a coffee shop to tell a woman her trunk was up and was rewarded with a dirty look? Well, what goes around comes around. I participated in the Author's Fair yesterday, at WEMTA, and accidentally left my camera and my blood sugar monitor at the Convention Center. Well, I figured someone might turn in the monitor (value $18) and keep my nice, relatively new Canon digital camera.
Nope. Some kind, honest soul turned BOTH in to Lost and Found. The Convention Center will mail them back to me (it's an hour and a half drive, or I'd go get them.)
So, every good deed goes rewarded!
For pics on the event, visit Pam's blog at http://pamberes.livejournal.com

I'll be in Madison tomorrow, at the WEMTA (Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association) Author Fair. About 30 authors will be there to sell and sign books. Each author will have about ten minutes at the mic to talk.
Here's the link:
<http://www.wemtaonline.org/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?geniesite=141&statusflag=gogenie&job=&schoolname=school1000292&mid=>
The very odd thing is that the author links lead to each author's homepage--but mine leads to my bio! It's my "for fun" page, showing old pics of me and stuff--not as professional as my homepage. Oh, well--I'm not complaining. I'm glad to be included, and appreciate any link to my website!

A few weeks ago, a clip aired on the local news about a parent wanting to ban “gay books” at the West Bend Memorial Public Library in Wisconsin. There was a meeting to discuss it, but too many people showed up for the fire code. The meeting was cancelled, and will be rescheduled in a few weeks.
I called the young adult librarian, Kristin Pekoll, to find out more and to offer my support.
The parents, Ginny and Jim Maziarka, are objecting to a list of recommended books dealing with GBLT (gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender) issues which is posted on the library’s website. In an email to the Daily News, they state: "We believe our library should be offering appropriate, wholesome literature to our youth instead of pursuing the illegitimate goals of transforming the views of other people's children on the contentious issue of homosexuality."
Here’s the article:
< http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2009/March_09/03022009_04.asp>
Here’s the link to the list on the library’s website that inflamed the Maziarka’s.
<http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/yara.htm>
It includes a list of GBLT books under the title, Out of the Closet. You’ll notice that there are many OTHER lists as well, for good mysteries, paranormal, sports, adventure, historical, romance, and Christian books.
The parent objects to the Out of the Closet list in general, as well as the books Geography Club by Brent Hartinger, and The Perks of a Wallflower by Steve Chbosky, in particular. She wants them removed.
Now I feel a parent has the right to monitor the books her own child reads, but does not have the right to make that choice for an entire community. She also does not have the right to remove books because they go against her personal beliefs.
What can you, as a parent, an author, an illustrator, do to help? An email, sent to Michael Tyree, the Director of the West Bend Community Memorial Library, would be great. His email is: [email protected]. Michael will forward these emails to the Library Board in time for the next public meeting. It would be good to copy Kristin Pekoll, the ya librarian, as well, [email protected]. She is feeling frazzled and could use your words of encouragement. It doesn’t need to be elaborate. Something simple is fine, such as:
“I support the West Bend Community Memorial Library in its decision to include Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Fiction and Non-Fiction in its collection. I object to the proposal to remove books in this category, including Geography Club and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”
Please spread the news, and ask your friends, especially your writing friends, to send an email of support. Librarians have the right to choose the books for their library’s collections. And those of us who write books have the right to include characters regardless of their sexual orientation.
If you prefer, send me an email at [email protected], and I’ll send a group email with your name on it. Be sure to include your name, and your city and state. If you are 18 or younger, please just provide your first name (not last) age, and the city and state where you live (not your full address!!!)
Don't let censorship go unchallenged! It could happen in your home town, or to your books!