I was happy to get an invitation from American Girl Magazine to contribute a holiday story this year.  As usual, the illustrations are lovely, bright and happy.  This story focuses on a girl who gets a little carried away with holiday cheer.  (Just as I did tonight, thanks to Cyber Monday.)  Happy holidays to all!

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   I'm honored that my hometown library has chosen THE AVIARY as this year's choice for One Book, One Glendale.  Students (and others!) who have read THE AVIARY are invited to the Glendale Central Library auditorium on Thursday, November 21 at 7 p.m.  I'll read a selection and show some of the weird and wonderful discoveries I made while researching the book.
   It was while volunteering in the Verdugo Woodlands school library that I first became inspired to write novels for young people.  So it's a particular pleasure for me to be back in the library again, meeting with G.U.S.D. readers again.  I hope to see you there (and sign your book, too).
Glendale Central Library
222 E. Harvard Street
Glendale, CA 91205
   
   

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The 5th grade students in Mrs. Downer's class at La Crescenta's Fremont Elementary were a delight to visit.  Each student gave their own interpretation of THE AVIARY's silhouette cover illustration (see above) and came prepared with a thoughtful question.  I had a wonderful time and hope they all did too!

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KIDS: Magic and Mystery for Middle Grade Readers! (11:50am-12:40pm)

Middle grade readers are invited to meet favorite authors who weave magic and mystery into their stories for readings and conversation! Featured guests include James Riley (Twice Upon a Time), John Stephens (The Fire Chronicle: The Books of Beginning 2), Kathleen O’Dell (The Aviary), Lin Oliver (Double Crossed #3, Sound Bender #2: The Shadow Mask), and Theo Baker (Sound Bender #2: The Shadow Mask)! Moderated by Rosalind Helfand. (Octavia Butler Stage at Pasadena's Central Park; 275 S Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA 91105)
Signing hosted afterwards at the Once Upon A Time bookstore booth.

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I know that I need to write every day to keep a book rolling, but there are some times that I am forced to skip. School visits usually knock out a writing day, as do unexpected domestic "emergencies"(pug dog corneal abrasion, anyone?) But my recent schedule now requires me to take every Tuesday off, so I have come up with a way to use it in the service of my book without actually writing. I call Tuesday THINK DAY. That's the day I put aside for all the little nagging questions of plot or frustrations with scenes that drag, etc. I can think about all this stuff in my car as long as I don't distract my mind with talk radio or news or loud music.(I listen to music at teenage volume--for the energy; not because I need a hearing aid...yet.) THINK DAY seems to be working okay so far. It's a way to stay on Writer's Island even as I keep my commitments, tote children to dance lessons and all that jazz.

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I'm impressed at how creatively California area kids, teachers and parents express their love of books. Just last month, I visited with a bunch of students at Eliot Middle School in Altadena who brought their pajamas, sleeping bags and books for a library sleepover. On Friday evening, February 1st, I'm joining with kids and mystery writers for some sleuthing at Pasadena's Field Elementary. Earlier that afternoon, I'll be sharing secrets of the writing life (along with writers Leslie Margolis and Kevin Emerson) for Blair Baccalaureate in Pasadena. Hooray for eastside L.A. County readers!

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Reading A Moveable Feast to prepare for our Christmas holiday in Paris. My son is a big Hemingway fan, and we're staying in Montparnasse near Gertrude Stein's old place. We'll be hitting one of Hemingway's favorite cafes for Christmas dinner. Now if we could only get hold of that magical time-traveling taxi in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris...

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Just a little P.S.A. for the holiday season: food banks all around the country are running low on stores. My neighborhood Salvation Army reports that twice as many people are coming in as last year. In the past, food banks could depend on overflow from holiday donations to carry them through the winter, but no more. I learned that my food bank was not as interested in turkeys and trimmings as they were in everyday canned staples, pasta, rice, etc. A tip: they prefer small quantities as opposed to Costco portions because so many people come in on the bus or on foot and have to carry the groceries. Happy giving everyone!

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I've spent a good long time absent from the blogosphere while wrestling with my latest book. I've also learned a great deal about the challenges of creating a novel-length fairy tale.

1. Fairy tales are short for a reason. They are compact little stories that were passed along orally for generations before someone (Grimm brothers, for ex.) transcribed them. I love the old Grimms' tales for their lively economy, but a novel requires things like fully-fleshed characters and a complex plot.

2. Fairy tales don't have to explain much. Novels require an answer to "why?" A fairy tale can begin by stating: "Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird and a sausage entered into a partnership and set up house together." (That's a real fairy tale quote, by the way.) In a children's novel, that situation might need a little more set up. In fairy tales, people make strange requests of each other ("fetch me the first hazel twig that strikes your hat") or are introduced as being quite proud of their red shoes (which never are mentioned in the story again). Can't do that in a novel. There has to be motivation and follow through.


3. And then there's "voice." The Grimms' tales make reference to the past with archaic language: trod, weep, thither, bade, thereupon... I love that stuff! But there's a danger of sounding like a Renaissance Faire trainee if one lays it on too thick. I've tried to find a balance, because mine is not a modern retelling, but a fairy tale wannabe.

I'm inching my way along, and I'll continue to see where the story might take me. Maybe I'll drop a few breadcrumbs along the road so it won't take so long to find my way back.

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Picture Me Reading is a cool website with a graphic take on book reviews. I love what they did with THE AVIARY's cover theme. Check it out at: http://picturemereading.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/book-review-the-aviary-by-kathleen-o-dell-4-stars/

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We are very lucky indeed to have Once Upon A Time Bookstore in our neck of the woods. It is the oldest, continuously running children's bookstore in the whole U.S.A. Maureen Palacios, the owner, is a dedicated, hardworking book wrangler who also offers book-related fun stuff for the community to enjoy. This Monday, June 25th, I will be offering a workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. to kids who want to try their own hands at writing. We are going to delve into creating complex characters. Each workshopper will create two different characters with their own backgrounds and quirks. Then we're going to drop those fictional folks into different situations and see how they react? (Sounds almost like a science experiment, doesn't it?) If you can't make it Monday, please note the other fabulous authors conducting workshops of their own: July 2 - Cecil Castelucci July 9 - Pseudonymous Bosch July 16 - Lin Oliver and Theo Baker July 23 - Leslie Margolis July 30 - Lisa Yee August 6 - Stuart Gibbs Call ahead if you want to reserve a spot! Hope to see some of you there! 2207 Honolulu Ave La Crescenta-Montrose, CA 91020 (818) 248-9668

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Just finished copy editing a book, moving on to another. And it feels good! Like I knew it would!

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My sister and I just made the journey from Portland, Oregon to southern California and stopped along the way to pay homage to Levi Scott, our great, great, great, great grandfather. He was one of the men who forged the Applegate Trail--a southern alternative to the Oregon trail--in the mid 1800's. An Applegate Trail interpretive center outside Roseburg, Oregon, had lots of information on him. My sister and I bought a book about Levi and were honored to sign a special book for descendants of the Scotts and Applegates.

When I was growing up in Oregon, it was common to have an adult remind complaining children that they'd never have survived the trek on the trail with an attitude like that! In fact, one of the first big arguments I had with my husband came after I demanded a break after hours of clearing some land from a garden. He said I'd never make it on the Oregon Trail, and those were fighting words to me! Now I freely admit that in spite of hailing from pioneers on both sides of my family, I'm more of a sit-in-my-chair-and-daydream type than I am a rugged outdoors woman. At best, I could make a decent pot of coffee, play a banjo and tell stories around the campfire--that is, if I didn't fall asleep from exhaustion first.

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Me neither. Too foggy. But it was still a thrill to follow in Goethe's footsteps to the top of the Brocken--the highest peak in northern Germany--where Faust sold his soul to the devil.

Witches are represented everywhere around here: on bumper stickers, store signs and key chains. Supposedly, pagans took to the wood in cowls to practice their rites after Christianity became the enforced religion of the land, and northern Germany had a lot of holdouts. Hence, a reputation for witches.

I've brushed up on my Grimm's and have come back inspired and ready to tackle a new tale. I'd like to create something particularly hair-raising, but I don't think children's authors are allowed to go as far as the old storytellers who lived in the shadow of the Harz Mountains. (Read "The Girl With No Hands" if you don't believe me. Eeesh...)

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In a few days, I'll be in Germany, following in the footsteps of the Grimms. I hope to find inspiration in some medieval towns at the foot of the Harz mountains and come back with some tales of my own! Pics to come.

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I remember staring at the back of that Colgems album, hoping that Davy Jones wouldn't get married before I turned eighteen. Sure, he'd be in his thirties by then, but that'd be okay. He was one dreamy boy...

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“WE LOVE CALIFORNIA AUTHORS AND ARTISTS LUNCHEON”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2012
10:30 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M.
CASTAWAY RESTAURANT AND BANQUET CENTER
1250 E. HARVARD ROAD BURBANK, CA 91501

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The Mother-Daughter event at Flintridge Bookstore is a great opportunity for girls and moms to visit with a variety of authors. You go in groups from table to table, author to author--sort of like literary speed dating. I'm bringing my historical research and weird discoveries I made while working on THE AVIARY. And have you seen who else is on the agenda? BIG TIME authors! Authors of legend! So don't miss it!

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This year our book club decided to take a holiday picture. Proudly showcased in the center? THE AVIARY! Its evergreen cover was a perfect match for our ensembles. The author is in brown antlers and a snowman turtleneck. A memento for the ages!

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I'm putting together a presentation featuring my research on turn-of-the-century life for THE AVIARY. The little girl pictured here lived in Eastport, Maine (a fishing village and port of entry) around the time my fictional Clara Dooley lived in Lockhaven. Until I started poking around in search of images for my book, I hadn't heard of Hine. His photographs of working children are stunning, heartbreaking and shocking to our modern sensibilities. Russell Freedman has a beautiful book for kids on Hine titled: KIDS AT WORK: LEWIS HINE AND THE CRUSADE AGAINST CHILD LABOR. Highly recommended!

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It's true, I've never been to Maine, but I've written a book with a Maine setting. My friend, Carla, who is a longtime Portland resident helped me with some of my story's logistics. I'm happy to say she's included in this article:
Check it out:
http://bangordailynews.com/2011/11/06/living/book-reviews/west-coast-author-sets-historical-fantasy-on-maine-coast/

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My writer friend, Linda Zinnen, has interviewed my pug, Max, asking him to give his two cents on the making of THE AVIARY. After all, it was on my walks with Max that I discovered that house in the neighborhood with the outdoor cage of tropical birds. He was in on the whole process--sleeping soundly beside me as I tapped out the story at the kitchen table. So I said, why not? He's almost eighty in dog years and has never yet been interviewed. See his take at: lindazinnen.com!

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A word to the elderly: you know when you're stuck with one of those golden oldies in your head and it's driving you crazy? ("Love is a highway, I want to ride it all night long...") My bete noir awhile ago was the Young MC hit, "Bust a Move." They say you can get rid of these ear worms by listening to the song all the way through. So I try downloading it from itunes. Usually, I have no problem with this, but "Bust a Move" is particularly stubborn and I get nothing but error messages. So I keep clicking to download--errors again. I give up, but later when I'm back at my laptop, "Bust a Moves" download en masse to my itunes folder. Now I can listen to the song all day nonstop if I want to without putting it on a loop. Anyway, that was a couple weeks ago and I thought I was through "bustin'." Until one afternoon this weekend I open my laptop and BOOM! Another one downloads.

"You want it, you got it," indeed.

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