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Yes, I'm participating in Random Acts of Publicity, created by Darcy Pattison. It's a public event on facebook and you can
sign up here. For this Random Act, I'm offering teasers about four new YA novels:
Every Day by David Levithan (Knopf, 9780307931887) -- With this beautiful and highly-imaginative novel about A, a being who wakes up in a different body every morning, David Levithan teaches us what it means to be human, and what it means to truly love someone. A has managed to drift through his many lives, never getting involved -- until the day he occupies the body of Justin, boyfriend to Rhiannon. A knows he must see Rhiannon again, even if it means risking being caught by a preacher who warns of the devil taking over bodies.
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang (Harpercollins, 9780062114877, Coming Sept 18!) -- In an alternate society where two souls exist inside every body, Eva and Addie started out like everyone else. Eva is the recessive one, the one who should have faded away by the time they were seven or eight. In their strict society, it's mandatory that one soul become dominant. But at fifteen, Eva's still there inside of Addie, weak and helpless, yet able to talk to Addie telepathically. Will Eva fade away for good or can she learn how to control their shared body again, despite the dangers? An intriguing storyline and gorgeous writing. I read this in one sitting.
Lindsey Lost by Suzanne Marie Phillips (Viking, 9780670784608, coming Sept 13) -- Lindsey's an Olympic hopeful, a star runner and the town's Golden Girl. When her body is found in the woods, her brother Micah may have been the last person to see her. But he can't remember what happened. Did he witness the murder? Or commit it? There are at least four other possible suspects. A thriller so intense you'll be tearing through the pages to find out what happens.
If I Lie by Corrine Jackson (Simon Pulse, 9781442454132) * -- Quinn is trying to survive her senior year in high school, shunned by everyone and tormented by the mean girl, because they all think Quinn cheated on her boyfriend, the town hero. But the truth isn't always what it seems. In this well-crafted novel, Corrine Jackson paints a stunning portrait of a girl forced to keep a secret for a boy who's now MIA in Afghanistan.
* See my interview with author Corrine Jackson
in this post -- and there's still time to enter the giveaway, but hurry!
Wow! Today's Class of 2K12 interview is with a debut author who has not one but TWO young adult novels launching this year. Meet Corrine Jackson, author of:
IF I LIE, (August 28, Simon Pulse)
Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.
Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise…
Corrine's also the author of:
TOUCHED (coming November 27 from K-Teen) Seventeen-year-old Remy O’Malley heals people with touch, but her power comes at a steep cost. Every illness or injury she cures becomes her own. The pain she can handle, but she worries a day will come when she won’t recover from healing some terrible disease. Then she meets eighteen-year-old Asher Blackwell. Scarred and dangerous, he knows more about her abilities than she does, and she can’t resist wanting to know everything about him.
Class of 2K12 websiteCorrine's websiteFollow her on Twitter |
| Corrine Jackson (from her website) |
Q. Do you outline before you write? If so, does it end up changing before you finish the first draft? What change surprised you the most?
A. I’m an outliner. Usually, the characters come to me and I keep a file with notes that I collect. They’re everything from scene ideas to character traits to bits of dialogue. I write a bit to get a sense of the character’s voice. Once that’s in place, I go back and outline the whole book. My outline is flexible, though. I never feel locked in. If a scene takes me somewhere new, no big deal. I just revise the outline. I’ve been surprised at times by a new character popping up (George in IF I LIE) or an emotional scene I didn’t plan on (in TOUCHED). George was definitely my biggest change. My entire book morphed once he appeared. I love those moments.
Q. Those are cool moments! How long did it take to go from the idea for the book to the draft your editor accepted? Was it months or years? Did you go through endless revisions, beta readers, etc, before starting the submission process? Did you ever want to pull out your hair?
A. Depends on the book. With TOUCHED, I wrote it in 3 ½ months. I went through draft after draft in revisions and lots of beta readers. Once I got an agent, we went through one more revision. That’s the one my editor bought. With IF I LIE, I wrote it over a year, sent it to a few beta readers, did one round of revision, made a few changes at my agent’s suggestion, and that was it. Since I spent more time writing it, I edited it along the way, so my first draft was pretty clean. I also showed pieces to readers as I was working on it.
To be honest, I don’t like editing as much as I do writing. I’d rather do a slower, cleaner first draft, but that’s not always realistic with deadlines. I’m adapting, but I do want to pull my hair out at times.
Q. I hear you! Do you listen to music while writing or at least while thinking about and planning a book? What song or album had the most influence on this novel?
A. I always listen to music. I create playlists for each book. In the book FROM WHERE YOU DREAM, Robert Olen Butler suggests that listening to the same music for a book each time you write, drops you back into that creative space faster. I agree. As soon as I put the music on and read a snip of what I wrote the day before, I’m off and running on new words. When writing TOUCHED, I listened to a lot of Tyrone Wells, Taylor Swift, Tim Easton, Ben Harper, and others. Lots of soulful love songs or longing for love songs. I shifted gears a bit on IF I LIE. That book takes sad to a new level. I listened to a lot of Glen Hansard, The Swell Season, and The Frames. Glen Hansard has this voice that rips at your guts and it fit what was happening to my characters.
Thanks for joining us today, Corrine! Your books are amazing. Congratulations!
* * *
Readers, I have one hardcover copy of IF I LIE to give away! Sorry, this giveaway is only open to residents of the US or Canada. Must be 13 or older to enter. The rules are simple: You must be a follower and you must comment on this post! You have until Saturday September 8 at 11 pm EDT to enter. One extra chance to win if you Tweet about this giveaway. Another extra chance for mentioning on facebook OR on your own blog. Please note your extra entries in the comments. Thanks!
Today, I welcome my colleague and fellow WOW! team member, Chynna Laird, with her YA paranormal-suspense novel, Dark Water. Chynna has written a creepy, suspenseful book that also touches on some serious issues contemporary children/teens are dealing with such as a parent at war, PTSD, and death of a loved one. Chynna also has a copy to giveaway, so leave a comment for your chance to win! It’s YA, remember–and I know how many of us adults also love YA!
Margo: Welcome, Chynna, to Read These Books and Use Them. I am so thrilled to host you today and your first YA book, Dark Water. Can you tell us a little about your book?
Chynna: Thanks for having me here, Margo. Yes! Dark Water is a young adult suspense/paranormal. It’s about a sixteen-year old girl trying to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. The deeper she digs, the bigger the mystery seems to get. Here’s the book cover synopsis:
“Some answers are found far beneath the surface…”
Sixteen-year-old Freesia Worth has a mystery to solve—the disappearance of her mother at their family lake house. Her traumatized sister Sage hasn’t said a word ever since that day.
After almost a year, Detective Barry Cuaco has found nothing but frustrating dead ends. Soon he’ll have to let the case go. But Freesia isn’t making it easy for him. She needs answers. Now.
With the help of her secret crush, Rick, and a mysterious Goth girl named Mizu, Freesia learns about an ancient Native legend and a man known as the Watcher of the Lake.
Will Freesia finally uncover the truth? Or will the lake keep its secrets far beneath the dark water?
Margo: Spooky! I hope that Freesia can uncover the truth. (Winks) I read on your website that this was your NaNoWriMo [National Novel Writing Month in November] project in 2011. Tell us a little about the process of Dark Water going from a NaNoWriMo project to a published book.
Chynna: Just before NaNoWriMo, I had this really creepy dream about an old Native man and a ghost he was trying to help. When I got up, I googled Native water legends, and my story came to me. I was so excited about this project, I actually finished it before NaNo was over! After that, I spent a couple of weeks editing and polishing it, then sent it to a publisher I knew who handles several books in the suspense/paranormal genre (Imajin Books). And then Dark Water was born!
Margo:How cool is that! Just goes to show you why we should listen to our dreams! If you had to compare your book to others on the market right now, where would it fit? How is it similar and different from these?
Chynna: I’d have to say that Dark Water is very similar to the works of Chris Grabenstein, Sharon Sala, and Charlotte Blackwell. They all have a wonderful talent of weaving creepiness and fun into their storylines. Dark Water
is a bit different in that I also mix in the issues I think that need to be talked about more. Of course, authors have to be very careful when doing this because younger readers do NOT like being preached to. When you write about these issues, you need to make sure that it is at their level and non-preachy. So I hope that I accomplished that. I think I did…
Margo: Great, then let me ask: What are some themes you are exploring in this book?
Chynna: There are several issues I touch on in Dark Water. First, the main character, Freesia, is part of a military family. Her father was killed in a mission in Afghanistan. Another theme I touch on is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Freesia’s younger sister, Sage, lives with it, and I give a sense of what it’s like to live with a sibling who has this disorder. I also touch on mental health issues, specifically Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Before she disappeared, Freesia’s mother was a clinical psychologist who worked with children and families coping with this very difficult disorder. Finally, I touch on how young people deal with the very painful situation of parental loss.
I love to educate and stimulate conversation about these issues by weaving the information within a good story. That’s the best way to digest it, I think.
Margo: I couldn’t agree with you more! That’s the entire reason for my blog. 
How could teachers or parents use Dark Water? Are there certain discussion points that would naturally occur after reading it?
Chynna: I think there would be several discussion points after reading it. Young people may have questions, for example, about what SPD or PTSD is. Teachers can open the discussion to researching and learning about these disorders, how it affects individuals, and what they can do to help raise awareness. Caregivers can use the book to teach tolerance as well as to connect with their children by encouraging questions or concerns. That’s the first step to understanding. =)
Margo: So true! Are you working on any more YA books? I know you’ve written a variety of books—a memoir, a parenting book, a children’s book, and more.
Chynna: Yes I am, actually. I am working on one project that is a YA contemporary (tentatively called Just Shut Up and Drive), a potential action/immortal series as well as a special surprise. ;D
Margo: That sounds great! Maybe one of these days I’ll find a publisher for my YA, and then we can be YA authors together! Anything else you’d like to add about writing for YA and your book, Dark Water?
Chynna: The only thing I’d like to add is that anyone wanting to write in this genre, or already is, should just do it. Research the genre, talk to young people reading these books, and put out the best you can do.
Margo: Chynna, thank you for your time and encouraging words.
Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment by Sunday September 2 for your chance to win!
Meet Suzanne Lazear, author of INNOCENT DARKNESS!
INNOCENT DARKNESS: Book 1, The Aether Chronicles (Flux, August 8, 2012, for ages 12 and up)
Wish. Love. Desire. Live.
In a Steampunk version of Victorian Los Angeles sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. Her wish sends her tumbling into the Otherworld. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.
Suzanne Lazear writes Steampunk stories for adults and teens. Her Young Adult Steampunk dark fairytale INNOCENT DARKNESS, book 1 of The Aether Chronicles, will be released from Flux on August 8, 2012. She always plays with swords, is never described as normal, and has been known to run with bustles. Suzanne lives in Southern California with her daughter, the hubby, a hermit crab, and two chickens, where she’s currently attempting to make a raygun to match her ballgown. Visit her blog at http://www.suzannewrites.blogspot.comand her website http://www.suzannelazear.comClass of 2K12 Hi Suzanne, and welcome to My Brain on Books!Do you outline before you write? If so, does it end up changing before you finish the first draft? What change surprised you the most?
Well, INNOCENT DARKNESS didn’t start out Steampunk. I steampunked it on the fly from a contemporary outline. My main characters—Noli, V, and Kevighn--stayed the same but new characters like Charlotte appeared. The basic story stayed the same, but adding in the Steampunk elements forced me to change a lot of things, and I had to create an entire alternate world as I went along (which required research and strange google searches). From this process a lot of details I didn’t know about emerged, like Noli’s love of botany, Kevighn’s sister, and certain details about V and his past…I personally enjoy learning things about my characters as I write. Not all stories are like this for me. Sometimes I outline, sometimes I don’t, and sometimes I just jot down ideas. It all depends on the story, world, and characters.
Do you revise one novel while writing another? Or do you feel you need to write and revise one novel and get it as polished as possible before moving on to your shiny new idea?
I like to have several projects in different stages going on at once. It makes me feel more productive. I work on the one that’s most pressing (or if not on deadline, with the characters speaking the loudest), but if I get burned out or need a break, I can switch to another project for a day or two and feel like I’m still being productive. Also, I have something to do while a project is off being read by betas. It’s that whole multi-tasking thing. I like multi-tasking. And lists.
Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate while writing? And where do you write? Briefly describe your writing space.
Because I have a full time job and a family I write whenever and wherever I can. I do a lot of writing on my laptop on the couch. I write during lunch at work, I’ve been known to bring my laptop to birthday parties and family functions when on deadline, I’ve even contemplated trying to use Dragon to write while driving since I spend so much time commuting—but I’m not that brave and given my writing style, I’m not sure that would work for me.
Do you listen to music while writing or at least while thinking about and planning a book? What song or album had the most influence on this novel?
I really like to listen to music when I write and often make complicated playlists of “mood music” for each project. For some reason I never made a special list of music to listen to just for the writing of this book – though I do have a soundtrack for it. I wrote a bulk of INNOCENT DARKNESS during NaNoWriMo 2009 – 66k in three weeks—while working a dayjob so that may have had something to do with it. Yeah, I nearly died. I did write large chunks of ID while listening to Emilie Autumn on continuous repeat—especially “Across the Sky,” which I consider to be the book’s theme song, as well as “Shallot” and “Opheliac”. I adore her work, she’s a “Victorian industrial” artist and since I’m writing Steampunk, the vibes meshed really well. I also listened to a playlist of sappy love songs I’d compiled for drafting another project—especially when writing the kissing parts.
Wow! That sounds daunting. I love that your book has a theme song. Tell us what darling you had to kill that you really really wish you could have kept and what was the most fun to write.
More kissing!!! Just kidding. I actually had to cut an entire scene with Kevighn, my anti-hero, that I really liked. It introduces a new character towards the end, so it does work better to save it for book two, but I really liked the relationship between Kevighn and that character. It added a more little background and depth to my naughty huntsman. My favorite scenes involve Noli—Noli and her flying car, Noli and her friend Charlotte, Noli and V… Though I do have to say, Kevighn, being the bad boy, was really fun to write. Probably even more fun to write than V, who’s such a sweet, honorable guy. Inventing all the steampunk gadgets was a ton of fun as I tried to meld the Victorian feel with modern technology to get things like hoverboard and flying cars, yet make them as natural to Noli as a car is to us.
Thank you so much for having me on today!
Thanks for being here, Suzanne! And congrats on the book!
I’m up cleaning the house WE STILL OWN in IL. Ugh! So I’m just putting a link to a post I wrote yesterday for WOW! about a few pet peeves of mine as a writer. Here’s WOW!’s blog address: http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com. It was Wednesday’s post. Feel free to leave any pet peeves for any career here. We can support each other through them.
You can also check out Tuesday, July 31 post on this blog for a giveaway: The Divorce Girl.
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The Divorce Girl: A Novel of Art and Soul by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Publisher: Ice Cube Press
I’m excited to introduce to you–The Divorce Girl as part of the WOW! Women On Writing blog tour. What a great, great book. I was captivated on page one and couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book. I recommend this book to ANYONE! I have a print copy to give away–from the author. Please leave a question and/or comment about the book by Sunday, August 5 at 8:00 pm CST to be entered to win (US mailing addresses only, please.)
Here’s my review:
From the first page of The Divorce Girl: A Novel of Art and Soul by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, readers will discover that it’s a well-written novel with a lively, witty, teenage voice narrating the story. Mirriam-Goldberg captivates you on page one and doesn’t let go until the end of the book. She includes unique, well-rounded characters; unusual settings; and plenty of interesting subplots as well as an understanding of how the world and people work, especially during and after a divorce.
Mirriam-Goldberg is the 2009-2012 Poet Laureate of Kansas. Her love of words and ability to string them together to create a masterpiece shines through in this novel. Simply stated: “It’s a good book!” Although divorce is a subject that has been written about thousands of times in YA and women’s fiction, The Divorce Girl will still fascinate readers who will be drawn into the story because of Mirriam-Goldberg’s writing.
It centers on Deborah, a high school student in New Jersey in the 1970s and oldest daughter of Jewish parents, who announce that they are getting divorced with no huge surprise to her. Her parents have been fighting for years, and it became progressively worse after a baby sibling died of SIDS.
At first when the divorce is announced, Deborah’s father takes a special interest in her, leaving the two younger (surviving) children with their mother. Her dad takes her regularly to eat at a diner, where a Greek hostess, Fatima, works. It soon becomes clear that he has an ulterior motive to these dad-daughter dinners. But Deborah doesn’t seem to mind. She likes the attention from her father, who is talking to her as if she is an equal.
Because of the special attention from her father and the tensions that rise with her mother during the divorce proceedings, Deborah winds up choosing to live with her father and Fatima, which causes many problems within the family, including with her grandparents.
Soon, she realizes that her father isn’t quite the man she thought he was or that he presents himself to be in public; but she doesn’t feel like she has anywhere else to go. He works her hard, too—at home, cooking and cleaning, and at a weekend auction, similar to a flea market, selling large-sized clothing.
The good thing is Deborah loves photography and has quite a talent for it, and her father allows her to take a photography course. He also allows her to get involved with a youth group at the local, and somewhat liberal, temple.
These two outlets and the people there basically save her soul from destruction, as she lives with an abusive father and is estranged from her mother.
Although this book is written with a teenage narrator, the author state
So, here it is. My book cover for Finding My Place, which is a historical fiction, middle-grade novel set in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War, specifically the Siege of Vicksburg. You’ll be seeing it everywhere pretty soon, and I put a snippet of it on my Facebook page. But I thought I would reveal it first here on my blog. So. . .
According to the publisher (White Mane Kids), it will be available at the end of August! I can’t wait! Here’s what the back cover says. Click on the link below for a photo (PDF) of the front and back cover together.
Proof_9781572494084_CVR
Finally, here’s the book jacket summary:
Thirteen-year-old Anna Green can hardly remember life before the War Between the States touched her hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi. For 47 days in May, June, and July in 1863, the Union Army bombs Vicksburg day and night, attempting to overtake the city. Anna longs for the days before Yankee bombs screeched above her, before her family was torn apart, and before they moved to a dark, damp cave to protect themselves from falling shells. During one terrible bombing, a tragedy strikes Anna and her siblings and changes their lives forever. Can Anna find the strength to keep her family together in the midst of the war? Finding My Place recounts the destitute living conditions and the horror of a city under siege, the strength of the citizens who would not surrender, and the courage of an intelligent young girl.
Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned. . .
Auracle by Gina Rosati, coming August 7, 2012 from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan, for ages 12 and up
Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and hears but cannot touch the one she longs to hold. Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between them. Auracle by Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship between body and soul and the power of a single touch.
Meet Gina Rosati! As soon as she could ride a bicycle, she’d visit her local public library and check out as many books as she could fit in her bike basket. When she was 15, Gina got her first ‘real’ job in the Newton Free Library shelving books. Leaving the library for a job as a supermarket cashier was a huge mistake … not only did she have the misfortune to be working the night three guys showed up with panty hose masks and sawed-off shotguns to rob the store, but Gina became trapped in the food industry. After many years of scooping ice cream, decorating cakes and assorted secretarial drudgery which included fetching coffee for a boss who called her his “Tomato”, she finally escaped. Now Gina happily writes and volunteers at her local middle school library in southern New Hampshire, where she lives with her husband and two teenagers. Auracle is her first novel.
Did the idea for Auracle spring from your own childhood or from some other source? And did you start with a character or with an image or phrase or setting? The idea of a novel using the concept of astral
For the babes in our lives. . .
*Picture book/concept book, realistic for toddlers/preschoolers
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: My 18-month-old daughter is in love with this book, Blue Sky. It’s from a few years back, but we recently checked it out of the library. She wants to read it over and over and over again–and I actually don’t mind.
Short, short summary:
This book has very few words on each page. We start out in the morning with “blue sky.” Then the next scene is of the cute, little boy main character and his parents looking at a “cloud sky.” Then he realizes it’s a “rain sky.” And we continue like this through the day, with different types of skies, until we get to “star sky,” “moon sky,” and “sleep sky.” In the end, the book circles back to the beginning: “new sky, blue sky.”
So what do I do with this book?
1. Besides this just being a lovely and fun book to read with children, you can teach two things through it. The first is weather and how it changes throughout the day. We have a blue sky, then a rain sky, then a rainbow sky. Discuss with children different changes in weather in the book and then draw their attention to it in “real life.”
2. This goes through a day in the life of a small person. He wakes up and sees blue sky. At one point it rains, and then he sees a rainbow. Compare/contrast your children’s day to the day in the book.
3. Allow children to draw their own illustrations of BLUE SKY or RAIN SKY or SUNSET SKY!
GILT by Katherine Longshore (Viking/Penguin May 15, 2012, for ages 12 and up) Source: advanced reading copy from publisher
Synopsis (from Indiebound):
In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--
and love comes at the highest price of all.When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.
Why I liked it: Besides all the fascinating court intrigue, gossip, flirtations, and dangerous secrets? I really liked Kitty. She's a complex, well-rounded character. Only a few chapters into the book, you feel you know her. It's a long book, but well worth reading, and would be especially fun for a rainy weekend. Have some tea and chocolate and settle in for a while!
Katherine Longshore graciously agreed to answer a few questions today.
Class of 2K12 Katherine's Blog (the YA Muses)
Welcome, Katherine! Do you outline before you write? If so, does it end up changing before you fini
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Of course, Children’s Book Week is special to me–I am a children’s author, I blog about children’s books, and I am a parent (as well as former elementary school teacher). I think I love children’s and YA books better than adult books some times! And I know that I am not alone.
But why are children’s books so important? I believe it is not ONLY because they help us to learn to read and comprehend OR because they remind us of a special time in our childhood when our moms read to us or when we went to library programs or even read 100 books over the summer. Children and YA books are meant to be used.
That’s what my blog is all about. I’ve covered using children’s books (and some adult books, too) since August 2008. You can see by my categories in the sidebar that I’ve covered YA, middle-grade, and picture books, and you can see the many authors I’ve read and wrote about, too. One of my favorites for middle-graders is pictured here–the “Al Capone” books–these books help children who are struggling with a special family situation, such as a sister with autism. It’s a great read, too, with a loveable main character, and children won’t even realize they are learning family dynamics or about children with special needs. That’s why I love children’s books–they are so good at disguising the lesson.
You can use children’s books and YA novels to teach history, social studies, science, writing, reading skills–almost any curriculum objective in the classroom or home school can be covered with the right book. I have included three activities to go with most of the books listed here on about 80 percent of the posts in almost 4 years–these activities are easy and ready to use in the classroom or at home.
The best thing, though, is children’s books can be used to talk about things that are hard for children–from potty training with Elmo to dealing with suicide with Jay Asher’s 13 Reasons Why. Children can discuss joys and concerns through characters in books–that is a lot easier than talking about themselves.
So my hope for you is not just to read children’s books this week/summer/year, but to use them with a child or teen, too. You won’t be sorry!
And don’t forget to leave a comment below AND record that you did this in the Rafflecopter box to be entered to win a picture book critique or a bag of books from Guardian Angel Publishing.
PS: If you are interested in writing for children in magazines, picture books, middle-grade novels, or YA novels, check out WOW! Women On Writing’s classroom page. Our classes are economical and the teachers are professionals! Here’s the link: http://www.wow-womenonrwiting.com/WOWclasses.html. All classes are online and run this summer!
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No, that's not a typo. It really says "DEVINE" Intervention. Just ask Martha Brockenbrough, the queen of grammar. She's the founder of National Grammar Day and SPOGG (The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar) and the author of Things That Make Us (Sic). And now she's making her young adult debut with Devine Intervention, about a girl named Heidi Devine and her guardian angel.
Devine Intervention by
Martha Brockenbrough (Arthur A Levine/Scholastic, June 1, 2012, for ages 12 and up)
Source: advanced reading copy from the publisher
Synopsis (from Indiebound): There is a great legend of the guardian angel who traveled across time and space for the human girl he loved, slaying those who would threaten her with a gleaming sword made of heavenly light.
This is not that story.
Jerome Hancock is Heidi Devine's guardian angel. Sort of. He's more of an angel trainee, in heaven's soul-rehabilitation program for wayward teens. And he's just about to get kicked out for having too many absences and for violating too many of the Ten Commandments for the Dead.
Heidi, meanwhile, is a high school junior who dreams of being an artist, but has been drafted onto her basketball team because she's taller than many a grown man. For as long as she can remember, she's heard a voice in her head - one that sings Lynyrd Skynyrd, offers up bad advice, and yet is company during those hours she feels most alone.
When the unthinkable happens, these two lost souls must figure out where they went wrong and whether they can make things right before Heidi's time is up and her soul is lost forever.
Martha Brockenbrough's debut novel is hilarious, heartbreaking, and hopeful, with a sense of humor that's wicked as hell, and writing that's just heavenly.
Why I liked it: One of the funniest and at the same time most touching YA novels I've come across in a long time. Laugh-out-loud moments combined with truly heart-wrenching moments make this one unforgettable experience. Honestly, this is one of those books you wish wouldn't have to end because you're having so much fun reading it. Jerome is just plain goofy and yet endearing and sweet in his own way. And yes, he has an arrow stuck in his head, he doesn't know what "discourse" means, and he's found a way to get around the rule of no swearing in heaven by substituting words like Chevy and flask.
Heidi is serious and shy and isn't ready to die. She's just been through a humiliating experience at the school talent show, and anyone who's ever survived high school knows what that's like. Heidi and Jerome could easily become heaven's odd couple -- but the author surprises you with an unexpected turn of events. Or several.
And since I enjoyed the heck out of this novel, I want to give away my arc, so someone else out there can enjoy it too, before the book pubs in June. To enter, all you have to do is be a follower and comment on this post. United States entries only (sorry!). You must be at least 12 years old to enter. This giveaway ends at 10 pm EDT on Thursday, May 17. Winner to be announced on Friday May 18.
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What happens when a moody teenage angel is forced to attend high-school?
Griffin's Fire is the second installment in
Darby Karchut's Terrae Angeli young adult fantasy series, published by
Twilight Times Books. I didn't read the first book in the series and have to say that I was a bit lost at the beginning of the
story. Fortunately, not for long. Karchut provides only the essential bits of backstory and I was soon engulfed in Griffin's world. As far as the first book,
Griffin Rising goes, suffice to say that Griffin is a supernatural being known as a Terrae Angeli, a being who has the ability to control Fire, Water, Wind and Earth and who, like a guardian warrior, helps humans who are in danger. Book I is all about his apprenticeship, relationship to his mentor, love for a mortal girl and 'fall' into the world of mortals when he's banished from the Terrae Angeli.
This fall, I will have a middle-grade historical fiction novel coming out from White Mane Kids. I went to a writing conference in St. Louis this weekend, where the agents said that historical fiction for kids is not selling. It is one of the hardest genres to sell, and agents probably won’t take you on if this is what you have–no matter how good your story/writing is. I didn’t have an agent for mine–I sent it to an independent publisher and have worked with them directly. White Mane Kids ONLY publishes historical fiction set in the U.S. though, so my book fit them perfectly.
What do you think? Do you think historical fiction for middle graders (4th to 6th grade) is dying? Do you think teachers and home school parents are still using this genre to teach history?
Just curious. We had a big discussion about it at lunch too, and several of us writers are upset about this trend.
Back to the regularly scheduled program on Thursday, so share your opinion here if you have time!
Breaking Beautiful, by Jennifer Shaw Wolf (Walker, coming April 24, 2012, for ages 12 and up)
Synopsis (from Indiebound): Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.
Links you should visit:
--
Class of 2K12 --
The Apocalypsies --
Jennifer's website --
Jennifer's blog I'm thrilled that Jennifer agreed to take over my blog for the day and write a guest post! Welcome, Jennifer!
The Books that Influenced Me as a Young Reader
At some point in when I was writing BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, the thought occurred to me, “This is turning into a mystery.” This idea was immediately followed by, “I can’t write a mystery.” Mysteries involved suspense and clues and complex plot structures and I wasn’t sure anything in my background had prepared me to write a book like that. Then I remembered what I’d read as a kid. There were a lot of mysteries. From Homer Price, to Nancy Drew, to Agatha Christie, to old Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock mystery magazines, I loved trying to solve a puzzle.
I think that it started when I was about ten, with a series called THE THREE INVESTIGATORS. One of my first trips to our small public library, when I was old enough to pick out my own books, I stumbled upon THE THREE INVESTIGATORS. They were three boys who solved mysteries and they had the coolest hideout; an old trailer, burie
Today, I'm thrilled to be interviewing J. Anderson Coats, author of the upcoming YA novel,
The Wicked and the Just, 9780547688374, coming April 17, 2012, from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for ages 12 and up.
Class of 2K12 website J. Anderson Coats's websiteHer blog Synopsis (from Indiebound): The year is 1293. The setting: Wales.
Cecily’s father has ruined her life. He’s moving them to occupied Wales, where the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will finally be the lady of the house.
Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now she must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl.
While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And outside the city walls, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.
Oh, that sounds intriguing! I'm lucky to have friends who live in Wales and I've visited them there. Welsh history is fascinating.
Jillian, welcome to My Brain on Books! Do you outline before you write?If so, does it end up changing before you finish the first draft? What changesurprised you the most?
For W/J I didn’t outline; I really didn’t have to. I had a skeleton of historical events tofollow and a series of conditions to impose that just required some research todust off and spit-shine. All thatremained was creating some characters and populating the world. All the stuff in W/J – the corruption andunfair laws and extortion – all of it was real, andI just gave it voice.
Tell us a little about gettingyour agent. How many queries did you send out? How long did it take before yougot an offer of representation?
I queried four different books over ten years before I soldW/J. The Erin Murphy Literary Agency wasalways at the top of my list, but they don’t take unsolicited q
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Congratulations to dollsstory for winning The Smiley Book of Colors in last week’s giveaway. I am excited to host another author and book giveaway today–it’s a “basketball” book in honor of March Madness (Anyone still have a good bracket?). The book is called Transcendental Basketball Blues, the author is Mike Pemberton, and it is YA/crossover historical fiction, although it’s set in the 1970s (so it’s not that far back in history!). Mike has given me a copy to giveaway, so please leave a comment below by Sunday night, April 1 for your chance to win. I’m also doing a little different post this time because I was also lucky enough to interview Mike for my Sunday Books column in The News-Gazette, (Champaign/Urbana, IL newspaper), and I am posting the feature article here. This way you get to know Mike and his book a little better. . .
When Mike Pemberton, author of Transcendental Basketball Blues and Hoopeston, IL resident, was cleaning out his garage ten years ago, he found some old creative writing notebooks and newspaper articles from when he was a sportswriter. He told his wife, “I’d forgotten I wanted to be a writer.”
But unlike many people who have the same forgotten dream, Pemberton did something about it. He decided to pursue a master’s degree in English from Illinois State University and started writing short stories, which were soon published.
While pursuing his master’s degree, completed in May 2011, he came up with the idea for his first novel, Transcendental Basketball Blues. A young adult novelist, Chris Crutcher, inspired him with his book, Whale Talk. In it, Crutcher used sports to “framework” more serious teen issues, such as child abuse, racism, and bullying.
In graduate school, Pemberton also learned about nineteenth century philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, and his beliefs on transcendence. Pemberton meshed sports and philosophy together to create his basketball story.
“In the novel, athletic and musical moments of transcendence serve as common ground for the basketball playing Jack and [his mother] Mary Lou, a classically trained musician, and help them navigate through the wreckage left in the wake of her manic episodes,” he explained.
The story is set in the 1970s and focuses on main character, Jack Henderson, a “star basketball player.” Everyone thinks he has it all; but when he starts high school, his mother disappears and is diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. She is often escaping her life when she doesn’t take her medication. The book jacket states, “By Jack’s senior year, love of music and basketball intertwine as mother and son seek solace within the transcendent moments yielded by their twin passions.” These would be music and basketball, respectively.
Pemberton decided to self-publish his novel after receiving rejections on the manuscript from agents and publishers. However, he also received positive feedback, but they ultimately said the time period was not working for them. They were worried about how to market and sell the book.
Then he read an article in the Wall Street Journal about some authors having a lot of success with self-publishing. He decided to stop the query process at that time, paid for a copy editor, cut ten thousand words, and rearranged some chapters. He went t
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Robin Brande,
on 3/27/2012
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I love this description from the Houston Library for the interview I just did with them: “Robin Brande discusses writing,…
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Maybe it’s because it’s spring and that just makes me happy, maybe it’s because the person in the Starbucks drive-through…
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I am happy to announce that Krysten H. won the copy of Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin. Thank you to everyone who left a comment and got excited about this new YA book and debut author as well as her informative post! If you didn’t win, consider purchasing the book for a teen in your life.
Today, I am going to preview a book I am SUPER EXCITED to share with you, but I’m not going to actually share it with you until Thursday. Can you wait that long? Plus, when I do share it, I am also going to be hosting a giveaway for it–you can win it as an e-book or as a hard copy. I will be giving out ONE. The book is. . .
Stranger Moon by Heather Zydek
It’s middle-grade and published by Moth Wing Press.
It has adventure and humor. It has kids that still play together and like to be outside. It has secret clubs and bullies and strangers. I don’t want to tell you too much because I plan to reveal the plot and how you can use it with kids on Thursday. But I will provide a link to it on Amazon, and I am telling you that it is amazing. You will love it and your children/students will love it. I plan to give it 5 stars on Amazon, so stay tuned–you could win it!
To find out more about the author, visit: www.heatherzydek.com
Mark your calendars and come back on Thursday, 3/8 to enter the giveaway for this book!
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I am super excited that I am hosting Meredith Zeitlin today on her blog tour for the wonderful YA book, Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters! I am also excited to tell you that we have a copy to giveaway, so after you read the synopsis and Meredith’s guest post and watch the book trailer, you will be super inspired to write a comment or question to Meredith. Then I will choose one of you lucky commenters to win this book on Sunday night, March (OMG, MARCH, already!!) 4 and announce the winner on Monday. If you are a tweeter, you can also tweet this contest with the hashtag #FrYrDisasters. Then come back and put the URL of your tweet in a comment for another chance to win.
Synopsis:
Let’s say you’re fourteen and live in New York City. You’d think your life would be like a glamorous TV show, right? And yet . . . You don’t have a checking account, much less a personal Black American Express card. You’ve never been to a club, and the only couture in your closet is a Halloween costume your mom made from an old laundry bag.
In other words? You’re Kelsey Finkelstein – fourteen and frustrated. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled. Kelsey wants to rebrand herself for high school to make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny. But just because Kelsey has a plan for greatness . . . it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.
Kelsey’s hilarious commentary and sardonic narration of her freshman year will have readers laughing out loud – while being thankful that they’re not in her shoes, of course.
About the Author: Meredith Zeitlin is a writer and voiceover artist who lives in Brooklyn with two adorable feline roommates. She also writes a column for Ladygunn Magazine, changes her hair color every few months, and has many fancy pairs of spectacles. In case you’re wondering whether any of Kelsey’s experiences are based on Meredith’s own, the answer is NO WAY. When she was fourteen, Meredith looked and behaved perfectly at all times, was never in a single embarrassing situation, and always rode to school on her very own unicorn.
And now a few words from Meredith. . .
When I was twelve or so, pretty much everything my parents – particularly my mother – said to me, suggested, invited me to, or insisted I do seemed to pretty obviously be one more attempt to ruin my entire life. (Don’t worry, parents of teens, I eventually got over it. I even dedicated my book to my mom – although, if we’re splitting hairs here, I’m still pretty sure she’s trying to drive me crazy…)
One of the very few exceptions to the rule was books. My mom and I had a special bond over words and language and reading. My dad wasn’t a big book person; in fact, I never saw him reading one, ever. But my mother was an English teacher and a huge bookworm; and despite the million and one things she did that made it seem impossible to believe she was my real mother, I was always elated when she came home with a new paperback or three for me or invited me to ride with her to the library. And we read each other’s books, too – nothing was off-limits in my house in the literature department. Looking back now, I realize how grown up it made me feel to be allowed to read her books. I can also see how u
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I had my picture book all ready for today’s post, along with my three activities. But I can’t let this time pass without talking about the tragedy of Whitney Houston’s death. It’s on a lot of people’s minds–especially those of us who grew up in the 80s and then saw The Bodyguard over and over again in 1992. My very first concert on my own with my best friend, Kristin, was Whitney at The Muny (outdoor theater in Forest Park) in St. Louis, MO in 1985, right before we started high school. We had to leave before the concert was over because Whitney liked to really add to her songs–extending each one with all sorts of runs and musical interludes. So, she was still playing and we were running to the front of The Muny to be picked up by our parents because we were too young to even drive to the concert.
If you are a girl of the 80s, you know you say, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” and thought of the cute guy in your homeroom. . .
So what’s YA author Ellen Hopkins have to do with Whitney Houston? It hasn’t been confirmed yet how Whitney died, but it is probably going to have something to do with substance abuse. She either mixed something or took to much of something or weakened her body from years of abuse. She had a wonderful talent, a family that loved her, a beautiful child, and she STILL couldn’t find power over drugs. If anyone knows how drugs can effect lives, it’s Ellen Hopkins.
If you aren’t familiar with her books: Crank, Glass, Fallout, they are loosely based on her daughter’s crystal meth addiction. Here’s what she says on her website, “By writing the story from ‘my daughter’s’ perspective, I learned a lot, both about her, and about myself. But I also learned a lot about the nature of addiction, and the physiology of this particular substance. For those struggling with similar addictions, there is help, but the road to recovery is not easy. The addict has to want to get well. Rehabilitation cannot be forced. For those who love someone struggling with addiction, learn as much as you can about
how a substance works on the brain. This will help divorce you from the overwhelming emotion involved.”
Ellen Hopkins’s Crank series of books are powerful. They are written in verse, and they are real. They do not paint a pretty picture of addiction. They’re often banned in close-minded communities, where people don’t want to admit that kids as young as elementary school are involved with drugs and in sexual situations. I believe ALL 8th graders should read these books, maybe even younger–required reading to see what drugs are really like and to see the mess that they can create in your life.
If we start looking at the problem realistically, maybe we can save a few talents, like Whitney. We have to start protecting our children in a different way by educating them on how the “big, bad world” really works.
Thank you, Ellen Hopkins, for the work you do.
R.I.P. Whitney Houston
Today, I'm excited to interview A. C. Gaughen, author of SCARLET!
Scarlet, by A. C. Gaughen arrives February 14, 2012, from Bloomsbury/Walker, for ages 12 and up. And isn't this one of the coolest covers you've ever seen?
Synopsis (from the publisher): Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance, from debut author A. C. Gaughen. Posing as one of Robin Hood's thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. When the heat turns on the band of thieves as the Sheriff of Nottingham seeks revenge, the romance burns strong between Scarlet and her flirtatious fellow outlaws. Helping the people of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It's only her fierce loyalty to Robin-whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her-that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.
 |
| A.C. Gaughen |
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*Young adult, historical fiction novel
*Teenage, African-American cowboy as main character
*Rating: I’m so glad I found Deadwood Jones at my local library! It’s a great book about a very interesting topic and will really appeal to boys.
Short, short summary:
(FROM BOOK JACKET–sorry, busy weekend!): When Prometheus Jones wins a horse with a raffle ticket he got from Pernie Boyd and LaRue Dill, he knows things won’t go smoothly. No way are those two rednecks going to let a black man, even a freeman from the day of his birth, keep that horse. So as soon as things get ugly, he jumps on the horse, pulls his cousin Omer up behind him, and heads off. They hook up with a cattle drive out of Texas heading for Deadwood, South Dakota. Prometheus is a fine hand with a horse and not so bad with a gun, and both skills prove useful as the trip north throws every twist and turn imaginable at the young cowpokes. (It’s a good, old cowboy story!
)
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Allow students to keep a reading response journal while reading this book. There are many issues in it–from the treatment of black cowboys/slaves to traveling West at a young age–when students come upon a passage they feel strongly about, they should write about their feelings in the reading response journal–BEFORE discussing them. Many times, the discussion will be stronger if reactions to the novel are written down first.
2. Compare/contrast the author’s note in the back of the book with what happened in the novel. Did Helen Hemphill do a good job of sharing the “truth” in this historical fiction novel? Students could also do their own research about cowboys if so desired.
3. How does the author paint a picture of the “Wild West” with her words? What type of word choice does she use? Study strong word choice selections as part of a 6 + 1 traits of writing lesson.
REMINDER: My giveaway for a pre-order of a SIGNED hardcover copy of CRACKED by K.M. Walton is still going on! Giveaway closes at 11:59 pm EST on Friday, November 25. Enter
HERE for a chance to win! Kate will be having her launch party at the bookstore where I work in early January, so I will be buying a signed copy to give away.
And even more exciting news: Kate herself is holding a contest for a live action book trailer for CRACKED. Go to
this post on her blog for more info. If you know any film students or budding filmmakers, tell them about the contest! They could win $500 in cash!
* * * * * * * * * * *
Now I'll leave you with a comic that made me laugh out loud, especially since I first saw it the same day I noticed my hometown had already put up their Christmas wreaths on every lamppost.
That was Monday November 15!!
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I love sharing word about great books and writers whose style I adore!
Thanks for word about these four YAs.
Awesome choices Joanne. The only one I read is What's Left of Me. Like you, I read it so quickly. It was that good.
I hadn't heard of Everyday or Lindsay Lost -- but really all of these books sound so good. You always make the best recommendations. Can't wait to check these out.
Thanks for stopping by, Barbara.
Yes, Natalie! Kat Zhang's book is amazing!
Hi Kat! Good to hear from you. Hope you read at least one of these.