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I'm continuing my creative gifts series. This is all about writerly gifts that I've received from others on my journey. I'm extremely wealthy when it comes to receiving these gifts. This week I'm going to talk about Janet Lee Carey.She is a friend and a writing mentor, critique partner. She is also one of the best living fantasy writers. Through critiques, conversations, and reading her books. This week's gift is tapestry, everything is interconnected.
I've read many of Janet's books and love that her characters. They are always part in of this world and part of one another. Janet understands we are not just flesh and bone, there is an immaterial part of being human. STEALING DEATH. I still feel the weight of Kwaja, the sack of souls, main character Kipp has stolen. His family has died in a terrible fire and he stole Kwaja from a grim reaper type to stop death. He will never see another person die. Death disconnects us from whom we love. It must be stopped and yet death cannot be stopped. Pull one thread and the fabric unravels.
We all have these moments in life that transcend the drudgery of day to day living. The warp threads of tapestry are hidden, the stuff that backs everything up. The weft threads create the colorful picture. Janet's characters are not blinded by cold intellect but are lit with light of love. Her series The Wilde Island Chronicles: Dragron's Keep, Dragonswood, and In the Time of Dragon Moon reveals her skill at broad canvas. Janet recreates the Pendragon myth with this series. Tapestry is especially important in the last book, where two hard to weave in threads find their place.
This is vast storytelling at it's best, but what is so important about it, is every thread is given attention. There are no blank spots on this tapestry. Read her books reveal the value of tapestry in writing. You are welcome.
Finally, Janet was one of the precious people who put together their pennies and brought me to Washington State for a writing retreat earlier this year. I had a tough year. My poor noggin' let me down, and I spiraled into Depression. I am much much better now. But just like her characters in her books, she is interconnected to those around her. When I was struggling to swim in the life's ocean with it's seasonal storms. She reached out and put my feet on the ground. She made sure my little warp thread continued to be a part of the tapestry of writing. (Yes, I was a hairbreadth away from never writing another word.) All of are co-creators together. No one is an island. We need all the voices.
I hope you continue your creative work. Weave your threads. I know it is hard work. Don't stop. Our life is so much richer if we create our tapestries of story.
Here are the covers of the Wilde Chronicles!.
Finally a quote for you pocket.
We don't accomplish anything in this world alone... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads form one to another that creates something. Sandra Day O'Conner
Diva Janet Lee Carey's new book, In the Time of Dragon Moon, has a tagline that is irresistible: Beware the dark moon time when love and murder intertwine. Hello! Sold. She's here to tell the tale of her latest cover (my favorite part is a the glorious sunspot at the top!):"Early on I thought the cover would show a dragon circling an eerie full moon. The trouble with that image is, it simply repeats the title and doesn’t show conflict or, more importantly the central characters. (Excellent example of why I was meant to be a writer and not a cover designer!)
"My editor, Kathy Dawson, was kind enough to ask for my ideas. Early on we both agreed we wanted a dragon on the cover, something that alluded to the powerful dragon on the cover of book 1 in the Wilde Island series..."
The day before we #rockthedrop, I wanted to give a shout-out to co-founder Janet Lee Carey for her new release, In the Time of Dragon Moon. Woohoo! I just zoomed it into my own Kindle. :)
Is it not gorgeous? What a special book for readergirlz, as Janet began this series with the publication of Dragon's Keep when we began our online community. Dragonswood soon followed. Here's what VOYA said about the trilogy conclusion:
"A story of courage and romance that readers will not soon forget. While Uma's struggle to help the queen and save her people is intriguing, the depth of her character reaches much further, exploring issues of race, gender, and identity....The text will be a sure favorite of fans of high fantasy."
The launch party was fabbity fantastical:
Katherine Grace Bond, Janet Lee Carey, and Justina Chen
Now, how about the summary:
An epic fantasy about dragons, dark secrets, Pendragons, and magic
On the southernmost tip of Wilde Island--far from the Dragonswood sanctuary and the Pendragon Castle--live the native Euit people. Uma, who is half Euit and half English, and not fully accepted by her tribe, wants to become a healer like her Euit father. But the mad English queen in the north, desperate for another child, kidnaps Uma and her father and demands that he cure her barrenness. After her father dies, Uma must ensure that the queen is with child by the time of the Dragon Moon, or be burned at the stake.
Terrified and alone, Uma reaches out to her only possible ally: the king's nephew Jackrun, a fiery dragonrider with dragon, fairy, and human blood. Together, they must navigate through a sea of untold secrets, unveil a dark plot spawned long ago in Dragonswood, and find a way to accept all the elements--Euit, English, dragon, and fairy--that make them who they are.
Grab this new work, rgz. And then drop a review online, everywhere. Your words matter! Read, reflect, and reach out!
In the Time of Dragon Moon
by Janet Lee Carey
Kathy Dawson Books, 2015
With love from author and rgz co-founder Janet Lee Carey:
Happy 7th Anniversary, readergirlz!
It was an amazing privilege launching
readergirlz with the dream-genius
Justina Chen, the inter-dimensionally talented
Lorie Ann Grover, and the multi-magical
Dia Calhoun back in 2007. The founding divas hit the road in the inaugural year visiting schools and conferences, and created a unique convergent social media home reader/author connection. More talent joined the dynamic
readergirlz team after the writer's siren call drew me away 2008.
1. I lived in Sweden for a year when I was four and learned to ice-skate on the Baltic Sea.
2. Spiders terrify me. I used to make my brothers suck them up with the vacuum cleaner – this made me fear vacuuming. What if the spiders crawled back out to take revenge?
3. I’m often writing in my head even while I’m shopping. This leads to small disasters like discovering I started loading someone else’s cart when I’m halfway through the store.
4. One of my books, Wenny Has Wings, became a feature film in Japan in 2008.
5. I dream of being a mermaid.
6. I try to climb a tree on my birthday each year and remember all the important things in my life starting with my first memory.
7. My cat is a dragon in disguise.
Keep updated on my books and exploits at
my website or on
Facebook or
Goodreads.
How do you fuel your creative kindling?
With dragons, of course!
Janet Lee Carey, author of Dragonswood
is working shop with thirsty writers this Sunday, September 15
at the Poulsbo library.
I'm going!
How's that to fuel my story sparks?
I've gushed over Dragonswood and Dragon's Keep
before.
They are among my top fantasy novels.
Janet writes compelling, wholly satisfying tales
so skillfully woven that I want to re-read them
as soon as I finish.
Northwest writers: if you're in the area, come join me
at this
Field's End event!
Who doesn't need such a creative boost?
After a whirlwind of crazed schoolishness,
I know I do!
Last night was writing night.
I finally sat alone with my manuscript, pen in hand,
distractions tucked away,
ready to blow through with a masterful fury.
But instead of mastery,
I just sat staring into the trees,
letting the wind rush past me
and all my pieces.
No story mastery.
But the space, the air!
The silence!
It was exactly what I needed.
To get me right first.
Do you ever de-fuzz?
It's the kind of work that doesn't count on your timecard,
but still matters!
Apart from our writing, our desires,
our hankerings to be published,
our accomplishments, our parenting,
our quirks and our failings,
we are all the same.
We are all people who need Love and Shelter
and Bread and Breath.
If you are ever busy, frantic, worried, overloaded,
or just stuck in your story,
try taking it down a notch.
Find a quiet place and de-fuzz.
Do something that doesn't "count" on your timecard.
Twirl. Stomp. Laugh.
Take off your socks and shoes. Wiggle your toes.
Paint with water.
Stretch out on the grass.
Watch clouds. Watch stars. Watch people.
Start a sketch notebook, a Favorite Words List, a Myths List,
a Sayings List, a Thankfulness List.
Breathe.
Play with dragons!
Treasure awaits.
A few fiery tales:
The Deliverers of Their Country - E. Nesbit, Lisbeth Zwerger
The Knight and the Dragon - Tomie dePaola
The Reluctant Dragon - Kenneth Grahame, Inga Moore
Saint George and the Dragon - Margaret Hodges, Trina Schart Hyman
My Father's Dragon - Ruth Stiles Gannet
Talking To Dragons - Patricia Wrede (ill. Trina Schart Hyman)
Dealing With Dragons - Patricia Wrede (ill. Trina Schart Hyman)
Evaine turned to face the wizard. "Have you read my destiny in the stars?" "Not your destiny, Evaine, but one that will come long after." "What shall her name be?" Merlin shook his head. "Names are not written in the stars, but destinies. The signs all point to the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island." He stepped to the window and peered into the night. "Three things the stars say of this queen. She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island." He tilted his head. "And yet I see darkly in the stars...a beast." Overview:Princess Rosalind longs to be free of her golden gloves, to feel the breeze blow through the fingers of her bare hands. But she cannot. Her mother, Queen Gweneth, forbids it until such time as a cure can be found. For the gloves conceal a terrible secret - one known only to the two of them. If any other in their dragon-plagued kingdom were to discover her flaw, how could Rosalind become Wilde Island's twenty-first queen, and fulfill the wizard Merlin's 600-year-old prophesy?When the dragon wrenches Rosalind from her home and wings her away to Dragon's Keep, the destiny she has known of all her life - yet never fully understood - unfolds in ways she never saw coming.For Teachers and Librarians:Dragon's Keep has a king's ransom of ways it can be used in your classroom. How about as a launching pad for a unit on early Medieval England? You can develop lessons on the battle for the throne between Empress Matilda and King Stephen, typical castle life/peasant life of the time, modes of travel, and how medical care was administered and by whom, for starters. You can even do a fun mini-lesson on superstitions held during early medieval times.Or how about a language arts unit? Do a few lessons centered around medieval England myth and legend: Merlin, King Arthur and his court, dragons, and prophesy. Delve into the book's story structure and genre: discuss and itentify items such as plot twists, mystery elements, adventure elements, and fantasy elements, and how they work.You could even touch on some science, working the book into a unit on endangered species. How? Dragons are nearly gone from the world in Dragon's Keep. Use this fantasy endangered animal to connect kids to our own endangered animals, and what makes them that way: loss of habitat, misunderstandings of the animal by humans, changing environments that threaten its existence, etc. You could also get a really interesting discussion going about accidental advocacy for an animal. Rosalind comes to Dragon's Keep with a firm set of beliefs about dragons - most of them not pretty. But soon, her forced situation shows her a very different picture of dragons, and it changes her perception, as well as her actions. Perhaps your students could do some research, presenting what they discover about people in the real world who've become unlikely champions of a much-maligned or negatively-perceived animal.But most importantly, Dragon's Keep is a great story, and one your students will have a hard time putting down. For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:Dragon's Keep explores the bonds of family, and the different dynamics that come into play. Some parents will do almost anything for the success and future happiness of their children. But if they're not careful, what starts out as well-intentioned acts can quickly devolve into ones not nearly so noble. Or right. Rosalind's bond with her mother is strong, and at first she believes her mother capable of no wrong. But as the story progresses, Rosalind begins to see that that is not quite so, even as she realizes the Queen does what she does in large part for love of her daughter. Families sometimes have complicated bonds, and navigating those relationships can often be confusing. This book does a balanced job of showing many facets of family relationships, both good and not so good, and how one young girl finds a way to navigate them while not losing her own sense of right and wrong. And equally as important, she learns a lot of things about herself in the process. For the Kids:Dragon's Keep. I know. The book totally had you at "Dragon," didn't it? And when you go out and find this book, and read it, you will pat yourself on the back for your excellent judgement. It not only has dragons, but also kings, and queens, and a princess, and mystery, and adventure, and secrets, and an age-old prophesy, and magic. Here's the deal: Rosalind is a princess with a secret - one her mother believes would cause the kingdom to turn its back on her and her family if anyone were to find out about it. So her mother forces her to hide her flaw with a pair of golden gloves until a cure is found.
But while those golden gloves protect her terrible secret from being discovered, they can't protect her from being snatched by the bloodthirsty dragon that terrorizes the kingdom. He whisks her away to his home, Dragon's Keep. And soon, Rosalind comes to learn that most of what she thought she knew, wasn't quite what it seemed to be.For Everyone Else:Who doesn't love a good story - especially one with connections to the legendary King Arthur? But Dragon's Keep is not just another King Arthur story. It picks up 600 years after Arthur's time, with one of his sister's descendents: a princess with a lofty destiny, but who hides a terrible secret. At least she thinks it is. But when she's snatched away by a dragon, her life takes turns she never thought it would. And then she starts to see her secret, and Merlin's prophesy - and herself - in a whole different way. Wrapping Up:Dragons, a secret, and an age-old prophesy. Mystery, magic, and adventure. Dragon's Keep is full of twists and turns and excitement. It's a book not to be missed. Title: Dragon's KeepAuthor: Janet Lee CareyCover Illustration: Patrick Scullin (dragon) and Cliff Nielsen (hand)Cover Design: Kelly EismannPages: 320Reading Level: Ages 12 and upPublisher and Date: Magic Carpet Books/Harcourt, Inc.Edition: First Magic Carpet Books edition, 2008Language: EnglishPublished In: United StatesPrice: $7.95ISBN-10: 015206401XISBN-13: 978-0-15-206401-3
Janet Lee Carey's desire to become a writer grew from a love of books she had acquired from the time she was small:"I always loved reading. After school, I'd rush home and settle myself in the high branches of a tree to read all about Narnia or Middle-earth. Every book was a secret door and I wanted in."
She began writing poetry in eighth grade. That and her journal writing ultimately led her to write novels beginning in her late 20's. Though she currently writes fantasy fiction for children and adults, she leaves herself open to the stories that reveal themselves to her - fantasy, or otherwise.Ms Carey often fields questions about writing via letters, during presentations, or in emails, and she answers many of these on the FAQ page of her official website. On the subject of where to get story ideas, she offers several thoughts, including this one:"I think most of the stories wait down inside a person, like a secret storyteller. Things that happen in the outside world awaken the storyteller, and suddenly she begins to speak. So it's not so much a matter of making the stories up, as learning how to sit very still, and listen."
In her career, Janet Lee Carey has taught at Lake Washington Technical College, and leads professional writing seminars and workshops for both children and adults. She has written eight novels for kids and teens - each of which is linked to a charitable organization, "empowering readers," she says, "to make a difference in the world." She has won various awards for her novels, including: the Mark Twain Award in 2005 for Wenny Has Wings (published in 2002), an ALA Best Books for Young Adults award for Dragon's Keep (published in 2007), and a Teens Read Too Gold Star Award for Excellence for The Dragon of Noor (published in 2012).Born in New York on July 13, 1955, and raised in Mill Valley, California, Ms Carey now lives near Seattle, Washington. She is married, with 3 sons. When not writing, she enjoys hiking, swimming, canoeing, reading, yoga, spending time with family, and taking long walks. Sources:Janet Lee Carey official site - About the AuthorJanet Lee Carey - WikipediaSeattle Author: An Imagination Gone Wild - Seattle WroteAuthor Interview: Janet Lee Carey - The Magic AtticAuthor Interview: Janet Lee Carey on Dragon's Keep - CynsationsAuthor Janet Lee Carey - Watch. Connect. Read.
Happy Earth Day! And welcome to day three of Janet Lee Carey’s interview. Yesterday we promised to look into how world building can bring about change on our own planet earth.
CE: What is your process for world-building?
JLC: The fictional world has to be put to the real-world “sludge and roses” test. It should be as wild, beautiful, dangerous and messy as our own world.
Building from the ground up, I use what I know from the natural world, from natural history and human history to create a believable world and complex society. The setting usually plays a large role, challenging the characters in some way. For Stealing Death, I created a country, Zolya, decimated by ongoing drought. I studied drought-ridden Africa where I saw how arid farmlands, thirst, and lack of clean drinking water can shape a whole society. By page one the drought has already pushed my main character, Kipp, to the very edge of existence. We sense the Death Catcher is not far away.
World-building for The Dragons of Noor began with book one The Beast of Noor, but creation/recreation is ongoing. In the second book, Noor is threatened by the loss of the ancient forest and by the storms brought on by the splitting worlds.
CE: For Earth Day you promised to share how world-building for fantasy worlds can lead to change in our own world.
JLC: The Dragons of Noor have an environmental disaster on their hands. The ancient Waytrees retain deep history in their roots and bind the two worlds of Noor and Oth together. The dragons have been guarding the last Waytree forest for generations:
When the Waytree bridges fall,
Roots die binding all to all. ~ Dragons’ Song
When men come to cut down the trees, the two worlds split farther apart. The splitting worlds unleash quakes and horrendous storms, and the old magic sends a wild wind out that steals young children. Miles and Hanna join with the dragons to try and stop the devastation before the two worlds completely split apart.
I did a lot of research about the state of old growth forests to write the tale and was appalled at what I learned. According to Eco Evaluator “Almost 80% of the world’s old-growth forests have been exploited or completely destroyed. . . Each year, about 25 million acres of ancient and endangered forests in the world are being cleared.”
I usually do some kind of charitable outreach with each book release so I already knew I had to link myself and my readers up to some solution. I chose the Nature Conservancy’s Plant A Billion Trees Campaign.
Plant a Billion Trees goal: to restore one billion native trees to Brazil’s highly endangered Atlantic Forest over the next 7 years. “Tropical forests are the lungs of the earth, filtering out ten million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. Every day these valuable trees help reduce global warming.”
Growing up under towering redwoods, I’ve always been close to trees. I believe trees are vital. Our bodies, hearts, and brains need their silent majesty, green boughs, and shade. Trees are rooted in humankind’s childhood. When we cut them down we se
Today I’m chatting with Janet Lee Carey, the author of a seven fabulous middle grade and young adult novels, including Dragon’s Keep (starred reviews in Booklist and School Library Journal) Stealing Death, and the Beasts of Noor series. Janet writes contemporary and historical fiction, but has most recently received critical acclaim for her fantasy novels. School Library Journal said, “Verdict: This is quite simply fantasy at its best–original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving.”
Janet will be visiting The Spectacle for three days, culminating in a special Earth Day post on Friday. We are also doing a book giveaway, so stop by every day, but most of all be sure to post a comment on Friday to be entered in a drawing for The Dragons of Noor, the sequel to The Beasts of Noor.
CE: Tell us about your book.
JLC: The Dragons of Noor is based on brokenness—two worlds breaking apart, the breaking of a dragon treaty that protected the Waytree forest, the breaking of a family when the youngest child is stolen by the wind . . . It’s my seventh novel for young readers, and the second Noor book. In this tale Miles and Hanna try to “bind what’s broken”. They join the dragons’ fight to save the Waytree forest—the ancient trees that bind the two worlds. If they fail and the last Waytrees fall, the worlds will split in two. All magic will go out of Noor, and their little brother will be forever lost.
The Dragons of Noor Teens Read Too Gold Star Award Winner
CE: Why did you choose to write in this genre? What inspires you?
JLC: People say my fantasy reads like novelized fairytales, though the tales are my own. I feel as if the genre chose me. When I’m lucky, a story idea hits me like cupid’s arrow. I’m shot with love and wonder and go into what my family calls a “Janet trance.” This happened with The Dragons of Noor. The idea started with a daydream of a Wild Wind blowing children up into the sky and over the sea like windblown leaves. I thought I’d write a fairytale about it, but, as usual, the story became a full-length novel.
Inspiration to write fantasy came early. As a child I climbed my “reading tree” with favorite books. In the branches I was swept into Narnia, Middle-earth, and other magical lands. I loved going on these journeys and wanted to grow up booking passage to faraway places for other young readers. I’m continually inspired by Ursula K. LeGuin, Juliet Marillier, Patricia A. McKillip, Kristin Cashore, Robin McKinley, Franny Billingsley…. I could go on and on.
CE: Are there special challenges in writing speculative fiction? How do you deal with them?
JLC: The most difficult challenge is to make the story fresh. A poet faces the challenge to write an original love poem. Fantasy writers are challenged to do something new with archetypal beings like dragons.
I enjoy the challenge to make my dragons fresh. Dragons are like nature unleashed. If a hurricane were an animal, it would be a dragon. Their age and size, their very otherness puts me in awe. Knowing they are both keenly intelligent and wild animals, I spend as much time and care on the dragons’ personalities as I do on my human characters.
CE: How have publishers reacted to your work?
JLC: After writing realistic fiction, I had a hard time breaking into fantasy, but I’m bullheaded, I kept persisting. I fought through rejection like th
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By:
Melissa Walker,
on 4/14/2011
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The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.
Today, Priya reviews The Dragons of Noor by one of the original readergirlz founders, Janet Lee Carey!
"The old and ancient trees of Noor
are dying, and the worlds of Noor and Oth are slowly tearing apart. Magic has started to disappear from Noor, and a mysterious and fierce wind has been picking up young children and carrying them away. Miles, his sister Hanna, and his friend Taunier, determined to find out what's going on and save Noor and Oth, travel to the forests of Jarrosh. There, they find the exiled dragons, who aid them in their quest to preserve the trees and 'break beyond the boundaries of self to discover the ancient magic joining all to all.'
"The Dragons of Noor was one of the best books I've read this year. What I love about Janet Lee Carey's writing, and this series in particular, are the imaginative and fantastical worlds that the reader is introduced to. In this book, we get to see more of Noor and Oth as well as explore the ancient history between the two. The scenes are so magically and culturally rich, with original creatures and foreign words, songs, and customs..."
Read the rest of this review on Priya's blog.
Hello, readergirlz!
I'm so happy to see you. I've been away from book events for too long, so I was very glad for the chance to celebrate rgz co-founder
Janet Lee Carey's latest book, Dragons of Noor! The party happened last night at
Parkplace Books. It was a night full of celebration, yummy food, and giving to
Plant a Billion Trees.
Children fly when worlds are shaken.
Now the children are Wind-taken.
Seek them there,
seek them here,
before the children disappear.
- Janet Lee Carey
How cute and foresty does Janet look? This is her with the amazing Chinese dragon her sister made years ago . . . Janet is looking surprised because she's just realized
how many years ago. In dragon years, it's not really all that many. Janet explained that, to her, dragons are "conscious nature". I love that, don't you?
The party was full of characters. Literally. Favorites from the book came to life!
The party was also full of friends, readers and rgz Divas! Here's YA author
Mary Jane Beaufrand with our own
Holly and YA author
Heather Davis. Holly did amazing face painting, and MJ and Heather are decked out with Noorish accessories.
What a blast. I'm constantly amazed by the talent of our rgz founders!
See you soon, girlz!
Hooray, the dragons are on the shelf! I'm very very very excited (can you tell how excited I am?) to invite my dear friend Janet Lee Carey, one of the most amazing authors and one of my own mentors, to Story Secrets today to talk about her latest YA fantasy, DRAGONS OF NOOR.
It's epic. It's wonderful. I've been incredibly fortunate to get to hear this book from the very beginning, so it's like watching a beloved niece or nephew go off to high school. It's here!
You must read it.
Plus, if you are in the Seattle area, you can come to the launch party at Kirkland Parkplace Books on Saturday, October 23rd, at 7pm!
Ok, enough strongarming...er, recommending. But Janet is wonderful. She contributed to my Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market article, "Telling Your Secrets!" She's the author of STEALING DEATH and DRAGONSKEEP. You will love them. She was also one of the original four co-founders of readergirlz!
Welcome, Janet!
*****
Miles, Hanna, and Taunier are swept into a new adventure in the haunting sequel to THE BEAST OF NOOR. The tale begins when a mysterious wind steals Miles’s and Hanna’s younger brother Tymm. Tymm and other wind-stolen children are swept east across the sea. The three teens sail after Tymm blown by the wind into a Dragon war. Siding with the Dragons of Noor fighting to save the ancient trees is the only way to bridge the broken worlds, the only way to reach the missing children.
Holly Cupala: I love to hear the stories behind the story – how did you come up with the idea for DRAGONS?
Janet Lee Carey: THE DRAGONS OF NOOR began with a daydream. In a kind of trance, I saw a mysterious wind sweep in, steal a child and blow him across the sky. I followed the dream to see what lay behind it. As I asked questions the dream expanded on paper. I was soon traveling across the Noor Sea with Miles, Hanna, and Taunier to find Miles’s and Hanna’s little brother. When I began I didn’t know they’d meet up with Dragons who were fighting their own fierce battle, I didn’t know how the Dragon’s battle for the last great forest of Noor intertwined with the missing children...
Read more about Janet and the dragons here...
~Holly Cupala
Original Readergirl Janet Lee Carey's Stealing Death is newly out in paperback! In a starred review, School Library Journal called the book "fantasy at its best--original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving." (And you have a chance to win it!)
Here's Janet to talk about the two different covers:
"I had some ideas for the STEALING DEATH hardback (left); Kipp standing in front of his burning house with his arms out to prevent the Death Catcher from taking his family, or just a hand stealing a black sack (the Death Catcher's soul sack). I'm glad now the artists didn't go with either of those images. Both the HB and the PB covers focused on the characters and the ghost mare, ChChka, Kipp steals to make his getaway.
"The artists for the HB and the PB wanted to capture the right Zolyan clothing for Kipp who starts the story as a farm laborer, and for Zalika who goes from a high class landlord's daughter to escaped prisoner in nomadic dress.
"When queried about their clothing for the PB, I sent links like this one Ethiopian Women focusing on the pics with more traditional dress from the site.
"The Zolyan landscape was modeled on the arid climate in Sub-Saharan Africa. I looked to the more traditional clothing in pics of men and women living in drought conditions. Images speak. The desperate living conditions I saw in the photos spurred me on to get involved with PlayPumps now a part of Water For People. I also challenged readers to get involved on the 'giving back' page on my website.
"My first response to the HB cover = Magical! The night flight on ChChka captured the adventurous aspect of novel, as well as the romance between Kipp and Zalika. It didn't evoke the darker elements of the novel. Later feedback said the image appealed more to younger teens than older teens, so they changed the paperback..."
See the paperback cover and hear more of Janet's story, plus enter to win a copy of the book, at melissacwalker.com.
As well as having Kristin Cashore as this month's featured author, readergirlz has some other exciting stuff coming up:
rgz Launch Party with Janet Lee Carey!
Join the STEALING DEATH Launch Party with rgz co-founder, Janet Lee Carey on Wednesday, September 30, at 6 p.m. Pacific/9 p.m. Eastern! We’ll be chatting about her new fantasy release. The chat will be over at the readergirlz blog.
****
We are happy to announce our very first Author in Residence,
Beth Kephart. This critically acclaimed, gracious writer will be on the rgz team through December. Check out her mini-issue at the
rgz website. Watch our blog for
Beth’s monthly vlog entries about writing, which will include contests! See her first post
here.
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Teen Read Week Tribute!
Do you love
YALSA's Teen Read Week? Let it out at your blog through a
post or vlog, then send the link to
[email protected]. Subject line: Your name, TRW Tribute. We’ll collect all the contributions and post them at the rgz blog in a 24 hour time span. Tell us about your recent release, or a book you love dearly, and then give a shout out for Teen Read Week. The tribute will run
October 23!
And here's a sneak preview for the awesome
Teen Read Week event we're planning at readergirlz! (Remember last year?) And do we have an unbelievable lineup! Stay tuned for more info later this month...
By:
Peggy King Anderson,
on 5/28/2009
Blog:
A Sound from My Heart
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Our Western Washington SCBWI conference is two weeks in the past now, and still some of the wonderful snippets of wisdom and tantalizing tips stick in my mind, and continue to to nourish me.
I'll not forget Nina Laden (ROMEOW AND DROOLIET) reminding us, "If you don't make mistakes, you may not make anything."
And Deb Lund (MONSTERS ON MACHINES) reading her unforgettable poem about that inner voice that harasses us as we write, and summing it up by telling us, "Sometimes we have to revise our own story, that story we tell ourselves."
Krista Marino, Senior Editor at Delacorte, reminded us to take cute out of our dictionary, when talking about children's books.
Nathan Bransford (Agent, Curtis Brown Ltd.) gave us his pet peeves for story beginnings: Don't start your book with
- the weather
- your character waking up
- looking in the mirror
- sarcastic characters (too flip and negative)
Steven Malk (Agent, Writer's House) says it's great to be
aware of trends, but don't
write to them.
He also advised us to be nice to everyone, not only because it's the right thing to do, but also because you never know when that editorial assistant may become the Senior Editor.
Kelly Sonnack (Agent, Andrea Brown Literary) told us to avoid
- forced pace-building (suddenly, quickly, at that moment)
- copious tears (only one tear per story)
- faces draining white or blushing
- exclamation points!
Justina Chen (NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL) encouraged us to "say yes to the emotional truths of your heart."
And Sundee Frazier (BRENDAN BUCKLEY'S UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT) told us she has to write, that she cannot deny that creative part of her being. "I could not deny the One who created me."
I've offered just a few nibbles of that wonderful feast that was spread before us at our unforgettable
Feed Your Genius conference. Now fully fueled, it's back to work. Happy writing, everyone!
Picture above: Some of my favorite people in the whole world--Molly Blaisdell, Janet Lee Carey, me, Katherine Grace Bond, Holly Cupala, all members of our Diviner Writing Group, all of us enjoying the Conference Feast
By: Erin,
on 3/13/2009
Blog:
Miss Erin
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I'm taking a few posts to discuss novel writing. This is again a nuts and bolts week for my blog. I will focus on personal experience with an eye on the universal. This week I'm discussing my methodology of writing. I came across a Japanese efficiency method called Kaizen that calls for gradual incremental changes. The heart of this philosophy is that every area of life can be improved. This philosophy absolutely mirrors how I write books. The Kaizen philosophy embraces five foundational elements: team work, personal discipline, improved morale, quality circle, suggestions for improvement. I find these elements are essential to writing a book.
First team work, this is the reason why building writing clips is so necessary to your writing life. You need the experience of working on a team, even if it's just you and your editor. Writing a book is not something I want to do in an ivory tower which I descend from every 10 years with one of the great masterpieces of the world. My mojo is born out of teamwork. A vibrant team environment is the star nursery of greatness.
The next element is personal discipline. You must write every day. I have found that I can lean on the experience of discipline in other areas of my life to help me become a more disciplined writer. I especially like to think about the mountains of laundry I have folded, the large concrete floors I have busted out, the many chemical reactions I have balanced, and the thousands of diapers I've dealt with -- obviously the spark for personal discipline can come from many places. Without building on a project in a daily incremental way the piece will lack focus and cohesion.
Another element is improved morale. You've got to have a positive attitude to write books. Listen, I'm cup half empty sort of person, so I find this a personal challenge. Thankfully, over time, I have learned how to keep myself up at least part of the time. I take time to celebrate every success. When I write a query, I give myself props. If I write a page, I then take time to experience the pleasure of having added to my project. If no big stuff is on the horizon, I pick a little thing that I'm sure I can achieve and then go for it. I let myself laugh with glee and cry with joy when I achieve a new milestone: a started story, a completed story, a submitted story -- I take time to improve my morale.
Quality is a piece of the writing equation that I long avoided but now embrace. I've found many writers focus on the big picture but neglect the details. You must become a person with finesse when it comes to grammar and vocabulary. For me this has meant worksheet after worksheet of grammar related exercises. It means taking the time to go through each manuscript with a thesaurus and doing whatever I can to punch up the language. This is technical stuff, folks. Every word shades your meaning. Words must be chosen with great care. Grammar also shades your meaning. My best advice: invest in the quality of your writing.
The last piece of this: seeking suggestions for improvement or critique. I have found that to create top notch work you need to listen to the sensibility of your readers. Open yourself to the opinion of others. Listen to them and revise with their thoughts in mind. Expect to have more critique in the end than the length of the novel. Expect for each novel to go through two or more critiques. Try to keep a balance. Your intent should be twined together with the advice of your peers. There is excellence to be achieved by relating to the critiques of others.
I hope that you have found something useful here. Happy writing.
Constant dripping hallows out a stone. Lucretius
By request of Janet Lee Carey, I'm adding a little feature to my weekly blog.
I'm a lifelong doodler. So...
From the imagination of Molly Blaisdell: Doodle of the Week
©Molly Blaisdell, all rights reserved. If you want to use my cool doodles ask permission first. It is so wrong to take people's doodles without permisison!
Meeting Shannon Hale and Libba Bray was only the beginning of my Seattle fun! I also was so blessed to be able to celebrate my 17th birthday while there. I hosted a little party, and in attendence were: Three readergirlz divas (Janet Lee Carey, Dia Calhoun, Lorie Ann Grover), Holly Cupala, Jackie, Ellen and Emily (Lorie Ann's daughters) my aunt, my grandma and my mom.
The party was a blast! There were lots of fun games (you can read about one game over at Holly's blog)....
And lots of laughing....
One readergirlz diva, Justina Chen Headley, was out of town, and therefore unable to attend. However, Lorie Ann dialed her up on her cell and I was able to talk to her! That was very cool and happymaking.
Janet is bold and funny....
Lorie Ann is just wonderful....
Dia is so sweet....
I also performed a couple of Wicked (the musical) songs for them, including "For Good". Which made everyone (including myself...didn't know if I could make it through, for a sec) choked up, but in a good way.
It was a very special day, and I'm so thankful to have been able to finally meet these amazing mentors and friends!
Another book I read on an airplane this summer was Janet Lee Carey's Dragon's Keep. And, thank goodness. Dragon's Keep kept the nerves away as we bounced through the Midwest on the edge of a thunderstorm in a tiny CRJ.
Dragon's Keep is set on a fictional Wilde Island in 1145. Carey explains why the setting is significant to the story in an interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations:
"I faced a number of challenges with Dragon's Keep because I wanted the fantasy to be set during the time of England's civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. The story takes place on Wilde Island, a fictitious English prison colony, but the historical events occurring in England are significant because the central character's mother is convinced Princess Rosalind will wed Empress Matilda's son. The conflict of England's civil war mirrors the mother/daughter conflict on Wilde Island and the dragon's interference heats things up all the more."
Told from Princess Rosalind's point of view, Dragon's Keep begins as Rosalind's mother, Queen Gweneth, trims the nail on the fourth finger of Rosalind's right hand. Rosalind is nearly of marriageable age and the Queen has big plans for Rosalind--that she'll become Queen of England as predicted by Merlin himself. The only problem is Rosalind's fourth finger. It's a dragon's claw.
The Queen attempts to cure Rosalind by hiring all manner of healers and Rosalind is subjected to brutal treatment. The claw is dangerous not only because it could hurt Rosalind's chances for marriage, but also because the colony has been terrorized by a dragon for years. Moreover, it seems as if the claw is cursed: anyone who catches glimpse of it dies within a day.
When the envoys from Empress Mathilda arrive and kill the female dragon who has feasted off Wilde Island, Rosalind's life changes overnight. First, she finds herself drawn to the young dragonslayer, a boy named Kye. Second, while at the celebratory feast, she helps the male dragon save a clutch of dragon eggs, for it turns out that the dragon claw gives Rosalind the ability to communicate with the dragons and the female dragon's partner seeks her help. Rosalind finds herself charged with saving the dragons and Wilde Island.
Dragon's Keep is an exciting tale and Rosalind a true hero. Not only is she brave and ready to take action, but she also sacrifices her own safety and comfort on the behalf of the people of Wilde Island. Most impressive is the feel of Dragon's Keep. Carey has brough 1145 to life for young readers in all its vitality, darkness, and brutality.
Dragon's Keep is highly recommended for children ages twelve and up.
Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey, (Harcourt, 2007)
The first time I saw this book mentioned was on Miss Erin's blog. I was struck by the outstanding cover (I continue to be fascinated by the job book designers do) and frankly, anything with "dragon" in the title is automatically interesting to me.
After I finished reading it, I emailed some junior high librarian friends and suggested they seriously consider putting it on their next order. Click here: Mackin customers / Follett customers
One of them emailed me this week to point out that School Library Journal has agreed with me and has given the book a "starred" review. In Wall Street lingo, that is a "buy" signal.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Rosalind's mother believes Merlin's prophecy from centuries earlier that stated her daughter would "... redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island." She goes to great lengths to have a child and will protect her daughter's future, no matter what it takes.
As the future twenty-first queen of Wilde Island, Rosalind is prepared to marry an English prince when the time comes and re-integrate her family line with the English court. Her branch of the royal family tree was outlawed by King Arthur hundreds of years earlier. There is just one little problem. Instead of a ring finger on her left hand, she has a dragon claw. Only her mother and Rosalind know about her hand and her mother devises a fashion of wearing gloves to hide the "disfigurement" because even a princess might be taken for a witch if the secret got out.
This is a story of obsession in many ways. In her efforts to see her daughter gain the throne, Rosalind's mother will do anything, not unlike the headline-making "cheerleader mom."
Rosalind is obsessed by what she perceives as a physical flaw and desperately endures "cures" from physicians, who are not allowed to know her specific ailment, in hopes of fixing it. This echoes news stories today about the growing number of young adults seeking cosmetic surgery.
Carey's plotting is complex and riveting. Her characters are real and compelling.
First rate!
Thank you, thank you, thank you Harcourt for remembering my request at TLA and sending it to me.
Interview with Janet Lee Carey at Cynsations
Janet Lee Carey Website
Janet Lee Carey spent far too much time in school staring out the window dreaming of imaginary worlds. Her teachers worried she'd never be able to get a "real job." Fortunately her "real job" requires a lot of staring out the window dreaming of imaginary worlds, and sometimes her imaginary worlds become books that earn starred reviews! She's published five books including Wenny Has Wings (Atheneum, 2002), winner of the 2005 Mark Twain Award, The Beast of Noor (Atheneum, 2006), a NY Library Best Books for the Teenage 2007, and fall Book Sense pick, and Dragon's Keep (Harcourt, 2007)(excerpt) which earned a School Library Journal starred review and a Booklist starred review. Janet also teaches novel writing, speaks in the U.S. and abroad, and yes, she even cooks and cleans and takes out the trash now and again because writers don't life in ivory towers. Her website is www.janetleecarey.com. See also a Cynsations interview of the Readergirlz divas.
What about the writing life first called to you?
Creating stories is deeply satisfying. I love every part of the process. Every book provides new challenges and gives me a new mystery to solve.
What made you decide to write for young readers?
A lot of adults have pretty solid opinions about themselves and the world. I find children and teens interesting because they're still growing and open to new ideas.
Could you tell us about your path to publication--any sprints or stumbles along the way?
Oh, it's been more like long distance running than sprints, but yes to the stumbles part. Like most writers, I faced many years of rejection before I sold my first novel. It's one reason why I keep the book Rotten Rejections edited by Andre Bernard (Pushcart Press, 1990) within easy reach.
Congratulations on Dragon's Keep (Harcourt, 2007)! What was your initial inspiration for this book?
I thought I'd write a fairytale that turned the "perfect princess" model on its head by mixing the princess and dragon together. The short fairytale fattened up to fifty pages, then to one hundred, and so on until I had to face the fact that I was writing a novel.
What was the timeline from spark to first publication, and what were the major events along the way?
Dragon's Keep went through a lot of permeations. My first draft was about five hundred pages (a length that makes any editor shudder). I couldn't sell the early draft, so I revised it over and over again for, cough, nine years! I had to cut hundreds of pages and find the perfect opening before it finally sold. I was thrilled when Kathy Dawson, bought it for Harcourt! Dragon's Keep was the first fantasy Kathy ever acquired. It also found a home with Julia Wells at Faber and Faber in the U.K. and will come out there this summer under the title Talon.
What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing it to life?
I faced a number of challenges with Dragon's Keep because I wanted the fantasy to be set during the time of England's civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. The story takes place on Wilde Island, a fictitious English prison colony, but the historical events occurring in England are significant because the central character's mother is convinced Princess Rosalind will wed Empress Matilda's son. The conflict of England's civil war mirrors the mother/daughter conflict on Wilde Island and the dragon's interference heats things up all the more.
I also found writing Dragon's Keep in first person somewhat challenging, but it couldn't have been written any other way. I'd like to give a hat's off here to Karen Cushman for her delicious first person novel Catherine Called Birdy (Clarion Books, 1994).
What advice do you have for beginning novelists?
Apprentice yourself to the story. Believe in the idea and the characters. Write it from the inside out--from the core of the character's desire. Don’t think about marketing your work--just work. Write, revise then seek a good critique group for feedback. When you've revised the manuscript again it's time to start marketing your work.
How about those with a strong interest in writing fantasy?
The same answer as above. It's all about finding the unique stories you want and need to tell. Of course the other part of the apprenticeship is to read well-written books within and beyond your chosen genre. Writers need to study other word craftsmen. They need to see how they handle descriptive prose, transitions, action scenes, characterization, dialogue, and how they weave all these threads into a single seamless story.
How do you balance your role as a writer (research, writing, revision) and as an author (marketing, contracts, promotion)?
I try to begin the day with meditation, good, strong tea, journaling and writing. Ray Bradbury's advice in Zen in the Art of Writing (Joshua Odell Editions, 1990) is to go directly from your bed to your writing desk in order to keep your "morning mind," the part of you that dreams, and capture that on paper.
I agree, though I admit I nearly always do a quick e-mail check. First because my editors are in N.Y. and the U.K. and their time zones are ahead of mine. And second because I like to see what's happening with readergirlz. The trick is not to get sucked into the afternoon work (marketing, contracts, speaking engagements, promotion) before I get my morning writing done. Am I perfect at all this? Far from it. Sometimes I work on everything but the novel. It's rather nasty to leave a character dangling from a dragon's claw for five or six days while I work on other aspects of the business, but ah, well.
What do you love about your writing life?
I love losing myself inside the story I'm writing. When it's going well, I'm in a timeless state.
What is its greatest challenge?
Meeting deadlines. (Did I mention juggling balls?)
What are some of your favorite recent reads by other authors and why?
I love fantasy, historical fiction and realistic fiction.
For fantasy I have to mention the one I recently finished. It's the fifth book in the Earthsea series, The Other Wind by Ursula K. LeGuin (Harcourt, 2001). I think LeGuin's writing is rich and deep and thrilling.
The best historical fiction book I recently read was The Splendor of Silence by Indu Sundaresan (Atria Books, 2006). It's a powerful story of forbidden love that takes place in WWII India.
Finally I've had the privilege to read the advanced reader copy of Justina Chen Headley's upcoming book, Girl Overboard (Little Brown, 2008). I loved her fresh characterization and inspiring wordplay. Note: Writers read for story, but we also read for the splendor of well-crafted prose, so we're sometimes hard to please.
What do you do when you're not writing?
I'm kind of a homebody so I like hanging out with friends and family. I also enjoy long walks, reading and yoga. We have a beautiful garden. If I were a good girl I'd be out there pulling weeds right now, but I'd much rather be answering these interview questions. Thus, the weeds are winning the garden war. Ray Bradbury could easily make Dandelion Wine from the hearty weeds in my yard.
What can your fans look forward to next?
I just finished revising The Ancients. I actually sent it off yesterday which is why I'm finally getting back to this review today (did I mention juggling?). The Ancients is the sequel to The Beast of Noor. It's due out in summer 2008. In this tale, someone or something is poisoning the ancient Waytrees that hold the worlds of Noor and Oth together. Miles and Hanna sail east to Jarrosh and join the dragons in their fight to keep the worlds from splitting apart. I loved writing The Ancients and can't wait for it to hit the shelves!
Readergirlz on Readergirlz:
Dia Calhoun is the winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature. She is the author of five young adult fantasy novels, three of which are ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Her books are Avielle of Rhia (Marshall Cavendish, 2006), The Phoenix Dance (FSG, 2005), White Midnight (FSG, 2003), Aria of the Sea (FSG, reprint edition 2003), and Firegold (FSG, reprint edition 2003). When she isn't writing, Dia sings Italian arias, fly-fishes, and canoes down the Pacific Northwest's beautiful rivers. She lives with her husband and two frisky cats in Tacoma, Washington. Learn more at www.diacalhoun.com.
Janet Lee Carey spends her time crafting magic on the page. She's published five books including Wenny Has Wings (Atheneum, 2002), winner 2005 Mark Twain Award, The Beast of Noor (Atheneum, 2006), a fall Book Sense pick, and Dragon's Keep (Harcourt, 2007), which has a Booklist starred review. She also teaches novel writing to writers young and old, speaks in the U.S. and abroad, and yes, she even cooks and cleans and takes out the trash now and again because writers don't live in ivory towers. Her website is www.janetleecarey.com.
Lorie Ann Grover is the author of three Margaret K. McElderry-Simon & Schuster verse novels: Loose Threads (2002), a Booklist Top Ten First Novel for Youth; On Pointe (2004), a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year; and Hold Me Tight (2005), a VOYA Top Poetry Pick. Visit her at www.lorieanngrover.com.
Justina Chen Headley is the author of Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies)(Little Brown, 2006)(author interview), which was sold at auction. It's been named New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best, a Borders Original Voices nominee and a Book Sense pick. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children. Learn more at www.justinachenheadley.com.
Congratulations on the launch of readergirlz! Could you tell us more about it?
Dia: Readergirlz is a new-online book community celebrating gutsy girls in life & lit. We want girls to read and reach out--and be tomorrow's history. That's why every month we're featuring a different YA novel with a super strong female protagonist AND a related community service project.
Each month an issue goes up on our website (readergirlz.com) with a book party package. The package includes discussion questions; menu, decorating ideas, and playlist related to the book; an interview with the readergirlz divas and the author; a list of related books; and the community service project. We host a discussion forum on our MySpace group site (groups.myspace.com/readergirlz) where girls can discuss the book with the author, the readergirlz divas, and each other. We also have a LiveJournal page at readergirlz.livejournal.com. We have all kinds of ways for girls to participate.
Our inaugural March issue features Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) by Justina Chen Headley, which has an ugly racist incident. So the featured community service project is for girls to apply for Mix It Up grants at Tolerance.org to tear down racial and social boundaries at school.
What are the particular needs of girls who read?
Janet: Girls who read are thinkers and dreamers. They know how to climb into another person's skin--that ability builds compassion. Girls who read need ways to express what they're learning. By providing cool community service choices with every book, readergirlz gives them a chance to move beyond the books and take action. That's empowerment!
What was your initial inspiration?
Justina: When I was out on my book tour last spring, I made an effort to visit urban high schools that couldn't otherwise afford an author. I was shocked and heartbroken--all these incredibly insightful kids with incredibly impoverished libraries and schools. I knew that I could figure out a way to provide teens--regardless of their socio-economic situation--with a rich author experience.
What was the timeline from spark to launch, and what were the major events along the way?
Lorie Ann: Justina conceived the idea for readergirlz nine months ago while touring for Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies). Her charitable visits to inner city schools inspired the idea of reaching teens across the country despite socio-economic status.
Listening to librarians at a NCTE panel further motivated Justina to take action. Four months ago, she approached Janet, Dia, and me with the concept. We divied up duties according to our skills and set to work creating our sites, logo, materials, and marketing plans.
Our first celebration in January was a sneak peek at the Midwinter ALA conference. The reception from librarians was unbelievable! Offering a book club, with party ideas, and community service interested many.
Webdiva, Little Willow, soon joined our ranks, and our website became a reality. Our MySpace members rose to 500, and the press began to take notice in February. The divas were busy with multiple interviews in one week!
Quickly, our March 1st launch arrived. Our inaugural issue was posted at our website. With 848 members, 109 comments gathered, and 446 readergirlz chatting about gutsy girls in lit, readergirlz was a reality! I love zipping over to our forums and seeing the great dialogue being exchanged. There's the heart of our work in action!
What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing it to life?
Dia: There were--and still are--many challenges! The literary challenges--choosing the right books for the readergirlz list. We are reading like crazy and consulting children's literature experts—librarians and bloggers--and teens themselves to find the right books. We think that there are twelve things that girls need to be armed with before they launch into the real world, among these are tolerance, healthy bodies and spirits, and self-acceptance. You'll see books that reflect these core values.
We had huge technical challenges--none of the readergirlz divas was very tech savvy, and we needed a website, a MySpace site, and a LiveJournal site. Major kudos to Lorie Ann Grover for becoming our technical wizard. Thanks also to Little Willow, our wonderful and generous webdiva. There were many other challenges: marketing, designing a logo, making promotional materials; handling appearances and press relations; e-newsletter and database management; and copywriting. And finally, the biggest challenge of all—trying to keep writing during the onslaught of readergirlz work!
What are your hopes and plans for readergirlz in the future?
Janet: Strong girl characters empower girls everywhere. I hope readergirlz builds a worldwide community of thinking girls who read and respond--girls who cheer each other on and support each other’s dreams.
Lorie Ann: I hope that girls across the country form readergirlz groups, where they can discuss great books, feel empowered, and reach out into their communities. I hope the solitary readers connect through our sites and feel a sense of belonging. Bottom line: I hope we all inspire each other to be our best.
Could you briefly tell us about your own books?
Janet: Dragon's Keep is the story of a princess with a dragon's claw--a tale combining beauty and beast in one person. At its core it is a story about self-acceptance. Rosalind feels she is unlovable because of her deformity. She must be perfectly beautiful in order to be loved. Sound familiar? Girls in our culture are taught "Beauty equals Love" from the cradle. If you are not a perfect 10, you're not good enough. Dragon's Keep turns this cultural myth on its head!
Dia: I write YA fantasy novels. They are Avielle of Rhia, about a princess struggling with terrorism; The Phoenix Dance, a retelling of Grimm's fairy-tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, about a girl with bipolar illness; White Midnight, about a girl who dreams of owning her own land, Aria Of The Sea, about a dancer trying to find her true voice, and Firegold, about a mixed race boy seeking self-acceptance.
Lorie Ann: On Pointe is a verse novel about my experience wherein I grew too tall to continue my professional ballet track. In our age where kids are told they can be whatever they imagine, I wanted to offer a realistic book where a character's dreams aren't reached. My hope is to encourage readers to keep going and dream again. There are so many ways to express yourself. Through a seemingly dead end, the world may open.
Justina: Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) features a half-Asian, half-white girl who yearns to be someone she's not. In the course of a summer--at math camp, no less--she figures out how cool it is to be no one but herself. My forthcoming YA novel, Girl Overboard, is about a snowboard girl who learns to value herself off the mountain.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Justina: We challenge authors of middle grade fiction to create something similar to readergirlz for kids ages 8-12. Give kids a rich author experience! Tie books to community service! That would truly thrill us.
SEATTLE, March 1--In honor of Women's History Month, four young adult authors are launching readergirlz, a new online book salon celebrating gutsy girls in life and literature.
Starting on March 1, readergirlz founders Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, Lorie Ann Grover, and Justina Chen Headley will unveil a monthly book selection, featuring young adult novels with gutsy female characters.
More than just a book club, readergirlz aims to encourage teen girls to read and reach out with community service projects related to each featured novel. As well, readergirlz will host MySpace discussions with each book's author, include author interviews, and provide book party ideas, including playlists, menus, and decorations. All content will be available through the readergirlz website (www.readergirlz.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com/readergirlz and groups.myspace.com/readergirlz), and Live Journal (readergirlz.livejournal.com).
"We want girls to be the best women they can be," explains Headley. The inspiration for readergirlz came from Headley's book tour last spring where she made a special effort to visit urban communities that couldn't otherwise bring in authors. Headley spoke at November's NCTE conference in Nashville and also attended a rousing session about teen literacy led by three librarians (Lois Buckman, Bonnie Kunzel, and Teri Lesesne). Inspired, Headley recruited three critically-acclaimed novelists—Calhoun, Carey, and Grover—to start readergirlz as a way to talk to teens about reading and writing.
"Readergirlz is a way I can connect wonderful books to girls I'd never be able to meet otherwise," agrees Calhoun.
The founders hope readergirlz will change the way girls experience literature and see themselves. "I want to challenge girls to go for their dreams," says Carey. "I learned how brave girls can be through books, and I want to share the power of literature with girls, wherever they are."
Using MySpace and a website, the readergirlz founders, dubbed the divas, plan to provide a rich literary experience for teen girls online. "We already have over 750 friends on MySpace. From surveys to playlists to author interviews, we'll provide young adult readers with fun, meaningful content," explains Grover. "Why not harness the power of MySpace to get girls to think critically about what they want to be in the future?"
Each book selection will dovetail to a topic, identified by the readergirlz divas and prominent children's lit bloggers as topics teen girls should know about in this millennium.
The first topic is Tolerance, a theme explored in the kick-off book selection for readergirlz, Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies). As prominent blogger, Jennifer Robinson of http://jkrbooks.typepad.com, noted, teens "need to know that when they are mean or intolerant to other people, they're doing damage."
In conjunction with the first novel, teen girls will be encouraged to visit www.tolerance.org to learn how to safely stop bullying and to apply for one of the organization’s Mix It Up grants to break social and racial barriers within their schools.
About the Readergirlz Founders
Dia Calhoun is the winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, and author of five young adult fantasies, including Avielle of Rhia and The Phoenix Dance.
Janet Lee Carey won the 2005 Mark Twain Award for Wenny Has Wings, and her forthcoming young adult fantasy, Dragon's Keep, has already received a starred review in Booklist.
Lorie Ann Grover is a former ballerina-turned-verse-novelist whose acclaimed work includes On Pointe and Loose Threads, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.
Justina Chen Headley sold her first two novels at auction, including her debut, Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies), named Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best.
For more information about readergirlz, please visit their website (www.readergirlz.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com/readergirlz and groups.myspace.com/readergirlz), and Live Journal (readergirlz.livejournal.com).
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How I wish I were in your neighborhood. I'd be there with you and Janet Carey to soak up her take on magic and writing. What is a dragon but pure magic? I found a drawing of a dragon skeleton online. Made my day.
Aw, Tricia, I wish you were coming with me, too! What fun we'd have plunging our fairy tale roots into good working dirt! Happy dragon skeletons to you...
I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop! It sounds like it was wonderful! Isn't Field's End a great organization? And ooh, de-fuzzing! Great way to say it!
I hope you're having a great week, Faith!
PS - I just noticed I wrote "great" three times. My tired brain needs more than de-fuzzing...off to bed!
My goodness does this post make me smile. So much truth here! And reminders to twirl and stomp are some of the best kinds of reminders... Thank you!