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Once there was an 8-year-old girl named Lisa who wrote a story about mermaids.



We'll miss her, and will be forever grateful for her light, love, friendship, and the beautiful stories she gave us.

Click over to Melodye's blog to see the Book of Love that was presented to Lisa last month. It's a nice way to remember and celebrate her life.

Rest in Peace, L.K. Madigan.♥

ETA:

I know everyone has been aching to do something in memory of Lisa. Here's how you can help. Her son Nate was the most important person in the world to her. Now you can help him by donating to a college fund:

Checks can be made payable to the Nathan Wolfson Trust.
They can be mailed to:
Becker Capital Management, Inc.
Attn: Sharon Gueck/John Becker
1211 SW Fifth Ave, Suite 2185
Portland, OR 97204

Donors will be sent acknowledgement letters.

Please repost, Tweet, etc. widely.

*( taken from April Henry's blog)

Hello there! Hope you had a nice holiday weekend.

Unhappy to report I'm feeling quite poorly, so my posts may be sporadic this week. Was rushed to the ER because of a kidney stone, something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. People have said the pain of trying to pass a kidney stone is worse than childbirth. I haven't experienced that, so I can't compare the two. Suffice to say, you do NOT want this to happen to you. For now, all there is to do is wait, take pain meds, drink plenty of fluids, and hope it's all over soon.

Like everyone else in the kidlit world, I was saddened and shocked last week to learn of L.K. Madigan's cancer diagnosis. Her brave and eloquent words speak volumes about the kind of person she is. If, by chance, you haven't yet read her post titled "Hard News," you must, even if you don't know Lisa personally or haven't read her books.

 

It's been simply wonderful getting to know Lisa here on LJ, reading her amazing books, and being inspired by her fine example as a professional author. We happily celebrated the publication of her debut novel Flash Burnout, and was thrilled when it won the 2010 William C. Morris Young Adult Debut Award. It was her second book, The Mermaid's Mirror, which I read on the long plane ride to Hawai'i last September -- a story so magical and compelling I read it straight through and even almost forgot how much I hated flying.



I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Lisa last summer at the VCFA Katherine Paterson Tea -- she was so lovely and unassuming, a little surprised that I was so anxious to have my picture taken with her. My gut instincts about people are usually right, and they told me here was a beautiful, unselfish spirit, an extremely talented writer, someone who values her relationships with others above all else, someone who is unfailingly kind and generous. It's easy to see why she is so beloved by her peers.

If you'd like to show your love and support for Lisa's fight against cancer, consider contributing to the Book of Love being compiled by Tiffany Trent and Melodye Shore. Lisa loves photography, so send along a photo that in some way depicts, represents, or symbolizes how your life has been touched or impacted by Lisa's. You can also include a poem, anecdote or illustration if you like. All submissions will be printed in a special gift book and sent to Lisa. Get the full details here, and remember to act quickly, since the deadline for submissions is this Friday, January 21.

You've probably already heard about L.K. Madigan's Feast of Awesome Giveaway sponsored by the 2009 Debs, but it certainly bears repeating. The Debs are giving away 40 sets of Lisa's bo

photo by Seven_Hundred.

Everybody: Smile and say, "Cheese!"

Oh yes, you do have a killer smile (you really should pose for pictures more often). Has anyone ever told you your face could launch a thousand chips ships?

*licks lips and continues to munch on extra sharp cheddar lens*

Okay, I need to focus. Today's another hugely wonderful super duper landmark day, because we're congratulating debut author L.K. Madigan on the publication of her brand spankin' new young adult novel, Flash Burnout (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009)!! Yay!

     
        FLASH BURNOUT by L.K. Madigan,
        Young Adult Fiction published by HMH, 2009, 336 pp.      

*flashbulbs explode all over the world*

Yes, do continue cheering and clapping, because as I've said often enough, there is only one first book in a writer's lifetime and the occasion should be savored, shouted from the rooftops, and celebrated in every way possible.

In Flash Burnout, Madigan (a self-admitted boyaholic), presents the funny, compassionate character of Blake, a fifteen-year-old who must  negotiate the delicate balance between having a beautiful girlfriend who adores him (Shannon), and a friend who needs him (Marissa). After he takes a photo of a homeless woman for a class assignment, he learns she is actually Marissa's drug-addicted mom. Blake is inadvertently pulled into Marissa's life, and soon Shannon makes it very clear that she is not thrilled with him helping Marissa. While trying to navigate the tricky waters of love and friendship, Blake begins to see who he really is in a much clearer light.

In an interview at 2010: A Book Odyssey (an LJ community for 2010 debut authors), Lisa mentions her sources of inspiration for Flash Burnout: a previous (as yet unpublished) novel featuring Blake as a minor character, a conversation with a medical examiner, a photo of a girl with heartbroken eyes, and the idea that "some parents are toxic." The term, "flash burnout," is photo lingo for "overexposed," a cool title for what appears to be a very compelling book. Can't wait to read it! 

So far, word on the street has been very positive. Enthusiastic early readers have cited the believability of Blake's voice and the dilemmas he faces, the interesting combination of the serious and the comic, and the realistic treatment of themes such as first love, teen sex, boy-girl friendship, death, family relationships, and substance abuse. The book is enriched by the inclusion of photography tips at the beginning of each chapter, a reflection of Lisa's personal interest in the field.

Kirkus found the dialogue "genuinely alive;" "the details are just intriguingly bizarre enough to hook teens of both sexes and keep them engrossed by the naively unsteady love triangle." 

Booklist gave Flash Burnout a *starred review*: ". . . this rich romance explores the complexities of friendship and love, and the all-too-human limitations of both. It's a sobering, compelling, and satisfying read for teens and a promising debut for a new young adult author."



Did you know that Lisa's favorite color is robin's egg blue?

So, are you all ready to strike a pose? Gather round the soup bowl, don your bibs, and dip your shiniest spoons in honor of Lisa K. Madigan, our author of the day. No need to wait for the click!


Today's Special: Photogenic Potage (will brighten your smile and help you charm the camera).

Good job! I like the way you slurp. Now help yourself to a crab wonton, Lisa's favorite snack:

photo by mooshee85.

When you're ready for a little dessert, nosh on a cammie cupcake,

photo by Ciak Kiah.

or bite right into this Nikonic beauty:

photo by cupcakeenvy.

By now, you know the drill. Zoom on down to your nearest local indie, or order Flash Burnout online. (I'll be watching you through my telephoto lens.)

Our deepest, heartfelt congratulations, Lisa! We're thrilled for you!

                                          ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

MORE:

L.K. Madigan official website and Live Journal blog, Drenched in Words.

Interviews at 2010: A Book Odyssey, Fumbling with Fiction, Writing for Children and Teens, and The Tara Tracks.

Reviews at ten cent notes and TeensReadToo.

*For those of you in the San Francisco area, L.K. Madigan will be appearing at the Not Your Mother's Book Club Third Annual Fall Book Bash at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2009, at Books, Inc., along with Sara Zarr, Barry Lyga, Andrew Smith, and Allen Zadoff!

**This just in: Would you like to see your name in L.K. Madigan's next book, a YA fantasy called The Mermaid's Mirror (to be released Fall 2010)? Click here for details of the special auction she's running!

More Soup of the Day posts here.

**Robin's egg blue mosaic photos by confections, hine, Isaiah 12:2, and ConanTheLibrarian.

Copyright © 2009 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.
 

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi from The Story Siren. Here's what I found in my mailbox, at the bookstore, and at the library this week. Summaries are taken from Amazon, B&N, and GoodReads.

Sea Change by Aimee Freidman - 16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science...and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate. There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship...and reality. Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?

The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham - At the age of eighteen, in that first golden Oxford summer, Milly was up for anything. Rupert and his American lover, Allan, were an important part of her new, exciting life, so when Rupert suggested to her that she and Allan should get married to keep Allan in the country, Milly didn’t hesitate. Ten years later, Milly is a very different person and engaged to Simon—who is wealthy, serious, and believes her to be perfect. Milly’s secret history is locked away so securely she has almost persuaded herself that it doesn’t exist—until, only four days before her elaborate wedding. To have and to hold takes on a whole new meaning when one bride’s past catches up with her and bring the present crashing down.

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan (ARC) - Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him; the other one needs him. When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth addicted mom. Blake’s participation in the ensuing drama opens up a world of trouble, both for him and for Marissa. He spends the next few months trying to reconcile the conflicting roles of Boyfriend and Friend. His experiences range from the comic (surviving his dad’s birth control talk) to the tragic (a harrowing after-hours visit to the morgue). In a tangle of life and death, love and loyalty, Blake will emerge with a more sharply defined snapshot of himself.

That's my collection for the week. What books did pick up?

A couple of Blueboarders recently snagged two-book deals--on their debut! Check out these exciting posts and feel the excitement!

One book and seven years' writing turned into an "outstanding offer" in a two-book deal for author Angie Frazier. Read all about it here. Congratulations, Angie!

L.K. Madigan posted her two-book deal in this blog entry. Way to go, L.K.!

All right! Now back to work, writers!

You're not dawdling if you're doodling. :)

"Doodling" for me represents a game that I played often with my mum growing up and now as an adult with my own kids. We call it the "doodle game" or "squiggles". It's the perfect past time on a long journey or during a sleepover.

Emily and I played a game of doodles for this post. As you can see, a little someone wanted to play too.


The rules are simple. One player does a quick doodle/scribble and the other player has to turn it into a picture. You can flip your paper any which way you need to.

I like to play in my sketch book...that way I know I won't lose it. (I save and date all of them.)



(I highlighted the doodle in purple to show how each image started. click to enlarge)



Give it a try, it's a ton of fun!

I am a compulsive "doodler". I'll use a pencil, pen, computer, anything. So many of these end up in a file or trash can, but sometimes, I happen upon one that I'd like to expand into a painting. I think it keeps my mind and hands active, and you never know when you'll draw something worth keeping. I just took a long road trip, and it was nice to sit in the passenger's seat and doodle away at the scenery out of my window. The hours flew.