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Please welcome amazing author Daphne Grab!

About the book

Matisse Osgood is a New York City girl through and through. She buys her clothes at Andy’s Cheapies, watches indie films at The Angelika, and wouldn’t be caught dead on a hay ride. But when her father gets sick and Matisse’s parents decide to leave Manhattan for a small town in upstate New York, her perfect world crumbles. As Matisse trudges through life in Prague, she dreams of waking up in her apartment on West 78^th St. with a father who’s well enough to walk with her in Central Park and a mother who doesn’t pretend that everything is okay. When rumors surround Matisse at school, and her father’s symptoms worsen, Matisse realizes that the friends she’s making in Prague are the kind you can count on. They help Matisse find the strength to reach out to her father, who may not be as far from her as she thought. And one particular farm boy shows Matisse that country living is a lot more magical than she had ever imagined.

When did you come up with the idea for ALIVE AND WELL IN PRAGUE, NEW YORK?

I was at the New School getting my MFA in writing for children and I’d just finished a mediocre manuscript and was trying to come up with some new ideas. One of my teachers was talking about writing from a life experience and I suddenly thought that I’d like to write about the experience of having a parent with a degenerative illness that is ultimately fatal. Fun idea, right? But really, I wanted to have a character who deals with that, which is such a huge and life changing thing, but to be coping with it along with the rest of her life: friends, guys, evil cheerleaders, etc.

Your main character, Matisse, has to move from the city to the country. Your Website says you grew up in the country. Did you channel any of that into Matisse?

A lot of it! I love a lot of aspects of the country, like the smell of fresh cut grass in summer and the friendly feel of a small town, but I was also tortured by spiders and chased by a goose the way Matisse was.

Beverly Cleary is one of my all-time favorite authors, too! What about her writing speaks to you?

I bet that means we like a lot of the same books- neat! What I love most about her stories is that they deal with the real life struggles of kids, like how crummy you feel if you mess up the words to ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ and your whole family laughs at you. And she does it in a way that is hysterically funny but totally respectful of how kids feel.

What was your writing process for ALIVE AND WELL? Were you an outliner or did it just flow?

I am outline girl- I live for my outlines. I like to sit down and know exactly what I am writing that day, and also to think “I just have to write this next scene” and not “I’m sitting down to write a book.” But that said, I feel really strongly that there isn’t one “right” way to write a book and that the most important thing for a writer is to find her or his own process.

What’s one scene in ALIVE AND WELL that you’d kick and scream if someone told you to delete it?

Funny you ask because I had one of those deleted! It was a short scene at the beginning of the book that I loved so much I read it for my senior thesis reading when I graduated from the New School. My editor was right about cutting it but I loved it so much that I put it up on my website where anyone who browses the “books” section can read it.

You’re a member of the Class of 2k8. How has the support from 2k8ers helped you?

I love being a member of 2k8! There’s a lot that is great about it but I think the most important thing is being able to share ups and downs with a group of people who totally get it and who will always be cheering for me.

Do you have any big summer writing plans?

I am working on my next teen book and am actually hoping to finish it before Labor Day- I’m about fifty pages in so wish me luck with that!

What’s next for you? Any super-exciting new projects?

I have a MG novel coming out next. It’s about a boy who is a huge football fan and one of the kids who gets teased at school. The book starts with him learning that the baby his mother gave up for adoption 21 years ago is the best college football player in the country and the story is the ups and downs that follow that discovery. I’m a huge football fan so this was a fun one to write.

Jess, thanks for having me on your awesome blog!!

Thanks so much, Daphne! You were a fantastic guest!

Please welcome M.P. Barker!

Book summary:

It’s 1839. To help his family pay off their debts, nine-year-old Ethan is indentured to Mr. Lyman, the wealthy shopkeeper in their small Massachusetts town. Ethan tries to befriend the Lymans’ other indentured servant, but Daniel, as everyone says, is a difficult boy. Sixteen years old, Irish, and moody, Daniel brushes off Ethan as if he were a pesky gnat. Ethan resolves to ignore the brusque older boy, but is then shocked to see how cruelly Mr. Lyman treats Daniel. Soon, Ethan, too, is suffering Mr. Lyman’s blows, and the two boys realize that they must overcome their differences to survive.

Where did you get the idea for A DIFFICULT BOY?

The idea came from a bill that I found in the archives where I work. This master had chased down a runaway indentured boy and sent a bill to the kid’s mom for the cost of looking for the kid, hiring someone to help look for the boy, court costs, and the value of the boy’s lost days of work. That got me wondering why the boy ran away, what kind of mean old skinflint the master might have been, how the mother was going to pay the bill, etc., etc., etc…and all that wondering led to the story. The boy became Ethan, the master became Mr. Lyman, and eventually the rest of the characters began to take shape.

What’s one of your favorite things about the year 1839?

Well, first of all, I got paid to learn about the 1830s when I worked at Old Sturbridge Village. So one of my favorite things about 1839 is simply that setting the story in that year made the research easier!

Really, though, there were lots of exciting things happening in the 1830s, though people kind of overlook that period because they tend to concentrate on times when there was a war going on, like the Revolutionary or Civil War eras. The 1830s was a real transitional time in America. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing, railroad construction was booming, and all those pioneers were pushing further and further westward. Those changes affected every part of American life--what people did for work, where they lived, where they could go. If you think about how much computers and cars changed people’s lives in the 20^th century, that was how much manufacturing and railroads changed things in the 19th. Southern New England was beginning to change from a rural agricultural society to a more urban, industrial one. It’s interesting to see how people coped with all those changes in their lives and compare it to how people cope with those kinds of big changes today. It’s also interesting to compare the attitudes and beliefs people had and see how much (or how little) they’ve changed.

Why did you decide to write for kids and teens?

Well, actually, I didn’t really decide—Ethan and Daniel, my two main characters, decided for me. They just wanted me to tell their story the best way I could, and because their ages make them characters that young readers can identify with, the book ended up being a YA story. But I wasn’t thinking about markets or audiences or any of that stuff you’re supposed to think about before you start writing—I was just thinking of the story. If you’d asked me back then who I was writing for, I would have said, “Ummmm…people who like to read?”

Your Website says you worked as a costumed historical interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village. What was that like? How did it prepare you to write A DIFFICULT BOY?

Well, right off the bat, let me say yes, it was hot in those clothes, and no, people weren’t much nicer back then. (I think those have to be the two most asked questions at OSV.)

Working at OSV was dirty, smelly, back-breaking, and LOTS of fun. It was one of the most physically demanding jobs I ever had, because I had to milk cows, muck out barns, chop kindling, work in some hu-u-u-ge gardens, and even the mundane daily chores of cooking and cleaning involved a lot of heavy lifting. It was also mentally challenging because there was so much to learn, and we had to be really good at thinking on our feet to answer all questions that got thrown at us. I loved that I might be getting down and dirty fixing fences and playing with the baby animals one day, and then the next day I might be spinning yarn and weaving cloth or wearing a ballgown and demonstrating period dancing or going to a recreated Sunday service at the meetinghouse.

Certainly, doing many of the chores that my characters did and eating the kinds of foods they ate, smelling all those barnyard smells, etc., gave me a better feel for their world than just reading about it in a book. And discussing on a daily basis the attitudes and beliefs that people held in 1830sNew England really helped that information sink in so that it was easier to draw on as I wrote the story. I also had a lot of friendly experts in the form of former co-workers that I could call on if I couldn't remember something or needed some fact-checking done.

What’s one word that best describes A DIFFICULT BOY?

I hope it’s “authentic”—at least that’s what I was striving for.

If you could give advice to aspiring young writers, what would you say?

Don’t give up your dreams. When I was about twelve, I wanted to be a novelist. But I quickly put that idea aside because I thought it was “unrealistic.” (Little did I know I was going to spend nearly ten years playing make-believe at OSV.) I did lots of nonfiction writing for school and work projects, but it wasn’t until many years later that I started writing fiction again. I'll probably always wonder what would have happened if I'd kept writing fiction instead of putting it aside for so long.

From the time I started writing A DIFFICULT BOY to having a published book in my hands took about ten years and 75 rejections. There were plenty of times where I was discouraged, depressed, and desperately in needs of massive doses of chocolate and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the single-serving container (that would be the pint…although if they had it in quarts…well, let’s just say I’d be a LOT bigger!). But somehow I got there, so persistence and perseverance definitely pay off.

It’s also important to have lots and lots of supportive friends who can keep you going when you’re getting those 75 rejections…and who’ll supply you with those giant blocks of chocolate from Trader Joe’s (thanks, Maggie!). I definitely would have given up if it hadn’t been for many kicks in the butt from my friends—and I have the bruises to prove it…

You’re a member of the Class of 2k8. What exciting things are going on with the Class?

Where to begin? What’s most exciting for me is getting my classmates’ new books in my hot little hands. There are three other April 2k8 books--Zu Vincent’s THE LUCKY PLACE, Debbie Reed Fischer’s BRALESS IN WONDERLAND, and Marissa Doyle’s BEWITCHING SEASON--and Jennifer Bradbury’s SHIFT is coming out in May. There’ll be brand new video trailers on the 2k8 website (www.classof2k8.com) for this month’s books, and every newly launched author is featured for a week on the class blog (http://classof2k8.blogspot.com/), so you can get more juicy details about the writers and their books.

Like free books? The Class has a name-game scavenger hunt at http://classof2k8.com/index.php?id=80 where you can answer ten questions for a chance to win three of this quarter’s books. If you’re in a book club and want some ideas for discussion topics, you can download readers’ guides for all the 2k8 books on http://classof2k8.com/index.php?id=85. The 2k8 site also has links to all the 2k8 authors’ individual web pages. Readers who are only just finding out about 2k8 can catch up fast by reading about our January to March books at the class’s web page or past blog posts.

It’s also exciting to see 2k8 books getting kudos and stars from reviewers and bloggers. One book is already in its second printing, some have been Booksense picks, and several of our members have contracts for their second books. I feel like I’m in such exalted company—I hope I can measure up!

What’s next for you? Any new projects?

I’m working on a sequel to A DIFFICULT BOY that follows Daniel, the older boy, through new adventures that include a peddler (who’s also a musician and dancing master), a conjurer, a circus with six dancing ponies, Irish railroad workers, and a child custody battle. Also in the works (though on hold until I finish this book) is a story about a sea captain’s wife and daughter and how they cope after he’s lost at sea.

JB note: I am SO glad there's going to be a sequel! I adored this book and am so thrilled to have hosted M.P. A DIFFICULT BOY is a must-read. Go get a copy!

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Difficult-Boy-M-P-Barker/dp/0823420868/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208710360&sr=1-1

Autographed copies can be ordered from the following booksellers:

Chandler & Reed Books - http://www.abebooks.com/home/CHNDLRBK/ Broadside Bookshop of Northampton, MA http://www.broadsidebooks.com

My website – www.mpbarker.net

My blog - http://mpbarker.livejournal.com/

Bio: I’m kind of a time traveler—well, actually an archivist and historian, which amounts to the same thing. I got a firsthand taste (sometimes literally!) of nineteenth-century New England rural life when I was a costumed historical interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village. There I milked cows, mucked out barns, and found inspiration for A Difficult Boy. Now I’m an archivist, which officially means I sort and catalog old documents—really, though, it means I get paid to read other people's diaries and letters and snoop through their photo albums.

**Want to win an autographed copy? You know the drill--leave a comment here or on LiveJournal or in both places to enter. You have until Monday (an extension!) at 10am to enter. I'll draw a winner by random draw and will announce it on Monday. Good luck!**

Please welcome the author of Braless in Wonderland...

and the upcoming Swimming with Sharks...

Debbie Reed Fischer!

Did you have an “ah-ha” moment that made you decide to write a book about the model biz? What was that moment?

I had many a-ha moments working as a booker. It’s a wacky, surreal business. At different times in my career, I repped all kinds of talent: Models, actors, comedians, athletes, kids, animals. How could I not be inspired to write? With models, I guess what struck me the most was the discovery that a lot of my preconceived notions about them were dead wrong, especially the most common belief, that models are stupid. They’re not stupid. Many are just really young, from small, rural towns, very wide-eyed at the glitz and glamour of it all. When people ask me if models are dumb, I answer, “How smart would you be if you were a teen making $1500 a day, in a city for the first time, away from your family and on your own?” It’s true that many young models do miss out on a college education, but there is no shortage of intelligence. I repped models who had been accepted to Harvard, who were law students, who had their own businesses at the age of eighteen. Models are a varied bunch; they just happen to have the right height and bone structure, as well as that illusive “X” factor, the mystery gene that makes them photograph well. The college issue is not an easy choice for some of them, though, and it’s something that definitely inspired a lot of BRALESS IN WONDERLAND.

So…South Beach. :) Beautiful people, lots of talent. Do you have a wacky or memorable moment to share during your time as a model booker?

Too many to count, but the one that comes to mind is the time I had a booking for a gorgeous French model/dancer named Florence. It was for a film and the scene was a hip South Beach dance party. She was told to wear something sexy and fun. I let my assistant take care of the booking because I was really busy that day casting drag queens for the film The Bird Cage. So my assistant sent Florence, only she sent the wrong Florence. You see, we represented two Florences: the French beauty, plus another lady who was approximately 90 years old and had been a Zeigfield girl way back when. The ancient Florence, who was very excited to have a booking after so many years, especially one that wasn’t for Metamucil or a cruise line, showed up to the set in a limo wearing a ballgown and feather boa. Luckily, the client had a sense of humor. He was cool about it and actually let her stay and do the job. The other Florence never found out she lost a booking.

What was your writing process for BRALESS IN WONDERLAND?

I was always taking notes on everyone and everything when I was a booker. Years later, I still had those notes and used them when I was writing the book. It makes every scene really authentic. Also, one of my closest friends is still in the business and I often ran bits of the book by her since some things have changed in the last few years. Her name is Allee. I named my main character after her.

Tell us about “the call”—the moment you learned BRALESS IN WONDERLAND was going to be published.

I was home when my agent called to tell me he had an offer for me from Dutton. I shook, I cried, and I yelled stupidly, “HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!” Then when my kids came home that day, we released balloons into the sky and talked about how dreams can come true. We decided to celebrate June 14 as our own family holiday every year because that’s the date I got the call. Except we don’t release balloons any more because it’s bad for the ozone layer. We just eat cake and discuss our goals and dreams. The kids also discuss how weird I am to invent a holiday based on a phone call.

What’s the coolest thing about being an author?

Meeting other authors like you. :) Being part of the writing community is wonderful.

Your author photo is gorgeous! How do we (meaning the style challenged) get model-blown hair in our author photos?

LOL - find a good hairstylist! A good photographer helps too. That photo was taken by Niki Taylor’s mom, Barbara Taylor. She is a photographer in addition to being a Supermodel mom. And to tell you the truth, my hair is usually in a pony tail.

What’s one tip you could share with aspiring writers that you’ve learned recently.

Read what blows your skirt up, write as much as you can, take workshops, attend conferences, meet as many other writers as you can, and most importantly, never, ever give up. The biggest reason why writers don’t get published is because they give up. Keep going. For writing tips, I have a lot on my website: www.debbiereedfischer.com. Feel free to add your own writing tips there. I love being inspired by other writers.

JB: I’ve got to agree with Debbie about reading what you love. Study your favorite novels and take notes on how the stories progress, the characters evolve and how the author managed to hook YOU.

What’s next? Any new projects on the horizon?

My second YA comes out in September. It’s called SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS. The main character is Peyton, who has finally earned a coveted spot on the varsity cheerleading squad. For her, it’s the end of standing on the social sidelines and the beginning of being in the Alpha Clique. The problems start when Lexie, the charismatic and powerful squad captain, orders Peyton and her team mates to drive another girl off the squad by bullying her. As the cruel hazing spirals out of control, Peyton is torn by her conscience, yet seduced by the chance to have everything she wants.

Please welcome author Shana Norris!

Tell us why you decided to write SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT?

I first created the characters of Libby and her friends twelve years ago as a teen and had written stories off and on throughout the years about them. But I could never find a story that I really liked, although I loved the characters. I put them away for a few years and decided to focus on writing fantasy. So I wrote this big fantasy trilogy and tried to get an agent for it, but I had no luck at all. So while taking a break from the fantasy one day in early 2005, I remembered those old characters I’d written about and decided to try them out in a new story. I was inspired to do a blog story because I’ve kept an online journal/blog for over ten years now and during college my own secret blog was discovered by some of my classmates. I didn’t have all of things that happen to Libby occur because of being found out, but it was still a little embarrassing. So I started with just the very basic idea of a girl who writes a secret blog being found out, and let the story unfold from there as I wrote it! I had a lot of fun with this story.

I love the title! Did you come up with it?

Thanks! I love the title too, but I can’t claim it as my idea. The original title of the book was LIBBY FAWCETT’S SECRET BLOG, but my publisher felt that was too similar to another YA blog book’s title so we all tried to think of a new one. One of the suggestions from the team at Amulet was SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT. I loved it and it was much better than anything I was able to think of, so we went with it!

How long have you been writing with the goal of publication?

I’ve been seriously focusing on writing and trying to get published for about six years. It’s been a long, frustrating road, but it’s been worth it!

Can you give us the gist of one of your favorite scenes in SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT?

One of my favorite scenes is a fight scene about halfway through the book. I have never been in a fight at school, so I had to really stretch my imagination and figure out what it might be like. But this isn’t just a fight, it’s also funny, so I had to imagine what it’s like to be in a fight and also give a humorous look at it. The fight is one scene that has always been in the book, from the very first draft, and it was actually really fun to write just because it’s something that I could never imagine myself getting in the middle of.

Tell us a bit about your first book signing. What was that like?

It was so much fun! I was really nervous all day leading up to it and during the ride there (it was a two hour drive) I kept telling my husband that I was sure I was going to completely blank out when it came time to talk or pass out from nervousness or something. But when it came time to speak, I surprisingly found myself a lot more calm and relaxed than I expected I would be. It was great being in front of a group of people who were interested in hearing about my book and my experiences in writing and getting published. They asked a lot of great questions and the staff at the store were so nice and supportive. Also, I got to meet the girl who wrote me my very first fan letter in January (she got an advanced copy of the book from her mom, who runs the bookstore where I was speaking). So that was really exciting and something I’ll remember forever!

You keep an active LiveJournal. Do you think it’s important for authors to try and make that sort of connection with readers and other writers?

I do, especially if you’re writing for teens. Teens today are all over the internet and blogs are really popular, so it makes sense for authors to have a web presence to connect with their readers. As a reader, I visit the websites of authors I like because I want to learn more about them. Blogs provide a great way for readers to get to know their favorite authors better and also provide a means of feedback, if the author allows comments on their blog.

What did you read as a kid?

My favorite thing to do as a kid was visit the library. My mom would always take us on weekends and I’d come home with a huge stack of books that I’d have read within a couple days. I loved the Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins series (still do!)

Was there one book, movie, etc. that inspired you to become a writer?

I don’t know if there was any one thing that inspired me to become a writer, because I’ve known since I was about ten years old that I wanted to be an author and I don’t remember being affected by one thing in particular. It was really just my general love of books that made me want to write. But the movie 10 Things I Hate About You did inspire me to become a YA author instead of the fantasy author I thought I would be. I love the fun storyline and the look at teen life and every time I watch it, it makes me want to write fun teen stories just like it.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on my second book, which my editor and I are kind of keeping under wraps at the moment, until it’s done. We’re really excited about it! I can tell you that it’s a modern day retelling of a story from Greek mythology. So I’ve been immersing myself in research lately and loving it!

Would you give readers a writing tip?

Have fun with your writing. The first draft is meant to be messy, it’s just a starting off point for the good stuff that comes out during revisions. So don’t stress too much about getting it all right the first time through. Just get the foundation in place, enjoy your characters and the basic story, and then build up the rest later.

Just a quick note--tomorrow, I've got author of SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT Shana Norris! Shana is generously giving away one signed copy of SOMETHING to a lucky commenter. So, come back tomorrow and leave a note to be entered in the drawing.

I'm swamped right now with edits and creating a new video. :) They're so much fun. I had been wanting to do videos for months, but I finally did one last week. It has just over 600 views, so that's exciting. A new video will go up on Monday, so check back for that!

Please welcome author S.A. Harazin! Her novel, BLOOD BROTHERS, has been nominated for an Edgar. It's also an ALA Quick Pick.

Summary:

Without his job at the hospital, Clay would be lost. The hard work, the struggles of the patients, the drama in the ER—they make his days seem worth something and give focus to his dream of someday becoming a doctor. Clay can’t afford to go away to college like the rest of his class, but what other seventeen-year old has delivered a baby or helped to save a life?

Still, Clay wishes his life could be more like his best friend’s. Joey has it all—a great family, a good college waiting for him at the end of the summer, money, a car. Clay has to bike everywhere, and the miles are starting to wear him down.

But Joey’s bright future shatters one day when he overdoses at a party. Now he’s clinging to life at the hospital where Clay works—and Clay may be blamed for his condition. Clay will do whatever he can to find out what happened at the party, and to help Joey recover. But to survive this ordeal, Clay must draw on a strength he never knew he had.

Here we go:

What was the moment when you KNEW you had to write this story?

I am not sure there was one moment. Many years ago I took care of a kid in the intensive care unit, and during that time I was thinking, this is something I won’t ever forget. Over time, a story grew from that incident, and then one day I decided to write it. I first wrote Blood Brothers as a short story from the viewpoint of a nurse. This story was published in a literary journal. Later I decided I had to write the story from the viewpoint of someone who was not merely an observer.

Are you a disciplined writer or do you write when you feel like it?

I am a little of both, I think. I goof off a lot.

What’s your favorite thing about being a young adult author?

I love getting mail from teens and listening to them. I have never met a teen who is not interesting.

Share a couple of your non-writing hobbies.

I like to sew and play video games. Role playing games are my favorites.

You were a member of the Class of 2k7. How did you like being part of the Class?

I love being a part of 2K7. We’ve helped each other and provided support and advice.

If someone came up to you and said, “I’ve tried a thousand times to get an agent, but I can’t!” what advice would you give him/her?

Have someone who is good at queries read your query. Get your manuscript critiqued or have a professional critique. Join SCBWI. Read the posts on Verla Kay’s message board. It isn’t easy for most people. Don’t be afraid of rewriting or starting over. Keep trying.

What are some of your favorite young adult novels?

There are too many to list. I’ve recently read “The Adoration of Jenna Fox” by Mary Pearson and “Night Road” by A.M. Jenkins and both were terrific.

What are your current projects?

I only work on one project at a time.

I am working on a young adult novel about a teen with a genetic defect. He learns about life from a dog, a girl, and a killer. I plan to rewrite another wip in the near future. It is about a boy and his doctor. I don’t usually say a lot about my wip—I tend to loose steam if I talk about something too much. It’s a little like letting the air out of a balloon.

Bio:

Website: www.saharazin.com

BLOOD BROTHERS on Amazon.

Ms. Harazin is generously giving away two signed copies of BLOOD BROTHERS. To enter, leave a comment (on one or as many of the 3 blogs as you like) on Blogger, LiveJournal or Homeschool Blogger to enter. You have until Sunday at 9pm EST to get your entry in. Two winners will be drawn at random. Good luck!

All right! We've got a winner in Melissa Walker's Violet contest. The winner...is... WindyCindy! Congratulations! Please send an e-mail to jessica [@] jessicaburkhart [dot] com with your name and address so Melissa can mail your book.

Tomorrow, I've got author S.A. Harazin right here with a new contest, so don't despair if you didn't win.

I hope you're all enjoying the different guests on my blog and I'm pretty everyone agrees that prizes are fantastic. :)

Just a quick announcement: On Wednesday, March 5, we've got a special guest stopping by! Melissa Walker is going to be chatting it up about her newest book, Violet by Design, and offering a giveaway. Melissa's giving one lucky person a signed copy of Violet by Design. To enter, check back here on Wednesday and get the details.

Please welcome author Mitali Perkins! We're going red, white and blue and taking about the First Daughter books.

What was your writing background prior to writing your first novel?

I’ve always written, scribbling in diaries and journals from when I was about nine years old. Poetry, fiction, confessions about my crushes, prayers … you name it, I wrote it.

How did you get the idea for First Daughter?

Dutton wanted me to write a book about a president’s daughter, so it was their idea, but I added my own signature twist by making her adopted from Pakistan.

Why did you decide to make Sparrow’s family Republican?

I hunted around, and discovered that every other story for kids about a likeable president’s daughter, including books, movies, and television, was about a Democrat. I’ve gotten so used to being different, I can’t swim with the tide.

What would you say to a Democrat teen deciding whether or not to read First Daughter or First Daughter 2?

The book’s more about the process of a campaign, and really doesn’t have anything to do with the parties. If you just can’t stand it, feel free to cross out the word “Republican” in the book and put in “Democrat;” it won’t change a thing in the story.

What’s your writing process?

I write in a local coffee house because I like the background buzz and there’s no internet access. I also make my butt stay on the chair until I’ve written a certain amount of words, usually 1000 or 2000 a day.

What did you do when you wrote the last word of First Daughter 2?

Left for an RV trip across the country (from Massachusetts to California and back) with my hubby, sons, and two Labrador Retrievers.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

“Never give in,” as Winston Churchill urged his countrymen during WWII. My second novel, Monsoon Summer, was rejected over 20 times. I had to revise it so many times, my hard disk was chock-full of different versions. It was finally published ELEVEN years after The Sunita Experiment, my first novel. If you want to see a dream come true, you need thick skin, unflagging hope, and the determination to work hard, hard, hard.

In First Daughter, you infuse Indian culture with such seamless ease into the text. How did you do that without over explaining Indian culture to readers who may be familiar with it?

Wow, that’s a compliment, thanks! It helps that kids and teens as a whole are getting more familiar with Indian culture these days so you don’t have to cover as much of the basics. Also, all my life I’ve jumped back and forth between groups of people who know Indian culture and those that don’t.

What’s next for you? What’re you working on?

I’m revising a novel for Random House coming out January 2009 called The Secret Keeper about an Indian girl with big plans to come to America until tragedy strikes, and she has to find a way to keep her beloved sister safe.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Mitali! This was a great Q&A!

Please welcome the author of Quaking, Kathryn Erskine!

First, how wonderful that QUAKING was chosen as a 2008 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers! That’s fantastic! How did you get the news? What was your reaction?

A good friend of mine called me early that morning as I was heading out of town to a critique group meeting. I was SO excited because encouraging reading is one of my goals as a writer. Writing a "Top Ten" book for reluctant readers, those who would rather do something other than read, hopefully means that my writing is compelling enough to make people WANT to read.

How did you come up with the plot for QUAKING?

I was concerned about why we were in Iraq and how people respond to war and violence in general. That's why I didn't make it Iraq-specific but it obviously speaks to our current situation. I also wanted to relate the issue of violence in war to a more personal level. Matt is going through her own post-traumatic stress syndrome. War or violence in any form has powerful effects on individuals and society. I wanted to raise questions and awareness but not necessarily answer the questions. Those are issues for thought and discussion. Finally, the Quaker tenets of peace and tolerance were a good backdrop for the story and gave me an opportunity to share with readers what I've learned about Quakers.

I’ve read reviews for QUAKING and they’ve been great. But how would you handle a bad review?

I firmly believe everyone has a right to say what they think and how they feel about a book. Books are subjective and are going to appeal to some people and not to others. The bottom line is you have to read a book for yourself to decide what you think. Nobody else can tell you how you feel about it.

I love QUAKING’s cover! Did you have any say in it?

I did but I think my editor had a much better idea. I'd love to claim it as mine! I think it's brilliant.

Did it take long to write?

It took a little over a year to write. Once it got picked up by a publisher there were revisions, of course, which helped tie the threads together and make it a stronger story.

When you’re not writing, what are your hobbies?

I love traveling, exploring just about anywhere and anything, walking, spending time with family and friends, playing games (card, board, strategy, Sudoku, etc.), and I've just taken up fencing (the sword kind) -- look for that in a future book!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Oh, gosh, there are so many! Some of those who have influenced me through their work or their wisdom are Katherine Paterson, Patricia Reilly Giff, Judy Blume, Jerry Spinelli, Patricia Lee Gauch, Lois Lowry, and Christopher Paul Curtis.

Who's one author you haven’t met whom you’d love to meet?

Christopher Paul Curtis. I LOVE his writing and his voice is so funny and thoughtful and caring all at the same time that I can't help believing he's like that in real life, too.

What advice can you give first time authors who have a book coming out soon?

Try get your book and name out there. It's not something most publishers have time or money to do for you any more. Even if you're an introvert, like a lot of us are, you can still talk to friends and keep an active website. And don't get discouraged. Your local Barnes and Noble might not carry your book even if you get on ALA and VOYA lists (mine still doesn't) but that's a factor of upper management. A lot still seems to happen through word of mouth and small, independent book stores (love those guys!) so you can still get your book out there.

Are you working on anything new?

Since QUAKING, I've submitted a novel about a 14 year old boy that, while it has serious undertones, has some pretty wacky characters. Right now I'm finishing up a novel that handles serious issues but has humor, too. Next is either my novel set in Newfoundland, Canada or my historical novel, both written in draft but needing work. That's if I don't get sidetracked by my latest idea (another 14 year old -- yes, I seem to be stuck at that age!) or one of my many other novels in progress. So little time, so much to write!

Tomorrow's guest is Kathryn Erskine! Kathy's giving ONE lucky comment a signed copy of Quaking, temporary tattoos of the book jacket and peace stickers. Check back tomorrow for the Q&A and enter to win.

And I'm going to actually take the day off! I've got a hair appointment and am coming home to watch a movie, slather on a face mask and paint my nails a cheerful spring color. I felt like I needed a day after finishing my new YA before I jump into something new. Know the feeling? It's cold and rainy outside so it's the perfect day. :)

Please welcome author Christine Norris!

What made you sit up and say, "I have to tell this story?"

Wow, that's right to the point, isn't it? Let me see. I had the idea for this book, this series, way back in...2004, maybe? I think I wanted to write a bunch of shorter stories about a magical library. Because to me, magic IS in the words, always has been. There's something so...mystical, I guess, about writing. The process still amazes me, how our human brains can pull a story together. When I sat down to write it, it developed into something so much more than that. I've kind of mapped out the rest of the series in my head, and it's going somewhere I never imagined when I first had the idea. It's so much bigger now. I was talking about it to another writer, and she said to me, "This could be your signature work." Which is really, just, a mind-boggling idea to me.

Did you do any research for your novel?

This novel and the next one are heavily researched. Becasue they entail a lot of mythology, I spent a great deal of time looking at Greek mythology. Not as much as I did for the next book, which is based in Egyptian mythology. That one was more difficult to wrap my head around. The third novel (in progress) involves Chinese mythology, which has proved to be even MORE difficult. I take artistic license with many things, but I at least want to know what I'm taking license WITH. LOL.

I also use a lot of maps. THE CROWN OF ZEUS has scenes inside The Parthenon. Wanting to be as accurate as possible, I called up an interior schematic of the temple, to kind of put my characters in the proper space. It was very helpful. For the second book, I had a small map of Egypt I used, because there is a lot of traveling from place to place.

Where do you do your best writing?

That depends. Some days I just sit with the laptop in my living room, TV on. Sometimes I need the quiet of my bedroom. When life gets really busy, I take a notebook to work and handwrite, then come home and type it all up. That way works well, because I have the seeds planted and I just need to cultivate them. I usually wind up with twice as much typed material as I had handwritten, because I get on a roll. I also seem to write better in the evenings. I just can't get it started in the mornings for some reason.

What are you reading now?

I have a large stack of TBR books. ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN, by Adrienne Kress, and SEARCH FOR THE RED DRAGON, by James Owen, are on the top at the moment. I also have some classics here in the stack, like FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER, which was just reprinted last fall and is one of my all-time favorites.

If your character were real, what would he or she think of you?

Oh, sheesh, I don't know. She'd probably think I'm some old lady. LOL. Actually I hope we'd get along well, and she'd think I was cool. I'd love to live in her house, I can tell you that!

If your book were a movie, whom would you like cast to play the main characters?

Hmm...I've often thought about THE CROWN OF ZEUS as a movie. I honestly don't know. I'd like to think we'd be able to do something like they did with the Harry Potter movies and cast some great unknown young actresses to play the four girls. It'd be interesting to see who would fit in those roles, because they're all so different, and they pretty much carry the whole story. Everyone else is just background.

Give us a one-sentence sales pitch for your book.

Ah...this is the tagline from the publisher's website: Which is worse: Having to start life over, or being eaten by a Minotaur?

What are you working on now?

Well, we'll be starting on the edits for the second Library of Athena book, THE ANKH OF ISIS, which comes out in e-book format in July. Somewhere in between college courses and work and all that stuff, I have the third novel to finish. That's my main project for 2008 at the moment.

About the author:

Christine Norris is the author of several works for children and adults. She spends her time divided between her writing, substitute teaching, and caring for her family of one husband-creature, a son-animal, a large dog whose greatest achievement is sleeping in one position for an entire day, and a small feline who is very adept in his position as Guardian of the Bathtub. She also works at English Adaptations of novels translated from other languages.

To learn more about Christine Norris, please visit http://www.christine-norris.com. Send an email to Christine at [email protected] or through her MySpace page, at http://www.myspace.com/christinenorris.

A little info about the book. Title :THE CROWN OF ZEUS (The Library of Athena, Book One)

Publication date: February 19, 2008 (this is the e-book release date. Samhain does print ten months after e-book release)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (www.samhainpublishing.com )

Please welcome author Beckie Weinheimer!

First, congratulations on having Converting Kate being chosen as one of ALA’s 2008 Best Books for Young Adults. That’s fantastic! How did you react when you heard the news?

I was busy writing something else and noticed a congratulations email from a friend in Virginia in my email in box when I took a break. I could not believe it. I clicked on the link she provided three times and then printed it out to make sure I was really on the list!

Then my editor emailed to congratulate me and I guess then I started to believe it really had happened.

In Converting Kate, I noticed that you seem to use the setting of Maine in two ways. First, it’s a little dark and gloomy, but this is where Kate finds a lightness and happiness with her journey of discovery. Does setting play an important role in the novel?

That is such a good question. Since finishing Kate, and working on three other novels right now, I have realized that setting to me is almost as important as my main character. It is very important for me to be in love with the setting. Maine can have clouds which may make it appear gloomy, but they go away and people from Maine are known to say, if you don’t like the weather, just wait it will change. And I guess I felt that fit with Kate’s moods. Also she had moved from the desert, and although it is very sunny in Arizona, it is also brown and Maine, at least in early September, is green, vibrant and flowers are in blown everywhere. It feels so alive! And then with the ocean, instead of sand, and brown, well I felt that this setting, with the contrast from Phoenix (where I spent my own high school years) would cheer her up. I vacation to Maine every summer and the beauty of that place always moves me. The first time I went to Maine was the summer my oldest daughter died. I was very sad and very low, but somehow the scent of the pines, the beauty of the ocean, the ever changing clouds, all brought me peace.

Kate’s mom, a very conservative woman, is such a strong character. How did you form her to be so realistic and forceful, without making her seem like a caricature?

In truth it was very hard. She was my hardest character to work with. I was very angry at the way I had been raised and the way I saw children in strict religious homes being raised and I wanted to make the Mom very mean. But I worked on Converting Kate while I was getting my MFA at Vermont College, and one of my mentors, Adam Rapp, worked and worked with me, to give the Mom some sympathetic traits. And by the time I was done finding ways in which to make her more sympathetic, I found my own anger towards women who were raising their children like Kate was being raised, was diminished. I had more empathy for them. So it really was a great growing experience for me. You should have seen Mom the first draft. Wicked, mean, heartless!

What were you doing when you got the call that Converting Kate was going to be published? How did you celebrate?

I was in my home in Virginia. The first manuscript I wrote was also being shopped by my agent at the time, and to be honest, I cried because it wasn’t the other book. I am doing a major rewrite on that novel right now and because it is very close to my heart and my own life it is harder to achieve the right distance. Not that Kate isn’t close to me, or based on my own emotional experience. But this other book is different, and harder for me to write. My husband pointed out that I would probably have a much easier time trying to sell my other book, now that I had a publishing contract. And I realized he was right, and I realized all at once--oh my gosh--someone, Viking, a really good publisher, bought my book! And then the reality began to set in and I was so happy. I started emailing everyone I knew who wasn’t from my past and wouldn’t hate me for writing about growing up in a strict religion! I’m not exactly the pride of my former community and heritage for what I have done. But I am lucky to have many dear people in my life who were very happy and proud for me.

What’s something writing Converting Kate taught you?

I have learned so much from writing this book, but probably most important is to write from your heart and not worry about whether or not a book has sale potential. When I wrote the first draft of Converting Kate I was warned by published authors I trusted that books about religion probably would not sell to the teen market. But I felt so strongly about writing this, that I went ahead.

What do you hope teens take away from your book?

If my readers could take away a feeling of hope, a sense that life has options and the courage to follow their own spiritual path, regardless of whether their parents approve or not—I would be very happy.

I love the fishing trips that Kate takes. Did you do any research for those parts?

Yes. I went on lobster boats, interviewed lobster workers (trying to be PC here even though they are all called lobstermen in Maine) and wrote one lobster worker several emails. I hope I did enough. But it was fun and I learned a lot.

For writers tackling often controversial topics, do you have any advice?

I would tell writers who dare to consider tackling controversial topics to do it. Go forth with heart and passion and trust that there will be readers out there who want to read what they have to say. I have received the most rewarding emails from teens and adults who say they know exactly how Kate felt because that was like their own journey.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

So Many! I have three novels duking it out in my head right now, all trying to take center stage. I wrote Converting Kate and the other novel I have not sold at the same time and it seems to work well for me, to work on more than one project at a time. Two of the three I am working on now are also tackling somewhat controversial topics and the other, is a lark, so fun, it makes me laugh as I write it or even think about it. It is about a 14 year old girl who time travels back to the year 1850 in Wales. I spent my whole advance from Converting Kate to spend a month on the coast of Wales and had the most lovely time doing research for this novel.

About Beckie Weinheimer

Hi, my name is Beckie Weinheimer. My first YA novel, CONVERTING KATE, Viking Books, 2007 is about a sophomore girl named Kate Anderson who is trying to figure out the difference between faith and religion, find peace with the death of her non-believing father, figure out guys, learn how to deal with public school, (she's been home-schooled) and a lot of other things.

I was raised in a really conservative religious background and this inspired my story. But Kate is fiction, the church she grew up in The Church of the Holy Divine is fiction.

I have lived in Utah, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, California, Virginia and now I live in Queens New York in a high rise. I love it. I live near a park so I go walking and listen to books on my MP3 player. I love reading more than I love writing, but I think reading/listening to so many book helps me be a better writer.

I have two adult daughters who are really cool and pretty and smart (because they take after their dad--ha ha!). Seriously I do love my husband, who wouldn't love a guy who left his church over you and got up at five a.m. every morning so he could edit CONVERTING KATE. He's my hero!

I also had a daughter that died when she was twelve. She was the love of my life. She had cerebral palsy and was deaf and I learned so much from her and I will always miss her. I learned from her that people are different. We just come wired that way and that made me really think the whole gay issue with my church. I couldn't believe someone would really choose to be gay, any more than my daughter chose to be born with her disabilities. So I finally left my church and speak out against homophobia any time I can. You get to do that more when you write a book! :)

I love to do email and love to hear from my readers good or bad reviews. It means a lot to me. I also love to encourage other writers no matter their age. My favorite word is inclusion. The word I hate the most is exclusion!

I want us to be all one big happy earth family. Okay, I'll admit, I'm a total optimist and idealist. But I have fun in my little bubble of hope!

Website:

http://www.beckieweinheimer.org

On Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Converting-Kate-Beckie-Weinheimer/dp/0670061522/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202483553&sr=8-1

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