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Bunny Roo, I Love You
By Melissa Marr, Illustrated by Teagan White
It’s a great feeling when you come across a picture book where the author’s story is perfectly matched with a spot on illustrator who adds the extras of the imagined goings on, with their particular take on it. And via their art, they make it all amount to something quite special, soothing and truthful.
And in “Bunny Roo, I Love You” such a match up takes place. And the book itself could not come at a more serendipitous time in my own life, as two friends have just become grandparents – days apart. Twin boys arrived to one family and the other, welcomed a single boy. The first set of grandparents have the twins joining a young sister, and the other has the baby boy, joining a big brother.
Isn’t it great how love just expands naturally to make room for more of the same in a family? I remember when my second chid was born. The thought crazily crossed my mind for a second, “How can I love this new child as much as the first?”
But love is like elastic. It’s ability to encompass more and more of itself as the need arises is quite miraculous! I can’t imagine the first child without the second. Each are unique and each are loved in that widening circle.
The world can seem like a pretty chaotic and bewildering place to newborns. One minute you’re in a nice, quiet and rather confined space; the next you’re in the bright lights with voices and your foot hitting an ink pad!
But fortunately, as we approach Mother’s Day on May 10th, moms know their own. They know the sight, touch and smell of their own and just exactly how to soothe a small and vulnerable new entry into the world.
Teagan White’s animal art, uses a combination collection of soft green, peach, cream, blue and orange hues that flesh out a new bunny, roo, lizard, wolf, kitten, and piglet in her picture book. They all have moms who know exactly what’s wrong with their new arrivals, and how to both calm and comfort their offspring, keeping them safe.
One of my favorites is the wolf mom. Listen to her take on mothering:
“Then you opened your
mouth and howled, and
I thought you might
be a lonely wolf.”
I ran to my
house and made
you a cozy den
so you had a home.”
Ms. Teagan’s sign of “HOME” hung outside the wolf den, is matched by the mom tucking wee wolfie under a baby blue coverlet to illustrate Ms. Marr’s narrative.
It’s an easy jump for kids to make the connection set up by Ms. Marr, to their own mom’s care and concern for them as babies.
“Then you smiled,
and I knew…
You are not a
bunny – roo – lizard -
wolf – kitten – piggy.
You are my baby.”
I chanced across this quote from a book called “Kindred Spirits.” It said:
“A mother is a mother from
the moment her baby is first
placed in her arms until eternity.
It doesn’t matter if her child is three,
thirteen or thirty.”
Ms. Marr’s words celebrate in picture book form, and softly enlivened by Ms. White’s pastel drawings, the unbreakable connection of need and wants fulfilled by the simple, self sacrificing word of “mother.”
Please allow “Bunny Roo, I Love You” and perhaps a shared sit down read with your child of either this picture book, or some others I will suggest, to set the tone for this singular day. The operative words here are “share and savor.”
Let their words start the beginning of the day that is an honored tradition of celebrating the calling and the commitment that is termed… motherhood.
Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers, both biological and spiritual, that have nourished each, and all of us, on this journey called life!
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Yesterday, I got to spend a delightful morning at Blue Willow Bookshop for a special story time with Melissa Marr. Melissa’s young adult novel WICKED LOVELY took the YA world by storm when it debuted eight years ago. Since then, she’s successfully ventured into the world of MG fantasy as well as books for adults. Now she’s breaking into what may be the toughest challenge for a writer, picture books.
How do you tell a beautiful, funny and touching story in under three hundred words? Take a look at BUNNY ROO, I LOVE YOU, from Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin.
That’s how.
There is so much love in this book, maybe because Melissa wrote it while she stayed in the hospital with her newborn son for forty days. The beautiful hand painted illustrations by Teagan White are warm and sweet.
To put whipped cream and sprinkles on top, Melissa was great at story time. Her little listeners had a blast making animal noises (along with Melissa) and creating bunny pictures, complete with googly eyes and fluffy puff tails. She brought stickers of the images in her book which the children used to decorate their pictures when they were through drawing.
Blue Willow’s owner and manger, Valerie Koehler, was in top form, too, as she led the little ones in a song and then a hilarious game of Simon Says.
Melissa also just announced Nancy Paulsen Books will be publishing her new picture book. BABY DRAGON, BABY DRAGON is about a day in the life of an adorable, hyperactive baby dragon, who finally simmers down when he meets his match. This book is scheduled for release in May 2017, but you can start getting excited about it now by visiting the website of the chosen illustrator, Lena Podesta.
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By: Molly,
on 4/12/2015
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We’re soon to touch down in one of our absolute favorite literary states for the Texas Library Association Conference in Austin! If there’s anything better than talking books, hanging out with authors and librarians, and enjoying sunshine and Shiners, then we don’t want to know about it.
If you’ll be in the Lone Star State, too, please swing by our booth, #1341, for galleys, giveaways, and face time with the HarperCollins Children’s Books School & Library team. We can’t wait to chat and put books in your hands.
But if you’re reading this thinking, “sure, you guys are nice, but we’re here to meet the AUTHORS, silly!” check out our top-notch signing schedule, here:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15TH:
11:00am–12:00pm, Joy Preble, Aisle 7, Finding Paris
11:00am–12:00pm, Melissa Marr, Aisle 8, Made For You
12:00–1:00pm, Kiera Cass, Aisle 8, The Selection Series
1:00–2:00pm, Thanhha Lai, Aisle 8, Listen, Slowly
2:00–3:00pm, Dan Gutman, Aisle 8, Genius Files #5: License to Thrill
4:00–5:00pm, Lauren Oliver, Aisle 8, Vanishing Girls
THURSDAY, APRIL 16TH:
10:00–11:00am, Sherry Thomas, Aisle 3, The Elemental Trilogy
11:30am–12:30pm, Neal & Brendan Shusterman, Aisle 1, Challenger Deep
2:00–3:00pm, Gordon Korman, Aisle 1, Masterminds
2:00–3:00pm, Julie Murphy, Aisle 2, Dumplin’ galleys
3:00–4:00pm, Becky Albertalli, Aisle 1, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
You don’t want to miss our coupon in the aisle by aisle guide, either! It points you to our booth for a free copy of BONE GAP, by Laura Ruby (*while supplies last), and a chance to enter to win a piece of framed original art by Jef Czekaj, from his upcoming picture book, AUSTIN, LOST IN AMERICA.
We can’t wait to see y’all!
You know what, I put off too many mini reviews because I dread formatting them prettily or want to tie them together for a theme. Which is silly, so today’s the start of more casually structured mini reviews, which I think will still be useful even if they aren’t perfect! Today’s pairing actually do have a theme, though–both stories combine paranormal with suspense, and while I rated them both the same, I definitely thought one succeeded in what it set out to do more than the other. Title: The Cure for Dreaming Author: Cat Winters Rating: 3.5 stars Olivia Mead is fighting for women’s rights in the early 1900s–not an easy task when her father has her hypnotized in the hopes it will make her more obedient. What ends up happening is that she is somehow able to see the “truth” of what everyone’s character is, but unable to speak... Read more »
The post Mini Reviews: The Cure for Dreaming and Made for You appeared first on The Midnight Garden.
By: Shelley Workinger,
on 5/16/2014
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Asking me as a writer to choose one short story from an anthology to blog about it almost as difficult as asking me as a parent to name my favorite child! So let me begin by saying that since this collection brings together the work of pretty much every big writer in YA today, every piece is terrific.
That being said, I chose to focus on Corpse Eaters by Melissa Marr, not so much for the obvious reasons (her name headlining the cover plus the “eat” right there in the title), but because I haven’t yet read her Wicked Lovely series.*
Now, since the stories from authors whose books I’ve read previously – Margaret Stohl, Veronica Roth, Kelley Armstrong – were written in their recognizable styles, I do feel like I have a good idea now of how Marr writes as well. And it’s gruesome. Or might I say gruesomely good. Because the detail is so fine that it will both put you right into the middle of the scene, as well as reclaim your senses hours later.
Here, let me show you:
In Eaters, there’s a vat for storing bodies that “[looks] remarkably like a cross between an aquarium and one of the coffee dispensers at every church dinner [Harmony] remembered.” Can you see it? Horrific, right? But that’s not what I found to be the most disturb/gusting thing in the story.
No, I awarded that honor when I read how Harmony and Chris came to be partners in the war against the Nidos (devotees of the new god on Earth, Nidhogg), and I got a glimpse into Chris’s back-story:
The fourth [bottle] had a good inch of liquid – hopefully gin – in it. Unfortunately, it also had a cigarette butt floating in it. He paused, shrugged, and lifted the bottle to his lips.
Blech! That moment is so clear on so many sensory levels – sight, touch, taste – that there is no doubt that this character was devastated by the loss of his first partner. Yup, if we were playing Meta-Me and the prompt was “rock bottom,” Marr would absolutely be the uncontested winner.
Of course, there are many other facets to the story – action, love, family dysfunction, dystopia – told with equal detail, but none resonated more strongly with me than that foul taste. I mean, even the dead corpses floating in giant serving vessels I could get past – maybe because they were unreal to get to me. But I can too easily feel exactly what an old soggy Marlboro stub sloshing around in a mouthful of gin would feel like. And I. Just. Can’t. Sooo awful…ly well-written. ;)
*I read awhile back that Wicked Lovely had been optioned for film and, whenever that happens, I try to hold off on the book until close to the movie premiere to best compare them. However, in this case, I’m still not seeing production schedule or predicted release date, so I may have to just start reading. ;)
Title: Rag & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales
Edited by: Melissa Marr & Tim Pratt
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 22, 2013
ISBN-13: 978-0316212946
368 pp.
ARC provided by publisher
This anthology of science fiction and fantasy tales is edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt. They challenged 10 other authors to create a short story based upon a
Hello! It's Trailer Tuesday here at RNSL (I totally just made that up). But I do have some trailers for you. 20th Century Fox just released the official film trailer for The Maze Runner movie last night. I have not read the book yet but the trailer looks pretty good. I like that the actors seem like relative unknowns and it looks like a harrowing story. I really need to read this one before the movie comes out.
While I was strolling through Trailer Land, I found a few new book trailers that looked interesting as well.
In the trailer for
Monument 14: Savage Drift, things are looking pretty bleak. This is another book series that has been on my shelf for a while but hasn't been read. I like the tone and cinematic styling of this one.
)
Free to Fall by Lauren Miller feels like an ad for online dating or a prescription drug. That actually might be the intention of it and it comes off as pretty creepy.
Tremor by Patrick Carman looks a bit cheesy to me. I think it's because the floating cars look fake. Good effort but not my favorite book trailer.
Untamed City: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr is a very epic trailer. The music and content of the trailer make it seem like a gladiator movie. I wish the fighting was a little more badass but overall, not too shabby.
And last but not least we have a little featurette from the
Divergent movie (coming out this week!) that showcases Four.
I am a still on the fence about this movie. I wasn't the biggest fan of the books (though I liked the first one enough) but I will be seeing this.
Well that's it for the just coined Trailer Tuesday. Do any of these books or trailers seem interesting to you? Are you in line for Divergent already? :) Have a happy Tuesday!
By:
Beth Kephart ,
on 6/7/2012
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In a wall-to-wall session at the BEA, the season's top YA authors—Melissa Marr, Tonya Hurley, Siobhan Vivian, Jenny Han, Elizabeth Norris, and Bethany Griffin—gathered to talk about trendmaking, book writing, and teen readers.
I covered the story for
Publishing Perspectives here.
Publisher: Harper Collins (September 20, 2011)
Paperback: 464 Pages
Genre: YA Paranormal
From Goodreads. A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.
Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.
Review by Kate
ENTHRALLED is a fabulous anthology from today's hottest YA paranormal authors, including Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Vincent, Sarah Rees Brennan, Jeri Smith-Ready, Mary E. Pearson, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Jessica Verday, Claudia Gray, Jackson Pearce, Carrie Ryan, Rachel Caine, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Kimberly Derting, and Ally Condie. If you are a fan of any of these authors, this book is a great addition to your bookshelf. Some of the stories are stand-alone and others are additions to current series's. I have highlighted a few stories that I really enjoyed:
Giovanni’s Farewell by Claudia Gray is a story about fraternal twins with powers to hear thoughts and speak to the dead. It was a great start to the anthology and I hope Gray turns that introduction into a real book.
Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan is an expected zombie tale about two sisters holed up in a house while the rest of the world deals with its reckoning.
Things About Love by Jackson Pearce takes place in the
As You Wish world with Lawrence and a female jinn, Juliet. I really loved this story and definitely a treat for those who have read
As You Wish.
Niederwald by Rachel Vincent was a journey with Sabine and Emma, from the
Soul Screamers series, to see a seer and the trouble they have along the way. A Mortal Winter King by Melissa Marr shows a snippet of Donia & Keenan's life after he turns mortal (from the
Wicked Lovely series).
Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong brings the
Darkest Powers teens back to light in a thrilling tale.
Definitely a great read for fans of current YA paranormal books and series's!
Tuesday 5/31 - last chance to enter to win Radiant Shadows - giveaway
Tuesday 5/31 - last chance to enter to win Radiant Shadows - giveaway
Sunday 5/29 - Darkest Mercy - podcast with special guest Kate G.
Tuesday 5/31 - last chance to enter to win Radiant Shadows - giveaway
1 Comments on Radiant Shadows - Review, last added: 5/30/2011
The
Splash into Summer Blog Hop is co-hosted by
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and
Page Turners.
The giveaway runs from May 25 through May 31. You can enter until Midnight the evening of May 31.
As part of our Wicked Lovely Week, we're giving away one of the books from the series!
If you're in the US or Canada, you could win a hardcover copy of
Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr.
To enter, fill out this
Google Form.
Howdy!
Kimberly ended up reading a whole bunch of
Melissa Marr books recently, so we present an impromptu Wicked Lovely Week. Shortlink to this post:
http://bit.ly/w1ck3dwk
Tuesday 5/24 -
Wicked Lovely - review by Kimberly
Wednesday 5/25 -
Splash into Summer -
Radiant Shadows giveaway
Thursday 5/26 -
Ink Exchange - review by Kimberly
Friday 5/27 -
Fragile Eternity - review by Kimberly
Saturday 5/28 -
Radiant Shadows - review by Alethea
Sunday 5/29 -
Darkest Mercy - podcast with special guest Kate G.
Monday 5/30 - Memorial Day (no posts today!)
Tuesday 5/31 - last chance to enter to win
Radiant Shadows - giveaway
We'll start off today with
Wicked Lovely. Take it away, Kimberly!
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Publication date: 12 June 2007
ISBN 10/13: 0061214655 | 9780061214653
Category: Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy
Format: Hardcover (also available in paperback, audiobook, and eBook formats)
Keywords: Faeries, Romance, Adventure
Kimberly's review:
I’m the first to admit it. I’m not a fairy person. I don’t like fairy stories. The world is too fantasy for me. Too unreal. But I couldn’t resist the beautiful covers this series has created. (And let’s be honest, sometimes that is why I buy a book. The covers.)
So there I was not expecting much and wow. I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed this story.
Aislinn has grown up with the Sight and can see fairies all around her. She’s managed to avoid them most of her life, until one incredibly beautiful one starts pursuing her: The Summer King. And he’s looking for his lost Summer Queen. And thinks she might be it.
But there are steep prices to pay and tests to endure.
Keenan is both selfish and selfless, risking everything for his court, including love. Aislinn is a teenager, who reacts pretty well considering she’s being courted by a fairy who happens to be a king. And K
By:
Heather Davis,
on 4/7/2011
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Books, Boys, Buzz
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Five of the Buzz Girls are loose in LA -- oops, that sounds bad! But we really are at the RT convention, sponsored by RT Booklovers Magazine. The event culminates with a massive Teen Day event on Saturday!
Here I am with Dona, decked out for Melissa de la Cruz's awesome dinner party for YA authors at her home here in LA. Not only does fabulous Melissa have a to-die-for home, but she's also got the cutest husband and kids ever.
And, the guest list was extraordinary! From Melissa Marr (hard-working organizer of the RT-Con Teen Day Event on Saturday) to Alyson Noel and Carrie Ryan, there were interesting YA authors filling ever square foot. We ate, drank, and wrapped ourselves (ok, I did) in cozy blankets, hanging out on her deck until well past dark.
Here is Buzz Girl Tera with Sophie Jordan (
Firelight) and debut author Josephine Angelini
(Starcrossed).
It was fun to hear about all the new books coming out, and to talk about the state of the industry in general.
Here are Marley and Dona with the aforementioned YA goddess Alyson Noel, who is not only a great writer, but is also super sweet.
Here are Tina and Dona, I think right after the red velvet cake and chocolate mousse cups arrived. See those satisfied smiles? The food was really, really yummy!
But, around one AM we were hungry again, so we went up to Marley and Tina's room to order in some snacks.
Marley's holding up the fruit, but we really ate turkey burger and grilled cheese. All this writer talk makes us hungry, obviously!
Although we're missing our bee sisters Wendy and Steph a ton, we're having a great time so fa
SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read the previous books in the Wicked Lovely Series, there may be spoilers ahead.
Publisher: Harper Teen (February 22, 2011)
ARC: 327 Pages
Genre: YA Fantasy
Book from Author*
From Goodreads. The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.
Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.
Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.
Review by Kate
DARKEST MERCY, by Melissa Marr, is the final book in the
Wicked Lovely series. The previous books lead up to a action-filled, suspenseful, and romantic ending to the series.
No character was safe in this book. The faeries that I got to know and love throughout the series were tested to their limits against the prospect of a fight against War. I liked the multiple POV structure of this book. Marr weaved her characters in and out of each other's lives to create an amazing web of intrigue and suspense. The pressure of the Courts to be strong overwhelmed the reagents, and I was curious to see how far they would all go to protect their fey.
The love quadrangle between Ash, Keenan, Seth, and Donia supplied some heavy sexual tension. Marr definitely tortured her characters through their decisions, and in turn I, as the reader, was tortured! Some incredible events transpired just between these characters but it was astonishing and such a perfect path laid for these characters which I never saw coming.
My only disappointment was the ending of this series. I will always pick up a book that Marr writes and these books will stay in my library for a long time. It is sad to see the end but I am very pleased with the result.
A cover note: How GORGEOUS is the cover? The
Wicked Lovely Series has always been know for its great covers but I think this one blows them all away. That flower and the colors make this book one to pick up even if you have not read the series. Major props to the art department on this one.
My Reviews of the Wicked Lovely Series
By: Laura,
on 2/22/2011
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Tomorrow night, Wednesday, 2/23, 5:00 PST/8:00 EST, Melissa Marr will be at Mysterious Galaxy Books in San Diego to celebrate the release of the fifth and final book in the Wicked Lovely series, DARKEST MERCY.
Even if you don’t live nearby (or you live nearby and didn’t score a ticket), you can watch the event by livestream here. You can watch the event live and even send in your questions for Melissa. Pretty cool, right?
It’s the wave of the future, don’t you think? I can attend a book event in Seattle from my office in New York, send in my questions to the author, share the link with friends so they can attend…and it certainly is more cost effective for all.
What do you think this technology will mean for school and library visits in the future? Have any of you out there tried livestreaming an author or illustrator visit?
Follow Melissa Marr on Twitter
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By:
Lucy Coats,
on 7/6/2010
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What a delight these second ABBA anniversary posts are turning out to be. I'm having such fun reading them. And now it's my turn to celebrate with my own five fabulous forays into faeryland....
Lately--usually deep into the night when the world is still and silent apart from the cries of hunting owls--I have found myself led astray. I have walked down strange paths and met beauty and horror and humour and cruelty and bravery and sadness and romance all mixed up together. In short, I have been lured into YA faeryland. Don't be fooled by the word faery (or fairy). These are not some cutesie, flowery, pink-dressed tiny beings out of picture-books and Disney. No--they are the Sidhe, the Fair Folk, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts--faeries from the older and darker side of legend. I've been familiar with those original ancient legends for most of my life--I've retold some of them myself, and of course I had my own green version of faeries--the Fey--in
Hootcat Hill. Tam Linn, Thomas the Rhymer, the fairy smiths of Skye, the fairy cattle of the sea, the children of Danu--all these and more I know and love. But these new faeries I've discovered live in this modern world of ours (the USA being a current favoured setting for most but not all), and I stumbled across some of them quite by chance--via recommendations on Twitter, in fact. So first, I will introduce you to:
Melissa Marr Melissa's
Wicked Lovely series was recommended by someone whose opinion I value, and as soon as I read the three Rules which her heroine, Aislinn, must follow, I was hooked in at once.
Rule 3: Never stare at invisible faeries. Rule 2: Never speak to invisible faeries. Rule 1: Don't ever attract the attention of invisible faeries. But the Summer King, Keenan is determined that mortal Aislinn will be his Summer Queen, and her rules become increasingly hard to keep. There are four books so far in the series, with one more to come. They're a kind of edgy, "urban faerie' genre I hadn't come across before. Once I'd read and loved that first book I bought the others at once, being a reader who has to 'know what happened next'. Melissa writes a fabulous strong, feisty heroine--and her heroes are never just handsome cyphers, but are equally strong individuals. I particularly like the railway-carriage dwelling Seth. I found myself loathing the old Winter Queen with a passion--and yet being fascinated by the way her mind works and her Machiavellian schemes. Having finished the second book,
Ink Exchange, I was also left with a strong desire for a tattoo. There aren't many books which would make me contemplate needles on my skin (I
hate needles). This one did--and I'
"Show, don't tell" is probably the most common advice given to writers. But that's not the whole story.
I've been thinking a lot about this issue in the past weeks. It came up in both large and small ways in a number of the critiques I've done for other writers recently, and it was flagged in my manuscript by a couple of the writers in my wonderful new critique group. I started thinking about researching my thoughts and doing a blog post, but serendipidously, several of the blog's I regularly read posted articles on the subject last week.
Michael Bourret described how he has been seeing a lot of manuscripts that aren't engaging or engrossing because of too much telling.
Mary Kole had a post on "Good Telling" based on an essay she received from Melissa Koosmann, one of her blog readers. The Plot Whisperer (Martha Alderson) also had a great post on
how people may hide strong emotions.
So I'm going to tell you what
I think. And I want to know what
you think. Tell me if you agree or disagree, and let me know how much you think style, skill, POV, and genre fall into the equation.
First, there's a difference between narrative and scene, and each has its role in a novel.
- A scene takes place in real time, in an idenfied location, and it involves action and/or dialogue between characters. By definition, a scene is "show." It engages the reader, engrosses them, and makes them feel connected to what the characters are feeling.
- Narrative summary describes--"tells" about--action or an event, but doesn't show it. Just as you would have a hard time selling a manuscript that's all narrative, you would have a hard time getting a reader to enjoy a book that is all nonstop action. As readers, we need time to breathe and absorb. Narrative serves that purpose.
For me, deciding whether something should go into scene is part of planning the novel, and it comes down to issues of tension and pacing. If you think you need a scene, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Is the event or information significant enough to the story to warrant a full scene?
- Does it move the story forward?
- Does it lead the character toward a turning point or plot point, preferably both, that you want the reader to remember andn experience along with the character?
- Are the events action or reaction? In other words, is something happening, or are the characters making decisions based on something that has already happened?
- If it is action, does it directly impact the POV character and are you giving her an opportunity to react to it?
- Is there identifiable conflict between two characters, between what your main character wants and what she needs, or preferably both?
- Are you providing important information that a reader is likely to skim over, misunderstand, or not care about in narrative form? Remember, the reader doesn't know what you know -- that it's important.
If the answer to any of those questions is affirmative, then you probably don't want to put information into narrative. This goes double for plot devices such as memories, monologues, and so forth. Flashbacks and visions, well-crafted and used sparingly, may work as scenes, but bear in mind that you have to give characters time to react to them. They work best at turning points in your story, the same way that backstory is ideal at turning points, where information is placed in context of past and present combining to help the character make a decision that will lead to resolution an
If you love faeries and exquisitely created alternate worlds, you'll love the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. A SIGNED copy of her newest book in the series, Radiant Shadows, is being given away on my other blog, Sisters in Scribe, and you can enter here, but you can win SIGNED copies of the first 3 books here: Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and Fragile Eternity. One lucky winner will win all 3 books! Contest starts Monday 5/3 and ends Monday 5/17. Good luck!
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Upcoming Sisters in Scribe Giveaway:
First off, Melissa Marr rocks! Seriously. I went to her book signing at the coolest bookstore in Denver, The Tattered Cover, and listened to her speak about her books and writing journey -- and Vince Vaughn. NOTE: Anyone who talks about Vince Vaughn has my attention - I love hilarious people - and he's producing her Wicked Lovely MOVIE! The best part is that when she was told he wanted to produce it, her response was "Who the f*$k is Vince Vaughn?" Anyway, I digress. She's cool, smart, gracious, and funny which is my favorite kind of person. So, next Monday (5/3), I'm giving away SIGNED copies of her amazing Wicked Lovely series. Yes, the ENTIRE series. Her newest book, Radiant Shadows, will be given away here and her first three will be given away on my other blog, so enter both for the chance for all 4. I also have Wicked Lovely bookmarks and wristbands that I'm giving away too - don't you just love swag?
Cool Contest of the Week:
Querytracker contest with Chris Richman of Upstart Crow Literary. This is an awesome pitch contest for those of you who write MG and YA. It starts tomorrow (4/27) and there's no limit to the number of entries he's accepting within the specified times. This is great news for the technologically-challenged peeps out there (like a close 'friend' of mine), who maybe have been unable to enter contests in the past because the contest is full before they figure out how to navigate the system. Also, for pitch tips, check out my prior post on The 2-Minute Pitch. Good luck!
I also believe there's a contest out there on Twitter having to do with the incredibly talented author, John Green. It sounds amazing for those of you who Tweet or Twit or whatever, unlike my close 'friend.' :) Until tomorrow...
Today we have a special treat. Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, and Alyson Noel are here to talk a little about marketing and their upcoming Smart Chicks Kick it tour (10 authors/8 cities).
First, can each of you tell us a little about your author career.
MM - I taught university lit for a while. In 2003, I switched to part-time teaching and allowed myself 3 years to try writing. In 2004, I wrote the short story that evolved into my first published novel (WICKED LOVELY) in 2005. I wasn't very optimistic - there was no major paranormal YA market yet. (not even Twilight) In 2006, I had just decided to go back to fulltime teaching when WL sold. Harper bought WL and the yet-to-be-written INK in a 3-book deal. Right now, I'm writing the 5th WL novel.
KA - My first adult book (Bitten/Otherworld series) came out in 2001. Book 11 (Waking the Witch) will be released in August. I also have a crime series with 2 books so far. For this tour, though, the focus is my young adult paranormal trilogy. The third book in the Darkest Power series (The Reckoning) comes out in April. Right now I'm editing the first book in the next YA trilogy.
AN - I’m the author of 12 novels for adults and teens, including the bestselling THE IMMORTALS series, and its soon to be released spin-off series, beginning with
Melissa Marr is the author of Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and the soon to be published Fragile Eternity. In August of 2007 Wicked Lovely won the Rita (Romance Writers of America) Award for Best Young Adult Book. Her biography states that in high school she was voted “most likely to to end up in jail,” which shows the uniqueness of her life. This uniqueness is reflected in Marr’s novels which mirror human nature at it’s loveliest as well as nastiest. Below is an online interview with Marr.
When you started writing Wicked Lovely, were you planning on writing more books set in the same world?
I didn’t have a plan. When I started, I wrote a short story. About a year later, those characters and that story evolved into a novel. As soon as I finished it, I began writing another novel (parts of which eventually became the second and third books, Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity respectively). Currently, I’m planning a total of 5 books in this world. The fourth of those is the one I’m currently writing.
Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what are the musical playlists for both books?
I can’t write without music—or proofread with it. Each book starts out with a collection of songs that grow & shrink & get sorted as I write. Some characters have playlists too. When I hear a song I think works for a character, I save it to their individual playlist. (FWIW, my webmaster posted a bit of a playlist on my website for both of the first two books.) With WL, I listened to a fair bit of Jem, Tegan & Sara, and The Corrs. For INK, I had music with more obvious teeth— Within Temptation, 30 Seconds to Mars, Bella Morte. For the manga series (Desert Tales), I listened to Sia and Damien Rice a lot. Fragile Eternity had a lot of A Fine Frenzy and Hurt. And, for reasons I don’t question, every book includes listening to Marilyn Manson. He’s my failsafe. Whenever I need inspiration or a shot of energy, his art is one of the resources that I can rely on to spur me to write.
In your bio you say that you’ve lived all over the country. Why did you choose Pennsylvania as the setting?
Actually, I’ve never really thought of it AS being in PA. It was a sort of “any town.” Pennsylvania works—but so does New Jersey or West Virginia. There are references to Pittsburgh & DC, but Huntsdale isn’t defined as being in particular state location. Folks assume it’s PA bc of the P-burgh reference and bc I’m from PA. It’s certainly a viable possibility, but so are a few other spots.
Why not specify? It’s like writing detailed physical descriptions of the characters: I think that sort of concrete real-world data is unnecessary. Adding it takes away from the stories I’m trying to tell. I know what the characters look like, and I could find Huntsdale on a map . . . but that’s my visual and my map. Yours would be different, so who am I to impose mine on you? Everywhere I’ve been in my travels, there are towns with folks desperate to escape. There are spots fighting economic depressions and teens and adults dreaming of a way out. That feels familiar to me; it’s been a theme that runs through conversations I’ve had with people all over. I like leaving it non-specific for that reason.
Your novels remind me of Holly Black’s modern fairy tale series. Have you read her novels and if so are they an influence?
I have read and enjoyed Holly’s YA novels. Her novels, along with Clare Dunkle’s and Charles de Lint’s and Emma Bull’s and Neil Gaiman and a host of other authors’ texts, gave me hope that there was a chance for stories rooted in old folklore to find readers. Their texts did (and do) what folklore has done: take the improbable and mythic beings and place them in the Real World. It’s what folklore has been doing for centuries. It’s what I’m trying to do. Like them, I stay lore-true in some cases, but vary in others. Frex, I didn’t stick as true to courts as Holly Black and Emma Bull do. They both use Seelie & Unseelie, whereas I did a four court structure and made up two a court for Cailleach Bheur (Winter Court) instead of it being just her and her hags.
What other novels and writers have influenced your writing?
Everything influences what a writer writes. My biggest influence textually is folklore. In terms of writing, classic literature is where I find my inspirations. Faulkner does gorgeous things in incorporating full sensory experiences. He tweaks narrative structure and threads wisdom into a good story. Browning and Wilkie Collins did the narrative structure thing brilliantly. Christina Rossetti evoked folklore for modern (to her) political statements—as did Hardy and Barrett Browning. They did this all within good storytelling. That’s my goal. I’m obviously not there yet, and quite probably will never touch even the bottoms of their shoes, but that’s my influence—folklore and literature.
How do you come up with fairy names? Did you research them? Are they variations on other mythical names?
Some are from myth. Beira is from one of the many names of Cailleach Bheur/Cally Berry/Beara. She was the one who made Winter spread. It wasn’t a court though. She was attended by her hags. I wanted her to have more companionship than her hags and her wolf, though. I kept a version of her name, but in the myth where she’s thwarting the embodiment of Summer, I re-named him Keenan (little ancient one) bc liked the etymology of Keenan for the character.
Aislinn wasn’t the name of the missing Summer Queen, but Aislinn is a sort of traditional “dream or vision poem.” It’s also a name. I thought that fit well.
Niall means “champion”—which was appropriate for his role in the novels.
In terms of types of faeries, yes, most of those are research rooted as well. Ly Ergs are based on a type of faery who was a warrior with a “red right hand” stained with blood. Bananach is one name of a carrion-crow. Rowan is a sacred tree, so rowan faeries seemed fitting. Thistle fey are a result of the thistle as a traditionally used herb, combined with the idea of skin that caused pain to touch. (A similar type of faery is in the manga in the desert for the same set of reasons.) Scrimshaw is carved bone, and the rather macabre faeries are called that bc of their general mien. The more animalistic and natural ones (including thistle and scale) are a sort of homage to Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” which was the poem that made me want to be a lit teacher.
This is a dangerous question. *smiles* I research and read and angst over the names and characters and allusions to the point of obsessive sometimes. Frex, I opted to call the Dark Man Far Dorcha as opposed to Fear Dorcha bc although “fear” is the proper spelling of “man” it looks like fear (i.e. fright) which has connotations that I didn’t want. A folklorist I talk to kindly sent a letter asking about my “inaccurate spelling of ‘fear’ in the Dark Man’s name.” I was all anxious as I explained the logic & hoped my logic was acceptable to her. (It was.) The decision to do that was seemingly minor—I mean, it’s a single letter I changed, right? It wasn’t a minor choice though.
In Ink Exchange, Leslie the main character is mentally and physically abused. Do you have any advice to give to teens in similar circumstances?
“Get help” and “tell someone” are easy to say, but awfully hard to do sometimes. However, those are good first steps. It’s the healing part that’s a little more nebulous. I’m a rape survivor, and I had lots of advice from helpful folks. At the time, though, it all felt like noise. I believe it does get easier over time. It did for me. It’s such a personal path though. I’ve known folks for whom group therapy or one-on-one or self defense or religion helped. Revenge doesn’t. Drugs don’t. Sex binges don’t. Avoid the stuff that masks how you feel and is destructive to your spirit or your body.
How would you feel about a fan getting Irial’s tattoo? Horrified, pleased, or indifferent?
I’ve had a few dozen emails from folks on this so far. Personally, I don’t think it’s my place to have any opinion on what someone else does to decorate his/her body. When I’m asked, my only real concern is the same as it is when asked about any tattoo opinions: please research to assure that the person into whose care you’re trusting your body is a true professional. Beyond that, it’s not my place to have a voice in this.
Any plans for new tattoos?
*grin* Always.
What’s the most common drink requested in a biker bar? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found in an archeological dig?
Most of the places I’ve worked were beer and whiskey places. I worked in one beach bar that was fluffy drinks, but the clientele there wasn’t very much fun so I moved on pretty quickly. The dig I worked was colonial ( a settlement that had been razed & re-settled & later abandoned) , so we found a lot of pottery shards, tools, and daubing. My favourite finds were when I could collect a piece of a dish that I’d found earlier pieces of, like a puzzle slowly coming together.
Can you tell us a little bit about Fragile Eternity the next novel in this series?
I’m so not good at this part. FE is a sequel. When I finished writing Wicked Lovely, I started a new book; parts of that book became Ink Exchange and parts became Fragile Eternity. It’s funny to me that I wrote WL in a matter of months, but INK took almost three times as long and FE was already in progress at that time (and after). Instead of it taking less time, each book has taken longer. Fragile is a sequel in that it revisits the protags from Wicked Lovely. I call it “Seth’s book” bc he’s the center of this novel. FE is set directly after INK, but it’s going back to Ash, Seth, Keenan, & Donia.
The fourth book is “Ani’s book”—she’s the center of the events that take place in it. Like INK, it stands alone.
The fifth one (the final book) is back to Ash & Donia again. Like Fragile Eternity, it’s part of the original protag’s story.
Also can you tell us about the 3-book manga series coming out next year?
Desert Tales is a story that I started about Rika, a former Winter Girl. I’d started it as a short story or maybe the start a novel, but when I was asked to do the manga, I knew that this story worked. The central question I was wondering about was what happens to the winter Girls once they’re freed. There is only one Winter Girl at a time, so where do the others go? I had a few ideas (which I reference briefly at points in Wicked Lovely), but I wanted to explore it further. Where would she go? Somewhere hot, away from Keenan, and out of Winter’s reach . . . the desert. What would she feel? What leftover fears, worries, hopes, dreams would she have? Trust issues . . . It felt like something to follow up on, and the manga was a new venue in which to do so. Writing it was fabulous fun, and Irene Diaz (the artist) really made the whole process thrilling for me. I love seeing the thousands of words I wrote converted into a few hundred pages of images. It was incredible to me to see how few pen strokes it takes Irene to “say” they same thing in images that I said in paragraphs of words. Visual art is like magic to me.
If you were a fairy what kind would you be and to what court would you belong too?
I actually have no desire to be anything other than who and what I am, so if the choices were infinite, I’d be me as I am right now. If the options were limited to faeries, I’d be solitary. I’m not very good at following orders. Winter makes my body ache; High is too reserved; and Dark or Summer . . . well, it’s not where I’d choose at this point in my life. Once upon a time, I would’ve liked those two the best, but I’m a mom now so giving myself over to sheer decadence isn’t the path I’m on these days. Vacations into indulgence are still on the table as options, but so are bouts of practicality. Solitary would enable me to meander among a few courts, so I’d go for that option. As to what kind, I’ve always had a fascination for water beings—selchies, kelpies, finn-folk—so I’d probably lean towards those options. The spouse & beasties are all ocean lovers, so I suspect they’d veer that way, and in the end, that’s my ultimate decision maker: the path that assures that I’m with my family.
Thanks for the fun questions!
M.
*Thank you Melissa Marr for providing such an entertaining interview! The YaYaYas are looking forward to the publications of your new works!
Before I go on, I must say that I haven't always been a fan of fantasy books. I think it's been within the past 3 years, I've fallen in love with the worlds and stories created by fantasy authors. With that being said, I'd heard a lot of whisperings about Melissa Marr's, Wicked Lovely, and wanted to see for myself if it was as good as people said it was. I was not disappointed!
First of all, being a person who loves books with aesthetically pleasing covers, I found Marr's cover to be awesome! The cover itself made me want to read on. Then, I started reading - and couldn't put the book down.
Keenan, the Summer King in a land of faeries, knows that Aislinn, a mortal, is special. He's dreamed of her and believes that she's the one...the one bound to become the Summer Queen...the one whose power, along with his, is strong enough to defeat the Winter Queen (Keenan's mother). If the Winter Queen isn't defeated, summer will perish and her cold power will take over both the fairy and human world. For centuries, Keenan has seduced countless number of girls into loving him, only to find that they aren't the one. The girls are then banished into a cold captivity until another girl is seduced by Keenan. Donia is the most recent victim, forced to live a cold existence, still loving Keenan, but unable to have him.
Aislinn is different from the other girls, for she's inherited the gift (if you can call it that) of being able to see the faeries who freely walk our human world (invisible to humans). Her grandmother keeps Aislinn on a short leash because of the dangers that come along with this special sight. Tired, and at times, afraid, she seeks refuge in the home of her best friend and love interest, Seth. His converted train car, made of iron, protects Aislinn from the faeries who've begun stalking her (iron harms faeries). There's a love triangle between Keenan, Aislinn, and Seth. Keenan is determined to have Aislinn, despite the fact that it's obvious something's going on between her and Seth. This makes Keenan out to be the bad guy, but really, he's just trying to save his fey from the Winter Queen's cold rule. Will the Winter Queen be defeated? Will Donia ever be freed from her captivity? Is Aislinn going to end up with Keenan or Seth? Is Aislinn really the one destined to be the Summer Queen, or is she just like the other girls? So many questions and one would have to read the book in order to find the answers.
Like I said, I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. The book not only had me rooting for Keenan in his quest to defeat his mother, but also rooting for Aislinn's victory in discovering herself as well as her relationship with Seth. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read, especially if you're an avid fantasy fan. I cannot read Melissa Marr's next book, Ink Exchange.
Rae's Rating: A+
Leslie is nearly destroyed after she is sexually assaulted by one of her drugged out brothers “friends”. Determined to gain a sense of control over her life and bring about some change, Leslie decides to get a tattoo. Leslie gets more change then she bargained for, however, as she is pulled into the world of the fey. The ink used to create her tattoo was combined with the blood of Irial, the
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I recently read a Melissa Marr book and enjoyed it. This story will be interesting to read.