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“You push that button and then Z-bot talks to you and then Acey talks to you. It’s just like your phone except it calls Acey’s spaceship!”

“Okay, I press this one?”

“Yeah! It’s the little blue button with the white ring on it.”

“Hellooo.. is uhhh… is Acey listening?”

Priority com signal detected. Voice print negative. Activating identification protocol.“

“Hmmm… nobody home?”

“Acknowledging priority communications. Please identify yourself.”

“Hi Z-bot!”

“It’s Shannon Ka Yoru. Can I talk to Acey?”

Positive voice print identified as Cecilia Daichi, fourth grade student. Second voice print positive match for Shannon Ka Yoru, tenth grade student. Priority transmission source identified. Activating secondary com channel“

“Now Z-bot says ’stand by landing party’ so he can call Acey’s spaceship.”

“Stand by landing party. Relaying transmission.”

“See?”

“What’s a landing party?”

“Z-bot to Hana.”

“Hana, Acey here.”

“I have a priority transmission on voice comm channel Gamma Four from Cecilia Daichi and Shannon Ka Yoru, switching Hana to voice net.”

“Hey Shannon and Cici, what’s up?”

“Hi Acey. We’ve both got big Gift Shop and Gamepowa Store updates today so I thought we could do them together.”

“That sounds like a great idea. I’m just passing Saturn at the moment. I should be in Earth orbit in about an hour. See you then! Hana out.”

“Okay Cici, be ready for the big update. We’ll be back soon, folks.”

“I’ll bet Acey’s got lots of new video games. I can’t wait.”

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Debut Author of the Month: Donna Gephart...

Donna Gephart's first book As If Being 12¾ Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President! was released just days ago by Delacorte Press. Here she tells us a little about her first book, how she found her agent and shares her 10 Very Important Pieces of Advice for Unpublished Writers.

Just in case someone out there can’t get the gist of your book from its great title, please tell my readers about it.

Six-word alliterative version: Angst. Athletic (As if!). Assassination attempt.

Slightly longer version: Preparing for spelling bees, having a secret admirer, and waiting for her chest size to catch up with her enormous feet are pressure enough, but twelve-year-old Vanessa must also deal with loneliness and very real fears as her mother, Florida’s Governor, runs for President of the United States.

Tell me a little about your path to publication. How did you find your agent, Tina Wexler of I.C.M?

Several years ago, Tina put out a call for writers on the SCBWI Discussion Boards. I sent her the book I’d been working on and a cover letter, in which I wrote one sentence about a gawky, awkward spelling bee champ thrust into the spotlight because her mother is running for president. Although Tina didn’t think she could sell the book I’d sent, she did like my writing and expressed interest in my story about the girl whose mother is running for president.

Unfortunately, it was little more than a short story at the time. With Tina’s encouragement and that of my critique group, I turned that short story into a novel.

Tina had many revision suggestions, such as writing less about Vanessa’s romantic interest and more about the inside scoop on the political process. I did months more research, kept only the first two chapters of the original novel and rewrote the rest. Tina loved this version and sent it to seven publishing houses. She warned, “It might take several months till we hear anything.”

Three weeks later, I got The Call.

How did you feel when you got The Call?

I was in the middle of folding laundry (very glamorous, I know) when I saw the New York exchange on our phone’s caller I.D. I screamed, “It’s my agent. Everyone be quiet!” My son was the only one home at the time, and he was being quiet.

None-the-less, I locked myself in my closet and listened as my agent told me not one, but two editors were interested in my novel--one from Random House, the other from Scholastic. At the end of the day, Stephanie Lane from Delacorte Press, a division of Random House, sent me an e-mail telling me she was delighted to have acquired my novel.

Once your book was under contract with Delacorte, what was the editorial process like? Were there any surprises?

My experience working with my editor, Stephanie Lane, and the talented staff at Random House has been a dream come true. I learned that publishing and promoting a novel is truly a team effort.

Stephanie, of course, made excellent revision requests. This is the stage where larger issues are addressed. I added a minor character and made several changes.

Next, I was asked to go over the manuscript after a proofreader had made corrections. During this pass, I realized how many minor mistakes I hadn’t noticed. Oops!

Finally, I proofread the manuscript after it had been set for printing. I was surprised by how many new minor mistakes cropped up.

Also, it was great fun to have some say in choosing the cover model. (I don’t think this is typical.) I thought designer Kenny Holcolm did a fantastic job with my cover.

Why did you decide to use the world of election politics as a backdrop for your novel? Did anything in particular spark your book idea?

Writers are often told, “Write what you know.” I believe more in the adage: “Write what interests you, what sparks your passion.” Politics interested me and still does.

At the time, there weren’t many books for children about politics. I hoped my novel would be a fun introduction to the political process for young readers. In fact, if readers want to learn more about the president and the political process, I’ve included Web sites at the back of my book and on my Web site, www.donnagephart.com.

Do you have anything in common with your main character Vanessa other than your shoe size?

Besides having large feet, Vanessa and I both love the color purple, reading, playing Scrabble and hanging out with cute boys who have big hearts. (I married mine.)

On a deeper level, this novel is about Vanessa’s warm, caring relationship with her mother. Unfortunately, Mom’s obligations as a governor who is running for president keep their time together to a minimum. In the novel, Vanessa’s mother misses a very important spelling bee and is temporarily unavailable when Vanessa gets injured. My mother, on the other hand, attended all my school functions and was available for every important childhood event, but because she was a single parent who worked full-time, she was often too busy or tired for us to spend much time together. Vanessa’s feelings of loneliness came directly from my early childhood.

Does the fact that Hillary Clinton is in the Presidential race make you happy (in terms of your book sales of course)?

Wasn’t that thoughtful of Hillary Clinton to run for president the same year my book about a mother running for president was released?

You’ve done all sorts of writing including greeting cards, articles and essays. What led you to write for young readers?

I enjoy all kinds of humorous writing, but when I’m creating funny novels for tweens, I feel like my writing voice has found a home. Seeing my words on greeting cards and in magazines like Family Circle and Highlights for Children was thrilling, but being part of the amazing collection of literature for children is a true honor.

You read a lot of books in 2007. How do you decide which titles to pick up? Any favorites?

I pay attention to what people are talking/blogging about. I read reviews. I check the “new books” section of my local library obsessively.

Unfortunately, even though I spend most evenings reading, I never seem to make a dent in my growing pile of books I hope to read.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak made a big impression on me. It’s a sad, but wonderful novel narrated by Death.

But if I had to recommend one book that I read this past year, it would be The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie [which one the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2007]. This novel contains so many elements of excellent fiction. I learned about a different culture, and was moved to laughter and tears often. It’s a sparse, honest and moving read.

Lately you’ve attended an SCBWI conference in your home state of Florida and attended the ALA meeting at which the Newbery, Caldecott and other ALA awards were announced. Does it feel any different attending these events as a published author?

I was delighted when Random House sent me to my home city of Philadelphia to attend the ALA Midwinter Conference. It was exciting to talk with librarians, who were passionate about getting good books into the hands of young readers. And sitting in the audience while the Newbery, Caldecott, etc. awards were announced was surreal.

As far as the FL SCBWI conference . . . I’ve attended this wonderful conference, run by Linda Bernfeld, since it’s inception six years ago. It was an entirely different experience being behind the podium, speaking about being a first-time author, though, than sitting in the audience, listening. I was also able to give a workshop during the conference – a great experience for my first time presenting at a conference.

Both events were possible only because of the publication of my book, so I’m grateful for the new experiences I’m having.

Your book release date was just a few days ago (February 12). What have you done in the way of promotion?

I’m very lucky because Random House has an excellent publicity department, and the person in charge of promoting my book has been very busy. They’ve sent out review copies of my novel, written press releases and created “Mom for President” buttons to promote my novel. There is also a big promotion at www.itsafirst.net, where the novels of first-time authors are showcased.

On my own, I hired a Web site designer, Lisa Firke at www.hitthosekeys.com, to create my Web site, www.donnagephart.com. Seven months before my book’s release, I began a blog at www.donnagephart.blogspot.com. I’ve had business cards, postcards, T-shirts, etc. printed.

I’ve done some interviews and speaking at local schools as well.

You’ve spoken to groups about not giving up on their writing. Please offer some advice to unpublished writers.

10 Very Important Pieces of Advice for Unpublished Writers:

1. Turn off the TV. Open a book.
2. Write even on days when you don’t feel like it, especially on days when you don’t feel like it.
3. Find or start a critique group. (Try to give more than you take.)
4. First drafts are never as perfect as you think they are, nor are they as horrible. But they are all you need to begin revisions.
5. Don’t compare yourself with other writers. Write the best book, story, poem, etc. that YOU can write.
6. Revision is important. Um. Revision is vital to creating good writing. Er. Being willing to make significant revisions time and again will be the difference between being unpublished and being published. (That was certainly the case for me.)
7. Act professionally, whether you’ve been published or not, in all correspondence, submissions, etc.
8. Don’t write about what you think you should or what topic is hot at the moment. Write about what matters most to you.
9. Read my article, “Six Reasons You Should Quit Writing and One Very Important Reason You Shouldn’t!” in the 2009 CWIM.
10. Don’t listen to writing advice.

Good luck!

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by S. E. Hinton Delacorte 1975 Did I really reread this? Did I need to? Man, this thing didn't age well. Rusty-James thinks he's the the world on a string. Kid brother to the infamous Motorcycle Boy, RJ walks around honestly believe he has his older brother's smarts, looks and charisma to run the gangs of their midwest town. But RJ isn't any of those things, and where his brother used the

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Debut Author of the Month: S.A. Harazin...

S.A Harazin spent years working in hospitals--and years writing--before finding an agent and a publisher for her debut novel Blood Brothers, a July 2007 release from Delacorte (with whom she has a two-book contract). Here Harazin talks about her book and her path to publication.

Tell my readers and me a little about your debut novel, Blood Brothers, and Clay, your main character.

Clay is an orderly at a hospital where mopping floors and facing life or death situations is normal for him. He dreams of becoming a doctor, but he does not have the money or good grades. His childhood friend, Joey, has it all—good grades, money, supportive parents, and plans to attend to Duke University.

One evening Clay goes to Joey’s house and finds him confused and combative. Clay acts in self defense and then has to call 911 for help. Joey ends up in the hospital on life support. Over the course of a few days, Clay faces suspicion, betrayal, and lies as he tries to uncover what happened to Joey before he arrived.

Before you got your first book contract, you had been writing for more than a decade. Had you submitted novels to editors or agents before Blood Brothers?

Yes, I have another novel I submitted three or four times before I wrote Blood Brothers. I’d get revision suggestions, and I would revise. But I really did not know how to revise. That manuscript is now in a drawer.

You definitely subscribe to the philosophy of “write what you know.” During the time you worked in hospitals, did you ever envision the experience flavoring YA novels?

Never. I’ve always been a writer, but I never considered submitting anything for publication until about ten years ago. I was writing short stories at that time and attending a writer’s group at a bookstore for fun. One day I was reading a short story and a group of teens came over and started listening. One of the teens—a male—complimented the story and asked if I had anything published. He said the “voice” of the short story sounded like him, and he knew exactly how the character in the story felt. Then I decided to submit the story to a lit magazine. The editor wrote back that I should be writing for children. That’s when I started reading young adult books and writing for teens.

Please tell me about your path to publication. How did you find your agent?

I’d been writing, reading, and learning the craft for several years before I submitted my first novel attempt. In 1999 I wrote the first draft of Blood Brothers and over the next few years submitted it to four agents. The third agent gave me some suggestions but did not ask to see a revision. The fourth agent said yes. I had found him by networking with other writers.

You’ve said that your agent asked for some revisions and you did a major revision of Blood Brothers with your editor. Is this what you expected? How did you feel about the whole editorial process? Any surprises.

I did expect to do a major revision because other authors I knew would have to do major editorial revisions. The process was intense. I had to do a rewrite in six weeks, and I am a slow writer. I learned that I could write fast when I had to, but I also had my editor (Joe Cooper who is no longer at Delacorte) to give me advice. Surprisingly (to me at least) he asked for more flashbacks with a tone change. I enjoyed writing those less intense scenes most of all. My agent Steven Chudney had not read the rewrite until he received an ARC. He said it was the same book but it was also a different book. I was amazed at the difference that editorial input made. I think it took the book to a whole new level. There were others at Delacorte—including my new editor, Claudia Gabel—who played a significant part in the process.

Your book has been out for a few months. How does it feel reading reviews?

I generally won’t read a review unless my editor or a reviewer emails me. The book is published, I wrote it from my heart, and I wrote what I was passionate about. I feel like I’ve done all I could do at that time in my life to write a good book.

What have you done to promote Blood Brothers? How has your involvement in the Class of 2k7 helped you?

I did the usual things. I set up a web page and a blog, and I joined MySpace. I’ve contacted local bookstores, and I asked to participate in a SIBA conference which turned out to be a great experience. I am normally shy, but the Class of 2K7 helped me move out of my comfort zone and gave me the support I needed to promote. I’ve made friends, read great books I would have otherwise missed, and shared the ups and downs.

Do you think all new authors should have websites? What else should debut authors do to promote their work?

An author should have a professional looking website, and I think this should be the priority in promotion.

Other ways to promote:

• Check out book fairs and conferences and get things started early if you want to participate. Be aware that most are planned many months in advance.
• Visit your local bookstores after your book is out and introduce yourself. Offer to sign stock.
• Set up a MySpace page. This is a great way to network. I actually get more book-related email from MySpace “friends” than I do from my website.
• Start a blog.
• Bookmarks are nice to have for school or library visits. Postcards and brochures—for me at least—are not all that effective except for mailing locally to let schools or libraries know you are available for visits. I think bookstores toss them into the trash.
• Do not obsess. A writer can spend every hour of the day promoting and still feel like it isn’t enough. I try to balance promotion with writing—I am a writer. That is what I do best. I want to write, and that is the most important thing to me.

You said, “I feel like I’ve been stuck between 14 and 19 years old,” and you have three teenage kids. As an author, what appeals to you about teenage-hood?

I find teens interesting and amazing. The teenage years are filled with so much emotion, conflict, and change it’s hard not to be intrigued.

You used your initials rather than your first name (in great company with S.E. Hinton, J.K. Rowling, E.L. Konigsburg, K.L. Going…) Is that something your publisher encouraged you do to as a female author writing male characters? Any particular reason you chose a male main character?

I have author friends who were asked to use their initials, and I could see why it might be a good idea. I made the decision to use my initials.

I didn’t actually choose a male main character. When I first heard his voice and then visualized him, he was male.

Tell me about your second novel, Painless. When will it be released?

Painless (which is the working title) is about a boy with a hereditary disease who is trying to beat the odds and survive. After moving to a colder climate—something he needs to improve the quality of his life—he meets a girl.

My editor mentioned something about 2009—but she has not seen a draft yet. I have not shown this draft to anyone. It’s not where I want it to be yet. I want to write a better book and grow as a writer. For me, it’s all about the writing and the story.

What was it like for you getting a contract for a book you hadn’t yet written? Was that at all scary?

I was thrilled and surprised to get a blank contract, and I will admit, I thought I heard my agent wrong when he called.

I have moments when I experience fear. I think it goes with the territory. But passion and determination squash the fear.

What advice would you give unpublished writers working on YA novels?

Read hundreds of books. Write and rewrite. Take time to learn the craft. Develop grit. Grit is the ability to persist with passion. Experts speak of the 10-year rule—it takes a decade of hard work to become successful in most endeavors. The ability to persist in the face of obstacles is important in major achievements.

And new authors?

If you’re a new author, turn off your Google alerts and don’t Google your name or check your Amazon rankings endlessly. (I think checking once in a while is OK.) Focus on writing a fabulous book. Enjoy the journey.

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by Marissa Walsh Delacorte/Random House 2007 On the day her older sister Claire takes off for college incoming 9th grader Andie finds a notebook deliberately left behind, a field guide to high school. The guide her over-achieving sister had compiled is written into an older Peterson's nature guide (a family joke, their last name is Petersen) and uses for it's headings those in the guide.

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