Up Close & Personal by E. I. Johnson

FEATURED AUTHOR: Rick Riordan - Award-Winning and New York Times Best-selling Author of "Percy Jackson & The Olympians:The Lightning Thief"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:19:00 +0000

Rick Riordan is best known for his YA series Percy Jackson and the Olympians and also for his series of multi-award-winning adult mysteries featuring San Antonio P.I. Tres Navarre.

He was Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas on June 5, 1964. He knew from the time he was young that he wanted to grow up to be a teacher and a writer. His father was a ceramicist and his mother was a musician; both were teachers.

The first book he ever read was the Lord of the Rings' series. He began his writing in middle school. His favorite topic in middle school was Greek and Norse mythology; he also liked to read fantasy and science fiction books. His biggest inspiration was his 9th grade English teacher, Mrs. Seaholm, who often pushed him to write. His first job was at a middle school in New Braunfels, Texas.

He went to Alamo Heights High School and became interested in mystery novels. That’s where he got his inspiration to write adult mystery novels because they intrigued and fascinated him. He also was caught writing an underground newspaper that made fun of their school’s football team.

He went off to college at first North Texas State. He transferred to the University of Texas at Austin in 1986 where he graduated with a double -major in English and History.

After college, he became a teacher, and was quite happy with the idea of doing that the rest of his life. He was a teacher for 6 to 7 years at Presidio Hill School & Saint Mary’s Hall and also worked as a music director at Camp Capers for 3 years.

In 1997 he began publishing mystery novels “Tres Navarre” mystery series for adults. The series has won the top three national awards in the mystery genre – the Edgar, Anthony and the Shamus.

Tres Navarre is a Tex-Mex thriller featuring San Antonio PI. Jackson "Tres" Navarre, a complicated loner with an offbeat pedigree. Navarre is a tai chi master with a University of California English Ph.D. degree in medieval literature who turns to detective work when he is unable to find a teaching job!

His first novel in the Tres Navarre series is Big Red Tequila. The sequel, The Widower's Two-Step, won the coveted Edgar Award in 1999. THE LAST KING OF TEXAS; and THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO AUSTIN. He is also the author of the acclaimed thriller COLD SPRINGS

Rick Riordan has presented workshops for such organizations as the International Reading Association, the California Association of Independent Schools, the National Council for Teachers of English, the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute and the Texas Library Association.

Reluctantly, he left teaching a career he thoroughly enjoyed in order to write full-time. He still harbors hopes that someday he'll return to the classroom. Meanwhile, he makes frequent visits to schools and enjoys meeting young readers on his book tours. For a total of fifteen years, he taught history in public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area in California and also in San Antonio Texas. In 2002, Saint Mary’s Hall honored him with the school’s first Master Teacher Award. In 2003, he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.

He wrote grown-up mystery novels for about seven years before he even started the Percy Jackson series for young readers. He began Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief as a bedtime story that he invented for his son Haley -- who, at eight, had just been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Although Haley was having trouble in school, he loved the Greek myths and asked his dad to tell him some stories about the gods and heroes.

Motivated by his sons’ request, Mr. Riordan quickly came up with the character of Percy Jackson and told Haley all about Percy's quest to recover Zeus's lightning bolt in modern-day America. It took him about three nights to tell the whole story, and when he was done, Haley told his dad that he should write it out as a book. He chose to give the character of Percy certain attributes that hit close to home.

The Lightning Thief won the Red House Children's Book Award in June 2006.Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a terrific YA series that features a twelve-year-old trouble-prone boy with attention deficit disorder and dyslexia. He is the modern-day half-blood son of the Greek god, Poseidon., which is one of the twelve Olympian gods making mischief right in the 21st-century America.

The novel was an instant hit all over the world with preteens, who loved the concept of a kid like themselves because the novel embroiled in the everyday problems of school, family, and relationships -- embarking on heroic quests, soothing vengeful gods, and battling monsters.

He said in one of his interviews that making Percy ADHD and dyslexic was my way of honoring the potential of all the kids I've known who have those conditions," says Riordan. "It's not a bad thing to be different. Sometimes, it's the mark of being very, very talented. That's what Percy discovers about himself in THE LIGHTNING THIEF."

The Film rights for the The Lightning Thief have been purchased by Twentieth Century Fox, and was released to theaters on February 12, 2010. The fantasy-adventure film was directed by the award-winning director, Christ Columbus. He is best known to audiences as the director of the runaway hit "Home Alone"and "Mrs. Doubtfire" with Academy Award-winner, Robin Williams.

The cast for The Lightning Thieft are: Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson alongside an ensemble cast which includes Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd to name a few....

His book The Sea of Monsters was a Child Magazine Best Book for Children for 2006, a Publishers Weekly and BookSense national bestseller. The Titan’s Curse, made the series a #1 New York Times bestseller, and the fourth title, The Battle of the Labyrinth, which was published in May 2008 had a first printing of one million copies. The series concluded with The Last Olympian, which was also a major national bestseller.

In September 2008, Scholastic published the first in a new series of “The 39 Clues”, for 8-12 year olds. Mr. Riordan sees “The 39 Clues” as a potential vehicle for doing some education in a fun way — to take some of these amazing stories from history, and make them alive for kids.

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones was another #1 New York Times bestseller. The film rights for The 39 Clues have been purchased by award-winning director Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks.

Each volume of the 10-book mystery series will feature a different historical figure. Scholastic published one volume every 2-3 months. He wrote the first volume and outlined the plots for the remainder of the series, which will be written by other authors.

The story, is about Amy and Dan Cahill both orphans, 14 and 11, who are competing against other branches of the sprawling Cahill family to discover the first of 39 clues - which when revealed will provide the key to a secret that will lead to ultimate power. The books are designed to compliment the Internet game. Each book reveals one clue, leaving gamers to find the remaining 29 online.

The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets will available in bookstores October 2010.The Black Book will reveal the shocking truth about history’s most notorious family.

His later book, The Kane Chronicles Series is titled Book One: The Red Pyramid which was released on May 4, 2010 by Disney's Hyperion Press and is now available in every bookstore and on line.

The first in a brand new series which is set to be a trilogy is another adventure and fantasy following two siblings, fourteen-year-old Carter and twelve-year-old, Sadie Kane.

After the death of their mother, Sadie and Carter Kane have become complete strangers. One lives with the grandparents and the other one is travels across the world with the father who is an Egyptologist.

The siblings are brought together by Dr. Kane, their father, in British Museum where he is conducting a research experiment. During the experiment the Egyptian God is freed and Dr. Kane banished, absorbed by the floor of a museum during a failed experiment.

The children are a descendant of Ancient Egyptian Magicians and Pharaohs and now their mission is to search for their father.

They understand their own magical powers as they move into a shape of animals from London, Cairo, Paris and Phoenix. Throughout their journey they use the ancient Egyptian tools, such as clay figurines and an ancient form of paper, made from the papyrus plant, which grows wild in the marshes of the Nile river.

The papyrus scroll helps them with information, during their all important battles. Sometime, when they get into trouble they try to summon a sword to fight for their lives but all they get is a butter knife.

Mr. Riordan again makes mythology and history really cool for his young readers with vivid tales, relatable characters, and immersive plots in his novel.

UPCOMING NEW BOOKS:
The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles” will be released 9/28/2010
The Lost Heroes” will be released 10/12/2010

Rick Riordan writes full-time and lives in San Antonio Texas, with his wife Becky, and his two sons Haley and Patrick.

Photo of Mr. Rick Riordan by Becky Riordan
To learn more about Rick Riordan, please visit his website
To purchase his books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: Kristina McBride - YA Author of "The Tension of Opposites"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:40:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with YA Author, Kristina McBride. She was a HS English teacher at Springboro High School in Springboro, Ohio and a year book advisor for eight years. She has a B.A. and Master’s Degree in Education from Wright State University.
She now lives in Centerville Ohio with her husband and two young children.

Her debut novel, THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES is about a haunting psychological thriller of a very serious subject of child kidnapping. It also shows the emotional aftermath on the victim, and the people that were left behind.

Tagline: What happens when your best friend is kidnapped - and returns home two years later?

Short Summary: Two years ago Noelle disappeared. Two long years of no leads, no word, no body. Since the abduction, Tessa, her best friend, has lived in a state of suspended animation. She has some friends, but keeps them distant. Some interests, but she won’t allow herself to become passionate about them. And guys? She can’t get close—she knows what it is like to really lose someone she cared for.

And then, one day, the telephone rings. Noelle is alive. And maybe, just maybe, Tess can start to live again, too.

Excerpt: Sometimes I saw Noelle sunning herself on a tropical beach, away on an endless vacation. But like my old therapist had told me, it isn’t healthy to ignore reality. Most of the time, I envisioned Noelle in a dark basement, chained to a moldy wall. But that went directly against the information I had found online the day the crisis-intervention speaker came to our middle school and tried to soften the blow of Noelle’s absence. In my worst moments, I pictured Noelle’s clean bones peeking up from a pile of damp leaves in the woods.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell us about Kristina McBride today -- the woman behind the book “The Tension of Opposites”?

Kristina McBride: As a teenager, I was an obsessive journaler. I loved my friends, and was the one who kept everyone on track – my nickname was Clipboard. Needless to say, my love of writing and intense need for organization have helped me move into the world of publishing. My first real job was at a local pizza joint called The Flying Pizza, where I worked for several years in high school. I loved it; pizza is one of my favorite foods! I think the most important thing about any job is that you love what you do. This is one thing that I have always used to gauge what I am doing in life; if I’m not loving something, I make a change. After college, I went on to teach high school English for eight years. While I loved that job so very much, I decided that being a mother was more important, and quit teaching when I had my first child. It was at that point that I really dove into writing and focused on my life long dream of getting published. As cheesy as it might sound, paying attention to my inner-self and being true to my needs and desires has been the best guide for my life. And, luckily, it has been a very good life so far!

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing YA novel that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Kristina McBride: You use a wonderful word, I am definitely enchanted with YA literature! First, let me say that I am blessed with an intense need to write. Always have been, which makes it easy to continue, even through the tough stuff. Writing is something I would do regardless of it being my official profession. I’m just lucky enough to have gone through the long struggle of acquiring an agent (it took me 3 manuscripts and 2 ½ years), perfecting my manuscript (another 11 months), and garnering the attention of some amazing editors (3 offers in 3 weeks!). Having taught high school for eight years, I simply feel more connected with YA literature. The characters offer so many various struggles that the options are endless when I’m plotting a new idea.

E.I. Please tell your YA readers about “The Tension of Opposites.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about the book?

Kristina McBride: The Tension of Opposites is the story of sixteen-year-old Tessa McMullen whose best friend was kidnapped two years ago. The book starts when Tessa learns that Noelle has been found alive and is coming home. We follow Tessa through her struggle to reconnect with her friend, who returns as a distant and self-destructive version of her old self, and to also reconnect with a life she has felt too guilty to live while her friend was missing. There’s also a love interest, a new guy in town named Max, who tries to help Tessa along her journey. Through the book, there is much question as to whether or not Tessa will succeed at regaining her friendship, her life, and if she will allow herself to open up to Max, the first guy she has ever had any real interest in.

The inspiration for this story came to me one day while my daughter was napping and I caught an episode of Oprah. This is the day that I learned the story of Shawn Hornbeck, a young man who was kidnapped at the age of eleven and returned to his family four years later. I was in awe of this young man’s strength and fortitude to have survived such a traumatic ordeal. Soon after, the character of Tessa started speaking to me.

E.I. How do you weave so much information while writing and creating the character ‘Tessa McMullen', and yet you keep her so fast-paced and interesting? Did you work her out in advance, or did she evolve as you wrote the story?

Kristina McBride: Dirty Little Secret: With the guidance of my agent, I revised this book for nearly a year. Six months into revisions, I deleted all but five chapters and started over. I think I got to know Tessa through all of the writing, revising, and re-writing, which helped immensely. It’s essential to really know your characters as you write. The fast pace was difficult to handle. I wanted the book to flow well as I showcased the tension of all the opposing forces. As I write, I do some initial plotting and character study, but have to wait until I’ve written a few chapters to really work out all the kinks. And then, of course, there are a lot of changes to be made once the first draft is complete. The main thing here is to have a pretty intense desire to see it through to the end.

E.I. You've created a cast of so remarkably believable and captivating really interesting characters: Noelle (Elle) Pendleton, Tessa McMullen, Max Kinsley, Cooper Pendleton (Noelle’s brother) and that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

Kristina McBride: Thank you so much! I’m glad you like the characters! I try not to think too much of the reader as I’m writing. I’m not sure if that’s bad to admit, but it’s true. I just write the story as it needs to be told and cross my fingers that others will like it. As for my creative process, I’ve already talked about it a bit, but I hover between outlining and flying by the seat of my pants. I outline a little and fly a lot in the beginning. But as I really dig in (around the 100-page mark) I start to really plot things out to make sure everything is weaving together nicely and that it will all come to a close by the end of the book.

E.I. How did you pull the readers into Noelle’s life, when she returns to Centerville, Ohio two years after she was kidnapped by a pedophile? The distress and raw emotions behind her that follows is such a raw story that makes it so hard to imagine what Noelle had to live through day to day in order to survive.

Kristina McBride: Elle was a difficult character to handle. I wanted the reader to get to know what she had been through, but it would have been way out of character to force her to just open up and share her traumatic ordeal. One of the main devices I use to help the reader learn about Elle is her journal. Through the journal entries written by Elle, we learn about the time she spent with her kidnapper, and get to dive deeper into her story. I tried not to be too heavy handed with these entries, not wanting to divulge too many details, because I wanted leave the reader some room to wonder. I felt that this was important because it’s a true feeling that most of us experience when we hear these stories in the news.

E.I. Tessa is a completely believable character, you’ve written her in an almost painful manner, having given up much of her own life after Noelle’s disappearance. Tessa had become more of a loner and finds herself fading away as much as her best friend did. How did you write this character while playing her in your head?

Kristina McBride: Okay, this might make me sound a little crazy, but I have to be honest, right? When I’m writing, it’s as if I am the character. So, to answer your question, Tessa kind of just flowed out of me. Her thoughts, emotions, and dialogue just came naturally. Here’s another secret, I originally tried to write this book from Elle’s perspective. But she wouldn’t talk to me until I started listening to Tessa. From the start, the characters knew this was Tessa’s story to tell.

E.I. Ms. McBride, you as an author of this book, you have done a phenomenal job describing Tessa’s emotions, struggles, and trials that she went through with Noelle’s disappearance and re-immersion into society. I loved hearing the story from the best friends’ perspective. I think, people sometimes forget that others that were left behind are just as hurt when someone disappears. How did you overcome these challenges creating Tessa’s emotions?

Kristina McBride: Thank you again – I love this praise! One of the hardest things for me to do was deal with the emotions of these characters. I thought the book would be easy to write, emotionally speaking. But as I researched kidnapping, it became more real. And more difficult. I began to really care about these characters, and hated writing some of the scenes because I knew they were struggling. But I just had to keep going. I wanted to write them out of their conflicts so they could find some sort of peace. At the end, things certainly aren’t perfect, but there is more of a balance in regards to the tension of opposites pulling Tessa in different directions. (To find out where Tessa finds that balance, your readers will have to go get the book!)

E.I. Max's journey with Tessa is so inspiring, though, he pushed Tessa a little bit too far at times, but he’s a pretty decent young man. He is really a determined and knows what he wants and will go for it. Although he begins to fail the same tension and battle as Tessa- except he's fighting to keep her while she struggles to keep Noelle. Is Max character based on a real life experience of a victim’s friend or family? Did you find it difficult to write Max’s character?

Kristina McBride: Max was a blast! He is not based on anyone I know or have ever known. Like Tessa, he just hopped into my mind one day and started hanging out. I loved him from the start! He’s this intense guy who just wants to make things right for Tessa.

E.I. How many years of research did you do to create the realistic events in the kidnapping? Did you speak to any real life survivors of a similar trauma, their Psychologist, victims family, etc?

Kristina McBride: I did a ton of internet research, and also watched countless television shows on the return of a kidnapped child (interviews with Shawn Hornbeck and several others were a huge inspiration for me).

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “The Tension of Opposites” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

Kristina McBride: I have done several public readings, and when I planned for those, I always had a difficult time. I wanted to find a passage that would showcase the tension of opposites within the book. However, each time I came back to the same thing, this book starts with Tessa learning of her best friend’s return, which sets up all the following scenes. If I had to choose, I’d definitely start at the beginning.

E.I. And finally what’s next with Kristina McBride? Can you give your fans a sneak peek about your upcoming book?

Kristina McBride: I signed a two-book deal with Egmont USA, and am working on the next book right now. The only thing I can say is that it’s totally unrelated to The Tension of Opposites.

E.I. Ms. McBride, thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

Kristina McBride: Thank you so much for having me and introducing my book to your readers. For any aspiring writer out there, the main thing I can say to you is to never give up. Keep writing. Learn how to break into the business (finish your novel, query agents who represent your work, and know that you will face rejection). The key is in not allowing rejection to get you down (at least not for more than 24 hours – eat lots of chocolate), and to think of each pass as a step closer to that desired agent or editor. For more advice on this matter, people can check out my blog post “Query Away! 3 Essentials That Helped Me Land My Dream Agent” or my blog series “One YA Author’s Journey to Publication”. I hope this can help someone out there!

Photo of Kristina McBride courtesy of Easterling Studios
To learn more about Kristina McBride, please visit her website
Order Now From Your Choice of Online Retailers
To purchase her book, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble
BOOK TRAILER VIDEO

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Today we stand up and salute all of our men and women, from the past to the present, who have served their country in the U.S. Armed Forces and have given their lives, fighting for our freedom.

Because of their bravery and dedication to their country, we remain a Free Nation. This is a salute to all of them and their families.

Have a safe 4th, everyone!

INTERVIEW: Diane Falanga - Interior Designer / Author of "P.S. I Hate It Here! Kids' Letters From Camp"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Diane Falanga. She's is the Interior designer founder of Heart Homes Initiative Designs for Dignity (a non-profit organization providing furniture for those in need). She’s a mother of two and the author of number one book this summer “P.S. I Hate It Here! Kids' Letter’s From Camp.”

Her new book is a collection of one hundred fifty real-life, laugh-out-loud letters from kids. Ms. Falanga was inspired to write the book after receiving a very entertaining letter from her then eight-year-old daughter, Bianca complaining about her chores. It went into hysterical detail about how her camp counselors made her “the maid, sweeper and scraper.”

This book is amazingly funny and perfect for the whole family. File it in the category of truth is stranger than fiction. You could not make this up!!! If you've had kids at camp, it will bring a smile to your face. That's how good Ms. Falanga’s book is... packed full of real, laugh-out-loud letters, from real kids who will now appreciate the sage old camp song… “Camp Granada” in a whole new light!

Ooh ahhh, sunburn pain, yes, its summertime – Summer of angst: While you send your kids to camp thinking they’re living it up, making friends and getting active, the experience may also be a test of their ability to survive outside the cocoon of parental supervision. This is also the time of year marked by mosquitoes, lightning bugs or also called fireflies - those small blinking creatures that lights up nights or illuminating earth’s summer nights at home or at a camp.

Ms. Falanga’s collection of real letters written by children ages eight to sixteen to their parents about their adventures at summer camp is laugh-out-loud funny and will have readers reminiscing about their own camp days. Every letter in the book will make you smile:) “P.S. I Hate It Here: Kids’ Letters From Camp” really captures a childhood experience shared by millions of kids dealing with growing pains at camp.

After sharing her story with her friends, sending e-mails across the country, and working with camps nationwide, and the American Camp Association®, Ms. Falanga was able to gather hundreds for this collection for her book.

For every parent who’s ever received a letter from a homesick child or anybody who’s ever written their parents with crazy requests from the upper bunk, P.S. I Hate It Here: Kids’Letters From Camp will delight with hilarious and heartwarming real-life letters.

If you’re the parent of a camper, you will recognize the unedited quality of what kids write to home speaking directly from the heart. Campers have no appreciation for how their raw thoughts will be received, analyzed, critiqued, digested, read, re-read, and re-re-read as much for what they don’t say, as for what they do. While some kids may bitterly complain about hardships and homesickness, all the imaginable scenarios, cabin lice inspection, bunkmates grinding teeth at night while sleeping, to breaking the bad news about a retainer lost while canoeing on the lake.

These letters reveal that kids are wittier and more sophisticated than their parents might ever have known. And that the experience of being away from home for the first time creates hilarious and lasting memories touching a common cord in all of us.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your book “P.S. I Hate It: Kids’ Letters From Camp.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this famous latest release summer book for kids and parents as well?

Diane Falanga: When my 8 year old daughter, Bianca, went to overnight camp for the first time - she really thought she was ready, emotionally. In her case, 8 was just a bit too young. She felt the effects of homesickness pretty quickly. However, she really was able to vent beautifully on paper. (A budding writer!) Knowing she was okay and on her way back from the week-long camp by the time I rec'd the letters ... I was definitely able to find some humor in her homesickness. She has developed a wonderful gift at a young age (now she's 12) of being able to laugh at herself and move on!

E.I. You've compiled a hundred-fifty captivating letters from different kids that it’s so remarkably hilarious. How did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work that your make your readers definitely clamor for more page after page after page......

Diane Falanga: I was definitely looking for a certain voice in each of the letters. Without knowing most of the letter writers personally - I needed to feel a real connection to the kids, their humor, sense of self, sense of family. It was important to me that I related to their voices. I found each of the kids very affable - like people I'd want to sit down with and really get to know.

E.I. How do you imagine audience specially the parents as you are writing this book? Do you try to do outlines and brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls thinking which letters comes first or last?

Diane Falanga: When the letters started to come in - I separated them in giant piles. ( My daughter was a wonderful help to me, too. She and I share such a similar sense of humor and comedic timing - that she was able to know which letters would spark my interest and make me laugh.) Those that made it into the giant piles had the "voice" qualities that I mentioned in question 4. It became very clear to me quickly how they also be categorized ... those categories became chapters from the book: Just To Let You Know, Camp Ailments, What I Really Need, Guess What, Get Me Outta Here, I Lke Camp A Lot, This Is My Supper Letter.

E.I. How many years of research did you do to gather those letters from different kids, to create this wonderful summer book? How did you overcome these challenges?

Diane Falanga: Once I had the deal from Abrams Books NY I had about 7 months in which to collect 150 letters. I read through more than 3500 to find those gems. Camps around the country posted my query for letters on their websites and in their newsletters. Friends emailed friends across the globe ... the letters just started to pour in.

E.I. What is your advice to parents whose children’s at camp for the summer? Should they write their children every day and should they tell them in their letters any funny news from home so they don’t feel they’re left out?

Diane Falanga: While I'm absolutely no expert on this topic, I will say that I learned a lot about kids away at overnight camp after collecting and reading thousands of their letters. I would advise parents to prepare their kids in advance so they know they might get a bit homesick at first. Assure them that this feeling dissipates quickly and that most kids only feel this at the very beginning of a camp session. Advise kids to take pen to paper and write home often - get those feelings out and then move on! Suggest to the kids that they Read P.S. I Hate It Here Kids' Letters From Camp before they go so they know they are not alone in their feelings and experiences. Camp is a wonderful rite of passage and many emotions are so universal.

E.I. What should parents do when letters of their kids from camp starts to come in? Should they try to simply enjoy in their minds that their kids spending the summer away at camp will all be perfectly fine and that kids will get over their summer angst away from home and their electronics?

Diane Falanga: Save and cherish those letters! Most camps don't allow any kind of electronic gadgetry - so this is your time to relish a hand-written note (not a text, IM, tweet, email, etc.)! Pack up the kids with plenty of stationery, pens and self-addressed stamped envelopes!

E.I. And finally what’s next with Diane Falanga? Can you give your fans a sneak peek about your schedule promoting this book or do you have any upcoming new book in back burner?

Diane Falanga: Would love if there's an opportunity for a P.S. I Hate It Here Kids' Letters From Camp volume TWO! This project was such a joy that I'd love the chance to start over again!

Ms. Falanga, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure to have you.

Photo of Diane Falanga by Brian McConkey
VIDEO w/ Diane Falanga "P.S. I Hate It Here: Kids Letters From Camp"
To learn more about Diane Falanga, please visit her website
To purchase her book, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

FEATURED AUTHOR: Sara Gruen - International Bestseller & Award-Winning Author of “Water for Elephants”

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:08:00 +0000

Sara Gruen is the author of the award-winning best-selling historical novel “Water For Elephant” which won the 2007 Book Sense of the Year award, Cosmopolitan’s Fun Fearless Fiction award, Book browse diamond award for the Most Popular Books, Friends of American Literature Adult Fiction award and Winner of ALA/Alex's award in 2007.

The novel instantly became a Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Newsday Favorite Book of 2006 and USA Today Bestseller.

Water For Elephants, spent 12 weeks on the New York Times hardcover fiction best-seller list and sold 248,000 copies while being nominated for General Fiction slot at the year's Quill Awards.

Ms. Gruen was born in Vancouver British Columbia but raised in London, Ontario. Her books deals greatly with animals, and a supporter of several charitable organizations for animals and wildlife.

She graduated with a degree in English literature at Carleton University in Ottawa. In 1999, she became a technical writer when she moves to the U.S but was laid off from her work in 2001. Instead of looking for a job, she decided to write fiction full-time. Her first two novels, Riding Lessons and Flying Changes, both enjoyed moderate critical success.

“Riding Lessons” a deftly woven tale of tragic loss and redemption of a promising world-class equestrienne and Olympic contender, Annemarie Zimmer. At eighteen she was thrown from the horse and had many injuries’. The accident leaves her struggling to recover from the hospital, being paralyzed with a broken neck, and her dreams are shattered. The freak accident ultimately destroyed her riding career and the death of her beloved beautiful Horse, Harry from a broken leg on a jump. The incidents sets off a chain of events that comes to a crisis point nearly twenty years later.

Her second novel “Flying Changes” is the much-anticipated sequel to “Riding Lessons” which continues the story of Annemarie Zimmer, as she struggles to make peace with her daughter. It is a story of a family of equestrian women in New Hampshire who are stronger than they imagine.

Her third release, “Water for Elephants” was initially turned down by her publisher at the time, Avon Books, which is a Harper Collins imprint, forcing Ms. Gruen to find another publisher. She interested Algonquin in the book, but they paid only just $55,000 for the manuscript in 2004.

The novel tells the story of a young man named Jacob Jankowski, who is about to take his final exams in veterinary medicine at Cornell University when his parents are killed in an automobile accident. Finding himself parentless and penniless, he drops out and joins a second-rate struggling circus world of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Shows on Earth--otherwise known as a train circus in 1930's America. It is a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits making one-night stands in town after endless town become his home and family.

As he learns the ropes of circus life, and how to navigate the strict and dangerous social pecking order of this strange circus life. Jacob finds himself making some unusual alliances and he befriended an elephant name Rosie, who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.

Jacobs falls in love with Marlena, the beautiful, soulful, young star of the equestrian act, but married performer. Later Marlena works with Rosie, the elephant, with whom they both fall in love with the animal. It is their love of animals that pulls both the twenty-year-olds together. They have so much in common —their age, their love of animals, and their joy of life that it is hard for them not to be friends as their passion grows up.

Water for Elephants tells a story of a love between these two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford, and yearn for each other, but can't grow old together

Many of the characters and incidents in the novel are based on real people and true stories gleaned from Ms. Gruen’s extensive research into the world of traveling circuses of the 1930s.

The movie rights for Water For Elephants were optioned to the renowned producer of the spy movie “Bourne” series, Andrew R. Tennenbaum. Mr. Tennenbaum appointed award-winning screenwriter and occasional film director Richard LaGravenese to pen the script.

Mr. LaGravenese is best known as the writer of The Fisher King a comedy-drama film made in 1991, stars Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams. The film is about a radio shock-jock who tries to find redemption by helping a homeless man whose life he inadvertently shattered.

The cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS are the following: Christoph Waltz, an Austrian actor best known for his portrayal of SS Colonel Hans Landa in the film Inglourious Basterds, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010. He is also a Golden Globe winner is the second Austrian actor to receive an Oscar. Mr.Waltz will play August Rosenbluth, the abusive paranoid schizophrenic husband to Witherspoon.

Reese Witherspoon, Golden Globe winner for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical for “Walk the Line” also an Academy Award winner will be playing the character of Marlena Rosenbluth in the film. I love the dynamic, she will bring to the story.

English actor, Robert Pattinson well known for his role in Twilight films where he plays the vampire Edward Cullen will play young Jacob in the movie.

Ms. Gruen’s fourth novel is “Ape House,” which will be released September of 2010. It is a riveting, funny, compassionate, and deeply moving novel about Bonobos, a Pygmy chimpanzee who end ends up starring in a reality television show.

She sold Ape House, on the basis of a 12-page summary to Spiegel & Grau, who paid $5 million and another for unnamed book. She, her husband and three children live in Asheville, North Carolina.

Photo of Sara Gruen by Terence W. Bailey
To learn more about Sara Gruen, please visit her website
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: Linda Benson - Middle Grade YA Author of "Finding Chance" & "The Horse Jar"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:31:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Linda Benson. She grew up in Northern California on a prune ranch. Ms. Benson spend a lot of time running barefoot in the orchards, picking prunes in the summer for 25 cents a box, playing with her animals, riding her bike, and enjoying being a kid.

She always wanted to write children's books ever since second grade, but she didn't get around to it until later in life. Ms. Benson is the author of two middle grade novels: “Finding Chance” & “The Horse Jar”

Finding Chance is about the story of a lonely twelve-year-old Alice and a lonely dog named Chance. Her debut novel “The Horse Jar” is about Annie Mitchell. Annie loves horses and dreams to have a horse of her own.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell us about Linda Benson today -- the woman behind the two middle grade YA author of “The Horse Jar” & “Finding Chance.”

Linda Benson: As a teenager, I rode my horse a lot, played the piano and guitar and fancied myself growing up to be a singer/songwriter. One of my first jobs was working at a zoo, and I’ve also started a native plant nursery, a plant rental business, and a horse brokerage, and have been a substitute teacher and elementary school librarian, among other things. Nature and animals always seem to find their way into my books because they are such a large part of who I am. Today, I still have horses, donkeys, dogs and cats, and I love to read and write.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing middle grade YA novels entirely that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Linda Benson: The reason I write for young people is that I so distinctly remember those “in-between” years - having my own distinct thoughts and ideas but having such a hard time making myself “heard.” Those formative years, when you are developing the sense of who you are in this big world, are a great source of conflict, interesting story lines, and I hope satisfying or a least hopeful resolutions.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your novel “Finding Chance.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

Linda Benson: I started Finding Chance after a move to a new area (and I have moved many times in my adult life) in which I felt like a new girl, all over again. So Alice’s feelings at the beginning of the novel – knowing no one, feeling like an outsider – were very easy for me to identify with and write. The setting of that story was sparked from magical times in my childhood, walking the creeks and back roads of the Santa Cruzmountains of California. Although Fox Creek is a fictional town, it is not too far removed from small towns sprinkled throughout the coastal mountains of California.

E.I. How do you weave so much fun of information while writing and creating the character of twelve-years-old ‘Alice’ and yet you keep them so fast-paced? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story?

Linda Benson: The characters in Finding Chance just kind of showed up during the course of writing the novel. For instance, without giving too much away, of course there would be a librarian at the library, but that particular character and plotline just developed on its own as Alice’s story unfolded. And Heron – yeah, she’s a great character, isn’t she? I think all the people we ever meet in life are all there in our minds as inspiration to draw from, and we kind of mix and match unconsciously as they show up in new and interesting combinations on the page. That is such a fun part of the creative process.

E.I. You've created a cast of so remarkably captivating and really fun characters: Alice, Chance, Heron, the Librarian and Alice mother that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

Linda Benson: The Horse Jar was actually the first novel that I completed, although it is the second one published. I have written about the long road to publication of The Horse Jar here: http://lindabenson.blogspot.com/2009/09/horse-jar.html It was a storyline that came to me pretty much in its entirety, although the ending was tweaked a bit in final drafts. The Horse Jar was the one I wrote following the advice writers hear so often: “write what you know.” Well, I certainly knew about growing up as a young girl living and breathing horses. And I knew about buying and selling horses, because I’ve done that also. Many of the characters and situations in that novel were easy to write because they were so close to home.

E.I. And finally what’s next with Linda Benson? Can you give your fans a sneak peek about your upcoming book?

Linda Benson: I have two new manuscripts that I am excited about - one is a horse story set in the future, and the other is a contemporary story about a boy and girl whose paths cross because of a lost dog. Hopefully you will be hearing more about them soon.

E.I. Ms. Benson, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers all over the world?

Linda Benson: Advice for aspiring writers. Read, read, and read some more. Join a critique group, and keep seeking to perfect your craft. There is a lot of information out there about how to become published. Find it and study it. But most importantly - believe in yourself, and don’t give up on your dreams.

Photo of Linda Benson courtesy of her daughter
To learn more about Linda Benson, please visit her website
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON
Linda Benson's BLOG
Linda Benson on Twitter

INTERVIEW: Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve - Screenwriter, TV & Film Producer and Award-Winning Author of "Drizzle"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:27:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Kathleen De Marco Van Cleve. She is the author of children's book “Drizzle.” She's a screenwriter and also wrote 2 adult fiction novels: Cranberry Queen which was a Book Sense 2001 pick, originally optioned by Miramax Films, and The Difference Between You and Me 2003, both published by Miramax Books.

While living in New York, Ms. Van Cleve was working as a film producer and writing partner for many years to Emmy award-winning actor and Golden globe nominee, John Leguizamo. Mr. Lequizamo is famous for his role "Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec" with Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge and To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar with Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipe.

Ms. DeMarco Van Cleve was co-writing with Lequizamo in films such as The Secret Life of Jesse Sanchez, under option to Universal Films in Rebel Films, a NY-based production company.

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve has also been the producers of numerous films, among them are: Undefeated, Pinero and Joe the King which won the 1999 Sundance Film Festival Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, Big Shorty an animated TV series under option to Nickelodeon, Sexabolix; a Love Story HBO Films and others.

She had been very active as a Development Executive, seeing through such films as The Story of O, Before He Wakes, King of the Jungle, Murder at 75 Birch Street, The Beast based on the novel by Peter Benchley and others. For several films she managed the development process, she wrote the treatment that sold the project to the studio or network.

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve holds her B.S. and B.A. in Creative Writing from Penn University where she graduated in 1988. She also has dual degree from the Wharton School College of Arts & Sciences.

She has been a consultant for NYU's Tisch School of the Arts M.F.A. dramatic writing program as well as for Tisch's undergraduate dramatic writing candidates. Ms. DeMarco Van Cleve, also teaches creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania.

Her book for younger readers, “Drizzle” is about an eleven-year-old girl named Polly Peabody, who lives at her family’s world-famous magical rhubarb farm.

Jennifer Long, a girl from Polly's class does not like her and thinks that everything about her is weird, except her brother Freddy, who she has a crush on. Polly has literally no friends at school but she has a best friend named Harry, which is a rhubarb plant on her family’s unusual Midwestern rhubarb farm. Polly and Harry communicate. Harry nods when he agrees with her and swats her with his leaves when he is angry and Polly can talk with the other bugs.

The most magical thing is every single Monday, at exactly 1:00 p.m. it rains. Also, some of their plants in their rhubarb farm taste like chocolate. One day, her Aunt Edith, shows Polly a secret room with bugs that fly in patterns and spells out words.

Until suddenly the weekly rain stops and plants starts to die. Polly’s seventeen year old brother, Freddie has a mysterious illness. Now, Polly has to make it starts raining again before it’s too late for her brother’s life and the survival of all of the plants and her family’s future.

Polly's gradual discovery of her own strange power and the joy she takes in her ability to help those she loves best is both entertaining and gratifying. Does Polly have the power to save them? Let's find out.....“Drizzle” is a fantasy book that will take 5th through 8th graders on a magical adventure.

Ms. DeMarco Van Cleve leaves in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her family.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell us about Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve today -- the woman behind the screenplay, film producer and award-winning author of 2 adult fiction novels and author of the children book “Drizzle”?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: Ah, self-reflection. As a pre-teen, I was a geek with thick glasses and braces who was always, literally always, reading. As a teen, I had contacts and straightened teeth and discovered boys - well rather, they discovered me. (I always knew they were around.) I still read a lot, but I was definitely distracted.

Besides reading, the one thing that "defined" me (and other members of my hometown) growing up was blueberries. Specifically, the fact that I grew up in Hammonton, NJ, the "blueberry capital of the world." (No joke.) My family owned a blueberry (and cranberry) farm in the Pine Barrens of NJ, and my mother insisted that my three siblings and myself would work there every single summer until we were 18. By 5, we were picking blueberries in the field; by 12, we were "packing" blueberries in the shed (meaning that we would put the cellophane on top of the cardboard pints for packaging... now it's all been replaced with plastic containers). We would also watch the cranberry harvest in the fall - my mother would have made us work there too, but we had school.

My childhood spent on our family farm has become a major theme in all my writing. Adding to this was that our farm was in NJ, which everyone - outside of people from my southern area of the state - sees as either a massive turnpike or toxic waste dump. From my perspective, it is neither, and the beauty of my hometown's farms was something I wanted to extol in my writing.

Fun Facts: (1) I was New Jersey's 1982 Blueberry Queen. (2) I never liked blueberries growing up, and preferred to eat at McDonalds. (3) I'm an avid Philadelphia sports team fan, particularly the Philadelphia Eagles, and am crushed when my oldest son - age six - tells me he wants to root for the Dallas Cowboys.

One more thing: I started teaching creative writing at the age of 40, and besides becoming a parent, it has been the most rewarding, delightful, fun experience in my life.

Oops. One final thing. I love being a wife and mom. Love it more than I could ever possibly have imagined.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing screenplay and children’s book that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: Well, first of all, I'm not really good at anything else, which kind of limits my chances of success in other fields. More importantly, there isn't anything I DON'T find enchanting about writing and storytelling. What other profession allows one to imagine literally anything and put it in narrative form? In other words, I consider myself the luckiest woman in the world that at 44, I can spend my days dreaming up chocolate rhubarb and spelling dragonflies and actually make an (admittedly small) living from it. Screenwriting to me is just another venue to communicate one's imagination - one that has its own "rules", for sure, but none that inhibit the fundamentals of telling a good story.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your book “Drizzle.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: Drizzle tells the story of eleven year-old Polly Peabody, who lives on her family's famous (and magical) rhubarb farm. Some of the rhubarb tastes like chocolate, diamonds pop out of the ground, and it rains every Monday at one o'clock... until the one Monday when it doesn't rain, and Polly has to figure out what has happened.

My favorite aspect of Drizzle is the combination of "real" and "magic." I was always drawn to stories like Charlotte’s Web and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – when the “real” world (Zuckerman’s farm, London) mixed with the “magic” world (talking pigs and spiders, Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and the Oompa Loompas). This is exactly what I was going for with Drizzle – to create a very real world for an eleven year old girl, complete with school bullies and mean older sisters, mixed with a completely plausible magic world – a farm with communicating plants and enchanted lakes, etc.

I also love the “supporting” characters of Drizzle: Beatrice, Owen, Ophelia – they were so fun to write. And I love writing about the joy of being outside, and the idea that “nature does nothing in vain” – that we are, and should be, powerless against nature.

E.I. How do you weave so much information while writing and creating the character ‘Polly Peabody’ and yet you keep her so fast-paced and interesting? Did you work her out in advance, or did she evolve as you wrote the story?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: What a kind thing to say! Thank you! Perhaps the most challenging aspect of Drizzle was detailing the “magic” nature of the farm while pushing the plot along. Since this is a first person present novel, all of this had to be expressed via Polly – and it was very, very, very (did I say very?) difficult. Her voice was always clear to me – but the explication of the farm’s magic was only achieved through thousands of revisions and the very close attention of my editor.

E.I. You've created a cast of so remarkably captivating and really fun characters: Polly, Freddie, Patricia, Aunt Edith, Jennifer Jong, Christina, George, Beatrice and Ophelia that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: Thank you again. (I will always do interviews for you!) I have to admit I didn’t spend a lot of time wondering what the readers would “accept” – it was more about making the people that existed so clearly in my mind come alive on the page. I assumed that if I could capture even a fraction of, say, Jennifer Jong’s meanness or Ophelia’s whimsy, it would work.

Re: creative process. I’m still figuring this out, actually, but I’ve begun to realize that I’m the kind of writer who needs to just sit at a computer and write, with perhaps only an idea or a character in mind, and then see what happens as I type. It’s only after a complete first draft that I discover the “theme” of the story and then I can go back in and revise to make it crafted. It’s the hardest part for me, but also the most exciting. I watched Elizabeth Gilbert (author of EAT PRAY LOVE) talk once about how the writer’s job is showing up (i.e., getting in the chair) and the “muse’s” job is to appear and help out. (I’m paraphrasing here.) I think I know what she was getting at – in that I can’t control what happens in that first spark of connection between my creative brain and the page. I just start to type, and the story and characters unfold, and then, after I print out the pages and can go back and read what’s there, then the craft part of writing takes over. But the most important thing is to show up: to sit in the chair.

E.I. How did you pull in the reader into Polly’s life, living her life hour after hour as she deals with the magical events in the farm and the illness of Freddie that follows?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: I have two brothers whom I absolutely adore. I also was lucky enough to grow up on a farm that I loved. It was relatively easy – but emotionally painful – to envision a situation where my brothers were sick and I wanted to do something to make them healthy, just as it was easy/painful to imagine our farm withering without rain.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: Again – and perhaps I should rethink this – but I don’t really think about the audience as I’m writing, except in the more general “will anyone like this? What am I doing? Perhaps I should be an accountant?” kind of way. The one thing I try to do is read as many middle grade and young adult books as I can. This is my way, I think, of learning what is out there and being well received by kids. For example, I read Gennifer Cholodenko’s AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS about three thousand times while writing Drizzle, since it was also a first person present novel. It is also a master class in writing for middle graders. I tried to examine why it was that Moose Flanagan was such a delightful protagonist, and then incorporate some of that with Polly. I’d also read other masterpieces: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and THE GIVER and BRIDGE TO TEREBITHIA and THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN (for only a few examples) just to give me that “running start” to going back and trying to improve Polly’s story.

I should also add that I am, fundamentally, a reader. Most of the time, I don’t read as a writer –I read as the little bespectacled geeky girl I was, gulping books like water. That’s the kind of person I’m trying to reach when I write my own stuff.

I don’t have sheets of newsprint… but I do have index cards taped up all over, with random sections/selections from novels I like. Even when I’m not in the middle of a project, I like to read (and reread) these quotes … they always make me smile in awe, and admiration.

E.I. How many years of research did you do pertaining to the creation of a magical farm which is a totally different enchanted world run by plants and bugs? How did you overcome these challenges?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: I had to do a lot of research about rhubarb, since I knew basically nothing about that plant. I wrote Drizzle over three and a half years, and certainly I spent a lot of that time discovering specific rhubarb traits like the oxyalic acid on rhubarb leaves and how it can be used to combat the CFC’s in the ozone. I also did a lot of research about genetics and the water cycle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, since those are all important threads in the novel. But writing about growing up on a farm, perse, was not that difficult: there are many autobiographical details in Rupert’s Rhubarb Farm that come from my childhood spent on a blueberry and cranberry farm. Plus, as I said earlier, I really do think our real farm was “magical” even though we didn’t have the magic bugs or talking plants.

E.I. Do you take the view from the perspective of a woman who grew up in a farm, or do you see yourself as an objective observer, while writing “Drizzle”?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: Absolutely, 100% the former. I think it’s obvious (!) from these answers that I was anything but an objective observer about Polly, her family’s farm, or anything else she encounters in her story.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “Drizzle” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: If it didn’t give away the ending, I’d read the seven paragraphs of the novel, since I love what it says about Polly’s growth and her state of mind at the end of her story. Besides the last line of the novel (which I can’t reveal here!), I do have three other favorite lines:

p. 263
“But parents are just people. Tall third graders. It’s hard to find balance between your own stuff and your children – and the whole time you just watch as they grow up and you have to accept that they’re a whole different person than you are. It’s hard. You plant watermelons, out grows broccoli.”

p. 352“I’ve learned something during this process. No one, absolutely no one, suspects than an eleven-year-old girl is capable of anything.”

p. 249 and again on p. 357
“There’s a feeling you get when you achieve something all by yourself that will bring you more peace and contentment than anything money or love can provide. It is at that moment when you can look around and say “I did it” – and know no one can take it away from you.”

E.I. If you were allowed total control of the Hollywood version of “Drizzle” who would be in it? And in your opinion who do you think should direct?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: I love this question!

Directors: Peter Weir, Robert Zemeckis, Guillermo Del Toro, David Yates, Alfonso Cuaron, Alexander Payne, Mo Ogrodnik, Tim Burton, Stephen Spielberg (oh please, please, please!).

Actors: I think Polly (and her peers) would be portrayed by young actors new on the scene… but re: adult roles…
Aunt Edith: Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Helen Mirren
Owen: Owen Wilson (who was always the guy I pictured as I wrote him)
Ophelia: Emma Thompson, Diane Keaton,
Christina: Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock,

E.I. And finally what’s next with Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve? Can you give your fans a sneak peek about your upcoming book?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: I am having a terrific time with my new story… about a 12 (perhaps 11?) year old boy named Ike, who desperately wants to be on his town’s summer basketball team, but alas, Ike is very short for his age. He is also a gifted piano player, although his teacher… the very sweet-seeming Mrs. Johnson, may also be a very petty, very sinister, witch. The working title is SMALL TOWN GODS, but that may change.

E.I. Ms. DeMarco Van Cleve, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve: At the risk of telling them something they already know: read! Read anything you can. Also eat cupcakes. And finally, take notes: I’m still learning how to do this with consistency, but it’s impossible to remember every detail that you may consider a potential story idea/character trait, etc.

To learn more about Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve, please visit her website
Photo of Kathleen DeMarco Van Cleve, by Emory Van Cleve
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

FEATURED AUTHOR: Brian Selznick - New York Time Bestselling & Award-Winning Author of “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.”

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:24:00 +0000

Brian Selznick, born in July 14th, 1966 in Brunswick, New Jersey is an author and an illustrator of children’s books and young adult books. He is the author of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret".

He graduated at The Rhode Island School of Design and worked at Eeyore’s Books for Children in Manhattan, after graduation where he learned all about children’s books from his boss Steve Geck who is now an editor of children’s books at Greenwillow.

His grandfather was a first cousin of David O. Selznick an American film producer. He is best known for producing Gone with the Wind.

Brian Selznick first book, The Houdini Box, about a boy who almost meets the great magician which Mr. Selznick also illustrated, was published in 1991 while he was still working at Eeyore’s bookstore. The book, won the Texas Bluebonnet Award and the Rhode Island Children’s Book Awards for. His other books are: The Boy of a Thousand Faces, but The Invention of Hugo Cabret is by far the longest and most involved book he’ve ever worked on. His obsessions with old French movies, clockworks, mechanical figures and the filmmaker Georges Méliès inspired him to write the book, “Hugo.”

The Invention of Hugo Cabret has been awarded the 2008 Caldecott medal. It also was named a finalist for the 2007 National Book Awards in the Young People's Literature and won the Quill Award in the Children's Chapter/Middle Grade category. The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which has been a New York Times #1 Bestseller, was named one of the New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books of the Year.

Academy award-winning director, Martin Scorsese’s will be making his first children’s movie base on "The Invention of Hugo Cabret." But just how child-friendly this movie will be is entirely up to Mr. Scorsese’s. He admits, he does not abide by any rules of genre, let alone his own. The media has said that Martin Scorsese, suggests that he’ll make the leap to 3D with The Invention of Hugo Cabret. It’ll be the first time for the Oscar winning director, Martin Scorsese will directly aimed and marketed towards young kids movie.

The historical fiction book, which is set in 1930’s Paris tells the story of a 12 year old orphan, clock keeper, Hugo who is also a thief. The boy lives in the walls of a Parisian train station. Suddenly Hugo’s lives interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station. Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

The cast would be Academy award-winning actor, Ben Kingsley is being cast Georges Melies, a famous silent filmmaker with a pivotal role in the story. English actor, comedian, and writer, Sacha Baron Cohen, best known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictitious characters, Ali G, Borat and Brüno step into the role of the station inspector.

As for the two lead children,, Chloe Moretz from the movie Kick-Ass, will play Isabelle and English child actor, Asa Butterfield known for his role “Nanny McPhee” a movie with Emma Thompson, will be playing the role of Hugo.

Brian Selznick also illustrated many books for children, including Frindle by Andrew Clements which won Christopher Award. The Doll People which is a trilogy by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan and The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley, received a 2001 Caldecott Honor.

Mr. Selznick have one sister who is a teacher, and a brother who is a brain surgeon. He also have five nephews and one niece. Brian Selznick divides his time between Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.

To learn more about Brian Selznick, please visit his website
To purchase his books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Nobles

UPCOMING INTERVIEW: Thomas Cobb - Award-Winning Author of "Crazy Heart"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:55:00 +0000

Novelist, Thomas Cobb was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Tucson, Arizona. He is the author of Crazy Heart, a novel, Acts of Contrition, a collection of short stories that won the 2002 George Garrett Fiction Prize and Shavetail.

Mr. Cobb, a former-country-music-covering-journalist-from-Arizona turned writing-professor/author-living-in-Rhode Island with his wife. He now teaches English and creative writing at RIC, a public college in Providence where enrollment in his graduate fiction-writing workshop has blossomed since the film Crazy Heart release.

The novel, originally published in 1987, and it was Mr. Cobb’s doctoral dissertation. Mr. Cobb's adviser on the project: famed postmodernist author Donald Barthelme. The book only sold 11,000 copies before being pulled from print after initial buzz died down. Now, it's being reissued in paperback by publisher HarperCollins.

CRAZY HEART is a 2009 musical-drama film starring Jeff Bridges, which earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor, Maggie Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

Supporting roles are played by Golden Globe award-winning Irish actor, Colin Farrell, Academy award-winning & four times Golden Globe winning actor Robert Duvall, with child actor Jack Nation. Bridges, Farrell, and Mr. Duvall also sing in the film. The film was written and directed by Scott Cooper.

In the movie, Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake, the protagonist of "Crazy Heart," A boozy, down-and-out country music singer-songwriter past-his-prime country star saddled with the indignity of playing backwater bowling alleys and opening for his former side man played by Collin Farrell.

He tries to turn his life around after beginning a relationship with a young journalist named Jean, portrayed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The film's main character is based on a combination of Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard. The media talk about Mr. Cooper initially wanted to do a biopic on Haggard but found the rights to his life story were too difficult to obtain. The novel on which the film was based was actually inspired by country singer Hank Thompson. The film has been described by critics as "half Urban Cowboy, half The Wrestler.

Thomas Cobb other book, Shavetail, was a winner of 2009 Spur Award for Best Western Long Novel. The novel is set in the desert of the Arizona territories in 1871. Shavetail is the story of Private Ned Thorne, a seventeen-year-old boy from Connecticut who has lied about his age to join the army.

On the run because of a shameful past, Ned is desperate to prove his worth—to his superiors, his family, and most of all, to himself. He is young and troubled; Ned is as stubborn as a shavetail, the soldiers’ term for a willful, untrained mule. After a band of Apaches attacks a nearby ranch, killing two men and, perhaps, kidnapping a woman,

Ned’s superiors, also seeking to atone for their mistakes, lead Ned and the rest of his company on a near suicidal mission through a particularly menacing stretch of desert and into Mexico in hopes of saving the woman’s life.

Photo of Mr. Thomas Cobb by Alberto E. Rodriguez
To learn more about Thomas Cobb, please visit his website
To purchase his books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

UPCOMING INTERVIEW: Barbie Latza Nadeau - Journalist for Newsweek, CNN & Author of Angel Face: The True Story of Student Killer Amanda Knox

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:30:00 +0000

Barbie Latza Nadeau is an American journalist and the author of Angel Face: The True Story of Student Killer Amanda Knox. Ms. Knox , is the American university exchange student convicted of the murder of her roommate, an English exchange student, Meredith Kercher, by Italian criminal courts in December 2009.

Amanda Knox a fresh-faced honor student from Seattle who met anyone’s definition of an all-American girl—attractive, athletic, smart, hard-working, adventure some, in love with languages and travel is known as Foxy Knoxy, has proclaimed her innocence ahead of her trial for the murder of her British flatmate Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy.

The murder took place in Perugia, Italy, where both girls were studying abroad. The case, with its suggestions of ritual sexual violence, and Knox’s bizarre behavior throughout the investigation and trial transfixed the Italian media.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, a Rome-based Daily Beast senior writer cultivated personal relationships with the key figures in both the prosecution and the defense – describes how the Knox family’s heavy-handed efforts to control media coverage distorted the facts, inflamed an American audience, and painted an offensive, inaccurate picture of Italy’s justice system. An eye-opener for any parent considering sending a child away to study, Angel Face reveals what really went on in this incomprehensible crime.

Barbie Latza Nadeau reports for a variety of publications: Newsweek, The Daily Beast, CNN Traveller Magazine, Delta Sky Magazine, Budget Travel, Frommer's and Globe Pequot Press. She makes frequent broadcast appearances on BBC, NPR, NBC, CBS, FOX and Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO TV.

Photo of Amanda Knox by Pier Paolo Cito
To learn more about Barbie Latza Nadeau, please visit her website
To purchase her book, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: Cynthia Jaynes Omololu - Author of YA Novel "Dirty Little Secrets"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:03:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Cynthia Jaynes Omololu. She was born in New Jersey, but grew up in San Diego, California. She majored in English at U.C. Santa Barbara. The best part of her college was living in Scotland for a year.

She met some amazing people in Scotland who she still consider some of her best friends all these years.

She’s the author of two YA adult books: “When It's Six O'clock in San Francisco” and her latest novel “Dirty Little Secrets.”

Dirty Little Secrets is novel that deals with compulsive hoarding and its affect on a child's life.

The book tells the story of a girl forced to make an agonizing decision in this nicely realized page-turner. Sixteen-year-old Lucy has been painfully isolated from her peers for years, refusing to let anyone near her house lest they discover the towers of garbage and heaps of mold-encrusted dishes. This is a mind-blowingly intense novel.

Ms. Omololu’s leaves in Northern California with her husband and two sons.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell us about Cynthia Jaynes Omololu today -- the woman behind the author.

CJ Omololu: My two best friends in high school became cheerleaders and homecoming queens. I felt like I couldn’t compete with that, so I dyed my hair black and started hanging out with musicians downtown. I recently found my senior yearbook and there were two signatures in it, which didn’t bother me at the time, but now I find sort of sad.

I got my first real job as a junior in high school. It was working in City Hall in our small seaside town, doing administrative stuff. That first experience pretty much inspired me to not want to work in an office if I could help it in the future. I’ve been a lot of things (several of them office jobs) in my life before I discovered that I was actually good at something. I’ve worked for a travel agency, a weekly newspaper, a fashion designer, as a waitress and a barista before Starbucks existed. I spent my life looking for the job I have today.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing YA novels entirely that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

CJ Omololu: I love writing about a time in my own life that was full of conflict and confusion. Those years are so formative, and it’s interesting to me that the people who look like they have it together in their teens don’t necessarily do the best as adults. The stories that come to me so far have all had teenage voices, so that’s what I write. The children’s and young adult writing community is so supportive, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your novel “Dirty Little Secrets.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

CJ Omololu: I read a magazine article about adults who had grown up in hoarded homes and that got me thinking what their childhoods must have been like. I feel that all of the characters are multi-dimensional – I made a real effort to have Lucy’s mother seem like a real person and not just a monster.

E.I. How do you weave so much information while writing and creating the character ‘Lucy Anne Thompkins’ and yet you keep her so fast-paced and interesting? Did you work her out in advance, or did she evolve as you wrote the story?

CJ Omololu: Thanks for saying that! Lucy came to me pretty fully formed, although I found out a lot about her as I worked. I try to cut anything that doesn’t add something significant to the story.

E.I. You've created a cast of so remarkably captivating and really fun characters: Lucy, Joanna, Kaylie, Josh Lee, Sara and Phil that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

CJ Omololu: I didn’t really think about that in advance – I guess I write the book that I’d like to read. When I come up with an idea, I let it stew for a month or two. When the characters start talking to me, I know it’s time to start writing. I use a very loose, 9 step outline (I’ve got a post on how I do that on my blog) and then just start writing. Fiction for me is just the process of writing down the ‘movie’ that is going on in my head, so I start writing with the first scene and go until it ends.

E.I. How did you pull in the reader into Lucy's life, living her life hour after hour as she deals with the tremendous hardships of her mother's hoarding and the tragedy that follows.

CJ Omololu: When I started the book, I wasn’t sure what the format would be, but I realized pretty quickly that it would take place in a short period of time. I basically just followed along as she dealt with what happened.

E.I. Have you witnessed hoarding in your life, but never thought of it as a disease until you wrote this novel? I’m sure your audience felt so bad for Lucy’s life. I know that this is fiction but in reality a child should never have to go through that.

CJ Omololu: Great question, and the answer is yes. We used to joke about the mess and all the belongings without understanding that it was a disorder that actually had a name. I didn’t grow up like Lucy did, but unfortunately, many kids have. I have the emails to prove it, and each one breaks my heart. I have a lot of resources on my website, including www.childrenofhoarders.com, which is one of the best places to start for someone who has a hoarding problem in the family.

E.I. Can you explain the difference between a packrat and a compulsive hoarder?

CJ Omololu: Semantics. Hoarder is a pretty recent term for what people used to call packrats. My test for hoarding is if the person can get rid of things, either by giving them away, recycling or just putting things in the trash then they’re probably going to be okay. If they always come up with excuses as to why things could be useful to someone, then they might have a problem.

E.I. Does a hoarder spends money on lockers or additional storage space, and is filling up their car with possessions because they've run out of room in the house?

CJ Omololu: Absolutely – that is classic hoarding behavior. I know one hoarder who has purchased three homes that are now full of possessions.

E.I. Are people born compulsive hoarders, or do they become them?
CJ Omololu: There is just starting to be a lot of research on this disorder, so there isn’t a clear picture of a typical hoarder at this point. There does seem to be an element of OCD that many hoarders show early in their lives. Contrary to what it might seem, hoarding can often come from perfectionist tendencies – they don’t want to get rid of things that might be useful in the future. Hoarding does seem to get worse as people get older or have a traumatic event happen in their lives like a death or divorce.

E.I. Do hoarders tend to collect different things, or are there commonalities among hoarders?

CJ Omololu: For a disorder that has been so secretive, hoarders do tend to collect similar things. If you watch the hoarding shows you will see a lot of newspaper and magazines, books, clothes and toys (even if they don’t have kids).

E.I. Do people ever go back and read the newspapers or magazines they've saved? Can you explain what it's called churning? Which I guess one of hoarders habits?

CJ Omololu: While I can’t speak for all hoarders, I doubt that most of them go back over newspapers and magazines. They tend to save them ‘just in case’ they might need them someday. Churning is when a hoarder is trying to deal with the mess, but they are really just moving items from one location to another – not actually getting rid of anything. They may start to tackle a stack of magazines, only to realize that they might need an article in every copy and end up stacking them somewhere else.

E.I. Some people hoard animals. Is that related to compulsive hoarding? Some people will say, "A stray came to my door, how could I turn it away?" It's the same kind of thing -- they think," Everything is important.

CJ Omololu: There is a similar disorder called animal hoarding where people collect dogs, cats and other pets, but I didn’t include that aspect of hoarding in my book. Hoarders tend to put an abnormal amount of emotional attachment to things, and animal hoarders do this to pets. Even though they may have many more animals than is safe or sanitary, they can’t part with any of them, even if they know they are going to good homes. I foster kittens for our local animal shelter. Every year we have about 20 kittens come through our house (in twos and threes) and each and every one is special, but when it’s time, we give them back to the shelter so that they can find their ‘forever’ homes.

E.I. What are some of the factors that can lead to someone becoming a hoarder? Are some people predisposed to collect things? Men vs. women, old vs. young, rich vs. poor?

CJ Omololu: Hoarding is one of the great equalizers. At this point, it does seem to affect more women than men, but we are just starting to get a better picture of the disorder. You don’t need money to be a hoarder – many hoarders love garage sales and dumpsters for their treasures.

E.I. How many years of research did you do about hoarders to make your novel realistic? How did you overcome these challenges?

CJ. Omololu: When I wrote the book back in 2008, there weren’t many TV shows on hoarding and it wasn’t talked about too much. Once I got the idea, I Googled ‘hoarding’ and found the website Children of Hoarders. Through that site, I found three women who worked very closely with me to get the details right. They would tell me stories and read parts of the book as I wrote to give me pointers. I’ve had people who grew up in situations similar to Lucy’s in my story tell me it was like I had a camera trained on their lives. That is the best possible compliment I can get.

E.I. And finally what’s next with Cynthia Jaynes Omololu? Can you give your fans a sneak peek about your upcoming book?

CJ Omololu: I’m just finishing a book that is very different from DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS – a bit lighter, with more romance. I felt like I needed a little break from such heavy subjects. I do have some more “issue” books waiting to be written, so I’ll probably come back to writing important issues soon. People can watch the blog at www.cynjay.blogspot.com for updates and news.

E.I. Ms. Omololu, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

CJ Omololu: Thank you! It’s been great. People told me in high school that I was a good writer, but I really didn’t pay attention and I was well into adulthood before it even occurred to me to write books. If you love writing, keep at it and don’t be afraid to share your work with other writers. Almost every writer has several ‘practice’ books in a drawer somewhere (and those who don’t, we don’t talk to) so don’t give up if your first novel isn’t perfect. It’s a long learning curve, but the rewards are awesome.

Photo of Cynthia Jaynes Omololu courtesy of the author.
To learn more about Cynthia Jaynes Omololu, please visit her website
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: John Michael Cummings - Award-Winning Author of "The Night I Freed John Brown"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:47:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with the Award-winning author, John Michael Cummings. He is born 1963 in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. He holds a B.A. in Art/Graphic Design from George Mason University.

He was a reporter for Times Community Newspapers March 1989 — August 1991. He reported business news for The Reston Times.

His short stories have appeared in more than seventy-five literary journals, including North American Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, The Chattahoochee Review, The Kenyon Review, and The Iowa Review.

He was twice been nominated for The Pushcart Prize. His short story “The Scratchboard Project” received an honorable mention in The Best American Short Stories 2007. He is also the Newberry Honor recipient Ruth White award and Poet Laurete Fred Chappell award.

His novella The House of My Father, from which his debut novel was adapted, was a finalist in the 2006 Miami University Novella Contest. His other novella Chimney Rock was a Semi-finalist ,Winnow Press 2004 First Book Award for Fiction.

The Night I Freed John Brown is Mr. Cummings' powerful first novel for young readers and the Winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like?

John Michael Cummings: Shy, a little huffy, and very lost. That was me in my teens. God, not by choice, though. I so wanted to be happy and popular. But I couldn't find my smile, couldn't feel right around others, always felt small and less than enough. Inferior, in other words. Yikes! Those were terrible years.

Should I say why they were? My counselor provides an answer: a critical father.

But there was another side to me then despite him. I wrote 20-page love letters to a particular girl--nightly! She always said I would be a writer.

Or I stood in the town phone booth all evening long waiting for her to call; we didn't have a phone in my house, and by ringing the phone booth once, she would signal me to call her. (Phone booths allowed incoming calls then.) She had a house full of sisters, so her phone was always busy. Timing was everything.

So as knotted up as I was in crowds, I was a giant of devotion for this girl.

E.I. Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience.

John Michael Cummings: I was fired--fired because I kept making eyes at the waitress. I was a dishwasher, and I couldn't stop looking at her--fired, mind you, because the owner had a bigger thing going on with her. Maybe she liked the attention from a boy, and that infuriated him.

He died soon after he fired me. I always thought it was the food that killed him. It was a diner in West Virginia, after all. Need I say more about the food?

So I was a terrible dishwasher, but I knew a beautiful face when I saw it. That's my first job experience.

E.I. Tell, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page.

John Michael Cummings: Inspiration for writing has always come from joy, pain, and the curiosity in between. I write to capture the emotions that press against the lid of my head like a volcano. It's hard work, getting the words right. The fewest words, all of them dead on. But only language can answer the cry for understanding in us, and language, like us, is limitless.

Fun anecdotes? Me have fun? Never. Just kidding. Twice I drove up to John Updike's mansion in Massachusetts and left my manuscripts at his door, with a letter imploring him to read them. Twice he sent his Rottweilers after me down the driveway. Just kidding about the Rottweilers. Once, though, he did write back. "...nice touches," he said. "Try to create more curiosity. Keep writing, but don't keep sending your work to me. You need an editor. I'm a dead-end," he wrote.

John Updike a dead-end?

Rest his soul. I assumed he was too smart to smoke.

E.I. Also tell us about John Michael Cummings today -- the man behind the author.

John Michael Cummings has never been happier. He left New York City last July and is well on his way to the life he's always wanted--full of friends, love, and good writing.

I just finished a stint teaching college prep English and am about to embark on my master's degrees in creative writing at University of Central Florida. Go Knights! (No, I am not drinking a wine cooler right now.)

The man behind the author? Hmm... That is journey, isn't it? To realize the man behind the author. The new Christian. The loving boyfriend. The father figure. The decent neighbor. The good employee. The commuter. The smart shopper. None of these hats seemed to have any color in New York. Now they're brilliant.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

John Michael Cummings: "You'd probably die if you didn't write," my counselor once said.

That I'm telling you I have a counselor who's so intense to say this lets you know I'm not a pitted, sun-baked statue of a man, but a watery body, like a lake that ripples, mercurial with flitting fish.

A friend once said I had the head of a horse--sensitive. (I think this friend was drinking a wine cooler when he said this.)

Seriously, what enchants me about writing is the world of interactions, settings, and ideas that come to life on the page. Creation. Language has no limits. How can one not be psyched up by that?

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your novel “The Night I Freed John Brown.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

John Michael Cummings: It's the story of a shy, mistreated boy growing up in the town where the controversial preacher-turned-revolutionary John Brown was captured in 1859 for his raid on a federal weapons depot. Brown believed he could free the slaves, and the guns at Harpers Ferry were to be the instruments of his change. Josh, in modern times, just wants to free himself, to belong to the community that lives in the historic town today. Being high on John Brown is one way to be with the in-crowd. It's a town where it's everything John Brown.

But Josh must battle his antisocial father and his way of clamping down on freedom.

The story's a modern-day parallel on the historic events at Harpers Ferry, a modern-day twist; Josh feels as liberated by John Brown as the slaves did a 150 years before him.

Imagination was not needed as much as a dramatic autobiographical treatment. I grew up in that stinking little historic tourist-trodden town I love so much. (I think I do need a wine cooler now.)

My favorite aspect was getting the novel published! That, and the gorgeous energy and details that my wonderful editor Patti Gauch lovingly and painstakingly helped me thread throughout it. Patti was the best! She made the novel twice as good as I could have ever made it without her.

I also had an excellent, outstanding, redoubtable agent: Jessica Regal. Jessica's phenom brilliance repeatedly shaped the book through critical stages. She's so young, but so good. It's scary!

Let me add that the novel took years! Five if it took one. Finding Jessica, revising. Finding Patti, revising again.

E.I. How do you weave so much fun of information while writing and creating the character ‘Josh’ and the metaphors involving John Brown? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story?

John Michael Cummings: Patti first said to me, "I like the last twenty-five pages. Rewrite the rest." Next question, as far as anything worked out in advance.

Everything evolved as the story was rewritten. Boy voice, vivid details, narrator's voice, pacing, tension, and the constant little reminders of the story's big and small promises of a payoff that is, I like to say, worthy of literature.

E.I. You've created a cast of remarkably captivating characters: Josh, his new friend Luke Richmond, Alex, Daniel, Father Ron, Bill Connors, Katie, his two brothers Jerry & Robbie that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

John Michael Cummings: Saying as much as possible in the fewest words was our motto. Letting no character be thin or weak seemed to be our next standard. Again, I drew from people I knew, so there was a direct line in the writing process to actual people. That is the key to real and memorable characters, I feel.

Level of details--what a challenge. It's all about keeping the story moving forward, the bicycle pedals pumping--one pedal story, or plot, the other pedal language, neither causing the other to skip off the chain or to get clogged with sticks.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “The Night I Freed John Brown” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

John Michael Cummings: The dedication and acknowledgments page. This novel came to fruition because of teamwork. That should never be forgotten or understated.

E.I. If you were allowed total control of the Hollywood version of “The Night I Freed John Brown” who would be in it? And in your opinion who do you think should direct?

John Michael Cummings: I would like Richard Thomas to narrate the audio book. Maybe the actor Richard Boone of the sixties or seventies could play the fierce father. Elijah Wood could play our young hero. How about Anthony Mann or John Sturges as director. (Jessica, are you reading? Sell the movie rights, please!)

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

John Michael Cummings: I work on the page and hold my plans in my head and heart. I do use a simple notebook for ideas and especially for dialogue. But I am not messy with papers lying about. My filing cabinet is my heart.

E.I. And finally, when you finish a novel, it's off to your agent and publisher, then you're on to the next. Do you find letting your manuscripts, especially your characters, as easy to part with when finished?

John Michael Cummings: Not so difficult to let finished works go. By the time I have reread and polished them enough, I'm looking forward to new terrain.

E.I. Mr. Cummings, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers all over the world?

John Michael Cummings: Uh, buy my novel? Also, find a good shrink. Finally, love what you do, and do your best. Have guts and stamina. You're special. Make sure your writing is too.

Photo of John Michael Cummings, courtesy of the author.
To purchase his book, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble.

INTERVIEW: Susan Merson, Award-Winning Actress, original cast longest running Off Broadway Play VANITIES & Author of "Dreaming in Daylight"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:39:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with SUSAN MERSON. She is an award winning actress, writer and theatre producer and author of “Dreaming in Daylight.” She began her career as an actress in New York starring in such Off Broadway hits as the original company of Jack Heifner’s VANITIES. She spends time on Broadway under the direction of Franco Zefirelli, regional theatre and in Off Off Broadway developmental work.

She relocated to Los Angeles where her acting career has included television and film work: Totsie w/ Dustin Hoffman & Jessica Lange, Absolute Stranger w/ Henry Winkler, Lost In Yonkers w/ Richard Dreyfus, Things To Do In Denver w/ Andy Garcia & Jenny McCarthy & Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machine w Arnold Schwarzenegger & Linda Hamilton. Her television work last season was on GREY’S ANATOMY and MONK.

She co-founded the LA Writers Bloc with director/writer Jane Anderson, has developed all of her plays at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in NY and LA., and has toured her eight solo plays across North America, Europe and Israel. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College.

She has served as Resident Playwright for the Jewish Women’s Theatre Project, Literary Manager of the Ensemble Studio Theatre and worked as a reader for such companies as Fogwood Films, TNT, Polygram among many others. She currently teaches Playwrighting at Cal State Fullerton. Her plays—one of which (HAIR: A REMINISCENCE) is a 2007 Heideman Award finalist at Louisville-- have been seen at theatres across the US and Canada.

Ms. Merson’s screenplay “BOUNTY OF LACE” a full length about contemporary Israel and Palestine won the Religion and Theatre Award at the 2008 At the Conference and was produced in Chicago at the Halcyon Theatre as part of the Alcyone Festival. THE WHITE BIRCHES (Amazon Shorts), a ten-minute piece, was done at the At the conference in Denver 2008.

She currently sits on the NY Board of the Ensemble Studio Theatre, leading the NY ARTS/ EST/ SUMMER CONSERVATORY PROGRAM. THE MARRIAGE SUITE , her newest play, is slated for a fall production at Theatricum Botanicum. She was at work shopped at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, and has written and performed eight solo performance pieces and

Her novel, “Dreaming In Daylight” and “YOUR NAME HERE; AN ACTOR WRITERS GUIDE TO SOLO PERFORMANCE is available in bookstores nationally.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Furthermore, tell us about Susan Merson today -- the woman behind the award winning actress, writer, theatre producer, playwright and author?

Susan Merson: My goodness… hmmm. If I knew the answers to all those questions I wouldn’t have to keep writing, would I? Three Good to Knows… ummm…

1: Follow your heart,
2: There is no shame in earning a living and
3: Cultivate a good sense of humor.

On the front inside page of the Detroit News, Parade Magazine maybe when I was 11 or 12 there was a quote in frilly type face. It drew my eye and blew my mind.

Here’s a paraphrase.
Andre Gide said: “Look for your own. Do not do what someone else can do as well as you…. Look for your own and out of yourself create, you are the most irreplaceable of beings.”

I found that fact to be astonishing and if it was true, I thought, perhaps I had some work to do.

I have been reinventing myself yet again in the last couple of years, recovering from the death of my sweetheart husband after 27 years of marriage.

Returning to NYC after another life back in LA I am currently preparing the pilot summer for a new play intensive—THE NEW YORK ARTS SUMMER CONSERVATORY. We will spend six weeks working with about 19 students from the US, Europe and Asia on the art of collaboration and new play development. Challenging the student artists, Asking them to telling a story from start to finish as individuals and as part of a group. All of us learning to hone spontaneity, flexibility, outside the box thinking. I can’t wait.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Susan Merson: Writing is part of the picture for me as an artist. It is not that different from acting, truly—getting out of the way of your brain so that the craft that you have learned can handle the downloads. It is a private and very still enterprise. I don’t really have much choice. It’s part of what do.

E.I. Please tell your readers about your novel “Dreaming in Daylight?” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects of the book? Did this aspect of the book pose a challenge for you?

Susan Merson: “DREAMING IN DAYLIGHT” was a project on my bucket list. I had never written long form fiction and wanted to see if I could shape a story that held the reader and create a world with which I was intimately familiar. Rosie is a bit of me, I suppose. She was a young girl trying to make sense of growing up in a world that gave off a fair amount of external but not a great deal of inner framework—or at least an inner framework that I could recognize and trust. I loved revisiting some of my childhood scenarios and see how they might play when I had the freedom to adjust them and play with character, time and space. I wanted to record certain experiences and certain people and was able, I hope, to pay homage to them without telling all their secrets.

EI. How do you weave so much information while writing and creating the character ‘Rosie’ growing up in New York Jewish home, and yet you keep her so fast-paced and interesting? Did you work her out in advance, or did she evolve as you wrote the story?

Susan Merson: Actually, she grew up in Detroit, and she grew up fast. Hence the fast pace of the book. I suppose there is some of the playwriting craft there as well, getting to the heat of a scene as fast as possible. I had a beginning point for Rosie and a place where I thought she would come to… but the journey unfolded as I wrote.

E.I. You've created a cast of so remarkably captivating characters: Rosie, Leo (Rosie’s dad) and Belle (Rosie’s mom) that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

Susan Merson: Again, it is very much like acting. One places oneself in the situation and looks around, looks up and in and around the people who show up. What did they smell like? What were their loves and lives.. their favorite foods… all those specific details. Where are they coming from? Going to? Can’t really worry too much about what the readers accept. Though corny, the truth is that characters and situations have their own truth and the job of the artist is to tune into it and transmit it to the reader or viewer.

E.I. How did you pull in the reader into Rosie’s life, living her life day after day as she deals with the tremendous prejudice and hardship in her life?

Susan Merson: Rosie did it. Not me.

E.I. Do you take the view of a Jewish woman, or do you see
yourself as an objective observer, while writing Dreaming in Daylight?

Susan Merson: Well, I’m not an objective observer. I write from who I am. Sometimes a certain part of who I am may be leading the POV, but an artist filters through who they are and yes… I am a Jewish woman.

E.I. Your novel is a riveting work of fiction. What were for you the most haunting events in Rosie’s life?

Susan Merson: Thanks. I am pleased that the story held you tightly. I think the death of a parent, and the illness of a parent—those folks who are supposed to make you feel safe as a kid-- are the most traumatic. A kid needs to feel safe, somehow.. and if the parents are dealing with their own trauma—(which most parents do, they are people after all—)if the parents are in extremis then the kid has to adapt, survive and eventually thrive on her own merit.

E.I. And finally what’s next with Susan Merson? Can you give your fans a sneak peek about your upcoming book or play?

Susan Merson: I am actually working on a nonfiction piece about reclamation of body mind and spirit after the loss of my husband. I found that I needed to reconnect with myself somehow in my grief. I started with my body. As I got to know myself again, and began to release the pain that had stunned and paralyzed me, I found that my life could reopen in a challenging and exciting way. The work is pretty deep and the language rich. I so hope that it finds an audience. It is an important work for me.

E.I. Ms. Merson, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

Susan Merson: Rilke did it better: “Trust Life. Life is right in any case.”

Photo of Susan Merson, courtesy of the author.
To learn more about Susan Emerson, please visit her website.
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: Jillian Cantor - Award-Winning YA Author of "September Sisters"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:40:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Jillian Cantor. She is the author of YA novels, “The September Sisters” which was nominated for the Rhode Island Teen Book Awards and YALSA Best Book for Young Adults.

She has a BA in English from Penn State University and an MFA from the University of Arizona, where she was a recipient of the national Jacob K. Javits fellowship.

Her first novel, The September Sisters, was called "memorable" and "startlingly real" by Publishers Weekly. September Sisters is now out in paperback.

Her other novel, THE LIFE OF GLASS was published February 9th 2010 by Harperteen.

Ms. Cantor’s debut novel for adults, THE TRANSFORMATION OF THINGS, will be released in Fall 2010 by Avon/HarperCollins.

Jillian Cantor lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell us about Jillian Cantor today -- the woman behind the author.

Jillian Cantor: As a teenager I loved to read, but in high school I mainly concentrated on music. I played clarinet competitively and spent most of my time practicing or at some band or orchestra rehearsal!

I majored in English in college because I didn’t want a career in music, and English was a subject I’d always enjoyed. I thought I’d be a journalist, and my first job was an internship at a newspaper, the summer after my freshman year in college. I hated it! I got bored very quickly, writing the truth, and I realized what I enjoyed about writing was the creative side, so when I returned to college in the fall, I took my first fiction writing class. That was the point when I really seriously thought I wanted to become an author.

Today, I’m a mom to two little boys, who take up the majority of my time. In any free moment I get, I’m writing!

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing YA Novels that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Jillian Cantor: Well, I do write books for young adults and adults, and I enjoy writing them both. But I think the short answer to your question is that YA speaks to me because I love writing stories that are “coming of age” stories, and I think the teenage years are when these stories most often take place.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your novel “The Life of Glass.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

Jillian Cantor: The Life of Glass is the story of 14-year-old Melissa. It takes place about a year and a half after her father dies and follows Melissa through her freshman year of high school as she must deal with her mother dating again, her beautiful and obnoxious older sister ignoring her, and her best friend Ryan abandoning her for the new beautiful girl at school. Also, she begins to unravel a mystery about her father’s past, and begins to wonder how well she really knew him.

The idea for the book came from this image I had of a girl wearing a pink prom dress and riding her bike through the desert. I tried to think about who this girl would be, where she was going, what she was doing, what kind of person she was. It was clear to me she would be somewhat of a tomboy, not caring much about beauty in the traditional sense, and the story came from there. I had it in my mind that this prom dress/bike scene would be the last scene of the book, and I wrote towards that. (It did not, by the way, end up in the book, but you will definitely see pieces of this image near the end.)

My favorite aspects of the book are, as is always true with my books, the characters. I loved writing Melissa and her sarcastic wit. The supporting characters were fun too, and in a lot of ways brought me back to what it felt like to be in high school.

E.I. How do you weave so much information while writing and creating the character ‘Melissa’? Did you work her out in advance, or did she evolve as you wrote the story?

Jillian Cantor: When I write, my characters become like real people to me. So when I thought of Melissa that way, it wasn’t hard to figure out the details of her life. As I started to write her, as I could hear her voice in my head, the details evolved from there. And as I said in the previous answer, really the idea for her came from that image I had. The rest did evolve as I wrote the story.

E.I. You've created a cast of so remarkably captivating and really interesting characters: Melissa, her best friend Ryan, her bitchy older sister Ashley, her aunt Julia and the manipulative new girl Courtney? How did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work that your readers definitely clamor for more?

Jillian Cantor: Thank you! I’m glad you found them captivating. I don’t think I decided consciously what level of detail to include or what readers would accept. When I wrote the book I tried to tell the story I felt I needed to tell, with the characters I felt needed to be there. I try not to think about how readers will react or what they’ll think when I’m in the process of writing, but rather just to tell the best story I possibly can, in a way where I would believe it and I would want to read it, as a reader.

E.I. In any of your novels, how do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

Jillian Cantor: Well, as I said above, no I really don’t try to imagine the audience as I’m writing. I try to write for myself, to write what I love, and then after I have drafts done and I show the book to my agent or my editor, I get some input that might be more geared towards audience or the market. But as a writer, I don’t worry about any of this in the initial drafts.

I’m not much of an outliner, I’m afraid. Usually I’ll have a general sense of where a story will begin and where I’ll want it to end, and maybe a few key plot points in between to kind of guide the story. Most of the plot comes to me as I’m writing, or even, after I’ve finished the first draft. When I begin I usually have a premise or a hook for the story and some idea of who the characters are. And no, I don’t have storyboards on my walls! Usually I’ll begin with a Word document that lists my cast of main characters, their names, their roles in the story, etc. and a few plot points.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “The Life of Glass” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

Jillian Cantor: When I do readings from The Life of Glass, often I’ll choose to read the first chapter. The first chapter takes place about a year and half before the rest of the book, and I think in a lot of ways, it almost stands on its as somewhat of a short story. I think you really get a sense of who the major players in the novel are here – Melissa, her sister Ashley, her mother, her father, her best friend Ryan.

E.I. If you were allowed total control of the Hollywood version of “The Life of Glass” who would be in it? And in your opinion who do you think should direct?

Jillian Cantor: Well I think Kristen Stewart would be great for Melissa and Michael Cera would be the perfect Ryan. I’d say Ashley Judd for Melissa’s Mom and definitely Dianna Agron (Quinn from Glee) would be the perfect Courtney. I’m not too up on my directors to say who should direct, but hey, if anyone wants to, I’m willing J

E.I. And finally what’s next with Jillian Cantor? Can you give your fans a sneak peek about your upcoming book?

Jillian Cantor: My first book for adults will be out on November 2nd from Avon/HarperCollins. It’s called The Transformation of Things and tells the story of a woman who, after her judge-husband is indicted, begins dreaming true things about her friends and family.

E.I. Ms. Cantor, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers all over the world?

Jillian Cantor: Thank you so much for having me! A tip I have is not to give up. There’s a lot of rejection in publishing, but if writing is what you love, keep at it, keep revising, and keep trying to get your work out there.

Photo of Jillian Cantor, "courtesy of the author"
To find out more about Jillian Cantor, please visit her website.
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble.

INTERVIEW: Laurie Notaro - Journalist and a New York Times best-selling author of "The Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure Club"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Thu, 27 May 2010 05:02:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Laurie Notaro. She is a Journalist and a New York Times best-selling author. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from Arizona State University major in Journalism. Ms. Notaro was a columnist for ten years at ‘The Arizona Republic’ which is a conservative newspaper.

Her book, The Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure Club, was a New York Times Best-Seller in 2002. The book is comprised pieces of Ms. Notaro writing from a magazine when she was in college at Arizona State University. It was a small publication called Java and a Planet magazine she started with her friends in 1994.

Originally The ‘Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure Club which is a funny collection of biographical essays was self-published through an independent publishing company. Ms. Notaro tried to get published for seven years but was rejected by countless mainstream publishers before taking her destiny in her own hands by self-publishing it through iUniverse in December of 2000.

Through her marketing efforts and a call from an agent Jenny Bent offered to sell her book and it was sold within three days. It was picked up by Random House which was a six-figure, two-book deal in October 2001.

Ms. Notaro is also the author of Autobiography of a Fat Bride, I Love Everybody, We Thought You’d Be Prettier, and An Idiot Girl’s Christmas.

Her new book “Spooky Little Girl” is about Lucy Fisher, an average happy go lucky, self centered girl, up until she gets back from a vacation and discovers her life turned upside down. Her fiancé leaves her possessions in their lawn, she loses her job, and just when it can't get any worse, ends up being killed when she walks in front of a bus on her way to see her sister.

She later finds herself as a ghost, in “ghost school,” and later haunting the last place she ever wanted to be in. She finds her fiancée dumped her and why nobody attend her funeral? None of her friends know that she is dead. To them she is just missing. The only way to a happy ending now depends on how she does in Ghost School.

"Spooky Little Girl" is now available in bookstores and on line.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell us about Laurie Notaro today -- the woman behind the New York Times bestselling author of The Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure Club.

Laurie Notaro: As a teenager? That was a really, really long time ago. I guess I had started to write a little bit in English and Creative Writing classes, I worked on my high school newspaper, I had a horrible little humor column in there that was dreadful. But it was the beginning of what I do today, I suppose. I was in the melt-away middle social class in high school--I definitely wasn't popular, I was in that in-between that no one really ever notices. I had frizzy hair, braces, and bad skin. What can you do? You have to shed those years, you don't get to skip them. While it wasn't enjoyable to go through, I know that having frizzy hair and braces was a base for my writing perspective today. Once you've been that girl, you really never shed her, even decades later.

Three "Good to Know" facts about my first job...?
1. I worked for free.
2. I worked for free.
3. I worked for free.

I get tons of email from young writers who want to know how they can make money from writing. My first real bylines came about because I was willing to work for nothing and I did it because I needed to establish myself as a writer; I knew I had to pay my dues first. I'm big on paying dues, but that was also the best way to get into the game, or break into the profession. You start small. I didn't write my first piece for Vanity Fair; hardly anyone does that. You start at the bottom of the ladder, and more times than not, that means you do it because you love what you do, and eventually, you hope to get a $15 paycheck. Sometimes people don't appreciate things unless they've seen them from the bottom up. I went to journalism school at Arizona State University, and I worked my butt off. My academic record certainly suffered, but in turn, I got a great education in for the college magazine and interning at other publications around the city. For free.

Who am I today? I still work for free on occasion. I'm still building my readership and maintaining it. Marketing has become a part of any writer's life, and you spend half of your time—if not more—working to get your stuff out there. I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunities that came my way, very lucky, and in many ways, I'm glad that it took me so many years to secure a book deal (it took seven years of round the clock attempts) because I know what it's like to work to get one. The fact that i get to write something and it gets published is very, very dear to me.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing funny memoir and humorous novels entirely that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Laurie Notaro: Honestly, if I can make someone chuckle or laugh when they're having a shitty day, that's all I need. I love doing what I do--once I get into the rhythm of things, it is an absolute ball. Sometimes it takes a while to get there, and I get blocked just like everyone else. But when I'm working on a piece and it's going well and everything is coming together, it's a fantastic feeling. If I can make myself laugh when I'm working, I doubt there's a better job out there at that moment. I doubt very much that there's an art to it. I don't take that kind of thing very seriously. I like telling stories. I like laughter, and if I can get that in tandem, man, that's a gold rush to me.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your novel “Spooky Little Girl.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

Laurie Notaro: The basis of this book came about when I was getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist's office and the dental hygienist, Jody, said I reminded her of her friend, Lucy Fisher, and she went on to tell me that Lucy had been killed in a truck accident, although it took her friends a very long time to find out that she had died. There was something that was very moving about that story--it was sad and tragic, because no one wants to end that way. We all want to be remembered, no one wants to be forgotten. So that was a great jumping off point for me--to take the story of Lucy's death and start the story from there. I loved being able to sort of bring Lucy "back to life," and create a whole world where the living and the dead are mingling together, very often shoulder to shoulder, though only the dead know it. Creating the ghost school--where Lucy learns how to be a spirit and use the skills of a ghost--was also a lot of fun. It isn't often that you get to build a new universe in a plot, so I had a blast figuring things out and determining the parameters of this new space.

E.I. How do you weave so much fun of information while writing and creating the character ‘Lucy Fisher’ and yet you keep them so fast-paced? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story?

Laurie Notaro: While I didn't know Lucy Fisher personally, Jody told me enough about her to use as a base. But certainly, she built herself as the story moves along. She starts out as a flaky, good-time girl who usually gets out of trouble she's created because of luck--and by the book's end, she's someone altogether different, she matures in her own death. There was so much to squeeze into the plot that I didn't have time to take it easy or plod along, plus, I wanted the rhythm of the book to resemble the romantic comedies of the 30's, Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Carole Lombard movies. Screwbally. Funny, nutty, disastrous, then coming together to weave a great ending. I had Martin and Nola planned out far better than I had thought about Lucy. I let Lucy be who she needed to be, I sort of followed her lead. Naunie, too. Naunie was never supposed to be that naughty, but she was on fire toward the end. Crazy old lady.

E.I. You've created a cast of so remarkably captivating and really fun characters: Lucy Fisher, Martin and Nola that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

Laurie Notaro: People accept what's familiar to them; when they recognize something, I think they are more apt to embrace it or find it funny. I know I am certainly that way. I think everyone has known a version of Martin, who's very straight-arrow, no-nonsense, very grounded, and Nola, who is very lonely, desperate, jealous, and biting. I don't spend time telling the reader who these people are--it's more effective to show them through the actions of the character and through the observations of other characters. I learned that from a marvelous mentor and editor I had while working at a city magazine, Dick Vonier--he insisted that you show, not tell. This way, the reader gets to bring their own translation of the character to the page--they ultimately get to decide who this person is, and the way you that is to let them decide. It's not really up to me. I don't want the reader to read the book--I want to put them in the book. I want them to see what I see when I'm writing a scene, to hear what I hear. Every one relates to something different, not one perspective is standard. Show the reader a picture of the character, observe them in their daily life--what they do, how they act, what they say. Maybe it will remind them of their dad, brother, co-worker, let them bring that identity into what you've provided and that will fill out a character for a reader. For instance, my husband told me he knew I had based Martin on him--and honestly, Martin doesn't have any of the characteristics I see in my husband, and is in no way based on him. Martin is not my husband, in my eyes. But my husband did relate to Martin from some angle--enough to see himself in that character, when I think Martin and my husband are sort of polar opposites.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “Spooky Little Girl” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

Laurie Notaro: Oh, boy. I have lots of favorite scenes, but my I think my absolute favorites are two of the most pivotal points in the book. They're not funny. One is the last scene in chapter nineteen, both Lucy and Martin go through tremendous changes in a matter of seconds, both facing the honesty about where they are and what they have done, and both of them in very, very different places. It's a very quiet scene, it's very simple, it happens in only several paragraphs, but at the same time, it's the most complicated aspect of the book. Another, of course, is the very last scene in the whole book, when Lucy meets up again with Bethanny to tie the whole thing together. I was elated when I wrote that last line. I was really, really happy for Lucy.

E.I. If you were allowed total control of the Hollywood version of “Spooky Little Girl” who would be in it? And in your opinion who do you think should direct?

Laurie Notaro: Oh boy, what a fantasy, huh? I would love Danny DeVito to direct it; he directed my all time favorite movie, Death to Smoochy. I have never really thought about pairing the characters up with actors, but Lauren Graham comes to mind as Lucy, Betty White as Naunie, I have no idea for Nola--maybe Kirstie Alley or Kathy Najimy? I can see them both being feisty enough. And for Martin--I actually based the physical part of Martin off of the guy who really did work in the produce department at my Safeway. No idea what his name is.

E.I. How many years of research did you do to a ghost protagonist in your novel? How did you overcome these challenges?

Laurie Notaro: I did do research, but this was an area that I had always been interested in and read a lot about already. I love ghost stories, and I love the idea of the possibility of ghosts. The great thing is that there is no hard, fast science about the afterlife, so I was free to make all of it up. So I did. My Nana had just died when I began working on this book, so when I was building ghost school and The State, I used my idea of where I wanted her to be at that moment. Would it be a place where she could finally play cards with Paul Newman and Frank Sinatra, or where you could eat brownie batter with your finger with no consequences? I wouldn't say I spend years doing research, but I did pull the book together over the course of a year and a half before I started actually writing it (I was working on Flaming Tantrum at the time). I watched every ghost show I could, took lots of notes, and followed the sites of real ghost hunters across the country. I did read several books, but there really aren't that many out there that are not gimmicky and that really focus on the science of what might be out there. Mary Roach's "Spook" was fascinating and helpful. I have also been to an "exorcism" when I was covering a story many years ago about psychics, and I used much of that experience to write the scene in the book that parallels.

E.I. And finally what’s next with Laurie Notaro? Can you give your fans a sneak peek about your upcoming book?

Laurie Notaro: I'm going back to non-fiction for this next book, and then hopefully back to fiction for the one after that. I have a great idea that I would love to explore--and again, it takes place in a whole different sort of reality. I'm very excited about it.

E.I. Ms. Notaro, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers all over the world?

Laurie Notaro: Tenacity. Write because you love it. And success is whatever wyou call it--if you write something you're proud of, that is success. If you get it published in a hometown newspaper, that is success. Set yourself goals and simply do not give up until you reach them.

Photo of Laurie Notaro by Shelley Spray.

To learn more about Laurie Notaro, please visit her website

To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: Ellen Sandler - Emmy-nominated, Co-Executive Producer CBS hit series Everybody Loves Raymond & author of The TV Writer’s Workbook

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:16:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Ellen Sandler. Ms. Sandler’s long and successful career took off in the early 80’s. She is best known for her work in television as Co-Executive Producer and writer on the Emmy-winning hit series Everybody Loves Raymond. In fact she has written for over 25 prime-time network television series, including Taxi, Coach and Kate & Allie. Her writing talent has been showcased by stars like three-time Golden Globe nominated Susan Saint James, and two-time Emmy award-winner, Jane Curtin, the iconic cast member of Saturday Night Live (SNL).

Ms. Sandler’s mastery of the medium can be measured by her success, but not only on screen. Yes, she has managed to stay on top of a ratings driven business that is defined by “the church of what’s happening now” for thirty years proving that her talent is not skin deep. But while meeting the demands of an “A-List” script writer and consultant, she still makes it a point to give back to her industry. She conducts television writing workshops in LA and NYC, and manages to find the time to speak at schools and universities throughout the country.

In the United States Ellen Sandler has created original pilots for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and the Disney Channel. Her international client list for consulting projects includes ABC Australia, CBC Canada, Media Marketing in Dubai, and Singapore Media Corporation. She has also supervised production in Germany and Japan.

Her book, “The TV Writer’s Workbook: A Creative Approach to Television Scripts” is the culmination of a global career spanning three decades. It distills an insider’s view giving clarity to the proven methods. Ellen Sandler’s extraordinary experience provides the nuance that resonates with experienced writers. But her book is a must read for the aspiring novice in search of the building blocks critical to achieving long-term success in the industry.

Her guide offers an authoritative overview of both TV and film writing. It also drills down in several chapters to explore essential core elements. It provides sage advice to new talent, who are working to get traction in the business.

Lessons in the workbook include the art and science of dialogue. Ms Sandler explains the goal of almost every TV script writer, which is to hide exposition through the use of humor. She also discusses ways to punch up dialogue to make it shorter, crisper, and more effective.

Her book provides exercises to strengthen the skills of even the seasoned writer. In much the same way a talented singer practices the scales, a writer can apply techniques to sharpen his pen. Ms. Sandler breaks down TV scripts and gives instruction on how to plot the story so that it will earn notice, while making sure that it is in tune with the ethos of the show. For example, she asks the writer to consider what and who he needs in each scene. She makes the case for continuity reminding the writer that the show is about one central character, and that everything has to flow from that single viewpoint. Ellen Sandler has a gift for rendering artful concept into clear thought.

Ellen Sandler's former students have gone on to write for some of TV’s most popular shows including Sex in the City, Men in Trees, Malcolm in the Middle, Everybody Hates Chris, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Scrubs, CSI: Miami and 24. She is also credited with teaching the cinematographer, who worked as assistant to Titanic & Avatar Director, James Cameron.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like?

Ellen Sandler: I grew up Jewish in Sioux City, Iowa and I was definitely an outsider there, at least I felt like one. We had to drive 100 miles to Omaha (the “big town”) just to get bagels. I felt very different from everybody, including my own family. I was often described by friends as “rambunctious,” but I preferred thinking of myself as rebellious. Looking back I think I was adventurous, but not really rebellious. I think my parents thought I was rebellious because they found me difficult—I wasn’t enough like them. They were sensible and middle of the road; I wanted to go to New York and have a career in the theatre. They couldn’t imagine that as a real goal and so thought of me as out of control and rebellious.

E.I. Give us three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career.

Ellen Sandler: My first writing job was writing an episode of Taxi. If you’ve watched the re-runs you may have seen it—it’s the two-part vignette show when the garage goes out of business and they all get new jobs. I had some experience writing and directing plays, but not TV, and I really didn’t know the difference. But differences there are! And I had to learn them…fast! First of all, the characters’ speeches are a lot shorter in a TV script than in a play. Secondly, the story line, i.e. the story structure, is much more defined. Those are practical differences, but the biggest difference is emotional. When you write for the theatre, you can write whatever you want. You don’t make much money, if any, but you have a certain amount of freedom. When you write for TV you are being paid a lot of money and that means you don’t write what you want, you write what the people who are paying you want. You still have to find a way to bring your fresh and original ideas to the page, but you must do it inside of the box they give you. It’s a demand that requires discipline and a certain amount of ego reduction.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Ellen Sandler: When I am at the computer and it’s going well, I’m excited to discover what’s about to appear on the page. I feel like I’m in the right place; I’m where I belong—it’s a kind of high. When the work is soggy or dead and I don’t know what to do next, I want to find that happy place again. I believe it’s there, and if I can get some words down I’ll find it again – I guess that’s the drive, I really want to make it work. I think that’s the drive to write when I’m not getting paid.

When I am writing on assignment, the money is an incredibly motivating carrot. There is nothing quite like getting paid for something you’ve written. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good—in fact, I often like the things I’ve written without pay for the theatre better than much of what I’ve done under a lucrative TV contract. But still, completing a job, fulfilling an assignment, contributing something that somebody else wanted enough to pay for it – that’s a pretty good feeling. And, let’s be very honest, the money comes in handy! TV scripts bought my house, put my kids through college, and this year’s residuals are paying for my daughter’s wedding right now.

E.I. Now, let’s talk about how does someone get to become writing staff on a TV series or show?

Ellen Sandler: Every writer finds his or her own path to the writer’s room – there is truly no “standard way.” However, the one element that everyone who writes on staff of a TV show has in common is that they have written something that someone unrelated to them thinks is great. What I mean by that is it’s been produced or published somewhere– like plays, comedy sketches, magazine articles or short stories. Or they may have won a respected writing contest or been accepted into an intern program as a result of an outstanding spec script—they’ve gotten some kind of recognition somewhere as to their ability to write.

In my case, I had plays produced in little theatres off off Broadway. One in particular was produced by a small theatre company in Los Angeles as part of a short play festival. It was a one act romantic comedy. Jim Brooks, (at the time, he was Executive Producer of Taxi), came to see it and that’s when he hired me to write the episode of Taxi that started my TV career. I tell the whole story how it happened in the form of a mini screenplay which serves as the introduction to my book, The TV Writer’s Workbook.

E.I. So few shows are chosen from many seemingly promising pilots. So many seem to have been potential, but what really makes a winner?

Ellen Sandler: In my opinion, the most important aspect of a series, either comedy or drama, is the emotional relationships between the ensemble of regular characters. For a series to work those characters must genuinely need something from each other and they must be continually affected by each other’s actions. The more impact a supporting character has on the central character’s life the stronger the show will be.

The best shows always have a strong interconnectedness among the significant characters. Everybody Loves Raymond had it; so did The Sopranos, The Wire, Frasier, Seinfeld and Friends; so do 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Damages and Modern Family. Every hit show has it. And conversely, most of the shows that fail are weakest in this area. They may have some funny colorful supporting characters but they are not connected strongly enough to each other to build a “family” and a world we, the audience, want to be a part of week after week.

E.I. On a show that has an ongoing storyline spanning the entire season, do writers work from a story arc outline? What about a show that has a stand-alone episode format?

Ellen Sandler: Every show on television works from outlines. You cannot proceed to script until your outline is approved by the showrunner, as well as by the studio and network executives. Whether the entire season has an overall arc is determined by the style of the show and the working style of the showrunner.

With the cancellation of Ugly Betty, Lost, Heroes and 24, serialized shows seem to be a dying breed with the networks. The current trend is to use an over arching story theme that is serialized as a “B” story in each episode, while the main story (the “A” story) of the episode is a traditional stand alone one that is self contained. A perfect example of this format is The Good Wife. Each week something new happens in the continuing story of her husband’s legal troubles and the effect on her family, but the main body of the show is the legal case she works on. That case is completed within the episode and the next week there’s an entirely new case.

E.I. Ms. Sandler, please tell your readers about your book, “The TV Writer’s Workbook: A Creative Approach to Television Scripts.” What topics for the aspiring television writer are unique to your book?

Ellen Sandler: Most people know a good script when they see it; the real mystery is how the writer did it. In The TV Writer’s Workbook I show you how. I analyze the actual writing process from beginning to end and lead you step by step through it.

I have a favorite exercise that uses the 7 Deadly Sins to tap into your passions and find stories that are personally meaningful to you. I give a detailed breakdown of story structure and specific tactics for turning your ideas into great stories—it’s all based on my own work experience. I have a whole chapter on a practical approach to researching a show before you write it. It’s exactly the procedure I use to prepare myself for any show or project I’m hired to write. There’s a section on how to take a meeting and examples of how NOT to write a inquiry letter. And, of course, there are a lot of anecdotes about my personal highs and lows on the various shows I have written.

E.I. How can other writers working in other venues learn from television writers, when it comes to dialogue? Would you say the dialog is the most important component when writing for television?

Ellen Sandler: The dialogue is important, sure, and if you have fresh, funny and surprising lines for the actors to say, it definitely raises your script above average. But TV shows are first and foremost about story. Without a good story even the most sparkling dialogue wilts quickly. Story is action: a character with a clear motive in pursuit of a tangible goal, who makes choices and suffers the consequences of those choices until he comes to some kind of a resolve; that’s story.

Jokes are dialogue, and in TV comedy we certainly need to have great jokes throughout, but even the shallowest silly sitcom needs to have a story to hang those jokes on. If the story line and the character motivations are not believable—meaning that they are emotionally real and compelling, the jokes will quickly fall flat and the sound you hear will not be laughter, but the click of the remote.

E.I. What advice would you give to a writer who is pitching a pilot idea to major network? What is the process?

Ellen Sandler: Totally depends on your level of experience. Established writers –ie.writers who have been working on existing shows—will have the opportunity to pitch a pilot idea to a network and get a deal to develop that idea into a script solely based on a pitch.

A young or new (to Hollywood) writer will most likely need to write their pilot on spec for agents, producers and network executives to read before deciding whether or not they are interested in hiring that writer or putting the show on the air.

It used to be impossible to get people in Hollywood to read a spec pilot, but now that’s what everybody wants to read. Variety recently reported that the networks are buying more and more spec pilots rather than incurring the enormously wasteful practice of developing hundreds of scripts which for one reason or another, they never put on the air. This is good news for those who are anxious to break in. When networks are buying, agents are looking.

The best advice I can give on how to create an original spec pilot comes in the form of a day long seminar that I teach every few months in Los Angeles and which I will soon be offering on-line for those writers who live outside of Southern California. Schedules for those seminars and other events will be found on my website http://www.sandlerink.com.

E.I. Few writers have been able to stay on top through the tumultuous times of mainstream television and film. You saw the evolution from Miami Vice to CSI Miami in TV, and from Indiana Jones to Avatar in film. How did you survive and thrive?

Ellen Sandler: Survive and thrive comes from doing the work. Everyday. Lots of writing. Lots of reading of other writers—those much better than you and those maybe not as good as you. You learn from both. Talent plays a part, but craft and discipline are more important. Talent wastes away without craft—you’ve got to learn and practice the skills of the medium. However, craft without discipline will not keep you in the game—you’ve got to write and re-write and re-write again, whether you feel like it or not, whether you are inspired or not. And you’ve got to do it on a regular basis.

E.I. How would you characterize the film & TV industry trends in the 80s… 90s… 00s? Where do you see the medium going in the 2010s?

Ellen Sandler: It’s prudent to be aware of what’s going on in the business, but I think that if you let current trends play too big a part in what you choose to write you will usually find yourself behind the curve. By the time your script is ready the trend is probably waning. And more importantly, you will short circuit the development of your original voice, which is the thing that makes people interested in you as a writer. If you write stories you’re passionate about, while at the same time you respect the general commercial requirements of the television medium; then it’s very possible that someone will like your writing and your voice enough to pay you to write something completely different in their voice.

E.I. Ms Sandler, you have enjoyed a long and successful career as a writer, consultant and educator. In what seems like a flawless path to self-actualization, were there any major mid-course corrections, missteps or judgments you made -- or didn’t make -- that had an impact on where you are today? What is one thing you would change if you can do it all over again?

Ellen Sandler: I have made many mistakes. I’ve been fired, I’ve split with partners, and I’ve been heartbroken when projects were canceled for ridiculous reasons. I’ve worked on good shows with bad people, I’ve worked on bad shows with terrific people, and I’ve learned from all of them. I consider my missteps and my disappointments as much a part of my “success” as the exciting, happy times. Yes, going to the Emmys in a limo (okay, it wasn’t a limo, it was a town car), was fun, but I’ve also had my scripts ripped to pieces by my boss and that was not fun, I assure you. I learned a lot more from that, though. A rewarding and long career is about all of it – learning, growing, evolving, rolling with the punches and facing another challenge every day. In that sense, I don’t think about what I would change if I could do it over, I think about what I can change to do it again.

To learn more about Ellen Sandler, please visit her website

Photo of Ellen Sandler by Christiane Covington

To purchase her book, please visit AMAZON, Barnes and Noble,
The Writers Store and The Drama Book Shop, Inc.

LYNN REDGRAVE - AUTHOR, ACTRESS & PLAYWRIGHT: “FAREWELL GEORGY GIRL” March 8, 1943 – May 2, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Mon, 10 May 2010 06:12:00 +0000

Lynn Redgrave was a two time Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning English actress, playwright born March 8th 1934 in Marylebone, London, England. Marylebone is an affluent, inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster.

She was born into one of the British great acting dynasties. Her parents were critically acclaimed actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson.

Her brother was the late English actor and political activist Corin Redgrave. Her sister is the Academy Award-winning English stage actress, screen and television, as well as a political activist Vanessa Redgrave. She is the aunt of the Joely Richardson and the late Tony Award-winning actress, Natasha Richardson.

Lynn Redgrave had been chosen in the 2002 Queen’s New Years Honors List for her services to drama, to be an officer of the Order of the British Empire. OBE is one of the highest honors a civilian in Great Britain can obtain, short of being knighted.

On March 19, 2002, she was accompanied by her three children, to Buckingham Palace for the ceremony of investiture, where Queen Elizabeth presented her the medal.

Lady Redgrave was trained in London's Central School and made her professional debut in a 1962 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Royal Court Theatre.

She was invited to join The National Theatre for its inaugural season at the Old Vic, working with such directors as Laurence Olivier, Franco Zeffirelli and Noel Coward in roles such as Rose in The Recruiting Officer, Barblin in Andorra, Jackie in Hay Fever, Kattrin in Mother Courage, Miss Prue in Love for Love, and Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing, which kept her very busy. During that time, she appeared in films such as Tom Jones, Girl With Green Eyes and The Deadly Affair.

In 1966 at the age of 23, she appeared in the title role in Georgy Girl, which earned her the New York Film Critics Award, the Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

It wasn’t the theater that brought Lady Redgrave fame. It was the film ‘Georgy Girl,” that made her famous. She was billed as ‘the wildest thing to hit the world since the miniskirts’. She had to put on 14 pounds to play the title role: a previous generation’s Bridget Jones in the 60’s.

The film is about a free spirit, ugly duckling pudgy young Londoner surrounded by somewhat pathetic, bizarre characters. Her roommate Maredith treats her carelessly and can’t conceal a soul of a witch, but Georgy basks in her glamour.

Jos, a loveable, overgrown child; who is sometime Maredith’s boyfriend, who beds her beauty but seems to prefer Georgy’s company. In the movie, her father is a servant to a married middle-aged rich lonely employer who wants Georgy as his mistress. The movie "Georgy Girl" is a fascinating film, with terrific performances and vivid sense of London in the sixties.

On April 2, 1967, Lynn Redgrave lives have changed. She married British actor and director John Clark. They had three children, Benjamin born 1968, actress Pema on All My Children, born 1970, and Annabel Lucy Clark, born 1981, an author and professional photographer in Manhattan.

In 1967, she made her Broadway debut, and performed in several stage productions in New York while making frequent returns to London's West End.

Lynn Redgrave received Oscar nominations for her 1966 star-making turn in "Georgy Girl." She was also awarded the 1976 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Guest Artist for her performance in the play, "Misalliance" at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

She received Tony nominations for "Mrs. Warren's Profession," "The Constant Wife," and "Shakespeare for My Father" in 1993, for her performance in her one-woman show about her relationship with her father, Michael Redgrave.

She became well known in the United States after appearing in the 1979 -1982 CBS television series House Calls, for which she received an Emmy nomination.

She performed with her sister Vanessa in Three Sisters in London, and in the title role in a television production of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? in 1991. She made a return to films in the late 1990s in films such as Shine in 1996 and Gods and Monsters in 1998, for which she received another Academy Award nomination.

She played "Final Interview Subject" in Kinsey 2004 as well as "The Queen" In 2004, she also won the Barrymore Award honoring Philadelphia Theater for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play for "Collected Stories." In 2005, she was nominated for the Tony Award in New York City for Actress in a Drama for "The Constant Wife". She also played “Queen Elizabeth I” in The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama in Summer of 2006 in Manteo, NC.

In recent years, she made appearances in the TV shows Ugly Betty, Law & Order and Desperate Housewives.

After her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, she wrote "Journal: A Mother and Daughter's Recovery from Breast Cancer" with her daughter, Annabel Clark, and Barron Lerner.

Lady Redgrave, was divorced from actor-director John Clark in December 2000. She is survived by her sister, her children and six grandchildren.

AUTHOR OF THE WEEK: Jeff Lindsay - Responsible for penning the Emmy & Golden Globe Award-winning most watch bone-chilling TV series Dexter.

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:31:00 +0000

Jeff Lindsay is actually the nom de plume of Jeffry P. Freundlich, born in July 14, 1952. He graduated from Middlebury College, Vermont, in 1975. He is a playwright and crime novelist. He is responsible for penning the bone-chilling novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, which later spawned the simply-titled, gruesome television series, Dexter.

Mr. Lindsay has already released three spin-off books, Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dexter in The Dark and Dexter by Design, to complement the first installment of this dark and murderous tale. As well as the Dexter books, Jeff Lindsay is also the author of two non-fiction books; Hunting With Hemingway, which he wrote with his wife, and Tropical Depression. Some of his plays have been performed on stage in New York and London.

The series Dexter is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning television drama series that airs on Showtime. The show is set in Miami, it was adapted for television by Emmy Award-winning screenwriter James Manos, Jr., who wrote the pilot episode. Dexter is the most-watched original series episode ever on Showtime. It broke records for all of Showtime's original series and it was their highest rated telecast in over a decade.

The series blends drama, horror and black comedy as it follows the day-to-day events in the life of Dexter Morgan a corrupt forensic expert blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, who also happens to be a serial killer.

Dexter was taught by his adoptive father, Harry, only to kill those "who deserve it"; mainly, other killers who have managed to cheat or escaped the legal system or were never suspected in the first place. The series shows him balancing an everyday life with his secret identity, all while keeping up a facade of normalcy to quench his demanding thirst for blood.

The first time you see the Dexter’s opening title sequence which features an extended montage where ordinary day-to-day events such as shaving, flossing, dressing, preparing breakfast and eating are used visually to evoke Dexter's sinister nature, it tells you everything you need to know about the character.

Jeff Lindsay, is also a broadcaster, musician lives in Cape Coral, Florida with his family. His wife Hilary Hemingway is the niece of the late Nobel Price-winning author, Ernest Hemingway.

Jeff Lindsay's photo by Hilary Hemingway

To purchase his books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: Catherine Fisher - New York Times Bestseller And Award-Winning Welsh Children’s Fantasy Author of “Incarceron”

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:25:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Catherine Fisher. She was born in Newport Wales and graduated from the University of Wales in 1980. She has worked in teaching archaeology, lecturing creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. She writes full–time specializing in myth and history.

She began her career writing poetry. Her poetry has appeared in leading magazines, newspapers, anthologies, and she has published numerous award-winning novels.
Catherine Fisher is well known for her fantasy novels for children such as The Snow-Walker and Oracle trilogies, and her award-winning poetry collections since the late 1980s.

She won the 'Welsh Arts Council Young Writers' Prize for her volume of poetry Immrama in 1989 and the Cardiff International Poetry Competition. Another award in 1990 to her initial novel, “The Conjuror’s Game”, and was shortlisted for the Smartties Book Prize. Her novel, “The Snow-Walker’s Son” made the shortlist for WH Smith Award in 1993.

In 1995 Ms. Fisher won another award Tir na n'Og Prize for "The Candleman” and was shortlisted for the “Whitebread Children’s” Book Award for the Oracle in 2003. She was involved with BBC Wales History project “Celtic Myths” and wrote the story of “Becoming Merlin” in autumn of 2009.

Her latest novel “Incarceron” is about the two main characters, Finn and Claudia, who are both searching for a means of escape, are very different characters in two parts of a stagnated future world.

She, the Warden's pampered daughter, is trapped in her own form of prison which is a futuristic world constructed to look like a past era. She is about to be married off to a playboy prince for her father's benefit.

He, a young prisoner is an amnesiac boy in the Scum gang, plagued by seizures that give him prophetic visions of an earlier life.

“Incarceron” is a futuristic prison, sealed from view with a mix of high technology. It is everything a fantasy novel should be: exciting, scary, thought-provoking, and imaginative. It's poetically written by Ms. Fisher, well characterized and beautifully paced.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell us about Catherine Fisher today -- the woman behind the bestselling author of more than fourteen fantasy novels.

Catherine Fisher: I was the sort of teenager who is always reading or out walking in the courtyard. I had a feeling I would be a writer but didn’t really know, so I studied English. I had a selection of jobs after college, including working on an archeological dig and as a lab technician. But I was always writing poems and stories and gradually I began to try and get them published.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing fantasy novels for young adults and children that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Catherine Fisher: My favourite writers were often experts at fantasy. I loved Alan Garner’s novels, especially The Owl Service which is based on Welsh myth, and also Tolkien and Ursula Le Guin, and my fellow countryman Arthur Machen, a genius of terror. So when I began to write, magic and strange things came into the books at once. I feel this genre gives me far more scope to explore people and nature and indeed the supernatural than any other.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your novel “Incarceron.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

Catherine Fisher: INCARCERON was sparked by several things - an exhibition of prints by Piranesi called Imaginary Prisons, showing huge and strange buildings where the prisoners were tiny and remote. Also a conversation with someone, and literary sources like Ghormenghast and others. All these things came together and started the book. My favourite aspects were creating the two different worlds - one sunny, open, luxurious, the other dark, enclosed, savage- and the relationships between characters, like Claudia and her father, or Finn and Keiro.

E.I. How do you weave so much suspense and elements of information while writing and creating the characters Claudia and Finn and yet you keep them so fast-paced? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story?

Catherine Fisher: Not much is worked out in advance. I tend to work things out as I go, and then I can’t give information away by accident. The only thing I really knew from the very start was the dimensions and whereabouts of the Prison- if you’ve read the book you know what I mean. Everything else evolved. I try to keep the action fast and drop information in discreetly. The chapter heading quotes area great help with this.

E.I. You've created a cast of characters: Giles, Earl Casper, Sapient Gilda, Attia and Keiro so remarkably captivating that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

Catherine Fisher: I wanted a disparate group of characters, so that people will be able to identify with at least one. I became interested in several of the characters: Jared in particular grew in importance as the story went on. The Warden was fascinating to write, and Keiro was great fun, as he’s fairly uncomplicated. Finn is a troubled character and he was interesting, as was Claudia. I also had fun with the secondary characters like Gildas and Rix, who you’ll meet in SAPPHIQUE.

E.I. If you were asked to read a chapter from “Incarceron.” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

Catherine Fisher: I often have to read from INCARCERON at schools and so on. I usually choose the part where Claudia breaks into her father’s study. But I think my favourite chapter is 29.

E.I. If you were allowed total control of the Hollywood version of “Incarceron” who would be in it? And in your opinion who do you think should direct?

Catherine Fisher: I don’t know much about Hollywood actors so I don’t have a clue. There’s a British actor called “Charles Dance” who would do the Warden very well.

E.I. Ms. Fisher, how many years of research did you do pertaining to create a 17th century manor house and include a totally different world run by computers? How did you overcome these challenges?

Catherine Fisher: I don’t do research really. I just read a lot- history, archeology- and I invent. These are invented worlds and don’t have to be perfectly correct. And I went to school in a 17th century manor house so I know what that’s like.

E.I. And, finally, could you give us a sneak peek about your upcoming book, “Sapphique? What was it that sparked your imagination about this new novel?

Catherine Fisher: SAPPHIQUE leads directly on from INCARCERON. Finn is finding life at Court difficult, he’s worried about Keiro and Claudia is afraid for her father. In the Prison, Keiro and Attia find a magic glove said once to belong to Sapphique- Keiro thinks it will get him out. But the Prison has its own plan. And then the real Giles turns up.....

E.I. Ms. Fisher, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers all over the world?

Catherine Fisher:
My writing tips are simple:
Read
Write about what you like.
Believe in yourself
Read your work aloud
Keep things moving
Get inside every character

To learn more about Catherine Fisher, please visit her website
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Nobles

STEPHEN KING & “50 Famous Author Interviews That Shouldn’t Be Missed.”

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:57:00 +0000

What do we know about the author who is both acclaimed and dismissed by his critics? He has managed to amass one of the most loyal followings of any living contemporary writer across all genres.

I’m talking about the one and only ‘Stephen King,’ the famous author of contemporary horror, suspense and fantasy fiction novels. As famous as he is, Mr. King is a very low key individual and humble person in spite of his popularity.

A lot of articles have been written about Stephen King. Everyone knew of Mr. King’s novels and stories that have been adapted for films and TV. He has also written other books using other pen name such as Richard Bachman and John Swithen. He has been awarded the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters so, there’s no point of me doing anymore introduction about him.

In my view, and that of many others who admire Mr. King’s accomplishments, his success is a reflection of a man who has achieved mastery. To his credit, he seems to have done so with unassuming humility. Suffice it to say of Mr. King that character is sometimes measured best by what we choose not to say.

I lived until recently within a mile of Mr. King on the island thought to be the inspiration for his novel, ‘Duma Key’. The author would frequently walk by my home usually engrossed in thought with either a book or notepad in hand. He became somewhat of a fixture along the route… always quick to extend a friendly glance in mutual recognition the way neighbors do on a small island.

That said, he could have had a reputation for being aloof. If you were to ask a regular at the local fish house restaurant to point him out, he might admit that “he knew someone he thought looked like him.” With a smile he might go on to say that when he once asked the man if he was the author Stephen King after which the man looked up from his book replying only… “I get that a lot!”

I’m posting this announcement due to an email I received few weeks ago from Katina Solomon of “Online College Dot Org”. Ms. Solomon would like me to share the article that was posted on their college blog pertaining to “50 Famous Author Interviews That Shouldn’t Be Missed.”

Mr. King is one of the famous authors in the interview. I hope you find the interview with Stephen King as engaging as I do. Please check the link below and share it with others!

50 Famous Author Interview That Shouldn't Be Missed Click this link. If it doesn’t work, you can read the Online College Dot Org articles below:

ORIGINAL ARTICLES:
If you're interested in what makes authors tick, you'll love reading what they have to say in interviews. You can learn about how they got started writing, what they enjoy about books, and more. Here you'll find 50 interviews with famous authors that you just can't miss.

Bestsellers

Get a look into authors with celebrity status in these interviews.
1. Dan Brown: This interview with Dan Brown focuses on The Da Vinci Code.
2. JK Rowling: In this interview, JK Rowling sits down with Katie Couric to discuss saying goodbye to the Harry Potter saga.
3. John Grisham: You'll find 10 questions for John Grisham in this interview.
4. Stephen King: This Stephen King interview takes a look at Lisey's Story.
5. Mitch Albom: In this interview, Mitch Albom discusses his uncle Edward Beitchman.

Non Fiction

Cookbooks, social commentary, and more are discussed in these interviews.
6. Julie Powell: Check out this interview from Julie Powell, author of Julie and Julia.
7. Raj Patel: Raj Patel's interview discusses accurately viewing the world.
8. Eric Schlosser: Eric Schlosser is interviewed about the fast food industry here.
9. Lauren Weisberger: Lauren Weisberger covers her experience writing The Devil Wears Prada.
10. Anthony Bourdain: See what it's like to travel around the world for food in Anthony Bourdain's interview about A Cook's Tour.
11. Annie Leibovitz at Work: Annie Leibovitz takes you behind her work in this interview.

Novelists

These interviews cover romance, mystery, and beyond.
12. Kevin Sampsell: Kevin Sampsell's interview is about a big fish in a small-press pond.
13. James Frey: This interview rings in James Frey's return to the spotlight.
14. Fern Michaels: Fern Michaels claims she's a scribbler in this journal.
15. John Irving: John Irving's lecture looks into the author's list of recommended books.
16. Laurie Notaro: Check out Laurie Notaro's interview about her rise from humor columnist to novelist.
17. Orson Scott Card: Orson Scott Card's interview discusses Lost Boys and beyond.
18. Clive Barker: This interview discusses Clive Barker's return to writing with Galilee.
19. Nora Roberts: Nora Roberts covers her start as a romance novelist in this interview.
20. Jodi Picoult: Learn about the household name Jodi Picoult in this interview.
21. Jackie Collins: You'll learn about Jackie Collins' examination of sex, drugs, and Hollywood in this interview.
22. Amy Tan: Amy Tan's interview focuses on the spirit within.
23. Philippa Gregory: Philippa Gregory's interview crowns her the queen of historical fiction.
24. Hallie Ephron: Hallie Ephron's interview discusses finally giving in to becoming a famous writer.
25. Audrey Niffenegger: Audrey Niffenegger's interview discusses art, writing, and more.
26. Eoin Colfer: Sci-Fi author Eoin Colfer discusses Artemis Fowl, Hitchhiker's Guide, and more.
27. Neil Gaiman: Graphic novelist and writer Neil Gaiman discusses his diverse repertoire.
28. Janet Evanovich: Janet Evanovich opens up about Stephanie Plum and more in this interview.
29. Mark Haddon: Check out this interview about the literary debut of Mark Haddon.
30. Sue Grafton: Sue Grafton's interview covers a long career of successful mysteries.
31. Chelsea Cain: Learn about Chelsea Cain's infectious laugh and more in this interview.
32. Chuck Palahniuk: This author interview with Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, explains how he never pulls punches.
33. Eric Klinenberg: This interview with author Eric Klinenberg takes you into July of 1995 in the city of Chicago.
34. Malcolm Gladwell: Find a few thin slices of Malcolm Gladwell in this interview.
35. Mary Higgins Clark: Mary Higgins Clark discusses her Irish heritage's influence on her writing.
36. Isabel Allende: You'll learn about Chilean author Isabel Allende in this interview.
37. Jung Chang: Check out this interview about Jung Chang, the Chinese author.

Children's Books

Get a look into children's authors through these interviews.
38. Laurie Halse-Anderson: Check out this lecture from the author of Chains, Fight For Life, and more.
39. Joanna Cole: Joanna Cole's interview shares a look into the creator of Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus.
40. John J. Muth: John J. Muth opens up about Stone Soup, Zen Shorts, and more.
41. Katherine Paterson: Watch this interview to learn about Newbery Medal award winning author Katherine Paterson.
42. Judy Blume: In this video interview, you'll learn about the classic children's book author, Judy Blume.
43. Tomie de Paola: This interview from Tomie de Paola covers a reflection on his career and encouragement of young readers.
44. Eric Carle: This interview shows you how Eric Carle goes beyond The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
45. Kate DiCamillo: Check out this interview from super-successful children's book author Kate DiCamillo.
46. Norman Bridwell: This interview offers a look into Norman Bridwell, author of Clifford the Big Red Dog.
47. Jon Scieszka: John Scieszka's interview is about his weird style and concern about boys and reading.
48. Beverly Cleary: In this interview, Beverly Cleary talks about teddy bears, the pleasures of writing, and beyond.
49. R.L. Stine: This interview covers young adult horror author RL Stine's life and career.
50. Chris Van Allsburg: Watch Chris Van Allsburg for insight into the author of The Polar Express and Jumanji.

Did you enjoy this article?

UPCOMING INTERVIEW: Lauren Myracle - New York Times bestselling author of Internet Girls trilogy—ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:11:00 +0000

Lauren Myracle is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program writing for children and young adults. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Internet Girls trilogy—ttyl, ttfn (Ta-Ta for Now), and l8r, g8r (Later Gator) which was the first novel ever to be written entirely in instant messages.

For computer-savvy YA readers, the title TTLY focuses on instant messaging; "TTYL" is e-mail shorthand for "Talk to you later." In the novel tenth graders Angela, Zoe, and Maddie keep up with one another's adolescent ups and downs via IM's, and the novel is composed entirely of keyboarding dialogue, complete with typesetting characters such as smiley faces and other e-mail shorthand.

Ms. Myracle has written many novels: horror novels Bliss and Rhymes with Witches, and the coming-of-age trilogy, Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen.

Ms. Myracle considers writing for young people to be her life’s work, and with over a million copies of her books in print, she feels amazingly lucky to be able to reach such a large audience. Her realistic portrayal of the issues middle school and high school students deal with, however, brings Lauren negative attention as well as positive.

Her first novel, Kissing Kate, was selected an ALA Best Books for Young Adults for the year 2004. It was named by Booklist as one of the "Top Ten Youth Romances" of the year, as well as one of the "Top Ten Books by New Writers". Her middle-grade novel, Eleven, came out 2004, along with Twelve, which came out in 2007. Myracle published The Fashion Disaster that Changed My Life in 2005. Thirteen was released in March 2008.

Her novel Rhymes with Witches, was nominated for Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. Bliss, which came out in 2008, is its prequel.

Ms Myracle has a book written entitled How to Be Bad with author E. Lockhart and Sarah Mlynowski. She also teamed up with four other favorite teen authors Stephanie Myers “Twilight”, Meg Cabot “Princess Diaries”, Kim Harrison & Michelle Jaffe) produce a book “Prom Nights From Hell” which is about proms gone supernaturally, horribly wrong. While regular girls are so concerned about shoes matching with their purse, the girls in these stories are worried about crossbows and vampires, zombie dates who've been dead for weeks, and a devil in a red dress who causes chaos by snapping high heels and breaking up couples.

Her latest novel ‘Luv Ya Bunches’ book one is about four elementary school girls who have little in common, but bond over the fact that they’re all named after flowers. Luv Ya Bunches is the first installment of a four-book series is now available in bookstores and one line. ‘Luv Ya Bunches: Violet in Bloom’ book two in the series will be out later this year.

Lauren Myracle was born on May 15, 1969 in Brevard, North Carolina, and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her BA in English and Psychology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked for some time as a middle-school teacher in the US and Japan. She later earned an MA in English from Colorado State University and a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in writing for children and young adults.

She currently resides in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her husband and their children. Most of Ms. Myracle's novels take place in Atlanta, Georgia.

To learn more about Lauren Myracle, please visit her website

To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

UPCOMING INTERVIEW: Cassandra Clare, Award-Winning Author of Mortal Instruments: A YA fantasy trilogy

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:49:00 +0000

Cassandra Clare is actually the nom de plume of Cassandra Claire, born in Teheran, Iran. She wrote the hugely successful Award-Winning YA trilogy books that has been optioned for film.

Her parents are American and they have travelled all over the world with her when she was a toddler from Himalaya through Europe.

Ms. Clare, spent her high school years in Los Angeles. She moved to New York after college where she worked at different entertainment magazines and tabloids.

Her first novel, City of Bones, was a New York Times best seller. The latest series “Shadowhunter,” is Ms. Clare’s first of a trilogy of prequels to “Mortal Instruments” series, “The Infernal Devices.”

The first volume in her Mortal Instruments is “The Clockwork Angel,” which will be available in every bookstore and on line September 7th, 2010. Her fourth Mortal Instruments book, “City of Fallen Angels,” will be available next year March 11th , 2011

Photo of Cassandra Clare (B/W) by D. Williford

To learn more about Cassandra Clare, please visit her website
to purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Nobles

INTERVIEW: Mette Ivie Harrison - Award-Winning Author Of The Young Adult Fantasy Novels

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Mette Ivie Harrison. She was born in Summit, New Jersey. Her father, a retired computer professor at Brigham Young University. Her mother Betty Jo Ivie, have 11 children.

Ms. Harrison holds an M.A. in German Literature from Brigham Young University, and a B.A. in German. She also attended Princeton University and has a PhD in Germanic Languages and Literatures

AWARDS & HONORS
The Monster In Me—One of Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books, 2002
The Princess and the Hound—Top 100 Librarians' Choices (Texas Women's University), 2007
The Princess and the Hound—Honorable Mention, Best YA Novel of the Year (Association of Mormon Letters), 2007
The Princess and the Hound—Nominated for ALA's Best Books for Young Adults, 2007

Mira, Mirror—Spirit 0f 76 Recommended Book List, 2004
Mira, Mirror—Honorable Mention for Juvenile Books (Association of Mormon Letters), 2004
Mira, Mirror—Utah Center for the Book Letters for Literature Level II Winner, 2004

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell us about Mette Ivie Harrison today -- the woman behind the Middle-grade bestselling YA author.

Mette Ivie Harrison: I went to Germany for a year my sophomore year as high school. My mother used to tell people that was the year I "grew up." I was certainly allowed a level of independence that many other teens my age never experienced. I took a train to the ferry across the English Channel and then a bus to London for two weeks and wandered through the National Museum and wherever else I wanted to go. I also spent a week with my German school friends at a ski lodge taking lessons from an advanced ski instructor. I think I nearly killed myself, but I was a different person when I came home. I was more confident, and I had seen a lot of the world that others were still reading about in books about famous art and literature of the ancient Western world. But I was also very much a square peg in a round hole. I had a small group of very bright friends, and one of those was my current husband. I had always known I wanted to be a writer, since I was in Kindergarten, and I swerved away from that for a time, but not very far. Books have always been a part of my life. I read them while I walked to school, at school whenever I could, and I used to read myself hoarse reading to my children.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing young adult novels that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Mette Ivie Harrison: I do like to have some kind of formal challenge when working on a novel. For MIRA, MIRROR, I wanted to write an entire novel from the viewpoint of an inanimate object. I have another book in which each chapter is written from the first person viewpoint of a different character, and yet all the stories work together to tell a whole novel.

I am working on a new project that takes the old German legend Tristan and Isolde and translates it into modern high school. I wrote a romance with a bear and a hound as the two main characters. And I like to play with conventions about romance and fantasy and turn them on their heads.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your novel *“The Princess and the Bear.”* What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

Mette Ivie Harrison: I love that the "princess" in the book is not at all princessly. I hope that I make readers feel like they know what it would be like to be a hound or a bear. I also hope that the magic feels real and integral to the world. I think that fantasy demands just as much realism with characters as realistic fiction does.

E.I. What were your biggest challenge and obstacle while writing and creating the character King Richon and Chala? You've created a cast of characters so remarkably captivating that your readers definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

Mette Ivie Harrison: The tricky part was making the two characters feel human, and yet not at all human. The reader has to care about them, so I can't stretch too far away from the bounds of a traditional novel, but I press the boundaries. I think that dialog has always been the easiest part of writing to me. Rather than seeing a novel visually, I tend to hear it in my head, mostly in conversations between the characters. I am blessed with family and friends who love conversation. We sometimes have to raise our hands to get a word in edgewise when we are debating hotly.

My creative process is very messy. I keep trying to shape it up. We'll see if it works. But I try to get a first draft down in a rush. I wrote BEAR in a month, about 10,000 words a day (only a tenth of which probably stayed in the final draft). It was rough, but it was a beginning point. Then I work through layer by layer, adding details, shaving away the extraneous, and twisting the cliched.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

Mette Ivie Harrison: I have notebooks in which I scrawl a variety of comments. I doubt they would make much sense to anyone but me. Sometimes plot questions, character issues, things that are inconsistent that I have to get right, questions about rules of magic, and then story ideas for the next book, and the one after that. Very rarely, I outline before I write. More often, I outline afterward and try to see the structure that needs to be in the broken one that I already have. If I had advice for writers, it would be to let go of what you wrote before because what you write the second time will be much better. I once lost my entire master's thesis on my computer. I had to rewrite it out of my head. It was one of the best things that happened to me. So now I have to force myself to do that a lot, and cut out a hundred pages here and there without blinking an eye.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from *“The Princess and the
Bear.”* is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

Mette Ivie Harrison: I love the first page. I think I got the feelings of the bear there exactly right. If I had to choose another section, it would probably be the rising of the animal army out of the forest.

E.I. When you finish a novel, it's off to your agent and publisher, then you're on to the next. Do you find letting your manuscripts, especially your characters, as easy to part with when finished?

Mette Ivie Harrison: On the one hand, I am eager to start a new project. But whenever I have a chance to take another pass at a manuscript, in galleys or any other stage, I do. I have been known to add scenes even at the very last moment because I want to get the manuscript exactly right.

E.I. Ms. Harrison, you are well known in the writing community as
Award-winning author, recipient of the Best Children’s book of 2007, Nominated for ALA's Best Books for Young Adults. Having a PhD in Germanic Languages and Literatures. Do you ever feel pressure or insecure, or are you able to separate all that from your own creative
process?

Mette Ivie Harrison: I feel pressure and insecurity constantly. I think I am my own worst critic. But I will say that I write easily. I don't let myself off the hook just because I am afraid, and once I get started, I just remind myself that I am just trying to tell the story as clearly as possible. I try not to get in the way of my creativity. That is the biggest problem I see. People are so afraid of writing badly that they never start. And if you don't start with something, you are never going to get better.

E.I. And, finally, could you give us a sneak peek about your upcoming book, *“The Princess and the Snowbird?* What was it that sparked your imagination about this book?

Mette Ivie Harrison: I conceived of SNOWBIRD and BEAR in the same moment, as I was going through the galleys for THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND and realized that the story of the hound and the bear was woefully incomplete and the only way to fix it was to write two more novels about them. I thought of these books first as THE BEAR AND THE HOUND and THE HOUND'S DAUGHTER and think of the series as THE HOUND SAGA. I have a couple of other books in the series I am working on, one about the hound's hound daughter. If you read the first book, you will know who I mean. And I was drawn to the story of the hound and the bear's daughter because I wanted to tell a story about a character who has so much magic that she cannot relate to any other humans. And not really to animals, either. She is very lonely, because of her power. But she can't escape it. I think that is a story that gets told over and over again, and this is just one of my versions of it.

E.I. Ms. Harrison, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has
been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers all over the world?

Mette Ivie Harrison: I think that writers have to find out what they do well, what they are uniquely suited to write about. That takes a lot of experimenting. I wrote 20 novels before I figured out that I should write YA fantasy. But how could I have found that out unless I had tried everything else? Or a lot of other things, at least. Don't worry about trying to get published at an early age. Just write what you want to write. Let yourself write without fear as much as possible. Don't show it to teachers who will correct it if you can help it. And read. I used to read a book a day. This year it's only a book a week, but you can learn so much from reading and rereading fine books that no teacher can tell you in words. You learn an instinct for character and plot. And also, that's all material for you to steal, twist, and make utterly your own.

To learn more about Mette Ivie Harrison, please visit her website.
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Nobles

UPCOMING INTERVIEW: Tatiana de Rosnay - French Journalist, Editor and Author of International Bestselling novel, "Sarah's Key"

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Tatiana de Rosnay was born in 1961 in the suburbs of Paris, and is of distinguished English, French and Russian descent. Her father is noted French scientist Joel de Rosnay. She is also the granddaughter of critically acclaimed School of Paris painter, Gaetan de Rosnay. Her paternal great-grandmother was the Russian actress, Natalia Rachewski.

Her English mother, Stella Jebb, was the daughter of renowned diplomat, Sir Gladwyn Jebb, and the great-great granddaughter of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the British Engineer. Finally, historian Hugh Thomas is her uncle.

Tatiana was raised in Paris and Boston. Her father taught at MIT in the 70’s. In the early 80’s she moved to England, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English literature at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich. Returning to Paris in 1984, Tatiana became press attaché for Christie’s, and then served as Paris Editor for Vanity Fair magazine until 1993. Currently she writes for French ELLE, and is a literary critic for Psychologies magazine.

She is the author of nine novels published in French with Fayard, Plon and EHO. Sarah’s Key is her first novel published in English. he is working on other projects set for publication in English in the near future.

Her International bestselling novel Sarah’s Key, is being developed for film. Academy award-nominee and Golden Globe-nominee, British actress Kristin Scott Thomas noted for her role in The English Patient, will star in the film. It will be renamed Elles’ Appelait Sarah, and Frenchman Gilles Paquet-Brenner is slated to direct the project.

Tatiana de Rosnay, lives in Paris with her husband Nicolas and their two children Louis & Charlotte.

To learn more about Tatiana de Rosnay, please visit her website

To purchase her books, please visit Alibris and AMAZON

INTERVIEW: Award-Winning Mystery Writer - Brian M. Wiprud

noreply@blogger.com (E. I. Johnson) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:15:00 +0000

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Brian Wiprud. He grew up in Washington, D.C. His mother was an editor for the Department of Education; his father, was a tax lawyer for the Justice Department. His parents divorced when he was 15. He graduated from St. Albans prep school in Washington and New York University film school.

He wrote his first novel in Watusi Report in 1983, his second in Watusi Report is What You Get in 1984.. He also wrote two horror screenplays Zombie Beavers, Floaters and a couple short stories, followed in the early nineties when novel called Swires Poker.

Mr. Wiprud also wrote Trampoline Nude, the sequel to SP, which he completely re-wrote for publication in 2006. By 1995 he had written Sleep with the Fishes, and wrote $50 Moosehead then Pipsqueak and then by 1999 Dirt Nap (sequel to SWTF, He also illustrated children's book and two non-fiction books. Also in the mix were about ten fly fishing and magazine articles.

Mr. Wiprud, started the road to self-publishing in 2000 with SWTF as He self-published Pipsqueak in 2002 around the same time he started the third SWTF book called Granite Hat (unfinished to date), but didn't receive his first publishing contract, with Bantam Dell, until 2003.

Brian Wiprud wrote eight and a half novels, two screenplays, three short stories, illustrated three books, and published ten articles over 20 years before he was officially, undeniably and irrevocably published. To make ends meet, he did lighting and grip work for small filmmakers and selling newspapers at the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.

He became a utilities specialist and a manhole detective. He got into his field of expertise when an engineering firm required footage of sewers. He did not do the filming himself. The cinematographer was a robot on treads, with a rotating camera and lights.

Mr. Wiprud sat in a mobile TV studio and made certain the robot was getting it right. That led to reading and mapping manhole covers and underground utilities. Often, in addition to studying maps, Mr. Wiprud must climb down a manhole or direct a dig. His talents were called upon after 9/11 as part of the rescue and reconstruction effort at ground zero.

He is not an engineer. His college degree was in film, and for pleasure he goes fly fishing and writes detective novels. He prefers to think of himself, as a literary bent.

He is dressed more like an East Village artist than an engineer; a funky long-sleeved white shirt worn over a faded blue-green paisley shirt. His blond hair is combed in a pompadour like Tintin, the children's book hero's.

He has written and published seven books: His newest novel, “Buy Back” will be available in bookstore June 8th 2010. “Buy Back” is about Tom Davis, a Brooklyn insurance investigator in a jam. He arranged an art theft to cover a debt—only somebody swiped the paintings from his crew.

Now the insurance company wants him to investigate his own art theft; the local bookie wants his money; his crew in the neighborhood is targeted by a sniper; both the mob and the cops think he’s the shooter; and his girlfriend split and stuck him with four cats that are redecorating his apartment.

Six-foot-six Tommy nimbly navigates his troubles and Brooklyn with the help of tantric yoga, his father’s aphorisms, and a comely masseuse. But the question remains: do good things happen to good people? The answer lurks in a fiery Brooklyn scrap yard.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give your readers three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also, tell us about Brian Wiprud today -- the man behind the award-winning mystery writer.

BMW: There's an entire book in the answer to this question, but I pride myself on brevity. I went to the Washington DC prep school St. Albans, where aside from attaining an expensive education both in academics and the social order, I played every sport except football, worked on hot rods and drank beer. I had an afternoon job as a Volkswagen mechanic and projectionist at the Wheaton Plaza Triplex. I would credit my time as a projectionist as being the seed from which the urge to write grew because I often came to dislike the opening scenes of movies and would edit them to make them more effective. That led me to NYU Film School and New York. Like highschool, the lessons I learned from college were valuable on two levels. I learned to refine the way I thought about visulaizing stories, and I learned that I disliked the film industry. So after living hand and mouth after school selling newspapers at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and doing various production work for extremely little pay (you compete with trust fund kids and producers nephews who don't need pay) I took a steady job at an engineering firm doing traffic counts, drafting and technician work. It was over the next five years that I wrote my first three novels and two screenplays. The former stank, the latter were OK, and none of it sold. Fortunately, I had an aptitude for visulaization that helped me develop a career in engineering as an expert in underground New York. A solid day job is crucial for a novelist. I was first published in New York Press in 1997 with an article about fishing, but it wasn't until 2001, after 18 yeas of writing novels, that I decided to self publish my novel Sleep with the Fishes. Unfortunately, my pub date was September 10th. The fateful events of the 11th doomed my promotional campaign, but also drew me into the effort to save people trapped at ground zero by providing mapping of the utilties surrounding the WTC site and trying to find a way in to collapes areas. So I spent time down at the site an several occassions verifying the loations of manholes and exploring ways into the site. The New York Times wrote me up on that adventure, and I've been a go-to for the Times ever since on matters about underground New York. I self published the book Pipsqueak in 2002 and this quirky novel about a taxidermy collector got noticed to the extent that it won Left Coast Crime's Lefty Award. That in turn got me noticed by Random House - I landed my first publishing contract twenty years after penning my first novel. This June novel #7 will be published with Minotaur.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing mystery novels that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

BMW: I've been doing this so long that at this point it's just what I do. I'm hard wired to create compelling characters with stories to tell. Not sure what I would do in the evenings if I didn't write. I guess the reward is that as a novelist I'm privileged to live more than one life. I live mine and I live each of my protagonists as well.

E.I. Please tell your young readers about your novel “Feelers.” What was it that sparked your imagination? What were your favorite aspects about this book?

BMW: I wanted to write a novel that was highly suspenseful in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock with long character vectors and lots of foreboding. I was thinking particularly about the mechanics of Strangers on a Train, a story so beautifully orchestrated that it literally brings tears to my eyes. Feelers of course is a completely different story, about a house cleaner who finds a large sum of stolen money and tries to keep it. As with all my books, I like my protagist, and our Canarsie Lothario Morty was and continues o be a great joy to write.

E.I. What were your biggest challenge and obstacle while writing and creating the character “Morty Martinez”? Did you work him out in advance, or did he evolve as you wrote the story?

BMW: I work out nothing but the premise first. Morty is a romantic like myself , just extremely so - he just popped out there once he got talking. There is a certain magic to how an author comes to create characters, I can't explain it except to say that they seem to jump out of you, like they were in there all the time. But each has something to say about the human condition that intetrests or concerns me.

E.I. Mr. Wiprud, What do you find to be the hardest part of weaving so much suspense and elements of information into your stories and yet you keep them so fast-paced?

BMW: I just finished Ringer - the sequel to Feelers - with Morty and there were a lot of details that needed vetting. But I don't usually find any part of writing truly hard anymore. The characters do all the lifting. The fast paced part for me is just an innate sense of the story arc and that 320 pages or so makes for a good book - sort of like movies. Three hour movies are almost always too long.

E.I. You've created a character so remarkably captivating that your readers will definitely clamor for more; how did you decide what level of details your readers will accept? How does your creative process work?

BMW: Morty made all the decisions - though my characters don't write details that make me personally squeamish. Explicit sex just seems pointless, I abhor torture scenes and bloody violence is best done quickly, so quickly it takes my breath away. Which of course is how violence usually plays out in real life. One minute everything's fine, the next you're running for your life. My "process" is really just coming up with a premise that I feel will be both exciting and provide insights into the human condition. I of course rely on my personal experiences but none of my characters or the vents that take place are real except in my head and as they exist in fiction. The rest is all being emotionally open to my chacaters, letting them speak and act. I nudge them a little here and there, but they tell the stories.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “Feelers.” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

BMW: I usually read from th beginning because it seems pointless to pick something from the middle and have to provide the audience with a fiften minute set up. Besides, the opening should be the better part of any novel, just like those movies back at the Wheaton Plaza Triplex. That said, Morty is highly opinionated, especially when it comes to women and sex, so I might be tempted to read one of those.

E.I. If you were allowed total control of the Hollywood version of “Feelers” who would be in it? And in your opinion, who do you think should direct?

BMW: Feelers is currently optioned by Apostle Films, Denis Leary's production company, and I couldn't be more pleased as I think Denis would be perfect as the frustrated hitman Danny Kessel. Morty would like Benjamin Bratt to play him, but that's just Morty talking. I really don't know who would be best as Morty, I'll leave that to the experts. I don't really know any contemporary directors well enough to have an opinion about that role.

E.I. And, finally, could you give us a sneak peek about your upcoming book, “Buy Back"? What was it that sparked your imagination about this new novel?

BMW: I wanted to write a novel set in the exact Brooklyn neghborhood I live in to capture it's essence. In my book Crooked - which was nominated for two seperate awards - I had a protagonsit who was an insurance investigator, but I wanted to explore that world some more. Tommy Davin is our protagonist, a gentle 6'6" giant whose into tantric yoga and finding stolen art. Yet he needs to arrange an art theft to cover a debt to a loan shark - only the paitings are stolen from his crew just after they steal it, and the insurance company contraacts him to recover the paintings he stole. novel. Before I mentioned that my characters all have something to say about the human condition. Tommy's seeking the answer to the age-old question: do good things happen to good people? This is a much darker book than any of my previous novels, and while there is humor in it is not a comic. Then again I didn't think Feelers was comic, either.

E.I. Mr. Wiprud, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers all over the world?

BMW: My advice for writers is very simple, and not original. If you want to write then write. If you want to be a novelist, well, my advice is a little more involved:

1. Don't expect your first novel to be any good, which is exactly what dismays and ultimately ruins many budding novelists. Would you expect to paint the Mona Lisa on your first try at painting? This is no different - there is craft involved and you need to practice your craft to get good at it.
2. Being published or winning awards is cake at the end of the meal - it is NOT the meal. If that's all your focused on, then take classes where someone will help you write a crappy formulaic novel devoid of any true inspiration. Then you can POD publish and immerse yourself in a fruitless promotional campaign that includes a website and conventions where you sit on panels with other manufactured authors and pretend to know what you're talking about. You might even get published traditionally and become successful. But you'll always know down deep that you're an imposter. If you're OK with that, great, have at it, there's nothing wrong with being an imposter.
3. IMHO, all the classes and manuals and other crap is procrastination. If you want to learn about story and the mechanics of story telling and dialogue all you need to do is watch classic films and pay attention to how the story unfolds. Ask yourself why the movie was so exciting, why you liked this character or that one.
4. The crucial part to writing well is to be so emotionally open to the process that you are able to fully invest yourself into a character and let him/her speak freely. You get to that point by practice, which inspires the confidence required to be utterly honest with yourself and to know who you are. If you don't truly know who you are, how can you know who your characters are? If you find yourself laughing out loud, shedding tears, or even getting turned on as you write - then you're there.

There's a whole other list of advice about being a published author - but much of that would be imprudent to impart publicly!

Happy to answer your questions and hopefully I've provided some insights and perhaps even inspiration. Cheers - BMW

To learn more about Brian M Wiprud, please visit his website.
To purchase his books please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble