Linda Gerber, YA Author

Summer Reading Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 09:07:00 +0000

It's summer!

(I know summer doesn't officially start until June 21, but for me and any student I've ever known, summer starts the moment that bell rings on the last day of the school year.

For me, the best thing about summer is the reading. Yes, I do read all year round, but summer means beaches and pools and long, lazy afternoons spent with my favorite books. In my school years, I used to churn through the summer reading list by mid-June, and would spend the other two months scouring library shelves for my next adventure. (Now I navigate mountainous TBR piles that continue to grow and grow and grow...)

If you're like me and love books and book recommendations, I'm going to dedicate the next couple of weeks to highlighting some of the latest and greatest reads. As always, I'll start with books from my author friends, and we'll go from there.

LOVE AND OTHER FOREIGN WORDS
by Erin McCahan.

Erin's in my Ohio YA author's group. (They have kindly allowed me to stay in the group even though I'm in Japan. We say "ohayo" here, too...) I had read--and laughed through--her earlier book, I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE, and couldn't wait for this one to hit the shelves. I was not disappointed. Here's the official blurb:

Can anyone be truly herself--or truly in love--in a language that's not her own?

Perfect for fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell, LOVE AND OTHER FOREIGN WORDS is equal parts comedy and coming of age -- a whip-smart, big-hearted, laugh-out-loud love story about sisters, friends, and what it means to love at all.

It earned a starred review from Publisher's Weekly that said (among other things): McCahan's sharp-witted first-person narrative will keep readers laughing.

Kirkus Reviews said: Josie's a rarity in teen literature, a genuine original.

LOVE DISGUISED by Lisa Klein

Lisa's also in the OHYA group. She's the brilliant Shakespeare scholar who brought us OPHELIA. LOVE DISGUISED imagines Shakespeare's first muse as his first love. Here's the blurb:

Young Will Shakespeare is about to meet the girl who will change his life forever.

While in London to pursue his dream of becoming an actor, Will meets Long Meg, a tavern maid fleeing her own past as a thief. When Will is robbed by villains, Meg masquerades as Mack--an invented twin brother--to help Will recover his money. As Mack, she finds true friendship with Will. As Meg, does she love him? And who is she really fooling with her disguise?

A tale of love triangles, mistaken identities, and comic villainy, this lively drama could have sprung from Shakespeare's own pen.

Publisher's Weekly calls Lisa's writing "cheerful, lively, and full of historical and literary tidbits to delight Shakespeare fans..."

And Booklist calls Will and Meg's characters "distinctly-drawn, engaging protagonists journeying towards self-discovery."

FULL RIDE by Margaret Peterson-Haddix

I had the pleasure of reading early chapters of this book and was anxious to add it to my Margaret collection. She's the master at giving us thrilling reads with unexpected turns. Here's the official blurb for this one:

Becca has plenty to hide and everything to lose--but with her future on the line, she's willing to risk it all.

Becca's claim to fame is one she's been hiding from for the past three years: Her father is a notorious embezzler, and when he was caught, his excuse was, "How else is a guy like me supposed to put his kid through college?"

Three years after the trial and imprisonment that destroyed Becca's life, she and her mother have started over again and are living in a town where no one knows their secret. But as college--and its cost--looms large, Becca begins to wonder how they'll afford it. And how she can apply for financial aid without divulging her secret? A local scholarship opportunity seems like a dream come true, but as the application process commences, Becca uncovers a chain of secrets that could destroy everything she's worked so hard to build. But the truth could also lead her toward the future she's always dreamed of...

Booklist calls FULL-RIDE's premise "ingenious and well-realized."

School Library Journal says, "Readers... will grab on and enjoy the ride."

That should get ya'll going. I'll be back soon with more recommendations.

Happy summer reading!

WHAT IS HIDDEN

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 May 2014 19:30:00 +0000

Popping in after bit of a blog hiatus to herald another awesome book into the world. Today I'm pleased to welcome Lauren Skidmore, author of the brand-spanking new book, WHAT IS HIDDEN. Lauren is a kindred spirit and fellow wanderer... she loves to explore new places and has even been here in Japan, traveling and teaching English. She has her sights set on Europe next. When she's not exploring new places, you can probably find her on the internet with fifteen windows open and looking at just one more thing before actually getting something done. (See? Kindred spirit!)

And her book is just what I love to read - mystery, history, and intrigue in a truly spectacular setting. Here's the official book blurb:

In a land of masquerades and mystery, Evie is a mask maker in Venesia, where masks represent rank and identity. When a cryptic bandit strips away Evie's mask and destroys her home, she goes into hiding at the palace to find both a new identity--and revenge.

Here's what people are saying about WHAT IS HIDDEN:

"Crisp dialogue and quick pacing propel the story, a riff on Cinderella, to an action-filled ending. Filled with gossiping servants, palace intrigue, and masquerading royal personages, this novel will appeal to romance and fantasy fans" --Publisher's Weekly

"Charming twist on a classic fairytale... an enchanting story of friendship, romance and loyalty." --Deseret News

In keeping with my theme this year, I asked Lauren to share with us a random act of kindness she had either given or received. Here's her response:

I thought for a long time about what kindness I wanted to write about, and my mind kept drifting back to one small instance from my freshman year of college.

My dorm was close to The Creamery, a tiny grocery store-slash-diner, and I had over estimated how much I could carry in one trip. I hadn't really shopped for my own groceries before, and I definitely hadn't done it without a car. So I ended up with like fifty pounds of grocery bags, slowly walking the block back to my dorm.

A jogger passed me, (because there are always joggers everywhere in Provo) and then came back to ask if I needed any help. I told her I didn't, becauseI could literally see my front door, but she insisted, took half the bags from me, and helped me carry them in.

It was a super tiny thing, but I think it really helped set the tone for my college experience. Campus wasn't so scary if random joggers will help carry your groceries fifty feet."

I love this story because it illustrates that you don't have to do something big to make an impact on a person's life. Each little act of kindness counts in a huge way. Thanks, Lauren!

You can find Lauren online on her blog, on facebook, on instagram, on pinterest, and follow her on twitter.

SCBWI Winter Conference Wrap-up #1 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 03:33:00 +0000

Every few years, I'm able to find both the time and the funds to get to one of the SCBWI National conferences. The NY Winter Conference rolls around each February, and the LA Summer Conference is in August. Each time I've gone, I've lucked out, because I seem to hit on the Best Conference Ever. (Or is it possible that all the SCBWI national conferences are phenomenal?)

This year, I was lucky to be able to attend the NY Conference on some of the few days that New York has actually had fair weather this winter. I took that as a good omen! That, and the giant head with the Cat in the Hat topper greeting us in the hotel lobby. And my roomie (and Dublin critique partner) Nancy Roe Pimm, who is always smiling, laughing, having a good time. The tone was set! Fun conference ahead.

We started out Saturday morning pre-session sipping tea with a group of ultra cool ladies, including Edith Pattou, Colleen Moidu, and Jill Bixel, and Elizabeth Wein. You'll read more about Elizabeth in the wrap-up, but this illustrates what I adore about the writing community: Before the conference, I had contacted the British Isles SCBWI chapter to see if anyone might be attending the conference. My current WIP features a Scottish setting and I wanted to make sure I was getting sensory details correct. Elizabeth emailed me and offered to meet up. So gracious. Absolutely love her.

There was so much goodness packed into those two days, it will be hard to fit it all in just a few blog posts, but here are some of the highlights:

In the Welcome, Lin Oliver opened up the conference for the "tribe" by giving the attendance stats. I love when these are announced each conference because it shows how huge, widespread, and yet connected the children's literature community is. There were 1,085 people in attendance, hailing from 47 states and 20 countries.

She introduced Kristen Fulton, an attendee of this years conference who shared her experience of getting an agent and getting published. Karen had been a veterinarian, but discovered she had stage 3 breast cancer just about the time her youngest was moving out of the house. She was unable to continue her career, so she asked herself, What next? She had always wanted to write for kids, so she switched gears, found SCBWI, attended numerous conferences to learn the business and the craft, and wrote, wrote, wrote. She now has a two book deal with Scholastic. Hooray, Kristen!

Jack Gantos's keynote had the entire ballroom in stitches. Awesome, awesome speaker. Some of the takeaways:

* "A great character will carry a weak plot, but a great plot will not carry a lousy character."

* "A reader has to feel what the character feels... without empathy you don't have a good book."

* "The reason we read books is to change. As writers, we have to infuse change into our writing so that the reader feels it."

* A great book should have two good endings - the external ending and the emotional one. "At the end of the story you have to solve the problem and bring in empathy."

* "To be a great writer, you have to be a great reader." (Yes! Yes! Yes!)

Next came the keynote panel: The Future of Authorship. Panelists included Paul Aiken of the Author's Guild, Jean Feiwel, SVP Publishing Director at MacMillan Children's Books; Jane Friedman, web guru and editor, Virginia Quarterly Review; author Abby Gaines; and Timothy Travalini, Director of Children's Acquisitions at Open Road Media.

They discussed the changes in the industry with the growth of e-books, social media, self-publishing, etc. We have lost 60-70% of our shelf space, Mr. Aiken said. "The opportunity (to succeed) is still there, but we need to adapt."

Ms. Gaines seconded that. She began by building her author platform online and publishing e-books. She made mistakes (says her first book was truly bad) but has learned and adapted and is now a top selling author, with both e-pub and traditional publishing credits. Ms. Friedman agreed that this was a smart strategy. She says that building author platforms should be organic, slow, and about connecting to readers.

Elizabeth Wein spoke on Bearing Witness, Authorial Responsibility. If you have read her books, CODE NAME VERITY and ROSE UNDER FIRE, you know the kind of authenticity Elizabeth brings to her books. (If you have not yet read these books, what are you waiting for?)

I assumed the keynote would be about getting our
research correct - and she did speak a bit about that - but she also spoke a lot about our responsibility as authors to be gracious and positive. She noted the jealousy and self-consciousness that can sneak up on us as writers and artists, but says to approach every aspect of our careers with appreciation.

"The tide comes and goes and comes again," she said, and reminded us how important it is to "maintain grace" in the face of both adversity and success. (I.e., send thank you notes, be happy for others' successes, don't post negative comments about anyone in any forum, etc.)

Elizabeth says her message to young readers, all the way from her first book THE WINTER PRINCE, is "Take responsibility for your own actions." Authors should do the same.

The next keynote panel, Banning Books- Where Do We Stand featured Joan Bertin of the National Coalition Against Censorship, author Ellen Hopkins, and Chair of the Pen American Center Children's and Young Adult Book Committee, Susanna Reich.

I admit to skipping out on this one to visit with my dear friend from the area, Jen McAndrews (a huge motivation for me to attend NY conferences), but I do have some notes that were shared with me.

Susanna Reich noted that 72 of the top 100 most challenged books in the past years have been children's books. She also said "To create something, you have to face your own fears." (More on writing bravely later.

Ellen Hopkins, whose books have been banned numerous times, had these words of wisdom to share:
* You make children stronger by giving them the truth.
* Pull the books out from under the covers and read them with your kids.
* If a 13-year-old experiences sexual abuse, shouldn't she have the right to read a book about it??
* Write bravely. Speak the truth. We have a responsibility to our readers - not the censors.

That should about do it for now. Individual workshop recaps and Sunday wrap-up coming. Stay tuned!

FAST FICTION with Denise Jaden

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 13:03:00 +0000

Rather than doing a traditional interview-filled blog tour, Denise Jaden is celebrating the release of her new nonfiction writing book, FAST FICTION, by dropping tips about writing quickly at every stop of her blog tour, and offering some awesome prizes for commenting on any of these posts (including this one!)

The more you drop by and comment, the more chances you have to win these great prizes:

Denise's Fast Fiction Tip: Be kind to other writers.

I would not be where I am in my writing career without the help of other writers. That’s just a fact. When I first started considering trying to get my work published, my main critique partner was the biggest help to me, not only in fixing up my manuscript, but also in figuring out how to navigate the landscape of publishing, from query letters to the variety of different publishers. I have had other writers read an entire full-length manuscript over a weekend, when I’ve needed some specific timely feedback. I believe my book sales are a big reflection of the writer-friends who have cheered me on and promoted my books to their friends. I’m so thankful for these things, and so it is always part of my thinking now that anything I can do for the other writers in my life, any time, it is well worth my effort. I run a yearly March Madness challenge on my blog each year, offering encouragement and great prizes. I try to offer words of advice and encouragement whenever I can. Do what you can for the writers in your life. Treat their manuscripts as if they are your own. Offer networking connections and promotion when you can. I guarantee it will come back to you if it hasn't already!

The Prizes:

Compliments of New World Library: They will be giving away A BOX of copies of FAST FICTION by Denise Jaden and GET IT DONE by Sam Bennett (US and Canada only):

Compliments of Denise Jaden, TWO BOXES of great fiction (US Only). Details on Denise's blog.

Audiobook copies of NEVER ENOUGH by Denise Jaden!

A critique of your first five pages, compliments of Denise's agent, Michelle Humphrey from The Martha Kaplan Agency!

All you have to do is enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win (at the bottom of this post, I've included links to all of the other blogs where you can comment for more chances to win).

About Fast Fiction:

Writers flock to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) each November because it provides a procrastination-busting deadline. But only a fraction of the participants meet their goal. Denise Jaden was part of that fraction, writing first drafts of her two published young adult novels during NaNoWriMo. In Fast Fiction, she shows other writers how to do what she did, step-by-step, writer to writer. Her process starts with a prep period for thinking through plot, theme, characters, and setting. Then Jaden provides day-by-day coaching for the thirty-day drafting period. Finally, her revision tips help writers turn merely workable drafts into compelling and publishable novels.

A portion of publisher proceeds will be donated to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Praise for Fast Fiction:

“Fast Fiction is filled with stellar advice, solid-gold tips, and doable, practical exercises for all writers who want to draft a complete novel.”

— Melissa Walker, author of Violet on the Runway

“Being a ‘pantser’ I have always resisted outlining, but I have to say that Fast Fiction changed my mind! Denise Jaden takes what I find to be a scary process (outlining) and makes it into an easy and, dare I say, enjoyable one. Fast Fiction is a hands-on book that asks the right questions to get your mind and your story flowing. I know I’ll be using Fast Fiction over and over again. Highly recommended for fiction writers!

— Janet Gurtler, author of RITA Award finalist I’m Not Her

“Fast Fiction is full of strategies and insights that will inspire and motivate writers of every experience level — and best of all, it provides them with a solid plan to quickly complete the first draft of their next novel.”

— Mindi Scott, author of Freefall

“Fast Fiction provides writers with the perfect mix of practical guidance and the kick in the pants they need to finish that draft. This book is a must-have for writers of all levels.”

— Eileen Cook, author of The Almost Truth

“Practical and down-to-earth, Denise Jaden’s Fast Fiction makes a one-month draft seem doable, even for beginners, any month of the year.”

— Jennifer Echols, author of Endless Summer and Playing Dirty

“One of the greatest challenges any writer faces is getting a great idea out of one’s brain and onto the page. Fast Fiction breaks that process down into concrete, manageable steps, each accompanied by Denise Jaden’s sage advice and enthusiastic encouragement. And anything that helps streamline the drafting process is a-okay by me! Fast Fiction is a great addition to any writer’s toolbox — I’ve got it in mine!”

— Catherine Knutsson, author of Shadows Cast by Stars

“Forget the fact that this resource is directed at those wanting to complete a fast draft — if you’re out to get your novel done, period, Jaden’s Fast Fiction will be the kick in the butt that gets you there, from story plan to ‘The End’. . . and beyond.”

— Judith Graves, author of the Skinned series for young adults

Where you can find Fast Fiction:

New World Library | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | GoodReads

Help an author out:
Can't get a copy of FAST FICTION right now? I wonder if you'd consider helping out in other ways. I'd really appreciate any way that you can help!

Ask your library or bookstore to bring in FAST FICTION
Leave a review on Amazon (the more books are reviewed on Amazon, the more they will show up as suggestions for readers).
Mention FAST FICTION on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or pin a link to Amazon on Pinterest

Blog Tour Stops:

Comment on any of the following blog posts celebrating Fast Fiction's release to be entered to win prizes galore!

(All Fast Fiction blog posts should be live by March 9th, or sooner. Contest will be open until March 15th. If any links don't work, stop by http://denisejaden.blogspot.com for updated links.)

GCC Blogs:

http://amandaashby.com/news/

http://www.jessicabrody.com/blog

http://www.eileencook.com/

http://luciennediver.wordpress.com/

http://lindagerber.blogspot.com/

http://www.sarahantz.com/blog/

http://denisejaden.blogspot.com

http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com

http://jessikirby.blogspot.com/

http://stephaniekuehnert.blogspot.com

http://myramcentire.com/

http://gretchenmcneil.blogspot.com/

http://www.jennyoconnell.com/blog.html

http://debbierigaud.com/debbie-rigaud-blog/

http://www.mybignose.blogspot.com/

http://we-have-words.com/

http://jerismithready.tumblr.com/

http://www.kristinaspringer.com

http://www.livejournal.com/users/lstolarz/

http://www.melissacwalker.com/blog/

http://dianarwallach.tumblr.com

Additional Participating Blogs:

http://ellestraussbooks.blogspot.com

http://www.judithgraves.com

http://lstaylor.blogspot.com

http://sharigreen.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/fast-fiction-denise-jaden/

http://www.shana-silver.com

http://www.tonettedelaluna.com

http://careann.wordpress.com

http://www.yascribe.blogspot.com

Remember, all you have to do is leave comments to get lots of extra entries to win some great prizes.

Don't know what to comment about? Tell us the name of your favorite writing book!

Share this widget here:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/Y2QyYmEwOTMzNTUyNGRiYWY0NWE1YWE4YjBjN2I2OjQ=/ a Rafflecopter giveaway

Or, if the Rafflecopter Giveaway doesn't seem to be coming up on this blog, access it here: http://www.denisejaden.com/FastFictionContest.html

Women Can (Finally) Fly!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:22:00 +0000

Photo via www.wsjusa.com

On Tuesday, Lindsay Van, Sarah Hendrickson and Jessica Jerome make history. They will compete in the first ever Olympic Women's Ski Jumping event.

Unbelievable as it may seem, Ski Jumping has been a men's-only event since the Winter Olympics began in 1924. Women were not allowed to compete.

I first learned about this gender inequality in 2006 while I was researching for my book, THE FINNISH LINE, about a ski-jumping American exchange student who trains on the hills in Lahti, Finland. It never crossed my mind when I began writing that book that my character would have no hope of competing in the Olympics because of her gender. Who would have thought it possible in this century?

The Olympics in Turino, Italy were in full swing. I tuned in to watch the women's ski jumpers, only to realize that there were none. I contacted the good folks at Women's Ski Jump USA, who were kind enough to help me not only with my understanding of the sport and training involved, but of their struggles for inclusion in the Olympic Games. (You can read more about this fight on the wsjusa website.)

I was living in Japan at that time, and had the opportunity to meet Lindsay Van and Jessica Jerome a little bit later when they came to compete in Zao. I was also able to watch them train that summer in Park City, Utah. I was, and continue to be completely in awe not only of their talent, but also of their poise and grace. Even in the face of denial over and over again by the International Olympics Committee.*

Finally, in the spring of 2011, the IOC announced that a women's event would be added to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. And last week, Lindsay Van, Sarah Hendrickson and Jessica Jerome walked into the stadium at opening ceremonies as Olympic competitors.

I'm so happy for them, and proud of women ski jumpers everywhere who fought long and hard for this day to come. I'll be cheering for them extra loud tomorrow! (I should add that another favorite is from Japan, where I find myself once again, so even though my heart belongs to Lindsay, Sarah, and Jessica, I will also be cheering for Sara Takanashi. But in my way of thinking, no matter who medals, everyone has won.)

*The reasons the IOC gave for the exclusion ranged from offensively sexist ("women shouldn't jump because it can damage their ovaries") to blatantly untrue ("the sport lacks universality" - even though women's ski jumping had more competitors from more countries competing at the highest level than several other women's Olympic sports.) They have earned every eye roll you can give them, but we're staying positive this year, yeah? So yay, IOC, for finally seeing the light!

Share the Love!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 08:16:00 +0000

It's February, the month of love!

Around here, Valentine's Day is not the holiday it is in the States. The marketing people love it, and Valentine's displays pop up in the stores, but it's not really a Japanese thing.

I'll tell you what's universal, though... kindness. For example, here's a compilation of dash cam videos from Russia showing simple acts of kindness and compassion:

Notice how these acts don't have to be anything big or planned out. They don't have to cost anything besides a little thoughtfulness and a moment of your time.

I think it's ingrained in us to be kind to each other. Sometimes we're just caught up in working our way through our own days so we miss the opportunity to make someone else's. So I love it when we get a nudge to rise to the occasion. Take last week's Atlanta "snowstorm" traffic fiasco, for example. Wasn't it magnificent the number of people who went out of their way to show kindness to complete strangers? People walking the highways to pass out food and water to those stranded with their cars, businesses like Target and Lowe's offering shelter, others like Starbucks and Trussville Grill giving away free coffee and food. All the way over here in Japan I read about the SnowedOutAtlanta facebook groups, and the amazing offers of help, delivering food, even opening up homes to perfect strangers who needed to get out of the elements for the night.

What if we didn't wait for the next nudge to look for ways to be kind to those around us? Imagine if everyone decided to look for at least one opportunity to help someone this month. Or even better... We've got four weeks. I'll bet we could each dream up (and carry out!) at least one random act of kindness each week. Let's do it! Let's celebrate Valentine's Day all month long.

Best way I know to share the love!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 10:46:00 +0000

To kick off the New Year, Kristina Springer is joining us on the blog. Welcome, Kristina!
***tosses confetti***

For any of you who don't know her, Kristina is the best-selling author
of THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS, THE PAPARAZZI PROJECT and BOY SWAP.

Here's an experience Kristina had with a small act of kindness that caused a ripple effect:

"I love when people pass on small acts of kindness. I was in the drivethru at Starbucks when the person in front of me paid for my drink. So sweet! I paid for the person behind me to pass on the nice gesture."

Perfect! Kindness is contagious.

And now, here's Kristina passing on more kind gestures. To celebrate the paperback release of her book, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, Kristina is having a contest on her blog, wherein the winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card and all sorts of swag. That should make someone's day!

If you'd like to find Kristina on line, check out her website, connect on facebook, or follow her on twitter.

You can also order her book (which would make Kristina's day!) on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBound, or - if you really want to make some bookseller's day- at your local bricks and mortar bookstore!

Have a great weekend, everyone! And don't forget to share the love!

2014 the Year of Kind Acts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 09:53:00 +0000

Happy Year of the Horse! Yeah, we're already more than a week in, but I'm still on the road, so it feels like my New Year hasn't really started yet. I'm just finishing up 2013's final vacation.

What plans do you have for this upcoming year? Have you made resolutions? Do you make resolutions?

I'm actually not sure what I do. Some years I make a list of resolutions. Other years I call them goals. Other years I claim that none of that stuff works/matters/makes sense, and I simply keep on keeping on.

This year, however, I have a very strong sense of what I want to do with my shiny new year. I want to make a difference. So, I have one goal/resolution/mantra for 2014: Make the world a better place to live in. That's it. Yes, I am only one, small person, but I can be the pebble that starts a lot of ripples. Every day, I will look for at least one way that I can do something positive for someone else. Every day, just one small, anonymous act that will brighten the day of at least one person. Even when my own day is rotten. Especially when my own day is rotten.

I'd love for ya'll to join me on the adventure! Throughout the year, I will be inviting author friends to come onto the blog and share ideas and/or experiences of kind acts or service. Anything that upped the good things scale up a notch. Even the smallest of actions can have a huge impact. I'd love for us to be part of that impact. And I'd love to hear from you. What can you do to make your world a better place? What has someone done for you that impacted your mood, your outlook, or your attitude?

Here's to the best, happiest, most positive year ever!

RIP Michael Palmer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 23:20:00 +0000

Medical Thriller author Michael Palmer passed away last week. So sad.

I've only met the man twice, but he was so kind both times, I've always had a special place in my author fandom for him.

The first time I met him was when I was attending the Maui Writers' Conference in 2004. I had been enrolled to take a week-long workshop with the great Paula Danzinger, but she passed away shortly before the conference, so I was re-assigned to Bob Mayer's group. Bob was great and I thoroughly enjoyed the group, but I was going into the week feeling rather displaced. As such, I was mindful of others I thought might be feeling the same way. One afternoon at a larger pep-talk session (a break from the intensive workshops), I noticed this quiet, teddy bear-ish man sitting over in the corner by himself. I had no idea who he was, so I thought maybe he was a shy attendee or something, and I went over to talk to him. He didn't act put out that I didn't recognize him or realize what a big deal he was in the publishing world, but kindly whisper-visited with me throughout the presentation. Imagine my surprise (and embarrassment) when I saw him sitting at his table at the faculty signing the next day. I quickly bought Extreme Measures for him to sign, and nervously approached his table. He graciously took the time to talk with me again, and said he enjoyed our chat the day before. Class act.

I met him again in July at the Thrillerfest Conference in New York. I was in the bar area with my friend Carla Buckley, who knows Mr. Palmer through ITW, so she invited him to join us when she saw him across the room. He was there to meet someone else, but he gamely stopped to talk before moving on. I said hello and reminded him of our meeting in Maui years before. Though he clearly didn't remember me, he was again so kind and just went with it. ("Oh, yes. Nice to see you again." Such a kind heart.)

We lost a good one.

Demonosity!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 11:47:00 +0000

Yes, so it has been a long time since I "came back" to my blog. Clearly, consistency has not been my companion this summer. A lot has happened since I last wrote, including our location change - I'm now happily blogging from Hiroo, Japan.

But that's not what we're here to talk about. I'm very happy to celebrate the release of my friend and GCC sister Amanda Ashby's newest book, DEMONOSITY. You may have seen Amanda around online (she can be found messing around on twitter, managing her fandom on facebook, or simply being awesome on her website). If you haven't met her, allow me to make the introductions.

Amanda is the celebrated author of YOU HAD ME AT HALO, ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HALL, FAIRY BAD DAY, and the MG series SOPHIE'S MIXED-UP MAGIC. She hails from the Land Down Under, where she earned a degree in English and Journalism. After bouncing between England and New Zealand for a decade and a half, she settled back in Oz with her husband and two kids, where she watches too much TV (kidding), indulges in plenty of good chocolate (not kidding), and writes.

Here's the skinny on DEMONOSITY:

The Black Rose–a powerful ancient force–has been let loose and has taken up residence in Celeste Gibson, popular girl at Cassidy Carter-Lewis’ high school. Thomas Delacroix is the spirit of a fourteenth-century knight who is devoted to protecting the Black Rose, but he needs a contemporary living being to take on the challenge. That’s where Cassidy comes in.
She’s a quirky high school junior who just wants to dress in her vintage clothes, hang out with her best friend, and take care of her father, who is recovering from surgery. She’s the last person who would ever volunteer for such a task, but no one actually asked her. Now, like it or not, she finds herself training before dawn and battling demons at parties, the mall, and even at school. But hey, no one ever said high school was going to be easy.

Kirkus Reviews calls DEMONOSITY a "paranormal romp", and School Library Journal says it has "satisfying substance."

Amanda's Writing Tip:

"I’ve never written a book with a ‘real’ theme in mind before but with Demonosity I knew that my heroine was going to have to make a choice between a good brother and a bad brother and so I decided to explore that during the book. I’ve also always been fascinated with Pride and Prejudice and how Lizzie discovers that the difference between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingham is that one has all the goodness and one has all the appearance of it. And so I went into this book really focused on letting Cassidy discover her own Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingham.

By doing this, I was surprised at how much fun I had and ended up using the idea of good and bad in a whole lot of other unexpected ways as she explored her relationship with other people in the book (particularly her mother). Probably the biggest surprise was the ending, because I had been convinced that I knew which was going to be the ‘good’ brother but when I came to making Cassidy choose, I was really torn.

So I guess my writing tip is to not be afraid to use themes and really see how they can apply to all parts of the story, not just the central story. And fun. Fun is always good!"

The Right Time

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 17:11:00 +0000

Well, I'm back. Thanks to all of you who have been hounding me to update my blog and keep you posted about the huge changes and exciting projects on the horizon.

I've been waiting until I "have the time" to jump back into blogging, but I never do, you know? There's always something to be done, especially now. If I keep waiting for the right time, we'll all be waiting forever.

So here's what's up. My family and I are moving back to Japan. These past several months have been a mad dash to pack our stuff, get the house ready to sell, update passports and visas, find an apartment in Tokyo, get the kids registered in the international school, make the rounds to doctors and dentists, plan and execute the farewell tour to say so long to family, an unexpected load of insurance paperwork after being robbed, etc., etc., etc. Finding the time to work on my writing has been hard enough, let alone blog about it.

But. I've discovered while I was away that there are things I'd love to share with you. And I know what's coming, so I'll want to share that, too.

The blog is not going to be perfect. It may not be pretty. But it's back.

How about you? Is there anything you've been waiting for the right time to start, to finish, or to learn? Share!

And stop waiting!

Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Popping in long enough to leave a quick note. My apologies to all those who have been checking the blog looking for the writing links. It's been an insanely busy past couple of months and I haven't been able to keep up with them.

In fact, I will likely switch methods of passing the links along as I have less and less available free time. So, the bad news is that I'm suspending the roundup blog posts for now. The good news is that this has become necessary because I have several projects going that are eating up my time.

I'm still happy to pass along links to great writing posts when I see them, most likely on my twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/gerbsan and on the "Writing" board on my pinterest page here http://pinterest.com/lgerbs/

This blog will stay open, but the posts will be infrequent until I have time to start them up again. If you are a subscriber, of course, you'll get an alert when there's a new post. If you're not, please check back, or you can subscribe with the little button to the left.

Cheers!

NEVER ENOUGH by Denise Jaden, plus tips and links

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:05:00 +0000

I'm writing from Antioch University, where we're halfway through the Antioch Writers' Workshop. I'll give you a full wrap-up later, but for now, I'd like to bring you Denise Jaden, who is celebrating the launch of her latest, NEVER ENOUGH.
Denise is another GCC sister. You'd never guess it now, but she spent her high school lunch hours trying to tame her curly hair in the bathroom, or playing freeze tag in the drama room. She attended the theatre program at college, and then enjoyed a variety of occupations, including stage production, mushroom farming, and Polynesian dancing. The first draft of her debut novel, Losing Faith, was written in 21 days during National Novel Writing Month. This is her second novel. She lives just outside Vancouver, Canada with her husband and son.

About NEVER ENOUGH:

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special…even if that means betraying her sister.
But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. And Loann is frightened she could lose the sister she’s always idolized.
As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship—and her sister—before it’s too late?

"Intimate and enlightened... harrowing and inspiring. ...dramatically illustrates the importance of speaking out and reaching out."
—Publishers Weekly

You can see the trailer for NEVER ENOUGH on YouTube

Denise's tip:
When asked for a tip about writing, I usually offer my usual advice about reading a lot and writing a lot, but I’d like to expand on that a little here. Something I learned while working on Never Enough (and my more recent manuscripts) is that I need to really push myself to get to the good stuff. Word counts may just seem like numbers for some, but I use them religiously to set goals for myself now. I find that often when I start, I will flail around with my words quite a bit. It would be easy to quit at this point, decide that I’d be better to come back another day when my brain is working properly. But if I don’t quit, if I push through, more often than not, I come up with a nugget of great writing, or even a new glimpse of something that solves a story problem.
You can find Denise online on her website, on twitter, and on her blog.
Also! Denise is running a contest on her blog, and you can win stuff! Check it out!

This week's link roundup:

For MG girls, Cassidy's LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY Charmed Summer Giveaway continues with quizzes, games, and winning! (lightscameracassidy)

10 Traits That are More Important Than Talent (Jody Hedlund)

6 Things to Learn from Hemingway (RachelleGardner)

4 Lessons in Creativity from John Cleese (CoCreativity)

3 Tips for Writers: Revising, Formatting, Querying (One Word After Another)

YA Market Tips and Trends (Adventures in YA and Children's Publishing)

How Are You Going to Grab Readers' Attention on the First 5 Pages? (CarlyWatters)

Query: It's Not Who You Know, it's What You Write (Bent on Books)

Ellen Hopkins on Fearless Writing (Adventures in YA and Children's Publishing)

The Reader Must Want to Know What Happens Next (JaneFriedman)

Getting Bendy (Plotting Twists in Crime Fiction) (Finding Bliss)

Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block (WriterUnboxed)

Boiling it Down (kidlit.com)

Character Clamor (Gail Carson Levine)

Interview with Literary Agent Gail Hochman (Barbara Rogan)

A Writer's Biggest Mistake (Yes, This Will Be On the Test)

Writers: Act Like a Professional (Writability)

Using Dialog Tags and Punctuation Correctly (Querytracker)

The Best Bad Writing Tips (Bookriot)

Fear of Failing as a Writer (The Writing Life. Simplified)

Productivity (Genreality)

Publishing Tips and YA Market Trends (Adventures in YA and Children's Publishing)

Thoughts on Reading (Read, Write, Reflect)

Look! It's an Idea! (Going from premise to plot) (The Other Side of the Story)

The Lie You're Listening To (Chance Scoggins) (Relevant to how we sometimes treat our writing selves.)

Now go push through and write!

Finding the Balance with Jessica Brody, 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:25:00 +0000

Today's guest tip is from Jessica Brody, bestselling author of The Karma Club and My Life Undecided, as well as two books for adults: The Fidelity Files and Love Under Cover. Jessica's a TFC and GCC sister, and an amazing organizer, writer, and all-around positive force. Her latest book, 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER, is a story about a spoiled teen heiress, famous for her party-girl antics and tabloid headlines, is forced by her ever-absent mogul father to take on a different low-wage job every week for a year, if she wants any hope of receiving her trust fund. To research for writing this one, she took on several minimum wage jobs, her favorite of which was working the drive-thru at a fast food restaurant. She splits her time between California and Colorado.

About 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER:
Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.
Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.
Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteenth birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.
In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him.

Praise for 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER:
“The #1 reason you’ll love this book? Because it’s tons of fun.”
-Bestselling author Meg Cabot
“Famous and spoiled teenage heiress Lexington Larrabee could give the Kardashians a run for their money in this opulent and fast-paced story…sharp writing and over-the-top scenes will appeal to readers looking for a fun summer read.”
-Publisher’s Weekly
“This unusual riches-to-rags tale is fun and interesting…the mysteries layered throughout, as well as the depth of the main characters, draw you in. Lexi is an obnoxious but lovable character you’ll root for!”
-Romantic Times Book Review (4 Stars!)

You can find Jessica online on her website, on twitter, on facebook, and on her youtube channel.Also, check out her celebration of the release, a fun giveaway for an “heiress prize pack!

Jessica's Tip:
This novel changed so much as I was writing it. Characters came and went, plot points were created and dropped, and details were being constantly shifted around in the story to make it work. I always outline before I start a book but I like to say that I outline just so I can have something to deviate from. I think it’s important to know where you’re story is going before you start writing but I also think it’s important to remind yourself that things WILL change. You don’t have to know every single detail before you start writing. In fact, I think it might be impossible. Characters will reveal themselves to you as you write. Things that you love won’t end up working out. So if you’re a plotter like me, find the balance. Don’t stress out to much. Let go of what you think you want the book to be and embrace what the book becomes.

Link Roundup:
In sunny Spain with Cassidy this week in the LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY Charmed Summer Giveaway #games #winning! (LightsCameraCassidy.Com)

Why You Should Choose Food You Don't Recognize (WritersButt)

15 Stock Characters and How to Restock Them (DailyWriteTip)

Top 10 Typography Crimes (Listography)

7 You-Know-What-I-Meant Mistakes (DailyTip)

5 Critical Things to Make a YA Story Stand Out (OutOfTheWordwork)

4 Keys to Writing an Unputdownable MG Adventure (WritersDigest)

Writing the Emotional Body Blow (RomanceUniversity)

Saving Your Sanity (LucienneDiver)

Write or Die - the APP (KarenWoodward)

The Escaping Character (LitReactor)

The Writers Guide to Twitter (InkyElbows)

Layers of Emotion (kidlit.com)

Where is Your Character Going? (WriteYourScreenplay)

Very Pinteresting (SLJ)

Worse Than a Cliche (Writers in the Storm)

Find Your Talisman (DIYMFA)

Writing Suspense in Science Fiction and Fantasy (Bryan Thomas Schmidt)

Defining Conflict in a Romance Novel (WritersDigest)

The Inconvenient Truths of our Our Own Writing (BeyondTheMargins)

Now find your balance, and go write!

Tips and Links: Don't Be Afraid with Diana Renn, author of TOKYO HEIST

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:31:00 +0000

I'm pleased to introduce to you all Diana Renn, author of the new YA mystery, TOKYO HEIST. I "met" Diana online when her editor asked me if I would be willing read and blurb her book. I was not only willing, but honored. TOKYO HEIST is a beautifully-written, masterfully-woven tale with a rich backdrop of art and Japanese culture. I enjoyed the assignment.

As for Diana. she grew up in Seattle and now lives in Boston with her husband and son. After graduating from Hampshire College and then Brandeis University, where she earned an M.A. in English and American Literature, Diana taught ESL, writing, and literature, worked in educational publishing, and authored several ESL textbooks. She also traveled whenever possible, and taught English in South AmericaWhen she’s not writing, Diana enjoys bicycling and taiko drumming. TOKYO HEIST is her first novel.

About TOKYO HEIST:
When sixteen-year-old Violet agrees to spend the summer with her father, an up-and-coming artist in Seattle, she has no idea what she’s walking into. Her father’s newest clients, the Yamada family, are the victims of a high-profile art robbery: van Gogh sketches have been stolen from their home, and, until they can produce the corresponding painting, everyone's lives are in danger -- including Violet's and her father's.

Violet’s search for the missing van Gogh takes her from the Seattle Art Museum, to the yakuza-infested streets of Tokyo, to a secluded inn in Kyoto. As the mystery thickens, Violet’s not sure whom she can trust. But she knows one thing: she has to solve the mystery -- before it’s too late.

You can find Diana online at her website, on Twitter, or at her group blog for middle grade and young adult mystery fans, Sleuths Spies & Alibis.

Diana's Tip:
In the early drafts of TOKYO HEIST, I had many moments of near-paralysis, where I thought I could not proceed because I was entering foreign territory. First, I was afraid to write about Japan. It was a country I loved and had traveled through, but at one point I doubted my expertise, and I knew I could not travel back to do research. I was afraid to write a mystery because it would involve police procedures and the FBI, things I knew next to nothing about. Van Gogh? Japanese woodblock prints? Art conservation? Laws about stolen art in Japan? Japanese law enforcement? I knew none of that when I began. Now I know a lot. At some point I got over my fear and did the research. I'd write as far as I could, then read voraciously when I hit a wall. I contacted experts when needed, and picked up even more plot points along the way. I even shadowed an art conservator at work and volunteered in an art museum for research. Getting hard facts about unfamiliar fields empowered me to go forward with the story, even if I didn't use every nugget of information I picked up. I wrote more confidently, armed with knowledge and a team of experts at the ready. People love to talk about their work. Ask for help. Don't reinvent the wheel, don't go at it alone, and don't be afraid of what you don't know.

Link Roundup:

Note: With the 4th of July holiday tomorrow, and since I will be on the faculty at the Antioch Writers' Workshop next week (and I don't know what my Internet access will be), we'll have another tip and link roundup post on Thursday with Jessica Brody, and possibly no post next week. We'll see. Check back next week in case. If I am unable to post while at Antioch, I'll catch up with you all over that weekend. OK, we will now return you to your regularly-scheduled link roundup...

More winning going on with the LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY Charmed Summer Giveaway. If you know any young teens who love travel, adventure, mystery, and romance (and a chance to win great prizes), send them over! (LightsCameraCassidy)

16 Tips on How to Survive and Thrive as a Writer (LiveWriteThrive)

8 Publishing Landmines and 8 Ways to Deal with Them (NovelRocket)

7 Ways To Give Away Your Power - and How To Avoid It (RachelleGardener)

5 Tips and Prompts on How to be an Everyday Writer (BeyondTheMargins)

5 Ways to Get Readers to Beg For More (FindingBliss)

5 Mistakes of New Fiction Writers (CreativePenn)

The Myth of All-You-Can-Eat Sensory Details (WritingForward)

Evolution of the YA Genre (WastepaperProse)

Cohesion in Your Writing (SusanKayeQuinn)

Accomplish Your Goals - Make a Schedule to Meet Deadlines (WritersDigest)

Publishy Questions - an editorial director publishing Q&A (BehlerBlog)

Unusual Inspiration: Character Arcs Made Easy (WritersInTheStorm)

How To Polish Your Writing Until It Shines (QueryTracker)

Flip the Switch: Use Adverbs Fearlessly (WriterUnboxed)

Are You Telegraphing Your Plot? (TheOtherSideOfTheStory)

The Yes-But Method for Deepening Plot (BuildingCharacter)

Why Crowded Coffee Shops Fire Up Your Creativity (The Atlantic)

Visualizing Revisions (CrissaChappel)

A Study in Opposites - the power of the thesaurus (WriterUnboxed)

Making History Appealing to Teen Readers (TheOtherSideOfTheStory)

Irreversible Plot Points (Kidlit.com)

Writing YA - Capturing the Teen Voice (DIYMFA)

What Makes Your Character Think That Will Work? (MoodyWriting)

Plotting With Layers (The Other Side of the Story)

So You Want To Read YA? (Stacked)

Literary Law - Using Real People in Fiction (WritersFunZone)

Only You Can Write It (Adventures in YA and Children's Publishing)

Learning Through Stories (AnnieMurphyPaul)

Going Both Ways - Character Outlines for Pantsers and Plotters (TheOtherSideOfTheStory)

Finding Themes in a Brainstorm (LiveWriteThrive)

Alliteration and Repetition (WriteAnything)

Now don't be afraid, and go write!

Tips and Links with Myra McEntire, author of TIMEPIECE

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:46:00 +0000

I'm pleased to welcome GCC sister Myra McEntire to the blog this week, celebrating the release of her new book, TIMEPIECE. Myra knows the words to every R&B hit of the last decade, but since she lives in Nashville, the country music capital of America, her lyrical talents go sadly unappreciated. She's chosen, instead, to channel her "mad word skills" into creating stories. She's an avid Doctor Who fan and will argue passionately about which incarnation is the best. (Linda's note... it's #10 David Tennant, right?) : )

About TIMEPIECE:

Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples—cracks in time. Are Kaleb’s powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before Kaleb can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers’s return, the Hourglass organization is offered an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered—with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough. . . .

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science-fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

You can find Myra online on her website and on twitter.

Myra's Tip:

Writing the first draft of TIMEPIECE almost broke me. I couldn’t make it happen the way I wanted it to, so I was pushing my deadline like crazy. I would hole up in my room and do nothing but stare at the computer for hours.

I learned that you can’t make stories if you don’t live life. I learned that when nothing is coming, nothing at ALL, you might need to walk away for a bit.

I learned about BALANCE.

This Week's Writing Links:

The winning continues at the LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY Charmed Summer Giveaway! Please feel free to share the link with any MG girls you might know!

Writer'sButt Wednesday: Getting Down with Fish Oil (Ginger Calem)

50 Iconic Writers Who Were Repeatedly Rejected (OnlineCollege)

15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly (Copyblogger)

5 Story Mistakes Even Good Writers Make (Writer's Digest)

3 Tips for Writing Heavy Emotional Scenes (Jamie Gold)

3 Myths About Villains (QueryTracker)

MediaBistro's Blackmail Writing App (MediaBistro) Love it!

Who Publishes YA? A Breakdown of the Big Six (The YA Curator)

Break the Rules of Writing to Get Inspired (WritersDigest)

Putting Your Writing First (Adventures in YA and Children's Publishing)

Is Your Modifier Dangling? (PocketFullOfCharms)

Taking the Mystery Out of Query Letters (Rachelle Gardener)

The Rules of Storytelling Pixar Style (WritersDigest)

On Staying Open to Inspiration (BeyondTheMargins)

Adjective Advice (GailCarsonLevine)

Writing Lessons Learned from MATCHED (Julie Musil)

How Agents Choose the Best Publishers to Submit to (Rachelle Gardner)

When your MC Changes her Mind (Kidlit.com)

Who Publishes YA? A breakdown (The YA Curator)

How to Tackle Critique Notes (Writer Unboxed)

Comics for SCBWI Conference Newbies (InkyElbows) : )

Performing the Invasive Edit (MagicalWords)

Middling Beauty (BeyondtheMargins)

The Trips and Traps of 1st Person (Omnivoracious)

What Makes Bad Writing (WallStreetJournal)

Character Block (Gail Carson Levine)

How Writing the Query Helped Me Finish the Novel (BeyondTheMargins)

Authenticity of Voice (MagicalWords)

The Rules for Suspense Writing (Writer's Digest)

Sell it to Me (QueryTracker)

Now go find your balance and write!

P.S. I have no idea how come parts of my blog are highlighted in white and the rest of it is black. If anyone knows how to avoid this, please let me know. I should be writing, so I haven't the time to figure it out!

What Makes it MG with Amanda Ashby

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:53:00 +0000

I'm happy to welcome my friend and TFC and GCC sister Amanda Ashby to the blog, celebrating the release of her new MG series, SOPHIE'S MIXED-UP MAGIC. You might know Amanda as the author of YOU HAD ME AT HALO, FAIRY BAD DAY, and ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH. Her books have been nominated for Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award, New York Library's Stuff for the Teen Age, and selected as Voya's Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers. She's also a SCBWI Crystal Kite Finalist for the Australia/NZ region.

She lives and writes on the Sunshine coast, where she also likes to eat chocolate, watch TV, and sit around doing not much. (Her words, not mine. Personally, I don't believe the not do much bit. I've read her books. She's doing. Plus she's got two kids, so not doing much isn't even an option!)

Anyway, here's the lowdown on her new series:

Book One: Wishful Thinking

Be careful what you wish for…

After eleven year old Sophie accidentally gets herself turned into a djinn, she starts to think that it might not be so bad after all. (Of course, that’s after she gets the whole orange skin problem sorted out.) Who wouldn’t enjoy having the power to grant wishes! But when Sophie develops RWD (Random Wish Disorder) and can’t STOP granting wishes, things get more than a little mixed-up!

Book Two: Under a Spell (May 31^st Puffin)

And that spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E…

As Sophie gets used to her magic, her relationship with the adorable Jonathan Tait is blossoming. There’s only one problem: Jonathan’s twin sister, Melissa. She’s a total mean girl who seems intent on making Sophie’s life miserable. On top of that, Melissa somehow seems to sense that Sophie has powers–and manages to bind Sophie to her in a totally self-serving way. Can Sophie figure out a way out of this–without ruining her chances with Jonathan?

Amanda's Writing Tip:

"When I started writing this middle grade series, I read somewhere that the difference between YA and MG is that while MG characters do have cellphones, they still need to ask permission to go to the mall. That advice really resonated with me and helped me out so much when I was writing Sophie's Mixed-up Magic. In fact, I used it when her djinn guide tried to tell her that they needed to fly to Istanbul to get the secret cure she needed!"

You can find more about Amanda's books and ~~stalk~~ follow her online on her website, on twitter, on facebook, and on goodreads.

This week's link roundup:

LIGHTS CAMERA CASSIDY Charmed Summer Giveaway (LightsCameraCassidy)

A Checkup from the Neck Up (Ginger Calem)

1,000 Words A Day Or Else! (Arthur Slade)

7 Strategy Tips from the World of Screenwriting (Big Spaceship)

5 Things that Turn Agents Off in Chapter One (Words I stole)

5 Reasons Your Current Scene Isn't Working (Great Minds Ink Alike)

5 Techniques for Adding Subtext to Your Stories (The Bookshelf Muse)

3 Writing Exercises in Search of Character (Jungle Red Writers)

2 Questions That Will Stunt a Writer's Progress (Christie Craig)

Ursula LeGuin's Hypothesis (Book View Cafe)

The Need for Speed (Is it advisable?) (Nephele Tempest)

Your Punctuation Personality Type (Brian Thomas Schmidt) Made me laugh.

How Writing is Like a First Date (Novel Rocket)

The First Basic Question (Genreality)

Remaining True to Your Vision (Write it Sideways)

There Are Two Kinds of "Busy". Is Yours the Good Kind? (Jane Friedman)

What Inspires Sarah Zarr (Distraction No. 99)

Using Setting as a Character (Rachelle Gardner)

Making the Most of a Scene (Jamie Gold)

Layering Emotion (Kidlit.com)

Fight Scenes: The Waltz of Death (Fiction Notes)

What Makes a Children's Book Great? (Publishing Perspectives)

Write a Killer Query Letter for Your YA Manuscript (WriteWorkshop)

The Ultimate Guide to Pitch Writing (Jamie Gold)

Now go. Write!

ETERNAL SPRING with Jennifer McAndrews, plus links

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:23:00 +0000

We have a very special guest this week. My own dear friend, crit partner, and workshop co-presenter, Jennifer McAndrews, is joining us today to celebrate the release of ETERNAL SPRING, a young adult anthology available as a free kindle download from Amazon. Jen's one of my favorite writers ever. You can find out why by picking up her latest novel, DEADLY FARCE is a humorous mystery from Avalon Books, and by checking out her contribution in ETERNAL SPRING.

About ETERNAL SPRING:

Flowers, vacation, baseball, prom...what does spring mean to you? From unicorn hunters and teenage exorcists to Egyptian princesses and aspiring ballerinas, this collection of thirteen stories by some of the most exciting authors in Young Adult fiction explores young love and new beginnings during the most beautiful time of the year.

You can catch Jen at RWA Nationals next month, presenting on the Hero's Journey in YA (with yours truly), and you can find her online on her website, on twitter, on facebook, on pinterest, and at Honestly YA.

Jen's Tip:

It’s a standing joke, the actor asking “But…what’s my motivation?” As cliché as it sounds, in fact it’s a very important question to ask, not only for actors but for writers. It is critical for both to identify and understand the motivation of a given character. For an actor, it’s the character he or she is portraying; for the writer, it’s every major character in the story. Yup, every major character.

For a minor character, there’s no need to move beyond a “simple” motivation. To say the minor character mows the lawn for the elderly couple on the corner because that character is kindhearted is sufficient. If, however, we’re talking about a main character, a major character, kindhearted is only the surface. For the main character, dig a little deeper. Why is kindness important? What need does the character have that showing kindness fulfills?

Let’s say he or she does kind things because failure to consider others’ needs during childhood resulted in a scolding from Mom. One step deeper? That scolding from Mom resulted in feelings of guilt and inadequacy. So acts of kindness today may be motivated by fear of inadequacy.

On the flip side, what if the character does kind things because doing good deeds during childhood resulted in praise from Mom. One step deeper? That praise from Mom resulted in a feeling of happiness and security. So acts of kindness today may be motivated by a desire for happiness.

Either way, now you know that main character’s core motivation. That motivation is going to define that character, in easy situations and in tough ones. You’ll know how a character is going to react because you know that motivation.

And for extra fun, next time someone pretends to be a “suffering actor” by whining “but… what’s my motivation?”, answer them! (hint: tell them it’s fear. that stops ‘em every time!)

This week's link roundup:

My latest, LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY Episode Three: HACKED, hits the shelves tomorrow, June 14, 20012. Please join me for a Lights, Camera, Cassidy Charmed Summer Giveaway (starting tomorrow) to celebrate. You could win stuff. Bonus points for sharing the love (and the link).

21 Ways to Make Your Plot More Compelling (Writing at High Altitude)
10 Quick Tips to Better Fiction (WG2E)
6 Reasons Editors Will Reject You (Writer's Digest)
5 Ways Writers Get Lazy (Jody Hedlund)
5 Ways Adult Heroes Differ From Their YA Counterparts (Romancing the Naked Hero) : )
5 Super Villain Schemes so Crazy They Might be... Crazy (Tor.com)
3 Tips for Staying Focused (Writing on the Ether)
3 Important Rules for Writing Endings (The Write Practice)
How to Influence Editors (Rachelle Gardner)
The Good Seed (Writer Unboxed) Part III of Donald Maass's series
Different Ways to See the Same Thing (Paranormal POV)
The Sound of Silence (Write Brained)
Fill In the Blanks Plot Template (The Other Side of the Story)
How to Plot By the Numbers (WordServe Water Cooler)
Hard Word and Getting Lucky (Writer Unboxed)
Climbing Mt. Revision One Step At a Time (Story a Day) Revising Short Stories.
Detailing (Gail Carson Levine)
What Teens Are Really Reading (School Library Journal) One librarian's survey.
Worrying Isn't Action (Kidlit.com)
What Makes a Real Book (Content or Container)? (Chicago Tribune)
Tips for Effective Dialog (Writers on the Storm)
Let's Try That Again (Bent on Books)
Literary Devices: Allusion (Fantasy Faction)
Secrets to Character (Jungle Red Writers)
Conflict in Story is Like Finding Gold (Moody Writer)
Don't Leave Me Hanging (Romance University) Happy Endings in Romance.
Romance Structure and Romantic Moments (Genreality)
Easy Ways to Keep the Reader Interested (Moody Writing)
The Single Most Important Characteristic for Success (Writing on the Ether)

Now go. Write!

Surrender by Elana Johnson, plus Link Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:38:00 +0000

I'm pleased to welcome GCC and Storymaker sister Elana Johnson to the blog this week. Elana's the author of POSSESSION and REGRET, and is celebrating the release of her latest book, SURRENDER. You might also know Elana from around the web, as she's a founder of the QueryTracker blog and co-organized WriteOnCon (which, if it isn't already on your radar for August, most definitely should be. Free writing conference. Online. Fabulous.) Elana has also written the ebook FROM THE QUERY TO THE CALL (which you can actually download free here). In short, Elana keeps herself busy!

When she's not running the online writing universe, Elana wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to shove it, and have cool superpowers like reading minds and controlling fire. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy... like SURRENDER.

The Book:

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father's rules: He's the Director. It's because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent--a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine's got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can't. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi's boyfriend, Zenn.

Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine's father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She's even starting to suspect Vi's secrets might involve Freedom's newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque...

Elana's Tip:

I think every author owes it to themselves to find out the way they work best. With SURRENDER, my agent asked me for an outline before I wrote the book. It took me three months to write the outline (20 pages), because I hate outlining, and I'd never done it before.

I then wrote the book in 25 days. So it was easier and faster to write 350 pages! BUT. But I learned I can outline, that I do like knowing a little bit in advance the things that are coming in the story, that outlining isn't of the devil. Well... Ha!

You can find Elana online at her website, on her blog, on twitter, on facebook, and blogging with The League of Extraordinary Writers.

Bonus! Elana is hosting a Spectacular Seconds GIVEAWAY this week! You can enter to win one of five signed sophomore books by Beth Revis, Ally Condie, Veronica Roth, Kristi Cook and Kim Harrington. Details here: Spectacular Seconds Contest.

This week's link roundup:

12 Style Blunders in Fiction (Mystery Writing is Murder)

10 Great Tips from 10 Great Writers (Looking for Mr. Goodstory)

8 Things You Might Not Know About the NYT Bestseller Lists (YA Highway)

5 Ways to Explore Your Story (Revision) (Fiction Notes)

5 Top Mistakes Writers Make at a Crime Scene (Novel Rocket)

5 Ways to Connect With Other Writers (Creative Penn)

4 Temperaments (Characters) (My First Book)

4 Tips for Writing a Middle Grade Novel (Karen Cioffi)

3 Things Writers Should Look For in a Smart Phone (Procrastinating Writers)

Rhythm and Pattern in Picture Books (The Other Side of the Story)

Converting Backstory into Character (Romance University)

Untraditional Story Outlining Techniques (DIY MFA) (Love the Hunger Games subway map.)

When the Best Writing Happens (I.N.K.)

Why Write Fiction? Why Even Read It? (Beyond the Margins)

Surprises in Stories (Gail Carson Levine)

Unmasking the Muse (Writer Unboxed)

How to Get a Book Deal When You Suck at Pitching (MuseInks)

What Writers Can Learn From Barry Eisler (The Book Deal)

Why Daydreaming Isn't a Waste of Time (MindShift)

Why Self-Conscious Writers are Doomed (Wordplay)

Words to Live By (Genreality)

Writing About Painful Memories (Julie Musil)

Now go have a fantastic day. And write!

UNBREAK MY HEART by Melissa Walker - plus links

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:32:00 +0000

Today I'm pleased to welcome GCC sister and friend Melissa Walker to the blog to celebrate the release of her new book, Unbreak My Heart. Melissa's the author of Small Town Sinners, the Violet on the Runway series and Lovestruck Summer. She has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. Melissa manages the e-newsletter I Heart Daily, and blogs for ReaderGirlz, an online community for teens. A Chapel Hill, NC native, Melissa now lives in Brooklyn, NY.

The book:

The year that broke her heart. The summer that healed it. A dual love story.

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams' heart. She fell for her best friend's boyfriend and long story short: he's excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents' plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he's just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem's walls and heal her broken heart? Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem's heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colansanti will flock to.

(Susane Colansanti agrees, BTW. She calls Unbreak My Heart "A super cute love story!" and says, "Melissa Walker will inspire readers to never stop believing in true love.") : )

Melissa's Tip:

"Let the scene play out in your mind a little bit before you put ink to paper (or, um, fingers to keyboard). Sometimes I do this in the shower, and thinking through a moment can really help!"

(P.S. You can enter to win an iPod loaded with the Unbreak my Heart soundtrack (and a copy of the book!) courtesy of Bloomsbury Teen here: Unbreak My Heart Playlist Contest. AND, you can find Melissa online at the links above, and on her website, on her blog, on twitter, on pinterest, and on facebook.)

This Week's Link roundup: (I don't know why they appear highlighted and I don't have the time to figure out how to change it, but I figure you won't mind to much, as long as the links are working, which they are. Enjoy!)

Ginger's up on the SiWC Blog! (Surrey International Writers' Conference)

33 Things to Do When You Are Angry With Your Novel (YA Highway) : )

22 Storytelling Rules via Pixar (The Pixar Touch) Awesome!

20 Tips for Creating Lovable Romance Heroes (Writing Novels)

8 Dialog Mistakes to Avoid (Fiction Notes)

7 Reasons to Kill Your Characters: Murder 101 (Fuel Your Writing)

7 Steps for Creating Suspense (The Write Practice)

7 POV Basics (Jody Hedlund)

5 Proven Tactics to Increase Your Productivity (WorkAwesome)

3 Mighty MacGuffin Generators (Red Pen of Doom)

Visceral Reactions: Emotional Paydirt or Melodrama? (WordPlay)

Fears and Tears (Write Anything)

Keep Readers Close to Action and Emotion (Editor's Blog)

Expressing Thought-Reactions in Fiction (The Blood-Red Pencil)

Characters Need Goals (Editor's Blog)

Becoming Your Characters (WordPlay)

Revealing Character Through Detail (Publishing Crawl)

Opening Image (Elana Johnson)

Creating Villains or Other Bad Guys in MG Novels (That's Another Story)

Smart Writers Expand Time (Writers in the Storm) (Love Margie Lawson!)

Writing Dangers: Shiny New Idea Syndrome (Writability)

Writers Must Write Every Day (Editor's Blog)

Writing Credentials (and why they don't matter) (Adventures in YA Publishing)

Why Writers Must be Observers (Writability)

Another Take on "Show, Don't Tell" (Writers' Digest)

Filter Words (Laptops and Latte)

Conference Etiquette (Navigating the Slush Pile)

Writing a Marketable Children's Short Story (WOW!)

Picture Book Revising (Notes From the Slush Pile)

Quit Wasting Time (Author Media) (This is for you, social media junkies...)

Avoiding Homonym Headaches (Blood Red Pencil)

Mapping Out Your Story (DIYMFA)

Writing Scenes: Stepping Forward and Falling Back (Writers' Digest)

Literary Devices: Foreshadowing (Fantasy Faction)

Focus (Tight Scenes) (Edit To Rent)

What it Takes to Get Writers Writing (LA Times) (Fun distraction - with links.)

Ever Get Jealous? The Green-Eyed Writer (Beyond the Margins)

Writer/Reader Contracts (Writer Unboxed)

Why Write Strong Female Characters (i09)

Road Closed: When Writer's Block Takes Out the Bridge Pt. 1 (Genreality)

Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better (The Brilliant Blog)

Now go read a great story (like Unbreak My Heart!) and WRITE!

Claire's Day - Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in the Claire's Day Book Festival in Maumee, Ohio. I've never seen such a fantastically-organized and well-attended book festival! The venues for Claire's night (the Toledo Library) and Claire's Day (The Maumee Library grounds) were awesome. But what makes this festival so amazing is the mission of Claire's Day: "... to honor Claire Lynsey Rubini by inspiring children and families of all ages to be lifelong readers through exposure to a variety of literary opportunities and experiences."

Claire Rubini was a young girl who loved books, music, and storytelling. Sadly, she died much too young of a heart condition. Her parents, inspired by an article about former First Lady Nancy Reagan's involvement with the Texas Book Festival, decided to honor Claire's memory by sharing her love of books, and creating a major book event to Ohio. Now, 11 years later, the Festival impacts over 15,000 children each year. Not only does it provide a free venue for young readers to get face time with their favorite authors, it also established the C.A.R.E (Claire's Awards for Reading Excellence) Awards to encourage students to up their reading game, and be recognized for their efforts.

You can read more about Claire's Day here: http://www.clairesday.org/

One of the things that struck me this weekend was how something that began with such a sad event turned into something magical that impacts the lives of countless kids.

I think if we look outside ourselves, we can find the inspiration to make great things happen around us. As writers, we have the opportunity to reach and impact readers every day with our work. Can you imagine anything greater?

So, this week's writing tip is: Be inspired!

This Week's Links:

"I'm Bored" Shop - (Proceeds to benefit Breaking the Chain, a nonprofit literacy cause founded by super teen and literacy advocate, Riley Carney. Breaking the chain works to put new books in high-risk, high-need elementary and middle schools. (Zazzle)

Writer's Butt Wednesday: Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater! (Ginger Calem)

12 Deadly Grammatical Errors (ReadWriteWeb)

11 Mistakes Writers Make When Approaching Literary Agents (Huffington Post)

10 Commandments of Writing a Thriller (Writer's Digest)

7 POV Basics (Jody Hedlund)

7 Ways to Write a Stand-Alone Book with Series Potential (Writer's Digest)

3 Things to Know About Exposition and Telling (Victoria Mixon)

2 Tips That Will Make Plotting Easier (The Other Side of the Story)

Open Ended (book endings) (Gail Carson Levine)

Writing and Illustrating a Picture Book for S&S, pt.1 (Inky girl)
Writing and Illustrating a Picture Book for S&S, pt.2 (Inky girl)

Respecting Your Natural Rhythms (Writer Unboxed)

It's the Details, Writers! (The Book Deal)

Think Like an Author (Query Tracker)

How a Book is Born (Weldon Owen)

Confusion is Not The Same as Mystery (Kidlit.com)

Editing: Crossing Words off Your List (The Other Side of the Story)

How Not To Write a Series (Jennifer Laughran)

Creativity Under Pressure (Writing and Rambling)

Thrum Me, Baby, One More Time (Knight Agency Blog)

Words That Should Never Appear in Your Query (Janet Reid)

Flesh it Out (Genreality)

First Page Analysis: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Project Mayhem)

Developing a Story Idea (Mystery Writing is Murder)

How to Free the Genius Inside You (James Killick)

How to Choreograph Direct Action Scenes (Writers University)

Undercover Soundtrack (Discovering Characters Through Music) (Memories of a Future Life)

Now go be inspired (or better yet, inspire someone) and write!

For writers - More RAOKs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:08:00 +0000

I loved the launch idea Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi came up with for the release of their new book: celebrate by asking people to do random acts of kindness. On Monday, the RAOK Blitz went into effect, and it's still going. It's amazing. Participants on both ends of the RAOK are having great experiences, and the RAOKs are being paid forward, and forward, and forward.

Several of us thought a great RAOK would be to gift copies of THE EMOTION THESAURUS to our intended RAOK recipients, but Becca and Angela asked that we not do that. The purpose of the movement was to share joy to others in the writing community, not just to promote their book.

I'd like to say, however, that the Emotional Thesaurus they've compiled on their blog, The Bookshelf Muse, does share if not joy, certainly great benefit to others in the writing community. I've used it countless times to avoid my tendency to populate my books with grinning bobble head dolls. So, while I will respect their wishes and not give the book away, I'll just tell you, I've ordered my copy. You can get yours, too, through smashwords, itunes, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. And if you haven't promised Becca and Angela not to use the book as your RAOK, you could give copies of it to your friends. I'm just saying...

This week's writer's tip is to enjoy doing a random act of kindness everyday. It will make you a happier writer, and that's why we do this thing in the first place, right?

In the spirit of continuing RAOKs, and being happier writers, I'm going to share a little joy with you in the form of a video I discovered this morning. I hope it makes you smile and sit a little sexier in your chair as you churn out the words. Enjoy!

Source: youtube.com via Linda on Pinterest

This Week's Links:

Cotton Candy Pride (Ginger Calem) Great advice

Digging Deeper, A Process Rather Than a Technique (Writer Unboxed)

Bob Mayer Talks Dollars and Good Sense (Twisted Minds and Dark Places)

The Pendulum Swings Back (toward print) (Kidlit.com)

What Services Publishers Provide (Nathan Bransford)

Fiction vs Nonfiction - Must Writers Choose? (Beyond the Margins)

Readers are Reading! (The Atlantic)

Children's and YA Hardcover Sales up 72% (Media Bistro) Hooray!!!

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do (McSweeney's) : )

Creating Faceted Characters (Writer Unboxed)

You Are What You Read, according to this study (MSNBC)

4 Ways to Hook Your Readers and Keep Them Wanting More (Jody Hedlund)

Excessive Detail Can Kill Your Story (Moody Writing)

Does Deviating from the 3-Act Structure Keep Me From Getting Published? (Wordplay)

What Happens When Your Books Goes to the Pub Board? (Publishing Crawl)

Never Stop Asking Questions (Lucky 13)

Mamaless Epic Heroes (Shannon Hale)

Now go do a RAOK, and write!

Random Act of Kindness BLITZ!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:57:00 +0000

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.
Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.
So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!
To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. If you've read my blog very often, you've seen me talk about the Emotional Thesaurus blog a lot. It's a fabulous and valuable resource for writers, so I'm thrilled to help celebrate the book's release. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating in the ROAK blitz too!

I am randomly picking Joanne Levy, who is always positive and supportive to all writers and never ceases to make me smile. Joanne, for my ROAK gift, I'm sending you a thank-you note and promising to super-blitz your SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE release this summer so everyone else can enjoy your humor as much as I do.
I really appreciate Joanne's positive energy online. You can find her on twitter, facebook and on her blog. If you have a minute, please stop in and tell her how awesome she is!

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge? Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness? Let me know in the comments!

Maurice Sendak and Other Writerly Links

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:59:00 +0000

' Photograph: James Keyser/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image

Maurice Sendak brought a wild rumpus to my house. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE was one of my kids' favorite books because it was strange and different and wildly (ha) entertaining (plus I had to read it with sound effects, gnashing my terrible teeth and roaring my terrible roar). We often checked out Really Rosie from our small library and sang along to CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE and PIERRE. We dreamed along with Mickey IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN.

Even though it's been years since we've read or watched any of the above, Maurice Sendak's characters and quotes became a part of our family culture. He was honest, irreverent, and thoroughly unique. He will be missed.

Here's some Sendak love from around the Internets:

Maurice Sendak, Author of Splendid Nightmares, Dies at 83 (NY Times)

Wild Thing, I Think I Loved You (School Library Journal)

Maurice Sendak, the Author Who Scared a Generation of Kids (Jewish Daily Forward)

Maurice Sendak and the Soul of the Artist (The New Yorker) (Includes words of wisdom on writing for children)

The Creative Legacy of Maurice Sendak in His Own Words (CoDesign)

Remembering Maurice Sendak (Wired)

Memories of Maurice Sendak (Salt Lake Tribune)

Fresh Air Remembers Maurice Sendak (NPR)

Art Spiegelman's Visit with Maurice Sendak (the NewYorker)

Awesome Sendak story (facebook)

10 Things You Might Not Know About Maurice Sendak ( Digg)

This Week's Writing Links:

****Wield a More Subversive Sword (Slate) Writing Advice from Maurice Sendak

****4 Lessons on Writing (and Life) From Maurice Sendak (PR Daily)

What Builds Excitement? (Genreality)

Defying Logic (Adventures in YA Publishing) Inspirational post

What Can Stop Your Career From Ever Starting (Jane Friedman)

Dare to Suck (Writer Unboxed)

How to Find and Choose Ideas (Writing Forward)

****Hunger Games Beat Sheet (Story Fix) This is an excellent learning tool, even for pantsers

The importance of A Writer's Notebooks (Spilling Ink)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Main Characters (Beyond the Margins)

9 Ways to Outwit Writer's Block (Rachelle Gardner)

4 Ways to Hook Your Reader and Keep them Wanting More (Jody Hedlund)

****Tolkein's Tips for Creating Epic Heroes (Writing is Hard Work) Learn from the master

How to Keep Writing When the Sh*** Hits the Fan (Nathan Bransford)

Editor Interview: Andrew Harwell of Harper Collins (Cynsations)

Agent Spotlight: Susan Hawk (Literary Rambles)

Squirrel Wisdom (Project Mayhem)

The Crow Flies and Midnight (on symbolism) (Write Brained)

Why Writers Should Seriously Consider Pinterest (Jody Hedlund) (Psst... You can find me there http://pinterest.com/lgerbs/)

Now go read a great Sendak book, and then WRITE!

Jessi Kirby IN HONOR and Writer Links

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:04:00 +0000

I'm pleased to welcome GCC sister Jessi Kirby to the blog today to celebrate the impending release of her new book, IN HONOR. (May 8.)

Jessi's a wife, mom, English teacher and former librarian, beach bum, runner, and lover of contemporary YA, strong coffee, and dark chocolate. Her previous book, MOONGLASS, came out last year to rave reviews (including this one from Sarah Dessen: "I couldn't put this book down. Kirby's voice is fresh and wise, all at once. An incredible first novel.") !

IN HONOR is earning similar praise. Here's what Sarah Ockler had to say about it: "A beautiful, engaging journey with heart, humor, and just a pinch of Texas sass. Hands down my favorite contemporary of the year." Lauren Barnholdt adds, "An amazing novel about first kisses, last goodbyes, and what it means to finally let go. I absolutely loved it."

Here's the official blurb:
Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.
Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

You can find more about Jessi and IN HONOR on her website, on her S&S author page, on her facebook page, and by following her on twitter.

Sarah's advice for writers: "This might sound silly, but one valuable tip I learned this time around was that nothing says you HAVE to write the entire story in chronological order. I kept getting stuck on transitional-type scenes, so I let myself write all the ones I was most looking forward to first, then went back and connected them all, and it was great!"

This week's link roundup:

Great review of LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY: CELEBRITY in Publisher's Weekly (PW) Yay!

Speaking of, Great CASSIDY sweepstakes for kids this month @ (Lipsmacker Lounge)

Beautiful "Group Hug" post in lieu of Writer's Butt* this week (Ginger Calem)

On living with a writer (Rachelle Gardner)

The Do's and Don'ts of Writer Conferences (The Knight Agency Blog)

10 Greatest Movies about Writers/Writing (Pop Matters)

8 Tips to Get the Most Out of Attending a Writers' Conference (Word Count)

5 Ways to Build Suspense Like a Master (The Other Side of the Story)

5 Pockets of Writing Time You Never Knew You Had (DIY MFA)

2 Tests That Can Help You Sort Through Feedback (Jody Hedlund)

2 Types of Key Question (The Science of Story)

On Noir and Genre Pigeon Holing (Beyond the Margins)

The Importance of the Right Title (Write it Sideways)

A Roundup of Advice about "The End" (Writer Unboxed)

On Writing a Quirky Historical Novel (Cynsations)

Revising vs Rewriting (Genreality)

Diversity in Storytelling (Writing and Rambling)

Interview with agent Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown (MiG Writers)

Interview with agent Marie Lamba of Jennifer DiChiara (MiG Writers)

Interview with Andrea Cascardi of Transatlantic (MiG Writers)

Interview with Jeff Ourvan with Jennifer Lyons (MiG Writers) << live on Friday

Interview with agent Becky Vinter of Fine Print (Janet Reid)

Donald Maass on premise development, part II (Writer Unboxed) (Part I here)

What Makes a Book Sell? (Jill Corcoran Books)

On Processing Criticism (Beyond the Margins)

Why Floundering is Good (TimeIdeas)

The Real Beginning (Kidlit)

Working Past Wordiness for Fresher Writing (Write it Sideways)

Every Writer Gets Rejected (Nathan Bransford)

Why Fiction is Good for You (The Boston Globe)

Power Words Save the Day (Seeing Creative)

GET IT DONE (Genreality)

Get Ahead of the Curveball (Janet Reid)

Report on Agent Panel at Desert Dreams Conference (Genreality)

Rock Your Writing With Checklists (Wordplay)

* Great news! Ginger will be taking #Writer'sButt on the road, joining the faculty at the Surrey International Writer's Conference (where I will be!) in October. Even more reason to come party with us!

Now go add IN HONOR to your reading list, and WRITE!