Hi Eileen, it's great to have you here! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
Eileen: I was always a huge reader and as soon as I knew someone got to make up those stories I knew I wanted to do that same thing. My parents saved a homework assignment I did in second grade. We were supposed to write down some simple sentences, but I strung them together to make a story. My teacher wrote on the paper “I’m sure some day you’ll be a writer.”
When I was in college I decided that I better pick a field where I could get a “real job.” I continued to write, but never sent anything thing. Finally, I had the realization that I had nothing to lose to sending things in. Turns out rejection wasn’t nearly as bad as not trying at all. I saw an interview with my now agent, Rachel Vater, in a writer’s magazine. When I finished the book that would become Unpredictable (Berkley) I sent it off to her. She worked her agent mojo and we sold a few months later.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Eileen: People have a routine? I really should get one of those.
I love the idea of having a set routine or process, but I find my life keeps getting in the way. Sometimes I write at home and other times I like to be in a coffee shop or at the library. I write in the morning, afternoon or evening- depending on when I have the time. The only consistent would be that when I am in the middle of the story I find I need to write at least a small bit every day or I lose track of the story. What I would tell new writers is to try all different types of approaches until they find one they like. There isn’t one routine that works- it is a case of what works for you.
Please tell us about your latest novel What Would Emma Do and what we can expect from your characters.
Eileen: What Would Emma Do (Simon Pulse December 30 2008) came about when I recently re-read the Crucible. In the play a group of people begin blaming others of being witches and the situation burns out of control. It got me thinking about what would be the worst thing you could accuse someone of today and how easy it is for the mob mentality to take over. Those thoughts were the beginning of the story.
I wanted the characters to grapple with the question Can you still have strong relationships with people when you don’t want the same things anymore? I am fascinated by how we change and how those around us deal with that change.
Great! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Eileen: I’m working on another YA, which is currently called Black and White. (Stay tuned the title may change.) It is a story of revenge, classic movies, friendship, and love. I’m having a lot of fun coming up with all sorts of nefarious plots for the revenge part. Turns out I have a very evil side.
Thanks so much for sharing with us, Eileen! Best of luck with Emma! :) Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Eileen: Read- read a lot. You can learn so much about writing this way. Read books you like and books you hate. Break them down to see what works and what doesn’t. Underline or highlight passages/dialog you really like (assuming that this isn’t a library book). It isn’t about trying to write like someone else, it is about discovering the process of what makes a story work.
Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else. Visit her webstie, www.EileenCook.com.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008
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Words of an Author with Carrie Jones
Hello Carrie, it's great to chat with you again! Please tell us about your latest novel.
Carrie: It's called NEED and it's published by Bloomsbury. It was released on Dec. 23 right before Christmas, which makes it a little scary because a lot of people aren't paying a lot of attention right before Christmas.
Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.
Sounds awesome! Could you share a bit about the main character of your book and what makes her unique?
Carrie: Zara is pretty much made of awesome. She's a runner, and she's from Charleston. She is really devoted to social justice issues and Amnesty International. Her step-dad (who raised her) died and this gets her in a funk. She starts collecting phobias, which is cool. There are a ton of cool phobias out there. She's also awesome because she wants so badly to make the world better.
How did the idea for this novel come about?
Carrie: I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.
Right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy – blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth. I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out.
Then when we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.
I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.
It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.
It also creeped me out.
So, I started writing.
Wow, that's a very cool backstory! hah! What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?
Carrie: That it's okay to NOT be the damsel in distress. That it's okay to try to change the world. And that can be the BIG world or your own world. And that it is very okay to fall in love with hot boys named Nick.
I personally would like to fall in love with a hot guy named Nick.
Thanks for sharing, Carrie. Best of luck with NEED! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?
Carrie: I am no good at the recommendations. I'm so sorry. Tastes are so ecclectic and then I start feeling like I'm playing favorites and I HATE playing favorites. Plus, what if I recommended HAMSTERS IN LOVE, which is an erotic hamster novel (not really I made it up) and then someone was afraid of hamsters and panicked while reading it and hurt their head in their mad dash to get away from the book because they slipped on the kitchen floor and banged into the refrigerator.
I just don't want to be responsible for that, so I'm wussing out.
Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives with her cute family in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber- comedian Sarah Silverman.
The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.
Carrie has a large, skinny white dog and a fat cat. Both like fudgicles. Only the cat likes potatoes. This may be a reason for the kitty’s weight problem (Shh… don’t tell). Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award and the Independent Book Publishers Association First Place Award for her debut novel, Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend. Visit her website, www.carriejonesbooks.com.
Carrie: It's called NEED and it's published by Bloomsbury. It was released on Dec. 23 right before Christmas, which makes it a little scary because a lot of people aren't paying a lot of attention right before Christmas.
Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.
Sounds awesome! Could you share a bit about the main character of your book and what makes her unique?
Carrie: Zara is pretty much made of awesome. She's a runner, and she's from Charleston. She is really devoted to social justice issues and Amnesty International. Her step-dad (who raised her) died and this gets her in a funk. She starts collecting phobias, which is cool. There are a ton of cool phobias out there. She's also awesome because she wants so badly to make the world better.
How did the idea for this novel come about?
Carrie: I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.
Right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy – blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth. I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out.
Then when we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.
I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.
It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.
It also creeped me out.
So, I started writing.
Wow, that's a very cool backstory! hah! What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?
Carrie: That it's okay to NOT be the damsel in distress. That it's okay to try to change the world. And that can be the BIG world or your own world. And that it is very okay to fall in love with hot boys named Nick.
I personally would like to fall in love with a hot guy named Nick.
Thanks for sharing, Carrie. Best of luck with NEED! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?
Carrie: I am no good at the recommendations. I'm so sorry. Tastes are so ecclectic and then I start feeling like I'm playing favorites and I HATE playing favorites. Plus, what if I recommended HAMSTERS IN LOVE, which is an erotic hamster novel (not really I made it up) and then someone was afraid of hamsters and panicked while reading it and hurt their head in their mad dash to get away from the book because they slipped on the kitchen floor and banged into the refrigerator.
I just don't want to be responsible for that, so I'm wussing out.
Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives with her cute family in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber- comedian Sarah Silverman.
The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.
Carrie has a large, skinny white dog and a fat cat. Both like fudgicles. Only the cat likes potatoes. This may be a reason for the kitty’s weight problem (Shh… don’t tell). Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award and the Independent Book Publishers Association First Place Award for her debut novel, Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend. Visit her website, www.carriejonesbooks.com.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
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Words of an Author with Laurie Faria Stolarz
Hi Laurie, it's great to chat with you again! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
Laurie: I have a folder filled with rejection letters. My favorite one is from an editor who said: “While this is an interesting project, I do not feel it is strong enough to compete in today’s competitive young adult market.” That same young adult novel, BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES, has sold close to 200,000 copies. When I speak to young people and aspiring writers, I always tell them this story, that if I had stopped persevering, after I received my first – or my 40th rejection letter – I may never have been able to enjoy the success of my series. So, after much perseverance, I finally found an editor who was really excited about my book. Megan Atwood at Llewellyn Publications offered me my first book contract. I’m still working with Llewellyn. They’ve been really good to me.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Laurie: It really depends on the day. I have two kids, 5 and 2, so I find myself often working at night. On the couple days when they’re both in school (the two-year-old goes to preschool a couple mornings a week; the five-year-old is in Kindergarten), I grab a cup of really strong, black coffee and get to work.
I loved Deadly Little Secret! But please tell the readers about Deadly Little Secret and what they can expect from your characters.
Laurie: Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at an art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary.
Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead she's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help – but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something...but he's not the only one with a secret.
What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Laurie: I’m working on the edits of DEADLY LITTLE LIES, the second book in the TOUCH series. I’m also working on the edits and graphics of BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS, the fifth book in the BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Laurie! I wish you the best with the new series! Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Laurie: Sure, whenever I get stuck in a scene or don’t know what happens next, I get away from the computer, grab a notebook, and start taking notes on the “issue.” I’ll write down what I know works, and then work toward the tricky part, jotting down questions I have. I find working the problem out this way helps get me through the kink.
Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston. She is currently working on a new series, also for young adults. Visit her website, www.LaurieStolarz.com.
Laurie: I have a folder filled with rejection letters. My favorite one is from an editor who said: “While this is an interesting project, I do not feel it is strong enough to compete in today’s competitive young adult market.” That same young adult novel, BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES, has sold close to 200,000 copies. When I speak to young people and aspiring writers, I always tell them this story, that if I had stopped persevering, after I received my first – or my 40th rejection letter – I may never have been able to enjoy the success of my series. So, after much perseverance, I finally found an editor who was really excited about my book. Megan Atwood at Llewellyn Publications offered me my first book contract. I’m still working with Llewellyn. They’ve been really good to me.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Laurie: It really depends on the day. I have two kids, 5 and 2, so I find myself often working at night. On the couple days when they’re both in school (the two-year-old goes to preschool a couple mornings a week; the five-year-old is in Kindergarten), I grab a cup of really strong, black coffee and get to work.
I loved Deadly Little Secret! But please tell the readers about Deadly Little Secret and what they can expect from your characters.
Laurie: Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at an art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary.
Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead she's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help – but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something...but he's not the only one with a secret.
What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Laurie: I’m working on the edits of DEADLY LITTLE LIES, the second book in the TOUCH series. I’m also working on the edits and graphics of BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS, the fifth book in the BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Laurie! I wish you the best with the new series! Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Laurie: Sure, whenever I get stuck in a scene or don’t know what happens next, I get away from the computer, grab a notebook, and start taking notes on the “issue.” I’ll write down what I know works, and then work toward the tricky part, jotting down questions I have. I find working the problem out this way helps get me through the kink.
Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston. She is currently working on a new series, also for young adults. Visit her website, www.LaurieStolarz.com.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
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Words of an Author with Melissa Clark
Hi Melissa, it is great to chat with you! Please share about your release Swimming Upstream, Slowly and the inspiration behind it.
Melissa: "Swimming Upstream, Slowly" is a novel about Sasha Salter, who wakes up one day to find she is pregnant. Only problem is she hasn't had sex in over 2 years. The doctor's diagnosis is that Sasha's body has been harboring a 'lazy sperm'. Sasha must now open up the Pandora's box of her past loves to figure out which of her exes is the father - and what the future holds in store.
The idea was born because I was having lunch with a friend and overate. I lifted my shirt to expose my bloated belly and the friend said, half joking, "Are you sure you're not pregnant?" and I said, "Yeah, right, from a lazy sperm." I went home that night and started outlining the idea for a movie. I decided, eventually, to write it as a novel instead.
Could you please tell us a little about your writing background?
Melissa: My dad is a writer, so I was always playing on his typewriter and writing on legal steno pads. I wrote short stories from the time that I could write. I studied writing and literature in both college and graduate school. In my 20's to mid-30's I worked as a writer in television. I created a kid's show called "Braceface" which ran for 5 seasons. I loved that experience, but really wanted to write a novel, so I quit my own show and set out to write "Swimming Upstream, Slowly." It was the best risk I've ever taken!
What's up next for you?
Melissa: I JUST completed a draft of a new novel, "Imperfect". It is another medical anomaly type of story, but very different than "Swimming..." This one is more of a coming-of-age story. I sent it to my agent last week and am now on pins and needles waiting for her response.
Thank you for sharing, Melissa! I wish you the best with your writing career. Let's close with what's the most surprising thing that has happened to you on your publishing journey? Have you learnt things about the industry you never knew before?
Melissa: I was invited to speak at the Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival. There is a famous food writer named Melissa Clark who writes for the NY Times and I was sure they meant to invite her. I wined and dined with the likes of Frank McCourt and Elizabeth Edwards. I gave a talk during which I explained that I thought they invited the wrong Melissa Clark. The audience thought it was hysterical. They were cracking up, but I was really venting my insecurity. The head of the program came up to me after the reading and said it was great, but never assured me... a few months later a friend, after hearing that story, told me she knew the other Melissa Clark - they had been in a wedding together - and gave me her email. I wrote about that experience and she replied, "That's okay, everyone thinks I wrote the lazy sperm book."
Melissa Clark is the creator and executive producer of the award-winning television series, 'Braceface', and has written for shows on the Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and Fox. She received a master's degree from the writing program at U.C. Davis, and currently lives in Los Angeles. This is her first novel. Visit her website, www.melissaclark.org.
Melissa: "Swimming Upstream, Slowly" is a novel about Sasha Salter, who wakes up one day to find she is pregnant. Only problem is she hasn't had sex in over 2 years. The doctor's diagnosis is that Sasha's body has been harboring a 'lazy sperm'. Sasha must now open up the Pandora's box of her past loves to figure out which of her exes is the father - and what the future holds in store.
The idea was born because I was having lunch with a friend and overate. I lifted my shirt to expose my bloated belly and the friend said, half joking, "Are you sure you're not pregnant?" and I said, "Yeah, right, from a lazy sperm." I went home that night and started outlining the idea for a movie. I decided, eventually, to write it as a novel instead.
Could you please tell us a little about your writing background?
Melissa: My dad is a writer, so I was always playing on his typewriter and writing on legal steno pads. I wrote short stories from the time that I could write. I studied writing and literature in both college and graduate school. In my 20's to mid-30's I worked as a writer in television. I created a kid's show called "Braceface" which ran for 5 seasons. I loved that experience, but really wanted to write a novel, so I quit my own show and set out to write "Swimming Upstream, Slowly." It was the best risk I've ever taken!
What's up next for you?
Melissa: I JUST completed a draft of a new novel, "Imperfect". It is another medical anomaly type of story, but very different than "Swimming..." This one is more of a coming-of-age story. I sent it to my agent last week and am now on pins and needles waiting for her response.
Thank you for sharing, Melissa! I wish you the best with your writing career. Let's close with what's the most surprising thing that has happened to you on your publishing journey? Have you learnt things about the industry you never knew before?
Melissa: I was invited to speak at the Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival. There is a famous food writer named Melissa Clark who writes for the NY Times and I was sure they meant to invite her. I wined and dined with the likes of Frank McCourt and Elizabeth Edwards. I gave a talk during which I explained that I thought they invited the wrong Melissa Clark. The audience thought it was hysterical. They were cracking up, but I was really venting my insecurity. The head of the program came up to me after the reading and said it was great, but never assured me... a few months later a friend, after hearing that story, told me she knew the other Melissa Clark - they had been in a wedding together - and gave me her email. I wrote about that experience and she replied, "That's okay, everyone thinks I wrote the lazy sperm book."
Melissa Clark is the creator and executive producer of the award-winning television series, 'Braceface', and has written for shows on the Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and Fox. She received a master's degree from the writing program at U.C. Davis, and currently lives in Los Angeles. This is her first novel. Visit her website, www.melissaclark.org.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
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Words of an Author with Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Hello, Lauren, it's great to chat with you! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
Lauren: I was an independent bookseller and buyer for 11 years until 1994 when I left to take a chance on myself as a writer. Over the course of the next eight years, while writing seven books and trying to make a first sale, I supported my writing habit with part-time jobs as a Publishers Weekly reviewer (292 titles), a freelance editor (nearly 100 books), a sort-of librarian (arranging author visits and leading a writing workshop), and window washer (I washed Robert Ludlum's windows). In fall 2001, I began reading reviews of a new publisher, Red Dress Ink, whose editorial sensibility I felt was a match for the sixth book I'd written, THE THIN PINK LINE, a dark comedy about a woman who fakes an entire pregnancy. So I showed The Thin Pink Line to an agent I was working with at the time on Vertigo, another book that has since sold and been published, and asked if he'd read it. He did, said he loved it but that there were too many books like it out there. You know, all those other fake pregnancy comedic novels? So I asked if he'd submit it to this one publisher, RDI, who still seemed perfect for it. He said no, because he knew for a fact that they didn't want books with a London setting. This sounded frankly nutty to me, so I asked if he'd be offended if I sent it to them on my own. He said, very scathingly, "If that's what you want to do with your time..." So I sent it off, it sold as part of a two-book deal, was published in 10 countries, optioned for a film (never made but at least I got paid) and was the first Harlequin imprint book ever to receive a starred Kirkus review, causing them to buy three more books from me before the first even came out.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Lauren: When I still needed four part-time jobs to support my writing habit, I used to begin my writing workday between 2:30 and 4:30 a.m. Now I'm more lax. I begin at 7 a.m. when my daughter leaves for school and pretty much work straight through til 4 p.m. when she gets home. If the writing is good, I'll also sneak more time in the nights and on weekends. I do try to arrange things so I'm only answering email etc between 3 and 4 p.m. so I can have "General Hospital" on in the background.
Please tell us about your latest series THE SISTERS EIGHT and what we can expect from your characters.
Lauren: THE SISTERS EIGHT is a nine-book series of books, launching Dec 29 with Annie's Adventures and Durinda's Dangers, about that rarest of things: octuplets. On New Year's Eve, Mommy goes out to the kitchen for eggnog, Daddy goes out to the shed for firewood...and neither returns. Now the Eights, as they are known, must solve the mystery of what happened to their parents while keeping the wider world from realizing that eight little girls are living home alone. The books are geared toward ages 6 to 10 but with early reviewer comparisons to Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl and Edward Gorey, hopefully readers of all ages will enjoy. The books are being published by Houghton Mifflin and the first two have been selected by the Junior Library Guild. Curious parties can read more about the series at the wonderful site Houghton Mifflin created, www.sisterseight.com.
Sounds like a terrific series! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Lauren: My next non-SISTERS EIGHT book is CRAZY BEAUTIFUL, due sometime around mid-2009 and also with Houghton Mifflin. It's a contemporary Beauty & the Beast YA story about a gorgeous girl and a boy with hooks for hands.
Lauren, thanks so much for sharing with us! I wish you the best with your new series! Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Lauren: I always say the same thing. Read, read, read, because you can't be a good writer if you're not a good reader, and always remember: the only person who can ever really take you out of the game is you.
By the end of 2008, Lauren Baratz-Logsted will have had 12 books published since 2003 in a variety of genres. For adults: Vertigo (Random House); The Thin Pink Line, Crossing the Line, A Little Change of Face, How Nancy Drew Saved My Life, and Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes (all from RDI). For teens: Angel's Choice and Secrets of My Suburban Life (both from Simon & Schuster). For tweens: Me, In Between (S&S). For young readers: the first two volumes in The Sisters Eight series, co-written with her husband Greg Logsted and their eight-year-old daughter Jackie, both of which books will be twin lead titles from Houghton Mifflin in December. Lauren is also the editor and a contributor to the anthology This Is Chick-Lit (BenBella) and has had several stories and essays published. Her books have been published in 11 countries and you can read more about her life and work at www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com.
Lauren: I was an independent bookseller and buyer for 11 years until 1994 when I left to take a chance on myself as a writer. Over the course of the next eight years, while writing seven books and trying to make a first sale, I supported my writing habit with part-time jobs as a Publishers Weekly reviewer (292 titles), a freelance editor (nearly 100 books), a sort-of librarian (arranging author visits and leading a writing workshop), and window washer (I washed Robert Ludlum's windows). In fall 2001, I began reading reviews of a new publisher, Red Dress Ink, whose editorial sensibility I felt was a match for the sixth book I'd written, THE THIN PINK LINE, a dark comedy about a woman who fakes an entire pregnancy. So I showed The Thin Pink Line to an agent I was working with at the time on Vertigo, another book that has since sold and been published, and asked if he'd read it. He did, said he loved it but that there were too many books like it out there. You know, all those other fake pregnancy comedic novels? So I asked if he'd submit it to this one publisher, RDI, who still seemed perfect for it. He said no, because he knew for a fact that they didn't want books with a London setting. This sounded frankly nutty to me, so I asked if he'd be offended if I sent it to them on my own. He said, very scathingly, "If that's what you want to do with your time..." So I sent it off, it sold as part of a two-book deal, was published in 10 countries, optioned for a film (never made but at least I got paid) and was the first Harlequin imprint book ever to receive a starred Kirkus review, causing them to buy three more books from me before the first even came out.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Lauren: When I still needed four part-time jobs to support my writing habit, I used to begin my writing workday between 2:30 and 4:30 a.m. Now I'm more lax. I begin at 7 a.m. when my daughter leaves for school and pretty much work straight through til 4 p.m. when she gets home. If the writing is good, I'll also sneak more time in the nights and on weekends. I do try to arrange things so I'm only answering email etc between 3 and 4 p.m. so I can have "General Hospital" on in the background.
Please tell us about your latest series THE SISTERS EIGHT and what we can expect from your characters.
Lauren: THE SISTERS EIGHT is a nine-book series of books, launching Dec 29 with Annie's Adventures and Durinda's Dangers, about that rarest of things: octuplets. On New Year's Eve, Mommy goes out to the kitchen for eggnog, Daddy goes out to the shed for firewood...and neither returns. Now the Eights, as they are known, must solve the mystery of what happened to their parents while keeping the wider world from realizing that eight little girls are living home alone. The books are geared toward ages 6 to 10 but with early reviewer comparisons to Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl and Edward Gorey, hopefully readers of all ages will enjoy. The books are being published by Houghton Mifflin and the first two have been selected by the Junior Library Guild. Curious parties can read more about the series at the wonderful site Houghton Mifflin created, www.sisterseight.com.
Sounds like a terrific series! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Lauren: My next non-SISTERS EIGHT book is CRAZY BEAUTIFUL, due sometime around mid-2009 and also with Houghton Mifflin. It's a contemporary Beauty & the Beast YA story about a gorgeous girl and a boy with hooks for hands.
Lauren, thanks so much for sharing with us! I wish you the best with your new series! Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Lauren: I always say the same thing. Read, read, read, because you can't be a good writer if you're not a good reader, and always remember: the only person who can ever really take you out of the game is you.
By the end of 2008, Lauren Baratz-Logsted will have had 12 books published since 2003 in a variety of genres. For adults: Vertigo (Random House); The Thin Pink Line, Crossing the Line, A Little Change of Face, How Nancy Drew Saved My Life, and Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes (all from RDI). For teens: Angel's Choice and Secrets of My Suburban Life (both from Simon & Schuster). For tweens: Me, In Between (S&S). For young readers: the first two volumes in The Sisters Eight series, co-written with her husband Greg Logsted and their eight-year-old daughter Jackie, both of which books will be twin lead titles from Houghton Mifflin in December. Lauren is also the editor and a contributor to the anthology This Is Chick-Lit (BenBella) and has had several stories and essays published. Her books have been published in 11 countries and you can read more about her life and work at www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com.
Monday, November 24, 2008
0
Words of an Author with Malena Lott
Hello Malena, thank you for agreeing to chat! Could you give us a brief blurb of your latest novel, Dating da Vinci?
Malena: Dating da Vinci is a Texas-based Under the Tuscan Sun meets How Stella Got Her Groove Back. A young widow, 36-year-old Ramona Griffen, searches for joy with the help of a handsome younger Italian immigrant named Leonardo da Vinci. Her humorous and heartwarming journey takes her on some unexpected adventures of body, mind and spirit as she learns to let go of her grief to make room for a wholly new life.
Readers often like an inside peek of a writer's routine. What is a typical writing day for you?
Malena: Kiss the older kids goodbye for school. Coffee next, with sugar and peppermint mocha creamer. Take my laptop upstairs to the playroom while my toddler still sleeps as synapses start firing. Re-read the last chapter I wrote the day before, however short or long that might be. Only slight modification, no re-writing, yet. First half of first cup of coffee is drunk, so now can dig in to actual words on page. Write until I hear my toddler yell my name. If he did not wet the bed (yea!) it’s downstairs for cereal and a cartoon while he eats. Second cup of joe for me. When he’s done, he usually wants to play games on the computer for about an hour, so I get at least a chapter written if I didn’t stop to look up some research fact online. (I can’t wait; I’m impatient.) Then I’ll usually close things down for my fiction writing and work on any marketing consulting work here and there throughout the day when I’m not playing with my toddler or running errands before it’s time for the older kids to get home from school. Get on laptop again in the evening, but usually only for marketing Dating da Vinci type of work.
What pulled you into this story, and as a writer made you think ‘I have to write this’??? What do you consider the heart of your story?
Malena: Women, especially mothers, tend to put themselves last on the list. I wanted to share the story of someone who has lost the love of her life and has focused on just “getting by” each day, but is ready to find a way to be joyful again, even through the pain. The heart of the story really is, is there love after death, and the courage it takes to not only survive but to build a great life again.
How do you go about choosing a setting for your novel?
Malena: Picking the setting is one of my favorite parts of brainstorming upfront, because I do think it's so important. I selected Austin, Texas as the setting for Dating da Vinci because I wanted a college town and Austin is the home of UT (rival to my beloved Sooners), because I needed Leonardo da Vinci to be in America on a student visa and Ramona is finishing her Ph.D. And I've actually been there several times, so that helps, too.
Thanks again for chatting with me, Malena! I wish you the best with this novel. Let's close with any tried and true tricks for beating procrastination?
Malena: I have to say, I'm pretty lucky. Hugh (Jackman) typically promises a shirtless steak dinner (him, not me) if I meet my word count goal. If that's not enough motivation, Brad's aromatherapy massages usually get me in the mood, though sad to say, it's not for writing. Heck, usually my imagination can trick me into getting back on the laptop to write away into the sunrise. Like, "finish this and you'll be as famous as Sophie Kinsella and you'll never have to buy groceries again and you can spend all your time lounging on the beaches drinking frozen Flirtinis!" I'm so easy.
Malena Lott writes humorous and heartfelt mainstream women’s fiction novels. With national speaking experience, she is a brand and marketing consultant and facilitates personal and professional development workshops for women. Dating da Vinci is Malena Lott’s second novel. Lott is a married mother of three and resides in Oklahoma. Lott invites you to her web site where she has posted cooking videos, contests and an excerpt of the first chapter: www.malenalott.com.
Malena: Dating da Vinci is a Texas-based Under the Tuscan Sun meets How Stella Got Her Groove Back. A young widow, 36-year-old Ramona Griffen, searches for joy with the help of a handsome younger Italian immigrant named Leonardo da Vinci. Her humorous and heartwarming journey takes her on some unexpected adventures of body, mind and spirit as she learns to let go of her grief to make room for a wholly new life.
Readers often like an inside peek of a writer's routine. What is a typical writing day for you?
Malena: Kiss the older kids goodbye for school. Coffee next, with sugar and peppermint mocha creamer. Take my laptop upstairs to the playroom while my toddler still sleeps as synapses start firing. Re-read the last chapter I wrote the day before, however short or long that might be. Only slight modification, no re-writing, yet. First half of first cup of coffee is drunk, so now can dig in to actual words on page. Write until I hear my toddler yell my name. If he did not wet the bed (yea!) it’s downstairs for cereal and a cartoon while he eats. Second cup of joe for me. When he’s done, he usually wants to play games on the computer for about an hour, so I get at least a chapter written if I didn’t stop to look up some research fact online. (I can’t wait; I’m impatient.) Then I’ll usually close things down for my fiction writing and work on any marketing consulting work here and there throughout the day when I’m not playing with my toddler or running errands before it’s time for the older kids to get home from school. Get on laptop again in the evening, but usually only for marketing Dating da Vinci type of work.
What pulled you into this story, and as a writer made you think ‘I have to write this’??? What do you consider the heart of your story?
Malena: Women, especially mothers, tend to put themselves last on the list. I wanted to share the story of someone who has lost the love of her life and has focused on just “getting by” each day, but is ready to find a way to be joyful again, even through the pain. The heart of the story really is, is there love after death, and the courage it takes to not only survive but to build a great life again.
How do you go about choosing a setting for your novel?
Malena: Picking the setting is one of my favorite parts of brainstorming upfront, because I do think it's so important. I selected Austin, Texas as the setting for Dating da Vinci because I wanted a college town and Austin is the home of UT (rival to my beloved Sooners), because I needed Leonardo da Vinci to be in America on a student visa and Ramona is finishing her Ph.D. And I've actually been there several times, so that helps, too.
Thanks again for chatting with me, Malena! I wish you the best with this novel. Let's close with any tried and true tricks for beating procrastination?
Malena: I have to say, I'm pretty lucky. Hugh (Jackman) typically promises a shirtless steak dinner (him, not me) if I meet my word count goal. If that's not enough motivation, Brad's aromatherapy massages usually get me in the mood, though sad to say, it's not for writing. Heck, usually my imagination can trick me into getting back on the laptop to write away into the sunrise. Like, "finish this and you'll be as famous as Sophie Kinsella and you'll never have to buy groceries again and you can spend all your time lounging on the beaches drinking frozen Flirtinis!" I'm so easy.
Malena Lott writes humorous and heartfelt mainstream women’s fiction novels. With national speaking experience, she is a brand and marketing consultant and facilitates personal and professional development workshops for women. Dating da Vinci is Malena Lott’s second novel. Lott is a married mother of three and resides in Oklahoma. Lott invites you to her web site where she has posted cooking videos, contests and an excerpt of the first chapter: www.malenalott.com.
Monday, November 17, 2008
0
Words of an Author with Jessica Brody
Hello Jessica, it's great to chat with you! Please tell us about your latest release The Fidelity Files and the inspiration behind it.
Jessica: The Fidelity Files is the story of a beautiful, L.A. woman who works as an undercover “fidelity inspector,” hired by suspicious wives and girlfriends to test the faithfulness of the men in their lives. Except no one in her life knows what she does. Her friends and family all think she works for an investment bank.
Before I became a full-time writer, I worked in a very corporate environment. And like all corporate jobs, there were a certain number of “alcohol-related” events that I was expected to attend. I would often find myself at work happy hour functions in nearby bars, observing the interactions between single and non-single co-workers as their behaviors gradually declined from professional to something else entirely. Something hardly capable of being described as “appropriate.”
Witnessing these “indiscretions” upset me on a profound level. I secretly wished that someone would tell the “conveniently” absent significant others about what their husbands/wives/boyfriends/ girlfriends/fiancés really did while attending these “obligatory” and supposedly “uneventful” work functions. But I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to do it. I was brave enough to think it…but not exactly brave enough to go knocking on people’s doors with bad news. You know what people tend to do to “the messenger.”
So instead I created a character whose job and purpose in life was to do just that. To reveal the truth to anyone who wanted to know. To knock on all the doors that I never had the courage to knock on. An invincible superhero-esque woman whose quest is to fight against the evils of infidelity. But of course, she soon finds out…she’s not as invincible as she once thought.
Could you tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more organic?
Jessica: The writing process is very random for me. It all depends on the day. Because I tend to be equally right and left brained, sometimes I feel as though the writing process is just a constant struggle (or sometimes clash) between the two sides of my brain to come up with a consistent way to write a novel. I write outlines, because my analytical side tells me it’s the right thing to do, but then halfway through the story, I come to the conclusion that I only write outlines so that I’ll have something to deviate from. I create complicated spreadsheets (a nod back to my days as a strategic analyst) for my storylines and page counts and pacing only to abandon them halfway through. And yet, despite this seemingly random chaos, it all feels perfectly natural to me. As if it was designed specifically for a purpose. So I suppose, my lack of a defined process is a process in itself.
Which craft book has inspired or helped you the most throughout your writing career?
Jessica: I can’t sing enough praise for Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. It has “saved” so many manuscripts of mine. It’s meant for screenwriters but it works flawlessly for novels as well. It’s just a very intuitive way to write stories and make sure the audience isn’t bored to tears because nothing is happening for fifty pages. Now, I consult the book before I even start writing and I use his “beat sheet” to help me outline the major story points. It saves me so much time later on!
What’s next for you? Is there a new book in the pipeline?
Jessica: Oh, gosh, I have so many things going on right now, it’s hard to keep track! Although, this question may help me get my head around everything. I just finished the first draft of the sequel to The Fidelity Files which St. Martin’s is publishing in Fall of 2009 and is yet untitled. That’ll also be out in the UK around the same time. I’m waiting to get my revision notes back on that so I can go for round two. Also, I just finished revising the manuscript for my new young adult book, THE KARMA CLUB, which FSG is publishing in spring of 2010. And I recently started a new YA series that I’m super excited about and will hopefully try to sell early next year. AND…one of the screenplays I co-wrote just got financed for a feature film so we hope to start shooting that in April. Yes, I know, I’m a masochist. What can I say, idleness is my only enemy.
Thank you so much for chatting, Jessica! I wish you the best with your writing career. What advice would you give to other writers trying to get published?
Jessica: Take criticism. Believe in your work and stand behind it, but don’t be afraid to make changes. Try to be as objective as possible when it comes to your writing (I know how impossible that sounds) but it will only help you in the long run. Use rejections to evolve yourself as a writer, not just to line your waste basket. When someone rejects your work and offers a reason, don’t just blow it off and claim that they “didn’t get it” or that they clearly didn’t read it closely enough, dissect it and try to figure out if what they’re saying makes sense and if it will inevitably help your work. There a lot of people in this industry—agents, editors, other writers, etc.—who know what they’re talking about and know what it takes to make a book work. After all, that’s what they get paid for! Listen to them with open ears and grateful hearts. There’s a fine balance between staying true to your art and being open for suggestions, try to stay somewhere in the middle. If they “didn’t get it,” chances are, readers won’t get it either. And you won’t be there to explain it to them in the middle of Barnes and Noble.
Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self "publishing" her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape.
After graduating from Smith College in 2001 where she double majored in Economics and French and minored in Japanese, Jessica later went on to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development. In May of 2005, Jessica quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author. Between 2006 and 2007, Jessica sold two adult novels to St. Martin's Press and two young adult novels to Farrar, Straus, Giroux. The Fidelity Files, her debut, is now available in stores (in real binding) and the sequel, which she is currently completing, is slated for publication in the summer of 2009. The Karma Club, Jessica's debut YA novel will be released in the spring of 2010. Check out her website and cool trailer at www.thefidelityfiles.com.
Jessica: The Fidelity Files is the story of a beautiful, L.A. woman who works as an undercover “fidelity inspector,” hired by suspicious wives and girlfriends to test the faithfulness of the men in their lives. Except no one in her life knows what she does. Her friends and family all think she works for an investment bank.
Before I became a full-time writer, I worked in a very corporate environment. And like all corporate jobs, there were a certain number of “alcohol-related” events that I was expected to attend. I would often find myself at work happy hour functions in nearby bars, observing the interactions between single and non-single co-workers as their behaviors gradually declined from professional to something else entirely. Something hardly capable of being described as “appropriate.”
Witnessing these “indiscretions” upset me on a profound level. I secretly wished that someone would tell the “conveniently” absent significant others about what their husbands/wives/boyfriends/ girlfriends/fiancés really did while attending these “obligatory” and supposedly “uneventful” work functions. But I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to do it. I was brave enough to think it…but not exactly brave enough to go knocking on people’s doors with bad news. You know what people tend to do to “the messenger.”
So instead I created a character whose job and purpose in life was to do just that. To reveal the truth to anyone who wanted to know. To knock on all the doors that I never had the courage to knock on. An invincible superhero-esque woman whose quest is to fight against the evils of infidelity. But of course, she soon finds out…she’s not as invincible as she once thought.
Could you tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more organic?
Jessica: The writing process is very random for me. It all depends on the day. Because I tend to be equally right and left brained, sometimes I feel as though the writing process is just a constant struggle (or sometimes clash) between the two sides of my brain to come up with a consistent way to write a novel. I write outlines, because my analytical side tells me it’s the right thing to do, but then halfway through the story, I come to the conclusion that I only write outlines so that I’ll have something to deviate from. I create complicated spreadsheets (a nod back to my days as a strategic analyst) for my storylines and page counts and pacing only to abandon them halfway through. And yet, despite this seemingly random chaos, it all feels perfectly natural to me. As if it was designed specifically for a purpose. So I suppose, my lack of a defined process is a process in itself.
Which craft book has inspired or helped you the most throughout your writing career?
Jessica: I can’t sing enough praise for Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. It has “saved” so many manuscripts of mine. It’s meant for screenwriters but it works flawlessly for novels as well. It’s just a very intuitive way to write stories and make sure the audience isn’t bored to tears because nothing is happening for fifty pages. Now, I consult the book before I even start writing and I use his “beat sheet” to help me outline the major story points. It saves me so much time later on!
What’s next for you? Is there a new book in the pipeline?
Jessica: Oh, gosh, I have so many things going on right now, it’s hard to keep track! Although, this question may help me get my head around everything. I just finished the first draft of the sequel to The Fidelity Files which St. Martin’s is publishing in Fall of 2009 and is yet untitled. That’ll also be out in the UK around the same time. I’m waiting to get my revision notes back on that so I can go for round two. Also, I just finished revising the manuscript for my new young adult book, THE KARMA CLUB, which FSG is publishing in spring of 2010. And I recently started a new YA series that I’m super excited about and will hopefully try to sell early next year. AND…one of the screenplays I co-wrote just got financed for a feature film so we hope to start shooting that in April. Yes, I know, I’m a masochist. What can I say, idleness is my only enemy.
Thank you so much for chatting, Jessica! I wish you the best with your writing career. What advice would you give to other writers trying to get published?
Jessica: Take criticism. Believe in your work and stand behind it, but don’t be afraid to make changes. Try to be as objective as possible when it comes to your writing (I know how impossible that sounds) but it will only help you in the long run. Use rejections to evolve yourself as a writer, not just to line your waste basket. When someone rejects your work and offers a reason, don’t just blow it off and claim that they “didn’t get it” or that they clearly didn’t read it closely enough, dissect it and try to figure out if what they’re saying makes sense and if it will inevitably help your work. There a lot of people in this industry—agents, editors, other writers, etc.—who know what they’re talking about and know what it takes to make a book work. After all, that’s what they get paid for! Listen to them with open ears and grateful hearts. There’s a fine balance between staying true to your art and being open for suggestions, try to stay somewhere in the middle. If they “didn’t get it,” chances are, readers won’t get it either. And you won’t be there to explain it to them in the middle of Barnes and Noble.
Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self "publishing" her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape.
After graduating from Smith College in 2001 where she double majored in Economics and French and minored in Japanese, Jessica later went on to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development. In May of 2005, Jessica quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author. Between 2006 and 2007, Jessica sold two adult novels to St. Martin's Press and two young adult novels to Farrar, Straus, Giroux. The Fidelity Files, her debut, is now available in stores (in real binding) and the sequel, which she is currently completing, is slated for publication in the summer of 2009. The Karma Club, Jessica's debut YA novel will be released in the spring of 2010. Check out her website and cool trailer at www.thefidelityfiles.com.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
0
Words of an Author with Saralee Rosenberg
Hi Saralee, thanks so much for chatting with me! Please tell me what was the inspiration for your new novel, DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD?
Saralee: Of my four novels, DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD is the only one that was inspired by, well, me! This story is based on my first novel, ALL IN THE CARDS, which was never published, but did take a very exciting journey to Hollywood. Back in 1997, Bette Midler optioned it for a feature film (she was looking for a follow up comedy to “First Wives Club”). Exactly! Wow! First time out and it’s a homerun. Sadly, the reason you never heard of it is because ultimately, Bette and her partner couldn’t get financing or find the right screenwriter to adapt it. Bye bye Bette... Now fast forward to a few years ago. My novels, A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE, CLAIRE VOYANT and FATE & MS. FORTUNE had done very well but were about single women looking for love in all the wrong places. I wanted to write about my “peeps” in the suburbs and pitched my editor on letting me rewrite ALL IN THE CARDS. She was hesitant because she wasn’t sure Avon was the right publisher for a suburban/soccer mom story with bickering neighbors. Then came “Desperate Housewives” and suddenly it was, get me suburban/soccer mom stories with bickering neighbors. Timing is everything.... So although DEAR NEIGHBOR is an incarnation of my earliest novel, it is a much richer, deeper, funnier story and is resonating with readers of all ages.
When and where do you write? Is it cluttered or minimalist heaven?
Saralee: I’m a crack-of- dawn morning writer maybe because my muses are busy all night and can’t wait to have me pour out what they sunk in (at least they let me go to the bathroom first). That being said, when I’m in the zone, I write morning, noon and night. I know I’m done, however, when I look up at the computer screen and I see this, “She said, hjkljkl;uiop.” Then it’s time to shut the lights. As for where I write, the majority of my work is written while chained to my computer table which is situated right smack in the middle of my master bedroom... I never thought this would be my workspace. I always fantasized about having the kind of home office that “playwright” Diane Keaton got in “Something’s Gotta Give.” - this huge, white, ocean-facing office that was stocked with floral bouquets and a breathtaking view. Perhaps one day, but for now it’s fine. I look out at my beautiful backyard and at least my commute is a breeze. Not to mention I can make it to the fridge in under thirty seconds.
What comes first? The title or the idea?
Saralee: For DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD, the title came to me only a few months before publication and trust me, by then I was in a total panic. The original title, based on the very earliest draft, was ALL IN THE CARDS, but everyone agreed that was kind of boring. Then I submitted a list of twenty titles, some interesting, some wacky, some that would never fly because they involved curse words. Here is a sampling: Hot, Hungry and Hormonal; Ask Your Doctor if Stress Is Right for You; Same SH-T, Different Zip; If Lucy Hated Ethel; and one of my personal favorites, The Bitch Next Door. No, no, no, my editor said to all of those. Then I came up with Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead and she smiled. We have a winner!!! And I must admit, it’s a beauty. Everyone gets it. No need for an explanation. As for my novel, CLAIRE VOYANT, that title came to me years ago and it took me a while to create an entire story based on the premise that a girl named Claire would have super natural abilities.
What is up next for you?
Saralee: I am very excited about my next novel because the focus is about a child leaving for college and this is hitting very close to home fas our youngest is now a senior in high school. But in this story, Jackie, a twice-divorced mom, has one son, 17-year old Daniel and she is in a panic thinking that when he leaves for college in the fall, she’ll be left alone with her ornery, widowed father. Thus, when she sets off on the campus tour circuit, she decides to throw caution and her underwear to the wind and boy does she have one hell of a good time. It’s worse senioritis than even Daniel has and their adventures visiting the Ivies is one for the books. In the end, she rediscovers the smart, ambitious girl she left behind at Yale Law and pledges to get her life back on track. The title of the book is EARLY DECISION and I think it’s going to be my best yet. No publication date as of yet.
Thanks so much for chatting with me, Saralee! Good luck with your writing career! If you could ask one author for one piece of advice, who would you ask and what would you want to know?
Saralee: I’m very lucky because I actually had that opportunity. One of my favorite authors in the world is the novelist, Sol Stein, who wrote THE MAGICIAN and THE LIVING ROOM, among many others. I discovered him in college and feel in some ways, he was an influence in my secretly aspiring to be a writer. Recently, I was curious to see if he was still writing (or even still alive) and discovered he had a website and an email address. I wrote him this long, flowery message, never expecting a response. But the next day he sent me a lovely note back and we exchanged several emails. In one of them I asked his advice on whether I should change my name and use a pseudonym for my next book. This is something that my editor and agent had been discussing and I was torn. He wrote back and said, don’t you dare. Saralee Rosenberg is a wonderful name and quite memorable.... now you know why I loved this guy, and so far, I’ve followed his advice.
Saralee Rosenberg is the author of A Little Help from Above, Claire Voyant, Fate and Ms. Fortune, and Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead. She lives on Long Island (where else?) with her husband and three children. Visit her website, www.saraleerosenberg.com.
Saralee: Of my four novels, DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD is the only one that was inspired by, well, me! This story is based on my first novel, ALL IN THE CARDS, which was never published, but did take a very exciting journey to Hollywood. Back in 1997, Bette Midler optioned it for a feature film (she was looking for a follow up comedy to “First Wives Club”). Exactly! Wow! First time out and it’s a homerun. Sadly, the reason you never heard of it is because ultimately, Bette and her partner couldn’t get financing or find the right screenwriter to adapt it. Bye bye Bette... Now fast forward to a few years ago. My novels, A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE, CLAIRE VOYANT and FATE & MS. FORTUNE had done very well but were about single women looking for love in all the wrong places. I wanted to write about my “peeps” in the suburbs and pitched my editor on letting me rewrite ALL IN THE CARDS. She was hesitant because she wasn’t sure Avon was the right publisher for a suburban/soccer mom story with bickering neighbors. Then came “Desperate Housewives” and suddenly it was, get me suburban/soccer mom stories with bickering neighbors. Timing is everything.... So although DEAR NEIGHBOR is an incarnation of my earliest novel, it is a much richer, deeper, funnier story and is resonating with readers of all ages.
When and where do you write? Is it cluttered or minimalist heaven?
Saralee: I’m a crack-of- dawn morning writer maybe because my muses are busy all night and can’t wait to have me pour out what they sunk in (at least they let me go to the bathroom first). That being said, when I’m in the zone, I write morning, noon and night. I know I’m done, however, when I look up at the computer screen and I see this, “She said, hjkljkl;uiop.” Then it’s time to shut the lights. As for where I write, the majority of my work is written while chained to my computer table which is situated right smack in the middle of my master bedroom... I never thought this would be my workspace. I always fantasized about having the kind of home office that “playwright” Diane Keaton got in “Something’s Gotta Give.” - this huge, white, ocean-facing office that was stocked with floral bouquets and a breathtaking view. Perhaps one day, but for now it’s fine. I look out at my beautiful backyard and at least my commute is a breeze. Not to mention I can make it to the fridge in under thirty seconds.
What comes first? The title or the idea?
Saralee: For DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD, the title came to me only a few months before publication and trust me, by then I was in a total panic. The original title, based on the very earliest draft, was ALL IN THE CARDS, but everyone agreed that was kind of boring. Then I submitted a list of twenty titles, some interesting, some wacky, some that would never fly because they involved curse words. Here is a sampling: Hot, Hungry and Hormonal; Ask Your Doctor if Stress Is Right for You; Same SH-T, Different Zip; If Lucy Hated Ethel; and one of my personal favorites, The Bitch Next Door. No, no, no, my editor said to all of those. Then I came up with Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead and she smiled. We have a winner!!! And I must admit, it’s a beauty. Everyone gets it. No need for an explanation. As for my novel, CLAIRE VOYANT, that title came to me years ago and it took me a while to create an entire story based on the premise that a girl named Claire would have super natural abilities.
What is up next for you?
Saralee: I am very excited about my next novel because the focus is about a child leaving for college and this is hitting very close to home fas our youngest is now a senior in high school. But in this story, Jackie, a twice-divorced mom, has one son, 17-year old Daniel and she is in a panic thinking that when he leaves for college in the fall, she’ll be left alone with her ornery, widowed father. Thus, when she sets off on the campus tour circuit, she decides to throw caution and her underwear to the wind and boy does she have one hell of a good time. It’s worse senioritis than even Daniel has and their adventures visiting the Ivies is one for the books. In the end, she rediscovers the smart, ambitious girl she left behind at Yale Law and pledges to get her life back on track. The title of the book is EARLY DECISION and I think it’s going to be my best yet. No publication date as of yet.
Thanks so much for chatting with me, Saralee! Good luck with your writing career! If you could ask one author for one piece of advice, who would you ask and what would you want to know?
Saralee: I’m very lucky because I actually had that opportunity. One of my favorite authors in the world is the novelist, Sol Stein, who wrote THE MAGICIAN and THE LIVING ROOM, among many others. I discovered him in college and feel in some ways, he was an influence in my secretly aspiring to be a writer. Recently, I was curious to see if he was still writing (or even still alive) and discovered he had a website and an email address. I wrote him this long, flowery message, never expecting a response. But the next day he sent me a lovely note back and we exchanged several emails. In one of them I asked his advice on whether I should change my name and use a pseudonym for my next book. This is something that my editor and agent had been discussing and I was torn. He wrote back and said, don’t you dare. Saralee Rosenberg is a wonderful name and quite memorable.... now you know why I loved this guy, and so far, I’ve followed his advice.
Saralee Rosenberg is the author of A Little Help from Above, Claire Voyant, Fate and Ms. Fortune, and Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead. She lives on Long Island (where else?) with her husband and three children. Visit her website, www.saraleerosenberg.com.
Friday, November 07, 2008
0
Words of an Author with Allison Winn Scotch
Hello Allison, great to have you to chat. Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
Allison: I’d always been a writer from the time I was young: in fact, when my parents recently moved, they uncovered journals that I didn’t realize I’d even kept! But I didn’t really think I could make a career out of it. To be honest, in fact, it’s sort of something I fell into. Long story short: I was doing some PR ghostwriting for a celebrity and planning my wedding at the same time. The Knot was looking for someone with ghostwriting experience to write a book, and in some sort of fluke, they hired me! Well, once I’d written a wedding book, I quickly landed my first feature in Bride’s, and from there, doors to other national magazines opened up. After a few years, I wanted to flex new muscles, so I tried my hand at fiction…and while my ms was decent enough to land me an agent, the ms didn’t sell. (In retrospect, thank goodness! It was terrible!) Well, undeterred, I wrote a new book, but my agent “thought it would do my career more harm than good” to go out with it, so I dropped her, found a new agent within a few weeks, and she then sold my debut, The Department of Lost and Found, at auction within about 10 days. This time around, we sold the book on a pre-empt to an editor I’d long been dying to work with.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Allison: When I’m in the writing groove, which I’m not right now, I have a pretty specific schedule because with two kids and a dog to walk, I don’t have a choice. It also really, really helps curb my constant procrastination. So, basically, I drop my son off at school and take a little walk to clear my head. I’m get home, eat breakfast and surf any necessary junky gossip or writing sites that I absolutely can’t live without before I start work. I usually set a time limit for myself because if not, I will do this for the entire day – seriously Facebook or J. Crew or People.com can suck me in forever – so at 10:30 or so, I start writing. I set a word count for myself, when I’m really in the groove, it’s about 2k a day – and this usually takes me about 2 hours to reach. Once I’m there, I break for errand running/lunch picking up/gym, and then if I have magazine stuff to tackle, I do so afterward in the mid-afternoon. Then, I’m off to walk the dog (he gets walked in the morning, so he gets a good romp in with his friends), and then, by 6pm, my sitter leaves, and I’m whipping up dinner for my kids. (And by whipping up, I usually mean nuking something moderately healthy. Let’s not kid ourselves here.)
Please tell us about your latest novel Time of My Life and what we can expect from your characters.
Allison: Time of My Life is the story about a woman who, on the surface, seems to have it all. But when you peel back her layers, you discover that she is deeply unhappy and has lingering “what ifs” about her past. Rather than face her current problems, she wakes up one day seven year in her past – at her old job, with her old boyfriend – and has the opportunity to rewrite her future. It came out on October 7th, and was published by Shaye Areheart Books, an imprint at Random House. And The Weinstein Company is developing it into a movie! Cool beans!
Sounds great, and congrats on the movie! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Allison: Ummm, I’m trying! I’ve started a few new books but I’ve learned that I’m the type of writer who needs to be hit with a lightening bolt of an idea, and then I’m off to the races. So, I have a germ of an idea, but I’m waiting for my brain to flesh it out fully, and once I have it, I’m sure I’ll sit down and bang it out pretty quickly. But that’s all I got so far!
Thanks for sharing with us, Allison! Best of luck with your novel. Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Allison: Be open to criticism. I can’t express that enough. Writers have the incredible good fortune of always being able to improve their work, but the only way to improve is to take an honest look – with open ears and mind – at your weaknesses. Take your ego out of the equation and listen to advice that trusted readers are offering you. It is, in my opinion, the best way to become a great writer.
Allison Winn Scotch is the author of a novel, The Department of Lost and Found. She is a frequent contributor to numerous magazines including American Baby, American Way, Bride’s, Cooking Light, Family Circle, Fitness, Glamour, InStyle Weddings, Lifetime Television, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, Parents, Prevention, Redbook, Self, Shape, Stuff, USA Weekend, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, and ivillage.com, msn.com, and women.com. She lives in New York with her husband and their son and daughter. Visit Allison online at www.allisonwinn.com.
Allison: I’d always been a writer from the time I was young: in fact, when my parents recently moved, they uncovered journals that I didn’t realize I’d even kept! But I didn’t really think I could make a career out of it. To be honest, in fact, it’s sort of something I fell into. Long story short: I was doing some PR ghostwriting for a celebrity and planning my wedding at the same time. The Knot was looking for someone with ghostwriting experience to write a book, and in some sort of fluke, they hired me! Well, once I’d written a wedding book, I quickly landed my first feature in Bride’s, and from there, doors to other national magazines opened up. After a few years, I wanted to flex new muscles, so I tried my hand at fiction…and while my ms was decent enough to land me an agent, the ms didn’t sell. (In retrospect, thank goodness! It was terrible!) Well, undeterred, I wrote a new book, but my agent “thought it would do my career more harm than good” to go out with it, so I dropped her, found a new agent within a few weeks, and she then sold my debut, The Department of Lost and Found, at auction within about 10 days. This time around, we sold the book on a pre-empt to an editor I’d long been dying to work with.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Allison: When I’m in the writing groove, which I’m not right now, I have a pretty specific schedule because with two kids and a dog to walk, I don’t have a choice. It also really, really helps curb my constant procrastination. So, basically, I drop my son off at school and take a little walk to clear my head. I’m get home, eat breakfast and surf any necessary junky gossip or writing sites that I absolutely can’t live without before I start work. I usually set a time limit for myself because if not, I will do this for the entire day – seriously Facebook or J. Crew or People.com can suck me in forever – so at 10:30 or so, I start writing. I set a word count for myself, when I’m really in the groove, it’s about 2k a day – and this usually takes me about 2 hours to reach. Once I’m there, I break for errand running/lunch picking up/gym, and then if I have magazine stuff to tackle, I do so afterward in the mid-afternoon. Then, I’m off to walk the dog (he gets walked in the morning, so he gets a good romp in with his friends), and then, by 6pm, my sitter leaves, and I’m whipping up dinner for my kids. (And by whipping up, I usually mean nuking something moderately healthy. Let’s not kid ourselves here.)
Please tell us about your latest novel Time of My Life and what we can expect from your characters.
Allison: Time of My Life is the story about a woman who, on the surface, seems to have it all. But when you peel back her layers, you discover that she is deeply unhappy and has lingering “what ifs” about her past. Rather than face her current problems, she wakes up one day seven year in her past – at her old job, with her old boyfriend – and has the opportunity to rewrite her future. It came out on October 7th, and was published by Shaye Areheart Books, an imprint at Random House. And The Weinstein Company is developing it into a movie! Cool beans!
Sounds great, and congrats on the movie! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Allison: Ummm, I’m trying! I’ve started a few new books but I’ve learned that I’m the type of writer who needs to be hit with a lightening bolt of an idea, and then I’m off to the races. So, I have a germ of an idea, but I’m waiting for my brain to flesh it out fully, and once I have it, I’m sure I’ll sit down and bang it out pretty quickly. But that’s all I got so far!
Thanks for sharing with us, Allison! Best of luck with your novel. Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Allison: Be open to criticism. I can’t express that enough. Writers have the incredible good fortune of always being able to improve their work, but the only way to improve is to take an honest look – with open ears and mind – at your weaknesses. Take your ego out of the equation and listen to advice that trusted readers are offering you. It is, in my opinion, the best way to become a great writer.
Allison Winn Scotch is the author of a novel, The Department of Lost and Found. She is a frequent contributor to numerous magazines including American Baby, American Way, Bride’s, Cooking Light, Family Circle, Fitness, Glamour, InStyle Weddings, Lifetime Television, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, Parents, Prevention, Redbook, Self, Shape, Stuff, USA Weekend, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, and ivillage.com, msn.com, and women.com. She lives in New York with her husband and their son and daughter. Visit Allison online at www.allisonwinn.com.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
0
Words of an Author with Stacy DeKeyser
Hi Stacy, great to have you here! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
Stacy: My first sale was to Scholastic Library Press. I got a two-book deal! I wrote two 64-page biographies for midgraders: Sacagawea, and The Wampanoag. I loved writing them. It was after I'd been writing for about 8 years and decided I had no future writing fiction. :)
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Stacy: First thing, I get my kids up and ready for school. Then I feed the dog. Make coffee. Read e-mail and a few blogs, check my website stats...when all that's done, and my coffee is gone, and I think I ought to be doing laundry...I start writing.
Please tell us about your latest novel Jump the Cracks and what we can expect from your characters.
Stacy: Jump the Cracks was published by Flux in March 2008. It's about a girl who decides she has to break some rules in order to do the "right" thing.
What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Stacy: Yes! I just finished a new novel about a girl who hears voices. Which worries her, but the thing is, she likes the voices.
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing, Stacy! Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Stacy: There are no shortcuts. Writing well enough to be published is similar to playing tennis well enough to play at Wimbledon. You have to practice a LOT.
Growing up in Wisconsin, Stacy DeKeyser spent her childhood summers reading at the library. The author of two middle-grade nonfiction books, Stacy has since turned to writing fiction. She received a Work-in-Progress Grant from SCBWI for her first novel, and is now working on her second novel for young people. She lives in Connecticut. Visit her website, http://www.stacydekeyser.com.
Stacy: My first sale was to Scholastic Library Press. I got a two-book deal! I wrote two 64-page biographies for midgraders: Sacagawea, and The Wampanoag. I loved writing them. It was after I'd been writing for about 8 years and decided I had no future writing fiction. :)
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Stacy: First thing, I get my kids up and ready for school. Then I feed the dog. Make coffee. Read e-mail and a few blogs, check my website stats...when all that's done, and my coffee is gone, and I think I ought to be doing laundry...I start writing.
Please tell us about your latest novel Jump the Cracks and what we can expect from your characters.
Stacy: Jump the Cracks was published by Flux in March 2008. It's about a girl who decides she has to break some rules in order to do the "right" thing.
What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Stacy: Yes! I just finished a new novel about a girl who hears voices. Which worries her, but the thing is, she likes the voices.
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing, Stacy! Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Stacy: There are no shortcuts. Writing well enough to be published is similar to playing tennis well enough to play at Wimbledon. You have to practice a LOT.
Growing up in Wisconsin, Stacy DeKeyser spent her childhood summers reading at the library. The author of two middle-grade nonfiction books, Stacy has since turned to writing fiction. She received a Work-in-Progress Grant from SCBWI for her first novel, and is now working on her second novel for young people. She lives in Connecticut. Visit her website, http://www.stacydekeyser.com.
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