Amy Allgeyer Cook

Sunday Post: Shit My Brothers Told Me #1

2011-08-14T16:50:00.000-06:00

We somehow got to reminiscing about our childhoods last night and I realized -- my four brothers were really mean to me!! So I'm starting this regular Sunday Series of blog posts to immortalize the abuse. Today's post comes from brother #3, Nick, and I can tell you -- this caused me many a sleepless night as I started to lose teeth.

"When an eye tooth falls out, you go blind until it grows back in. It takes like a year."

FRIDAY FAVORITE

2011-08-12T11:07:00.001-06:00

I expect by now you've heard, from myriad sources, how fantastic the LA11SCBWI conference was. Facebook, Twitter and the Blogsphere are F-U-L-L of posts proclaiming it's awesomeness. (However, if you haven't had your fill, there's a great post about conference survival by my mentorship-brother Bret Ballou here, and an inspiring post about tackling your fears by my mentorhip-monkey-sister Sarah McGuire here.)

So-- I'm not going to regale you with a conference recap. Instead, I want to talk about the things you take away from a conference that aren't on the program. Namely, writer friends. As Katy Longshore (GIRL IN A DIAMOND COLLAR, Viking/Penguin, Fall 2012) writes in this post, writing is a team sport. It has to be. It takes years, on the average, to get from a first first-draft to a publishing contract. And in between lie a whole lot of rejections. A LOT. Because writers tend to be an introverted bunch, we think too long and too hard about those rejections. We take them to heart, we decide we suck and, too often, we give up.

That's where our writing buddies come in. They're our team. (I used derby girls for the photo because they're super tough, just like writers.) They remind us to look for the positive in those rejection letters. They tell us how much they love our book. They share their own failures and commiserate over ours. And they're not afraid to kick us in the ass when we get too mopey and start talking about crazy stuff, like giving up and never writing again. I know; I've been on both sides of that conversation and I can tell you it's a whole lot harder to give up when people are watching.

I came away from LA with new writer friends, stronger ties with old writer friends and a new critique group. And while I credit Judy Blume, Gary Paulsen, Libba Bray, Laurie Halse Anderson and a dozen other presenters with the burning inspiration I came home with, it will be my writer friends who are there for me in December and January and February, when I decide I totally suck and I'll never write again.

Nine Things From LA

2011-08-10T16:29:00.002-06:00

Great writer friends -- Namoi Canale, Craig Lew & Sarah McGuire

Judy Blume is "sucky" at plot.
Jon Scieszka wore a lot of hand-me-downs.
He also broke his little brother several times.
Donna Jo Napoli's desk is in her laundry room, next to the washer & dryer.
It's not so much talent as determination that gets you there.
Gary Paulsen was cheated by a crooked publishing company.
He believes you should be able to hunt lawyers.
Every writer -- every. single. writer -- gets rejections.
According to Laurie Halse Anderson, we're all going to die. Keep things in perspective.

It's all about the Writing

2011-07-28T09:45:00.000-06:00

I shamelessly stole this meme from Corey Schwartz over at Thing One and Thing Two. I did ask permission, though, so that makes it okay. :) I was kind of surprised to see all my answers turned out writing related. Maybe I'm just in 'writer mode' because the LA conference is right around the corner.

Biggest Dream- A book contract (How un-unique, I know, but it's the truth.)
Biggest Regret- That I didn't work harder on my craft when I first started writing.
Biggest Hurdle- First Drafts. Once I have them, I love them. But I can't seem to get excited enough to stick with one.

Biggest Accomplishment- Not giving up. And then, not giving up again. Then again. And...
Biggest Mistake- Too many to choose from.
Biggest Sacrifice- All the things I don't do because writing takes up all my free time: painting, community theater, more sports, foreign language classes, yoga...
Biggest Weakness- CHECKING MY EMAIL!
Biggest Goal- (See Biggest Dream above)

Good Advice from the Nevada SCBWI Mentorship Program

2011-07-25T12:27:00.000-06:00

Fellow mentee Lee Wind put together this fantastic post, featuring nuggets of wisdom from the 2010-2011 Nevada SCBWI Mentors and Mentees. Visit his blog, I'm Here, I'm Queer, What Do I Read to poke through some great pieces of advice. And if you're not already a follower of Lee's, add him fast! He's one of the official SCBWI Team Bloggers for the LA Conference!

Monday Musings

2011-07-18T15:50:00.000-06:00

This is how I feel about rejection letters. Let's all say it together: Blaahhhhhh!

Just seventeen days until the SCBWI Conference in LA!
I've put aside revisions for a while and am focusing on the WIP I researched and plotted last year. I'm about 4,500 words in (about 10% done) and am loving the relationship that's developing between this girl and her grandmother.
I just found out my XXth High School Reunion is coming up in October. I. Feel. Old.
The Boy and I saw The Deathly Hallows Part 2 on Friday. I was blown away. By far (IMO) the BEST movie of the series. The Boy, however, still likes The Sorcerer's Stone best. (I'm thinking it's because he's about the same age as Harry in that movie.)
I'm trying to decide whether to read The Warrior Heir or The Emerald Atlas next. Thoughts?

FRIDAY FAVORITE!!

2011-07-15T08:23:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite Friday Favorite so far!

My amazingly talented, BFF Tess Hilmo just received a starred review from KIRKUS for her book, With A Name Like Love. I'm on Cloud 9 for her!! Check out the review HERE. Check out Tess HERE. Pre-Order With A Name Like Love HERE.

Talking Book

2011-07-13T15:46:00.001-06:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been recording The Iron Bodkin for the Talking Book Collection of the Idaho Commission for Libraries. The TBC is a program where books about Idaho or by Idaho authors are recorded, in audio form, for use by anyone with sight impairments or physical limitations that might hinder their ability to read books in print form. It's been a really neat experience. I'd never been in a recording studio before, so today I snapped some photos.

This is the recording studio. There are two identical studios in this room and they can be used at the same time.

This is the sound technician's side. Everything there (these days) is done digitally, which allows them to stop and start with ease. That's nice for when the reader makes a mistake or coughs or if her stomach growls because she forgot to eat breakfast.

This is the reader's booth. It's totally sound-proof and has it's own super quiet ventilation system. That's so the readers don't die of heat stroke or run out of oxygen because that would really suck.

See how thick the door is? It keeps out all outside noise, but I have to be really careful about inside noise, like turning the pages, shifting in my chair or accidentally kicking the table. If anything like that happens, we have to go back and re-record whatever I was reading at the time.

And this is what it looks like inside the booth. There's the microphone with a circle of screen over it, which cuts down on S's and harsh consanant sounds, like Ppp and Ttt. The headphones are connected to the sound tech so they can stop you if you've made a mistake. The headphones also play your voice back to you as you read, so you can hear yourself. The paper on the (towel-covered) table lists the standard announcements to be made at the beging and end of each segment.

This is the wall of projects currently underway for the Talking Book Project. Readers come in to record once or twice a week for an hour or two. After the recording is made, it's reviewed by...well, reviewers. They listen and read along with the book, making sure it's been recorded exactly as it's written. They also make notes of parts that have stray sounds or are unintelligible. Those areas are marked for correction, which the reader will come back to re-record at a later date.

There's my box on the left. We're about fifteen pages from the end of The Iron Bodkin. After that, the reveiwer will finish up and we'll start working on corrections. The process takes several months, typically. Most of the people who create these recordings (the readers, the technicians and the reviewers) are volunteers. They donate their time so the 40,000 people in Idaho who don't have the ability to read print books will still have access to literature. I think that's pretty awesome.

FRIDAY FAVORITE!!

2011-07-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

SCBWI Utah/Southern Idaho Presents:

Novel Revision Retreat with Emma Dryden

October 1, 2, and 3, 2011

Stonefly Lodge in Ashton, Idaho

http://stoneflylodgeidaho.com/index.html

A weekend to revise, learn, and share with other dedicated writers. $325 includes food, lodging, and workshops for the weekend. Limited to 16 participants. Participants must have a completed manuscript and must commit to reading three other full manuscripts prior to the retreat. Contact Neysa Jensen to register: neysajensen(at) msn (dot) com
Registration deadline: Sept. 1, 2011 Stonefly Lodge in Ashton, Idaho http://stoneflylodgeidaho.com/index.html

For my part, I can tell you Emma is awesomeness in human form. She was one of the mentors in the Nevada Mentorship Program last year and the folks who had her, loved her. (Not as much as I loved Susan, of course, but right up there within an inch or so.) Check her out on her Blog, or her website.

To give you a little background (lifted from Emma's website):

The summer before I graduated, I landed an internship as a “jack of all trades” assistant at Viking Children’s Books and once I earned my B.A in English Language and Literature from Smith, I returned to New York City to be an Editorial Assistant at Random House Children’s Books. I was then hired as Associate Editor for the legendary Margaret K. McElderry, whose eponymous imprint was part of Macmillan Children’s Books, and was later named Senior Editor of the imprint. After Margaret K. McElderry retired, I was made Vice President, Editorial Director, and in 2005 I became Vice President, Publisher of Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Margaret K. McElderry Books, imprints of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, a position I held until 2009.

Over the course of my twenty-five year career I’ve edited nearly five-hundred books for children and young readers, ranging in format from board books and picture books to poetry, novelty books, non-fiction, middle grade fiction, and young adult/teen fiction and fantasy.

See? Told you! Awesome.
Feel free to ask questions about the program here. I'll be happy to dig up answers for you and post them back.

Hi!

2011-07-06T17:05:00.000-06:00

This is me, in case you forgot what I looked like. It's been an embarrassingly long time since I've posted. I've been spending every hour working, revising, submitting and parenting. You guys know what that's like, I know.

But I miss you all, so I'm attempting to get back to regular blogging...starting with a few updates.

1. The Iron Bodkin was selected to be a part of the Talking Book Project by the Idaho Commission for Libraries. That means it will be turned into an audio file and made available to the 40,000 hearing, sight or physically impaired people in our state who have trouble reading print books. I'm honored, humbled and a little giggly.

2. There are only twenty-eight days until the SCBWI-LA conference! If you'll be there, drop me a comment and I'll be sure to look for you. I'll be arriving on Friday and leaving Monday afternoon. Plenty of time to meet and greet.

3. I still plan to do a post about those nifty plot diagrams I used during my mentorship. Stay tuned!

Lastly, a photo of The Boy, who is at least a foot taller than he was last time I posted. Happy July!

Randomness

2011-04-25T15:45:00.002-06:00

1. Very soon, I will have a post full of awesomeness to share! We ex-mentees (I really hate that "ex" part) are putting together our best take-away advice from the Nevada Mentorship Program! Check back in May for lots of fantastic FREE writing tips.

2. Yesterday, I played soccer for the only second time this year.

3. I scored three goals. Oh yes. I rock.

4. Today, my knee is swollen and clicking again which means...no more soccer and possible scoping/surgery.

5. Damn.

6. The architecture gig is super busy which leaves me little time for...

7. ...final revisions on my mentor piece. I'm about 75% finished, except that I keep making plot changes which...

8. ...result in further revision. I'm currently working on a version of my ms titled, "Kind of a Mess".

9. It's still not spring here in Boise. I hate that.

10. I'm trying to make plans for the LA SCBWI conference. If you're going, leave me a comment. I'm having trouble getting things come together and I need lots of motivation to make it all work.

11. Did I mention I had a birthday a couple weeks ago? I'm over thirty now. (I was over thirty before, but I like the way that sounds.)

What's going on at your house?

Four Things on Monday

2011-04-19T18:35:00.000-06:00

Some of our wonderful presenters from the Boise SCBWI Conference this past weekend:

Neysa Jensen (ARA), Judy Cox (Author), Sydney Salter (Author), Jen Rofe (Agent), Gloria Skurzynski (Author) and Carol Lynch Williams (Author)

Yesterday, we hiked with the Triplet Family to Wees Bar, a place on the Snake River where early humans carved pictographs onto boulders. We hiked twelve miles, round trip, in six hours with four ten-year olds. The math hurts my head.

This is Sascha and me after our last Vball game. We ended up tying for last place in the league which is better than last year, when we held last place all by our lonesomes.

Three of the four triplets. I see the teenager attitude is starting already.

Closing Thoughts on the Nevada SCBWI Mentorship

2011-03-29T14:44:00.002-06:00

In five days, my mentorship will be over. So? How was it? First, my objective thoughts. If you're considering applying, I highly recommend it...

IF...

...you're getting requests for fulls or partials, or good feedback on query rejections. The mentorship program isn't for new writers. If you're just starting out, looking for a good course on writing basics, there are plenty of those around. This isn't one of them.
...you're willing to revise what you thought was a finished piece. If you hope to submit something and have the mentors tell you it's exceptional and hook you up with a publisher...that ain't gonna happen. If you're willing to have a mentor tell you what you're doing well and help you with what you're doing crappily, this is the place for you. If you're willing to revise your entire manuscript three times, changing major plot points each time... If you're willing to accept hard criticism... If you're willing to try changes you're not sure you agree with... If you can accept that maybe, just maybe, you're not as far along the writing path as you thought... the Nevada SCBWI Mentorship Program could be for you.

Now, for my subjective thoughts from the inside... What to expect if you get accepted? Be realistic.

Not every mentor and mentee will click, so your mentorship may not be a blissful Disney-esque meeting of the minds. If you find yourself having issues with your mentor, put on your big girl panties and TELL THEM! They're not mind readers. I can promise you that every mentor in that program is there because they want to help writers meet their goals. Help them help you. The worst thing you can do is just throw in the towel because it's not the panacea you thought it was going to be. I got pretty lucky. Susan and I spoke the same language and even though I wasn't thrilled with some of her suggestions, I tried them or tried to find ways to incorporate them that felt right to me. And it worked out great.
Taking a manuscript through the mentor program is not a guarantee that it will get published. (Read that again. I'll wait...) Keep reminding yourself of this. I needed to have this tattooed across my hands. Once I started seeing how much better my book was, I started thinking about 'when' it was going to get picked up...not 'if'. A great manuscript in superb shape still might never get published. Think about what the mentorship is doing for your CRAFT more than what it's doing for your book.
This is work! Hard work. With a deadline. Not to mention, you're paying for it! I busted my ass pretty consistantly for six months. The more work I did, the more refined my mentor's comments became. We went from focusing on major plot points to weaving in subtle connections between characters to absolutely tying up Every. Last. Thread. I'm still working on that last part. If you're not willing to tear your manuscript apart to make it the best it can be...you're not going to get as much for your money. Which brings me to the last point...
The money. $850 for the program, plus airfare to Virginia City twice and hotel for two nights, food, copies, incidentals. That's not pocket change. BUT...compare it to other workshops. Highlights is actually more expensive for their week-long or even weekend programs. Big Sur, Darcy Pattison, SCBWI regional workshops -- all less expensive, but for the most part they only last one week--not six months. And they're not one-on-one. If you're ready to invest in your writing future, I don't think there's a better value than this program.

But as I sit here, staring at my suitcase which is already packed for our final get-together, I'm not really thinking about those things. I'm thinking about what a blast this weekend is going to be. Because, beyond the thousand percent improvement in my mansucript, beyond the chance to pitch it to Alvina Ling (Little Brown) who will be checking out our work, beyond the final suggestions and advice my mentor will have for me, the highlight of these past six months are the friends I've made and the amazing sense of community and support I've gotten from mentors and mentees alike. It's like the comaradery of Chautauqua, ten-fold. And as much as I'm looking forward to arriving in Virginia City on Thursday, I'm equally dreading waking up Monday morning...when I'm no longer a mentee. I'm going to miss being a part of the Nevada Mentorship more than I miss Mt. Dew and cupcakes when I'm on a diet.

Being done is bittersweet. Times ten.

Friday Funny

2011-03-18T14:12:00.000-06:00

In the mornings, The Boy likes to sit on the heater and have me ask him questions from the Brainquest deck. This morning went something like this...

Me: In the Bible, what part of Adam does God use to create Eve?
The Boy: I don't know. Protons?

Me (staring): I love you. That makes so much more sense than the actual answer, which is "a rib".

The Boy: What? Atoms don't have ribs.

Hmm...

2011-03-16T12:15:00.000-06:00

So, today I got my final editing letter from my mentor. It's ten pages long, the longest so far. You'd think after three whole revisions, my novel would have most of the kinks worked out. Apparently, it doesn't. Kinda makes you wonder how bad it was to begin with. Kinda makes you wonder if the book will ever be good enough. Kinda makes you wonder if maybe writing isn't what I should be doing.

It makes me wonder those things.

A cautionary tale about my, erm, friend

2011-03-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

A couple years ago, a friend of mine saw a notice about a writing competition with a small press. The notice was on a website she trusted, a very big-name author was on the judges panel, the small press had an extensive website and had published five books already. Not having anything against small presses and being impressed with the judge's panel, (let's call the person Pat) Pat decided to enter. Three months later, Pat received an email saying she'd won the grand prize -- a publishing contract. Pat immediately went to work, scouring the internet for any negative information on this company. There was none. Pat signed the contract for publication, "met" (virtually of course) the runner's up in the contest as well as the managing editor, editor and existing authors with the company. She was ecstatic at the idea of finally having her book in print and soon went to work editing.

Pat corresponded frequently with the managing editor and her direct editor. She was asked to set up marketing tours and to participate in things like the Hub Challenge -- writing 30 articles in 30 days (which seemed excessive, given that she had a full time job and editing on top of it. But Pat wanted to be a 'good author' and made every effort to do what was asked.) After about a year of editing, the publisher dropped all communication. Pat talked to the runner's up in the contest and found that they hadn't heard from the publisher either. So they started digging around, deeply, in the publisher's website, in the state attorney general's records of the business...even in the big-name author who judged the contest. What did they find?

They found the big name author had never been involved in the contest. They found the "publisher" didn't have an actual premisis--just a PO Box--and the business hadn't been formed until the month the contest winners were announced. They even found chat transcripts in the company chat room alerting them to the fact that the managing editor and the editor never existed. They were just two of several personas played by two self-published authors, pretending to be a publishing company.

Did they intend to publish Pat and the other winner's books? Pat believes so, but one of the woman developed health issues that prevented them from following through. (They intended to 'self-publish' the winner's books, charging $20 a copy and pocketing 75% of that., while the writer's got 12%.) Was any of it illegal? Absolutely, but hard to prove to a standard of law. Did the "company" ever respond to Pat's allegations? No, nor did they sign a release from her contract. It cost Pat about $800 to get out of it.

At that point, after a year of marketing, Pat had tons of people asking when her book was coming out. She felt pretty stupid, having been taken in by a scam like this. She decided the easiest thing to do would be to self-publish, so she could tell people "You can get my book here" instead of explaining the whole sordid tale over and over.

It's been about six months since this all happened. Her lawyer warned her not to tell the story with full names, etc, even now. Her book is out and while self-publishing hasn't turned out to be the simple answer she was looking for, she's relieved to have it all over and would like other writers to know things like this can happen -- even to smart, careful, diligent people. So keep yourselves safe. There are some real creeps out there.

Highlights (not the magazine)

2011-02-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Our T-shirts for taking 2nd place in the tourney!! Go BEERS!!

My step-daughter was visiting this week from DC. Shown here with her grandmother and The Boy.

A few weeks ago, this was the state of my mentorship piece. Slightly organized chaos.

Last week, I devoted 6-8 hours every day to writing, hoping to get the major revisions done.

And I did. Now, it looks like this. I finished the huge plot changes and I've gone back through Susan's revision notes, making sure I've adressed each one. I've tagged each note with a % indicating to what degree I think I've addressed the issue. Now, I go through and tie up loose ends to get everything near 100%.

Just 33 days until we meet in Virginia City for the Mentorship Wrap up Conference. Thinking about it makes me relieved and sad, in equal measure.

U P - C A T C H

2011-02-15T17:15:00.001-07:00

(Get it? I'm swamped. Hahaha! I crack myself up!)

As my mentorship spirals down it's last weeks, I find myself with less time than ever and blogging has been at the bottom of my to-do list, right behind sleep. So, here's a quick catch up...

1. Our volleyball team, BEERS, took second place in the tourney which means WE GET SHIRTS!! Those followers from last year will remember the heartbreaking sadness of our no-shirt tournament season.

2. My last submittal to my mentor (a new prologue and revised first chapter) garnered lots of hearts, visible and invisible, and I'm now tearing through the rest of the revision. So far, I love how it's coming together. It remains to be seen if I can finish the remaining twenty-nine chapters before March 31.

3. My article about Diocletian's Palace titled, "How Poop Saved a Palace", will appear in Stories for Children magazine, in the Summer 2011 issue.

4. I just returned from a super wonderful weekend in New Bern, NC, where I hung out with three of my friends from high school, whom I hadn't seen in over twenty years. I found there was a lot of stuff going on in Graham, NC in the late 80's that I didn't know about!

5. It will probably be a very long time before I post again. Hugs and kisses!

What's a Mentorship Look Like?

2011-01-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mostly, it looks like paper. And a lot of work. I'm a little past the half-way mark with my mentorship and so far, here's the paper that's been generated.

First there's the initial copy of the manuscript, marked up with comments and accompanied by a four page revision letter.

These are the chapter outlines I created for the first round manuscript.

I also created diagrams of the various plot lines -- trying to see where the action is lagging in each line.

With the revisions done, I needed to create revised chapter outlines to reflect the changes.

And I got this last week. A copy of the revised manuscript, marked up with editing comments and invisible red hearts (as well as two visible pink ones.) (Note: I'm not sure all the mentees get invisible red hearts. I think Susan might be the only one who gives those.)

Here's an example of what the editing comments look like. Not all pages have this many comments, but nearly all pages have some.

And here is the second revision letter -- five pages this time. Single spaced.

And I have lots and lots of these -- random sheets of paper with notes, thoughts, ideas, diagrams, etc.

And that's it. As you can see, the mentors put in as much time as we mentee's do. And that's saying a lot. So, if I'm not posting very much, it's because I'm deep into my second round of revisions.

Here's hoping all of your writing projects are going well!

Three Things on Thursday

2011-01-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

hibobguything -- by The Boy's friend

1. I *finally* go to the physical therapist today to check out my knee. The swelling is gone, which is good. But it keeps clicking when I turn. Not good...unless I intend to keep walking in the same direction for the rest of my life. And since...

2. ...changes in direction are good, I'm toying with the idea that my next book (after I finish my mentorship piece) will be YA. Maybe. Possibly. There's a wee chance.

3. Speaking of my mentorship, the latest notes and edits from Susan should be here today!! How am I feeling about that? Giddy, nervous, hiccupy. But she assures me they are smothered in invisible red hearts. :) #mymentorROCKS!

Happy Week All!

Really?

2011-01-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Today Show opted to interview Snooki instead of Caldecott and Newbery winners, Erin Stead and Clare Vanderpool.

In which I feel stymied

2011-01-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Bear Photo avaible here

Is anyone else feeling zero progress lately? My architecture projects all seem to be on hold for one reason or another. My mentor is reviewing changes to Soul Splinter, so no progress there. I'm holding strong on my No-Query Pact, so no querying (is that progress or not?) Worst of all, I did *something* to my knee at soccer on Sunday and, after xrays Monday, am not allowed to do anything until I see the Physical Therapist next week. Plus the weather is so yucky I don't even want to go outside.

This time of year, I always wish I was a bear.

Five for Friday

2011-01-07T12:06:00.001-07:00

1. Indoor soccer game this Sunday--woohoo! But other than that, no plans. I'm thinking about getting back to work on this painting. I haven't touched it since March.

2. I'm checking airfare for my April mentorship meeting in Virginia City. It's bittersweet. I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone again, but sad knowing it'll be our last get together. My mentor totally rocks and my manuscript is so much better, but I think the best thing about this program is all the wonderful people I've met.

3. One week into my "No Query Pact" and I'm holding strong.

4. I'm reading Chasing Vermeer. It's very clever. The Boy seems interested in it, too. I think he might snatch it once he finishes rereading the Percy Jackson books.

5. I'm ridiculously excited about the new 2009 Residental Building Code. They made some great changes.

Happy Weekend!

Public Service Wednesday

2011-01-05T10:20:00.001-07:00

Spokeo.com

If you haven't already heard of this website, check it out. Search for your own name and see what info they're laying out for all to see. I found myself listed with my age, my address, the value of my house (wrong), a photo of my house, members of my family. And that's just what they show for FREE!! For a small fee, you can 'join' their site and get people's income information, their credit scores, hobbies, etc.

Worried yet? Go to http://www.spokeo.com/ , search for yourself. When your page comes up, copy the URL for your profile page. Then click the 'privacy' link at the bottom of the spokeo page and follow the instructions to remove yourself. Also, think about parents or grandparents who might not have access to the internet. Remove them as well. And pass this on!

I love a new year!

2011-01-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

All the possibilities, all the planning, all the LISTS!! There is nothing in the world I love so much as a list! (Well, maybe a cupcake, but it would have to be a coconut cupcake with cream filling, decorated to look like a bunny rabbit. Yeah, like that up there).

Right now, I'm making lists for my trip to New Bern, NC in February. Is it a good place to retire? I'll let you know. I'll fly into Raleigh and then drive down with three of my bff's from high school. We haven't seen each other in ... yeah, like I'm going to tell you that. Suffice to say, it's been a looong time and I can't wait to see them!

In writing news...
1. I've entered a "No Query Pact" with my friend Stephanie Blake, phlebotomist and writer. We decided we're going to write hard for six months -- no queries, no submittals, no distractions. Just writing.
2. If you're in the Boise area, be sure to stop by Rediscovered Bookshop tonight from 6:30-7:30 for the first of our new 'monthly SCBWI meetings'. We'll have speakers, snacks and wonderful writer peeps!

Patterns

2011-01-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Pheasant Feathers

I imagine we're all looking back today, thinking about 2010. The good and bad, the ups and downs. I know I have and I've sensed some patterns that repeated all too often. The "submit-requested full-rejection" pattern happened so many times, I'm surprised I didn't spend most of the year in tears. (Actually, I think I might have.)

They say the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. I continue to submit, I continue to get requests for fulls, and ... you get the picture. Things have to change.

So for 2011, there will be a lot less submitting--maybe none. I'm going to focus on my architecture business which deserves my attention at this point, since it's paying the bills. And, when I have time, I'll work on craft and writing. And rewriting. But not submitting. I feel like I've been thrashing forward for so long, I'm not sure where I am in relation to my goal.

Here's to 2011, to knowing where you are in life and to paying the bills.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Best wishes for a Happy Holiday and

a healthy, wonderful New Year,

from my family to yours.

For Your Holiday Enjoyment

2010-12-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

I can't figure out how to rotate the video -- sorry -- but I think it adds to the kitsch of the piece. :) Enjoy!

Contradiction...

2010-12-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Boy in his younger days, giving Santa some love.

...something we try to avoid in our writing. Here's my new benchmark for it:

The Boy came home yesterday with a questionaire the school counselor gave his class. A sheet of ten questions, it measured how 'stressed out' the kids were. The Boy scored in the 'very stressed' category. I was worried.

On the back, was a pie chart for the 24 hours in the day. The kids colored in blocks of time for each activity they did on a normal day--school, sleeping, etc. The Boy colored in the hours between 3:30 and 8:30 pm and labeled it "Being Bored".

Contradiction. It can make our stories less believable.

The Crying Game

2010-12-07T14:32:00.001-07:00

I've been working on a sad scene today. My MC, 13 year-old AJ, and his mother are living with her uncle, a really great guy. But one morning, AJ gets up and finds his mother left him. She's gone. As we say in the south, she done left up out. As you might imagine, AJ's pretty broken up.

Does he cry?

I've always heard that your characters hold back their tears so the readers don't have to. But some things seem to need tears. Especially, when you're trying to show the vulnerability of a trying-hard-to-be-grown-up, thirteen year-old boy.

The question is really hitting home for me because a friend of mine lost her mother this weekend. My mom passed away almost twelve years ago, but I only have to think of how much we didn't get to do together, how much she would have loved my son...and here come the tears. Every. Single. Time.

Can you imagine writing a character that cries every time she thinks about her mother?

So I'm learning... To make our characters believable, we have to remember they're not real. They're art forms. A personality painted in words designed to elicit certain reactions from readers. And while a real thirteen year-old might bawl his eyes out if his mom abandoned him, you guys might love AJ more if he keeps it all inside.

Hi!

2010-12-01T11:40:00.001-07:00

Part of my NaNo Young Writers Group. We ended up with about sixteen winners,

but I'm seriously proud of all of them.

Hi Strangers! I had no idea when I declared a blog break it would go on so long. But ... here we are, a month into blog near-silence. Quick updates...

Mentorship: Working with my guru is fantastic! I received the line edits a couple weeks ago. After going through those and the revision letter, I've been exchanging seriously long emails with Susan -- hashing out whether to nix plot points or reinforce them, bring in new elements or cut some of what's already there. Yesterday, I started first round revisions and got through about 50 pages, including a new prologue. YES -- a prologue. I was surprised too, but it works. Once I finish these changes, I send the ms back to Susan and she takes another swing at it. Three swings in all before our mentor/mentee reunion in April to cap off the program. What's been the most helpful? Seeing the things I love about my story are the same things Susan loves. It gives me confidence.
The Iron Bodkin has two great new reviews this month. Writer/blogger Medeia Sharif reviewed Bodkin on her blog yesterday, saying "This is a fun MG novel. After visiting the author's website, I'm pleased to see that the story will continue with a sequel." You can read the whole (really nicely done) review here, along with reviews of a handful of other great books. Idaho Magazine's December issue features both Bodkin and Aalvor, my friend Laura Bingham's fantasy book. Copies hit newstands today. If you get to read it, tell me what it says. :) We got about 10" of snow and I can't get to the store to buy it!
I seem to be doing a better job keeping up with facebook than blogging. I'd love to be your friend, if you're a facebooker! You can find me here or, at my author page, here. Be sure to say you follow my blog so I know who you are.

Bonus point: If you're an e-book reader, The Iron Bodkin is on serious sale at amazon for just $2.99. Perfect if you have any middle-graders getting Kindles or Nooks (etc) for the holidays!

Welcome Lori Calabrese and The Bug That Plagued The Entire Third Grade!

2010-11-19T08:00:00.061-07:00

Today, I'm so excited to host my friend, Lori Calabrese, theaward-winning author of The Bug That Plagued The Entire Third Grade and National Children's Book Examiner for Examiner.com.

Welcome Lori! What can I get you for a cyber snack?

Oh, wow. The Iron Bodkin is the place to be. Not only do you serve up great books, but great snacks, too. Sign me up for a pumpkin latte (is that considered a snack?) —it is the season and I’m totally hooked on them!
...
Pumpkin latte coming up...along with my nice cold Mt. Dew. Cheers!
Your picture book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, is about a boy who believes he can win student of the year at the Bug-A-Fair by exhibiting the bug he caught. Were you a kid who wanted to excel at school?

Oh, boy. I have to admit, I was a kid who wanted to excel at school. Fortunately, the importance of school was instilled in me early on and it’s always been important to me to give my best at whatever I do.
...
Giving your all is a great trait to have! It definitely shows up in your writing. Aside from that, what unique pieces of yourself show up in your writing that make your books unique?

I like to think I bring my fun side to the table when it comes to writing for children. I started writing after the birth of my two boys and I credit them for renewing my sense of discovery. I always say because of them I see the world differently and have a new appreciation for the occasional gas and poop joke! Just today, I rediscovered the joy of a whoopee cushion! I try to bring that humor into my writing and hope young readers get a smile out of reading my books.
...
It definitely comes through! The Bug... is a delightfully funny read.
How long have you been writing? Do you write only picture books? Aside from winning the 2009 Dragonfly Publishing Best Children’s Book Award and the publication of The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, what have been the highlights of your writing career?

I’ve always been a reader, but I didn’t rediscover my love of writing until 2007. After college, I was a Television Producer for ten years, so I was very focused on my career and didn’t have much time for creative writing, except what I was doing for work like writing scripts for tv shows and dvds. It wasn’t until the birth of my two boys that I made the leap to become a full-time freelance writer. I LOVE writing picture books and consider it one of my favorite genres, but I also write for middle-graders and teens.

Each stage of my writing career has seen different highlights and I find that to be one of the great things about writing—you never know what’s going to come at ya’. Of course, when I was first starting out, having my first article published in Stories for Children Magazine was a big accomplishment. Then I graduated from the Institute of Children’s Literature’s Writing for Children and Teens course and had the fortunate opportunity to build my publishing credits with amazing magazines like Boys’ Life, Odyssey, Appleseeds, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., and Turtle Magazine for Preschool Kids. In addition to winning the Best Children’s Book Award for The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, I also had the fortunate opportunity to write a work-for-hire picture book for John Hancock’s Back-to-School campaign titled, Oh! the Possibilities. The illustrator, Si Huynh did such an amazing job illustrating the characters and I have to admit, it was a lot of fun to see that one come to life!
...
Ah - a fellow ICL graduate! I knew we had a lot in common. It sounds like you've been writing for a few years. During that time, what has frustrated you most about the children’s lit industry and what advice would you give to a writer just starting out?

I find the current picture book problem to be very frustrating and just wrote an article about it for Donna McDine’s blog:

http://donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/2010/10/sailing-rough-seas-of-picture-book.html

Unfortunately, it’s a time when parents are forcing kids to chapter books as a means to advance test scores, few agents will even consider picture books and publishers aren’t plucking them out of the slush pile. It’s not impossible to sell a picture book by a newcomer, but there are many big waves one needs to conquer and authors need to be aware that the market is bad.
As any other writer can attest, I also guess the rejection aspect can be one of the most frustrating as well. You can be certain you wrote the next best-selling novel or picture book, but you have to convince an agent or a publisher that there’s a need for your story and that it will sell. We all have to understand this is a business, so for a writer just starting out and even for seasoned veterans who still get rejection letters (yes, they do!), I think it’s important to not take it personal and don’t let it get you down. No one likes rejection. It hurts no matter what your age. But it can be overcome with the right attitude. Sylvester Stallone (yes, I’m a big Rocky fan!) once said, “I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat.” That’s so true!
...
I’m sure you have other projects in the works. What do we have to look forward to?

My idea list is way longer than I can possibly tackle, but I take one thing at a time. I just finished another humorous rhyming picture book and wrapped up my first middle grade novel titled, Playing Hardball for ages 8-12. I’m currently on the hunt for an agent and hope I’m able to share this book with young readers in the future because it was so much fun to write. I’m also knee deep in a young adult novel I’ve been working on that’s also a contemporary sports novel. Even though I’m finding this one more challenging than the first, it’s been exciting to see it take on a life of its own.
...
These all sound great! Any chance we’ll see your guinea pigs, Up and Down, in a story sometime soon?

If it’s up to my family—yes! There’s certainly a lot of inspiration there!
...
Well, I look forward to all of your future projects and am honored to have hosted you today!
Thanks for having me, Amy and congrats on The Iron Bodkin. I LOVED it!

Thanks Lori! :)

.....

If you have any questions or comments for Lori, please leave them below. I'm sure she'll be checking in throughout the day.

For more information on Lori, please visit her website:
http://www.loricalabrese.com/home.html

You can find Lori's book at your local bookstore or at amazon.com:
The Bug That Plagued The Entire Third Grade

Heads Up for the Bug!!

2010-11-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check back on Friday! I'll be interviewing Lori Calabrese, National Children's Book Examiner for Examiner.com and award-winning author of the newly released The Bug The Plagued The Entire Third Grade.

We'll have snacks, drinks and some great discussion about her books, family pets and the children's lit industry.

Quick Catch-Up

2010-11-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

one can for me. one can for The Boy.

The NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Group I'm facilitating at the local junior high is freaking amazing! One student wrote 20,000 words in one week. In awe.
I was so excited about the revisions I was making for the Nevada Mentor Program. Then I got to the climax and realized I'd taken the heart out of the novel. Starting over.
This weekend, the Boy played in a mariachi band for our community choir's rendition of Ring of Fire. I told the hubby get photos and hopefully video, but he forgot the camera. Grr.
We started Christmas shopping yesterday. Like.
We're cooking a pig this weekend. In the ground. Yum!

Friday Squee!

2010-11-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

Midwest Book Review included The Iron Bodkin in their November 'Reviewer's Bookshelf'. Here's what they said:

It can be hard to protect something you can't see. "The Iron Bodkin" tells the story of a young man in in a family of witches, Lux. Turning his sister [invisible] in a world where that talent is taboo, he can't cure his mistake without outing himself so he has a very real problem on his hands. Racing against time and the inquisitors, "The Iron Bodkin" is a fun and exciting read that young readers will love.

And here's the link to the actual review.

New Review!

2010-11-02T11:31:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone -- just poking my head out of revisions long enough to say check out Lori Calabrese's review of The Iron Bodkin at Examiner.com.

And good luck to all of you participating in NaNoWriMo or NaNoRevMo. Write hard!

Blog Break

2010-10-26T16:29:00.000-06:00

I'll be taking an extended blog break. For the next few weeks, I need to concentrate on my revisions for the Mentor Program. I'll miss you guys!

Finally...the Virginia City Post

2010-10-22T09:53:00.001-06:00

Boardwalk in Va. City

Technically, I could call this a Friday Favorite because I loved, loved Va. City, the Nevada SCBWI Conference and especially the incredible group of mentees. After sitting through the mentee group introductions, I was convinced there was some mistake and I really didn't belong there. So much talent!

This is the view from my hotel. The building on the right, far off in the distance is the St. Mary's Art Center, where we had most of our classes. There were lots of stairs and a very big hill.

The buildings in Va. City are from the late 1800's. Most of them are gorgeous and well-preserved. However, I cringed a little at this one. And I tried not to walk too close.

This is my mentor, Susan Hart Lindquist. She gave the most insightful comments on my manuscript. I came back inspired about the changes and looking forward to getting to work. She. Is. Amazing.

And since I know you want to see the famous people...from left to right, standing, we have Priscilla Burris (author/illustrator), Verla Kay (yes, that Verla Kay), Terri Farly (of the Phantom Stallion series (I loved her book, Seven Tears Into The Sea)), Terri Sloat (author/illustrator), and of course, Ellen Hopkins (author and fighter of book banning). I just missed getting Suzy Williams (author of Bull Rider and numerous non-fiction books), Tracey Adams (Adams Literary) and Emma Dryden (Dryden Books). They're standing next to Ellen. Pretend they're there.

More famous folks...Susan Hart Lindquist (who is not paying attention to me taking her photo), Cheryl Klein (of Arthur A. Levine Books) and Harold Underdown (his Purple Crayon website is so full of great resources, every writer should know about it).

The schedule was chock full of workshops and discussions, but we managed to carve out one evening to have a drink in the saloon. Here I am with some of my great new mentee friends, (l to r) Heidi, Sarah (from Slushbusters), Craig, me and Hazel.

Wednesday Links

2010-10-20T09:22:00.001-06:00

The Boy has decided the best place to practice his

trombone is in the backyard. I'm not sure the neighbors agree.

My good friend Lori Calabrese is having a month-long launch party for her super cute chapter book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade. You can get in on the action here. There will be contests and giveaways but best of all, you'll get to know Lori who is funny, friendly, witty and darling.
My friend and fellow Chautauqua alum Susan Fields has posted her review of The Iron Bodkin. If you're not a follower of Susan's, definitely check her out. She's a fantastic writer of science fiction and a wonderfully supportive blogger.
This Saturday, I'll be speaking and signing books at Booktoberfest in Meridian. You can catch me at 3:50, but I suggest getting there early to hear all the other great speakers, including the amazing Gloria Skurzynski who speaks at 3:30. I'm ridiculously proud and happy to say she's my friend.

I'm still wading through emails and trying to get caught up on the work I missed last week. I'm hopeful that I'll have time to post about the Mentorship and Conference this Friday, so check back!

Wow

2010-10-18T11:25:00.000-06:00

I'm overwhelmed and exhausted, but the Nevada SCBWI Conference and the kick-off of the mentorship program this weekend was FANTASTIC!! I met so many talented, funny, friendly writers. And my mentor Susan Hart Lindquist is just wonderful. She's a total guru; I expected her to call me grasshopper.

But now I'm neck deep in unanswered emails, mostly of an architectural nature. (The PTO emails are coming in a close second, though.) So, I won't be able to post a full report until later in the week. I'll do my best to get photos uploaded soon. I want you to see how gorgeous Virginia City is!

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

2010-10-13T13:14:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow morning I fly to Virginia City to kick off my mentorship! I can't wait to meet my mentor, Susan Hart Lindquist, my roomie Sarah Maguire, her mentor Harold Underdown, plus Suzy Williams, Ellen Hopkins, Emma Dryden, and all the other mentees and mentors. Did I mention Verla Kay will be speaking?

I'm gonna try to take my laptop and give updates, but I'm not sure if our hotel has an internet connection. If not, I'll be absent until Monday. So have a great weekend!! I'm looking forward to mine!

Blog Check

2010-10-11T09:04:00.000-06:00

"degroot" by The Boy

Is anyone else having trouble loading my blog? I've had a couple complaints. If you could leave me a comment either way, that would be most helpful. Sadly this does constitute my blog post for the day...crazy week...

Friday Favorite & Good News Friday!

2010-10-08T09:53:00.000-06:00

FRIDAY FAVORITE!

LEGO GAMES

Have you guys seen these yet? I am so in love with them. Why?

Kids put the games together.
Once together, they still fit in the box they came in. (No loose pieces to step on!)
The games are creative and fun.
Most games only take 10-15 minutes to play.
Prices start at $9.99.

GOOD NEWS FRIDAY!

On Wednesday, I received some great news. The Idaho Commission on the Arts awarded me a grant to cover half of the cost for the mentor program with the Nevada SCBWI. I'm seriously honored. And excited. The mentor program kicks off next Friday!

Three Things on Thursday

2010-10-07T10:20:00.000-06:00

I teamed up with a friend who is a local jr. high teacher and we're going to facilitate a group for the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program! I just got the email yesterday that said our 'kit' had been shipped. I can't wait for it to arrive!
Yesterday, I learned the word ostensibly is not spelled 'obstensibly'. I've been saying it wrong all my life. [shudders]
I have a new blogging plan. I intend to keep all posts short. You're busy; I'm busy...my son is playing trombone in my ear. You get the picture. :)

Hi!

2010-10-06T09:02:00.001-06:00

Did you come to visit me? I'm not here actually. I'm over here, at Amie Borst's blog, talking about my fav writers, keeping yourself safe when submitting and how I'm just a big, goofy nerball. Join us!

PS -- KarenG is having a cookie giveaway! Yes way! Check it out here and help her reach 500 followers!

Things on Tuesday

2010-10-05T09:19:00.000-06:00

(This is the building in Ecuador I wanted to buy. It looks over the river, has 9,000 square feet and is falling apart. Screaming deal for $385,000!)

It's pouring down rain. I have to go measure someone's yard today. It hasn't rained in months. Why?

The Boy tells me it is not hard to get a sound from a trombone. It's only hard to get the right sound.
I got homework from my mentor in preparation for the Nevada Mentorship kickoff. I'm supposed to break each chapter into scenes and put them onto a chart. It's so fun to be starting!
Tomorrow, please join me at Amie Borst's blog. I'll be visiting her and talking about writing, publishing and how to keep yourself safe in the world of submissions.

Too Many Hats

2010-10-04T09:35:00.003-06:00

This image lives at http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/crazy-clown-hat.jpg

I wear a lot of hats. I bet we all do. We're workers, parents, soccer coaches. Writers, actors, tennis players. Grass cutters, chauffers, laundry professionals, etc. In the course of a week, we perform a myriad of tasks, each needing a different hat. And since it's nearly impossible to wear two hats at once, each hat needs it's own chunk of time.

This year, I've bought a lot of new hats.

I have a salesman hat I put on while I market my book. I wear the hat to books signings, school workshops and community literary events. (Psst...did you know you could get The Iron Bodkin on Kindle for only $4.99? Just click here.)

There's also a mentee hat I'll start wearing in a couple weeks. The Nevada SCBWI Mentorship Program kicks off Oct. 15th. Once I meet with my mentor, I'll be wearing that hat for six months as we rip apart and piece back together my last manuscript.

I also agreed to wear the PTO Co-President hat for my son's school. That hat stays on my head a lot more than I expected it would.

And of course, I have all my old hats: architect, mom, wife, soccer player, volleyball captain, cook, critique partner, community choir member, blogger, writer.

Hang on...

Writer?

Where is that hat? I haven't seen it for months! Dang. I loved that hat.

What hats do you wear? And are you better about making time for each one? Or do some of them get lost?

...

PS-- This Wednesday, I'm going to be interviewed at Amie Borst's blog. Click over for an interesting Q&A!

AND THE WINNER IS...

2010-10-01T09:29:00.000-06:00

#18

REBECCA COLBY!

Congrats to Rebecca! You'll soon be receiving via email a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

Thanks to everyone who joined in the conversation on banned books. It was fun chatting about Pooh's issues and learning more about all of you!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Hope you get to spend it with someone you love.

What the Kids Say...

2010-09-30T14:44:00.000-06:00

"I loved your book. It was a very interesting book with a lot of action and details. I thought there were going to be five books because of the five tools but then my dad showed me where it said The Sardonyx Trilogy so I guess there are only three but it would be awesome if you wrote another series like this one."
--Caleb, 9

""Your book rocks I'm not quite done yet but so far its really good! On the book it said it was going to be a series is that true if so I'm going to read them all, because they are awesome!"

--Scarlett, 10

LAST DAY TO ENTER! $20 AMAZON GIFT CARD

2010-09-30T11:21:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day to enter to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

To enter the contest...

1. Be a follower

2. In the comments section, tell me what book on the list below you'd like to read. For me, it's Athletic Shorts because I've read two Chris Crutcher books lately and really liked them.

Contest ends Friday morning at 9:00 am, Eastern time. All commentors will be assigned a number and the winner will be selected via the number selector at Random.org.

TOP 100 BANNED BOOKS OF THE 1990'S:

Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz

Daddy’s Roommate, by Michael Willhoite

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

Forever, by Judy Blume

Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson

Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine

A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

Sex, by Madonna

Earth’s Children (series), by Jean M. Auel

The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson

In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak

The Witches, by Roald Dahl

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle

The New Joy of Gay Sex, by Charles Silverstein

Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous

The Goats, by Brock Cole

The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard

Anastasia Krupnik (series), by Lois Lowry

Final Exit, by Derek Humphry

Blubber, by Judy Blume

Halloween ABC, by Eve Merriam

Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George

Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane

The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters, by Lynda Madaras

Fallen Agels, by Walter Dean Myers

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood

The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton

The Pigman, by Paul Zindel

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier

Deenie, by Judy Blume

Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes

Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar

Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, by Alvin Schwartz

Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling

Cujo, by Stephen King

James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl

A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein

Ordinary People, by Judith Guest

American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)

Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard

Asking About Sex and Growing Up, by Joanna Cole

What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons, by Lynda Madaras

The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume

Boys and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy

Crazy Lady, by Jane Conly

Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher

Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan

Fade, by Robert Cormier

Guess What?, by Mem Fox

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Native Son, by Richard Wright

Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies, by Nancy Friday

Curses, Hexes and Spells, by Daniel Cohen

On My Honor, by Marion Dane Bauer

The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende

Jack, by A.M. Homes

Arizona Kid, by Ron Koertge

Family Secrets, by Norma Klein

Mommy Laid an Egg, by Babette Cole

Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo A. Anaya

Where Did I Come From?, by Peter Mayle

The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney

Carrie, by Stephen King

The Dead Zone, by Stephen King

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez

Private Parts, by Howard Stern

Where’s Waldo?, by Martin Hanford

Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene

Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume

Little Black Sambo, by Helen Bannerman

Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett

Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher

Sex Education, by Jenny Davis

Jumper, by Steven Gould

Christine, by Stephen King

The Drowning of Stephen Jones, by Bette Greene

That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton

Girls and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy

The Wish Giver, by Bill Brittain

Jump Ship to Freedom, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

...

I loved this...

2010-09-29T11:49:00.000-06:00

f READom

Banned Book Week Giveaway 2!

2010-09-28T08:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I spent fifteen mintues standing on a sidewalk downtown, reading aloud from a banned book. It was part of Rediscovered Bookshop's Banned Book Week Celebration. The book I chose -- A Wrinkle in Time. Seriously...banned?? Excuse my language but, WTH?

So, for today's opportunity to enter my Banned Book Week Giveaway of a $20 Amazon gift card...leave a comment explaining why Winnie-the-Pooh is on the banned book list. 'Cause I have no freaking idea.

You can read the original post and official rules here.

Banned Book Giveaway!

2010-09-27T11:41:00.001-06:00

Photo courtesy of The Florida Institute of Technology.

In honor of banned book week, I'm giving away a $20 gift card to Amazon.com, where you can buy any banned book you like. Listed below are the Top 100 Banned Books of the 1990's.

To enter the contest...

1. Be a follower
2. In the comments section, tell me how many you've read.

Contest ends Friday morning at 9:00 am, Eastern time. All commentors will be assigned a number and the winner will be selected via the number selector at Random.org.

TOP 100 BANNED BOOKS OF THE 1990'S:
Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate, by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Forever, by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Sex, by Madonna
Earth’s Children (series), by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
The Witches, by Roald Dahl
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
The New Joy of Gay Sex, by Charles Silverstein
Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
The Goats, by Brock Cole
The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
Anastasia Krupnik (series), by Lois Lowry
Final Exit, by Derek Humphry
Blubber, by Judy Blume
Halloween ABC, by Eve Merriam
Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters, by Lynda Madaras
Fallen Agels, by Walter Dean Myers
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman, by Paul Zindel
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
Deenie, by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, by Alvin Schwartz
Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
Cujo, by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein
Ordinary People, by Judith Guest
American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
Asking About Sex and Growing Up, by Joanna Cole
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons, by Lynda Madaras
The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
Boys and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy
Crazy Lady, by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan
Fade, by Robert Cormier
Guess What?, by Mem Fox
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
Native Son, by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies, by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells, by Daniel Cohen
On My Honor, by Marion Dane Bauer
The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende
Jack, by A.M. Homes
Arizona Kid, by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets, by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid an Egg, by Babette Cole
Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From?, by Peter Mayle
The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney
Carrie, by Stephen King
The Dead Zone, by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts, by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo?, by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene
Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
Little Black Sambo, by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education, by Jenny Davis
Jumper, by Steven Gould
Christine, by Stephen King
The Drowning of Stephen Jones, by Bette Greene
That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton
Girls and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy
The Wish Giver, by Bill Brittain
Jump Ship to Freedom, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

...

FRIDAY FAVORITES!

2010-09-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

Two favorites this week! And a reminder...be nice to your neighbor!

Favorite One:
I've been so impressed with Lady Glamis's series of posts on self-publishing. Why to do it; why not to do it; how to do it. Yesterday she had compared the quality of self-published books with traditionally published books -- complete with photos. If you're becoming curiouser and curiouser about self publishing, click over to The Literary Lab and check them out. The first post is here.

Favorite Two:
Buffy Andrews has the trailer for the The Deathly Hallows on her blog today. Wow. I so can't wait!

Bonus Info:
Check back on Monday for a giveaway in honor of banned books week!

Four bad things and one nice one

2010-09-23T09:06:00.000-06:00

Last night, we had a volleyball game and played like kaka. Maybe it was the full moon. Or serving gremlins. Or maybe we were all drunk and didn't know it. Whatever it was, we lost. Badly. I'm embarrassed.
I spent about five solid hours yesterday doing PTO things. I am my worst nightmare.
I hate medical insurance.
My friend facebooked me yesterday: "I am LOVING your book, Amy. I want to read it to my kids. I feel like I'm the kid who eats this book up. I would've worn this book to dust when i was younger. LOVE it." Leave it to a writer to write something this nice. Dust. Awesome!
Below, The Boy and his bridge. He has a big, bloody scrape down the side of his leg from this bridge. He tried to walk across it. Needless to say, it did not hold his 68 pounds.

Tuesday Things

2010-09-21T10:32:00.002-06:00

The weekend at Wallowa Lake was fantastic! It didn't rain until we left and we had a great time hiking, shopping and spending time together. (Above, the Boy and I in downtown Joseph.)
If you live in or around Boise and want to show your support for banned or challenged books, consider participating in Rediscovered Bookshop's Banned Book Reading. They plan to have people standing outside their shop, reading aloud from a banned book all next week. You can call 376-4229 to schedule a fifteen-minute shift.
My son finished The Iron Bodkin last night. It's the first time he's read one of my books. He said he loved it and he would like to design the cover for Book Two. Hmm...
Speaking of The Boy, he's getting much better on the trombone. It sounds more like an instrument these days, and less like whales.
I started reading The Shack this weekend. I put it down pretty quickly. It's set at Wallowa Lake, which was kinda cool. But it's about a child abduction and murder, which I don't do well with because a friend of mine was abducted and killed when I was six, but mostly the writing was freaking atrocious!!! It was flat and predictable and I found a split infinitive! Egads. Have any of you read it? What did you think? Maybe it gets better...

Today's Troubles...

2010-09-20T16:21:00.000-06:00

I have no idea where my ms is going.

and also,

I just punctured my foot with a fork.

Friday Favorite: Wallowa Lake

2010-09-17T09:54:00.000-06:00

We're heading up to our cabin...for the FIRST time this year! I'm so looking forward to seeing those beautiful mountains again. Our cabin snuggles right in between the rounded mountain on the left and the poinky one in the middle.

This is the super cute town of Joseph, where we'll shop and eat lunch. We might go through the historical museum and sit in the teepee and grind corn in the ancient pestle.

Saturday night, we'll drive past the green-green farms to the town of Enterprise...

...to the Terminal Gravity Pub & Brewery. If you live in the Northwest, you might be able to get their IPA...if you're lucky.

The Boy loves this place. We normally sit outside at the picnic tables so he can play in the creek while we wait. But this weekend is supposed to be rainy, so we'll probably have to eat inside. That's ok.

It's pretty in the clouds too.

What are your plans for the weekend??

A New Review...

2010-09-16T15:00:00.000-06:00

"The Iron Bodkin is a magical debut from a promising new author. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!"
--Judy Cox, author of twenty-one children's books, including Don't Be Silly, Mrs. Millie! A Time magazine "Top Books" pick for 2005.

Quick Five

2010-09-15T10:32:00.000-06:00

1. I really want those donuts.
2. Our cat has been missing for a week and we just found out she's been under our deck the whole time. We think she's mad at us for breaking up her fight with another cat by throwing water on them.
3. The Boy practicing his trombone sounds a lot like that cat fight.
4. I received my first paycheck for The Iron Bodkin. That's pretty cool but...
5. I have a feeling that something really bad is about to happen. Do you ever get those feelings? Ick.

2010 Boise SCBWI Conference Wrap Up

2010-09-13T09:36:00.000-06:00

At the book signing with (starting at top) Kelly Milner Halls, Sydney Salter, Chris Crutcher, me & Laura Bingham.

We had a good crowd and ended up staying half an hour longer than planned.

At the conference on Saturday, Chris Crutcher gave a seriously moving talk on challenged books, including why some of his books have been challenged (banned) and why those books need to be available.

Cheryl Klein (sr. editor, Arthur A Levine, on right (w/ Neysa Jensen)) gave us seventeen revision tips and Jill Corcoran told us how to write a super query letter. (I don't know why I don't have a photo of Jill).

In the break-out workshops, I heard from Sydney Salter how to make a manuscript stand out in the slush pile. I took Kelly Milner Halls class on school visits, which had a freaking ton of great info. And I sat on the debut author panel with Laura Bingham and Sarah Tregay and told folks how to keep safe when submitting to small and unknown presses.

After the conference, some of the speakers and organizers went out for dinner.

(L to R) Docena Holm, Kelly Milner Halls, Neysa Jensen, Sydney Salter, Jill Corcoran

(L to R) Cheryl Klein, Sarah Tregay, Gloria Skurzynski, me, Melissa Jensen

All in all, a great conference!

PS -- The Iron Bodkin is going to be unavailable for a few days, but it will be back on Amazon on Friday. The Rediscovered Bookshop in Boise does have copies.

Friday Fun!

2010-09-10T09:12:00.001-06:00

I have my first book signing tonight at Rediscovered Bookshop! I'll be in great company -- with Award-Winning YA Author Chris Crutcher and my friends Sydney Salter, Angela Meuser, Laura Bingham & Sarah Tregay. But I'm already too nervous to string together a real blog post.

So while I'm dithering over shoes, trying on every article of clothing I own and trying not to puke, I thought you guys might like to poke around in Pickingill's Magical Notions. There are floor plans for each floor of Lux's home & store. Enjoy!

PS--for you Kindle folks, The Iron Bodkin is now available on Kindle for the fun, low price of $4.99! That's cheaper than a Big Mac Combo Meal and has way less fat!

Five Things on Monday

2010-09-07T10:22:00.000-06:00

1. The long weekend was awesome. It's not often that I *don't* look forward to going back to work. But we had such wonderful days, I wanted it to last forever.

2. Part of the weekend wonderfulness was me reading Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley. It's a story about selkies. I can't wait to finish it. Terri Farley is one of the mentors of the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program. I met her last year when she spoke at a conference in Salt Lake City. She's best known for her Phantom Stallion series.

3. Hubby took The Boy and The Girl rafting on the Boise River Sunday. They got stopped by a river ranger as they were putting in.
River Ranger: Excuse me sir. Do you have a whistle on this vessel?
Hubby: A what?
RR: A whistle.
H: Erm...no.
(The Girl: (Hysterically laughing).)
RR: You're required to have a whistle on your vessel.
H: (Points at nearly naked, bikini-clad girl floating by in an inner tube) I bet she doesn't have a whistle.
RR: That's not a vessel.
Luckily, not having a whistle seems to be a common problem. The River Ranger gave them a nice pink, plastic whistle and sent them on their way. Unfortunately, they lost it when hubby and another guy had to jump into the water to save two ~~morons~~ girls in inner tubes who'd tied themselves together with a ten foot rope, went over the dam and got caught on a piece of deadfall.

4. Last night, the Boise State Broncos played their first game of the season against Virginia Tech. I was bringing The Boy home early from watching the game at hubby's brother's house when we were almost hit by a drunk driver. I got over and away from him as fast as I could. As he sped past, he careened into the median and wiped out four metal poles with reflectors on them, then swerved back into his lane and over into mine. I reached for my cell phone to call the police, but realized I'd left it at home. It was so scary. I kept thinking of The Boy in the backseat and how I would have killed that driver on the spot if anything had happened to him.

5. Our SCBWI conference is this weekend. Our RA's have scheduled a book signing for Friday night and I'm super excited to be included. And super wondering...what do I *wear*!??

and the winner is...

2010-09-03T11:32:00.001-06:00

Lynnette Labelle!

Congratulations Lynnette ~ You won the virtual mini donuts above and a signed copy of The Iron Bodkin!

Let me know who you'd like the book addressed to and where it should be sent! My contact info can be reached via the link in the upper right corner of my blog that says 'contact'.

And thanks to everyone who played. :)

Fact for Friday

2010-09-03T08:55:00.000-06:00

Trombones cost $841

The Giveaway winner will be posted this afternoon, after I finish applying for a loan for a trombone.

BEST MOMENT SO FAR!

2010-09-02T09:36:00.000-06:00

This is Hank Phillipi Ryan. Some of you may know her as the multiple award-winning author of Prime Time, Face Time, Air Time & Drive Time. I met her (virtually) when she judged The Sandy writing contest a couple years ago. She's been encouraging me ever since. But I wasn't thinking about her Tuesday when my local bookstore called to say a man had ordered two books and wanted to have them signed before being shipped. I tried to figure out what man it might be. My brother? A friend?

But it wasn't a man at all. It was Hank!! And it was my first book signing. I admit, I felt a little weird signing a book for a writer who is seventy times more famous than I'll ever be. I also realized it's super hard for lefties to sign books, what with the binding in the way. But I signed, and even though the final product looked like a kindergartner wrote it, I hope she knows it came from the heart.

Thanks to all the folks who stopped by yesterday for cupcakes! Today, we're going to play a game called pick your power! In my book, the original five witchcraft families each held a different gift:

Shape-shifting

Future-telling

Vanishing

Mind Control

Teleportation

Which gift would you choose? Anyone who plays gets entered again for a copy of The Iron Bodkin.

Lastly, if you have a copy of The Iron Bodkin, and you'd like it signed, I have bookplates! Just send me a SASE and include the name of the person to whom you'd like the book addressed. I'll send you a signed bookplate to stick in the front of the book. You can find the address to send your SASE on my contact page.

L A U N C H D A Y ~ The Iron Bodkin!

2010-08-31T18:00:00.003-06:00

WELCOME EVERYONE! To the official, virtual launch party for

The Iron Bodkin!

Thanks so much for coming! And if you've been a follower for a while, thanks also for your support and friendship. I love my followers. You guys rock!!

For your refreshment, I've provided an Ode to Cupcakes:

Cupcakes are for everyone--

Babies,

Moms

& Dads.

They come in

Plain

Polka Dot.

They even come in PLAID!

They're good for lunch

or breakfast.

They're good for De-ssert too!

Chicks

& Bunnies love them!

As do Things 1&2.

So if you're feeling wild,

as parties make you do,

ENJOY THE LAUNCH

have some snacks

and drink some Mt. Dew!
(All cupcake photos courtesty of Martha Stewart Living's Best Cupcakes of 2008 and 2009).

Did you get enough to eat? I have Diet Coke and hot chocolate too. Now, once you're nicely plump you'll want to sign the guest book below. Anyone who comments below will be entered to win a free signed copy of The Iron Bodkin. Winner will be decided by random drawing and announced on Friday.

Check back tomorrow for another chance to enter and more fun & games! And if you'd like to get your own copy of The Iron Bodkin, you can click the book cover in the upper right corner of the blog. It'll take you to your choice of vendors.

The Iron Bodkin at AMAZON!

2010-08-31T09:27:00.002-06:00

The Iron Bodkin is now available at Amazon.com. Click here to view the profile. It's in stock and eligible for FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING!

Are you a Kindler? Now you can get The Iron Bodkin for Kindle at Amazon for $4.99.

Click here.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the official LAUNCH PARTY!! THERE WILL BE CUPCAKES!

In unrelated news, I finished Mockingjay over the weekend.

[[[ SPOILER!! ]]]

I had a real problem with the idea that Katniss would vote in favor of having a final Hunger Game with the kids of the Capitol families. It just seemed out of character to me. Anybody else?

Writing Wrap-Up

2010-08-30T09:43:00.000-06:00

1. The Iron Bodkin went on sale yesterday at Createspace. It's so cool -- you can log into your Createspace account and see how many copies have sold. The stats update almost immediately. And no, I haven't been watching the numbers. (Ok, that's a lie, but I haven't been watching them that much.)

2. The Boise SCBWI regional conference will take place Sept. 10-11th. If you're interested, it's not too late to register. We'll have presentations by agent Jill Corcoran, author Chris Crutcher and editor Cheryl Klien of Arthur A. Levine, as well as workshops featuring local authors Sydney Salter & Kelly Milner Halls, and a debut author panel featuring Sarah Tregay, Laura Bingham and me. Sarah (a member of my critique group for six years) will talk about what it was like to have her book, Love & Leftovers (HarperCollins, 2012) at the heart of a big press bidding war. Laura will talk about life with a small press. And I'll talk about all the things I learned on the weird and wacky publishing journey of The Iron Bodkin.

3. As part of the conference, I'll be signing books at The Rediscovered Bookshop Friday, September 10th. All the authors will be there, so if you live near Boise, come by and visit. Pick up a few books and get them signed. Signed books make GREAT Christmas gifts. (Yes, I did use the C-word. It's not all that far away people!)

4. It's less than two months until the kick-off of the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program. I've sent my full manuscript off to my mentor, Susan Hart Lindquist. I bought my plane ticket to Reno, where hopefully someone will pick me up and take me to Virginia City. I even have a roomie! I'm all ready to start work and see what ideas Ms. Lindquist has for my MG Magical-Realism book, Gods & Vultures.

5. Lastly,be sure to come back on Wednesday for the Virtual Launch party of The Iron Bodkin. We'll have LOTS of cupcakes and Mt. Dew, games & prizes and all kinds of fun!! Don't forget!

psst...i know a secret...

2010-08-29T16:21:00.000-06:00

The official launch of The Iron Bodkin is Wednesday, but it's actually available NOW through Createspace. The profile page is HERE. And as a thanks to all you wonderful followers, I created an early-bird special: if you enter N26WSKW6 in the discount code area, you'll get $1.00 off.

Shoulda had a BlogBreak!

2010-08-25T10:06:00.000-06:00

There's been TOO much going on, what with the fair...

The 2nd Traditional 10-year old's hike to Leggit Lake (The Boy shown here with the original traditional ten year-old hiker, The Girl),

The first day of school,

And all the pre-launch work on my book...

I haven't been around the blogosphere at all! So if you're checking in and thinking, "What is that lazy woman doing?" or "How come she never visits my blog anymore?" -- I apologize. Life's just crazy right now!

Things on Thursday

2010-08-19T16:32:00.000-06:00

"Whoa, what was that speeding thing?"

Pink Sponge=August; The Boy=Me

The Boy goes back to school in six days. I cannot, cannot believe summer is over. We've been trying to make the most of the days we have left. Last week, we hit the toy store and spent his birthday money. Yesterday, we went to the park and rode the paddle boats, got a sno-cone and then went to the book store to pick up the fourth Leven Thumps book. Sadly, they did not have Catching Fire for me.
I'm ever-so-vainly going to repost this comment Amie left a couple topics ago. Amie won the advance copy of The Iron Bodkin. I shipped it off last week and, being a total angel, she read it right away then commented: "oh. my. gawsh! srsly. a great, great, story!! i loved Lux. i loved the voice. i loved the plot. if i could describe this book in one word, it would be this: BESTSELLER." [giggle] bestseller--oh how I wish! How awesome is she to say such nice things?! She is a chaos of awesomeness, that's how much! Totally. You should follow her here.
I shipped the manuscript of Gods & Vultures off to my mentor, Susan Hart Lindquist, and I bought my plane ticket to Virginia City for the Nevada SCBWI conference. The mentor program will kick off in Oct and run through April. I'm super excited!

Lost... In.... (Create)Space: Episode 3

2010-08-18T16:03:00.000-06:00

ROYALTIES & DISTRIBUTION...& TYPOS. OH MY!

In this kinda final episode, I'll try to explain how CreateSpace calculates royalties (ie, how much money you're going to make on each book) and a little about their standard distribution vs. the Expanded Distribution Channel.

ROYALTIES:

How much you make on each book will be affected by the price you set, the cost to print the book and the percentage the 'store' takes.

The cost to print the book is spelled out clearly here under "fixed charges". For most middle-grade books (black & white interior), this will be $1.50 per book plus 2 cents per page. (This is valid for any book between 108 and 828 pages in length). If you decide to go with the Expanded Distribution Channel, that puts you into what CreateSpace calls a ProPlan. With the ProPlan, you pay $39 upfront and $5 each year after that, but your book costs go down and you have access to more sales outlets (more on that later). With the ProPlan, the cost for the same book outlined above would be 85 cents per book and 1.2 cents per page. For my book, the cost was $4.98 per book with the standard plan OR $2.94 per book with the ProPlan. I went with the ProPlan.

The percentage the store takes depends on the store. Amazon.com takes 40% of the list price. CreateSpace has an eStore that sells all the books it prints. The CreateSpace store takes only 20% of the list price. Entities on the Expanded Distribution Channel (bookstores, libraries, etc) take the standard 60% most bookstores take for traditionally published books.

So, the royalty for the sale of my book (which is priced at $9.99)...

at Amazon.com would be $9.99 - ($2.94 + 40% of $9.99) = $3.05 per book.

at CreateSpace would be $9.99 - ($2.94 + 20% of $9.99) = $5.05 per book.

at a bookstore would be $9.99 - ($2.94 + 60% of $9.99) = $1.05 per book.

I haven't been through the sales portion yet, but it appears that royalties are paid monthly and tracked on your CreateSpace user profile page.

DISTRIBUTION:

I should say first, my understanding of book distribution is pretty thin. I do know that CreateSpace uses Lightning Source to print their books. Lightning Source is a print-on-demand company linked with Ingram, one of the fastest growing distributors in the publishing industry. Ingram is an established book distributor and Lightning Source's relationship with them makes your book available to retailers, bookstores, libraries, academic institutions, wholesalers and distributors....*if you pay for the ProPlan.

Distribution to stores, libraries, etc is only available with the Expanded Distribution Channel. Without the ProPlan, your sales channels are through CreateSpace's eStore and Amazon.com. The expanded distribution channel also gets your book listed in some wholesale catalogues. This is where I get a little lost, so I'm pasting the verbiage from the CreateSpace website below:

Most online retailers, bookstores, and libraries find books through purchasing relationships with large wholesalers. If your book is not listed with these wholesalers, some retailers may not be able to buy your book, even if a customer specifically requests your title. Through the EDC you can make your title available to these wholesalers who in turn make your title available to thousands of online retailers, bookstores, and libraries.

It seems to me, just getting listed in the wholesale catalogue isn't that great. I mean, you're stuck in there with thousands of other books with nothing to set you apart. But, it is good to be available to bookstores through Ingram in case someone asks a bookstore to order your book or if the shops in your town would like to keep a few in stock.

ONE LAST THING...

If you decide to self-publish, whether you use CreateSpace, Lulu, Xlibris, Lightning Source, etc, please get some help with your editing. Nothing says 'unprofessional' more than a book full of typos.

This wraps up my thoughts on self-publishing through CreateSpace. In case you missed the first episode on WHY, you can find it here, and the second episode on HOW is here. Have any of you self-published? If so, I'd like to hear more about your experience. Who did you use? What made you decide to go that route?

Lost... In.... (Create)Space: Episode 2

2010-08-13T12:24:00.000-06:00

PART 2: The Process

The CreateSpace website is extremely easy to use. (I've heard similar things about Lulu.) In this post, I'm going to break it down into steps and then follow-up with in-depth info on the starred items. The post was getting really long, so I broke out "Things to Watch For" and will post it next week. So, here we go...

SEVEN STEPS TO PUBLISHING WITH CREATESPACE:

Create a CreateSpace Account. This involves entering your name, email, country and creating a password.
Next, enter the book info: title, subtitle, description, ISBN*, imprint name, BISAC category*, reading level, date of publication and author/illustrator names.
Enter the physical properties: number of pages, interior type (black & white, or full color), trim size*, binding (hardback, paperback), paper color (white or cream).
Upload the files. You'll need a pdf for the entire text* and a pdf for the cover which will include the front cover, back cover and the spine*.
Once your files are uploaded, the folks at CreateSpace review everything to see if there are any issues. If there are, they let you know. I was alerted that my cover file had low dpi and that my pagination would result in a right-facing first page. I fixed that, uploaded new files and they reviewed it again.
Once the reviewers are happy with what's uploaded, you can order your proof. The cost is dependent on the length of the book, type of binding, color or b/w, etc, but I found it very reasonable. My 170 page, paperback book proof cost $2.89. Shipping* was another $4.
Review the proof. If you have more changes, you can make them and upload the revised files. The Createspace folks review it again and you order another proof. Once you're happy with the proof, you can go live and BOOM, you're selling books!

ISBN: If you don't mind the publisher of your book being listed as "CreateSpace", you can get a free International Standard Book Number or ISBN. If you want to have something else listed as the publisher (ie, if you don't want anyone to know you've self-published), you can buy your own ISBN and make up a publisher name. I used the free one -- I have a self-published book and I'm not pretending it's anything different. ISBN packages cost $125 or more through the Bowker Agency. You can learn more about them here. FYI, I didn't see 'CreateSpace' listed anywhere on my book, so even if you go with the free ISBN, it isn't immediately clear that your book was published by CreateSpace.

BISAC: stands for 'Book Industry Standards and Communications'. Categories are standard categories used by the book-selling industry to categorize books.

Trim Size: This is the final size of the book, or the size they 'trim' it too once it's put together. CreateSpace has a good selection of sizes available, but keep in mind that if you want to use CreateSpace's Expanded Distribution Channel (more on this next week), you'll need to go with an industry standard size. Again, there are a good number of choices. However, if you use cream paper for your interior instead of white, there are only three trim sizes to choose from. This chart gives a great explanation of sizes etc. I did want to use their Expanded Distribution Channel, and I used cream paper -- I chose 5.5"x8.5". I'm not thrilled about the proportions, but my kid tells me he couldn't care less what size the book is, so...

Text pdf: Most likely, your ms is typed on letter-size pages. You'll need to reformat the page size to your selected trim size. This will most likely give you a higher page count -- just make note of it so you can enter the correct number later. Make sure when you print your ms as a pdf for uploading, you have the paper selection set to 'custom' and enter the trim size for the custom paper size. In my case, that was 5.5"x8.5".

Cover: There is an 'easy' button (literally) that lets you create a cover on CreateSpace. I already had a fab cover thanks to my Wadmate Heidi, so I didn't go through that process. I'm sure it's easier and cheaper than having an artist create something for you, but keep in mind the cover is what sells books, so make sure whatever you have is killer! If you're creating your own artwork, be careful that the final size of your image includes their requirements for bleed area and that all pertinent info is located inside the safe zone. More info here.

Shipping: There are several options for shipping. I went with the cheapest option for my first proof. It arrived in ten days. For the second proof, I went with the second cheapest option so I could get it a little faster. Shipping on that was $9 instead of $4. They also have two day and overnight for a chaos of money.

The next installment in this blog series will point out some things to keep in mind and attempt to explain the royalty system and the Expanded Distribution Channel. I hope to have my book go live by September 1st, so a few months after that, I'll do a follow-up post to tell you how things are going and give a run-down of how the royalties, marketing and bookkeeping stack up.

Happy Weekend All!

Lost... In.... (Create)Space: Episode 1

2010-08-11T12:53:00.000-06:00

I'm not really lost in CreateSpace. I just thought the title was clever (though some readers are probably too young to remember Lost In Space). For those of you who don't know, CreateSpace is the self-publishing arm of Amazon.com. It's a remarkably easy-to-navigate system which I'll talk more about in the days to come. But for this first episode, I wanted to explain my reasons for self-publishing. As a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, I've considered publishing my own books in the past and always decided against it. Self-published books (and writers) have had a bad reputation, at least until recently. Plus, I believed my books were strong enough to make it into print via the traditional route. So why my 180?

1. I really don't have any other option with this book. My lawyer has written to my previous publisher, stating we are reassuming the rights to my book and asking them to sign a release. We have not received the release (or a response of any kind) which would make another publisher chaos-ly skittish about taking this book on.

2. I also have a gazillion facebook/blog/family&friends asking me daily when the book is coming out. I don't want to explain the situation a hundred times over. After considering the options, it seemed easiest (emotionally) to self-publish the book so I could tell people, "The book is available HERE" and focus on my other writing.

That said, I've really enjoyed the process of getting the book print-ready. I'm even excited about the release, which I didn't expect. And these episodes of Lost In (Create)Space will keep me in blog topics for at least a week. [grin]

Check in Friday for a step-by-step explanation of how a book gets from a .doc file onto Amazon.com.

* * * S Q U E E * * *

2010-08-09T18:25:00.001-06:00

W I N N E R

2010-08-07T09:33:00.000-06:00

Yay! My 'two follower' contest worked out great! I have two new followers (Hi to Mohamed and Casey) and I have two folks entered into the giveaway for a pre-release copy of The Iron Bodkin.

I'm heading over to random.org right now to punch in the numbers. We'll make Mohamed (since he signed up first) the odd numbers and Amie (who recommended Casey to my blog) the even numbers in a 1-10 drawing.

*** ~~ ~~ ***

Ok, I'm back. And the winner is...

#6 which is even so

AMIE

is the winner!

Yay! Amie, send your mailing address to me at amyacook(at)live(dot)com and I'll get your copy of The Iron Bodkin sent out.

The Boy Turns Ten

2010-08-05T09:53:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday, X-monster. I love you! :)

I love it when chocolate arrives in the mail!

2010-08-03T09:57:00.000-06:00

Not just any chocolate either. FLAKE!! Eighteen of them!! How sweet is Nayuleska from Nayu's Realm to send my favorite candy bars all the way from the UK to ease my Great Sadness!? She is a chaos of sweetness! Once I finish all these Flake's, the next time you see me (and trust me--you'll see me!), I'll have a giant smile on my face.

Also -- don't forget about my eighty-follower giveaway! We just need one more follower to hit the goal! Check out the rules here and enter to win a pre-release copy of The Iron Bodkin!

Candy, lip gloss, birthdays & a giveaway!

2010-08-02T17:14:00.000-06:00

Today the mailman brought my prize from Sharon's blog giveaway. It was a prize based on doughnuts, and since I couldn't pick just ONE doughnut as my favorite, I got lots of flavored stuff: Sunkist Fruit Gems, watermelon chapstick, Paul Frank Fried Ice Cream flavored lip gloss and a fortune stick that says: "A foreigner will enrich you." Oo la la, Baby! Can I request that fortune in small bills? Now? Like, now?
The Boy and I ate the fruit gems right away.
Thursday is The Boy's tenth birthday. He's having a camp-out with six boys featuring pizza, a water balloon fight and an outdoor showing of Ice Age 3.
The proof copy of The Iron Bodkin has been shipped and is winging it's way toward me. I am crazy excited to hold it in my hand. I get short of breath just thinking about it.
In honor of said excitement, I'm having an EIGHTY-FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY. Yes, I am two followers away from eighty. I *know* I can get two new followers this week. (Maybe I'm shooting low, but I like goals that are attainable.) So, here's the deal. Short & sweet --

TWO RULES:

Become a follower and you'll be entered in the giveaway. Just leave a comment below to let me know you're following!
Long-time friends, you can still play. Just recommend a follower and you'll be entered in the giveaway, too. Make sure the person you recommend lists your name in their comment though.

The winner gets a pre-release copy of The Iron Bodkin!

Need a reason to want a copy?

"The Iron Bodkin is quite simply a stellar first novel… A story of family, magic, destiny, and adventure, it’s a fully imagined book that I couldn’t put down."

-Lori Calabrese, Award winning author and National Children's Books Examiner

"A magical, charming book that will have you laughing one moment and biting your nails the next."
-Tess Hilmo, author of A Name Like Love, 2011, Farrar Straus & Giroux

Need another reason? Hey, FREE BOOK. Contest closes this Friday at midnight, Eastern time. Winner will be announced Saturday.

Big News!

2010-07-29T10:13:00.000-06:00

I'm super excited to announce that I've been accepted into the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program!

This program accepts 20-24 writers each year and pairs them with an established author or editor to work, one-on-one, through a revision to their novel. This year's mentors include Ellen Hopkins, Harold Underdown, Terri Farley and my mentor, Susan Hart Lindquist!

We'll be working on my newest piece, a middle-grade magical realism novel titled Gods & Vultures.

Has anyone else been accepted? Leave me a comment -- I'd love to connect before the October conference!

Crazy Stuff Man!

2010-07-28T15:31:00.000-06:00

I had one thing on my to-do list for the week and so far I haven't had a chance to work on it at all! Other stuff keeps popping up, which makes it hard to do my regular chores like blogging, cooking, picking The Boy up from camp. Here's the drive-by version of today's highlights:

1. I'm waiting for the mail man to bring me a special 'official letter' so I can make an announcement.

2. My previous publisher has officially received the letter from my lawyer, reassuming the rights to The Iron Bodkin.

3. The architecture basket is overflowing this week with craziness and burocracy.

4. Above is the 'in progress' back cover of The Iron Bodkin. You'll notice I have a fantastic review from Lori Calabrese, Examiner.com's National Children's Book Reviewer. **squee**

5. I'm wearing a DRESS! today. Don't know what got into me! :)

Misc. Monday Things

2010-07-26T10:13:00.000-06:00

Pretty flowers

I have something kind of exciting to report toward the end of the week. :) (no, it's not a book or agent contract).

avatar, by The Boy

I played three hours of volleyball on Friday and two hours of soccer on Sunday. Today, my knee is about the size of a grapefruit. But it was really, really fun!

new book plot cards

I'm considering making a trip to Eastern Kentucky to research my new book. Have any of you ever done a research trip? Did you try to make contacts before you went? How long did you stay?

Fierce dragon and wax man

I have a case going before the Historic Preservation Commission tonight. Cross your fingers for me!

FREAKY FRIDAY FAVORITE: Fuzzy, Beery Friend

2010-07-23T08:50:00.000-06:00

Scottish brewer BrewDog has created the world's "strongest, most expensive, most shocking beer in the world".

It's called "The End of History" and it's 55% alcohol (over ten times that of a normal beer). The cost? $575 a bottle. Only twelve bottles were made and all have been sold. More impressive still -- the bottles are made from road kill. Squirrels, weasels and one hare. So you can drink happy, knowing that no animals were harmed in the making of your beer. But at 55% alcohol, the animal you should most be concerned about is yourself.

Now, go forth for a happy weekend!

Pink or Red?

2010-07-22T10:21:00.001-06:00

What color do you see on my new layout?

It's supposed to be red, but I've had conflicting reports.

Week on the Run

2010-07-21T12:28:00.000-06:00

Handmade finger puppets from Ecuador

1. I outlined thirty scenes for my new book yesterday. I wrote each scene idea on a notecard, then put them in order. I was amazed how clear it was - where more scenes were needed. Today, I fill in the holes.

2. The Boy is at Elmgrove Park this week for Playcamp. He always likes going there, but every time I pick him up, he's all alone behind a tree. I am beginning to worry.

3. In the next two weeks, I should be receiving responses on two projects I'm really excited about. A third response is on the twelve-month plan, so I could get an answer on that as well. Or not. You know how that is.

g r i n

2010-07-19T12:32:00.000-06:00

Some things that make me smile...

The Boy's summertime knees

Silly cousins

Idaho Summer

Mostly what makes me grin is that I'm happy. And I'm happy because...

shhh

don't tell but...

I'm working on a new book!

FRIDAY FAVORITE!

2010-07-16T09:05:00.000-06:00

NO MORE TWITTER!!

Now that I no longer have a contract to uphold, I can be much more selective in which social media platforms I use. So, bye-bye little twitter bird! You make me crazy.

In your nest, I see agents write vague posts about bad queries, and I wonder if they're mine. Or post about great partials or fulls that they're loving, and wonder if they're mine.

And then there are the (one or two) well-known children's lit personalities who make total asses of themselves on a regular basis which makes me sad. Just because you're a big famous editor/agent/writer/etc, doesn't mean you can be rude and insulting to others!

So adios, birdie. And good riddance.

I'll be at Facebook.

Changes

2010-07-14T15:54:00.000-06:00

You might have noticed some changes around the blog. Big changes have been taking place behind the scenes, too. I'm sorry to say, The Invisible Sister won't be published by PM Moon. (See related post here.) I hope to have an explanation for you at some point, but in the meantime I'm stoked to announce The Invisible Sister is reverting to it's original title, The Iron Bodkin and I'll be publishing this book myself, through Createspace.

It was a hard decision. I'm not normally a proponent of self-publishing. But I've been marketing for over a year and so many people keep asking me when the book is coming out, it will be easier, emotionally, to say "It's out. You can get it here" than to explain the situation over and over and... I hope you'll support me ... even though I'm sure a lot of you may disagree with my decision.

With that said, I'd like to unveil my gorgeous cover for which all the credit goes to my rock-goddess of art, Heidi Schmidt.

*squee* Isn't it divine? Do you see the little girl in the photo? Do you see her now? Heidi rocks!

I'm baaack!

2010-07-12T09:26:00.000-06:00

We had a great July 4th Weekend -- possibly the best I've ever had! Lots of sports and good food. Last week was kind of crazy and this past weekend, we headed up toward McCall to camp with our neighbors. The campsite was pretty, the food and company were great but the mosquitos were really bad. The boy looks like he has a rash, instead of individual mosquito bites.

Now, back to business. I'm looking forward to catching up on all your blogs! Hope you're all having a great summer with plenty of time for funny faces.

FRIDAY FAVORITE!

2010-07-02T09:48:00.000-06:00

Gotta have strawberry shortcake for 4th of July!!

It's been a long week with LOTS of Architecture stuff going on. I plan to take today off, but wanted to post my Friday Favorite first. No, it's not strawberry shortcake.

You know how, in the summer, when you walk out of a store or office that is so air-conditioned you have goosebumps? And then you get in your car which has been sitting in the sunny parking lot for half an hour and the car feels so nice and warm. Sure, the car is a hundred and thirty seven degrees and you'll die if you sit there too long. But it's nice to sit for five seconds and just enjoy being warm. I love that.

Have a great 4th of July everyone! Next week, I'll be on a break but I'll see you all in the middle of July. Happy reading and writing!

what? it's wednesday???

2010-06-30T10:02:00.000-06:00

Where did the week go? IDK. So, I have a few Indie-Debut announcements.

First, very exciting to me and of no interest to you guys at all is that I finally received my copy of Brigitta of the White Forest by fellow Indie-Debut 2010 member Danika Dinsmore. I barely started the first chapter yesterday when a chaos of chaos started and I had to put it down. But today, I have lunch plans with Brigitta!

Second, a two-fer for Indie-Debut 2010 members. Scott Heydt has posted an interview with Beth Reinke, author of In My Bath (you should remember her since she was recently here) on his blog. And, there's a GIVEAWAY! Check it out here!

Next, a monsterous congratulations to Indie-Debut 2011 member Terry Lynn Johnson who signed with agent Caren Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary last week. If you aren't a follower of Terry Lynn's, you should definitely check her out!!

Things

2010-06-28T08:49:00.000-06:00

Squash Blossom

1. Yesterday, we drove up into the mountains and picked about six pounds of morels. Last night, we had some sauteed in olive oil and garlic. OMG, were they good!

2. The Boy and his friend picked their own bag and will be selling morels today at their stand, which is called:

Bob's Ultra Mart

From lemonade to wax statues -- we sell it all

Today we have: Morrells!

3. I read Dust of 100 Dogs this weekend, by AS King. I very much enjoyed it. Ms. King gives an interview at the end. She said she wrote seven books over fifteen years before she sold one. That gives me hope; I hope it does you too.

4. I have a lot of architecture to get done this week, so I may not be around much.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

FRIDAY FAVORITE: THE WINNER!!

2010-06-25T09:26:00.000-06:00

The winner of Beth Reinke's In My Bath and rubber duckie set is....

Nancy Sharpe

Congratulations Nancy. Please email your mailing address and if you want the book signed to anyone in particular.

Thanks to everyone who played! It was very enlightening to hear about all the bath scents there are. Coffee??

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sensory Thursday

2010-06-24T09:50:00.000-06:00

The four triplets climb Camel's Back

If you haven't entered our Beth Reinke book&duckie giveaway, do it RIGHT NOW!! :) The contest ends at 6 eastern time TONIGHT!

I thought we'd play a little game today. Here's the deal: just describe what you smell, right now, wherever you are. Maybe this will be fun. If not, we won't do it again. Here we go...

This morning, my house is filled with the scent of toast. There's something atavistically comforting about the smell of toast. It brings to mind images of golden bread with barely-browned edges, of moms in aprons and backpacks and milk. The scent lingers at the top of your throat leaving you with a longing for butter seeping into toasty crevasses and a kiss on the top of your head.

Now your turn! What do you smell today?

Changes, Bath Bubbles and Victory!

2010-06-23T10:45:00.000-06:00

1. YAY TEAM USA!!! Landon Donovan rocks! For you non-soccer fans, (what's wrong with you? ;) just kidding) this win means the US advances to next round of the World Cup. It's like making the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

2. Check out the newest installment of Harold Underdown's "Who's Moving Where". He has great info on staff changes at various publishing houses and agencies.

3. Don't forget to enter our giveaway! Indie-Debut Author Beth Reinke and I are giving away a copy of her debut picture book, In My Bath, along with a set of genuine rubber duckies! Check out the contest info here...but be ready to share some personal info to enter. ;)

4. VR Barkowski very sweetly awarded me the "You are my Sunshine Supportive Comments Award". Awww....I'm humbled at the idea that I can be supportive. If you haven't checked out VR's blog, dedicated solely to her writing, click over. I'm not good about passing on awards, but if you're a regular commenter on my blog, consider yourself tagged. I've been through some rough patches on this road of writing and have gotten wonderful advice, support and (just say it) counseling from you guys. You mean the world to me.

Interview with Indie-Debut 2010 Author BETH REINKE

2010-06-21T10:03:00.000-06:00

I'm excited to have Indie-Debut 2010 member and new picture book author Beth Reinke visiting today! Settle in, pull up some snacks and hear about her new book, In My Bath.

1. What is your favorite snack? I'm having coconut cupcakes and Mt. Dew.

Hmm, let's see. I love fresh fruit - berries, mango, pineapple. For crunch, I like thin pretzels, especially with cheddar cheese or dark chocolate chips. Popcorn, dried cranberries and almonds, chips and homemade salsa. My favorite drink is tea - hot or iced.

2. Your book, In My Bath, is a picture book. Do you typically write for this age group?

Most of my published writing has been magazine articles for adults. But I started out doing children's stories and love to keep a few picture book manuscripts on the back burner. Then when I have a break in article assignments, I pull them out and work on them. It takes me a long time to produce a picture book manuscript from start to finish, with reworking and editing and polishing, but I love doing it.

3. You have a second book coming out very soon. How did you manage to get two books in print so quickly?

Yes, it's unusual to have two books releasing so close together. With picture books, once the manuscript is accepted, the illustrator takes over to bring the book to life. The timing had a lot to do with illustrator schedules. The publisher explained how it would work and offered to have the books come out back to back and I agreed. Pretty soon I'll be able to take TWO books to book events,which is great!

4. What's been the toughest thing for you in this writing/publication/marketing/sales business?

Selling the books is probably the hardest thing for me. I'm not a salesman and I don't like asking people to part with their hard-earned money. In high school we had to sell all kinds of stuff for marching band, like subs and pizza and candy. Oh, how I hated doing that! But I want kids to read my books, and the only way to do that is to sell them, so I am doing it with a smile. Seeing a child enjoy my book makes it all worth it!

Sometimes people don't understand the writing business. They think that authors get a zillion free copies of their books and should just give them out to all of their friends and family. The truth is, most authors from small publishers only receive a few free copies and we pay for the rest. So selling copies is our livelihood as well as the publisher's.

5. Do you get inspiration from other writers? What is your favorite picture book or who is your favorite writer?

My writer friends are a tremendous source of inspiration. We share information, encourage each other and pray for each other. I find that writers are some of the nicest people around. When a multi-published author takes time to send an e-mail or Facebook message to someone like me who is just starting out - that is inspiring!

I have lots of picture books that I like and numerous authors I enjoy reading, but don't really have a favorite of either one. Sounds weird, I know, but it's true. But it seems like every time I visit the children's section in the library, I find another good one. :)

6. If you could offer one piece of advice to new picture book writers, what would it be?

Read lots of picture books to get an idea of what is out there. Then find something that hasn't been done and write it yourself.

Great advice. Thanks so much for visiting Beth!! Take a moment to check out Beth's great blog here or buy her wonderful new book for the little kid in your life. Now, for the giveaway part:

Please leave a comment below, telling us your favorite bath bubble scent. The winner will get a set of rubber duckies and a copy of Beth's book, In My Bath. Contest closes Thursday afternoon at 6:00 pm eastern time. Winner to be chosed via random.org and posted this Friday. Obviously, I can't win but I want you all to know my favorite bath bubble scent is honeysuckle.

WEEKEND IN PICTURES

2010-06-20T15:09:00.000-06:00

Be sure to check in on Monday for a great author interview and a fun giveaway!!

FIVE FOR FRIDAY

2010-06-18T15:57:00.000-06:00

If I could spend all weekend watching the sun set in the backyard, I would be happy.

1. Dang! I lost a follower! Is my blog going downhill? Are you all going to leave? I'm feeling all self-concious.

2. I saw an agent yesterday ask a question on twitter and then complain about the answers she received. Hello dummy! You're the one who asked! I stopped following her. She sometimes posted mean things about the queries she received, too.

After I dumped her, I felt empowered. That's right, I said to myself, just because you're a big agent and hold the strings to the publishing world does NOT mean I have to be your follower / friend / buddy or even like you. So there!

3. Now though, I'm wondering if I lost my follower because I created a negative karmic balance in my social media force. :)

4. Fun weekend planned! Tonight, volleyball with a bunch of friends. Tomorrow, mushroom hunting in the mountains. Sunday, soccer!

Interview with Indie-Debut 2010 Author DANIKA DINSMORE

2010-06-18T09:13:00.000-06:00

Hi folks! Today I have a guest. Please welcome Danika Dinsmore, Indie-Debut 2010 author of Brigitta of the White Forest.

1. What's your favorite snack & beverage? I'm having chocolate training doughnuts and Mt. Dew.
.

First of all, what’s a training doughnut? Is it a small doughnut you eat to practice for larger doughnuts?

I like good old cheese and crackers. And popcorn. But I also have a major sweet tooth and a fondness for all things gummy (wine gums!). Coffee, tea, or fruit juice. I don’t really like soda.

(chocolate training doughnuts photo pasted above!)

2. Brigitta of the White Forest is a middle-grade fantasy book. What middle-grade fantasy books did you especially enjoy as a child? Are there any recent books that have particularly inspired you?

When I was a kid I loved The Chronicles of Narnia and all the Oz books. Hardly anyone ever mentions any of the series past The Wizard of Oz. The rest of the books are wonderful. I also adored The Phantom Tollbooth.

I definitely don’t limit my reading to fantasy or middle grade literature, and I also read poetry and quite a bit of non-fiction as well. In terms of fiction, I’ve most recently enjoyed The Hunger Games & Catching Fire, Robin Hobb’s Liveship Trader series, and Water for Elephants. All “couldn’t put them down” books for me.

I am also a huge fan of Geek Love, The Time Traveler’s Wife, the His Dark Materials trilogy, and almost anything by Neil Gaiman.

3. Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

You’re going to make me pick favourites? That’s like picking your favourite child!

Strangely enough, one of my favourite characters is a fairly minor character in Book One - Ondelle, the High Priestess. Her story isn’t really revealed until Book Three. But I know things about her that my readers don’t. And knowing the depth of her pain and loneliness makes me sympathize with her a great deal, because she must maintain such an emotional distance from the other faeries.

Don’t you find it interesting that we writers often speak about our characters as if they are real? I honestly feel things for and through my characters. I suppose that itself is real.

4. Being a pre-published author definitely has its downs. Which part was most difficult for you to bear (rejection letters, finding time to write, etc) and how did you deal with it?

I’ve been in so many workshops and pitched my work in so many environments that “rejection letters” don’t have much affect on me any more. There were a few close calls that fell through and there’s always disappointment when that happens, but I tend not to dwell on it. I think the most difficult things are a) trusting my own work and voice and b) balancing everything in life: family, friends, career, creative life.

It was important for me to surround myself with like-minded and supportive creative people. I “let go” of people whose energy dragged me down. I also put myself out there for critique. A lot of people read Brigitta and gave me feedback along the way. All of it helped create a better book and therefore more confidence on my part.

As far as balance, well, I’m still figuring that one out. It takes discipline, and then forgiveness, and then more discipline.

5. What projects to you have bouncing around in your head that you'll tackle next?

If I never generated another idea I’d still have too many to complete in my lifetime!

In addition to editing the next book in the White Forest Series (there are 7 books total), I’m developing a web series, editing two feature film scripts (a romantic comedy and an animated adventure), and have been outlining several non-fiction books on writing and teaching writing for the past 5 years.

All I need now is a benefactor so that I can focus all my time on writing. :)

Thanks so much for dropping by, Danika! I am really looking forward to getting my copy of Brigitta of the White Forest! (I mean, look at that gorgeous COVER!!!) For those of you who haven't yet ordered, you can do so here.

Also, if you haven't stopped by the Indie-Debut website recently, you might want to check it out! We add new articles, news and interviews several times a week.

Amy Allgeyer Cook

Sunday Post: Shit My Brothers Told Me #1

FRIDAY FAVORITE

Nine Things From LA

It's all about the Writing

Good Advice from the Nevada SCBWI Mentorship Program

Monday Musings

FRIDAY FAVORITE!!

Talking Book

FRIDAY FAVORITE!!

Hi!

Randomness

Four Things on Monday

Closing Thoughts on the Nevada SCBWI Mentorship

Friday Funny

Hmm...

A cautionary tale about my, erm, friend

Highlights (not the magazine)

U P - C A T C H

What's a Mentorship Look Like?

Three Things on Thursday

Really?

In which I feel stymied

Five for Friday

Public Service Wednesday

I *love* a new year!

Patterns

Happy Holidays

For Your Holiday Enjoyment

Contradiction...

The Crying Game

Hi!

Welcome Lori Calabrese and The Bug That Plagued The Entire Third Grade!

Heads Up for the Bug!!

Quick Catch-Up

Friday Squee!

New Review!

Blog Break

Finally...the Virginia City Post

Wednesday Links

Wow

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

Blog Check

Friday Favorite & Good News Friday!

Three Things on Thursday

Hi!

Things on Tuesday

Too Many Hats

AND THE WINNER IS...

What the Kids Say...

LAST DAY TO ENTER! $20 AMAZON GIFT CARD

I loved this...

Banned Book Week Giveaway 2!

Banned Book Giveaway!

FRIDAY FAVORITES!

Four bad things and one nice one

Tuesday Things

Today's Troubles...

Friday Favorite: Wallowa Lake

A New Review...

Quick Five

2010 Boise SCBWI Conference Wrap Up

Friday Fun!

Five Things on Monday

and the winner is...

Fact for Friday

BEST MOMENT SO FAR!

L A U N C H D A Y ~ The Iron Bodkin!

The Iron Bodkin at AMAZON!

Writing Wrap-Up

psst...i know a secret...

Shoulda had a BlogBreak!

Things on Thursday

Lost... In.... (Create)Space: Episode 3

Lost... In.... (Create)Space: Episode 2

Lost... In.... (Create)Space: Episode 1

* * * S Q U E E * * *

W I N N E R

The Boy Turns Ten

I love it when chocolate arrives in the mail!

I love a new year!