Please welcome Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

The class of 2k8 is pleased to introduce another extraordinary MG author this month. Won't you help us welcome Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, author of Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different?

I grew up in East Tennessee, near Cades Cove, where Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different is set. Autumn’s story came to me when I was on a guided tour of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There we were, standing in what was once someone’s home, and I thought: what if my home became a national park? How does something like that even happen? When I did a little research, I discovered the fascinating history of the people of Cades Cove.

No one does things like Autumn Winifred Oliver. Autumn Winifred Oliver prides herself on doing things her way. But she meets her match when she, her mama, and her pin-curled older sis, Katie, move in with her cantankerous Gramps. The Oliver gals were supposed to join Pop in Knoxville for some big-city living (they’d even sold their house!), but Gramps’s recent sick spell convinced Mama to stay put in Cades Cove, a place of swishy meadows and shady hollers that lies on the crest of the Great Smoky Mountains.

And it’s not like there’s nothing going on in the Cove. Folks are all aflutter about turning their land into a national park, and Autumn’s not sure what to think. Loggers like Pop need jobs, but if things keep going at the current rate, the forests will soon be chopped to bits. And Gramps seems to think there’s some serious tourist money to be made. Looks like something different is definitely in order…

"Kristin O'Donnell Tubb has written a wonderful debut novel, full of history, excitement and sensitivity....Tubb takes no easy shortcuts - but she finds a satisfying and very real resolution." Alice Cary for BookPage

“Tubb skillfully weaves Autumn’s internal coming of age struggles with the very real struggles faced by the people living in the hollows and hills of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, before the park existed….What makes Tubb’s story so unique and rich is her knowledge of the people, the geography, the history, and their culture. Tubb masterfully brings these folks to life….Under the exquisite language and personalities lies a true story—one that should spark classroom debate. I hope teachers everywhere add Tubb’s book to their reading lists.” BookPleasures.com

“Peppered…with Appalachian superstitions and homey, colorful phrases.” Kirkus Reviews

Kristin, we're so happy to celebrate your debut this week! And we can't wait until tomorrow when you share your "call" story with us.

Stick To It

Helen Keller said, "We can do anything we want as long as we stick to it long enough." Let's face it, the road to publication is often pebbled with rejection, criticism, self doubt and frustration. Those who continue the journey will eventually find success. Just ask Terri Clark.

I'd been writing for over 11 years when I finally got THE CALL. I’d begun by writing romance and for several years I kept hearing “You’re sooo close,” but I never quite got over that hump. Well, that’s not exactly true. I actually had a Harlequin editor tell me she wanted to buy my book after reading it when I finaled in the Golden Heart for the second time. Then she got fired and the book was never bought. Needless to say, my frustration was overwhelming. I just didn’t know what I could do differently. Then my best friend, Lynda Sandoval, suggested that my voice was really well suited to YA. She started me reading Meg Cabot’s 1-800 and Mediator series’ and I immediately fell in love and knew that’s what I was supposed to write. For a year I read nothing but teen book after teen book. Not only did the books inspire me to write YA fiction, they inspired me to pursue working with teens at my library. The first YA I wrote was never bought, but my agent at the time had heard that HarperCollins was looking for gritty stories and she knew I’d just started one. She asked me to get something to her ASAP and I did. On December 19, 2006, while I was walking into my daughter’s orthodontist appointment, I got the call. After five complete adult romances and one YA I ended up selling SLEEPLESS on proposal. The long, long wait finally led to everything I imagined and more. You might not know exactly when your dream is within reach, but if you give up you'll never get there.

Isn't that the truth? Guess we're learning two things writers must have are patience and persistence. (One may be easier to come by than the other.) Tommorow we're going to hear possibly one of the worst things ev-er. Imagine t his: you finally get that sale and pick up the phone to call everyone you know and no one is home! Could anything be worse?!?

Hurry Up & Wait!

Ask any writer what the worst thing about this industry is and you'll most likely hear...waiting. It seems like an endless loop of hurry-up-and-wait. We hurry to turn things in and then we wait and wait and waaaait some more. Just ask Teri Brown, author of Read My Lips.

My first sale took forever, but I’ll make the first sale story much, much shorter. My first book didn’t sell, much to my agent’s disappointment, (and mine!) but we had high hopes for the second one. In September of 06, we sent it out to a ton of editors. The first rejections were fairly quick, like in the first couple of weeks. Then the waiting began. Over the next eight months, we waited, following up from time to time. A rejection would trickle in here and there until our large list of editors had dwindled. I was working on my next book, but losing heart. Then we got news. A new editor at Simon Pulse, who had recently taken over for the editor we had submitted to back in September, happened to come across my manuscript. She was conversing with my agent on a different book and asked if mine were still available because she was really “enjoying the read.”

Do you want to know how many times I read that sentence? I lost track after like, 100. My agent sent her a quick note telling her it was still available. A few days later the editor wrote back saying she loved it and hoped to have an offer by the next week. It was positive enough that I began doing the happy dance, though part of me couldn’t believe it until the actual offer came in. And there it was. Read My Lips had sold. All it took was eight months, an editor leaving, and a new editor discovering the manuscript. So one thing I’ve learned in this business… never give up!

No doubt about it, sticktoitveness is key! Tomorrow Terri Clark will share her story of dogged determination.

A Bouncing Baby Book

In keeping with yesterday's baby theme, we introduce you to the first book baby of Lisa Schroeder, author of the current YA sensation I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME.

My first book sale was in the spring of 2004. I had been seriously writing and submitting stories since 2001, and was about to surpass the 100 mark for total number of rejections. (Now that's persistence!)

I remember I was at work, trying not to fall asleep, because I had been up with a very sick child all night. My husband stayed home with that very sick child while I trudged into work.

Around 2:00, my husband called me and said, "an editor just called you! You're supposed to call her back!"

I grabbed my cell phone and ran outside, wondering if I was going to miss her since I was the West coast and she was on the East coast. When she answered, I said something like, "This is Lisa Schroeder, and I'm so glad you haven't left for the day." She said, "And miss telling you the exciting news? No way!"

She was calling to tell me that Sterling Publishing was interested in publishing my picture book story, BABY CAN'T SLEEP. It was one of my favorite picture book stories that I wrote, so of course I was thrilled.

Today, BABY CAN'T SLEEP is still available, in hard cover as well as a board book format, which makes me happy, since it's my first "baby" and all.

Awww. Don't we just love babies and happy endings? Tomorrow we're going to hear another story about persistence from Teri Brown.

Realizing Dreams

They say April showers bring May flowers. This month we're hoping to plant the seeds of inspiration. THREE of our authors will be debuting in the coming weeks, but for now we're going to talk about realizing dreams.

To be considered a writer it only one takes thing...writing! To be considered a published writer it takes that first sale. This week we'll be sharing our first sale stories. Some are funny, some will make you verklempt and some will remind you why you should always remain persistent. May those of you reading these stories have exciting sales tales of your own blooming as we speak!

First up is Kristin O'Donnell Tubb's rather, ahem, embarassing story....

The scene: Early February, 2007. My editor, Wendy Loggia, calls my cell phone. I am nine months pregnant. I am AT THE OB/GYN.

Wendy: "Hello, Kristin? It's Wendy Loggia from Random House."

Me: "Oh my gosh! It's so good to hear from you! I'm at my gynocologist's office right now."

Wendy: silence

Me: "Oh, um - I should say, I'm not in the office right now - I mean, I am, but I'm checking out. I'm done." Shut up Kristin. "I mean - I'm scheduling my induction for my new baby. I was newly pregnant when we met, remember?" Shut UP, Kristin. "Everything's great! Healthy baby! I'm scheduling his arrival right now. That's why I'm at...my...OB's office..."

Wendy: laughing "I think this is a first for me."

Me: unbelievably mortified "Uh, me too?"

Wendy: "So I wanted to talk to you more about this wonderful story you sent me..."

And that was that! There, in my OB/GYN's office, I was offered my first book deal. Two weeks later, my son was born. It was one heckuva month.

You gotta love two new babies! Join us tomorrow when Lisa Schroeder talks about her baby...BABY CAN'T SLEEP