Librarians touch our hearts

Classmate Lisa Schroeder, author of the Young Adult I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, shares this about her childhood library:

It's hard being the young child of divorced parents. My life was pretty chaotic for awhile. And that's probably why I loved going to the Salem Public Library in Salem, Oregon with my mom during the summer vacations of my elementary school years. As soon as I walked into the children's area, I instantly felt welcomed and at home. Everything was in its place, and just as it should be. What a comfort this was to me at the time, and I can't even describe how much I loved our bi-weekly trips to the library. When I walked in, I knew right where I could find my good friends Betsy and Star, Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and more.

I remember one summer, when they had a reading program going on, they had a detailed map on a big board sitting horizontally, and each child had a little marker he/she moved around the map. I can vividly remember sitting and admiring that map every time we visited, and it made me so happy to move my marker around as I read books that summer.

I'm so thankful to my mom for taking me to the library, and to the librarians at the Salem Public Library who did such an awesome job making the children's area a fun, welcoming, and friendly place.

And here's a little history from the Salem Public Library's website:

Salem Public Library was founded in 1904 by a group of determined volunteers from the Salem Women’s Club. The first library was housed in a corner of the City Council Chambers for the City of Salem . The library was operated by the Salem Women’s Club until it became a department of the City of Salem in 1912.


Erin Fitzpatrick-Bjorn, a librarian in Gresham, Oregan shares this about her middle school library:

A few years ago I was working on a poetry unit with fifth graders. They came into the library and we looked at great poets and poetry, and they did some of their own writing. Here's a favorite poem I have that a student wrote that year modeled after "i live in music" by Ntozake Shange.



I live in the library
By Kaylie

i live in the library
is this where you live
i live here in the library
i live on fairy tale street
my friend lives on mystery avenue
do you live here in the library
pages fall round me like snowflakes
on other folks
books touch my face
warm as fire and
cool like the winding air
thinking they waz fairy tales
i got fifteen chapter books where other
people got hips
and a thick book for both sides of my heart
i walk around in pages like somebody else be walkin’ on sand
i live in the library
i live in it
sleep in it
i could even hear it
i wear books on my fingers books
fall so fulla words ya cd make a river
where yr arm is and hold yrself
hold yrself in a book.

Librarians touch our hearts.

Day 2: Now and Later

Today is day two of our now and later series when classmates share what their greatest accomplishments were from 2008 and what they hope to achieve by 2018.

LISA SCHROEDER

In 2008, my greatest accomplishments were:

1. Writing and finishing a mid-grade novel that is fun and marketable. I've always wanted to sell a MG - my agent thinks we're getting close!
2. Selling my second YA novel, FAR FROM YOU, to Simon Pulse. It comes out in just a couple of months.
3. Presenting at the Oregon conference in May, and at three different conferences this fall with members of the class of 2k8/2k9! So much fun!!
4. Watching I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME go into its fifth printing in eight months time.
5. Being a part of the amazing and successful class of 2k8!

By 2018 I hope to have:

1. more time to write as well as do fun things like travel
2. more money to do fun things like travel
3. more books on the shelf with my name on it
4. sold lots of those books with my name on it
5. a 10-year reunion somewhere fun with the class of 2k8

NANCY VIAU

In 2008, my greatest accomplishments were:

1. deciphering copyediting notes, and realizing how much I love revision

2. signing arcs at national conferences like BEA and ALA, while (hopefully) not making a fool of myself.

3. overcoming my fear of being a debut novelist

4. publication of Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head

5. personally "rehabing" a major shoulder injury that froze due to Butt-in-Chair-When-It-Should've-Been-At-The-Gym/Physical Therapist Syndrome

By 2018 I hope to have:

1. at least one more MG novel published
2. at least one picture book under contract
3. several chapters of a memoir completed4. gone to the high school or college graduation of each one of my kids, and I hope I'm thoroughly enjoying being an empty-nester
5. enough long term memory loss to forget how long (and hard) it was to get where I am today; enough long term memory to remember how fun it was

ELLEN BOOREAM

In 2008, my greatest accomplishments were:

1. Managing to sleep occasionally and maintain a portion of my stomach lining even though I have an actual book coming out with my name actually on the cover.

2. Writing a second book even though I have a book coming out with my name on the cover.
3. 2k8!

4. Creating a web site and a blog, which I never thought I'd do.

5. Getting ideas for third and fourth books, and maybe a fifth.

By 2018 I hope to have:

1. Figured out how to write better novels.

2. Made at least one reader shout at the page, "No! No! Don't do it!"

3. Heard from a kid that he/she read something of mine under the covers with a flashlight.

4. Figured out how to write a decent short story.

5. Published five-to-seven additional books with my name on the cover.

Are you reviewing where you've been and where you're going?

Shameless Saturday

We ended one month and surged into another this week. The transition has 2k8ers mourning the close of summer and realizing just how close the end of 2008 is!

Fortunately several 2k8ers got to hang out at the Eastern PA SCBWI event where Laurel Snyder, Liz Gallagher, Nancy Viau and Daphne Grab presented a panel on the differences between MG and YA. They also chatted about their paths to publication, inspiration, what keeps them going, what writers can do to keep from quitting when the going gets tough, and general marketing stuff.

Laurel, Liz, Nancy & Daphne

Every children's author -- especially every new children's author -- loves to get mail from parents, telling them how much they and their children enjoyed the book. When they mention it in public, and when that public mention appears in an article citing many classic titles and prolific authors ... that thrill moves toward the top of the Jolt Meter. Wanna know what we're talking about? Click here to see what one homeschool parent calls the best kept secret for teaching your kids and look for her mention of Jody Feldman's The Gollywhopper Games.

Zu Vincent's The Lucky Place is on the Top Shelf Fiction list for 2008 at "Friends of Palms Middle School," one of only four schools chosen to select the 30 best middle school fiction books published between October 2007 and September 2008 for Voya (Voice of Youth Young Advocates).

And Linda Fischer at SSBRC (South Sound Book Review Council) gives The Lucky Place a recommended review saying, "I believe this book may become one of my best read "Girl Books"...Girls will love it."

Last Saturday 2k8ers Lisa Shroeder and Zu Vincent teamed up with 2k9 author Roseanne Parry to give a panel on group blogging at Portland's Kidlit Bloggers Conference. The conference was filled with amazing authors, book lovers, and bloggers. And the general buzz said group blogs like ours are the wave of the future!

Zu, Rosanne and Lisa

Stop by the kidlit blogspot to hear more including Kim Kasch's sound bites of Zu and Lisa.

And don't forget to nominate your favorite books for the Cybils, the children's and young adult bloggers' literary award. We hope you'll consider our 2k8 titles.

Lastly, look for THREE, count them, 1-2-3, author launches this month! On Monday we're pleased to introduce you to Ellen Booraem, MG author of The Unnameables.

In the Book Reviewer Hot Seat: Jocelyn Pearce

Last reviewer up in the hot seat, but the first (we think) to suggest a 2K8 debut authors reading challenge, Jocelyn Pearce of Teen Book Review fame!! Be sure to leave a comment by June 29th to be entered to win Lisa Schroeder's debut novel I Heart You, You Haunt Me. Winner for this and all the other Hot Seat giveaways will be announced on the 30th! Okay, Jocelyn, time to get in the seat and let's get quickly acquainted:


What's your handle? Jocelyn, mostly...I don't really use anything but my name, though some refer to me as "teen book reviewer."
What kind of books do you review? YA, or MG or Adult books that I think will appeal to teenagers. Or at least to this teenager :-) No specific genre.
Approx # of books reviewed? I have no idea. A lot. Several hundred.
Where can we find your reviews? http://teenbookreview.wordpress.com/
Reading turn-ons: Books that grab my attention right away. I have a short attention span. I also love a great, distinct voice.
Reading turn-offs: Books that are slow to start. Or that are required to read for school. Or that are so terribly written I visibly cringe.
Class of 2K8 books reviewed:
Alive and Well in Prague, New York
The Opposite of Invisible
I Heart You, You Haunt Me
A Curse As Dark As Gold

Excellent list! Okay, now right into the questions: We love the crazy handles book reviewers come up with—tell us how you came up with yours! A little bit about how you got into book reviewing would be cool too.

I usually just use my name, and my blog's name is Teen Book Review--not too creative. I obviously wasn't thinking too hard at the moment, and now it's kind of too late to change to something better! Although I do get lots of google search hits for general terms like "teen books," so that's cool. I don't really have a good story about how I got into reviewing. I saw some book reviews, and wanted to do it, too, because I read a lot and have opinions about what I read. My friends are always asking for recommendations, and they also tend to treat my bookshelves like a lending library!

You should probably make up fun ID cards for them to use as well! Hee hee. Okay, describe your grading system and how that translates to the reader?

I've stopped doing stars or numbers, because that just got too tricky and depended too much on my current mood. I just write what I think, and people can take that however they'd like to.

Sounds like a great plan. Speaking of plans, how do you pick the books you review? Or are they picked for you? Do you ever read books that wouldn't normally interest you—and if so have you ever been surprised by what you've read?

I try to read everything that is sent to me for review, but there's a big backlog there, always. I get more books than I can read! So generally, I just pick what to read for trivial reasons like a cool cover, or other things like an author I like, or a recommendation from someone whose opinion I trust. Whenever I get a new book, I read the first few pages, so if those are great, I'll read the rest of the book sooner. If not, well, then, it might have to wait awhile. I do read books I'm not sure I'll like, and sometimes it turns out wonderfully--sometimes, not so wonderfully.

You do know that Teen Book Review's initials are TBR (as in To Be Read pile) Interesting coincidence? Or carefully planned... eh, not sure where I was going with that, okay, what are the best ways to find new books? Any advice for authors about getting their book noticed by reviewers?

Well, of course, there's always book blogs and review sites! Just browsing can lead you to some pretty great things, too, at the library or bookstore. If authors want attention from reviewers, they should try to have a web presence (the Class of 2k8 does a great job of this!) of some sort, the best being something often updated like a blog (and don't just blog about book news--readers want to get to know you a little more, not just how your book sales are doing). But mostly, just ask us to review your book! We love to read new books. Especially before they're available to the public (meaning ARCs); it makes us feel special.

You are special! But what about those books that maybe are less so? If you really aren't feeling a book—will you make the ultimate sacrifice and finish it for the sake of the review?

Not generally, because that review would be very negative, and I'd rather recommend books to read instead of books not to read (though I do that as well sometimes). I also believe that there are so many great books in the world, and obviously I won't have time in my lifetime to read them all, even if I forgo things like showering, so why waste my time on something I'm not enjoying?

Let's not forgo showering. Yes, this is the Internet, but that doesn't make it okay. But what happens if you really love a book—will you read it again? If so—what are some of the books you just had to read more than once?

Yes, definitely! I have so many books I've reread. The entire Harry Potter series in one marathon five days. All of Tamora Pierce's books, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' books, Looking for Alaska...Really, I often get in a mood where I want to reread an old favorite, although there's less and less time for that.

But not less time for showering. Jocelyn, we're serious about this. As serious as we are about our book reviews. Do you have a basic philosophy on what should be included in a review—or does it depend on the book itself?

I don't have any specific rules. I like to include something about the plot of the book (but no spoilers!), and point out what's best about the book (great writing style, characters, suspense, etc.), and, if something stands out as being not so great, I'll point that out, too. Just your basic review. I usually try to touch on the voice, the characters, and the basic plot, but mostly it's just what I notice, for better or worse.

Let's chat about the "for better." Tell us about the last time your jaw dropped open, you laughed, or you cried while reading a book.

I'm not so easily moved to visible reactions like that, but I think it was probably Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. Absolutely brilliant. I think that's my new favorite book of all time. I had all those reactions, and much more, while reading it. I can't praise it highly enough.

That's so cool. Okay, more cool stuff...Is there any character in a book that you wish would come to life? Or any place you wish existed?

Sure, lots. When I was younger, I always wanted to go to Hogwarts. I would pull up weeds and mush them up with dirt and water and pretend it was magic potion, stuff like that. I had this plastic wand filled with glitter, and I'd take the dust jackets off of big hardcover books and pretend that they were spell books and I could do the spells with my wand. Basically, I spent as much time in "Hogwarts" as in the real world!

If we had a nickle for every time Hogwarts was the answer... speaking of getting mentioned over and over, what books do you find yourself recommending over and over and why?

Ophelia by Lisa Klein is one I haven't been able to stop recommending since I read it! I loved everything about it. Usually it's authors more than books that I can't stop recommending, though--Scott Westerfeld, Melina Marchetta, John Green, Garret Freymann-Weyr...These are people who have been consistently brilliant, even if there are few other consistencies in some of their books! I usually prefer to recommend authors because that gives someone lots more to read.

Excellent point! Okay, this is it folks, our very last time to ask the Extra Scandalous Question! I know, it's a moment. Let's have a pause.

*pause*

Really bad reviews—do you ever fear giving them? Ever had an author get upset with you? (It's okay—you can tell us, just don't name names!) And what advice do you have for authors who get a bad review?

I only review books I finish, and I usually don't finish really bad books (although those I would put into that category are few in number). I've never had an author upset with me because of a completely bad review (to my knowledge), but I have had people who are really nitpicky, and even if I said some great things about their book but didn't like one small detail, they email me to tell me why I shouldn't have said what I did. Sometimes reasonably, sometimes less so. For authors who get a bad review--remember, it's just one person's opinion. There are books out there for everyone, but they're not the same books for every person. So keep that in mind, but also, remember it for next time if lots of people have the same criticisms of your work. If you get several reviews saying that your dialogue was awkward--try to make it less so in your next book. Stuff like that. Most bad reviews try to be constructive criticism rather than total bashing. Ignore total bashing.


Wonderful advice! Thanks for all the great answers! One last question: if they aren't scared off by all that bad review talks and an author would like you to review her book, what should she do?

You can email me here! Just please don't push me to review your book. I have people who email me after a week or two asking (sometimes rather impolitely) why I haven't published a review yet. That's not the way to a good (or at least unbiased) review, or even a review at all. Remember, we're busy people, we do this for free (I love it, but school and a paying job keep me busy, too).
Excellent point Jocelyn! Okay last chance to win one of the Class of 2K8 books to be given away this week. Read what Jocelyn Pearce had to say about I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder, then comment!:

"This is a lovely verse novel–haunting, a beautiful story, beautifully written. I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME is a powerful story of life, love, loss, grief, and moving on (but not forgetting)–of finding hope after a tragedy. " Teen Book Review

(Click here for more great Hot Seat interviews)

In the Book Reviewer Hot Seat: Book Chic

Welcome Book Chic! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY (err Anniversary?), we hear that 1 year ago today you launched your book review site! (And, ahem, throwing quite the the party all month long--so if you haven't been there already--go now! You just might come home with a free book!) Speaking of--be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab!!! (Deadline to enter is midnight June 29th, winners will be announced on Monday June 30th.)

OK, Book Chic, please take a seat and don't mind the heat, just the facts first:

What’s your handle? Book Chic
What kind of books do you review? Young Adult books with some Middle Grade and Adult Chicklit thrown in every so often.
Approx # of books reviewed? Oh goodness, who knows… over 100 at least
Where can we find your reviews? http://www.myspace.com/bookchicclub
Reading turn-ons: complex and realistic characters, humor, compelling plot, unpredictability
Reading turn-offs: the opposite of above, haha, although not every book I read has to have humor

Class of 2k8 Reviews so far:
Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
I Heart You, You Heart Me by Lisa Schroeder

La Petite Four by Regina Scott, Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle, and Undone by Brooke Taylor will be coming up soon, and more will be on the way throughout the year!

YAY--That's what we love to hear! Okay, now let's get down to the in depth interview, shall we? We love the crazy handles book reviewers come up with—tell us how you came up with yours! A little bit about how you got into book reviewing would be cool too.

My handle really went through a LOT of changes before I made the site. My friend Lauren and I would spend whole IM conversations just trying to come up with a good handle for the site that would be easy to remember and fun. It’s much harder than it seems. Anyway, “Book” is there for obvious reasons, and “Chic” is there because I wanted the site to seem classy because I was thinking of fashion chic when coming up with it, haha.

As to how I got into book reviewing, the full story is in the first Ask Book Chic up on the blog way back in February, I think. The short story is that Lauren Barnholdt wanted to do promotion for her book Two-Way Street early last summer, so she asked her livejournal and myspace friends to post reviews on their blogs of Two-Way Street. She also said that she would be available for interviews, if we wanted her to. So, as I was coming up with questions, I thought to myself “Hey, this is fun. I should make a whole blog about this.” and so I did. And I’m so excited I did.

We are too! But reviews can be complicated to decipher sometimes, can you describe your grading system and how that translates to the reader?

I actually don’t have a grading system. I just write about what I liked and didn’t like about the book. However, I am easy to please, so I end up giving out positive book reviews all the time, and hardly find any fault with the books I read. So usually, it’s just me telling my myspace friends how much I love whatever book I’m reviewing, haha.

Nothing wrong with that! So, how do you pick the books you review? Or are they picked for you? Do you ever read books that wouldn’t normally interest you—and if so have you ever been surprised by what you’ve read?

I just pick books that interest me. I keep a book calendar, and just look at that for titles that are coming out in the future. Then, I ask the author if I can get a review copy of the book. Other times, I get books from publicists and publishers who email me about reviewing.

I have read lots of books outside of what normally interests me- what comes to mind first are Sarah Dessen and Ellen Hopkins books, which I avoided because of their heavy subject matter. But now I love their books- they’re fantastic, and I was pleasantly surprised while reading them.

We love Sarah and Ellen's books too. Finding new reads can be a challenge, what are the best ways to find new books? Any advice for authors about getting their book noticed by reviewers?

I don’t know about the best way, but what I usually do is just randomly browse the shelves of a bookstore or library and just pick out books randomly. I’ve found a lot of good books that way.

For getting noticed, just email reviewers. I usually take on most every book that is offered to me that is being published by a major publishing house, and I’m sure it’s the same for most other reviewers. Also, be available to answer questions in a quick manner, should the reviewers have any.

If you really aren’t feeling a book—will you make the ultimate sacrifice and finish it for the sake of the review?

Actually, what usually happens is that I put them aside for a while, and move on to another book until I have more time for it. But I will eventually finish it, and it’s not always necessarily that I don’t like it, it just may not be the right time for me to read it. But I usually get around to every book I receive and finish each one, no matter what.

If you really love a book—will you read it again? If so—what are some of the books you just had to read more than once?

Due to the large amount of books I receive, I haven’t re-read anything I’ve reviewed, but I have read books over again. Some include Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (a HUGE favorite of mine!), Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot, and Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett.

Do you have a basic philosophy on what should be included in a review—or does it depend on the book itself?

It all depends on the book itself because each book has its own strengths, and obviously each book is different in how things are handled or written. I just include what I enjoyed, and occasionally write what I didn’t like, if there was something. But usually, I love almost every book I read, so it’s usually a bunch of gushing.

Authors love gushing reviews!! Tell us about the last time your jaw dropped open, you laughed, or you cried while reading a book.

Well, I laughed while reading Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley and In Your Room by Jordanna Fraiberg. In Your Room was just a fantastic, romantic book that really made me smile and say “Awww” after finishing it. It is a great book, and highly recommended when it comes out this October. Sucks to be Me is a hilarious, original take on vampires.

I don’t think I’ve cried while reading a book, but I think I came very close while reading Class of 2k8 author Daphne Grab’s book Alive and Well in Prague, New York a little over halfway through the book.

We didn't mean to make you cry, Book Chic! Let's talk about something else. Is there any character in a book that you wish would come to life? Or any place you wish existed?

Hmm, maybe all the hot guys in teen and adult chicklit fiction? Haha. Not sure there’s any specific ones, though I think Charlie from In Your Room by Jordanna Fraiberg (esp. if he looks like the same model used on the cover) would be a good choice. I also like JP from the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot, as well as Gabriel Luna from her new book Airhead. And probably lots more, lol.

What books do you find yourself recommending over and over and why?

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway because it’s awesome and filled with laugh-out-loud humor; In Your Room by Jordanna Fraiberg because it is so romantic and has a great, original concept; Airhead by Meg Cabot because it’s a great new direction for her and different from her previous books; Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman because of its awesome and hilarious take on the Apocalypse.

Great choices! Okay, I can't hold off any longer, time for the Extra Scandalous Question—Really bad reviews—do you ever fear giving them? Ever had an author get upset with you? (It’s okay—you can tell us, just don’t name names!) And what advice do you have for authors who get a bad review?

I do fear giving bad reviews, but I basically never do, lol, because I’m very easy to please. There may be one or two aspects I may not like but overall, I normally enjoy the books I read. My advice though to authors who do get bad reviews would be to just see it as like a workshop-type criticism, and to take it into consideration, especially if the same complaint comes up again and again. Learn from it, and your writing can only get even better.

The only time I’ve had an author get upset with me, and she wasn’t even really upset, was when Alexa Young kept asking me to say something bad about her book Frenemies, haha. She enjoys getting constructive criticism from reviewers because it can help her future writing, and it’s a great attitude to have.

That is a great attitude and we hope getting to know book reviewers such as yourself will help other authors find you and your kind less scary! So thank you for all the great answers! Now if they aren’t scared off by all that bad review talks and an author would like you to review his/her book, what should he/she do?

It’s VERY simple. All an author would have to do would be to email me on Myspace, Facebook, or through my regular email if the author isn’t on either of those sites. My regular email address is: bookchicclub at gmail dot com. And usually, I will say yes, and then just send me the review copy.

Thanks so much for inviting me to be part of this reviewer week! I had a great time answering these questions and, if anyone has any more questions, feel free to put them in the comments and I will answer them when I can (which will be very often as I have no life and will be checking this blog entry pretty much every half hour, lol).

Thanks Book Chic! Stalk Away! But you won't get extra entries for the super giveaway!! Remember to leave a comment to have a chance to win a signed copy of Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab!

"Grab's debut is absolutely riveting and is told with such emotion and tenderness, which made it an absolute joy to read this book. The characters are very realistic and complex, especially Matisse, and it's just fascinating to read about her. She felt very real to me as a reader, and it's great when an author is able to convey and make that connection. Filled with wit, realism, and warmth, this is another debut book you do not want to miss. " BookChic

(Click here for more great Hot Seat interviews)

Shameless Saturday

Give us a week and SHAZAM good news bursts forth. It's literary lava and we are HOT!


RAVE REVIEWS

Nina Nelson’s Bringing the Boy Home received a glowing review from Kirkus. “"Told in two distinctive voices, this imaginative and beautifully realized novel, set in the Amazon, tells the story of two boys from the fictional Takunami tribe…their stories connect in a surprising yet totally believable way, giving psychological depth to this richly hued novel about the winding turns of destiny and the bonds between father and son, tribe and family.”

The Story Siren said Regina Scott’s “La Petite Four has a little bit of everything; mystery, suspense, romance and of course really beautiful dresses! The plot is interesting and captivating.” They also refer to Regina as an “awesome writer.”

BIZ BUZZ

M.P. Barker got an excellent write up in The Republican and was a featured author on Red Room.

Jennifer Bradbury’s Shift will be published in Dutch!

Teri Brown’s book trailer for Read My Lips is featured on CBS’s You Tube.

Laura Bowers is known for her amusing author interviews. Check out her latest 1-on-1 in which Daphne Grab confesses to singing to her cat.

Not only has Marissa Doyle been a featured author on the Fantasy Debut blogspot, her Bewitching Season was named in the editor's ten best summer reads for older readers in Scholastic’s Instructor, a magazine for teachers.

Sarah Prineas talks about killing your darlings aka revising as a guest blogger on Darcy Patterson’s Revision Notes. Even better, Czech and Slovak rights to The Magic Thief trilogy were sold to publisher Fortuna. That's a total of 12 languages, plus the UK/Australia!

Who knew Lisa Schroeder was an expert juggler?!? But she says as much in this great interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith. And I Heart You, You Haunt Me is going to be published in Polish. It’s official…2k8 is international!

Pittsburgh’s Lux did an awesome interview with Brooke Taylor (her first!). Check it out!

Sarah Beth Durst (Into the Wild) recently interviewed our Zu Vincent about her essay in the Teen Libris anthology, Through the Wardrobe: Your Favorite Authors on C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.

Annie Wedekind’s new website is a must see in addition to her post about the love affair between girls and horses on the Feiwel and Friends blog.

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.

TIPS, TIPS, TIPS...

Raising hand. Waving hand. Frantically. We have some Totally Important Posts!






Brooke Taylor's Undone and Lisa Schroeder's I Heart You, You Haunt Me have been nominated for ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers. Double congratulations!


What Shelf Elf has to say about Elizabeth C. Bunce's A Curse Dark as Gold: "Highly recommended." And, Shelf Elf, thanks for posting the video too!

Others adoring fans (in alpha order) of A Curse Dark as Gold: Bookshelves of Doom, Bookwyrm Chrysalis, Miss Erin, Sarah Miller,


And Jennifer Bradbury's Shift is a Richie's pick.


Wow! Go Class of 2k8!

Interviews!

It's online interviews galore! Yup! Interviews with 2k8 classmates are popping up all over the place.

We're talking fun, hilarious, spit-your-diet-coke-at-the-computer-screen interviews!

Have you met Laura Bowers? YA Author of Beauty Shop for Rent and INTERVIEWER EXTRAORDINAIRE! Laura asks hardcore hard-hitting questions like:

What's the most regrettable hairstyle you've ever had?
What beauty product can you not live without?

Check out Laura's interviews with these 2k8ers:


Here's the interview with Jody Feldman, author of The Gollywhopper Games.

Here's the interview with Lisa Schroeder, author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me.

Here's the interview with Liz Gallagher, author of The Opposite of Invisible.

Here's the interview with Marissa Doyle, author of The Bewitching Season.


AND YOUNG AND TALENTED Jessica Burkhart interviewed Debbie Reed Fischer, author of Braless in Wonderland here.

Barrie Summy, author of I So Don't Do Mysteries, had her first interview. It's with the Edge of the Forest, a very cool monthly online journal for kitlit. Who conducted the interview? None other than the DELIGHTFUL Becky Levine.



So, take a break from work. Take a break from laundry. Take a break from writing. (Yes, we actually said that!) Click over and read these uberly entertaining interviews. Because a day without a giggle is a day without a .... giggle. :)

We're talkin' Web sites!

Web sites…
Most authors have them, need them, or want them. But are they truly necessary? For the rest of this week, members of The Class of 2k8 will give you their innermost thoughts on being part of the World Wide Web. Stay tuned for some great insight, and be sure and check out each member's site.

(Drum roll, please.) Let’s get to that list: 28+ Reasons Why You Need A Web site.

A Web site is where people go to find out information.
The first thing I do when I finish a book that I love is visit the author’s Web site. Here, I learn more about the author, what other books he published, where she was born. A good Web site makes me feel closer to the writers I enjoy, and much more likely to buy their next book. I hope readers who come to my site feel like they’ve gotten to know me a bit, and have found some way in which we connect.
~Jenny Meyerhoff, Author of Third Grade Baby
http://www.jennymeyerhoff.com

A presence on the Web means being a part of a community.
For me a Web presence isn't just a matter of advertising, it's a matter of community and process. So many essays have begun as blog posts, and soooo many of my friendships and professional relationships have started the same way. I've also had old friends find me through my online life, and I've been approached by publications like Salon.com, as well. So, really... I have to say that I think I'd still be waiting tables if it weren't for the Web!
~Laurel Snyder, Author of Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains, http://www.laurelsnyder.com/

A Web site brings people to your site.
It's really fun to see what kind of search brings people to your site. Let's see, some of the phrases that have brought viewers to my site include:

"didactic stories read"
So, you want to read a didactic story, and if so, may I ask why?
"sleeping babies"
Ah yes, with a picture book titled, Baby Can’t Sleep, I get lots of parents wanting the secret to getting your baby to sleep. Guess what? There is no secret. Babies simply don't sleep as much as people have led us to believe. So, buy my book and have a laugh over it at the very least.
"slush pile garbage"
Yeah, I think editors would agree, there's a lot of garbage in the slush pile. Are you trying to figure out what defines garbage? I think it's pretty much anything that's not so fabulous an editor wants to snatch it up the second he/she reads it.

See? What a fun game! Get a Web site, and find out what fun phrases bring people to your site.
Lisa Schroeder, Author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me, http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/

Our Totally Important Post for today is about Lisa, as well.
T.I.P.
Kids are loving I Heart You, You Haunt Me! Check out what this blogger’s daughter has to say.

Say Farewell to Lisa!

Thanks for spending some time with us this week, Lisa. Of course we'll see you again in the coming weeks...

But as your special week comes to a close, anything you'd like to say?

Thank YOU for letting me tell you about my book and for letting me gush about novels in verse. If you haven't read one before, and you read mine, please let me know what you think. I'd LOVE to hear from you! You can contact me through my website or visit me at my personal blog!

I also need to say thanks to those of you who have spread the news about my book in your own way. Being a debut author is hard. It can be especially hard for authors of books like mine, that are a little different, and may not get reviewed by any of the major review publications. Yeah, it takes a village to get it into the hands of teens!

If you are a librarian, a teacher, or even a teen with a lot of friends who would like to spread the word about my book, drop me a line through my website with your mailing address and I'd be happy to send you some bookmarks!

Finally, one of the exciting things the Class of 2k8 will be doing is making book trailers for each book. I thought you might enjoy seeing mine!



♥ Lisa

A Novel in Verse? What's THAT!?

So, now that you've toasted Lisa's big DEBUT novel, gotten to know her a little, and snooped around in her acknowledgements page...

We want to talk about the book itself.

But one major thing you need to understand about I Heart You, You Haunt Me is that it's a novel in verse. Which begs the questions, what's that???


(Erato, the muse of romantic poetry, is new to the YA section of the bookstore!)

2k8: Lisa? As our resident expert in verse-novels, maybe you can answer?

Well, I'm going to cheat a little. Wikipedia defines it this way:"Verse novels are a contemporary genre combining the power ofnarrative with the rich, evocative language of verse or poetry." I like that definition.

2k8: So... why did you choose to write I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME this way?

To be honest, I didn't really choose it. When I sat down to write, and Ava's pain about losing her boyfriend was trying to come from my brain to the page, that's the way it wanted to come out. And it seemed to be working really well. So I went with it.

Not all stories can be told in verse, especially books for kids/teens, because a lot of dialogue doesn't work in a verse novel. But for this book, with the paranormal aspect combined with Ava's deep grief, it worked well, and created an atmosphere I don't know that I could have created with prose.

2k8: What are some of the challenges in writing a book in verse?

I'm not sure what they might be for other writers, but for me, with this book in particular, it was challenging developing the characters. With each revision, I worked on that more and more. And now, looking back, I wish I had worked on Jackson a bit more. The other challenge is the balancing act between making each page poetic and keeping the story accessible. It's hard!

My editor and I talked about it and I decided that in any book there are going to be passages or pages that blow you away and others that don't. And it's okay - you do the best you can. And hopefully, the overall story is one that sticks with readers when the last page is turned.

2k8: What would you say to a teen who says, a story told through poems? Yuck!

I'd say, Come on, try it, you might like it!

Many people aren't quite sure they'll like it and find out the opposite is true. Even some of our own classmates have told me they were a little hesitant about reading a book in verse and discovered they really enjoyed it. Keep in mind, there is still a plot and there are still realistic teen characters, it's just that the story is told in a different way. And because there is so much white space on the page, and it's a fairly quick read, my book is especially great for reluctant readers.

2k8: Wow, that's not something I would have thought of, but it makes sense! One last question-- are there other novels-in-verse people should check out?

Oh, I love a lot of them, but some faves are:

Reaching for the Sun, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, Hugging the Rock, by Susan Taylor Brown, One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies, by Sonya Sones, and Rubber Houses, by Ellen Yeomans. Those are all great!

2k8: Fabulous! This was wonderful , Lisa. Thanks so much for answering our questions...

And for those of you who want to know more about Lisa, and her awesome verse-novel, Lisa will be taking questions all day today (Thursday) at the YA Authors Cafe. Pop by and harass her!

Pretty please?

Lisa needs to acknowledge...

Today we get the FULL story, the inside scoop, the tale behind Lisa’s acknowledgements page.

Lisa, take it away!

Well, like Liz said a couple of weeks ago, I love reading the acknowledgements page in books. I usually flip to that page and read it before I even start the book. It’s like a little peek inside the author’s life, and I love that.

So today I want to tell you about one of the people listed in the acknowledgments of I Heart You, You Haunt Me, and about how my book would not be the book it is today without her help.


When I sat down to write Ava and Jackson’s story, I didn’t have the story mapped out. In fact, I didn’t know much of anything other than the main premise of the book. So when I was about twenty pages into it, I realized I needed to know how Jackson died. (Don’t worry, I’m not giving anything away by telling you Jackson dies. The story begins at his funeral, so you know from page one he is not alive). I needed something somewhat unique yet believable and something that would fit the story. I was stumped!

I finally e-mailed my friend, Jayme Carter, and asked her for help. She’s really good with ideas, and has helped me on more than one occasion when I needed a good, old-fashioned brain storming session. Jayme e-mailed me back and told me about something that happened when she was in high school. She told the story so clearly, it was as if I was there.

That’s it, I thought! And so, I went with it.

At the time, I don’t think I even knew how well it would fit into everything, but now, looking at the completed book, I can’t imagine that it could have been anything else.

So now you're probably wondering, HOW DID HE DIE?

Of course I’m not going to tell you. If you want to know, you have to read the book.

Heh heh.

I’ve told Jayme before how much I appreciate her help, but again, I want to say THANK YOU, Jayme, for your willingness to brain storm and for coming up with a crucial part of the story. It’s a bit eerie to me how the perfect idea came to you to suggest exactly when I needed it.

Funny how that can happen...

Lisa Schroeder, our cheerleader-poetess!!!

Our debut author of the week is Lisa Schroeder, author of the young adult novel, I Heart You, You Haunt Me, which hit the shelves recently.

We sat down and asked Lisa some questions, so we can all get to know her better. Grab a cup of tea (Lisa's beverage of choice), sit back and enjoy a little conversation, Lisa-style!

2k8: So, where do you do most of your writing? What's it look like?

I mostly write in my office, early in the mornings or on the weekends. I have a laptop now, so it makes it a bit more convenient to go somewhere and write, although I don't do it as much as I might like.

2k8: Can you tell us how the book came about? How did you begin writing it?

I had a dream about Ava and Jackson, although I didn't know their names until I wrote for awhile. I just knew they loved each other very much. So much so, he didn't want to leave her behind after his death. I woke up, sat down, and started writing, in a poetic sort-of way that I'd never tried before. It felt right, so I kept going.

2k8: And how did it find a publisher? Give us the real dirt!

I got quite a few rejections, because, let's face it, it's a different kind of book. It's in verse, which can be a tough sell, and on top of that, there's the paranormal aspect. I think some houses just weren't sure how they would market it. My agent sent it to an editor at S&S, who I guess thought it'd be a good fit for the teen division, Simon Pulse, so he sent it over there. My editor picked it up and read it on his bus ride home and liked it. The rest, as they say, is history!

2k8: Did anything surprise you or catch you off guard when you were writing your book?

I think what surprised me with this book is how it poured out of me and how I couldn't stand to be away from it. The other novels I'd written up to that point didn't come as easily. And sometimes, I'd get stuck and stay away for months. But not this one. I could hardly write fast enough, and I had a first draft finished in a month.

2k8: Imagine you have an offer from your dream press to publish your dream book, no matter how insane or unmarketable it might be (though of course it might not be). What story do you want to write next/someday and why?

I'm pretty careful about putting my ideas out there for the world to see, because I have so few of them! But I will say the book I really want published is already making the rounds. It's a sweet middle grade book, titled Double Scoop, written in verse from the point of view of Oliver, a boy who likes animals, basketball, and spending time with his best friend, Ben. When Oliver discovers he also likes poetry, he uses it to help him deal with the impending move of his best friend.

Novels in verse are so great for relunctant readers. I know because I have one living in my house! One of his favorite books is Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. I hope there is an editor out there who can see the potential for my little book and how great it could be with fun
illustrations. I think there's this fear that kids, boys especially, won't read poetry and I say, the more we put it out there, the more kids will learn they like it! Let's raise a nation of kids that say, "Poetry rocks!"

2k8: What question won't most people know to ask you? What is your answer?

How about - Did you like being a teenager?

And the answer to that one is... I loved it.

I have such great memories of that time of my life. Sure, of course there were challenges, too, but there is nothing like that time in life, when it's all about having fun and making memories. One of my favorite TV shows is "Friday Night Lights" because it takes me back to those days when we routed for our Lebanon Warriors and danced the night away after the game. I think like writing for teens because it allows me to imagine being that age again.


(Can you pick Lisa out from among the cheering fans?)

2k8: Wow, that makes so much sense! I know we all have years and memories like that (although of couse some of us hated high school!) But it's really nice to hear about this... Thanks for chatting with us, Lisa!

Our guess is that Lisa is going to have her own cheering fans before long. And we bet our readers agree... Right, readers?

Off to a roaring good start!!!

We were just about to sit down and post a little letter of explanation--

We wanted to tell you a bit about how this blog will work, how we'll be SUPER organized, allotting exactly one week to the launch of each new book (so that everyone gets their moment in the sun). We wanted to describe how we plan to follow a careful outline, beginning each launch week with a Monday "virtual release party" and proceeding with a tell-all author interview, followed by cool posts that include ridiculous pictures, deep dark secrets, and games and contests...

But then Lisa Schroeder did this cool interview over at Authorlink. So even though she isn't "scheduled" for another two weeks, we're blogging her today

Just a little extra sumpin sumpin for Lisa, and her book, I Heart You, You Haunt Me.

Go LISA!

(Oh, and in other news, we got a few new links! From Beatrice, Becky's Book Reviews, Hip Writer Mama Thanks, guys!!!)