ADR3NALIN3

BELIEVING...OR NOT...Part II

2012-02-23T01:24:00.001-06:00

Two weeks ago, I blogged about my first-ever experience with…well, I hesitate to say a ghost, because it’s not like a saw an apparition or heard voices. But a Very Strange Thing definitely occurred that defied rational explanation. If you missed that post, you can catch up HERE.

That was the first time a Very Strange Thing happened to me, but it wasn’t the last. There have been other Very Strange Things over the years, usually when I was alone. I rarely told anyone about them, because, well…you never know how others might interpret something like that, especially when you aren’t quite sure how you should interpret it yourself. I just knew that I didn’t want anyone to try to talk me into—or out of—anything. I wanted to make up my own mind.

Have I?

I wish the answer could be a straightforward yes or no. But when these Very Strange Things occur, I tend to go from initial disbelief (Whoa--is this really happening?! No way!) to absolutely certainty that I’ve just had a paranormal experience—and then the pendulum gradually swings back again to uncertainty as time passes and the specifics fade.

Unless, of course, someone else shared the experience. Better yet…a roomful of someone elses. When you have eyewitnesses, you at least know that it wasn’t all in your head, which means the phenomenon, at least, is real--though the cause may still be open to interpretation.

A few summers ago, at Thrillerfest in New York City, I was invited to present a panel with my author friends Heather Graham (aka Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake) and Alexandra Sokoloff, who also write paranormal. Actually, the Thrillerfest committee had asked us to present a “séance,” but none of us were comfortable with that idea, so we instead decided to lead a discussion on spiritualism. We were thrilled when my good friend, Dr. Lauren Thibadeau, phD and registered Lily Dale medium, agreed to join us as a special guest.

There we were–we three authors talking about the personal experiences that had led us to write our “ghost stories,” with Dr. Lauren elaborating with informative anecdotes–when a Very Strange Thing happened.

I’ll preface it by mentioning that earlier in the evening, as Dr. Lauren and I sat chatting together in the hotel bar, she had confided that playful spirits have been feeding off her recent stress and moving objects around on her, manipulating appliances, etc. She described a couple of experiences that would probably freak out most of us, but to her are irritating nuisances, all in a day’s work. (Even, apparently, when she’s not working!)

So as we sat there on our panel, basically talking about whether spirits can make themselves known by manipulating energy, the recessed light in the ceiling directly above Lauren’s head turned itself off.

Then on.

Then off again.

Then on again.

You can imagine how that went over in a roomful of paranormal authors, aspiring paranormal writers, and fans of paranormal writing. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I might not have believed it. Every other recessed bulb in the ceiling remained steadily on.

Not that one.

There it was, blinking like a beacon over Lauren, who was amused, and pretty much chalked it up to an opportunist spirit.

That light continued turning itself on and off for a good part of the lively discussion that ensued. We had a terrific interactive audience and they were filled with questions for Alex, Heather, me–and of course, Dr. Lauren. At the end of the evening, as the room was emptying and we were gathering our things and chatting, we noticed that the light had long since stopped blinking. It glowed steadily now, not a flicker in sight.

Leave it to a psychic medium to inject a new kind of “thrill” into Thrillerfest!

If you’ve experienced Very Strange Things, have you always been alone? Or was someone else there to witness it—and assure you that you weren’t imagining things?

A Tease is Only Fun if...

2012-02-22T04:06:00.007-06:00

by A.G. Howard

Don't you just hate when someone teases you, tempts you, and taunts you with the promise of something amazing and, then, when you're salivating at the chops, they walk away laughing without giving you anything at all? Feels kinda like this...

Well, here at ADR3NALIN3, we understand the subtle art of teasing. We're authors, after all. And we know that a tease is only fun if the teasee (yes, it's a word! I just made it one, see?) eventually gets what they're promised.

Back in January, our Weekend Warriors, Frans and his zombie twin, Hans, teased our readers on this post, promising details of how to win this EPIC ADR3NALIN3 gift pack:

Bet you thought we forgot, right? Well we didn't. And today I'm going to give you all the deets you need to make this lovely dream package a gratifying reality.

What does this pack entail, you ask?

- Jordan Dane: ON A DARK WING autographed paperback and a snack pack inspired by her main character.

- Ilsa J. Bick: DROWNING INSTINCT and ASHES autographed hardbacks

- Wendy Corsi Staub: LILY DALE: AWAKENING autographed hardback

- Jennifer Archer: THROUGH HER EYES authographed hardback

- Chris Grabenstein: CURIOSITY CAT autographed paperback and assorted bookmarks

- Dan Haring: OLDSOUL autographed ARC

- Carol M. Tanzman: DANCERGIRL autographed paperback

- Brett Battles: HERE COMES MR. TROUBLE autographed paperback

- A.G. Howard: A creepy Alice in Wonderland themed journal, ribbon bookmark, and a signed bookplate, in homage to SPLINTERED, her upcoming YA Alice in Wonderland spinoff

- AND assorted and sundry swag too numerous to mention

How to win it? Easy cheesy (you'll have to read the Frans and Hans post to truly appreciate that little adage). Just hop over to Young Adult Books Central where they're having a Mega-Giveaway of EPIC Proportions.

Our package isn't the only thing up for grabs, either. Over twenty-some established and debut YA authors donated: t-shirts, lanyards, temporary tattoos, SIGNED books, SIGNED bookmarks and bookplates, magnets, felt coffee sleeves, shuriken hair clips, a USB flash drive, bracelets, pens, notepads, keychains, and more. There are five different prize packages to win, including ours.

So what are you waiting for? Hop over and enter the giveaway! (Entrants must have a US mailing address.)

The giveaway is open for entries from now until midnight, March 1st. Winners will be announced on Friday, March 2nd.

See? Here at ADR3NALIN3, we know how to make teasing fun. (◕‿-)

Good luck, everyone!

YA: How Dark is TOO Dark?

2012-02-21T00:01:00.006-06:00

Brett here...Today I'm honored to present a guest post by my good friend Alexandra Sokoloff. Alex is a screenwriter and novelist who has made a name for herself in the world of adult supernatural thriller fiction and is now dipping her toe into the YA world. Something, for which, we should all be glad!

Enough from me...here's Alex:

First, I am thrilled to be in the company of the Adr3nalin3 writers. Thank God conference season is upon us and I will get to see all your shining faces soon (hopefully on the dance floor!).

Second, Happy Mardi Gras, y’all!!!!!!!!!

And third. . . oh, God, this is such a dark post for Mardi Gras.

See, the thing is, Brett cleverly roped me into blogging for him by cleverly calling today TUESDAY, not MARDI GRAS. I only realized in retrospect...

But this blog is ABOUT dark, isn’t it?

And nothing in New Orleans (or Brazil) is ever just sweetness and light, right? Well, neither is this post.

We can party in a minute, or two, I promise, but first I actually have a serious question for all you darkside writers.

Is there such a thing as TOO dark in YA?

I know, I know, I can hear you all thinking back at me: Well, Hunger Games is dark. Twilight is – well, at least twisted. The Wicked Lovely series is TRULY twisted, and dark, especially in later books. Beautiful Creatures deals very realistically with teenage depression in a fantastical setting. Forest of Hands and Teeth has ZOMBIES, yo, of course it’s dark!

But fantastical dark, or paranormal dark, or sci-fi dark, or steampunk dark, or dystopian dark, is different from dark as it happens in real life. For example, I love the first Hunger Games, but it’s SO high concept - for once I’ll use the odious “It’s ---- Meets -----!!!!!!!“ paradigm: It’s Survivor meets The Lottery!!!!!!!!

I mean, unquestionably brilliant, but let’s face it, there is nothing that is not Hollywood about it. And Hollywood just doesn’t do dark, these days. Not on a budget over $1 million, anyway, not since the seventies (or unless you’re Steven Spielberg and you’re doing the Holocaust. But that was a while ago, even so.).

The sheer VASTNESS of the Hunger Games setting undercuts the darkness of it. These days, Hollywood is not going to go all the way to the dark side. Sorry, but it’s simply not. Edgy, fine, but Katniss is not going to die, okay? That’s not a spoiler, it’s just the way it is.

And that’s what I’m trying to get at for today’s discussion. Dark in a fantastical, paranormal, dystopian, sci-fi setting, is not the same as dark as it happens . . . in real life.

Now, I’ve read some dark YA. Dark as I am, I tend to seek out the dark. Um, compulsively. And currently, for me, the winner of that particular lottery on the YA front is Chris Lynch’s Inexcusable, a riveting and completely realistic exploration of a high school boy who walks the line between high school jock narcissism and sociopathy, and –

Well, read it. It’s not pretty.

Speak is dark, too. Can you believe people have tried to ban this book? Like, let’s pretend rape just doesn’t happen. After all, it wasn’t even a felony for. . . a REALLY REALLY LONG TIME. Oh and especially don’t let teenage girls know how often this happens, with them as the primary target. Although boys certainly aren’t exempt—but that’s even darker to write about, isn’t it? Nobody wants to talk about THAT. But with that monster Jerry Sandusky all over the news, maybe we’ll finally have to.

But this is the thing for me as a writer, writing dark YA. What I write, personally, is a cross between reality and - supernatural, paranormal, horror, whatever you want to call it – it confuses even me. So when I write dark, which I do with my adult thrillers and which I have done in spades with my own first YA, THE SPACE BETWEEN, it’s fantastical, sort of, and supernatural, sort of, and sci-fi, sort of, and horror, sort of - and maybe even paranormal, sort of - but the thing that makes it dark is the reality of it.

A reality so dark that I made this novel my first indie-published novel after - five traditionally published books and four more traditionally contracted books coming in the pipeline. I didn’t even want to try to publish THE SPACE BETWEEN traditionally, because I didn’t want to undercut the reality of it, and I didn’t want to fight with the powers that be about the content, I just wanted to DO it. Because I REMEMBER high school. I had a wonderful time in so very many ways; our school had an awesome theater department and I had some of the best times and the best professional training of my life there. But I remember how – outside theater – how high school really was, the stuff no one really talks about. And I’m not just remembering as a student – I taught incarcerated teenagers in the Los Angeles County prison system before I sold my first film script, when I was just 22 years old, so as a young teacher I was able to observe the darkness of that teen age while I still had all the feelings of BEING that age. And it impacted me, let me tell you.

So my first and only-so-far YA is dark in a way I was just too uneasy to unleash on traditional publishing. It’s not like there’s no hope in it, I swear! In fact, because of the subject matter, there are so many potential endings, light and dark, I’m going to have to make the whole thing a trilogy. But I did not want anyone telling me you CAN’T DO THAT, and I truly believed that was what would happen. I’m a hopelessly right-brained person in reality but I had to research and come to some understanding of advanced algebra, probability, and quantum physics just to make this book a reality, and I knew going into it that the scariness of the science involved could make it a hard sell, let alone the themes of school shootings, sexual harassment, sexual predators, mental illness, PTSD, dwarfism, some pretty brutal bullying and teenage sex. But no one was going to tell me I couldn’t do it, and the miraculous thing is, these days, we authors don’t have to worry about people telling us what we can and can’t do.

And so far, so good. The book IS too dark for some people but it really lights others up with its subject matter, fascinating dreamworld and emotonal reality.

So my questions for the day are: Do you ever worry about writing TOO dark? Can you give me examples of YA books that are so dark that you are shocked they were ever published?

Or – tell me how was your high school? Light? Dark? Grey?

And please, if you know any – give me good examples of YA horror. I’d just like to know!

Thanks for having me, and Happy Mardi Gras! Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!!

- Alex

http://alexandrasokoloff.com

The Space Between

Sixteen-year old Anna Sullivan is having terrible dreams of a massacre at her high school. Anna’s father is a mentally unstable veteran, her mother vanished when Anna was five, and Anna might just chalk the dreams up to a reflection of her crazy waking life — except that Tyler Marsh, the most popular guy at the school and Anna’s secret crush, is having the exact same dream.

Despite the gulf between them in social status, Anna and Tyler connect, first in the dream and then in reality. As the dreams reveal more, with clues from the school social structure, quantum physics, probability, and Anna's own past, Anna becomes convinced that they are being shown the future so they can prevent the shooting…

If they can survive the shooter — and the dream.

Based on the short story The Edge of Seventeen – winner of the ITW Thriller award for Best Short Fiction.

$2.99 on Amazon.com

Alex

http://alexandrasokoloff.com

To Be Read...Eventually

2012-02-20T01:22:00.011-06:00

Pretty much everyone I know has an extensive TBR (To Be Read) list, and this is especially true of my writer friends. I know for a fact that I will never get caught up on my TBR list, because until the day I die there will be books published that I'll want to read. And that's okay. The point is that we keep reading. But there are certain books, for one reason or another, I've had on my TBR list for years.

Being from a small farming community, I grew up working. But my first real official job when I turned 16 was making burgers at McDonald's. Yes, quite glamorous, I know. But hey, you gotta start somewhere. One day I was in the break room and noticed someone had left a copy of Jack Kerouac's DESOLATION ANGELS on the table. I picked it up and read the first few pages, and was struck by the writing - both the style and the words that were written. It was unlike anything I'd ever read. My break ended and I went back to the burgers, but I never forgot that book.

Fast-forward a few years, I was in my early 20's trying to figure out myself and the world and how the two things were supposed to fit together. I ended up reading a ton of Kerouac at that time. ON THE ROAD was and is my favorite of his. That book, combined with John Steinbeck's TRAVELS WITH CHARLIE, sent me off into the unknown: Backpacking in Europe, cross-country road trips and even a summer spent in Alaska. I had the wanderlust for sure. And I started reading DESOLATION ANGELS again. But at some point something must have come up, and I put it down.

A few years ago I picked it up again, fully intent on getting through it, but again one thing or another made me put it down. But it always stayed in the back of my mind. It was always one of those books that I needed to read.

The last few years I've been keeping track of the books I read on Goodreads. I love being able to see what I've read, and I wish something like this had existed my whole life. Anyway, I made a goal in 2011 to read 100 books, a goal which I happily achieved. But this year I wanted to do something different. I didn't want to just go for quantity. One night I was looking at my bookshelf, and DESOLATION ANGELS caught my eye. It was sitting up there with a bookmark I'd gotten in Italy still sticking out of it, marking the place I'd last abandoned it, and the decision was made. 2012 would be the year I'd get some of those eternally TBR books crossed off my list.

This past Saturday, I finally finished DESOLATION ANGELS, about 16 years after I picked it up for the very first time. Although it's no ON THE ROAD, I still really enjoyed it. Kerouac isn't for everybody, but a lot of what he says strikes a chord with me. And the end was a very fitting quote, considering my history with the book:

"A peaceful sorrow at home is the best I'll ever be able to offer the world, in the end, and so I told my Desolation Angels goodbye. A new life for me."

It was pretty cathartic to read those lines. It was almost as if the book and I were finally saying goodbye to each other. There's a new life (and book) waiting for me. As much as I enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed being able to cross it off my list just as much.

As you can see in the picture above of a few of the books on my eternal TBR list, other than James Joyce's ULYSSES, they're not all the most famous or prestigious books. They're just books I've always wanted to read, but for some reason have never gotten around to. I'm still going to read new books as they come out, but I'm also going to try to implement something I learned back at McDonald's all those years ago: FIFO, or First In, First Out. I want to get through those books that have been on my mind's bookshelf for years. There will be plenty to take their place, and I won't have to feel guilty every time I see those books gathering dust.

Am I alone in this? Hopefully I am, because I can't help but wonder a little about how and if my life (or at least approach to life) would have been different if I'd read this and other books years ago. But all I can do is move on and try to get them read. As Kerouac says in my favorite quote from the book, "Shut up, live, travel, adventure, bless and don't be sorry."

Close Encounters with my Overactive Imagination - Guest Post YA Author O'Dell Hutchison

2012-02-17T01:00:00.030-06:00

Hosted by Jordan Dane

I really excited to have O'Dell Hutchison as guest on ADR3NALIN3 today. O'Dell is a busy guy. He's the head TWIRP at BOOKTWIRPS book blog, he's a new YA author, a theatre director, actor, book trailer maker, systems geek, dog rescuer, and he can probably cook and clean windows too. I'm reading his debut book THE WEEPING now and am totally hooked. Bwah Ha HAAA! Welcome, O to the Dell!

I have a very overactive imagination, especially when I’m scared. It really kicks into high gear when I’m lying in bed at night. I can easily take a small thump, which is more than likely something harmless such as the refrigerator kicking on, or the house settling, and turn it into a full-fledged zombie attack in a matter of seconds. As I lie frozen in my bed, I’ll quickly run through my plan of attack:

1. Grab the old wooden rocking chair in my room and smash it to pieces against the wall.

2. Take one of the wooden legs and use it as a weapon.

3. Run to the living room, wielding said wooden sword and grab my keys, phone and dog.

4. Fight off the zombie who managed to break in through the window.

5. Barely make it to the garage, open the door and prepare for the horde of undead waiting to eat my brains.

6. Start the car (praying it actually does start), then plow my trusty Nissan backward, mowing over the flesh-eating monsters trying to get to me.

7. Flee to safety.

Once I have my plan, I eventually fall asleep, surrendering myself to a barrage of crazy dreams.

About five years ago, I was at a local theatre painting the set for a show I was directing. It was over the Christmas holiday and my entire crew was out of town. It was the perfect time for me to get the painting done without any distractions. I locked all the doors, turned on the stage lights so I could make sure the woodgrain effect had the proper shadowing, and set to work.

About an hour later, as I stood on the ladder painting away, I heard what sounded like footsteps walking up the stairs to the tech booth. I glanced up and thought I saw someone walking through the booth. I called out, asking if anyone was there, but received no answer. A few seconds later, the stage lights went out. Luckily, I still had the work lights for the stage, so I wasn’t totally left in the dark.

I climbed down from the ladder and walked out to the lobby, my mind racing with who it could possibly be. It was well after midnight, and very unlikely that anyone other than my stupid self would be at the theatre that late. The doors were locked and firmly closed and all the lobby lights off, just as I’d left it. I walked up to the booth, calling out for someone, but no one answered.

I walked into the booth, checking both spot lofts and found no one up there. I turned the lights back on and went down to finish painting.

No sooner had I climbed the ladder when the footsteps came back. This time I glanced up to see the shape of a man standing in one of the spot lofts watching me. The stage lights were so bright I couldn’t see who it was. I climbed down from the ladder, shielding my eyes and walked to the edge of the stage. I was both a little freaked out and a little pissed that someone was messing with me. When I got to the edge of the stage, the figure was gone.

I decided I was done for the night, and walked back to put the lid on the paint can when suddenly, all the lights went out - stage lights, work lights - everything. Thankfully, I had a small light on my keychain to help guide me out of the theatre.

Since that night, I’ve had other encounters. One night, several of my crew members for another show I’d directed claimed to see a man standing in the second floor scene shop watching them during the show.

During a sold-out performance of yet another show I’d directed, I went upstairs to watch the show from the spot loft. I was up there alone, but after the show, several of my cast members asked me who was in the loft with me. I insisted that I was there alone, but they all claimed someone was standing behind me.

My logical self has many explanations for what could have happened on those occasions: The power went out the night I was painting and the thumping noises I heard were probably just the ice machine or the building settling. My crew probably just saw a piece of wood in the shape of a man standing in the scene shop, or maybe a homeless person wandered in and got lost (It could happen). Whatever the case may be, I had plenty of inspiration for “The Weeping”. Thanks to my overactive imagination, and maybe even a little help from a wandering soul, I was able to take all of these events and mold them into a tale that combines two things I love the most: Ghost stories and theatre.

Have you ever had a close encounter with a ghost? I’d love to hear about it.

THE WEEPING Trailer & Synopsis:

Twenty years ago, Catherine Whitley was the victim of a horrible crime. Betrayed by her friends, including the boy she loved, she was left to die when the Rock Harbor Opera House caught fire, taking a disturbing secret with her to her grave. Seventeen-year-old Heath Ingram was driving the night his Jeep careened off the road, killing three of his closest friends. His parents send him to live with his uncle for the summer, hoping he can move past the tragedy. When Heath starts working at the newly renovated Rock Harbor Opera House, he meets Molly, a young dancer who awakens in him a desire to start over and move on. But, when he begins having visions of a half-burned girl in a white dress, he starts to think he may be slipping even further over the edge. As the apparent hauntings become more intense, Heath begins to fear for his safety. With the help of his friend Josie, Heath discovers an unsettling secret that ties the mysterious girl to both their families. When two of their friends die unexpectedly, Josie and Heath realize that something, or someone, is after the children of those who wronged Catherine…and they are next.

O’Dell Hutchison resides in Katy, Texas. By day, he is a business systems analyst in the medical field. When not working or writing, O’Dell spends most of his free time acting and directing at local Houston theatres. O’Dell enjoyes reading (a lot!), blogging (booktwirps.com) and hanging out with his rescue husky, Gia.

Visit his website at otothedell.com or catch him on tumblr at otothedell.tumblr.com, or on Twitter @otothedell

BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!

2012-02-16T01:00:00.000-06:00

by Chris Grabenstein

For me, every week is "Back To School Time."

This week I'm off to a middle school in Indiana. Next week, I'll be at a middle school in Albany, New York. And so it goes for the rest of the school year. I limit myself to one school visit a week because of LOOMING deadlines. Otherwise, I think I might try to go to a new school every day.

My "mission" is to make reading and writing fun.

First I talk about story structure, using examples from my books. You know, the basics: setting, protagonist, antagonist, conflict, resolution.

Then with suggestions from about 250 eager 5-8th graders crowded into an auditorium, I create an instant Ghost Story right on the spot, using some of the tricks and tools I picked up back in the early 80s when everybody had mullets, thought Miami Vice was cool, and I was doing improvisational comedy in a Greenwich Village basement theatre with these knucklehead.

Bruce Willis was also in the group but missed photo day that year. (By the way, I'll be doing a talk on "Improv For Writers; Saying 'Yes, And...'" at Sleuthfest on Thursday, March 1st)

In one improv at a school, when I was looking for a name for our antagonist, a sharp fifth grader yelled out: "Ickleby!"

He is thanked in my newest Haunted Mystery THE BLACK HEART CRYPT as the inspiration for the villainous family's name. If you squint, you can see Ickleby chiseled over the crypt doorway on the cover...

To get a sense for how much fun I have doing these assemblies, here's a little video I put together about my school visits.

In my travels, I have met all sorts of terrific teachers. One, I remember, taught his students to clap whenever they heard alliteration when someone was reading aloud. Imagine my surprise when I got a clap-clap-clap when I read about my hero Zack Jennings' "famous firebomb fandango fastball."

I remember that, at one school I visited, the librarian asked, "Will you talk to the 8th graders?" Apparently some authors won't. 8th graders can be scary, I guess. So far, I haven't met one I couldn't out-smart-aleck.

Mostly, the kids ask wonderful questions. Why do you like writing so much? When did you first start writing? (That answer is easy -- when I was in middle school and was terrible at sports). How do you make a character in a book? How many books have you written?

Ah, that question always leads us into a nice discussion of things like rejection letters. Yes, I have published 17 books/stories/plays since September, 2005. But, I have written about 27, if not more.

At schools, I have also learned how to eat pizza topped with french fries. Why the name "Bob" is the most popular name for a character in a story. That fart jokes work every time.

My favorite schools to visit are the ones where the students have been studying one of my books in class. Another great teacher I met read The Crossroads to her special needs classes. There is one character in the book, a ghost, whose presence is always preceded by the minty scent of Brylcreem wafting on the air. To make the book more vivid for her kids, she told me she would light a peppermint scented candle right before reading them those scenes.

At a school in North Carolina, the students had been working on The Crossroads for a month before I showed up. They not only had questions, some had even constructed dioramas based on scenes from the book.

And how could I ever forget the school in Maryland where another great teacher dragged in all her Halloween decorations so the cafeteria would look just right for an assembly about ghost stories.

So, number me among those who greatly admire teachers. I buzz into a school, put on 3-4 shows, have a blast, teach a little something about writing, get kids jazzed about writing, and go home exhausted. They do the same thing every day.

And it was a teacher, years ago, back when I was one of those smart-mouthed 8th graders, who scribbled a red-ink note in the margins of one of my theme papers saying, "You will make your living as a writer some day."

I remember thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I will. Maybe I can."

All because of a teacher.

Oh -- and sometimes, the really cool teachers and media specialists bake you a cake with your book cover in the frosting!

If you're interested, you can read more about my Author Visits to schools here.

The Power of Books

2012-02-15T01:30:00.000-06:00

by Jennifer Archer

Books are powerful. The books children read can shape their lives. I'm proof of that.

I’ve been thinking about the stories I read and loved when I was achild and a teenager – the ones that inspired my love of reading and made mewant to be a writer. As an adult, I’m a pretty eclectic reader – I enjoy manydifferent types of fiction. Looking back, I notice that was true for me as achild, as well. So here’s a short list of some of my childhood favorites:

The Pink Motel by Carol Ryrie Brink. This was myfavorite book during elementary school. I must’ve been in 4th grade when I readit the first time, and I’ve thought of it often over the years. I recentlydecided to search for a copy; I wasn’t sure why this particular story had meantso much to me that I’d never forgotten the title, and I wanted to read it againto find out. Honestly, I’d forgotten most of the plotline and the characters,but the joy of reading it was fresh in my mind, as was the breezy beachsetting. (We always lived in landlocked parts of the country growing up, andI’m pretty sure this story played a big part in inspiring my lifelongfascination with the ocean and beaches.) The Pink Motel is out of print,but I was thrilled to find a used copy of the original PINK hardback version!Rereading the story as an adult, it’s clear to me what makes it so special. Onthe surface, The Pink Motel is a fun, quirky, adventurous mystery fullof eccentric characters – the guests staying at the motel that Kirby and BitsyMelon’s family inherits. But on a deeper level, it is a story about embracingdifferences in people and having an open mind. I think it “spoke” to me when Iwas a shy girl who moved a lot, because it seemed to say that unusual peoplewho don’t fit in with everyone else are wonderful and interesting, and thatthere are places in our society where they can be accepted as they are. In thisterrific book, one of those “places” is a pink motel where anything can happen.

Escape From Warsawby Ian Serrallier. I read this novel in 6^th grade. I think it hasstayed with me for so many years and inspired me as a reader and a writerbecause it made the horrors of war real to me by presenting them through theexperiences of three children, ages twelve, eleven, and three. During World WarII, their country of Polandhas been invaded by the Nazis, their father thrown into a prison camp, andtheir mother arrested and transported to Germany. The children are left tofend for themselves, and when they hear that their father has escaped to Switzerland,they face many dangers to cross war-torn Europeon their own and try to find him. Escape from Warsaw gripped me, made myheart race, and made me look at the world in a different way.

As an older teen, I discovered The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald and realized for the first time the beauty and power ofsymbolism and imagery in fiction. At thesame time, I also discovered the classic ghost mystery and love story Rebeccaby Daphne du Maurier. I loved the moody, dark tone of that novel, and I’m sureit’s the source of my own attempts to capture that “feel” in some of my ownwork. I also discovered romance novels during my late teens. I devoured thesweeping romantic historical sagas that launched that genre – KathleenWoodiwiss’s The Flame and the Flower . . . The Wolf and the Dove – theyare wonderful, breathtaking adventures – pure entertainment.

Another book I fell in love with as a teen is Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. At the time of its release, this was marketed as the true diary of a teenaged girl who became addicted to drugs and eventually died of an overdose. Since then, it has been rumored that the "true diary" story was really a marketing ploy by the publishers and that the story is fiction. Either way, the book had a real impact on me. I read it when I was sixteen after moving to a new city and I related to "Alice." In the story, she moves to a new town, too, and becomes friends with the "wrong" crowd, which leads to her experimentation with drugs. The fact that I believed I was reading the words of a girl who had actually lived made me think more deeply about the choices we make and how they affect us. For that reason alone, I reluctantly forgive the publishers for deceiving their teen readers, if it's true that is what they did.

As I glance over this brief list, it’s interesting that someof the titles that stand out in my mind, especially the ones I read as a veryyoung child, are not well-known. Yet they affected me so much that I stillremember their stories decades later. It’s also interesting to note that all ofthese favorites hooked me as a reader for different reasons and influenced mywriting, and my life, in varied ways: The Pink Motel made me realize that books canprovide comfort and friendship during times of loneliness, and can teachlessons in subtle ways; Escape from Warsaw offered an example of howpowerful and life-changing a well-told story can be; The Great Gatsby broughtme an understanding of symbolism and imagery, and exemplified that if handleddeftly, those elements add depth of meaning to a story; Rebecca provedthat tone and atmosphere can set a desired mood and stir a reader’s emotions; TheFlame and the Flower illustrated that fiction doesn’t always have to make asocial statement or inspire a reader to consider life in a different way –sometimes it’s enough to simply provide a fun and entertaining escape fromreality. And, finally, Go Ask Alice taught me that a writer's words can influence the choices readers make in their own lives.

What books from your childhood or teen years taught you something about life or, in some other way, made such an impression on you that you've never forgotten them?

Visit Jennifer's website!

Go Ahead-Make my (early Valentine's) Day!

2012-02-14T15:30:00.000-06:00

Carol Tanzman checking in!

Today is Valentine’s Day. First ofall--Happy V Day to you all. I hope you get lots of chocolate, flowers,jewelry…and books! (I’ve spent many a Valentine’s Day curled up, alone, with agood novel—but that’s a whole ‘nother story!)

For me, V-Day came five days early thisyear. February 9^th to be exact. That’s the day my publishingcompany, Harlequin Teen, chose to reveal the cover for my next book.

As Ilsa coincidentally discussedyesterday, (this seems to be cover week on ADR3NALIN3) seeing the art designfor your book is one of the most exciting days a writer can have. We spend somany hours alone: writing, imagining scenes, characters, settings, and theplot. We struggle, we try every trick we can think of to solve the problems thatcome up in the manuscript. And yes, we also spend fun time trying to visualizethe book cover. We're just like musicians. Ask any band member what their first(or second) album cover will look like—and immediately they’ll go into amonologue with pretty much every detail sketched out.

Getting a book cover right is tricky.Even though we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, secretly, many of us do.Both Circle of Silence and dancergirl are contemporarythrillers—so it’s especially challenging to nail them. Paranormals, horror,romance—we all sort of know what they should look like. Not specifically, ofcourse, since each book is different, but generally. If you see a romancenovel, with it’s gorgeous girl or hot guy, you know what to expect. When youlook at a paranormal, either a traditional ghost story or the truly dark,twisted kind, you know what you’re in for. Check out the covers by the authorson the bottom of this blog (and Ilsa's post yesterday) and it’s clear we’re notwriting warm and fuzzy. Still, there are differences—and they are subtlyreflected by the cover art.

Authors do not design covers. To manyreaders’ surprise, they may have little, or no input. However, Harlequin Teenshowed me various drafts of the covers and my comments were always welcome.This is something authors definitely appreciate.

For dancergirl, the challengethe Harlequin Teen design team had was to take a teenage heroine who loves todance and give the reader the sense that something scary is happening. It’s twocontrasting themes in the book––and figuring out a way to incorporate them bothhad to have been a challenge.

Let’s look at the elements. The bookdesigners added the tagline “The videos went viral” to locate the book in thecontemporary world. Then they used an extreme close-up image of a girl andcropped it so that it’s asymmetrical. That alone is somewhat disturbing. Shelooks….upset? Concerned? Distraught? The viewer doesn’t know precisely—but whatwe do know is that this is not a happy camper. Over this image, lines aresuperimposed. Low-resolution video lines? Open venetian blinds, as if someone’sstaring at her from outside herwindow? The sophisticated technique leaves it open to interpretation. As thewriter, I love that!

The title is hot pink, which by itselfdoesn’t read as creepy. Yet deep purple shadows under the girl’s eyes and onher lips undercuts any notion of a carefree dancergirl. Overall impression:something disturbing is going on to someone who does not deserve it. It’s a lotof information to convey, and the design team nailed it.

Now for my early, and fab, Valentine’sDay present: the Circle of Silence cover. Oh, yes, Art Director ErinCraig and Designer Tara Scarcello know the way into this girl’s heart!Different than dancergirl, yet somehow tied to it. Exactly the way the booksare. Each a stand-alone, yet both take place in the same high school withappearances by various characters in both books.

Again, I’ll start my personaldeconstruction with the tagline. “The story turned deadly.” The main characteris a reporter on the Campus News team—and the line clearly hints at that. Italso tells the reader that this story is going to get very tense, very fast.

The image of the girl is not in asextreme close-up as with dancergirl. In this case, the expression on herface, and the way she looks over her shoulder, is what tells the viewer thatshe is worried. Concerned. Creeped out. Who, or what, is behind her? That’s thequestion we ask as we look at the cover. It’s also the biggest mystery in thebook. Literally, who is behind the events at school that keep turning ever moresinister?

Instead of lines superimposed over theface, this image is actually made of letters…the title of the book, over andover and over again. Circle of Silence. Who is in this secret circle? Who isnot? The questions haunt Valerie, the main character. Over the course of thebook, certain events also loop obsessively in her mind—just like the title.Once you read the novel, you'll understand why this visual representation isboth so compelling and so brilliant!

One last note: the title color. It’s inthe pink family. Almost the same as what's used on the dancergirl title––but not quite. It’s a littledarker, which just may signify that Circle of Silence is also a little darker, alittle creepier.

It’s obvious that I’m thrilled with thecover design. It’s sophisticated. It has resonance to the book in both literaland metaphoric ways. And yes, just like the first book, it’s very, very cool.Thank you so much, Erin and Tara for making my (early Valentine’s) Day!

What do you think about the covers? Or my deconstruction of them...

Cover Love--and DROWNING INSTINCT Winner!

2012-02-13T00:00:00.002-06:00

I've got covers on the brain.

Right now, we're pondering SHADOWS covers. I've seen the artist's conception for the ASHES paperback. My Spanish publisher sent me their version for ASHES; my Bulgarian editor was also in touch just recently. In fact, a couple days ago, my splendid agent, Jennifer Laughran, tweeted a picture of the Hungarian cover. Apparently, it kind of freaked her out because she saw only that face, in very low light.

Anyway, that got me thinking about covers, in general. I am the first to admit that I have my own ideas about what an ideal cover should be: neither boring nor derivative and a story in its own right. The cover should give the reader a hint about what's in those pages. But a cover should also be eye-catching. (Note that I didn't say "appealing;" some very gruesome covers are incredibly powerful.) A cover can also be a truly splendid work of art as in this Scribner stunner for Stephen King's UNDER THE DOME.

I am so in awe, you can not imagine. And, of course, this being Stephen King, the UK paperback gave you a choice of six different covers, five of which focused on a particular character. Seven, if you count the signed limited edition.

Covers come in all flavors. Some are stock images jumbled together. Some could serve as an image for just about any book. (Be honest: how many covers have you seen which show two kids, in silhouette, running across a horizon line/field/hill, etc.? Yeah, I thought so. A ton.) Others are quite unique; they could never be used for or represent any other book.

Now, I remember a few months ago hearing an author badmouth her publisher--in a public forum, mind you (a real no-no, if you ask me)--for picking stupid covers, never including her, and on and on. I kind of wanted to say something mildly snarky like, Do you know how many people would kill to have their books published at all, you idiot? But my mother raised me to be very polite. So when it came my turn to comment, I told the truth: my publishers have ALWAYS asked for my input on a cover. ALWAYS. For them--and me--it's a collaborative process just as important as any edit. I remember the back and forth for DROWNING INSTINCT, which just came out at the beginning of the month. My goodness, I think we must've gone through at least ten or twelve ideas, and those were only the ones I saw. What I find really interesting is that the cover which made the cut . . . I wasn't that wild about it at first. I guess this was because I was still in ASHES-mode, where we were trying to get away from a character-driven cover. So this one for DI . . . I worried. But you know what? Everyone else who saw it loved it--and now that I've had a chance to step back, I agree. This is the perfect cover.

Which only goes to show what I know about cover design.

And that got me thinking about the various incarnations and regional variations for ASHES.

The original cover--which I again came to like quite a bit--was very character-driven.

Me? My initial response? Uh-oh, now everyone will think it's a zombie book. Anyone who's read the book knows that's, well, not quite accurate. What I worried about was that the cover might be promising something the story itself wouldn't deliver. (And, boy, did that creepy fish-belly eye get to me.) Not that there isn't plenty of mayhem and gore and enough chowing down for the most voracious carnivore . . . but the vision being presented wasn't quite right. My editor and I went back and forth a couple times; my agent--much savvier about these things than I--weighed in; and bless his soul, my editor sent various versions incorporating some of our suggestions. In the end, though, they went with the image for that BEA ARC.

If you've been paying attention, of course, you know by now: that particular image didn't truly make the final cut. Rethinking the cover design was a stroke of genius on my editor's part because he understood: the ASHES story is much bigger and broader than a single girl. We all wanted the cover to reach its intended audience, too, not just girls but boys and young men for whom a great adventure cuts across gender.

So, finally, they came up with this.

My first response? UGH. But not ugh, how horrible: ugh, how creepy. This cover has it all: the EMP pulse that destroys the world; that really ill-defined, mysterious and MONSTROUS face which could be anyone and anybody (sort of the point of the book; not all the monsters are brain-zapped, after all). So I thought they really nailed it.

But, you know, everyone has their own taste--and so do different countries. I know of at least one website which ran three covers, not only the final US version, but the UK

and the German.

Really different, huh? I was surprised, but I also came to appreciate that every publisher knows his/her country and audience, how to reach out to them, make them want to pick up a book. Not surprisingly, folks from the respective countries liked their version better than another's. Bulgaria chose to go with the US version:

Spain's cover is different again--and wouldn't you know, I've misplaced the darned thing. I mean it. The email has vanished; I'm just so pissed! (I know, I know; I'll eventually track it down SOMEHOW and post.) But I do remember that the cover was a very intense, deep orange-red with two silhouettes: the taller girl is clearly Alex, and the little kid with pigtails (and a teddy bear) is Ellie.

As I said, right now, we're in the middle of working on the cover for SHADOWS which comes out later this year. I can't tell you anything--much less show you--but while it is different from the final US ASHES cover, it is somewhat similar to what's being planned for the paperback version of ASHES. So perhaps the idea is to go for a certain common "feel," I don't know.

But I am curious: what are your ideas about covers? What goes into making a "good" book cover anyway? Should they be actual works of art (as, for example, the Whelan covers for King's THE DARK TOWER series)? Are book covers art? [My vote: only the really good ones ;-) ] Should covers tell a story the way, say, this one does for King's 11/22/63? (Three guesses who I think tells a pretty great story.)

And do you have cover stories--good and bad--of your own? Bring 'em on.

***

Before I forget, the winner of the DROWNING INSTINCT giveaway is Melanie Goodman! Having already read the book--and given it a lovely review--Melanie said she's giving it to her mom for a read first. To both, enjoy! To all those who entered, thanks. And for the many, many overseas fans who would have LIKED to enter . . . stay tuned. I feel a Goodreads giveaway in our future :-)

Valentine's Day is nearly upon us...

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

by Michelle Gagnon

...and I have no idea what to get my sweetheart. I was in the store today going through the usual stack of gifts, most of which were either a) totally tacky, or, b) totally inappropriate. And I'm at a loss.

It got me thinking about my best and worst Valentine's Days ever, though; kind of a trip down memory lane. And there have been some memorable ones. Like the time a guy broke up with me, right after I gave him his present (don't get me wrong, he liked the present, apparently, and wanted to keep it. He just didn't want to keep dating). And the time that my boyfriend went totally AWOL the week before February 14th, resurfacing three months later with the excuse, "I went elk hunting!"

Of course, there have been some highlights, too. Lots of nice, romantic dinners and picnics. Although to be honest, (and maybe this says something about me), I have much clearer memories of the bad experiences.

So today let's do some sharing: best and worst V days, ever. Sharpen your bows and arrows...

BELIEVING...OR NOT

2012-02-09T06:00:00.002-06:00

by Wendy Corsi Staub

My first novel, a young adult paranormal called SUMMER LIGHTNING, featured a ghost. My most recent young adult novels—a series called LILY DALE—featured many ghosts.

LILY DALE is, in fact, set in the real life spiritualist colony Lily Dale, New York, about 5 miles from my hometown. Like Las Vegas and Hollywood, Lily Dale is a town that mainly revolves around a single industry. Only here, it isn’t gambling or entertainment. It’s ghosts.

You can read more about Lily Dale—the place--here.

You can find out more about Lily Dale--the books--here.

I don’t always write about ghosts. I don’t even often write about ghosts. I’m best known as an adult suspense novelist, and most of my novels, while squarely falling into the thriller category, don’t have a hint of paranormal. That said, a ghostly visitor has crept into those books on occasion. IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, one of my early adult thrillers, is also set in Lily Dale.

I’ve also written nineteen romance and chick lit novels under the pseudonym Wendy Markham, and, wouldn’t you know it? Ghosts have crept into a handful of those as well—even when I didn’t intend for it to happen. There I was, writing LOVE, SUBURBAN STYLE,

a perfectly upbeat contemporary novel about a woman who returns to her hometown to find herself living next door to her high school crush, and—Boo!

Not only did I realize that my heroine’s house was haunted, but I soon discovered that the ghost was a matchmaker with a very personal agenda. It didn’t become a dark, scary book after that. It was a light, upbeat, romantic romp, just as I’d originally set out to write. I certainly didn’t expect the spirited spirit to pop up. It just did.

It’s kind of like real life. There you are, going about your business, when suddenly…it happens.

What happens?

Something that can’t be explained…

Trick of the light? Old house settling? Ghostly visitor?

Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is that when I was growing up in Western New York, a stone’s throw away from Lily Dale, something very strange happened to me one night while I was babysitting at my aunt and uncle’s big old Victorian house around the corner form my own big old Victorian house. I was thirteen years old then, and very responsible—definitely responsible (or chicken) enough to make sure the front door was locked after I was alone with the kids.

After tucking my cousins into bed, I was sitting there watching TV (probably Mary Tyler Moore—how I loved, and wanted to be, Mary!). I had my back to the front door when I suddenly felt a draft.

Turning, I saw that the massive old front door—the door that I had dutifully locked—was somehow standing wide open. Rattled, I went over and slid the deadbolt, then fastened the chain.

I sat down again. A short time later, another chill, and I turned to see the door wide open again. I raced over and locked it. Then, heart pounding as I realized that I might just have locked myself and two small children into the house with a crazed killer, I called my parents.

My mom was dozing. My father was up watching a ballgame and not thrilled to be interrupted. Nor was he eager to come running to my rescue.

“You probably just forgot to lock the door,” he said above the sound of televised baseball announcers and a cheering crowd, and I could just see him standing there in our safe, unhaunted home wearing his boxer shorts, trying to stretch the curly telephone cord from the kitchen to the living room so that he could keep an eye on the TV.

“No, I’m positive it was locked! I locked it! Twice!”

“Then Michael and Katie are playing tricks on you.”

It wouldn’t be the first time my cousins did that. But something told me it wasn’t the case this time.

Sure enough, I went upstairs and found both kids sound asleep. I checked under the beds, in the closets, behind the shower curtain. Once I was sure no one was hiding on the second floor, I checked the entire first floor, and then the basement rec room. There, I grabbed a stick from the pool table and carried it back up to the living room with me to use as a weapon.

The door was still locked. I sat down again, clutching my pool stick and within minutes—you guessed it. The door opened wide again. I locked it again. Checked kids again—sound asleep. Called my father again.

Naturally, he still didn’t believe me. I didn't even know if I believed me. I mean, it was impossible, right, for a door to open itself? And in my father's defense, I might have been, prior to that evening, kind of a flighty, fanciful kid who, nose buried in a book, could be a tad forgetful or slapdash—or, perhaps, my budding author’s imagination might have, on occasion, shall we say…imagined things.

Plus, this was the mid-1970s in a small, safe town where we knew everyone—and my father was reasonably sure there were no crazed killers afoot that night. Plus, I’m sure the Yanks were tied with the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth or something like that. I was on my own.

So there I sat clutching my pool stick, alone in the house (other than two sleeping kids and a ghost). I called my friend Bobby (you can ask him, he remembers to this day) and made him stay on the phone with me for a couple of hours. Every so often—never when I was watching--the door unlocked and opened itself.

At last, my aunt and uncle returned, and I told them what happened. They shrugged and laughed it off.

It wasn’t until years later, when I brought up the incident to my aunt, that she told me the same exact thing had happened to her—often!--when she was alone in the living room. Turned out, that house was notoriously haunted, and many people—it later seemed, everyone but me—knew about it.

“Why didn’t you tell me I wasn’t imagining things that night?” I asked my aunt.

“If you knew the truth, you’d never have babysat again, right?”

“Well…probably not.”

She told me that the ghost was harmless—a nice little lady ghost, my aunt believed, with a mischievous sense of humor.

Great. Just great. Ha. Funny.

That night had been a turning point, though, in my life. It was the first time I ever experienced firsthand something that couldn’t be explained.

But it wouldn’t be the last. (More about that in the next blog!)

From that point on, I grew more and more intrigued by Lily Dale, “the town that talks to the dead,” which happened to be just a few miles down Route 60. My family had often gone for Sunday drives along the lake there, and I found the Victorian setting incredibly atmospheric. Now I wanted to know more about it. Was it really haunted? Was there such thing as ghosts? Could they communicate with people?

I had known for years by that time that I wanted to become a writer, but after that ghostly incident as a thirteen year-old babysitter, I knew that one day I'd write about ghosts—and about Lily Dale, too.

How about you? Do you believe in ghosts? Or have you ever experienced something that had no easy explanation?

Speed Dating ... Lit Style.

2012-02-08T04:00:00.037-06:00

by A.G. Howard

Are you wondering what those three pictures up there have to do with anything?

They represent visuals from two movies that gave me a lightbulb moment about characterization: How the most indelible details are the little things I notice about a character within the first few minutes they're on screen.

One movie was called Dark City. I saw it for the first time about a year ago. It's a psychological sci-fi horror from the director of The Crow, and a guilty pleasure for me for that reason alone. But I never expected it would actually teach me something about writing.

Here's the trailer. It's one of the best I've ever seen. Some of the visuals play a huge role in what this post is all about, so pay close attention:

When we first meet the hero, he's waking up in a bathtub full of tepid water. He's bleeding, and can't remember anything about his past. While getting out, he slips and shatters a fishbowl. As the goldfish lays on the floor gasping, the hero picks it up gently and releases it in the bathtub. He then turns around to find a woman's mutilated corpse beside his bed. So now he's on the run, thinking he's a cold-blooded murderer.

But wait ... how could someone who so tenderly saved the life of a fish, be heartless and violent? That one glimpse into his character already has us wondering.

Next, we meet the detective. One of the first things to come out of his mouth upon arriving at the crime scene is, "Your shoe's untied," to one of his officers. We immediately know he's fastidious and a man of details. He doesn't miss anything. So when he sees the bloody scene in the bedroom, then goes to the bathroom and finds the broken fish bowl and its previous occupant swimming merrily in the bathtub, he wonders the same thing we are. "Why would a murderer have the compassion to save a fish?"

That's amazing. The writers have given us bone deep insight into two characters with little more than a couple of afterthoughts and gestures. Because of the carefully laid out characterization within the first twenty minutes of the movie, we're already starting to cheer for the possible murderer, and hoping the diligent detective of details will be able to figure out the truth and prove him innocent.

The other example is Ghost Town.

This one's a comedy about a dentist, who after being dead for a few minutes during a colonoscopy, is suddenly able to see and hear every ghost in town. Thing is, this guy HATES people and tries to avoid them at all costs. And how do we know this? Well, within the first few minutes of the movie, we find him stuffing a wad of guaze in his patient's mouth, not because he's about to do a procedure that requires it, but because he can't stand to hear her yak anymore. Heh.

Screenwriters are aces at honing in on what appears at first to be minutiae, then later comes into play in a big way. The story has to take front seat so the characterization needs to have super-powered details from the get-go. It's like giving us a jolt with an emotional spark plug so we're connected -- immediately and viscerally.

As novelists and story writers, we can take a lesson from this. Think of the first page of your book as a speed date. Those first few paragraphs are those crucial moments of dialogue between your character and your character's prospective date, the reader. You don't have long, so make the best of it ... make those details count.

In Splintered, my first two paragraphs spotlight something integral about the heroine in her own voice:

I’ve been collecting bugs since I was ten; it’s the only way I can stop their whispers. Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick.

Some of my victims line the walls in shadow boxes, while others get sorted into mason jars and placed on a bookshelf for later use. Crickets, beetles, spiders … bees and butterflies. I’m not picky. Once they get chatty, they’re fair game.

First, we know this girl has something mental going on. I mean, talking bugs? Eek! Second, we know that she's found a way to deal with it that works for her. So right off the bat, we can see she's got some issues, but she's proactive, and not going down without a fight. Hopefully, a reader would want to know more about a character like that.

Now look at the first few sentences / paragraphs in your latest project. Did you jump start your characterization with one small detail that packs a punch and gives your reader keen insight into your character's depths and individuality ... something that will make people want to read on?

The beginning of your story sets the groundwork for the relationship between your characters and your readers. If you want people to take your book off the shelf and out on a "second date," make sure to leave a big impression. Give them something worth pining for.

The “Twenty Stupid Things” List

2012-02-07T02:00:00.011-06:00

Carol Tanzman here.

You’ve heard of The Bucket List. That’s the movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in which two men go on a road trip with their wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket.” I’m going to tell you about a different kind of list that I sometimes create.

My “Twenty Stupid Things” List.

In the last post I wrote, I told you I’d talk about a trick you could try if you get stuck writing your story. I heard about this technique only a few years ago and used it the next time I got really stuck, which happened to be when I was writing dancergirl. And then I used it the next time… and the next… well, you get the picture. It goes like this:

Let’s say you’ve written your character, Miranda, into a metaphorical, and literal, corner. The bad guy’s attack dog is well, about to attack, and you can’t figure out how to get her out of the situation. You take out a blank sheet of paper, or start a new document, (I like paper and pen for this one but you can use the computer). You literally title it:

20 STUPID THINGS MIRANDA CAN DO TO GET OUT OF THIS SITUATION

Then you put number one on the page and you write down the first idea you get. NO MATTER HOW STUPID! Because, see, the title says, “Stupid Things.” So you can write:

1. She spits her bubblegum at the dog.

Good. That’s nice and lame and couldn’t possibly work.

2. She reaches into her pocket and all she has is a paper clip and she throws it at the dog.

Also lame. Excellent.

3. She kicks the dog.

Maybe she’s wearing combat boots and she’s a martial artist. Could work but Miranda has on sneakers and likes to draw. She’ll probably end up getting her leg bit. Another stupid idea. Great!

4. She starts to sing the National Anthem and she has a terrible voice and the dog howls and runs away.

Ummm.. lame again. Very good. BUT

5. She starts to sing the National Anthem because she realizes this dog has been trained so that when he hears that particular song he will sit down and salute. Hmmm, that’s actually weird but sort of … interesting.

6. She starts to sing the National Anthem because she knows that the song is a signal for the dog to roll over. That’s not in the story but what if I go back into Chapter Three and add it to the scene when she first meets the bad guy and his dog, (when she didn’t know he was the bad guy,) and she saw the dog do that…

Now you might like this idea. Maybe number five is the one you think is more fun. You’re pretty sure you could make it work, and it would make the story more interesting. You can add that the bad guy was in the military. Or Uncle Fred was in the military and he once told Miranda that he and a bunch of guys trained a group of Dobermans to salute whenever they heard the National Anthem…

You can stop there, keep dreaming on the idea…. or, what I like to do, is KEEP GOING. Just in case…

7. She notices a bottle of perfume on the table next to her. She opens the bottle and tosses it at the dog’s eyes. Lame.

8. She conjures up a piece of meat and tosses it way across the room. Good, except Miranda isn’t Hermione, Harry Potter’s friend, and she doesn’t know magic.

Sometimes, I’ll hit upon an idea I like better at number 11, say, or sometimes, I just can’t stop thinking about number five so I give up at number 8 and excitedly start to figure out how to make number five work.

It doesn’t matter. The point is that by giving yourself permission to come up with as many stupid ideas as you can, an interesting, workable idea usually shows up!

Let me know what you think about this – or if you have any ways to get yourself out of the metaphorical corner of your story. Unlike an old dog who just has to salute at the sound of the National Anthem, I’m always eager to learn new tricks!

Music Makes the Imaginary World Go Round

2012-02-06T01:00:00.003-06:00

I'm a huge, huge fan of music. The majority of my day, whether I'm commuting or while at work, I'm listening to music. It's a vital part of my life, and that also extends to my writing. When I listen while writing, not only does it help inspire me, but it also allows me to immerse myself in the world I'm creating. Like blinders on a horse, plugging my ipod in helps me remove myself from the outside distractions and concentrate on the task at hand.

Speaking of distractions though, I can't just listen to anything while writing. I usually rotate through maybe five different bands and several movie scores that I'm very familiar with. I've tried listening to new stuff, even from some of my favorite bands, and my mind wants to pay attention to the lyrics, and it seriously hampers my writing ability. So when I listen to those old familiar tunes, I guess it acts as sort of a white noise filter, albeit a much catchier one. But I also have to be careful that the music fits the mood of the scene I'm writing. Let's face it, washing the dishes can become an intense and emotionally draining experience if you're listening to this.

And yes, I'm definitely speaking from experience on the subject. While it might bring on an unwanted anxiety attack, a song like that might be perfect for that chase scene you're working on. I've done some author interviews on my blog, and something I usually ask people is if they listen to music while they write. Here are a few of the responses:

Heather Dixon, author of Entwined: I listen to a lot of soundtracks. Lots of Hans Zimmer, Patrick Doyle, Alan Menken, Danny Elfman, John Williams, John Powell, Miklos Rosza, James Newton Howard, Alan Silvestri, Nicholas Hooper…and all those talented fellas.

Jaime Reed, author of Living Violet: I write with music, the louder and faster the better. When I edit, it has to be ABSOLUTE SILENCE. Don’t call me or knock on my door, or else prepare to get cussed out.

Trisha Wolfe, author of Destiny's Fire (and someone with excellent taste in music): I listen to music in every area of my life, except for when I write. I actually find it distracting. I’m a huge music fan, and that means I start jamming out instead of working. I like to make playlists for my books, though. And I listen to those while doing mundane things, and that helps with future scenes as I’m working on a book. For DESTINY’S FIRE, I listened to a lot of Florence and the Machine. Blinding, for me, is Dez’s song. It gives me chills every time I listen to it.

So it's all across the spectrum I guess, from listening not at all to all the time. I know people besides Trisha even create playlists for certain scenes and characters. The other day on Twitter an author posted that she had made character playlists, and one of her characters had horrible taste in music. I thought that was hilarious. As for my own writing, I tend to be on the pretty much all the time side. Like I said before, it helps me zone out of this world and zone into the world that I'm writing. In fact, there's a quote by conductor Sir Thomas Beecham that kind of goes along with this:

I definitely agree with this, as when I'm writing I need to get out of my conscious mind and somewhere that I can get in touch with the story. Some of the bands that help me do that are Social Distortion, The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel, Nick 13, as well as film scores from my favorite two composers, Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer, among others.

So how about you? Do you listen to music when you write? How about during revisions? And who do you listen to? Do you make playlists or just hit shuffle? Maybe you can introduce me to my new favorite writing band.

Get Yourself Out There - Guest Post YA Author Trisha Wolfe

2012-02-03T01:00:00.026-06:00

Hosted by Jordan Dane

I'm excited to have debut YA author Trisha Wolfe on ADR3NALIN3 today. I had the honor of reading her debut book DESTINY'S FIRE in advance and loved it. I know readers will get hooked on her futuristic steampunk world building and compelling (yummy) characters. Welcome, Trish!!!!

Hello ADR3NALIN3 followers! Thanks so much to Jordan Dane for inviting me to guest post and the ADR3NALIN3 authors for letting me hijack their blog. My debut YA Destiny’s Fire recently debuted, and I’ve been asked a few times in interviews and random conversations how I got published. I believe most people think I went at it the normal, traditional way. 1) Get agent 2) agent submits to publishers 3) publisher makes offer…BAM. Book deal.

But I had a long and hard road to publication, and the agent came afterward. See, I had penned three books, and I’d submitted book number three, tentatively titled at the time The Crystal Pendulum, to over a hundred agents. I have to say, this book came close. I actually had two agents on the fence. I don’t mean that sweet rejection letter you get where the agent is nicely brushing you off. I mean they were truly tossing an offer around, but in the end, they felt the story wasn’t marketable. I remember talking with one of my critique partners and saying, I just can’t shelve this one. I didn’t think twice about shelving the first two books, even though I loved them. I put them away and started book three. But I just couldn’t do that with TCP. I felt it in my bones, I’d worked hard, and it may not be New York material, but I felt possibly a few readers would enjoy it.

I began researching small publishers. I sent out queries and sample chapters to four presses. Within two weeks I had two requests for the full. I didn’t get excited, I’d been there before. Agents had requested the full and passed, so I sent and forgot about it. Okay, tried to forget, which was reading mounds of books and pacing. A lot. Within another two weeks, I had an offer from one. First thing I did was call my mom and scream. Then a few days later, an agent that I’d sent TCP to, who I’d written off, got in touch with me and asked if the manuscript was still available. She wanted to represent me. Now, I battled this for a while. A lot of people might think I’m silly for not jumping on the offer from the agent, but I had a sure publishing contract in my hands. I loved this agent, and I knew going with her meant a shot at New York, but sometimes you have to start small. Instead of being on submission for months, maybe years, and my book never making it in the end, I felt like this story should take its shot with the readers. I went with the small press, but kept in touch with the agent.

A month later, the agent contacted me and inquired if I was working on anything new. I honestly didn’t expect her to want anything to do with me after I’d turned her down to go with a publisher. But, I took a chance and sent her a partial and synopsis for book number four. She loved it right away, and offered me representation that day. And we’ve been close friends ever since.

It’s the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind—part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.

As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, but she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez’s newfound power rockets out of control, it’s a Narcolym who could change her fate… if she can trust him.

Dez’s guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.

Available Now - Omnific Publishing

Trisha Wolfe is the Young Adult author of the Steampunk/Paranormal Romance novel DESTINY'S FIRE. Her short stories have appeared in literary journals, Fantasy magazines, and anthologies. Her first novelette UNVEILED can be found anywhere ebooks are sold. She's represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. For more, visit: http://www.trishawolfe.com/

Other Links: Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

My First E Book Exclusive

2012-02-02T01:00:00.003-06:00

by Chris Grabenstein

So do young readers read books on Kindles and Nooks and other e-readers or are they just for older folks who need that FONT ADJUSTMENT BUTTON BIG TIME.

I guess I'm about to find out. This week, I put my first E-Book Exclusive for middle grades readers (ages 8 and up) in the Kindle and Nook stores. It's a story I have been working on, on and off, for three or four years: THE EXPLORERS' GATE.

The book takes its title from the fact that all the gates leading into New York City's Central Park are named after the professions of the working-class people who came into the park when it first opened in the 1870s. That's why they're called stuff like Farmers' Gate, Merchants' Gate, Scholars Gate, and Explorers' Gate.

Yes, I love Central Park and know far too much about it, probably because I have gone for a run through some winding part of it every morning for over ten years. One morning, in early Spring, I went jogging just after dawn and saw dew dropping of the statue of Balto's lolling tongue and thought, "Wow -- it looks like that dog has been out running all night and just now froze back into place."

Being a big fan of NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, I started wondering -- What if (which is how so many stories get started) all the statues in the park came to life after dark? All because, back when New York was New Amsterdam, the early Dutch settlers shipped over some clever kabouters (a.k.a. gnomes) from the old country, magical creatures who used to help around the farm, home, and shop; wee people with so much life force, their excess energy is a lot like AM radio waves: at night, it bounces around and animates inanimate objects.

In my telling of the story, as New York City grew from being a wooded island filled with farms into a teeming metropolis, these creatures needed a new woodsy home. And so, some very rich and influential New Yorkers of Dutch ancestry decided to create Central Park as an eternal sanctuary for the kabouters. THE EXPLORERS' GATE tells the tale of Nikki Van Wyck, an intrepid twelve year old girl, who goes on a fantastic modern day adventure in Central Park. She becomes part of a Crown Quest Competition to help the kabouters determine their new king. She also discovers the wildly magical and sometimes frightening things that happen on the other side of the park's gates after dark. (Some of the statues, including the ones with swords, are rooting for the bad guys to win the Crown Quest.)

It's a story I loved telling and re-worked a dozen different times.

It's the first of my (many) manuscripts that didn't find a home with a traditional publisher that I decided to go ahead and publish myself.

Why?

Did I mention that I love Central Park?

I'm hoping THE EXPLORERS GATE will serve as a fun tour guide to all the wonders hidden within the park's low stone walls. In fact, I hope that this coming Spring, I'll see young (and old) people in pointy red hats exploring all the places Nikki explores.

What's with the pointy red hats?

Well, you'll have to read the book to find out!

Ghosts That Have Inspired Me

2012-02-01T01:30:00.000-06:00

In my novel Through Her Eyes a ghost named Henry leftthe physical realm in 1939 when he was seventeen. However Henry's ghost still lingers decades later. He has a story to tell –he can’t rest until the truth about his death is known and a message is sent tosomeone still living. Many readers have said that although the story is set in the present, the scenes fromHenry’s life in 1939 give it the feel and tone of an old, classic ghost story. I couldn’t receive a nicer compliment! Those are the tales that haveintrigued me most since I was a child and stirred my interest in writing aghost story of my own.

Many ghosts have inspired my writing. Ghosts in books and movies, that is! I rememberbeing mesmerized while watching the 1940 movie Rebecca when I was still in elementary school. Then as a teen, I read the book by Daphne du Maurierfrom which the movie was adapted, and I loved it, too. The story is narrated bya young woman who marries a widower, and after she moves to his estate, ishaunted by his former wife, Rebecca. Rebecca is mysterious, romantic, and has a moody atmospheric tone.Set in the late 1930’s in England,it is filled with secrets and suspense. Rich detail and imagery drew me into the setting, although I’ve never been to England.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is another old classic that instilled my love of ghost stories. Again, I saw the 1947 movie before I read the book that inspired it by R.A. Dick. The story takesplace in the early 1900’s, when a young woman escapes an isolated house on theEnglish coast after the death of her husband. The house ishaunted by a crusty old sea-captain who tries to frighten her, but sherefuses to let him terrorize her and they fall in love. I admit this plot sounds cheesy, but the author pulled it off! Because of the interesting characters and the way in which the story unfolds, thelove story doesn’t come across as anything other than hauntingly lovely.

As I write about these two wonderful old classics, I noticeelements from both that are also in Through Her Eyes: The attractionbetween the ghost and the living woman, as well as the isolated setting in TheGhost and Mrs. Muir; the combination of mystery and romance in Rebecca; themove by the protagonists in both stories to a new place at the beginning ofeach book. I didn't consciously mimic the two classics, but they obviously impacted my writing.

There are many more recent books that have intrigued,entertained and inspired my writing. Some that come to mind include the novel Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (2000), A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb (2005), and a wonderfulgothic suspense by Diane Setterfield called The Thirteenth Tale.

Jade Green is a fantastically creepy story set in the 1800’s abouta fifteen-year-old girl who (surprise!)moves far away to her uncle’s spooky house after the death of her parents. This book is eerie but also has many fun elements, including a walking hand!

In A Certain Slant of Light the ghost of a girl named Helen makes contact with a human for the first time in 130 years. Helen has attached to a teacher who is unaware of her presence, but one day in the classroom she is stunned to realize that James, a student, can see her. This is one of the most unusual ghost stories and love stories I've ever read. I recommend it.

The ghost in The Thirteenth Tale is only one small layer of this intricate story. Although it was written only a few years ago, the book has the feel of an old-fashioned, curl-up-under-the covers-on-a-stormy-night read. Which is why I probably loved it so much!

If you enjoy ghost stories as much as I do, I'd love to hear about the ghosts that have inspired or intrigued you. I'm always looking for new ghost stories, or old ones I've missed!
___________

And now a little shameless self-promo. For a limited time, Amazon is selling the hardback of THROUGH HER EYES for $6.80. Check it out!

Also, my 2001 romantic comedy for adults ONCE UPON A DREAM (it's very PG-rated!) has been re-released as an e-book by Samhain Publishing. It even has a brand new cover! (Gotta love those pleated front pants! Hey, it's set in the late 90's. All the cool girls wore pleated waist pants back then. :-) ) You can purchase your very own e-copy for only $3.99 at Samhain, or at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for $3.19.

ONCE UPON A DREAM is one of my funnier books! Here's a teaser:

Can the answer to her curse lie in the dreams of the past?

When Professor Alex Simon moves to Canyon, Texas from England, he welcomes the opportunity to change his locale. Not only would he be aiding his recently widowed sister, but he would have a chance to forget a failed relationship.

Robin Wise is less than impressed by her new neighbor-- and his little devil-cat. The feline taunts her dog, and its stuffy owner has the gall to blame her pup for the squabbles. But at a second glance, Alex isn't quite as nerdy as he seems. As a matter of fact, when he isn't insulting her dog, he can be quite charming.

But Robin has her own problems. An inherited curse looms over her impending thirtieth birthday, and until Robin can overcome the hex, she can't indulge in any fantasy she might have regarding the more-perfect-by-the-minute professor. No matter how she wishes she had the courage to act on the awakened desire in her heart.

This Retro Romance reprint and was originally published by Dorchester Love Spell in January 2001.

An Experiment | No. 2

2012-01-31T00:05:00.002-06:00

by Brett

Before returning to the experiment, a quick note of BSP. My latest adult thriller, NO RETURN, hits bookstores today! Yep, today. Here's a quick description:

An F-18 Navy fighter careens out of the blue sky above the Mojave desert. A TV cameraman who grew up in a small town just miles away can see what is going to happen next. Frantically, Wes Stewart races to the downed jet and tries to save the pilot’s life. When the plane explodes, Wes escapes without harm—and plunges into a murderous conspiracy.

It’s been fifteen years since Wes has been back to the desolate land of his childhood. Now he finds himself up against the U.S. military, the local police, and someone who is tracking his every move. In the moments he spent with the dying pilot, Wes discovered something that could get him killed. But while he tries to untangle a web of lies and secrets surrounding the crash, another danger is stalking him. And this one he will never see coming.

You can read the first chapter here. Thanks!

I now return you to my regularly scheduled post:

Okay, a quick refresher...I've decided to use my posts here at ADR3NALIN3 to develop and write a YA novel using your input. (Read more here: An Experiment | No. 1.)

Last time we discussed genre, and I asked for your input as to which you'd like to see me work in. Now, as I hinted at before, this isn't going to be a complete democracy. I'll be taking in your thoughts, but will make the final decision (for the most part) myself. The majority of people who responded seemed to be leaning toward Thriller. There were several votes for detective, some for real world sci-fi, and a few for real world fantasy. The rest were scattered around.

So, after considering everything, here's what I'm thinking: I'm going to blend a few of these together. No, this isn't me taking the easy way out. I just think it would be more fun. So here's where I'm at.
• Thriller, check.
• Detective, semi-check (leaving this one open until the story develops some.)
• Real World Sci-fi, probable check.
• Real World Fantasy, probably not, but leaving the door open also.

A thriller with a mystery to it, that's first and foremost. Over this will be a real world sci-fi architecture, or, potentially, a real world fantasy architecture. (And, yes, there's always the possibility of those two combining.) Cool with everyone?

All right. So I'm not quite ready to start working out plot yet. What I need first is some characters to build around, specifically a lead character(s). While a book might have a good story, without good characters, it's going to suck, plain and simple. Character is everything, so that's where we're going to start.

To do that, I need to make some choices...rather, I need your help in making those choices. I have a few different questions that need your responses to. Unlike with genre, I'm going to go with the majority rule on these and see where that takes me. So, here we go. First:

1. What kind of lead is this story going to have?
a. Female
b. Male
c. Female and Male duo
d. Female and Female duo
e. Male and Male duo

Just so you know, I enjoy writing both female and male characters, so don't let that worry you. Plus I think there are some great stories out there that have dual leads—working as a team, or even coming at a problem from different directions.

Let's keep going...

2. Age? (can have two different answers if you went the duo route)
a. 16
b. 17
c. 18
d. 19
e. older (specify)
f. younger (specify)

3. Life growing up?
a. Single parent home
b. Dual parent home
c. Raised by relatives
d. Foster child
e. other (specify)

Let's give our lead (or one of our leads) something they're really into.

4. Obsession?
a. Music (specify type)
b. Movies (specify type: sci fi, comedies, james bond, etc.)
c. Manga
d.TV shows (specify type: obscure, cop drama, 70s sitcoms, etc.)
f. Other (specify)

I could keep going with these, but I think that's enough to get us started. Looking forward to what you have to say. And never be afraid to add any additional comments, too!

We Creatures of Habit

2012-01-30T00:00:00.005-06:00

Otto Dix once said, "All art is exorcism." In his case, he was grappling with the demons that took up residence in his brain after World War I

but he could have been talking about any struggle to make meaning, and let me tell you why.

Right now, I'm on this major mission after meaning. I know because I've been having a TON of examination dreams. You know the kind: where you wander into an exam and realize you haven't studied all semester? Where that calculus might as well be Swahili? I've had a couple of house dreams, too, and just last night/early this morning, I jerked awake from a real doozy about a patient--no one I recognized--for whom I apparently kept no record, no notes, did no exams, etc. It was, when you get right down to it, the perfect nightmare: me as a study in--and the very picture of--incompetence. To my credit, just before I woke, I was rearranging my office, moving things into the light, giving my animals--ANIMALS?!--space, digging through old records and beginning to right some of what I'd been doing wrong.

Now, being a shrink and having done some training in psychoanalysis--all those years of staring at acoustical tile, financing my analyst's vacations and free-associating about, well, things better be good for something--I tend to pay attention to my dreams and more so than, say, a deck of tarot cards or a horoscope because dreams are internally generated and chockful of symbols both peculiar to me and somewhat universal. (For example, house dreams are, by and large, commentaries on the dreamer herself. All those messy rooms, dilapidated furnishings...) I know myself well enough to understand that my dreams reflect what I'm worried about. In this case, I'm in the throes of beginning a new novel which is . . . well, let's just say it's kind of different and my self-doubt's a little high. Okay, okay, you win: it's off the charts. Yet I sense some daylight here. In the dream, I did at least understand my mistakes and was working to correct them. In fact, I woke thinking that I really had to declutter my desk, move the printer, take a bunch of books back to the library . . . And these are all signs I recognize. I breathe a little easier when I've cleared the decks, tidied things up, given myself some space. My dream's telling me that, too: although the jury's still out on what those animals mean, my brain's saying, among other things, that I need to give myself both a new space (the book) and SOME space (to cut myself a bit of a break; the sun's gonna come up tomorrow, betcha bottom dollar, there's tomorrow, yada, yada, yada).

Which brings me to writers and their quirks, habits, rituals and superstitions--and, no, they're not all the same beast, IMHO, although they may come to be loaded with the same emotional valence. For example, my paying attention to a dream is not, I think, the same thing as the ritual I follow pretty much every morning: up by first light (and frequently before), brew that pot of coffee, answer some email and read a bit of news (all standing up, by the way, and in the kitchen where I can look out and see the sun rise and which birds are coming to the feeder). But by 7:30 a.m.--8, at the latest--I better be writing-writing, or I start to get this crawl-out-of-my-skin feeling. I become very uneasy. Not starting work by a certain time feels like . . . bad luck.

I'm not alone here. Nearly all writers have habits, rituals, etc. There are famous examples. Ernest Hemingway had a lucky rabbit's foot he used so long it was nothing but sinew and bone by the end. (But contrary to the mythology, Hemingway didn't ALWAYS write while standing:

although he supposedly claimed that "Writing and travel broaden your ass if not your mind and I like to write standing up."

This is something that Philip Roth seems to have taken to heart (walking a half mile for every page he finishes while standing). On the other hand, Mark Twain liked his bed

and, if you can believe him,Truman Capote wrote lying down (so the movies--while fabulous--have that wrong):

INTERVIEWER
What are some of your writing habits? Do you use a desk? Do you write on a machine?

CAPOTE
I am a completely horizontal author. I can't think unless I'm lying down, either in bed or stretched on a couch and with a cigarette and coffee handy. I've got to be puffing and sipping. As the afternoon wears on, I shift from coffee to mint tea to sherry to martinis. No, I don't use a typewriter. Not in the beginning. I write my first version in longhand (pencil). Then I do a complete revision, also in longhand. Essentially I think of myself as a stylist, and stylists can become notoriously obsessed with the placing of a comma, the weight of a semicolon. Obsessions of this sort, and the time I take over them, irritate me beyond endurance.

The Paris Review, Issue 16, 1957

On the other hand, Capote enjoyed being a celeb and, for his time, was a master of the outrageous.

Dickens arranged the items on his writing desk just so--dueling bronze toads, a bronze dog thief with pups stuffed in his pockets, and a green porcelain tea cup filled with fresh flowers, among other things. (Dickens seems to have had a touch of OCD, too, needing to touch things a certain number of times, but that's another story.) Legend has it that Carson McCullers always wore a lucky sweater when she wrote, which one can only hope she washed.

I could go on, but you get my point and these are only the tip of the iceberg. Do a search and you'll find stories--some of which are probably true--about the habits, superstitions and rituals of writers as various as Stephen King, Anthony Trollope, Franz Kafka, Toni Morrison, John Cheever, Freud . . . the list goes on and on.

Now, is it so amazing that writers have rituals or habits or superstitions? No, and like I said, I don't think they're all the same beast. I believe that a habit can BECOME a ritual and that ritual can become loaded with all sorts of (largely personal) significance, like that coffee mug you just have to use every day or your special pen, or--my personal favorite--a piece of jewelry that symbolizes your current project. (I've had the devil of a time finding one for my current WIP. I sense what I'm looking for/groping toward. Just haven't found the piece that speaks to me quite yet...)

But people are pattern-machines. Our brains are wired to make associations and find meaning in randomness; to generate order out of chaos; to take an ill-defined stimulus and attempt to give or fit it into a story. The behavior's got a fancy name--pareidolia--but it's the basis of dream analysis, you get right down to it. After all, your brain only has a certain set number of images and memories culled from everyday experience. Depending on what's going on, your dreaming mind, that enormously complex, meaning-generating machine, will cycle through and cobble together images it knows will get your attention. Or, to take all the woo-woo out of it, a dream is nothing more than your brain's attempt to associate what you've gone through that particular day with prior experience. Think of a dream as analogous to a computer trying to find the right--or similar--folder in which to insert a specific file, and you catch my drift.

If you think about it a second, this kind of pattern-seeking is to our evolutionary advantage. Nice to predict when that saber-toothed tiger might be on the prowl, for example, and it helps if you understand that the thing with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth contained within something vaguely circular is the face of a person, not a coconut. It is why people inevitably see faces in random dots or, as here, in the rocks and hollows of a crater on Mars

which "really" looks like this under different light at a different angle and with different resolution:

It's why our brain sees a woman's body clinging to this tree,

searches for faces in clouds:

or, depending on your point of view and circumstance, the Devil:

And, by extension, this explains why people structure highly-evolved, codified rituals and rules into things called mythologies and religions--because we are all, each and every one of us, seeking to establish meaning out of chaos. People are hard-wired to seek patterns in randomness. We even know where, in the brain, it happens (the ventral fusiform gyrus, to be precise). So we can't help ourselves. We are the creatures who develop habits in order to survive. It's just the way we are.

By extension, if you think about this for a second, you can readily understand why people like artists and writers develop rituals and habits, need to have things just so, or attach meanings to what are at first random acts later strung together to become an indispensable part of their routine: because we are trying, mightily, to give shape to the jumble of images and emotions that are stories and put them down in recognizable form.

Or put it this way: when I was in practice, I thought of my job as one of helping patients find the words to tell their stories. Well, we writers are no different. Our job is to fish all those words out of our minds and string them together on a page, in a certain order. We struggle with this all the time, and it's exactly why young writers are always looking to more established writers for those magical tricks: lucky charms, quirky habits. Writers create order out of the chaos of their minds, not an easy task by any stretch.

So is it weird or odd or crazy for writers to be superstitious beasts, or adhere to certain habits and patterns, or have their lucky talismans? Not at all. This kind of neuroplasticity leads us to develop associations: ah-ha, I was playing Van Halen when I had that great idea; or I used this typewriter to write my first successful novel and now I'm going to write every novel on this same typewriter(Cormac McCarthy); or hey, I was eating an apple under L'Arc de Triomphe when I figured out how to get my character from A to B (Alexandre Dumas). Or--in my case--I must start writing by a certain time every day or I get very, very uneasy. I must write a certain number of pages (and do, unless there's an earthquake), or I get uneasy. (Worse, the writing loses its vitality and the characters start to die in my head . . . but that's another post for another day.) In the end, I am uneasy because I am breaking with habit, and I have developed a habit because what I'm trying to do is make sense of disorder and chaos.

In the end, there is no right answer about which ritual to follow, what habit will lead to success. If you think that doing a three card reading from a tarot deck is an important way to start your day, have at it. If you want to write in the buff, that's fine, too (Cheever wrote in his boxers), but do pull the blinds and make sure the heat's on. Whatever you choose, remember this: if you expect to be a writer, you must write. How you get into that groove--how you pull together the chaos in your mind--is entirely up to you.

No magic involved.

****

On a completely different note, my new YA novel, DROWNING INSTINCT, has its book birthday on Feb. 1. YAY!

To celebrate, I'll be giving away a signed hardcover. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Australia, and will start at midnight (EST) 2/01/12 and end Wednesday night, 2/08/12, at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Be sure to stop by my blog beginning at midnight (EST) 2/01/12, and check out the Rafflecopter entry form for your chance to win.

Surviving the Zombiepocalypse, ADR3NALIN3 style...

2012-01-28T04:00:00.032-06:00

by Hans (translated by Franz)

Hans: UUUGG GGRRRRR ug OOOOOR RAAAAAAARR UG GRRRR ROOOOORRR RAAARRR ugg raaaaar RAAARR ROOOOORR uuuggg raaaaaarr rooooorr GRRRRR UUURRRG OOR grrrrr raarrr grrr!!!

Franz: Whilst looking online for brain recipes, Hans stumbled upon a very helpful "How To" video made by the talented fellows at Bad Idea Films. He'd like to share these useful tips for those of our readers who wish to keep their brains intact should a zombie infestation occur within their neighborhood. View at your leisure (but please don't wait until you hear the clawing upon your windows and doors ... that's a bit too late).

Hans: UUG rooorrr raaaaarr RAAAAAAR AHHHH roooorr braaiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnss roooorr ahh uuug AAHHHHH UURRRG ROOOOORRR!!!

Franz: And because Hans is feeling generous this weekend, he'll share one last tip with you. It is a well known fact that zombies like fat, pink brains. But, it is less common knowledge that feeding the brain with books and cheetos makes it healthy, lean, and orange. So by being well-read and cheeto-fed, you're already one step ahead of your neighbors.

Hans: uugg GGRRRRR uggg ooooor AAHHHH UUURRG RAAAAAARR?!?! UUUGG GGRRRRR ug OOOOOR!!!

Franz: You say you're short on books and orange cheesey snacks? You're in luck, for our authors here at ADR3NALIN3 have asembled this marvelous gift bundle chock full of everything you need for a healthy, orange brain:

Franz: As Hans is now busy gnawing on a stale toe he fished from the cookie jar, perhaps I should be the one to tell you about the prize package. Or better yet, I'll keep you guessing. Watch our blog posts ... details on how to win it will be forthcoming very soon. Have a grand weekend, and don't forget -- a book a day, keeps the zombies at bay. Farewell, happy readers!

*****

For more information on the creative geniuses behind the featured video, or to see more of their work, please visit Bad Idea Films at their YouTube channel.

Social Network Faceoff

2012-01-27T00:01:00.004-06:00

by Michelle Gagnon

I've gotta admit, every time I get a message from MySpace now (and they're gracing my inbox more and more rarely), I feel a twinge of pity for them. Remember when MySpace was the hot new thing that revolutionized social networking? When everyone you knew was hanging out there? Now it seems like all that remains are a few bands and companies that post ads, spamming my comment page.

I can't stop picturing Tom, the MySpace creator and everyone's first friend on there, curled up in a room alone, wondering what went wrong.

Now I split my time fairly evenly between Facebook and Twitter, posting everything from music videos, links to things I stumbled across and found interesting, and general complaints/observations about my day and life in general. But occasionally I get shout outs from Gather and Google +, which make me feel pretty much the same way MySpace does; vaguely guilty for no longer participating. Seriously, though, who has the time? For awhile there I joined everything that came along, from Linked in to Friendster (remember that one?) But just keeping up with the two that I do use consumes a pretty serious chunk of my day.

A lot of my time on the social networks is for just that- socializing. I work from home, so aside from the occasional UPS delivery, I don't always get a lot of human contact. Facebook and Twitter have become good stand-ins for that. Scrolling through my home page I always come across at least one thing a day that gets me laughing out loud, or makes me think, or gives me a heads up that a friend is having a rough day. I love that aspect of it, that it enables me to stay in touch with people who I would probably lose contact with otherwise, since they live across the country or because we're all just so busy these days.

But to be honest, I'm also on there for the same reason as a lot of other writers- befriending strangers in the hopes that they'll consider buying my books.

Several years in and thousands of friends later, I've really got no idea whether or not the SNs work for that. I've personally bought a few books, thanks to reminders sent by writers whose work I'd already read and enjoyed; but I have to confess I haven't discovered a lot of new authors that way.

So today I have two questions: First, which social networks do you use, and why do you prefer it/them?

And second: have you ever bought a book just because you saw it recommended by a virtual friend?

ODDS ARE...

2012-01-26T01:37:00.009-06:00

by Wendy Corsi Staub

I’m not a gambler.

I’ve bought lottery tickets a few times in my life and never remember to check the winning numbers. For all I know, I could be living in a Powerball mansion right now. Bummer.

Whenever someone holds a 50-50 raffle during halftime or intermission, I might buy a chance, but I consider it a charitable contribution because chances are I’ll be on the long line for the ladies’ room when they call the winner.

I’ve been to Vegas twice, once to celebrate my fortieth birthday, and once the following year on a book tour after I wrote a novel set in Vegas just so that I'd have an excuse to go back. It was pretty cool to see my name on the marquee along the Strip...

And of course, I’m passionate for hotel pools, buffets, and shows. Who isn't?

But the casinos aren’t very appealing to me. On my first visit, after playing the slots for ten minutes, I walked away several hundred dollars richer with no temptation whatsoever to continue playing, perhaps losing it all on the slim chance that I could win more.

No, I’m not a gambler.

Or am I?

I sold my first book because I took a risk, betting I would somehow win against tremendous odds.

See, I didn’t just intend, when I set out to become an author, to publish a book. I wanted to publish a novel. Not just one. Many novels. I planned to make a living as a novelist. Not just any novelist. I had my sights set on the New York Times bestseller list from the time I was a teenager working part-time in The Book Nook, our local indy bookstore.

It was my job, every weekend, to pluck the fortunate few titles that had made the venerable list for the upcoming week and arrange them according to rank in a special display. I vowed, back then, that one day my own titles would be among them.

There are roughly 200,000 books published every year in the US. Many are self-published, or nonfiction, or from small presses. Fewer than 1% of those will achieve bestseller status.

Generally speaking, the five major US publishers are responsible for the vast majority of bestsellers. Precise statistics are hard to come by, but those publishers receive thousands of submissions each year and publish perhaps a few hundred. Of that percentage, how many are first-time novelists? It’s hard to say, but having been an editor (back in the ‘80s at a publishing house that’s still around and falls into the top 10, though not top 5, US Publishers), I would guess that number is in the double digits at most.

I was blessed to have a mother who wholeheartedly believed in me from the moment I was born. When I decided, in third grade, that I wanted to become an author, she supported my dream in every way. When I later amended my goal to "New York Times Bestselling Novelist,"well aware that the odds of achieving that status were staggeringly slim, she shrugged and said, “So? Someone has to be in that tiny percentage. It might as well be you.”

My mom said the same thing years later, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer on the very day she turned 56. At that point, her odds of survival were pretty good—nowhere near as slim as the publishing odds--and for awhile, she appeared to have beat them. Even when the cancer spread to her bones a few years later, the odds were…well, not good. But not devastating. Not yet. "So? Someone has to be in that tiny percentage," she said. "It might as well be me."

I’ll never forget the day—again, ironically, on my mom’s birthday, her 63^rd —that her oncologist informed us that she was going to lose. The chances that she could survive were almost nonexistent.

Almost.

By that time, I’d been an author for fifteen years, with multiple New York Times bestsellers under my belt. I believed in beating tremendous odds, and so did my mother. We agreed, again, that someone had to be in that tiny fraction of a percent. Why not her?

Tragically, that story does not have a happy ending. Losing my mother just a few weeks later, the day after Mother’s Day, derailed me in a way that I couldn’t have anticipated. I was strong. I had always been strong. I was the oldest child of two oldest children; my parents had taught me that I could call upon inner strength that would allow me to do whatever needed to be done under any circumstances.

I was holding my mother's hand when she passed, and though it had been inevitable for days, somehow, it caught me off-guard.

Did I fall apart? Not right away. Not visibly.

Stay strong, I thought, and so I filled out the paperwork when the funeral directors came to the door in the wee hours in their somber suits, and watched them carry her away. I comforted my father, broke the news to my young children, picking up my seven-year-old when he collapsed on the floor in grief; I got through the wake and funeral, served food and cleaned up after the hordes of grieving friends and family members who filled my childhood home for a week.

Then I returned to my own home, to my life as wife and mother. To my writing career that had been on hold for weeks, when I couldn’t technically spare the time away. I have released anywhere from 3-8 novels per year, simultaneously under contract with several different publishers, since my career began. That particular year, the deadlines were stacked up, as usual, like circling planes preparing to land with precision timing at JFK. I couldn’t afford to miss any—doing so would mean they’d all go down, one after another.

But I missed the first deadline. Thus, I missed the second. And third. And so on.

Fortunately, my career didn’t crash and burn. Given my track record, my publishers were able to bear with me. Eventually I got the books in. I got my career back on track. I was able to believe in myself again—and even believe again in beating the odds, career-wise. How I did that is another story, and one I’ll share with you sometime.

Meanwhile, two years after my mom died, I was the featured speaker at a writer’s conference. I had been told that my mission should be to inspire the audience to take a chance on getting a first novel published. I told them the story of how I had beaten the odds, with my mother’s support—and how she hadn’t. I was so choked up by the time I finished the speech that I was wiping my eyes with a napkin, and so were many people in the room. Had I inspired them, or just made them cry?

Afterward, a woman, a total stranger, came up to me and told me she had just been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. The doctors said there was a possible treatment that would be incredibly grueling, and that her odds, even with the treatment, of surviving more than a few months were in the 1-2% range. She had been getting her affairs in order, not willing to put herself through that.

My speech had her rethinking that plan. We tearfully hugged and went our separate ways. She was never far from my thoughts, but I sadly gave up expecting to hear from her.

Two Christmases ago, out of the blue, I got an email with the subject line THANK YOU. Guess who it was from?

That’s right. The woman had gone ahead with the treatment—and she had survived. It had been a fierce battle, but she’d won.

The following summer, I was signing books at the jam-packed national RWA conference when she walked up to my table.

“I wanted to say thank you in person,” she said. “If it weren’t for your speech that day, I wouldn’t be here.”

We hugged and cried—yes, I know, I do seem to cry a lot, don't I?--and caused a big commotion. If you were in the vicinity of the “S” author row that day at RWA National, you probably witnessed it or heard about it.

In any case, that woman beat tremendous odds. I beat tremendous odds, though I would trade my dream career in a heartbeat if my mom could have beaten the odds instead.

The point is, someone is always going to be in that tiny percentage. There are no guarantees, but if you take a chance, it might be you.

Well, there is one guarantee: if you don’t take a chance, I guarantee, with 100% certainty, that it won’t be you.

So if you’re sitting out there thinking that you’d love to become a writer—or an astronaut, or an Oscar-winning actress, or a New York Yankee: you can safely bet that a few years from now, someone is going to be doing those things. Why not you?

Houdini, suburban vampires, and ghostly guests...

2012-01-25T04:00:00.013-06:00

By A.G. Howard

One of my favorite things about being a writer is meeting other writers. I love to see the way their minds work: what gives them the idea for a story, how they go about researching and plotting, what their writing process is. I always come away feeling like I've learned something about myself and my process just by sharing theirs.

It's also true that I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, romance, and ghost stories which is why I wrote a gothic/literary YA set in Victorian England with a unique love triangle between a deaf heroine, a gypsy viscount, and a ghost ... sort of Jane Eyre meets A Certain Slant of Light. I'm hoping to pique my editor's interest in this story, tenatively titled GhostFlower, when I pitch second book ideas to her this week.

All that to say, when I met the lovely and talented Cat Winters (the brilliant mind behind The Suburban Vampire blog), whose historical ghost YA will be published through Amulet in Spring 2013, I knew I couldn't wait to pick her brain for details. She graciously accepted my invitation to drop by today and give us the inside scoop.

Please welcome Cat, and her debut novel In the Shadow of Blackbirds to the ADR3NALIN3 stage.

Cat Winters was born and raised just a short drive down the freeway from Disneyland, which probably explains her obsession with haunted mansions, bygone eras, and fantasylands. Her debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, a YA historical ghost tale illustrated with early-twentieth-century photographs, is coming Spring 2013 from Amulet Books. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two kids.

I suppose I've been preparing to write my upcoming novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, since I first fell in love with ghost stories. My fascination with spirits started way back in elementary school, when a book about haunted locales called to me from a shelf in my school's library. Up until that point, I had only thought of ghosts as fictional creatures that showed up in spooky stories and movies, and because I was growing up in Orange County, California, not far from Disneyland, I thought they looked something like this:

Yet here was a book telling me that real people believed in real ghosts.

After I read that library text, I found myself continually drawn to spine-chilling tales. One of my favorite movies growing up was The Watcher in the Woods—another one of Disney's contributions to my obsession with all things eerie. The movie is packed with menacing music and so many psychological thrills that both my sister and my daughter refuse to even talk about the film.

Here's the trailer so you can see what appealed to little horror-loving me:

I spent my teen years gobbling up classic Gothic literature (Shelley, Poe, the Brontës, etc.) and watching The Twilight Zone reruns and old Alfred Hitchcock films. Then, in my adulthood, I stumbled upon the history of séances in a Smithsonian Magazine article and started playing around with a historical novel involving séances. That particular book didn't go far, but several years later I landed an agent and chatted with her about an entirely new take on my basic plot ideas. I proposed showing a teen's perspective of the Spiritualism craze that resulted from the horrors of WWI.

One year later, I turned in the first draft of In the Shadow of Blackbirds. A year after that, I received an offer from Amulet Books.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds explores the nightmare world of 1918, when both WWI and the Spanish Influenza killed millions of people around the globe, and desperate Americans turned to séances, spirit photographers, and folk remedies for comfort.

To research the ghostly side of the story, I pored over spirit photographs from the era and read books that tackled the dark and dangerous aspects of spirit communication, like Harry Houdini's A Magician among the Spirits and Mary Roach's Spook.

Click the picture to find on Amazon

I've always felt some of the most moving tales about war and other atrocities are the ones told from the point of view of young people, so I picked a brutally honest sixteen-year-old girl to be my protagonist. She's forced to deal with death, spiritual tricksters, national paranoia, some highly creepy birds … and a ghost (of course).

Would the kid in me who loved to be scared out of her wits enjoy this novel? Definitely.

What about you? Are you typically drawn to ghostly tales? And do you believe in ghosts?

***

Want to keep tabs on Cat and her upcoming novel? Check out her online haunts:

http://www.catwinters.com
http://twitter.com/catwinters
http://www.facebook.com/catwintersbooks

http://www.goodreads.com/catwinters
http://suburbanvampire.blogspot.com/

Why Write?

2012-01-24T02:00:00.004-06:00

Carol Tanzman checking in!

There’s a section in my new thriller dancergirl where the main character tries to figure out why she dances. In a way, that came out of both Alicia’s story ––and my own life. Sometimes, in the dead of night, or the bright light of a sunny Saturday afternoon, when I could be napping or hiking or doing any number of fun things, I might just ask myself: Why write? Why do I drive myself crazy trying to get it all just right? Why not chuck this manuscript into the ever-present trash can on the bottom of my screen—which is always there, taunting me with its siren call: I will take this draft you are struggling with and dispose of it so you never have to look at it again. I can make your plot problems go away with a satisfying crunch….

Of course, I never actually do that. The most I’ve ever done is move the manuscript into a folder and put that folder somewhere in my documents file where I don’t have to see it whenever I open the laptop lid.

A few days, maybe a week, or, as is the case with dancergirl (when I lost faith in my ability to make it work), several months go by. I work on something else, or I put a little extra effort into my rewarding day job as a drama teacher. But the day comes when there’s been enough space or distance or the brain freeze inside my head thaws…and the manuscript calls to me. I’ll start reading--and that’s when I realize, hey, it’s not so bad. Or…there! That’s where the problem is. If I change this…and then that…suddenly, I’ve gotten myself off the wrong path onto the right one. It’s going back with a fresh outlook, an open mind that lets me to find the place where the energy in the book seeped out—and allows me to close that gap.

I’ve been thinking about this because something happened a few weeks ago that truly makes all the hard work worthwhile. dancergirl published in December. I went to NYC for both the holidays and to do some book events: signing at some bookstores, a couple of school visits, and the Teen Author Read at the castle-like Jefferson Market Library in Greenwich Village.

I used to live around the corner. That library was “my” library when I was directing Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway theatre. Before I ever considered writing books. Before I decided to try writing books. And way before I began those six steps Ilse wrote about on January 2nd. Last week, I walked back into that library with a published book in hand and sat onstage alongside other writers. It was fun. But it did not truly answer the question, Why write?

I’ve heard others answer. Many say: “I have no choice. I must write.” “I have stories to tell and things to say.” “The challenge is what drives me”.” “I want to make a ton of money” (Good luck with that!) or…or… There are as many answers as there are writers.

My answer walked in with a white cap worn over dark curly hair––and a smile that lit up the room. Kristin is her name. She writes a book blog and she reviewed dancergirl. When she saw a tweet about the event, she immediately sent one back: You are in town? I am so there! Kristin came down from the Bronx in the bitter cold of a winter night. After the reading and the Q&A was over, she introduced herself. I took a picture of her with the book I’d just signed and we talked.

She told how much dancergirl meant to her—and why. I told her how much that meant to me–-and the answer to why I write became crystal clear. Despite being an author, I’m still the theatre director I once was—I write for an audience. To make the invisible connection that goes from fingers typing on a page to reader reading.

And so, on those frustrating days that all writers have, I will remember Kristin—and all the possible Kristins in the world. I’ll go back to my manuscripts with the knowledge that by dint of hard work, perseverance and butt in chair, I will figure it out. (In a future post, I’ll write about a method I’ve discovered that can help.)

I’d also like to ask the same question of you: Why do you write? What drives you? The answer may be simple, it may be profound, it may be funny. It does, however, have to be your answer. Ultimately you are the one who has to put butt in chair!

What's in Your Backyard?

2012-01-22T23:58:00.005-06:00

Eleven years ago I went backpacking in Western Europe. I hit ten countries in six weeks, and it was an amazing, whirlwind experience. There was so much to do and see, so many different cultures crammed together, so much incredible history to be experienced. I've wanted to go back ever since, but I've also had my sights on Japan, Australia, and a dozen or so other foreign destinations vastly different from where I call home. Part of it is wanting to see and explore places I've only read about, but part of it is also to experience something new and be inspired by the unknown. But as I was thinking about it, I realized there's another place that has a pretty impressive collection of cultures and sights. That would be the good ol' U.S. of A. From New England to New Orleans to New Mexico and beyond, there's thousands of different little subcultures and quirks in the United States, many of which are largely unexplored

In my freshman year of college I met a girl named Denise. When I asked her where she was from, she named a town in Michigan. When I said I wasn't sure where the town was, she held up her hand, with her fingers together and thumb sticking out, and pointed to somewhere near the tip of her ring finger. She told me that the main part of the state of Michigan is shaped like a mitten, and she lived near the top. Don't believe me? Check it out. Since that day, whenever I meet someone from Michigan I ask them what part of the mitten they're from. They usually hold up their hand and point, and they seem to enjoy the fact that I know this little tidbit about their state.

I was chatting on Twitter a while back with author Dwight L. MacPherson, who also hails from Michigan. He told me about the Upper Peninsula, or U.P., which is the non-mitten part of Michigan. The residents of the U.P. are referred to as Yoopers by the folks "downstate." A stereotypical Yooper seems to be a cross between a hillbilly and Rick Moranis in Strange Brew. They even have their own dialect. Oh, and they eat pasties. Dwight and I got to talking about how people know so little about the country we live in. In all my 32 years I'd never once heard the term "Yooper." Yet it's been there the whole time.

I'm lucky to have been able to visit a lot of different states, and although there are definite similarities, each place has its own way of talking, own way of doing things. It's just fascinating to me, and it makes me think that we don't need to travel to exotic places to get inspiration. The old saying "write what you know" takes on a whole new meaning when you realize there's a large part of the country (and world) that doesn't know what you know. Every place I've traveled, from Anchorage to New York City to Georgia has given me a fresh perspective on things, and each one of these things has helped me in my writing. But my writing is also hugely influenced by the tiny town in Utah I grew up in. From riding bikes through miles of fields, to crawling around dry creekbeds finding pieces of flint, to hiking through the old refinery just outside of town, there are a million tidbits I can snag from my hometown and inject into my work.

So what's unique about where you live? Tell me something only a local would know. I can almost guarantee whatever you come up with will be of some use to you. Go out there and look around your backyard. Travel if you can, but also open your eyes to what's around your home. We live in an amazing country, and there's so much to see and experience. Keep your eyes open, and you might even meet a Yooper or two.

First Love

2012-01-20T01:00:00.000-06:00

By Jordan Dane

I’d like you to meet Abbey Chandler from ON A DARK WING. By getting to know my character, perhaps you’ll get a glimpse of me. I’m her shadow. Authors often share bits and pieces of their life’s experiences with the character they create. One of the big personal inspirations I shared with Abbey in her book was my first love.

Hal was the name of my first major crush. Tall and lanky, he was shy and had a quirky smile and tousled dark wavy hair. Totally cute. He played drums in my brother’s garage band and drove a yellow VW bug. The boy banged on drums, but his sweet quiet nature drew me to him. Like my character Abbey did with one perfect guy, I watched Hal from a distance and was too shy to talk to him much. Yeah, he hung out at my house for band practices, but I was too young to do more than ogle him. He stole my heart in a big way and took a piece of it when he left. I have never forgotten him.

More on Hal later.

In my latest book with Harlequin Teen—ON A DARK WING—Abbey falls totally in love with Nate Holden. Who wouldn’t? He’s a great guy. Nate is hot with an amazing body, smart, and popular. He dates likeable real girls, not cardboard cutouts, and volunteers as a mountain rescue guy in Alaska, sacrificing his life to save others.

Here is Nate in Abbey’s words:

“At that moment, I had two really good reasons to forget how much my life sucked and Taco Thursday paled in comparison to the reason standing next to me. Nate Holden stood talking to his buddy, Josh Poole. His deep voice tingled in my ear and made my belly twist into a major knot, the kind of thing that felt terrible and amazing at the same time.

Even with his back to me, every side of Nate Holden was excellent. I loved how his dark hair curled at his collar and he always smelled good, but with a full frontal, his hypnotic blue eyes made me forget to breathe. Whenever he talked, his lips could mesmerize me for hours. Being next to him felt like getting sucker punched—and liking it. He’d always be out of my league, an unreachable boy from an alternative universe who came to me in my sleep and tortured me. Sweet torture.

Nate Holden had been a constant reminder of how messed up I was. He was the complete opposite of me, someone I had no business even wanting. We had absolutely nothing in common. Brownie points for him. But that didn’t stop me from practically stalking him. Deduct said brownie points. I played scenarios in my head, where he needed me as much as I wanted him. How sick was that? That would never happen. My fantasies were the only way I’d ever get close to someone like him.”

~Abbey Chandler – ON A DARK WING

But of course with every book there is conflict. ON A DARK WING (Harlequin Teen – Jan 2012) is a coming of age story for a girl who is lucky to be alive after she survives a car accident five years earlier where her mother was killed. She crossed paths with Death once and lived past her expiration date, yet she can’t move on with her life because she carries the burden of guilt over her part in the accident. That tragedy marks her. Tanner Lange looks out for her from a distance, the only way he thinks she’ll accept him—as her best friend. Being a boy in a wheelchair, he doesn’t feel he has much to offer her except his unflinching loyalty, the same loyalty she had always shown him after he was paralyzed. Tanner sees the major crush Abbey has on the perfect boy—a great guy who doesn’t even know she exists—Nate Holden. But Death has a reason for finding Abbey again. When she crosses paths with Death again, she’ll learn what love and loyalty truly are.

To share more about me and an inspiration behind this book, I finally need to talk about Hal, my first crush who had his own link with Death. Hal was killed by a drunk driver while he drove his little yellow VW. I can still see his cute face in my mind. I clipped out his death notice from the newspaper and for years I kept it in a special secret box of “his” things. I never told anyone how I felt about it. That was too personal. I never got to see Hal grow into a man. He’ll forever be that cute boy with a crooked grin, tooling around in his yellow bug. A first crush is special because it’s the first. It’s intense and none that come after will be quite the same, even if you find THE ONE.

But not every first crush story turned out sad like mine, so I’d like to hear from you. I want DEETS, people! You don’t have to share full names, but I’d love to hear about your first crush. Was it someone you knew or a famous celebrity? How did you stalk him or her? What things did they do that you still think about? Spill it!

"Dane's well-developed characters provide an authentic exploration of guilt, loyalty, and belonging."
~Publishers Weekly for IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS (Harlequin Teen, Apr 2011)

2012-01-19T01:00:00.002-06:00

My All Star Team Of Characters

Hi, Chris Grabenstein here.

Writers have a lot of strange rituals. Sharpening pencils -- over and over. Putting together iPod playlists to write to. Burning incense. Eating Cheetos. Eating M&Ms. Eating everything in the refrigerator.

Me? Well, when I get done writing my 2,000 words every day, I give myself a treat: I play one game of NCAA 2012 Football on my Playstation 3. For the guys out there, I play Dynasty Mode. You know what I'm talking about. Boo-yah.

My cat Parker likes watching the little men running around the screen so much, he usually comes into my office the minute he hears the guy say "E-A Sports. It's in the game!"

I'm not sure if Parker is into football or just flashing, moving things. The game screen probably looks like a jumble of giant laser pointers to him.

These days, my team is Stanford. I didn't go to school there (I'm not that smart). I just like the fact that, at Stanford, every time a player does something good, like score a touchdown, he gets a sticker on his helmet. Hey, who doesn't like getting gold stars for a job well done? We're all really first graders at heart.

Also, I named my coach Stan Ford. (Yes, it takes very little to amuse me after writing 2000 words).

One of the fun things I do when playing my daily game of football is name the players after characters I'm working with in books. For me, it's a way to give those characters a life outside the confines of their stories. But, I always try to keep my guys in character when they play football.

For instance, Riley Mack, the uncommonly clever star of my upcoming HarperCollins title RILEY MACK AND THE OTHER KNOWN TROUBLEMAKERS has to play quarterback.

The guy is a natural born leader. In the book, he heads up a "Mission Impossible" type team of 12 year old troublemakers who right wrongs and defend the weak. He's sort of a new Robin Hood. His buddy, Hubert Montgomery, who everybody calls "Mongo" is a seventh grade so huge he looks like he has seven other seventh graders stuffed inside him. Mongo plays middle linebacker. Or Defensive Tackle.

Their new fifth grader friend Jamal Wilson is a flashy running back. Jamal is a bit of a showboat in the book and on the field. But, like they say, it's not bragging if you can do it. Jamal has already won the Heisman Trophy three times, including when he was a Freshman, which, in the real world, has never, ever happened.

The hero of my Haunted Mystery series, Zack Jennings, is still a bit of a loner when he grows up and goes to Stanford. So he plays wide receiver. Last week, he set a new record for passes caught and touchdowns scored. His pal, the super intelligent brainiac Malik Sherman, is a cagey cornerback and leads the league in interceptions.

Sometimes, the characters from my adult mysteries show up on the roster. John Ceepak likes to play for Army. Danny Boyle for Notre Dame.

But, usually, it just me and the guys from my middle grades books.

Writers need diversions that don't involve food, I guess.

And the characters? Well, they need to hop off the page from time to time and just play.

And, it's amazing how much more vividly alive the characters become in your head after you've won the BCS National Championship together.

The Idea Jar

2012-01-18T01:30:00.000-06:00

by Jennifer Archer

The men in my husband's family joke that their wives all have "job jars" for them. In these jars, we supposedly keep scraps of paper with household chores written on them. When the men have time to spare, they're required to pull out a scrap and complete the task. (Now there's an idea, huh?)

One of the questions I'm asked most when people learn I'm a writer is "where do you get your ideas?" I'm always a little baffled that they don't see ideas everywhere, like I do. Life is like that job jar except, in addition to tasks, it's also filled with ideas. Usually I'll see something or read something or hear something that sprouts the question-- what if....? An idea blooms then grows, often in a story direction I never expected.

The idea for my first published novel for adults BODY AND SOUL sprouted while I was sitting in line at a bank drive-up window. My children were small then and they were in the back seat irritating one another. I'd had a long day and their argument was wearing my nerves thin. I looked at the car beside me in the next lane -- a red Volkswagon with a young, pretty 20-something girl inside. Her window was down, music blared from her radio, and she be-bopped to the beat. She looked carefree, relaxed, everything I wasn't at the moment. I thought, Right now, I wish I had your life. Then: What if two women like us switched places, right here, right now? Voila! The idea for BODY AND SOUL bloomed.

The idea for another one of my books for adults, SANDWICHED, grew out of a lunch date with two girlfriends. Over salads and tea, we talked about the fact that our parents were getting older and might soon need more of our time, while our teenagers were getting older and wanting less of our time. We were, in a sense, sandwiched between the needs of these important people in our lives.

I wrote THE ME I USED TO BE after reading a magazine article about a woman who got pregnant at the age of sixteen while at Woodstock. She gave her baby son up for adoption and he found her more than 30 years later. What if that child had been a daughter? I wondered. And what if the daughter died before they ever had the chance to reconnect? What if a grandchild found the birth mother instead?

MY PERFECTLY IMPERFECT LIFE began at a writing workshop. The teacher had us take out pens and paper. "A character finds something unexpected in his or her significant other's closet," she said. "Write about it. You have one minute." I put the pen to paper, started writing, and here's what emerged...It was black, lacy, a size 42 DD. She wore a B cup...barely. As the woman stared at the big black bra hidden in the corner of her husband's closet, she couldn't help wondering -- did it belong to another woman...or to him? The paragraph was rough, but when I read it aloud to the group, everyone laughed. I thought I might be on to something.

And then there are the book ideas that sneak up out of nowhere and surprise you. These can't be easily explained. My debut novel for teens, THROUGH HER EYES, is one such story. I'm not really sure where the idea came from. I went to sleep one night thinking that I'd like to write a novel for a teen audience, and the next morning I awoke with the bare bones idea. I see fragments of my own life in the story -- like the protagonist, Tansy Piper, I moved around a lot when I was growing up. (something like 24 times, actually!) And the creepy house Tansy lives in after she moves to Texas resembles one we pass by when my husband and I drive to our cabin in Colorado. Old photographs play a big part in the plot, and I've always loved old pictures and find myself wishing I could step into one and experience life back then. I incorporated that wish into the book, as well. But overall, I have no idea what inspired the rest of the story; it simply emerged as I wrote.

If you're a writer searching for a story, pay attention to the life you're living, the world around you, the common things you might take for granted. Let your imagination wander. Though it's true that sometimes I really don't know where a story came from, more often than not the idea arises from an every day occurrence, a minor incident that seems so mundane it's easy to let it slip by unnoticed.

Writers, what has inspired your story ideas for the books you've written?

AN EXPERIMENT | No. 1

2012-01-17T01:00:00.002-06:00

by Brett

Okay, I want to try something. I may fail miserably, or, who knows, maybe I won’t, but since this blog is dedicated to adrenaline pumping YA fiction, I thought…why not work on a story right here?

Yep, starting with this post, I’ll beginning pulling together a story and we’ll all see where it goes. Along the way, I’ll be asking you for opinions and thoughts based off of questions I ask and choices I give you.

I’ve been thinking about this for at least a week now, but the one thing I haven’t been thinking about is what the story will be. So, as I write these very words, I have no idea what direction things are going to go in. I don’t even know if this is going to be a short story, novella, or novel. My gut is that it’ll probably end up being either a novella or novel since those are actually easier for me (yeah, more pages easier…weird), but I’m leaving all possibilities on the table for the moment.

Now I won’t necessarily be blogging about this every time it’s my turn, but then again I might. Since I do only post twice a month, the process will be a LOT slower than I’m normally used to working, so I reserved the option of doing some of it “off screen” if the mood hits me. I can’t complain about the slow pace though, as it will help me given the fact that I’ll also be writing a couple adult novels over the next few months, too.

My usual process is to have a basic idea for a story—say…something like “a woman shows up who was supposed to have been dead for five years, and all eyes turn to the person who was supposed to have killed her.” Beyond that one or two line idea, I might have an inkling of how I’d like it to end, and, perhaps, an opening scene. From that point, I’ll just sit down and start writing a draft. I may or may not already have a title, and I definitely won’t know most of the characters yet (unless it’s part of a series.)

For this experiment, I want to plan things out more. The first thing will be to decide on a genre within the YA world. (Usually I do know ahead of time what genre a book is.) We’ll move on from there to picking a title, working out some plot points (though I may hold back on important things like the ending so those will still be a surprise), developing some characters, perhaps some research, then writing.

As I basically said above, I’m not 100% sure yet this is going to work, but it sounds like fun in my head. Hopefully it is, and also for you, too.

Okay, let’s get started.

Here’s the first thing I need your help on. Genre. There are as many (if not more) genres in YA as there are in adult fiction. What I’ve done is put together a list of ones that appeal to me…because, let’s face it, if it’s not in a genre I like, why would I want to write it?

What I need you to do in the comments section below is let me know which one (or ones) you prefer. Your suggestions will help me to decide which direction to go in. And please, I’d love it if as many of you as possible could respond…even if you consider yourself a lurker you can make a quick comment (I’m assigning a letter to each category, so your response could be as short as a single character. How easy is that?)

I should also say that no matter what the genre, I’m a FIRM believer that the best stories are stories about characters and how they interact with their world, not about the world itself.

Here we go, in no particular order:

A. Dystopian
B. Real World based Fantasy
C. Modern Day/Real World based Sci-Fi(ish)
D. Real World Thriller
E. Real World Detective Story
F. Full on Sci-Fi

Please do remember that I am male, so that undoubtedly forms many of my selections. (That BY NO MEANS is to say that females would not enjoy the very same list, I am merely pointing out my own deficiencies.) Plus, again, we’re all about adrenaline here, and those are all pretty adrenaline fueled genres.

Okay, have at it. Six choices. What do you think?

__________________

You can learn more about my tween novel HERE COMES MR. TROUBLE and my adult novels at my website:
BrettBattles.com

My Monster & Me

2012-01-16T00:00:00.003-06:00

A couple months ago, I saw this play, "Seminar." To be honest, it took some convincing to get me to actually walk into the theater. I think my husband was afraid I'd develop PTSD or something, and for good reason as you'll find out. In the end, I was glad I went, not because "Seminar" was the most AMAZING play I'd ever seen--although I was in the front row and so caught every flare of Alan Rickman's nostrils--but for some of those bon mots: perfect sentences uttered in just the right way which captured some essential truth.

IMHO, one of the best sequences is pretty early on and begins here around 1:41 and ends right at 3:00. Actually, I'd encourage you to sit through the whole thing, but if you only make it through that short segment, that's fine. Take a sec and settle in for a look/listen. Go ahead; I'll wait.

Hey, there, back so soon? Well . . . didcha catch it? Yeah, that fabulous sentence: "If you're defending yourself, you're not listening." Now, why do I think that's a superb line?

Because: what he's talking about is ego.

Ego's been on my mind recently. See, a fan had gotten in touch and, long story short, wanted my input on a school project. Right off the bat, I wanted to decline. I am very leery of these kinds of requests, not because I am evil person and worry I won't be able to resist an inclination to savage someone. No, just the opposite: I empathize, quite a bit. I understand the guts required to show your work to someone else--and how hurtful criticism, even well-intentioned and on the money as humanly possible, can be.

In the end, though, I agreed. I was as gentle--and as truthful--as I could be. When there was some good stuff, I said so, but I also pointed out when what and how something had been written effectively got in the way of the story. Believe me, I really sweated this thing. Nothing I pointed out was done lightly. I agonized over the tone, the words, the phrasing. I even considered punting, saying something frothy that would be innocuous enough--but that wouldn't have been right either.

So I sent my short critique. To this fan's credit, I got a nice thank-you note. Was he thrilled that I hadn't loved the story? Of course not, but he was civil about it. But you could tell that my take wasn't what he'd been expecting or wanted to hear. Would he recover? Sure. I'm only one opinion, and he'll roll with it.

But all that got me thinking about all those times my ego has taken--and continues to take--a beating. This is inevitabile when you're a writer or any kind of creative sort; when you send your work out to be judged. Heck, that's as true for a secretary as it is for a painter. However dissimilar the settings or scenarios, they all share a common thread: ego and, by extension, self-confidence can save your life, or destroy your career.

So let me introduce you to both a necessary evil and real life-saver:

This is my Ego Box. As you can see, it has gotten quite a workout and it's a little the worse for wear because the monster it's designed to contain has tried chewing its way out on a number of occasions.

Now, my husband made this life-saver for me years back. He took great care in the construction, leaving nothing to chance. There's a nice little blankie to keep my ego snuggly and warm;

a comfy cushion;

and, even, a set of instructions--

because, clearly, my husband understands the monster we're talking about here:

Honestly, it's a tribute to my ability to tame my inner snark that I DIDN'T correct his grammar. :-)

The box is also useful for squirreling away little bon mots for the proper care and feeding of this beast:

And I'm only half-joking.

Believe me, learning when to box your ego is tough because listening to criticism--and shoving back the impulse to defend yourself--is not only a real killer but a balancing act you must master. You must embrace the paradox: perfecting the ability to stand your ground and know when to push back while also truly being receptive to suggestions which might improve your work because, as I've said before, not every word you've written is gold. Not every sentence deserves to live.

Achieving this is hard. It's a skill that requires practice and you will relapse, frequently. True story: maybe a month or so after I'd sold the ASHES trilogy, my editor sent comments and questions about the first book. Now, we'd only spoken on the phone for about five minutes before this, so I didn't know him well and wasn't sure what to expect. His edit letter started out okay--I've got it somewhere but am too lazy to dig it out right now--and he said nice things about what an awesome book I'd written, what an awesome trilogy, that kind of thing. Some nice superlatives. So I was, you know, feeling the love.

But then I took a look at the actual letter-letter, the real nitty-gritty, the guts of thing: page after page after page of questions. Lots and lots of questions. Over eighty some-odd, as I recall. (And, mind you, we're not talking copy-edits either).

Well, the more I read, the more I could feel my mind unraveling, my ego shriveling, my hat size going back to normal and then shrinking to something closer to a thimble.

And then I felt like this:

Yes, like a small, emotionally-disturbed child. I don't think I was lying on the floor but pretty close. Then, as now, it was my very wise husband who stood over me as I puddled on the floor and said, "Dear, get a grip. He bought the book."

Oh. Hey. blink-blink, sniffle That's right--and, yes, I'll have that martini now, thanks.

Or, put another way, a pro writer-friend said, "Are you kidding? This is GREAT edit letter! Don't you realize how much he loves this book? Why would he waste his time otherwise?"

Oh. Hey. Yeah.

In retrospect, I understand that I had made one of the worst mistakes that a writer, or any creative type, can: I'd let my ego get in the way.

Now, I'm not talking about being grandiose. I'm not a pompous person by nature. In part, that's because I've spent a heck of a lot of time around doctors and, in particular, surgeons, who can be a snarky and competitive lot: true experts at the art of making sashimi of you, the sniveling excuse of an intern. Granted, many surgeons cultivate ego as a survival skill. Think about it. If you don't believe you're amazing beyond belief, why ever would you cut someone open and go mucking around in there? It took me years to understand this. (Another true story: we interns called this very ballsy vascular surgeon "God." It fit.)

Am I excusing pomposity out of hand? No. But I do understand that ego has its place. As a writer, you must believe in your work.

But . . .

You are not perfect. You are not a god. Neither, for that matter, are editors or teachers or other writers. (What goes on in writing groups and classrooms and workshops is a post for another day. Talk about watching egos in action . . .) Yes, it takes guts to send your work out there for strangers to shred. There is nothing more soul-sucking than opening the mailbox to find another rejection. I am convinced that successful writers are masters of the arcane art of masochistic objectivism: the ability to read through a sound thumping of your work while doggedly searching for a gem or two--if you can only find it in all that blood.

I've had the very good fortune of having splendid editors and copy-editors who aren't afraid of using that flea comb to get rid of every nit. That doesn't mean that I don't lose patience or roll my eyes or scream at the monitor . . . but I scream at the monitor. Their job is not to make me feel better. Their job is to make the story better. If they can't turn out a quality product, they won't have a job.

So, learn to listen to critcism without bristling. Decide if and when what you're hearing is right or wrong, on the money or not--because just as they are your words, this is about you and your ego, too. That monster will get in the way and you will make mistakes. Trust me on this. But if you remember nothing else, remember this: crafting and presenting your story in the best possible way is your editor's and your publisher's top priority.

And it should be yours, too.

Diamonds in the Rough

2012-01-13T00:01:00.002-06:00

by Michelle Gagnon

I love discovering books by new authors, especially when those books turn out to be part of a new series. Don't get me wrong, I usually read the hottest new releases, series like The Hunger Games that get everyone talking (speaking of which, I CANNOT WAIT for that movie! If you haven't seen the trailer yet, you need to, because it looks amazing).

But at a book fair a few weeks ago, the YA buyer handed me a copy of BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young, and said, "Read this. You'll love it."

For the first few pages, I had my doubts. The book is written entirely in dialect, and that's a tough thing to do well. Usually I find it gimmicky, and feel like it detracts from the narrative more than it adds to it. (Almost coincidentally, the lead in The Hunger Games movie is Jennifer Lawrence, who stared in the film adaptation of another dialect-heavy book that I loved, WINTER'S BONE.)

Not in this case, however. Wow, I loved this book. Kind of THE ROAD meets GLADIATOR, with a teenage girl fighting in the ring. I've been on kind of a post-apocalyptic binge lately anyway, and this met all my requirements. It had a strong, amazing heroine on a quest to save her twin brother; a great supporting cast of characters, including a group of other teenage girls who are all great with bows and arrows; and a really amazing love story underpinning all of it.

And best of all, the ending was satisfying, but also held the promise of more books to come.

But that leaves me with an open TBR pile, and I'm hungry for more (no pun intended). So tell me--have any of you discovered books lately that might not be on the bestsellers' lists, but deserve to be there? And what about them resonated with you?

ME, MY PAST SELF, AND I

2012-01-12T01:24:00.020-06:00

by Wendy Corsi Staub

Have you read THE FUTURE OF US? My sixteen-year-old son got it for Christmas and finished it in a matter of hours, at which point I started reading it myself. The book has one of those brilliant why-didn’t-I-think-of-that? premises: a teenaged boy and girl in 1996 accidentally log onto Facebook, which hasn't even been invented yet, and find themselves reading about (and seeing photos of!) their future selves. The more they read, the more they adapt their behavior in their current lives to change what's going to happen to them in the future.

Future Self versus Past/Present Self is a theme I’ve playfully visited in my own work, writing as my lighter alter-ego Wendy Markham (versus the dark side—the suspense novels I write under my own name, Wendy Corsi Staub).

In MIKE, MIKE and ME, we flash back and forth between the 1980s, where our young, single heroine is dating two guys named Mike, and the present, where she’s married to one Mike—and about to have a close encounter with the long-lost other Mike—but we don’t know which (from her past) is which.

In my time travel-themed THE BEST GIFT, a pregnant woman goes to bed on Christmas Eve, then wakes up on Christmas Day a few years in the future—in her empty house, no sign of her husband or the child they’d have had by now.

Reading THE FUTURE OF US has left me thinking a lot about the girl I used to be—and how she’d have reacted back then if she could glimpse the adult she was to become.

My Past Self, a small town girl from a very large, close-knit, functional (as opposed to dys) family, decided when she was just in third grade that she wanted to grow up to become an author. (Read more about that pivotal moment on my October 29, 2010 blog entry here.)

Past Self told everyone she knew—including her trusty pink Holly Hobbie diary, on September 14, 1973—about her Big Dream for Future Self. Or perhaps Big Plan is more appropriate than Big Dream, because Past Self was--like Present and I imagine Future Selves--an ambitious, overly energetic, type A control freak.

In case you can’t read the entry, it says: Dear Diary, Someday I want to be a writer for childrens books. I want to be as famos as Alcott, Wiggins, Wilder and all of those ladys.

Past Self’s spelling left something to be desired, and her favorite authors at that point had been born at least a hundred years before she was, but hey, her heart--and ambitions--were in the right place.

Interesting to note that this trio of early literary idols--Louisa May Alcott, Kate Douglas Wiggin, and Laura Ingalls Wilder—wrote under three names, as did a fourth idol, Mary Higgins Clark, who would soon be discovered by Past Self—or would that be Future Past Self?--in Junior High circa 1976. Naturally, I intended to become a triple-name author just like my idols, so when I later sold my own first novel just a few months after my wedding, I opted for Wendy Corsi Staub--my first name, my maiden name, and my husband’s last name.

By the time Past Self got to high school, she was writing novels. Here’s the first page from an early one that—go figure--failed to set the publishing world on fire when Past Self sent it off, along with the required SASEs, to New York editors:

Past Self was shocked and disappointed, but utterly undaunted, when those SASEs boomeranged with the manuscripts inside, accompanied by form rejection slips.

By senior year of high school, Past Self had refined the Big Plan: she was going to move to Manhattan right after college because everyone knew that was where all the coolest authors lived. (By this time, Past Self’s literary idols included witty, provocative late twentieth century urbanites Judy Blume, Mary Rodgers, Norma Klein, and pre-Sweet-Valley Francine Pascal, whose books were invariably set in New York City or its suburbs and had Past Self longing to exchange small town life for city life).

Past Self had such a case of tunnel vision that it never occurred to her to have a Backup Plan in case the Big Plan didn’t work out. There was only one plan, ever. Not even a thought to other things that might be fulfilling, or to the twists and turns that tend to pop up in life's pathway.

Here she is among featured seniors in the 1982 high school yearbook. I'll allow you a moment or two to gape in mute horror at the unflattering hair-do (courtesy of a rough night spent sleeping on pink sponge rollers) and equally unflattering but favorite-outfit-that-year preppy cardigan (gray with navy ribbon trim imprinted with tiny whales), plaid skirt (also shades of navy and gray), knee socks, and white-soled docksiders.

Finished grimacing? Okay, now check out the last line of the biographical piece: “I’d like to be an author of children’s books,” she added.

See? Only one plan. Ever. So confident was Past Self in her choice to become an author that she hadn’t wavered in the decade since third grade; nor would she waver between senior year and the moment--exactly another decade later--when, now living in New York, she submitted a partial manuscript entitled SUMMER LIGHTNING to an editor acquiring young adult paranormals.

SUMMER LIGHTNING became Past Self’s first published book. Published by Harpercollins in 1993, it went on to win an RWA Rita Award for Best Young Adult Novel the following summer. The Big Plan had become reality, but an even Bigger, Non-Plan was about to change everything.

A day or two before the Rita Awards ceremony in Manhattan, a nauseated Past Self suspected, then confirmed, that she and her husband were—oops, surprise!—expecting their first child. Not part of the Big Plan--at this stage, anyway--but a welcome surprise nonetheless. Thoughts running through Past Self’s head during the acceptance speech in front of hundreds of people: Don’t Barf Don’t Barf Don’t Barf Don’t Barf... I know. Glamorous, right? Well, sometimes. Three days later, the newly minted award-winning author was flown First Class on the first of countless Book Tours (alas, not all of which would be First Class—or even footed by the publisher—but abysmal lows are a part of every career, and that’s another blog). When her head wasn't in the toilet during the course of that milestone trip--which was most of the time--it was in the clouds, musing about motherhood and what this deviation might mean to the Big Plan.

Flash forward about seventeen years, two sons, and more than seventy-five published novels in various genres, some for kids, some for adults. Past Self has become Present Self.

These days, the words “New York Times Bestselling Author” goes above the name Wendy Corsi Staub on book covers, which are published again by Harpercollins in one of life’s gratifying, full-circle turns. And these days, two of the most precious people in my world don't call me a bestseller and they don't call me by three names; they just call me Mom.

Life has become a balancing act I never perceived back when I was dreaming and planning. Making dinner for a couple of perpetually starved teenaged boys--and, often, their assorted friends--is as fulfilling as jetting off on a book tour. I have everything I ever wanted, but more importantly: I have everything I ever needed, but didn't know I wanted.

I shudder to think what might have happened if my Past Self had glimpsed Future Self during that Don't Barf Don't Barf Don't Barf moment at the podium and thought, Huh? Have kids? No way!!--and then, like the hero and heroine of THE FUTURE OF US, set out to change the course of her future, courtesy of the one-track mind she had back then. And hey, it was the '70s, and women's lib was in full swing. I was all about the career, and the one I'd chosen was such a longshot that I didn't think there'd be room for anything else. Guess what? There is.

Has it been an easy, straightforward path to get here, career-wise? No way. Have I ever considered giving it up? No way. The rewards may not always outnumber or outweigh the drawbacks, but they're ultimately so fulfilling that whenever I find myself in a slump, focusing on past successes and future plans gets me through.

In another great Full Circle twist: in 2011, I was a finalist for Mystery Writers of America's coveted “Mary Higgins Clark Award." At the Edgar Awards last April, I got to chat at length with my triple-named idol herself, who said she’d loved my book. I gushed that I’d read WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN when I was in sixth grade, then devoured everything she published from that time on, knowing I wanted to write the same kinds of books one day.

What would Past Self have thought if she could have peered into the future and glimpsed this moment—a one-on-one chat with the Queen of Suspense?!

Seriously? I bet she’d have thought it was pretty cool—yet I doubt she’d have been surprised. In fact, she’d probably have expected nothing less. That’s how certain Past Self was about what she wanted to do with her life--and how sure she was that the Dream that became a Plan would be carried out.

By high school, especially, it was all the other stuff in Past Self's world that was perpetually laced with uncertainty. The friendships, the romances, the appearance, the academics, the finances...

If, back in high school, Past Self could have lifted the veil for a moment, she’d probably have been much more concerned about the near future, and whether she’d get to go to the prom with the cute basketball player she liked.

Psst, Past Self—guess what? You will go to the prom with that cute basketball player; you'll even be crowned Prom Prince and Princess. And then he will will disappear into the mists of time, only to resurface on your Facebook Friends list in 2012.

But I imagine Past Self would have been thrilled to know that she’d meet the love of her life at the Office Christmas Party in Manhattan in 1988 (see December 12, 2011 blog entry), get engaged almost exactly two years later, and marry him in 1991.

And she'd have been devastated to know that her beautiful, supportive young mom—the mom who told her third grade daughter that she could become anything she wanted to be if she set her mind to it—would die of breast cancer just a few weeks after her 63^rd birthday.

Who wouldn't want to tamper with the present in order to change that future?

So. Maybe the future is best left to the imagination, to dreaming and planning, or--just to dreaming. Maybe we don't really want or need to know. Maybe all that matters is that in the end, that small town girl with a Big Plan did become a writer, and she also became a wife and mother who gave birth to a son—actually two sons—who also have Big Plans.

As soon as I finish writing this blog, I’m heading out the door to College Planning Night with my firstborn, the one who read The Future of Us on Christmas Day.

He also has Big Plans. He wants to become—guess what? A writer. He’s thinking Sports Journalist, but I’ve known from the time he was around four that his brain is wired like a novelist’s. Sometimes I wish—as, I’m sure, does he—that I could catch a glimpse of his Future Self. But then, all in good time…we will.

How about you? If you could catch a glimpse of yourself ten, twenty, thirty years from now…would you want to? And what would you hope/expect to see?

Step Into My Nightmare...

2012-01-11T04:00:00.019-06:00

by A.G. Howard

True to the name of our blog, as authors, we love to write books that spike a reader's pulse to race. But we also love to read them.

Humans are one of the few creatures on this planet that actually gravitate toward what they fear -- going against the grain of instinct. You wouldn't see a mouse climbing all over a sleeping cat (except maybe in a Tom & Jerry cartoon) just for the adrenaline rush. Yet humans will cluster around a TV set to watch others of our kind get slashed in a Saw or Halloween marathon; we'll tunnel under the covers with a flashlight to gobble up the last gory and violent chapters of a Stephen King novel.

Why? Why do we like books and movies that dance along the fringe of our nightmares? Maybe because stories -- whether we're telling them, reading them, or watching them --- give us a safe outlet to look our worst fears in the face. They take us to that place of terror, tease us and taunt us, yet all the while we know that if things get too scary, we can walk away or shut the pages. Simple as that. We have control.

We want to be brave and face what scares us most, but at a safe distance.

In every book I've ever written, I've incorporated at least one of my phobias -- whether an emotional fear or a physical fear. And I have plenty to choose from, let me assure you. ;)

In my YA fantasy, Splintered, spiders and creepy dolls each have their moments in the spotlight, and as I was writing those scenes, I felt empowered. That's an impressive feat, considering how deeply ingrained these fears are, dating all the way back to my childhood when I was most impressionable.

According to AnxietyZone.com, we are born with only two fears: falling, and the fear of loud noises. Every other fear is learned, as observed by psychologists in studies called fear conditioning.

My doll phobia started one night at the age of seven, while watching a Twilight Zone episode about a murderous talking doll, a pre-cursor to Chuckie. Here's a two-minute summary:

The storyline deeply disturbed me, mainly because I collected dolls. I had them on every shelf in my room. After the show, when I went in to get ready for bed, one of my favorite dolls, a Spanish beauty in a lace and satin dress, faced me from my dresser. I'd never before noticed how her eyes seemed to follow my every move. As I put on my pajamas, I couldn't stop staring at her, aware for the first time how creepy she was. Maybe it was a result of staring too long without blinking, but the edge of her mouth appeared to wriggle, forming a sneer. I screamed at the top of my lungs, tossed her outside my door, and decided I would never like dolls again. I sold the entire collection in a garage sale shortly after, and to this day, dolls still have the uncanny ability to chill me to the bone.

With spiders, I was even younger, maybe five. But I still remember the distinct moment the seed of terror blossomed to a full-fledged thorn in my side. My older brother and I were playing in the backyard. He'd always fancied himself an insect warrior, so when a huge wolf spider scuttled out from the woodpile, he didn't hesitate to smack it with a skinny log. Problem was, this spider had babies all over its back, and the instant mommy got squashed, they scrambled all across the grass and our feet like the red sea closing in.

How many babies, you ask? This might give you an idea:

Wolf spiders are famous for piggy backing dozens upon dozens of babies on their back. YES. They're good mommies. But holy gruesome baggage, Batman! That spider's back isn't the only one that's tingling.

Now that I've used these two fears in a book, does that mean I'm over them? NO. I still get shivers watching those videos above. But, it did give me a moment of control, and a constructive outlet for those irrational emotions.

So what are your fears? Do you find yourself drawn to books or movies that gravitate around those things? Maybe you have more in common with those film makers and writers than you ever imagined. Maybe they have walked inside those same nightmares and wrote a book or film to try face their own fears head on -- from a distance.

Learning to Love the Red Pen

2012-01-09T01:00:00.001-06:00

Okay, maybe love is too strong of a word. Because really, who loves getting told they made a mistake? That's hard to do. How about learning to not despise the red pen? Maybe that's a good place to start. I don't know about you, but I tend to bristle when I first get edits or notes back. I can't help the feeling of "I wrote it that way because it's how I wanted to write it." I think (or hope anyway) that it's just human nature to feel that way. As writers, artists, creators, whatever, we are creating something from nothing. I'm bringing life to something that didn't exist before, and who are you to tell me that what I made isn't the way it should be?

That's right. We're Gene Wilder, all crazy-eyed and proud of ourselves, and with good reason. It's a huge accomplishment to write a book. But how often do we get it right the first time? Speaking strictly for myself, not very often. The framework might be there, but the dialog is too on the nose or the action is clunky and confusing, or a million other things are wrong with it. The good stuff is there in theory, just not reality. James Michener said "I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter." I think a lot of people will agree with that sentiment. And besides, it's not personal. I'm not being critiqued. My story is. So I tell my pride to take a hike and I read the notes again and you know what? Half the time it's something I should have caught on my own, and the other half is suggestions that will really help the story in some aspect. So I dive in again, because I know the story deserves more than I've given it.

Now, I'm not saying that you should automatically accept the edits without question. Sometimes there's a note or edit I don't agree with. Just last week I got a round of notes from my agent, including a suggestion for a cool plot point that definitely could have helped the story. But I already had things plotted out a certain way, and it just didn't work with where I was headed. But we got into a good discussion and I ended up taking a large chunk of her suggestion and tweaking it to where it fit with what I'd been planning. This time it worked out pretty well. There have also been notes that I've argued against and ended up not using at all. The point is you need to be willing to explore. I didn't take my agent's note right out of the box, but it sent me down a path I otherwise wouldn't have gone, and I think my story is much better for it.

So loving the red pen? I don't know if that'll ever happen. But I don't despise it, and in fact I respect it. Because in the end it's there (and the people who use it are there) to help make my story the best it can be, and who doesn't want that?

Feel free to share if you've had any good or horrible edit experiences!

Hans & Franz's Favorite Recipe to Score with the Ladies

2012-01-07T10:58:00.005-06:00

Okay, so at ADR3NALIN3, the dead have rights too. Hans (our resident dead guy) and Franz, our twin weekend hosts, have a special video for you. (Guess which one posted this?)

Lyrics That Make Your Heart Bleed

2012-01-06T01:00:00.023-06:00

by Jordan Dane

I don’t think I could write a YA book without thinking of music. Lyrics really ground me in a character’s world. They can be powerful. One of my favorite research things to do is discovering music for the book I’m working on. Maybe you can help inspire me for future books by sharing your favorite song and share why you LOVE it.

Sometimes an inspiration is only one song that triggers something in me about a character or feeling. Listening to certain songs can stir my creative juices and entice my characters to come out and play with me. When I know I’ll be writing a scene for a specific character, I often will listen to the song that reminds me of them before I start. That gets me in the mood. I love how lyrics can connect us all. Books are like that too.

I’d actually love to hear from readers when they find good songs with lyrics that make your heart bleed. Yeah, I tip the scales toward Emo when I write.

Two songs played a part in the writing of ON A DARK WING. Abbey Chandler has a crush on a boy she thinks is perfect, Nate Holden. He’s a great guy, but reminds her of all the things she’s not. Abbey doesn’t feel worthy, but that doesn’t stop her from fantasizing about the guy. The lyrics to the song “Not Meant to Be” by Theory of a Deadman became a melancholy reminder to her that she was never going to “get” the guy, but those same lyrics told a different story for another character. Her best friend, Tanner Lange, knew this song reminded Abbey of Nate, but Tanner had his own crush on his BFF, Abbey. Those lyrics worked him over, hard. When he heard that song, which Abbey played often, he knew she was thinking of someone else—someone with two good legs and not in a wheelchair. Here are a few lyrics that inspired me from “Not Meant to Be” by Theory of a Deadman and an excerpt from ON A DARK WING from Tanner.

“Not meant to be” by Theory of a Deadman (Inspiration Lyrics)

“Baby, I’m starting to see
Maybe we’re not meant to be.”
It’s never enough to say I love you.
No, it’s never enough to say I try.
It’s hard to believe,
That there’s no way out for you and me
And it seems to be the story of our lives.”

Excerpt from ON A DARK WING – Tanner

The sun had already gone down by the time Tanner got home from Anchorage. For the last hour, he’d been sitting in his wheelchair, looking out his bedroom window with only one lamp burning. As he listened to the song “Not Meant to Be”, one of Abbey’s favorite songs, he thought about her. The lyrics put him into an epic tailspin, but they seemed to make her happy, so he played the song because it reminded him of her.

He imagined her skulking through the woods on her way to see him. Sometimes she’d come to his front door, but the times he liked best was when she climbed the tree and came through his bedroom window. He knew that wasn’t going to happen tonight, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to see her.

Guess he missed his best friend—and not just a little bit.

Another song that I thought was very haunting for this story is “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles. The lyrics can make anyone long for love, the kind that doesn’t hurt. But in ON A DARK WING, Abbey comes face to face with the grief and guilt she feels for the part she played in her mother’s death and also must come to grips with the reality of her fantasy boy and what love truly is. Here is a beautiful YouTube video of the song with the lyrics and an excerpt from the book—from Abbey.

“Gravity” by Sara Bareilles (Video with Lyrics)

Excerpt from ON A DARK WING – Abbey

By the time my dad got done with his ax, freaking me out like he was Jason on Friday the 13th (so not funny), he came in breathing a little heavy and got a fire going in our stove. I smelled the wood burning and heard the crackling as I shut the door to my room. The place was always real quiet, which drove me crazier than usual. I had to have music in my ears and snag alone time behind closed doors, scarfing on a Kit Kat bar. Lying on my bed, I got completely wrapped in my tunes.

When one of my favorite Sara Bareilles’ songs came on my iPod—“Gravity”—it reminded me of Nate. Listening to her sing about wanting to drown in love and being fragile always made me cry. I imagined Nate looking at me, really seeing me. In my dreams, I looked thin and smelled really good too, like chocolate. Nate’s blue eyes were the color of new denim and they always made it hard for me to breathe. Even in my daydreams, it was the same. I wanted to know what it would be like to touch a boy, for real.

The lyrics made me ache to kiss him…and hold him…and know what it felt like to really be in love. When my throat tightened, tears rolled down my cheeks and my room turned into a major blur, making it easy to cuddle up in Nateworld. I would never even come close to having someone like him and he sure didn’t need me. He had a real life ahead of him. I could totally see him saving lives and doing real stuff, but that didn’t stop me from fantasizing. I closed my eyes and blocked out the cabin to picture him with me now.

That would’ve worked too—except for Dad.

He barged into my bedroom and ruined everything. I jumped off my pillows and wiped a hand over my face as I pulled the music from my ears.

“Come on, Dad. Knock.” I couldn’t look at him or else he’d know I’d been crying.

So for future reference in books to come, please share a song that you LOVE and share the reason it makes your heart bleed. Who knows? You could inspire me to use your name in my upcoming THE HUNTED series with Harlequin Teen. O’Dell Hutchinson of BookTwirps has already earned a character spot in book #1 – INDIGO AWAKENING – by suggesting DOWN by Jason Walker, an amazing song with powerful lyrics. Share a song that you love and you may inspire me to name a character after you.

The Dickens You Say!

2012-01-05T01:00:00.006-06:00

Hi, Chris Grabenstein here.

Chances are, sometime over The Holidays, you encountered one of the most adrenalized authors of all times: Charles Dickens. His ghost story “A Christmas Carol” could become its own Holiday TV Network it’s been filmed so many times. Great actors such as George C. Scott, Jim Carrey, Mister Magoo, Yosemite Sam, and Oscar The Grouch have all played the character of “Scrooge.”

And, at its core, it’s a spooky tale about a man being visited by three other-worldly creatures. (Today they'd probably all be zombified vampires with issues).

One of the cool things about living in New York City like I do is being able to hop on a subway and head down to places like the Morgan Library. If you ever saw the movie Ragtime, it’s the building the Harlem musician Coalhouse Walker Jr. is holding hostage with a stack of dynamite.

This year, the MorganLibrary has an exhibit called "Dickens at 200." Britain’s first true literary superstar (there were riots on the docks when the next chapters of his serialized novels reached America) was born in 1812.

At the Morgan Library, I was ableto lean over a glass case (until the security guard informed me that such glass case leaning was verboten) and examine Dickens’ hand written manuscript for A Christmas Carol.

Here’s what it looks like.

So what great secret of writing do you see revealed in the great man’s hand?

It’s right there. Under the scribbly loopy ink.

Yep.

The rewrites.

Because the secret to all writing (even 200 years ago) is re-writing.

When I visit schools to talk about my Haunted Mystery books, the students do not want to hear about rewriting. They want to write their story down once and call it quits. It is perfect.

Usually, when students show me their work, one of the first things I say (after, of course, telling them what I like – and there is always a lot to like; you guys have wacky creative minds) -- is something along the lines of “You should do all your writing with a space between the lines.”

“Why?” they ask.

“So you'll have room when you go back to scribble out weak words and put in stronger ones. So you can scratch out or rewrite whole sections.”

I remember in Journalism school, we had to type all our news stories with triple-spacing. That’s so we could go back and edit in all that open space.

Of course, word processors make the rewriting much easier. You can delete, insert, undo the insertion and the deletion, cut, paste, and move chunks of copy all over the place.

What you can’t do as a writer is write it all perfectly on your first pass. Even if you’re Charles Dickens.

Another neat thing I learned at the Morgan Library was that before Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" he wrote a story called “The Story Of The Goblins Who Stole A Sexton.”

A sexton is the guy who digs graves in churchyards. You probably know what goblins are. This Christmas tale was published in 1836 as part of Dickens' series The Pickwick Papers. A Christmas Carol was published eight years later in 1843.

In the “Goblins/Sexton” story, a gravedigger, who refuses to make merry at Christmas, is kidnapped by Goblins who convince him, overnight, to change his ways.

Hmmm.

Sound familiar?

Kind of like Ebenezer Scrooge, who refuses to make merry at Christmas, becoming a changed man after spending a long winter’s night with the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and yet to come.

The moral of this story about those two stories?

Never throw out your old ideas. You never know when you might be able to change them up a little, do a major rewrite, and turn it into something better.

Years ago, I wrote a 120,000 word ghost story for adults about an evil tree that stood at the intersection of two roads and all the spirits trapped in that spot because of an incident that took place back in 1958. The book was rejected by all the best publishing houses in town. A few years later, an editor read it and said, “You know, this would make a great ghost story for middle grades readers…if you can cut it down to 50,000 words and make some major changes.”

Several re-writes (okay, about a year’s worth) later, that book became The Crossroads, which went on to win the Agatha and Anthony awards for best Children’s/Young Adult novel.

Now you see why I always double space all my manuscripts.

You have to leave room for some serious, Dickensian rewriting!

Three Steps Forward, One Step Back by Jennifer Archer

2012-01-04T01:00:00.024-06:00

I used to teach a creative writing course at my local community college. The first thing I told my students at the beginning of the very first class each term was that I can’t teach them how to write – nobody can. What I can do is introduce them to certain practices that I and other writers use to work our way through a book. I suggest they try these and find which ones work best for them. Or perhaps even pull from some or all of the many tried and true methods to create their own unique process.

Those of you starting out on your writing journey and quest to get published will undoubtedly hear and/or read all kinds of advice you "must" follow if you want to finish a book, get it published, and continue to publish. If this advice is spoken by someone who has walked the road you want to travel, pay close attention. However, keep this firmly in mind: The simple fact is, there is no right or wrong way to write a book – no process (as long as you keep moving forward) that will prevent you from getting published.

Don’t get me wrong – I'm not implying that any advice is bad advice. Much of what you'll hear/read is good. You should definitely listen to the suggestions of other writers and give them a try. All I'm saying is that writing a book is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. I’ll use myself as an example. Repeatedly, I’ve been told that writers should push through a first draft without revising. Vomit all of the words onto the page, so to speak, before we go back and clean them up. This is fine advice, and my own personal observation tells me that for most writers, it works quite well. For one thing, it does away with the risk of never finishing the book because you’re hung up on making Chapter One perfect and can’t move past that. However, while this might be the right process for most writers, it’s the wrong process for me. I’ve written one novel in this manner, and when I reached the end of the first draft, I had such an overwhelming mess on my hands I didn’t know how to begin to go back and “fix” it. Eventually, I threw it out and started over, using the process that has seen me through to “The End” with ten published novels, three novellas, two personal histories, and one non-fiction book. I call it the ‘Three Steps Forward, One Step Back’ method. Here’s how it works:

Each day when I sit down at my computer, I read over and revise the new material I wrote the day before. Then I write more new material. A scene, a chapter, or more, depending on the circumstances. The only rule to this process – and it’s self-made – is that I produce new material in each writing session. This ensures that I continue to move forward in the storyline rather than getting stuck revising Chapter One, again and again. Does it take me longer to reach the end of the first draft than it would if I used the traditional “vomit” method most writers swear by? Probably. But I also end up with a much more polished first draft and a better chance of keeping my sanity intact when I start to work my way through Draft #2.

Let me assure you that I’m not an anomaly when it comes to breaking this writing "rule." Dean Koontz has written and published dozens of novels by taking this approach to an even greater extreme than I do. In an interview at books.gather.com http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977035786 (read the rest of the interview at this link) Mr. Koontz says, "I work only on the computer and I do one page at a time. I work on a page 20, 30, 40 drafts, whatever it takes, before I move on to the next page. That way I feel that I've done as much as I can on that page and have nothing left to correct later. So that when I get a draft done, it has so much reworking during the course of it that I don't need to go back and revisit things."

So if the most common approaches to writing a book feel wrong to you, don't despair! Try something else, and something else again, until you find the way that works best for you. As long as you continue to move forward in the story with each writing session, you're doing fine!

Through Her Eyes is my latest book written using the Three Steps Forward, One Step Back method. It's also my debut Young Adult novel! If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll check it out. It’s currently available in hardback and for Kindle and Nook.

Happy 2012, and Happy Reading!

Jennifer’s Archer's website

Book Trailer for Through Her Eyes