Books for kids, teens, & those who are young at heart

Tag: MG (Page 6 of 6)

New England SCBWI 2013 Conference Gems

The 2013 New England SCBWI conference was amazing (of course it was…these conference are always amazing)! Caught up with old friends, including the very talented Kimberly Sabatini and Jodi Moore, and met some new ones. Left feeling inspired and exhausted, and I’m still brimming with creative juices.

One of the highlights for me was seeing my book covers up on the screen in the ballroom during the downtime/announcements/mealtime in the ballroom!

IMAG0775-1

I’ve collected a few conference gems that resonated with me. A quick note about why I use italics instead of quotation marks…these are not necessarily direct quotes, some may be close to what the speaker actually said and others are my own rewording/interpretation as I scrambled to take notes during the speeches and presentations. So without further ado, here they are:

  • We should meet the world with all our senses. (Jeannine Atkins)
  • What’s outside in the setting can reflect what’s going on in the inside of a character, but it can also be in contrast to what’s being felt. (Jeannine Atkins)
  • How do we access that which we are trying to recreate when we’re sitting at our desks or computers? Sometimes we need a sensory kick in the pants. (Dawn Metcalf)
  • We work with art and it can evoke an objective response. (Ruben Pfeffer)
  • It was as if someone else’s words had opened up a whole host of words in me. (Sharon Creech)
  • As writers we want company; we need company. You come along too, please. (Sharon Creech)
  • Revision is finding and strengthening the heart of a story, and revision is messier than people want it to be. (Kate Messner)
  • Maybe I had to stop trying to prove to people I was good enough and just had to do the work I was passionate about. (Grace Lin)
  • Every story has a message, whether or not the writer was aware of it or intended it. (Chris Eboch)
  • I come to one little detail that sort of wakes up my mind and then start amassing details like constellations. (Jeannine Atkins)
  • Writers are somewhat schizophrenic; we hear voices in our heads; we listen instead of conversing. (Padma Venkatraman)
  • Go down the rabbit hole. (Greg Fishbone)

Personally, I feel like I stretched myself not only as a writer but as a person. I jumped headlong into any writing activities that came up in the workshops I attended, even braving to share some of my raw work in front of others. I dared to act out an emotion for others to write about (and I have terrible stage fright when it comes to acting anything). I drove to the train station by myself in a city I’d never been to and picked up another author. So all in all, a fantastic weekend!

Meet Darius from The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy by Suzanne de Montigny

Today is a very unique interview of Darius, a character from Suzanne de Montigny’s MG novel The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy (see my Goodreads review here). Welcome, Darius!

theshadowoftheunicorn200x300 (2)newInterview With A Dinosaur, And No, It’s Not Barney

Today, I have the privilege to interview, of all things, a dinosaur. No, it’s definitely not Barney. This one’s named Darius, and he’s the only dinosaur who survived the great asteroid. Readers, if you leave a comment, you have a chance to win a copy of Suzanne de Montigny’s e-book The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy.

Darius, what was life like before the asteroid struck the earth?

It was beautiful, Katie. There were thousands of us living in this beautiful valley full of rich foliage and a tall waterfall that spilled into the bluest lake you ever saw below. I was happy there with my mother Maresa. Then, one day, we had visitors from another valley. They were the strangest creatures I ever did see. They had thin legs, were pure white, and had a spiral horn.

Do you mean unicorns or white rhinos?

Unicorns, of course. And they came to see me. Saul, our leader, had summoned them because I was having strange spells.

What kind of spells?

It’s hard to explain, really. Something would overtake me and I’d be off in another world – a future world, and I didn’t like what I saw.

What did you see?

Everything had changed. The plants had changed, a lot of animals had died, and there was a new two-legged creature that was more dangerous than the Rexus. Then, one day, not too long after, a huge fireball struck our world, blotting out the sun and creating terrible storms. Most of the plants died and so did my dinosaur friends. I was the only one who survived.

How terrible for you. What did you do?

That’s when the unicorns found me just as my mother Maresa was dying. They took me back with them and raised me up…until the humans came.

What happened when the humans arrived?

I was terrified. I fled because I knew I had a destiny to fulfill and that they’d stop me from doing it.

Where did you go?

Back to my own valley. Sigh…it was so beautiful. Different, but still beautiful, except I was all alone. It was really difficult. I really missed Maresa. Then Azaria, my closest friend found me again.

You must have been very happy.

Only for a brief moment because he told a tale that sent shivers up and down my spine.

What did he say?

He said that the humans had captured one of the herds and was murdering them by using the power of their horns to heal people.

So what did you do?

The only thing I could. I taught Azaria the secret that had kept me alive all this time

What was it?

I can’t say. You have to read the book to find out.

What? Why you meanest dinosaur, you!

Haha! Not really, because for every book that’s sold, 20% of the proceeds go to the Third World Eye Care Society.

The Third World Eye Care Society? What’s that?

It’s a group of doctors who travel to third world countries bringing lots of eyeglasses and performing surgery for free.

Oh, well that’s okay.

Yeah. It’s amazing how they restore the vision of so many people who would otherwise be blind. Anyway, I have to go back now. I’m needed.

Okay, but where can we find the book?

You can buy it on Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/unicorntale

Or:

Muse It Up Publishing at http://tinyurl.com/museunicorn

And if you want to watch the booktrailer, here it is:

http://youtu.be/St9OsyK974o

Awesome. And, BTW…oh my gosh, he just slipped back into the book. Darius? Darius? How did he do that? I didn’t even have a chance to thank him. Anyway, readers don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy. Farewell, my friend. 

SONY DSCSUZANNE DE MONTIGNY wrote her first unicorn novel at the age of twelve. Several years later, she discovered it in an old box in the basement, thus reigniting her love affair with the unicorns. As a teacher in Vancouver, B.C., she learned she could spin a good tale that kept kids and teachers begging for more. The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy is her first novel. She lives in Burnaby, B.C. with her husband and two boys.

Meet Kris Rutherford author of Nothin’ But Net

Today reluctant reader turned writer Kris Rutherford shares a little bit about his writing process. You can read my review of his middle grade sports story Nothin’ But Net over on Goodreads. Welcome, Kris, and happy book b-day!

altCan a Reluctant Reader be a Decent Writer?

by Kris Rutherford

First, let me get out one shocking fact.  I don’t read much. Never have. Yep. There it is. It’s been said by many that any writer has to “read, read, read” to be successful. Well, I wouldn’t exactly say I’m successful, but I have published several articles, two fiction books, and I have a contract for a non-fiction book in hand. But, I don’t read a whole lot more than the sports page and internet news. Sure, I like to peruse books on subjects I’m interested in, but “peruse” is the key word. Read them cover-to-cover? Seldom.  And, fiction?  Blechhh. I don’t have the time or energy.

So, how did someone who has spent little time reading and, I swear, never “curled up with a book,” end up as a youth sports fiction writer? Well, my dad was an English professor, so when I was a kid, a bit of reading was compulsory.  But, I wasn’t about to read something in which I had no interest. A novel based on a movie I had already seen was always a great option, but the novel had to be written after the movie, not the other way around. I didn’t want anybody to ruin a great movie by changing it up on me. Plus, I liked the option of skipping over the boring parts. Aside from these classic works of fiction, though, my interest was in sports. In fact, I had few interests beyond sports. I watched them incessantly, regardless of the game or season. Curling intrigued me as much as football. I’d even watch sports on the French language channel beamed into Southern Maine from Quebec, despite the fact my knowledge of French went no further than Huckleberry Finn’s “Polly-voo-franzee” (I saw the Disney version of Huckleberry Finn sometime in the mid-70s at the local drive-in, and I admit I did read—or maybe skim—the book for ninth-grade English. Personally, I found Twain’s version a little disappointing).  Regardless, my young life revolved around sports—watching and playing (with limited ability and even less success).

As far as youth sports fiction is concerned, I chose to read it for two reasons:  1) I was interested in the subject matter; and 2) Even the longest work seldom exceeded 200 pages (for purely psychological reasons, I preferred to read of less than 100 pages, but I made exceptions in the case of sports).  My influences were probably the same as most sports-minded kids of the 70s—Matt Christopher and Alfred Slote. I loved Christopher’s play-by-play narrative and the wide variety of sports he covered. “The Kid Who Only Hit Homers” and “Return of the Home Run Kid” remain favorites to this day. But, for me, nothing could top Alfred Slote. “Hang Tough, Paul Mather” has to be my favorite book of all-time. The main character is a Little League baseball pitcher battling leukemia but refusing to give up his favorite sport despite the risks involved. At the time I read the book, I was having some weird medical issues of my own, so maybe I thought Paul and I had something in common. Slote’s masterpiece still resonates to this day, and I even reread it on occasion some 35 years later. “My Father, The Coach” is probably my second favorite Alfred Slote work.

When I come up with an idea for sports fiction, I usually try to pluck some small memory from the back of my mind and build on it. From the perspective of a sports nut who had limited athletic ability, my main characters are typically athletically-challenged or have a flaw in their game.  In my first novel, “Batting Ninth” (Enslow Publishers), the main character was a great fielder but a lousy hitter. In “Nothin’ But Net,” Blake Creekmore is about as unathletic as they come. But, his best friend is the school’s top athlete. Their rather awkward relationship and lack of common interest forms the basis for the story.

I also like to include an adult or two in each story, at least one of whom is not a great role model. My pet peeve growing up was overbearing baseball parents. In fact, in college my original intention was to become a city parks and recreation director in order to fix everything wrong with youth sports, which, in my opinion, focused generally on the adults. I soon found, however, that many of the adults who run youth sports don’t want them fixed.  Local youth sports associations have become adult hobbies. As one journalist wrote many years ago, “Youth sports teach kids games adults play.” I love to weave the stereotypical “little league parent” or coach into my plots.  Call it an outlet for my frustration.

Finally, as far as my writing process is concerned, I may break, or at least fracture, the mold most writers follow. When I sit down at the computer, I hold my sliver of a childhood memory and a general idea of my theme and how I want the book to end. But, everything between the first and last paragraph is an open slate. I seldom outline, don’t think too much about supporting characters until I find a need for them, and choose plot direction and subplots on the fly. For me, this process has generally been successful. While I do “revise, revise, revise” (as opposed to “read, read, read”), my initial plot usually holds up. I’ve become used to limited word counts—Lord knows I was a fan of them as a kid—and I keep these counts in mind as I’m writing. If I see a subplot consuming too many words, I hit the delete button and redirect toward the final target. My revisions normally focus on flow and, of course, mechanics.

Oh, and I only write in the first person. I’m a conversational writer. I find third-person extremely awkward and a hindrance to my sense of humor, cynicism, and sarcasm. But, I assure you there is not a touch of sarcasm in what I’ve written here. I’m not a reader, and I never have been. I’m a writer. Kind of weird, huh?

Nothin’ But Net blurb:

Blake Creekmore just cost his middle-school basketball team its shot at the district championship—and he’s not even on the team. Blake would much rather be at a Boy Scout meeting than any sporting event. He convinces his best friend Dustin, the school’s star athlete, to join him in an afternoon on the lake, where tragedy strikes. Dustin is injured and lost for the season, and Blake bears the blame of the team, the coach, and his classmates.

Battling his guilt, Blake seeks refuge in the activity he knows
best—bass fishing and enjoying the outdoors. With the support of his father, a local bait shop owner, and a most unlikely character, Blake learns the importance of friendship and what it takes to be a member of a team. And, in the process, he unwittingly teaches his classmates a few lessons about life and the environment as well.

Nothin’ But Net is available on the MuseItUp bookstore and Amazon.

About the Author:

Kris Rutherford has been a recreation and natural resources management professional for nearly 25 years and has been involved in youth sports as a player, volunteer, coach, and administrator his entire life. He holds a Master of Agriculture from Colorado State University and majored in Recreation Administration at Arkansas Tech University.

Nothin’ But Net is Kris’ third published book. He has also authored the youth sports novel Batting Ninth and a non-fiction work, Homeseekers, Parasites, and the Texas Midland: The Texas League in Paris, 1896-1904. In addition, he has published a number of articles in professional Recreation and Parks and Municipal Government journals.

Kris has held positions with Arkansas State Parks and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and currently serves as Grants Officer for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. He lives in Maumelle, Arkansas, with his wife and three children. For more about Kris and his books visit his website.ague in Paris, 1896-1904. In addition, he has published a number of articles in professional Recreation and Parks and Municipal Government journals.

Meet Tammy Lowe Author of The Acadian Secret

Please welcome fellow Muser Tammy Lowe and her tween adventure The Acadian Secret to the blog today.

The Acadian Secret 200x300Thanks for having me on your blog Katie.

What made you want to become a writer?

Oh, this will no doubt illustrate what a dork I am.

As a kid, I loved to read books and watch shows like Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables.  I loved anything set in the “olden days”.

When I was about ten years old, I began to wonder about time travel.  My biggest wish was that I’d end up back in the pioneer era.  I wanted to go and hang out with spoiled Nellie Olsen.  I don’t remember why I wished for Nellie over Laura Ingalls, but I think it had something to do with the fact that her parents owned the candy shop.

I had it all figured out.  I didn’t want to live in the 18th or 19th century; I’d miss my family too much. And I can’t live without modern comforts.  I wanted the freedom to travel back and forth through time.

My wish to time travel was so strong; I even dressed the part, as much as I could, without raising anyone’s suspicions.  I wore dresses to school every day, when all my friends wore jeans and t-shirts. I had to be prepared just in case it worked and I was whisked through time. That summer, I even begged my mom to buy me a bonnet. She did. I wore that white bonnet everywhere. If I ended up in Walnut Grove or Avonlea, I was prepared.

By the sixth grade I was old enough to realize that time travel probably wasn’t going to be a reality for me, so I decided when I grew up, I’d write a story about a girl who could travel back and forth through time.

What books had the most influence on you while you were growing up?

I remember reading Judy Blume books under the blankets with a flashlight, well past my bedtime. I felt like such an adult as I read, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.

So many authors influenced me when I was a young girl, from Roald Dahl and L.M. Montgomery to Stephen King and Sidney Sheldon.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring two books and one movie, what would you bring?

Easy question!  My two books would be Anne of Green Gables and Jane Eyre.  The movie would be The Sound of Music.

And, if you weren’t peeking…I’d try and sneak in a copy of The Hunger Games too.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? What is your least favorite part?

The first draft is my least favourite part of the writing process. I find it hard trying to get the ideas out of my head and onto the page.  I love to go back and polish it up in the editing stages.

What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?

When you “think” you are finished your novel, put it away for at least six weeks and forget about it.  When the time comes to take it out again, sit back and re-read the entire manuscript. Take notes. You will see a million mistakes and plot holes. Everything that isn’t working will jump out at you. It will be a cringe-worthy read, but you’ll be glad you put it away instead of sending it out.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I’d love to be able to time travel.

And fly.

And have an invisibility cloak.

And…oh, just one?  *grin*

What is something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally share with others in an interview?

In a scene out of a rom-com, I was on a date with my boyfriend (who is now my husband).  One summer afternoon, he took me out on his boat and down the Niagara River.  We stopped for a romantic little lunch on the patio of a restaurant overlooking the water.

He tied his boat up to the dock, held out his hand and helped me climb out.  We walked up to the patio, took a seat, and ordered lunch.  Everything was perfect.

Little did we know there was police surveillance on the fancy boat we had parked next to.

And little did we know police thought WE had just walked off of that boat.

So, we are enjoying lunch, when I clue in that all around us, something is going on.  I watch unmarked police cars pull up.  They are looking at the boats. They are looking up at us.  I then go into full panic mode as I realize they are doing a stake-out on us!

The way we were seated, I was watching it all unfold, but my boyfriend had his back to it.  Not seeing what was going on, he of course thinks I’m completely off my rocker.

Crazy new girlfriend alert!

So, I have to convince him that this is all true. I’m not nuts and he needs to go and fix the situation.  I’m shaking like a leaf and in tears. My boyfriend walks down to where the police officers are and returns about five minutes later.

Yup.  I was right. They were doing a stake-out on us, thinking we arrived on the other boat.

We finished our meal and left. We have been married for twenty years now, but that was probably our most memorable lunch date.

The Acadian Secret blurb:

Elisabeth London is keeping her new friends a secret from her parents.  Not only do they live on the other side of the world in the Scottish Highlands, they lived more than three hundred and fifty years ago. Her mom and dad would never allow her to go gallivanting about seventeenth century Scotland.  They won’t even let her go to the mall by herself yet.

Twelve-year-old Elisabeth is old enough to know there is no such thing as magic, but when her quartz crystal necklace has the power to transport her back and forth in time, she no longer knows what to think.  The only thing she is certain of is that she loves spending carefree days with Quinton, the mischievous nephew of a highland warrior, and sassy little Fiona, a farmer’s daughter.

However, Elisabeth’s adventures take a deadly turn when she is charged with witchcraft.  At a time and place in history when witch-hunts were common, those found guilty were executed, children included. Elisabeth must race to find her way back home, while trying to stay one step ahead of the witch-hunter determined to see her burned at the stake.

tammyloweA little more about the author:

When she isn’t writing, you will either find Tammy Lowe surrounded by little children and covered in glitter and glue, or on some grand adventure: inside an Egyptian pyramid, twirling on an Alp or climbing the Great Wall of China. She’s part Mary Poppins, part Indiana Jones.

Tammy lives in Cambridge, Ontario with her husband and their teenage son. Find her at www.tammylowe.com and her book at the MuseItUp bookstore

Meet Kay Lalone Author of “Ghostly Clues”

Today on the Observation Desk I have fellow Muse author Kay Lalone talking about her writing life and her new middle grade mystery “Ghostly Clues.” Welcome, Kay!

Tell us about “Ghostly Clues”.

The sweet scent of lilacs permeates the air around Grandma’s gravesite. Only Sarah Kay can smell Grandma’s favorite flower, and they’re not even in bloom. Sarah Kay and her best friend, Mary Jane, believe the lilacs are a sign from Grandma’s ghost. The girls follow one ghostly clue after another to discover if Dad is alive or not. Grandma makes sure Sarah Kay gets the message even from the grave.

What made you want to become a writer?

I always liked to read and write. I remember as a kid writing stories in school, my mom helping me spell, but my first memory of wanting to become a writer was when I was a teenager and read Halloween Party by Agatha Christie. After reading that book was when I decided I wanted to be a writer. So reading good books inspired me to become a writer.

What inspired you to write this book?

I would have to say my grandma Tufts. I was about the same age as Sarah Kay, the main character in Ghostly Clues, maybe a little younger when I had my first encounter with a ghost. One night shortly after my grandma passed away, I saw a ghost hand. The hand moved across my bed and then was gone. The next morning my doll I had slept with was gone and was found way under the bed. I believe it was my grandma telling me I was too old to sleep with dolls. So from that memory I just asked what if questions and those answers developed into Ghostly Clues.

What one book do you wish you had written?

I can’t think of one book I wish I had written. I have a lot of stories running through my head and a lot of stories that are half done. So I have many more books to write.

At what moment did you truly begin to feel like an author?

I would have to say the moment I got the email from MuseItUp, saying that Ghostly Clues was accepted. My first book would be published. That was very exciting. I had finally become a published author.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? What is your least favorite part?

My favorite part of the writing process is when the story just flows out of me (which doesn’t happen as often as I would like) and everything just comes together. When I get that ‘ah, that’s it’ moment. My least favorite part is staring at a blank screen and I can’t think of anything to type. When nothing comes to together. When I can’t figure out the scene or the ending.

What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?

I would have to say the best advice I ever received and that is to write and read. You can’t call yourself a writer unless you sit down to write. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do is find the time to write. Life happens and things get in the way of your writing time, but unless you have the discipline to write, knowledge of how to write a good story is useless.

What is next for you in your writing career?

I am currently finishing up two YA novels that I’ll be sending to MuseItUp and hopefully they will enjoy those stories as much as they enjoyed Ghostly Clues. So look for more books by Kay LaLone.

What is something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally share with others in an interview?

I like weird things. I think it would be cool to be able to see ghosts and the spirits that are all around us. This is reflected in my stories when my characters can see things that normal people can’t.

And here’s the fun part…select words from the magnetic refrigerator poetry set. Please write up a little piece of poetry or prose from these words.

A ghost can be mean

Not when they find

My future dream

Ghostly Clues” can be purchased from the MuseItUp bookstore and Amazon. For more about Kay visit her website or blog.

 

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