![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html
Hope to see you there!
2. I learned a few interesting things from yesterday's post (thanks to all who weighed in!) about being a Sprint Writer or a Marathon Writer. First off, in a way, I have been a Sprint Writer for several years, really, because I participate in NaNo. I hadn't thought about that! Also, sprinting doesn't mean I have to take long periods of hiatus. That's the part of it that I've struggled with the most. During long breaks I really lose my mojo. Having ambitious goals really does work for me, though, so I think I'm re-categorizing myself as a marathoner who sprints from time to time.
3. I still can't show you my cover for NEVER ENOUGH (sad face) but I do have a copy of it, sans the tagline, and so I ordered some cool new swag this week. If you're into passing some goodies around for me to help get people excited for my next book, email me your mailing address and I'll pop some into the mail for you when they arrive. Also, with my cover reveal (which truly should be very, very soon!) I will have a special contest and some more deets about how you might get your hands on an early copy. It's coming...
4. Apparently my first pass pages for NEVER ENOUGH will be done by the end of the week (which is, like, today!) Didn't I JUST finish copyedits? This seems really soon, but I'm excited! First pass pages are the first time I get to see the interiors of the book the way they will look in their printed form. It was one of my most exciting times for LOSING FAITH, one of the parts that really made it feel real to me (and also, have you seen the cool little butterflies they added on the chapter heading pages??) This stage also comes with it's share of anxiety of course. This will possibly be the last time I see my book before it's, well, a book. Last chance for changes and all that. I'm not going to talk about it anymore for fear of heart palpitations!
5. I have one more thing to ask before I go (Friday Five again!) I'm thrilled to be part of The Contemps again this year. Our big objective is to spotlight up and coming contemporary YA. Last year, as part of The Tenners and Class of 2k10, I was really up on what would be coming out later in the year. This year I'm feeling out of the loop. So if you have suggestions for me...YA Contemporary that is releasing this fall or next year that you think sounds really awesome...I'd love to hear about it!
Happy weekend, everybody!
But when it comes to writing, I've always been a marathoner. In it for the long haul, taking a little bit at a time, plodding along every day whether I've felt like it or not. I enjoyed the process, and even when I had a less than stellar writing day, I always figured my ideas were just brewing and my writing would be better the next day (which it usually was). I know many sprint writers--writers that take months off at a stretch and then come back with lots of time and energy and zeal for their projects, but that has never been me.
In this last season of life, though, I've transitioned into more of a sprint writer. I could say that I've "had to," but I believe we always have choices. To be honest, I don't like it. I don't like myself as a writer this way. I feel like the people who always make excuses of why they aren't getting to the gym. Always looking to "the next big break in their lives" when they'll have time for it. And besides that, my brain just works better as a marathoner. If I have my story in my head every day, even if I only get a few hundred words down on it, at least it's still brewing. At least my mind has opportunities to find solutions to literary problems. When I come back to another "sprint" of writing, I feel so much pressure to be writing while I have this time I've set aside that I don't feel like I have the space to sit back and ponder. I write through things because I have to, but to me they feel mediocre. And worse, I don't expect more from myself the next day.
Are you a marathon or a sprint writer? I'd be interested to hear if you're a sprint writer, why it works for you.
ABOUT THE BOOK
ENTHRALLED: PARANORMAL DIVERSION, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong
This collection of original paranormal YA short stories grew out of the 2010 Smart Chicks Kick It Tour, a multiauthor, multicity, author-organized tour of the US and Canada. With it, these 16 authors hoped to bring a little taste of the Smart Chicks experience to readers everywhere.
Contributors to ENTHRALLED:
Claudia Gray
Carrie Ryan
Margaret Stohl
Kami Garcia
Jackson Pearce
Rachel Vincent
Melissa Marr
Kelley Armstrong
Sarah Rees Brennan
Jeri Smith-Ready
Kimberly Derting
Ally Condie
Jessica Verday
Mary E. Pearson
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Rachel Caine
ABOUT THE STORY “BRIDGE”
In the world of the SHADE novels, everyone seventeen and under can see and hear ghosts, but no one else can. So when Logan Keeley dies and his eighteen-year-old brother Mickey blames himself, they can’t ease each other’s pain or reconcile their rage. Over the course of SHADE and SHIFT, Mickey sinks into a near-suicidal depression over Logan’s death.
“Bridge” is the story, told in free verse, of how two brothers, with the help of a stranger, forge the chasm between them to find a lasting peace.
REVIEWS
“A solid collection of stories...Sarah Rees Brennan's ‘Let's Get This Undead Show on the Road’ follows a vampire in a boy-band and stands out with its perfect blend of snark and sincerity. It's followed in a one-two punch by Jeri Smith-Ready's intense and earnest ‘Bridge.’...This collection is ideal as a sampler tray for paranormal readers looking to pick up new authors to follow or to further explore the fictional worlds they already know. —Kirkus Reviews
A standout among the many paranormal-themed anthologies. -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (Recommended review)
Buy links:
Constellation Books (signed by Jeri): http://www.constellationbooks.com/book/v/9
B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Enthral
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062015
On 12:01am eastern time, Tuesday September 20, the lyrics to a song Logan wrote for Aura (mentioned in SHADE) will be posted here: http://blog.jerismithready.com/2011/09/l
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. Her nine published books include two series for adults and the SHADE trilogy for teens, about a world of ghosts only the young can see, which concludes May 2012 with SHINE. Like many of her characters, Jeri enjoys music, movies, and staying up very, very late. Visit her at www.jerismithready.com, or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JeriSmithready) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/jsmithready), where she spends way too much time. Logan himself can be found on Twitter @keeley_logan, as can his rival/”brother-in-pulp,” Zachary Moore (@moore_zachary). The boys love to chat with each other and with their real-life fans.
THE INTERVIEW:
1. Tell me about your story in seven words or less.
Ghosts, music, brothers, forgiveness, redemption, free verse.
2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours
in your story and why?
I love Logan’s sister Siobhan. She just is who she is and never tries to be anything else. I would love to be so comfortable in my skin.
3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Once you submit a book for publication, get to work on the next one—and NOT a sequel to the one you just let go. For several reasons:
1. It helps you distance yourself emotionally from the book you submitted. If it gets rejected, it’ll hurt less, and if it’s accepted, you’ll be able to revise it with a clearer head.
2. If the editor likes your writing in general but for can’t or won’t buy that particular manuscript, they might ask, “What else do you have?” You should have an answer ready, other than “Um, nothing,” or “Um, I have two sequels to that book you don’t want.”
3. Most important, whenever you tackle a new world or set of characters, your storytelling will take a quantum leap in strength and quality.
4. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I pretty much just wrote for class assignments, but I was very good at fit. I didn’t decide I wanted to be a writer until I was in my twenties.
5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?
I just finished Maggie Stiefvater’s SHIVER trilogy. So many tears! I’m a sucker for any writing that truly understands music and the power it has.
I also just read an ARC for INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows, a unique fantasy also infused with music. It blew me away on every level, mind, heart and soul. That one comes out on January 31.
Thanks for stopping by, Jeri, and all the best with ENTHRALLED and your SHADE series!!!
I'm excited to spotlight a book with a much-needed theme this week. DEAR BULLY releases this month, and below I have some more thoughts from one of the collaborators, Megan Kelley Hall. The other day, someone on Twitter suggested that people pick up a copy of this and donate it to their local middle/high school. I think that's a great idea. Nobody likes to feel alone.
THOUGHTS ON DEAR BULLY
WHY THEY DID IT
Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones formed the group YAAAB (Young Adult Authors Against Bullying) in April 2010 when they both coincidentally blogged about the Phoebe Prince case on the same day. Megan reached out to Carrie expressing her frustration with this case and the fact that bullying that seemed to be growing at a ridiculously fast rate. As a Massachusetts resident and having already spoken about bullying in schools, Megan was horrified after hearing about the bullying that took place in the Phoebe Prince case. While writing her books, SISTERS OF MISERY and THE LOST SISTER, she had to dig deep to make “mean girls as evil as she possibly could. When she heard about all the bullying and bullycide stories in the news, she felt like the bullies had jumped off the pages of her book and into real life. She was also disheartened by the numerous times she’d done book signings and would say to readers, “I hope you never meet girls as mean as the ones in my book.” Shockingly, they almost always said, “We already have.” Carrie Jones was also moved to do something, as she was the target of bullying as a young child due to a speech impediment. Together, they felt that they owed it to teen readers to discourage bullying -- to make it "uncool." Megan Kelley Hall started by creating a Facebook page that kicked off an entire "movement" to end bullying. This was the day that Megan, Carrie and other authors decided to use their platform as Young Adult authors to actually facilitate change and to be a voice for those kids who cannot speak out or are too afraid to be heard.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Right away, a large number of authors jumped on board of this cause -- wanting to be involved in any way possible. The Facebook group jumped from 5 to 1500 members in one weekend and is now closing in on nearly 5,000 members. Carrie and Megan were thrilled when HarperTeen offered to put all of the stories into an anthology. The thought of having 70 authors – well-known, highly successful writers – sharing their personal bullying stories with their fans was something beyond what they had ever hoped for.
The stories in DEAR BULLY come from all angles: from the point of view of the victim, the mother, the friend, the sibling, the classmate – even a few from the actual bully. Some of the stories are light-hearted, while others are raw and emotional. All of them drive home the point that bullying is something that almost everyone has experienced. And while that is a sad fact, they want to prove that it's not a rite of passage. It doesn't make you stronger, wiser, or better. But it is something that can be overcome, something that can be changed, something that is relatable, and something that one should never be ashamed of. Through these stories, the authors want to show that they understand what teens are going through today. It is important to encourage bystanders to speak up and make bullying unacceptable. Parents and adults must get involved. Bullying is something that people no longer have to endure--at least, not by themselves.
Though quite a lofty mission, the goal of DEAR BULLY is to help just one person get through a difficult time, and hopefully make bullying a thing of the past.
Don't forget to join the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dearbully, visit the website at www.dearbully.com, or follow DEAR BULLY on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dearbully.
IN THE NEWS:
“FIGHT BACK WITH WORDS. Better Homes & Gardens recommends DEAR BULLY: Remind youngsters heading back to school that getting picked on is tough—but that words can also heal as much as they can hurt, as one anthology proves.” – Better Homes & Gardens
“This anthology of personal essays provides empathetic and heartfelt stories from each corner of the schoolyard: the bullied, the bystander and the bully himself are all represented. Their words will be a welcome palliative or a wise pre-emptive defense against the trials of adolescent social dynamics.” --New York Times
“Two of them, both authors of novels for young adults (Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones), have drawn on the power of the written word to focus attention on the problem and offer solace to the bullied.” – --The Boston Globe
“You’ll love it if… You know someone (or are someone) who’s ever been involved in any type of bullying incident. There’s something in it for everyone, on all sides of the spectrum. You’ll love it even more if you can find a story that inspires you to help someone else.” – Seventeen.com
“With authority often turning a blind eye and cyber-bullying rampant, this timely collection is an excellent resource, especially for group discussion, and the appended, annotated list of websites and further reading extends its usefulness.” – Booklist
“Powerful…All of these stories feel authentic and honest, and readers will find a story or a person to identify with, to look to for comfort or guidance.” School Library Journal
“Bottom line is this anthology is a terrific tool for the counselor who can customize the entries to the needs of the victimized student.” -- Harriet Klausner
ON BLOGS
“This should be required reading of ALL young girls (not to mention some adults)….Dear Bully is for everyone who has grown up in this culture where bullying takes place every day, not just in the schools, but in our streets, in our homes, our place of work (and globally).Dear Bully unveils the truth of who we are as a community of people, and it's not pretty.” – New Pages Blog
“This is why I think this book is brilliant: Much like It Get's Better, this is a situation where one generation is reaching back to support the other... When you share your story you are shining a light. You never know who is at sea and relying on that light to get them home.” – Miss New York, Kaitlin Monte “Life Under the Crown” blog
“Dear Bully is a novel that needs to be on the shelves of every school library, and in every classroom. I hope it makes its way to the hands of the bullied and the bullies.” –The Crazy Bookworm Blog
“You Can't Protect Your Kid From Bullies Until You've Done This I was about halfway through Dear Bully, a new book of essays from 70 big name teen lit authors (for my fellow YA fans, I'm talking the likes of Megan McCafferty, Alyson Noel, R.L. Stine, etc.) when it hit me. These were all grown-ups talking about some of the worst days of childhood. And almost none had kind words to say about adults.” – Jeanne Sagar, The Stir and Yahoo Shine
“70 poignant essays that will make your tear and/or cheer. There is literally something in this book for everyone. I cried, I laughed, I wanted to write a letter to my Congressman, but most of all…I learned a few things. Bullying doesn’t take one form and it can occur at any age. This is must have for every library, teacher, and anyone who owns a shelf…or a table. Be a hero and buy this book for someone who is struggling.” –I Read Banned Books Blog
“I wish there had been a Dear Bully book 14 years ago.” --Lost in the Library Blog
“I personally think that this book should be required reading for all kids in the 7th grade. I’d even be so bold as to say a compilation for younger kids should be written as well.” --Confessions of a Real Librarian Blog
GOODREADS REVIEWS
“This collection is so important and it couldn't come at a better time. This book should be in every administrator's office (their predecessor's failing to address this issue is a common thread woven through the experiences shaed), every media specialist's office, every counselor's office, and in the classroom libraries of every teacher works with these students who stories have not been told. . .yet. Here is the catalyst for discussion. Here are the authors saying, "It happened to me too. . .tell me your story." --Paul Hankins
“EVERY ADULT who works with tweens and teens should read this!” - Sandy
“Once I get the library's budget, this is going to be top of the list - and I'm buying two copies. I want to have one copy on the professional shelf for the teachers to look at and one on the shelf for the students to take out.” - Sarah
“This is a valuable look at how bullying shapes the lives of both the bullies and the bullied.” - Sarah
“Absolutely fantastic. Heart-wrenching and a reality check for anyone believing that this doesn't happen. I'm recommending this to every librarian I know to put this on the shelf.” - Maya
“What a beautiful, amazing, honest, important book. Five stars isn't near enough to show my love for Dear Bully. I'll be donating my copy to my old junior high.” - Colleen
“I knew I would enjoy this book, I just didn't think it would impact me as much as it did. I wish this could be in every middle and high school in the country.” - Stephanie
“I wish I could individually hug everyone who has ever been bullied. Seeing as how that mission is too tragically expansive to take on, I will settle for shouting, "Bravo!" to all the authors to contributed, and to HarperTeen for publishing this anthology. "Encore!" – Gabrielle Carolina
“Amazing anthology of stories about bullying (victimization, perpetration, being a bystander). I mean, what can I say? This collection moved me beyond words. Teachers, parents, and librarians NEED to share this book with their teens. Core title for all teen/ya collections.” - Lalitha
“It's another stark reminder that kids can't do this on their own. They need our help. Thank you to all 70 of these authors and Megan and Carrie for helping me not only set to rest my own past but to chart a path for my future as a mother.” – Jeanne Sagar, Goodreads
“These writers have taken a stand. It's time for all of us to do so as well.” - Jackie
I'm terribly excited to show you the cover for my friend Elle Strauss's new YA book, CLOCKWISE!
CLOCKWISE will be released first in e-book form, launching September 26 and then in print form in November. More to come on that, but first glimpses at cover art are so terribly exciting, so I wanted to share this for now.
If you want to know more about CLOCKWISE, here's the little one-liner:
Teen time traveler Casey Donavon accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.
Sounds fun, right?!
And here's a link to find out more and read the first chapter.
Congratulations, Elle!!!
2. I arranged for two guest posts over at The Contemps this week, and I have to plug them because they're both so good! On Tuesday, Eileen Cook stopped by to talk about what stresses her out and how she handles it. Who couldn't use an encouraging post about handling stress? *runs back over to read it again*
Then on Thursday, Amy Holder stopped by to tell us about her rebellious teen years--complete with adorable teen pictures of her!
3. I still don't have a final cover for NEVER ENOUGH to show you. Sigh. And I still haven't received copyedits. But I'm not so upset about that part, because I'm trying to come up with a new first page for the book before my copyedits arrive, and I'm having a heck of a time with it. I quite honestly have spent a few hours just trying to tabulate exactly how many versions of a first page I've had for this novel. I don't have an exact number, but it's definitely over 20.
4. I've been reading some amazing books lately. The most recent is STOLEN by Lucy Christopher. Here's a little teaser...
Hope you all have a great weekend!
That's the gym where my husband used to work. Um, yeah. It was gutted by fire, and we've been very sad for the owners of the business, but that has also meant big changes for us. We're hoping the dust, so to speak, will settle soon.
2. It was also a difficult week for my family, as it would have been my dad's birthday as well as my parent's anniversary. They say that all the "firsts" are the most difficult, but the nice thing is our family is sticking really close together through these hard times. It would have been my parents' 47th wedding anniversary, which I think is awe-inspiring. I hope to follow in their footsteps.
3. I still don't have a cover to show you on book 2, but I'll say it again...SOON! In the mean time, I've been revising my outline for the companion novel I'm working on for LOSING FAITH. I'm looking for someone with some experience writing mysteries to look over the outline for me when I'm done. Any takers???
4. I finally got my contract in the mail for my second book. It's been in negotiations for many months. I've spent many hours looking over all the small print (all 15 pages of it!) because I want to understand more about the business. This is how it describes NEVER ENOUGH - A teen novel about a girl who idolizes her older (bulimic) sister. Ages 14 and up.
The part that made me laugh out loud (again) is this:
Not sure if you can read that or not, but if not, it says: Theme Park Rights - Reserved by Author.
Yes, to be honest, I would way rather have a theme park designed after one of my books than foreign languages, audio editions, or even a movie. I love theme parks. And when I told my agent about my excitement over this clause, this was her response: "Hmmm, the NEVER ENOUGH theme park. Where...all the rides induce vomiting after you eat!"
I love my agent.
Happy weekend to you all!!
For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions – it’s her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family’s racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin’s college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a local coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter… so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?
Then, on the day she’s sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He’s joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin’s heart with longing. Now she’s not just imagining what might have been. She’s writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter… except this story could come true.
“A tremendously talented writer with a real gift for developing relationships.”
– Romantic Times Magazine
JENNIFER ECHOLS is the author of teen romantic dramas for MTV Books and teen romantic comedies for Simon Pulse. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her family. Please visit her online at www.jennifer-echols.com.
Congratulations, Jennifer! She stopped by for a short interview:
Tell me about your book in seven words or less.
Erin writes about Hunter. He finds out!
Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
I love Erin’s best friend and roommate, Summer. Sometimes I like to create tension between the heroine and her best girlfriend, but this time I had fun writing this girl who is wholly supportive of Erin and has a pure, innocent spirit.
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Write the book you want to read.
What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
My ninth grade English teacher made us keep a journal. I wrote stories, poems, and (I thought) funny entries about my life, and I credit that experience with getting me started as a writer. It is one thing to talk about writing and a totally different thing to actually do it.
What's the last book you read that you really loved?
CHARLIE ALL NIGHT by Jennifer Crusie. I have not read all Crusie’s adult romantic comedies, but I have read a lot of them. This was not anywhere near my favorite of her books, but it is STILL one of my all-time favorite romances. I love being a fangirl of an author whose books I KNOW will be terrific, and I’m so glad I have more of her books left to read.
2. I had a birthday yesterday...a little sad, since it's my first birthday without my dad. But I was seriously completely overwhelmed by all the birthday messages yesterday. They did make me feel very loved, so thank you all!
3. My family gave me an enormous set of cutlery (you should see my mish-mashed selection, sans teaspoons!) and also some money toward an e-reader. I've been asking on Twitter for e-reader recommendations, but I also wanted to ask here. Do you have a favorite? And why do you love the one you love? I definitely want a black and white one with e-ink, since I really need something easy on the eyes, but I'm not sure what else is important to me yet. What is important to you in an e-reader?
4. I may have mentioned this last week, but this coming Sunday I'll be in Snohomish, WA. If you're in the area, I hope you'll stop by the KlaHaYa Days festival and say hi to me and Mindi Scott (We'll both be hanging around chatting and signing books from 3-4 PM).
I can't believe it's the weekend! Coming back from holidays on a Wednesday night and then having a birthday is totally where it's at! This has felt like one very, very long weekend!! What are you up to this weekend?
