Want to Win a Copy of THE MULTIPLYING MYSTERIES OF MOUNT TEN?

If you're reading this, then I assume you do:) Head over to friend and critique partner Michelle Mason's blog for your chance to win (and there's an interview to boot)!

Agent-Author Chat: Elizabeth Bewley and Michelle Mason

It's been far too long since I've done an interview, and I can think of no better subjects than my longtime writing friend and critique partner Michelle Mason and her new agent, Elizabeth Bewley of Sterling Lord Literistic. Ms. Bewley was an editor, most recently at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, up until she joined Sterling Lord Literistic last year, so when I heard that she was interested in Ms. Mason's most recent manuscript, I was over the moon.

Ms. Mason's query and answers will appear in orange, Ms. Bewley's in blue. Enjoy!

Ms. Mason's Query You read two of my other manuscripts earlier this year, and I hope you’ll be intrigued by my latest project, particularly as a couple of my readers said it reminded them of a John Hughes movie.

LOST meets Robin Palmer’s ONCE UPON A KISS in YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED, an 87,000-word young adult time travel novel.

When seventeen-year-old Jenny Waters boards Flight 237 on August 2, 1995, in New York, she has two main goals: convince her parents to let her apply to the journalism program at Columbia University, and woman up and kiss her boyfriend of two months. 

But when Jenny and the other passengers disembark in St. Louis, the airport manager informs them their plane disappeared--twenty-five years ago. Like the universe hit pause on their flight while the rest of the world kept moving. In 2020, newspaper reporter isn’t exactly a top career choice, and her boyfriend is old enough to be her dad. 

As if adjusting to a new century isn’t hard enough, a conspiracy group called the Time Protection League sets out to prove Flight 237 is a big hoax. (News flash, crazies: Time would be better served protecting a rain forest.) When Jenny’s not dealing with rumors she’s a clone, she’s fighting her attraction to Dylan, who introduces her to everything that’s headline-worthy about her new present, like Harry Potter and late-night texting.

Too bad Dylan happens to be her former boyfriend’s son. Yeah, that’s not awkward.

A member of SCBWI and a 2017 PitchWars mentee (for a different manuscript), my professional background is in public relations.

Thanks for considering!

KV: Ms. Mason, how did you first come up with the idea for YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED?

MM: I expect people will continue to ask me this question and so I should come up with a more concrete answer, but I honestly don’t remember what sparked it. But generally, my story ideas start with a random “what if” thought. In this case, my thought was: what if a girl got on a plane and it landed decades later, and time had passed for everyone else but not the people on the plane? When I have a thought like this, I type it into the notes app on my phone to save for when I’m ready to start writing something new. I actually jotted down quite a lot for this idea, so when I was ready to start outlining, I had a pretty well formed plot.

KV: Tell us a little bit about your query-writing process. Did you work on it here and there as you were writing the manuscript, or before, or after? How many times did you revise it? And how did you decide what order to put things in?

MM: I really enjoy queries actually! Which is good because I queried seven manuscripts over seven years. In the past, it took me a while to get the query right, but this one came pretty naturally. Right after I finished my first draft, the query just spilled out of me one evening when I was getting ready for bed, so I wrote it on my phone as well. I sent it to a couple of my CPs for a check, and they said it sounded great. After they actually read the manuscript, they did suggest holding back one piece of information, so I tweaked that before querying. I also ran the query by a Facebook group I’m involved with thanks to being a 2017 PitchWars mentee. As for deciding the order to put things in, this particular query is pretty linear to the story itself. 

KV: How did you first make a connection regarding YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED?

EB: Michelle and I had connected earlier in the year via a query critique contest that she had won; though that particular novel wasn’t right for me, I remember really liking Michelle’s writing and thinking that she seemed like a nice and smart person. So, when she emailed me some months later about YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED, I was excited to dive into the manuscript.

MM: Yes! Elizabeth asked me to keep her in mind for future projects, and I’m so glad I did. I think sometimes writers think agents are just being kind when they ask for future projects, but they don’t say that to everyone. 

KV: So. True. Over time, I think we condition ourselves to see the bad in our writing, so when someone sees the good, we tend to downplay their positivity and assume it's a stock response.

Ms. Bewley, when you read Ms. Mason's query, what caught your attention?

EB: Besides recognizing Michelle’s name on the query, I absolutely loved the book’s title! I also thought that Michelle was able to succinctly sum up her premise and plot, which is always a good sign in a query. 

KV: Obviously, the manuscript met--or exceeded--your expectations. What did you love about YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED?

EB: My imagination was completely captured by the thought of a group of people who were trapped in time while the rest of the world had moved on…and on, by twenty five years! It’s the kind of high concept that I really enjoy. 

KV: How quickly did you read Ms. Mason's manuscript? Is that pretty typical of your response times on requested material, or do those vary?

EB: I had to look back at my emails to figure this out! I read Michelle’s manuscript within a week or two. Unfortunately, I’m not always that fast. It depends on what else is happening during a particular week or even day. 

KV: Ms. Mason, now that you've reached the querying finish line, what do you wish you had known when you were back at the start gate?

MM: Well, as I mentioned in the earlier question, my starting gate was seven years ago. I have learned so much during those years. I started out writing middle grade and discovered my voice was a better fit for young adult, but I wouldn’t trade those years of trying out MG because it introduced me to the world of MG and even if I’m not writing it, I still love reading it. As far as the querying process, each new manuscript has taught me something. I actually wrote a post on my blog each year about the lessons I learned querying. So, to answer your question, I don’t suppose there’s anything in particular I’d tell baby querier Michelle except to hang in there.

KV: Ms. Mason's "What I've Learned" posts are treasure troves of information and determination for querying writers. If you've never checked them out, you should do so posthaste!

Ms. Bewley, what querying tips do you have, and are you looking for anything specific at the moment?

EB: I’m awed by everyone who writes a novel and takes the brave step to send it out for review. So, first off, bravo to all the writers out there. Secondly, I’d encourage writers to put their best foot forward by sending out short, well-written query letters that tell an agent or editor what your book is about, why it is unique, and how it fits into the current marketplace. I also always like to know a little bit about a writer’s background too. 

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you'd like to share with us?

EB: Keep at it! If you have the passion and the talent, you’ll find receptive readers. 

MM: Persevere! If you truly love writing and stick with it, you will eventually find the right audience for your work, whatever that means to you. Also, writing friends are so important! Build a strong network of critique partners/readers you trust to give you honest feedback and encouragement when you start to doubt yourself. I wouldn’t have survived those years of querying without my support network.

And there you have it! Didn't I say it would be great?!

An Interview + A Giveaway = A Must-read Post

Many thanks to Michelle Mason, critique partner extraordinaire, for interviewing me about EARTH TO DAD! Michelle always has great insights on the books she reviews, and the questions she asks are just as thought-provoking. Definitely check out the interview, and don't miss the signed hardcover giveaway at the bottom of the post!

The Writer's Voice: Where Is Ben Spendlove Now?

The bad news is that my last week was a bit of a whirlwind, so I completely neglected the blog. The good news is that you'll be able to get a double dose of "Where Are They Now?" beginning with Ben Spendlove. Ben and I have been critique partners for going on six years, so DRIVERS was one of the few entries I got to read in its entirety. Ben's writing never ceases to blow me away, and the insights he shares below are just as keen.

KV: One of the things I loved most about DRIVERS was how it felt like a book that only you could write. What inspired you to write it?

BS: My first conception of DRIVERS was quite different from what I ended up writing; the protagonist was an investigative reporter who suspected an unmanned-ground-drone maker of actually putting people inside the drones. I work at a company that automates vehicles, so I knew a lot about the subject. In that form, however, it would have been more of a detective story.

As I worked it over in my mind, I was drawn more to the characters inside the drones. What would make someone voluntarily hide inside a robot that was likely to be destroyed? The answer, at least for me, was that they wanted to die. And I understood them, having gone through periods of depression and suicide attempts.

It became deeply personal, with the technology, setting, and action as a metaphor for exploring depression and suicide. These subjects are often misunderstood and stigmatized, so I wanted to show, metaphorically, what it was like. I tried to use my inside knowledge of how autonomous vehicles work to make it plausible and realistic.

KV: As one of your critique partners, I know that your writing has sometimes had to take a backseat to the rest of your life. What makes you keep coming back to it?

BS: I believe that everyone has a creative impulse. For me, it's strong. And though I like other creative endeavors, like rebuilding bicycles, I always come back to writing--and I always have. Writing gives me a positive place for my thoughts to dwell instead of worrying about what terrible things might happen in real life. It helps me sort through my experiences and emotions. On days that I write, I'm more focused at work and happier at home.

Last summer, I had a run-in with depression for the first time in over ten years. I'd thought I was done with depression, immune for life. But there it was. I turned to my writing, both what I'd written in DRIVERS and a new novel, to explore the aspects of my life that didn't feel right. Writing isn't a cure for depression; it can sometimes make it worse! But it can also help, and it has. (In fact, this last year has made me grateful that I don't have a publisher or even an agent. I don't have deadlines or commitments to deal with.)

Another draw is the love I develop for my characters and stories. I want them to reach their potential, and as long as I still have ideas for making them better, I'll keep revising. I tend not to have a lot of stories in my head waiting to be written, but I certainly have lots of ideas about the ones I'm working on.

KV: A few years ago, your wife wood-burned an Isaac Asimov quote on a pencil: "I write for the same reason I breathe--because if I didn't, I would die." What do those words mean to you?

BS: I won't literally die without writing, but if I go too long without working on a novel, it feels like I'm dying. I feel directionless. Life seems futile. I think I was born to write stories. (It's probably pathological.)

Writing is also my preferred method of communication with myself. I write notes--a lot--to help me figure things out. My day job is technical writing, so I do a lot of less-creative writing, too. (Engineers occasionally comment about how awful my job seems to them. And I'm always like "Right back at ya!")

You know, I guess I don't know that I wouldn't literally die, because I've never actually stopped writing. Hmm.

KV: What are you working on now?

BS: I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I'm still working on DRIVERS. After The Writer's Voice and querying about fifty agents, I set it aside and wrote another novel, THE FREEZER, which was difficult to write and took much longer. (No luck getting an agent there, either.) Then I started a middle grade novel, but couldn't get momentum. Then I started another sci-fi novel, which I love and intend to finish.

But last year when I opened DRIVERS and read the entire thing--I still loved it. That's got to count for something. I knew if I were to give it another go, I'd need some fresh eyes and ideas. So I swallowed my pride and gave everyone at work and all my Facebook friends the chance to read it. And I got some good feedback. Then one of my coworkers approached me about starting a writing group, and we've been workshopping DRIVERS a chapter at a time.

Now I'm working on some exciting changes to the setting, the ending, and the secondary characters, including (wait for it) making one of the drivers an investigative reporter. I'm also bringing in other motivations for the drivers, because there are many reasons to put oneself in mortal danger. I'm not sticking slavishly to my depression metaphor anymore, and I think the story is better for it.

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you'd like to share with us?

BS: My daughter is my role model when it comes to writing. She reads voraciously and writes prodigiously. As much as I profess to love reading and writing, I don't do either very much. She spends a good chunk of her free time (and more of her non-free time than I'd like) reading and writing. And you know what? She's really good at both of them. Once she learns to revise, she'll write better than I do.

I guess I'm saying that the standard advice about writing is good advice. I'm trying to take it and fit writing into my day wherever I can--even if I have to give up some precious sleep.

Thank you for your honesty and authenticity, Ben. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has grown and will grow from the words you add to the world.

Two More Chances to Win an ARC of THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING!

Just wanted to let you know that a couple of my lovely critique partners, Myrna Foster and Tara Dairman, are giving away ARCs of THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING on their blogs. Today is the last day to enter Myrna's giveaway, and Tara's giveaway is only open until next Tuesday, so as Ella Mae's mama would say, don't dillydally!

Happy Release Day, RED BUTTERFLY!

The title of this post pretty much says it all. RED BUTTERFLY's birthday is here, so it's time for a celebration! I fell in love with an early draft of Amy's book from the very first poem, and now I can't wait to hold the real, live book in my hands (and to see Amy June Bates's accompanying illustrations!).

A brief summary from Goodreads:

Kara never met her birth mother. Abandoned as an infant, she was taken in by an American woman living in China. Now eleven, Kara spends most of her time in their apartment, wondering why she and Mama cannot leave the city of Tianjin and go live with Daddy in Montana. Mama tells Kara to be content with what she has…but what if Kara secretly wants more?

Told in lyrical, moving verse, Kara’s story is one of a girl learning to trust her own voice, discovering that love and family are limitless, and finding the wings she needs to reach new heights.

I've already pre-ordered my copy, but I want to buy your copy, too! (To be more precise, I want to buy one of you a copy. I wish I could buy all of you a copy, but I'm afraid I'm not J.K. Rowling.) To enter, just leave a comment below. I haven't bought it yet, so this contest is open internationally (provided that your country is on The Book Depository's list). It closes in one week, on Monday, February 9, at 11:59 p.m. EST. I'll announce the winner the next day!

Great News for Great Friends

Liz and I have been friends since Kate signed us within a week or two of each other back in the spring of 2012, so when I found out that Albert Whitman wanted to buy Liz's latest sci-fi, I busted out my happy dance. The official announcement is over at Publishers Weekly, but if you don't feel like clicking, I've pasted it below:

"Wendy McClure of Albert Whitman has bought NA author Elizabeth Briggs's first YA project: a science-fiction novel called Future Shock plus a sequel. In the books, a Latina teenager raised in Los Angeles's foster care system with an eidetic memory is recruited by a tech company for a mission--a trip thirty years into the future. Publication is slated for March 2016; Kate Testerman of KT Literary brokered the deal for world English rights."

 CONGRATULATIONS, LIZ!

And in other awesome news, Amy's debut, RED BUTTERFLY, got its first review from Kirkus, and it happened to be starred. (I say "happened to be" like there was ever any doubt, but when I read RED BUTTERFLY many moons ago, it was already poignant and beautiful and everything you'd ever want from your award-winning MG. I'm sure it's only gotten better over time.) It's too long to paste below, but you should definitely check it out (and add it on Goodreads while you're at it!).

What about you? Any exciting news, writing or otherwise, that you'd like to share with us?

The Beta Reader Browse, 2014 Edition

It's been forever since I hosted one of these meet-and-greets, so consider this my catch-up post. I know there are several dedicated websites that help writers find new beta readers/critique partners, but since I found ALL of my critique partners on a blog, I can't help but think that the old-fashioned way might still be useful:)

If you're looking for a beta reader/critique partner, leave a comment on this post with the following information:

1. The genre of your manuscript
2. A few sentences about it
3. What you're looking for in a beta reader/critique partner (e.g., a conceptual critique of your full manuscript, a line edit of your first three chapters, or whatever)
4. Your e-mail address

Happy meeting-and-greeting! (And don't miss the giveaway for S.L. Bynum's GRIM CRUSH!)

Happy Release Day, ALL FOUR STARS!

Today is the day! Tara's ALL FOUR STARS is officially out. To celebrate, I'm reposting a classic from my now-defunct "Massacring the Art of French Cooking" series. It was great while it lasted, and this post was the first. I hope you enjoy! (I'm also giving away a signed hardcover of ALL FOUR STARS, so don't miss the details at the bottom of the post!)

Today is my birthday, the big two-six. Now I tell you that not to solicit your happy birthdays (although you're welcome to leave your best birthday songs in the comments, if you like), but as an explanation for why we baked a cake.

Some friends invited us over for dinner Monday night, so we decided to turn it into an early birthday celebration and offered to make dessert. So we needed to bake a cake and, since it was going to be my birthday, not just any cake--the great Reine de Saba, or Queen of Sheba, a chocolate and almond masterpiece rumored to be Julia Child's favorite cake.

We first encountered the mighty Queen when we rented JULIE AND JULIA several weeks ago. My husband and I are closet foodies, so JULIE AND JULIA sounded interesting to us both. (Yeah, my husband's pretty cool like that.) By the end of the movie, all we had to do was take one look at each other, and we knew: We needed a copy of MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING.

Now French cuisine is to the culinary world what Shakespeare is to the literary one: that aged sage who seems more myth than truth, whose works are thick and incomparable and define the entire discipline. So the Queen of Sheba is more than just a cake; it's an aspiration, a distant mountain peak, a legend.

We made sure we had all the right ingredients and equipment. We made a special trip to procure the things we lacked. And then we started baking. My husband separated his first eggs (six of them, no less--the Queen doesn't trifle with silly things like baking powder). I beat my first egg whites (until soft peaks started to form, then added a tablespoon of sugar and kept beating, until there was nothing soft about them). We folded everything together. And then we eased our cake rounds into the oven and set the timer for twenty-two minutes (three less than Julia called for, just in case our oven wasn't properly French).

Twenty-two minutes later, when I inserted my fork exactly three inches from the edge (should have been a needle, but I figured a tine was good enough), it came out a little dirty. Three more minutes on the timer, then another fork into the cake. This one came out clean. Which meant it was time for the final test: the jiggle.

According to Julia, the center of the cake should "move slightly" when jiggled. The whole point of the Queen is to leave her slightly underdone so as to preserve her creamy texture.

So we jiggled. And got nothing.

There was nothing we could do about it by then, of course, so that was exactly what we did. We iced her as if nothing unusual had happened (in nearly half a pound of butter mixed with four squares of baker's chocolate), we pressed a few leftover slivered almonds into her sides, we took her to our friends' place. And when it was time for dessert and I sampled the first bite, I knew: We'd ruined her. The Queen of Sheba was as dry as a slab of day-old bread. Chocolate and almond day-old bread, but day-old bread, nonetheless.

What makes this an even greater tragedy is the fact that we're on a no-dessert diet for the next month and a half. Our health insurance company does these wellness challenges, and for each one you complete, you get a partial refund on your premiums. So the first wellness challenge is to not eat or drink any desserts, treats, or soda for two months. Two whole months. You do get a few free days, so you've got to make the most of them. And we wasted one of ours on the over-baked Queen.

Still, we will not be defeated. We refuse to be bested by the French. So we're planning to crack that cookbook again in about a week and give another recipe a try. If our next attempt is a success, I'm sure you'll hear about it. And if our next attempt is as, uh, massacre-ful as this last one, I'm sure you'll hear about that, too:)

And now for the giveaway! To enter, just tell me in the comments that you'd like to win (and for an extra entry, feel free to share your most epic kitchen disaster). Contest is open to US and Canadian residents and closes in two weeks, on Wednesday, July 23, at 11:59 p.m. EDT (or 8:59 p.m. PDT). I'll select a random winner the next day.

An Interview, an ARC Giveaway, and a Cover Reveal: RED BUTTERFLY by A.L. Sonnichsen

I'm thrilled to welcome Laurent Linn, art director at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, to the blog for a very special interview. Longtime readers probably know that I've been friends with A.L. Sonnichsen for almost four and a half years (though I usually call her Amy), so I've had a front-row seat for RED BUTTERFLY's metamorphosis. Now that Amy's made it to her first cover reveal, I thought it would be cool to hear a bit from the designer.

(I'm also giving away one of Amy's ARCs, so after you check out the interview, definitely check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post!)

KV: In our initial e-mail exchange, you mentioned that RED BUTTERFLY was a special project for you. What do you love about it?

LL: When a manuscript comes to me to read for pondering the cover and interior designs, I only have time to read them outside of the office. I read RED BUTTERFLY on a plane trip and the poor people around me must have wondered what was wrong with me. I was crying an laughing and gasping...the story and characters really impacted me. It was clearly a rare work and I've never read anything like it. Filled with the hopes and heartaches of growing up, finding where you truly belong, and who to trust. I was so solidly in the main character's shoes that I felt every emotion with her, and saw our own American culture through her eyes, which was truly enlightening. So I wanted to be sure it had a special and striking design, to do justice to the story and writing. To really stand out.

KV: Tell us a bit about that initial design meeting. Did you have a clear vision for this cover, or did it develop as you went?

LL: Because it's prose written in a poetic form, I immediately wanted the cover to be lyrical and hint at the poetic feel of the text. But I also knew we had to show Kara, the main character, since it truly is such a personal story. And hinting at the unique Chinese elements of the story were important. Being a middle-grade book, I wanted it to also appeal to all readers, too, so not look too sophisticated or inaccessible to readers of all types of genres. A tricky task! So, while there were clear directions I wanted to include in the cover imagery and design, it did develop as I explored ideas. But the key was finding the perfect illustrator do collaborate with.

KV: It seems like YA covers typically make use of photographs while their MG counterparts are more often illustrated. Why is that, and why did you decide to go with an illustrated cover in RED BUTTERFLY's case?

LL: Why YA often uses photography and middle-grade illustration is a hard subject to cover in a few sentences(!) But there was never a question that this book should be anything other than illustrated. The lyricism of the text and the subtle emotions and discoveries in the story could be conveyed best in art. I wanted the cover to have textures and depth. Also, I did want to show Kara, but in a way that suggests what she looks like rather than show a specific person, as a photo would do. So, while an illustration of her face does give us a specific image of her, if done in a loose illustrated style it could leave more to the reader's imagination to visualize her as they see her.

KV: Sounds like I need to have you back sometime to give us the inside scoop on YA versus MG covers! But that's beside the point...

Who did the cover art, and why did you pick him or her?

LL: With special books, I love giving an illustrator freedom to imagine concepts first without any art direction. They get the manuscript, read it, and are free to come up with ideas of their own first. When possible, I don't like to "handcuff" illustrators by giving them specific art directions right away. It can get in the way of creativity. I want to hire a great artist for their unique vision and inspiration. So I knew it had to be someone who could do that as well as have the appropriate style. And I knew right away who that would be: Amy June Bates.

Amy is an extremely talented artist, but also a storyteller in her art and concepts. She brings subtle emotions and power to her art. Also, while she's American, she's lived in Japan so has a passion, respect, and understanding of Asian art and techniques. I wanted to hint at Chinese calligraphy textures on the cover, (which Amy did so beautifully in Kara's hair). As soon as she read the manuscript, Amy called me filled with emotion and excitement about the book--she was affected as much as I was by the story and writing. This book has become a passion for her as well!

KV: Once you got the initial sketches back, how did things progress from there?

LL: Amy drew a few wonderful concepts, but the one that stood out was what did eventually become the jacket art. Kara in the window, looking out at the world. Her face and pose and the environment changed as we went, but the main imagery stayed the same. Amy got it right away!

We did try the idea of having a subtle pattern of Chinese words and symbols on the outside wall (to show more about her outer world) and a pattern of text from Pride and Prejudice (which figures into Kara's story) on the inside wall. But it muddled the image and took away from focusing on Kara. After refining the sketch, Amy created her painting and I designed the title type. I wanted the lettering to reflect the Chinese brushwork I mentioned, and have movement and a lyrical quality.

KV: Talk to us about the color palette. The striking reds and yellows are especially appropriate for this story. Was that intentional?

LL: Yes, it was. In the book there is powerful symbolism with a red butterfly so we knew we wanted to have the type in red and Kara wearing red, so it's visually clear she is the red butterfly. And, in a practical way, I also wanted it to be clear the book isn't actually about a red butterfly. We initially thought of perhaps showing a butterfly flying or resting on the bamboo pole, but realized that could be deceiving. And the yellow, as you say, is appropriate to the story, but is also accurate to what a Chinese apartment building could look like in reality. And those golds and yellows are the perfect colors to surround Kara to be sure she is the focus and also set off the title nicely.

KV: Last but certainly not least, I'm handing the mike over to you. Any final thoughts about RED BUTTERFLY or its cover?

LL: To me, much of the power of the cover comes from the fact that we, the reader, and Kara are both looking through a window. We're about to look in and see her world, just as she's looking out into ours. Also, the dark interior, with the wonderfully symbolic birdcage (which is in the text) tell us so much about her inner world and emotions. While the outside world is bright and the wind in her hair hints at motion and energy.

And I want to share something quite remarkable. Initially there weren't any plans for interior art, just the cover. But when I read it I envisioned spare, small art spots here and there to enrich the book as a whole and complement the text. All agreed so I asked Amy if she would also create some small black and white pieces for the interior, about thirty illustrations in all. Well, Amy got so swept away and inspired that she created over seventy of them! And not only that, she created her own newsprint of Chinese characters, each word meaning some aspect of the book. She then used this newsprint to create collages, along with text pages from Pride and Prejudice, and inked the art on the collages using a Chinese brush line and style. They are glorious. And you'll just have to get the book to see for yourself!

I will see for myself as soon as Amy's book comes out! You can bet I'll be one of the first to buy RED BUTTERFLY come February. But YOU don't have to wait, since Amy has graciously offered to send an ARC to one random winner. To enter, just tell me in the comments that you'd like to win. Contest is open to US and Canadian residents and closes in two weeks, on Thursday, June 19, at 11:59 p.m. EDT (or 8:59 p.m. PDT). I'll select the winner the next day.

Oh, and perhaps you'd like to see the cover? :) Here it is!

A Balancing Act

Critique partner and agent sister Amy and I recently had a candid conversation about how we balance writing and motherhood, and superagent Kate was awesome enough to post our chat on her blog. Don't miss parts one and two!

The Difference Between Good Writers and Good Editors

First off, I have to say that I love my critique partners. They're fantastic writers who are at once supportive and insightful. They read every manuscript I throw at them, and they always have something helpful to say. They're also fierce defenders of those manuscripts, so when I feel like chucking one over a cliff, they're always the ones who talk me down from the ledge.

But while my critique partners are great writers and have great editorial insights, they're still not editors. And the difference is profound. When Shauna first sent me notes, they literally knocked my socks off. (I'm using "literally" in its newest sense, which is actually equivalent to "metaphorically" or, in other words, "not literally.") Shauna was able to see things that no one else had seen, including six CPs (two of whom are now published or about to be) and two offering agents (who've sold scads of manuscripts between them), and she was able to communicate those things in a way that got my creative juices flowing. As I've probably already mentioned, I ended up rewriting more than half of Steve (and now that we're nearing the end of the revision process, I'd say that less than twenty percent of the original scenes made the final cut).

I'll be the first to admit that when I'm critiquing a manuscript, it's hard not to tell the writer to just write it how I would have written it. Some things are right or wrong grammatically, and some devices are better or worse from a storytelling point-of-view, but lots of things are just different, and when you're a writer yourself, it can be harder to discriminate between the two.

Now, do I still think I'm a fairly decent CP? Yes. Do I think that qualifies me to be an editor? Not necessarily. Obviously, I couldn't do for Steve what Shauna did for Steve (and not just because I was the one who wrote him). She saw the story's strengths and knew how to help me magnify them, but she also saw the story's weaknesses and knew how to help me fix them. Good editors don't trade your words for theirs; they help you tell the story you meant to tell in the first place.

Book Recommendation and ARC Giveaway: ALL FOUR STARS by Tara Dairman

If you've been hanging around the blog for any length of time, you've almost certainly heard me gush about Tara's MG debut at one point or another. I first fell in love with Tara's blowtorch-wielding heroine when Tara entered one of the very first rounds of "An Agent's Inbox"--you can still find her entry in the archives--and I've been stalking following Tara's journey ever since. In the two and a half years since that contest, I've had the pleasure of reading the rest of ALL FOUR STARS, and it was every bit as delectable as I'd hoped it would be:)

Gladys Gatsby, the aforementioned blowtorch-wielding heroine, may know how to make a mean crème brûlée, but she can't figure out how to be the soccer-playing, fast-food-eating, one-hundred-percent normal kid her parents want her to be. When she sets her kitchen on fire with the aforementioned blowtorch, her dreams of becoming a food critic go up in smoke, literally. Gladys may be down, but she definitely isn't out, as she's about to land that dream job with The New York Standard--and they don't seem to realize she's only eleven.

As an on-again, off-again foodie (which is to say that I like eating great food a heck of a lot more than I like cooking it), I immediately gravitated toward Gladys's story, but it was Gladys herself who captured my heart. If I were still eleven (and if she were, you know, real), I'm sure we would have been great friends.

If you like cooking, comedy, or pint-sized characters with gallon-sized hearts, you'll love ALL FOUR STARS. It comes out on July 10, so get those pre-orders in, but if you can't wait until then (and if you can't, I don't blame you), I'm giving away my ARC. To enter, you must have a mailing address in the United States and tell me in the comments what you wanted to be when you were eleven (or, if you can't remember that far back, what your favorite dessert is). Contest closes next Wednesday, January 22, at 11:59 p.m. EST (or 8:59 p.m. PST). I'll announce the winner the next day!

Amy's Book Sold!

When Amy and I connected on Kiersten White's blog a while back, I knew right away that she was going to be special. Her prose was smooth and lyrical, and she had a knack for writing characters I genuinely cared about.

Of course, just because I knew she was going to be special didn't mean she had an easy road; as I'm sure you're well aware, this industry isn't big on doling out warm-fuzzies. But when she signed with Kate at the end of last year, I started to hope, and now I'm thrilled to announce that her MG novel-in-verse, RED BUTTERFLY, sold to Christian Trimmer at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers!

For all the juicy details, check out Amy's announcement as well as last week's rights report on Publishers Weekly. I can't wait for you to meet--and fall in love with--Kara.

Happy Release Day, RUMP!

It's finally here! After two long years of waiting, RUMP's release day has arrived!

I wish I could tell you what this book means to me. Of course, I'd heard of agent signings and book deals, but Liesl's were the first that felt personal. They were the first that felt like they were happening to ME. When you're someone's critique partner, you really do throw yourself into the fight with them. The blows that hit them hit you, too, and the successes feel like yours.

So I'll be ordering my copy in three...two...one...

And now that I have mine, I want to buy yours, too! (One of yours, that is...) But the giveaway doesn't start today; it starts with tomorrow's round of "An Agent's Inbox"! For every substantive comment you leave on one of the entries between tomorrow and Sunday night, I'll give you an entry in my RUMP giveaway. Then when I announce Ms. Sarver's winners, I'll also choose one random commenter to win a copy of RUMP!

Keep in mind that your comments have to be substantive (in other words, you can't just say, "I love this!" or "This stinks"), but if you comment on, say, three entries, you'll be entered to win three times. If you comment on TEN entries, you'll be entered to win TEN times, and so on. Anyone may comment, so anyone may win. (But if you don't live in the US, it may take a little time for me to get your copy to you, since I will have to teach myself how to send things internationally. BUT I'm always up for learning new things, so comment away!)

Of course, if you don't want to wait a week or two to get your RUMP, no worries! Just hurry over to wherever you like to buy books and pick yours up today!

(Work-in-) Progress Report: Bonnie

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 72,000
Status: Waiting to hear back from the first round of betas
Attitude: Pumped

Just a quick note to say I sent Bonnie to her first round of betas last week and that the early feedback has been very positive. It's exciting, because I've felt the same way about Bonnie that I did about Steve, and it's nice to get a little validation. Plus, we all know how my good feelings about Steve turned out:)

Also, I wanted to let everyone know I'll be posting a contest alert for next week's round of "An Agent's Inbox" TOMORROW, so definitely come back and check that out. The lovely Melissa Sarver of Folio Literary Management will be judging next week's round, so you won't want to miss it!

Last but not least, I'd love to hear how your works-in-progress are going. Are you drafting, revising, querying? Are you happy, sad, going crazy? (Those activities and emotions generally match up for me:) )

Agent Sisters

Once upon a time, I sent Amy Sonnichsen an e-mail. We were unagented, and since we'd gotten requests from Kate Schafer Testerman in the past, I allowed myself to imagine that she offered to both of us. Our writing styles were similar, I thought; it didn't seem too far outside the realm of possibilities. So we'd become agent sisters, and Kate would sell both our books, and we'd go on book tours together and sit side-by-side at those little folding tables and foist each other's books on unsuspecting bystanders.

I'm absolutely THRILLED to report we're a third of the way there.

So hop over to Amy's post and congratulate her on signing with the indomitable Kate. I don't know if we'll ever go on book tours together or foist each other's books on unsuspecting bystanders, but hey, it's fun to dream. And as they say on South Pacific, "You've got to have a dream. If you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?"

(For the record, I loathe that movie and especially that song, but it does make a good point:) )

(Work-in-) Progress Reports: Bonnie and Clyde

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 41,000 for Bonnie, 45,000 for Clyde
Status: Bouncing back to Bonnie after wrapping up Clyde’s latest draft
Attitude: Meh

Here’s how my month went down: I added almost 30,000 words to Bonnie in the first few weeks of August, then turned my attention back to Clyde once my readers’ notes came in. They gave me some great big-picture stuff to fix, so I spent about a week and a half working through their suggestions. Since I was a little ahead of schedule, I thought I’d give the manuscript one last read-through and start cleaning up the prose.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

I don’t know why I think that last read-through will make me like the story more, because it never does. Nothing short of silky smoothness will satisfy me when it comes to wordsmithing, and that’s a hard standard to meet over the course of an entire manuscript. Mind you, no manuscript--and not even any published book--is perfect, but I usually feel pretty good about ninety-five percent of the sentences by the time I’m finally done.

Clyde’s hovering somewhere around fifty percent at the moment. Yuck.

Anyway, I’m trying not to think about it while I wait to hear back from Amy and Jeni (and Kelly, too, of course!). Instead, I’m devoting all my subconscious thought to Bonnie. I wasn’t quite sure where to go with her a few weeks ago, but now the gears are churning again. I’ve already had a few ideas that should give me more to write, so that’s something, at least.

How are things going for you?

(Work-in-) Progress Reports: Bonnie and Clyde

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 13,000 for Bonnie, 44,000 for Clyde

Status: Collecting my reward:)

Attitude: Relaxed and optimistic

I finished Clyde’s second draft about two weeks ago, took a week to mull things over, and dove back into Bonnie last Thursday or Friday. True to my word from May’s report, I didn’t let myself go back to her until Clyde was out of my hands.

So Clyde’s with beta readers (hi, Ben, Liesl, and Myrna!), and Bonnie’s coming along. And my streak of firsts continues. This is the first time I’ve ever worked on two projects simultaneously, and it’s also the first time I’ve ever bounced around while writing a first draft. I tend to write very linearly, from page one to page whatever, without skipping a single scene, but I’m not doing that with Bonnie. In fact, I’ve given up on numbering the chapters altogether, since I can’t tell right now exactly where they’re going to fall.

I suppose it makes at least a little bit of sense, since Bonnie isn’t a linear story, anyway. I’m telling the front story going forward and the back story going backward from two similar events, interweaving related scenes as I go along. But therein lies the problem. Right now, all of the ideas my subconscious is spinning out are related to the front story, so I’m running with those. Surprisingly, this jumping-around isn’t driving me crazy. I’m (mostly) going with the flow and letting things happen as they will--which, if you know anything about me, runs directly counter to my usual MO:)

I don’t know how long this carefree productivity will last, but I’m definitely enjoying it while it’s here. If this keeps up, I may have to move the family to Hawaii so my location will match my mood…

What about you? How are your projects coming along, and how do you feel about them at the moment?

(Work-in-) Progress Report: Clyde

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 43,000
Status: Almost finished with the second draft
Attitude: Antsy

I'm antsy because I want to finish, finish, finish! I think I'm only a week or two away from sending Clyde off to his first round of beta readers, and I just want to send him. But I promise not to do it until I complete my revision process, so don't panic, Ben and Myrna! I'll do my best to make it (mostly) comprehensible:)

As for how this last month and a few weeks have gone, I'll be the first to admit that it's been a little dicey. Almost three-quarters of the way through the first draft, I realized that I'd written myself into a place I didn't want to be in, and it took me a few days to decide how to get myself out of it. Thank goodness for good friends who talked me down from the ledge and helped me find a way out of the rut that I was trapped in. I was literally two clicks away from chucking the whole thing out the window, but they managed to keep me from doing something they knew I'd regret. I don't remember everyone I e-mailed in a panic, but I do remember that Liesl was the one who gave me the idea that kept me going, so thank you, thank you, thank you, Liesl (and everybody else who wouldn't let me quit).

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever written yourself into a corner, then convinced yourself that there was no way out? I can honestly say that that's the first time anything like that has happened to me. I've had my rough patches, sure, but I've never been tempted to just delete a draft and walk away.

Now that I'm here, on the verge of finishing another draft and shipping it out for feedback, I'm so glad I didn't do that...